cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tissue collagenase: a simplified, semiquantitative enzyme assay.

Abstract Tissue collagenase activity from the ulcerating rabbit cornea has been quantitated in a sensitive capillary tube assay system with an unlabeled, native collagen substrate. In this assay system, initial rates of gel lysis are proportional to enzyme concentration over a defined range of enzyme concentrations. Increased sensitivity to enzyme with an unlabeled substrate has been achieved by restricting diffusion of enzyme to one dimension, in a capillary gel. Corneal collagenase activity has been measured at concentrations down to 0.1 μg/μl. In addition to its high sensitivity to enzyme, the precision and simplicity of the assay and minimal equipment requirements all recommend its use for routine screening of biological fluids for collagenase activity and in the investigation of the effects of inhibitors and stimulators of collagenase activity.
Evaluation of different cytotoxic and cytostatic measures for the in vitro micronucleus test (MNVit): Summary of results in the collaborative trial

This paper summarises the data for 14 different chemicals tested for induction of micronuclei (MN) in 5 different cell types across 12 different laboratories. All 14 chemicals induced biologically and statistically significant increases in MN frequency in the different cell types (L5178Y, TK6, CHO, CHL, V79) in the absence of cytochalasin B at or below target range toxicity (55+5%) irrespective of whether relative cell count (RCC), relative increase in cell count (RICC) or relative population doubling (RPD) was used as a measure of cytotoxicity/cytostasis to select the top concentration. All measures of cytotoxicity in the absence of cytochalasin B are therefore considered equally acceptable for use, and the responses were comparable to those obtained in the presence of cytochalasin B.
Separate molecular mechanisms regulate CAT2 gene expression before and after glyoxysome maturation in two genetic lines of maize.

The temporal expression pattern of the CAT-2 catalase isozyme in scutella of Zea mays seedlings normally coincides with that of other major glyoxysomal enzymes. In standard genetic lines (e.g., W64A), the CAT-2 enzyme is synthesized de novo after imbibition, reaches a peak at approximately 4 days later, and then declines steadily. In a high CAT-2 genetic line, R6-67, the enzyme accumulates in a linear fashion for at least 8 days after imbibition and reaches a level 3-fold higher than in W64A. During the first 9 days of early seedling growth in W64A, the correlation between Cat2 mRNA levels and CAT-2 protein suggests that pretranslational control governs Cat2 gene expression. In R6-67, the steady rise in CAT-2 protein appears to result from a pretranslational control mechanism in which Cat-2 mRNA apparently never declines to levels which would limit the rate of accumulation of CAT-2 protein. In addition, the amount of Cat2 mRNA bound to polysomes is 3-fold higher in R6-67 at day 9 relative to W64A at day 9, reflecting a much greater capacity to synthesize CAT-2 later in development. Despite substantial differences in Cat2 mRNA levels between genetic lines, early CAT-2 protein accumulation is similar until day 5, when other glyoxysomal enzymes also attain maximal activity levels. The early increase in CAT-2, between day 2 and day 5 post-imbibition, occurs despite a sharp decline in polysomal Cat2 mRNA. This is related to a transient decline in total extractable polysomes which paradoxically coincides with the peak in glyoxysomal enzyme activities. Early Cat2 gene expression is likely controlled by the compartmentalization of CAT-2 in glyoxysomes.
Coronary risk factors in women six months after coronary artery bypass grafting

The coronary risk factor status of women before and after coronary artery bypass grafting has not been fully described. This study was a prospective investigation of 136 women who underwent first-time, isolated coronary artery bypass grafting between February 1992 and October 1993. Major coronary risk factors were measured at the time of surgery and again 6 months later. The sample was 22% black, had a mean age of 64 years, and an average of 11 years of education. Substantial favorable changes in risk factor status occurred in the prevalence of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day among smokers. Although the self-reported dietary intake of fat decreased significantly, the dietary consumption of fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol remained above the recommended levels of the Step II diet and weights remained essentially the same. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures significantly increased and a substantial number of patients (59%) continued to exhibit hypertension at 6 months. No significant changes in plasma lipid concentrations were achieved. At 6 months, one third of the women exceeded recommended levels for triglycerides, 85% for total cholesterol, and 92% for low-density lipoproteins. In addition, 34% had high-density lipoprotein levels < 40 mg/dl. Health care professionals need to target these women for effective secondary prevention.
The Contingency of Perceptual Processing: Context Modifies Equal-Loudness Relations

The relative loudnesses of tones that differ in sound frequency can depend strongly on the stimulus context, that is, on the set of intensity levels in the stimulus ensemble Using a new paradigm, called matching in scaling, this investigation sought to confirm that context modifies loudness relations per se, and not, for example, only overt responses To this end, two experiments revealed that changes in stimulus context differentially affect direct comparisons of loudness of 500-Hz and 2,500-Hz tones, as well as numerical judgments of individual tones—when loudness matches and scaling judgments alike are obtained in the same experimental sessions These contingent effects vary dynamically over time as a function of the recent stimulus history A third experiment revealed analogous effects in a simple matching paradigm, with no numerical judgments at all These findings support the contention that basic properties of loudness perception—grounded in auditory processes often considered “low level”—nevertheless ...
A multiobjective memetic algorithm for PPI network alignment

Motivation There recently has been great interest in aligning protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks to identify potentially orthologous proteins between species. It is thought that the topological information contained in these networks will yield better orthology predictions than sequence similarity alone. Recent work has found that existing aligners have difficulty making use of both topological and sequence similarity when aligning, with either one or the other being better matched. This can be at least partially attributed to the fact that existing aligners try to combine these two potentially conflicting objectives into a single objective. Results We present Optnetalign, a multiobjective memetic algorithm for the problem of PPI network alignment that uses extremely efficient swap-based local search, mutation and crossover operations to create a population of alignments. This algorithm optimizes the conflicting goals of topological and sequence similarity using the concept of Pareto dominance, exploring the tradeoff between the two objectives as it runs. This allows us to produce many high-quality candidate alignments in a single run. Our algorithm produces alignments that are much better compromises between topological and biological match quality than previous work, while better characterizing the diversity of possible good alignments between two networks. Our aligner's results have several interesting implications for future research on alignment evaluation, the design of network alignment objectives and the interpretation of alignment results. Availability and implementation The C++ source code to our program, along with compilation and usage instructions, is available at https://github.com/crclark/optnetaligncpp/
Lobular Neoplasia: Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia and Lobular Carcinoma In Situ

Lobular neoplasia (LN) refers to the spectrum of benign epithelial proliferation including atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) (1). It is usually an incidental finding noted at the time of needle or excisional biopsy and lacks distinctive features on imaging or physical exam.
Nonlinear dynamics of semiconductor laser arrays: a mean field model

An analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of single-emitter and multiemitter index-guided semiconductor laser arrays is presented. The results are based on a propagation model that involves a pair of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations. The model describes the space-time evolution of the mutually interacting lateral field and carrier density distributions. It includes the effect of carrier diffusion and the effect of carrier-induced antiguiding. Coupling between the emitters is provided by the overlapping evanescent fields of the emitters as well as by the exchange of carriers through carrier diffusion. We show that carrier diffusion plays a significant role in the stability and the nature of bifurcations. Also we show that carrier-induced antiguiding is the principal reason of instability for singleand two-emitter arrays. We illustrate a wide variety of instabilities that demonstrate the richness of the dynamics in these devices. >
Inositol phosphates: synthesis and degradation

phospholipase C; these topics are not considered here. This review describes the pathways and enzymes for the metabolism of inositol phosphates. myo-Inositol has six hydroxyl groups that can be substi- tuted with phosphate groups (Fig. 1). There are 63 different possible myo-inositol phosphates plus the three known ino- sitol cyclic phosphates, yielding a total of 66 possible com- pounds. Thus far, nearly 20 different inositol phosphates have been detected in one or more cell types. Many early reports describe separation of inositol mono-, bis-, and trisphosphates by step gradient elution from anion exchange resins tacitly assuming that nonspecific phosphatases acted on these com- pounds. Recent studies demonstrate that the inositol phos- phates, in fact, are metabolized by highly specific kinases and phosphatases. The complexity of the pathways for formation and degradation of these compounds leads us to speculate *
Commutation technique for high-frequency link cycloconverter based on state-Machine control

A technique for commutating the load current of a high-frequency link, pulse-width modulated cycloconverter is presented. As the load current makes a sign transition, switch operation becomes critical to avoid commutation failure. Previous techniques required either dead time or the use of large inductors to limit shoot-through current, thereby compromising performance and efficiency. The technique presented here identifies the switching sequence that is necessary to allow load current to commutate naturally without distortion. The switching sequence is managed with a state machine.
The biology and methodology of assisted reproduction in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus).

Although laboratory-reared species of the genus Peromyscus—including deer mice—are used as model animals in a wide range of research, routine manipulation of Peromyscus embryogenesis and reproduction has been lagging. The objective of the present study was to optimize conditions for oocyte and/or embryo retrieval and for in vitro culturing. On average, 6.4 oocytes per mouse were recovered when two doses of 15 IU of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) were given 24 h apart, followed by 15 IU of hCG 48 h later. Following this hormone priming, females mated overnight with a fertile male yielded an average of 9.1 two-cell stage embryos. Although two-cell stage embryos developed to 8-cell stage in Potassium Simplex Optimized Medium (KSOM; Millipore-Chemicon, Billerica, MA, USA) in vitro, but not further, embryos recovered at the 8- to 16-cell stages developed into fully expanded blastocysts when cultured in M16 media in vitro. These blastocysts had full potential to develop into late stage fetuses and possibly into live pups. As a result of the present work, all stages of Peromyscus preimplantation development are now obtainable in numbers sufficient for molecular or other analyses. These advances provide the opportunity for routine studies involving embryo transfer (e.g., chimeras, transgenics), and preservation of genetic lines by cryopreservation.
Visual concepts for news story tracking: analyzing and exploiting the NIST TRESVID video annotation experiment

In the summer of 2003, using an interactive intelligent tool, over 100 researchers in video understanding annotated from the NIST TRECVID database over 62 hours of news video spanning six months of 1998. These 47K shots with 43 3 K labels from over 1000 visual concept categories comprise the largest publicly available ground truth for this domain. Our analysis of this data, combining the tools of statistical natural language processing, machine learning, and computer vision, finds significant novel statistical patterns that can be exploited for the accurate tracking of the episodes of a given news story over time, by using semantic labels that are solely visual. We find that the ground "truth" is very muddy, but by using the feature selection tool of information gain, we extract 14 reliable visual concepts with mid-frequency use; all but one are visual concepts that refer to settings, rather than actors, objects, or events. We discover that the probability of another episode of a named story to recur after a gap of d days is proportional to 1/(d + 1). We define a novel similarity measure incorporating both semantic and temporal properties between episodes i and j as: Dice(i, j)/(1 + gap(i, j)). We exploit a low-level computer vision technique, normalized cut (Laplacian eigenmaps), for clustering these episodes into stories, and in the process document a weakness of this popular technique. We use these empirical results to make specific recommendations on how better visual semantic ontologies for news stories, and how better video annotation tools, should be designed.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists' national endorsement program for simulation centers

Anesthesiologists pioneered the use of simulation for health care years ago, and expanded the use of the technology in the 1980s and 1990s. Now, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is supporting an accreditation process for simulation programs to ensure that practicing anesthesiologists and their patients benefit from innovative, experiential training that has the potential to improve care and foster a higher level of patient safety. The development of this accreditation process is discussed along with its anticipated benefits.
Teaching American Sign Language to Hearing Adult Learners

American Sign Language (ASL) has become a very popular language in high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the U.S., due, in part, to the growing number of schools that allow students to take the language in order to fulfill a foreign or general language requirement. Within the past couple decades, the number of students enrolled in ASL classes has increased dramatically, and there are likely more instructors of ASL at the present time than ever before. ASL and spoken language instruction are similar in some aspects; however, there are also differences between the two (e.g., modality differences involving visual rather than auditory perception and processing, no commonly used writing system in ASL, and the socio-cultural history of deaf-hearing relations). In spite of these differences, minimal research has been done on ASL learning and classroom pedagogy—especially in recent years. This article reports on studies that have been performed recently and it also suggests various themes for future research. In particular, three main areas of research are proposed: the possible role of the socio-political history of the Deaf community in which ASL teaching is situated, linguistic differences between signed and spoken languages, and the use of video and computer-based technologies.
Impact of Food Matrix on Isoflavone Metabolism and Cardiovascular Biomarkers in Adults with Hypercholesterolemia

The role of food matrix and gender on soy isoflavone metabolism and biomarkers of activity were examined in twenty free-living adults (34.7 ± 11.5 years old) with hypercholesterolemia (221.9 ± 18.7mg dL−1). In a randomized crossover design study, participants consumed soy bread (3 wk) or a soy beverage (3 wk) containing 20 g soy protein with 99 and 93 mg isoflavones aglycone equivalents per day, respectively. During soy bread intervention, women had significantly greater microbial metabolite excretion (P = 0.05) of isoflavonoids than men. In men, isoflavone metabolite excretion was not discernibly different between the two matrices. Significant reductions (P ≤ 0.05) in triglycerides (24.8%), LDL cholesterol (6.0%), apolipoprotein A–I (12.3%), and lipid oxidative stress capacity (25.5%), were observed after soy food intervention. Our findings suggest that the food matrix significantly impacts soy isoflavone metabolism, particularly microbial metabolites in women.
Foundations of the Symposium on Thermophysical Properties with a Historical Perspective

A summary of the foundations of the Symposium on Thermophysical Properties with a historical perspective on the main developments as well as on the principals involved is presented. Included are some casual insights into their backgrouds and into the personalities of those involved. Synopses of the 13 symposia held to date are provided.
The Lived Experience of Women Diagnosed With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Objective To uncover the meaning of living with polycystic ovary syndrome. Design Phenomenology. Setting A women's health care practice in northeast United States. Participants A purposive sample consisting of 12 women, ages 21 to 48 years, who had been previously diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. Data collection Semistructured interviews. Results Analysis of the participants' responses revealed the following themes: (a) identifying differences, (b) wanting to be normal, (c) searching for answers, (d) gaining control, (e) attempting to achieve femininity, (f) letting go of guilt, and (g) dealing with it. Conclusions Polycystic ovary syndrome is a syndrome that impacts women both physically and psychosocially. Nurses can play a key role in assisting women afflicted with this hormonal disturbance through education and support. JOGNN, 35, 385‐392; 2006. DOI: 10.1111/J.1552‐6909.2006.00047.x
Principles of Cardiac Electric Propagation and Their Implications for Re-entrant Arrhythmias

The study of clinical electrophysiology essentially comprises examining how electric excitation develops and spreads through the millions of cells that constitute the heart. Given the enormous number of cells in a human heart, there is an extremely large number of possible ways that the heart can behave. We encounter rhythms across the spectrum from the organized and orderly behavior of sinus rhythm through repetitive continuous excitation (via reentry) in structurally defined circuits like atrial flutter and, finally, the complex, dynamic, and disorganized behavior of fibrillation. Despite these myriad possibilities, one can apply a basic understanding of the principles of propagation to predict how cardiac tissue will behave under varied circumstances and in response to various manipulations. In this article, we review the principles of propagation and how these can be used to understand reentry of all degrees of complexity. We use these principles to explain the mechanisms by which antiarrhythmic medications and ablation can terminate and prevent reentry. This article is not intended to be an exhaustive description of the physiology of cardiac propagation, rather, it is meant to capture the essence of propagation with sufficient detail to provide an intuitive feel for the interplay of the physiological features relevant to propagation. The figures and videos used in this article were created using a computational model of cardiac propagation (VisibleEP LLC, Colchester, VT). It is a hybrid between a physics-based and cellular automaton model. The model incorporates the fundamental features of propagation without modeling individual ion channels.1 The model manifests several relevant emergent properties, for example, electrotonic interactions, restitution of action potential duration, and conduction velocity as well as source–sink balance–dependent propagation. ### Cell Excitation A cell becomes excited when the balance of inward and outward currents passes a critical point after which inward currents exceed outward and an action potential ensues. …
How much work do scientific images do

In this paper, I defend the view that there are many scientific images that have a serious epistemic role in science but this role is not adequately accounted for by the going view of representation and its attendant theoretical commitments. The relevant view of representation is Laura Perini’s account of representation for scientific images. I draw on Adina Roskies’ work on scientific images as well as work on models in science to support my conclusion.
Advances in screening for colorectal cancer

There are relatively few established etiologic factors for colorectal cancer, and therefore primary prevention remains speculative. Diet has been most widely studied, and results indicate that diets high in fat, meat, and protein are positively associated with colorectal cancer, whereas diets high in vegetables, fruits, and fibers are negatively associated [1]. Intervention studies have yet to show that modifying diets will alter risk.
Macrolide Use and Neutrophil Function/Cytokine Levels in Hospitalized Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Pilot Study.

The objective of this study was to measure plasma cytokine levels and blood neutrophil functions as well as clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated with or without macrolide use—a known modulator of inflammatory response. Subjects with CAP had peripheral blood analyzed for some neutrophil functions (degranulation of secretory vesicles and specific granules, respiratory burst response and phagocytosis) and ten cytokine levels measured in serum and sputum supernatants. Neutrophil function in healthy volunteers was also measured for reference. Values were measured on the day of enrollment, days 2–4 and 5–7, depending on a patient’s length of stay. Early and late clinical outcomes were also evaluated. All values were compared between those treated with or without a macrolide. A total of 40 subjects were in this study; 14 received macrolide treatment, and 26 did not. Neutrophil function in the macrolide group was not significantly different compared to the non-macrolide group. None of the median cytokine levels or IQRs were statistically significant between the groups. However, a trend toward decreased IL-6, IL-8, and IFN-γ levels, and favorable clinical outcomes were present in the macrolide group. This pilot study showed no statistical difference between cytokine levels or neutrophil activity for CAP patients prescribed a macrolide containing regimen. Considering the trend of lower cytokine levels in the macrolide group when comparing the 5- to 7-day time period with the non-macrolide group, a full study with an appropriate sample size may be warranted.
Free-Pendulum Vibration Absorber Experiment Using Digital Image Processing

Using image processing and analysis, the dynamic behavior of the beam-free-pendulum system under low and high sinusoidal excitation was investigated. The system responses were investigated experimentally in the neighborhood of primary resonance condition. The results exhibited autoparametric interaction between the beam and the free pendulum when the primary resonance condition was satisfied. Experiments were conducted for two different pendulum weights under two different shaker forcing amplitudes, and the results were compared. Experimental data were obtained by sweeping between the frequencies that contain the resonance condition under investigation. The results of experiments for different beam-tip mass and pendulum mass ratios indicate that more powerful absorption action can be achieved when the smaller mass ratios are used.
Directing Convection to Pattern Thin Polymer Films: Coffee Rings

Investigation into the evaporation of a droplet consisting of nonvolatile solutes is not only for a better understanding of the mechanism that underpins the evaporation process but also for utilizing such a simple strategy it presents to craft intriguing self-assembled structures. In this chapter, we first review the recent progress on the theory of the droplet evaporation on substrate, in particular, focusing on the evaporative flux at the three-phase contact line, the radial and circular flows inside the evaporating droplet, and the interactions between solute and substrate. Subsequently, we discuss the recent advances in controlling evaporative self-assembly of solutes by restricting the evaporation process in confined geometries, including controlled evaporative self-assembly (CESA) in curve-on-flat geometries and flow-enabled self-assembly (FESA). The ability to yield well-defined dissipative structures from a variety of nanomaterials at low cost holds promise for potential applications in electronics, nanodevices, and advanced functional systems.
High-resolution all-optical threshold detector

The major attraction of optical data processing is the potential for high data throughput. We describe an all-optical high-resolution threshold detector which can be interfaced with other optical devices to attain this goal.1 The detector performs not only spatially resolved intensity thresholding but also temporal integration. We present new results which demonstrate both the high spatial resolution and temporal integrating properties of our device.
Illness, Disability, and the Beautiful Life

This essay is the guest editor's introduction to the special issue on Illness and Disability Studies. The piece brings key concepts from Illness and Disability Studies into dialogue with Asian American Studies to crucially ask, What would it mean for Asian American Studies to imagine its central subject, its imagined body, as a disabled one? It also provides a brief accounting of the essays collected in the special issue and some of the connections between them.
Animation 2000

In the next millennium, computer animation will be both the same as now and also very different. Animators will always have tools that allow specifying and controlling, through manual interactive interfaces, every nuance of shape, movement, and parameter settings. Whether for skilled animators or novices, the future of animation will present a fantastically expanded palette of possibilities: techniques, resources, and libraries for creating and controlling movements. The author discusses motion capture, natural language, evolving systems and digital clones.
Naphthalene Diimide Based Materials with Adjustable Redox Potentials: Evaluation for Organic Lithium-Ion Batteries

The promising crystallinity and tunable redox capabilities of naphthalene diimides make them attractive candidates as electroactive materials for organic-based lithium-ion batteries. In this study, a family of naphthalene diimide derivates was synthesized and their redox properties explored with the intent of unveiling structures with reduction potentials that are higher than those encountered in previous organic redox processes. Changes in the electronic characteristics of the aryl substituents resulted in materials with discharge potentials that vary from 2.3 to 2.9 V vs Li/Li+, with discharge capacities as high as 121 mAh/g.
Study on square wave current source applied to high voltage SVC

Aiming at the characteristics of power supply circuit of high voltage SVC,this paper proposes the control plan applying square wave current source,a plan which enables square wave current source to output high-frequency square wave current with constant amplitude at low voltage side,and to couple energy at high voltage side by making high voltage insulated cable across several magnetic-ring transformers,and to supply power to high voltage SVC after transformation at the secondary side. The experiment shows that the alternating square wave current source with the average value 1A and the frequency of 70 kHz is acquired by this method,which accords with the expected design requirement of the whole power source.
Characteristic of rotavirus carriers among infants with respiratory tract infections

Objective To investigate the characteristics of rotavirus carriers among infants with respiratory infections. Methods Rotavirus antigens were detected with colloidal gold in 338 stool specimens from infants with respiratory infections.Results Of the infants,6.8% were rotavirus carriers.Of these,9.6% were male and 5.4% were female;there were no significant differences between these two groups(χ2=2.195,P0.05).The rate of rotavirus infection was highest in winter.Of infants with an upper respiratory infection,19.6% were rotavirus carriers while significantly fewer infants with a lower respiratory tract infection(χ2=12.178,P0.05) were carriers(4.4%).Conclusion Infants with respiratory infections can be rotavirus carriers,and there are seasonal variations in rotavirus infection.
From labelling to social aid social aid for immigrants in the 21st Century

Migration is as old as humanity, but since the 1990s migration flows in Western Europe have led to societies that are not just multicultural but so-called «super-diverse». As a result, Western towns now have very complex social structures, with amongst others large amounts of small immigrant communities that are in constant change. In this paper we argue that for social workers to be able to offer adequate professional help to non-native residents in town, they will need balanced view of ‘culture’ and of the role culture plays in social aid. Culture is never static, but is continually changing. By teaching social workers about how to look at cultural backgrounds of immigrant groups and about the limitations of then role that culture plays in communication, they will be better equipped to provide adequate aid and will contribute to making various groups grow towards each other and to avoid people thinking in terms of ‘out-group-homogeneity’. Nowadays, inclusion is a priority in social work that almost every social worker supports. Social workers should have an open attitude to allow them to approach every individual as a unique person. They will see the other person as the person they are, and not as a part of a specific cultural group. Knowledge about the others makes them see the cultural heterogeneity in every group. The social sector, though, must be aware not to fall into the trap of the ‘inclusion mania’! This will cause the social deprivation of a particular group to be forgotten. An inclusive policy requires an inclusive society. Otherwise, this could result in even more deprivation of other groups, already discriminated against. Emancipation of deprived people demands a certain target-group policymaking. Categorized aid will raise efficiency of working with immigrants and of acknowledging the cultural identity of the non-natives group. It will also create the possibility to work on fighting social deprivation, in which most immigrants can be found.
Optical emission enhancement in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using micro-torches

A cost effective method for optical emission enhancement in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been proposed in this research. The pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 532 nm was used for sample ablation and plasma generation. A cost effective commercial butane micro-torch was put parallel to the sample surface to generate a small flame above the surface. The laser-induced plasma expanded in the flame environment. The time-resolved optical emission intensity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) have been observed with and without micro torch. For laser with pulse energy of 20 mJ, the relationship between optical emission intensity and delay time indicates that signal intensities have been greatly enhanced in the initial several microseconds when using micro torch. The time-resolved study of signal-to-noise ratio shows that the maximum SNR occurs at the delay time of 2 μs. The laser energy effects on the enhancements of optical emission intensity and SNR have also been analyzed, which indicates that the enhancement factors are both delay time and laser energy dependent. The maximum enhancement factors for both optical emission intensity and SNR gradually decreases with the laser energy increase. The limits of detection (LODs) for aluminum (Al) and molybdenum (Mo) in steel have been estimated, which shows that the detection sensitivity has been improved by around 4 times. The LODs of Al and Mo have been reduced from 18 to 6 ppm and from 110 to 36 ppm in LIBS, respectively. The method of LIBS by a micro torch has been demonstrated to be a cost effective method for detection sensitivity improvement, especially in the situation of low laser pulse energy.
Additional helmet and pack loading reduce situational awareness during the establishment of marksmanship posture

AbstractThe pickup of visual information is critical for controlling movement and maintaining situational awareness in dangerous situations. Altered coordination while wearing protective equipment may impact the likelihood of injury or death. This investigation examined the consequences of load magnitude and distribution on situational awareness, segmental coordination and head gaze in several protective equipment ensembles. Twelve soldiers stepped down onto force plates and were instructed to quickly and accurately identify visual information while establishing marksmanship posture in protective equipment. Time to discriminate visual information was extended when additional pack and helmet loads were added, with the small increase in helmet load having the largest effect. Greater head-leading and in-phase trunk–head coordination were found with lighter pack loads, while trunk-leading coordination increased and head gaze dynamics were more disrupted in heavier pack loads. Additional armour load in the ves...
The Superficial Femoral Artery: An Alternative Access for Percutaneous Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

Background The aim of this study was to report the results of percutaneous endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (PEVAR) using the superficial femoral artery (SFA) for large bore vessel access. Methods We reviewed all PEVAR procedures at our institution over an 18-month period, identifying all patients who underwent PEVAR with the use of one or both SFAs for endograft delivery with dual ProGlide large bore access closure. Indications for use of the SFA instead of the common femoral artery (CFA) included morbid obesity, CFA vessel wall disease, and scarring from previous CFA surgery. Results In total, 158 percutaneous access closures were performed in 79 patients. Ten patients had one or both SFAs used. We accessed a total of 13 SFAs: 6 for the endograft main body (size range 18- to 20-French) and 7 for the limb (14- to 16-French). The freedom from open conversion was 84.6%. In comparison, of 145 CFA accesses (in 76 patients) there were 9 conversions (93.7% success). Of the 13 SFAs accessed, there were no major access site complications (pseudoaneurysm, access site bleed, limb ischemia, or need to return to the operating room). All SFAs accessed remained patent at the latest follow-up (range 1–13 months, median 8 months). Conclusions Our preliminary case series suggests that, in the absence of a healthy or percutaneously accessible CFA, a healthy SFA may be considered for PEVAR access. While likely carrying a higher risk of open conversion, this technique, when combined with intraoperative duplex ultrasound (both before and after the procedure) and with meticulous ultrasound-guided vascular access, appears safe for up to 20-French device diameters.
Secondary Motor Cortex: Where ‘Sensory’ Meets ‘Motor’ in the Rodent Frontal Cortex

In rodents, the medial aspect of the secondary motor cortex (M2) is known by other names, including medial agranular cortex (AGm), medial precentral cortex (PrCm), and frontal orienting field (FOF). As a subdivision of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), M2 can be defined by a distinct set of afferent and efferent connections, microstimulation responses, and lesion outcomes. However, the behavioral role of M2 remains mysterious. Here, we focus on evidence from rodent studies, highlighting recent findings of early and context-dependent choice-related activity in M2 during voluntary behavior. Based on the current understanding, we suggest that a major function for M2 is to flexibly map antecedent signals such as sensory cues to motor actions, thereby enabling adaptive choice behavior.
Defensive Strategy for Innovators

IN 2008 ATHLETIC APPAREL COMPANY Under Armour entered the mainstream athletic shoes category, launching a line of cross training sneakers. CEO Kevin Plank was supremely confident about the new products and had invested a large part of the company’s marketing budget in a launch plan that included a $4.4 million Super Bowl commercial. He told a reporter from The New York Times, “Under Armour controls its own destiny. We believe there are better fabrics, better technology, and better innovations … people are going to try us.”1
Abstract 1768: A practical tool for probing protein glycosylation in clinical samples: Application to characterizing subtypes of MUC5AC glycosylation in distinct subsets of pancreatic cancer patients

Glycans are critical to protein biology and are useful as disease biomarkers. Many studies of glycans rely on clinical specimens, but the low amount of sample available for some specimens limits the experimental options. We have a method to obtain information about protein glycosylation using a minimal amount of protein, and we applied it to the study of biomarkers in the blood plasma of pancreatic cancer patients. The method works by treating proteins that were captured by antibody microarrays (2.2 x 2.2 mm) with exoglycosidases to successively expose underlying features, and then probing the native or exposed features using a panel of lectins or glycan-binding antibodies. We use an algorithm to interpret the data and provide predictions about the glycan motifs that are present in the sample. We applied the method to the analysis of the glycosylation of a biomarker, MUC5AC, found in the plasma of patients with pancreatic cancer. An O-linked glycan on MUC5AC that is elevated in the plasma of about 75% of patient had mostly 2,3 linked sialic acid on type-1 N-acetyl-lactosamine (LacNAc), whereas other glycans on MUC5AC had a 2,6 linkage of sialic acid on type-2 LacNAc. Another glycan, fucosylated and sialylated/sulfated type-2 LacNAc, which is elevated in distinct subset of patients, was on N-linked glycans, representing an unusual finding of N-linked glycans on mucins associated with cancer. Further developments are enabling the testing for consistent structural features associating with subtypes of cancer, which could improve our ability to detect and target the subtypes. The on-chip glycan modification and probing (on-chip GMAP) method provides a platform for analyzing protein glycosylation in clinical specimens and could facilitate the characterization and discovery of glycan biomarkers. Citation Format: Peter Y. Hsueh. A practical tool for probing protein glycosylation in clinical samples: Application to characterizing subtypes of MUC5AC glycosylation in distinct subsets of pancreatic cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1768. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1768
The Development of the Ideal Self

Life is not experienced as a succession of moments or days, each existing in isolation from the others. Each individual views himself as evolving in complicated but comprehensible ways over time. A man may remember himself as a shy adolescent and view his current introversion as an extension of the same tendency. Another man might view his interest in biology and chemistry as the foundation for a career in medicine.
Improving practices through analysis of long-term microphone calibration records

A microphone’s history of calibration is a useful source of information, as an independent analysis of the data can reveal more than simply the metrological traceability. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center maintains over 13 years of calibration records from an inventory of over 280 Class 1 microphones, which were examined for historical validity and consistency. Analyzing trends in the laboratory reported sensitivities showed that 12.9% of active microphones exhibited four possible trends that could indicate potential microphone failure: sensitivity drift, sensitivity drift followed by instability, jump in sensitivity, and general instability. Many of the microphones that displayed these trends had uncertainties greater than a ± 1.0 dB tolerance inferred from ANSI S1.14 Class 1 microphone specifications, and an additional 10.7% of microphones showed errors in the calibration laboratory’s transcription process or testing procedures. Recommendations are put forth for best practices relat...
Medical Economics of Victims

This paper aims at assessing present and future financial losses due to an accidental or negligence injury. For this purpose one calculates a) retrospective expenses, b) prospective expenses, c) growth rate and discounting, d) taxes, e) pain and suffering, and f) structural settlements.
Individual Differences in Maternal Style: Causes and Consequences for Mothers and offspring

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on spontaneously occurring individual differences in maternal behavior within primate species. It argues that maternal style is both an expression of temperament-based differences among adult females, and a mechanism for transmitting individual differences across generations. The chapter describes the principal dimensions of maternal style that have been identified in studies of cercopithecine primates, and examines the variables that have been proposed to explain this variation in maternal behavior. It demonstrates that maternal style is responsive to social and ecological circumstances to a certain degree, but that there are also stable individual differences among females that persist in the face of changing conditions. The chapter also focuses on research on the consequences of individual differences in maternal style for the mother and for the offspring. There is evidence that maternal style influences future fertility for the mother. Maternal style also predicts individual differences in temperament and response to novel and challenging situations for juvenile and adolescent offspring, and influences the maternal behavior of adult daughters. Some of the proximate mechanisms that mediate these effects are discussed.
The transient response of turbocharger turbines

The transient response of turbocharged engines is becoming critical to passenger vehicles with the recent trend in engine downsizing and the expansion of gasoline turbocharging. It is greatly affected by the transient behavior of turbocharger turbines and in this paper this behavior is examined from first principles. Newton's equation of motion is integrated and a single non-dimensional variable controlling the transient is identified. Subsequently, the effects of various parameters on turbine acceleration are discussed and viable options to improve engine acceleration are described and demonstrated.
Coordination stability between the legs is reduced after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Abstract Background The study was designed to examine coordination differences in walking between individuals with an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction compared with healthy matched controls. Predictions from the extended Haken, Kelso, and Bunz coupled oscillator model were tested in these populations. Methods Seventeen persons with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and 17 matched controls participated in the study. Sagittal plane angular knee displacement was recorded using electrogoniometers over the lateral right and left knee joints while participants walked at five walking speeds overground. Coordination pattern and stability between the knees were quantified by mean and standard deviation of relative phase, respectively. Findings Mean relative phase was not influenced by walking speed or group. For both groups, coordination stability was maximal when individual's walked at their preferred gait speed. However, the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction group demonstrated reduced coordination stability compared with healthy controls across the five speeds. Multiple regression analyses found that people with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction who deviated more from antiphase coordination had decreased coordination stability. Interpretation Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction results in decreased coordination stability, indicative of reduced coupling strength between the legs. This change in gait coordination, which has not previously been found in the literature, may contribute to the increased rate of re-injury and degeneration in individuals who have had this reconstructive surgery. Application of a motor control model enhances our understanding of the influence of an injury on coordination during gait.
Characteristics of Muon Computed Tomography of Used Fuel Casks Using Algebraic Reconstruction

Cosmic raymuons passing through matter lose energy from inelastic collisions with electrons and are deflected from nuclei due to multiple Coulomb scattering (MCS). The recent developments in position sensitive muon detectors that can measure incoming and outgoing trajectories of individual muons indicate that MCS could be an excellent candidate for spent nuclear fuel imaging. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate tomographic scanning of spent nuclear fuel stored within vertical and horizontal dry storage casks. A quantitative analysis of the characteristics of images obtained with filtered back projection (FBP) and algebraic reconstruction techniques (ART) are presented herein, as such a comparison has not been carried out in the past. FBP is a fast tool to determine object boundaries. ART can include muon path models and prior knowledge that can improve resolution and reduce measurement time. The results demonstrate that missing fuel assemblies can be identified with more than 5 projections and that use of muon momentum significantly increases image resolution. It is expected that MCS can be used to successfully reconstruct the dry cask contents and allow identification of all described scenarios in hours. It is also expected that when total variation minimization and a non-local mean filter are applied, ART may yield much better image quality than FBP.
Natural Anticancer Agents: Modifying the Epigenome to Prevent and Treat Cancer

Abstract A growing body of research suggests that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables could not only reduce the risk of developing cancer, but also affect the treatment outcome. One common mechanism could involve epigenetic modulation. The precise mechanisms mediating epigenetics, however, are not well delineated. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive overview of food-derived natural compounds with epigenetic activity such as alterations of DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin architecture, and small noncoding RNAs. Specifically, we discuss the chemopreventive mechanisms by which natural compounds alter the cancer epigenome and thereby reverse gene silencing. In addition, we present our perspective on natural epigenetic compounds as adjuvants in cancer prevention therapy. Finally, we conclude our chapter by proposing an epigenetic diet mainly designed for those subjects diagnosed with known cancers evolving from silenced tumor-suppressor genes.