cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemical compositions of improved model asphalt systems for molecular simulations

Abstract New chemical compositions of model asphalts to represent the AAA-1, AAK-1 and AAM-1 asphalts of the Strategic Highway Research Program are proposed to enable molecular simulations that can further an understanding of asphalt physical, rheological and mechanical properties. Molecules for the three model asphalt systems were selected from compounds that had been identified in petroleum and geochemistry studies available in the literature. Choosing larger molecules than in past model asphalt systems improved agreement with size characterization data. The molecules were classified into saturates, naphthene aromatics, polar aromatics and asphaltenes using the Hansen solubility parameters, size and functional groups. Quantum mechanics was used for determining force field parameters and partial charges from electrostatic potential. Classical molecular dynamics simulations were used to calculate physical properties for one of the model asphalt systems. Densities for the model AAA-1 asphalt system are closer to experimental data compared to previous model systems, with good agreement for thermal expansion coefficient. These studies and results provide an improved tool for relating asphalt chemical compositions to rheological and mechanical properties.
Determination of biological reference points for Bristol Bay red king crab

Abstract The US Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act mandates precautionary management to attain near maximum sustainable yield (MSY)-producing stock and exploitation levels on a long-term basis. Various biological reference points (BRPs) have been suggested as surrogates for MSY-producing instantaneous fishing mortality (FMSY) and total stock biomass (SSB(FMSY)), which are largely derived from finfish biological and fisheries characteristics, for poorly understood stocks. BRP estimation for some crab fisheries has been complicated by the fact that only males are harvested and that recruitment, in many instances, is largely driven by environmental factors rather than density-dependent responses. For managing Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab stocks, instantaneous natural mortality (M) is used as a proxy for FMSY, and mean annual total mature stock biomass during 1983–1997 is used for SSB(FMSY). In this paper, harvest rate- and biomass-based BRPs were determined using crab-specific parameters for Bristol Bay red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus). Effective spawning stock biomass-per-recruit for combined sexes was estimated by length-based analysis and used in conjunction with Beverton–Holt and Ricker stock–recruit (S–R) models for various parametric values to explore the trends in MSY-producing legal male harvest rate at the time of the fishery (E(FMSY)), as a proportion of stock harvested; log10 of (FMSY/M) ratio; and total mature stock biomass ratio SSB(FMSY)/SSB(0), where SSB(0) was the virgin total mature stock biomass. The FMSY exceeded M for most cases. For a plausible S–R shape parameter (τ) range=0.3–0.5, M=0.3, handling mortality proportion=0.2, and instantaneous bycatch mortality=0.01; the SSB(FMSY) ranged from 58 to 74% of SSB(0) for the mating ratio 1:1, and 40–55% of SSB(0) for the mating ratio 1:3. The E(FMSY) ranged 16–35% for the mating ratio 1:1, and 40–79% for the mating ratio 1:3. The E(FMSY) was more sensitive to mating ratio and handling mortality than bycatch mortality. Considering the uncertainty in stock parameters and recruitment, a precautionary legal male target harvest rate below 18% was suggested to rebuild the stock equal to or above 66% of the pristine total mature biomass.
Endocrine Treatment of Transsexual People: A Review of Treatment Regimens, Outcomes, and Adverse Effects

Cross-sex hormone treatment is an important component in medical treatment of transsexual people. Endocrinologists are often faced with designing treatment recommendations. Although guidelines from organizations, such as the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, have been helpful, management remains complex and experience guided. We discuss the range of treatment used by transsexual people, the rationale behind these, and the expectation from such treatment. Recommendations from seven clinical research centers treating transsexual people are discussed. In addition, self-reported hormonal regimens from 25 male-to-female transsexual people and five female-to-male transsexual people are reported. Finally, the potential adverse effects of cross-sex hormone treatment of transsexual people are reviewed. In light of the complexity of managing treatment goals and adverse effects, the active involvement of a medical doctor experienced in cross-sex hormonal therapy is vital to ensure the safety...
HISTOLOGICAL STUDIES ON HOG CHOLERA II. LESIONS OF THE VASCULAR SYSTEM

In cases of acute hog cholera the earliest and most pronounced lesions occur in the capillaries and smaller arteries. Larger arteries and veins are less frequently involved. The lesions consist of swelling and proliferation of endothelial cells together with retrogressive changes in them and in the other parts of the blood vessel walls. The character and degree of these lesions seem to be dependent upon the virulence of the virus and, to some extent, upon the presence of secondarily invading bacteria. We believe that these lesions should be considered a principal feature of the histopathology of hog cholera.
Contraception and Adolescent Pregnancy

To identify reasons for increasing numbers of pregnant adolescents, questionnaires were distributed to teenagers with unplanned pregnancies to determine the level of their knowledge of contraception. Findings revealed that 94% of the subjects had an adequate knowledge of availability, while only 43% had an adequate overall knowledge of contraception. Subjects reported many misconceptions about contraceptives and a general lack of motivation concerning contraceptive use.
High-sensitivity multinuclear NMR spectroscopy of a smectite clay and of clay-intercalated polymer.

Abstract The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) properties of a smectite clay low in paramagnetic ions, and NMR experiments to detect organic material near the silicate surfaces with high sensitivity, have been explored by 1H, 29Si, and 13C NMR. In oven-dried hectorite clay, 1H NMR reveals a sharp signal at 0.35 ppm that narrows significantly with spinning speed. It is assigned to the “inner” OH protons of the silicate layers. In fluorohectorite, where the OH groups are replaced by fluorines, no such 1H peak is observed. The assignment is further confirmed by the efficient cross-polarization observed in two-dimensional (2D) 1H–29Si HETCOR spectra, and by 29Si-detected REDOR experiments with 1H-dephasing in the 29Si dipolar field, which yield a 1H–29Si distance of 2.9±0.4 A. In these 1H–29Si experiments, the sensitivity of the 29Si signal is enhanced at least fivefold by refocusing the decay resulting from the inhomogeneous broadening of the single 29Si peak, stretching the 29Si signal out over 80 ms. The small 1H linewidth of this signal at spinning frequencies exceeding 4 kHz is attributed to the large proton–proton distances in the clay. The upfield isotropic chemical shift of the OH groups is explained by their inaccessibility to hydrogen-bonding partners, as a result of their location in hexagonal “cavities” of the clay structure. The well-resolved, easily selectable OH-proton signal and the high-sensitivity 29Si detection open excellent perspectives for NMR studies of composites of clays with organic molecules. Two-dimensional 1H–29Si and 1H–1H chemical-shift correlation experiments enable efficient detection of the 1H spectrum of organic segments near the clay surface. Combined with 1H spin diffusion, the organic segments at up to several nanometers from the clay surfaces can be probed. A 2D 1H–13C correlation experiment yields the 13C spectrum of the organic species near the clay surfaces. A mobility gradient of intercalated poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, segments is proven in 1H–29Si WISE experiments with spin diffusion.
Precision pointing control for an orbital Earth observing system

The design concept developed for the pointing system of the High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS) which will be flown on one of NASA's Earth observing system platforms is presented. The instrument is an F 5.4-aperture spectrometer with a focal length of 1222 mm, and it uses a precision two-axis gimballed mirror pointing system to image and track targets. Pointing accuracy of better than 585 arcsec (peak-to-peak), and pointing jitter of less than 2.65 arcsec in 33 ms are ensured through the use of gimbal position and basebody rate sensors. A state-space controller implemented with a digital computer is used to provide a position loop bandwidth of 1 Hz and a rate loop bandwidth of 7 Hz. An overview of the system design and flight hardware is given, the development of the controller architecture is addressed, and a simulation assessment of the pointing system that takes into consideration issues such as nonlinear effects, sensor noise, and noncollocated sensors and actuators in a flexible structure is discussed. >
Photodegradation of mercaptopyridine-N-oxide biocides.

Mercaptopyridine-N-oxide biocides in dilute aqueous solution underwent rapid reductions in toxicity on exposure to sunlight, according to bioassays with marine algae and bacteria. After 5 to 10 h exposure at 100 ppm of the parent compound, a tertiary butylamine derivative or the disulfide dimer, ten-fold increases in bioassay concentrations were necessary to equal the toxicities of the unirradiated solutions.
This is only a test: a machine-graded improvement to the multiple-choice and true-false examination

The primary goal of teaching is to successfully facilitate learning. Testing can help accomplish this goal in two ways. First, testing can provide a powerful motivation for students to prepare when they perceive that the effort involved leads to valued outcomes. Second, testing can provide instructors with valuable feedback on whether their teaching resulted in the learning desired. It is in the process of creating test questions that the test's value is determined. After reviewing the different types of questions available to educators, we introduce a new approach that can improve the nature of testing. We report on the use of this approach and provide preliminary analysis of its impact in the classroom. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this approach as well as recommendations for its future development and use in academia.
Future directions in inertial confinement fusion

The author discusses future directions for the ICF program. At this time there is still uncertainty on a number of key issues necessary to decide on what type of a National Ignition Facility should be constructed. Mechanisms are in place to answer these questions. The author offers his opinions of where the program is likely to proceed. Technology wise indications are that direct drive heating has the best chance of reaching ignition and high gain. This has the advantage of making all three major user programs happy, namely weapons physics, weapons effects, and electrical energy. The demand for and price of energy in the country will have a major impact on the way the program is developed. From the laser fusion side the most promising drivers at present seem to be KrF lasers, and a major concern for these systems is whether the peak to valley nonuniformities can be reduced to the 1 to 2% level when delivered to the target in order to avoid driving instabilities.
THE N = 82 ISOTONES IN THE GENERALIZED SENIORITY SCHEME

Abstract A calculation for the N =82 isotones in the generalized seniority scheme is presented and compared with a shell model calculation.
Generation of Mutated Variants of the Human Form of the MHC Class I-related Receptor, FcRn, with Increased Affinity for Mouse Immunoglobulin G

Much data support the concept that the MHC class I-related receptor FcRn serves to regulate immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations in serum and other diverse body sites in both rodents and humans. Previous studies have indicated that the human ortholog of FcRn is endowed with unexpectedly high stringency in binding specificity for IgGs. In contrast to mouse FcRn, which binds promiscuously to IgGs across species, human FcRn does not bind to mouse IgG1 or IgG2a, and interacts weakly with mouse IgG2b. Here, we investigate the molecular basis for this high-level specificity. We have systematically mutated human FcRn residues to the corresponding mouse FcRn residues in the regions that encompass the FcRn-IgG interaction site. Notably, mutation of the poorly conserved residue Leu137 of human FcRn to glutamic acid (L137E) generates a human FcRn mutant that binds to mouse IgG1 and mouse IgG2a with equilibrium dissociation constants of 13.2 microM and 14.4 microM, respectively. From earlier high-resolution structural analyses of the rat FcRn-rat Fc complex, residue 137 of human FcRn is predicted to contact residue 436 of IgG, which can be either His436 (mouse IgG1, mouse IgG2a) or Tyr436 (human IgG1, mouse IgG2b). The simplest interpretation of our data for the L137E mutant is therefore that replacement of the Leu137-Tyr436 (human) by the Glu137-His436 (mouse) pair generates a receptor that can bind to mouse IgG1 and mouse IgG2a. The L137E mutation reduces the affinity of human FcRn for human IgG1 by about twofold, consistent with the introduction of a less favorable Glu137-Tyr436 interaction. However, the analysis of the effects of other mutations on the binding to different IgGs indicates that the contribution to binding of the interaction of FcRn residue 137 with IgG residue 436 can vary. This suggests the existence of distinct docking topologies that are accompanied by variations in contacts between these two residues for different FcRn-IgG pairs. Our observations are of direct relevance to understanding the molecular nature of the human FcRn-IgG interaction. In turn, understanding human FcRn function has significance for the optimization of the serum half-lives of therapeutic and prophylactic antibodies.
Liquid phase epitaxy of pbtese lattice-matched to pbsnte

The conditions for liquid phase epitaxial growth of lead telluride selenide on lead tin telluride are presented, and some physical and electrical properties of the epilayers grown are described. The composition and energy gap of the quaternary lead salt compound, lead tin telluride selenide, lattice-matched to lead selenide and to lead-tin telluiride, as determined from published data, is also presented. The growth of PbSnTeSe on PbSnTe is demonstrated.
LIFETIME MEASUREMENTS FOR ALLOWED AND FORBIDDEN TRANSITIONS

Excited state lifetimes ranging in value from picoseconds to nanoseconds are reported for selected highly charged ions. The measurements utilize beam-foil excitation and photon-counting extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy with position sensitive detection. Lifetimes are reported for both allowed and forbidden transitions in several classes of highly charged ions.
Early 20th-Century Wooden Tenement Buildings in Estonia: Building Blocks for Neighborhood Longevity

Abstract During the early 20th century, the urban housing supply in Estonia expanded quickly to meet growing housing demand, resulting in tenement districts conceived for maximum profitability of rental units. In Karlova, a district near the city center of Tartu, about five hundred wooden houses, built between 1911 and the early 1920s and displaying simple Art Nouveau details, are set amid a charming district with a distinct milieu. This article focuses on three time periods during which the development of its built environment gave Karlova its distinctiveness: (1) the years leading up to World War I; (2) the interwar period; and (3) the two decades since 1991, or the post-transition period. Although the district was neglected during the Soviet era, it remains remarkably intact and has even experienced, since the 1990s, gentrification. The high-quality housing stock and charming built environment has much to offer to its diverse population of students, professionals, families, and longtime residents.
Germline predictors of androgen deprivation therapy response in advanced prostate cancer.

Objective To evaluate whether germline variations in genes involved in sex steroid biosynthesis and metabolic pathways predict time to treatment failure for patients with advanced prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), because there are few known clinical predictors of response.
Can intense exercise contribute to cardiovascular disease

Aerobic exercise is associated with a number of beneficial effects, including reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, decreased blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss and favorable alterations in lipids. However, intense exercise may have significant deleterious cardiovascular effects. Excessive physical activity may cause increased oxidative stress with resultant endothelial dysfunction and progressive atherosclerosis. Furthermore, intense exercise may promote exercise-induced hypertension that is also associated with endothelial dysfunction and increased cardiovascular mortality. The purpose of this article is to summarize our current understanding of whether intense exercise can contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.
INTRINSIC FLUCTUATIONS IN A SUPERCONDUCTING RING CLOSED WITH A JOSEPHSON JUNCTION.

The distribution in the external flux at which a superconducting ring closed with a weak link admits a quantum of flux is determined assuming that the weak link can be treated as a Josephson junction. We find that this transition occurs at an appreciable fraction of the flux quantum from the theoretical critical external flux. To a first approximation the width of the distribution is proportional to the inductance of the ring and varies as ${T}^{\frac{2}{3}}{i}_{c}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{3}}$, where $T$ is the temperature and ${i}_{c}$ the critical current.
Advance Care Planning in Long-Term Care Facilities

Residents of long-term care facilities are at risk of serious medical illnesses and being unable to express choices when difficult treatment decisions must be made. Advance care planning (ACP) allows residents to consider, make, and communicate their preferences for how medical decisions should be made if they are unable to participate in the decision-making process. This article reviews the three steps in ACP: consideration of options and expression of values, communication of decisions, and documentation of the choices. The article defines and describes the particular value of ACP in long-term care facilities, reviews the literature on successful ACP programs in long-term care, and concludes with practical suggestions on how to develop and implement ACP programs.
Perfect plane wave injection for Crank-Nicholson time-domain method

The authors derive a 1D multipoint auxiliary source propagator for perfect plane wave injection (PWI) with the Crank-Nicholson time-domain scheme for the first time. By projecting the 2D dispersion equation onto the 1D case, the identical dispersion relation can be realised between the 1D case and the 2D case, which leads to a perfect PWI at any angle forming an integer grid cell ratio. Several numerical experiments are conducted, which show leakage errors on the order of finite precision (-300-dB for double precision) when - t is around the Courant-Friedrichs-Levy (CFL) limit. Beyond the CFL limit, the leakage error is still kept low even though it deteriorates with increasing time-step increments. Good agreement is observed between the proposed method and analytic solution for scattering of a 2D perfect electric conductor circular scatterer.
“Double Crap!” Abuse and Harmed Identity in Fifty Shades of Grey

Abstract Background: While intimate partner violence (IPV) affects 25% of women and impairs health, current societal conditions—including the normalization of abuse in popular culture such as novels, film, and music—create the context to support such violence. Fifty Shades of Grey, a best-selling novel, depicts a “romantic” and “erotic” relationship involving 28-year-old megamillionaire, Christian Grey, and a 22-year-old college student, Anastasia Steele. We argue that the relationship is characterized by IPV, which is harmful to Anastasia. Methods: All authors engaged in iterative readings of the text, and wrote narrative summaries to elucidate themes. Validity checks included double review of the first eight chapters of the novel to establish consistency in our analysis approach, iterative discussions in-person and electronically to arbitrate discrepancies, and review of our analysis with other abuse and sexual practice experts. To characterize IPV, we used the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preve...
Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome in a Child with Trisomy 21. An Acquired Thrombopathy with a Discussion of Thrombopathies in Childhood

Abstract Antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS), an acquired thrombophilic disorder involving autoantibodies against phospholipids and phospholipid-binding proteins, is often accompanied by autoimmune disease but also occurs in the absence of any documented autoimmune disease. It is known to be more common in individuals with trisomy 21. Catastrophic APLS (CAPLS), a rare accelerated form of APLS, leads to acute multisystem organ failure, with microthrombi in multiple organs and a mortality rate of 50% or greater. The youngest case of APLS was reported in a 7-year-old child. We report the pathologic findings in a case of CAPLS in a 2-year-old girl with trisomy 21 who presented with an insidious skin rash, which was rapidly followed by multiorgan failure and death. All major criteria for the diagnosis of CAPLS were met, including the involvement of 3 or more organ systems, precipitous clinical deterioration, positive serology for APL, and noninflammatory microthrombi in at least one organ which, in this case, inc...
Adjuvant radiation therapy for high-risk nodal metastases from cutaneous melanoma.

Summary The role of radiotherapy for nodal metastases from malignant melanoma is controversial. In patients with features that indicate high risk of recurrence of nodal disease, adjuvant irradiation lowers recurrence rates. High-risk features include extranodal spread of melanoma, more than two positive lymph nodes, large nodal size, or recurrent disease in previously dissected nodal basin. Data from randomised trials that confirm a benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with nodal disease at high risk of recurrence are unavailable. However, the use of adjuvant radiotherapy for high-risk nodal disease is increasingly widespread. Recurrence rates and risk of complications differ with anatomic location of the nodal basin involved, and treatment decisions should be made accordingly. Whether to use hypofractionated radiotherapy or conventional fractionation regimens for adjuvant irradiation to nodal basins is also a matter of debate. Hypofractionation is the accepted approach when radiotherapy is recommended. Technical issues have to be considered when hypofractionated regimens are given because survival might be long and the potential for normal tissue toxicity is high. Overall survival remains poor for patients with macroscopic nodal metastases from malignant melanoma. Until advances in systemic treatment are available, regional nodal control is an important endpoint for patients with this disease.
Effect of the antioxidant α-tocopherol in an experimental model of pulmonary hypertension and fibrosis: Administration of monocrotaline

Abstract Monocrotaline, a pyrrolizidine alkaloid, causes in mammals a respiratory condition closely resembling adult respiratory distress syndrome and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is preceded in the lung parenchyma by high levels of angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensin II. Vitamin E (α-tocopherol) is a powerful antioxidant that is beneficial in the treatment of several acute and chronic pulmonary injuries by inhibiting the vasoconstrictive and mitogenic activity of angiotensin II. We report the effects of dietary vitamin E supplementation on monocrotaline-induced injury in the rat. Vitamin E was effective in moderating the inflammatory injury at a dose of 1667 mg/kg diet, although pulmonary vasculitis persisted. A vitamin E dose of 3333 mg/kg diet resulted in pulmonary and hepatic hemorrhage; a monocrotaline mitigating effect could not be demonstrated as well as with the lower dose because of this pathology, especially in the liver. Further study is recommended to determine the minimum effective dose of vitamin E that does not cause hemorrhage.
Fractionally Spaced Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Systems

Frequency domain equalizers using cyclic prefix have been often deployed due to their implementation efficiency and attractive performance. The design of such schemes with an L-fold fractionally spaced receiver has been recently proposed. We consider here the more generic setup where the sampler operates at L/M times the symbol rate where L > M > 1 are coprime integers. Using a multirate DSP approach, we introduce a new discrete time transceiver that i) generalizes and unifies previous work, ii) gives a complete solution to the L/M fractionally spaced receiver and the periodic non-uniformly spaced one and iii) provides new insight by relating the obtained solutions to the so-called polyphase components of the channel. Our simulation results show that the new structure delivers better performance than the standard case with comparable complexity.
Sex differences in the response of the alveolar macrophage proteome to treatment with exogenous surfactant protein-A

Male wild type (WT) C57BL/6 mice are less capable of clearing bacteria and surviving from bacterial pneumonia than females. However, if an oxidative stress (acute ozone exposure) occurs before infection, the advantage shifts to males who then survive at higher rates than females. We have previously demonstrated that survival in surfactant protein-A (SP-A) knockout (KO) mice compared to WT was significantly reduced. Because the alveolar macrophage (AM) is pivotal in host defense we hypothesized that SP-A and circulating sex hormones are responsible for these sex differences. We used 2D-DIGE to examine the relationship of sex and SP-A on the AM proteome. The role of SP-A was investigated by treating SP-A KO mice with exogenous SP-A for 6 and 18 hr and studying its effects on the AM proteome. We found: 1) less variance between KO males and females than between the WT counterparts by principal component analysis, indicating that SP-A plays a role in sex differences; 2) fewer changes in females when the total numbers of significantly changing protein spots or identified whole proteins in WT or 18 hr SP-A-treated males or females were compared to their respective KO groups; 3) more proteins with functions related to chaperones or protease balance and Nrf2-regulated proteins changed in response to SP-A in females than in males; and 4) the overall pattern of SP-A induced changes in actin-related proteins were similar in both sexes, although males had more significant changes. Although there seems to be an interaction between sex and the effect of SP-A, it is unclear what the responsible mechanisms are. However, we found that several of the proteins that were expressed at significantly higher levels in females than in males in WT and/or in KO mice are known to interact with the estrogen receptor and may thus play a role in the SP-A/sex interaction. These include major vault protein, chaperonin subunit 2 (beta) (CCT2), and Rho GDP alpha dissociation inhibitor. We conclude that sex differences exist in the proteome of AM derived from male and female mice and that SP-A contributes to these sex differences.
The law of large numbers for additive arithmetic functions

Let f ( n ) be a real-valued additive arithmetic function, that is to say, that f ( ab ) = f ( a ) + f ( b ) for each pair of coprime integers a and b . Let α( x ) and β( x ) > 0 be real-valued functions, defined for x ≥ 2. In this paper, we study the frequencies We shall establish necessary and sufficient conditions, subject to rather weak growth conditions upon β( x ) alone, in order that these frequencies converge to the improper law, in other words, that f ( n ) obey a form of the weak law of large numbers.
Infectious Disease Issues in Xenotransplantation

Xenotransplantation, the transplantation of living organs, tissues, or cells from one species to another, is viewed as a potential solution to the existing shortage of human organs for transplantation. While whole-organ xenotransplantation is still in the preclinical stage, cellular xenotransplantation and extracorporeal perfusion applications are showing promise in early clinical trials. Advances in immunosuppressive therapy, gene engineering, and cloning of animals bring a broader array of xenotransplantation protocols closer to clinical trials. Despite several potential advantages over allotransplantation, xenotransplantation encompasses a number of problems. Immunologic rejection remains the primary hindrance. The potential to introduce infections across species barriers, another major concern, is the main focus of this review. Nonhuman primates are unlikely to be a main source for xenotransplantation products despite their phylogenetic proximity to humans. Genetically engineered pigs, bred under special conditions, are currently envisaged as the major source. Thus far, there has been no evidence for human infections caused by pig xenotransplantation products. However, the existence of xenotropic endogenous retroviruses and the clinical evidence of long-lasting porcine cell microchimerism indicate the potential for xenogeneic infections. Thus, further trials should continue under regulatory oversight, with close clinical and laboratory monitoring for potential xenogeneic infections.
Phosphorolytic error correction during transcription.

Summary Escherichia coli DNA-directed RNA polymerase is shown to contain a novel phosphorolytic error correction activity which removes erroneous nucleotides, as rNDPs, from the 3′-end of the growing transcript. The activity we describe is biochemically similar to poly-nucleotide phosphorylase (PNP), yet in contrast to PNP is activated by Mn2+. We demonstrate that the activity, which is mediated by Pi, is dependent on the presence of an incorrectly incorporated nucleotide at the leading 3′-end of the transcript. The correction activity we describe exhibits a 4 × 104-fold preference for the excision of incorrect nucleotides from the transcript. These findings suggest the possibility that RNA phosphorolysis may play a critical role in the process of transcriptionai proofreading.
On Rounds: The King

Patients often direct their frustration over an incurable condition into complaints about other aspects of their care. It is important for medical personnel to understand this and handle the issue with patience and kindness.
Learned Control of Physiological Function and Disease

This chapter concerns itself with the application of learning techniques to the remediation of disease. Although the idea of teaching people to control their physiology can be traced back to antiquity, learned control of visceral responses and other involuntary functions has only recently come under systematic investigation by psychologists. This research has developed techniques that, for the first time, have enabled therapists to place the physiological activity of the body under the control of environmental contingencies, in much the same way as has been done with other types of behavior. In essence, it now seems feasible to extend the scope of behavior modification into the domain of medicine.
The Correspondence of Fronto and Marcus Aurelius

This paper seeks to bridge two aspects of Fronto9s letters, erotics and rhetoric, by demonstrating that Fronto himself merges the two areas in his discourse with Marcus Aurelius about their relationship. Whereas some letters suggest an unequal relationship based on power, others encourage the identification of Fronto with Marcus. Fronto achieves this identification by structuring their relationship itself as a metaphor in which he and Marcus are equated and linked by epistolary bonds. I close by discussing why the epistolary genre in particular is an apt site for the merger of metaphor and love.
Enhancing contrast and quantitation by spatial frequency domain fluorescence molecular imaging

Optical imaging with fluorescent contrast agents is highly sensitive for molecular imaging but is limited in depth to a few centimeters below the skin. Planar fluorescence imaging with full-field, uniform illumination and scientific camera image capture provides a portable and robust configuration for real-time, sensitive fluorescence detection with scalable resolution, but is inherently surface weighted and therefore limited in depth to a few millimeters. At the NIR region (700–1000 nm), tissue absorption and autofluorescence are relatively reduced, increasing depth penetration and reducing background signal, respectively. Optical imaging resolution scales with depth, limiting microscopic resolution with multiphoton microscopy and optical coherence tomography to < 3 mm depth. Unfortunately, patient skin and peri-tumoral tissues are not uniform, varying in thickness and color, complicating subsurface fluorescence measurements. Diffuse optical imaging methods have been developed that better quantify optical signals relative to faster full-field planar reflectance imaging, but require long scan times, complex instrumentation, and reconstruction algorithms. Here we report a novel strategy for rapid measurement of subsurface fluorescence using structured light illumination to improve quantitation of deep-seated fluorescence molecular probe accumulation. This technique, in combination with highly specific, tumor-avid fluorescent molecular probes, will easily integrate noninvasive diagnostics for superficial cancers and fluorescence guided surgery.
Language Choice Motivations in a Bribri Community in Costa Rica

A growing body of research has been undertaken in a variety of contexts worldwide to explore language preference and use as well as the attitudes and beliefs that may impact the maintenance and revitalization of endangered languages. There has also been considerable examination of the motivations that impact second language learning and the choices speakers make regarding second language learning and use. However this research has rarely extended to exploring the motivations influencing language choices in contexts where one of the languages is an endangered mother‐tongue language. Analyzing a portion of the data gathered from a larger study on language attitudes and practices, this study explores the language choices of members of an indigenous community in Costa Rica and the motivations that appear to influence those choices. An analysis is also made of the relationship between the language choice motivations that are present and current indigenous language revitalization efforts in the community.
Business Ethics: A Kantian Perspective

Introduction.1. The Self-Defeating Nature of Immoral Business Practice.Introduction Immoral Actions Are Based on Self-Defeating Maxims Inconsistency and Immorality Applications to BusinessIt Seems Right in Theory But Does It Work in Practice?Objections to the Application of Kantian Ethics to BusinessExtending the Reach of Categorical Imperatives: Pragmatically Inconsistent MaximsWhy Neither Being Trustworthy nor Not Trusting in Business Involves a Pragmatic Contradiction.Transition to Chapter 22. Treating the Humanity of Stakeholders as Ends rather than as Means Merely.IntroductionThe Respect for Persons PrincipleNot Using Employees: Neither Coercion nor DeceitBusiness Practices That Reduce or Remove Coercion and DeceptionAn Objection and RepliesPositive Freedom ad Meaningful Work: Respecting the Humanity in a PersonKant's Reflection s on WorkMeaningful Work and Contemporary Business3. The Firm as a Moral Community.IntroductionViewing Organizations and Human NatureCreating the Kantian Moral Firm: The Kingdom of Ends Formulation of the Categorical ImperativeThe Principles of a Moral FirmImplications for Organizational Studies4. Acting from Duty: How Pure a Motive.IntroductionKant's Position on the Purity of Moral MotivesStrategic Payoffs and Moral MotivesReasons and Emotions: A Brief AsideMultiple Moral Motives5. The Cosmopolitan Perspective.IntroductionThe Morality of the MarketInternational Business Can Contribute to World Peace, Universal Rights, and DemocracyObjections and RepliesConclusionBibliographyFurther ReadingIndex
Radiotherapeutic bandage based on electrospun polyacrylonitrile containing holmium-166 iron garnet nanoparticles for the treatment of skin cancer.

Radiation therapy is used as a primary treatment for inoperable tumors and in patients that cannot or will not undergo surgery. Radioactive holmium-166 (166Ho) is a viable candidate for use against skin cancer. Nonradioactive holmium-165 (165Ho) iron garnet nanoparticles have been incorporated into a bandage, which, after neutron-activation to 166Ho, can be applied to a tumor lesion. The 165Ho iron garnet nanoparticles (165HoIG) were synthesized and introduced into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer solutions. The polymer solutions were then electrospun to produce flexible nonwoven bandages, which are stable to neutron-activation. The fiber mats were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The bandages are stable after neutron-activation at a thermal neutron-flux of approximately 3.5 × 1012 neutrons/cm2·s for at least 4 h a...
The sciatic nerve and knee arthroplasty: to block, or not to block--that is the question.

T ricompartment (total) knee arthroplasty (TKA) consistently results in severe postoperative pain. Although providing a femoral nerve block dramatically improves analgesia, 80% to 90% of patients still experience pain requiring treatment with intravenous opioids in the immediate postoperative period.2,3 This pain is usually attributed to the sciatic and obturator nerves that contribute innervation to the knee joint, albeit less extensively than the femoral nerve. Although a lumbar epidural infusion will affect all 3 nerves, multiple investigations suggest that a continuous femoral nerve block offers similar analgesia with a more favorable adverse effect profile and is thus often cited as the ‘‘gold standard’’ following TKA. However, little consensus has emerged regarding the routine addition of a single-injection or continuous sciatic nerve block. This question is of great interest to health care providers considering the frequency that TKA is performed: more than 500,000 cases annually in the United States alone, with this number growing to 3.5 million in fewer than 20 years.
Paleocene exploration in the Faroe–Shetland Channel: disappointments and discoveries

While the early drilling in the UK West of Shetlands area was concentrated on structural highs, the 1992 discovery of oil in the deep-water Paleocene sands of the Foinaven Field re-invigorated exploration interest in hydrocarbon traps with a stratigraphic element and encouraged a high level of participation in the UK 16th Licensing Round (1995) west of Britain. Many of the main exploration targets in these rounds were mapped as sand pinchouts onto either the basin margin or onto intra-basinal structural highs, for example, updip to the southeast of the 1989 well, 205/9-1. Few of the initial wells drilled to test this type of pinchout play were commercially successful but, as part of the exploration effort, a large area of the basin was blanketed with 3D seismic data on which more subtle features could be recognized. Seismic anomalies similar to those of the successful discoveries were sought on the new 3D data, as this type of play relied heavily on seismic attributes to help define risks and reserve size. The Foinaven and Schiehallion fields have a suite of attractive seismic characteristics and exploration effort was driven by the search for similar seismic anomaly features throughout the Atlantic Margin. As wells were drilled on 16th Round acreage, some of the targeted seismic reflection anomalies, originally seen as direct hydrocarbon indicators, turned out to have different causes. Representative examples are shown from the central part of Quadrant 205 in which tuning, seismic artefacts, porosity effects and unexpected igneous lithologies contributed to the drilling of unsuccessful exploration wells. The variation with depth of rock physics trends in the area are shown, the characteristics of some direct hydrocarbon seismic indicators are modelled and comments are made on the sensitivity of the modelled seismic response to shear velocity estimation. The former ‘White Zone’ or undesignated area, the previously unlicensed acreage between the UK and Faroe Islands, was opened through the Faroes 1st and the UK 19th Licensing Rounds in 2000 and 2001. By 2003 the first 8 of 15 commitment exploration wells were drilled in these licenses. Together with an assessment of the seismic anomalies and the risks of stratigraphical traps in the area, analysis of the petroleum system led to the siting of the 6004/16-1z well on the structural high of a Cenozoic inversion anticline. The resulting ‘Marjun’ discovery, the first in the Faroes, consisted of a gross 170 m hydrocarbon column in the T10 Early Paleocene interval, thus opening a new fairway in the area. The challenge has evolved in the last five years from finding an effective reservoir in the basinal areas to the search for a robust trap with an intact sealing lithology.
Secant-Like Methods and Generalized g-Fractional Calculus of Canavati-Type

We present local and semilocal convergence results for secant-like methods in order to approximate a locally unique solution of a nonlinear equation in a Banach space setting. Finally, we present some applications from generalized g-fractional calculus involving Canavati-type functions. It follows [5].
Epidemiology of Renal Cell Carcinoma

The incidence of kidney cancer has been increasing for the past several decades. It ranks the second most common neoplasm found in the urinary system. The majority of kidney cancers are renal cell carcinomas (RCC, >85 %), and of these, clear cell tumors are the most common histologic type. Higher incidence is observed in industrialized western countries compared to less well-developed nations. Gender and ethnic disparity are observed for RCC. Current consensus is that cigarette smoking, hypertension, and obesity are three established risk factors for RCC. However, the exact biological mechanisms that underlie for these risk factors are still not fully elucidated. Energy balance that incorporates effects of energy intake and expenditure has attracted much attention in recent years. Diet/intake of nutrients, energy consumed, level of physical activity, and weight change could jointly affect RCC risk. Other risk factors that have been implicated include type II diabetes and other chronic medical conditions, occupational/environmental exposures, parity, and number of offspring. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple chromosome regions harboring RCC susceptibility loci. A number of intermediate phenotypic markers, such as suboptimal DNA repair capacity, short telomere length, and low mitochondrial DNA copy number, have been shown to be associated with risk of RCC. The discovery of additional genetic susceptibility loci through next-generation sequencing (NGS) and intermediate biomarkers using various “omics” approaches, as well as the identification of gene–environment and gene–gene interactions, will all be important next steps to improve our understanding of RCC etiology.
Adult Mental Health Services in a Health Maintenance Organization

The authors describe an adult mental health service within a health maintenance organization and present information on the department's setting, staffing patterns, programs, and philosophy. They believe that the emphasis on brief focal psychotherapy, the staff of mental health care providers who are committed to this type of setting, and the thorough integration of the program into the larger HMO system all contribute to the provision of high-quality services at a reasonable cost.
Automatic Identification and Contextual Reformulation of Implicit System-Related Queries

Web search functionality is increasingly integrated into operating systems, software applications, and other interactive environments that extend beyond the traditional web browser. In particular, intelligent virtual assistants (e.g., Microsoft Cortana or Apple Siri) often "fall-back" to generic web search in cases where utterances fall outside the set of scenarios known to the agent. In this paper we analyze a 3 month log of web search queries posed via the Cortana virtual assistant. We report that, in this environment, users frequently ask questions that implicitly pertain to the systems or devices from which they are searching (e.g., asking: [how do I take a screenshot]). Unfortunately, accurately answering these implicit system queries poses significant challenges to general web search engines, due in part to the lack of available context. We show that such queries: (1) can be detected with high precision, (2) are common, and (3) can be automatically reformulated to substantially improve retrieval performance in these fall-through scenarios.
Switching of the nonallelic forms of fetal hemoglobin during late gestation.

The gamma chains of human fetal hemoglobin occur in two nonallelic forms, designated G gamma and A gamma, which differ from one another in having either glycine or alanine as their 136th residue respectively. In newborns, G gamma comprises about 75% of the total gamma chains, while in adults, G gamma comprises about 40% of the total gamma chains. The timing of the switching events that lead to the alteration of the rates of production of G gamma and A gamma are still unknown. Umbilical cord red blood cells from term infants were separated by density gradient fractionation into four age-dependent fractions. Red blood cell size and reticulocyte content decreased and the percent fetal hemoglobin increased with increasing gradient densities, confirming age- dependent density separation. The percent G gamma was determined by two methods on fractionated cord red blood cells to determine if the switch in the production ratio of the nonallelic forms of gamma chains began during late gestation. The G gamma content of fetal hemoglobin was found to decrease with decreasing red blood cell age, demonstrating that the switch from predominately glycine-containing gamma chains to predominately alanine-containing gamma chains begins during late gestation.