cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
USING STABLE ISOTOPES TO ESTIMATE TROPHIC POSITION: MODELS, METHODS, AND ASSUMPTIONS

The stable isotopes of nitrogen (8'5N) and carbon (8'3C) provide powerful tools for estimating the trophic positions of and carbon flow to consumers in food webs; however, the isotopic signature of a consumer alone is not generally sufficient to infer trophic position or carbon source without an appropriate isotopic baseline. In this paper, I develop and discuss methods for generating an isotopic baseline and evaluate the assump- tions required to estimate the trophic position of consumers using stable isotopes in multiple ecosystem studies. I test the ability of two primary consumers, surface-grazing snails and filter-feeding mussels, to capture the spatial and temporal variation at the base of aquatic food webs. I find that snails reflect the isotopic signature of the base of the littoral food web, mussels reflect the isotopic signature of the pelagic food web, and together they provide a good isotopic baseline for estimating trophic position of secondary or higher trophic level consumers in lake ecosystems. Then, using data from 25 north temperate lakes, I evaluate how 815N and 8'3C of the base of aquatic food webs varies both among lakes and between the littoral and pelagic food webs within lakes. Using data from the literature, I show that the mean trophic fractionation of b'5N is 3.4%o (1 SD = 1%M) and of 8'3C is 0.4%o (1 SD = 1.3%o), and that both, even though variable, are widely applicable. A sen- sitivity analysis reveals that estimates of trophic position are very sensitive to assumptions about the trophic fractionation of '5 N, moderately sensitive to different methods for gen- erating an isotopic baseline, and not sensitive to assumptions about the trophic fractionation of 8'3C when 8'3C is used to estimate the proportion of nitrogen in a consumer derived from two sources. Finally, I compare my recommendations for generating an isotopic baseline to an alternative model proposed by M. J. Vander Zanden and J. B. Rasmussen. With an appropriate isotopic baseline and an appreciation of the underlying assumptions and model sensitivity, stable isotopes can help answer some of the most difficult questions in food web ecology.
KINETIC ISOTOPE EFFECTS IMPLICATE A SINGLE OXIDANT FOR CYTOCHROME P450-MEDIATED O-DEALKYLATION, N-OXYGENATION, AND AROMATIC HYDROXYLATION OF 6-METHOXYQUINOLINE

One major point of controversy in the area of cytochrome P450 (P450)-mediated oxidation reactions is the nature of the active-oxygen species. A number of hypotheses have been advanced which implicate a second oxidant besides the iron-oxo species designated as compound I (Cpd 1). This oxygen is thought to be either an iron-hydroperoxy species (Cpd 0) or a second spin-state of Cpd 1. Very little information is available on what fraction of P450 oxidations is mediated by the two different oxidants. Herein, we report results on three cytochrome P450-mediated reactions: O-dealkylation, N-oxygenation, and aromatic hydroxylation, which occur by three distinct chemical mechanisms. We have used kinetic isotope effects to test for branching from O-demethylation to N-oxygenation and aromatic hydroxylation, using 6-methoxyquinoline and 2H3-6-methoxyquinoline as substrates for P4501A2. Identical large inverse isotope effects on Vmax/Km are obtained for the formation of both the N-oxide and the phenol. This indicates that all three reactions occur through the same enzyme-substrate complex and, thus, through a single iron-oxygen species. The nature of the iron-oxygen species is less certain but is more likely to be iron-oxo Cpd 1, given the energetics of these reactions.
Optical Properties of Variable-Composition Aluminum/Alumina Thin Films, Part 1

Optical properties of alumina/aluminum thin films with varying compositions deposited by reactive sputtering have been studied. For measurements, ellipsometry has primarily been used, with additional measurements to provide more information. For modeling, the effective medium approximation has been used. This paper presents the ellipsometry and effective medium approximation approaches used. Results are presented for bare glass used as a substrate and for alumina films that are nearly stoichiometric. The microscope glass substrate was found to have much higher levels of absorption than quartz glass (SiO2), for which the optical constants are commonly adopted for modeling. If this enhanced absorption had not been identified and quantified, it would have been inaccurately attributed to the deposited alumina films. Alumina films deposited at 5 to 9% oxygen flow ratios were also measured and modeled. Dispersion models (Sellmeier and Lorentz models) showed that, as the oxygen flow ratio decreased, the resonanc...
A Feasibility Trial of Concurrent Radiation, Temozolomide, and Bevacizumab Followed by Temozolomide and Bevacizumab for Resectable and Unresectable Glioblastoma Multiforme of the Brain

Purpose/Objective(s): The use of Bevacizumab (BV) for recurrent high-grade gliomas has been promising. We hypothesized based on second line treatment efficacy that incorporating radiation therapy (RT), temozolomide (TMZ), and BV for the primary treatment of glioblastoma multiforme would improve clinical outcomes. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the median time to progression and secondarily median survival, safety, and toxicity.
Cellular Analysis of Ocular Circadian Pacemaker Coupling in Bulla: Role of Efferent Impulses in Phase Shifting:

The eyes of Bulla gouldiana, a marine snail, contain circadian oscillators that are coupled to each other. Obvious candidates for the coupling signals are the optic nerve compound action potentials (CAPs) that express the circadian rhythm and lead to efferent impulses in the contralateral optic nerve. In the present experiments, the role of the CAPs as coupling signals was evaluated. We found that, following desynchronization of the two ocular oscillators by phase-delaying one eye with manganese, subsequent phase shifts in the initially unshifted ocular rhythm only occurred during the time that efferent optic nerve signals were present. In addition, in the absence of ocular desynchrony, phase shifts of the ocular rhythm could still be effected by activation of the efferent pathway.The influence of efferent impulses on identified retinal cells was also evaluated. No effect of efferent signals on receptor layer cells was detected, while it was found that efferent impulses generated depolarizations in basal ...
What Lies Beneath: the BP Oil Spill and the Need for New Response Models

The response to the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, the worst oil spill in maritime history, focused on determining the fate and the marine biological effects of the oil spill with little effort on assessing the emotional well-being of people directly harmed by the spill. The mental anguish experienced by the people, many who were still recovering from earlier destruction of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, remains poorly addressed. The extent of the psychological effects is still not fully known arguably because the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) requires no analogous assessment by federal agencies. Many of the challenges relate to the legal requirements and standards imposed under OPA that lead to more focus on environmental than on societal and individual impacts. The academic community has much to contribute to undertake studies to understand the unknowns in both natural and social science realms, yet federal and state governments have difficulty in using academe to its full effect. We posit that a Human Resource Damage Assessment (HRDA) model be incorporated to leave us better prepared to assess damage beyond the natural resource side and to engage academic researchers in the science of disasters, to help people to cope and locate services, and to promote a connective bridge between natural and social scientists, practitioners and agencies for improved mental health and systemic preparation. Implementation of an HRDA model would require substantial legislative changes in OPA.
Shear stress regulates endothelin-1 release via protein kinase C and cGMP in cultured endothelial cells.

The effect of shear stress on the release of endothelin-1 (ET-1) from endothelial cells is at present controversial with various investigators observing an increase and others observing a decrease....
Radicalizing Recovery: Addiction, Spirituality, and Politics

Treatment centers and self-help recovery programs promote individual solutions to substance abuse through changing dysfunctional behavior and relying on spiritual beliefs and practices. The root problems are understood to be diseases within the person. However, the social conditions implicated in causing the addiction remain unaddressed. Although class, race, and gender do not predict substance abuse, many people entering clinics are from disempowered groups. Can social workers bring recovery and social justice methods together? What can radical social workers in the addiction-recovery industry do?
Simple description of pi pi scattering to 1 GeV.

Motivated by the 1/Nc expansion, we present a simple model of �� scattering as a sum of a current-algebra contact term and resonant pole exchanges. The model preserves crossing symmetry as well as unitarity up to 1.2 GeV . Key features include chiral dynamics, vector meson dominance, a broad low energy scalar (�) meson and a Ramsauer-Townsend mechanism for the understanding of the 980 MeV region. We discuss in detail the regularization (corresponding to rescattering effects) necessary to make all these nice features work.
Future power technology in the global marketplace

The power industry is a tremendously competitive, low margin environment with many suppliers across the globe. This paper proposes a drastically different paradigm in how business is approached in the power industry. This paper discusses some of the areas that IBM has been changing its approaches and processes for acquisition and delivery of power systems. The challenge to the power supply industry is to provide IBM and other OEMs with total solutions. This is a challenge of cooperation, collaboration and information sharing that has not been experienced anywhere in the electronics industry.
An efficient method for computing the bit error probabilities of band-limited asynchronous DS-CDMA systems with random signature sequences

An accurate and efficient method is proposed for computing the bit error probabilities (BEP) of band-limited, asynchronous direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) systems with random signature sequences. The proposed method uses Chebyshev interpolation and moments up to the fourth order. It is inherently more accurate than an existing, efficient method called the simplified improved Gaussian approximation (SIGA), which uses moments up to the second order. Closed-form expressions for computing the BEP are presented. The superior accuracy of the proposed method is illustrated by numerical examples. The computational complexity of the proposed method is higher than, but of the same order as the SIGA.
The Electrocardiographic Findings in Small, Atypical Myocardial Infarcts

Others have described mild or atypical myocardial infarction as a clinical condition in which the pain is of short duration and the evidence of tissue damage is slight. It occurs in otherwise healthy individuals and is characterized by complete recovery and the absence of complications. In this study the electrocardiograms of 359 patients with myocardial infarction were divided according to the QRS complexes; one group showing normal QRS complexes and the other showing typical Q waves. The clinical features of the patients in these two groups were compared.
Does adding manpower also affect quality?: an empirical, longitudinal analysis

With each new developer to a software development team comes a greater challenge to manage the communication, coordination, and knowledge transfer amongst teammates. Fred Brooks discusses this challenge in The Mythical Man-Month by arguing that rapid team expansion can lead to a complex team organization structure. While Brooks focuses on productivity loss as the negative outcome, poor product quality is also a substantial concern. But if team expansion is unavoidable, can any quality impacts be mitigated? Our objective is to guide software engineering managers by empirically analyzing the effects of team size, expansion, and structure on product quality. We performed an empirical, longitudinal case study of a large Cisco networking product over a five year history. Over that time, the team underwent periods of no expansion, steady expansion, and accelerated expansion. Using team-level metrics, we quantified characteristics of team expansion, including team size, expansion rate, expansion acceleration, and modularity with respect to department designations. We examined statistical correlations between our monthly team-level metrics and monthly product-level metrics. Our results indicate that increased team size and linear growth are correlated with later periods of better product quality. However, periods of accelerated team expansion are correlated with later periods of reduced software quality. Furthermore, our linear regression prediction model based on team metrics was able to predict the product's post-release failure rate within a 95% prediction interval for 38 out of 40 months. Our analysis provides insight for project managers into how the expansion of development teams can impact product quality.
Microarray analysis of the in vivo sequence preferences of a minor groove binding drug

Minor groove binding drugs (MGBDs) interact with DNA in a sequence-specific manner and can cause changes in gene expression at the level of transcription. They serve as valuable models for protein interactions with DNA and form an important class of antitumor, antiviral, antitrypanosomal and antibacterial drugs. There is a need to extend knowledge of the sequence requirements for MGBDs from in vitro DNA binding studies to living cells. Here we describe the use of microarray analysis to discover yeast genes that are affected by treatment with the MGBD berenil, thereby allowing the investigation of its sequence requirements for binding in vivo. A novel approach to sequence analysis allowed us to address hypotheses about genes that were directly or indirectly affected by drug binding. The results show that the sequence features of A/T richness and heteropolymeric character discovered by in vitro berenil binding studies are found upstream of genes hypothesized to be directly affected by berenil but not upstream of those hypothesized to be indirectly affected or those shown to be unaffected. The data support the conclusion that effects of berenil on gene expression in yeast cells can be explained by sequence patterns discovered by in vitro binding experiments. The results shed light on the sequence and structural rules by which berenil binds to DNA and affects the transcriptional regulation of genes and contribute generally to the development of MGBDs as tools for basic and applied research.
Fine‐needle aspiration cytology of primary large‐cell lymphoma of the mediastinum: Cytomorphologic Findings With Potential Pitfalls in Diagnosis

We report the fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytomorphologic features of six cases of primary mediastinal large-cell lymphoma with sclerosis. The series consisted of three men and three women with a median age of 36 yr. All the patients presented with a large anterior or superior mediastinal mass with no evidence of peripheral lymphadenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly. Two of the cases showed typical findings of lymphoma, characterized by hypercellular specimens with numerous individually scattered markedly atypical lymphoid cells present, demonstrating nuclear irregularity with the presence of nucleoli and surrounding scant to slight amount of cytoplasm. Numerous lymphoglandular bodies were seen in the background. Both cases were correctly diagnosed as representing non-Hodgkin's large-cell lymphomas. Two other cases had slight cellularity with the presence of a few scattered atypical lymphoid cells. Although a definite diagnosis was not rendered in either case, the possibility of malignant lymphoma was considered. Two other cases consisted predominantly of microtissue fragments with some associated scattered individual atypical cells. Within the microtissue fragments, the cells were distorted with a tendency to elongate and spindle in a prominent fibrous matrix. Our experience demonstrates that FNA cytology of primary mediastinal diffuse large cell lymphoma with sclerosis can be challenging, with a potential for a false-negative diagnosis due to limited cellularity secondary to the sclerosis or a misdiagnosis as a spindle cell neoplasm due to distortion of these cells by the fibrous matrix. To the best of our knowledge, we believe this is the first FNA series of primary mediastinal diffuse large cell lymphoma with sclerosis.
Value generation and health reform in emergency medical services.

American Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies largely have been untouched by the dramatic health care reform efforts underway, although change seems imminent. Clarifying the role of the modern EMS system, and the yardsticks used to evaluate its performance, will be a challenge.This paper introduces the concept of value (or outcomes to cost ratio) in EMS, and offers value assessment as a means by which reform decisions can be framed. The best reform decisions are those that optimize both costs and outcomes. This includes: (1) attention to the patient experience; (2) disallowing the provision of unhelpful, harmful or disproven prehospital care; and (3) expanding patient dispositions beyond Emergency Departments. Costs of care will need to be tracked carefully and acknowledged. Value generation should serve as the goal of ongoing EMS reform efforts.Munk MD. Value generation and health reform in emergency medical services. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(2):1-4. Language: en
Manual Therapy and Exercise to Improve Outcomes in Patients With Muscle Tension Dysphonia: A Case Series

Background and Purpose Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), a common voice disorder that is not commonly referred for physical therapy intervention, is characterized by excessive muscle recruitment, resulting in incorrect vibratory patterns of vocal folds and an alteration in voice production. This case series was conducted to determine whether physical therapy including manual therapy, exercise, and stress management education would be beneficial to this population by reducing excess muscle tension. Case Description Nine patients with MTD completed a minimum of 9 sessions of the intervention. Patient-reported outcomes of pain, function, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and the conclusion of treatment. The outcome measures were the numeric rating scale (NRS), Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), and Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Cervical and jaw range of motion also were assessed at baseline and postintervention using standard goniometric measurements. Outcomes Eight of the patients had no pain after treatment. All 9 of the patients demonstrated an improvement in PSFS score, with 7 patients exceeding a clinically meaningful improvement at the conclusion of the intervention. Three of the patients also had a clinically meaningful change in VHI scores. All 9 of the patients demonstrated improvement in cervical flexion and lateral flexion and jaw opening, whereas 8 patients improved in cervical extension and rotation postintervention. Discussion The findings suggest that physical therapists can feasibly implement an intervention to improve outcomes in patients with MTD. However, a randomized clinical trial is needed to confirm the results of this case series and the efficacy of the intervention. A clinical implication is the expansion of physical therapy to include referrals from voice centers for the treatment of MTD.
Nanoscale through Substratum Topographic Cues Modulate Human Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal

A major technological barrier to large-scale propagation of human embryonic stem (HES) cells is the persistence of spontaneous differentiation in culture. Our laboratory and others have previously reported that substrate topography, independent of surface chemistry, profoundly modulates fundamental cell behaviors. We hypothesized that topographic cues would also play a role in modulating HES cell behaviors. This hypothesis was tested on substrates containing nanoscale through micron scale grooves and ridges that were generated by soft lithography. Topographically patterned substrates improved maintenance of the self-renewing phenotype (p = 6.7x10-6) under culture conditions that promote stem cell self-renewal. Topographic cues were found to promote differentiation, however, under culture conditions that promote differentiation. To our knowledge these are the first experiments documenting that the physical topography of culture surfaces influences HES cell differentiation and self-renewal. Topographic cues should be considered a fundamental environmental factor that has relevance to emerging strategies of stem cell engineering.
Linking Teams With Technology: Integrating Databases in Experiential Exercises in an Introductory Business Course

The arrival of the “virtual generation” on campus has shifted the pedagogy in most business courses. Students in this generation not only are adept in navigating an array of mobile devices, but also have distinct preferences for courses that enable them to leverage their technology skills. Despite their affinity for technology, many of these students may not be as aware of the nuances related to digital content and often rely upon familiar but less relevant online resources to support course projects. This article presents several experiential exercises developed to enable students to leverage technology via database hyperlinks in an introductory business course. Each experiential exercise and related hyperlink was designed to support interdisciplinary discussion related to various components of a business plan in the introductory course. Factors that impact student use of databases, as well as contextual issues that support databases in this interdisciplinary course, are also reviewed.
The Single-Cord Compression Adhesion Test for Evaluating the Adhesion of Vulcanized Rubber to Cord

Abstract The replacement of natural rubber by synthetic rubberlike materials (elastomers) in the construction of mechanical goods has led to considerable emphasis being placed on the problem of strongly bonding the cord reinforcing member to these new materials. The introduction of continuous filament rayon cord as the reinforcing member in natural rubber tires had earlier given the rubber industry the opportunity to determine the importance of cord adhesion in the performance of tires. Now with the advent of synthetic, continuous filament, high polymeric materials as superior reinforcing members, the problem of adhering synthetic and natural rubber to these materials to produce satisfactory working units becomes increasingly complex. It is evident that before very much can be accomplished with a problem of this scope a versatile test must be devised for evaluating the adhesion of synthetic and natural rubber to the various filamentary materials. Over a period of time there has been developed in this labo...
Asymptotic behavior and operator mass renormalization in the ϕ4 model

As is well known in the theory of nonlinear differential equations, straightforward perturbation theory leads to approximate solutions with the wrong asymptotic behavior. We consider a real scalar field satifying the Klein-Gordon equation with a ϕ3 self-current, in both the classical and second-quantized versions. We demonstrate that the usual, approximate solutions are asymptotically unbounded in both cases. We present a solution up to a normalization factor for the function or Heisenberg operator ϕ to first order in the coupling with the correct asymptotic behavior. In the quantum case this forces one to introduce aq-number renormalized mass. The discussion is limited to solutions periodic in a finite box. A discussion of the wave-function renormalization and the limit of infinite box volume is deferred here. The method of approximation used is a generalization of standard techniques in the theory of nonlinear differential equations, and does not require adiabatic switching of the interaction.
Reversibly switchable photoacoustic tomography using a genetically encoded near-infrared phytochrome

Optical imaging of genetically encoded probes has revolutionized biomedical studies by providing valuable information about targeted biological processes. Here, we report a novel imaging technique, termed reversibly switchable photoacoustic tomography (RS-PAT), which exhibits large penetration depth, high detection sensitivity, and super-resolution. RS-PAT combines advanced photoacoustic imaging techniques with, for the first time, a nonfluorescent photoswitchable bacterial phytochrome. This bacterial phytochrome is the most near-infrared shifted genetically encoded probe reported so far. Moreover, this bacterial phytochrome is reversibly photoconvertible between its far-red and near-infrared light absorption states. Taking maximum advantage of the powerful imaging capability of PAT and the unique photochemical properties of the phytochrome, RS-PAT has broken through both the optical diffusion limit for deep-tissue imaging and the optical diffraction limit for super-resolution photoacoustic microscopy. Specifically, with RS-PAT we have achieved an unprecedented detection sensitivity of ~2 μM, or as few as ~20 tumor cells, at a centimeter depth. Such high sensitivity is fully demonstrated in our study by monitoring tumor growth and metastasis at whole-body level with ~100 μm resolution. Moreover, our microscopic implementation of RS-PAT is capable of imaging mammalian cells with a sub-diffraction lateral resolution of ~140 nm and axial resolution of ~400 nm, which are respectively ~2-fold and ~75-fold finer than those of our conventional photoacoustic microscopy. Overall, RS-PAT is a new and promising imaging technology for studying biological processes at different length scales.
Automated Quadrature-free Discontinuous Galerkin Method Applied to Viscous Flows

The discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation has received much attention in recent years as a promising higher order method for solving the Navier-Stokes equations. However, it su ers from high operation count compared to traditional nite volume and nite di erence schemes. The high operation count can partially be attributed to the lack of a single set of numerical quadrature points that are capable of accurately integrating both volume and boundary integrals. In order to reduce operation counts, quadrature-free integration is employed and implemented through a pre-processor (PyDG) developed by the authors. The PyDG pre-processor relies on a freely available symbolic manipulation package to perform the analytical integration. The integrand is expressed as a matrix operator where all zero entries are automatically eliminated. This leads to a reduced operation count compared to traditional numerical quadrature implementations. In addition, this formulation allows numerical implementations of partial di erential equations to be expressed in a manner similar to the analytical equation. Using the PyDG pre-processor, the authors have also developed a C++ polynomial library (DGPoly++) that uses overloaded operators to allow expressions involving polynomials to be written as if they are scalars. This feature permits rapid numerical formulation of computer programs for solutions of partial di erential equations. The quadrature-free DG method is demonstrated here for a set of Euler and Navier-Stokes ows.
Density Scaling of the Thermal Conductivity of a Jet Oil

The application of the new quantitative elastohydrodynamics, which employs real properties of the liquid lubricant, to practical tribology problems obviously requires property measurements at high ...
Prophylactic laparoscopic gastrectomy for hereditary diffuse gastric cancer: A case series in a single family

Background Hereditary diffuse gastric carcinomas (HDGCs) are particularly troubling because of autosomal dominant heritance, high penetrance, early age of onset, and a lack of effective treatment once symptomatic. HDGC is further complicated by difficulty of effective screening. Gastrectomy provides definitive treatment for CDH1 mutation-positive patients. Attempting to minimize the morbidity and mortality of this procedure via a laparoscopic approach is appropriate. Methods Six consanguineous patients, 21 to 51 years of age, were identified as carriers of the CDH1 gene mutation. All of the patients' gastric mucosa was normal by endoscopic appearance and biopsy. After appropriate multispecialty counseling, all patients elected to undergo a laparoscopic total gastrectomy. Demographics, genealogy, operative approach, outcomes, and pathology were reviewed. Results All gastrectomies were completed using a laparoscopic approach. Gross examination of resected stomachs was unremarkable. Histological examination demonstrated multiple foci of invasive signet ring adenocarcinoma in all patients. There were no anastomotic leaks, one small bowel obstruction requiring reoperation, and one esophageal stricture requiring dilation. Conclusions This series demonstrates the utility and safety of the laparoscopic approach for prophylactic total gastrectomy for carriers of the CDH1 gene mutation. It serves to highlight that patients with CDH1 mutations may be more likely to undergo gastrectomy if they are offered the lower risk laparoscopic approach.
Directed self-assembly of block copolymer films on atomically-thin graphene chemical patterns

Directed self-assembly of block copolymers is a scalable method to fabricate well-ordered patterns over the wafer scale with feature sizes below the resolution of conventional lithography. Typically, lithographically-defined prepatterns with varying chemical contrast are used to rationally guide the assembly of block copolymers. The directed self-assembly to obtain accurate registration and alignment is largely influenced by the assembly kinetics. Furthermore, a considerably broad processing window is favored for industrial manufacturing. Using an atomically-thin layer of graphene on germanium, after two simple processing steps, we create a novel chemical pattern to direct the assembly of polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate). Faster assembly kinetics are observed on graphene/germanium chemical patterns than on conventional chemical patterns based on polymer mats and brushes. This new chemical pattern allows for assembly on a wide range of guiding periods and along designed 90° bending structures. We also achieve density multiplication by a factor of 10, greatly enhancing the pattern resolution. The rapid assembly kinetics, minimal topography and broad processing window demonstrate the advantages of inorganic chemical patterns composed of hard surfaces.
High-speed nanoscale characterization of dewetting via dynamic transmission electron microscopy

The dewetting of thin films can occur in either the solid or the liquid state for which different mass transport mechanisms are expected to control morphological changes. Traditionally, dewetting dynamics have been examined on time scales between several seconds to hours, and length scales ranging between nanometers and millimeters. The determination of mass transport mechanisms on the nanoscale, however, requires nanoscale spatial resolution and much shorter time scales. This study reports the high-speed observation of dewetting phenomena for kinetically constrained Ni thin films on crystalline SrTiO3 substrates. Movie-mode Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscopy (DTEM) was used for high-speed image acquisition during thin film dewetting at different temperatures. DTEM imaging confirmed that the initial stages of film agglomeration include edge retraction, hole formation, and growth. Finite element modeling was used to simulate temperature distributions within the DTEM samples after laser irradiation wi...
X-ray diffraction analysis of spontaneously draining calcinosis in scleroderma patients.

Objectives: Calcium hydroxyapatite (HA) is reported to be the major constituent of soft tissue calcinosis in patients with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc). Mechanical stress and local tissue hypoxia are thought to be important in the pathogenesis of SSc calcinosis. We sought to analyse spontaneously draining material from calcinosis sites in SSc patients using X-ray diffraction (XRD).Method: With approval from our local Institutional Review Board (IRB), eligible SSc patients consented to submit their spontaneously draining calcinosis samples for XRD analysis. All patients met the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for definite SSc. XRD data were used to determine how much solid phase was present (e.g. HA vs. other calcium phosphate phases) and the percentage of crystalline components. Pertinent clinical data were collected.Results: Draining calcinosis was submitted mostly from the hands of 10 female patients with advanced SSc, whose mean disease duration was 16 (range 9–29) years; six h...
Simple performance measures for imaging system optimization [SPECT application]

The goal of this work was to develop a scalar performance index for obtaining a quick look at the performance potential of different imaging system geometries-especially those where the system model is incompletely known. The Fisher information for a single "signal" parameter was investigated for this purpose, but was found to be insufficient when the task was optimizing the resolution-sensitivity tradeoff of a parallel hole collimator. On the other hand the 2/spl times/2 Cramer-Rao bound corresponding to the estimation of the intensities of appropriately chosen signal and background distributions may be useful for initial imaging system evaluations. However, caution must be used; results are quite sensitive to the signal and background distributions. >
The Uroporphomethene Inhibitor Causitive for Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT) Is Generated by Oxidation of Hydroxymethylbilane (HMB)

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is caused by a uroporphomethene (UPN) inhibitor of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (Phillips, JD et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 104(12):5079–84). In the absence of the inhibitor very little uroporphyrin (URO) is secreted in the urine and the excreted URO is predominantly the isomer-III (URO-III). In contrast, in patients with PCT and mice with experimental PCT the predominant porphyrin excreted in urine is uroporphyrin-I (URO-I). Direct measurements of uroporphyrinogen III synthase activity (UIIIS) in mice with PCT have shown no reduction in activity indicating that an alternate mechanism is responsible. We hypothesized that oxidation of a single bridge carbon of HMB, the product of the porphobilinogen deaminase reaction, is the initial event leading to the porphomethene. Our structural data indicate that oxidized HMB cannot serve as a substrate for UIIIS (Schubert, HL et al, Biochem J. 2008 47(33):8648–55) but can non-enzymatically cyclize to form UPN I. UPN I would then serve as the inhibitor of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase but and then be fully oxidized to yield URO-I. To test this hypothesis we generated authentic UPN’s I and III. URO’s I and III were reduced with palladium on carbon to yield uroporphyrinogens (Uro’gen) I and III. UPN’s I and III were then generated by controlled photo-oxidation of the corresponding Uro’gens. We then utilized LC-MS to separate and characterize the synthesized UPN’s. Retention times of the two compounds differed by approximately 1 min (UPN III elutes prior to UPN I) but the profile of the daughter ions derived from the UPN’s (molecular mass 835 Da) was identical. The same approach was applied to clarified liver cytosol from mice with experimental PCT. The retention time of the 835 Da UPN identified in mouse liver cytosol corresponded to that of the synthesized UPN I and yielded identical daughter ions. These data support the hypothesis that oxidation of HMB leads to formation of UPN I in vivo. This is concordant with our view that UPN I serves both as the inhibitor of URO-D and as the source of the excess URO-I found in PCT.
Twisted Fourier–Mukai transforms for holomorphic symplectic four-folds

We apply the methods of C a?ldararu to construct a twisted Fourier�Mukai transform between a pair of holomorphic symplectic four-folds which are fibred by Lagrangian abelian surfaces. More precisely, we obtain an equivalence between the derived category of coherent sheaves on a certain Lagrangian fibration and the derived category of twisted sheaves on its �mirror� partner. As a corollary, we extend the original Fourier�Mukai transform to degenerations of abelian surfaces. Another consequence of the general theory is that the holomorphic symplectic four-fold and its mirror are connected by a one-parameter family of deformations through Lagrangian fibrations
Radiographic Changes in Cardiac Contours following Heart Transplantation

Chest radiographs of 46 patients who had undergone heart transplantation were reviewed with special attention to abnormalities of the cardiac contours. MR imaging in 3 such patients revealed 3 types of double right cardiac contours: the recipient right atrium combined with the donor right atrium; the donor right atrium combined with the recipient left atrium; and a cardiac fat pad combined with the right atrium. a prominent main pulmonary artery was shown by MR imaging to result from leftward displacement of the main pulmonary artery caused by clockwise rotation and transverse position of the transplanted heart. Recognition of these unique radiographic appearances is of value in assessing transplanted hearts and in avoiding misdiagnosis.
Total and ionized magnesium testing in the surgical intensive care unit - Opportunities for improved laboratory and pharmacy utilization

Abstract Purpose Ionized fraction (iMg) is the physiologically active form of magnesium (Mg); total Mg may not accurately reflect iMg status. Erroneously “low” Mg levels may result in unnecessary repetitive testing. Materials and methods From 11/2015 to 01/2016, patients ordered for Mg from a pilot ICU also had iMg tested. Weighted kappa statistic was used to assess agreement between Mg categories (low, normal, high). Predictors of unnecessary repeated Mg testing and repletion using data were explored through logistic regression models using GEE techniques to account for repeated measurements in both bivariate and multivariable analyses. Results There were 470 Mg/iMg paired measurements from 173 patients. The weighted kappa statistic was 0.35 (95%CI 0.27–0.43) indicating poor agreement in assessment of magnesium status. Of the 34 Mg samples reported as “low”, only 6 (18%) were considered “low” using concurrent iMg testing. In the multivariable models, history of atrial fibrillation (aOR = 1.61, 95%CI 1.16–2.21, p = 0.004) and concomitant metoclopramide (aOR = 1.71, 95%CI 1.03–2.81, p = 0.036) were significant predictors of unnecessary repeat Mg testing. Conclusions In the surgical ICU, categorical agreement (low, normal, high) was poor between Mg and iMg. Over 80% of “low” total Mg values are erroneous and may result in unnecessary additional measurements and repletion.
Disparities in Total Hip Arthroplasty Versus Hemiarthroplasty in the Management of Geriatric Femoral Neck Fractures.

Introduction:Recent clinical evidence suggests that total hip arthroplasty (THA) provides improved clinical outcomes as compared to hemiarthroplasty (HA) for displaced femoral neck fractures in eld...
Old Borders, New Technologies: Reframing Film and Visual Culture in Contemporary Northern Ireland

Borders and borderlands are fundamentally ambivalent, riddled by deep contradictions and divisions. The focus of hopes, as well as fears, they give rise to utopian dreams of transgression, reconcil...
Treatment of slaughterhouse blood waste using pilot scale two-stage anaerobic digesters for biogas production

Abstract Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an attractive technology for treatment of slaughterhouse blood waste for energy recovery to offset energy used in the slaughterhouse. However, no studies have been conducted at the pilot or full scales using such waste streams as the primary substrate. In this study, three 197-L pilot scale two-stage AD systems, with or without bamboo biocarriers, treating poultry blood waste were evaluated at two organic loading rates (OLRs) (low = 0.4 and high = 0.7 g COD L−1 day−1) under mesophilic condition (26 ± 2 °C) for 260 days. Biocarriers were added to immobilize the microflora and increase cell residence time in the digesters. Results show that the system with biocarriers had methane yield of 192 mL g−1 CODadded and COD removal of 32.4% at the high OLR, and methane yield of 384 mL g−1 CODadded and COD removal of 68.5% at the low OLR, which were significantly higher than those of the system without biocarriers (used as control). Methanobrevibacter and Methanobacterium beijingense were the dominant archaea in the system using biocarriers. It is estimated that 39.7–41.4 kJ can be recovered from the treatment of blood waste from each kg of slaughtered livestock weight using the two-stage AD system.
Lossless natural sampling for PWM generation

Sufficient conditions for periodic reference signals to ensure lossless natural sampling of finite energy, band-limited signals are derived in the context of pulse-width modulation (PWM). For sawtooth reference signals, which are commonly used in PWM generation, lossless natural sampling conditions in the Landau sense are characterized in terms of the range and period of these signals. The results are extended to any absolutely continuous reference signal that spans its dynamic range monotonically on a pulse interval while satisfying mild derivative conditions. Finally, lossless natural sampling conditions for double-sided reference signals are proposed, revealing a design initiative to reduce PWM generator complexity.
Analysis of genetic interactions on a genome-wide scale in budding yeast: Diploid-based synthetic lethality analysis by microarray

Comprehensive collections of open reading frame (ORF) deletion mutant strains exist for the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. With great prescience, these strains were designed with short molecular bar codes or TAGs that uniquely mark each deletion allele, flanked by shared priming sequences. These features have enabled researchers to handle yeast mutant collections as complex pools of approximately 6000 strains. The presence of any individual mutant within a pool can be assessed indirectly by measuring the relative abundance of its corresponding TAG(s) in genomic DNA prepared from the pool. This is readily accomplished by wholesale polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the TAGs using fluorescent oligonucleotide primers that recognize the common flanking sequences, followed by hybridization of the labeled PCR products to a TAG oligonucleotide microarray. Here we describe a method-diploid-based synthetic lethality analysis by microarray (dSLAM)-whereby such pools can be manipulated to rapidly construct and assess the fitness of 6000 double-mutant strains in a single experiment. Analysis of double-mutant strains is of growing importance in defining the spectrum of essential cellular functionalities and in understanding how these functionalities interrelate.
When the Walls Come Down: Innovation in Diagnostics After the Invalidation of Gene Patents

The role of patents in innovative activities is still the subject of an ongoing debate. While patents incentivize innovators, they can block others from building on innovations. Exploiting a quasi-...
Surgical Treatment of Combined ACL and Lateral Side Injuries: Acute and Chronic

Management of the patient with combined ligamentous knee instability can be a challenging problem. Several studies have suggested that lateral/posterolateral knee instability accompanies anterior cruciate injury in 11–12.5% of patients. As approximately 100,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions are performed in the United States each year, this combined injury pattern is an entity that the orthopedic surgeon must be able to recognize and appropriately address.
Mark-Up Languages: Speech, X + V

Human interaction is characterized by multiple modalities such as vision, speech, and touch that complement and supplement each other to enable robust communication. Multimodal Web interaction is motivated by the desire to bring this same level of resilience in man–machine interaction when working with the ubiquitous World Wide Web (WWW). The Web has matured from its simple document-based origins of the early 1990s to a distributed application platform built on HTTP and HTML. In this process, the Web browser has evolved into a rich client framework, which incorporates a standardized eventing model that enables vendor–neutral applications. Until now, Web content has only incorporated visual interaction components, but with the coming of age of speech interaction, we are beginning to see truly multimodal interfaces that use speech as a first-class modality to enhance the visual user experience. This article describes how Web components written in VoiceXML can be seamlessly integrated into visual Web pages to deliver multimodal user interfaces that enable rapid task completion.
Robot-assisted versus laparoscopic single-incision cholecystectomy: results of a randomized controlled trial

Although single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is safe and effective, inherent surgeons’ discomfort has prevented a large-scale adaptation of this technique. Recent advances in robotic technology suggest that da Vinci Single-Site™ cholecystectomy (dVSSC) may overcome this issue by reducing the stress load of the surgeon compared to SILC. However, evidence to objectively assess differences between the two approaches is lacking. 60 patients [36 women, 24 men (mean age 52 years)] with benign gallbladder disease were randomly assigned to dVSSC (n = 30) or SILC (n = 30) in this single-centre, single-blinded controlled trial. The primary endpoint was surgeon’s stress load. Secondary endpoints included operating time, conversion rates, additional trocar placement, blood loss, length of hospital stay, procedure costs, health-related quality of life, cosmesis and complications. Data were collected preoperatively, during the hospital stay, and at 1 and 12 months’ follow-up. The dVSSC group showed a significant reduction of mental stress load of the surgeon compared to SILC [Subjective Mental Effort Questionnaire (SMEQ) score: median 25.0 (range 8–89) vs. 42.5 (range 13–110) points; p = 0.002] and a trend towards reduced physical stress load [Local Experienced Discomfort (LED) score: median 8 (range 2–27) vs. 12 (range 0–64) points; p = 0.088]. The length of hospital stay was longer in the SILC group [mean 3.06 (median 2; range 1–26) vs. 1.9 (median 2; range 1–4) days, p = 0.034] but overall hospital costs were higher for dVSSC [median 9734 (range 5775–16729) vs. 6900 (range 4156–99977) CHF; p = 0.001]. There were no differences in the rate of postoperative complications that required re-intervention (Dindo–Clavien grade ≥ IIIa; SILC n = 2 vs. dVSSC n = 0, p = 0.492) or other secondary endpoints. Da Vinci Single-Site™ cholecystectomy provides significant benefits over Single-Port Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in terms of surgeon’s stress load, matches the standards of the laparoscopic single-incision approach with regard to patients’ outcomes but increases expenses. Clinicaltrials.gov registration-No.: NCT02485392.