cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex-specific and inter-species differences in the accumulation and distribution profile of metal(loid)s in crayfish specimens

Crayfish tissues are often used as bioindicators in the assessment of metal pollution and food safety risks. The current study evaluated sex-specific and inter-species differences in metal accumulation among two crayfish species (Procambarus acutus acutus and Faxonius virilis). A total of 77 biological specimens of both species were collected from the Ozark Fisheries aquaculture farm in Missouri. Concentrations of metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, Sr and Zn) and a metalloid (As) in four crayfish tissues (exoskeleton, gills, hepatopancreas and muscle) were determined by ICP-OES. In F. virilis, 15.4%, 30.8%, 7.7% and 30.8% of the 13 elements in the exoskeleton, gills, hepatopancreas and muscles differed (p < 0.05) among sexes, respectively. Similarly, the differences in metals accumulation between the male and female cohorts of P. a. acutus were 30.8%, 30.8%, 46.2% and 30.8% in the exoskeleton, gills, hepatopancreas and muscles, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant (p < 0.05) associations between metals concentrations and the weight of samples, among the sexes and species. Sex, species and tissue types are important considerations in metals bioaccumulation and distribution in crayfish.
Systems Genetics of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms at the Drosophila Obp56h Locus

Variation in quantitative traits arises from naturally segregating alleles with environmentally sensitive effects, but how individual variants in single genes affect the genotype-phenotype map and molecular phenotypes is not understood. We used CRISPR/Cas9 germline gene editing to generate naturally occurring variants with different site classes and allele frequencies in the Drosophila melanogaster Obp56h gene in a common genetic background. Single base pair changes caused large allele-specific and sexually dimorphic effects on the mean and micro-environmental variance for multiple fitness-related traits and in the Obp56h co-regulated transcriptome. However, these alleles were not associated with quantitative traits in the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, suggesting that the small allelic effects observed in genome wide association studies may be an artifact of averaging variable context-dependent allelic effects over multiple genetic backgrounds. Thus, the traditional infinitesimal additive model does not reflect the underlying biology of quantitative traits.
Amplatzer Vascular Plug for Complicated Residual DeBakey Type 1 Aortic Dissection in the Aortic Arch.

Surgical treatment of acute DeBakey type I aortic dissection does not address the entire aorta, which can leave anatomically complex residual aortic dissection in the aortic arch and descending aor...
A combined theoretical and experimental approach to model polyamide 12 degradation in selective laser sintering additive manufacturing

Abstract Selective laser sintering (SLS) generates complex high-performance parts from micrometer-diameter powders. In polyamide 12 SLS, a considerable amount of expensive polyamide 12 materials remains un-joined in the additive manufacturing (AM) process. Such materials, particularly the ones near the heat-affected zones (HAZ), go through irreversible chemical degradations originated from thermal oxidations. Despite efforts in understanding the degradation mechanisms of the materials, full modelling of the complex material degradation remains not well understood. In this work, through a combined theoretical and experimental approach, we propose a first-instance kinetic model considering the effects of both oxygen and laser to model the material degradation in polyamide 12 SLS. By mapping the actual material degradation rates into the oxidation physics and data-driven parameter identification, we obtain the coefficients of the actual coupled oxygen and laser effects. Through sensitivity analysis, we derive the fitting equations between the sample degradation rates and the oxidation time. The proposed kinetic model can predict the oxidation rates of pure or mixed materials using two easily available parameters: materials density and oxidation time. We show that the laser effects are 4-time stronger than oxygen effects on polyamide 12 degradation. The predicted oxidation matches on average 89.53% with the actual SLS degradation rates, in contrast to a 34.48% accuracy from a basic autoxidation model. Besides, the paper identifies how coupling of oxygen, laser irradiation, and preheating impacts the rate of material degradation.
Converting laparoscopic colectomies to open is associated with similar outcomes as a planned open approach among Crohn's disease patients.

There has been a noted reluctance to offer laparoscopic surgery to Crohn’s Disease patients due to the potential risks, and high rate, of converting the procedure to open. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes between Crohn’s Disease patients undergoing a planned open colectomy, to those undergoing a laparoscopic colectomy that was converted to open. Crohn’s Disease patients undergoing an elective colectomy were identified using the ACS-NSQIP database (2012–2019). Patients were stratified based on operative approach: open, laparoscopic, and laparoscopic converted to open. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the impact of conversion to open on overall and serious postoperative morbidity. Among 8039 elective colectomies, 40.5% were performed open, 46.9% were completed laparoscopically, and 12.6% were converted to open. The conversion rate among all laparoscopic cases was 21.3%. On unadjusted analysis, conversion to open demonstrated similar rates of overall morbidity (P = 0.355) and serious morbidity (P = 0.724) compared to a planned open approach. On multivariable analysis, conversion to open was not associated with increased odds of overall morbidity (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.94–1.30, P = 0.238) or serious morbidity (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.98–1.46, P = 0.074), when compared to an open approach. Among Crohn’s Disease patients, cases converted from laparoscopic to open exhibited similar outcomes as a planned open approach. Despite the limitations associated with this retrospective study, our findings suggest that laparoscopic surgery may be safely pursued among Crohn’s Disease patients, as the risks of conversion are potentially balanced by the benefits of laparoscopic surgery.
A Review of Suicide Research

It can be stated at the outset that this small volume of 179 pages reads very much like a textbook and just about everything you would want to know about suicide becomes available. It represents comprehensive studies by leaders in the field, and once the reader picks up this excellent work it becomes exceedingly difficult to put it down.
Charge Fluctuation Interactions in Molecular Biophysics

Publisher Summary Molecular biophysics is confronted with the question as to the types of intermolecular interactions on various levels of biological organization. This chapter discusses charge fluctuation interactions in molecular biophysics. A clarification of the role of intermolecular forces in biology is a basic issue for any understanding of biophysical processes. It is also a puzzling issue because the interplay between the different kinds of forces is such an intricate one. Often, it is only barely possible to delineate and experimentally establish where one kind of force, and where another, plays the predominant role in a given process. The chapter also discusses the various types of intermolecular interactions, which are encountered in biophysics, the charge fluctuation interactions. Reference is made to other types of interactions only to the extent of clarification. The molecules with whose interaction the biophysicist usually has to deal are not in a setting of two isolated molecules. They are rather considered to be as imbedded in a surrounding, often aqueous. The chapter discusses intermolecular “interactions” rather than of intermolecular forces because the more general term “interaction” not only includes the forces (energies) involved, but refers to the entire setting, which includes the order of arrangement of the molecules, their mutual orientation, and the kind of a surrounding medium in which the molecules are placed.
Homeless and highly mobile students: equity, access and institutional response

The introductory article sets the stage for this special issue of the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education on educational institutions’ responses to the increasing and shifting populations of homeless and highly mobile children and youth in a post-economic recession era.
Varieties of Memory

In this chapter we list and discuss the primary distinctions among types of memory. We first identify four possible bases for distinguishing types of memory: introspective evidence, various types of memory tests, dissociations among memory measures, and neural differences underlying kinds of memory. Several useful broad distinctions between classes of memory or tests of memory are also discussed, including those between declarative and procedural memory, episodic and semantic memory, explicit and implicit memory, conscious and unconscious memory, voluntary and involuntary recollection, and retrospective and prospective memory. We provide an overview of memory research using one possible categorization system based loosely on persistence of memories and their temporal course. First, we discuss brief sensory memories; then short-term or working memory; and finally, we describe some of the many different types of long-term memory. Topics covered include iconic and echoic memories; Baddeley's model of working memory; as well as phenomena of episodic, autobiographical, and semantic memory. We discuss the concepts of implicit memory and procedural memory. We conclude by discussing the usefulness of this and other categorization schemes for the study of memory. Keywords: autobiographical memory; episodic memory; implicit memory; long-term memory; procedural memory; semantic memory; sensory memory; working memory
1607 PROSPECTIVE LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF PREMATURES WITH SUBEPENDYMAL/INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRHAGE (SEH/IVH)

Since 1977, an ongoing study has assessed neurodevelopmental outcome of CT-documented SEH/IVH in infants 90. Intermediate-no or minor neurologic deficit and D.I. = 70-90: Poor-significant neurologic deficit or D.I.<70. The following groups were compared: a) 33/41 surviving SEH/IVH infants with 30/49 non-IVH; b)22 SEH/IVH infants paired with controls, matched for Apgar, gestation and birth weight c) intragroup, according to degree of hemorrhage. Of the 33 SEH/IVH infants, 21 had good outcomes, 8 intermediate, 4 poor. Of controls, outcome was good in 19, intermediate in 8, poor in 3. Among match-control pairs, there was a balanced distribution in outcome. Intragroup comparison showed: 13 had marked IVH with 8 good outcomes, 3 intermediate, 2 poor; 10 had moderate IVH with 5 good, 3 intermediate, 2 poor, 10 had mild IVH or SEH with 8 good, 2 intermediate, 0 poor. By all methods of comparison, outcome in SEH/IVH infants was not significantly different from controls. Marked IVH did not preclude good outcome (60% good). Other neonatal disease may affect outcome more than hemorrhage.
Second-generation percutaneous bioprosthetic valve: A short-term study in sheep

Objectives To eliminate occasional tilting of the original bioprosthetic venous valve (BVV) a second-generation BVV has been developed. This study was performed to evaluate deployment, stability, and short-term function of the second-generation BVV in an animal model. Methods A second-generation percutaneously placed BVV consisting of a square stent and lyophilized small intestinal submucosa attached to a second square stent (DS BVV) or Z-stent (ZS BVV) were tested. DS BVVs (n = 32) were constructed with a nitinol (n = 28) or stainless steel double stent (n = 4), and ZS BVVs (n = 16) were made of nitinol (n = 8) or stainless steel (n = 4). BVVs were implanted percutaneously through a femoral vein approach into the jugular vein in 24 female sheep with an over-the-wire 13F or 10F delivery system. All BVVs were placed across the natural valve of the proximal jugular vein. Deployment, stability, and function of BVVs were studied at immediate venography with contrast medium injections peripheral and central to the BVVs. Animals underwent follow-up venography and were sacrificed at 6 weeks (n = 24). Gross pathologic examination was performed. Results Jugular vein diameter ranged from 9.8 to 14.4 mm (mean, 12.1 ± 1.2 mm) in 24 sheep. The 10-mm to 12-mm valve was deployed in 27 jugular veins, and the 12-mm to 14-mm valve was deployed in 21 jugular veins. No tilting was seen at placement of 48 BVVs into the jugular veins, and all valves exhibited good function on immediate venograms. Angiographic competency for the nitinol and stainless steel ZS BVV (100%) was similar to that for the nitinol DS BVV (92.3%; P = .488) but was significantly better than for the stainless steel DS BVV at 6 weeks (50%; P = .03). Dysfunction of 4 valves was caused by either nitinol DS BVV oversizing (n = 2) or intimal hyperplasia with the stainless steel DS BVV (n = 2). Conclusion Placement without tilting appears essential for proper valve function. The second-generation BVV enables placement without tilting. Exact matching of valve size with vein diameter is necessary for good valve function.
TLR2 and TLR9 contribute to alcohol-mediated liver injury through induction of CXCL1 and neutrophil infiltration

Although previous studies reported the involvement of the TLR4-TRIF pathway in alcohol-induced liver injury, the role of TLR2 and TLR9 signaling in alcohol-mediated neutrophil infiltration and live...
Fate of lysosomes transported to the dendrites by a colchicine-induced mechanism.

Lysosomes in hypoglossal motoneurons were retrogradely labeled with fluorescent latex microspheres and their distribution as well as that of acid phosphatase was examined after a single 50 microgram intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of colchicine. In saline injected controls the fluorescent label was distributed mainly in cell bodies. Twenty-four hours after the colchicine injection we observed a re-distribution of fluorescent label from the cell body of neurons to the dendrites. Seventy-two hours after the colchicine injection the fluorescent label had returned from the dendrites to the cell body. A similar pattern was obtained by following the effect of colchicine on the distribution of acid phosphatase reaction product. We conclude that the reappearance of fluorescent label in cell bodies following colchicine treatment is the result of the retrograde transport of dendritic lysosomes.
Dependence of ionic association on polymer chain length in poly(ethylene oxide)-lithium triflate complexes

Abstract Ionic association in complexes of lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate with low-molecular-weight poly(ethylene oxide) dimethyl ethers was studied using Raman and infra-red vibrational spectroscopy. The relative concentrations of ion pairs and more highly associated ionic species are quite dependent on chain length. This dependence was measured in both the CF 3 symmetric deformation mode and the SO 3 symmetric stretching mode. The effect of the terminating group was considered by comparing the dimethyl ethers with hydroxy-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) at comparable chain lengths. Hydrogen bonding effects in the hydroxy-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) compounds were also found to depend on chain length.
Decision-making in pediatric cardiology: searching for the evidence

Abstract The goal of evidence-based decision-making in pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery may be difficult if not impossible to attain. This is due to the rarity, complexity and variability in the morphology and physiology of congenital heart disease. Nevertheless, constant attention to the process of searching for the evidence maximizes flexibility in decision-making and limits adherence to unproven management regimens. The long-term acceptance of prolonged bed rest for the treatment of acute rheumatic fever without significant evidence of benefit illustrates this principle. The result was unnecessary hospitalizations and restrictions on children as well as high medical cost. Much of the ‘conventional wisdom’ for medical and surgical treatment of congenital heart disease in the 1960s–1980s is no longer relevant. Without constant attention to evolving evidence gleaned from basic and clinical research, many of today's management pathways will not be appropriately altered and new pathways will not emerge. Analyses of treatment principles related to ventricular septal defect and discrete subvalvar aortic stenosis are presented, and questions are raised concerning other pediatric cardiac conditions where evidence-based outcome data are limited. The challenge to pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons will always be to ‘search for the evidence’ in order to constantly reassess and adjust management pathways for children with heart disease.
Seattle fluoridation campaign 1973—prescription for a victory

The 1973 campaign for retaining fluoridation of Seattle’s water supply is discussed from a political perspective. In 1973, the success of the campaign to retain fluoridation of Seattle’s water supply primarily was due to three factors—aggressive “doorbelling” saturation of precincts, broad-based community support, and lack of a sizable countermovement. The Seattle experience illustrates the importance of profluoridation forces to run an astute political campaign. In November of 1973, the citizens of Seattle overwhelmingly voted in favor of retaining fluoridation for the city’s water supply. There were a number of factors directly or indirectly responsible, or both, for the success of this campaign, which should be documented for the benefit of other communities involved in similar efforts. The Seattle campaign capitalized on the availability of hundreds of dental students, dental hygiene students, and others to implement an aggressive doorbelling campaign. Campaign emphasis was initially on the building of broad-based community support and then concluded with a strong focus on how to vote. In fact, voting instructions outweighed dental health education efforts. During the campaign, a political perspective was emphasized. This approach proved to be well suited to this particular community. It is the intent of this paper to present an overview of the strategy, methods, and results, in addition to an assessment of the victory. Because of the number of other people involved in this successful endeavor, the authors claim no particular credit for the victory.
A Class of Alternatives to Independence in Contingency Tables

Abstract A class of alternative hypotheses to independence is proposed for two-way contingency tables. It is assumed that a certain proportion of the cell probabilities under independence has been removed from (or put into) each of a subset of cells and redistributed over (or taken from) the remaining cells, keeping the marginals unchanged. The redistribution or depletion is not necessarily restricted to neighboring cells. The proposed alternatives can be expressed in log-linear form amenable to usual methods of analyses. Two numerical examples are given. Some generalizations for two-way and multi-way tables are discussed.
Dispersal of an Herbaceous Perennial, Paeonia brownii, by Scatter-Hoarding Rodents

Abstract: Most plants that are dispersed by seed-caching animals are large, woody trees that produce large, nutritious nuts. But a few species dispersed in this way are relatively small shrubs or perennial herbs. Wild peony (Paeonia brownii) is a perennial herb in western North America that is dispersed by seed-caching rodents such as chipmunks (Tamias sp.), deer mice (Peromyscus mamculatus), and pocket mice (Perognathus parvus). These rodents harvest seeds from the dehiscent, pendant pods and transport them short distances (most <20 m) and cache 1 or a few seeds from 0 to 15 mm deep in soil. Unrecovered seeds germinate in the spring. Unlike most nuts, peony seeds are not highly preferred food items; they are rich in carbohydrates and low in lipids and protein. Rodents remove peony seeds slowly compared to Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) seeds, which are highly preferred by rodents and dispersed in the same manner. The low preference for peony seeds may benefit the plants: peony seeds are slow to be harvest...
Study of heat transfer and kinetics parameters influencing the design of heat exchangers for hydrogen storage in high-pressure metal hydrides

This paper discusses the challenges of using hydrogen fuel cells to power light-duty vehicles. Storing sufficient amounts of hydrogen to cover adequate travel distances before refueling is one of the more pressing challenges, and different materials have been recommended to enhance storage capacity. This study concerns one class of storage materials called high-pressure metal hydrides (HPMHs). The most important component of a hydrogen storage system utilizing HPMHs is the heat exchanger, which, aside from storing the HPMH, must providing sufficient cooling during the hydrogen refueling to achieve the required short fill time of less than 5 min. Discussed in this paper are practical heat exchanger design guidelines for storage systems employing materials with high rates of heat generation during refueling. Most important among those is the maximum distance between the HPMH powder and the cooling surface, which, for Ti1.1CrMn, must be kept below 10 mm to achieve a fill time of 5 min. A new parameter called non-dimensional conductance (NDC) is developed, which serves as a characteristic parameter to estimate the effects of various parameters on the reaction rate. Overall, it is shown that the hydrogen fill time is sensitive mostly to the effective thermal conductivity of the HPMH and the coolant’s temperature, followed by the contact resistance between the powder and cooling surface.
Bed load transport during rising and falling stages on two small streams

Bed load transport rates were measured with continuously recording pit samplers on two small gravel-bed streams in the Goodwin Creek Research Watershed, northern Mississippi, U.S.A. When transport samples were grouped according to whether the stage was rising or falling, significant differences in mean bed load transport rates were found at nearly all flow strengths. At higher flow strengths, mean bed load transport rates were greater during rising stages than during falling stages. The greater transport rates measured during rising stages may be caused by a lag in the formation and destruction of bed roughness elements. One of the streams also showed evidence for greater transport rates for low flows as the stage declined. This may be caused by differences in the stability of the bed material at the beginning and at the end of a transport event.
An environmental chamber system for prolonged metabolic studies on small animals.

Measurement of metabolic adaptation to marginally stressful environments requires both precise regulation of a variety of atmospheric factors for extended periods of time and the capacity to employ sensitive parameters in an undisturbed subject. This paper describes a metabolic chamber system which can simultaneously maintain groups of small animals in two completely separate closed environments having different pressures, temperatures and gas compositions for an indefinite period. Oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, food and water consumption and animal activity cycles can be continuously monitored and quantified 24 h per day while the animals are in an unrestrained state. Each chamber can be serviced and the animals handled, injected and sacrificed without subjecting them to barometric stress. Several unique electrical and mechanical components allow semi-automated data collection on a continuous basis for indefinite periods of time.
The electric dipole form factor of the nucleon

Abstract The electric dipole form factor of the nucleon stemming from the QCD θ ¯ term is calculated in chiral perturbation theory in leading order. To this order, the form factor originates from the pion cloud. Its momentum-dependence is proportional to a non-derivative time-reversal-violating pion–nucleon coupling, and the scale for momentum variation—appearing, in particular, in the radius of the form factor—is the pion mass.
Culture-Based Biochip for Environmental Monitoring

In this paper, we describe the development of a culture-based biochip for detecting mycobacteria in environmental samples. The biochips use the paraffinophilic nature of mycobacteria to rapidly detect and differentiate them from non-target micro-organisms. New methods of depositing and patterning paraffin were developed to fabricate prototype biochips. Biochips were experimentally tested to demonstrate rapid detection of mycobacteria in environmental samples collected from a municipal sewage treatment plant. Our successful demonstration of the culture-based biochip technology presents an alternative approach for developing new technology to track microorganisms in complex environmental samples.
Role of local excision in the treatment of rectal cancer.

Local excision (LE) of properly selected rectal cancers can provide long-term survival, with minimal morbidity, negligible mortality, and excellent functional results. The role of LE has evolved over the past century. Initially, to avoid the excessive mortality of abdominal surgery, aggressive LE was performed to control the symptoms of rectal cancer. As abdominal surgery became safer, LE was restricted for use in palliation or high-risk patients. Better preoperative tumor staging resulted in an expanded role for LE, including curative-intent treatment of selected T1-2 rectal cancers. Techniques for LE include snare polypectomy, transanal excision, transanal endoscopic microsurgery, and posterior approaches. The high local recurrence rate and compromised survival reported in modern series, despite efforts to properly select patients with cancers suitable for LE, have convinced the authors to restrict the use of curative-intent LE in good-risk patients only to the most favorable rectal cancers. Close follow-up after LE is critical, because radical surgical salvage is usually possible if recurrence is identified promptly. Whether adjuvant chemoradiation can expand the role of curative intent LE remains controversial. Semin. Surg. Oncol. 19:367–375, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Topological approach for testing equivalence in heterogeneous relational databases

The use of a topological space defined over the attribute set is shown as a useful intermediate step in the process of establishing the equivalence of two heterogeneous database schemes. A means of selecting an optimal topology is given. The algorithms necessary to test for topological equivalence and the equivalence of two heterogeneous relational database schemes are given
Explant cultures for detection of minute virus of mice in infected mouse tissue

Explantation of tissues from mice infected with minute virus of mice (MVM; parvovirus) is more sensitive than conventional isolation for detection of infectious MVM. Techniques are described for the preparation, in vitro maintenance, and subsequent processing of explanted tissues from experimentally infected mice. Explanted tissues from mice exposed orally as neonates to MVM contained infectious virus that was not detected at the same infection intervals by conventional isolation (inoculation of tissue homogenates into susceptible cell cultures with subsequent immunostaining for viral antigen). However, in contrast to earlier results with a rat parvovirus, long-term persistence of MVM was not detected in tissues of animals exposed as neonates. Depending on the strain of MVM used as inoculum, mice infected as adults cleared virus quickly or were completely refractory to infection.
Using theory to understand high school aged athletes’ intentions to report sport-related concussion: Implications for concussion education initiatives

AbstractObjective: To assess the influence of psychosocial determinants from the Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour (TRA/TPB) on concussion-reporting intentions.Methods: The present study employed the TRA/TPB to develop a cross-sectional survey to examine contributors to intention to report concussion symptoms. High school athletes (n = 167, age = 15.7 ± 1.4) completed this survey. The TRA/TPB constructs of attitude (perceptions about concussion reporting), subjective norm (perception of important social referents beliefs about concussion reporting), perceived behavioural control (perceived control over concussion reporting) and intention to report concussion symptoms served as the independent variables. Linear regression models were used to predict intention to report concussion symptoms. Binomial regression models were used to predict concussion-reporting behaviours from intention.Results: Direct attitude, subjective norm and direct perceived behavioural control were all associated with int...
Party and Incumbency Cues in Voting: Are They Substitutes?

A possible explanation for the rise of the incumbency advantage in U.S. elections asserts that party and incumbency are close informational substitutes. A common claim in the literature is that, as the salience of partisan cues decreased, voters attached themselves to the next available piece of information – incumbency. Minnesota state legislative elections provide a unique setting for testing this idea. These elections switched from using non-partisan to partisan ballots and primaries in 1973. We find that, after the switch to partisan elections, party voting increased substantially. However, contrary to expectations, the incumbency advantage also increased. These patterns suggest that party and incumbency are not close substitutes for large numbers of voters, and that cue-substitution cannot explain the rise of the incumbency advantage.
Difference Between Pharmacist-Obtained and Physician-Obtained Medication Histories in the Intensive Care Unit

PurposeTo quantify the differences between medication histories obtained by physicians and pharmacists from critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and to identify patient types at...
Pyrolysis of alkylcyclohexanes in or near the supercritical phase. Product distribution and reaction pathways

Abstract Cyclohexane and seven n-alkylcyclohexanes (alkyl side-chain C m H 2 m + 1, m = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10) were pyrolyzed in or near the supercritical phase in a batch reactor at 450°C under relatively high (≥ 2 MPa) and continuously increasing pressure for 6–480 min. The thermal stability of alkylcyclohexanes decreases with increasing side-chain length. The major reaction pathways of alkylcyclohexanes are strongly dependent on the side-chain length. For cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, the dominant reaction is isomerization to form alkylcyclopentanes via ring contraction. The tendency to isomerization decreases with increasing side-chain length. For alkylcyclohexanes with m ≥ 3, the major reaction at early decomposition stages is β-scission, leading to CC bond cleavage in the side-chain at or near the ring followed by H-abstraction. The decomposition resulted in three pairs of most abundant products: cyclohexane plus 1-C m H 2 m , methylenecyclohexane plus n-C ( m − 1) H 2( m − 1) + 2 , and cyclohexene plus n-C m H 2 m + 2 . Under the conditions used, alkylcyclohexanes do not undergo ring-opening cracking to any significant extent. An empirical equation was developed to correlate the rate constant with the molecular structure of alkylcyclohexanes using a group contribution method.
Data processing for fabrication of GMT primary segments: raw data to final surface maps

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) primary mirror is a 25 meter f/0.7 surface composed of seven 8.4 meter circular segments, six of which are identical off-axis segments. The fabrication and testing challenges with these severely aspheric segments (about 14 mm of aspheric departure, mostly astigmatism) are well documented. Converting the raw phase data to useful surface maps involves many steps and compensations. They include large corrections for: image distortion from the off-axis null test; misalignment of the null test; departure from the ideal support forces; and temperature gradients in the mirror. The final correction simulates the active-optics correction that will be made at the telescope. Data are collected and phase maps are computed in 4D Technology's 4Sight TM software. The data are saved to a .h5 (HDF5) file and imported into MATLAB ® for further analysis. A semi-automated data pipeline has been developed to reduce the analysis time as well as reducing the potential for error. As each operation is performed, results and analysis parameters are appended to a data file, so in the end, the history of data processing is embedded in the file. A report and a spreadsheet are automatically generated to display the final statistics as well as how each compensation term varied during the data acquisition. This gives us valuable statistics and provides a quick starting point for investigating atypical results.
The story of e

e: The Story of a Number. By Eli Maor. Princeton University Press: 1994. Pp. 223. $24.95, £19.95.
Convergence of set-valued mappings: Equi-outer semicontinuity

The concept of equi-outer semicontinuity allows us to relate the pointwise and the graphical convergence of set-valued-mappings. One of the main results is a compactness criterion that extends the classical Arzela-Ascoli theorem for continuous functions to this new setting; it also leads to the exploration of the notion of continuous convergence. Equi-lower semicontinuity of functions is related to the outer semicontinuity of epigraphical mappings. Finally, some examples involving set-valued mappings are re-examined in terms of the concepts introduced here.
Bernard Williams' Relativism

Many writers on relativism point out the alleged inconsistencies of that position and move immediately on to other subjects, even though relativism is admitted on all sides to be widely held today in one form or another and would thus seem to merit more extended consideration. Bernard Williams has taken a much more serious attitude than this, by first making the usual criticisms and then trying to find 'the truth in relativism'. In this paper, I want to clarify and criticize Williams' views on the truth in relativism as a way of bringing out what I take to be the truth about relativism.
Women Leaders in a Globalized World

Patricia H. Werhane takes Rosener’s analysis of a transformational style of leadership one step further in presenting us with a new perspective on what may be needed in terms of leadership within contemporary organizational contexts. By drawing on her extensive expertise in the role that mental models play in moral imagination, Werhane makes it clear that ethical leadership has to be understood from more systemic perspective. Werhane introduces the reader to systems and systems thinking as a methodology for organizational thinking and leadership that challenges the traditional firm-centered stakeholder models and the hierarchical leadership paradigms those models perpetuate. An acknowledgement of the multidirectional influences of various stakeholders and other organizational dynamics precipitates a rethinking of leadership roles and characteristics. From a systemic perspective, leaders must have the ability to relocate themselves and their firm away from the center of the stakeholder map to various other positions, in order to be morally responsive.
Ionic conductivity in branched polyethylenimine-sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate complexes: comparisons to analogous complexes made with linear polyethylenimine

Abstract : Complexes between branched polyethyleneimine and Sodium trifluoromethane sulfonate were formed with a polymer repeat unit to salt ratio of 6:1, 12:1 and 20:1. All three complexes are amorphous in contrast to linear polyethyleneimine which forms partially crystalline complexes at ratios above 6;1 (lower salt concentrations). The 6:1 complex of branched polyethyleneimine has a higher glass transition temperature (12 C) and a lower conductivity than the corresponding complex of linear polyethyleneimine. The glass transition temperature of the polymer-salt complex decreases by 43 degrees upon decreasing the salt concentration from that of the 6:1 complex to that of the 20:1 complex. Correspondingly, the conductivity of the 20:1 complex at 40 C is two orders of magnitude higher than that of the 6:1 complex. N-H stretching frequencies of linear and branched polyethyleneimine and their polymer-salt complexes were studied by infrared spectroscopy. An increase in frequency of the N-H stretching mode of both polymers is seen upon complex formation. Keywords: Polymer electrolytes, Ionic conductivity.
Familial syndromes associated with thyroid cancer in the era of personalized medicine.

Background: Well-differentiated thyroid cancer accounts for 95% of thyroid malignancies, and 5% of these patients will have familial disease. This compares to 25% of patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) having a familial form; however, this accounts for only 1% of all patients with thyroid cancer. Most cases of familial thyroid cancer are nonmedullary (NMFTC), and have been shown to be present in familial cancer syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis, Cowden syndrome, Carney complex, Pendred syndrome, and Werner syndrome. This review discusses the contemporary management of the patients with familial-syndrome-associated thyroid cancer based on their individual risks for developing thyroid cancer. Summary: Most of the progress in the genetics of familial thyroid cancer has been in patients with MTC. The mutations in patients with isolated NMFTC have not been as well defined as in MTC. They are likely autosomal dominant with reduced penetrance. The patients with these familial syndromes mo...
Excited States Decay in Carbon Nanotubes

We will discuss the decay of radiative and non-radiative decay of the excited states in carbon nanotubes and the role of the environment. The vibrational excitation spectra can be used to characterize the local environment.
Effect of Block Length on Solvent Response of Block Copolymer Brushes: Combinatorial Study with Block Copolymer Brush Gradients

Block copolymer (BC) brush gradient libraries were examined as high-throughput platforms to study the effect of relative block lengths on the response to solvents. BC brushes of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and poly(2-(N,N‘-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) were synthesized via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The gradient libraries had uniform bottom PBMA blocks and molecular mass gradient top PDMAEMA blocks. The rearrangement of the BC brushes upon exposure to water and hexane was assessed by water contact angle (θw) measurements. θw mapping of each gradient library illustrated how the top PDMAEMA block length influenced the response of BC brushes to solvents. Comparison among libraries with different bottom PBMA thicknesses revealed how the bottom block length affected the solvent response of BC brushes. Our results indicate that the solvent response behavior of the BC brushes is greatly influenced by their relative block lengths. While surface response prop...
The critical roles of endoplasmic reticulum chaperones and unfolded protein response in tumorigenesis and anticancer therapies

Cancer progression is characterized by rapidly proliferating cancer cells that are in need of increased protein synthesis. Therefore, enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) activity is required to facilitate the folding, assembly and transportation of membrane and secretory proteins. These functions are carried out by ER chaperones. It is now becoming clear that the ER chaperones have critical functions outside of simply facilitating protein folding. For example, cancer progression requires glucose regulated protein (GRP) 78 for cancer cell survival and proliferation, as well as angiogenesis in the microenvironment. GRP78 can translocate to the cell surface acting as a receptor regulating oncogenic signaling and cell viability. Calreticulin, another ER chaperone, can translocate to the cell surface of apoptotic cancer cells and induce immunogenic cancer cell death and antitumor responses in vivo. Tumor-secreted GRP94 has been shown to elicit antitumor immune responses when used as antitumor vaccines. Protein disulfide isomerase is another ER chaperone that demonstrates pro-oncogenic and pro-survival functions. Because of intrinsic alterations of cellular metabolism and extrinsic factors in the tumor microenvironment, cancer cells are under ER stress, and they respond to this stress by activating the unfolded protein response (UPR). Depending on the severity and duration of ER stress, the signaling branches of the UPR can activate adaptive and pro-survival signals, or induce apoptotic cell death. The protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase signaling branch of the UPR has a dual role in cancer proliferation and survival, and is also required for ER stress-induced autophagy. The activation of the inositol-requiring kinase 1α branch promotes tumorigenesis, cancer cell survival and regulates tumor invasion. In summary, perturbance of ER homeostasis has critical roles in tumorigenesis, and therapeutic modulation of ER chaperones and/or UPR components presents potential antitumor treatments.
Postintubation granuloma of the anterior subglottic larynx

We present an unusual case of a granuloma in the subglottic laryngeal airway of a 6-week-old infant with a history of previous endotracheal intubation. Postintubation granuloma formation in this region has not been previously reported in infants.
Turbulent boundary layer drag reduction using riblets

An experimental study of low-speed turbulent boundary layer flow over longitudinally grooved surfaces (i.e., riblets) is discussed. Results obtained with a highly accurate drag balance indicate that v-groove riblet surfaces can produce consistent net drag reductions as large as 8 percent provided the height and spacing of the grooves in terms of law of the wall variables are less than 25 wall units. Momentum balances confirmed these direct drag measurements. Conditionally sampled data indicate that the burst frequency for riblets is approximately the same as that for a flat plate but turbulence intensity is reduced. Attempts to optimize the net drag reduction by varying riblet cross-sectional geometry and alignment are also discussed.
Simple preparation of multi-valent cyclodextrin–carbohydrate conjugates

Abstract Several β-cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives conjugated with carbohydrates via aminohexyl linkages have been prepared. These CD-conjugates were demonstrated to be multi-valent ligands by lectin-binding assay.
Renal endothelin mechanism in altered thyroid states

Endothelin (ET) mechanisms were studied in hyper- and hypo-thyroid states in rats. Hyperthyroidism was induced by daily administration of thyroxine (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) for 8 weeks, while hypothyroidism was induced by daily administration of methimazole (10 mg/kg, i.p.) for 8 weeks. The concentration of endogenous ET-1 was determined in the kidneys using radioimmunoassay. Systemic hemodynamics and renal blood circulation was measured using a radioactive microsphere technique. A significant increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output was observed in hyperthyroid rats as compared to eu- and hypo-thyroid rats. Total peripheral resistance was found to be similar in eu-, hyper- and hypo-thyroid rats. The endogenous concentration of ET-1 in the kidneys was significantly lower in hyper- as compared to eu- and hypo-thyroid rats. The blood flow to the kidneys was significantly increased in hyper- as compared to eu- and hypo-thyroid rats. Infusion of ET-1 (100 ng/kg/min i.v. for 45 min) produced a significant decrease in blood flow to the kidneys of eu-, hyper- and hypo-thyroid rats. The decrease in blood flow was similar in eu-, hyper- and hypo-thyroid rats, indicating that the response of renal blood vessels to exogenous ET-1 is not altered during thyroid dysfunction. Since endogenous ET-1 is involved in the regulation of vascular tone, it may be concluded that in hyper-thyroid rats decrease in concentration of the renal ET-1 could be contributing to an increase in blood flow to the kidney.
Are intelligence and creativity really so different? ☆: Fluid intelligence, executive processes, and strategy use in divergent thinking

Contemporary creativity research views intelligence and creativity as essentially unrelated abilities, and many studies have found only modest correlations between them. The present research, based on improved approaches to creativity assessment and latent variable modeling, proposes that fluid and executive cognition is in fact central to creative thought. In Study 1, the substantial effect of fluid intelligence (Gf) on creativity was mediated by executive switching, the number of times people switched idea categories during the divergent thinking tasks. In Study 2, half the sample was given an effective strategy for an unusual uses task. The strategy condition interacted with Gf: people high in Gf did better when given the strategy, consistent with their higher ability to maintain access to it and use it despite interference. Taken together, the findings suggest that divergent thinking is more convergent than modern creativity theories presume.
Enhancement of progesterone receptor levels by interferons in AE‐7 endometrial cancer cells

Background. Interferon (IFN) has been reported to increase hormone receptor expression in breast cancer cells and to sensitize them to antiproliferative hormones. Endometrial cancer cells with high progesterone receptor (PR) level respond better to progesterone therapy than cells with either low or absent PR level. The effect of four different interferons (α and β, both natural [n] and recombinant [r]) on cell proliferation and steroid receptor levels was investigated in the PR positive AE-7 human endometrial cancer cell line over a period of 12 days. Methods. Cells were exposed to 10,100 and 1000 IU/ml of each IFN either for 3 days or continuously for 12 days. Hormone receptors were determined by the monoclonal enzyme immunoassay. Chemosensitivity was evaluated with the adenosine triphosphate–cell viability assay. Results. AE-7 has a low level of estrogen receptors, which was not significantly affected by IFN exposure. The four IFN showed significantly enhanced PR levels over 12 days in both the 3-day and continuous-exposure experiments. No significant difference of PR enhancement was observed between 3 days and continuous exposure to IFN. This increase of receptors did not appear to be dose related. IFN enhanced PR level to a maximum level of about two times control cells. IFN did not produce significant cytotoxicity. Antiproliferative activity was observed with nIFNβ and rIFNβ at 1000 IU/ml dose in continuous-exposure experiments, which showed survival values of 79% and 69% respectively, compared with control at day 12. Conclusions. These preliminary data on PR expression modulation support other studies, which have shown that IFN modulate hormone receptor expression and, therefore, may play a role in the treatment of endometrial cancer.