cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assimilation of ozone data from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding

SUMMARY Global ozone profiles from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) were added to an assimilation system that includes ozone data from the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet/2 (SBUV/2) instrument. Substantial impacts were found and investigated. MIPAS ozone profiles have a vertical resolution close to 3 km, retrieved from infrared limb emission radiances, with a height-dependent error of 4–8%; they were used over 12 layers, spanning between 60–80 hPa and 0.15–0.25 hPa. As a research instrument, MIPAS provides variable coverage from day to day, with occasional data gaps of several days. The operational SBUV/2 data give regular temporal coverage insunlitareas, yieldingtotalcolumns and partial profiles, assimilatedfor Umkehr layers 3 (126–63 hPa) to 12 (<0.25 hPa), with errors comparable to MIPAS near the ozone maximum but increasing substantially at higher and lower levels. The higher accuracy of MIPAS data leads to substantial improvements in theassimilated ozone below the ozone maximum when compared toaccurate insitu(ozonesonde) and space-based (occultation) data; vertical gradients in the lower stratosphere are improved. In the Arctic winter of 2002/03, the ability of MIPAS to sample the vortex interior leads to substantial beneficial impacts. In the tropics, assimilation of MIPAS profiles improves analyses in the lower stratosphere and provides substantially better agreement with occultation data in the middle stratosphere, near the ozone maximum. This offsets an underestimate in the SBUVonly analyses caused by transport errors in the forecast. The global improvements in the assimilation lead to local improvements when compared against individual measured ozone profiles, where vertical structures are determined by height dependence in horizontal advection from diverse regions. The spatio-temporal variability in the assimilation is more realistic when MIPAS data are included. Experiments to examine the impacts of temporal gaps in the MIPAS data reveal a ‘memory’ of 5–10 days in the transport-dominated lower stratosphere. In the middle stratosphere, the impact of missing MIPAS data is more complex; transport errors cause a large initial impact followed by ozone values typical of SBUV assimilation.
Age at Entry into Prostitution: Relationship to Drug Use, Race, Suicide, Education Level, Childhood Abuse, and Family Experiences

This study seeks to explore factors related to age at entry into prostitution. Participants were 389 women arrested for prostitution who had attended a diversion program. Women who entered prostitution as minors were found to be more likely to be African-American; report having a family member with a substance use problem; have a history of attempted suicide; and not have completed middle or high school. The age at first drug use was found to significantly impact the reported age at entry. Key areas for intervention should include improving school connectedness and preventing adolescent substance abuse, specifically for African-Americans.
Reproduction, survival and tag loss in California sea otters

We observed 40 California sea otters, Enhydra lutris, that were instrumented with implanted radio transmitters and flipper-tagged, and obtained additional data on the reproduction of tagged female otters from the California Department of Fish and Game. The proportion of instrumented females accompanied by a pup peaked in the spring, with a secondary peak in the fall. Two methods of estimating the annual reproductive rate gave comparable values of 0.90 and 0.94. The average inter-birth interval was 389 d. Two methods of estimating pup survival to weaning gave values of 0.46 and 0.58. Pups either remained with a female less than 80 or more than 120 d. Early mortality of dependent pups appears to be more frequent in California than in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Two methods of estimation indicated that adult females had the highest survival rates and adult males the lowest. Juvenile females had lower survival rates than adult females but juvenile males had higher survival rates than adult males. The survival rate of juvenile females was lower than that of juvenile males. The estimated annual loss rate for flipper-tags, based on the instrumented individuals, was 0.26. More individuals lost two tags than would be expected by chance. It is unlikely that accurate estimates of sea otter survival rates can be derived from observations of tagged individuals.
Glucose, Blood Pressure, and Lipid Control in Older People with and without Diabetes Mellitus: The Cardiovascular Health Study

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk-factor treatment and control in older adults with normal fasting glucose, impaired fasting glucose, and diabetes mellitus and whether those with diabetes mellitus had better risk factor control than older adults with normal fasting glucose. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from population-based, prospective cohort study of risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in older people (Cardiovascular Health Study). SETTING: Community-based. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Fasting plasma glucose, serum cholesterol and its subfractions, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and body mass index. RESULTS: There were 579 (18%) cohort members with diabetes mellitus (77% receiving antidiabetic medication, 23% with fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL and no treatment), 213 (6%) with impaired fasting glucose, and 2,582 (77%) with normal fasting glucose. Of diabetic participants, 12% had recommended fasting glucose levels of less than 110 mg/dL. Of participants with hypertension, a larger proportion of diabetic participants than nondiabetic participants (89% versus 75%, P < .01) was treated with antihypertensive agents, but a smaller proportion of diabetic participants had recommended blood pressure levels of 129/85 mmHg or lower than nondiabetic participants had recommended blood pressure levels of 139/89 mmHg or lower (27% vs 48%, P < .01). Diabetic dyslipidemic participants were treated less often with lipid-lowering therapy (26% versus 55%, P < .01) and achieved recommended low-density lipoprotein goals less often (8% versus 54%, P < .01) than nondiabetic dyslipidemic participants. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, treatment and control of cardiovascular risk factors were suboptimal in this older population, especially among those with diabetes mellitus. Optimizing risk-factor control can improve health outcomes in older adults with and without diabetes mellitus. J Am Geriatr Soc 50:416–423, 2002.
ABSORPTION-DELAY MODELS OF HEAT TRANSPORT

A temperature jump in water traveling through a pipe is delayed by the absorption of heat into the pipe wall. The convective transport of heat by the water and the conductive exchange with the interior pipe wall are described by an exact but highly singular micro-model. The limiting form of this parabolic initial-boundary-value problem is a distributed microstructure model, which can successively be better approximated by simpler first- and second-order kinetic models. This model provides a means to validate and calibrate these classical multi-temperature kinetic models which are used to describe the delay.
Detection and Phenotyping of Circulating Tumor Cells in High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer

Abstract Background In this study, we aimed to determine the feasibility of identifying CTCs in patients with HRLPC, using a modified isolation procedure using the CellSearch (Veridex) platform, and to assess the expression of stem cell and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers on the CTCs. Patients and Methods Thirty-five patients with HRLPC who had chosen prostatectomy for definitive management were prospectively identified. After obtaining consent, four 30-mL blood draws were performed, 2 before surgery and 2 after surgery. The CTC-containing fraction was Ficoll-purified and transferred to a CellSave (Veridex) tube containing dilution buffer before standard enumeration using the CellSearch system. Loss of E-cadherin expression, a marker of EMT, and CD133, a putative prostate cancer stem cell marker, were characterized using the open channel of the CellSearch platform. CTC fragments were also enumerated. Results Using the modified methodology, CTCs were detectable in 49% of patients before surgery. Although no correlation between CTC count and biochemical recurrence (BR) was observed, the percentages of CD133 and E-cadherin–positive CTC fragments were associated with BR at 1 year. Conclusion Our results suggest that further research into the development of CTCs as prognostic biomarkers in HRLPC is warranted.
Iron-enhanced paraquat-mediated dopaminergic cell death due to increased oxidative stress as a consequence of microglial activation

Environmental paraquat and neonatal iron exposure have both separately been suggested as potential risk factors for sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we demonstrate that combined environmental exposure to these two agents results in modulations in microglial activation state. Apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, was found to attenuate the release of superoxide from microglia stimulated by combined paraquat and iron and blocked paraquat-induced dopaminergic neuronal death. Furthermore, pretreatment with the synthetic superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetic, EUK-189, significantly decreased microglial activation mediated by combined paraquat and iron treatment. These findings support the notion that environmental PD risk factors may act synergetically to produce neurodegeneration associated with the disorder and that iron and paraquat may act via common oxidative stress-mediated mechanism involving microglial activation.
Some Graphical Solutions of the Kepler Problem

(2006). Some Graphical Solutions of the Kepler Problem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 113, No. 1, pp. 47-56.
Potential Preventability of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

Background Antibiotic prophylaxis can reduce the incidence of the first episode and recurrent episodes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in high-risk cirrhotic patients. However, recent data suggest that SBP prophylaxis may be underused. It is unclear how many cases of cirrhosis that develop SBP might actually be prevented with antibiotic prophylaxis.
P-Values and Confidence Intervals: Two Sides of the Same Unsatisfactory Coin

For both P-values and confidence intervals, an alpha level is chosen to set limits of acceptable probability for the role of chance in the observed distinctions. The level of alpha is used either for direct comparison with a single P-value, or for determining the extent of a confidence interval. "Statistical significance" is proclaimed if the calculations yield a P-value that is below alpha, or a 1-alpha confidence interval whose range excludes the null result of "no difference." Both the P-value and confidence-interval methods are essentially reciprocal, since they use the same principles of probabilistic calculation; and both can yield distorted or misleading results if the data do not adequately conform to the underlying mathematical requirements. The major scientific disadvantage of both methods is that their "significance" is merely an inference derived from principles of mathematical probability, not an evaluation of substantive importance for the "big" or "small" magnitude of the observed distinction. The latter evaluation has not received adequate attention during the emphasis on probabilistic decisions; and careful principles have not been developed either for the substantive reasoning or for setting appropriate boundaries for "big" or "small." After a century of "significance" inferred exclusively from probabilities, a basic scientific challenge is to develop methods for deciding what is substantively impressive or trivial.
Competition between Acetaldehyde and Crotonaldehyde during Adsorption and Reaction on Anatase and Rutile Titanium Dioxide

The adsorption of acetaldehyde and crotonaldehyde on the anatase and rutile polymorphs of TiO2 has been investigated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Chemisorption of acetaldehyde on TiO2 involves a strong interaction between the surface and the carbonyl oxygen, causing a significant shift in the location of the ν(CO) vibrational mode to lower frequencies; no interaction with surface hydroxyl groups was observed. Capacities for acetaldehyde and crotonaldehyde adsorption under conditions relevant to aldolization reactions were determined in a novel reactor system providing simultaneous mass measurements and mass spectral analysis of gas-phase products. The coverage of acetaldehyde irreversibly adsorbed on TiO2 was similar to values previously reported for the adsorption of alcohols; coverages of crotonaldehyde were approximately 60% of those for acetaldehyde. Both gas-phase and surface analyses indicate that formation of crotonaldehyde by aldol condensation of acetaldehyde occurs on rut...
Ethylidyne alkynes from isopropylidene olefins

Abstract A number of isopropylidene olefins was reacted with sodium nitrite in AcOH-H2O to give the corresponding ethylidyne alkynes with net loss of a CH4 unit.
Cell-volume changes and ion conductances in amphibian gallbladder epithelium.

Cell-volume regulation after hyposmotic swelling is common in transporting epithelial cells. Acute regulatory volume decrease is mediated in several cell types by loss of K+ and Cl-
Electrochemically-driven solid-state amorphization in lithium-silicon alloys and implications for lithium storage

Lithiated metal alloys such as Li-Si are of great interest as high energy density anodes for future rechargeable battery technology. We show that the mechanism of electrochemical alloying is electrochemically-driven solid-state amorphization, a process closely analogous to the diffusive solid-state amorphization of thin films. X-ray diffraction and HREM experiments reveal that the crystallization of equilibrium intermetallic compounds is circumvented during lithiation at room temperature, and that formation of highly lithiated Li-Si glass instead occurs. This glass is shown to be metastable with respect to the equilibrium crystalline phases. Similar behavior is observed in the diffusive reaction of Li and Si bilayer films, suggesting that lithium-metal alloys in general are likely candidates for solid-state amorphization.
Environmental certainty, trophic level, and resource availability in life history evolution

Evolutionary theory has not yet determined the necessary and sufficient environmental factors that can be used to explain the observed diversity of life history patterns in plants and animals. Although recent theoretical treatments of the evolution of life history rely heavily on the concepts of r- and K-selection, we find this framework inadequate to explain life histories of many well-known organisms. Instead, using well-studied examples from the literature, we attempt to identify causal mechanisms in the evolution of their life histories. The density of the population in relation to resources, the trophic and successional position of the population, and predictability of mortality patterns all appear to be important determinants of adaptive strategies. Therefore, consideration of many environmental dimensions seems essential to provide complete understanding of the evolution of life histories.
Role of active sites in selective flocculation

Abstract The selectivity predicted on the basis of single mineral flocculation tests is often lost in mixed mineral systems. Several reasons including heterocoagulation, dissolved ion activation, and physical entrapment or entrainment have been suggested in the past for the observed loss of selectivity. Recently, heteroflocculation based on the concept of active sites constituting a given substrate has also been proposed to be a major reason for nonselectivity. In this paper, the role of active sites in selective flocculation of dolomite-apatite/quartz/alumina systems is evaluated using poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as the flocculant. Adsorption and flocculation tests revealed that excellent selectivity can be achieved in the dolomite-alumina system followed by dolomite-quartz, while negligible selectivity was observed in the dolomite-apatite system. The selectivity obtained was found to be a strong function of the PEO adsorption on the inert component.
Children's Attentional Involvement and Distractibility during Educational Computer Interactions

Children's duration of attention to computer programs versus a television program was examined for two grades: kindergarten and third. Twenty-four children, equally distributed by grade and gender, participated individually in a twenty-seven minute session where they could interact with six familiar computer packages. A television program was played as a distractor task. Both age groups attended longer to the computer than to the television program. However, older children attended to the computer more than did the younger children who, in turn, were more distracted by the television program. There were no gender differences in attentional patterns. The results suggest that educational computer software provides an attractive alternative to television viewing and that attentional patterns to computer programs both increase and are more resistant to distraction with development.
Habitat Restoration and Flood Control Protection in the Kissimmee River

The Adaptive Hydraulics (AdH) code was applied to simulate the hydrodynamic conditions along a stretch of the Kissimmee River in an effort to determine the impacts associated with possible system restoration alternatives. The Kissimmee River Basin flood control project, completed in 1971, had a negative impact on the ecosystem of the Kissimmee River and the adjacent floodplain by reducing floodplain inundation. This numerical model study investigated the expected inundation amounts associated with two restoration alternatives with the first being a return to the historical system and the second being a restored system that would maintain some flood control measures. The model simulations indicate an increase of anywhere from 12 % to 33 % in the floodplain inundation associated with system alternatives when compared to the existing conditions. This indicates that implementation of either of these alternatives would improve the ecosystem productivity for this portion of the Kissimmee River with the restored alternative also providing some flood protection.
Shirleya grahamae gen. et sp. nov. (Lythraceae), Lagerstroemia-like fruits from the middle Miocene Yakima Canyon flora, central Washington State, USA

Shirleya grahamae Pigg & DeVore gen. et sp. nov. (Lythraceae) is established for silicified fruits from the middle Miocene Yakima Canyon of central Washington State, USA. The capsules are 10 mm long 3 11.5‐12.5 mm wide, enclosed in a persistent floral tube and contain 5‐7 locules. They are loculicidally dehiscent, fracturing into fragments and leaving the central axis free. Placentation is axile. Five to seven mature seeds are tightly packed per locule, often with several smaller seeds. Seeds are winged, anatropous, and narrowly attached subapically to the central axis, curving basally and radially within the fruit. They are up to ;4.6 mm long 3 1.9 mm wide, with a small, triangular embryo cavity and a prominent distal wing. The inflated wing is filled with a bilobed parenchymatous pad of tissue with a central cavity. Shirleya grahamae is assigned to the Lythraceae, and is most similar to Lagerstroemia, based on the synapomorphies of distally winged seeds and revolute cotyledons. Shirleya differs from Lagerstroemia in seed arrangement, and pericarp and wing anatomy. This study provides the first anatomical information about a Miocene Lagerstroemia-like fruit and documents further diversity of the Lythraceae in the Neogene of northwestern North America.
Analog signal processing: a better way to teach circuits and systems

A new undergraduate curriculum in electrical engineering has been adopted by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois. The most radical change has been the introduction of ECE 210, Analog Signal Processing, in place of both the sophomore-level circuit analysis course and the junior-level signals and systems course. The new course combines core material from these traditional courses, along with applications such as AM radio and a modest laboratory component, in a way that improves both the students' understanding and their motivation. The new course still serves well as the core of the required curriculum and as a prerequisite for subsequent courses, while realizing a two-credit-hour saving in the early curriculum and allowing more time for advanced signal processing and systems courses in future semesters.
LINEAR GRAVITONS FROM STRINGS

Linear gravitons and spin-two gauge invariance appear in several places in string theories. The purpose of this note is to clarify the connection between gravitons which are emitted by vertex operators in conformal field theories and those which appear in conformally invariant sigma models, and to compare the associated gauge invariances. The polarization tensor and scalar field of a graviton-dilaton vertex are shown to obey equations of motion which are identical to the sigma model equations of motion if, and only if, the trace of the polarization tensor is massless. The gauge invariance of this vertex is a restricted version of the normal spin-two gauge invariance, but is seen to be sufficient to imply conservation of spacetime stress energy of the string.
Evolutionary irony: evidence that 'defensive' plant spines act as a proximate cue to attract a mammalian herbivore.

Many plants produce structural defenses to deter feeding by herbivores. However, many previous studies testing whether spines are effective at defending against mammalian herbivores have produced equivocal results. These ambiguous results are hypothesized to be due to herbivore counter-adaptations. We investigated potential counter-adaptations in a population of white-throated woodrats Neotoma albigua that specialize on cactus by investigating feeding behavior and preference for cacti varying in spinescence. Neotoma albigula exhibited a unique behavior of clipping cactus spines, which renders these defenses ineffective. Strikingly, these woodrats chose to collect spiny cacti over experimentally de-spined cacti, demonstrating that spines act as a proximal cue that attracts woodrats. This attraction is likely due to the higher protein and lower fiber content of spiny cacti compared to naturally non-spiny cacti. Thus, the ‘defensive’ spines of cacti are ineffective against a specialist herbivore and instead serve as an indicator of nutritional quality that promotes herbivory. Our results support the ‘rule-of-thumb’ hypothesis of foraging, which states that herbivores forage according to obvious visual cues that are indicative of nutritional content, rather than sampling nutrient composition of plants. We propose that specialist herbivores are unique systems in which to study other counter-adaptations to structural defenses and ‘rule-of-thumb’ foraging strategies.
Miniaturization of Stochastic Linear Phased Arrays via Orthogonal Design Initialization and a Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimizer

This paper introduces a powerful technique that uses a hybrid PSO for the design optimization of aperiodic linear arrays of tightly packed miniature stochastic dipole elements. The self impedance of the stochastic dipole elements can be widely varied by changing their shape. A hybrid PSO is used to determine the optimal shape of each stochastic dipole array element as well as to perturb the spacing between these elements in order to control the mutual coupling. This method is capable of evolving compact array configurations with stochastic dipole elements that have well-behaved driving point impedances and low side lobe levels over a prescribed scan range. Orthogonal Design with Quantization (OD/Q) is used for this real-valued optimization problem to generate relatively fit particles at the initialization stage.
Angle of arrival detection by matching pursuit algorithm

In this paper, we propose a novel system architecture that employs a matching pursuit algorithm for angle of arrival detection. Two different basis selection algorithms, namely matching pursuit and orthogonal matching pursuit are investigated. The complexity of the algorithms are comparable to that of a simple beamformer, however their resolution capabilities are shown to be much higher. The proposed system does not require a priori knowledge on the number of angles to be resolved and uses very small amount of snapshots for convergence. Also, the performance is not affected by the correlation of the signals to be resolved, and it does not have the maximum separation requirements that arise in the case of ESPRIT.
Examination of the interaction between FtsZ and MinCN in E. coli suggests how MinC disrupts Z rings

In Escherichia coli the Min system prevents Z ring assembly at cell poles by topologically regulating the division inhibitor MinC. The MinC protein has two domains of equal size and both domains can target FtsZ and block cell division in the proper context. Recently, we have shown that, along with MinD, the C-terminal domain of MinC (MinC(C)) competes with FtsA, and to a lesser extent with ZipA, for interaction with the C-terminal tail of FtsZ to block division. Here we explored the interaction between the N-terminal domain of MinC (MinC(N)) and FtsZ. A search for mutations in ftsZ that confer resistance to MinC(N) identified an alpha-helix at the interface of FtsZ subunits as being critical for the activity of MinC(N). Focusing on one such mutant FtsZ-N280D, we showed that it greatly reduced the FtsZ-MinC interaction and was resistant to MinC(N) both in vivo and in vitro. With these results, an updated model for the action of MinC on FtsZ is proposed: MinC interacts with FtsZ to disrupt two interactions, FtsZ-FtsA/ZipA and FtsZ-FtsZ, both of which are essential for Z ring formation.
The Effects of Fault Stepovers on Ground Motion

Abstract Using 3D dynamic models, we investigate the effect of fault stepovers on near‐source ground motion. We use the finite‐element method to model the rupture, slip, and ground motion of two parallel strike‐slip faults with an unlinked overlapping stepover of variable width. We model this system as both an extensional and a compressional stepover and compare the results to those of single planar faults. We find that, overall, the presence of a stepover along the fault trace reduces the maximum ground motion when compared to the long planar fault. Whether the compressional or extensional stepover exhibits higher ground motion overall depends on the width of the separation between the faults. There is a region of reduced ground motion at the end of the first fault segment, when the faults are embedded in a homogeneous material. We also experiment with stress fields leading to supershear and subshear rupture velocities, and with different stress drops within those conditions. We find that subshear rupture produces stronger motions than supershear rupture, but supershear ruptures produce that maximum over a larger area than subshear areas, even though the overall area that experiences any shaking at all is not drastically different between the two cases. Lastly, we experiment with placing realistic materials along and around the faults, such as a sedimentary basin in an extensional stepover, a damage zone around the fault, and a soft rock layer on top of bedrock through the entire model area. These configurations alter the pattern of ground motion from the homogeneous case; the peaks in ground motion for the bimaterial cases depend on the materials in question. The results may have implications for ground‐motion prediction in future earthquakes on geometrically complex faults. Online Material: MPEG‐4 movies of models of dynamic rupture of fault stepovers embedded in heterogeneous material settings.
Infectious triggers of pediatric asthma

Respiratory infections can cause wheezing illnesses in children of all ages and also can influence the causation and disease activity of asthma. For years it has been recognized that respiratory syncytial virus infections often produce the first episode of wheezing in children who go on to develop chronic asthma. More recently, it has been proposed that repeated infections with other common childhood viral pathogens might help the immune system develop in such a way as to prevent the onset of allergic diseases and possibly asthma. In addition to the effects of viral infections, infections with certain intracellular pathogens, such as chlamydia and mycoplasma, may cause acute and chronic wheezing in some individuals, whereas common cold and acute sinus infections can trigger acute symptoms of asthma. In this article, the epidemiologic, mechanistic, and treatment implications of the association between respiratory infections and asthma are discussed.
The acceptability of treatments for depression to a community sample of adolescent girls

An efficacious treatment is diminished in value if consumers do not seek it out and adhere to it, making treatment acceptability an important predictor of the effectiveness of treatment. This study examined the acceptability of treatments for depression to 67 female high school students. All participants read a vignette describing a depressed adolescent and rated the acceptability of four single treatments for depression (cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, family therapy, and pharmacotherapy) and three treatment combinations. Psychotherapy approaches were generally more acceptable to adolescents than combinations of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy; and, pharmacotherapy used alone was not acceptable. For interpersonal therapy and family therapy only, treatment acceptability was related to perceived causes of depression. Across all treatments, acceptability was not associated with symptom severity. Implications for increasing the utilization of mental health services in this population are discussed.
Ibuprofen prophylaxis for levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system insertion: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background Despite the high efficacy of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in preventing pregnancy, uptake of the intrauterine devices remains low in the United States. Decreasing pain at the time of intrauterine device insertion may be one way to increase interest in this method of contraception. Study Design We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, randomizing women to 800 mg ibuprofen or placebo 45 min prior to LNG-IUS insertion to determine effect of ibuprofen on the pain of LNG-IUS insertion. Results Eighty-one women completed the study: 44 received ibuprofen, and 37 received placebo. Women in the ibuprofen and placebo groups had similar mean scores for anticipated pain (4.07 and 3.91, respectively; p=.79), pain with tenaculum placement (3.86 and 3.81, respectively; p=.90) and pain with insertion (3.69 and 3.34, respectively; p=.91). Conclusion Administration of ibuprofen prophylaxis for LNG-IUS insertion does not decrease pain at the time of insertion.
Motion management in gastrointestinal cancers.

The presence of tumor and organ motions complicates the planning and delivery of radiotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers. Without proper accounting of the movements, target volume could be underdosed and the nearby normal critical organs could be over-dosed. This situation is further exacerbated by the close proximity of abdominal tumors to many normal organs at risk (OARs). A number of strategies have been developed to deal with tumor and organ motions in radiotherapy. This article presents a review of the techniques used in the evaluation, quantification, and management of tumor and organ motions for radiotherapy of gastrointestinal cancers.
Light transmittance of 1-piece hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses with surface light scattering removed from cadaver eyes

Purpose To assess the potential effect of surface light scattering on light transmittance of 1-piece hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses (IOLs) with or without a blue-light filter. Setting John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Design Experimental study. Methods Intraocular lenses were obtained from human cadavers (49 IOLs total; 36 with blue-light filter) and from finished-goods inventory (controls). The IOLs were removed from cadaver eyes and the power and model matched to unused controls. After surface proteins were removed, the IOLs were hydrated for 24 hours at room temperature. Surface light scattering was measured with a Scheimpflug camera (EAS-1000 Anterior Segment Analysis System). Light transmittance was measured with a Lambda 35 UV/Vis spectrophotometer (single-beam configuration; RSA-PE-20 integrating sphere). Results Hydrated scatter values ranged from 4.8 to 202.5 computer-compatible tape (CCT) units for explanted IOLs with blue-light filter and 1.5 to 11.8 CCT units for controls; values ranged from 6.0 to 137.5 CCT units for explanted IOLs without a blue-light filter and 3.5 to 9.6 CCT units for controls. In both groups, there was a tendency toward increasing scatter values with increasing postoperative time. No differences in light transmittance were observed between explanted IOLs and controls in both groups (IOLs with blue-light filter: P =.407; IOL with no blue-light filter: P =.487; both paired t test). Conclusions Although surface light scattering of explanted IOLs was significantly higher than that of controls and appeared to increase with time, no effect was observed on light transmittance of 1-piece hydrophobic acrylic IOLs with or without a blue-light filter. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Nucleus accumbens GLP-1 receptors influence meal size and palatability

Recent evidence suggests that the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) neuronal projection to the nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) contributes to food intake control. To investigate the role of endogenous stimulation of GLP-1 receptors (GLP-1R) in NAcC, we examined the effects of the GLP-1R antagonist exendin-(9–39) (Ex9) on meal pattern and microstructure of ingestive behavior in rats. Intra-NAcC Ex9 treatment selectively increased meal size relative to vehicle in rats consuming 0.25 M sucrose solution or sweetened condensed milk. Microstructural analysis revealed effects of NAcC Ex9 on initial lick rate and the size and duration of licking bursts in rats consuming 0.1 or 0.25 M sucrose, suggesting that blockade of NAcC GLP-1R increases palatability. Because NAcC Ex9 did not affect licking for nonnutritive saccharin (0.1%), we suggest that the presence of nutrients in the gut may be required for endogenous stimulation of NAcC GLP-1R. Consistent with this, we also found that the meal size-suppressive effects of intragastric nutrient infusion were attenuated by NAcC delivery of Ex9 at a dose that had no effect when delivered alone. Analysis of licking patterns revealed that NAcC Ex9 did not reverse intragastric nutrient-induced suppression of burst number but rather blunted the effect of nutrient infusion on meal size primarily by increasing the size and duration of licking bursts. Together, our results suggest that NAcC Ex9 influences taste evaluation. We conclude that GLP-1 released in NAcC in response to gastrointestinal nutrients reduces the hedonic value of food.
Long-term Results of Endoscopically Assisted Pediatric Cholesteatoma Surgery.

ObjectiveRoutine endoscopic examination during primary surgery decreased the rate of residual cholesteatoma to 18% in our early experience. Based on this, we stopped performing routine second-look surgery in children who were endoscopically free of cholesteatoma at the end of primary surgery. We sought to investigate if second-look procedures after endoscopic-assisted surgery could safely be performed only in children at a high risk of residual disease (extensive inflammation, spontaneously ruptured or fragmented cholesteatoma, residual disease intentionally left).Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingTertiary pediatric otolaryngology practice.Subjects and MethodsChildren aged 1 to 16 years who were treated for cholesteatoma over 15-year period by a single surgeon. Extent of disease and endoscopic findings were compared with rates of residual disease. Time to diagnosis of residual disease and prognostic factors were analyzed.ResultsForty-two children underwent endoscopically assisted middle ear...
January Effect in a Sectoral Context in Emerging Countries: The Istanbul Stock Exchange

This study examines the January anomaly at the industry level in the emerging Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE). Analyses of the data from 1986 through 2007 provide evidence for the anomaly. There is also strong evidence that the anomaly has partially shifted to December of the previous year. Finally, the January effect is persistent. However, the anomaly is not pervasive across all industries. The stringent regulations and monitoring mechanisms during and after the privatization process over the last 30 years may be reasons behind the efficiency and lack of January anomaly for these industries.
Survival of energy failure in the anoxic frog brain: delayed release of glutamate

This study investigated the relationship between energy failure and neurotransmitter release in the frog (Rana pipiens) brain during 1-3 h of anoxia. Unlike truly anoxia-tolerant species, the frog does not defend its brain energy charge. When exposed to anoxia at 25 degrees C, there is an immediate fall in brain ATP levels, which reach approximately 20% of normoxic levels in approximately 60 min. The frog, nevertheless, survives another 1-2 h of anoxia. At 100 min of anoxia, there is an increase in extracellular adenosine concentration, probably originating from the increased intracellular adenosine concentration caused by the breakdown of intracellular ATP. Increases in the levels of extracellular glutamate and GABA do not occur until 1-2 h after ATP depletion. This response is quite unlike that recorded for other vertebrates, anoxia-tolerant or anoxia-intolerant, where energy failure quickly results in an uncontrolled and neurotoxic release of excitatory neurotransmitters. In the frog, the delay in excitotoxic neurotransmitter release may be one of the factors that allow a period of survival after energy failure. Clearly, energy failure by itself is not a fatal event in the frog brain.
Reverse Engineering: Technology of Reinvention

The process of reverse engineering has proven infinitely useful for analyzing Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) components to duplicate or repair them, or simply improve on their design. A guidebook to the rapid-fire changes in this area, Reverse Engineering: Technology of Reinvention introduces the fundamental principles, advanced methodologie
Palestine Speaks: Voices from the West Bank and Gaza . By Mateo Hoke and Cate Malek (eds).

“There’s real suffering in Palestine, there’s real heartbreak. And it’s more than what people think it is,” says a chemistry professor and blogger in the West Bank (109). These are the sentiments P...
Complexometric titrations using calcium specific electrodes.

SummaryThis new technique is valuable in 3 different areas: the quantitative determination of calcium ion concentration, unequivocal determination of the stoichiometry of a complex, and determination of stability constants for complexes of various ligands with calcium ion. These cation specific electrodes are extremely useful in the study of chelation phenomena in biochemical reactions.
Type I-IFNs interfere with GVH responses.

Just as type I-IFNs interfere with viral replication and autoimmunity, Robb et al report that they can also interfere with GVHD and GVL responses after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).[1][1],[2][2] Following allo-HSCT, donor T cells react with either HLA-mismatched or
ALK inhibitor resistance in ALK(F1174L)-driven neuroblastoma is associated with AXL activation and induction of EMT.

The crizotinib-resistant ALKF1174L mutation arises de novo in neuroblastoma (NB) and is acquired in ALK translocation-driven cancers, lending impetus to the development of novel anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors with different modes of action. The diaminopyrimidine TAE684 and its derivative ceritinib (LDK378), which are structurally distinct from crizotinib, are active against NB cells expressing ALKF1174L. Here we demonstrate acquired resistance to TAE684 and LDK378 in ALKF1174L-driven human NB cells that is linked to overexpression and activation of the AXL tyrosine kinase and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). AXL phosphorylation conferred TAE684 resistance to NB cells through upregulated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. Inhibition of AXL partly rescued TAE684 resistance, resensitizing these cells to this compound. AXL activation in resistant cells was mediated through increased expression of the active form of its ligand, GAS6, that also served to stabilize the AXL protein. Although ectopic expression of AXL and TWIST2 individually in TAE684-sensitive parental cells led to the elevated expression of mesenchymal markers and invasive capacity, only AXL overexpression induced resistance to TAE684 as well. TAE684-resistant cells showed greater sensitivity to HSP90 inhibition than did their parental counterparts, with downregulation of AXL and AXL-mediated ERK signaling. Our studies indicate that aberrant AXL signaling and development of an EMT phenotype underlie resistance of ALKF1174L-driven NB cells to TAE684 and its derivatives. We suggest that the combination of ALK and AXL or HSP90 inhibitors be considered to delay the emergence of such resistance.
Social Influence and Politics in Organizational Research: What We Know and What We Need to Know

This special issue of the Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies addresses the topic of “Social Influence and Politics in Organizational Research,” a topic which spans more than a century and represents one of the oldest areas of inquiry in the field. In this article, we first review the literature to extract what we seem to know about this area of the field, and then we shift to an identification of some areas about which we still need to know more. Nine articles were selected to be published in this special issue, and they reflect different aspects of some these “need to know more” areas of social influence and politics in organizations. We believe these articles represent solid contributions to new knowledge in this area, and we hope they stimulate further and renewed scholarly interest.
Points to remember: Part III

A satisfying solution to the problem of demarcation remains elusive, but, regardless, we shouldn't be content with dismissing any theory, study or method simply because it doesn't fulfil a particular definition. Empiricist attitudes towards the sciences emphasize both observations and certain forms of reasoning, but the basic empiricist picture could easily lead to confusion about how sciences work. Our experiences are not always reliable indicators of how things are. We should be wary of placing too much emphasis on how things appear. Biases in subjective experience can be overcome through improved experimental design. There might be very good reasons for ignoring certain data, but those reasons may not always be immediately apparent to those who lack relevant training and education. Certainty is not something sciences achieve, but absence of certainty is consistent with having lots of compelling evidence for given conclusions. We continue to learn about how past experiences can better predict future events. Scientific methods are themselves appropriate objects of criticism and refinement, and the introduction of new methods may be entirely justifiable. All theories confront anomalies, so anomalies alone can't be adequate reasons to dismiss a theory. Theories are pursued, in part, because they offer the most promise for purposes of furthering our understanding. Kuhn's suggestion that scientists work within something like a paradigm has historical plausibility, but this need not imply strong incommensurability between paradigms. Scientific progress is contingent, shaped in part by what problems scientists choose to engage, what technology becomes available, as well as broader socio-economic and political factors. Nevertheless, such contingencies are quite consistent with scientists achieving substantive results relative to the objectives they set. The arguments from underdetermination and discontinuity within the sciences are each reminders of scientific fallibility. Neither provides compelling reasons to deny particular scientific theories or conclusions that some people may find inconvenient or objectionable. Scientific communities may be a more appropriate object for explaining scientific authority. Sciences are not value free, but the role of values in sciences need not compromise scientific authority. It is appropriate to criticize scientific conclusions, methods and theories, but we should remember that some criticisms may be entirely misguided. Worthwhile criticisms are precise and well-supported.
Implementation of a systematic culturing program to monitor the efficacy of endoscope reprocessing: outcomes and costs

Background and Aims In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance for duodenoscope culturing and reprocessing in response to outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) duodenoscope-related infections. Based on this guidance, we implemented best practices for reprocessing and developed a systematic process for culturing endoscopes with elevator levers. The aim of this study is to report the outcomes and direct costs of this program. Methods First, clinical microbiology data from 2011 to 2014 were reviewed retrospectively to assess for possible elevator lever-equipped endoscope-related CRE infections. Second, a program to systematically culture elevator lever-equipped endoscopes was implemented. Each week, about 25% of the inventory of elevator lever-equipped endoscopes is cultured based on the CDC guidelines. If any cultures return bacterial growth, the endoscope is quarantined pending repeat culturing. The costs of the program, including staff time and supplies, have been calculated. Results From 2011 to 2014, none of 17 patients with documented CRE infection had undergone ERCP or endoscopic ultrasound in the previous 36 months. From June 2015 to September 2016, 285 cultures were performed. Three (1.1%) had bacterial growth, 2 with skin contaminants and 1 with an oral contaminant. The associated endoscopes were quarantined and reprocessed, and repeat cultures were negative. The total estimated cost of our program for an inventory of 20 elevator lever-equipped endoscopes was $30,429.60 per year ($1521.48 per endoscope). Conclusions This 16-month evaluation of a systematic endoscope culturing program identified a low rate of positive cultures after elevator lever endoscope reprocessing. All positive cultures were with non-enteric microorganisms. The program was of modest cost and identified reprocessing procedures that may have led to a low rate of positive cultures.