cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GPS technology as a proxy tool for determining relationships in social animals: An example with African elephants

Abstract The potential application of GPS technology in determining relationships among social animals was addressed in this study of eight African elephants residing at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, CA, USA between 2009 and 2011. GPS coordinates were collected over nine 24 h periods from eight different elephants. The average distances between individuals were then calculated for the morning, afternoon and evening time periods as well as for the entire 24 h. Behavioral data were collected to calculate rates of both positive and negative interactions between elephants as well as David's scores to measure sociality. Lastly, input from the management staff regarding the elephants’ social relations was utilized to determine pairs who may display high levels of social proximity as well as the construction of a dominance structure. Significant correlations were found between the social relations determined by animal management staff and the GPS morning data (r = −0.431, P = 0.022), the social relations determined by animal management staff and the GPS daily data (r = −0.401, P = 0.034), the corrected David's scores and the GPS daily data (r = 0.471, P = 0.012), the early time period (r = 0.614, P = 0.001), the morning time period (r = 0.441, P = 0.020) and the afternoon time period (r = 0.474, P = 0.012) and the rate of positive social interactions and the GPS evening data (r = −0.386, P = 0.042). These results suggest that GPS technology can be used as a proxy tool in determining social relationships. GPS devices can aid in animal behavior research by eliminating the need for an observer and thereby relieving time and staff restraints. Planning the daily management of animals around their known social groups can potentially increase overall animal welfare and safety for caretakers. For example, keeping the animals in their known social groups could decrease stress and the potential for aggressive behavior during training, transport, shifting of individuals or groups between exhibits, and general husbandry.
Decision-making for High Renewable Electricity Futures in the United States

Abstract Our research suggests that in 2050, 80% of total U.S. electricity demand could be supplied by renewable electricity technologies that are commercially available today at a cost similar to or lower than published estimates for other clean energy scenarios. In order to achieve this goal, the U.S. power system will need to evolve toward increased efficiency and system flexibility – in part enabled by grid expansion and new operating procedures. Adjustments in business models, market rules, and regulatory regimes may also be needed to handle these high levels of renewables with their different financial and operating characteristics. This short Report Review highlights aspects of policy, regulation, finance, markets and operations that can help enable high penetration renewable energy electricity generation futures. It uses analytical results from the NREL Renewable Electricity Futures (REF) Study [1] as a basis for discussion. As technical issues have been shown not to be key impediments for this pathway at the hourly level for the bulk system, we focus on other aspects of public and private decision-making. We conclude by describing how the REF might inform future research and development by the scientific community.
High rates of obstructive sleep apnea symptoms among patients with schizophrenia.

Background Patients with schizophrenia have high rates of obesity and cardiovascular morbidity, which are strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The prevalence and risk factors for OSA are not well studied in patients with schizophrenia. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of OSA symptoms in a sample of outpatients with schizophrenia. Methods This cross-sectional study was a secondary analysis of data generated from an insomnia study that evaluated 175 outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in a single, large urban community mental health center. Results of scales evaluating insomnia were used to complete the STOP questionnaire, which is a screening tool for OSA validated in surgical populations. Appropriate statistical analysis was done to compare participants across groups. Results Patients were classified into high risk for OSA (STOP ≥ 2) (57.7%), and low risk for OSA (STOP score t = 6.3; p F [2,169] = 25; p χ 2 [2, N = 175] = 35, p Conclusion A large number of outpatients with severe mental illness are at high risk for OSA. The STOP questionnaire is easy to use and appears to have a very high clinical utility to detect OSA. Based on our findings, further studies are warranted to validate the tool in patients with severe mental illness.
Compound-Nucleus Effects in ( p , n ) Charge-Exchange Reactions on Light Nuclei

We present evidence for the importance of compound-nucleus effects in ($p, n$) charge-exchange reactions on light nuclei for proton energies near 12 MeV. We propose a convenient method to estimate the magnitude of the compound cross section based on elastic proton-scattering cross sections.
Radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer: Eleven year experience at the JCRT

Abstract Radiation therapy (XRT) for 41 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer resulted in a median survival of 7.0 months. There was no difference in median survival for patients receiving external beam alone (3500 to 5600 cGy) (n = 28), intraoperative (IORT) boost plus external beam (5040 to 6750 cGy) (n = 9), or a gold-198 implant ± external beam radiation (n = 4). A pilot study using orthovoltage IORT boost indicates no acute toxicity with doses of 1250 to 1750 cGy. Serious late damage has not been observed in any patients followed to 2 years. Local recurrence in patients treated post-operatively after “radical” surgery occurred in one of 10 (10%). This adjuvant treatment is safe and appears to improve local control rates compared to historical data, but survival is still poor. The median survival for the post-operative group is 10 months; three patients are alive without disease 8 months to 8.3 years after treatment.
Ensemble LUT classification for degraded document enhancement

The fast evolution of scanning and computing technologies have led to the creation of large collections of scanned paper documents. Examples of such collections include historical collections, legal depositories, medical archives, and business archives. Moreover, in many situations such as legal litigation and security investigations scanned collections are being used to facilitate systematic exploration of the data. It is almost always the case that scanned documents suffer from some form of degradation. Large degradations make documents hard to read and substantially deteriorate the performance of automated document processing systems. Enhancement of degraded document images is normally performed assuming global degradation models. When the degradation is large, global degradation models do not perform well. In contrast, we propose to estimate local degradation models and use them in enhancing degraded document images. Using a semi-automated enhancement system we have labeled a subset of the Frieder diaries collection.1 This labeled subset was then used to train an ensemble classifier. The component classifiers are based on lookup tables (LUT) in conjunction with the approximated nearest neighbor algorithm. The resulting algorithm is highly effcient. Experimental evaluation results are provided using the Frieder diaries collection.1© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Homogenization and propagation in the bistable equation

Abstract We show that the standard method to homogenize inhomogeneous resistivity fails to give correct predictions about propagation speed and propagation failure when applied to the bistable equation. This shortcoming is overcome with a more careful look at the averaging theorem. Using a generalized technique, we find an expression for the speed of waves that properly predicts propagation failure due to inhomogeneities.
The development, reliability, and validity of the revised creative product semantic scale

Abstract: The Creative Product Semantic Scale (CPSS) is based on a theoretical model which conceptualizes three dimensions of product attributes: Novelty, Resolution, and Elaboration and Synthesis. The revision of the CPSS is described in the present article. Study 1 confirmed that the instrument could detect differences in the level of Novelty of three commercially available household products varying in unusualness. Study 2 was designed to validate the three dimensions of product attributes by testing whether or not the rankings of experts would agree with those of lay judges. Results indicated that judgments of Novelty made by naive judges were consistent with those of experts. The validity of Novelty, and to a lesser degree, that of Elaboration and Synthesis, were verified by Study 2. The validity of Resolution is yet to be established (no significant differences among products were observed). In both studies, Novelty and Resolution were independent, but Elaboration and Synthesis subscales migrated be...
80nm In 0.52 Al 0.48 As/In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As/InAs 0.3 P 0.7 Composite channel HEMT with an f T of 280GHz

We have demonstrated a high performance 80nm gate In0.52Al0.48As/In0.53Ga0.47As/InAs0.3P0.7 composite channel HEMT. The device has a gm as high as 1 S/mm and an fT 280 GHz. To complete this study, the noise and power performance of such device will be further studied and compared with conventional InGaAs channel devices in near future.
Polyfluoroaromatics. An excursion in carbanion chemistry

Abstract A substantial body of experimental evidence is presented which demonstrates that the significant role of polyfluoroaryl groups in stabilizing carbanions leads to anomalous reaction chemistry, acceleration of carbanionic rearrangements, and enhancement of equilibrium acidities of carbon acids.
Endometrioid adenocarcinoma of prostatic urethra presenting with anterior urethral implantation

Abstract Endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the prostatic urethra is presented in an eighty-four-year-old white man who had been treated for transitional cell carcinoma of bladder and microacinar adenocarcinoma of prostate prior to presenting with an implanted anterior urethral mass. The differential diagnosis of the papillary lesions encountered in the prostatic and penile urethra is reviewed. Based on the literature, a comparative study between both pure and mixed endometrioid carcinoma and microacinar prostatic carcinoma was done. The study aimed to elicit more data about the clinical features of endometrioid carcinoma and included several clinical parameters (age, presenting symptoms, rectal examination findings, serum acid phosphatase level, and metastasis at presentation). The general impresson gained from this study is that no significant clinical difference exists between these two histologic variants of prostatic carcinoma.
Incidence and case fatality rates of acute myocardial infarction (1975–1984): The Worcester Heart Attack Study

During the calendar years 1975, 1978, 1981, and 1984, a community-wide study in the Worcester, Massachusetts, metropolitan area has examined time trends in the attack and case fatality rates of acute myocardial infarction (MI) as well as the occurrence of out-of-hospital coronary heart disease deaths. Between 1975 and 1981, there was a slight increase in the age-adjusted attack rates of acute MI; between 1981 and 1984, however, there was a dramatic decline in the incidence rates of acute MI. These temporal trends over the 10-year period examined resulted in an overall decrease in both the incidence rates of initial (255 per 100,000-1975; 186 per 100,000-1984) as well as recurrent (133 per 100,000-1975; 104 per 100,000-1984) acute MI in the 16 hospitals surveyed. The age-adjusted in-hospital case fatality rates of acute MI declined consistently over the periods studied, from 22.2% in 1975 to 20.3% in 1978, 17.8% in 1981, and to 15.1% in 1984, for an overall decline of 32% over the 10-year period studied. No significant differences, however, were seen in the long-term survival rates of patients discharged from the hospital after acute MI in either 1975, 1978, 1981, or 1984. A consistent decline was seen in the age-adjusted mortality rates (per 100,000) of out-of-hospital coronary heart disease between 1975 (265), 1978 (174), 1981 (170), and 1984 (148).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Acute coronary syndromes. STREAMlining care for patients with STEMI.

Despite presenting early after symptom onset, some patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction are unable to receive mechanical reperfusion within 60 min. The STREAM trial shows that, among these individuals, fibrinolysis with early angiography is associated with outcomes comparable to modestly delayed primary percutaneous coronary intervention, but with an increased risk of intracranial haemorrhage.
Effects of high fat-feeding to rats on the interrelationship of body weight, plasma insulin, and fatty acyl-coenzyme a esters in liver and skeletal muscle

Rats fed a high-saturated fat diet consumed more energy, gained more weight, and displayed hyperinsulinemia (P less than .05) without an elevation in the fasting plasma glucose level, compared with animals on two different high-carbohydrate diets. The total fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) concentration was 18% (P less than .0001) and 46% (P less than .0001) higher in liver and skeletal muscle, respectively, from rats fed the high-fat diet compared with each of the other diet groups. Major long-chain fatty acyl-CoA molecular species of both tissues in high fat-fed rats reflected the fatty acid profile of the diet. Approximately 29%, 21%, and 16% of total liver and skeletal muscle fatty acyl-CoAs were comprised of oleoyl-CoA, palmitoyl-CoA, and stearoyl-CoA, respectively. The amounts of these three fatty acyl-CoA esters were significantly higher in liver and skeletal muscle after high-fat feeding than with the other diet treatments (P less than .0001). In contrast, the concentration of linoleoyl-CoA was lower in both tissues after high-fat feeding (P less than .0001). In rats fed the high-fat diet, plasma insulin levels were significantly correlated with gain in body weight or body weight (r = .80, P less than .001 for insulin and gain in body weight; r = .73, P less than .001 for insulin and body weight). Total fatty acyl-CoA ester content in liver and skeletal muscle was also strongly correlated with the plasma insulin concentration in high fat-fed rats (r = .80, P less than .001 for liver; r = .78, P less than .001 for skeletal muscle).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
7.5% saline and 7.5% saline/6% dextran for hypovolemic shock.

Conventional resuscitation of traumatic hemorrhagic shock involves the intravenous administration of isotonic (normal saline) or slightly hypotonic (lactated Ringer’s, LR) solution beginning in the prehospital setting. Although not conclusive, prior animal and human studies have suggested that alternative resuscitation with hypertonic saline (7.5%) solutions may reduce mortality in these patients. Hypertonic saline-dextran (HSD) (7.5% saline with 6% dextran-70) has been investigated as an alternative resuscitation fluid in critically injured patients,(1–6) HSD results in an increase in serum osmotic pressure, which leads to the redistribution of fluid from the interstitial to the intravascular space. This redistribution leads to rapid restoration of circulating intravascular volume, with a smaller volume of fluid required compared to isotonic or hypotonic crystalloid solutions and decreased accumulation of extravascular volume. The osmotic effect of HSD has been shown to reduce intracranial pressure in brain-injured patients. Thus, the combination of increased systemic perfusion, which increases cerebral perfusion, and a decrease in the intracranial pressure may minimize the progression of secondary brain injury. In addition, recent studies have demonstrated an impact of hypertonicity on limiting the proinflammatory response of circulating inflammatory cells.(7, 8) Thus, hypertonic solutions may have additional beneficial effects by modulating the excessive immuno-inflammatory response following systemic ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hypertonic resuscitation, therefore, has the potential to impact both early and late mortality following traumatic injury. Dextran was initially added to these solutions in an effort to prolong the circulatory effect of hypertonicity. Subsequent to the early clinical trials, however, several preclinical studies demonstrated the reduction of inflammatory organ injury utilizing hypertonic saline rather than HSD.9–13 Removal of the dextran component may enhance the anti-inflammatory effects of this solution, which could reduce the risk of late complications after injury.
Current induced on a conducting strip which resides on the planar interface between two semi-infinite half-spaces

An analysis is described for determining the current induced by a known excitation on a conducting strip which resides on the planar interface between two semi-infinite homogeneous half-spaces of different electromagnetic properties. The perfectly conducting flat strip is of infinite extent and the excitation is transverse magnetic to the strip axis. An integral equation for the induced current is formulated and it is shown that its kernel which is in general a Sommerfeld-type integral can be expressed in closed form when the permeabilities of the two media are the same. Under this practical condition the integral equation is solved numerically and data are presented for cases of interest. For the electrically narrow strip, the integral equation is approximated and this approximate equation is solved analytically.
Sequence analysis of the Rhop-3 gene of Plasmodium yoelii.

Abstract The 110 kDa/Rhop-3 rhoptry protein of Plasmodium falciparum is non-covalently associated with two other proteins, the 140 kDa Rhop-1 and the 130 kDa Rhop-2. cDNAs encoding Rhop-3 from Plasmodium yoelii were isolated using rhoptry-specific antisera from Plasmodium falciparum, P. yoelii, and Plasmodium chabaudi. The cDNAs encoded peptides with partial homology to the C-terminal region (residues 541–861) of P. falciparum Rhop-3. Core regions of homology to the P. falciparum gene will be useful in determining the biological role of Rhop-3 and its potential as a vaccine candidate for malaria.
Effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone injection and eyestalk ablation on the moulting cycle of the shrimp, Penaeus vannamei

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-OHE) injection and eyestalk ablation were investigated on the moulting cycle of the shrimp, Penaeus vannamei . 2. 2. Injection of 20-OHE into intact intermoult (stage C 1 ) animals shortened the duration of the intermoult and the early premoult stages but did not affect subsequent (postmoult, A, B) stages. 3. 3. 20-OHE injection also increased mortality and caused abnormal setal development. 4. 4. In contrast, eyestalk ablation of the early intermoult (stage C 1 ) animals reduced the durations of both the pre- and postmoult stages. 5. 5. Eyestalk ablation advanced the increase in haemolymph ecdysteroid titres during the premoult stage, but did not affect the maximal (stage D) hzmolymph ecdysteroid levels. 6. 6. Eyestalk ablation also slightly elevated minimal (stages A, B) ecdysteroid levels during stages A and B.
Pathogenesis of mouse scrapie: dynamics of agent replication in spleen, spinal cord and brain after infection by different routes.

Abstract Groups of Compton white mice were infected with different doses of the Chandler (139A) strain of agent by one of the following routes of injection; intracerebral, intraperitoneal, intravenous, subcutaneous in the “scruff” of the neck or under the footpad. At weekly intervals, 3 mice were taken from each group and infectivity assays were performed on pools of spleen, brain and spinal cord to study the dynamics of agent replication during the early stages of incubation. All peripheral routes of infection gave a similar pattern in that agent replication started early in spleen and reached a plateau concentration of agent before replication occurred in spinal cord. Replication in spinal cord occurred after 25 to 42 per cent of the incubation period had elapsed and always preceded the onset of replication in brain (41 to 55 per cent of incubation period). This sequence is consistent with the spread of agent from spleen to spinal cord and thence to brain, possibly along neural pathways. Agent replication in brain started much sooner (13 to 19 per cent of incubation period) with the i.c. route of infection but replication in spinal cord followed the pattern found with peripheral routes of infection and occurred after 24 to 34 per cent of the incubation had elapsed.
Toward a Scalable Home-Care Delivery for Frail Elders and People with Special Needs

This paper discusses a new concept of Scalable Home-Care Delivery for frail People with Special Needs (PwSN1), which we named TeCaRob2. This concept explores the use of robotics inside Smart House to remotely assist frail elders and other PwSN in diverse tasks of daily living. The goal is to provide PwSN with a complete solution for their daily needs. Our objective is to enhance the existing Smart House concept, which have proven successful in supporting PwSN, and which have been challenged when PwSN occupants need physical assistance.
Crystallized alkali-silica gel in concrete from the late 1890s

The Elon Farnsworth Battery, a concrete structure completed in 1898, is in an advanced state of disrepair. To investigate the potential for rehabilitation, cores were extracted from the battery. Petrographic examination revealed abundant deposits of alkali silica reaction products in cracks associated with the quartz rich metasedimentary coarse aggregate. The products of the alkali silica reaction are variable in composition and morphology, including both amorphous and crystalline phases. The crystalline alkali silica reaction products are characterized by quantitative X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The broad extent of the reactivity is likely due to elevated alkali levels in the cements used.
The Student Years of the Brücke and their Teachers

The student years 1901 to 1906 of the four founder members of the Brucke association of artists are analysed – Fritz Bleyl, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff – based on the unpublished ‘study’ files that survive in Dresden Technical University. Although they studied architecture, their education offered a wide range of courses, including architectural and interior design, freehand drawing and sketching, perspective drawing, the History of Art and Architecture, as well as the historical and practical aspects of the Applied Arts, which casts doubt on the often stated claim that the Brucke artists were entirely self-taught. The courses they studied in Dresden are discussed, as well as Kirchner’s Winter Semester of 1903–04, which he spent at the progressive Debschitz and Obrist Art School in Munich. The writings of Hermann Obrist and the two best known of their Dresden professors, Cornelius Gurlitt and Fritz Schumacher, are examined, in an attempt to analyse what influence the ideas and theoretical positions of their teachers might have had on them. Appendices list all the surviving documents (A), the courses taken (B), courses taught by their teachers (C) and their addresses in Dresden (D).
Cystoscopic findings: a video tutorial

Introduction and hypothesis Cystoscopy is frequently performed by gynecologists to ensure ureteral patency and to prevent bladder injury when performing concomitant gynecological procedures. Generally, there are no additional findings on cystoscopy; however, when abnormalities arise, they may require either observation or intervention. Our aim was to create a visual library of benign, malignant, and foreign-body pathological conditions incidentally encountered on cystoscopy.
Event-level association between alcohol use and unprotected sex during last sex: evidence from population-based surveys in sub-Saharan Africa

HIV and risky alcohol use are intertwined public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. Research supports the association between alcohol and unprotected sex, but there is limited data using event-level analysis to examine this relationship. Using data from Demographic Health Surveys and AIDS Information Surveys collected in 8 sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) drunkenness (reporting male partner or both male and female partner being drunk during last sexual intercourse) at last sex was tested as a predictor of unprotected last sex among the male (n = 24,512) and female (n = 28,229) participants. Partner type, HIV test results, and the other variables were evaluated as effect modifiers of this relationship. Drunkenness at last sex had a negative effect on the likelihood of condom use among men (AOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72-0.99) and a marginally significant effect among women (AOR 0.87, 95% CI 0.59-1.02) in Southern Africa. However, for men in Southern Africa, this effect was primarily observed with steady partners. Contrary to predictions, in both Southern and Eastern Africa, for men, drunkenness during sex with casual partners increased the odds of condom use. These data indicate a need to implement HIV prevention efforts that consider the role of alcohol use in precipitating unprotected sex and how it varies based upon partner type.
How well does a botanical garden collection of a rare palm capture the genetic variation in a wild population

Conservation is increasingly central to the botanic garden mission. Living plant collections are important components of conservation. Critical evaluation of living conservation collections with population genetic analysis can directly inform ex situ conservation strategy. Here, we quantify the degree of genetic variation captured through a population-based collection protocol, and explore optimal sampling for ex situ conservation. An extensive living collection derived from one population of Leucothrinax morrisii (Arecaceae) provided a model system. We compared 58 specimens from the ex situ collection with 100 individuals from throughout the parent population via 6 ISSR loci. Random bootstrapped resamples of the data were made to model differently structured ex situ collections. Mean diversity (He) differed little between the collection (0.204) and the population (0.216), and genetic distance (D) was very close (0.036). Very few private alleles were found between the collection and the population. Allelic capture, as measured by percent of private alleles, was greater than 94%. Resampled collections of different sizes captured from 48% to 94% of alleles. Pairwise comparison of bootstrapped resamples suggests that increasing the representation of half-sibling groups does not significantly increase allele capture. Increase in allele capture with increasing sample size is greatest at low resample sizes, and showed diminishing returns as resample size increased. No appreciable increase in allele capture was gained through maintaining different half-sibling groups. These data inform sampling for ex situ conservation purposes, and recommend sample sizes of at least 15 individuals, with the upper limit based on resources.
Grafting to achieve flame retardancy

Vinyl monomers, such as methacrylic acid, may be grafted onto styrenebutadiene copolymers, SBS, or onto acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer, ABS, by either a photochemical process or chemical initiation. The amount of grafting is similar using both procedures. Vinyl monomers may not be grafted onto poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET; rather the vinyl monomers homopolymerize within the PET and form a semi-interpenetrating network. All of these copolymers have been analyzed by TGA and TGA-FTIR. For SBS and ABS, the grafted char-former serves to retain the base polymer. There is little difference in the degradation pathway between the grafted and the virgin polymers. Homopolymerization of methacrylic acid within the PET matrix has no effect on the degradation of PET. When one attempts to convert the methacrylic acid contained within the PET into its sodium salt, the entire sample is hydrolyzed. There is good reason to think that the addition of a surface layer of a good char-former onto a polymer will improve the thermal resistance of the polymer.
Leveraging actors for privacy compliance

Many organizations store and process personal information about the individuals with whom they interact. Because incorrect handling of this information can be harmful to those individuals, this information is often regulated by privacy policies. Although non-compliance can be costly, determining whether an organization's systems and processes actually follow these policies is challenging. It is our position, however, that such information systems could be formally verified if it is specified, designed, and implemented according to a methodology that prioritizes verifiability of privacy properties. This paper describes one such approach that leverages an actor-based architectural style, formal specifications of personal information that is allowed and required to be communicated, and a domain-specific actor-based language. Specifications at the system-, component- Actor-level are written using a first-order temporal logic. We propose that the software implementation be mechanically-checked against individual actor specifications using abstract interpretation. Whereas, consistency between the different specification levels and would be checked using model checking. By restricting our attention to programs using a specific actor-based style and implementation technology, we can make progress towards the very challenging problem of rigorously verifying program implementations against complex privacy regulations.
Biochemical and Biomechanical Properties of Lesion and Adjacent Articular Cartilage After Chondral Defect Repair in an Equine Model

BackgroundChondral defects may lead to degradative changes in the surrounding cartilage, predisposing patients to developing osteoarthritis.PurposeTo quantify changes in the biomechanical and biochemical properties of the articular cartilage adjacent to chondral defects after experimental defect repair.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsSpecimens were harvested from tissue within (lesion), immediately adjacent to, and at a distance from (remote area) a full-thickness cartilage defect 8 months after cartilage repair with genetically modified chondrocytes expressing insulin-like growth factor-I or unmodified, control chondrocytes. Biomechanical properties, including instantaneous Young's and equilibrium aggregate moduli, were determined by confined compression testing. Biochemical properties, such as water and proteoglycan content, were also measured.ResultsThe instantaneous Young's modulus, equilibrium modulus, and proteoglycan content increased, whereas water content decreased with increasing ...
Combining clinical, pathological, and demographic factors refines prognosis of lung cancer: a population-based study.

Background In the treatment of lung cancer, an accurate estimation of patient clinical outcome is essential for choosing an appropriate course of therapy. It is important to develop a prognostic stratification model which combines clinical, pathological and demographic factors for individualized clinical decision making. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 234,412 patients diagnosed with adenocarcinomas or squamous cell carcinomas of the lung or bronchus between 1988 and 2006 were retrieved from the SEER database to construct a prognostic model. A model was developed by estimating a Cox proportional hazards model on 500 bootstrapped samples. Two models, one using stage alone and another comprehensive model using additional covariates, were constructed. The comprehensive model consistently outperformed the model using stage alone in prognostic stratification and on Harrell's C, Nagelkerke's R2, and Brier Scores in the whole patient population as well as in specific treatment modalities. Specifically, the comprehensive model generated different prognostic groups with distinct post-operative survival (log-rank P<0.001) within surgical stage IA and IB patients in Kaplan-Meier analyses. Two additional patient cohorts (n = 1,991) were used as an external validation, with the comprehensive model again outperforming the model using stage alone with regards to prognostic stratification and the three evaluated metrics. Conclusion/Significance These results demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a precise prognostic model combining multiple clinical, pathologic, and demographic factors. The comprehensive model significantly improves individualized prognosis upon AJCC tumor staging and is robust across a range of treatment modalities, the spectrum of patient risk, and in novel patient cohorts.
Influence of gemfibrozil on high-density lipoproteins

Abstract In animal studies, gemfibrozil markedly elevates high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, In humans with primary hyperlipoproteinemia and lipoprotein phenotypes IIA, IIB and IV, gemfibrozil, 1,200 mg/day, was associated with a 25%, 20% and 17% increase in HDL cholesterol, respectively. Gemfibrozil also substantially increased the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol, reflecting both an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decrease in very low density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Compared with a placebo in subjects with types IIA, IIB and IV lipoprotein phenotypes, therapy with gemfibrozil led to an increase of 33%, 34% and 23%, respectively, in the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol. With gemfibrozil therapy, about 80% of subjects with hypertriglyceridemia had a reduction in triglycerides of 35 % or a return to normal levels; 50 % of subjects with hypercholesterolemia had a cholesterol reduction of 20% or a return to normal levels.
Early postoperative severity of illness predicts outcomes after the stage I Norwood procedure.

Background We hypothesize that a measure of the immediate postoperative severity of illness after the stage I Norwood operation reflects technical performance or the adequacy of anatomic repair and can serve as a predictor of hospital mortality, reinterventions, and clinical outcomes. Methods One hundred thirty-five patients undergoing stage I were retrospectively studied (2004 to 2007). The severity of illness on postoperative day 1 (POD1) was measured using the Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM) scoring system. Technical performance scores (optimal, adequate, inadequate) were calculated before hospital discharge. Hospital mortality, postoperative reinterventions, and complications were recorded. Postoperative reintervention was defined as need for cardiac catheterization laboratory or operating room based procedure that included balloon dilation or repair of arch obstruction, shunt revision, reoperations for bleeding, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Results Hospital mortality was 14.1% (n = 19). The rate of complications and reinterventions was, respectively, 28.1% (n = 38) and 26.7% (n = 36). The POD1 PRISM score was associated with technical performance ( p = 0.003). Higher POD1 PRISM scores were associated with mortality ( p p p = 0.001). The POD1 PRISM score had high discrimination for mortality, complications, reinterventions, and inadequate technical performance (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.835, 0.776, 0.773, and 0.710, respectively; p ≤ 0.001 for all). Conclusions The severity of illness as measured by PRISM score on POD1 after the stage I Norwood operation has strong association and discrimination with hospital mortality, postoperative reinterventions, inadequate technical performance, and major postoperative complications. It may be used as an early surrogate of technical performance to initiate a search for and correction of technical deficiencies.
Neutrophil antioxidant capacity during the respiratory burst: loss of glutathione induced by chloramines

Low-molecular weight antioxidants in rat peritoneal neutrophils undergo rapid redox recycling, so measurements were made of their initial content and subsequent changes during the respiratory burst, when superoxide formation is maximized. Endogenous vitamin E, ascorbate and total glutathione (reduced + oxidized) were not significantly changed during 30 min of respiratory burst, which was stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). When de novo synthesis of glutathione was inhibited by buthionine-[S,R] sulfoximine (BSO), the glutathione content rapidly decreased in activated neutrophils but not in resting cells. The lost total glutathione was recovered neither from the incubation medium nor as a protein-bound form, which suggests that irreversible oxidation of glutathione occurs. Furthermore, the glutathione loss continues even 30 min after PMA stimulation, when the respiratory burst has almost ceased. The decrease of glutathione was prevented by added catalase, or by addition of NaN3 or KCN which inhibits myeloperoxidase (MPO). Superoxide dismutase had no protective effects. These findings suggest the involvement of an MPO-H2O2-halide system in the accelerated consumption of glutathione during the respiratory burst. Additional studies showed that neutrophil-derived chloramines found in the extracellular medium could lead to intracellular glutathione loss. Incubation of resting cells with chemically produced membrane permeable monochloramine in the presence of BSO resulted in a decrease of glutathione, whereas membrane-impermeable taurine-chloramine was less effective. We conclude that chloramines are responsible for accelerated glutathione turnover in neutrophils during the respiratory burst. Permeable extracellular chloramines derived from the respiratory burst activity, such as monochloramine, can reenter cells and react with thiols.
Ovarian tumors of the hen.

Present available information regarding ovarian tumors in hens is incomplete in most aspects, and this lack of knowledge hampers use of hens as models for study of ovarian cancer. A study of 466 he...
HYDATIDIFORM KERATINOUS CYST: CLINICAL RECOGNITION OF A BENIGIN PROLIFERATING EPIDERMOID CYST*

Summary Attention is directed to the clinical recognition of early proliferative change in the lining of keratinous cysts. In the case reported, multiple small droplet excrescences could be observed on simple inspection. The term hydatidiform keratinous cyst is proposed as a designation for this distinctive clinical variant. Histologically it is to be distinguished from squamous cell epithelioma. It possibly represents an early clinically identifiable phase of the proliferative epidermoid cysts described by Wilson Jones (1966).
The messenger-like properties of the poly(A)+ RNA in mammalian mitochondria

Abstract This is the first demonstration that the poly(A)-containing RNA from mammalian mitochondria behaves like messenger RNA in mitochondrial specific protein synthesis. The mitochondrial RNA in HeLa cells is selectively labeled in the presence of camptothecin, the mitochondria isolated, lysed with weak detergents, and the mitochondrial contents sedimented in sucrose gradients. Much of the poly(A)-containing RNA sediments rapidly with polyribosome-like structures. Most important, the association of the poly(A) + RNA with heavy structures is disrupted quantitatively by puromycin, which should be selective for RNA engaged in protein synthesis. The disaggregation by puromycin is largely prevented by the simultaneous addition of chloramphenicol, which demonstrates association with mitochondrial protein synthesis. A minimum lifetime is estimated for mitochondrial RNA of from 112–2 hr. This decay rate is observed after the block of new synthesis with either actinomycin or cordycepin. The decay of the poly(A) + RNA is faster than that of mitochondrial poly(A) − . The decay in ethidium bromide is much more rapid and constitutes additional evidence that ethidium has an overall deleterious effect on mitochondrial integrity. The lifetimes observed are long compared to the transcription time. In this sense, the mitochondrial messenger-like RNA more closely resembles eucaryotic rather than procaryotic mRNA.
On the possibility of cleavage in Nb

The bcc element, Nb, has the interesting and atypical property that it is predicted to fail by ⟨111⟩ {112} shear, rather than by {100} cleavage, when strained to its ideal strength in uniaxial tension. This suggests that pure Nb will not exhibit the classic bcc ductile–brittle transition when fractured at low temperature. The experimental data, while limited and ambiguous, seems to support this view. However, for inherent immunity to cleavage fracture at low temperature the shear failure mode must be preserved in the triaxial stress field at the crack tip. First-principles calculations of the ideal strength of Nb under combined uniaxial and hydrostatic tension show that the inherent shear failure mode is preserved over the range of stresses that pertain at the crack tip, while the ideal strength increases in the presence of hydrostatic tension. It is also shown that the ideal strength of Nb decreases under hydrostatic compression, which helps to explain recent observations of the behavior of Nb-rich Ti al...
Comment on “Mie scattering from a sonoluminescing bubble with high spatial and temporal resolution” [Physical Review E 61 , 5253 (2000)]

A key parameter underlying the existence of sonoluminescence (or SL) is the time dependence of the radius $R(t)$ of the collapsing bubble from which SL originates. With regard to the use of light scattering to measure this quantity, we wish to note that we disagree with the statement of Gompf and Pecha---highly compressed water causes the minimum in scattered light to occur 700 ps before SL---and that this effect leads to an overestimate of the bubble wall velocity. We discuss potential artifacts in their experimental arrangement and reply to their criticisms of our experiments on Mie scattering.
Protection of Power Lines Against Lighting

A brief review of the fundamentals of the lightning protection problem, and of the various common methods of protecting power transmission lines against lightning, their comparative merits, and their relative costs.
Reversal learning as a function of length of the deprivation schedule and the amount of training

In ORE studies, prior to reversal learning, overtrained rats are maintained on a food deprivation schedule for a longer period of time (the number of days in overtraining) than criterion-trained rats. This procedure results in a confounding between training and drive. The present research suggests that the overtrained animals’ extended food deprivation schedule does not contribute to the ORE.
Research on Adolescents and Microbicides: A Review

Adolescents are an important target for microbicide research, as they are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections and currently are underrepresented in the microbicide research literature. Furthermore, adolescents are psychosocially and biologically different from adults, and findings from adult research cannot be assumed to apply universally to adolescents. Adolescents, to date have rarely been included in clinical trials and acceptability research for microbicides, in part because their participation requires attention to unique developmental issues, including parental consent and confidentiality. Despite these challenges, adolescents should be included in microbicide clinical research. If adolescents are ultimately expected to use microbicides, it is essential that we understand the developmental, contextual, and relationship variables that may influence use and acceptability. Accordingly, the goal of this paper was to examine the issues affecting the inclusion of adolescents in microbicide clinical research as well as review the existing adolescent-specific microbicide research, which highlights the various factors that may influence use and acceptability. It is hoped that this review can provide guidance for future work with this important, specialized population.
The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams : Meshell Ndegeocello and the ‘problem’ of Black female masculinity

Singer, bass player and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello has inspired a growing body of scholarship addressing her funky, political, ‘othered’ musical personae. Existing work celebrates Ndegeocello in the context of identity politics (most commonly feminist, Black Feminist/Womanist, Black Nationalist or Africanist). This tactic not only defies Ndegeocello's rejection of identity politics, but also oversimplifies her complex, sometimes divergent musical negotiations of selfhood. This article highlights the discursive tensions of engaging ‘Black’ with ‘queer’ with ‘woman’ with ‘musician’ by exploring her most contradictory performances of self, particularly those which other scholars argue are ‘feminist’ or ‘queer’. Identifying a scholarly gap around Ndegeocello's strikingly conflicted performances of Black queer gender in songs about same- and opposite-sex relationships, this queer of colour critique explores manner and process over essence, articulating experiential, situational, non-linear and even incoherent perspectives. In doing so, it offers an affect-oriented, politically and musically attentive alternative conceptual frame to identity politics.
A comparison of blind nasotracheal and succinylcholine-assisted intubation in the poisoned patient

In the patient obtunded by drug intoxication, the optimal method of airway protection prior to gastric emptying is not clear. We report a prospective randomized trial of two methods of intubation in this patient population. Fifty-two overdose patients with Glascow Coma Scale scores of 12 or less were intubated either orotracheally after succinylcholine administration or nasotracheally Success rate, time to intubate, difficulty, and complications of intubation were compared for the two groups. We found a success rate of 100% (23 of 23) for succinyl choline assisted intubation (SAI) versus 65% (19 of 29) success with blind nasotracheal intubation (BNI). Mean time to intubate was 64 seconds and 276 seconds in the SAI and BNI groups, respectively. Eighty-six percent (19 of 22) of patients were intubated successfully in less than 120 seconds in the SAI group versus 37% (10 of 27) in the BNI group ( P P