cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of nest invaders on honey bee (Apis mellifera) pollination efficacy

The work of pollinators is crucial to the sustainability of plant communities in natural and agricultural ecosystems; however, pollinators are declining in much of the developed world due to a variety of parasites, diseases, and environmental stresses. These experiments are the first to examine directly the impact of honey bee, Apis mellifera, nest invaders on plant pollination and fitness. A cost to pollination could occur under two scenarios: (1) at the colony level where nest invaders compromise the health of the foraging cohort and reduce their efficacy as pollinators or (2) at the community level where invaders simply kill bee colonies and reduce the local pollinator population. Honey bee colonies were manipulated to achieve different levels of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor or nest-invading beetle Aethina tumida and tented under one of two model plants: canola (Brassica napus) or rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei). On the basis of single-bee flower visits, fruit-set was reduced in blueberry with bees from varroa-parasitized colonies. However, on the basis of colonies, there were no differences in blueberry fruit-set, number of blueberry pollen tetrads deposited on the stigma, and pod-set in canola among colonies with different levels of nest invaders or no-invader controls. Thus, within the range of nest invader densities used in this study, individual inefficiencies were erased by compensatory multiple flower visits by this colonial pollinator. By failing to affirm the functionality of scenario (1) this study indirectly supports scenario (2): the major contribution of honey bee nest invaders toward a pollinator deficit is the simple eradication of colonies.
Discussion of the controversies associated with prostate cancer screening.

Early detection of prostate cancer through screening seems to provide the best hope of control or possibly cure of the disease. Unfortunately, controversy and confusion surround the screening guidelines. Specifically, the controversy involves whether the screening of asymptomatic men, particularly those under age 50, should be recommended.To date, there have been no randomised clinical trials which have demonstrated that screening for prostate cancer reduces mortality or increases life expectancy.The lack of evidence regarding the benefits of prostate screening and the risk of adverse effects make it important for clinicians to provide information to interested patients regarding the possible consequences before they take part in screening endeavours. Other health care professionals must be proactive in becoming informed about the entire prostate screening issue.
The CtrA Response Regulator Mediates Temporal Control of Gene Expression during the Caulobacter Cell Cycle

In its role as a global response regulator, CtrA controls the transcription of a diverse group of genes at different times in the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle. To understand the differential regulation of CtrA-controlled genes, we compared the expression of two of these genes, the fliQ flagellar gene and the ccrM DNA methyltransferase gene. Despite their similar promoter architecture, these genes are transcribed at different times in the cell cycle. PfliQ is activated earlier than PccrM. Phosphorylated CtrA (CtrA approximately P) bound to the CtrA recognition sequence in both promoters but had a 10- to 20-fold greater affinity for PfliQ. This difference in affinity correlates with temporal changes in the cellular levels of CtrA. Disrupting a unique inverted repeat element in PccrM significantly reduced promoter activity but not the timing of transcription initiation, suggesting that the inverted repeat does not play a major role in the temporal control of ccrM expression. Our data indicate that differences in the affinity of CtrA approximately P for PfliQ and PccrM regulate, in part, the temporal expression of these genes. However, the timing of fliQ transcription but not of ccrM transcription was altered in cells expressing a stable CtrA derivative, indicating that changes in CtrA approximately P levels alone cannot govern the cell cycle transcription of these genes. We propose that changes in the cellular concentration of CtrA approximately P and its interaction with accessory proteins influence the temporal expression of fliQ, ccrM, and other key cell cycle genes and ultimately the regulation of the cell cycle.
Patient with amyloidoma of the ulnar nerve and salivary glands

Amyloidomas of the peripheral nervous system have been reported rarely. We describe a patient with a history of localized amyloidosis of the salivary glands who presented a few years later with paresthesias of her left medial arm, forearm, and fifth digit. A mass affecting the left ulnar nerve was confirmed by MRI studies. It was excised and proven on pathological examination to be an amyloidoma. The benign course of this patient's illness is consistent with localized amyloidosis affecting two different organs.
Potential field extrapolation using three components of a solar vector magnetogram with a finite field of view

The potential magnetic field from a finite planar boundary is extrapolated into the upper hemisphere using information from all three magnetic field components. The method determines, first, the transverse field associated with the observed normal magnetic intensity. Then by subtraction, the method determines the associated transverse magnetic field observed in the interior (i.e., in the field of view) of the magnetogram which is due to the normal flux exterior to the field of view of the magnetogram. Inverting this information gives an approximation to the exterior normal flux. The combination of the observed normal flux of the interior and the approximation of the exterior normal flux is employed to calculate the potential field. The formulation of the problem results in an ill-posed integral inversion problem in which a regularized solution is obtained using the singular value decomposition (SVD) technique in conjunction with an appropriate Tikhonov-Phillips filter. The technique can be applied to correcting potential field calculations which are influenced by out-of-view fluxes, e.g., for a high spatial resolution vector magnetogram with a small field of view in which there is no supporting exterior data. The problem studied is also important in providing a regularized solution of the Cauchy potential problem. The method provides a much larger range of convergence than the method of Gary and Musielak (1992), and, in fact, is stable in the total upper hemisphere.
FATAL NEUTROPENIC ENTEROCOLITIS ASSOCIATED WITH SULPHASALAZINE THERAPY FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Neutropenia is a recognized complication of sulphasalazine therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It is usually mild, transient and rarely associated with serious sequelae. We describe a patient with rheumatoid arthritis who developed fatal neutropenic enterocolitis complicated by tracheo-oesophageal fistula following treatment with sulphasalazine.
Prognostic value of xanthine oxidoreductase expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract Background Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the purine metabolism pathway. Lack of XOR expression is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to correlate XOR expression with prognosis in surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Immunohistochemical staining was performed on deparaffinized specimens from 82 patients with stage I–IV NSCLC using a polyclonal anti-XOR rabbit antibody. Cytoplasmic XOR staining was scored on frequency and intensity scales from 0 to 4 with low expression defined as 0–1 and high expression defined as ≥2–4. XOR immunostaining was correlated with clinical characteristics and outcomes and analyzed using Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard methods. Results Positive XOR expression was observed in 53/82 cases (65%). Patients with high XOR frequency had a longer median survival of 3053 days (95% CI: 2190–3916) vs. 592 days (95% CI: 492–692 days) for patients with low XOR frequency, p = 0.0089, HR 0.47. Neither XOR intensity nor the overall score of XOR frequency multiplied by XOR intensity demonstrated any significant association with survival. Surgical resection was performed on 61 patients of which 34 (56%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy with low XOR expression, 15/34 (44%) had a shortened median survival compared with patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy with high XOR expression (543 days vs. 2023 days, respectively, p = 0.007 and HR = 0.33). Conclusion Low XOR expression was associated with shortened survival and also conferred a worse prognosis for patients with NSCLC who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Further studies of the XOR pathway are warranted to validate and mechanistically explain these outcomes.
Packet-switched roadside base station to vehicle communication for intelligent vehicle/highway systems

Optimum frequency reuse patterns for roadside base station to vehicle communications in intelligent vehicle/highway systems (IVHS) are determined based on optimal delay/throughput and packet erasure rates for BPSK transmission over narrowband dispersive Rician channel with ISI and (Rayleigh-faded) co-channel interference. For fixed cluster size and fixed total system bandwidth, a reuse pattern of 2 for continuously transmitting (hence interfering) base stations gives minimum average delay and maximum spectrum efficiency: this is a denser pattern than suggested for highway cellular telephony networks. Spectrum efficiency is enhanced by using a dynamic cluster size which depends on the distance from the base station, taking advantage of the IVHS environment where vehicle position may be known. >
Existence of a novel clathrin-independent endocytic pathway in yeast that depends on Rho1 and formin

Yeast is a powerful model organism for dissecting the temporal stages and choreography of the complex protein machinery during endocytosis. The only known mechanism for endocytosis in yeast is clathrin-mediated endocytosis, even though clathrin-independent endocytic pathways have been described in other eukaryotes. Here, we provide evidence for a clathrin-independent endocytic pathway in yeast. In cells lacking the clathrin-binding adaptor proteins Ent1, Ent2, Yap1801, and Yap1802, we identify a second endocytic pathway that depends on the GTPase Rho1, the downstream formin Bni1, and the Bni1 cofactors Bud6 and Spa2. This second pathway does not require components of the better-studied endocytic pathway, including clathrin and Arp2/3 complex activators. Thus, our results reveal the existence of a second pathway for endocytosis in yeast, which suggests similarities with the RhoA-dependent endocytic pathways of mammalian cells.
Evolving H3N2 and emerging H1N2 swine influenza viruses in the United States

Background: Reassortant H3N2 influenza viruses have recently become established in swine populations throughout the United States. Viruses of two genotypes (a human and swine virus reassortant and a human, swine, and avian virus reassortant) were isolated from swine during the index disease outbreaks. Methods: To identify the genetic composition of the currently circulating viruses, we sequenced the genes of seven isolates from different infected herds. Results: Six viruses contained the human/swine/avian gene complex, but the complex was associated with three phylogenetically distinct human H3 haemagglutinins (HA). The remaining virus was an H1N2 reassortant containing seven genes similar to those of swine H3N2 viruses and an HA gene derived from a classical-swine H1N1 virus. The non-HA genes of this H1N2 virus were more similar to those of swine H3N2 viruses than to those of the recently reported H1N2 swine virus from Indiana [J. Clin. Microbiol. 38 (2000) 2453]. This finding suggests that each of the H1N2 viruses were derived through independent reassortment events. Conclusions: We conclude that viruses containing the avian-like genes are primarily responsible for the increased prevalence of H3N2 viruses throughout U.S. swine populations. H3N2 viruses have continued to spread and have undergone further reassortment with human and swine viruses resulting in the emergence of viruses with distinct antigenicity and subtype. D 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Derivation of a Target Concentration of Pb in Soil Based on Elevation of Adult Blood Pressure

The increase in systolic blood pressure in males appears to be the most sensitive adult endpoint appropriate for deriving a health risk-based target level of lead (Ph) in soil. Because the response of blood pressure to blood Ph concentration (PbB) has no apparent threshold, traditional approaches based on the application of a Reference Dose (RfD) are not applicable. An alternative approach is presented based on a model which predicts the population shift in systolic blood pressure from ingestion of Pb contaminated soil as a simultaneous function of exposure to Pb in soil, the baseline distribution of blood Pb concentration in the population and the baseline distribution of systolic pressure in the population. This model is analyzed using Monte Carlo analysis to predict the population distribution of systolic pressure resulting from Ph exposure. Based on this analysis, it is predicted that for adult males 18-65 years old, exposure to 1000 ppm Pb in soil will result in an increase of approximately 1 mm Hg systolic pressure, an increase in the incidence of systolic hypertension (i.e., systolic pressure >140 mm Hg) of approximately 1% and an increase in PbB of 1-3 {mu}g/dl. Based on the proposition that these adverse effects can bemore » considered de minimis, 1000 ppm Ph in soil is proposed as a target soil concentration for adult exposure. Available data do not appear to be adequate to predict the newborn PbB level which would result from exposure to this soil level during pregnancy, 36 refs., 6 figs.« less
Neurological Manifestations of Hypothyroidism: A Retrospective Study of 29 Dogs

Neuromuscular signs in association with hypothyroidism are described in 29 dogs. Eleven dogs had lower motor neuron signs, 9 had peripheral vestibular deficits, 4 had megaesophagus, and 5 had laryngeal paralysis. Primarily older (mean = 9.5 years), large-breed dogs were affected, and there was no sex or breed predisposition. Duration of clinical signs before presentation ranged from 2 to 8 weeks (mean = 5 weeks). The diagnosis was based on (1) results of neurological examination (29 dogs); (2) electromyographic abnormalities (18 dogs), including fibrillation potentials (n = 18), positive sharp waves (n = 15), and complex repetitive discharges (n = 4); (3) high serum cholesterol concentration (10 dogs; mean = 335 mg/dL); (4) low response to thyroid-stimulating hormone (29 dogs; mean T4 prestimulation concentration = 0.8 micrograms/dL; mean T4 poststimulation = 1.2 microgram/dL); and (5) good response to thyroxine supplementation (26 dogs). Dogs with vestibular deficits had abnormal brainstem auditory-evoked responses (BAER), including increased latencies of P1-P6 and decreased amplitude of P4,5-N5. Seven other dogs had similar BAER abnormalities without manifesting clinical signs of vestibular involvement. Three dogs with vestibular signs had fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves without exhibiting lower motor neuron signs. All dogs were supplemented with levothyroxine (0.02 mg/kg PO bid). The follow-up period ranged between 6 and 30 months (mean, 14 months). Serum T4 concentrations were measured at least 3 times for each dog every 2 months (mean T4 concentration = 2.6 micrograms/dL). All but 1 dog with lower motor neuron signs and 1 dog with vestibular signs recovered after 2 months (mean, 57 days).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Murine anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody 3F8 combined with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and 13-cis-retinoic acid in high-risk patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma in first remission.

Purpose Anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) combined with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has shown efficacy against neuroblastoma (NB). Prognostic variables that could influence clinical outcome were explored. Patients and Methods One hundred sixty-nine children diagnosed with stage 4 NB (1988 to 2008) were enrolled onto consecutive anti-GD2 murine MoAb 3F8 ± GM-CSF ± 13-cis-retinoic acid (CRA) protocols after achieving first remission (complete remission/very good partial remission). Patients enrolled in regimen A (n = 43 high-risk [HR] patients) received 3F8 alone; regimen B (n = 41 HR patients), 3F8 + intravenous GM-CSF + CRA, after stem-cell transplantation (SCT); and regimen C (n = 85), 3F8 + subcutaneous GM-CSF + CRA, 46 of 85 after SCT, whereas 28 of 85 required additional induction therapy and were deemed ultra high risk (UHR). Marrow minimal residual disease (MRD) was measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Survival probability was calc...
Sex determination in Hydra: roles of germ cells (interstitial cells) and somatic cells

Germ cells were exchanged between male and female hydra to determine whether the germ cells or the somatic tissues determine the phenotypic sex of the polyp. Interstitial cells, the precursors of gametes, were removed from male and female Hydra oligactis by gamma irradiation. The resulting polyps, termed “epithelial hydra,” possessed the characteristic morphology of H. oligactis, and could reproduce by budding but could not produce gametes. When these epithelial hydra were repopulated with interstitial cells from normal hydra of the same or opposite sex, their sexual phenotypes were those of the interstitial cell donors. These results indicate that the germ cells, rather than somatic cells, determine the phenotypic sex of hydra.
Clinical course of atrial septal defect in children

The incidence of spontaneous closure of uncomplicated defects of the oval fossa was determined in cohort of 498 children. Surgical repair was accomplished in 428 at a median age of 4.5 years. Of the 70 who did not undergo surgery, 20 showed spontaneous closure or a decrease in size of the defect. The defect was unchanged in the other 50. The age at diagnosis, pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio and size of the defect were not statistically significantly different in the changed and unchanged groups, and there was no difference in prevalence of symptoms, the triad of systolic and diastolic murmurs and abnormal splitting of the second sound, or of right ventricular enlargement by echocardiography. The rate of spontaneous diminution in size or actual closure of a defect in this series was 4%, and no clinical predictor of change in the size of a defect was identified. Thus, delay in repair of a large flow atrial septal defect in the hope of spontaneous closure is not justified, whether or not symptoms are present.
Graph-based reasoning and reinforcement learning for improving Q/A performance in large knowledge-based systems

Learning to plausibly reason with minimal user intervention could significantly improve knowledge acquisition. We describe how to integrate graph-based heuristic generalization, higher-order knowledge, and reinforcement learning to learn to produce plausible inferences with only small amounts of user training. Experiments on ResearchCyc KB contents show significant improvement in Q/A performance with high accuracy.
Sparing effect of leptin on liver glycogen stores in rats during the fed-to-fasted transition.

The effect of moderate hyperleptinemia (∼20 ng/ml) on liver and skeletal muscle glycogen metabolism was examined in Wistar rats. Animals were studied ∼90 h after receiving recombinant adenoviruses ...
Feature learning with deep scattering for urban sound analysis

In this paper we evaluate the scattering transform as an alternative signal representation to the mel-spectrogram in the context of unsupervised feature learning for urban sound classification. We show that we can obtain comparable (or better) performance using the scattering transform whilst reducing both the amount of training data required for feature learning and the size of the learned codebook by an order of magnitude. In both cases the improvement is attributed to the local phase invariance of the representation. We also observe improved classification of sources in the background of the auditory scene, a result that provides further support for the importance of temporal modulation in sound segregation.
Demosthenes, or Pseudo-Demosthenes, xlv (In Stephanum i)

The First Oration Against Stephanus stands apart from the other speeches delivered by Apollodorus which, though certainly spurious, are included in the Demosthenic corpus. It does not share their amateurish qualities and is commonly regarded as a genuine work of Demosthenes. But admirers of the orator would be happier if it could be proved spurious. It may, for all we know, have been an acceptable practice in the fourth century for Athenian speech-writers to write for both sides, but (like Plutarch) we cannot help thinking the worse of him if he supported Apollodorus in an attack on Phormio, after previously writing a speech for Phormio. The Pro Phormione was delivered in support of a paragraphe to show that Apollodorus had no basis for an action against Phormio. It made such an impression on the jury that they would not even listen to any reply, and Apollodorus now tries to recover himself by bringing an action for false evidence against Stephanum, who had been one of Phormio’s witnesses. Like the other speeches delivered by Apollodorus In Stephanum i seems to have been recognized and accepted by Callimachus in his collection of Demosthenic speeches, and Plutarch takes it to be genuine. Aeschines charges Demosthenes with letting Apollodorus see the speech that he wrote for Phormio, before it was delivered. He regards this an an indication of his lack of integrity, but says nothing about writing for both sides. It has been argued that Demosthenes wrote the speech as a political favour for Apollodorus, who shared his views about the Theoric Fund, but this explanation, though widely accepted by modern scholars, is not supported by any ancient writer.
Mutational analysis of signaling pathways in colorectal cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 SY15-2 Although it is widely accepted that cancer is a genetic disease, many of the key oncogenes and suppressor genes involved in tumorigenesis remain to be identified. We have been interested in using genome-wide approaches to identify molecular differences between human cancer cells and normal cells. Using information from the Human Genome Project and high throughput sequencing approaches, we have begun to systematically analyze cancer genomes, starting with genes families involved in signal transduction. These efforts have recently identified frequent activating mutations in kinases and phosphatases not previously linked to human cancer. For example, we have found genetic alterations in the PIK3CA gene encoding the p110 alpha phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in ∼30% of colon, breast and brain cancers, providing a rational target for therapy in a large fraction of common malignancies. The results of these studies and their implications for cancer diagnosis and therapy will be discussed.
Early Medical Abortion with Methotrexate and Misoprostol: Outcomes and Satisfaction Among Women Aged 15–21 Years

Abstract Study Objective: To compare the outcomes of women aged 15–21 yr to those of older women in a multicenter case series of early medical abortion. Design, Setting, Participants: We enrolled 1973 women at 34 outpatient Planned Parenthood sites in a case series for medical abortion in the first seven weeks of pregnancy. We used methotrexate (50 mg/m2) and misoprostol (800 mg vaginally, repeated as needed). We compared women who started the abortion prior to their 22nd birthday to older women. Outcomes of abortion were classified as documented or presumed complete medical abortion, and documented or presumed suction curettage. During the first half of the study, we did an exit interview assessing patient satisfaction. Results: A total of 330 women were under 22 yr and 1641 women over 21 yr. Younger women presented for abortion at the same gestational ages. Overall, younger women had a higher rate of complete medical abortion than did older women (89.4% vs 83%). However, the multiple regression model demonstrated a significant adverse effect of prior live birth (P = 0.006), but not patient age, on outcome. Younger women were less likely to have had prior live births. Younger women were more likely to return for follow-up (96.4% vs 92.9%); the regression model demonstrated a significant effect (P = 0.001) of prior birth on rates of follow-up. Side effects and satisfaction were similar for older and younger women. Conclusions: Younger women having medical abortion with methotrexate and misoprostol have better outcomes and similar satisfaction levels as do older women.
A Linear Stability Analysis for Natural-Circulation Loops Under Supercritical Conditions

Experiments were conducted in a rectangular supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO 2 ) natural-circulation loop at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in order to verify the stability margin as suggested by some previous investigators. Although a one-dimensional transient computational model developed at University of Wisconsin, Madison, predicted the development of instabilities for the SCCO 2 loop, which had good agreement with some previous work, the experiments conducted at the ANL SCCO 2 loop exhibited stable behavior under similar conditions. In order to bridge the gap between the numerical predictions and experimental results by distinguishing between the numerical effects and physical effects, a linear stability approach is adopted in the present study. The linear stability analysis has been conducted for three model natural-circulation loop geometries employing water or carbon dioxide as the working fluid. The results for the supercritical water loops displayed flow stability for a more accurate equation of state (EOS); however, the analysis indicated the presence of instabilities for a less accurate EOS. Furthermore, this analysis still predicts the presence of instabilities for the SCCO 2 loop similar to our transient numerical predictions. We additionally note that the stability margin for both water loops and the SCCO 2 loop does not correspond with proposed stability criteria from a previous analysis. These two final points suggest the phenomenon is a more complex function of both fluid properties and loop geometry.
Edited Platforms: Anticipating Future Consumption

The modern world is witnessing many technological, demographic, and consumption changes. The purpose of this conceptual article is to combine these shifts into a model that will assist companies to improve plans for the future marketplace. The authors present a new concept, “edited platforms,” as a consumer aware, but company driven, product development model. Examples of the concept are explicated, and projected implications are provided. Propositions for further study are provided, along with suggestions for marketing and theoretical implications.
Three-Dimensional Representation of Curved Nanostructures

Nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanotubes, and nanocoils, can be described in many cases as quasi one-dimensional (1D) curved objects projecting in three-dimensional (3D) space. A parallax method to reconstruct the correct three-dimensional geometry of such 1D nanostructures is presented. A series of images were acquired at different view angles, and from those image pairs, 3D representations were constructed using a MATLAB program. Error analysis as a function of view-angle between the two images is discussed. As an example application, we demonstrate the importance of knowing the true 3D shape of Boron nanowires. Without precise knowledge of the nanowire's dimensions, diameter and length, mechanical resonance data cannot be properly fit to obtain an accurate estimate of the Young's modulus.
Chronic Calorie Restriction Downregulates Skeletal Muscle mTORC1 Signaling Independent of Dietary Protein Level and Associated microRNA Expression in Male Rats

Short-term (5–10 days) calorie restriction downregulates muscle protein synthesis, with consumption of a high protein-based diet attenuating this decline. Benefit with increased protein intake is l...
Quantum Hot-Carrier Transport in Inhomogeneous Systems

The non-equilibrium statistical operator (NESO) method is used to study the time evolution of crystal electrons of high concentration under the influence of an external electric field. This field may be both space- and time-dependent as is typically the case in semiconductor devices. As this approach has been discussed quite frequently in recent literature,1 we only review it as briefly as necessary. First, one has to choose a set of operators {Pm} which is supposed to describe the system in a satisfactory way. Knowing the thermodynamical averages t’ in the past, i.e. for t’<t, one can apply the principle of maximum entropy and obtain the NESO as \({\rm \rho }_{\rm \varepsilon } {\rm (t,0)}\,{\rm = }\,{\rm exp}\,{\rm \{ - }\,{\rm S(t,0)}\,{\rm + }\,\int\limits_{{\rm - }\infty }^{\rm o} {{\rm dt'}} \,{\rm e}^{{\rm \varepsilon t'}} \,{\rm \dot S(t + t',}\,{\rm t')\},}\) with e→O+after the thermodynamic limit has been taken so that pe (t,0) represents a retarded solution of the von Neumann equation.1
Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy in the Western Patient Population: Tips, Techniques, and Evidence-based Practice

Gastric cancer is the second most common malignancy worldwide, and surgical resection is the only curative treatment. Traditionally, open total gastrectomy has been the procedure of choice for large and proximal carcinomas. Over the past decade, however, laparoscopic gastrectomy has emerged and an oncologically safe and feasible alternative to open surgery, and its use has become particularly widespread in Japan and Korea. Patients in the United States have important biological and anatomic distinctions from East Asian patients, and these become important factors when considering minimally invasive resection techniques. The goal of this paper is to describe the technique we have developed for laparoscopic total gastrectomy in our 10-year experience with a western patient population.
Postoperative hyperglycemia in nondiabetic patients after gastric surgery for cancer: perioperative outcomes

Hyperglycemia (HG) is widely known to be associated with increased postoperative complications after colorectal surgery. Very few data on the effects of HG on patients after gastric surgery for cancer are reported in literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of postoperative HG in non-diabetic patients undergoing gastrectomy for cancer. One hundred and ninety-three consecutive gastrectomies for cancer performed between January 2010 and December 2015 were considered. Diabetic patients, and those undergoing pancreatic resections were excluded. Postoperative blood glucose levels were monitored in the first 72 h after surgery. Postoperative complications, mortality, and postoperative course were analyzed in patients who experienced postoperative HG (blood glucose level; BGL > 125 mg/dl) compared with euglycemic patients (BGL ≤ 125 mg/dl). Differences between mild HG (BGL between 125 and 200 mg/dl) and severe HG (BGL ≥ 200 mg/dl) were also analyzed. Ninety-six patients (55.5 %) experienced postoperative HG. In 11 patients (6.4 %), a severe postoperative HG was found. Postoperative BGL > 200 mg/dl was related to worse outcomes than those experienced by euglycemic patients (and even than patients who experienced mild postoperative HG). The postoperative complications rate was 24.8 % (43 patients out of 173), but significantly higher in patients with postoperative severe HG compared to mild HG and normoglycemic patients (63.6, 30.6, and 13 %, respectively, p < 0.001). Poor postoperative glycemic control seems to be related to worse postoperative outcomes even in patients undergoing elective gastric surgery for cancer.
HIV Disclosure Among Women of African Descent: Associations with Coping, Social Support, and Psychological Adaptation

Trained interviewers recruited and interviewed a nonprobability sample of HIV-positive women from outpatient clinics and scatter site housing in New York City. Hispanic Black (n = 37) and non-Hispanic Black (n = 106) women reported high rates of HIV disclosure to family, friends, and lovers; few ethnic differences were noted. Bivariate analyses revealed disclosure was related to greater frequency of HIV-related social support, although not directly to less depressive symptomatology (CES-D) or mood disturbance (POMS-TMD) scores. Additionally, disclosure rates were positively associated with the use of more adaptive coping strategies (i.e., spiritual resilience, constructive cognitions, and community involvement). Multiple regression analyses indicated satisfaction with social support mediated the relationship between adaptive coping and psychological distress. The discussion considers HIV disclosure within the constellation of processes leading to successful adaptation to HIV/AIDS.
A Heparin-Mimicking Block Copolymer Both Stabilizes and Increases the Activity of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2)

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is a protein involved in cellular functions in applications such as wound healing and tissue regeneration. Stabilization of this protein is important for its use as a therapeutic since the native protein is unstable during storage and delivery. Additionally, the ability to increase the activity of FGF2 is important for its application, particularly in chronic wound healing and the treatment of various ischemic conditions. Here we report a heparin mimicking block copolymer, poly(styrenesulfonate-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-b-vinyl sulfonate) (p(SS-co-PEGMA)-b-VS, that contains a segment that enhances the stability of FGF2 and one that binds to the FGF2 receptor. The FGF2 conjugate retained activity after exposure to refrigeration (4 °C) and room temperature (23 °C) for 7 days, while unmodified FGF2 was inactive after these standard storage conditions. A cell study performed with a cell line lacking native heparan sulfate proteoglycans indicated that...
The mechanism of shear thickening fluid with nanoparticles applied to liquid armor

Shear thickening fluid (STF) has been reported that it can be applied in defensive and protective equipment, however, to meet the protection requirements for typical ballistic threats, approximately 20-50 layers of fabric are required. The resulting bulk and stiffness of the armor limits its comfort, and has restricted its application primarily to torso protection. Utilization of this shear thickening characteristic, the ballistic protection capability afforded by fabricated, flexible body armor can be enhanced tremendously. The ballistic protection properties of this complex system can be predicted or controlled only if the mechanism is fully understood. But the mechanism of shear thickening is still a matter of debate. It has been ascribed either to an order-disorder transition or to the formation of hydroclusters, however, our research verifies that the hydrogen bond might play an important role on the forming of STF. From our results, it is possible to interpret the occurrence of shear thickening behavior in terms of the shear-induced structure of the suspension once the critical shear strain is reached. The shear -induced structure can only be obtained for the suspension system with intensive hydrogen bonding within the system. The degree of shear thickening also depends on the concentration and temperature of the system.
Martian cratering 11. Utilizing decameter scale crater populations to study Martian history

New information has been obtained in recent years regarding formation rates and the production size-frequency distribution (PSFD) of decameter-scale primary Martian craters formed during recent orbiter missions. Here we compare the PSFD of the currently forming small primaries (P) with new data on the PSFD of the total small crater population that includes primaries and field secondaries (P + fS), which represents an average over longer time periods. The two data sets, if used in a combined manner, have extraordinary potential for clarifying not only the evolutionary history and resurfacing episodes of small Martian geological formations (as small as one or few km2) but also possible episodes of recent climatic change. In response to recent discussions of statistical methodologies, we point out that crater counts do not produce idealized statistics, and that inherent uncertainties limit improvements that can be made by more sophisticated statistical analyses. We propose three mutually supportive procedures for interpreting crater counts of small craters in this context. Applications of these procedures support suggestions that topographic features in upper meters of mid-latitude ice-rich areas date only from the last few periods of extreme Martian obliquity, and associated predicted climate excursions.
FROM TEXT TO SCREEN: CELLULOID HELENS AND FEMALE STARDOM IN THE 1950s

This paper investigates the visual recreation of Helen in the medium of cinema by using as case studies two runaway productions of the 1950s: L'amante di Paride starring Hedy Lamarr and Helen of Troy with Rosanna Podesta in the title role. Examination of features such as costumes, makeup and hairstyle shows that in the former film Helen's representation is informed by and seeks to capitalize on Lamarr's status as a queen of glamour, equating Greek royalty with Hollywood royalty. The analysis of the second film explores further the homology between ancient and modern celebrity on screen and in extra-cinematic discourses, and shows how Podesta's stardom was built on and remained anchored in Helen's iconicity.
The effects of disease-related symptoms on daily function in Wolfram Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To investigate daily function among individuals with Wolfram Syndrome (WFS) and examine whether any limitations are related to disease-related symptoms. METHODS WFS (n = 31), Type 1 diabetic (T1DM; n = 25), and healthy control (HC; n = 29) participants completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Questionnaire (PEDSQL) Self and Parent Report. PEDSQL domain scores were compared among these groups and between WFS patients with and without specific disease-related symptoms. Relationships between PEDSQL scores and symptom severity as assessed by the Wolfram Unified Rating Scale (WURS) Physical Scale were also examined. RESULTS Across most domains, the WFS group had lower PEDSQL Self and Parent Report scores than the T1DM and HC groups. WFS participants with urinary, sleep, and temperature regulation problems had lower PEDSQL scores than those without. The WURS Physical Scale correlated with Self and Parent Report PEDSQL domains. WFS group Self and Parent Reports correlated with each other. CONCLUSIONS The WFS group reported lower daily function compared to T1DM and HC groups. Within WFS, worse symptom severity and the specific symptoms of sleep, temperature regulation, and urinary problems were associated with poorer daily function. These findings provide rationale for an increased emphasis on identifying, treating and understanding these less well-known symptoms of WFS.
DAMPAK JIWA KEWIRAUSAHAAN DAN HASIL PRAKTIK INDUSTRI TERHADAP KESIAPAN KERJA SISWA SMK PAKET KEAHLIAN TEKNIK PEMESINAN DI KOTA MAKASSAR

Tingkat pengangguran terbuka penduduk usia 15 tahun ke atas menurut pendidikan tertinggi yang ditamatkan pada Februari 2013 untuk SMK sebesar 7,68%, berkurang 2,19% dibandingkan pada Agustus 2012 sebesar 9,67%. (BPS, Mei 2013). Berdasarkan data menunjukkan masih rendahnya keterserapan lulusan SMK di dunia kerja meskipun terjadi pengurangan jumlah dari tahun sebelumnya.Salah satu penyebab pengangguran adalah kurangnya kesiapan kerja siswa SMK di dunia usaha dan industri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui: (1) gambaran jiwa kewirausahaan, hasil praktik kerja industri dan kesiapan kerja siswa SMK kompetensi paket keahlian teknik pemesinan se Kota Makassar; (2) hubungan antara jiwa kewirausahaan dengan kesiapan kerja siswa SMK paket keahlian teknik pemesinan se Kota Makassar; (3) hubungan antara hasil praktik kerja industri dengan kesiapan kerja siswa SMK paket keahlian teknik pemesinan se Kota Makassar; dan (4) hubungan antara jiwa kewirausahaan dan hasil praktik kerja industri dengan kesiapan kerja siswa SMK paket keahlian teknik pemesinan se Kota Makassar. Dari hasil penelitian disimpulkan bahwa: (1) Gambaran terhadap kesiapan kerja siswa Paket Keahlian Teknik Pemesinan di SMKN se- Kota Makassar ditinjau jiwa kewirausahaan dan hasil praktik kerja industri secara umum digolongkan dalam kategori cukup baik, hasil analisis jiwa kewirausahaan dan hasil praktik kerja industri yang berada pada kondisi baik; (2) terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara jiwa kewirausahaan dengan kesiapan kerja siswa Paket Keahlian Teknik Pemesinan di SMKN se- Kota Makassar, dengan kata lain makin baik jiwa kewirausahaan siswa maka semakin baik kesiapan kerja yang dimiliki siswa SMK paket keahlian teknik pemesinan; (3) terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara hasil praktik kerja industri dengan kesiapan kerja siswa Paket Keahlian Teknik Pemesinan di SMKN se- Kota Makassar, sehingga dapat dikatakan makin baik hasil praktik kerja industri maka semakin baik kesiapan kerja yang dimiliki siswa SMK paket keahlian teknik pemesinan; dan (4) terdapat hubungan simultan yang signifikan antara jiwa kewirausahaan dan hasil praktik kerja industri dengan kesiapan kerja pada siswa Paket Keahlian Teknik Pemesinan di SMKN se- Kota Makassar. Kata Kunci: Jiwa Kewirausahaan, Hasil Praktek Kerja Industri, Kesiapan Kerja
Major Aortopulmonary Collateral Arteries With Anatomy Other Than Pulmonary Atresia/Ventricular Septal Defect

Background Major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) are frequently found in association with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PA/VSD). However, some patients with MAPCAs do not have PA/VSD but have a variety of other "atypical" anatomic diagnoses. Methods This was a retrospective review of patients with MAPCAs and atypical anatomy. The 50 patients with MAPCAs could be divided into two subgroups: (1) single ventricle anatomy (n = 33) and (2) two ventricle anatomy (n = 17). Results The 33 patients with MAPCAs and single ventricle included 15 with unbalanced complete atrioventricular canal (CAVC), 6 with pulmonary atresia-intact ventricular septum, and 12 with other forms of single ventricle. The initial cardiac operation included unifocalization/shunt in 24 patients and creation of aortopulmonary window or central shunt in 9 patients. There were seven operative and eight late deaths. Sixteen patients have had a bidirectional Glenn procedure and 6 had a Fontan procedure. The 17 patients with MAPCAs and two ventricles included 5 with CAVC, 4 with corrected transposition, 3 with double outlet right ventricle, 3 with scimitar syndrome, and 2 with complex D-transposition. The initial cardiac operation included single-stage complete repair in 5 patients, unifocalization/shunt in 10 patients, and aortopulmonary window in 2 patients. There were two operative and two late deaths. Thirteen patients have achieved complete repair status. Conclusions The data demonstrate the wide diversity of anatomy seen in patients with MAPCAs when evaluating diagnoses other than PA/VSD. Two-thirds of the patients had single ventricle and was associated with a relatively high mortality.
Issue of FM to AM conversion on the National Ignition Facility

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) baseline configuration for inertial confinement fusion requires phase modulation for two purposes. First, approximately 12 angstrom of frequency modulation (FM) bandwidth at low modulation frequency is required to suppress buildup of Stimulated Brioullin scattering in the large aperture laser optics. Also, approximately 3 angstrom or more bandwidth at high modulation frequency is required for smoothing of the speckle pattern illuminating the target by the smoothing by spectral dispersion method. Ideally, imposition of bandwidth by pure phase modulation does not affect the beam intensity. Ideally, imposition of bandwidth by pure phase modulation does not affect the beam intensity. However, as a result of a large number of effects, the FM converts to amplitude modulation (AM). In general this adversely affects the laser performance, e.g. by reducing the margin against damage to the optics. In particular, very large conversion of FM to AM has been observed in the NIF all-fiber master oscillator and distribution systems. The various mechanisms leading to AM are analyzed and approaches to minimizing their effects are discussed.
Ethics in the Use of Animal Models of Seizures and Epilepsy

This chapter considers ethical issues of major importance in the use of animal models in seizure and epilepsy research. The chapter discusses the nature, subject matter, and importance of biomedical animal research ethics. The chapter presents principles of biomedical animal research ethics that play a central role in individual research projects, and animal experimentation generally. Three issues of special significance in animal seizure and epilepsy research are emphasized: (1) how investigators should define “basic” animal research, and how they should approach one kind of ethical objection to such research; (2) the ethical requirement that pain, distress, and other severe harms that might be experienced by animals must be minimized; and (3) the ethical requirement that any unrelieved pain, distress, or other severe harms experienced by animals in an experiment must be justified by the value of the experiment.
N-widths of the class W1Hω[-1, 1]

In Chapter 15 we compute the N-widths of the functional class W 1 H ω[- 1, 1], where ω(t) is a concave modulus of continuity on the interval [0, 2], satisfying the restrictions $$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {(2{\mkern 1mu} - {\mkern 1mu} \sqrt {2} )(\omega (a){\mkern 1mu} + {\mkern 1mu} \omega (b)) \leqslant \omega (a + b),} & {for\;{\mkern 1mu} all{\mkern 1mu} {\mkern 1mu} \;a,{\mkern 1mu} b{\mkern 1mu} \geqslant {\mkern 1mu} 0,} & {a{\mkern 1mu} + {\mkern 1mu} b \leqslant {\mkern 1mu} 2.} \\ \end{array} $$ (*)
The Detection of Inhibition Using the Resistance to Reinforcement Method

Pigeons learned to discriminate between a stimulus which signalled a variable-interval (VI) schedule of reinforcement and a stimulus which signalled extinction. In Experiment 1, for one group of four pigeons, a line- tilt stimulus was associated with extinction, and for another group of four pigeons this stimulus was uncorrelated with the availability of reinforcement. During a resistance to reinforcement phase, responses to this line-tilt stimulus and to a novel stimulus were reinforced on a VI schedule. Statistical comparisons of the response rates to these test stimuli indicated that subjects consistently responded at a higher rate to the line-tilt stimulus than to the novel stimulus. Between-groups comparisons of response rates to the line-tilt stimulus indicated no reliable differences. These results indicated that a novel stimulus had strong response suppression or inhibition effects when compared to stimuli to which the subjects had had previous exposure. However, stimuli which were correlated or uncorrelated with the availability of reinforcement were equivalent in their inhibitory or response suppression effects. Experiment 2 used a within-subject design to replicate and extend the findings of Experiment 1. The data from Experiment 2 also indicated that a novel stimulus was a very strong suppressor of responding. However, these data also indicated that a stimulus that had signalled extinction was a stronger inhibitor of responding than a stimulus that had been uncorrelated with reinforcement. These findings are discussed in terms of the stimulus- reinforcer and response-reinforcer contingency arrangements which produce inhibitory stimulus control. Methodological considerations for the detection of inhibition are also discussed.