cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response of a CsI/amorphous-Si flat panel detector as function of incident x-ray angle

Two mechanisms for MTF dependence on incident x-ray angle are demonstrated by an experimental technique that separates the two phenomena. The dominant effect is that travel of x-ray photons through the scintillator at non-normal incidence involves an in-plane component. This mechanism leads to a significant but deterministic blurring of the incident image, but has no effect on the noise transfer characteristics of the detector. A secondary effect is that at large angles to the surface normal, x-ray-to-optical conversion occurs at positions in the scintillator further away from the photodiode surface. This leads to a small net decrease in MTF and NPS at angles above 60 degrees. The deterministic character of the angular dependence of gain, MTF and NPS leads to the conclusion that sufficient angular range can be supported by this detector construction. Excellent functionality in the context of tomography is expected.
Listening to Lyrica: contested illnesses and pharmaceutical determinism.

Abstract Fibromyalgia syndrome is a debilitating pain disorder of unknown origins and a paradigmatic contested illness. As with other contested illnesses, the reality of fibromyalgia is disputed by many physicians. Thus, millions of individuals who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia must cope with chronic symptoms as well as medical and public skepticism. In this context, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration’s approval of Lyrica, the first prescription medication specifically for the management of fibromyalgia, is of considerable interest. In this paper I examine the cultural logic whereby the existence (and marketing) of an officially approved prescription medication for a condition lends support to the biomedical existence of the condition itself. I label this logic pharmaceutical determinism and argue that it represents an important new phase in the proliferation of contested illness diagnoses. Using the case of Lyrica, I describe the role that pharmaceutical companies and pharmaceuticals themselves play in promoting and legitimating contested diagnoses and validating those who are so diagnosed. Through a narrative analysis of the Lyrica direct-to-consumer advertising campaign and the responses of fibromyalgia sufferers to the introduction and marketing of Lyrica, I demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between the interests of the pharmaceutical industry, contested illness legitimization, and medicalization. I also provide a gender analysis of this relationship, foregrounding how contested illnesses continue to be shaped by their feminization in a cultural context that equates women with irrationality. Finally, I address the consequences and limitations of relying on the pharmaceutical industry for illness validation.
Spectrum of the high rotational levels of CO populated by photodissociation of formaldehyde

L'etude du spectre de CO obtenu par dissociation de la formaldehyde permet d'obtenir la structure rotationnelle de la transition A←X de CO jusqu'a J 4 =63
A methodology for efficient hardware verification

We present a methodology which helps structure the design and verification of hardware circuits. Our methodology supports reusable proofs of hardware components, provides for multiple implementations of the same specification, and allows both bottom up and top down verification styles. We provide mechanical assistance for our methodology in the Nuprl proof development system. Our method exploits Nuprl's rich type theory to encode the specification of a module in the type of the module. This allows us to elegantly describe parameterized hardware modules. The methodology is efficient because: the automated support reduces the amount of information that users must provide and the use of parameterized hardware modules eliminates redundant reasoning among proofs of hardware components. In this paper we explain our methodology and illustrate our approach with several examples of circuit verification.
On-line coupling of microdialysis sampling with microchip-based capillary electrophoresis

Microdialysis sampling is a technique that has been used for in vivo and in vitro monitoring of compounds of pharmaceutical, biomedical, and environmental interest. The coupling of a commercially available microdialysis probe to a microchip-based capillary electrophoresis (CE) system is described. A continuously flowing dialysate stream from a microdialysis probe was introduced into the microchip, and discrete injections were achieved using a valveless gating approach. The effect of the applied voltage and microdialysis flow rate on device performance was investigated. It was found that the peak area varied linearly with the applied voltage. Higher voltages led to lower peak response but faster separations. Perfusion flow rates of 0.8 and 1.0 μL/min were found to provide optimal performance. The on-line microdialysis/microchip CE system was used to monitor the hydrolysis of fluorescein mono-β-d-galactopyranoside (FMG) by β-d-galactosidase. A decrease of the FMG substrate with an increase in the fluorescei...
Control of Growth of Axenic Cultures of Mammalian Cells by Serum Lipids

ALTHOUGH serum proteins are almost universally used to stimulate the growth of mammalian cells in axenic culture, the nature of the active entity is unknown. Previous work from this laboratory1 has shown that lipids extracted from serum with ether are toxic to cultured cells. It therefore seemed reasonable that the removal of toxic materials would produce serum of greater growth stimulatory activity. This was found not to be so; the resulting serum was either toxic or inert to cultured cells. The reason for this may have been that ether extraction was too vigorous a treatment for the retention of growth stimulatory activity by serum proteins. A milder method would be the use of charcoal which was shown by Chen2 to remove fatty acids from serum albumin.
HIV infection presenting as psychosis: a critique

A review of the literature on HIV and psychiatry thus far has revealed 13 cases of HIV infection presenting as psychosis. We argue that these cases could in fact represent either coincidental schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and HIV infection or HIV-related organic hallucinosis, delusional or affective syndromes with or without associated dementia (AIDS-dementia complex). The use of the term psychosis in describing AIDS-related behavioral syndromes is misleading, and should be replaced when possible by specific DSM-III-R categories.
Real-time observations of Southern Ocean wave fields from the Shuttle Imaging Radar

During the April and October 1994 flights of the space shuttle Endeavour, C-band synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) signal was acquired and processed in real-time into ocean wave images and two-dimensional image spectra by an on-board processor. The image spectra were transmitted to the ground as they were acquired. During 20 days of observations, spanning the two missions, over 100000 spectra were collected. These data provide the first truly synoptic directional measurements of the Southern Ocean wave field. With additional processing, estimates of ocean wavelength and propagation direction were extracted from the spectra. During the October mission, daily comparisons of these estimates with wave model predictions were made available at a World Wide Web site. The authors describe the computations performed by the processor and the real-time data flow and ground processing. In addition, they summarize and interpret some gross characteristics of the processor-observed real-time wave field from the April and October missions. >
Discrimination of vocal performance by male swamp sparrows

In aggressive communication, the interests of signalers and receivers are directly opposed, presenting a challenge to the maintenance of reliable signaling. Index signals, whose production is constrained by physical ability, offer one solution to the reliable signaling problem. Vocal performance, the ability to produce physically challenging songs, is likely such a signal in swamp sparrows. Maximum vocal performance varies between males and is correlated with aspects of quality. However, vocal performance can be modulated in aggressive contexts by increasing the frequency bandwidth and trill rate of songs. This study examines receiver response to (1) differences in performance of the same song types by different signalers and (2) individual modulation of performance between contexts. Results demonstrate that male receivers show differential response to between-male differences in song type performance, but do not show differential response to the smaller scale modulations of performance produced by individuals singing the same song type at different times. This pattern suggests that vocal performance cannot be effectively cheated and may therefore serve as a good example of an index signal.
Uncovering a connection between physiological stress and therapeutic resistance in tumor cells

Meeting abstracts Environmental stress, including that caused by ambient temperature, significantly impacts many biological processes. Under conditions of cold stress, the sympathetic nervous system and a subpopulation of alternatively activated macrophages produce norepinephrine to maintain
E2F8 as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND The E2F members have been divided into transcription activators (E2F1-E2F3) and repressors (E2F4-E2F8). E2F8 with E2F7 has been known to play an important physiologic role in embryonic development and cell cycle regulation by repressing E2F1. However, the function of E2F8 in cancer cells is unknown. METHODS E2F8 expression was assessed by immunoblotting or immunofluorescence staining in human lung cancer (LC) cells and tissues from LC patients (n = 45). Cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion analysis were performed to evaluate the role of E2F8 in LC. Microarray analysis was used to determine the target genes of E2F8. The regulation of E2F8 on the expression of ubiquitin-like PHD and RING domain-containing 1 (UHRF1), one of E2F8 target genes, was determined using chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter activity assays. Human LC xenograft models were used to determine the effects of inhibiting E2F8 by siRNAs (n = 7 per group) or antisense morpholino (n = 8 per group) on tumor growth. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and group differences by the Student's t test. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS LC tumors overexpressed E2F8 compared with normal lung tissues. Depletion of E2F8 inhibited cell proliferation and tumor growth. E2F8 knockdown statistically significantly reduced the expression of UHRF1 (~60%-70%, P < .001), and the direct binding of E2F8 on the promoter of UHRF1 was identified. Kaplan-Meier analysis with a public database showed prognostic significance of aberrant E2F8 expression in LC (HR = 1.91 95% CI = 1.21 to 3.01 in chemo-naive patients, P = .0047). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that E2F8 is overexpressed in LC and is required for the growth of LC cells. These findings implicate E2F8 as a novel therapeutic target for LC treatment.
Enhanced dispersion of CdSe/MEH-CN-PPV hybrid nanocomposites by in situ polymerization using AEM as photopolymerizable precursor

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) can easily become aggregated when blended in a polymer matrix. Although several techniques have been reported to prepare dispersed CQDs in a polymer matrix, the novel approach of this work is to obtain well-dispersed CQD–polymer nanocomposites through the in situ photopolymerization of a third source, thereby broadening the material selection available for such nanocomposites. Therefore, dispersed CQD–polymer nanocomposites were prepared by the photopolymerization of 2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride (AEM) precursor in a blend of trioctyl phosphine oxide-capped CdSe CQDs and poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-α,α′dicyano-p-xylylidene-alt-2,5-dihexyoxy-p-xylylidene) (MEH-CN-PPV). The photopolymerization of AEM was developed for this work in order to prevent possible decomposition of CQDs induced by introducing metallic catalysts or heat and to eliminate the need for further functionalization of CQDs or polymers. The morphology of the photopolymerized CdSe CQD/MEH-CN-PPV/AEM was corroborated by direct observation of the quantum dot dispersion in the resultant sphere-shaped structures via transmission electron microscopy. Photoluminescence quenching and shorter photoluminescence decay lifetime of the MEH-CN-PPV in the photopolymerized nanocomposite were observed, indicating that the photopolymerized CdSe CQD/MEH-CN-PPV/AEM nanocomposite has an enhanced energy transfer efficiency in comparison to typical aggregated CdSe quantum dot/MEH-CN-PPV nanocomposites as a result of better dispersion.
CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY AND VULNERABILITY TO MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS

Based upon epidemiological surveys, adverse childhood events are proposed to be risk factors for adult depressive and anxiety disorders. However, the extent to which these events are seen in clinical patient populations is less clear. We examined the prevalence of a number of proposed risk factors for depression in 650 patients with mood and anxiety disorders at the time of presentation for treatment in an outpatient subspecialty clinic. Emotional abuse, physical abuse, or sexual abuse (childhood adversity) was found in approximately 35% of patients with major depression and panic disorder, was more common in women than men, and was associated with an earlier onset of symptoms. Childhood adversity was also strongly associated with marital discord/divorce, and psychopathology in a parent, suggesting family discord predisposes to childhood abuse. Furthermore, the association of childhood abuse with parental mental illness suggests that genetic and environmental factors are difficult to separate as etiological factors in vulnerability. Depression and Anxiety 5:66‐72, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
SkewTune: mitigating skew in mapreduce applications

We present an automatic skew mitigation approach for user-defined MapReduce programs and present SkewTune, a system that implements this approach as a drop-in replacement for an existing MapReduce implementation. There are three key challenges: (a) require no extra input from the user yet work for all MapReduce applications, (b) be completely transparent, and (c) impose minimal overhead if there is no skew. The SkewTune approach addresses these challenges and works as follows: When a node in the cluster becomes idle, SkewTune identifies the task with the greatest expected remaining processing time. The unprocessed input data of this straggling task is then proactively repartitioned in a way that fully utilizes the nodes in the cluster and preserves the ordering of the input data so that the original output can be reconstructed by concatenation. We implement SkewTune as an extension to Hadoop and evaluate its effectiveness using several real applications. The results show that SkewTune can significantly reduce job runtime in the presence of skew and adds little to no overhead in the absence of skew.
A Computational Approach for the "Selection" of Closed-Loop Pole Locations

The problem of pole placement or eigenvalue assignment by state or output feedback is very well studied. Provided the locations of closed-loop poles are known, it is always possible under certain conditions to determine the feedback compensator. However, the selection of closed-loop pole location is based on heuristics and the designers' experience. In this paper, it is shown that by specifying the desired impulse response of the closed-loop system, the optimal closed-loop characteristic polynomial, and therefore, the optimal locations for the closed-loop poles can be determined.
Oropharyngeal candidiasis in patients treated with triamcinolone acetonide aerosol

Thirty asthmatic patients participating in a trial of triamcinolone acetonide aerosol were evaluated to determine the relationships among symptons of sore throat or hoarseness, the appearance of the throat on physical examination, and the presence of yeasts on pharyngeal culture. Observations were recorded prior to aerosol therapy and repeated after 2 wk, 4 wk, 6 wk, 4 mo, and 6 mo of therapy. A total of 15 patients (50%) experienced sore throat or hoarseness, 15 (50%) had yeasts cultured from the pharynx on at least one occasion, and 11 (37%) at some point had an abnormal throat examination; however, there was no predictable relationship between symptoms or abnormal physical examinations and the presence of a positive culture. The frequency of positive cultures did not change significantly during the observation period. Twelve patients had positive yeast cultures on 50% or more of their samples. The incidence of symptoms was not sigficantly increased in these chronically colonized patients. Symptoms were usually transient, and discontinuation of the aerosol or antifungal therapy was unnecessary. Triamcinolone aerosol was not associated with significantly increased pharyngeal colonization with yeasts in this 6-mo study. Existing chronic colonization is not necessarily a contraindication to triamcinolone therapy. Sore throat and hoarseness are usually unrelated to yeast infection in patients using triamcinolone acetonide aerosol.
Ovulation as a male mating prime: Subtle signs of women's fertility influence men's mating cognition and behavior.

Women’s reproductive fertility peaks for a few days in the middle of their cycle around ovulation. Because conception is most likely to occur inside this brief fertile window, evolutionary theories suggest that men possess adaptations designed to maximize their reproductive success by mating with women during their peak period of fertility. In this article, we provide evidence from 3 studies that subtle cues of fertility prime mating motivation in men, thus facilitating psychological and behavioral processes associated with the pursuit of a sexual partner. In Study 1, men exposed to the scent of a woman near peak levels of fertility displayed increased accessibility to sexual concepts. Study 2 demonstrated that, among men who reported being sensitive to odors, scent cues of fertility triggered heightened perceptions of women’s sexual arousal. Study 3 revealed that, in a face-to-face interaction, high levels of female fertility were associated with a greater tendency for men to make risky decisions and to behaviorally mimic a female partner. Hence, subtle cues of fertility led to a cascade of mating-related processes—from lower order cognition to overt behavior—that reflected heightened mating motivation. Implications for theories of goal pursuit, romantic attraction, and evolutionary psychology are discussed.
The Contribution of Executive Functions to Emergent Mathematic Skills in Preschool Children.

Mathematical ability is related to both activation of the prefrontal cortex in neuroimaging studies of adults and to executive functions in school-age children. The purpose of this study was to determine whether executive functions were related to emergent mathematical proficiency in preschool children. Preschool children (N = 96) were administered an executive function battery that was reduced empirically to working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC), and shifting abilities by calculating composite scores derived from principal component analysis. Both WM and IC predicted early arithmetic competency, with the observed relations robust after controlling statistically for child age, maternal education, and child vocabulary. Only IC accounted for unique variance in mathematical skills, after the contribution of other executive functions were controlled statistically as well. Specific executive functions are related to emergent mathematical proficiency in this age range. Longitudinal studies using structural equation modeling are necessary to better characterize these ontogenetic relations.
ZnO Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors: Ozone-Induced Threshold Voltage Shift and Multiple Nanowire Effects

ZnO nanowire field-effect transistors (NW-FETs) employing single nanowires were fabricated, using a self-assembled superlattice (SAS) as the gate insulator. Both depletion-mode and enhancement-mode ZnO NW-FETs were fabricated and characterized. An electrostatic model is proposed to describe observed threshold voltage shift upon optimum ozone treatment. Temperature-dependent current-voltage characteristics of depletion-mode ZnO NW-FETs verify this model, indicating the existence of body current through ZnO nanowires with low activation energy. In addition, NW-FETs that use multiple ZnO nanowires and a SiO 2 gate insulator were fabricated to achieve higher on-current without significant degradation in on-off current ratio, threshold voltage shift, and subthreshold slopes.
Randomization-Based Intrusion Detection System for Advanced Metering Infrastructure*

Smart grid deployment initiatives have been witnessed in recent years. Smart grids provide bidirectional communication between meters and head-end systems through Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Recent studies highlight the threats targeting AMI. Despite the need for tailored Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) for smart grids, very limited progress has been made in this area. Unlike traditional networks, smart grids have their own unique challenges, such as limited computational power devices and potentially high deployment cost, that restrict the deployment options of intrusion detectors. We show that smart grids exhibit deterministic and predictable behavior that can be accurately modeled to detect intrusion. However, it can also be leveraged by the attackers to launch evasion attacks. To this end, in this article, we present a robust mutation-based intrusion detection system that makes the behavior unpredictable for the attacker while keeping it deterministic for the system. We model the AMI behavior using event logs collected at smart collectors, which in turn can be verified using the invariant specifications generated from the AMI behavior and mutable configuration. Event logs are modeled using fourth-order Markov chain and specifications are written in Linear Temporal Logic (LTL). To counter evasion and mimicry attacks, we propose a configuration randomization module. The approach provides robustness against evasion and mimicry attacks; however, we discuss that it still can be evaded to a certain extent. We validate our approach on a real-world dataset of thousands of meters collected at the AMI of a leading utility provider.
Evidence from cross circulation studies for a humoral mechanism in the natriuresis of saline loading.

SummaryBlood was cross circulated from saline loaded donor dogs given excess min-eralocorticoid to normal recipient animals. A significant increase in urinary sodium excretion occurred in the recipients and this persisted despite a reduction in GFR produced by suprarenal aortic constriction. This decrease in fractional renal tubular sodium reabsorption is consistent with the action of a humoral factor.
Quantum Field Theory

Quantum field theory has been a great success for physics, but it is difficult for mathematicians to learn because it is mathematically incomplete. Folland, who is a mathematician, has spent considerable time digesting the physical theory and sorting out the mathematical issues in it. Fortunately for mathematicians, Folland is a gifted expositor. The purpose of this book is to present the elements of quantum field theory, with the goal of understanding the behavior of elementary particles rather than building formal mathematical structures, in a form that will be comprehensible to mathematicians. Rigorous definitions and arguments are presented as far as they are available, but the text proceeds on a more informal level when necessary, with due care in identifying the difficulties. The book begins with a review of classical physics and quantum mechanics, then proceeds through the construction of free quantum fields to the perturbation-theoretic development of interacting field theory and renormalization theory, with emphasis on quantum electrodynamics. The final two chapters present the functional integral approach and the elements of gauge field theory, including the Salam-Weinberg model of electromagnetic and weak interactions.
Research of Circuit of Voltage-modulated Driving and Phase-locked Amplifying of Laser

In order to eliminate influence of optical frequency drifting for detection of gas concentration,a circuit of voltage-modulated driving and phase-locked amplifying of laser was designed based on modulation characteristics of wavelength of DFB LD.The output waveform of the voltage-modulated driving circuit is superposition of 2 Hz sawtooth wave and 2 kHz square wave.The 2 Hz sawtooth wave makes central wavelength of DFB LD pass by central line of absorption of gas slowly,so as to ensure gas absorb light intensity.The 2 kHz square wave makes secondary micro-modulation of wavelength of DFB LD and it is used as synchronous signal of harmonic detection simultaneously.The phase-locked amplifying circuit selects and amplifies the third harmonic of modulation signal of DFB LD,which is not influenced by wavelength drifting of DFB LD.The result of Matlab simulation showed that the output of the circuit is proportional to the amplitude of absorption function of light intensity of gas concentration,and it verifies the feasibility of detection of the third harmonic wave.
Analysis of disinfection effect monitor result in medical institutions inLiuzhou city from 2007 to 2009

Objective:To find out the disinfection status in medical institutions at various levels in Liuzhou city and take corresponding measures to improve disinfection quality.Methods:Sterilization effect in 58 medical institutions in Liuzhou city were monitored from 2007 to 2009 according to disinfection technical specification published by the ministry of public health(2002 version) requirements.Results:Among 3598 samples which were collected and examined in medical institutions at various levels in Liuzhou city from 2007 to 2009,the average eligibility rate was 95.19% and 96.74%,96.26%,91.05% from 2007 to 2009,respectively,by statistics processing(χ2=22.09,P0.05),and no significant differences.Conclusion:The disinfection quality in medical institutions at various levels in Liuzhou city,some problems still exist and need to take further measures to strengthen the monitoring and management of disinfection job.
Mesotheliomas of the tunica vaginalis propria and peritoneum in Fischer rats

Nine mesotheliomas were found in a group of 384 mature, male, Fischer-derived rats maintained on various experimental diets in long-term feeding studies. The tumors apparently were unrelated to any of the test materials. They ranged from solid, raised serosal growths to delicate papillary structures, and occurred primarily on the tunica vaginalis propria of the testis, epididymis and spermatic cord. Four of the nine cases were unusual because there was mesotheliomatous involvement of the peritoneal as well as of the genital mesothelium.
Quantitation of Methylmalonic Acid in Serum or Plasma Using Isotope Dilution-Selected Ion Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

The measurement of plasma or serum methylmalonic acid (MMA) is useful for monitoring therapy in patients with methylmalonic acidemia due to methylmalonyl-CoA mutase deficiency, defects of vitamin B12 metabolism, and also for the determination of functional vitamin B12 deficiency. This method utilizes a stable-isotope labeled internal standard (trideuterated MMA), which is added to the standards, controls, and patient samples prior to extraction. MMA is derivatized by butylation and the amount quantified against a seven-point standard curve using specific selected ions from both the labeled and unlabeled MMA.
The Executive Budget in Georgia

This chapter begins with the history of the budget “idea” in the United States, recounts efforts to adopt it in Georgia during the first half of the twentieth century, and identifies the Budget Act of 1962 as achievement of the budget idea in Georgia and the beginning of the modern era of Georgia state budgeting.
IMP-based synchronization controller for distributed three-phase inverter with uncertain loads

With more and more distributed and renewable energy sources connected to the utility network, it will introduce different dynamics to the system, and power electronics interfaces are needed to enable efficient and flexible interconnections among different players. Based on Internal Model Principle, sinusoidal denominator can be included in the cascaded controller for DC-AC inverter to achieve the synchronization control for the tracking of grid voltage. However, the load variation is quite normal in the operation of power grid. In this paper, after the controller design is performed based on nominal load, robust stability analysis is made to define the tolerance boundary for the resistance variation, inductance variation, and capacitance variation, respectively. Finally, the proposed boundary is verified with MATLAB simulation.
Subsite variation in survival of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas 2004 to 2011

Objectives/Hypothesis To evaluate subsite-specific differences in survival between squamous cell carcinomas of the base of tongue and tonsillar fossa in a modern cohort likely to have been treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy, chemotherapy for stage III and IV, and have had a high incidence of human papillomavirus–associated tumors. Study Design Retrospective cohort analysis utilizing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of patients with base of tongue and tonsillar fossa squamous cell carcinoma from 2004 to 2011. Methods The cohort included 15,299 primary base of tongue and tonsillar fossa squamous cell carcinoma patients without distant metastases treated between 2004 and 2011. Subsite differences in overall survival and disease-specific survival were examined with Kaplan-Meier curves. Multivariate cox proportional hazard ratios were estimated for overall and disease-specific survival. Results The cohort included 7,220 (47.2%) base of tongue and 8,079 (52.8%) tonsillar fossa squamous cell carcinoma patients. Overall survival with all stages combined favored tonsillar fossa (P < .001) and remained superior when stratified by stage. In multivariate analyses adjusted for age, gender, race, and treatment, the hazard ratio for overall survival was superior for tonsillar fossa tumors compared to base of tongue tumors for all stages (stage 1, P = .041; stage 2, P = .006; stages 3 and 4, P < .001). Disease-specific survival also favored improved outcomes for tonsillar fossa. Conclusions In this large modern cohort, overall and disease-specific survival favored outcomes in tonsillar fossa compared with base of tongue. Further study is required to evaluate factors that influence survival differences between tonsillar fossa and base of tongue despite modern therapy. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 2016
Comparison of Dapivirine Vaginal Gel and Film Formulation Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (FAME 02B)

Abstract While preexposure prophylaxis with oral tenofovir/emtricitabine reduces HIV acquisition rates, poor adherence to and acceptability of vaginal gels and the potential for evolving drug resistance have led to development of vaginal film formulations and other antiretroviral drugs, respectively, including the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor dapivirine. In this two-arm crossover study of a novel fast-dissolving dapivirine film and a previously studied semisolid dapivirine gel, 10 healthy women received a single 1.25 mg vaginal dose of each study product; one withdrew after the first dose. Clinical, pharmacokinetic, and antiviral pharmacodynamic assessments (ex vivo HIV-BaL challenge of tissue explants) were performed over 168 h postdose. Six of ten participants experienced mild to moderate adverse effects, similar between products, with no severe adverse events or adverse events attributed to study products. There were no statistically significant differences in plasma, cervicovaginal f...
Retrovirus Integration: Some Assembly Required?

Integration is a key feature of the retroviral life cycle. This process involves packaging of the viral genome into chromatin, which is often assumed to occur as a post-integration step. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Wang and colleagues (Wang et al., 2016) show that chromatinization occurs before integration, raising new questions about the role of histones in retroviral integration and transcription.
Super-resolution mapping of scaffold nucleoporins in the nuclear pore complex.

The nuclear pore complex (NPC), composed of ∼30 different nucleoporins (Nups), is one of the largest supramolecular structures in eukaryotic cells. Its octagonal ring-scaffold perforates the nuclear envelope and features a unique molecular machinery that regulates nucleocytoplasmic transport. However, the precise copy number and the spatial location of each Nup in the native NPC remain obscure due to the inherent difficulty of counting and localizing proteins inside the sub-micrometer supramolecular complex. Here we combined super-resolution SPEED microscopy and nanobody specific labeling to reveal the spatial distribution of scaffold Nups within three separate layers in the native NPC with a precision of ∼3 nm. Our data reveals both the radial and axial spatial distributions for Pom121, Nup37 and Nup35 and provides evidence for their copy numbers of 8, 32, and 16 respectively per NPC. This approach can help pave the path for mapping the entirety of Nups in native NPCs and also other structural components of macromolecular complexes.
Fragmentação e interdisciplinaridade no ensino: estabelecendo distinções, delimitando conceitos

A fragmentacao do conhecimento em contexto educacional continua sendo uma discussao atual, e e comum associar-se essa questao as discussoes a respeito da interdisciplinaridade. Neste artigo, procura-se estabelecer uma distincao mais precisa entre ambas as questoes - fragmentacao e interdisciplinaridade, delimitando suas relacoes. A partir dai, discutem-se as implicacoes que essa analise sugere para os curriculos escolares (relacionamento entre disciplinas), para a formacao dos docentes e sua pratica pedagogica.
FOXA2 is a sensitive and specific marker for small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the prostate

The median survival of patients with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is significantly shorter than that of patients with classic acinar-type adenocarcinoma. Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is traditionally diagnosed based on histologic features because expression of current immunohistochemical markers is inconsistent. This is a challenging diagnosis even for expert pathologists and particularly so for pathologists who do not specialize in prostate cancer. New biomarkers to aid in the diagnosis of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma are therefore urgently needed. We discovered that FOXA2, a pioneer transcription factor, is frequently and specifically expressed in small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma compared with prostate adenocarcinoma from published mRNA-sequencing data of a wide range of human prostate cancers. We verified the expression of FOXA2 in human prostate cancer cell lines and xenografts, patient biopsy specimens, tissue microarrays of prostate cancers with lymph node metastasis, primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, and metastatic treatment-related small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and cases from a rapid autopsy program. FOXA2 expression was present in NCI-H660 and PC3 neuroendocrine cell lines, but not in LNCAP and CWR22 adenocarcinoma cell lines. Of the human prostate cancer specimens, 20 of 235 specimens (8.5%) showed diagnostic histologic features of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma as judged histologically. Fifteen of 20 small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma tissues (75%) showed strong expression of FOXA2 (staining intensity 2 or 3). FOXA2 expression was also detected in 9 of 215 prostate cancer tissues (4.2%) that were histologically defined as adenocarcinoma. Our findings demonstrate that FOXA2 is a sensitive and specific molecular marker that may be extremely valuable in the pathologic diagnosis of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.
Protein arginine methyl transferase 1- and Jumonji C domain-containing protein 6-dependent arginine methylation regulate hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha expression and hepatocyte proliferation in mice.

Alcohol is a well-established risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma, but the mechanisms by which it promotes liver cancer are not well understood. Several studies have shown that cellular protein arginine methylation is inhibited by alcohol. Arginine methylation is controlled by the reciprocal activity of protein arginine methyltransferases, primarily PRMT1, and a demethylase JMJD6. The aim of this study was to explore the role of arginine methylation changes in alcohol pathogenesis. We found that PRMT1 activity is inhibited in livers of mice fed with alcohol compared to pair-fed mice. Using hepatocyte specific PRMT1 knockout mice we identified that loss of PRMT1 results in enhanced hepatocyte proliferation and a 33% increase in liver size. This increased hepatocyte proliferation was associated with reduced expression of Hnf4α, an important regulator of liver tumorigenesis. We found that PRMT1 regulates Hnf4α expression directly through arginine methylation at the Hnf4α promoter. In the absence of PRMT1, JMJD6 can demethylate the Hnf4α promoter and suppress its expression. We were able to restore Hnf4α expression and abolish the increase in hepatocyte proliferation by knockdown of JMJD6 in PRMT1 knockout mice. Knockdown of JMJD6 in alcohol fed mice similarly increased Hnf4α expression. We then examined whether loss of arginine methylation might play a role in alcohol-associated liver cancers. We examined 25 human HCC specimens and found a strong correlation (R=0.8, P<0.01) between arginine methylation levels and Hnf4α expression in these specimens suggesting that above mechanism is relevant in patients. Conclusion: Taken together these data suggest that PRMT1 inhibition such as induced by alcohol may result in epigenetic changes leading to loss of Hnf4α. This effect may contribute to alcohol's ability to promote liver tumors. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Practical Approach in Design of HVAC Systems Utilizing Geothermal Energy

Geothermal is the Earth’s thermal energy. In recent years geothermal energy has been utilized for generation of electricity, heating and air conditioning (HVAC). Geothermal HVAC systems are cost effective, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly way of heating and cooling buildings. The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have both endorsed geothermal HVAC systems. Their flexible design requirements make them a good choice for schools, high-rises, government’s buildings, commercial and residential properties. Lower operating and maintenance costs, durability, and energy conservation make geothermal a great alternative to conventional HVAC systems. This chapter gives the step-by-step for estimate, design, calculation, procurement, installation and commissioning of geothermal heating and air conditioning system for residential or small businesses. A comparison between the conventional HVAC and the geothermal counterpart is provided to demonstrate their advantages.
Concept Validation and Detectability Limitations for Direct-Sequence Spread-Spectrum Ultrasonic Evaluation System

Direct-Sequence Spread-Spectrum Ultrasonic Evaluation (DSSSUE) technology has now taken a practical shape [1]. Two independent prototype instruments have been designed with different approaches, a hardware and a software implementation. The instruments record the aggregate acoustic state of the test object and the associated measurement system in the form of “ultrasonic correlation signature” [1,2]. These correlation signatures are compared with the signatures obtained at a later point in time (or from an identical object) to detect if the test object has undergone any change in its geometry, composition and homogeneity etc. The DSSSUE instruments have been undergoing concept validation and detectability verification for the ultrasonic testing of both large structures and small piece parts. This paper reports on the results of these tests, the detectability limitations that apply to practical scenarios are described, including limitations due to processing time, sampling granularity, and transducer placement. Various tradeoffs associated with implementation of the DSSSUE technique are addressed.
Phase behavior of a monoacylglycerol: (myverol 18-99K)/water system

The phase behavior of Myverol 18-99K, a food emulsifier rich in monoacylglycerols, in combination with water has been determined. X-ray diffraction and polarized light microscopy (PLM) were used for phase identification and structure characterization. Phase behavior was established in the temperature range from -15 to 50 degrees C and in the composition range from dry to full hydration. Phases identified include the solid lamellar crystal (Lc) phase, the liquid fluid isotropic phase and three liquid crystal phases, the lamellar liquid crystal, the cubic-Ia3d and the cubic-Pn3m phase. Phase information is reported in the form of temperature-composition phase diagrams. It was collected under equilibrium conditions where measurements were made in the heating direction beginning with the Lc phase at -15 degrees C. Phase metastability was also examined in which the natural tendency of the liquid crystal phases to undercool was facilitated. Under this condition, both cubic phases were found to remain free of the solid Lc phase over a relatively wide range of hydration values down to 0 degrees C. The microstructure of the different phases and its dependence on temperature and hydration has been determined. Compositional analysis using thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry shows that Myverol 18-99K consists of 82% monoacylglycerols (86.6% monoolein, 7. 0% monostearin, 3.5% monopalmitin, 0.9% monoarachidin, 2.0% unidentified). The equilibrium and metastable phase diagrams of the Myverol 18-99K/water system show remarkable similarity to those reported for the monoolein/water system (Qiu, H., Caffrey, M., 2000. The phase diagram of the monoolein/water system: metastability and equilibrium aspects Biomaterials 21, 223-594.).
Hypodermal responses to protein synthesis inhibition induce systemic developmental arrest and AMPK-dependent survival in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Across organisms, manipulation of biosynthetic capacity arrests development early in life, but can increase health- and lifespan post-developmentally. Here we demonstrate that this developmental arrest is not sickness but rather a regulated survival program responding to reduced cellular performance. We inhibited protein synthesis by reducing ribosome biogenesis (rps-11/RPS11 RNAi), translation initiation (ifg-1/EIF3G mutation and egl-45/EIF3A RNAi), or ribosome progression (cycloheximide treatment), all of which result in a specific arrest at larval stage 2 of C. elegans development. This quiescent state can last for weeks—beyond the normal C. elegans adult lifespan—and is reversible, as animals can resume reproduction and live a normal lifespan once released from the source of protein synthesis inhibition. The arrest state affords resistance to thermal, oxidative, and heavy metal stress exposure. In addition to cell-autonomous responses, reducing biosynthetic capacity only in the hypodermis was sufficient to drive organism-level developmental arrest and stress resistance phenotypes. Among the cell non-autonomous responses to protein synthesis inhibition is reduced pharyngeal pumping that is dependent upon AMPK-mediated signaling. The reduced pharyngeal pumping in response to protein synthesis inhibition is recapitulated by exposure to microbes that generate protein synthesis-inhibiting xenobiotics, which may mechanistically reduce ingestion of pathogen and toxin. These data define the existence of a transient arrest-survival state in response to protein synthesis inhibition and provide an evolutionary foundation for the conserved enhancement of healthy aging observed in post-developmental animals with reduced biosynthetic capacity.
Any reward will do: Effects of a reverse-reward contingency on size preference with pet dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris )

The reverse-reward contingency (RRC) task involves presenting subjects with a choice between one plate containing a large amount of food and a second plate containing a small amount of food. Subjects are then required to select the smaller of the two options in order to receive the larger-magnitude reward. The RRC task is a commonly used paradigm for assessing complex cognition, such as inhibitory control, in subjects. To date, the RRC task has not been tested with pet dogs as subjects, and it may provide insights to their ability to perceive quantities of differing magnitudes. Nine dogs were tested in an RRC task involving three conditions. In Condition 1, plates of food were presented, and the dogs were allowed to consume their choice. In Condition 2, plates with different-sized symbols resembling the quantities of food in Condition 1 were presented, and dogs received food quantities of the same size as their choice (e.g., a larger-magnitude reward for selecting the plate with the larger shape). In Condition 3, the same plates were presented, but dogs received a reverse-sized quantity of food, relative to their choice (e.g., a smaller-magnitude reward for selecting the plate with the larger shape). A novel addition here to the traditional RRC task was the inclusion of a third, empty (control) plate that was present throughout all conditions, and no programmed consequences were provided when that plate was selected. Our results were consistent with the previous RRC literature: All dogs developed and maintained a preference for the larger stimulus option across conditions. The use of symbolic representations did not ameliorate performance on the RRC task. Applied implications are discussed.
Americans' occupational status reflects the status of both of their parents

American workers' occupational status strongly reflects the status of their parents. Men and women who grew up in a two-earner or father-breadwinner family achieved occupations that rose 0.5 point for every one-point increase in their parents' statuses (less if their father was absent). Gender differences were small in two-earner families and mother-only families, but men's status persisted more when the father was the sole breadwinner. Intergenerational persistence did not change in the time the data cover (1994-2016). Absolute mobility declined for recent birth cohorts; barely half the men and women born in the 1980s were upwardly mobile compared with two-thirds of those born in the 1940s. The results as described hold for a socioeconomic index (SEI) that scores occupation according to the average pay and credentials of people in the occupation. Most results were the same when occupations were coded by different criteria, but SEI produced the smallest gender differences.