cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adsorption of oxalate on gibbsite

Abstract The adsorption of oxalate ion on gibbsite was measured using a radiotracer. For oxalate concentrations of 2 to 18 mol/m 3 , Na 2 O of 0.1 to 0.125 g/cm 3 and Al 2 O 3 /Na 2 O of 0.21 to 0.32 by weight, the adsorption appears to about 0.02 μmol/m 2 , or less than 0.01 monolayer. However, this is probably enough adsorption to be responsible for the observed retardation of gibbsite crystallization by oxalate.
Challenges of research on women veterans with traumatic stress disorders.

Authors: Julie Weitlauf, PhD1, 2, 4 wjulie1@stanford. edu, Susan M. Frayne, MD, MPH. FACP.1, 2, 4, Tina Lee, MD, MSC2, 3, Josef Ruzek, PhD1, 3 John Finney, PhD1 & Ann Thrailkill, RNP2 [1VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Center for Health Care Evaluation, 2VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Women’s Health Center; 3National Center for PTSD, Education Division; 4Stanford University School of Medicine.] Goal. To assess traumatic reactions to preventive gynecological examinations (cervical cancer surveillance, CCS, or Pap smear examinations) among women veterans with and without histories of sexual trauma and resultant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hypothesize that mental health factors such as presence of PTSD and history of sexual trauma may impact the preventive gynecological (GYN) care given to women veterans. Specifically, we anticipate that sexual trauma and PTSD may predispose women to more significant experiences of pain and emotional distress experienced during these exams. In turn, this may impact providers’ attitudes, expectations for, and care of this population of women. We hope that the results of the present study will help us develop interventions to improve receipt of regular gynecological care for these vulnerable populations. Ethical and scientific justification. A major challenge to contemporary clinical scientists is the appropriate and ethical conduct of trauma focused research (Draucker, 1999; Newman, Walker, & Gefland, 1999; Ruzek & Zatzick, 2000; Thewes, Fitzgerald, & Sulmasy, 1996). At a minimum, participation in research should not subject individuals to harm. Indeed, clinical researchers must balance the needs of science with its potential risks. Ideally, clinical research will not only advance knowledge and practice, but may also provide trauma survivors cathartic benefit from sharing “their story.” One area of particular concern for trauma researchers is the magnitude and clinical significance of emotional distress that may accompany participation when patients recall or discuss personal details of a traumatic event. Understanding typical perceptions of the risks and benefits associated with trauma research is critical to the ethical and effective conduct of such work. This entails understanding the nature of participatory distress, the contexts in which it occurs, its’ influence on more general perceptions about research, and its association with other potential risks. Some clinical scientists have begun to descriptively document the typical experiences of participants in 54 Cases J R020108 4/3/07 2:50 PM Page 54
Influence of physical stress, distress cues, and predator kairomones on the foraging behavior of Ozark zigzag salamanders, Plethodon angusticlavius

An animal's response to environmentally induced stress can have important fitness consequences. For example, an animal may reduce activity in response to stress related to increased predation risk, but this response carries the potential cost of missed foraging or mating opportunities. We used laboratory bioassays to determine whether Ozark zigzag salamanders, Plethodon angusticlavius, decreased their feeding behavior following increased levels of threat-related stress. Stress level was manipulated in three experiments where salamanders were exposed to direct or indirect indicators of stress. The direct cue was a physical attack. The indirect cues were chemical cues from distressed conspecifics and chemical cues ("kairomones") from predatory ringneck snakes, Diadophis punctatus. For all three cues, stressed salamanders showed lower foraging success than unstressed salamanders. The physical attack did not result in a more intense response than the other treatments, possibly because the attack occurred away from the foraging area. The intensity of the response to stress may depend more on the nature of the threat (identity and imminence) than the level of physical disturbance.
The Dialectical Image: The Redemption of Fashion

AbstractThis article explores the political implications of fashion as a dialectical image, the concept put forward by Walter Benjamin. The dialectical image has a special bearing on the exposition of truth in the phenomenal world. The realm of non-material abstract Platonic Forms or Ideas to which truth appertains can be identified not through scientific deduction or apodictic demonstration, but through representation or images, particularly dialectical images. The elucidation of the concept of the dialectical image allows us to conceive how fashion can be not only redeemed to be a domain of Platonic Ideas leaving behind the world of commodity fetishism, but also reckoned as a manifestation of political truth, that “flashes” as a consequence of the tacit communication between the individual and the collective during modern times. This article probes three important topics—nowtime (Jetztzeit), the relation between what-has-been and now, and collective consciousness, so as to demonstrate why and how fashio...
Acute chest pain

Chest pain is the initial symptom of many life-threatening disease processes. Pain may arise from any structure located in the thoracic cavity. Cardiac causes of chest pain usually have anginal symptoms. Noncardiac causes have a variety of chest pain characteristics. Diseases that require immediate attention and intervention are myocardial infarction/unstable angina, dissecting aortic aneurysm, pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, pneumonia, and acute chest syndrome. In order to evaluate a patient with the complaint of chest pain, the advanced practice nurse must be familiar with the differential diagnosis approach to acute chest pain.
Surface impedance design with ground corrugation for mitigation of large-calibre gun blast noise

The surface impedance design approach is proposed for mitigating large-calibre gun blast noise. Surrounding the blast noise, we employ a group of concentric trenches with critical depths to dampen the propagation of the acoustic wave. These trenches behave like quarter-wavelength resonators and produce acoustic soft surfaces at their openings. The sound pressure is then mitigated over these soft surfaces by destructive interference and the wave attenuates rapidly along the ground surface. To evaluate the overall acoustic performance of such a design, we develop an efficient numerical solver by treating the geometry as a body of revolution (BOR). The symmetry of the structure in the revolution direction allows the 3D boundary integral equation (BIE) for acoustic wave scattering to be reduced to a 2D integral equation by the use of Fourier series expansions. Numerical experiments show that this model can effectively suppress the acoustic wave propagation horizontally and the reduction can reach about 15 dB ...
Characterization of a Caffeine‐Resistant Mutant of Aspergillus parasiticus: Role of Amino Acid Metabolism

Aspergillus parasiticus BCRI, a caffeine-resistant mutant of A. parasiticus NRRL 2999, produced abundant amounts of aflatoxins (AF) in yeast extract-sucrose broth only when the medium was supplemented with caffeine. However, little AF production occurred in glucose-mineral salts medium (GMS) regardless of the level of caffeine supplementation. Caffeine-dependent AF production was restored if GMS were fortified with peptone or some other source of amino acids. Subsequent studies indicated that this effect could be achieved by supplementing GMS with specific amino acids, particularly proline, alanine, methionine, arginine or asparagine. Restoration of caffeine-dependent AF synthesis did not occur when GMS was supplemented with purine bases or nucleotides. The results indicated that caffeine-dependent AF production in BCRI was dependent on amino acid catabolism.
Effect of trisodium citrate treatment on hybridoma cell viability

Trisodium citrate has been widely used to dissolve calcium alginate beads in order to estimate cell concentration in the beads. To obtain an accurate measurement of viable cell concentration in calcium alginate beads, the effect of trisodium citrate solutions on hybridoma cell viability was studied with regard to stage of growth and trisodium citrate concentration. The cells in the decline phase of growth were more sensitive to 30 minutes of trisodium citrate treatment than the cells in the exponential phase of growth. The cell viability did not decrease rapidly during citrate treatment regardless of cell growth phase and trisodium citrate concentration in the range of 1–1.5%. By using the commercially available sodium alginate, Keltone LV, dissolution time can be kept short enough (below 5 minutes) to keep the effect of trisodium citrate negligible to cell viability.
Exploring tissue dynamics by photon-density-wave fluctuation correlation spectroscopy

We propose photon-density-wave fluctuation correlation spectroscopy as a method to study the dynamics of tissue optical properties. Phantom measurements have shown that our frequency-domain instrument is appropriate to explore intensity, modulation and phase fluctuations in the frequency band from 0 to 125 Hz. Preliminary in vivo studies have revealed a rich optical dynamics in human tissues.
Proteomics Analysis of the Non-Muscle Myosin Heavy Chain IIa-Enriched Actin-Myosin Complex Reveals Multiple Functions within the Podocyte

MYH9 encodes non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA (NMMHCIIA), the predominant force-generating ATPase in non-muscle cells. Several lines of evidence implicate a role for MYH9 in podocytopathies. However, NMMHCIIA‘s function in podocytes remains unknown. To better understand this function, we performed immuno-precipitation followed by mass-spectrometry proteomics to identify proteins interacting with the NMMHCIIA-enriched actin-myosin complexes. Computational analyses revealed that these proteins belong to functional networks including regulators of cytoskeletal organization, metabolism and networks regulated by the HIV-1 gene nef. We further characterized the subcellular localization of NMMHCIIA within podocytes in vivo, and found it to be present within the podocyte major foot processes. Finally, we tested the effect of loss of MYH9 expression in podocytes in vitro, and found that it was necessary for cytoskeletal organization. Our results provide the first survey of NMMHCIIA-enriched actin-myosin-interacting proteins within the podocyte, demonstrating the important role of NMMHCIIA in organizing the elaborate cytoskeleton structure of podocytes. Our characterization of NMMHCIIA’s functions goes beyond the podocyte, providing important insights into its general molecular role.
Partitioning and composing knowledge

Abstract This paper argues for an approach which places the management of large knowledge bases into a comprehensive, engineering-oriented framework, and reports on an initial demonstration of these concepts. The underlying concepts are well-recognized as being effective in many areas of science: 1. 1. Partitioning of the knowledge into manageable segments. 2. 2. Rules for the composition of these segments. 3. 3. A language to provide access to these segments, control their composition, and provide the power of the system in a flexible and clear way. The motivation for this research is to deal with problems that are beginning to occur in large knowledge-based systems. As current developments of such systems lead to further growth, we foresee that their management needs will exceed the capabilities of the existing system infrastructure. In particular, we find that in the past issues related to knowledge maintenance have been ignored. Maintenance of knowledge-bases is critical if the systems are to persist.
Differential Autoradiography and Spin-Column Purification of Sugars on Activated Charcoal

Methods utilizing activated charcoal for separating radiolabeled sugars from each other and from water are described. The first method alleviates a practical limitation for use of tritiated sugars as a tracer in planta. Tritium exchange with water can now be readily quantified because the method allows a more rapid separation of sugars and water than has been previously described. A spin column containing activated charcoal and powdered cellulose retained (>99%) sucrose during elution (>99%) of 3 H 2 O in water rinses. The retained sucrose could then be eluted (95%) from the column by rinsing with aqueous methanol. The second method partially resolves another limitation in the use of radiolabeled sugars as tracers in planta. We can now ascertain the spatial distribution of various radiolabeled sugars within particular organs. Charcoal filter paper was used to adsorb sucrose and hexose sugars for development of differential autoradiographs of sugars blotted from stem cross-sections of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench). The hexose sugars were selectively removed during rinsing of the charcoal paper in water. Autoradiography was performed before and after rinsing. The autoradiographic image obtained before rinsing reflected the presence on the blot of both radiolabeled sucrose and hexose sugars. In comparison, the image obtained after rinsing no longer reflected the presence of radiolabeled hexose sugars. These methods help refine studies of carbon dynamics in plants by enhancing our ability to detect in planta movement of sugars through particular metabolic pathways and to detect the spatial distribution within organs of particular radiolabeled sugars.
Sleep Apnea: Is Routine Preoperative Screening Necessary?

Because perioperative complications of unrecognized obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be severe, many bariatric surgery programs routinely screen all patients. However, many obese non-bariatric surgery patients do not get screened. We wanted to evaluate the need for routine preoperative OSA screening. Morbidly obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2 undergoing bariatric surgery—all screened for OSA—were compared to morbidly obese orthopedic lower extremity total joint replacements (TJR) patients—not screened for OSA. Cardio-pulmonary complications were recorded. Eight hundred eighty-two morbidly obese patients undergoing either bariatric (n = 467) or orthopedic TJR surgery (n = 415) were compared. As a result of screening, 119 bariatric surgery patients (25.5 %) were newly diagnosed with OSA, bringing the incidence to 42.8 % (200/467). Orthopedic surgery group had 72 of 415 (17.3 %) patients with pre-existing OSA. The unscreened orthopedic patients had a 6.7 % (23/343) cardiopulmonary complications rate compared to 2.6 % (7/267) for screened bariatric surgery patients. This difference was not statistically significant when adjusted for age and comorbidity (p = 0.3383). Sleep apnea screening prior to bariatric surgery identifies an additional 25 % of patients as having OSA. In this study, unscreened morbidly obese patients did not have an increased incidence of cardiopulmonary complications after surgery compared to screened patients. Prospective randomized studies should be conducted to definitively assess utility and cost effectiveness of routine OSA screening of all morbidly obese patients undergoing surgery. Preoperative OSA screening may be safely omitted when randomizing patients for such a trial.
Chemically amplified negative-tone photoresist for sub-half-micron device and mask fabrication

In this paper we discuss a new alkaline soluble negative acting photoresist which incorporates a phenolic based resin, urea/formaldehyde prepolymer as a crosslinking agent and an organic acid-generating sensitizer. This system, dubbed 'EBX' (Electron Beam/X-ray) resist has demonstrated excellent lithographic properties in various exposure modes. Discussion will center on imaging characteristics in the deep and mid ultraviolet using Micrascan I and I-line (365 nm) steppers; electron-beam imaging with MEBES 10 kV mask maker and IBM's EL-4 50 kV electron beam exposure system; and XRAY imaging with point source soft x-ray and synchotron hard x-ray lithography.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Overlay Precision For Micron Lithography

Attention is directed to the need for pattern-to-pattern overlay precision commensurate with micron lithography for integrated circuit fabrication and an error target is suggested. Several sources of overlay error are identified, including: Position of pattern edges in processed layers Mask/wafer bending distortions Alignment mark detection Pattern generation, and Thermal expansion of masks and wafers Pattern replication The magnitude of parameter control needed to maintain the desired total precision is discussed for several cases. Individual errors need to be less than a few tenths of a pm for the total error objective to be met. Although this magnitude of error approaches the limits of optical measurement precision, the resulting circuit pattern can be adequately measured with vernier patterns. Reported achievements in E-Beam lithography show successful error containment for small fields. High precision overlay for full wafer exposure using masks will be significantly more difficult to achieve (e.g., in optical scanning cameras, photo-emissive E-Beam replicators, and X-ray proximity printers). However, there is justification for the effort in the increased wafers/unit time (thruput) that can be realized for lithographic tools using full wafer exposure.
Computed tomography for Huntington's disease.

CT scans of twelve patients with Huntington's disease were compared with a large series of normal and abnormal scans. The frontal horn/ bicaudate ratio in the Huntington's disease group was found to be much smaller than and statistically different from the normal or abnormal CT scan groups. The CT scan appears to be a useful adjunct in the evaluation of patients with suspected Huntington's disease.
Comparative clinical trials--a clinical perspective.

This article reviews the clinical guidelines in hypertension and comments on some of the improvements that may be made in that area. It also discusses the role of comparative trials in prescription drug advertising.
Erratum to: “Size-dependent fracture toughness of bulk metallic glasses” [Acta Mater. 70 (2014) 198–207]

Erratum to: “Size-dependent fracture toughness of bulk metallic glasses” [Acta Mater. 70 (2014) 198–207] Bernd Gludovatz , Steven E. Naleway , Robert O. Ritchie , Jamie J. Kruzic b,⇑ Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Materials Science, School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Russian Business Schools in a Time of Transition.

In this study, the authors reviewed the development of Russian business education in the past decade. This development, fueled by historic changes in Russian society, has affected all aspects of business education, including its organizational structures, demand in different business areas, and mode of teaching. In a short period of time, Russian business education has substantially adjusted to new market requirements and transformed itself into one of the most influential parts of the Russian academic community. However, business education in Russia still has many challenging problems inherited from the Soviet-era planning mentality, which emphasized theory at the expense of practical problem solving.
An Empirical Study of MMPI F Scale Validity

Responses by normal male and female job applicants to the 64 items of the MMPI F scale were examined to ascertain if they were still being answered in the scored (deviant) direction by less than 10%, as required for the original normative sample. More than 10% of men endorsed five booklet items (Nos. 112, 115, 199, 206, 215) in the deviant direction, while a similar percentage of women so endorsed four items (Nos. 112, 115, 199, 206). These findings appear to reflect modern trends in American behavior and suggest that this widely used test might be renormed.
Spontaneous symmetry breaking in local gauge quantum field theory; the Higgs mechanism

Spontaneous symmetry breakings in indefinite metric quantum field theories are analyzed and a generalization of the Goldstone theorem is proved. The case of local gauge quantum field theories is discussed in detail and a characterization is given of the occurrence of the Higgs mechanism versus the Goldstone mechanism. The Higgs phenomenon is explained on general grounds without the introduction of the so-called Higgs fields. The basic property is the relation between the local internal symmetry group and the local group of gauge transformations of the second kind. Spontaneous symmetry breaking ofc-number gauge transformations of the second kind is shown to always occur if there are charged local fields. The implications about the absence of mass gap in the Wightman functions and the occurrence of massless particles associated with the unbroken generators in the Higgs phenomenon are discussed.
`Turning toward death together': The functions of messages during final conversations in close relationships

The author explores final conversations from survivors' perspectives using a communication framework. Utilizing retrospective interviews, 55 people discussed their final conversations with a loved one who has since died. As a way to understand the survivors' end-of-life experiences, the author identified five types of messages that appear to be important for survivors and that satisfied numerous relational functions. The primary messages were love, identity, religion/spirituality, routine/everyday content, and difficult relationship issues. The functions that appear to be central to each of these messages (e.g., the confirmation of love, altering and bolstering of identity, validation of religious/spiritual beliefs, maintenance of the relationship, and stepping towards reconciliation) shed light on the value that each of the messages had for survivors.
Simulation of secondary and separated flow in a diffusing S-duct using four different turbulence models

The focus of this article is on the numerical simulation of compressible flow in a diffusing S-duct inlet; this flow is characterized by secondary flow as well as regions of boundary layer separati...
On Coral Reefs, Volcanoes, Gods, and Patriotic Geology; Or, James Dwight Dana Assembles the Pacific Basin

While dozens of naturalists had examined discrete Pacific environments prior to the 1830s, the American geologist James Dwight Dana was the first to hypothesize the underlying forces that created and unified this vast ocean basin as a whole. During his four-year journey with the U.S. Exploring Expedition (1838––1842), Dana developed a holistic view of geological systems throughout the Pacific, including those continental lands soon claimed by the United States as its Far West. But Dana9s innovative work on Pacific geology and his extra-continental reading of the Far West changed in the 1850s. Like other American explorer-geologists who found cause for reifying a continental geology, Dana9s work lost sight of the Pacific Basin and instead focused on the exceptional and spiritually preordained structure of American landforms.
Individual mindfulness‐based psychotherapy for cannabis or cocaine dependence: A pilot feasibility trial

Background Mindfulness-based approaches may be effective treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs), but they have only been investigated for SUDs in the group setting. Methods A novel 10-week individual mindfulness-based psychotherapy was provided weekly to participants. Tolerability and therapeutic feasibility were assessed by retention rates, incidence of adverse events or clinical worsening, and abstinence rates at the end of the protocol. Results Twenty-five patients were enrolled overall, and 19 completed (74% overall retention rate). Of the 14 cannabis dependent patients enrolled in the study, 11 completed (79%), and 8 achieved abstinence (57% by intent-to-treat analysis) at 10 weeks. Of the 11 cocaine dependent patients, 8 completed (73%), and 6 achieved abstinence (55% by ITT) at 10 weeks. Abstinence rates were substantially greater than those of historical comparison groups. Conclusions These findings indicate that mindfulness training can be tolerably and feasibly extended to the individual psychotherapy setting for the treatment of cocaine or cannabis dependence. (Am J Addict 2013;22:521–526)
Race and satisfaction in general OB/GYN clinics

Background: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that racial differences in satisfaction can be found among OB/GYN patients on a US naval base. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys assessing satisfaction with services were obtained from 838 patients who were seen in one of the two general OB/GYN clinics (455 in the base hospital clinic and 391 in a satellite clinic). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify subgroups of patients who were not very satisfied with care received. Results: When the patients seen in the base hospital were analyzed separately, Asian respondents had significantly lower odds of being very satisfied relative to non-Hispanic white respondents (AOR = .33, p < .01). Conclusion: Asian patients may be less satisfied than others when treated at a larger facility. Patients treated at a satellite clinic tended to be more satisfied than patients seen at the base hospital.
The N-Terminal, Polybasic Region Is Critical for Prion Protein Neuroprotective Activity

Several lines of evidence suggest that the normal form of the prion protein, PrPC, exerts a neuroprotective activity against cellular stress or toxicity. One of the clearest examples of such activity is the ability of wild-type PrPC to suppress the spontaneous neurodegenerative phenotype of transgenic mice expressing a deleted form of PrP (Δ32–134, called F35). To define domains of PrP involved in its neuroprotective activity, we have analyzed the ability of several deletion mutants of PrP (Δ23–31, Δ23–111, and Δ23–134) to rescue the phenotype of Tg(F35) mice. Surprisingly, all of these mutants displayed greatly diminished rescue activity, although Δ23–31 PrP partially suppressed neuronal loss when expressed at very high levels. Our results pinpoint the N-terminal, polybasic domain as a critical determinant of PrPC neuroprotective activity, and suggest that identification of molecules interacting with this region will provide important clues regarding the normal function of the protein. Small molecule ligands targeting this region may also represent useful therapeutic agents for treatment of prion diseases.
Reproductive Ecology of Pseudemys floridana and Trachemys scripta (Testudines: Emydidae) in Northwestern Florida

Abstract The Cooter, Pseudemys floridana, and the Pond Slider, Trachemys scripta, are two abundant freshwater turtles in the southeastern United States, but little is known of their reproductive ecology in northwestern Florida. I studied their nesting phenology and behavior, clutch size and frequency, rates of nest predation, and hatchling overwintering behavior from 2001–2003 at Lake Jackson, Leon County, Florida. Both species nested from mid-April to mid-July with peaks in May (47% of P. floridana and 55% of T. scripta nests). All 43 nests of P. floridana had a central chamber and two side holes. Nest predation on both species was high and may have been caused by a combination of artificial habitats (road-side and drift fences). Mammalian predators and imported red fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) destroyed all or part of 99 nests (98%; P. floridana, N = 30; T. scripta, N = 69) found at drift fences. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) destroyed eggs in all three chambers in 24 of 26 nests of P. floridana. Mean clut...
Urban Regime Theory and the Problem of Change

The 25th anniversary of the publication of Clarence Stone’s Regime Politics presents an opportunity to consider ways of moving forward theoretically in a world that has begun to look much different from postwar Atlanta. In recent years, Stone has turned his attention from stability to change in urban governing arrangements, proposing American political development (APD) as a promising theoretical approach. While broadly in agreement with Stone about the advantages of APD for the study of urban political change, I identify some potential problems with his efforts to combine APD and regime analysis. In particular, I suggest that Stone more fully embrace APD’s emphasis on friction and disorder as a driver of change in governing arrangements and that the role of institutions, in addition to informal arrangements, be considered more directly in arguments about how change occurs.
The Literary Substrate of Goya's Owl Iconology

The cryptic appearance of four owls at the sleeper's desk in El sueno de la razon hints at a literary substrate as well as an iconological one. Each of these creatures strikes a different pose, a factor that increases the nuanced meaning presumably inherent in their presence. It is plausible to conjecture that an educated eighteenth-century viewer of Goya's Capricho 43 would construe a single owl as being the emblem of wisdom. One hesitates, however, to infer which associations were summoned by a quadrumvirate of owls. Could the urban viewer be counted on to recognize that this might be a group of buhos with fierce pinnal ears rather than roundheaded lechuzas? If so, did the recognition confound the conventional understanding of how iconologies depicted Minerva's owl of wisdom? Or was it rather the case that verbal allusions to owls comprised a preeminent contemporary lore that governed all perceptions of what they signified? In one interpretation, the purblind owl contrasts with sharp-sighted lynx, and t...
Cutaneous Manifestations of Unspecified Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma May Be Indicative of Disease Activity and Predict Response to Therapy

Cutaneous manifestations of internal malignancy encompass both direct extension of tumor to the skin and indirect involvement (the so-called paraneoplastic syndromes). Direct cutaneous manifestations parallel systemic disease in progression, remission, and response to treatment. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) comprises a group of mature T-cell malignancies that together make up less than 15% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; PTCL has been reported to directly involve the skin in a minority of cases.1 Unspecified PTCL (PTCL-u) makes up the majority of these lymphomas (60% to 70%).2 We report a patient with PTCL-u with secondary cutaneous involvement who was treated with a new histone deacetylase inhibitor, romidepsin (Istodax; Celgene, Summit, NJ). Because skin manifestations correlate with systemic disease activity, cutaneous manifestations can aid in monitoring of the systemic responses to therapy and can be a first warning sign of relapse.
Method for Determining Kinematic Parameters of the In Vivo Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint

The mobility of the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is critical for functional grasping and manipulation tasks. We present an optimization technique for determining from surface marker measurements a subject-specific kinematic model of the in vivo CMC joint that is suitable for measuring mobility. Our anatomy-based cost metric scores a candidate joint model by the plausibility of the corresponding joint angle values and kinematic parameters rather than only the marker trajectory reconstruction error. The proposed method repeatably determines CMC joint models with anatomically-plausible directions for the two dominant rotational axes and a lesser range of motion (RoM) for the third rotational axis. We formulate a low-dimensional parameterization of the optimization domain by first solving for joint axis orientation variables that then constrain the search for the joint axis location variables. Individual CMC joint models were determined for 24 subjects. The directions of the flexion-extension (FE) axis and adduction-abduction (AA) axis deviated on average by 9deg and 22deg, respectively, from the mean axis direction. The average RoM for FE, AA, and pronation-supination (PS) joint angles were 76deg, 43deg, and 23deg for active CMC movement. The mean separation distance between the FE and AA axes was 4.6 mm, and the mean skew angle was 87deg from the positive flexion axis to the positive abduction axis.
Turbulence measurements using a nanoscale thermal anemometry probe

A nanoscale thermal anemometry probe (NSTAP) has been developed to measure velocity fluctuations at ultra-small scales. The sensing element is a free-standing platinum nanoscale wire, 100 nm × 2 µm × 60 µm, suspended between two currentcarrying contacts and the sensor is an order of magnitude smaller than presently available commercial hot wires. The probe is constructed using standard semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing methods, which enables many probes to be manufactured simultaneously. Measurements were performed in grid-generated turbulence and compared to conventional hot-wire probes with a range of sensor lengths. The results demonstrate that the NSTAP behaves similarly to conventional hot-wire probes but with better spatial resolution and faster temporal response. The results are used to investigate spatial filtering effects, including the impact of spatial filtering on the probability density of velocity and velocity increment statistics.
OMNIDIRECTIONAL WALKING MICROROBOT REALIZED BY THERMAL MICROACTUATOR ARRAYS

An omnidirectional mobile microrobot realized by microelectromechanical system (MEMS) actuator arrays is presented. The microrobot consists of two rigidly connected microcilia array chips, each having an 8 8 array of “motion pixels,” which are composed of four orthogonally oriented thermal bimorph actuators. This allows for reliable, accurate motion in three degrees of freedom x y θ in the plane, a first for a microrobot of this kind. The microrobot is approximately 3cm in length, 1cm in width, 1mm in height, and has a mass of less than half a gram. By varying the input power, actuation frequency and motion gait strategy the velocity of the chip can be precisely controlled. Motion in three degrees of freedom has been demonstrated and a maximum velocity of 635 µm/s and carrying capacity greater than 1.448 g (two 8-pin ICs) has been observed. The microrobot has been characterized extensively and a model for its performance is described.
Ocular Manifestations and Treatment of Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted, chronic, systemic infection caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. If left untreated, the disease progresses through four stages, with the potential to cause significant morbidity to any major organ of the body. Frequent syphilitic ocular manifestations, which can occur at any stage of the disease, include interstitial keratitis, anterior, intermediate, and posterior uveitis, chorioretinitis, retinitis, retinal vasculitis and cranial nerve and optic neuropathies. Diagnosis is centered around a high level of clinical suspicion and includes treponemal specific and non-treponemal serologic tests. All patients with newly diagnosed syphilis should be tested for co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus, as the risk factors are similar for both diseases. Additionally, all patients with ocular syphilis should be tested for neurosyphilis. The preferred treatment for all stages of syphilis remains parenteral penicillin G. With proper diagnosis and prompt antibiotic treatment, the majority of cases of syphilis can result in a cure.
Treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms since the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial: practice utilizing clip ligation and coil embolization as individual or complementary therapies

Object The aim of this study was to analyze the therapeutic decision-making process and outcome in 100 consecutive patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) treated since the completion of the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT). All patients were evaluated and treated by a neurosurgeon with subspecialty training in both cerebrovascular and neuroendovascular surgery. Methods One hundred consecutive patients with aneurysmal SAH who had been admitted within 1 week posthemorrhage and who had been treated using either surgical clip application or endovascular coil embolization were included in this analysis. All patients underwent a uniform perioperative protocol. All surviving patients were given a questionnaire to assess their modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) and to grade themselves at 6 months and 1 year postintervention. The cohort consisted of 73 women and 27 men with a mean age of 57.27 years (range 27–87 years). Twenty-nine percent of the patients had a World Federation of Ne...
Routing-based source-location privacy protection in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) have the potential to be widely used in many areas for unattended event monitoring. Mainly due to lack of a protected physical boundary, wireless communications are vulnerable to unauthorized interception and detection. Privacy is becoming one of the major issues that jeopardize the successful deployment of wireless sensor networks. While confidentiality of the message can be ensured through content encryption, it is much more difficult to adequately address the source-location privacy. For WSN, source-location privacy service is further complicated by the fact that the sensor nodes consist of low-cost and low-power radio devices. Therefore, computationally intensive cryptographic algorithms (such as publickey cryptosystems) and large scale broadcasting-based protocols are not suitable for WSN. In this paper, we propose a scheme to provide both content confidentiality and source-location privacy through routing to randomly selected intermediate nodes. While being able to provide source-location privacy for WSN, our simulation results also demonstrate that the proposed scheme is efficient and can be used for practical applications.
Reanalysis of the 1992 South Pole Millimetre-Wavelength Atmospheric Opacity Data

In 1992 an NRAO 225-GHz site survey heterodyne radiometer was placed at the Geographical South Pole. The instrument operated over an entire annual cycle and provided direct measurements of the millimetre-wave sky brightness temperature as a function of zenith angle. Interpreted in a single-slab ‘skydip’ radiation transfer model of the atmosphere, these sky brightness measurements provided a time series of the millimetre atmospheric opacity. Statistics derived from this opacity time series were important for making comparisons with other candidate millimetre and sub-millimetre wave astronomy sites. This paper reexamines the 1992 measurements and the original analysis. Details of the skydip fit model, radiometer gain error, instrument stability, and a mid-season replacement to a window in the instrument enclosure combined to cause a modest under-reporting of the atmospheric opacity in previous reports. Unchanged are earlier conclusions that dry air makes a significant contribution to the total opacity at 225 GHz.
Treatment of cellulite: Part I. Pathophysiology

Cellulite is a topographic skin change that is nearly ubiquitous in postpubertal women. Treatment remains elusive. The various treatments currently available are only partially or temporarily effective. Newer therapeutic modalities continue to evolve without much understanding of the complex nature of cellulite. The successful treatment of cellulite will ultimately depend upon our understanding of the pathophysiology of cellulite adipose tissue. Part I of this two-part series on cellulite reviews how the concept and perception of cellulite has evolved over time and its proposed etiologies. The article also focuses on the physiology of human adipose tissue, particularly regarding cellulite.
The Pricing of Volatility and Skewness: A New Interpretation

Investors who perceive themselves to possess superior security selection skill will be want to invest more heavily in securities with highly volatile and skewed returns, because it is among those securities that the largest winners can generally be found. If fundamental investors overestimate, or oversell, their skill, the result will be the relative overpricing of highly volatile and skewed securities. This article develops a simple model that draws out the implications of the foregoing observation. The implications of that model are consistent with recent empirical work which points to the overpricing of highly volatile and skewed securities.
Future of polypill use for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and strokes.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains still the leading cause of death in the United States, and it is estimated to be the leading cause of death in the developing countries by 2020. In addition, the modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and obesity, have increased significantly and by 2020 will account for 80% of all CVD deaths worldwide. Because the CVD and stroke risk increases significantly for subjects aged >50 years, it has been proposed to treat these subjects with a polypill containing 4 to 5 drugs, which is known to reduce the CVRFs for all subjects aged ≥55 years with an estimated reduction of CVD and stroke by 80%. However, this proposal is neither practical nor cost-effective, because it will involve a large number of subjects. Some investigators suggest to incorporate the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) with the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) to reduce the number of subjects who will benefit from the polypill. They have shown that patients with a CACS = 0 at age 50 years will derive no benefit from the polypill regardless of existing CVRFs, whereas those with a CACS of >100 will derive the best benefit. This strategy will reduce the number of qualified subjects for treatment with the polypill by 60%. Greater benefits will be derived with the combination of CACS and FRS. Additionally, other issues will have to be considered before approval of a polypill, and these issues will be discussed in this concise review. In conclusion, a polypill treatment strategy may be effective in the prevention of CVD and stroke, but, to be cost-effective, it may be reasonable to target patients with a high CACS and FRS.
Elucidating the mechanism behind the stabilization of multi-charged metal cations in water: a case study of the electronic states of microhydrated Mg2+, Ca2+ and Al3+

Metal atoms typically have second and higher ionization potentials (IPs) that are larger than the IP of water, resulting in the Coulombic explosion of the first few [M(H2O)n]+q (q ≥ 2) gas phase clusters as the M+(q−1) + (H2O)n+ or MOH+(q−1) + H3O+(H2O)n−2 energy levels are energetically more stable than the Mq+ + (H2O)n ones for small n. We present a theoretical analysis of the various electronic states arising from the sequential hydration of the Ca2+, Mg2+ and Al3+ cations with up to six water molecules. Our results quantify the relative shift of those electronic states with the degree of solvation, identify their complex interaction with other states arising from different dissociation channels and shed light on the mechanism behind the energetic stabilization of the multi-charged hydrated M+q(H2O)n complexes observed in aqueous solution with respect to the water ionization products.
The Curveball as a Risk Factor for Injury: A Systematic Review

Context:The curveball is regarded by many as a potential risk factor for injury in youth baseball pitchers.Objective:To critically evaluate the scientific evidence regarding the curveball and its i...
Do Condis Crystals Exist

In a condis crystal cooperative motion between various conformational isomers is permitted. In the CD-glass this motion is frozen, but the conformationally disordered structure remains. For a condis crystal it is not necessarily expected that all possible conformations can be reached, but all conformations of the same type are involved in the condis crystal motion. If conformational isomers of low energy exist which leave the macromolecules largely in a parallel, extended, low energy conformation, conditions for the formation of condis crystals are given. The conformational changes involve more or less hindered rotations about backbone bonds or side chain bonds and are thus to some degree related to the orientational motion in plastic crystals.
Shock-Controlled Chemical Processing

A continuous-flow chemical reactor is described which uses shock waves to effect pyrolysis of hydrocarbons for the commercial manufacture of olefins. In this reactor, heat is added to an inert carrier gas, which is cooled to sub-pyrolysis temperatures by expansion to supersonic speed, and mixed with a supersonic flow of feedstock. Deceleration of the mixture by a standing shock wave initiates pyrolysis. Short reaction durations and high pyrolysis temperatures result in higher olefin yields than are attainable with conventional reactors. A simulation of ethane pyrolysis using the shock wave reactor predicts a 20% increase in ethylene yield and a 15% decrease in energy consumption compared to conventional reactors.
Role of basal calcium in the EGF activation of MAP kinases.

The role of intracellular Ca2+ pools in the regulation of growth factor signal transduction pathways and mitogenesis is not well understood. We have examined the roles of basal and transiently mobilized Ca2+ in the regulation of MAP kinases by EGF. To assess the influence of Ca2+ transients we utilized Plcg1−/− and Plcg1+/+ mouse embryonic fibroblasts, while BAPTA/AM was employed to chelate total intracellular Ca2+ in the same cell lines. The MAP kinases erk-1, erk-2 and erk-5 exhibited similar patterns of activation in wild-type and Plcg1−/− cells treated with EGF. However, pretreatment with BAPTA/AM significantly increased and prolonged erk-1 and erk-2 activation in both cell types. In contrast, BAPTA/AM prevented the EGF activation of erk-5 in wild-type and Plcg1−/− cells. These data indicate that basal Ca2+, but not growth factor provoked Ca2+ transients, has a significant influence on the activation of these MAP kinases. AG1478, a specific EGF receptor kinase inhibitor, abolished the prolonged erk-1 and erk-2 activation produced by EGF in cells pretreated with BAPTA/AM. This indicates that the prolonged activation of erk-1 and erk-2 produced in the presence of BAPTA/AM requires continuous signaling from the EGF receptor kinase.
Isozyme variability in species of the genus Drosophila . VIII. The alcohol dehydrogenase polymorphism in north carolina populations of D. melanogaster

Adult Drosophila melanogaster flies collected from populations broadly dispersed over ecological and geographic strata of North Carolina, and over a period of 4 years, were analyzed for alcohol dehydrogenase phenotypes by gel electrophoresis. Gene frequencies in spring-summer-fall field collections were remarkably stable over all strata. Two winter collections exhibited contrasting gene frequency changes. In one case the results are interpreted in terms of long-distance migration from Florida, while the other is explicable by assignment of a causal role to environmental factors which accompany the winter season.
Macrocytic and Marrow Failure Anemias

Anemias from marrow failure may result from absent or ineffective production of RBCs. These anemias are frequently characterized by the presence of macrocytic cells, in which the mean corpuscular volume is >100 fL or a subpopulation of RBCs is abnormally large. The most common and important causes of macrocytic anemias, because they are treatable, are vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies. Identification of the cause of a macrocytic anemia therefore generally depends on confirmation of these vitamin deficiencies by direct measurement of their concentration in blood, or of substances that accumulate in such deficiencies. Other laboratory tests are performed as needed if vitamin Bl2 and folate deficiencies are excluded.