cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract OT2-01-01: Endocrine therapy alone as primary treatment for elderly patients with clinical stage I to III estrogen receptor positive breast cancer with low recurrence score

Background : Approximately 20% of breast cancers are diagnosed in women 75 years of age or older. Elderly patients with breast cancer are at a higher risk for over- or under-treatment. In general, older patients are more likely to die from comorbidities than from their breast cancer. The 21-gene Recurrence Score (RS) predicts 10-year distant recurrence rate in the adjuvant setting in women with early stage ER+ breast cancer. In elderly patients, a large percentage of the cancers diagnosed are ER+. It is likely that a subpopulation of elderly women with good prognosis ER+ tumors can be identified who may benefit from endocrine therapy alone, without surgery, to treat their cancer without compromising clinical outcome. We hypothesize that endocrine therapy alone will provide adequate local and systemic control of breast cancer in the subpopulation of women 75 or older with ER+ breast cancer and low RS. Trial Design : This is a single arm phase II trial in pts with newly diagnosed early stage ER+ breast cancer, age 75 or greater. RS will be obtained on core biopsies collected at the time of diagnosis. Patients whose scores are Objectives: Primary: To determine the rate of loco-regional progression in women with early-stage ER+ breast cancer, 75 years or older with low RS who are treated with endocrine therapy alone. Secondary: To determine the breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival of women with early-stage ER+ breast cancer who are 75 years or older treated with endocrine therapy alone. To correlate response to treatment with RS. Eligibility : Newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer defined as cT1 or T2, N0-1, M0, age 75 years of age or older and ECOG performance status ≤ 2. Disease must be ER+ (Allred score ≥ 5) and HER2- and measurable defined as lesions that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension by ultrasound or mammogram. Statistical Methods : A Kaplan-Meier model will be used to estimate the 5-year local or systemic progression rate with a Brookmeyer-Crowley confidence interval. If the true 5-year progression rate is 10%, a sample size of 50 will provide power = .90 at a one-sided .05 significance level to demonstrate that the rate is less than 25.5%. A point estimate of the cumulative incidence of local progression at 5 years will be calculated using a Kaplan-Meier model or, if covariate adjustment is desired, a Cox proportional hazards model. The upper bound of a 95% confidence interval will be used to determine whether the rate may plausibly fall above 25.5%. Accrual : Target 50 patients with an RS score Citation Format: Aft R, Trinkaus K, Ma C. Endocrine therapy alone as primary treatment for elderly patients with clinical stage I to III estrogen receptor positive breast cancer with low recurrence score. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT2-01-01.
P196 A Local Domiciliary Non-invasive Ventilation (NIV) Service Reduces Length of Hospital Stay for Patients Unable to Wean From NIV

Background NIV is a clinically proven treatment for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. 1 Most patients are fully weaned from NIV before discharge from hospital but some with chronic ventilatory failure require long term NIV at home. Historically, these patients would need to wait for inpatient transfer to a tertiary centre for NIV titration. Due to the high demand for tertiary centre beds, this could take days to weeks. By this time, patients would frequently be optimised and stable on domiciliary NIV settings and only require transfer for equipment issue. A local domiciliary NIV service was commissioned in April 2012 to provide an integrated secondary care and community service closer to home and to reduce delayed discharge. Method Data were collected prospectively from 83 consecutive patients between October 2006 and May 2014 (395.6 weeks) from patients on a respiratory ward, unable to fully wean and requiring domiciliary NIV on discharge. Results See Table 1. Discussion Length of stay was reduced by an average of 4 days after the local domiciliary NIV service was initiated. Although this difference did not reach statistical significance it is certainly clinically significant, with huge pressure on clinicians to discharge patients in a timely manner. By managing the majority of these patients locally, it is hoped that the resources of the tertiary centres would be freed up to accept the very complex cases that still require tertiary centre input. Conclusion The provision of a local Domiciliary NIV service reduces length of stay by reducing waiting times for inpatient transfer to tertiary centres. Reference 1 Royal College of Physicians, British Thoracic Society, Intensive Care Society. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: non-invasive ventilation with bi-phasic positive airways pressure in the management of patients with acute type 2 respiratory failure . Concise Guidance to Good Practice series, No 11. London: RCP, 2008
Narrative "Montage": Press Coverage of the Jean Harris Trial.

This essay (1) contrasts the content of media narratives with the stories presented in actual trials, (2) describes media narrative as a type of montage, (3) illustrates the Washington Post's stori...
Impact of gender on survival of patients (pts) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): A SEER analysis.

4128 Background: The incidence of HCC is significantly higher in males (M) than females (F). Preclinical models suggest a role for estrogen in attenuating progression of HCC by various mechanisms s...
Sequential Tandem Addition to a Tungsten-Trifluorotoluene Complex: A Versatile Method for the Preparation of Highly Functionalized Trifluoromethylated Cyclohexenes.

The effects of an electron-withdrawing group on the organic chemistry of an η2-bound benzene ring are explored using the complex TpW(NO)(PMe3)(η2-PhCF3). This trifluorotoluene complex was found to undergo a highly regio- and stereoselective 1,2-addition reaction involving protonation of an ortho carbon followed by addition of a carbon nucleophile. The resulting 1,3-diene complexes can undergo a second protonation and nucleophilic addition with a range of nucleophiles including hydrides, amines, cyanide, and protected enolates. Interestingly, the addition of the second proton and nucleophile occurs in a 1,4-fashion, again with a high degree of regio- and stereocontrol. Oxidation of the metal allows for the isolation of highly substituted trifluoromethylcyclohexenes with as many as four stereocenters set by the metal. The ability to synthesize enantio-enriched organics was also demonstrated for a diene and a trisubstituted cyclohexene. Substitution from an enantio-enriched η2-dimethoxybenzene complex in nea...
Where Should I Open My Restaurant

We answer a question in real estate that is a variation of a problem that arises in many combinatorics and discrete mathematics courses.
2 – The Powers of the President in an Emergency

It only makes sense that the Executive Branch must have power to rapidly mobilize the resources of the national government, including the military, in times of emergency. But to what extent, for how long, and with what oversight? The President can be voted out of office, or even impeached, but what are the other limits on presidential power? These are the questions that you will explore in this chapter. You will see how the Supreme Court has interpreted the powers of the nation’s highest office and also how Congress has reacted to national emergencies either by restraining or extending the authority of the President to take emergency actions. Consider as you read how might an amendment to the Constitution be drafted that would incorporate our current understanding of the role of the Executive Branch in an emergency.
A Novel Dual-Step Nucleation Pathway in Crystalline Solids under Neutron Irradiation.

Innovations in nanostructuring of inorganic crystalline solids are often limited by prerequisite critical nucleation energy and solute supersaturation for formation of a phase. This research provides direct evidence supporting the viability of an unconventional irradiation-induced nanostructuring process, via transmission electron microscopy, that circumvents these preconditions. Using polymorphic silicon carbide (SiC) as a prototype, a surprising two-step nucleation route is demonstrated through which nanoscale distribution of the second phase is achieved by reaction of solutes with neutron irradiation-induced precursors. In the first step, nanoscale α–SiC precipitates in a β–SiC matrix unexpectedly nucleate heterogeneously at structural defects. This occurs at significantly lower temperatures compared with the usual β→α transition temperature. Subsequently, α–SiC precipitate acts as a surrogate template for its structural and compositional transition into a fission product precipitate, palladium silicide. These discoveries provide a modern view of irradiation engineering in polymorphic ceramics for advanced applications.
Model of parameterized PMU estimation error

To understand the reliability of PMUs, it is important to quantify the effect of errors on applications that use synchrophasor data. In this paper, a model of PMU estimation error, based on the performance of the Annex C Reference Signal Processing Model of IEEE Std. C37.118.1-2011 amended by C37.118.1a-2014, is built to generate the impaired data for data impairment evaluation. Based on standard tests under different PMU operation states and input disturbances, the generic model is parameterized to generate the impaired PMU estimation error under different real conditions.
"I'm Not Sure We Had A Choice": Decision Quality and The Use of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices In Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment.

Background: The decision to implant a cardiac device in a person with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia requires considering the possible trade-offs of quality of life (QOL) and quantity of life. This study measured the decision-making experience of patients with and without cognitive impairment (CI) who received a cardiac device and their family members who were involved in the decision. Methods and Results: Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were administered with 15 patient-family member dyads. Interviews revealed few conversations between physicians, patients and family members about the patient’s cognitive status or about the benefits, risks, and long-term implications of the device for someone with CI. Participants largely stated that the decision to get the device was based on the patient’s functional status at the time of the implant, and not on expectations about future functioning. Patients with CI had more regret, measured with the Decision Regret Scale (DRS), (p=0.037) and family members of patients without CI reported more decisional conflict, measured with the Decisional Conflict Scale (p=0.057). Conclusions: Although CI impacts life expectancy and QOL, cognitive status was largely not discussed prior to device implant. Few differences were found between the experiences of dyads that included patients with or without CI.
Thrombin-induced GPIb-IX centralization on the platelet surface requires actin assembly and myosin II activation

In resting platelets, the GPIb-IX complex, the receptor for the von Willebrand factor (vWF), is linked to underlying actin filaments by actin-binding protein (ABP-280). Thrombin stimulation of human platelets leads to a decrease in the surface expression of the GPIb-IX complex, which is redistributed from the platelet surface into the open canalicular system (OCS). Because the centralization of GPIb-IX is inhibited by cytochalasin, it is believed to be linked to actin cytoskeletal rearrangements that take place during platelet activation. We have further characterized the mechanism of GPIb-IX centralization in platelets in suspension. Following thrombin stimulation, GPIb-IX shifts from the membrane skeleton of the resting cell to the cytoskeleton of the activated cell in a reaction sensitive to cytochalasin B. The cytoskeletal association of GPIb-IX involves ABP-280, as it correlates with the incorporation of ABP-280 into the activated cytoskeleton and because no dissociation of the ABP-280/GPIb-IX complexes is detected after thrombin activation. However, the incorporation of GPIb-IX into the cytoskeleton is complete within 1 minute, whereas GPIb-IX centralization requires 5 to 10 minutes for completion. The movement of GPIb-IX to the cytoskeleton of activated platelets is therefore necessary, but not sufficient for GPIb-IX centralization. Blockage of cytosolic calcium increases induced by thrombin by loading with the cell permeant calcium chelator Quin-2 AM inhibited GPIb-IX centralization by 70%, but did not prevent its association with the activated cytoskeleton. Quin-2 loading did, however, decrease the incorporation of myosin II into the activated cytoskeleton. The role of myosin II was further probed using the myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) inhibitor wortmannin. Wortmannin prevents myosin II association to the activated cytoskeleton and inhibits GPIb-IX centralization by 50%, without affecting actin assembly or the association of GPIb-IX to the cytoskeleton. Only micromolar concentrations of wortmannin, high enough to inhibit MLCK, prevent GPIb-IX centralization. These results indicate that thrombin-induced GPIb-IX centralization requires a minimum of two steps, one associating GPIb-IX to the activated cytoskeleton and the second requiring myosin II activation. The involvement of myosin II implies that GPIb-IX/ABP-280 complexes, linked to actin filaments, are pulled into the cell center, and that platelets may exert contractile tension on vWF bound to its receptor.
General Considerations for Regional Anesthesia Practice

Setting up a regional anesthesia service requires a reliable and consistent product as well as a sound business plan. Technological advances in nerve stimulation, ­ultrasound guidance, and perineural catheters have led to rapid growth in the number and types of peripheral nerve block procedures available to regional anesthesia practitioners. Starting a new regional anesthesia program potentially adds monetary value to a facility’s perioperative services by improving the quality of postoperative analgesia and recovery from surgery, thereby reducing perioperative costs and offering a competitive advantage over other surgical facilities. From the patient’s perspective, a regional anesthesia program provides nonmonetary value by preventing pain and reducing the risk of nausea and vomiting after surgery. Unfortunately for anesthesiologists interested in starting a new regional anesthesia program, there are no evidence-based guidelines to follow.
How Does Immigration Affect Suicide? An Analysis of U.S. Metropolitan Areas*

Objective Limited research investigates the relationship between levels of immigration, a source of societal integration and regulation, and U.S. suicide rates. We examine the aggregate immigration–suicide link during the 2008–2010 period, in light of the 30‐year high in suicide rates and concern about deleterious effects of immigration on the well‐being of American society. Methods We use data on 250 U.S. metropolitan areas and ordinary least squares regression to examine the association between immigration and suicide for 2008–2010. Results Net of controls, recent immigration, is linked to lower suicide levels for the native‐born population but has no association with foreign‐born suicide rates. High levels of immigration are most protective for native‐born suicide under favorable economic conditions. Conclusions Immigration is not a threat to societal health in terms of higher suicide rates. Future research should consider the mechanisms through which beneficial effects of immigration on suicide rates operate.
Wideband radar cross-section reduction of a microstrip antenna using slots

In this study, a new microstrip patch antenna with wideband radar cross-section (RCS) reduction is presented. The RCS of the proposed antenna was reduced by subtracting the current-direction slots of the patch, with the radiation performance sustained not only for the current-direction subtraction, but also for the no modification in the ground plane. Modified and reference antenna were fabricated and measured. The simulation and measurement results showed that the modified antenna reduced the in-band and out-band RCS simultaneously with no detriment to the radiation performance. In the frequency band from 3.9 to 8.1 GHz, the RCS of the modified antenna was reduced in the whole band compared with the RCS of the reference antenna. The maximum RCS reduction was 7 dB at a frequency of 6.7 GHz.
Motivational factors in continuing and completing outpatient mental health treatment: perspectives of older Mexican-American women

ABSTRACTThe study explores motivations for mental health service use by older Mexican-American women experiencing psychological distress. Semi-structured qualitative interviews with older Mexican-A...
What are Visual Data and What Utility do they have in Science Education

Visual data differs from visual information since it must be recorded, analyzed, and manipulated in some manner, whereas visual information is primarily sensory input. Our environment is constantly...
At the nexus of participatory design and action research: Use of a public online forum in designing text messages for dads

Abstract This chapter describes the process of developing a corpus of evidence-based mobile messages for expectant and recent fathers using an approach blending principles of participatory action and participatory design research. Launched in the summer of 2015, the Text4Dads initiative aimed to increase engagement and involvement of expectant/recent fathers through a mobile-messaging intervention. The first phase of the project involved developing a public online forum inviting stakeholders in fatherhood work (fathers, health practitioners, community workers, government agency contacts, academicians, etc.) to comment on proposed content for a series of mobile messages to be sent to fathers before and after their child was born. The chapter will focus on the two methodologies informing engagement with fatherhood stakeholders in this phase—participatory action research and participatory research design—as well as the themes emerging from online forum participation.
Safety and Efficacy of Bedside Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Placement in the COVID-19 Era: Initial Experience at a New York City Hospital.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) is common in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Unparalleled numbers of patients with AKI and shortage of dialysis machines and operative resources prompted consideration of expanded use of urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (PD) and evaluation of the safety and efficacy of bedside surgical placement of PD catheters. Bedside, open PD catheter insertions were performed in early April 2020, at a large academic center in New York City. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and AKI and ambulatory patients with chronic kidney disease and impending need for RRT were included. Detailed surgical technique is described. Fourteen catheters were placed at the bedside over 2 weeks, 11 in critically ill COVID-19 patients and three in ambulatory patients. Mean patient age was 61.9 years (43–83), and mean body mass index was 27.1 (20–37.6); four patients had prior abdominal surgery. All catheters were placed successfully without routine radiographic studies or intraoperative complications. One patient (7%) experienced primary nonfunction of the catheter requiring HD. One patient had limited intraperitoneal bleeding while anticoagulated, which was managed by mechanical compression of the abdominal wall and temporarily holding anticoagulation. All other catheters had an adequate function at 3–18 days of follow-up. Bedside placement of PD catheters is safe and effective in ICU and outpatient clinic settings. Our surgical protocols allowed for optimization of critical hospital resources, minimization of hazardous exposure to healthcare providers and a broader application of urgent-start PD in selected patients. Long-term follow-up is warranted.
A Distributed Circuit for Associating Environmental Context to Motor Choice in Retrosplenial Cortex

During navigation, animals often use recognition of familiar environmental contexts to guide motor action selection. The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) receives inputs from both visual cortex and subcortical regions required for spatial memory, and projects to motor planning regions. However, it is not known whether RSC is important for associating familiar environmental contexts with specific motor actions. Here, we test this possibility by developing a task in which trajectories are chosen based on the context. We find that mice exhibit differential pre-decision activity in RSC, and that optogenetic suppression of RSC activity impairs task performance. Individual RSC neurons encode a range of task variables, often multiplexed with distinct temporal profiles. However, the responses are spatiotemporally organized, with task variables represented along a posterior-to-anterior gradient along RSC during the behavioral performance, consistent with histological characterization. These results reveal an anatomically-organized retrosplenial cortical circuit for associating environmental contexts to appropriate motor outputs.
Low-Cost Consumer Technology Can Help to Build Sustainable Smart Villages

The current issue of the IEEE MCE is dedicated to smart villages. MCE has covered smart cities theme in multiple past issues, including July 2016, March 2018. MCE also covered various technologies applicable smart cities. While covering smart cities, an obvious question arises, what about smart villages? This gives rise to various related questions including: Are smart cities and smart villages same? Can the same technology be used for both smart cities and smart villages? Does not Internet-of-Things (IoT) deployment make both smart cities and smart villages? How Cyber-Physical-Systems (CPS) differ in smart cities and smart villages? How underneath consume technologies, such as sensors and communications technology, differ in smart cities and smart villages? These questions needed addressing which motivated for the current issue theme of smart villages. The issue includes a Special Section on 'How to Make Innovation in Consumer Electronics'.
Challenges with social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic among Hispanics in New York City: a qualitative study.

Hispanics in the United States are disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). While social distancing and quarantining are effective methods to reduce its spread, Hispanics, who are more likely to be essential workers and live in multigenerational homes than non-Hispanics, may face challenges that limit their ability to carry out these preventative efforts. We elicited the experiences of Hispanic adults with social distancing and self-quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York. In this qualitative study, Hispanic adults receiving care at a federally qualified community health center in East Harlem, New York, were recruited for remote one-on-one semi-structured interviews from 5/15/2020 to 11/17/2020. Interviews were conducted by a bilingual interviewer in Spanish or English, using a semi-structured topic guide informed by the Health Belief Model. Audio-recordings were professionally transcribed. We used thematic analysis to iteratively code the data. Each transcript was independently coded by two research team members, then reconciled by a third. Major themes and subthemes were identified. Among 20 participants, four major themes emerged; Hispanics were: (1) fearful of contracting and transmitting COVID-19, (2) engaging in practices to reduce transmission of COVID-19, (3) experiencing barriers to social distancing and quarantining, and (4) facing an enduring psychological and physical toll from COVID-19. Despite understanding the risks for contracting COVID-19 and taking appropriate precautions, Hispanics faced numerous challenges to social distancing and quarantining, such as living in crowded, multi-generational households, working as essential workers, and providing unpaid care to family members. Such challenges took a toll on their physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Our findings suggest that a tailored approach to public health messaging and interventions for pandemic planning are warranted among members of this community. Further research is needed to understand and mitigate the long term physical and psychological consequences of the pandemic among Hispanics.
A Sub-1 GHz Wireless Sensor Network Concentrator Using Multicollectors with Load Balancing for Improved Capacity and Performance

The exponential growth of IoT end devices creates the necessity for cost-effective solutions to further increase the capacity of IEEE802.15.4g-based wireless sensor networks (WSNs). For this reason, the authors present a wireless sensor network concentrator (WSNC) that integrates multiple collocated collectors, each of them hosting an independent WSN on a unique frequency channel. A load balancing algorithm is implemented at the WSNC to uniformly distribute the number of aggregated sensor nodes across the available collectors. The WSNC is implemented using a BeagleBone board acting as the Network Concentrator (NC) whereas collectors and sensor nodes realizing the WSNs are built using the TI CC13X0 LaunchPads. The system is assessed using a testbed consisting of one NC with up to four collocated collectors and fifty sensor nodes. The performance evaluation is carried out under race conditions in the WSNs to emulate high dense networks with different network sizes and channel gaps. The experimental results show that the multicollector system with load balancing proportionally scales the capacity of the network, increases the packet delivery ratio, and reduces the energy consumption of the IoT end devices.
Peritonitis and Other Complications

Infection is the most frequent clinical complication in patients with end-stage renal disease maintained on peritoneal dialysis (1). These infections include bacterial and fungal peritonitis as well as exit-site and catheter tunnel infections. The incidence of peritonitis is 3 to 5 times higher in patients maintained on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) than in those on intermittent peritoneal dialysis and contributes to the morbidity and mortality of patients receiving CAPD therapy (2). During the 1980s the incidence of peritonitis was about 1.3 episodes per patient per year (3). This rate has declined over time with the introduction of various types of disconnect systems (4). These disconnect systems have predominantly decreased the risk of peritonitis due to skin organisms, e.g., coagulase-negative staphylococcus. The Y set, an example of disconnect technology, has also been associated with a decrease in the peritonitis rate to 1 episode per 24–36 months (5,6).
LIGHT-INDUCED RAPID ABSORPTION CHANGES DURING PHOTOSYNTHESIS. IV. REACTIONS IN AGED CHLOROPLASTS IN THE PRESENCE OF ASCORBATE AND REDOX DYES.

Abstract Transient absorption changes at 430 mμ are induced in aged chloroplasts by red light flashes, The absorption change occurs in 10 −4 sec or less and has a half life of approx. 10 −2 sec. The enhancement of the reaction by ascorbate and the abolishment by ferricyanide suggest that an oxidation reaction is responsible for the absorption change. In the presence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)- I,I -dimethylurea the absorption change is not observed, but the signal can be restored completely by adding ascrobate. Available evidence from the decay kinetics of the 430-mμ transient absorption changes in the presence of ascorbate suggests that dichlorophenolindophenol at all concentrations reacts with cytochrome while phenazine methosulfate at low concentrations reacts with cytochrome and at concentrations greater than 3.10 −5 M with P700 only. This in accord with the difference spectra observed in the blue region (where also cytochrome changes are observed) and also with the concominant and similarly decaying absorption changes at 430 and 703 mμ. Light-intensity dependency of the complex reaction in aged chloroplast containing ascorbate and trace amount of phenazine methosulfate showed that at low intensity only the oxidation of the chlorophyll complex takes place. The coupling reaction between the pigment complex and cytochrome takes place only at higher light intensities.
The Religious Dimension of Judicial Decision Making and Facto Diestablishment

The central question addressed by this article is: What, if any, is the role of religious beliefs in judicial decision making? To begin answering this question, I will provide a broad overview of a more complete argument supporting the thesis that judicial deliberation necessarily relies on a comprehensive or religious conviction about authentic human existence in hard cases but that the establishment clause of the first amendment requires that these comprehensive claims remain implicit in judicial opinions. In order to support this abridged argument, I propose a formal definition of religion as a comprehensive claim or conviction about human authenticity and assume that the law is indeterminate (in some moderate sense) such that there are hard cases where the apparently relevant statutes, common law principles, contracts, or constitutional provisions at issue do not clearly resolve disputes. Given this understanding of law and religion, I then chart the logically possible models for the relationship between law and religion in judicial decision making in hard cases. Before setting forth my position, I consider and point out problems with the de facto disestablishment model that maintains that both the deliberative process and the process of justification in judicial decision making should be independent of comprehensive or religious convictions. John Rawls's understanding of the Supreme Court as the exemplar of public reason is used to represent the de facto disestablishment model. Finally, I illustrate my position by briefly examining the Supreme Court opinion and en banc Ninth Circuit opinion in Washington v. Glucksberg, 117 S. Ct. 2258 (1997), where the judicial reliance on comprehensive or religious claims about authentic human existence readily breaks to the surface.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Imaging

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging maps the spatial distribution of unpaired electron spins. Information about a sample can be obtained from images with one, two, or three spatial dimensions. Images also can be obtained with an additional spectral dimension that reveals the dependence of the EPR spectrum on the position in the sample. One can then seek to understand why certain types of spins are found at particular locations in a sample, why the concentrations vary with position, or why the concentrations vary with time. For the benefit of readers who are not familiar with EPR, a brief introduction to the principles of EPR is given in. The emphasis is on the aspects of EPR that impact the way that imaging experiments are performed. Types of species with unpaired electrons, also called paramagnetic species, that have been studied by EPR imaging are then discussed. Procedures for performing EPR imaging and provide examples of applications are given. More extensive introductions to EPR imaging can be found in the references cited. Keywords: electron spin resonance (ESR); principles; spatial information; magnetic field gradients; encoding; resolution; image; NMR imaging; pulsed EPR; applications; diffusion coefficients; polymer degradation; mineralogy; dating; in vivo imaging; oximetry; magnetic susceptibility
Isolation and Characterization of Ribosomes from Bacillus subtilis Spores

Bishop, Helen L. (Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.), and Roy H. Doi. Isolation and characterization of ribosomes from Bacillus subtilis spores. J. Bacteriol. 91:695–701. 1966.—The isolation of ribosomes from Bacillus subtilis spores was accomplished by freezing the spores in liquid nitrogen and grinding the spore pellet with an equal weight of levigated alumina. The ribosomes, which were adsorbed to the alumina, were freed by the addition of vegetative-cell ribosomes or bulk ribonucleic acid (RNA) to the crude alumina-ground extract. The spore ribosomes had sedimentation properties and RNA and protein compositions similar to those of vegetative-cell ribosomes. The difficulty encountered in obtaining spore ribosomes by ordinary extraction methods may be the result of nuclease and protease activities which were demonstrated in spore extracts.
Pine pollen dehiscence relative to thrips population dynamics

A two-part study related tree pollen dehiscence and thrips population dynamics in the field, and directly evaluated effects of pine pollen deposition on Frankliniella spp. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) reproduction on tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum L. (Solanaceae), under laboratory conditions. Ambient pollen and thrips were monitored in Tift County, GA, USA, from early spring to late summer/early fall from 2005 to 2008. Correlation analyses were conducted using weekly means of thrips collected on sticky traps compared to weekly pollen counts from a Burkard air sampler and pollen deposition sheets. There were significant positive correlations between pollen and thrips counts on later dates, suggesting that if a relationship exists between pine pollen dehiscence and thrips population dynamics, it will be delayed. Over all years combined, the first spring time peak in Frankliniella fusca (Hinds) counts on sticky traps occurred at 227 accumulated degree days (dd) after the first peak in pine pollen, approximately the dd required to complete a single F. fusca generation. Two subsequent thrips peaks occurred at approximately one and two F. fusca generations following the first peak. After 10 weeks following the final peak in pollen, there appears to be no more effect of pollen on thrips population dynamics. A tobacco leaf, lightly dusted with Slash pine [Pinus elliottii Engelmann (Pinaceae)] pollen to mimic natural deposition, showed a significant increase in the number of offspring produced per Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) and F. fusca female. The total offspring produced increased five-fold in F. fusca and 22-fold in F. occidentalis in 15 days on the pollen-treated leaves over the untreated leaves.
Social drinking as a health and psychosocial risk factor. Anstie's limit revisited.

This chapter reviews empirical evidence dealing with the risk of using beverage alcohol in quantities generally considered to be within the range of moderate or social drinking. It begins with a discussion of terms and concepts typically employed to define the limits of moderate and social drinking. The historical debate over moderate drinking is considered next, using Francis Anstie’s daily limit of 1.5 oz of absolute ethanol as an example of an influential and enduring approach to this issue. The scientific evidence relevant to the association between moderate drinking and damage is reviewed in sections dealing with the risks of acute ingestion of alcohol and the hazards of chronic drinking. In a final section, a multidimensional model of risk is developed to serve as a basis for early intervention and prevention planning. It is concluded that both social and moderate drinking entail risk of health hazards and psychosocial consequences. These risks are not always a direct function of the amount of ethanol consumed but rather reflect complex interactions among a host of antecedent and mediating variables. When these are taken into account, a better estimate of the relative risk of different consequences of drinking can be made.
Violent responses to strain: an examination of conditioning influences.

Past research on General Strain Theory (GST) has not widely examined the application of the theory for understanding violent responses to strain. Additionally, the theory suggests there may be varying effects of strain on possible deviant outcomes across individuals differentiated on their dispositions toward deviance. In the current analysis, we examine violent responses to strain using original data collected from a sample of college-aged youth. Moreover, we specifically examine whether the effects of strain and anger on possible violent outcomes are invariant across individuals differentiated on their level of exposure to deviant peers and moral constraints against deviance. Using structural equation modeling, our results suggest that a composite measure of strain increases respondents' intentions to engage in assaultive behavior net of other predictors. Additionally, the results reveal that anger mediates the impact of strain on possible violent responses. Finally, the results of our subgroup analyses suggest that the basic form of the GST model is invariant across groups. Language: en
Development of On-Line Electrochemical Sample Pretreatment Methods for the Analysis of Thallium and Uranium by ICP-MS

Anodic and adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AWV and AdSV, respectively) were performed on-line with a mercury thin-film electrode (MTFE) to effect the selective accumulation and detection of thallium and uranium, respectively. ASV-ICP-MS experiments using thallium as the test element were performed to characterize the behavior of the on-line system for low level and quantitative determinations. Excellent linearity in response was demonstrated for thallium standards ranging from 0.25 ng/L to 50 {micro}g/L. The 1.0 pg/L detection limit calculated from this data for thallium (3{sigma}/sensitivity) was 400 times lower than that of conventional ICP-MS. The ability to overcome sample matrix effects in quantitative determinations was demonstrated by the analysis of an undiluted synthetic urine sample. AdSV-ICP-MS experiments were performed using uranium as the test element to demonstrate the utility of this method for the determination of radiologically important elements. A uranium(VI)-cupferron complex was used to effect adsorptive accumulation of uranium from a 10 {micro}g/L standard solution onto the MTFE. The uranium was chemically stripped from the electrode for subsequent downstream detection by the ICP-MS. The quantitative nature of this method and a modest enhancement of signal levels ({approximately}X10) over those levels obtained with conventional ICP-MS for samples in the microgram/liter concentration range weremore » demonstrated. Modifications to the current system to provide low flow rate operation will allow further optimization of the ASV-ICP-MS and AdSV-ICP-MS combinations.« less
Ethics and Statistics: Is It Possible to Be an Ethicist Without Being Mean to People?

A few months ago, I published in Slate magazine an article called “Too Good to Be True,” in which I discussed two seriously flawed articles that were published in a leading psychology journal. Not ...
Pulsatile Hemodynamics of the Fontan Connection: A Tri-Modal Investigation

To evaluate the qualitative impact and computational accuracy of pulsatile flow through the total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC), multiple patient-specific models were studied using computational, experimental, and imaging techniques and the multi-modality results compared. Agreement with regard to both qualitative behavior and quantitative velocity measures was very convincing, which robustly demonstrates the precision of our various investigational methods.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Antidepressant-like actions of the polyamine site NMDA antagonist, eliprodil (SL-82.0715)

Functional N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists including competitive antagonists, glycine partial agonists, and use-dependent channel blockers exhibit antidepressant-like actions in preclinical models. The present study examined the effects of eliprodil (SL-82.0715), an NMDA antagonist acting at polyamine sites, in behavioral and neurochemical tests predictive of antidepressant activity. In mice, eliprodil produced a dose-dependent reduction in immobility in the forced swim test, but was inactive in the tail suspension test. Chronic treatment with eliprodil produced both a significant downregulation of beta-adrenoceptors and a reduction in the potency of glycine to inhibit [3H]5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid binding to strychnine-insensitive glycine receptors in neocortical membranes. In toto, these data indicate that like other NMDA antagonists, eliprodil possesses antidepressant-like actions in preclinical tests predictive of clinical efficacy.
Study of Gold Mine Exploration and Metallogenic Regularities

Laozuo mountain,located on the junction of the city of Shuang Yashan and Qi Taihe,from which a large-scale vein gold deposits was discovered in the in the 1980 s. And gold mining point was established on 1975 in the mountain of Laozuo that construct the development mining of the diggings on 1989.Since from now is more than 20 years,the Laozuo mountain is on the dangerous circumstance of the shortage of resources. According to the long-time survey about the project of Laozuo mountain so as to get a further studying work on prospecting and mineral deposit exploration for used mine. The research is mainly introduce the metallogenic environment and the regulation of the mineral. And based on the technology we have mastered, we can apply it into practical production.
Glucose Deprivation Results in a Lactate Preventable Increase in Adenosine and Depression of Synaptic Transmission in Rat Hippocampal Slices

Abstract: The effect of glucose deprivation on adenosine levels and on synaptic transmission was investigated in rat hippocampal slices. Incubation of hippocampal slices either in glucose-free medium or in the presence of the glucose transport inhibitor cytochalasin B (50 μM) increased bath adenosine levels and depressed the extracellularly recorded synaptic potential or population spike. The addition of lactate (10 mM), a precursor for mitochondrial ATP generation, prevented the elevation in adenosine and the depression of the population spike. These results indicate that the neuroinhibitory modulator adenosine is elevated during glucose deprivation and contributes to the hypoglycemic depression of synaptic transmission. The increase in adenosine during glucose deprivation can be prevented by providing substrate for mitochondrial ATP generation. The present results indicate an interaction between lactate and adenosine such that an increase in lactate may contribute to a decline in adenosine production.
A differential thermocouple voltmeter

An a-c voltmeter has been developed to indicate directly the percentage difference between an unknown voltage and the settings of the instrument dials. It is accurate to 0.05% from 5 cps (cycles per second) to 10 kc within the voltage range from 1 to 700 volts. Two 10-ma (milliampere) thermoelements are used; one in series with an a-c decade resistor, and the other energized from a constant-voltage d-c source, a Zener diode. A built-in galvanometer, calibrated in % of input voltage, indicates the difference between the two thermocouple-output emfs (electromotive forces), and has a resolution of more than 0.01%. The instrument was designed for rapidly calibrating other voltmeters, but it can be used also for a-c-d-c difference measurements ? frequency response tests ? to 0.02%.
The effect of specimen size on the mechanical behaviour associated with crazing

Since crazes generally nucleate at the surface it is expected that the size of the specimen, as described by the ratio of surface area to volume, should affect the mechanical behaviour of polymers which deform primarily by crazing. The stress relaxation curves and the stress-strain curves of PS, PMMA, PTFE, and PC were measured in liquid nitrogen for specimens of different size which were machined from the same rod. The predicted size effect was observed in that the smaller (6.4mm diameter) specimens stress-relaxed faster and the stress to produce a given amount of craze deformation was lower than for the larger (12.7 mm diameter) specimens. The range of the tensile strength from 0 to ∞ size is also presented based on the stress to nucleate the first craze and on the tensile strength that is observed when no crazing occurs
Addiction: Pulling at the Neural Threads of Social Behaviors

Addiction coopts the brain's neuronal circuits necessary for insight, reward, motivation, and social behaviors. This functional overlap results in addicted individuals making poor choices despite awareness of the negative consequences; it explains why previously rewarding life situations and the threat of judicial punishment cannot stop drug taking and why a medical rather than a criminal approach is more effective in curtailing addiction.
In vitro maturation of nascent reticulocytes to erythrocytes

Most studies of mammalian reticulocyte maturation have used blood reticulocytes. Nascent reticulocytes, as found in bone marrow, have not been available in developmentally synchronized populations. Nascent murine reticulocytes formed in vitro by enucleation of Friend virus-infected erythroblasts were purified and recultured for 110 hours. At 0 hours, all recultured cells were lobulated and contained dense, centralized reticulin. By 110 hours, about 20% to 25% of the cells became biconcave erythrocytes. Most ribosomes and cellular RNAs were degraded within 20 hours, and during that period, heme synthesis declined from a rate equal to that of late erythroblasts to less than 10% of that rate. Many mitochondria appeared normal until they showed outer membrane swelling, degradation, and apparent fusion with intracellular vacuoles at 40 hours of culture. During the period of mitochondrial loss, Bcl-X(L), an antiapoptotic protein that accumulates during erythroblast differentiation and maintains mitochondrial membrane integrity, demonstrated progressive decreases and changes consistent with deamidation. Nevertheless, the reticulocytes did not undergo apoptosis, because their apoptotic machinery was degraded. This experimental system that provides a developmentally synchronized population of nascent murine reticulocytes that mature into biconcave erythrocytes in vitro should be useful in further investigations of the cellular events involved in reticulocyte maturation.
Evidence for clustered pathogenicity genes in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

Plasmid pIJ3000 contains DNA from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris which restores symptom production to a non-pathogenic mutant. pIJ3000 was mutagenised with the kanamycin resistance transposon Tn5 in Escherichia coli, and the sites of insertion were mapped physically. Derivatives of pIJ3000 containing Tn5 inserted in X. c. campestris DNA were introduced into a wild-type X. c. campestris strain, and the Tn5 insertions recombined into the genome by a marker exchange process. The resulting strains were tested for pathogenicity to turnip seedlings.
Carpet Recycling: Determining the Reverse Production System Design

Abstract Roughly 4 billion pounds of carpet are disposed of in the United States each year. This carpet is composed of a significant fraction of nylon, polypropylene, and polyester fiber. A key limiting factor to recycling is effective design and development of the reverse production system to collect and reprocess this large volume of valuable material. A reverse production system is composed of material and chemical recycling functional elements interconnected by transportation steps. In this article, we develop a mixed-integer programming model to support decision-making in reverse production system design. To illustrate its use and applicability, we apply the model to a representative U.S. carpet recycling industrial case study. The overall economic feasibility of recycling is strongly dependent on the volumes that can be expected from investments in collection infrastructure. The geographic location of processing centers influences the network economics, and the subdivision of recycling tasks to avoi...