cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of incremental fatigue crack growth mechanisms using in situ SEM testing

Abstract A novel in situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) fatigue testing is proposed in this paper to investigate the fatigue crack growth mechanisms within one cyclic loading under plane stress conditions. The objectives of the experimental study are to verify the hypotheses of a small time scale fatigue crack growth model and to develop a new experimental methodology for the detailed mechanism investigation of fatigue crack growth. During the testing, one loading cycle is uniformly divided into a certain number of steps. At each step, high resolution images are taken around the crack tip region. Imaging analysis is used to quantify the crack growth kinetics and crack tip deformation behavior at any time instant in a loading cycle. Crack closure phenomenon is directly observed during the crack growth process in the current investigation. It is also observed that crack growth is not uniformly distributed within a loading cycle and only happens during a small portion of the loading path. Multiple mechanisms exist within one cyclic loading, which is not able to be captured using the classical cycle-based approaches. A detailed discussion is given based on the current investigation to explain some well-known issues in the classical fatigue theory.
Prevalence of chromosomal mosaicism in pregnancies from couples with infertility

Objective To determine if mosaicism that occurs in infertility and assisted reproductive technologies continues in the late first trimester and if this is unique to infertility or occurs in all pregnancies. Design Retrospective case-controlled study. Setting University hospital. Patient(s) 5337 consecutive chorionic villus samplings (CVS). Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Mosaic karyotypes at CVS. Result(s) We confirmed 69 mosaic karyotypes, a rate of 1.29%. Comparing spontaneous pregnancies with pregnancies from infertility treatment, no difference was found in the prevalence of mosaicism: 1.22% versus 1.32%, respectively. Subgroup analysis of infertile couples, comparing in vitro (assisted reproduction) with in vivo fertilization (other treatments) revealed a mosaicism rate of 1.84% and 0.41%, respectively. Confined placental mosaic (CPM) rates for infertility treated pregnancies and spontaneously conceived pregnancies were 0.88% and 0.92%, respectively. Subgroup analysis of infertile patients revealed a CPM rate of 1.15% for in vitro fertilization treatment and 0.41% for in vivo fertilization treatment. These results were not statistically significant. Conclusion(s) There was no difference in the prevalence of mosaicism at the end of the first trimester in pregnancies conceived spontaneously compared with those with infertility. There was no difference in the prevalence of mosaicism when in vitro and in vivo treatment were compared.
Survey of dentists’ opinions on issues facing the profession

Dentists in the Rochester, NY area were surveyed on various health policy issues to determine the extent of agreement on these issues among dentists, the bases for significant differences of opinions, and the agreement of the local dentists with official policies of the ADA. Dentists in the Rochester, NY, area were surveyed on the existence of manpower problems, expansion of dental schools, recruitment of minorities, expanded-duty auxiliaries, and fee posting. Their opinions substantially supported positions taken by the American Dental Association in these areas.
Strategic business rules for business process intelligence : An oracle prototype

Business process intelligence aims to provide timely information to improve business process effectiveness and align it with business objectives in order to compete successfully in the marketplace. Generally such information not only improves an organizations ability to accomplish business objectives, but may also lead to the identification of information that could facilitate competitive advantage. This paper outlines an approach to develop an information flow model that involves the specification of activity dimensions during business process modeling to develop dimensional models to identify process metrics through strategic business rules that aligns a business process with business objectives. The paper illustrates the concepts through a marketing business process Lead to forecast prototype which is implemented in Oracle’s PL/SQL language.
α1-Adrenoceptor-mediated phosphorylation of MYPT-1 and CPI-17 in the uterine artery: role of ERK/PKC

We previously demonstrated that ERK/PKC signaling pathways play a key role in regulation of Ca2+ sensitivity and contractility of the uterine artery. The present study tested the hypothesis that ER...
The major, N2-dG adduct of (+)-anti-B[a]PDE induces G-->A mutations in a 5'-AGA-3' sequence context.

Previously, in a random mutagenesis study, the (F)-anti diol epoxide of benzo[a]pyrene [(F)-anti-B[a]PDE] was shown to induce a complex mutational spectrum in the supF gene of an Escherichia coli plasmid, which included insertions, deletions and base substitution mutations, notably a significant fraction of GC→TA, GC→AT and GC→CG mutations. At some sites, a single type of mutation dominated and to understand individual mutagenic pathways these sites were chosen for study by site-specific means to determine whether the major adduct, [Fta]B[a]P‐N 2 -dG, was responsible. [Fta]-B[a]P‐N 2 -dG was shown to induce ~95% G→T mutations in a 59-TGC-39 sequence context and ~80% G→A mutations in a 59-CGT39 sequence context. (F)-anti-B[a]PDE induced principally GC→CG mutations in the G133 sequence context (59AGA-39) in studies using both SOS-uninduced or SOSinduced E.coli. Herein, [1ta]-B[a]P‐N 2 -dG is shown to induce principally G→A mutations (>90%) either without or with SOS induction in a closely related 59-AGA-39 sequence context (identical over 7 bp). This is the first time that there has been a discrepancy between the mutagenic specificity of (F)-anti-B[a]PDE versus [Fta]-B[a]P‐N 2 -dG. Eight explanations for this discordance are considered. Four are ruled out; e.g. the second most prevalent adduct [Fca]-B[a]P‐N 2 -dG also induces a preponderance of G→A mutations (>90%), so it also is not responsible for (F)anti-B[a]PDE-induced G133→C mutations. The four explanations not ruled out are discussed and include that another minor adduct might be responsible and that the 59-AGA-39 sequence context differed slightly in the studies with [Fta]-B[a]P‐N 2 -dG versus (F)-anti-B[a]PDE. In spite of the discordance, [Fta]-B[a]P‐N 2 -dG induces G→A mutations in the context studied herein and this result has proven useful in generating a hypothesis for what conformations of [Fta]-B[a]P‐N 2 -dG are responsible for
Crystal structure of a 14 bp RNA duplex with non-symmetrical tandem G·U wobble base pairs

Adjacent GxU wobble base pairs are frequently found in rRNA. Atomic structures of small RNA motifs help to provide a better understanding of the effects of various tandem mismatches on duplex structure and stability, thereby providing better rules for RNA structure prediction and validation. The crystal structure of an RNA duplex containing the sequence r(GGUAUUGC-GGUACC)2 has been solved at 2.1 A resolution using experimental phases. Novel refinement strategies were needed for building the correct solvent model. At present, this is the only short RNA duplex structure containing 5'-U-U-3'/3'-G-G-5' non-symmetric tandem GxU wobble base pairs. In the 14mer duplex, the six central base pairs are all displaced away from the helix axis, yielding significant changes in local backbone conformation, helix parameters and charge distribution that may provide specific recognition sites for biologically relevant ligand binding. The greatest deviations from A-form helix occur where the guanine of a wobble base pair stacks over a purine from the opposite strand. In this vicinity, the intra-strand phosphate distances increase significantly, and the major groove width increases up to 3 A. Structural comparisons with other short duplexes containing symmetrical tandem GxU or GxT wobble base pairs show that nearest-neighbor sequence dependencies govern helical twist and the occurrence of cross-strand purine stacks.
Pulsed Envelope Detection of Color Signals

The paper deals with a method for synchronous detection employing half-wave rectifiers, rather than product demodulators, for the decoding of NTSC color signals. Two basic circuits are presented illustrating the balanced and unbalanced envelope detector and using conventional diodes and triodes, respectively. The ultimate phase accuracy is found to be ± 2 degrees for the unbalanced type, and better than ± 1 degree for the balanced type. However, these errors occur only at specific angles and vanish on others.
Willingness to Pay for Submerged Maritime Cultural Resources

Many consider salvage value and tourism expenditures as the only economic values of a historic shipwreck. This paper looks at one alternative, the non-market value generated by management of shipwrecks as submerged maritime cultural resources. We consider the question: How much are people willing to pay to maintain shipwrecks in their pristine state? The contingent valuation method was implemented during summer 2001 as part of a telephone survey to households in eastern North Carolina. We find that households are willing to pay about $35 in a one-time increase in state taxes. Willingness to pay is internally validated by expected relationships with prices and income but fails to pass the scope test. We speculate that we inadvertently succumbed to the well-known "birds" problem. The double-bounded willingness to pay questions are not incentive compatible and are subject to starting point bias, despite efforts to minimize these effects.
Migration with arbitrarily wide-angle wave equations

We develop a new scalar migration technique that is highly accurate for imaging steep dips in heterogeneous media. This method is based on arbitrarily wide-angle wave equations (AWWEs) that are highly accurate space-domain one-way wave equations and have a form similar to the 15° equation. The accuracy of the proposed method is increased by introducing auxiliary variables, as well as adjusting the parameters of the approximation. Poststack migration is carried out by downward continuation using the AWWE, for which we have developed a stable, explicit, double-marching scheme. Up to 80° accuracy is achieved by second-order AWWE migration with only 2.3 times the computational effort of the 15° equation and requiring almost the same storage. We illustrate the performance of AWWE migration using impulse-response graphs, a single-dipping reflector, and a slice of the SEG/EAGE salt model.
Comparison of heat tolerance of feedlot heifers of different breeds

Heat stress in cattle causes decreases in feed intake and feed efficiency; in extreme cases, it can cause death. These losses amount to millions of dollars each year. A study was designed to determine severity of heat stress among four breeds of cattle. Throughout two summers, 256 feedlot heifers of four different breeds were observed. Respiration rates, panting scores, and surface temperatures were taken twice each day on 10 animals/breed for several weeks during the summers of 2002 and 2003. Twenty-four-hour behavior measurements were recorded for four heat-stress and four thermoneutral days. Results showed during the afternoon, Angus cattle (black) had the highest respiration rates, panting scores, and surface temperatures, followed by the MARC III (dark red), Gelbvieh (tan), and Charolais (white). Behavior data showed that heat stress increased drinking and standing behavior, and decreased eating, lying, and agonistic behaviors, and that dark-hided cattle adjusted their behavior more than light-hided cattle. Overall, it was found that breed of cattle with dark-hides were more affected by temperature changes and at peak temperatures than breeds of cattle with light-hides.
Comparison of Thin-Lift Hot-Mix Asphalt Surface Course Mixes in New Jersey

The use of thin-lift hot-mix asphalt (HMA) surface course mixes has gained wide acceptance in the United States as a means of improving ride quality and safety. Generally, these materials are classified as having an open-graded and gap-graded aggregate skeleton, nominal aggregate sizes of 12.5 mm or less, and higher than normal asphalt binder contents and are placed in thicknesses of less than 1 in. (25 mm). The use of the thin-lift materials has been found to improve wet-weather driving conditions, reduce traffic noise associated with the tire-pavement interface, and improve ride quality measurements. Typically, thin-lift HMA surface course mixes found in New Jersey consist of open-graded friction courses and Novachip, with a few roadway sections using microsurfacing and stone-mastic asphalt. Each of these material types is evaluated to provide an assessment of their ride quality and safety. These thin-lift materials are compared with in-service dense-graded asphalt mixes and portland cement concrete (PC...
An invasive species facilitates the recovery of salt marsh ecosystems on Cape Cod

With global increases in human impacts, invasive species have become a major threat to ecosystems worldwide. While they have been traditionally viewed as harmful, invasive species may facilitate the restoration of degraded ecosystems outside their native ranges. In New England (USA) overfishing has depleted salt marsh predators, allowing the herbivorous crab Sesarma reticulatum to denude hundreds of hectares of low marsh. Here, using multiple site surveys and field caging experiments, we show that the subsequent invasion of green crabs, Carcinus maenas, into heavily burrowed marshes partially reverses decades of cordgrass die-off. By consuming Sesarma, eliciting a nonlethal escape response, and evicting Sesarma from burrows, Carcinus reduces Sesarma herbivory and promotes cordgrass recovery. These results suggest that invasive species can contribute to restoring degraded ecosystems and underscores the potential for invasive species to return ecological functions lost to human impacts.
Cohesive properties, electronic structure, and bonding characteristics of RuAl—A comparison to NiAl

Recent experiments on promising high-temperature aluminide intermetallic compounds discovered that, in contrast to NiAl, RuAl has critical 〈111〉 slip systems that facilitate ductility under compression at room temperature. In order to understand this different mechanical property from a microscopic point of view, the cohesive and electronic properties of NiAl and RuAl have been studied by means of the first principles local density all-electron self-consistent linearized muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) and full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) methods. The ground state cohesive properties calculated by the LMTO method (including equilibrium lattice constant, bulk modulus, and formation energy) are found to be in good agreement with experiment. The analysis of the band structure and density of states shows that the transition metal (Ni or Ru) d-Al p hybridization provides the major contribution to the cohesive energy in both compounds. The anti-phase boundary (APB) energy of RuAl associated with the ½〈111〉 {110} superdislocation (580 mJ/m2) is found to be only 65% that of NiAl. Moreover, the charge density near the Fermi energy reveals that (i) the strong Ni d-Al p hybridization at EF for NiAl causes a directional charge distribution along the 〈111〉 direction which may affect its dislocation dissociation; (ii) for RuAl, a mostly Ru-d electron charge distribution shows only d-d bonding along the 〈100〉 direction between Ru atoms.
Three-dimensional particle tracking with subnanometer resolution using off-focus images

A three-dimensional (3D) particle tracking algorithm based on microscope off-focus images is presented in this paper. Subnanometer resolution in all three axes at 400 Hz sampling rate is achieved using a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera. At each sampling, the lateral position of the spherical particle is first estimated by the centroid method. The axial position is then estimated by comparing the radius vector, which is converted from the off-focus two-dimensional image of the particle with no information loss, with an object-specific model, calibrated automatically prior to each experiment. Estimation bias and variance of the 3D tracking algorithm are characterized through analytical analysis. It leads to an analytical model, enabling prediction of the measurement performance based on calibration data. Finally, experimental results are presented to illustrate the performance of the measurement method in terms of precision and range. The validity of the theoretical analysis is also experimentally confirmed.
Five-loop coil occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus prevents recurrence of shunt at follow-up.

Recent reports suggest reopening of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) after complete occlusion with three-loop Gianturco coils. We hypothesize that five-loop coils may produce a larger thrombus than three-loop coils, which will result in no or less probability of recanalization of PDA during follow-up. This study is designed to test this hypothesis. Follow-up echocardiographic and Doppler data of 30 patients who underwent five-loop coil occlusion of small to medium-sized PDA during a 33-month period ending December 1998 were examined. Thirty patients had no residual shunt on echo Doppler study on the day following the procedure and were followed for 6 to 30 months (median, 12) after coil implantation. At the last follow-up study, none of the patients had a residual shunt and left atrial size decreased. Careful pulsed, continuous wave, and color Doppler interrogation of left/main pulmonary artery junction and proximal descending aorta did not reveal any evidence for obstruction. The follow-up data suggest that complete occlusion of small- to medium-sized PDAs is feasible with five-loop coils without evidence for recanalization at a mean follow-up of 12 months. Much longer (2 to 5 years) follow-up data may be necessary to confirm these observations. We speculate that a greater degree of thrombosis is produced within the ductus by the five-loop coils, which in turn may be responsible for lack of shunt recurrence. We recommend use of five-loop instead of three-loop coils for transcatheter occlusion of small- to medium-sized PDAs. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 50:202–206, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive Radios over Frequency Selective Channels in White Noise

Cognitive radio allows for usage of licensed frequency bands by unlicensed users when the licensed spectrum bands are unoccupied. Therefore, one of the first critical steps to be accomplished by a cognitive user is spectrum sensing: search for unoccupied spectrum bands (spectrum holes). A popular approach is that of energy detection whose implementation requires accurate knowledge of noise power. The performance of the energy detector deteriorates rapidly in the presence of noise power uncertainty. Recently several time-domain approaches relying on the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) paradigm have been proposed for multiple antenna spectrum sensing which obviate the need for the knowledge of the noise variance, unlike the energy detector. That is, multiple antennas at the receivers are needed to tackle the problem of unknown noise power. In this paper we investigate a single-antenna method for signal detection in white noise based on analysis of the power spectral density (PSD) of the received signal relying on the bandlimited nature of the signal to be detected. Our proposed approach is also based on GLRT but exploits the fact that while noise is white, the signal is colored; it does not require knowledge of the noise power. Simulation examples are provided in support of the proposed approach.
Micronekton community structure in the epipelagic zone of the northern California Current upwelling system

Spatial and temporal variability in the micronekton community and in oceanographic conditions were evaluated from nighttime midwater trawl samples collected between Heceta Head, Oregon (44.0N) and Willapa Bay, Washington (46.6N). Collections from 13 cruises (176 trawls) from 2004 to 2006 yielded over 17,000,000 micronekton individuals (350,000 excluding euphausiids), representing 76 taxa and 43 families. The community was numerically dominated by euphausiids, followed in decreasing order by midwater shrimp (Sergestes similis), lanternfishes (Myctophidae), late larval/juvenile rockfishes (Sebastes spp.), age-0 Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), and pelagic squid (Abraliopsis felis). We used cluster analysis, ordinations, multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP), and indicator species analysis (ISA) to examine community structure of the 28 dominant taxa. Ordination and cluster results indicated that distance from shore and sea-floor depth best characterized habitats used by different assemblages of the micronekton community. Temperature and salinity at various depths influenced community structure to a lesser extent, along with Ekman transport. MRPP and ISA results indicated that nearly all dominant taxa were associated with cross-shelf gradients. Based upon a comparison between historical samples collected in 1976 and 1981 and comparable trawls from this survey, distinct decadal differences among micronektonic fish assemblages were observed, including more juvenile flatfishes and rockfishes but a lower diversity of mesopelagic fishes, which may be related to interdecadal environmental changes between the two time periods. This study represents the first examination of the relationships between both vertebrate and invertebrate members of the epipelagic nekton community.
Gulf Stream System Assimilation Experiments: A Sensitivity Study

Abstract The major objective of oceanic data assimilation studies has been thus far to obtain a four-dimensional realization (space plus time) of the oceanic flow simultaneously consistent with the observations and the model dynamics. In these latest years, however, the forecasting of oceanic motions has emerged as a legitimate and important goal per se. In particular, the operational prediction of mesoscale flows and frontal systems has been the objective of recent assimilation applications in various regional systems of the World Ocean. One such effort focused on the short-term prediction of the Gulf Stream system in the DAMEE GSR (Data Assimilation and Model Evaluation Experiments Gulf Stream Region) sponsored by the U.S. Navy. The objective of DAMEE GSR phases I and II was 1–2-week forecast experiments. Phase III extended the suite of case studies by adding a 2-month-long assimilation experiment to assess the impact of long-term assimilations on model performance and forecasting skill. In this paper t...
Clinical management of resistance evolution in a bacterial infection: a case study

We report the case of a patient with a chronic bacterial infection that could not be cured. Drug treatment became progressively less effective due to antibiotic resistance, and the patient died, in effect from overwhelming evolution. Even though the evolution of drug resistance was recognized as a major threat, and the fundamentals of drug resistance evolution are well understood, it was impossible to make evidence-based decisions about the evolutionary risks associated with the various treatment options. We present this case to illustrate the urgent need for translational research in the evolutionary medicine of antibiotic resistance.
Thrombosis and Prognosis Following ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Left Ventricular Thrombus Assessment by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance

Acute ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is estimated to occur in over 3 million patients each year.1 Left ventricular (LV) thrombus is a serious complication of STEMI, which has been attributed to blood stasis resulting from LV contractile dysfunction and altered geometry (aneurysm). Advances in STEMI management bear particular relevance to LV thrombus: improved coronary reperfusion has augmented myocardial salvage, resulting in improved LV function and remodeling. Newly adopted standard of care therapies, such as thienopyridines, inhibit platelet aggregation, thereby potentially decreasing risk for thrombus. However, despite widespread changes in post-STEMI care, limited data exists concerning LV thrombus in the current era. Given that LV thrombus provides a substrate for embolic events and a rationale for anticoagulation, better understanding of prevalence, predictors, and prognostic significance of post-STEMI LV thrombus is of substantial importance. See Article by Poss et al Beyond changes in clinical management, advances in noninvasive imaging provide a strong rationale for revisiting post-STEMI LV thrombus. Echocardiography (echo) has traditionally been used as the primary modality for evaluating STEMI patients because it is widely available, inexpensive, and supported by ample data demonstrating that echo-based quantification of LV structure and function stratifies post-STEMI prognosis.2,3 However, echo can be limited with respect to LV thrombus. Image quality can be compromised by near field artifacts that obscure the LV apex, a location in which thrombus is often suspected. More broadly, echo limitations may stem from the approach by which thrombus is diagnosed. Echo identifies thrombus based on morphology. This approach can be straightforward when thrombus is large or protuberant, but challenging when thrombus is small or flat (mural). Consistent with these concepts, echo studies have reported marked variability in thrombus prevalence and prognostic significance4,5 and reported substantial inter-reader variability concerning diagnosis of LV thrombus.6 Given …
The Classification and Prognosis of Untreated Stage A1 and A2 Prostate Cancer with a Comparison of their Histologic Findings at Radical Prostatectomy

Stage A prostate cancer refers to tumor that is unsuspected clinically which is incidentally discovered in specimens usually removed for benign prostatic hypertrophy. This situation occurs when either the amount of carcinoma within the gland is small and not detected by rectal examination or when the tumor diffusely infiltrates the gland without resulting in induration or a clinically detected nodule. As one would expect, the biologic behavior of the tumor in these two situations differs considerably. Numerous studies have actually demonstrated that patients with a significant amount of clinically unsuspected prostatic carcinoma tend to be pathologically staged between those patients with clinical B1 and B2 lesions in terms of the incidence of capsular penetration (1), seminal vesicle involvement (1), and pelvic lymph node metastases (1–4).
Neutrophils: Harbingers of metastasis?

Neutrophils are the first responders to sites of injury and infection, but their role in cancer is poorly understood. Human tumors, often likened to “wounds that do not heal,” can display extensive neutrophil infiltration. These neutrophils are recruited through chemoattraction, adhesion, and
A Tale of Two Outcomes: Storytelling in Lobato v. State

Education reform advocates, students and parents have challenged the equality and adequacy of public school finance systems for four decades. Legal scholars have examined this large body of cases from various angles. The result is a deep body of scholarship concerning school finance litigation. Similarly, there is a robust body of scholarship addressing storytelling — the use of narrative theory — in the law. The scholarly conversation about narrativity in the law began approximately 30 years ago, and originated in the feminist legal theory and critical race theory movements in legal scholarship. This scholarship then entered the mainstream of legal scholarship and stressed the importance of storytelling in litigation and legal scholarship itself. As with scholarship on school finance litigation, today there are hundreds of articles exploring the narrative theory and the law.Notwithstanding these two rich strands of legal scholarship, the two have not yet intersected. Thus, no article has analyzed school finance litigation through the lens of storytelling and narrative theory. This Article connects storytelling scholarship and school finance litigation scholarship through the analysis of one case, Lobato v. State, in which school districts, students and parents challenged the constitutionality of Colorado’s school finance system. This Article analyzes the plaintiffs’ case, the trial court decision, and the Colorado Supreme Court opinion through the lens of narrative theory. It concludes that when compelling stories are told in school finance cases, plaintiffs will prevail. Moreover, it asserts that when courts ignore the call of plaintiffs’ stories, and thus find against them, such stories can still make a difference: The stories can become part of the larger public dialogue and engender real and concrete systemic changes.
Chinas International Financing Strategies

In order to finance rapid economic growth in the 1990’s, Chinese companies tried different strategies for raising capital in international capital markets. The strategies ranged from the use of depository receipts to listings on major stock exchanges. The lessons learned from the experiences of the Chinese companies could be valuable for managers from many other countries seeking to raise capital in international capital markets and to investors seeking some foreign investments for their portfolios. In addition, there are many implications for researchers in international business and economics fields, such as: regulatory policies regarding overseas listings (registration procedures, foreign exchange control), initial public offering (IPO) processes for foreign companies, investment returns with and without international financing, efforts to narrow the differences between accounting standards, international investment banking and accounting services, and World Trade Organization (WTO) changes. While Chinese companies have been active in many capital markets, the focus of this study is upon the activities of Chinese companies in American capital markets.
Effects of Exercise and Milk Consumption on Blood Serum Cholesterol in Rats

Abstract This study investigated the effects of exercise on blood cholesterol and correlated those effects with estimates of body fat through experiments with 45 albino weanling rats (15 litter mate trios). The rats were confined to individual cages in a temperature-controlled room and fed a stock diet until they were 11 weeks old. At this time the trios were divided. Group A was continued on a stock diet and exercised for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon by forced swimming. Group B was subjected to the same exercise but a portion of the stock diet was replaced with powdered whole milk, so that 30 percent of the caloric intake was derived from the whole milk supplement. Group C was fed the stock diet but activity was restricted. After 15 weeks blood samples were taken, the animals sacrificed, and the heart and adrenals weighed. The specific gravity of the carcass was also determined. Exercise resulted in a statistically significant decrease in total and free blood serum cholesterol conc...
Intratumoral heterogeneity: Role of differentiation in a potentially lethal phenotype of testicular cancer

BACKGROUND Intratumoral heterogeneity presents a major obstacle to the widespread implementation of precision medicine. The authors assessed the origin of intratumoral heterogeneity in nonseminomatous germ cell tumor of the testis (NSGCT) and identified distinct tumor subtypes and a potentially lethal phenotype. METHODS In this retrospective study, all consecutive patients who had been diagnosed with an NSGCT between January 2000 and December 2010 were evaluated. The histologic makeup of primary tumors and the clinical course of disease were determined for each patient. A Fine and Gray proportional hazards regression analysis was used to determine the prognostic risk factors, and the Gray test was used to detect differences in the cumulative incidence of cancer death. In a separate prospective study, next-generation sequencing was performed on tumor samples from 9 patients to identify any actionable mutations. RESULTS Six hundred fifteen patients were included in this study. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of yolk sac tumor in the primary tumor (P = .0003) was associated with an unfavorable prognosis. NSGCT could be divided into 5 subgroups. Patients in the yolk sac-seminoma subgroup had the poorest clinical outcome (P = .0015). These tumors tended to undergo somatic transformation (P < .0001). Among the 9 NSGCTs that had a yolk sac tumor phenotype, no consistent gene mutation was detected. CONCLUSIONS The current data suggest that intratumoral heterogeneity is caused in part by differentiation of pluripotent progenitor cells. Integrated or multimodal therapy may be effective at addressing intratumoral heterogeneity and treating distinct subtypes as well as a potentially lethal phenotype of NSGCT. Cancer 2016. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Effects of spin–orbit coupling on the coupled 33Π and 43Π excited states of NaK

Abstract Spin–orbit coupling constants calculated for several excited states of the NaK molecule are used to interpret recent experiments. The theoretical results, which provide coupling constants as a function of internuclear separation R , were convoluted with vibrational wavefunctions in order to determine vibrational-state-dependent spectroscopic constants that could be compared with recent measurements for the 3 3 Π state. Sharp structure in the experimental data could be attributed to rapid changes in the adiabatic spin–orbit coupling near an avoided crossing.
Effects of Glyphosate-tolerant Soybean Meal on Intestinal Mucosal Immunity in Broilers

A 21-day feeding trial was conducted to study the effects of glyphosate-tolerant soybean meal on the intestinal mucosal immunity in Arbor Acres(AA) broilers,and to evaluate the safety of glyphosate-tolerant soybean meal in broilers from intestinal mucosal immunity angle.Three hundred and sixty 1-day-old AA broilers were randomly divided into two groups,and fed the diets containing glyphosate-tolerant soybean meal and conventional soybean meal,respectively.They were slaughtered on d 21 for sampling.The intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes(iIEL) amount in duodenum,jejunum and cecum of broilers were observed by H E staining,and the contents of sIgA in jejunum chyme,and interleukin 2(IL-2) and interleukin 6(IL-6) in jejunum tissue of broilers were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The results showed as follows: the number of iIEL in different parts of intestine was not significantly different between the two groups(P0.05);the sIgA content in jejunum chyme was not significantly different between the two groups(P0.05),and the contents of IL-2 and IL-6 as well as IL-2/IL-6 in jejunum tissue were not significantly different between the two groups(P0.05).In conclusion,during the experimental period,there were no adverse effects of glyphosate-tolerant soybean meal on the detected indices of intestinal mucosal immunity in broilers.
Cellulose Solubility in Ionic Liquid Mixtures: Temperature, Cosolvent, and Antisolvent Effects

Select ionic liquids (ILs) dissolve significant quantities of cellulose through disruption and solvation of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. In this study, thermodynamic solid-liquid equilibrium was measured with microcrystalline cellulose in a model IL, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([EMIm][DEP]) and mixtures with protic antisolvents and aprotic cosolvents between 40 and 120 °C. The solubility of cellulose in pure [EMIm][DEP] exhibits an asymptotic maximum of approximately 20 mass % above 100 °C. Solubility studies conducted on antisolvent mixtures with [EMIm][DEP] and [BMIm][Cl] indicate that protic solvents, ethanol, methanol, and water, significantly reduce the cellulose capacity of IL mixtures by 38-100% even at small antisolvent loadings (<5 mass %). Alternatively, IL-aprotic cosolvent (dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, and 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone) mixtures at mass ratios up to 1:1 enhance cellulose dissolution by 20-60% compared to pure [EMIm][DEP] at select temperatures. Interactions between the IL and molecular solvents were investigated by Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic analysis, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. The results indicate that preferential solvation of the IL cation and anion by co- and antisolvents impact the ability of IL ions to interact with cellulose thus affecting the cellulose dissolution capacity of IL-solvent mixtures.
The Justification of Action-Guiding Beliefs: A Positive Account

Now that we have mapped out Plantinga’s account of warranted theistic and Christian beliefs, and have detailed several objections, we are in a good position to posit an alternative deontologically grounded evidentialist concept of justification which is more plausible in light of the EAFI and other considerations which favor an internalist account of justification, at least for action-guiding beliefs. These other considerations include Laurence Bonjour’s clairvoyance argument and Cohen’s new evil-demon argument that we have been discussing (Bonjour 1980; Cohen 1984). Religious beliefs such as “God exists,” “Christianity is true,” or “God has commanded X” are indeed action-guiding for the practicing believer; similarly, belief in the denials of these propositions is also action-guiding for many atheistic people.1 This accounts for the enduring importance and controversy which surrounds such beliefs.
8-Aminoguanosine and 8-Aminoguanine Exert Diuretic, Natriuretic, Glucosuric, and Antihypertensive Activity

In vivo, guanine moieties in DNA, RNA, guanine nucleotides, or guanosine or guanine per se can undergo nitration (for example, by peroxynitrite) or hydroxylation (for example, by superoxide anion) on position 8 of the purine ring. Subsequent catabolism of these modified biomolecules leads to the production of a diverse group of 8-nitro, 8-amino, and 8-hydroxy guanosine and guanine compounds. Indeed, studies suggest the in vivo existence of 8-nitroguanosine, 8-nitroguanine, 8-aminoguanosine, 8-aminoguanine, 8-hydroxyguanosine, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, and 8-hydroxyguanine. Since a multitude of these compounds exist in vivo, and since the renal effects of 8-substituted guanosine and guanine compounds are entirely unknown, we examined the effects of guanosine, guanine, 8-nitroguanosine, 8-nitroguanine, 8-hydroxyguanosine, 8-hydroxyguanine, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, 8-aminoguanosine, and 8-aminoguanine (33.5 µmol/kg; intravenous bolus) on excretion of sodium, potassium, and glucose in rats. Guanosine, 8-nitroguanosine, and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine had minimal natriuretic activity. Guanine, 8-nitroguanine, 8-hydroxyguanosine, and 8-hydroxyguanine had moderate natriuretic activity (increased sodium excretion by 9.4-, 7.8-, 7.1-, and 8.6-fold, respectively). In comparison with all other compounds, 8-aminoguanosine and 8-aminoguanine were highly efficacious and increased sodium excretion by 26.6- and 17.2-fold, respectively, exceeding that of a matched dose of amiloride (13.6-fold increase). 8-Aminoguanosine and 8-aminoguanine also increased glucose excretion by 12.1- and 12.2-fold, respectively, and decreased potassium excretion by 69.1 and 71.0%, respectively. Long-term radiotelemetry studies demonstrated that oral 8-aminoguanosine and 8-aminoguanine (5 mg/kg/day) suppressed deoxycorticosterone/salt-induced hypertension. These experiments demonstrate that some naturally occurring 8-substitued guanosine and guanine compounds, particularly 8-aminoguanosine and 8-aminoguanine, are potent and efficacious potassium-sparing diuretics/natriuretics that may represent a novel class of antihypertensive diuretics.
Stability of domain 4 of the anthrax toxin protective antigen and the effect of the VWA domain of CMG2 on stability.

The major immunogenic component of the current anthrax vaccine, anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) is protective antigen (PA). We have shown recently that the thermodynamic stability of PA can be significantly improved by binding to the Von-Willebrand factor A (VWA) domain of capillary morphogenesis protein 2 (CMG2), and improvements in thermodynamic stability may improve storage and long-term stability of PA for use as a vaccine. In order to understand the origin of this increase in stability, we have isolated the receptor binding domain of PA, domain 4 (D4), and have studied the effect of the addition of CMG2 on thermodynamic stability. We are able to determine a binding affinity between D4 and CMG2 (∼300 nM), which is significantly weaker than that between full-length PA and CMG2 (170-300 pM). Unlike full-length PA, we observe very little change in stability of D4 on binding to CMG2, using either fluorescence or 19 F-NMR experiments. Because in previous experiments we could observe a stabilization of both domain 4 and domain 2, the mechanism of stabilization of PA by CMG2 is likely to involve a mutual stabilization of these two domains.
Liver Regeneration: The Bioengineering Approach

Failure of liver function causes 25,000 deaths per year in the United States and the treatment requires orthotopic liver transplantation. However, the number of liver failure patients undergoing liver transplantation is limited by the available donor organs, and alternative treatments for liver transplantation are being investigated. Engineers have been involved in developing strategies for ex vivo bioartificial liver (BAL) support, hepatocyte transplantation, and whole organ replacement therapies. Bioreactor engineering is the basis for development of BAL devices to support failing liver functions. Tissue engineering and biopreservation technologies have been applied to improve the cell source, survival, and engraftment issues encountered in hepatocyte transplantation. Finally, biomaterials and organ engineering approaches aim to create liver substitutes for transplantation. This work presents the past and current engineering efforts for replacing failing liver functions as organ replacement therapy or as a bridge to transplantation.
Assessment of different fitting methods for in-vivo bi-component T2 * analysis of human patellar tendon in magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose To investigate the robustness of four fitting methods for bi-component effective spin-spin T2 (T2*) relaxation time analysis of human patellar tendon. Methods A three-dimensional (3D) cone ultra-short echo-time (UTE) sequence was performed on the knees of ten healthy volunteers at 3.0T. Four fitting methods incorporating either Gaussian or Rician noise distribution were used for voxel-by-voxel bi-component T2* analysis of the patellar tendon. The T2* for the short relaxing (T**,s ) and long relaxing (T*2,l ) water components and the fraction of the short relaxing water component (fs ) were measured, and different fitting methods were compared using Friedman's and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. A numerical simulation study was also performed to predict the accuracy and precision of bi-component T2* parameter estimation in tendon at different signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) levels. Results The average T*2,s , T*2,l , fs of human patellar tendon were 1.5ms, 30ms, and 80% respectively. Incorporating different noise models and fitting methods influenced the measured bi-component T2* parameters. Fitting methods incorporating Rician noise were superior to traditional fitting methods for bi-component T2* analysis especially at lower SNR. fs and T*2,s were less sensitive than T*2,1 to noise at even moderate and low SNR. The result of the in-vivo bi-component T2* analysis of tendon agreed well with numerical simulations. Conclusion Our study demonstrated the use of a 3D cone UTE sequence to perform in vivo voxel-by-voxel bi-component T2* analysis of human patellar tendon. Incorporating Rician noise was useful for improving bi-component T2* analysis especially at lower SNR. Level of evidence IV.
Weed Abundance and Community Composition following a Long-Term Organic Vegetable Cropping Systems Experiment

Weed management is a major constraint in organic cropping systems. In 2004, the Cornell Organic Vegetable Cropping Systems Experiment was established in central New York state using a split-plot randomized complete block design with two crop rotation entry points (split-plot factor). Four organic vegetable cropping systems that varied in cropping intensity and tillage (main plot factor) were compared: (1) intensive, (2) intermediate, (3) bio-extensive, and (4) ridge tillage. The basic crop rotation was cabbage, lettuce, potato, and winter squash, with additional short-season crops in the intensive system and with cover crops and fallow substituted for cabbage and potato in the bio-extensive system. In 2014, two uniformity trials were conducted in which oat and then a mixture of sorghum-sudangrass plus Japanese millet were grown uniformly over the entire experiment. Prior to sowing oat, soil samples were collected from each plot and an emergence bioassay was conducted to assess the soil weed seedbank. Crop biomass, weed density, and weed biomass were sampled in the uniformity crops. Soil weed seedbank density was three to four times greater in the intensive, intermediate, and ridge-tillage systems than in the bio-extensive system. The bio-extensive system also had lower weed density and weed biomass in the oat uniformity trial compared with the other three systems. Oat biomass did not differ between the cropping systems. Weed density and biomass in oat were also affected by the crop rotation entry point. Cropping system legacy effects on weed abundance and community composition were greater in the oat than in the sorghum-sudangrass plus Japanese millet uniformity trial. Our results illustrate the effects of different organic vegetable production practices on weed community structure and highlight the value of tilled fallow periods, cover crops, and prevention of weed seed rain for reducing weed populations.
Parenteral Nutrition: Indications, Access, and Complications

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a life-sustaining therapy in patients with intestinal failure who are unable to tolerate enteral feedings. Patient selection should be based on a thorough assessment to identify those at high nutrition risk based on both disease severity and nutritional status. This article reviews both the acute and chronic indications for PN as well as special formulation consideration in specific disease states, vascular access, and complications of both short-term and long-term PN.
Base-Free Iron Hydrosilylene Complexes via an α-Hydride Migration that Induces Spin Pairing

Two new base-free hydrosilylene complexes of iron were synthesized using the novel starting material Cp*(iPr2MeP)FeMes. These Cp*(iPr2MeP)Fe(H)SiHR (R = DMP, Trip) complexes are in equilibrium with the corresponding iron silyl complexes, Cp*(iPr2MeP)FeSiH2R, which can be trapped and characterized for R = Trip. Unlike the Ru analogues, the Fe silylene complex with R = DMP is observed to undergo an intramolecular C—H activation involving formal addition of a benzylic C—H bond across the Fe—Si bond. This increased activity for bond activations is also observed for reactions with hydrogen, where Fe reacts faster than a Ru analog to form the hydrogenation product, Cp*(iPr2MeP)H2FeSiH2DMP.