cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The cerebellum of the frog

The cerebellum of the frog is of considerable morphological importance because of its relatively simple structure. The further fact that here in the same species there are present in larval stages both lateral line and vestibular systems, while in the adult the latter alone remains, adds interest to a detailed study of this part of the brain in this animal. In view of the close relationship of these two sensory systems to the development of the cerebellum, it is of importance to observe the results of nature's experiment, which has eliminated the lateral line apparatus and its connections in the adult frog. The frog's cerebellum was studied in considerable detail, particularly as regards its connections, by Wlassak ( '87) chiefly with the aid of the Weigert technique. Subsequently it was described by Gaupp ('99), who however relied largely on Wlassak's work for details. Banchi ( '03) has given an account of the organ in the toad (Bufo). Kappers and Hammer ( '18) describe the cerebellum of the bull-frog briefly, and more recently Kappers ( '21) has summarized the studies on amphibian cerebella, making use of a manuscript by Rothig, in addition to the observations just cited, for a description of the anuran cerebellum. ROthig's account has not been accessible to me, and has only come to my attention since my own observations were completed through the reference by Kappers. A more detailed comparison of the results obtained by Rothig with my own would be highly desirable, but is not possible at the present time. No formal review of the literature will be attempted in this paper.
Carrier-carrier scattering in GaAs: Quantitative measurements from hot (e,A0) luminescence.

The rate at which a single nonequilibrium electron in GaAs loses energy to an optically injected, thermalized electron-hole plasma has been measured by comparing the emission from nonequilibrium electrons recombining at neautral acceptors in the presence and absence of the plasma. The intensity of the luminescence decreases in the presence of the plasma due to carrier-carrier scattering. The decrease directly gives the scattering rate using the polar scattering rate as an internal clock. The scattering rate is linear with injected density. At the maximum density achieved (n=p=8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{16}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$), the rate is found to be the same as the polar scattering rate. Both single-particle scattering and collective excitations of the plasma are shown to be important.
A more realistic look at the robustness and Type II error properties of the t test to departures from population normality.

The Type I and II error properties of the t test were evaluated by means of a Monte Carlo study that sampled 8 real distribution shapes identified by Micceri (1986, 1989) as being representative of types encountered in psychology and education research
Analysis of water and sediment from the Nueces Estuary/Corpus Christi Bay (Texas) for selected organic pollutants

Abstract The concentrations of various organic pollutants (PCBs, phthalate esters (PAEs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), pentachlorophenol (PCP), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides (CHPs)) were determined in samples of water and sediment from various sites in the Nueces Estuary, Texas. In sediment, the relative concentrations were ∑PAEs ⪢ PCB > ∑CHPs > PCP > HCB; the relative concentrations in water were ∑PAEs > PCP > PCB > ∑CHPs > HCB. One site in the estuary was highest in regard to most of the pollutants. The results of this study are compared to values reported for other sites. This study is part of a larger effort to evaluate and characterize environmental pollution and to assess the biological effects of marine pollutants. It will also serve as a basis for intercomparison with other areas and for future monitoring.
Phenolic acids affect photosynthesis and protein synthesis by isolated leaf cells of velvet-leaf

The effects ofp-coumaric, ferulic, chlorogenic, and vanillic acids on photosynthesis and protein synthesis by isolated leaf cells of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik) were investigated. Photosynthesis and protein synthesis were measured in cell suspensions by the incorporation of14CO2 and [14C]leucine, respectively. None of the tested phenolic acids except vanillic reduced photosynthesis by more than 50% at the highest concentration and 30 min of incubation. At 100μM concentrations and 60-min incubation periods,p-coumaric, ferulic, chlorogenic, and vanillic acids inhibited photosynthesis by 33, 37, 57, and 65%, respectively. Ferulic acid was the most inhibitory to protein synthesis and reduced the incorporation of [14C]leucine by 50% at about 1.0μM after 60 min of incubation. At the highest concentrations tested in this study, vanillic and ferulic acids were inhibitory to photosynthesis and protein synthesis, respectively, whereas chlorogenic andp-coumaric acids did not inhibit either physiological process. The maximum inhibition of protein synthesis by chlorogenic acid was 19% and by vanillic acid was 28% at 100μM concentrations. Chlorogenic, vanillic, andp-cou-maric acids at 0.1μM caused increased protein synthesis over the untreated control. Overall, photosynthesis was more sensitive than protein synthesis to the four phenolic acids tested.
Zn2+ inhibition of [3H]MK-801 binding is different in mouse brain and spinal cord: effect of glycine and glutamate.

Abstract Zn 2+ inhibits NMDA-type excitatory amino acid activity by a non-competitive action. Based on regional differences in the central nervous system (CNS) in binding characteristics of [ 3 H](+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5 H -dibenzo[ a , d ]cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate ([ 3 H]MK-801) and other non-competitive antagonists of NMDA used to label open channels in the receptor complex, we compared the inhibitory influence of Zn 2+ on [ 3 H]MK-801 binding in whole mouse brain and spinal cord membranes. Radioligand binding techniques were used in the presence and absence of maximally effective concentrations of glycine and glutamate. Using extensively washed membranes without exogenous glycine and glutamate, Zn 2+ was found to be a weaker inhibitor of the [ 3 H]MK-801-labeled site in the spinal cord than in the whole brain. In contrast, exogenous glycine and glutamate decreased the inhibitory effect of Zn 2+ in the brain but dramatically increased the inhibitory effect of Zn 2+ in the spinal cord. Thus the inhibitory effect of Zn 2+ in the spinal cord appears to be magnified by glutamatergic and glycinergic activity while that in the brain is not. The different actions of Zn 2+ may be attributable to the differential distribution of NMDA receptor subunits in the mouse brain and spinal cord. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.
Lethal injection: a stain on the face of medicine

The number of executions in the United States has increased as the acceptability of lethal injection has increased. Despite the opposition of professional organisations, healthcare professionals continue to participate. An American doctor describes parallels between America's use of lethal injection and Nazi Germany's “euthanasia” programme > The following shall be present … one (1) contract physician—(as designated by Health Services) to provide medical assistance during the execution process.1 On 6 November 2001, 45 year old prison inmate Jose High was led into a room at the Georgia Diagnostics and Classification Center in Jackson, Georgia, United States. The room would have looked familiar to a surgeon (or any doctor who performs procedures under sedation): it contained a trolley; cardiac monitor and defibrillator; medical equipment cabinets (including one for storing drugs); equipment stand; and the standard catheters, tubing, and sterile saline bags used to start intravenous lines. High lay down on the trolley, and a nurse tried to start a peripheral intravenous line. For more than 30 minutes, the nurse made several attempts to start the line at various locations, including High's right hand, right arm, right leg, and right foot. Finally, a doctor who worked under contract with the Georgia Diagnostics and Classification Center stepped in to help. He inserted a 7 French gauge, triple lumen, 20 cm long, central venous catheter into High's right subclavian vein. After the prison warden gave a signal, technicians injected thiopental sodium 6 g, pancuronium bromide 150 mg, and potassium chloride 360 mEq into High; this ended his life. #### Summary points Capital punishment continues to be used in the United States; almost all executions are now performed by lethal injection Doctors have helped to develop “humane” execution methods Lethal injection is unique because it simulates a medical procedure—the intravenous induction of general anaesthesia Doctors' participation in lethal …
Quantitative Evaluation of Inter-Vehicle Communication Effect in Highway Transportation from Micro and Macro Views

This article proposes a quantitative approach in considering the effect of inter-vehicle communication with respect to safety and congestion improvement. For enhancing safety by reducing delay time for safe braking for individual vehicles, long distance inter-vehicle communication (LDIVC) is proposed. An equation is developed for calculating delay time from a micro view. For alleviating congestion in a simplified traffic network, which consists of a primary route with high capacity and an alternative route with low capacity, short distance inter-vehicle communication (SDIVC) is proposed. For evaluating traffic throughput comparatively a set of formulae are derived from a macro view.
The area of the Mandelbrot set

We obtain upper bounds for the area of the Mandelbrot set. An effective procedure is given for computing the coefficients of the conformal mapping from the exterior of the unit circle onto the exterior of the Mandelbrot set. The upper bound is obtained by computing finitely many of these coefficient and applying Green's Theorem. The error in such calculations is estimated by deriving explicit formulas for infinitely many of the coefficients and comparing.
Coprecipitation of nonoxynol-9 with polyvinylpyrrolidone to decrease vaginal irritation potential while maintaining spermicidal potency.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) would increase the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of nonoxynol-9 (N-9), providing a reduction in its irritation potential, while maintaining essential spermicidal activity. Solid coprecipitates of N-9 with PVP were manufactured with the use of a modified lyophilization process. The irritation potential of N-9 was estimated by an in vitro assay, monitoring the extent of hemolysis of red blood cells. CMCs of N-9 were measured in the presence of various concentrations of PVP. A modified Sander-Cramer assay was implemented to measure the spermicidal activity of N-9 and the N-9/PVP coprecipitates. With the use of the lyophilization process and more suitable solvents, solid coprecipitates of N-9/PVP were manufactured with no residual organic solvents. The irritation potential of N-9 was reduced when in the presence of PVP-50% hemolysis values increased from 0.054mM to more than 0.2mM. N-9 CMC values increased in the presence of PVP from 0.085mM (0% PVP) to 0.110mM (3.5% PVP) and 0.166mM (10% PVP). However, spermicidal activities ranged from 0.213mM to 0.238mM, N-9 remaining steady regardless of the amount of PVP. By use of N-9/PVP coprecipitates, the self-association properties and irritation potentials of N-9 were altered. This result suggests a process to produce a spermicidal product that reduces the detrimental implications to the vaginal epithelium while maintaining the essential spermicidal activity.
Advances in Coherent 2-Dimensional Vertical Cavity Laser Arrays

Coupled 2-dimensional (2D) arrays of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) have been pursued for more than two decades. Recently, we have found that VCSEL arrays defined by introducing an etched photonic crystal (PhC) into the top facet or with multiple implantation apertures demonstrate coherently coupled in-phase operation. We show that proton implantation may also be used to define individual elements in the coupled array. This approach adds no fabrication complexity to that of a conventional implant VCSEL. Because the implant provides electrical confinement without adding optical loss, the lasers tend to lock in-phase, which is the preferred mode of operation. We have also found that variable phase between the array pixels is possible and influences the coherence and far field pattern, where the latter can enable beam steering applications. Changing the current injection to one laser in the array causes the coherence and relative phase between the emission of the two lasers to change. The change in relative phase between defects results in a change in the far field angle of the peak emission. Because the relative phase variation is retained when the array current is pulsed, electronic (rather than thermal) effects create the induced refractive index changes which lead to phase shifting. By combining proton-implanted coherent arrays and separately controlling the injection into a 3-element array, up to 7deg maximum beam steering into 2-dimensions has been achieved.
Advancing the use of local ecological knowledge for assessing data-poor species in coastal ecosystems

Many of the world's most vulnerable and rapidly changing ecosystems are also among the most data-poor, leading to an increased interest in use of local ecological knowledge (LEK) to document long-term environmental change. The integration of multiple knowledge sources for assessing species abundance and distribution has gained traction over the past decade as a growing number of case studies show concordance between LEK and scientific data. This study advances the use of quantitative approaches for synthesizing LEK by presenting a novel application of bootstrapping and statistical modeling to evaluate variance in ecological observations of fisheries practitioners. We developed an historical record of abundance for 22 marine species in Puget Sound, Washington (USA), using LEK, and we quantified variation in perceptions of abundance trends among fishers, divers, and researchers. These individuals differed in aspects of their information environments, which are characterized by how, when, and where an individual has acquired ecological information. Abundance trends derived from interviews suggest that populations of long-lived rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) have been in decline since at least the 1960s and that three rockfishes protected under the Endangered Species Act were perceived as relatively less abundant than other species. Differences in perception of rockfish abundance trends among age groups were consistent with our hypothesis that the reported magnitude of decline in abundance would increase with age, with younger respondents more likely to report high abundance than older individuals across all periods. Temporal patterns in the mean and variance of reported rockfish abundance indices were qualitatively similar between fishers and researchers; however, fishers reported higher indices of abundance than researchers for all but one rockfish species. The two respondent groups reported similar changes in rockfish abundance from the 1940s to 2000s, except for two recreationally valuable species that fishers perceived as having undergone greater declines than perceived by researchers. When aggregated at appropriate spatial-temporal scales and in a culturally appropriate manner, observations of resource users are a valuable source of ecological information. Continued development of creative analytical tools for synthesizing multiple knowledge sources will be essential for advancing the formal use of LEK in assessments of marine species.
Inelastic effects on springback in metals

Abstract Springback from the formed state has been a subject of major concern in the design of sheet metal panels. The amount of springback is generally estimated by assuming an entirely elastic recovery process and using the established values of elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio. It is demonstrated that inelastic strain release from the formed state can be a major source of additional strain recovery, the magnitude of which depends on the forming stress state. Details of nonlinear recovery are studied for two different test materials, 6022-T4 Al and a high strength steel, and the results are presented here. A model based on physical mechanisms for strain recovery and compliance is proposed to describe both the tension-unloading and compression segments of deformation. Improved predictions of springback and resumption of reverse flow are possible using this model.
Thermal stability and catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles supported on silica

Abstract 2.5 nm gold nanoparticles were grown on a fumed silica support, using the physical vapor deposition technique of magnetron sputtering, that are thermally stable when annealed in an oxygen containing environment up to at least 500 °C. Traditional Au/TiO 2 catalysts rapidly sinter to form large 13.9 nm gold clusters under these annealing conditions. This surprising stability of Au/SiO 2 is attributed to the absence of residual impurities (ensured by the halide-free production method) and a strong bond between gold and defects at the silica surface (about 3 eV per bond) estimated from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The Au/SiO 2 catalysts are less active for CO oxidation than the prototypical Au/TiO 2 catalysts, however they can be regenerated far more easily, allowing the activity of a catalyst to be fully recovered after deactivation.
Joining Si3N4‐Based Ceramics with Oxidation‐Formed Surface Layers

A simple processing technique has been developed for joining Si 3 N 4 -based ceramics. Thin ( 400 nm) oxide scales formed, leaving residual porosity at the joint interface.
Introduction to mouse lung tumorigenesis.

This article provides a brief overview of some of the characteristics of lung tumors in mice and their application for studies in both chemical and molecular carcinogenesis and in cancer chemoprevention. The reader is referred to the above-mentioned review articles, and the articles to follow in this issue, for more extensive discussions of mouse lung tumorigenesis. It has been very exciting and rewarding to observe the progress made by many dedicated scientists in the field of mouse lung tumorigenesis during the past several years, and I hope that the next few years will be even more exciting.
Renal prostaglandins and the control of renal function in liver disease.

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that renal prostaglandins play a major role in the control of renal hemodynamics and function in patients with advanced liver disease. The available data suggest that alterations in renal prostaglandin metabolism participate in the pathogenesis of at least three prominent renal complications of liver disease: sodium retention, impaired renal diluting ability, and the hepatorenal syndrome. Nonsteroidal anti-Inflammatory agents that inhibit cyclooxygenase activity favor sodium retention and diminish renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. The clinical caveat emerging from these observations is that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, which inhibit cyclooxygenase activity, should not be prescribed for sodium-retaining patients with decompensated liver disease.
The Five-year Incidence and Progression of Age-related Maculopathy: The Beaver Dam Eye Study

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to describe the 10-year incidence and progression of retinal drusen, retinal pigmentary abnormalities, and signs of late age-related maculopathy. Design Population-based cohort study. Participants The study included 4926 persons, 43 to 86 years of age at the time of a baseline examination from 1988 through 1990, living in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, of whom 3684 participated in a 5-year follow-up examination and 2764 participated in a 10-year follow-up. Methods Characteristics of drusen and other lesions typical of age-related maculopathy were determined by grading stereoscopic color fundus photographs using the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System. Main outcomes measures Incidence of drusen type and size, pigmentary abnormalities, geographic atrophy, and exudative degeneration. Results The 10-year incidence of early age-related maculopathy was 12.1% and of late age-related maculopathy it was 2.1%. There was a statistically significant increased incidence of age-related maculopathy lesions with age ( P P Conclusions These population-based estimates document the high incidence of signs of age-related maculopathy in people 75 years of age or older. Our findings demonstrate that large numbers of hard drusen predict the incidence of soft drusen and pigmentary abnormalities and that the presence of the latter lesions significantly increases the risk for the development of geographic atrophy and exudative macular degeneration.
GJB2 mutation spectrum in 209 hearing impaired individuals of predominantly Caribbean Hispanic and African descent

Abstract Objective The purpose of the study is to determine whether Caribbean Hispanic and African admixture populations have a paucity of mutations in GJB2 , encoding connexin 26. Methods We reported the paucity of mutations in GJB2 and deletions in GJB6 in Caribbean Hispanic and African admixture populations in the Bronx, NY, in 2007 [1] . We have now collected 102 additional probands with non-syndromic sensorineural hearing impairment (NSHI), for a total of 209. We describe here a presentation of the combined data. Results Of the 209 probands, 36% have affected family members with NSHI and the rest have sporadic occurrence. Of the familial cases, 43% had a first-degree relative affected, and the remainder a more distant relative. The hearing impairment ranged from unilateral mild to bilateral profound, with 76% exhibiting bilateral NSHI (BLNSHI). The single coding exon of the GJB2 gene was sequenced in 209 probands, PCR screening for del(GJB6-D13S1830) and sequencing of the non-coding exon of GJB2 to look for the known splice site mutation was performed in 32 NSHI patients with a heterozygous variation in GJB2 , and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) testing of GJB2 and GJB6 exon deletions or amplifications (P163 GJB-WFS1 kit) was done in 70 probands. Eight unrelated individuals had biallelic GJB2 mutations, representing 4% of our entire cohort, or 5% of our probands with BLNSHI. Of 127 probands of Hispanic or African descent with BLNSHI, six (4.7%) had biallelic pathogenic mutations, three (2.3%) had monoallelic mutations and 118 (93%) had no disease-causing mutations in GJB2 . At the same time, no major deletions were identified either by PCR screening (del(GJB6-D13S1830)) or by MLPA analysis ( GJB2 or GJB6 ), and no subjects had the known splice site mutation in GJB2 . Conclusion These results demonstrate that GJB2 is not the major contributor to the genetic basis of NSHI for the Bronx minority admixture populations.
Human rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines for rhabdomyosarcoma research: utility and pitfalls.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood and adolescence. Despite intergroup clinical trials conducted in Europe and North America, outcomes for high risk patients with this disease have not significantly improved in the last several decades, and survival of metastatic or relapsed disease remains extremely poor. Accrual into new clinical trials is slow and difficult, so in vitro cell line research and in vivo xenograft models present an attractive alternative for preclinical research for this cancer type. Currently, 30 commonly used human RMS cell lines exist, with differing origins, karyotypes, histologies, and methods of validation. Selecting an appropriate cell line for RMS research has important implications for outcomes. There are also potential pitfalls in using certain cell lines including contamination with murine stromal cells, cross-contamination between cell lines, discordance between the cell line and its associated original tumor, imposter cell lines, and nomenclature errors that result in the circulation of two or more presumed unique cell lines that are actually from the same origin. These pitfalls can be avoided by testing for species-specific isoenzymes, microarray analysis, assays for subtype-specific fusion products, and short tandem repeat analysis.
Impact of health literacy on outcomes and effectiveness of an educational intervention in patients with chronic diseases.

Abstract Objective Study impact of health literacy on educational intervention for patients "Living with Coronary Artery Disease." Methods 187 patients were randomized to: VHS/DVD plus printed booklet; or booklet alone prior to scheduled visit. Main outcome measures included CAD knowledge assessment, clinical outcomes (weigh and blood pressure) and health behaviors (diet, exercise, and smoking); while functional health literacy was assessed as a possible predictor variable. Results Knowledge scores and health behaviors improved following both interventions. Those receiving the booklet and video also had a significant improvement in exercise, and weight loss. There was a trend ( p =0.07) towards greater improvement in test scores among those receiving the booklet plus video. Patients with lower health literacy benefited as much as higher literacy patients. Conclusions Incorporation of an educational program into clinical visits for patients with chronic disease improved disease-specific knowledge and prompted patients to become activated and involved in their care, improving health behaviors and outcomes. Lower health literacy was not a barrier to this beneficial effect. Practice implications Patients with lower health literacy may also benefit from educational, shared decision-making interventions.
Cross-View Image Geolocalization

The recent availability of large amounts of geotagged imagery has inspired a number of data driven solutions to the image geolocalization problem. Existing approaches predict the location of a query image by matching it to a database of georeferenced photographs. While there are many geotagged images available on photo sharing and street view sites, most are clustered around landmarks and urban areas. The vast majority of the Earth's land area has no ground level reference photos available, which limits the applicability of all existing image geolocalization methods. On the other hand, there is no shortage of visual and geographic data that densely covers the Earth - we examine overhead imagery and land cover survey data - but the relationship between this data and ground level query photographs is complex. In this paper, we introduce a cross-view feature translation approach to greatly extend the reach of image geolocalization methods. We can often localize a query even if it has no corresponding ground level images in the database. A key idea is to learn the relationship between ground level appearance and overhead appearance and land cover attributes from sparsely available geotagged ground-level images. We perform experiments over a 1600 km2 region containing a variety of scenes and land cover types. For each query, our algorithm produces a probability density over the region of interest.
OFDMA cellular networks with opportunistic two-hop relays

We investigate the benefits of two-hop opportunistic relay in time division duplex (TDD) OFDMA cellular network configurations. The paper starts with a short analytical model for the two-hop opportunistic relay. The model expresses the probability of finding a suitable relay node in the presence of lognormal fading and it allows the computation of the expected number of out-of-coverage nodes, as well as the end-to-end spectrum efficiency increase due to opportunistic relaying. The paper then presents results for Monte Carlo simulations of opportunistic relay in some realistic scenarios. Specifically, the simulations consider two scenarios. The first scenario uses the propagation model and a wide-area 19-cell configuration specified in 802.16 OFDMA cellular standard evaluation methodologies. In the second scenario, a Manhattan-like 19-cell topology is used. Our simulations show 11% to 33% in throughput increase when the opportunistic relay technology is used. Our results evaluate the benefits of the opportunistic relay in both scenarios in terms of coverage extension and throughput increase.
BranchClust: a phylogenetic algorithm for selecting gene families

Automated methods for assembling families of orthologous genes include those based on sequence similarity scores and those based on phylogenetic approaches. The first are easy to automate but usually they do not distinguish between paralogs and orthologs or have restriction on the number of taxa. Phylogenetic methods often are based on reconciliation of a gene tree with a known rooted species tree; a limitation of this approach, especially in case of prokaryotes, is that the species tree is often unknown, and that from the analyses of single gene families the branching order between related organisms frequently is unresolved. Here we describe an algorithm for the automated selection of orthologous genes that recognizes orthologous genes from different species in a phylogenetic tree for any number of taxa. The algorithm is capable of distinguishing complete (containing all taxa) and incomplete (not containing all taxa) families and recognizes in- and outparalogs. The BranchClust algorithm is implemented in Perl with the use of the BioPerl module for parsing trees and is freely available at http://bioinformatics.org/branchclust . BranchClust outperforms the Reciprocal Best Blast hit method in selecting more sets of putatively orthologous genes. In the test cases examined, the correctness of the selected families and of the identified in- and outparalogs was confirmed by inspection of the pertinent phylogenetic trees.
Strengthening Mental Health Promotion: Zeroing in on the Workplace

Edited by Mona M. Shattell, PhD, RNUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro, School of Nursing, Greensboro, North Carolina, USAIt is important for health promotion to include mental health promot...
Adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder: Chromosome abnormalities in a genetic form of cancer

Chromosome studies on gallbladder adenocarcinoma in a Papago Indian woman were performed. These studies revealed a high degree of aneuploidy including multiple instances of missing chromosomes, extra chromosomes, and chromosome rearrangements. Double minute chromosomes and homogeneous staining regions on chromosomes were present in the cancer cells. To our knowledge this is the first report on the cytogenetic analysis of a gallbladder cancer. Chromosome studies on gallbladder cancers will be of unusual interest because of the relatively high frequency of this rare genetic form of cancer in American Indians.
Inhibition of Seeded Growth of Enamel Apatite Crystals by Amelogenin and Enamelin Proteins in vitro

The effect of enamel matrix proteins on the seeded growth of enamel apatite crystals was studied in stable supersaturated solutions at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. Of the two major protein classes in the enamel matrix, the enamelins were considerably more effective than the amelogenins in retarding seeded growth. However, the amelogenin species that did show significant inhibitory activity are those known to be lost first from the enamel matrix during the rapid mineralization stage of enamel maturation.
Family and internal migration in Taiwan.

In this paper we examine internal migration in Taiwan in the 1960s when rural economic conditions were volatile the shift from agriculture to non-farm employment was gaining momentum and the governments policy of industrialization through export was adopted. Migration is seen as one component of households survival/adaptation strategy.... Our empirical analyses are consistent with our a priori theoretical expectations that household access to land participation in the local wage labor force and access to migrants social networks directly influenced how families in Taiwan deployed migration as a household survival strategy. (EXCERPT)
Occult splenic rupture presenting as acute scrotal swelling.

Abstract Background: Scrotal pain and swelling is a common complaint encountered in emergency medicine. The differential diagnosis includes testicular, scrotal, and intra-abdominal pathology. Case Report: We present a case of an 80-year-old man on warfarin therapy presenting with acute atraumatic scrotal pain and swelling initially diagnosed as a hydrocele. The diagnosis was subsequently determined to be a communicating hematocele secondary to occult splenic rupture. Conclusion: Intra-abdominal pathology can result in scrotal pain and swelling due to passage of intra-abdominal contents into the scrotum via a patent processus vaginalis. Therefore, any cause of hemoperitoneum may also cause hematocele and hematocele should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute scrotal swelling in any patient with risk factors for bleeding. In these patients, both scrotal and abdominal imaging should be considered.
An integrated tactile and thermal sensor

The design, construction, and performance of a tactile sensor and a thermal sensor that can be combine into one compact device with both modalities is discussed. The tactile sensing portion is composed of an 8×8 array of force sensing cells with 1.8 mm center to center spacing. Heat transduction is measured by a 4×4 array of temperature sensors. A number of these devices will be mounted on the Utah-MIT four-fingered dextrous hand, providing a unique research environment for pursuing sensor driven control strategies.
Initial Results of the Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Project (SSSDP): A Research Borehole in an Active Hydrothermal System in Southern California, U.S.A.

One of the first major projects of the U.S. Continental Scientific Drilling Program (U.S. Geodynamics Committee, 1979) took place in 1986, in the Salton Sea geothermal field (SSGF), in the lower desert of California. A research borehole reached a depth of 3.22 km, and encountered a temperature of 355°C in rocks demonstrating a transition from unconsolidated sediments to hornfelses of lower amphibolite facies. Because drilling for geothermal steam was yielding disappointingly little scientific results, in October 1982 we proposed research drilling in the SSGF to the U.S. Department of Energy (Elders, 1985). Eventually the project cost grew to U.S. $9.3 million, including $2.65 million for scientific studies, funded by the U.S Department of Energy, the U.S Geological Survey, and the National Science Foundation (Aducci, Klick, and Wallace, 1986). In all, some 40 different science and technology development projects were involved (Sass and Elders, 1986).
Hepatitis C Virus Upregulates Beclin1 for Induction of Autophagy and Activates mTOR Signaling

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces autophagosome formation in infected human hepatocytes. We have previously reported that HCV exploits autophagic machinery in favor of virus growth and survival in host cells (S. Shrivastava et al., Hepatology 53:406-414, 2011); however, the mechanisms for autophagy induction is poorly understood. In the present study, we observed that HCV infection transcriptionally upregulates Beclin1, which forms complex with Vps34, the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, as a first step for autophagy initiation. Although Bcl-2 has an anti-autophagy effect by its association with Beclin1 in nutrient-deprived cells, our studies revealed that HCV-mediated autophagy occurs independent of Beclin1-Bcl-2 dissociation. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a positive regulator of cell growth and is recognized as an inhibitor of autophagy induction. Our results demonstrated that HCV infection enhances phospho-mTOR expression and its downstream target 4EBP1 activation, suggesting that mTOR is not a negative regulator of HCV-induced autophagy. On the other hand, HCV infection in autophagy-impaired cells reduced phospho-mTOR, mTOR, and phospho-4EBP1 expression. Together, these results suggested that HCV induces autophagy by upregulating Beclin1 and activates mTOR signaling pathway, which in turn may promote hepatocyte growth.
Chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer risks among Asian immigrants in New York City: results from a large, community-based screening, evaluation, and treatment program

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the predominant cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, disproportionately affects Asian Americans. Limited data exist on the variability and characteristics of infection that determine disease progression risk within U.S. Asian ethnic subgroups. Methods: Retrospective analyses were conducted on a large, community-based HBV screening and treatment program in New York City (NYC). From 2004 to 2008, the program enrolled 7,272 Asian-born individuals. Determinants of HBV seroprevalence were calculated and risk factors for HCC progression were compared across Asian subgroups. Results: Among newly tested individuals, 13% were HBV positive. Seroprevalence varied significantly with age, gender, education, birthplace, and family history of infection. Chinese-born individuals, particularly from the Fujian province, had the highest seroprevalence (23.2% and 33.1%, respectively). Clinical and virologic characteristics placed HBV-infected individuals at significant risk for HCC. Significant differences in HCC risk existed among Asian subgroups in bivariate analysis, including age, gender, HBV viral load, and HBeAg status. Differences in HBV genotype and family history of HCC may further HCC risk among subgroups. Conclusions: Asian immigrants in NYC have a high prevalence of HBV infection and are at significant risk of disease progression and HCC. Although heterogeneity in HBV seroprevalence was found by Asian subgroups, HCC risk among infected individuals was primarily explained by age and gender differences. Country and province of birth, age, and gender may further explain seroprevalence differences. Impact: Findings provide estimates of HBV burden in Asian ethnic subgroups and identify high-risk groups to target for screening and treatment that can prevent HCC. See all the articles in this [ CEBP Focus ][1] section, “Cancer in Asian and Pacific Islander Populations.” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(11); 2229–39. ©2014 AACR . [1]: http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/23/11.toc#CEBPFocus
Krylov subspace accelerated inexact Newton method for linear and nonlinear equations

A Krylov subspace accelerated inexact Newton (KAIN) method for solving linear and nonlinear equations is described, and its relationship to the popular direct inversion in the iterative subspace method [DIIS; Pulay, P., Chem Phys Lett 1980, 393, 73] is analyzed. The two methods are compared with application to simple test equations and the location of the minimum energy crossing point of potential energy surfaces. KAIN is no more complicated to implement than DIIS, but can accommodate a wider variety of preconditioning and performs substantially better with poor preconditioning. With perfect preconditioning, KAIN is shown to be very similar to DIIS. For these reasons, KAIN is recommended as a replacement for DIIS.
Application of a Lagrangian relaxation based scheduling algorithm to a semiconductor testing facility

The objective of this study is the scheduling of the analog devices testing section of a production plant. The facility under study can be characterized as a high volume job shop, one of the most difficult production systems to schedule. Reentrant flow, variable daily capacity, and the need of multiple scarce resources for each operation, increase the difficulty of the scheduling problem. A Lagrangian relaxation based algorithm is proposed for scheduling the facility. The algorithm is efficient, flexible in handling the relevant modeling issues, and provides superior results when compared with simple dispatching rules which represent current industry practice. >
Neonatal Management of a Giant Right Atrial Appendage Aneurysm.

Aneurysms of the right atrial appendage are extremely rare, particularly in pediatric patients. A recent review identified just 17 cases reported in the literature to date, with only 3 cases identified in neonates.1 These aneurysms can be associated with tachyarrhythmia, intracardiac thrombus formation, thromboembolism, and right ventricular compression precipitating heart failure.1,2 In some instances, enlargement of the appendage may be related to idiopathic dilation of the entire right atrium, an entity that has been associated with sudden death.3 We present the case of a neonate diagnosed in utero with a right atrial appendage aneurysm that dramatically enlarged during the first weeks of life. The right atrial appendage aneurysm was first detected on fetal echocardiogram at 28 weeks of gestation (Figure 1). There were no pregnancy complications, including no fetal arrhythmias or evidence of fetal hydrops. The baby was born at 36 weeks gestation via vaginal delivery with good initial hemodynamics and an …
Unified geometric and analytical treatment of magnetogasdynamic shocks. Part 1. General solutions and theorems

In this paper, the first of two parts on solutions to the non-relativistic de Hoffmann-Teller relations, a unified notation is developed and used to produce new analytical solutions for one-dimensional unsteady and two-dimensional crossed-fields representations. A simple numerical solution method for the non-aligned two-dimensional representation is also included. These solutions are explicit in the upstream parameters and a single strength parameter. Unification of reality, entropy and evolutionary conditions is also carried out. The resulting single criterion is used to derive algorithms by which the correct solution is obtained, in every case without previous computation and elimination of non-physical solutions. Classifications of the solutions are discussed in relation to previous schemes.
Heuristics made easy: An effort-reduction framework.

In this article, the authors propose a new framework for understanding and studying heuristics. The authors posit that heuristics primarily serve the purpose of reducing the effort associated with a task. As such, the authors propose that heuristics can be classified according to a small set of effort-reduction principles. The authors use this framework to build upon current models of heuristics, examine existing heuristics in terms of effort-reduction, and outline how current research methods can be used to extend this effort-reduction framework. This framework reduces the redundancy in the field and helps to explicate the domain-general principles underlying heuristics.
Multichip package delamination and die fracture analysis

Multichip mechatronic power packages have been developed in Motorola for automotive applications. Copper heat sink based metal substrates were used to improve thermal and electrical performance. In the early stage of development, mold delamination and die cracking have been observed after assembly. With some mold compound materials, die backside have large delaminated areas, while with other mold compound, delamination stops early but die cracks. Finite element analysis, incorporated with interface fracture mechanics method, has been conducted to understand these phenomena. Impact of mold material properties and package geometry on post-assembly delamination has been evaluated. Good agreements have been obtained between experimental data and the simulation results. The phenomenon of crack branching into the die was also studied. Finite element simulation can be used to predict whether and when the crack at the interface will turn and crack the die. With a thorough understanding of the failure mechanism, both mold delamination and die cracks have been eliminated in the final package development.
Mutual injection locking of a fibre laser and a DFB semiconductor laser

A fibre laser and a distributed feedback (DFB) laser are coupled through a 50:50 fibre coupler in such a way that the two lasers mutually injection-lock. The DFB laser forces the fibre laser to oscillate in a nearly single longitudinal mode. At the same time, the linewidth of the DFB laser is reduced to below 1.5 MHz because of mutual injection-loading. >
Competive ability of invasive Miscanthus biotypes with aggressive switchgrass

Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. [Poaceae]) is an ornamental and invasive grass native to Asia that has naturalized in several areas of the Middle Atlantic United States. Predicting how likely miscanthus is to become invasive in other areas of the US is a concern of ecologists and horticulturists. The objective of this study was to measure the competitive ability of miscanthus with an aggressive native grass, switchgrass (Pancium virgatum L. [Poaceae]), in order to show which grass would be more likely to dominate when the two species were grown together. Although switchgrass is a smaller plant than miscanthus, in this greenhouse experiment it was significantly taller and had more vegetative and flowering culms than miscanthus. Miscanthus however, was a stable competitor and did not significantly change in shoot or root dry weight as 2 and 4 switchgrass plants replaced the respective number of miscanthus plants in each treatment. When miscanthus biotypes from four locations were compared, the Pennsylvania biotype was significantly larger and more competitive with switchgrass than was the Washington, DC biotype. As switchgrass plants were replaced with miscanthus, the shoot and root dry weights of the remaining switchgrass plants increased significantly, showing a higher competitive ability of switchgrass. Despite the fact that switchgrass was more competitive with itself than miscanthus, the highest overall dry weight per treatment contained eight switchgrass plants. Miscanthus showed stable, competitive growth when planted together with switchgrass and it is predicted to likely do the same in a field setting.
Aprepitant: A Novel Antiemetic for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of aprepitant in the prevention of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).DATA SOURCES:MEDLINE and PubMed database searches were conducted from 1966 to May 2004 using the following search terms: aprepitant, Emend, substance P, neurokinin-1, chemotherapy, nausea, vomiting, L-754,030, and MK-869.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Large, randomized Phase II and III clinical trials examining the use of aprepitant for CINV, as well as all published drug interaction studies with aprepitant, were included and reviewed. Data lacking in published trials were supplemented with the manufacturer product information.DATA SYNTHESIS:The pharmacokinetics of aprepitant are favorable for once-daily oral dosing. Based on the results of published clinical trials, aprepitant appears to augment the effects of corticosteroids and 5-HT3 antagonists when given prior to highly emetogenic chemotherapy, including cisplatin. Aprepitant appears to have the most ...