cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dictyostelium discoideum: a model system for cell-cell interactions in development

The cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum undergoes a transition from single-celled amoebae to a multicellular organism as a natural part of its life cycle. A method of cell-cell signaling that controls chemotaxis, morphogenesis, and gene expression has developed in this organism, and a detailed understanding of this signaling system provides clues to mechanisms of intercellular communication in the development of metazoans.
Natural Chromatography--A Factor in Petroleum Migration: ABSTRACT

The essential elements of chromatography are defined as (1) a mixture which becomes separated, (2) the stationary phase (a medium, usually fine-grained, with large surface area), and (3) the mobile phase (a fluid that carries the mixture with it over or through the stationary phase during separation). One or more of such specific processes as ion-exchange, partition, diffusion, and absorption may participate in a chromatographic separation, which, however, is more complex than any one of them. The permeability of rock involved in petroleum migration ranges from a maximum in uncemented uniformly graded sandstone to a minimum in shaly rocks. At the lower limits of permeability, the petroleum must flow past or through fine-grained rocks of great surface area. Within more permeable strata some fine-grained material is encountered. Petroleum colloids probably also act as chromatographic stationary phases. In the laboratory, when mixed hydrocarbons are passed over fine-grained materials, the paraffins always advance at a greater rate than the cycloparaffins which, in turn, move faster than the aromatics. In addition trace metals are retained selectively in a certain order on the stationary phases. In natural occurrences of petroleum in multiple pools, it is commonly reported that the upper pools are paraffin-rich, the intermediate pools cycloparaffin-rich, and the lower pools are richer in aromatics. In these cases chromatographic separation during migration is offered as an alternative to hypotheses of separate origins for the pools. Chromatographic separation of trace metals in petroleum fields is reviewed. End_of_Article - Last_Page 197------------
Synthesis of oxide films from metallo-organic liquid precursors

Metal oxide films have been successfully prepared from carboxylate, alkoxide, mixed alkoxide/carboxylate precursors. The formation of molecular clusters in these systems offers significant advantages in the preparation of multi-component ceramic thin films, in terms of processing temperature, homogeneity, and stoichiometry control. Alkoxide precursors have been known for network formation in the solution by hydrolysis and polymerization, while carboxylate precursors do not normally show such tendencies. The objective of this work was to study the cluster formation in the carboxylate and mixed alkoxide/carboxylate systems using a variety of analytical techniques, including FT-IR, Mass Spectroscopy, and NMR. Results indicate such clusters do form under controlled conditions, and likewise aid the formation of highly homogeneous films at low temperature. The deposition of oxide films on a variety of substrates from various liquid precursors is becoming a proven technology with attractive possibilities for low cost fabrication. Understanding and control of solution chemistry is critical to its success.
Mechanical behaviour and morphology of toughened aliphatic polyamides

The mechanical properties of a series of polyamide materials (nylon 6,12, nylon 11, nylon 12 and nylon 12,12) were investigated using triblock copolymers of the type styrene-(ethylene-co-butene)-styrene (SEBS) and a maleic anhydride (MA) functionalized version (SEBS-g-MA). The results have been compared with the behaviour reported for nylon 6 and nylon 6,6 in our previous work. A much lower concentration of the maleated elastomer (SEBS-g-MA) was required for effective toughening of these polyamides with higher CH2NHCO ratios. This is believed to be a consequence of the inherently more ductile polyamide matrix as the methylene content of the nylon material increases. Further evidence of this was given by the trends in the ductile-brittle transition temperature of the various binary blends of these polyamides with SEBS-g-MA. Transmission electron microscopy techniques used for investigating the morphology generated in these blends showed that ternary blends of nylon x (monofunctional) materials (nylon 11 and nylon 12) yielded regular, spherical rubber particles with a continuously varying particle size as the proportion of SEBS and SEBS-g-MA in the rubber phase was changed, while ternary blends of nylon x,y (diffunctional) materials (nylon 6,12 and nylon 12,12) yielded rubber particles with varying levels of complexity and size depending on the SEBS-g-MASEBS ratio. Such differences in the blend morphology between nylon x and nylon x,y materials have been attributed to differences in the basic chemical structure of these polyamides. The existence of critical limits on the rubber particle size for toughening these blends was also explored.
Effect of sympathetic nerve stimulation on cerebral blood flow in newborn piglets.

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sympathetic nerve stimulation on regional cerebral blood flow during the first 3 wk of postnatal development in piglets. Forty-one piglets ranging in age from 2 to 24 days were studied while anesthetized with 30% N2O, paralyzed and mechanically ventilated (PaCO2 = 35-40 mm Hg). Regional cerebral blood flow was measured with tracer microspheres (15 ± 1 µm) during electrical stimulation (15 Hz, 15 V, 3 ms) of the right cervical sympathetic trunk. Sympathetic stimulation decreased blood flow to the ipsilateral cerebrum (gray and white matter) (-15 ± 2%), hippocampus (-9 ± 2%), choroid plexus (-50 ± 5%), and masseter muscle (-93 ± 2%) compared to the contralateral side where blood flow to these regions was 74 ± 4, 45 ± 2, 258 ± 26, and 24 ± 4 ml/min/100 g, respectively (mean ± SEM; p ≤ 0.05). The magnitude of the reduction in cerebral blood flow was not dependent on postnatal age as no significant differences were noted when the piglets were grouped according to age. Hypercapnia (PaCO2=64 ± 5 mm Hg) increased blood flow 2- to 4-fold above control in all brain regions except the choroid plexus. The effect of sympathetic nerve stimulation was augmented during hypercapnia where blood flow to the ipsilateral cerebrum, hippocampus, and caudate nucleus was decreased by -34 ± 4, -23 ± 5, and -6 ± 3 %, respectively. Activation of sympathetic nerves can reduce blood flow to specific brain regions during control conditions and these effects are larger in hyperemic conditions such as hypercapnia. These data demonstrate that sympathetic nerves are present and completely developed at birth and, when sufficiently activated, capable of influencing regional cerebrovascular resistance in the newborn piglet.
The effect of light intensity on prey detection behavior in two Lake Malawi cichlids, Aulonocara stuartgranti and Tramitichromis sp.

Two sand-dwelling cichlids from Lake Malawi (Aulonocara stuartgranti, Tramitichromis sp.) that feed on benthic invertebrates, but have different lateral line phenotypes, use lateral line and/or visual cues to detect prey under light versus dark conditions. The current study examined how ecologically relevant variation in light intensity [0–800 lux (lx)] influences detection of prey (mobile, immobile) in each species by analyzing six behavioral parameters. Both species fed at light intensities ≥1 lx and trends in behavior among light intensities were informative. However, prey type and/or time of day (but not light intensity) predicted all four parameters analyzed with generalized linear mixed models in A. stuartgranti, whereas the interaction of light intensity and time of day predicted three of these parameters in Tramitichromis sp. Data suggest that the critical light intensity is 1–12 lx for both species, that the integration of visual and lateral line input explains differences in detection of mobile and immobile prey and behavioral changes at the transition from 1 to 0 lx in A. stuartgranti, and that Tramitichromis sp. likely uses binocular vision to locate prey. Differences in the sensory biology of species that exploit similar prey will have important implications for the trophic ecology of African cichlid fishes.
MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging in children and young adults with simultaneous supra- and infratentorial manifestations of Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Summary Background and purpose Patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) may present with neurological symptoms or neurocognitive deficits that cannot always be explained by the supratentorial findings seen on conventional MRI. Purpose of our study was to determine (a) what percentage of children with SWS have simultaneous supra- and infratentorial involvement and (b) what kind of infratentorial lesions are seen. In addition, we used DWI data to measure the ADC-values of normal appearing white matter (NAWM) to rule out impaired or delayed white matter maturation. Material and methods Fifteen SWS patients who underwent MRI/DWI between January 2000 and August 2008 were studied. Images were retrospectively reviewed by two experienced pediatric neuroradiologists. ADC measurements of the NAWM were performed at multiple locations within the brain. ADC-values were compared with normative data and with 18 matched normal controls from our hospital. Results Infratentorial involvement was seen in six out of 15 patients (40%). Cerebellar lesions included leptomeningeal enhancement, atrophy and developmental venous anomaly. ADC-values were increased in the NAWM of the frontal, parietal and occipital lobes of both hemispheres and in the pons. The ADC-values of the cerebellar white matter were increased in six out of eight affected cerebellar lobes. Conclusion Infratentorial involvement of SWS is more frequently than previously thought. ADC analysis of the NAWM reveals impaired/altered white matter maturation distant from the area of leptomeningeal angiomatosis. This may explain neurocognitive deficits. ADC analysis of the NAWM may serve as biomarker of tissue injury and therefore guide treatment options.
Extracts of ginkgo biloba leaves inhibit monoamine oxidase

Extracts of Ginkgo biloba leaves produce reversible inhibition of rat brain monoamine (MAO). Both MAO-A and -B types were inhibited to a similar extent. The MAO inhibitory compound(s) were present in dried or fresh Ginkgo biloba leaves as well as in commercially available capsules of Ginkgo biloba and appear to be heat stable with relatively low molecular weight. MAO inhibition by Ginkgo biloba may be a mechanism underlying reported anti-stress and anxiolytic activities of this natural product.
Foreign Policymaking and Group Dynamics: Where We've Been and Where We're Going

Research on foreign policymaking has focused on the policy process and the organizational context around policy decisions to explain foreign policy behavior. This research tradition includes multiple theories and a wide variety of methodologies; it demonstrates complex relationships among foreign policy factors, and it links its scholarly research to practical policy concerns (see, for example, Neack, Hey, and Haney 1995; Hudson 2002). This essay focuses on one piece of this diverse picture—the study of decision groups—as a means of bridging the individual and organizational levels of analysis. In complex foreign policy cases involving uncertainty, political controversy, and conflicting values, members of decision groups (like the US president's inner circle) become central to the judgment process by defining the nature of the problem and presenting appropriate options for discussion. The more than thirty years of scholarship examining group dynamics provide us with a strong basis on which to determine when understanding what is happening in decision groups is critical to the study of foreign policy. An important claim in this literature is that group decision making (broadly defined) is relevant to understanding what presidents, prime ministers, and other foreign policy actors do in the foreign policy arena—even as the definition of what constitutes foreign policy and how foreign policy actors interact is expanded. This essay will assess past research on group decision making in order to set the stage for a discussion of the paths that future research might take. Two classics, Graham Allison's (1971) Essence of Decision and Irving Janis' (1972) Victims of Groupthink , serve as the starting point. An overview of the contributions of these pieces will be followed by critiques that provide a baseline to propose alternative avenues for the study of group decision making in the next two decades. In the process, we will consider …
Vehicular Traffic Density State Estimation Based on Cumulative Road Acoustics

This paper considers the problem of vehicular traffic density estimation, utilizing the information cues present in the cumulative acoustic signal acquired from a roadside-installed single microphone. This cumulative signal comprises several noise signals such as tire noise, engine noise, engine-idling noise, occasional honks, and air turbulence noise of multiple vehicles. The occurrence and mixture weightings of these noise signals are determined by the prevalent traffic density conditions on the road segment. For instance, under a free-flowing traffic condition, the vehicles typically move with medium to high speeds and thereby produce mainly tire noise and air turbulence noise and less engine-idling noise and honks. For slow-moving congested traffic, the cumulative signal will largely be dominated by engine-idling noise and honks; air turbulence and tire noises will be inconspicuous. Furthermore, these various noise signals have spectral content that are very different from each other and, hence, can be used to discriminate between the different traffic density states that lead to them. Therefore, in this work, we extract the short-term spectral envelope features of the cumulative acoustic signals and model their class-conditional probability distributions, conditioned on one of the three broad traffic density states, i.e., Jammed (0-10 km/h), Medium-Flow (10-40 km/h), and Free-Flow (40 km/h and above) traffic. While these states are coarse measures of the average traffic speed, they nevertheless can provide useful traffic density information in the often-chaotic and nonlane-driven traffic conditions of the developing geographies, where other techniques (magnetic loop detectors) are inapplicable. Based on these learned distributions, we use a Bayes' classifier to classify the acoustic signal segments spanning a duration of 5-30 s, which results in a high classification accuracy of ~95%. Using a discriminative classifier such as a support vector machine (SVM) results in further classification accuracy gains over the Bayes' classifier.
PCR-Mediated Recombination between Cryptosporidium spp. of Lizards and Snakes

Abstract The presence or absence of genetic recombination has often been used as one of the criteria for Cryptosporidium species designation and population structure delineation. During a recent study of cryptosporidiosis in reptiles that were housed in the same room, 4 lizards were found to have concurrent infections of C. serpentis (a gastric parasite) and C. saurophilum (an intestinal parasite), and 6 snakes were concurrently infected with C. serpentis, C. saurophilum and a new Cryptosporidium as indicated by PCR-RFLP analysis of the SSU rRNA gene. DNA sequence analysis of cloned PCR products confirmed the diagnosis of mixed infections. Surprisingly, it appeared that 11 of the 22 clones (8 and 14 clones from a lizard and a snake, respectively) had chimeric sequences of two Cryptosporidium spp. BootScan analysis indicated the existence of recombinants among the cloned sequences and detection of the informative sites confirmed the BootScan results. Because the probability for genetic recombination betwee...
Ideal Timing of Immunotherapy With Radiation in Murine Tumor Models

218 mm (p Z 0.028). Similarly, anti-PD-1 therapy with RT resulted in significantly longer survival than PD-1 blockade therapy alone (29 days vs 19 days; p Z 0.021). The mean tumor size on day 19 at the primary site was 103 mm (anti-PD-1) and 26.2 mm (anti-PD-1 + RT) (p Z 0.043). Secondary tumor growth was 197.8 mm and 88.4 mm for PD-1 therapy alone or with RT (p Z 0.037). RT alone to the primary tumor had no suppressive effect on the distant tumor growth. Flow analysis confirmed the presence of anti-melanoma PD-1+ CD8+ effector T cells in both primary and distant tumor sites. Conclusions: In our preclinical models, the addition of RT to PD-1 blockade (PD-1 KO and anti-PD-1 antibody) suppressed tumor growth at both radiated and non-radiated sites, and successfully recapitulated the clinical abscopal effect of RT. Two mice developed anti-melanoma immunity and did not exhibit melanoma growth upon rechallenge. These results provide a rationale for testing RT and PD-1 blockade combination therapy in a clinical setting. Author Disclosure: S.S. Park: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. E. Research Grant; RSNA Research Scholar Grant Recipient. H. Dong: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. W. Zhao: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. M.P. Grams: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. X. Liu: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. S.M. Harrington: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. K.M. Furutani: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. C.J. Krco: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. K.R. Olivier: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. S.N. Markovic: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic. E.D. Kwon: A. Employee; Mayo Clinic.
Risk factors for morphoea disease severity: a retrospective review of 114 paediatric patients.

Summary Background Morphoea is a rare fibrosing disease of the skin and subcutaneous tissue with an unpredictable disease course, running the spectrum from mild skin involvement to severe disfigurement or extracutaneous complications. Objectives Our objective was to describe the natural history of paediatric morphoea and determine patient variables that were associated with severe disease. Patients and methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with morphoea seen in one paediatric hospital system. Information about demographics, clinical characteristics, disease course and treatment were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using appropriate univariate tests and a multivariable model. Results One hundred and fourteen patients met study inclusion criteria. The female : male ratio was 2·6 : 1, and the median age of onset was 7 years old. There were 55 patients (48%) with linear morphoea, 38 patients (33%) with circumscribed morphoea, 12 patients (11%) with generalized morphoea, and nine patients (8%) with mixed morphoea. Neurological symptoms and joint involvement were present in 27 subjects (24%). Extracutaneous manifestations occurred in 38% of subjects with linear morphoea, compared with 15% with generalized morphoea and 3% with circumscribed morphoea (P = 0·0001). Thirty-six per cent of children with disease onset prior to 10 years of age and 5% of children with disease onset after 10 years of age had extracutaneous manifestations (P = 0·0002). Both linear morphoea and early-onset disease were significantly associated with extracutaneous involvement in a multivariable model. Conclusions Children with linear morphoea and disease onset before 10 years of age should be monitored closely for extracutaneous manifestations and need early treatment with systemic medications to prevent disease complications.
Ductile Chromium Alloys By Liquid-Phase Sintering

Ductility has been demonstrated in chromium-rich, two-phase alloys prepared by liquid-phase sintering. Microhardnesswasemployedtofollow work hardening of the chromium grains and the matrix. Matching of the flow stress of the two phases appears to be an important criterion. These principles have been successfully applied to other refractory metal systems.
Multi-population GWA mapping via multi-task regularized regression

Motivation: Population heterogeneity through admixing of different founder populations can produce spurious associations in genome-wide association studies that are linked to the population structure rather than the phenotype. Since samples from the same population generally co-evolve, different populations may or may not share the same genetic underpinnings for the seemingly common phenotype. Our goal is to develop a unified framework for detecting causal genetic markers through a joint association analysis of multiple populations. Results: Based on a multi-task regression principle, we present a multi-population group lasso algorithm using L1/L2-regularized regression for joint association analysis of multiple populations that are stratified either via population survey or computational estimation. Our algorithm combines information from genetic markers across populations, to identify causal markers. It also implicitly accounts for correlations between the genetic markers, thus enabling better control over false positive rates. Joint analysis across populations enables the detection of weak associations common to all populations with greater power than in a separate analysis of each population. At the same time, the regression-based framework allows causal alleles that are unique to a subset of the populations to be correctly identified. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on HapMap-simulated and lactase persistence datasets, where we significantly outperform state of the art methods, with greater power for detecting weak associations and reduced spurious associations. Availability: Software will be available at http://www.sailing.cs.cmu.edu/ Contact: epxing@cs.cmu.edu
Clinical Features and Outcome of Primary Pancreatic Lymphoma

Introduction Primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL) is a rare tumor that is often misdiagnosed. Clinicopathologic features, optimal therapy, and outcomes are not well defined. We reviewed our institutional experience with PPL.
The Liaison of Sweet and Savory

The sense of taste provides humans with necessary information about the composition and quality of food. For humans, five basic tastes are readily distinguishable and include sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and savory (or umami). Although each of these qualities has individualized transduction pathways, sweet and umami tastes are believed to share a common receptor element, the T1R3 receptor subunit. The two G-protein-coupled heteromer receptors that comprise an umami stimulus receptor (T1R1-T1R3) and a sweetener receptor (T1R2-T1R3) constitute a potential link between these two qualities of perception. While the role of the individual monomers in each human heteromer has been examined in vitro, very little is known of the implication of this research for human perception, or specifically, how sweet and savory taste perceptions may be connected. Using a psychophysical approach, we demonstrate that lactisole, a potent sweetness inhibitor that binds in vitro to hT1R3, also inhibits a significant portion of the perception of umami taste from monosodium glutamate. Following the molecular logic put forward by Xu et al. (2004, Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 101, 14258-14263), our psychophysical data support the in vitro hypothesis that the shared T1R3 monomer moderates the activation of both T1R2 and T1R1 in humans and impairs suprathreshold perception, respectively, of sweetness and, to a lesser degree, umaminess in the presence of lactisole.
Lingual responces to chemical fractions of urodaeal glandular pheromone to the skink Eumeces laticeps

Chemical fractions of the female sex pheromone of Eumeces laticeps were extracted from whole urodaeal glands and bioassayed for their ability to induce elevated tongue-flicking rates in conspecific males. Females were treated with estradiol to maximize pheromone production before removal of the urodaeal glands; males were implanted with testosterone in Silastic capsules to maximize responsiveness to the pheromone. Males emitted signifi-cantly higher tongue-flick rates in response to the neutral lipid fraction of urodaeal homogenate than to acidic lipids, basic lipids, or a peanut oil control. No significant differences in ability to induce tongue-flick rates were observed between the carbohydrate fraction of urodaeal homogenate, the protein fraction, and deionized water. Thus, pheromonal activity appears to reside in the neutral lipid fraction, but in none of the others tested.
Acute lethal and teratogenic effects of tributyltin chloride and copper chloride on mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) eggs and larvae

Acute and chronic bioassays were used to evaluate the lethal and sublethal effects of copper chloride and tributyltin chloride on mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) embryos, a pelagic life stage often found in the surface microlayer where anthropogenic contaminants can accumulate. Acute bioassay testing determined the median lethal concentration (LC50) for the test organism after 48 h of exposure. Chronic toxicity tests were used to determine the measurement of sublethal parameters, such as developmental abnormalities after 72-h exposures to the toxicants. Embryos were collected 4 h postfertilization and subsequently exposed to 1, 5, 25, 50, and 100 μg/L of copper chloride and 3, 10, 20, 30, and 50 μg/L of tributyltin chloride. Analysis of hatch rate percentage determined that the mean 48-h LC50 of copper chloride and tributyltin chloride was 32.8 and 16.7 μg/L, respectively, based on the pooled data of four experiments with four replicates for each metal. Consistent abnormalities, such as yolk sac swelling, spinal deformities, and decreased hatch rates, were observed for each metal. Teratogenic responses to copper chloride and tributyltin chloride demonstrate the need to investigate further the impacts of pollution in the open oceans to a species indigenous to, and commercially important to, the Florida (USA) coasts. This information could then lead to the future development of a surface microlayer bioassay using mahi mahi embryos.
Enhancement of abdominal organs on hepatic arterial phase: quantitative comparison between 1.5- and 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract Purpose To compare the extent of enhancement of abdominal organs as shown on subphases of hepatic arterial phase quantitatively between 1.5- and 3.0-T MRI among patients with various abdominal conditions. Materials and Methods A total of 126 patients, of whom 68 were women (age range, 3–82 years; mean age, 48 years) and 58 were men (age range, 6–73 years; mean age, 50 years), were included in the study. Of 126 patients, 98 were scanned at 1.5 T and 28 were scanned at 3.0 T. The presence of one of three predefined subphases of hepatic arterial phase was determined on early post-gadolinium sequence in each patient by two reviewers in consensus. Extent of enhancement of the kidney, pancreas, spleen and liver on these subphases was determined quantitatively by measuring the signal intensities. Mann Whitney–Wilcoxon test was used to compare the contrast enhancement of organs on each subphase between 1.5- and 3.0-T MRI. Results The kidney, spleen, pancreas and liver demonstrated 1.79- to 2.45-, 1.65- to 1.97-, 1.66- to 1.8- and 1.1- to 2.02-fold higher enhancement on the subphases of hepatic arterial phase at 3.0 T compared to 1.5 T, respectively. The differences in contrast enhancement were significant for the kidney, pancreas and spleen on all subphases between 1.5 and 3.0 T. Conclusion The relative enhancement of the kidney, spleen and pancreas is consistently and significantly higher at 3.0 T than at 1.5 T in matched subphases of hepatic arterial enhancement.
Orientation dependence of the anomalous Hall resistivity in single crystals of Yb14MnSb11

The Hall resistivity, electrical resistivity and magnetization of single crystals of the tetragonal ferromagnet Yb14MnSb11 are reported as a function of the direction of the current, I, and magnetic field, H with respect to the principal crystallographic axes. With I along the unique c direction and H in the a-b plane, the anomalous Hall resistivity in the limit of zero applied field is negative for all temperatures T< Tc= 53 K. An intrinsic Hall conductivity , !xy 0, of -32 "-1 cm-1 is found for T << Tc, which decreases linearly with the spontaneous magnetization (order parameter) as the temperature is increased to Tc . In this direction, the anomalous Hall effect behaves in a manner similar to that observed in other ferromagnets such as Fe, Co, Mn5Ge3, and EuFe4Sb12. However, with I in the a-b plane and H along the c direction, the anomalous Hall behavior is completely different. The anomalous Hall resistivity data are positive for all T < Tc and a similar analysis of these data fails. In this direction, the anomalous response is not a simple linear function of the magnetization order parameter, and for a fixed temperature (T < Tc) does not depend on themore » magnitude of the magnetization perpendicular to the current in the a-b plane. That is, when the magnetization and applied field are rotated away from the c direction, the anomalous Hall resistivity does not change. In all other soft ferromagnets that we have examined (including La doped crystals of Yb14MnSb11, i.e. 2 Yb13.3La0.7MnSb11) rotation of the magnetization and magnetic field by an angle # away from a direction perpendicular to I results in a decrease in both the anomalous and normal portions of the Hall resistivity that approximately scales as cos(#). We suggest that the unique response exhibited by Yb14MnSb11 is a direct reflection of the delicate balance between a ferromagnetic and a non-magnetic Kondo lattice ground state« less
Application of chemical vapor deposited yttria for the protection of silicon carbide fibers in a SiC/Ni3Al composite

A CVD process has been developed for coating Textron-Avco SCS-6 SiC fiber with yttria. Both Y(fod)3 • H2O and Y(thd)3 (fod = 1,1,1,2,2,3,3-heptafluoro-7,7-dimethyl-4,6-octanedionato; thd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethy1-3,5-heptanedionato) were examined as potential Y2O3 CVD precursors. Analysis of the deposits by Auger spectroscopy indicated significant F and C incorporation in the case of Y(fod)3 • H2O whereas, under appropriate conditions, Y(thd)3 gave a deposit which was essentially free of C and other impurities. GCFTIR analysis of the volatile products of the CVD process indicated isobutylene, tetrafluoroethylene, 1,1-difluoroethylene, fluoroform, and fluoroethylene for Y(fod)3 • H2O and mainly isobutylene and propylene for Y(thd)3. The precursor Y(thd)3 was chosen to deposit 1-2 µm of yttria on short lengths of silicon carbide fibers. The coated fibers were then incorporated into a nickel aluminide (Ni3Al) matrix by reactive sintering, with yttria affording protection from the known SiC + 2Ni → Ni2Si + C degradation process. The SiC/Ni3Al composites, before and after annealing at 1000 °C for up to 100 h, were studied by using SEM and EMPA to determine the extent of reaction. With the exception of certain portions of the fibers that were inadequately coated with yttria, complete protection of the fibers was indicated.
Hyperspectral imaging with stimulated Raman scattering by chirped femtosecond lasers.

Raman microscopy is a quantitative, label-free, and noninvasive optical imaging technique for studying inhomogeneous systems. However, the feebleness of Raman scattering significantly limits the use of Raman microscopy to low time resolutions and primarily static samples. Recent developments in narrowband stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy have significantly increased the acquisition speed of Raman based label-free imaging by a few orders of magnitude, at the expense of reduced spectroscopic information. On the basis of a spectral focusing approach, we present a fast SRS hyperspectral imaging system using chirped femtosecond lasers to achieve rapid Raman spectra acquisition while retaining the full speed and image quality of narrowband SRS imaging. We demonstrate that quantitative concentration determination of cholesterol in the presence of interfering chemical species can be achieved with sensitivity down to 4 mM. For imaging purposes, hyperspectral imaging data in the C–H stretching region is...
Assessment of a national health interview survey-based method of measuring community socioeconomic status

Abstract Purpose Increasingly researchers are interested in assessing the role of community socioeconomic status (SES) in poor health outcomes, above and beyond the influence of low individual SES. However, the feasibility of conducting these multi-level studies is often limited by restrictions on release of confidential identifiers for linkage to census data, resources for the linkage, and the availability of data sources with individual SES measures. This study assessed a new method of measuring community socioeconomic status (SES) that can be used with the publicly available National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and preserves confidentiality and can be used with individual SES measures from the NHIS. Methods The associations between community SES and mortality from all causes and breast cancer in women were assessed in two samples: 1) deaths in 1987–1993 NHIS respondents linked to community SES measures developed with the new method; and 2) deaths in 1991 from the National Multiple Cause of Death Files linked to 1990 county-level census SES measures. The magnitude of crude mortality rates, direction of trend, and age-adjusted relative risk of mortality for low vs. high SES were compared in the two samples. Results Crude all-cause mortality and breast cancer mortality rates were similar in both samples in terms of magnitude and direction of trend. In both samples, as SES decreased, rates of all-cause mortality increased, whereas breast cancer mortality rates tended to decrease. Age-adjusted relative risks of mortality from all causes and breast cancer for low vs. high SES were similar in the two samples. Conclusions Similarity of associations between community SES and mortality from all causes and breast cancer in the two samples provides support for the validity of a new NHIS-based method of measuring community SES. Since the NHIS is a large, nationally representative survey with high response rates and low loss to mortality follow-up, this method represents an important resource for multi-level studies.
Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Cancer

Gastric cancer is common worldwide. Tumor location and disease stage differ between Asian and Western countries. Western patients often have higher BMIs and comorbidities that may make laparoscopic resections challenging. Multiple trials from Asian countries demonstrate the benefits of laparoscopic gastrectomy for early gastric cancer while maintaining equivalent short-term and long-term oncologic outcomes compared with open surgery. The outcomes of laparoscopy seem to offer equivalent results to open surgery. In the United States, laparoscopic gastrectomy remains in its infancy and is somewhat controversial. This article summarizes the literature on the epidemiology, operative considerations and approaches, and outcomes for laparoscopic gastrectomy.
Respiratory disease in tungsten carbide production workers

We carried out a medical and environmental survey to evaluate respiratory disease at two tungsten carbide (TC) production plants. The study population of 290 subjects (19.2 percent of the total work force) was chosen to focus on those with the greatest potential exposures to cobalt, a binding agent which is probably the cause of interstitial fibrosis and airways disease in TC workers. We found peak air concentrations of cobalt exceeding 500 μg/m3 during many major steps in TC production. Nine subjects at plant A and two at plant B had interstitial infiltrates. Two of these nine from plant A had restriction (total lung capacity less than 80 percent of predicted). A lung biopsy specimen in one showed interstitial fibrosis. Two nonsmokers at plant A and one nonsmoker at plant B had obstructive defects. These results suggest that interstitial and obstructive lung disease occur in TC workers in association with elevated peak air concentrations of cobalt.
Groundwater contamination by organic bases derived from coal‐tar wastes

Ground water from a shallow aquifer contaminated by coal-tar wastes was analysed using GC-MS and probe distillation high-resolution mass spectrometry. Organic bases found in the aqueous phase included primary aromatic amines and azaarenes. The oily-tar phase contained numerous azaarenes varying from 6 to 12 rings in size.
Applications of Generalized Zero-Effort-Miss/Zero-Effort-Velocity Feedback Guidance Algorithm

The performance of the zero-effort-miss/zero-effort-velocity feedback guidance algorithm is evaluated through practical space application examples. The zero-effort-miss/zero-effort-velocity feedback guidance algorithm is, in general, not an optimal solution; however, it is an optimal solution in a uniform gravitational environment. It is also conceptually simple and easy to implement and, thus, has great potential for autonomous onboard implementation. It is shown that, for some classic ballistic missile intercept and asteroid intercept scenarios, the zero-effort-miss/zero-effort-velocity algorithm can even compete with corresponding open-loop optimal solutions, while its feedback characteristics make it more suitable to deal with uncertainties and perturbations. By employing the zero-effort-miss/zero-effort-velocity algorithm in the highly nonlinear orbital transfer and raising problems and comparing with corresponding open-loop optimal solutions, its simplicity and near-optimality are further verified.
Age regression from faces using random forests

Predicting the age of a person through face image analysis holds the potential to drive an extensive array of real world applications from human computer interaction and security to advertising and multimedia. In this paper the first application of the random forest for age regression is proposed. This method offers the advantage of few parameters that are relatively easy to initialize. Our method learns salient anthropometric quantities without a prior model. Significant implications include a dramatic reduction in training time while maintaining high regression accuracy throughout human development.
Effects of different DNA polymerases in ligation-mediated PCR : enhanced genomic sequencing and in vivo footprinting

We have developed a simplified procedure for the ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction (LMPCR) using Thermococcus litoralis DNA polymerase (Vent DNA polymerase). We show that Vent DNA polymerase produces correct, blunt-ended primer extension products with substantially higher efficiency than Thermus aquaticus (Taq) DNA polymerase or modified T7 DNA polymerase (Sequenase). This difference leads to significantly improved genomic sequencing, methylation analysis, and in vivo footprinting with LMPCR. These improvements include representation of all bands with more uniform intensity, clear visualization of previously difficult regions of sequence, and reduction in the occurrence of spurious bands. It also simplifies the use of DNase I cut DNA for LMPCR footprinting.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Environments of Culture-Positive Cattle

Outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 disease associated with animal exhibits have been reported with increasing frequency. Transmission can occur through contact with contaminated haircoats, bedding, farm structures, or water. We investigated the distribution and survival of E. coli O157:H7 in the immediate environments of individually housed, experimentally inoculated cattle by systematically culturing feed, bedding, water, haircoat, and feed bunk walls for E. coli O157:H7 for 3 months. Cedar chip bedding was the most frequently culture-positive environmental sample tested (27/96 or 28.15%). Among these, 12 (44.0%) of positive bedding samples were collected when the penned animal was fecal culture negative. Survival of E. coli O157:H7 in experimentally inoculated cedar chip bedding and in grass hay feed was determined at different temperatures. Survival was longest in feed at room temperature (60 days), but bacterial counts decreased over time. The possibility that urine plays a role in the environmental survival of E. coli O157:H7 was investigated. Cedar chip bedding moistened with sterile water or bovine urine was inoculated with E. coli O157:H7. Bedding moistened with urine supported growth of E. coli O157:H7, whereas inoculated bedding moistened with only water yielded decreasing numbers of bacteria over time. The findings that environmental samples were frequently positive for E. coli O157:H7 at times when animals were culture negative and that urine provided a substrate for E. coli O157:H7 growth have implications for understanding the on-farm ecology of this pathogen and for the safety of ruminant animal exhibits, particularly petting zoos and farms where children may enter animal pens.
SOURCES OF VARIABILITY IN CAROTID DUPLEX EXAMINATION: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Interobserver and intraobserver variability of ultrasonic, duplex carotid artery examinations was studied in a prospective, randomized, and blinded clinical trial. Forty-eight patients were examined by two technologists, yielding 96 carotid artery examinations. The kappa statistic was calculated to determine the degree of agreement corrected for chance. The kappa value between examinations by different technologists was 0.476. Variability occurred at both steps in the examination procedure: (1) obtaining the velocity waveforms (kappa = 0.536); and (2) using these waveforms to classify the extent of carotid disease (kappa = 0.609 for interobserver variability in reading waveforms). Minimal to moderate disease categories accounted for most of the variability. There was little disagreement in categorizing lesions as greater than or less than 50% diameter reduction. Intraobserver variability in rereading spectral waveforms was minimal (kappa = 0.842 and 0.894). Recognition of disturbed flow patterns in normal carotid bulbs may reduce variability.
“Taking Mama Steps” Toward Authority, Alternatives, and Advocacy: Feminist consciousness-raising within a digital motherhood community

Ten years ago, the task of blending work and motherhood was arduous, lonely, and painstaking. Most settled for face-to-face interactions or phone calls to friends and family for support. Sadly, frustrated conversations are still happening due to a lack of cultural acceptance, policies, and laws focused on blending work and family life. However, some women are turning to online spaces for social support. In 1991, Donna Haraway posited that online, affinity-based groups contain the potential for activism. Buoyed by digital social media possibilities for social support, we assessed feminist activism within a motherhood support group populated by women from various countries around the world. We found that consciousness-raising can further feminist activism within an online motherhood Facebook group by helping others learn to negotiate their choices, but economic stratification and educational divides still constrain social support; this suggests that digital connections influence affinity-based identities an...
Tunneling between Edge States in the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

The purpose of these lectures is to discuss a physical problem which is experimentally relevant and is a playground for the techniques developed in the last few years in the study of integrable 1 + 1 quantum field theories: the transport through impurities in a Luttinger liquid.
Pregnancy: A Screening Test for Later Life Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in women. Heart disease presents special problems to women, as first events are more likely to be fatal. These observations have led to attempts to increase recognition of risk for the disease by care providers and women and to identify women at risk. In 2007, the American Heart Association updated their Evidence Based Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women (Mosca et al., 2007). In it, they presented guidelines for evaluating risk for cardiovascular disease in women. Interestingly, in the text, tables, and flow charts there is no mention of obtaining a pregnancy history. In the text there is mention: ‘‘preeclampsia may be an early indicator of CVD risk.’’ In this presentation, we point out there is no doubt that preeclampsia is associated with later life cardiovascular disease and mortality; in some subsets, the risk is increased to the same degree as with cigarette smoking. Other pregnancy events, gestational diabetes, being the mother of a fetal growth–restricted baby or a preterm infant, breast feeding, and even pregnancy itself, are informative with regard to risk for cardiovascular disease in later life. We emphasize that a pregnancy history is an enormously important addition to the assessment of cardiovascular risk in women. The most well-established relationship of pregnancy related events to later life cardiovascular disease is for the pregnancy disorder, preeclampsia. Preeclampsia occurs in about 3% of pregnancies. It is diagnosed by new-onset hypertension and proteinuria and begins to abate with the delivery of the placenta. For many years it was considered merely pregnancy-induced hypertension. However, it is clear that the disorder is far more than this (Roberts & Gammill, 2005). It shares many pathophysiologic features with atherosclerosis. Like atherosclerosis, it is characterized by endothelial dysfunction resulting in vasoconstriction, activation of the coagulation cascade, and loss of
Placental bacteremia and maternal sepsis complicating Shirodkar procedure

17 weeks, she was again referred for AFP determinations which showed 224 ng. per milliliter in maternal serum and l ,249 ng. per milliliter in amniotic fluid. The slope of values in maternal semm had risen steeply from approximately the twenty-fifth percentile to the ninetieth percentile, and the amniotic fluid levels were much greater than the expected 200 ng. per milli­ liter. A sonogram showed a biparietal diameter of 8.5 em., compatible with a date of 35 weeks and a marked excess of amniotic fluid, but there was no evidence to suggest a menin­ gomyelocele. An amniogram after removal of 30 c.c of am­ niotic fluid and instillation of Renografin-60 failed to show any contrast material in the small bowel on two sets of films taken three hours apart. This was thought to be due to dilu­ tion of the contrast medium with excessive fluid. No gross malformations of the extremities, head, or vertebral column were visualized. Besides the hydramnios, the only abnormal findings were the AFP results which at 39 1
The Nobel pulsar

The special Issue of Science on “General Relativity turns 100” (6 March, p. [1082][1]) gives a wonderful history of the successes of the theory, but I feel that it is important to make a correction pertaining to the binary pulsar PSR B1913+16 and the effect of gravitational waves. There has been
Magnetic diagnostic optimization for plasma equilibrium reconstruction in the HSX stellarator

A new set of 80 optimized magnetic diagnostics has been designed, built and installed in the helically symmetric experiment stellarator to enable a more accurate reconstruction of the plasma equilibrium compared to a previously installed unoptimized set. The optimization of the positions of the diagnostic coils was based on two different methods. The first technique searches for diagnostics with a high signal effectiveness. This quantity is determined by how much the variance of the reconstructed parameters, which are used to describe the equilibrium, changes depending on a change in the variance of the measurement. The results of this method are combined with a study that determines which diagnostics have the largest signal change if only a single parameter is varied. Calculations show that the new set of diagnostics reduces the uncertainty in the reconstructed plasma pressure and plasma current profile compared to the previous magnetic diagnostics and a virtual internal diagnostic set which was not optimized. With a reduction in the signal uncertainties, a further improvement can be achieved for the optimized diagnostic set, demonstrating the advantage of a careful diagnostic design process. It is shown that it is possible to design diagnostic coils which are only sensitive to either the bootstrap current or the Pfirsch–Schluter current.