cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous carotid PET/MR: feasibility and improvement of magnetic resonance-based attenuation correction

Errors in quantification of carotid positron emission tomography (PET) in simultaneous PET/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging when not incorporating bone in MR-based attenuation correction (MRAC) maps, and possible solutions, remain to be fully explored. In this study, we demonstrated techniques to improve carotid vascular PET/MR quantification by adding a bone tissue compartment to MRAC maps and deriving continuous Dixon-based MRAC (MRACCD) maps. We demonstrated the feasibility of applying ultrashort echo time-based bone segmentation and generation of continuous Dixon MRAC to improve PET quantification on five subjects. We examined four different MRAC maps: system standard PET/MR MRAC map (air, lung, fat, soft tissue) (MRACPET/MR), standard PET/MR MRAC map with bone (air, lung, fat, soft tissue, bone) (MRACPET/MRUTE), MRACCD map (no bone) and continuous Dixon-based MRAC map with bone (MRACCDUTE). The same PET emission data was then reconstructed with each respective MRAC map and a CTAC map (PETPET/MR, PETPET/MRUTE, PETCD, PECDUTE) to assess effects of the different attenuation maps on PET quantification in the carotid arteries and neighboring tissues. Quantitative comparison of MRAC attenuation values for each method compared to CTAC showed small differences in the carotid arteries with UTE-based segmentation of bone included and/or continuous Dixon MRAC; however, there was very good correlation for all methods in the voxel-by-voxel comparison. ROI-based analysis showed a similar trend in the carotid arteries with the lowest correlation to PETCTAC being PETPETMR and the highest correlation to PETCTAC being PETCDUTE. We have demonstrated the feasibility of applying UTE-based segmentation and continuous Dixon MRAC maps to improve carotid PET/MR vascular quantification.
Effects of cycloheximide on the induction of CYP1A1 gene expression by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in three human breast cancer cell lines

Treatment of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and Hs578-T human breast cancer cell lines with 10(-9) M 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induces CYP1A1 gene expression in the MCF-7 but not in the MDA-MB-231 or Hs578-T cells. Pretreatment of the cells with 10(-5) M cycloheximide results in significantly increased P4501A1 mRNA levels in all three cells lines. However, in cells co-treated with 10(-5) M cycloheximide plus 10(-9) M TCDD, an induced response by TCDD was observed in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 but not in Hs578-T cells. Gel-retardation assays of nuclear extracts from the three cell lines complexed with a 32P-labeled dioxin-responsive element (DRE) gave a TCDD-inducible retarded band only in the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. A retarded band with a similar mobility was observed in nuclear extracts from Hs578-T cells treated with either 10(-9) M TCDD or DMSO (solvent control). These results suggest that aryl hydrocarbon non-responsive MDA-MB-231 and Hs578-T human breast cancer cell lines contain the CYP1A1 gene and treatment with cycloheximide increases both constitutive and TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression.
Neutron-antineutron oscillation

The aim of this talk is to review the current status of and the future prospects for an experimental neutron-antineutron transition search. Traditional and new experimental techniques are discussed. In the n→n¯ search in experiments at existing reactors, it would be possible to increase the discovery potential up to four orders of magnitude for vacuum n→n¯ transitions relative to the existing experimental level or to achieve the limit of τun≥1010 s. With dedicated future reactors and ultimate experimental layout, it might be possible to reach the limit of 1011s. The progress in an intranuclear transition search expected to be made in the next decade by the SuperKamiokande and Icarus detectors can be matched in an approach where long-lived isotopes in deep-mined ores are searched.
CONSTRAINTS ON CHEMICAL COEVOLUTION: WILD PARSNIPS AND THE PARSNIP WEBWORM.

The parsnip webworm (Depressaria pastinacella) and the wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) together represent a potentially "coevolved" system in that throughout their ranges the plant has relatively few other herbivores and the insect has virtually no other hosts. Individual wild parsnip plants within a central Illinois population vary in their content and composition of furanocoumarins, secondary compounds with insecticidal properties. Half-sib and parent-offspring regression estimates of the heritability of furanocoumarins demonstrate that this variation is genetically based. Wild parsnip plants also vary in their resistance to damage by the parsnip webworm, which feeds on flowers and developing seeds. In an experimental garden, seed production in the primary umbel ranged from 0 to 1,664 seeds among individuals, and mean seed production of half-sib families ranged from 3.7 seeds to 446.0 seeds. Approximately 75% of the variation in resistance among half-sib families to D. pastinacella was attributable to four furanocoumarin characteristics-resistance is positively related to the proportion of bergapten and the amount of sphondin in seeds, and negatively related to the amount of bergapten and the proportion of sphondin in leaves. Each of the four resistance factors had significant heritability. Thus, resistance in wild parsnip to the parsnip webworm is to a large extent chemically based and genetically controlled. Genetic correlations among fitness and resistance characters, however, tend to limit coevolutionary responses between herbivore and plant. In greenhouse plants protected from herbivory, several of the resistance factors have negative genetic correlations with potential seed production. Ostensibly, highly resistant plants in the absence of herbivory would be at a competitive disadvantage in the field. The selective impact of the herbivore is also limited in this population by a negative genetic correlation among resistance factors. Selection to increase one resistance factor (e.g., the proportion of bergapten in the seed) would at the same time decrease the amount of a second resistance factor (e.g., the amount of sphondin in the seed). The wild parsnip and the parsnip webworm, then, appear to have reached an evolutionary "stalemate" in the coevolutionary arms race.
Hydrophobicity of rare-earth oxide ceramics

Metallic and ceramic surfaces can be rendered hydrophobic through a combination of multiscale surface structures and polymeric modifiers, but the imparted hydrophobicity is not robust to harsh environments. It is now shown that the lanthanide oxide series—a class of ceramics—is intrinsically hydrophobic as a result of their unique electronic structure, even after exposure to high temperatures and abrasive wear.
Combination of Stokes polarized light imaging, roughness metrics and morphological features for the detection of melanoma

Skin cancer is the most common and most rapidly increasing form of cancer in the world. Optimal treatment of skin cancer before it reaches metastasis depends critically on early diagnosis. Usually physicians will measure some outward features to diagnose malignancy of pigmented skin lesion. These are mostly morphological features like border irregularity, size, shape, and color. Valuable information can be obtained from the analysis of skin roughness. Previously, we developed a hemispherical imaging Stokes polarimeter to monitor skin cancer based on a roughness assessment of the epidermis. In this study, Stokes images were analyzed to measure polarization properties of skin samples such as the principal angle of the polarization ellipse and the degree of polarization. A processing algorithm based on morphological operators was also developed and applied on Stokes images to extract shape information. Finally, an appropriate classifier was designed to determine the type of lesion based on morphological features as well as the roughness information. Clinical evaluation of the technique was performed on patients with benign nevi, melanocytic nevi, melanoma, and normal skin.
Reproductive, immunologic, and cytogenetic effects of dietary 3,3',4,4'-tetrachloroazoxybenzene exposure to mice.

The effects of chronic dietary exposure to 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachloroazoxybenzene (TCAOB) on the reproductive efficiency of female Swiss-Webster mice were measured. The immunocompetence of their offspring was assayed at weaning. No indications of toxicosis were seen in the adult females with the exception of a reduction in the thymus weight of the animals consuming 10 ppm TCAOB. Pup mortality to weaning and the percentage of females whelping were not affected by 0.1 ppm, 1 ppm, or 10 ppm of TCAOB in the diet. There was, however, a significant reduction in the number of pups (at birth and at weaning) per female whelping at 10 ppm TCAOB in the diet. The thymus weight and plaque-forming-cell response of the pups were also significantly reduced below control levels. The lymphocyte blastogenic response to Concanavalin-A and lipopolysaccharide, and total peripheral blood leukocyte count, were not affected by the concentrations of TCAOB tested. Dietary treatment of female mice with relatively high concentrations of this chemical resulted in reduced reproductivity capacity, but only moderate immuno-suppression of their offspring exposed duringin utero and early postnatal development.
Expression and Function of a Large Non-coding RNA Gene XIST in Human Cancer

Background X inactive-specific transcript (XIST) RNA is involved in X chromosome silencing in female cells and allows X chromosome equilibration with males. X inactive-specific transcript expression has been found to be dysregulated in a variety of human cancers when compared to normal cells; meanwhile, the inactivated X chromosome has been noted to be conspicuously absent in human cancer specimens, whereas X chromosome duplications are widely noted. The specific pathways whereby changes in X chromosome status and XIST expression occur in cancer remain incompletely described. Nevertheless, a role for XIST in BRCA1-mediated epigenetic activity has been proposed.
Enzymatic Synthesis of Photoactive Poly(4-phenylazophenol)

Enzymatic synthesis, employing horseradish peroxidase (HRP), has been used to prepare a novel photoactive azopolymer, poly(4-phenylazophenol), from 4-phenylazophenol. FTIR, FT-Raman, and NMR (1H, 13C) spectroscopy show that the coupling reaction occurs primarily at the ortho positions with some coupling at the meta positions of the phenol ring of the monomer as well. This results in the formation of a branched polyphenylene backbone with pendant azo functionalities on every repeat unit of the macromolecules. This enzymatically synthesized azophenol polymer has an extremely high dye content (nearly 100%) and is soluble in most polar organic solvents, and good optical quality thin films are easily formed. Polymer solutions show reversible trans to cis photoisomerization of the azobenzene groups with long relaxation time. The poly(azophenol) film exhibits photoinduced absorption dichroism and large photoinduced birefringence with unusual relaxation behavior. The resulting azobenzene loaded polymer behaves as...
Learning paradigms in the anticipatory avoidance technique: A comment on the controversy between macdonough and feldman

MacDonough criticizes the confounding of conditioning paradigms in the anticipatory avoidance (AA) technique of Feldman and MacCulloch. The recent report of an experimental comparison of AA and classical conditioning (CC) does not clarify the issue sufficiently. A modified form of AA is necessary to enable an illuminating comparison of operant and classical factors in the technique to be performed. A suitable modification is suggested.
THE DIFFERENTIAL GEOMETRY OF SCROLL WAVES

Traveling waves of excitation organize physical, chemical, and biological systems in space and time. In the biological context they serve to communicate information rapidly over long distances and to coordinate the activity of tissues and organs. An example of particular beauty, complexity and importance is the three-dimensional rotating scroll wave observed in the Belousov–Zhabotinskii reaction and in the ventricle of the heart. A scroll wave rotates around a filamentous phase singularity that weaves through the three-dimensional medium. At any instant of time the geometry of the scroll wave can be reduced to the spatial arrangement of a ribbon whose edges are the singular filament and the tip of the scroll wave. This ribbon, when it closes on itself, must satisfy the topological constraint L = Tw + Wr, where L is the linking number of the two edges of the ribbon, Tw is the total twist of the ribbon, and Wr is the writhing number of the singular filament. We discuss the origin of this equation and its implications for scroll wave statics and dynamics.
The effect of thrombin induced aggregation on human platelet glycosphingolipids

Abstract Analyses were made of the glycosphingolipid composition of human platelets before and after treatment with thrombin. Within 10 min after incubation was initiated, there was approximately a two-fold increase in the concentration of hematoside. Concomitantly, the level of lactosylceramide was decreased about three-fold, and there was also a slight diminution in the ceramide levels of these cells. Platelets treated with phenylmethyl-sulfonyl fluoride and thrombin did not exhibit such an effect. These results suggest that lactosylceramide and ceramide are utilized as precursors in the biosynthesis of hematoside and that this conversion accompanies the aggregation of human platelets.
Catalytic Reforming of Ethanol to Acetaldehyde for Lean-NOx Emission Control

The on-board production of a reducing gas mixture from liquid hydrocarbon for controlling diesel engine NOx emissions is being considered as an alternative to the other technologies that require supplemental reducing agents such as urea. Among the catalysts evaluated for the formation of acetaldehyde by partial oxidation of ethanol under the reaction conditions that are suitable for the on-board side-stream fuel reforming device, silver, molybdenum, and vanadium catalysts have been identified to be the most promising for this application. Mo/Al2O3 catalysts exhibit the highest acetaldehyde yield over a wide range of reaction temperatures. V/TiO2 is effective at lower temperatures, while Ag/Al2O3 is effective at higher temperatures, although the reaction temperature window is narrow for both catalysts. On both Mo/Al2O3 and Ag/Al2O3, the reaction rate for acetaldehyde formation was found to be more than 100 times higher than that for CO2 formation, which indicates the high selectivity of these catalysts.
Tolerance of Escherichia coli to Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Depends on Specific Components of the SOS Response Pathway

Bacteria exposed to bactericidal fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics can survive without becoming genetically resistant. Survival of these phenotypically resistant cells, commonly called "persisters," depends on the SOS gene network. We have examined mutants in all known SOS-regulated genes to identify functions essential for tolerance in Escherichia coli. The absence of DinG and UvrD helicases and the Holliday junction processing enzymes RuvA and RuvB leads to a decrease in survival. Analysis of the respective mutants indicates that, in addition to repair of double-strand breaks, tolerance depends on the repair of collapsed replication forks and stalled transcription complexes. Mutation in recF results in increased survival, which identifies RecAF recombination as a poisoning mechanism not previously linked to FQ lethality. DinG acts upstream of SOS promoting its induction, whereas RuvAB participates in repair only. UvrD directly promotes all repair processes initiated by FQ-induced damage and prevents RecAF-dependent misrepair, making it one of the crucial SOS functions required for tolerance.
Next-Generation DNA Sequencing Methods

Recent scientific discoveries that resulted from the application of nextgeneration DNA sequencing technologies highlight the striking impact of these massively parallel platforms on genetics. These new methods have expanded previously focused readouts from a variety of DNA preparation protocols to a genome-wide scale and have fine-tuned their resolution to single base precision. The sequencing of RNA also has transitioned and now includes full-length cDNA analyses, serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE)-based methods, and noncoding RNA discovery. Next-generation sequencing has also enabled novel applications such as the sequencing of ancient DNA samples, and has substantially widened the scope of metagenomic analysis of environmentally derived samples. Taken together, an astounding potential exists for these technologies to bring enormous change in genetic and biological research and to enhance our fundamental biological knowledge.
Edit! Don't fiddle

Many projects are like falling dominoes; if one stage falls, all subsequent stages fall. Fortunately, technical writing is not; it's forgiving. When you're done writing, you can save a poor manuscript from rejection or uselessness. You still have editing! Dynamic editing can save a poor document and gird it against skeptical colleagues, bosses, and (journal) reviewers.
Cophylogeny on a Fine Scale: Geomydoecus Chewing Lice and Their Pocket Gopher Hosts, Pappogeomys bulleri

Abstract: Many species of pocket gophers and their ectoparasitic chewing lice have broadly congruent phylogenies, indicating a history of frequent codivergence. For a variety of reasons, phylogenies of codiverging hosts and parasites are expected to be less congruent for more recently diverged taxa. This study is the first of its scale in the pocket gopher and chewing louse system, with its focus entirely on comparisons among populations within a single species of host and 3 chewing louse species in the Geomydoecus bulleri species complex. We examined mitochondrial DNA from a total of 46 specimens of Geomydoecus lice collected from 11 populations of the pocket gopher host, Pappogeomys bulleri. We also examined nuclear DNA from a subset of these chewing lice. Louse phylogenies were compared with a published pocket gopher phylogeny. Contrary to expectations, we observed a statistically significant degree of parallel cladogenesis in these closely related hosts and their parasites. We also observed a higher r...
Beyond nationalism: The border, trauma and Partition fiction

This article aims to rethink the trauma of the 1947 Partition of British India through the figure of the border. It is at the border that we can see how the present is as much constituted by the co...
X-band RF MEMS phase shifters for phased array applications

In this work, development of a low-loss radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical (MEMS) 4-bit X-band monolithic phase shifter is presented. These microstrip circuits are fabricated on 0.021-in-thick high-resistivity silicon and are based on a reflection topology using 3-dB Lange couplers. The average insertion loss of the circuit is 1.4 dB with the return loss >11 dB at 8 GHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is a lowest reported loss for X-band phase shifter and promises to greatly reduce the cost of designing and building phase arrays.
Motor Vehicle Crash Injury Rates by Mode of Travel, United States: Using Exposure-Based Methods to Quantify Differences

The authors used traffic exposure data to calculate exposure-based fatal and nonfatal traffic injury rates in the United States. Nationally representative data were used to identify fatal and nonfatal traffic injuries that occurred from 1999 to 2003, and the 2001 National Household Travel Survey was used to estimate traffic exposure (i.e., person-trips). Fatal and nonfatal traffic injury rates per 100 million person-trips were calculated by mode of travel, sex, and age group. The overall fatal traffic injury rate was 10.4 per 100 million person-trips. Fatal injury rates were highest for motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The nonfatal traffic injury rate was 754.6 per 100 million person-trips. Nonfatal injury rates were highest for motorcyclists and bicyclists. Exposure-based traffic injury rates varied by mode of travel, sex, and age group. Motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists faced increased injury risks. Males, adolescents, and the elderly were also at increased risk. Effective interventions are available and should be implemented to protect these vulnerable road users.
A Comparison of Magnetite Particles Produced Anaerobically by Magnetotactic and Dissimilatory Iron‐Reducing Bacteria

We compare the magnetic properties of fine-grained magnetite produced by two newly isolated anaerobic bacteria, a magnetotactic bacterium (MV-1) and a dissimilatory iron-reducing bacterium (GS-15). Although room-temperature magnetic properties are generally different between the two microorganisms, MV-1 and GS-15 magnetites can be most easily distinguished by the temperature variation of saturation remanence obtained at liquid helium temperatures. Magnetite produced by MV-1 displays a sharp discontinuity in intensity at 100 K related to the Verwey transition. Magnetite produced by GS-15 displays a gradual decrease in intensity with temperature due to the progressive unblocking of magnetization. The differing behavior is due exclusively to different grain size distributions produced by these microorganisms. MV-1 produces magnetite with a narrow grain size distribution that is within the stable single domain size range at room temperature and below. GS-15 produces magnetite with a wide grain size distribution extending into the superparamagnetic (SPM) size range. Our results show that a substantial fraction of particles produced by GS-15 are SPM at room temperature.
Polyglutamine expansion in Drosophila: thermal stress and Hsp70 as selective agents

Repetitive DNA sequences that encode polyglutamine tracts are prone to expansion and cause highly deleterious phenotypes of neurodegeneration. Despite this tendency, polyglutamine tracts (“polyQs”) are conserved features of eukaryotic genomes. PolyQs are the most frequent protein-coding homotypic repeat in insect genomes, and are found predominantly in genes encoding transcription factors conserved from Drosophila through human. Although highly conserved across species, polyQ lengths vary widely within species. In D. melanogaster, polyQs in 25 genes have more alleles and higher heterozygosity than all other poly-amino acid tracts. The heat shock protein Hsp70 is a principal suppressor of polyQ expansions and may play a key role in modulating the phenotypes of the alleles that encode them. Hsp70 also promotes tolerance of natural thermal stress in Drosophila and diverse organisms, a role which may deplete the chaperone from buffering against polyQ toxicity. Thus in stressful environments, natural selection against long polyQ alleles more prone to expansion and deleterious phenotypes may be more effective. This hypothesis can be tested by measuring the phenotypic interactions between Hsp70 and polyQ transgenes in D. melanogaster undergoing natural thermal stress, an approach which integrates comparative genomics with experimental and ecological genetics.
A Study of Consciousness-Raising by Computer: The Effect of Metalinguistic Feedback on Second Language Learning

The computer can serve as a consciousness-raiser by highlighting and correcting students' errors and giving explanatory feedback. In the past, computer feedback was limited to simple error messages that did not tell the learner much more than that he or she was wrong and should try again. Natural language processing, however, allows the computer to actually parse student responses grammatically and to provide feedback that is more detailed and informative than was formerly possible. The study investigates the effectiveness of two types of computer feedback: one is traditional computer feedback that indicates only missing or unexpected words in the learner's response, and the other is intelligent computer feedback that provides further information about the nature of the errors in the form of metalinguistic rules. The study found that intelligent computer feedback is more effective than traditional computer feedback for improving the learners' grammatical proficiency in the use of complex structures of the target language. The study supports the value of metalinguistic instruction by computer.
New universal relations for nonlinear isotropic elastic materials

A nonlinear isotropic elastic block is subjected to a homogeneous deformation consisting of simple shear superposed on triaxial extension. Two new relations are established for this deformation which are valid for all nonlinear elastic isotropic materials, and hence are universal relations. The first is a relation between the stretch ratios in the plane of shear and the amount of shear when the deformation is supported only by shear tractions. The second relation is established for a thin-walled cylinder under combined extension, inflation and torsion. Each material element of the cylinder undergoes the same local homogeneous deformation of shear superposed on triaxial extension. The properties of this deformation are used to establish a relation between pressure, twisting moment, angle of twist and current dimensions when no axial force is applied to the cylinder. It is shown that these relations also apply for a mixture of a nonlinear isotropic solid and a fluid.
Geography and travel distance impact emergency department visits

Background: Little has been written about the geographic basis of emergency department (ED) visits. Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the impact of geography on ED visits. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of ED visits during a 1-year period at a single institution using spatial interaction analysis that models the pattern of flow between a series of origins (census block groups) and a destination (ED). Patients were assigned to census block groups based upon their verified home address. The study hospital is the only Level I trauma, pediatric, and tertiary referral center in the area. There are 11 other hospitals with EDs within a 40-mile radius. Each patient visit within this radius, including repeat visits, was included. Patients with an invalid home address, a post office box address, or those who lived outside a 40-mile radius were excluded. ED visits per 100 population were calculated for each census block group. Results: There were 98,584 (95%) visits by 63,524 patients that met study inclusion criteria. Visit rates decreased with increasing distance from the ED (p < 0.0001). Nineteen percent of patients lived within 2 miles, 48% within 4 miles, and 92% within 12 miles of the ED. The Connecticut border, 7 miles south of the ED (p < 0.0001), the Connecticut River, 1 mile west of the ED (p < 0.0001), and the presence of a competing ED within 1 mile (p < 0.0001) negatively impacted block group ED visit rates. Travel distance was related to the percentage of visits that were high acuity (p < 0.0001), daytime (p < 0.01), or resulted in admission (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Geography and travel distance significantly impact ED visits.
Interventional catheter therapy in adults with congenital heart disease

Abstract Many techniques commonly employed in the pediatric interventional catheterization laboratory have also gained successful application in the treatment of the adult patient with congenital heart disease. This article will review a variety of these interventional techniques and their results in the adult patient population.
Two New Classes of Algorithms for Finding the Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors of Real Symmetric Matrices

The algorithms described in this paper are essentially Jacobi-like iterative procedures employing Householder orthogonal similarity transformations and Jacobi orthogonal similarity transformations to reduce a real symmetrix matrix to diagonal form. The convergence of the first class of algorithms depends upon the fact that the algebraic value of one diagonal element is increased at each step in the iteration and the convergence of the second class of algorithms depends upon the fact that the absolute value of one off-diagonal element is increased at each step in the iteration. Then it is shown how it is possible to combine one algorithm from each class together into a “mixed” strategy for diagonalizing a real symmetric matrix.
Mechanism, purpose and progress: Darwin and early American psychology

Histories of psychology regularly celebrate the foundational role played in the development of early American psychology by Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection, and in particular...
Preparation of polyamides via the phosphorylation reaction. X. A study of higashi reaction conditions

We report a study of the conditions of the phosphorylation reaction for the preparation of aromatic polyamides using the Higashi reaction medium. For poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPD-T), the optimum conditions are: reaction temperature, 115°C; monomer concentration, C = 0.083 mol/L; and ratio of triphenyl phosphite (TPP) to monomer, 2.0. These optimum conditions produce PPD-T having ηinh = 6.2 dL/g. At temperatures of 120°C and above PPD-T precipitates from the reaction mixture, leading to lower molecular weights. At lower temperatures the reaction mixture gels, and the gel time decreases with increasing reaction temperature. However, polycondensation continues in the gel state. Monomer concentrations C = 0.10 mol/L and above produce precipitation and yield polyamides of lower molecular weight. For the preparation of poly(p-benzamide) (PBA), the optimum ratio of TPP to monomer is 0.6 for either p- aminobenzoic acid or N-4-(4′-aminobenzamido)benzoic acid. In the former case the inherent viscosity of polymer prepared at 115°C showed little dependence upon the concentration of the monomer. The highest value, ηinh = 1.8 dL/g, was obtained with C = 0.40 mol/L and a TPP/monomer ratio of 0.6. However, for the same TPP/monomer ratio, the monomer containing a preformed amide linkage, N-4-(4′-aminobenzamido)benzoic acid, gave PBA with ηinh = 4.6 dL/g when the monomer concentration is 0.33 mol/L. This is the highest value reported for PBA using the phosphorylation reaction. In A−A + B−B polycondensation, examples in which one of the monomers contained one or two preformed amide linkages produced polyamides having ηinh = 7.8 and 8.9 dL/g, respectively.
Sequence stratigraphic interpretations in the southern Dead Sea basin, Israel

A chronostratigraphic framework has been developed to date the late Tertiary and Pleistocene fill of the southern Dead Sea basin. This framework is based on a sequence stratigraphic interpretation of seismic data tied to eustatic sea-level curves. The limited biostratigraphic data available for the Dead Sea basin stratigraphy make this chronostratigraphy tentative, but nine third-order sequence boundaries have been identified and related to climatically driven lake-level falls that appear to correlate with eustatic events. In contrast, higher-order sequence boundaries were interpreted to reflect changes in both climate and local tectonics and the consequent sediment supply. The seismic stratigraphic interpretation indicates that fan-delta sediments accumulated at the southern and northern ends of the basin, while lacustrine clastic sediments filled the rest. Interfingering of southern and northern source sediments has been recognized in the northern part of the basin. The changing position of interfingering was interpreted as a response to lake-level changes, the lake-level falls inducing increased sediment flux from the northern source, and lake-level highstands favoring the influx and progradation of sediments from the south.
Blindness and visual impairment in the Americas and the Caribbean

Aim: To summarise available data on the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in the Americas and the Caribbean. Methods: The published literature was searched in Medline and LILACS using the following key words: blindness, visual impairment, prevalence. Articles were reviewed, and the references of the articles were also searched for relevant articles, which were also reviewed. Results: Using the mortality in children under the age of 5 as an indicator, the overall prevalence of childhood blindness (in the under age 15 group) for the region was estimated at 0.45/1000, with the majority (67%) living in countries with mortality of children under age 5 above 30/1000 live births. Corneal opacities were more common in countries where the under 5 year mortality are above 30/1000 live births and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was an important cause in countries with intermediate death rates. For adults, overall blindness rates were not estimated because of the social, economic, and ethnic diversity in the region. The primary causes of visual loss in adults in the Americas were age related eye diseases, notably cataract and glaucoma in the African-American and Hispanic populations, and age related macular degeneration in the white population. Uncorrected refractive error was a significant cause of decreased vision across ages, ethnic groups, and countries. Conclusion: More data are needed on the magnitude and causes of visual loss for the Caribbean and Latin American countries. Rates of blindness and visual loss from available data within these countries are widely disparate. Prevention and control of avoidable blindness needs to be an ongoing focus in this region.
External carotid stenting for symptomatic stenosis in a patient with patent EDAS for Moyamoya disease

Background Moyamoya disease is characterized by progressive narrowing of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Symptomatic patients typically undergo cerebrovascular intervention via extracranial–intracranial (EC–IC) bypass, most often with the use of the superficial temporal artery. This case of Moyamoya disease is of particular interest as the patient presented with a unilateral atherosclerotic external carotid artery (ECA) stenosis after EC–IC bypass that eliminated the benefit of his original surgery, resulting in a symptomatic presentation. Clinical presentation A 53-year-old man presenting with Moyamoya disease and known left ICA occlusion had received a bilateral encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) bypass 10 years previously. He re-presented complaining of right-sided tingling, weakness, and numbness radiating up the arm. CT angiography indicated significant stenosis of the left ECA. ECA angioplasty and stenting with a distal protection device resulted in resolution of his symptoms. Conclusions This case illustrates that a patient presenting with Moyamoya disease and concurrent symptomatic ECA stenosis post-EDAS can be effectively and safely treated with ECA stenting.
Placebo response and antidepressant response.

Objective Much of the response to an antidepressant is the result of placebo response. The placebo response embedded in drug response confounds studies seeking to identify brain mechanisms essential for pharmacologic response. Exclusion of patients who fail to meet entry criteria at the end of a placebo lead-in phase has been inadequate to reduce the effect of placebo during pharmacologic trials. This study focused on the placebo lead-in phase and examines whether change in severity of depression during placebo lead-in predicts change in depressive symptoms during antidepressant treatment. Method The subjects were patients aged 60–85 years with nonpsychotic unipolar major depression not attributed to dementing disorders, medical illnesses, or drugs causing depression and had a 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of 18 or greater. After a two-week placebo lead-in, subjects with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of 18 or greater received 10 mg escitalopram for 12 weeks. Results Worsening or limited change in depression during placebo treatment predicted improvement in depressive symptoms during escitalopram treatment. Limited change in anxiety, melancholia, helplessness, and paranoia during placebo treatment were the strongest predictors of improvement in depression while on escitalopram. Conclusions These findings, if replicated, may be used to characterize depressed older patients likely to respond to the pharmacologic action of antidepressants rather than the placebo response embedded in drug trials and thus improve the methodology of biomarker studies of antidepressant response. On a clinical level, depressed older patients who improve during a prolonged evaluation may be candidates for nonpharmacologic treatments because their drug response may be limited.
Metacapacitors: Printed Thin Film, Flexible Capacitors for Power Conversion Applications

The Metacapacitors project aims to improve efficiency, functionality and form factor of offline power converters suitable for LED solid-state lighting, with a view to developing an attractive technology platform for load management and power conversion across a broad range of applications. Based on integrated switched-capacitor (SC) topologies, the project adopts an integrated approach from materials to devices to circuits. We designed capacitors based on high- $\kappa$ dielectric nanocrystals, that can be prepared using high-throughput microfabrication/nanotechnology techniques, ink deposition and multilayering. The capacitor dielectric, a nanocomposite composed of (Ba, Sr)TiO $_{3}$ nanocrystals in polyfurfuryl alcohol (BST/PFA, $\kappa$ $ > 20$ , $100 \text{Hz}$ – $1\ \text{MHz}$ , loss $ , $20\ \text{kHz}$ ), targets a high volumetric capacitance density and ripple current capability. The Dielectric is demonstrated to function in a finished capacitor $ > \! 1000\ \text{h}$ at $125 ^\circ \text{C}$ . The capacitors were board integrated with a custom hybrid-switched-capacitor-resonant dc–dc converter IC. The converter integrates a balanced SC front-end with a series resonant tank, enabling nearly lossless current regulation and tranformerless galvanic isolation. The converter IC can be stacked in the voltage domain to interface a range of inputs. The tested driver delivers about $ 15\;\text{W}$ at $ 470\;\text{mA}$ to a string of $ 12$ LEDs with $ 90\%$ peak efficiency.
Mapping transcriptome profiles of in vitro iPSC-derived cardiac differentiation to in utero heart development.

The dataset includes microarray data (Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Array) from WT and Nos3(-/-) mouse embryonic heart ventricular tissues at 14.5 days post coitum (E14.5), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from WT and Nos3(-/-) mouse tail tip fibroblasts, iPSC-differentiated cardiomyocytes at Day 11, and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and differentiated cardiomyocytes as positive controls for mouse iPSC differentiation. Both in utero (using embryonic heart tissues) and in vitro (using iPSCs and differentiated cells) microarray datasets were deposited to the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The deposited data in GEO include raw microarray data, metadata for sample source information, experimental design, sample and data processing, and gene expression matrix. The data are available under GEO Access Number GSE69317 (GSE69315 for tissue sample microarray data, GSE69316 for iPSCs microarray data, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc= GSE69317).
Bridging the Explicit and Implicit Curricula: Critically Thoughtful Critical Thinking

Critical thinking lies at the core of social work practice given that decision making often is swift and occurs in a climate of uncertainty. The recent changes to the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards developed by the Council on Social Work Education emphasize critical thinking by promoting an integrative curriculum design that distinguishes between explicit and implicit elements. This article presents critical thinking, embedded in critical theory, as a discipline-specific construct central to effective social work education and practice that links the explicit and implicit curricula. Definitions of critical thinking and their relationship to critical theory are discussed. The article argues that a critical theory framework can be applied to social work education via service learning to enhance critical thinking skills among undergraduates.
Acute nonpsychotic mania: first episode.

Mr. Jones, 30 years of age, presents to the office for the first time with symptoms of mania. He had gone through a period of increased spending during which he purchased thousands of dollars worth of audio and video equipment in addition to other items he could not afford. He is currently living with his parents due to his inability to meet these financial obligations. When his parents starting receiving packages at their house, they decided to have Mr. Jones evaluated. They note that he is awake much of the night talking on the phone and browsing the Internet. His bills indicate large charges for phone sex and pornography.
Study on polychlorinated biphenyls level in frozen seafood

Objective:To investigate indicator coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls level in frozen seafood.Methods:Seafood was added 13C labeled internal standard after freeze-drying.Further cleanup procedure was followed by gel permeation chromatography(GPC),multilayer silica column and an alumina column.Sample was analyzed by HRGC-HRMS under SIM mode.Results:The concentration of total indicator PCBs and total coplanar PCBs in testacean fih range from 35.7~248 pg/g w.w and 7.0~237 pg/g,respectively.In none-shell fish,they rang from 267~1668 pg/g w.w and 53.8~244 pg/g w.w,respectively.The WHO-TEQ-98 of PCBs in testacean fih and none-shell fish are 0.01~0.13 pg/g w.w and 0.04~0.53 pg/g w.w.Conclusion:Results obtained in this study are in good accordance with documents,and the contamination level of PCBs in seafood from Zhejiang should be close to what have been demonstrated in the study.
Investigation on the infection of the echinococcus granulosus of the dogs before and after deworming in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps,2011-2013

Objectives The rates of echinococcus infection in dogs before and after deworming were investigated to understand its distribution, evaluate the implementation effect of the anthelmintic work and provide the basis for the further deworming work in dogs. Methods We used the praziquantel tablet for deworming once a month in dogs in the popular division of hydatid disease in Xinjiang production and construction corps from 2011. The rate of deworming reached above 85%. The echinococcus granulosus infection in dogs was investigated every year by the stratified randomization. The feces were detected by echinococcus granulosus antigen detection test kit. Results 12517 dogs, 10495 dogs and 8481 dogs were investigated every year from 2011 to 2013. 848(6.77%), 102(0.97%) and 41 dogs(0.48%) were positive, respectively. The rate of echinococcus infection in dogs decreased through the deworming work. But we should continue to strengthen the deworming work to reduce hydatid disease hazards and to protect people's health.
Performance of soft red winter wheat subjected to field soil waterlogging: Grain yield and yield components

Abstract Soil waterlogging impacts 25% of the global area planted to wheat and the development of waterlogging tolerant cultivars lags behind progress that has been made for other abiotic stresses. This study was conducted to identify sources of waterlogging tolerance in soft red winter wheat (SRWW) adapted to the southeastern United States, a region prone to yearly waterlogging. A set of 28 SRWW genotypes were evaluated over two growing seasons in field waterlogging experiments at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Waterlogging at the late tillering stage resulted in a mean grain yield (GY) reduction of 34%, ranging from 16 to 49% within the tested lines. Total GY was impacted by lower kernel weight spike −1 resulting from reductions in kernels spike −1 and 1000 kernel weight, total biomass and to a lesser extent spike density. An interaction between genotype and the waterlogging treatment (GxT) was observed for days to heading, plant height, kernel weight spike −1 , kernels spike −1 and 1000 kernel weight with significant GxT detected for total GY during the first season only. Spectral reflectance measurements of normalized difference vegetative index were highly predictive of both GY (R 2 = 0.77) and total biomass (R 2 = 0.64) under waterlogging but not in the control, indicating potential for indirect high-throughput screening and selection. Overall, the genotypes 26R22, AR01167-3-1, Magnolia and USG 3555 had significantly higher GY than other genotypes under waterlogging, with USG 3555 also showing a non-significant GY reduction, indicating its potential as a genetic source of waterlogging tolerance.
Bilirubin Metabolism: Research Aspects

The mechanisms through which bilirubin is taken up and conjugated by the liver have become better understood in recent years, partly because specialized protein receptors have been identified, partly because mutant animals having liver impairments similar to some found in man are available. More needs to be learned, however, concerning the mechanisms of excretion before bilirubin metabolism is fully clarified.
Disciplinary Transformations in the Age of Newton: The Case of Metaphysics

The thematic core of this volume is “Philosophy and Science in the Eighteenth Century.” As the editor explained in his invitation to the contributors, the title refers to the interrelations and distinctions between philosophy and science, as signposted principally in the work of Leibniz, Newton, and Kant. I should be surprised if anyone’s reply to the invitation included a request that someone explain the meaning of “philosophy” and “science” in this context. We knew that we would be exploring changes in the distinctions and relations between matters broadly philosophical and matters broadly scientifical. Yet I for one began to worry about what the thematic core referred to. More precisely, and less skittishly, I offered an article that would arise from an assumed worry about the referents of the volume’s thematic core. In the early modern period, as in the preceding centuries, philosophy generally included physics or natural philosophy, mathematics, and metaphysics, for some simply another name for philosophy, for others the philosophical subject par excellence. So when we contemplate the relations between “philosophy” and “science” in the eighteenth century, we confront a lattice of shifting contrasts and identities whose complexity makes it problematic how those relations should be disentangled and understood.