cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mortality Among Professional American-Style Football Players and Professional American Baseball Players.

Importance Studies of American-style football players have suggested lower overall mortality rates compared with general populations, but with possibly increased neurodegenerative mortality. However, comparisons with general populations can introduce bias. This study compared mortality between US National Football League (NFL) and US Major League Baseball (MLB) players, a more appropriate comparison group of professional athletes. Objective To compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality between NFL and MLB players. Design, Setting, and Participants In this retrospective cohort study, the setting was US mortality from January 1, 1979, through December 31, 2013. The dates of analysis were January 2016 to April 2019. Participants were 3419 NFL and 2708 MLB players with at least 5 playing seasons. Exposures Participation in the NFL compared with the MLB. Main Outcomes and Measures Vital status and causes of death from the National Death Index from 1979 through 2013 were obtained. Cox proportional hazards regression models using age as the timescale were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs to examine all-cause and cause-specific mortality among NFL players compared with MLB players, adjusted for race and decade of birth. Results By the end of follow-up, there were 517 deaths (mean [SD] age, 59.6 [13.2] years) in the NFL cohort and 431 deaths (mean [SD] age, 66.7 [12.3] years) in the MLB cohort. Cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions, respectively, were noted as underlying or contributing causes in 498 and 39 deaths in the NFL and 225 and 16 deaths in the MLB. Compared with MLB players, NFL players had significantly elevated rates of all-cause (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.10-1.44), cardiovascular disease (HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.03-2.84), and neurodegenerative disease (HR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.64-5.45) mortality. Comparing hypothetical populations of 1000 NFL and 1000 MLB players followed up to age 75 years, there would be an excess 21 all-cause deaths among NFL players, as well as 77 and 11 more deaths with underlying or contributing causes that included cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that NFL players had elevated all-cause, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative mortality rates compared with MLB players, although the absolute number of excess neurodegenerative deaths was still small. Factors that vary across these sports (eg, body habitus and head trauma) as opposed to those common across sports (eg, physical activity) could underlie the differences.
Hall number across a van Hove singularity

The high-field Hall number directly measures the carrier density in metals with closed Fermi surfaces. However, no general theorem is known to govern the behavior of the Hall number in systems with open Fermi surfaces or the critical behavior across a Lifshitz transition from a closed to open topology. Using Boltzmann transport theory, the authors derive analytic expressions for the behavior of the Hall number through such a transition, and recent experiments on hole doped cuprate superconductors that suggest a sudden drop of the Hall number below optimal doping are shown to be consistent with a nematicity-induced Lifshitz transition.
Sticky, active microrheology: Part 1. Linear-response

Abstract Attractive colloidal-scale forces between macromolecules in biological fluids are suspected to play a role in important system dynamics, including association times, spatially heterogeneous viscosity, and anomalous diffusion. Passive and active microrheology provide a natural connection between observable particle motion and viscosity in such systems via generalized Stokes-Einstein and Stokes’ drag law relations. While such models are robust for purely repulsive colloidal-scale interactions, no such theory exists to model the effects of attractive forces. Here we present such a model for the linear-response regime, where a Brownian probe particle is driven gently through a complex fluid by an external force that weakly augments thermal fluctuations. As the probe moves through the bath, hard-sphere repulsion results in an accumulation of particles on its upstream face and a trailing depletion zone, producing particle drag that slows the probe. Linear-response viscosity can be inferred constitutively from this speed reduction. One expects attractive forces to make the suspension more viscous, but surprisingly, weak attractions exerted by upstream particles actively pull the probe forward, giving it a “hypoviscous” environment through which it slides more easily. As attractions grow stronger, particles join to the probe in a long-lasting doublet, extracting particles from the upstream region and depositing them behind the probe. At a critical value of the second virial coefficient common to all potentials we studied, the distorted structure reverses direction, and continued growth of attraction strength causes the probe to drag a cluster of density along, dramatically increasing viscosity. But at this transition, the structure is neutral under the balance of attraction and repulsion, allowing the probe to “cloak” itself and move through the bath undetected and unhindered relative to hard-sphere dispersions. This poses an intriguing mechanism by which proteins or other macromolecules may change their surface chemistry in order to alter the viscosity of the surrounding medium to speed their own motion, or simply to pass undetected through a cell.
WASTE REDUCTION - CONCEPT TO REALITY

ABSTRACT In the present economic atmosphere of scarce capital and high interest rates, industry management requires positive proof of a project's profitability before making a decision to proceed. Waste reduction projects that are not enforcement-driven require well-documented feasibility studies and economic analyses of alternatives to win management approval. Recent waste reduction feasibility studies performed for the pulp and paper industry are used in this paper to illustrate the range of issues that were addressed before funding was appropriated. A comprehensive multi-discipline team approach is recommended to assure that study results are a realistic predictor of a project's profitability.
Low Temperature Measurement Techniques

To observe fragile features of electronic states in many two-dimensional electron systems, we need to cool them to milliKelvin temperatures. In this way, we may remove thermal excitations and access the ground state. In order to measure the most sensitive electronic ground states, high quality samples are needed, and they must be studied at temperatures as low as a few milliKelvin. In this section, I will describe the operation of the dilution refrigerator, with which we may obtain milliKelvin temperatures. I will also briefly review some low noise techniques for low temperature measurements, namely lock-in amplifiers and circuits.
Low-Dose Naltrexone Treatment of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, is the most common cause of spontaneously occurring hypothyroidism in adults in the United States. Treatment for this condition is thyroid hormone replacement once hypothyroidism develops since there is no known effective treatment to halt the underlying thyroiditis that eventually destroys the thyroid gland. Selenium supplements have been reported to reduce anti-thyroid antibody titers significantly but not to prevent the eventual development of hypothyroidism. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has been promoted in books and on Internet websites as an effective treatment to reduce thyroid inflammation and symptoms in patients with this condition. However, there is no published scientific data to substantiate these claims.
Spontaneous selective deposition of iron oxide nanoparticles on graphite as model catalysts

Iron oxide nanomaterials participate in redox processes that give them ideal properties for their use as earth-abundant catalysts. Fabricating nanocatalysts for such applications requires detailed knowledge of the deposition and growth. We report the spontaneous deposition of iron oxide nanoparticles on HOPG in defect areas and on step edges from a metal precursor solution. To study the nucleation and growth of iron oxide nanoparticles, tailored defects were created on the surface of HOPG using various ion sources that serve as the target sites for iron oxide nucleation. After solution deposition and annealing, the iron oxide nanoparticles were found to nucleate and coalesce at 400 °C. AFM revealed that the particles on the sp3 carbon sites enabled the nanoparticles to aggregate into larger particles. The iron oxide nanoparticles were characterized as having an Fe3+ oxidation state and two different oxygen species, Fe–O and Fe–OH/Fe–OOH, as determined by XPS. STEM imaging and EDS mapping confirmed that the majority of the nanoparticles grown were converted to hematite after annealing at 400 °C. A mechanism of spontaneous and selective deposition on the HOPG surface and transformation of the iron oxide nanoparticles is proposed. These results suggest a simple method for growing nanoparticles as a model catalyst.
139La NMR study of phase separation in single-crystal La2CuO4+ delta.

We report a study of single-crystal ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$, a 38-K superconductor produced by high-pressure oxygenation. We employ $^{139}\mathrm{La}$ NMR to probe the behavior of copper spins in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes. At low temperatures we observe two signals, one originating from regions of the crystal rich in oxygen and a second having no excess oxygen (\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\sim}0). Upon warming through 265\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5 K, the volume fraction of the crystal poor in oxygen goes to zero. The magnetic shift of the peak intensity of the line originating in the oxygen-rich portion of the crystal does not change in the vicinity of 265 K. These observations provide direct microscopic evidence for phase separation in the crystal.
R&D Investments and Strategic Use of Financial Models

Given that making research and development (R&D) investments has the potential to generate high profits in the future, this research aims to discuss the merits and demerits of using the major finan...
Colombia’s Incursion into Ecuadorian Territory: Justified Hot Pursuit or Pugnacious Error?

On March 1, 2008, Colombian military forces launched a cross-border airstrike and ground operation into Ecuador to attack a jungle encampment occupied by high ranking members of the Colombian guerrilla army known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The specific target of the air attack was Luis Edgar Devia Silva, aka Raul Reyes, the FARC’s number two in command and one of Latin America’s longest enduring guerrilla leaders. Reyes and several cohorts were killed. The Colombian forces retrieved Reyes’ body and forensic evidence, including his laptop computer, and retreated back across the frontier, leaving the Ecuadorian military to deal with the aftermath and attend to a lone survivor. The raid sparked a regional crisis that resulted in Ecuadorian and Venezuelan military mobilizations along their borders with Colombia. Colombia’s President, Alvaro Uribe, justified the incursion into Ecuadorian territory as an operation of "hot pursuit," an international legal doctrine that allows a nation to give chase across an international frontier in order to capture a rebel force attempting to escape to safe haven in a neighboring country. The justification quickly unraveled, however, when evidence of the actual attack indicated that those in the FARC camp were in bed sleeping at the time of the airstrike on the site, and that the force that went into Colombia on the ground was a clean-up operation rather than an offensive operation. Although the crisis was resolved two weeks later at a Latin American summit, issues remain over international law doctrines such as hot pursuit, preemptive and anticipatory self defense, and use of the Bush Doctrine by other nations for purposes of crossing into another country’s territory to pursue combatants involved in an internal armed conflict. This article examines the international law issues surrounding Colombia’s actions and its justifications in the face of harsh international reactions.
Dissection and surgical approaches to the mouse jugular-nodose ganglia

Summary The jugular-nodose ganglia contain the sensory peripheral neurons of the vagus nerve, linking visceral organs to the medulla oblongata. Accessing these ganglia in smaller animals without damaging the vascular and neural structures may be challenging, as ganglionic fibers imbed deeply into the carotid sheath, and vagal parasympathetic fibers cross through the interior of the ganglia. We describe a practical protocol for locating and accessing the mouse jugular-nodose ganglia in vivo, including instructions for intraganglionic injections and postperfusion dissection. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Han et al. (2018) .
The Development of Interior Decoration Design Under the Background of Big Data

In recent years, with the rapid development of information technology and the extensive coverage of the Internet, the information age has come, and data is gradually becoming one of the important factors in the production of various manufacturing and operational entrepreneurs. With the development of society, people have higher and higher requirements for indoor planning. People no longer only pursue the beauty of a simple natural environment, but also pursue the beauty of the natural environment, their unique personality and spiritual pursuit. This article firstly studies some development issues and trends of interior decoration design, and then discovers the application of big data in interior decoration design through literature research. Finally, the questionnaire surveyed the interior decoration design style and product selection. The survey results showed that about 50% of the choice of style chose simple style, and 70%-80% of consumers chose natural materials for decoration products. It can be seen that, the interior decoration design is simpler, and the natural style develops.
Cost-Effectiveness of Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation Versus MRI Surveillance for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose Owing to conflicting prospective data, controversy exists regarding prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of PCI versus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surveillance for patients with ES-SCLC based on currently available evidence and in the context of the proposed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services alternative payment model. Methods and Materials A Markov state transition model was constructed to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing MRI surveillance alone with PCI for ES-SCLC. Clinical parameters were obtained from clinical trial data, and cost data were based on 2019 Medicare reimbursement. Strategies were compared using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) with effectiveness in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and evaluated with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per QALY gained. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to consider model uncertainty. Results In the base-case scenario, PCI was not cost-effective in this model, with an ICER of $168,456 per QALY gained compared with MRI surveillance alone, assuming that overall survival was 10 months for MRI surveillance alone and 12.5 months for PCI. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that results were most sensitive to the variation of overall survival and cognitive decline rates between the 2 groups. In a scenario analysis in which all patients received hippocampal-avoidance PCI, the model results became nearly cost-effective with PCI. Conclusions PCI was not found to be cost-effective within this model compared with MRI surveillance alone, owing to the neurocognition decline effect of PCI based on available evidence. Hippocampal-avoidance PCI may be a potential cost-effective strategy for ES-SCLC, with confirmation expected after an ongoing prospective clinical trial (The Southwest Oncolology Group MRI Brain Surveillance Alone Versus MRI Surveillance And Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation [MAVERICK]), which includes assessments of cognitive function.
Third Nerve Palsy

Partial or complete palsies of the oculomotor nerve are not common but are somewhat more frequent than many neuro-ophthalmologic abnormalities. Interest in oculomotor nerve palsies, therefore, is not driven by the frequency of these events but rather by the relatively large number of different pathologic mechanisms that can be involved and the potential severity of some of these diagnoses. A correct diagnosis is important in devising the correct treatment.
Hybrid natural orifice transluminal endoscopy surgery (NOTES) to perform bilateral ovariectomy in mares

Objectives To combine laparoscopic techniques with natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (hybrid NOTES) to minimize number and enlargement of paralumbar laparoscopic portals for bilateral ovariectomy in standing, sedated mares. Study design Case series. Animals Six horses. Materials and methods Six mares with palpably normal ovaries were restrained in stocks, sedated, and had caudal epidural anesthesia performed. A 7.5 MHz ultrasound probe was used transvaginally to select placement of vaginotomy. An attempt was made to remove both ovaries with 70 cm esophageal forceps through the vaginotomy, while visualized and transected via ipsilateral paralumbar fossa laparoscopic portals. Surgical time, intraoperative, and postoperative complications were recorded. Vaginoscopy was performed at days 0, 3, 7, and 14 postoperatively. After 14 days, mares were euthanized and necropsied. Results Hybrid NOTES allowed successful bilateral ovariectomy in all six mares, with a mean surgical time of 70 ± 25 min. In two mares, one ovary was dislodged from the forceps during vaginotomy extraction. Abdominal retrieval of the ovary was successful with reapplication of forceps or a surgeon's hand via vaginotomy. At necropsy, five mares had no adhesions within the abdominal cavity or at the vaginotomy site. One mare in which hand retrieval of the ovary was necessary, developed an adhesion between the bladder and the vaginotomy. Conclusions This technique appears to offer a safe alternative for bilateral ovariectomy with minimal postoperative complications. Clinical significance Decreased number and size of paralumbar laparoscopic incisions could decrease complications associated with exteriorization of ovaries through the flank.
A 1.15μW 5.54mm 3 Implant with a Bidirectional Neural Sensor and Stimulator SoC utilizing Bi-Phasic Quasi-static Brain Communication achieving 6kbps-10Mbps Uplink with Compressive Sensing and RO-PUF based Collision Avoidance

To solve the challenge of powering and communication in a brain implant with low end-end energy loss, we present Bi-Phasic Quasi-static Brain Communication (BP-QBC), achieving < 60dB worst-case channel loss, and ~41X lower power w.r.t. traditional Galvanic body channel communication (G-BCC) at a carrier frequency of 1MHz (~6X lower power than G-BCC at 10MHz) by blocking DC current paths through the brain tissue. An additional 16X improvement in net energy-efficiency (pJ/b) is achieved through compressive sensing (CS), allowing a scalable (6kbps-10Mbps) duty-cycled uplink (UL) from the implant to an external wearable, while reducing the active power consumption to 0.52μW at 10Mbps, i.e. within the range of harvested body-coupled power in the downlink (DL), with externally applied electric currents < 1/5th of ICNIRP safety limits. BP-QBC eliminates the need for sub-cranial interrogators, utilizing quasi-static electrical signals for end-to-end BCC, avoiding transduction losses.
A disciplinary perspective on translanguaging

Building on recent practice-oriented and multimodal shifts in bilingual education and content area education, we propose a disciplinary perspective on translanguaging that leverages the synergy bet...
Disposable Hearing Aid Battery Management: Survey Assessment of Providers and Qualitative Interviews of Patients.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to better understand the behaviors that hearing aid users engage in to manage batteries. Method Two arms of research, a survey of audiologists (n = 110) and qu...
Proximal humeral coordinate systems can predict humerothoracic and glenohumeral kinematics of a full bone system.

Abstract Background Clinical imaging often excludes the distal humerus, confounding definition of common whole-bone coordinate systems. While proximal anatomy coordinate systems exist, no simple method transforms them to whole-bone systems. Their influence on humeral kinematics is unknown. Research question How do humeral kinematics vary based on proximal and whole-bone coordinate systems, and can average rotation matrices accurately convert kinematics between them? Methods Three proximal coordinate systems were defined by the lesser and greater tuberosities (LT, GT), Crest of the greater tuberosity, and humeral shaft. Average rotation matrices derived from anatomic landmarks on cadaver humeri were generated between the proximal and whole-bone coordinate systems. Absolute angle of rotation was used to determine if anatomical variability within the cadaver population influenced the matrices. The matrices were applied to humerothoracic and glenohumeral motion (collected previously) and analyzed using the proximal coordinate systems, then expressed in the whole-bone system. RMSE was used to compare kinematics from the proximal and whole-bone systems. Results A single average rotation matrix between a given proximal and whole-bone coordinate system achieved consistent error, regardless of landmarks. Elevation and plane of elevation had Significance Proximal humerus coordinate systems can accurately predict whole-bone kinematics, with most error concentrated in axial rotation due to anatomic twist along the bone. These results enhance interpretability and reproducibility in expressing humerothoracic and glenohumeral motion data between laboratories by providing a simple means to convert data between common coordinate systems. This is necessitated by the lack of distal humerus anatomy present in most clinical imaging.
The Skeletomotor Cortico-Basal Ganglia-Thalamocortical Circuit

According to earlier data, the basal ganglia receives diverse inputs from the entire cerebral cortex and “funneled” these influences via the ventral thalamus to the motor cortex (Allen and Tsukahara 1974; Evarts and Thach 1969; Kemp and Powell 1971). Subsequent studies led to a view that there is segregation of influences from the sensorimotor and association cortices through the basal ganglia-thalamocortical pathway (DeLong and Geor-gopoulos 1981; DeLong et al 1983). Two distinct loops have been distinguished: (1) a “motor” loop passing largely through the putamen that receives inputs from the sensorimotor cortex, and whose influences are transmitted to certain premotor areas, and (2) an “association” (or “complex”) loop passing through the caudate nucleus, that receives input from the association areas, and whose influences are returned to portions of the prefrontal cortex. In recent physiological and anatomical studies, the concept of segregated basal ganglia-thalamocortical pathways has been further developed. The general principle that basal ganglia influences are transmitted only to restricted portions of the frontal lobe has been further reinforced (despite the fact that the striatum receives projections from nearly the entire neocortex).
Heterojunctions and Interfaces

The presence of an inversion or accumulation layer of charge, either electrons or holes, at the surface of certain heterojunctions was predicted many decades ago. This is true whether the heterojunction is between two semiconductors, such as in the high-electron-mobility transistor, or between a semiconductor and an oxide (or free space), such as in an MOS device. Of course, this latter method of controlling surface (or interface) charge is the preferred approach to current very large scale integration (VLSI) in silicon, where the control over the charge is exercised by the gate MOS structure in the MOSFET. In contrast to this, early transistors in GaAs were prepared using the metal-gate technology for MESFETs, primarily because of the lack of a good oxide technology in GaAs. The approach to GaAs changed in 1978, when Dingle et al. (1) demonstrated that very high mobilities could be achieved in modulation-doped structures through growth by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE).
DNA Methylation Inhibitor Regulates Guanylyl Cyclase/Natriuretic Peptide Receptor-A Gene Expression in Mesangial Cells

Cardiac hormone atrial natriuretic peptide binds to guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A (GC-A/NPRA) and produces second messenger cGMP, which plays a pivotal role in maintaining blood p...
Surgical management of a stenosed parotid duct. Report of a case.

Abstract A stenosed parotid duct was surgically corrected by the installation of a polyethylene tube.
Metal-promoted cyclization: VI. Palladium-catalyzed cyclization via intramolecular allylation of alkenylmetals

Abstract Treatment of silyl-protected terminal alkynes containing an allylic alcohol moiety with Me3Al, i-Bu2AlH, ZnCl2, and a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh3)4, in this order, induces cyclization in cases where the reaction can lead to the formation of five-membered rings via either α- or γ-attack.
Semitransparent reconstruction of cardiac structures from MR data

A computationally intensive approach to three-dimensional cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) reconstruction is described. This technique used semitransparent surface rendering to give a view of human left and right blood pools within the cardiac structure. Blood was given a colored solid surface, while the cardiac wall was semitransparent. >
Examining Relationships Between Organic Carbon Flux and Deep‐Sea Deposit Feeding

The picture of a deep benthic environment subjected to fluctuating detritus supply and availability is now emerging from the convergence of geochemical, sedimentological, physical and ecological investigations. In the past decade there have been dramatic gains in organic carbon geochemistry contrasting to slower progress in ecology of deep-sea deposit feeding. Therefore, rather than reviewing the old question of, “what is the role of detritus feeding in the deep sea,” it is the purpose of this chapter to outline a new perspective from which the question needs to he reassessed. We can already make two broad generalizations which point to the extreme importance of a variable food supply.
T Cell-Intrinsic Expression of c-Rel Regulates Th1 Cell Responses Essential for Resistance to Toxoplasma gondii

The ability of many microbial and inflammatory stimuli to activate members of the Rel/NF-κB family of transcription factors is associated with the regulation of innate and adaptive responses required to control infection. Individual family members play distinct roles during different infectious and inflammatory responses. For example, c-Rel is essential for the production of IL-12 in response to LPS, but dispensable for IL-12 production in response to Toxoplasma Ag. To assess the role of c-Rel during immunity to the intracellular pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, wild-type (WT) and c-Rel−/− mice were infected with Toxoplasma and the immune response was analyzed. c-Rel−/− mice developed severe toxoplasmic encephalitis with increased numbers of parasites compared with WT controls and succumbed to infection within 5–8 wk. Although increased susceptibility of c-Rel−/− mice was associated with decreased T cell activation, proliferation, and production of IFN-γ, these mice were able to generate Th1 effector cells that were present in the brain during chronic infection. In vitro mixing studies using WT and c-Rel−/− dendritic cells and WT and c-Rel−/− TCR transgenic T cells indicated that c-Rel−/− dendritic cells are defective in their ability to stimulate T cell responses. However, when c-Rel−/− T cells were transferred into T cell-deficient hosts, early defects in T cell activation, proliferation, and IFN-γ production persisted, and these mice remained susceptible to infection. Together, these studies indicate that although c-Rel is an important regulator of innate immune responses, it also plays an important role in optimization and maintenance of adaptive T cell responses during infection.
Triacsin C blocks de novo synthesis of glycerolipids and cholesterol esters but not recycling of fatty acid into phospholipid: evidence for functionally separate pools of acyl-CoA

The trafficking of acyl-CoAs within cells is poorly understood. In order to determine whether newly synthesized acyl-CoAs are equally available for the synthesis of all glycerolipids and cholesterol esters, we incubated human fibroblasts with [14C]oleate, [3H]arachidonate or [3H]glycerol in the presence or absence of triacsin C, a fungal metabolite that is a competitive inhibitor of acyl-CoA synthetase. Triacsin C inhibited de novo synthesis from glycerol of triacylglycerol, diacylglycerol and cholesterol esters by more than 93%, and the synthesis of phospholipid by 83%. However, the incorporation of oleate or arachidonate into phospholipids appeared to be relatively unimpaired when triacsin was present. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase had similar dependences on palmitoyl-CoA in both liver and fibroblasts; thus it did not appear that acyl-CoAs, when present at low concentrations, would be preferentially used to acylate lysophospholipids. We interpret these data to mean that, when fatty acid is not limiting, triacsin blocks the acylation of glycerol 3-phosphate and diacylglycerol, but not the reacylation of lysophospholipids. Two explanations are possible: (1) different acyl-CoA synthetases exist that vary in their sensitivity to triacsin; (2) an independent mechanism channels acyl-CoA towards phospholipid synthesis when little acyl-CoA is available. In either case, the acyl-CoAs available to acylate cholesterol, glycerol 3-phosphate, lysophosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol and those acyl-CoAs that are used by lysophospholipid acyltransferases and by ceramide N-acyltransferase must reside in two non-mixing acyl-CoA pools or, when acyl-CoAs are limiting, they must be selectively channelled towards specific acyltransferase reactions.
Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse Research

Water reclamation is the treatment of wastewater to make it reusable. Water reuse is the beneficial use of the treated water and can serve either nonpotable or potable applications. Nonpotable water reuse includes all water applications other than augmenting drinking water supplies. Nonpotable reuse is occurring as agricultural and landscape irrigation, recreation, wildlife habitat maintenance (stream-flow augmentation), in-building applications (such as toilet flushing), industrial cooling, and groundwater recharge. Potable water reuse refers to the use of highly treated reclaimed water to augment drinking water sources. Direct potable reuse, where reclaimed water after advanced treatment is piped directly into the potable water system, is limited to rare cases. For indirect potable reuse, reclaimed water can either be discharged into a surface water or infiltrated into the subsurface to augment, in part, a drinking water supply source. Infiltration into the subsurface can be accomplished by either direct injection into the aquifer or by surface spreading which provides additional soil–aquifer treatment (SAT) when water percolates through the subsurface. The majority of research activities in wastewater reclamation and reuse reflects the main concerns about potable and nonpotable water reuse, such as (1) protection of public health, (2) reliable treatment of wastewater to meet strict water quality requirements for the intended reuse, and (3) gaining public acceptance. Keywords: water reuse; nonpotable reuse; potable reuse; indirect potable reuse; research needs; wastewater reclamation; public health; health effects; public acceptance; advanced wastewater treatment
Gate oxide damage and charging characterization in a 0.13 /spl mu/m, triple oxide (1.7/2.2/5.2nm) bulk technology

The authors present data from a 0.13 /spl mu/m technology, in which the thickest oxide is 5.2 nm and the thinnest 1.7 nm, with a 2.2 nm oxide provided simultaneously. Our results indicate that dielectric integrity is affected for the 2.2 nm oxide, threshold voltage shift is important only for the 5.2 nm oxide, but that the 1.7 nm oxide is virtually immune to charging damage by any measure applied here (threshold voltage, gate leakage, TDDB, SILC). Qualitatively similar results are obtained for NFETs and PFETs.
Clinical application of an operation to correct vesicoureteral reflux.

Summary Clinical application of an operation, first performed in animal experiments by Witherington in 1963 for the correction of vesicoureteral reflux, is presented. From our experience the technic, which elongates the ureter intravesically as a submucosal tunnel, is believed best suited in those patients in whom the ureter is nearly normal in appearance and in whom there is sufficient distance between the ureteral orifice and bladder neck. Its simplicity, freedom from complications, and promise of surgical success should engender a widespread clinical acceptance of this method of correcting vesicoureteral reflux.
Performance of growing cattle grazing stockpiled Jesup tall fescue with varying endophyte status.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of growing cattle when intensively grazing stockpiled endophyte-infected (E+), endophyte-free (E-), and nontoxic endophyte-infected (EN) tall fescue during the winter. The experiment was conducted over 5 consecutive winters. In each year, plots (1 ha each, 4 per treatment) were harvested for hay in August, fertilized in September, and forage was allowed to accumulate until grazing was initiated in early December. Each year, 48 Angus-cross tester cattle (4 per plot) were given a daily allotment of forage, under strip-grazing (frontal grazing) management, with a target residual height of 5 cm. Steers were used the first year, and heifers were used in subsequent years. The grazing periods for determination of pasture ADG were 86 d (yr 1), 70 d (yr 2), 86 d (yr 3), 72 d (yr 4), and 56 d (yr 5). Pasture ADG of cattle did not differ among treatments (P = 0.13) and were 0.51, 0.59, and 0.56 kg/d (SEM 0.03) for E+, E-, and EN, respectively. Serum prolactin concentrations of heifers grazing E+ were less (P 0.20) except in yr 4. During yr 4, serum prolactin of heifers grazing E- was greater (P = 0.05) than that of heifers grazing EN. Serum urea-N concentrations (SUN) tended to differ among treatments (P = 0.10) and there was a treatment x year interaction (P = 0.05). During yr 1 through 3, SUN did not differ (P > 0.15) among treatments. However, as the stands aged, E- had a greater invasion of other plant species, which increased the CP content of the sward, thus causing heifers grazing E- during yr 5 to have greater (P 0.20) among treatments. The use of stockpiled E+ as a source of low-cost winter feed is a viable option for producers, whereas grazing of EN may be more beneficial during the spring and fall, when more severe negative effects of ergot alkaloids have been observed.
Permeability of blood-brain barrier to DSIP peptides.

Abstract An improved radioimmunoassay (RIA) for delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) was used to study the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to DSIP peptides. Although the synthetic analog [D-Ala3]-DSIP reacts fully in the assay, at least 8 of the 9 amino acids of the naturally occuring DSIP sequence are required for recognition by the antibody. A significant increase in DSIP-like immunoreactivity found in rat brain in one part of the study after peripheral injection of in DSIP indicated, therefore, that some peptide crossed the BBB. The much higher levels found in brain tissue after intracarotid administration of [D-Ala3]-DSIP as compared with DSIP made it unlikely that non-specific leakage of peptide across the BBB was the only explanation. Furthermore, the findings after infusion with saline for one minute tended to rule out contamination of brain tissue by peptide remaining in blood. Thus, the results provide additional evidence that one of the ways peptides administered peripherally can influence the brain is by transport across the BBB essentially intact.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm With Inferior Vena Cava Compression in Association With Deep Venous Thrombosis

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremity may be caused by external compression of the inferior vena cava (IVC) by a neighboring mass. A 55-year-old male presented with 8 months of intermittent left lower extremity swelling and signs of chronic venous stasis. Duplex ultrasound showed extensive DVT in the left leg. Subsequent imaging revealed a 4.2 cm infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) compressing the IVC. In cases of chronic, unilateral DVT, work-up should include imaging for an anatomic cause. AAA is a rare cause of IVC compression with DVT, and is most commonly related to inflammatory AAAs. Previously reported cases of IVC compression by non-inflammatory AAAs have been secondary to large aneurysms (greater than 6 cm). This case illustrates that smaller AAAs lacking hemodynamically significant IVC obstruction may be found in association with DVT.
Molecular dynamics study of liquid carbon monoxide

Abstract Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of liquid carbon dioxide near the triple point is carried out on the CRAY X-MP supercomputer. An empirical intermolecular potential is derived by use of the model proposed recently for carbon disulphide. In addition, the intramolecular degrees of freedom are introduced through a simple algorithm. Calculated results on static structure, time-dependent correlation functions, and vibrational spectra are compared with experimental data and other molecular dynamics results.
H-reflex latency and nerve root tension sign correlation in fluoroscopically guided, contrast-confirmed, translaminar lumbar epidural steroid-bupivacaine injections.

Abstract Stretanski MF. H-reflex latency and nerve root tension sign correlation in fluoroscopically guided, contrast-confirmed, translaminar lumbar epidural steroid-bupivacaine injections. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:1479-82. Objectives To examine the correlation between physical examination parameters, commonly referred to as "nerve root tension signs," and H-reflex latency measurements both pre- and postepidural steroid-bupivacaine (Marcaine) injection, and to propose mechanisms of pain alleviation. Design Prospective observational, with H-reflex latency measurement and physical examination at baseline and at 10 minutes postinjection. Setting Physical medicine and rehabilitation practice, outpatient surgical center, and community setting. Participants Ten consecutively recruited patients (6 women, 4 men; age range, 40–71y) with clinical radiculopathy and compatible magnetic resonance imaging findings, who were unaware of the outcome measures. Interventions Patients received a fluoroscopically guided, contrast-confirmed, paramedian translaminar lumbar epidural injection of 120mg of methylprednisolone acetate (80mg/mL) and 2.0mL of .25% preservative-free Marcaine. Main outcome measures Seated slump testing (SST), straight-leg raising (SLR), and H-reflex latency were measured bilaterally both pre- and postinjection. Differences were measured by using the paired t test in an A-B design. Results All SST of the affected (injected) side improved from pre- to postinjection, with 3 patients reporting discordant hamstring pain and 7 reporting no pain. SLR ability increased by an average of 29°±12°, corresponding to an average relative increase of 54% on the affected side. A statistically significant difference was found (Student t test, P =.02) between pre and post H-reflex latency on the affected side but not when comparing changes between affected and unaffected sides (Student t test, P =0.6). Conclusions Significant improvements in SST and SLR result from low volume epidural injection of Marcaine, with questionable prolongation of the H-reflex to the gastrocnemius-soleus complex on the affected side.
Experimental conditions for surface microanalysis with reflection electron energy-loss spectroscopy.

Experimental conditions for obtaining the optimum signal-to-background (S/B) ratio in reflection electron energy-loss spectroscopy (REELS) are investigated. It is shown that the S/ B ratio can be improved by lowering the incident energy of the electrons. The spectra taken from the GaAs (660) specular reflection spot under the surface resonance condition is demonstrated to have the best S/B ratio and lowest surface plasma excitation, which is capable of providing structural information on the top few atomic layers.
NEURTURIN AND GDNF PROMOTE PROLIFERATION AND SURVIVAL OF ENTERIC NEURON AND GLIAL PROGENITORS IN VITRO

Signaling through the c-Ret tyrosine kinase and the endothelin B receptor pathways is known to be critical for development of the enteric nervous system. To clarify the role of these receptors in enteric nervous system development, the effect of ligands for these receptors was examined on rat enteric neuron precursors in fully defined medium in primary culture. In this culture system, dividing Ret-positive cells differentiate, cluster into ganglia containing neurons and enteric glia, and create extensive networks reminiscent of the enteric plexus established in vivo. Glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurturin both potently support survival and proliferation of enteric neuron precursors in this system. Addition of either neurturin or GDNF to these cultures increased the number of both neurons and enteric glia. Persephin, a third GDNF family member, shares many properties with neurturin and GDNF in the central nervous system and in kidney development. By contrast, persephin does not promote enteric neuron precursor proliferation or survival in these cultures. Endothelin-3 also does not increase the number of enteric neurons or glia in these cultures.
"More Rain and Less Thunder": Substitute Vocabularies, Richard Nixon, and the Construction of Political Reality.

Through an analysis of the Nixon administration's rhetoric concerning Native Americans, this essay provides a framework for understanding rhetorical reconciliations between democratic political principle and repressive, even oppressive, political action. Our argument proceeds in three parts. We first provide a brief sketch of a key mechanism whereby practitioners of democracy seek to reconcile contradictions between principle and practice. We then identify, by way of illustration, the Nixon administration's political principles regarding Native Americans as articulated in various of Richard Nixon's speeches. Finally, we turn to an examination of the Nixon administration's efforts to reconcile their explicitly articulated principles and their subsequent practices.
Cortical signatures of cognition and their relationship to Alzheimer’s disease

Recent changes in diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) state that biomarkers can enhance certainty in a diagnosis of AD. In the present study, we combined cognitive function and brain morphology, a potential imaging biomarker, to predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment to AD. We identified four biomarkers, or cortical signatures of cognition (CSC), from regressions of cortical thickness on neuropsychological factors representing memory, executive function/processing speed, language, and visuospatial function among participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Neuropsychological factor scores were created from a previously validated multidimensional factor structure of the neuropsychological battery in ADNI. Mean thickness of each CSC at the baseline study visit was used to evaluate risk of conversion to clinical AD among participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and rate of decline on the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) score. Of 307 MCI participants, 119 converted to AD. For all domain-specific CSC, a one standard deviation thinner cortical thickness was associated with an approximately 50% higher hazard of conversion and an increase of approximately 0.30 points annually on the CDR-SB. In combined models with a domain-specific CSC and neuropsychological factor score, both CSC and factor scores predicted conversion to AD and increasing clinical severity. The present study indicated that factor scores and CSCs for memory and language both significantly predicted risk of conversion to AD and accelerated deterioration in dementia severity. We conclude that predictive models are best when they utilize both neuropsychological measures and imaging biomarkers.
Temperature‐dependent sex determination in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius

The leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius, has temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Previous reports have shown that females are produced predominantly at cool incubation temperatures and males are produced predominantly at warm incubation temperatures (Pattern Ib). We report here that incubation at even higher temperatures (34 and 35 degrees C) produces mostly females (Pattern II). The lethal maximum constant incubation temperature for this species appears to be just above 35 degrees C. Although a previous study indicated that females from a warm incubation temperature (32 degrees C) failed to lay eggs, we found that 12 of 14 mature females incubated at 32.5 degrees C, and 5 of 6 mature females incubated at 34 degrees C produced fertile eggs and viable hatchlings.
Open-air carbon coatings on fused quartz by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Carbon films are deposited on fused quartz substrates by CO 2 laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) using a novel open-air coating system. The hydrocarbon precursor gases are methane, propane and butane. The deposition rates of the three hydrocarbon gases are determined by measuring the mass of the carbon film deposited at constant temperature, and validated by film thickness measurements obtained using an environmental scanning electron microscope. The results indicate that butane and propane have significant deposition at 1375–1500 K, while deposition starts at 1550 K for methane. All three hydrocarbons have an exponential increase in deposition rate. Deposition rates obtained with butane and propane show a much stronger influence of temperature compared to methane. Raman spectra of deposited carbon films indicate that the surface consists of glass-like or nanocrystalline carbon. The ratio of D-peak to G-peak Raman band intensities decreases as the deposition temperature is increased, which is possibly due to self-annealing and additional surface reaction during high temperature deposition. This finding indicates that the carbon film exhibits higher structural order at high deposition temperatures, which can significantly enhance the film’s hermeticity and mechanical properties for use as an optical fiber coating.