cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consecutive Case Series of Melanoma Sentinel Node Biopsy for Lymphoseek Compared to Sulfur Colloids.

Abstract Background Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is an important adjunct in the staging of patients with melanoma. Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy with radiolabeled isotopes is essential to localize sentinel nodes for removal. Our study compared the effectiveness of Lymphoseek to standard sulfur colloids in patients with melanoma undergoing SLNB. Methods We queried our IRB-approved melanoma database to identify 370 consecutive patients who underwent SLNB from 2012 to 2016 with at least 1 y of follow-up. There were 185 patients in each group. Data points included characteristics of the primary melanoma lymphoscintigraphy and SLNB. Student's t-test and chi-square were used to analyze the data with a P value of Results Patients were equally matched in regard to age, sex, and primary characteristics of their melanoma. In comparison to sulfur colloid, Lymphoseek required lower radiation dosages (P Conclusion Lymphoseek has the potential to decrease radioactivity and mapping time in patients who need SLNB. With a decrease in the number of nodes removed without loss of sensitivity, there is a potential to avoid unnecessary node removal and thus complications such as lymphedema. Longer follow-up will help to determine if there is any increase in false-negative rates despite fewer nodes removed.
Endoscopic therapy for pouch problems: Can we avoid surgery?

Abstract While restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis significantly improves patients’ quality of life, the reconstructive surgery is often associated with various structural, inflammatory, and functional disorders. Those disorders have been traditionally managed with surgery. However, the past two decades have witnessed a growing role of endoscopic management of strictures, prolapse, anastomotic leaks, sinuses, fistulae, and polyps. The main advantages of endoscopic therapy are its less invasiveness in nature and better tolerance over surgery. Endoscopic sinusotomy is at least as effective as surgical pouch redo for a majority of pouch presacral sinuses, while carrying a lower risk for procedure-associated complications.
Evolution of the male palp morphology of the orb-weaver hunting spider Chorizopes (Araneae : Araneidae) revisited on a new phylogeny of Araneidae, and description of a third species from Madagascar

The genus Chorizopes (Araneae, Araneidae) includes over two dozen species of webless araneids found mainly in the Indomalayan region. They are characterised by a distinctive bulbous carapace and a specialised foraging behaviour: preying on other orb-weavers. Chorizopes casictones, sp. nov. (Araneae, Araneidae) is described based on specimens collected in northern Madagascar. This species represents the third member of Chorizopes known from the island. We conducted a total-evidence analysis based on morphology, behaviour and nucleotide sequence data, including this taxon for the first time. The palpal morphology of the male of Chorizopes is illustrated in detail. We discuss the palpal homologies and the evolution of araneid palpal sclerites based on the newly inferred family phylogenetic tree.
An ecological approach to monitor geographic disparities in cancer outcomes.

Background Area-level indices are widely used to assess the impact of socio-environmental characteristics on cancer outcomes. While area-level measures of socioeconomic status (SES) have been previously used in cancer settings, fewer studies have focused on evaluating the impact of area-level health services supply (HSS) characteristics on cancer outcomes. Moreover, there is significant variation in the methods and constructs used to create area-level indices. Methods In this study, we introduced a psychometrically-induced, reproducible approach to develop area-level HSS and SES indices. We assessed the utility of these indices in detecting the effects of area-level characteristics on prostate, breast, and lung cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis in the US. The information on county-level SES and HSS characteristics were extracted from US Census, County Business Patterns data and Area Health Resource Files. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to identify individuals diagnosed with cancer from 2010 to 2012. SES and HSS indices were developed and linked to 3-year age-adjusted cancer incidence rates. SES and HSS indices empirically summarized the level of employment, education, poverty and income, and the availability of health care facilities and health professionals within counties. Results SES and HSS models demonstrated good fit (TLI = 0.98 and 0.96, respectively) and internal consistency (alpha = 0.85 and 0.95, respectively). Increasing SES and HSS were associated with increasing prostate and breast cancer and decreasing lung cancer incidence rates. The results varied by stage at diagnosis and race. Conclusion Composite county-level measures of SES and HSS were effective in ranking counties and detecting gradients in cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis. Thus, these measures provide valuable tools for monitoring geographic disparities in cancer outcomes.
Jet-Cooled Solvent Complexes with Indoles

Cold mass-resolved excitation spectra have been obtained for substituted and unsubstituted indoles complexed with one or two polar solvent molecules. Frequency scans were carried out to more than 1...
What does it mean to be alive

Science writer Philip Ball9s experience grappling with how to think about "organoids," "embryoids," and other emerging technologies in cell biology, as documented in his new book, How to Grow a Human, is part of a larger question with which humanity has wrestled for centuries: What is life, and how might our understanding of it change with our ever-increasing capability to manipulate it?
The Impact of Musical Training on Understanding Dysarthric Speech: A Preliminary Study of Transcription Errors:

A growing literature highlights the need to develop communication partner–based interventions for individuals with dysarthria. Identifying listener characteristics that facilitate speech understand...
Role of data measurement characteristics in the accurate detection of Parkinson’s disease symptoms using wearable sensors

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disease, with characteristic motor symptoms such as tremor and bradykinesia. There is a growing interest to continuously monitor these and other symptoms through body-worn sensor technology. However, limited battery life and memory capacity hinder the potential for continuous, long-term monitoring with these devices. There is little information available on the relative value of adding sensors, increasing sampling rate, or computing complex signal features, all of which may improve accuracy of symptom detection at the expense of computational resources. Here we build on a previous study to investigate the relationship between data measurement characteristics and accuracy when using wearable sensor data to classify tremor and bradykinesia in patients with PD. Thirteen individuals with PD wore a flexible, skin-mounted sensor (collecting tri-axial accelerometer and gyroscope data) and a commercial smart watch (collecting tri-axial accelerometer data) on their predominantly affected hand. The participants performed a series of standardized motor tasks, during which a clinician scored the severity of tremor and bradykinesia in that limb. Machine learning models were trained on scored data to classify tremor and bradykinesia. Model performance was compared when using different types of sensors (accelerometer and/or gyroscope), different data sampling rates (up to 62.5 Hz), and different categories of pre-engineered features (up to 148 features). Performance was also compared between the flexible sensor and smart watch for each analysis. First, there was no effect of device type for classifying tremor symptoms (p > 0.34), but bradykinesia models incorporating gyroscope data performed slightly better (up to 0.05 AUROC) than other models (p = 0.01). Second, model performance decreased with sampling frequency (p 0.47). Finally, model performance for both symptoms was maintained after substantially reducing the feature set. Our findings demonstrate the ability to simplify measurement characteristics from body-worn sensors while maintaining performance in PD symptom detection. Understanding the trade-off between model performance and data resolution is crucial to design efficient, accurate wearable sensing systems. This approach may improve the feasibility of long-term, continuous, and real-time monitoring of PD symptoms by reducing computational burden on wearable devices.
Associations Between Self‐Reported and Biological Measures of Nicotine Consumption Among Young Adult Nondaily Cigarette Smokers

Background and objectives Intermittent, dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes is a common pattern among youth and young adults. However, little is known about the validity of self-report measures of nicotine consumption in these populations. The goal of the present study was to examine associations between self-reported frequency of cigarette and e-cigarette use and nicotine levels in hair samples at two assessments 1 year apart. Methods Participants (n = 90; 65% female) were 19- to 25-year-old intermittent cigarette smokers recruited from the community for a longitudinal study of tobacco use. They submitted hair samples via mail, 1 and 2 years after enrollment in the parent study. Results Findings indicated that days of use of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the past 30 days independently predicted hair nicotine in the full sample, and when examining only timepoints at which any cigarette use was reported. Timepoints when any e-cigarette use was reported, hair nicotine was positively associated with e-cigarette but not cigarette frequency. Discussion and conclusions Data suggest that self-report measures are valid methods of assessing intermittent use of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Findings also suggest that dual users may tend to consume more nicotine and thus be at greater risk for dependence than single product users. Scientific significance These results are among the first to indicate that hair analysis can be used to detect intermittent nicotine exposure via both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. (Am J Addict 2020;29:471-475).
Comparison of neonatal intubation practice and outcomes between the neonatal intensive care unit and the delivery room settings

Background: Neonatal tracheal intubation (TI) is a high-risk critical procedure performed in both neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and delivery rooms (DR). Patient, provider, and practice characteristics are associated with success and safety outcomes of TIs in the NICU. However, these characteristics may vary between the NICU and DR, and the impact of setting on neonatal TI outcomes is not well characterized. Our objective was to define variations in neonatal TI practice between settings and to identify the association between setting and neonatal intubation success and safety outcomes. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected data in the National …
Stage Review of Fences

A stage review of Fences by August Wilson, staged by the Chattanooga Theatre Centre in Chattanooga, Tennessee from Friday, February 15 through Saturday, March 9, 2019.
RGS12 is required for the maintenance of mitochondrial function during skeletal development

Mitochondrial morphology and function are crucial for tissue homeostasis, such as for skeletal development, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we provide evidence that regulator of G-protein signaling 12 (RGS12) is present in the mitochondria of primary chondrocytes and cartilage tissues. Deletion of RGS12 in type II collagen-positive cells led to a significant decrease in mitochondrial number, membrane potential, and oxidative phosphorylation function. Mechanistically, RGS12 promoted the function of ATP5A as an enhancer of tyrosine phosphorylation. Mice with RGS12 deficiency in the chondrocyte lineage showed serious body retardation, decreased bone mass, and chondrocyte apoptosis due to the defective activity of ATP synthase. To our knowledge, this is the first report that RGS12 is required for maintaining the function of mitochondria, which may allow it to orchestrate responses to cellular homeostasis.
Type I Interferon Gene Signature in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Sickle Cell Disease Patients and a Connection to RBC Alloimmunization

Background RBC alloimmunization is a clinically significant issue in transfusion medicine; patients with sickle cell disease have an increased risk of alloantibody production (30-50% of SS patients) compared to that of other hospitalized patients (3-10%). However, mechanisms underlying the increased frequency of alloimmunization in sickle cell patients are poorly understood. In previous studies, inflammation in the recipient has been shown to promote alloimmunization. Transfusion models, type 1 interferons (IFNα/β) and Interferon Stimulated Genes (ISGs) have been shown to promote alloimmunization in mice. Other studies have shown that patients with inflammatory autoimmune diseases express an IFNα/β signature which may contribute to the increased frequency of alloimmunization in these populations. One recent study reported significantly elevated ISGs in neutrophils as well as evidence that IFNα is upregulated in SS patients compared to controls. Given the chronic inflammatory state in SS patients, we sought to determine the role of PBMCs and whether they also expressed an IFN gene signature that contributes to the increased frequency of alloimmunization. Methods The expression of the ISG, myxovirus resistance protein 1 (MxA), was measured in the blood of SS patients with more patients with SS disease (SS, n=13) and race matched healthy controls (ββ, n=3) by whole blood immunoassay (ELISA). qPCR was performed on 5 previously established ISGs to determine an IFN score, a measure of overall gene expression, from whole blood and IFNβ stimulated PBMCs of SS patients (SS, n=15) and healthy race matched controls (ββ, n=5). A LEGENDplex™ Human Anti-Virus Response Panel assay was used to determine the expression of various type 1 IFNs, cytokines and ISGs in patients with SS disease (SS, n=15) and healthy race matched controls (ββ, n=5). Results SS patients had significantly elevated levels of MxA (mean ± standard error of the mean, SS MxA = 12.27 ng/mL ± 15.68) compared to control patients without SS (ββ MxA = 1.52 ng/mL± 0.26, p Discussion SCD is a complex disease with many environmental and genetic factors that play roles in the severity of the disease. Any number of these factors may influence the high rates of alloimmunization found in sickle cell patients. We found increased cytokines, ISGs and IFN scores in SS patients compared to healthy controls. These findings suggest the presence of an IFNα/β gene signature in patients with sickle cell disease. Due to the relatively small sample size, we are unable to determine a correlation between alloantibodies and MxA levels or high IFN scores with this cohort. Further studies will allow us to determine if the increased interferon gene signature plays a role in the increased alloimmunization burden that these patients experience. Download : Download high-res image (246KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Higher total ultrafiltration volume during cardiopulmonary bypass-assisted infant cardiac surgery is associated with acute kidney injury and fluid overload

Ultrafiltration (UF) is used for fluid removal during and after infant cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery to reduce fluid overload. Excessive UF may have the opposite of its intended effect, resulting in acute kidney injury (AKI), oliganuria, and fluid retention. This is a single-center, retrospective review of infants treated with conventional and/or modified UF during CPB surgery. UF volume was indexed to weight. AKI was defined using serum creatinine “Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO)” criteria. Fluid balance was defined according to: $$ \left[\frac{total\ intake\ (mL)- total\ output\ (mL)}{preoperative\ weight\ (g)}\right]x\ 100 $$ . Peak fluid overload was determined on postoperative day 3. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for multiple covariates was used to explore associations with UF, AKI, and fluid overload. Five hundred thirty subjects 119.9 mL/kg did not reduce peak fluid overload. Subjects with AKI took longer to reach a negative fluid balance (2 vs. 3 days, p = 0.04). Those with more complex surgery were at highest AKI risk (STAT 3 [25–75 percentile: 3–4] in AKI group versus STAT 3 [25–75 percentile: 2–4] in non-AKI group, p = 0.05). AKI was reduced in subjects undergoing more complex surgery and treated with UF volume < 119.9 mL/kg. Judicious use of UF in more complex congenital cardiac surgery reduces the risk of AKI.
Effects of Intensive Outpatient Integrative Medicine on Health Care Utilization on High Utilizer Patients at a Major Academic Health System.

Objective: To determine if integrative medicine (IM) involvement can reduce acute care utilization for patients with complex medical conditions and high health care utilization. Design: Prospective...
Mirror, mirror on the wall: The effect of time spent grooming on earnings

Abstract To most economists, personal grooming is a non-market activity. The standard view is that time spent in non-market activities is counterproductive as it reduces work effort and job commitment ( Becker, 1985 ). But grooming may be different. Grooming provides an important source of communication about workers, their values, social identities and personalities. There is reason to believe that certain productive personality traits may be inferred on the basis of personal grooming. In this paper, we use data from the American Time Use Survey's (2009) pooled cross-section 2003–2007 to investigate the effect of additional time spent grooming on earnings. The results show that the effect of grooming on earnings differs significantly by gender and race. These results cannot easily be reconciled with any one particular theory, but imply a complex interaction between several possible effects.
Particle organization versus volume fraction in magneto-active elastomer composites

Abstract Magneto-active elastomers (MAEs) are a subclass of smart materials that have the ability to actuate and alter their mechanical and magnetic response when subjected to an external magnetic field. Past research has shown that higher net magnetic remanence of an MAE is desirable to increase actuation and produce the most magnetic work. To create a magnetically aligned MAE, a hard magnetic material is mixed in an elastomer solution, then cured in a strong external magnetic field causing particle alignment. A high degree of alignment of magnetic particles is expected to result in improved remanence. However, in MAEs with soft magnetic particles cured in a field, past research has shown that the degree of alignment, vs. less ordered clustering, varies with particulate volume content. Consequently, it is important to study the degree to which volume content of magnetic material affects physical particle alignment, bulk magnetic properties, and the coupling between the two in MAEs with hard magnetic filler particles. In this study MAEs with a hard magnetic filer (barium ferrite) are investigated with varying volume content of magnetic material ranging from 5 to 30% by volume. Batches of MAEs were tested using X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometry to gain information on crystal structure and bulk magnetic properties. The results of the collected data suggested all poled samples had both higher physical particle orientation as well as a larger remanence than the unpoled counterparts. As volume fraction of magnetic filler was increased the net magnetic properties per volume of magnetic material remained fairly constant. However, the degree of physical particle orientation varied with a local minimum at medium volume fractions. Collected data was used to calculate two orientation parameters, the degree of preferred alignment parameter, η, and the orientation of distributions of magnetic domains parameter, σ. The two parameters were compared to show a relationship between physical particle alignment and net magnetic properties as volume of magnetic material increases. Based on the collected results, a hypothesis is presented on how particle interaction is speculated to evolve as volume fraction of magnetic material is increased.
The Democratic Shaping of Technology: Its Rise, Fall and Possible Rebirth

In the 2020 Prague Virtual Conference of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), Langdon Winner was awarded the society’s John D. Bernal Prize jointly with Sharon Traweek. The Bernal Prize is awarded annually to individuals who have made distinguished contributions to the field of STS. Prize recipients include founders of the field of STS, along with outstanding scholars who have devoted their careers to the understanding of the social dimensions of science and technology. This essay comprises Winner’s acceptance speech and is followed by a short postscript written in 2021. The postscript captures a brief reflection on the upheavals of the COVID-19 pandemic and the US election results which shifted the US to a Biden administration. In their award statement, the Bernal Prize committee noted: “Winner’s most cited article “Do Artifacts Have Politics?” of 1980 has inspired a wide spectrum of critique and analysis of technological arrangements as, among other things, political orderings of our society. Since then, his career has focused on the political dimensions of science and technology, technology policy and the politics of technology. Winner has addressed key intellectual questions of classical and modern political theory in order to debate how order, power, freedom, authority and justice had resonance within technological devices. More specifically, he has brought a new dimension into the field by addressing how these classic questions in political theory are often deeply embedded in technical and material frameworks. His work emphasizes that “because technological innovation is inextricably linked to processes of social reconstruction, any society that hopes to control its own structural evolution must confront each significant set of technological possibilities with scrupulous care.”
A PERIODIC POINT FREE HOMEOMORPHISM OF A TREE-LIKE CONTINUUM

An example of a homeomorphism without periodic points is constructed on a tree-like continuum.
Computing in the ink domain

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a new paradigm for pen computing based on the notion of deferring or even eliminating handwriting recognition (HWX). In its place, key functionality is brought closer to the user by implementing it directly in the ink domain. The primary advantage of this approach is increased expressive power but it also results in a different class of pattern matching problems, some of which may be more tractable and less intrusive than traditional HWX. Treating electronic ink is proposed as first-class computer data. Doing so may help overcome some of the more stubborn barriers impeding the widespread acceptance of pen computing. In this chapter the important open questions are outlined, and a system is described that can demonstrate certain aspects of this philosophy.
The Silk Industry of Renaissance Venice . By Luca Molà. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000. Pp. xix, 457. $48.00.

Unlike other components of the Renaissance Venetian economy, such as maritime trade, shipbuilding, glassmaking, and the woolen industry, the silk industry has been largely neglected by historians: a somewhat puzzling neglect, for that industry was viewed by contemporaries as a major player in the economy, enjoyed an enviable international reputation, and employed at its peak a highly skilled labor force of several thousands. In this richly textured, exhaustive study covering three centuries and based on a prodigious amount of archival research, Luca Mola has filled a large gap and has thus greatly expanded our knowledge of a multifaceted Renaissance economy.
Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Rule of Law in International Development Cooperation

The role of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in efforts to strengthen the rule of law is attracting increased interest in international development cooperation. From a development perspective, the principal interest in this question is a concern for expanding rights and opportunities for poor people who do not fully benefit from the protection of the law in their daily lives. Other interests in ADR, such as in commercial arbitration and court-annexed mediation in civil litigation, also have important positive implications for development. Facilitating commerce and expediting the disposition of lawsuits are valuable services and worthwhile undertakings. However, the principal focus for development is on the non-formal processes intended to expand access to justice. These include statutory schemes, such as the barangay justice system in the Philippines; state-sponsored mediation centers, such as those of the Procurador General in El Salvador; traditional systems that provide the vast majority of dispute-resolution services in many African countries; and systems of mediation and conciliation operated by public and private entities throughout the world. This paper briefly reviews the concept of development and related international cooperation. It then examines how the rule of law has been addressed in development programs and offers some thoughts about the contribution of ADR for advancing the rule of law and, in turn, contributing to human security, well being, and dignity.
Municipal Bond Liquidity

Using new econometric methods, we separately estimate average transaction costs, as a function of trade size, for over 167,000 bonds from a one-year sample of all U.S. municipal bond trades. Unlike in equities, municipal bond transaction costs decrease with trade size and do not depend significantly on trade frequency. Municipal bond trades are also substantially more expensive than similar sized equity trades. We attribute these results to the general lack of price transparency in the bond markets. Additional cross-sectional analyses show that bond liquidity increases with credit quality and decreases with instrument complexity, time to maturity, and time since issuance. The results suggest that investors, and perhaps ultimately issuers, could benefit if issuers issued simpler bonds.
Who does what: Collaboration patterns in the wikipedia and their impact on article quality

The quality of Wikipedia articles is debatable. On the one hand, existing research indicates that not only are people willing to contribute articles but the quality of these articles is close to that found in conventional encyclopedias. On the other hand, the public has never stopped criticizing the quality of Wikipedia articles, and critics never have trouble finding low-quality Wikipedia articles. Why do Wikipedia articles vary widely in qualityq We investigate the relationship between collaboration and Wikipedia article quality. We show that the quality of Wikipedia articles is not only dependent on the different types of contributors but also on how they collaborate. Based on an empirical study, we classify contributors based on their roles in editing individual Wikipedia articles. We identify various patterns of collaboration based on the provenance or, more specifically, who does what to Wikipedia articles. Our research helps identify collaboration patterns that are preferable or detrimental for article quality, thus providing insights for designing tools and mechanisms to improve the quality of Wikipedia articles.
Mathematical Physics and the Planning of American Mathematics: Ideology and Institutions☆

Abstract Mathematical physics played an ambiguous role during the establishment and growth of the American mathematical community. During the early years of this century, mathematical physics diminished in importance relative to newer areas of study. But by the end of World War I, some members of the American mathematical community recognized that mathematics could benefit, materially and scientifically, from increased attention to mathematical physics. This paper examines the way mathematical physics figured in the ideas and actions of key leaders of the development of the American mathematical community. Die mathematische Physik spielte eine widerspruechliche Rolle bei der Herausbildung und Entwicklung der scientific community der amerikanischen Mathematiker. Waehrend der ersten Jahre dieses Jahrhunderts verringerte sich ihre Bedeutung relativ zu neueren Forschungsgebieten. Aber gegen Ende des Ersten Weltkrieges erkannten einige amerikanische Mathematiker, dass die Mathematik materiell und wissenschaftlich von der vermehrten Aufmerksamkeit fuer mathematische Physik profitieren koennte. Dieser Artikel untersucht, auf welche Weise die mathematische Physik in den Vorstellungen und Handlungen der die Entwicklung der community bestimmenden amerikanischen Mathematiker praesent war. La physique mathematique a joue un role ambigu au sein de la jeune communaute mathematique americaine. Dans les premieres annees de ce siecle, la physique mathematique declinait relativement a d'autres specialites. Mais a la fin de la Premiere Guerre Mondiale, certains mathematiciens americains reconnurent que les mathematiques pouvaient beneficier, materiellement et scientifiquement, de la physique mathematique. Cet article analyse la maniere dont la physique mathematique fut integree, en idee et en action, par d'importants representants de la communaute mathematique des Etats-Unis.
Remarks on vortex-lattice methods.

Results are presented of some numerical experiments on simple planar configurations. The experiments serve to establish more precisely some ground rules for optimum lattice arrangements. In particular, the location of both the horseshoe vortex elements and the control points at which the surface boundary conditions are to be satisfied is uniquely determined. Questions of lattice arrangement are discussed together with numerical results and problems of control point location.
On Nonlinear Control of Optical Traps Using Pulling Trajectory Tracking for Single-Molecule Experiments

This article explores nonlinear position plus integral (PI) feedback for controlling an optical trap used in single-molecule experiments. In general, nonlinearities in the spatial dependence of the optical force complicate feedback control for optical traps. Furthermore, the extension of a molecule creates an additional feedback path that puts constraints on the PI control gains. The nonlinear PI control presented here is shown to provide all of the benefits of integral control: disturbance rejection, servo tracking, and force estimation. The ability of nonlinear PI control to lower the measurement SNR is evaluated. Finally, constraints on the pulling rate are given to ensure the system trajectory remains in a quasi-static condition, stable, and the bead remains held in the trap.© 2011 ASME
The presence of a large cercopithecine (cf. Theropithecus sp.) in the 'Ubeidiya formation (Early Pleistocene, Israel)

This study presents the discovery of a right cercopithecine calcaneus from the site of 'Ubeidiya, Israel, dated to ca. 1.6 Ma. The fossil is described and statistically compared to bones of modern and fossil cercopithecids. The specimen can be attributed to a large-bodied cercopithecine and represents a new primate taxon previously unidentified in the Early Pleistocene of the Southern Levant. Among extant genera, it is most clearly similar to calcanei of Theropithecus. However, it could also represent Paradolichopithecus, but this alternative is unlikely due to the morphological uniqueness of the latter taxon. The finding of an African taxon in the Levant suggests a circum-Mediterranean dispersal route for the taxon out of Africa, and emphasizes the importance of the Levantine corridor as a biogeographic dispersal route between Africa and Eurasia during the Early Pleistocene. Evidence for the biogeography of large-bodied primates is essential for the understanding of the dispersal routes of "Out of Africa I" taxa and can help elucidate Homo dispersal patterns in the Early Pleistocene.
Analysis of Thermal Comfort and Contaminant Removal in an Office Room With Underfloor Air Distribution System

The study of human thermal comfort requires detailed information about distributions of air velocity, air temperature and relative humidity in an occupied zone. Air quality is related to the contaminant distributions and contaminant removal effectiveness in indoor environment. This paper presents an evaluation of thermal comfort and contaminant removal for an office setting with underfloor air distribution system by the use of computational fluid dynamics modeling. A typical single cubicle in a large office floor in steady state condition of airflow as well as heat and mass transfer is investigated for both cooling and heating scenarios. The model includes a typical cubicle in a large office floor with a chair, a desk with a personal computer on its top, and heat sources such as seated people, computer monitor and CPU, and lights. Air enters the occupied zone through an inlet located at the floor level supplying a vertical upward inflow. Five different locations of the inlet diffuser, three different inlet air speeds, and four different loads of heat loss through the floor slab in heating case scenario were considered. Distributions of velocity, temperature, relative humidity, and contaminant concentration in such cases were computed. The results were compared among various simulation cases and showed reasonable agreement with experimental data taken from related literature.© 2005 ASME
Urinary incontinence: treating occult SUI-are two steps better than one?

Owing to a lack of universally accepted guidelines for the treatment of occult stress urinary incontinence at the time of surgery for pelvic organ prolapse, one-step and two-step approaches have been used—but which is the best choice?
Soluble graphene through edge-selective functionalization

Thermally expanded graphite was functionalized with 4-bromophenyl addends using the in situ diazonium formation procedure, and after mild sonication treatment in N,N′-dimethylformamide, thin graphene layers were exfoliated from the bulk graphite. These chemically-assisted exfoliated graphene (CEG) sheets had higher solubility than pristine graphene without any stabilizer additive. More than 70% of these soluble flakes had less than 5 layers. Energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) elemental mapping provided evidence of the edge-selective diazonium functionalization with graphene. A majority of the Br signals came from the edges of the CEG indicating that the basal planes were not highly functionalized. The CEG was also characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.
Analyticity, covariance, and unitarity in indefinite-metric quantum field theories

The general properties of analyticity, covariance, and unitarity are studied in quantum field theories regularized by finite-mass, indefinite-norm states. After reviewing the general status of indefinite-metric theories, a relativistic scalar model is analyzed for covariance and analyticity. This model shows that a commonly accepted prescription for treating the negative-norm states is not covariant, and more sophisticated methods are required. The technique of shadow states developed elsewhere is reviewed and applied to this problem.
Rotifer rDNA-specific R9 retrotransposable elements generate an exceptionally long target site duplication upon insertion

Ribosomal DNA genes in many eukaryotes contain insertions of non-LTR retrotransposable elements belonging to the R2 clade. These elements persist in the host genomes by inserting site-specifically into multicopy target sites, thereby avoiding random disruption of single-copy host genes. Here we describe R9 retrotransposons from the R2 clade in the 28S RNA genes of bdelloid rotifers, small freshwater invertebrate animals best known for their long-term asexuality and for their ability to survive repeated cycles of desiccation and rehydration. While the structural organization of R9 elements is highly similar to that of other members of the R2 clade, they are characterized by two distinct features: site-specific insertion into a previously unreported target sequence within the 28S gene, and an unusually long target site duplication of 126 bp. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of bdelloid genome organization and the mechanisms of target-primed reverse transcription.
Beneficial Impact of a Clinical Care Pathway in Patients with Testicular Cancer Undergoing Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection

Purpose: Since 1997, we have used a clinical collaborative care pathway for patients undergoing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. We examined its impact on perioperative care and outcome.Materials and Methods: We examined the records of all patients with germ cell carcinoma who underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection from July 1990 to July 2001. Variables examined included clinical/pathological stage, hospital stay, postoperative care and the complication rate.Results: A total of 118 patients underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for germ cell carcinoma during this period, including 46 (39%) before pathway implementation in 1997 and 72 patients (61%) after pathway implementation. Of the 118 patients 40 (34%) underwent the procedure after chemotherapy. This rate remained fairly constant in the period before and after pathway initiation (31% and 36%, respectively). After pathway implementation fewer patients received a nasogastric tube (94% versus 5%, p <0.001) and had complications (...
The link of environmental and economic performance: Drivers and limitations of sustainability integration

Abstract Combining stakeholder, resource based and institutional theories suggests that stakeholder demands affect the environmental and social activities of firms, which in turn influence various performance aspects. This paper tests if stakeholder demands are related to the integration of management activities within the firm, and if such integration is positively associated with economic and environmental performance dimensions, where especially for the latter empirical evidence is scarce and inconsistent. To address this gap, data from the manufacturing sector is used for analysing how stakeholder types associate with sustainability integration and economic and environmental performance. The analysis reveals better fit for a moderated structural equation model than a model with direct links between economic and environmental performance and shows that environmental performance is decoupled from integration. These findings suggest that resource based reasoning could be self-limiting in jointly improving environmental and economic performance.
Neurotransmitters and stress.

In this article definitions of stress and distress are proposed and the relationships between stress and activities of neurohormonal systems explored. The idea is developed that stress is a condition where expectations—whether genetically programed, established by prior learning, or deduced from circumstances—do not match the current or anticipated perceptions of the internal or external environment, and this discrepancy between what is observed or sensed and what is expected or programed elicits patterned, compensatory responses. Distress is viewed here as a form of stress characterized by specific behavioral and autonomic communicated signs, pituitary-adrenocortical and sympathoadrenomedullary activation, and a negative experience that motivates escape or avoidance. During stress, many body systems—including the sympathoadrenal, parasympathetic, and hormonal homeostatic systems—are activated or inhibited in primitively specific patterns regulated by physiological, biochemical, and psychological homeostats. Many of these patterns, which are at least partly inherited, can be understood teleologically on the basis of preservation of the internal environmental and natural selection in evolution.
Combining Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Transition State Theory to Evaluate the Sorption Rate Constants for Decanol at the Surface of Water

Molecular dynamics simulation of a decanol molecule near the surface of water is used to investigate the adsorption and desorption kinetics of decanol at the interface. The decanol molecule, modeled using the OPLS potential functions, is simulated in a film consisting of 700 SPC/E water molecules. The change in potential of mean force (PMF) during transfer of decanol from the bulk of the aqueous phase to the air/water interface is calculated to be −9.5 kcal/mol. In addition, the PMF reveals the existence of an activation free energy barrier of 2.1 kcal/mol for the adsorption process. The orientational distribution function for decanol and the concentration profiles of the atoms within the molecule reveal that decanol is constrained in its average orientation as it inserts itself onto the surface of water. At the peak of the activation barrier, decanol is, on average, constrained to lie parallel to the surface due to an effective repulsion between the decanol and near-surface water molecules. By using tran...
Recursive equilibrium in stochastic OLG economies: Incomplete markets

Abstract We prove generic existence of recursive equilibrium for overlapping generations economies with uncertainty and incomplete financial markets. Generic here means in a residual set of utilities and endowments. The result holds provided there is sufficient intragenerational household heterogeneity, and transition probabilities and the asset payoff matrix satisfy mild regularity conditions. The paper also provides a new methodological technique to establish comparative statics, or perturbation, properties in such environments.
Reduction in blood flow in normal and narrowed coronary arteries of dogs by leukotriene C4.

The hemodynamic effects of intracoronary leukotriene C4(0.3 to 10.0 µg) in seven anesthetized dogs with normal and severely narrowed coronary arteries were examined. Intracoronary leukotriene C4caused a significant dose-related reduction in coronary blood flow in both normal and narrowed coronary arteries with no effect on heart rate or mean arterial pressure. However, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure increased at the 10.0 µg dose. The reduction of blood flow in normal and narrowed coronary arteries in response to leukotriene C4was similar. At the peak effects of leukotriene C4, there was evidence of intracoronary thromboxane A2release. To examine the contribution of thromboxane A2release to the coronary vasoconstrictor effects of leu-kotriene C4dogs were administered leukotriene C4after indomethacin pretreatment. The decrease in coronary blood flow was not significantly affected by pretreatment of the animals with indomethacin. However, indomethacin lowered baseline levels of thromboxane B2and blocked the release of thromboxane A2after leukotriene C4administration. Thus, intracoronary leukotriene C4causes direct dosedependent decrease in coronary blood flow of similar magnitude in both normal and narrowed coronary arteries. These coronary hemodynamic effects of leukotriene C4in dogs are not mediated by release of thromboxane A2. Leukotriene C4released from activated leukocyte in the intracoronary thrombus or in the injured myocardium may reduce coronary blood flow and adversely influence the fate of the affected myocardial tissue.
Heparin effects during hyperbaric oxygenation in rats.

Abstract The effects of heparin were studied concurrently with development of neurological and respiratory signs of oxygen toxicity in awake unrestrained rats exposed to 3 atmosphere absolute (ATA) oxygen. The modification of the early electrophysiological manifestations of CNS oxygen toxicity by heparin in the absence of obvious signs of pulmonary oxygen toxicity was also determined at 5 ATA oxygen by electrocorticographic recording. The femoral artery of all rats was cannulated two days before the exposures to hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO), and the effect of intraarterial injection of 10 U/100g/3h heparin or an equivalent volume of saline was studied in experimental and control rats, respectively. In rats exposed to 3 ATA oxygen, the latency of the onset of the first oxygen-induced convulsions, the time interval between the first convulsion and death, and the survival time were measured. Exposure to 5 ATA oxygen was continued until the onset of the first preconvulsive paroxysmal electrical discharges (FED), considered to be an early electrophysiological indicator of CNS oxygen toxicity. The onset of convulsions was slightly delayed in heparin-treated rats exposed to 3 ATA oxygen, and the time interval between the first convulsions and death was significantly reduced in heparinized rats. No difference in survival time between heparin- and saline-treated rats was observed. Heparin significantly delayed the time of onset of the FED during exposure to 5 ATA oxygen. Gross postmortem examination of the lungs and internal organs revealed only a bloody froth in the trachea of the heparin- treated rats exposed to 3 ATA oxygen. It is concluded that the heparin-hyperoxic interaction during development of pulmonary and CNS oxygen toxicity may be related to the anticoagulant effect of heparin and hyperoxic-induced pulmonary lesions.
Nelson's syndrome due to an intracavernous corticotropin-secreting adenoma.

Objective: To report the first case of Nelson's syndrome due to an ectopic intracranial corticotropin-secreting tumor arising entirely within the cavernous sinus. Methods: We present a case report ...
Total and unbound concentrations of quinidine and 3-hydroxyquinidine at steady state

Abstract Recent reports indicate that the metabollte of quinidine, 3-hydroxyquinidine, is pharmacologically active. It was the primary purpose of this study to determine total and unbound concentrations of quinidine and 3-hydroxyquinidine in 25 patients receiving quinidine for therapoutic purposes. At the peak, total quinidine and 3-hydroxyquinidine concentrations were 2.7 ± 1.2 μg/ml and 0.57 ± 0.33 μg/ml, respectively, and at the trough they averaged 2.0 ± 0.91 μg/ml and 0.44 ± 0.25 μg/ml. Interestingly, the unbound 3-hydroxyquinidine concentration frequently exceeded the unbound quinidine concentration, averaging 0.30 ± 0.28 μg/ml at the peak and 0.22 ± 0.14 μg/ml at the trough. Quinidine concentrations averaged 0.24 ± 0.15 μg/ml and 0.18 ± 0.12 μg/ml. The ratio of unbound 3-hydroxyquinidine: quinidine was significantly influenced by the unbound clearance of quinidine ( r = 0.65). At low clearance values concentrations of both substances were elevated, with the quinidine concentration consistently exceeding that of 3-hydroxyquinidine. In contrast, at high clearance values 3-hydroxyquinidine concentrations were elevated and consistently exceeded the quinidine concentration. Thus, when quinidine concentrations are used to monitor the pharmacodynamic effect of quinidine, it is most appropriate to evaluate unbound concentrations of both quinidine and 3-hydroxyquinidine.
12C(28Si,X)11C cross section at 13.4 GeV nucleon.

The $^{12}\mathrm{C}$${(}^{28}$Si,X${)}^{11}$C cross section was measured for 13.4-GeV/nucleon $^{28}\mathrm{Si}$ ions. Beam intensities were determined with a two-element counter telescope, and the $^{11}\mathrm{C}$ activity induced in thin and thick plastic scintillator targets was assayed by internal scintillation counting. The cross section corrected to zero target thickness is 73.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.5 mb. This value is compared with similar measurements for relativistic projectiles at 1\char21{}2 GeV/nucleon.