cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of solution chemistry on the boron content in inorganic calcite grown in artificial seawater

Abstract The ratio of boron to calcium (B/Ca) in marine biogenic carbonates has been proposed as a proxy for properties of seawater carbonate chemistry. Applying this proxy to planktic foraminifera residing in the surface seawater largely in equilibrium with the atmosphere may provide a valuable handle on past atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. However, precise controls on B/Ca in planktic foraminifera remain enigmatic because it has been shown to depend on multiple physicochemical seawater properties. To help establish a firm inorganic basis for interpreting the B/Ca records, we examined the effect of a suite of chemical parameters ([Ca 2+ ], pH, [DIC], salinity and [PO 4 3− ]) on B/Ca in inorganic calcite precipitated in artificial seawater. These parameters were primarily varied individually while keeping all others constant, but we also tested the influence of pH and [DIC] at a constant calcite precipitation rate ( R ) by concurrent [Ca 2+ ] adjustments. In the simple [Ca 2+ ], pH and [DIC] experiments, both R and B/Ca increased with these parameters. In the pH–[Ca 2+ ] and [DIC]–[Ca 2+ ] experiments at constant R , on the other hand, B/Ca was invariant at different pH and decreased with [DIC], respectively. These patterns agree with the behavior of solution [B Total /DIC] ratio such that, at a fixed [B Total ], it is independent of pH but decreases with [DIC]. Based on these results, R and [B Total /DIC] ratio appear to be the primary controls on B/Ca in inorganic calcite, suggesting that both B(OH) 4 − and B(OH) 3 are possibly involved in B incorporation. Moreover, B/Ca modestly increased with salinity and [PO 4 3− ]. Inorganic calcite precipitated at higher R and in the presence of oxyanions such as SO 4 2− and PO 4 3− in growth solutions often undergoes surface roughening due to formation of crystallographic defects, vacancies and, occasionally, amorphous/hydrous CaCO 3 . These non-lattice sites may provide additional space for B, particularly B(OH) 3 . Consequently, besides the macroscopic influence of R and bulk solution chemistry, molecular-scale processes associated with calcite nucleation can be an important consideration for B incorporation, especially in complex ionic solutions. Lastly, the covariance of B/Ca with [DIC] and salinity observed here qualitatively agrees with those in planktic foraminifers. It follows that their impact on foraminiferal B/Ca is partly inorganically driven, which may explain why the effect is evident across different species.
Long-term Management of Ureterocele in Duplex Collecting Systems: Reconstruction Implications.

Significant variance exists in the management of duplex collecting system ureteroceles (DSU). There is a great spectrum in classification, management, and surgical interventions. The practice of performing bladder level operations for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and trigonal anatomic distortion, either after ureterocele puncture or in a single setting, has come into question as to whether all DSU patients require it. In this review, we sought to discuss DSU management trends and the need for bladder reconstruction in these patients, as well as to describe our institution’s practices. Recent advances regarding DSU management revolve around differing surgical approaches, although adequately powered randomized control trials are lacking. These approaches include nonoperative management, various forms of endoscopic puncture, ureteroureterostomy, and most recently upper pole ureteral ligation. A common theme appears to reflect the acceptance that “less is more” when it comes to managing DSU. There is no consensus for the decision to treat or the surgical approach of DSU. Ureteral reimplantation and bladder neck reconstruction appears to be unnecessary in a significant portion of the DSU population, but ureterocele treatment needs to be individualized. There is an ongoing need for large, multi-institutional randomized control trials to evaluate this further.
SQL/XML and the SQLX Informal Group of Companies.

For many years now, the SQL standard has been maintained and enhanced by NCITS Technical Committee H2 on Database in the US and by the ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC32/WG3 Database Languages Working Group internationally. After the publication of SQL:1992, the groups began to publish SQL as a base document (SQL/Foundation) and a number of independent parts. These parts began with SQL/CLI (Call-Level Interface) and SQL/PSM (Persistent Stored Modules) in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Interest in XML has been growing in the last several years among software vendors, user companies of all sizes, and within the standards community. NCITS H2 and SC32 both approved a project for a new part of SQL, part 14, XML-Related Specifications (SQL/XML), in the second half of 2000. After this new project was approved, a small number of companies began to meet in order to explore the technology and develop proposals to begin fleshing out this new part of SQL. This informal group of companies has come to be known as The SQLX Group. In roughly a year’s time, several pieces of what might be termed “infrastructure” have been progressed and are included in the initial working draft of SQL/XML [2].
Disorders of Calcium: Physiology

Calcium (Ca2+) is the most abundant divalent ion in the body. Approximately 1.2–1.3 kg of Ca2+ is present in a 70-kg individual. Of this amount, 99 % is present in the bone in the form of hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6 (OH)2), and the remaining 1 % is found in the teeth, soft tissues, plasma, and cells. The plasma (serum) Ca2+ concentration (abbreviated as [Ca2+]) is 10 mg/dL (range 8.5–10.5 mg/dL) and circulates in three forms. About 50 % of Ca2+ exists as a free or ionized form. Approximately 40 % of Ca2+ is bound to proteins, mostly to albumin and to some extent globulins. The remaining 10 % is complexed with anions such as phosphate, bicarbonate, and citrate (Table 17.1). Only the ionized and anion-complexed Ca2+ is filtered at the glomerulus. Protein-bound Ca2+ is not filtered. Only the ionized (free) Ca2+ is physiologically active. The free intracellular [Ca2+] is about 10,000-fold lower than the extracellular free [Ca2+]; this concentration gradient is maintained by Ca2+-specific channels, Ca-ATPase, and a Na/Ca exchanger.Ca2+ plays a significant role in cellular metabolic functions; such as muscle and nerve contraction, activation of enzyme, blood coagulation, and cell growth. Consequently, low plasma [Ca2+] (hypocalcemia) or high plasma [Ca2+] (hypercalcemia) may lead to severe cellular dysfunction.
Automated vehicles and pedestrian safety: exploring the promise and limits of pedestrian detection.

Introduction U.S. pedestrian fatalities have risen recently, even as vehicles are equipped with increasingly sophisticated safety and crash avoidance technology. Many experts expect that advances in automated vehicle technology will reduce pedestrian fatalities substantially through eliminating crashes caused by human error. This paper investigates automated vehicles’ potential for reducing pedestrian fatalities by analyzing nearly 5,000 pedestrian fatalities recorded in 2015 in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, virtually reconstructing them under a hypothetical scenario that replaces involved vehicles with automated versions equipped with state-of-the-art (as of December 2017) sensor technology. Methods This research involved the following activities: (1) establish functional ranges of state-of-the-art pedestrian sensor technologies, (2) use data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System to identify pedestrian fatalities recorded in each state in the U.S. and District of Columbia in 2015, and (3) assess the maximum numbers of pedestrian fatalities that could have been avoided had involved vehicles been replaced with autonomous versions equipped with the described sensors. The research was conducted from July to December 2017. Results Sensors’ abilities to detect pedestrians in advance of fatal collisions vary from 90% of fatalities. Combining sensor technologies offers the greatest potential for eliminating fatalities, but may be unrealistically expensive. Furthermore, whereas initial deployment of automated vehicles will likely be restricted to freeways and select urban areas, non-freeway streets and rural settings account for a substantial share of pedestrian fatalities. Conclusions Although technologies are being developed for automated vehicles to successfully detect pedestrians in advance of most fatal collisions, the current costs and operating conditions of those technologies substantially decrease the potential for automated vehicles to radically reduce pedestrian fatalities in the short term.
Clinicopathological features and outcomes of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma.

393Background: Clinicopathological features and the outcomes of patients with fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLHCC) are not clearly defined. Methods: Data were collected by retrospective c...
Three-Dimensional Traction Microscopy with a Fiber-Based Constitutive Model.

Abstract Tractions exerted by cells on their surroundings play an important role in many biological processes including stem cell differentiation, tumorigenesis, cell migration, cancer metastasis, and angiogenesis. The ability to quantify these tractions is important in understanding and manipulating these processes. Three-dimensional traction force microscopy (3DTFM) provides reliable means of evaluating cellular tractions by first measuring the displacement of fluorescent beads in response to these tractions in the surrounding matrix, and then using this measurement to compute the tractions. However, most applications of 3DTFM assume that the surrounding extra-cellular matrix (ECM) is non-fibrous, despite the fact that in many natural and synthetic environments the ECM contains a significant proportion of fibrous components. Motivated by this, we develop a computational approach for determining tractions, while accounting for the fibrous nature of the ECM. In particular, we make use of a fiber-based constitutive model in which the stress contains contributions from a distribution of nonlinear elastic fibers and a hyperelastic matrix. We solve an inverse problem with the nodal values of the traction vector as unknowns, and minimize the difference between a predicted displacement field, obtained by solving the equations of equilibrium in conjunction with the fiber-based constitutive model, and the measured displacement field at the bead locations. We employ a gradient-based minimization method to solve this problem and determine the gradient efficiently by solving for the appropriate adjoint field. We apply this algorithm to problems with experimentally observed cell geometries and synthetic, albeit realistic, traction fields to gauge its sensitivity to noise, and quantify the impact of using an incorrect constitutive model: the so-called model error. We conclude that the approach is robust to noise, yielding about 10% error in tractions for 5% displacement noise. We also conclude that the impact of model error is significant, where using a nonlinear exponential hyperelastic model instead of the fiber-based model, can lead to more than 100% error in the traction field. These results underline the importance of using appropriate constitutive models in 3DTFM, especially in fibrous ECM constructs.
Radio frequency spectrum control based on wideband jamming and photonic jamming cancellation

We propose and demonstrate a radio frequency spectrum control platform based on wideband jamming and photonic jamming cancellation. The radio frequency communication is disabled for malicious users without affecting authorized communications.
Karl W. Deutsch: Testing Great Ideas Against the Real World: Concepts and Theories Grounded Firmly in Data

Karl Wolfgang Deutsch was a gentle man and a scholar. In each of these capacities, he had an enormous impact upon his students and his profession. His concepts and theories grounded both in quantitative data and in qualitative understanding, his persistence in encouraging empirical cross-national research, his insistence on the relevance of quantitative methods of analysis, and his emphasis upon an interdisciplinary approach brought a profound and revolutionary change in the way that comparative and international political research was conducted.
Vezatin is required for the retrograde axonal transport of endosomes in Drosophila and zebrafish

Active transport of organelles within axons is critical for neuronal health. Retrograde axonal transport, in particular, relays neurotrophic signals received by axon terminals to the nucleus and circulates new material among en passant synapses. The single retrograde motor, cytoplasmic dynein, is linked to diverse cargos by adaptors that promote dynein motility. Here we identify Vezatin as a new, cargo-specific regulator of retrograde axonal transport. Loss-of-function mutations in the Drosophila vezatin-like (vezl) gene prevent signaling endosomes containing activated BMP receptors from initiating transport out of motor neuron terminal boutons. vezl loss also decreases the transport of endosomes and dense core vesicles (DCVs) within axon shafts. While vertebrate Vezatin (Vezt) has not previously been implicated in axonal transport, we show that vezt loss in zebrafish impairs the retrograde movement of late endosomes, causing their accumulation in axon terminals. Our work establishes a new, conserved, cargo-specific role for Vezatin proteins in axonal transport.
Precision Functional Mapping of Corticostriatal and Corticothalamic Circuits: Parallel Processing Reconsidered

In this issue of Neuron, Greene et al. (2020) identify zones of network specificity and multi-network integration in the basal ganglia and thalamus of individual human subjects. Such information could aid in the development of personalized and more effective brain stimulation therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Crumbling Walls, Peeling Paint, and High Achievement Orientation: Alternative Facts or Truth?:

This article examines historical context shaping the achievement gap while considering school choice. Students in low performing districts are often labeled as unmotivated or not achievement orient...
Δ-Σ Automatic-Gain Controller

Automatic-gain control (AGC) is a closed-loop feedback regulating circuit. It is used in many systems to maintain a nearly constant signal amplitude at its output despite variation of the signal amplitude at the input. Its role is to reduce the amplitude dynamic range so that circuits following the AGC can handle a reduced dynamic range. In 1925, Harold A. Wheeler invented and patented automatic volume control (AVC). Karl Kupfmuller published an analysis of AGC systems in 1928. By the early 1930s most new commercial broadcast receivers included AVC [1]. AM radio has used AGC since then. It is used in most radio receivers to equalize the average volume (loudness) of different radio stations due to differences in the received signal strength, as well as variations in a single station's radio signal due to fading. Related applications of AGC are in radar systems, telephone recording, audio/video recording, biological sensory systems, etc. Correct operation of mobile telephone systems is greatly dependent on AGC due to environmental factors such as seasonal change in vegetation, fluctuation of users, overpower of a neighboring base station, etc. A block diagram of a typical AGC is shown in Fig. 10.1. In brief, we will describe its operation as presented in [2]. As can be seen, the output of VGA, signal V1, is fed back to the detector of the amplitude change and to the next device in the signal-processing chain as well. If needed, signal V1 can be amplified. A detector block can be implemented as an envelope (or rectifier), square law, true RMS, or logarithmic. A detected signal V2 is smoothed (low-pass filtered) to produce a nearly DC signal. This signal is compared with a reference signal VR. The result of the comparison is used to generate the control voltage Vc to adjust the gain of the VGA. There are many publications, books, patents, VGA circuit solutions, and Internet sites dealing with theory, implementation, and applications of AGC devices. There are IC chips on the market as well. For instance, Analog Devices Inc. application note describes a low-frequency AGC circuit (AD8336) used in audio and power equipment [3]. A block diagram of a delta-sigma based automatic-gain control circuit is presented in reference [4]. However, rectification of analog input signal is done off delta-sigma IC chip, with the use of analog components.
Cellular localization of simian immunodeficiency virus in lymphoid tissues. I. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy

Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is a lentivirus with genetic relatedness to the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2). It induces a fatal syndrome in rhesus monkeys that closely parallels the clinical course of AIDS in humans. The authors used double-labeling immunohistochemical procedures on rhesus lymph node and spleen taken during different time periods after SIV infection to localize the p27 gag protein to specific cellular immunophenotypes. In animals with follicular hyperplasia, viral protein was found associated predominantly with follicular dendritic cells. Many of these cells showed ultrastructural alterations consisting of swollen dendritic processes contaning electron-dense material. Lentiviral particles were found associated with this cell type only rarely. In lymphoid tissues with other histopathologic changes, macrophages and multinucleate giant cells were the predominant cell types containing detectable quantities of viral protein; smaller numbers of p27+ lymhocytes were present. Ultrastructurally, viral particles were found within the extracellular spce adjacent to tissue macrophages and within membrane-bound vacuoles of giant cells and tissue macrophage. These results show that certain histologic patterns seen during the course of infection correlate with the localization of viral antigen to specific cellular immunophenotypes and that during the disease course, viral protein is preferentially localized in sections of lymphonode and spleen to cells of the macrophage and dendritic cell lineage.
Race, Racial Negativity, and Competing Conceptions of American National Identity:

This study explores differences among African Americans, Latinos, and whites regarding which attributes are most important to being truly American and how these competing conceptions relate to an i...
Traces on a Muddy Shore. Science and religion in Colonial and Early Independent Río de la Plata.

This paper is intended as a contribution to the study of science and religion in late modern Catholic societies. I explore the treatment of natural philosophy vis-a-vis religious (Roman Catholic) a...
Cortex: Harnessing Correlations to Boost Query Performance.

Databases employ indexes to filter out irrelevant records, which reduces scan overhead and speeds up query execution. However, this optimization is only available to queries that filter on the indexed attribute. To extend these speedups to queries on other attributes, database systems have turned to secondary and multi-dimensional indexes. Unfortunately, these approaches are restrictive: secondary indexes have a large memory footprint and can only speed up queries that access a small number of records, and multi-dimensional indexes cannot scale to more than a handful of columns. We present Cortex, an approach that takes advantage of correlations to extend the reach of primary indexes to more attributes. Unlike prior work, Cortex can adapt itself to any existing primary index, whether single or multi-dimensional, to harness a broad variety of correlations, such as those that exist between more than two attributes or have a large number of outliers. We demonstrate that on real datasets exhibiting these diverse types of correlations, Cortex matches or outperforms traditional secondary indexes with $5\times$ less space, and it is $2-8\times$ faster than existing approaches to indexing correlations.
Endogenous Co-Residence and Program Incidence: South Africa's Old Age Pension

We investigate whether living arrangements respond to an arguably exogenous shift in the distribution of power in family economic decision-making. In the early 1990s, the South African Old Age Pension was expanded to cover most black South Africans above a sex-specific age cut-off resulting in a substantial increase in the income of older South Africans and potentially their say in the economic decisions of their families. Beneficiaries of the program are more likely to coreside with adults who have less human capital as measured by height and education. Since height and education are fixed for adults, this cannot be an effect of the pension income but reflects selective changes in living arrangements resulting from the pension. The findings highlight the endogeneity of living arrangements and illustrate the potential value of moving beyond theory and data that are confined to a spatially determined definition of the household.
Assessment and Efficacy of Low-Dose CT Screening and Primary Care Providers Perspective on Lung Cancer Screening: An Institutional Review.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death in both men and women. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends annual lung screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) chest for individuals aged 55-80 who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. We reviewed the electronic medical records of patients visiting our outpatient clinic over a period of one year. We included all eligible individuals according to USPSTF guidelines for LDCT to identify screening rates at our institution. All primary care physicians, including residents and attendings, were given a prepared questionnaire to understand their beliefs and concerns with the implementation of this program. A total of 13,500 patients visited the outpatient clinic and 1178 were eligible for LDCT. Forty-five percent (45%) of patients received LDCT screening, which was higher than the national average of 2%-5%. A total of 50 primary care providers were included in the survey. The majority of the providers were aware of the USPSTF guidelines and believed that patients with multiple comorbidities and insurance issues were barriers in initiating LDCT screening. Lung cancer screening is an important component in cancer preventive strategies. Widespread awareness among the primary care providers and the public is extremely necessary for improving the use of LDCT.
Impact of location of inpatient cancer care on patients with Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma-A population-based study.

Background Ewing sarcoma (EWS) and osteosarcoma (OS) require multidisciplinary treatment. Care at specialized cancer centers (SCC: Children's Oncology Group affiliated and/or National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center) has been found to improve outcomes in patients with leukemia, but studies have not considered location of care and outcomes in EWS and OS patients, an ideal group to evaluate given their specialized multidisciplinary treatment needs. Methods Patients hospitalized with primary EWS and OS (2000-2014) were identified using the California Cancer Registry linked with hospitalization data. Patients were divided into age groups (0-18, 19-39, ≥40 years), and classified on whether they received all versus part/none of their inpatient treatment at a SCC within 1 year of diagnosis. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression identified factors associated with survival. Results There were 531 ES and 959 OS patients. Five-year overall survival was better for patients with EWS (all: 63% vs. part/none: 42%) and OS (all: 64% vs. part/none: 47%) who received all of their treatment at a SCC. After adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical factors, receiving all inpatient cancer treatment at a SCC was associated with superior overall survival (EWS HR: 0.49, CI 0.37-0.67; OS HR: 0.78, CI 0.63-0.97). Conclusion Our results suggest that treatment for EWS and OS at a SCC is associated with significantly improved survival even after adjustment for known prognostic factors. The superior survival among those treated at SCCs may be due to having greater access to clinical trials and services at SCCs.
Nutritional requirements of anaerobic spirochetes. I. Demonstration of isobutyrate and bicarbonate as growth factors for a strain of Treponema microdentium.

Hardy, Paul H., Jr. (The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.), and Carole O. Munro. Nutritional requirements of anaerobic spirochetes. I. Demonstration of isobutyrate and bicarbonate as growth factors for a strain of Treponema microdentium. J. Bacteriol. 91:27–32. 1966.—The previously reported ability of a microaerophilic diphtheroid to support the growth of some oral spirochetes resides in the acid-distillable fraction of the culture fluid. This fraction can be replaced by isobutyrate and, to a lesser extent, by 2-methylbutyrate. When media are supplemented with isobutyrate alone, there is a prolonged lag phase before spirochetal growth commences, but when sodium bicarbonate is also added the lag phase is shortened, and both the growth rate and the total yield are increased. Serum, in low concentration, also acts as a growth stimulant, but it is inhibitory when present at higher concentrations.
The cost of market versus regulatory discipline in banking1

Abstract We present evidence that insured deposit financing shields banks from the full costs of market discipline. Moody's downgrades, indicators of increasing risk, are associated with negative abnormal equity returns that are increasing in the bank's reliance on insured deposits. Moreover, banks raise their use of insured deposits following increases in risk. These findings cast doubt on the ability of capital market participants to effectively discipline bank behavior within the current regulatory environment. More generally, our findings highlight the potential for regulation to undermine market discipline in regulated industries.
Unfreezing Credit Markets

Despite the large infusion of capital into the financial sector and low interest rates, the flow of financing to operating firms has failed to return to normal levels. One explanation suggested is that banks still lack confidence because they need time to adjust to the new environment. Another is that the reduced flow of credit reflects banks' rational assessment of borrowers' bleak prospects in the current economic conditions. This paper puts forward a third explanation. When the prospects of operating firms are interdependent, banks' decisions on whether to lend to a given operating firm depend on their expectations about whether other operating firms will receive financing. As a result, an inefficient credit market freeze may arise in which banks avoid lending to operating firms due to their self-fulfilling expectations that other banks will not be lending. Such an inefficient freeze may persist even when banks have ample capital and interest rates are brought down to a barely positive level.Facing an inefficient and persistent credit freeze, I argue, the government should consider getting the economy out of it by taking upon itself the credit risks involved in providing a substantial amount of new lending to operating firms. This can be accomplished by (i) providing banks with non-recourse financing for portfolios of new loans to operating firms, or otherwise agreeing to bear part of the risks generated by such portfolios, in return for a share of the upside, or (ii) setting up government-funded, privately managed funds dedicated to making such loans. These mechanisms funds can contribute substantially, both directly and indirectly, to producing a credit thaw. A model for studying credit freezes and alternative government responses to them is developed in Bebchuk and Goldstein, Self-fulfilling Credit Market Freezes, available at: http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=1315462
Röntgens Entdeckung in der Tagespresse und in populären Zeitschriften. Röntgenstrahlen und Stein der Weisen, Vivisektion, Temperenzbewegung, Spiritismus, Seelenphotographie, Wahrsagerei und Telepathie

Es ist charakteristisch fur die offentliche Bekanntmachung vieler wichtiger Neuigkeiten, das die erste Veroffentlichung uber die Entdeckung der X-Strahlen in der Tagespresse durch eine Indiskretion erfolgte.
Medullary Carcinoma of the Thyroid

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) accounts for about 6–10% of all thyroid malignancies. About 75% of patients with MTC have sporadic disease, and 25% have either familial MTC, multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) IIA, or IIB (1). The different clinical types of MTC are associated with different but specific ret point mutations. About 50% of patients with sporadic MTC also have somatic ret mutations in their medullary cancer that appear to correlate with specific mutations (2). For example, the 918 mutation associated with MENIIB when found as a somatic mutation in the tumor of MTC patients is linked with a worse prognosis (2).
AFTER LABELING AND CONFLICT

Criminology will become somewhat more concerned for values in the future hence shifting slightly from the empirical, scientific end of the spectrum toward the normative, philosophical end. This will result from crises in criminal justice. from the “coming crisis in western sociology.” from the effects of “critical criminology” from changes in social science generally. and from broader circumstances of criminology and criminal justice.
Radiofrequency ablation and breast cancer: a review

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) use in breast cancer is a developing area of research. There have been a number of published studies over the last decade, which explores the feasibility of minimally invasive techniques in breast cancer treatment. In this review, we will discuss the most recent data on radiofrequency ablation and examine the current methods, outcomes, complications, and limitations of RFA in breast cancer therapy. Methods: Pub Med search for English Language articles on RFA in breast cancer. Results: More than 25 studies were reviewed and we searched for number of tumors, average size, electrode used, if they successfully ablated the tumor, when the tumor was then resected and if the patients experienced any complication from the ablation. Conclusions: Radiofrequency ablation is an emerging minimally invasive therapy in small, localized breast cancer. Currently, no clinical trials have been published to directly compare RFA to the current standard of surgical resection. Ultimately, RFA will need clinical trials to evaluate oncologic outcomes involving long interval follow-up to determine survival, local control and disease progression before it becomes a reasonable alternative to surgical resection.
Comparison of the coupling of grounded humans, swine and rats to vertical, 60-Hz electric fields.

Published and new data for grounded humans, swine, and rats exposed to vertical, 60-Hz electric fields are used to determine field strengths at the surfaces of the bodies and average components of induced-current density along the axes of the bodies. At the tops of the bodies, surface electric fields are increased (enhanced) over the unperturbed field strength present before the subjects entered the field by factors of 17,7, and 4 for humans, swine, and rats, respectively. For an unperturbed field strength of 10 kV/m, average induced axial current densities in the neck, chest, abdomen, and feet are: 550, 190, 250, and 2000 nA/cm2, respectively, for humans; 40, 13, 20, and 1100 nA/cm2, respectively, for swine; and 28, 16, 2, and 1400 nA/cm2, respectively, for rats. These data are used to show that the actual electric fields experienced by animals depend strongly on the shape of the body and its orientation relative to the electric field and ground plane. This fact must be taken into account if biological data obtained with laboratory animals are to be used for the assessment of possible hazards to humans exposed to 60-Hz electric fields.
Milwaukee Shoulder Syndrome

Milwaukee shoulder syndrome (MSS) is a rare destructive, calcium phosphate crystalline arthropathy. It encompasses an effusion that is noninflammatory with numerous aggregates of calcium hydroxyapatite crystals in the synovial fluid, associated with rotator cuff defects. We describe a patient that presented with recurrent shoulder pain and swelling with characteristic radiographic changes and MSS was confirmed on aspiration of the synovial fluid.
Pressure statistics for locally isotropic turbulence

The pressure structure function ${D}_{P}(r)$ and pressure-gradient correlation ${A}_{\mathrm{ij}}(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow})$ are related to components of the fourth-order velocity structure function ${D}_{\mathrm{ijkl}}(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow})$ on the basis of the Navier-Stokes equation, incompressibility, local homogeneity, and local isotropy. Data from a wind tunnel, as well as numerical simulation, are used to calculate ${D}_{P}(r)$ and thereby show that greater Reynolds numbers are needed to observe an inertial range in ${D}_{P}(r)$ than in ${D}_{\mathrm{ijkl}}(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow}).$ A previous additional supposition relates ${D}_{P}(r)$ and ${A}_{\mathrm{ij}}(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow})$ to the single component ${D}_{1111}(r).$ This additional supposition is shown to be inaccurate for calculation of ${D}_{P}(r)$ and ${A}_{\mathrm{ij}}(r\ensuremath{\rightarrow}).$
Transgenic expression of pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor-I ameliorates secretagogue-induced pancreatitis in mice

Background & aims Endogenous trypsin inhibitors are believed to inhibit protease activity if trypsin becomes inadvertently activated within the acinar cell. However, this action remains unproven, and the role of endogenous pancreatic trypsin inhibitors in acute pancreatitis is unknown. In this study, we tested whether increased levels of pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor-I (PSTI-I) in mice could prevent secretagogue-induced pancreatitis. Methods Rat PSTI-I expression was targeted to pancreatic acinar cells in transgenic mice by creating a minigene driven by the rat elastase I enhancer/promoter. Secretagogue-induced pancreatitis was achieved by 12 hourly intraperitoneal injections of caerulein. The severity of pancreatitis was assessed by measurements of serum amylase, histologic grading, and pancreas wet weight-to-body weight ratio. Trypsinogen activation and trypsin activity were measured in pancreatic extracts. Results Targeted expression of PSTI-I to the pancreas increased endogenous trypsin inhibitor capacity by 190% ( P Conclusions These data demonstrate that the severity of secretagogue-induced pancreatitis is significantly ameliorated in mice with higher pancreatic levels of trypsin inhibitor. We propose that PSTI-I prevents pancreatitis by inhibiting the activity of trypsin, rather than by reducing trypsinogen activation.
Use of dissolved chloride concentrations in tributary streams to support geospatial estimates of Cl contamination potential near Skiatook Lake, northeastern Oklahoma

Releases of NaCl-rich (>100000 mg/L) water that is co-produced from petroleum wells can adversely affect the quality of ground and surface waters. To evaluate produced water impacts on lakes, rivers and streams, an assessment of the contamination potential must be attainable using reliable and cost-effective methods. This study examines the feasibility of using geographic information system (GIS) analysis to assess the contamination potential of Cl to Skiatook Lake in the Hominy Creek drainage basin in northeastern Oklahoma. GIS-based predictions of affects of Cl within individual subdrainages are supported by measurements of Cl concentration and discharge in 19 tributaries to Skiatook Lake. Dissolved Cl concentrations measured in October, 2004 provide a snapshot of conditions assumed to be reasonably representative of typical inputs to the lake. Chloride concentrations ranged from 5.8 to 2300 mg/L and compare to a value of 34 mg/L in the lake. At the time of sampling, Hominy Creek provided 63% of the surface water entering the lake and 80% of the Cl load. The Cl load from the other tributaries is relatively small ( 150 mg/L) were generally in subdrainages with greater well density (>15 wells/km 2 ), relatively large numbers of petroleum wells in close proximity (>2 proximity wells/stream km), and relatively small discharge (<0.005 m 3 /s). GIS calculations of subdrainage areas can be used to estimate the expected discharge of the tributary for each subdrainage. GIS-based assessment of Cl contamination potential at Skiatook Lake and at other lakes surrounded by oil fields can proceed even when direct measurements of Cl or discharge in tributary streams may be limited or absent.
Percutaneous Closure of a Mitral Perivalvular Leak Using Three Dimensional Real Time and Color Flow Imaging

The role of echocardiography, including three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography, during interventional procedures in the cardiac catheterization laboratory is continuing to expand as interventional cardiologists perform more catheter-based interventions. Echocardiography often complements angiographic imaging of cardiac structures and sometimes provides additional information not available by angiography and fluoroscopy. The closure of perivalvular leaks using catheter-based techniques is one of the areas in which 3D echocardiography can be helpful. This case report describes the use of 3D real-time and color flow imaging during the closure of a mitral perivalvular leak. Three-dimensional echocardiography was used to assess the leak prior to intervention and the success of the intervention at the completion of the case.
A continuous activity monitor for small caged animals.

Abstract A simple system for continuously monitoring activity of small caged animals has been developed. The system, comprising a piezo-electric transducer, diode rectifier and low-pass filter, can be used with any appropriate recording d.c. voltmeter and is suitable for long term application.
High-Density Fiber-Optic DNA Random Microsphere Array

A high-density fiber-optic DNA microarray sensor was developed to monitor multiple DNA sequences in parallel. Microarrays were prepared by randomly distributing DNA probe-functionalized 3.1-μm-diameter microspheres in an array of wells etched in a 500-μm-diameter optical imaging fiber. Registration of the microspheres was performed using an optical encoding scheme and a custom-built imaging system. Hybridization was visualized using fluorescent-labeled DNA targets with a detection limit of 10 fM. Hybridization times of seconds are required for nanomolar target concentrations, and analysis is performed in minutes.
Chondrogenesis just ain’t what it used to be

Most of the vertebrate skeleton forms by endochondral ossification, a multistep process that involves two successive cell-differentiation processes. Initially, following mesenchymal cell condensation, a cartilaginous scaffold forms that is later replaced by bone matrix. Under the control of transcription factors of the Sox family, these mesenchymal cells differentiate first into type II collagen–producing cells that proliferate until the shape of the future bone is established (1, 2). Subsequently, cells located at the center of this structure differentiate further to form hypertrophic chondrocytes, which synthesize a cartilaginous matrix that eventually calcifies. At the same time, the most mature hypertrophic chondrocytes undergo apoptosis, allowing the corresponding area to be invaded by blood vessels, and both multinucleate, matrix-resorbing cells and differentiated osteoblasts appear. The cartilaginous matrix is then degraded and replaced by a bone matrix secreted by osteoblasts. Once this process is completed, the only cartilaginous structures remaining are the growth plate cartilages at the two distal ends of the bone. There, chondrocytes at each stage of differentiation — resting, proliferating, and hypertrophic chondrocytes — are arrayed in a linear succession from the most distal to the most medial regions. This growth plate cartilage therefore offers a powerful model for studying cell differentiation in situ. Two mechanisms have been generally proposed to explain how chondrocytes and osteoblasts could emerge successively from the same mesenchymal condensation. First, two populations of progenitors might coexist within the condensations and differentiate along separate lineages into chondrocytes and osteoblasts. Alternatively, the same cells could differentiate along a single lineage, first generating chondrocytes, and later differentiating into osteoblasts. A second, related issue concerns the genetic regulation of the different steps of endochondral ossification, chondrogenesis, and bone morphogenesis. Mostly based on mouse genetic experiments, a number of recent studies, including the paper by Chung et al. (3) in a recent issue of the JCI, have established the cascade of events triggering each of these processes and have identified key factors required in their regulation (Figure ​(Figure11). Figure 1 Molecular control of endochondral ossification. Transcription factors (Cbfa1 and others) promote the differentiation of the type II collagen–producing cells present in the skeletal mesenchymal condensations into Ihh-secreting hypertrophic chondrocytes. ...
Primitive Holomorphic Maps of Curves.

Let t: X→Y be a proper morphism of non-singular irreducible affine curves over ℌ. This paper shows that there is seldom a holomorphic function f such that (t,f): X → Y × ℌ is a holomorphic embedding.
Expectations and Variances of Maximum Likelihood Estimates of the Multivariate Normal Distribution Parameters with Missing Data

Abstract Exact expectations and variances have been obtained for the maximum likelihood estimates of the elements of the mean vector and covariance matrix of the multivariate normal distribution when a subset of the variates does not have observations on some sampling units. The biases, variances, and mean square errors of the estimates are compared with those of the usual estimates computed from the complete observation vectors. When the correlations between the complete and incomplete sets of variates are small the multivariate missing value estimates are less efficient in the mean square error sense.
Successful treatment of mobile right atrial thrombus and acute pulmonary embolism with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator.

An 89-year-old woman came with symptoms of progressively worsening dyspnoea at rest over the preceding week. She was normotensive, had elevated jugular venous pressure and clear lungs. ECG revealed atrial fibrillation with the rapid ventricular rate. Labs were significant for markedly elevated pro-brain natriuretic peptide of 43 000 pg/mL and troponin-T of 1 ng/mL. An urgent 2D echocardiogram was obtained, which revealed the severely dilated right atrium and a large linear mobile mass in the right atrium consistent with a thrombus. An emergent CT scan revealed multiple bilateral pulmonary emboli. She received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Repeat echocardiogram performed 6 h later showed no evidence of the right atrial thrombus. She was subsequently maintained on intravenous heparin and transitioned to Coumadin. Early recognition of this rare but potentially fatal complication is important as prompt treatment measures can help in preventing life-threatening complications of the right atrial thrombus.
The Pitt time-sharing system for the IBM system 360: two year's experience

The University of Pittsburgh has developed a console-based Time-Sharing System, and has had it in service since March of 1966. This paper is to serve as a report on the utilization of such a system and on certain conclusions we have come to regarding Time-Sharing Systems.
In situ nanomechanical measurements of interfacial strength in membrane-embedded chemically functionalized si microwires for flexible solar cells

Arrays of vertically aligned Si microwires embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) have emerged as a promising candidate for use in solar energy conversion devices. Such structures are lightweight and concurrently demonstrate competitive efficiency and mechanical flexibility. To ensure reliable functioning under bending and flexing, strong interfacial adhesion between the nanowire and the matrix is needed. In situ uniaxial tensile tests of individual, chemically functionalized, Si microwires embedded in a compliant PDMS matrix reveal that chemical functionality on Si microwire surfaces is directly correlated with interfacial adhesion strength. Chemical functionalization can therefore serve as an effective methodology for accessing a wide range of interfacial adhesion between the rigid constituents and the soft polymer matrix; the adhesion can be quantified by measuring the mechanical strength of such systems.
Nuclear diagnostics with cryogenic spectrometers

Abstract Cryogenic spectrometers offer an energy resolution an order of magnitude higher than conventional high-purity Germanium detectors, since low-temperature operation reduces thermal fluctuations and the associated noise. They have been developed over the last several decades, initially driven by particle and astrophysics applications, more recently also for material science, biophysics and nuclear science applications. The Advanced Detector Group at LLNL is developing cryogenic Gamma-ray and fast-neutron spectrometers for nuclear diagnostics in fundamental science and national security. They are based on measuring the increase in temperature upon photon or particle absorption with a sensor operated at the transition between its superconducting and its normal state. The approach can be adapted for different types of radiation with the appropriate choice of absorber material. We describe our Gamma-ray spectrometers consisting of a bulk Sn absorber attached to a superconducting Mo/Cu multilayer sensor. The detectors are operated at a temperature of ∼0.1 K the end of a cold finger in a two-stage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator, and have, depending on design, achieved an energy resolution between 50 and 150 eV FWHM for energies below 100 keV. Here we give an overview about cryogenic detectors for nuclear diagnostics, and discuss the application of this detector technology to the measurement of uranium enrichment.
Vibration of x-braced portal frames

Abstract Both free and forced vibrations of elastic X-braced portal frames are investigated. Solutions of the Euler-Bernoulli equation for the transverse vibration coupled with the axial vibration are used. The first five natural frequencies, with the angle of inclination, α, of the bracing bars ranging from 15° to 75°, with different slenderness ratios, R, of the columns, and different stiffness of the floor beam and crossing bars, are presented along with two sets of the natural modes of the frames with α = 45°. For the forced vibration, the dynamic responses of the frames with a concentrated horizontal time dependent force acting at a top joint are studied. The responses of the frames with α = 45° are analyzed in detail.