cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ecotoxicology of carbon-based engineered nanoparticles: Effects of fullerene (C60) on aquatic organisms

Abstract To more fully assess the toxicity of water-soluble fullerene (nC 60 ), acute toxicity assays were performed on several environmentally relevant species. Included were the freshwater crustaceans Daphnia magna and Hyalella azteca , and a marine harpacticoid copepod, and two fish species, fathead minnow Pimephales promelas and Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes . The latter two species were used to assess sublethal effects of fullerene exposure by also assessing mRNA and protein expression in liver. Because prior studies found that both sonication and using tetrahydrofuran to solubilize fullerene increased the toxicity of nC 60 , the nC 60 used in this study was prepared by stirring. For the invertebrate studies, nC 60 could not be prepared at high enough concentration levels to cause 50% mortality (LC 50 ) at 48 or 96 h. The maximum concentrations tested were 35 ppm for freshwater and 22.5 ppm for full-strength (35 ppt) seawater, since at higher concentrations the nC 60 precipitated out of solution. Daphnia 21-day exposures resulted in a significant delay in molting and significantly reduced offspring production at 2.5 and 5 ppm nC 60 , which could possibly produce impacts at the population-level. For the fish, we found that neither the mRNA nor protein-expression levels of cytochrome P450 isozymes CYP1A, CYP2K1 and CYP2M1 were changed. The peroxisomal lipid transport protein PMP70 was significantly reduced in fathead minnow, but not medaka, indicating potential changes in acyl-CoA pathways.
Biomechanical considerations of animal models used in tissue engineering of bone

Tissue engineering combines the aspects of cell biology, engineering, material science, and surgery to generate new functional tissue, and provides an important approach to the repair of segmental defects and in restoring biomechanical function. The development of tissue-engineering strategies into clinical therapeutic protocols requires extensive, preclinical experimentation in appropriate animal models. The ultimate success of any treatment strategy must be established in these animal models before clinical application. It is clear that the demands of the biological and mechanical environment in the clinical repair of critical size defects with tissue-engineered materials is significantly different from those existing in experimental animals. The major considerations facing any tissue-engineering testing logic include the choice of the defect, the animal, the age of the animal, the anatomic site, the size of the lesion, and most importantly, the micro-mechanical environment. With respect to biomechanical considerations when selecting animals for tissue- engineering of bone, it is evident that no common criteria have been reported. While in smaller animals due to size constraint only structural properties of whole bones can be measured, in larger animals and humans both material properties and structural properties are of interest. Based on reported results, comparison between the tissue-engineered bone across species may be of importance in establishing better model selection criteria. It has already been found that the deformation of long bones is fairly constant across species, and that stress levels during gait are dependent on the weight of the animal and the material properties of the bone tissue. Future research should therefore be geared towards developing better biomechanical testing systems and then finding the right animal model for the existing equipment.
TIME-VARYING EFFECTS OF HUMAN CAPITAL ON MILITARY RETENTION

This paper examines how human capital acquired at the onset of a military career has an evolving effect on retention decisions. Using data of Marine officers that extends across 20-year horizons, estimates of the hazard related to separation rates indicate that initial differences in general and firm-specific human capital have time-varying effects on retention across the duration of a career. Additional evidence suggests that the effects of higher economy-wide unemployment as well as the onset of wars succeeding from September 2001 also change retention decisions and depend on officers' length of service. (JEL J6, J41, J45)
Lunar periods as grouping variables for temporally fixed sampling regimes in a tidally dominated estuary

The complex interaction of a daily temporally fixed sampling design with seasonal, tidal, and diurnal cycles can result in serious aliasing and reduced usefulness of estuarine data. The choice of appropriate sampling windows for data grouping and analysis of tidally influenced data is complex and must take into account both solar and lunar influences and their interactions in order to represent actual estuarine conditions. A fixed modulus for grouping or time-series analysis introduces errors. Grouping data by calendar month can be misleading since calendar months may have as many as three or as few as one spring tide. Daily measurements of salinity and water clarity at a fixed time of day were analyzed to illustrate the effects of aliasing. Although the length of synodical (lunar) months is also variable, a seasonally adjusted grouping variable based on solar and synodical month (MO-DAY), created to partially correct for aliasing, was found to be an efficient way to remove short-term cycles for the identification of long-term trends, episodic events, and spatial patterns.
POD measurement using actual components

Advantages and limitations of different approaches to determine probability of detection are provided and a practical and economical approach based on using actual components with real flaws is described. Important factors that affect POD measurements are mentioned and POD results generated on engine components with service-induced fatigue cracks using different inspection techniques, both manual and automated, are presented. It is found that the majority of service induced cracks, in the engine parts investigated, are small corner cracks that are difficult to simulate and detect while laboratory-grown cracks tend to form as through cracks that are easier to detect. The most widely used liquid penetrant and magnetic particle inspections (LPI and MPI) are not very effective in detecting service cracks in the bolt holes of engine components as indicated by the POD- crack size relationships and the crack sizes detectable at 90 percent POD with 95 percent confidence level. Eddy current techniques, in particular automated eddy current, are more suitable and should be used in place of, or in addition to the traditional LPI and MPI for such applications.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic Anemia: Effect of a preparative regimen of cyclophosphamide-low-dose total-lymphoid irradiation and posttransplant cyclosporine-methotrexate therapy

Twenty-nine patients with severe aplastic anemia were entered into a study of pre- and posttransplant immunosuppressive therapy for bone marrow transplantation. Four of twenty-five previously transfused recipients prepared with cyclophosphamide 200 mg/kg and total-lymphoid irradiation 3 Gy experienced graft failure, indicating that this regimen was inadequate to ensure sustained engraftment. Posttransplant treatment with cyclosporine and methotrexate resulted in an actuarial incidence for grade greater than or equal to 2 graft-versus-host disease of 22 +/- 16%. Actuarial survival was 78 +/- 15%. These data indicate that more effective treatment is necessary to prevent graft failure, but since many patients can be successfully retransplanted, overall survival is comparable to other recent studies.
Milnacipran: A New Treatment for Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Objective:To review the pharmacology, efficacy, and tolerability of milnacipran, a dual serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), in the treatment of symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome and associated fibromyalgia pain.Data Sources:English-language articles were obtained via searches of MEDLINE (1950-January 2010), EMBASE (1980-January 2010), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-January 2010), using the key words milnacipran, fibromyalgia, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, F 2207, and pain management. Bibliographies of selected articles were used to identify additional sources.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Available published articles reporting the results of human studies of milnacipran were reviewed for inclusion in this article. Additional information regarding pharmacology, adverse events, contraindications, and precautions was obtained from the manufacturer's prescribing information.Data Synthesis:Milnacipran is a dual SNRI approved for the treatment of fibromyal...
Velocity Distributions of Food Particle Suspensions In Holding Tube Flow: Distribution Characteristics and Fastest-Particle Velocities

Velocity distributions of model food particles were investigated by videotaping particles suspended in sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) solutions during passage through a transparent holding tube similar in dimension to that of commercial aseptic processing systems. The distributions could be well described by log-normal models. Fastest particle velocities were below theoretical centerline velocities for Newtonian fluids but were above theoretical values for the fluids used. Results indicated that for particle concentration levels used in these studies, channeling and particle-fluid interaction effects may be significant.
Comparative evaluation of an open-source FDM system

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a qualitative and quantitative comparison and evaluation of an open-source fused deposition modeling (FDM) additive manufacturing (AM) system with a proprietary FDM AM system based on the fabrication of a custom benchmarking model. Design/methodology/approach – A custom benchmarking model was fabricated using the two AM systems and evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. The fabricated models were visually inspected and scanned using a 3D laser scanning system to examine their dimensional accuracy and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) performance with respect to the computer-aided design (CAD) model geometry. Findings – The open-source FDM AM system (CupCake CNC) successfully fabricated most of the features on the benchmark, but the model did suffer from greater thermal warping and surface roughness, and limitations in the fabrication of overhang structures compared to the model fabricated by the proprietary AM system. Overall, the CupCake ...
SIGCHI: Enabling Context for Traditional Chinese Paintings with "Rice Paper"

Chinese paintings are deeply rooted in cultural context. The problem is that, outside of Chinese culture, the uniqueness, the meaning and the value of these paintings is largely lost. Our design, titled "Rice Paper", helps bridge the cultural disconnect between the creators of traditional Chinese paintings, guohua, and non-Chinese viewers. It leverages an iPad application to facilitate the sharing of large quantities of artistic context for traditional Chinese paintings in the form of tangible, printed booklets, making the cultural context that breathes life into a Chinese painting more accessible to a wider audience.
Finding a Way Through the Hospital Door: The Role of EMTALA in Public Health Emergencies

This article examines the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) in a public health emergency context. Congress enacted EMTALA in 1986 to prohibit the practice of “patient clumping,” which involved hospitals’ refusal to undertake emergency screening and stabilization services for individual patients who sought emergency room care, typically because of insurance status, inability to pay, or other grounds unrelated to the patient’s need for the services or the hospital’s ability to provide them. But in fact EMTALA, whose conceptual roots can be found in the Hospital Survey and Construction Act of 1946 (Hill Burton) as well as an evolution in both the common law and state statutes related to hospital licensure, can be viewed as having a far broader purpose than protection of individuals, and indeed, one that is related to the protection of communities and the public health.
Piroxicam, a structurally novel anti-inflammatory compound. Mode of prostaglandin synthesis inhibition

Piroxicam is a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin biosynthesis. Experiments utilizing cell culture and microsomes derived from various sources have demonstrated that piroxicam is a selective inhibitor of the cyclooxygenase step of arachidonic acid metabolism. Little blocking activity is observed at the phospholipase, thromboxane or prostacyclin synthetase, and arachidonic acid lipoxygenase steps.
Dynamic Cash Management of Warranty Reserves

The objective in warranty reserve management is to cover contingent liabilities that arise from warranty obligations. Maintaining excess reserves would cause opportunity cost, whereas depleting the reserve would necessitate finding emergency funds. In this article we propose a policy rule to guide cash management of warranty reserves for an infinite horizon that involves periodic reviews. At the beginning of each period the decision maker determines how much to add to or subtract from the fund and how much to contribute after each sale. Numerical examples show how the optimal control variables change in response to change in problem parameters.
Field observations of bed shear stress and sediment resuspension on continental shelves, Alaska and California

Abstract Bed shear stress was estimated using wave and current measurements obtained with the GEOPROBE bottom-tripod system during resuspension events in Norton Sound, Alaska, and on the northern California shelf. The boundary-layer model of Grant and Madsen (1979, Journal of Geophysical Research,84, 1797–1808) was used to compute the bed shear stress under combined wave-generated and quasi-steady currents. Resuspension events were identified by sudden, large increases in light scattering at 1.9 m above the sea floor. The shear-stress values were used to compute the Shields parameter (ψ). The results for Norton Sound are in excellent agreement with the Shields threshold criterion; the data for the California shelf plot somewhat above the Shields threshold curve, though generally within the scatter envelope. Although the surface sediments in each area contain substantial fine-grained fractions (mean diameters were 0.007 cm in Norton Sound and 0.002 cm on the California shelf), the results do not indicate significant cohesion, because the sediment was entrained at bed shear-stress values close to those predicted by the modified Shields curve for cohesionless fine-grained particles. We suspect that frequent wave stirring and observed plowing of the surface sediment by benthonic animals maintain a high water content and contribute to the ease with which these materials are resuspended.
Evolution of phonemic word fluency performance in post-stroke aphasia

In this longitudinal study, quantitative and qualitative changes in responses of people with aphasia were examined on a phonemic fluency task. Eighteen patients were tested at 3-month intervals on the letters F-A-S while they received comprehensive, intensive treatment from 3 to 12 months post-stroke. They returned for a follow-up evaluation at an average of 10 months post-intervention. Mean group scores improved significantly from beginning to end of treatment, but declined post-intervention. Patients produced a significantly greater number and proportion of modifiers (adjectives and adverbs) between the beginning and end of treatment, with no decline afterwards, implying that they had access to a wider range of grammatical categories over time. Moreover, patients used significantly more phonemic clusters in generating word lists by the end of treatment. These gains may be attributed to the combined effects of time since onset and the linguistic and cognitive stimulation that patients received in therapy. Learning outcomes: Readers of this paper should (1) gain a better understanding of verbal fluency performance in the assessment of aphasia, (2) recognize the importance of analyzing qualitative aspects of single word production in aphasia, and (3) contribute to their clinical judgment of long term improvement in aphasia.
First report in North America of atypical symptoms caused by Colletotrichum coccodes on field-grown potato tubers during storage.

Colletotrichum coccodes commonly causes blemish type symptoms on potato tubers. This is the first report in North America of natural infection of tubers by C. coccodes causing sunken lesions during...
Bounds on mixing between light and heavy gauge bosons

Upper bounds are derived for the mixing between light and heavy gauge bosons in terms of the closeness of the observed $W$ or $Z$ mass to the SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1) prediction ${m}_{0}$. The mixing angles between light and heavy bosons with masses ${m}_{1}$ and ${m}_{2}$, respectively, are less than ${[\frac{({{m}_{0}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{{m}_{1}}^{2})}{({{m}_{2}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{{m}_{0}}^{2})}]}^{\frac{1}{2}}$. Existing data imply a limit of \ensuremath{\lesssim} 0.04 for the mixing angle between the $W$ and a 1-TeV heavy boson. A similar result holds for the $Z$ if there are no Higgs multiplets with $Ig\frac{1}{2}$ with significant vacuum expectation values.
Electron-hydrogen ionization - The asymptotic form of the wave function and the threshold behavior of the cross section.

Asymptotic form of wave function and threshold dependence of cross section related to electron- hydrogen ionization
The Lyman Continuum in Starburst Galaxies Observed with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope

The starburst galaxies IRAS 08339+6517, Mrk 1267, Mrk 66, and Mrk 496 (=NGC 6090) were observed with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) during the Astro-2 mission. All four galaxies have radial velocities larger than 5000 km s-1, permitting the measurement of their intrinsic Lyman-continuum fluxes redward of the H I absorption edge in our Galaxy. The sample was selected on the basis of having the most favorable conditions for the escape of Lyman-continuum photons. Two σ upper limits of Fλ < 7 × 10-16 ergs s-1 cm-2 A-1 were obtained for the flux around 900 A within the rest frame of each galaxy. A set of theoretical spectral energy distributions has been calculated. We show that there exists a tight correlation between the continuum luminosity at 900 A and the total number of photons emitted in the Lyman continuum, which is valid for high- and low-metallicity galaxies and essentially all relevant initial mass functions and star formation histories. Comparison with the observed values suggests that, on average, less than 3% of the intrinsic Lyman-continuum photons escape from the program galaxies. Models for the ionization of the intergalactic medium at high z by young starbursts require a significant fraction of the ionizing radiation to escape from the galaxy. If the four galaxies observed by us have properties similar to young galaxies at redshift z ≈ 3, such galaxies are not likely to provide Lyman-continuum photons for the ionization of the early universe.
Epidemiology as the foundation for population and men's health.

As you read this editorial, the United States health care community, citizens, and our international colleagues are dealing with both the seasonal influenza and H1N1 (swine flu). It seems as though the entire nation and international community is discussing influenza. Attention is being given to the number of cases, location of the cases, who has the illness, what is their age, gender, income status, what are the signs and symptoms, preventive measures needed, and how many have died from the flu. There is international awareness regarding influenza. Information can be located on the Internet Web sites dedicated to influenza, Facebook, Twitter, and email alerts. Up-to-date geographic maps and statistics can be accessed via iPhone applications. I would even propose that there is an international dialogue occurring with the utilization of advanced electronic media to present real-time information regarding the influenza epidemic/pandemic. Whether everyone is aware or not, what they are discussing is the epidemiology of the seasonal flu or H1N1 (swine flu). Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and health alterations within a population or community. Epidemiology is a core science for public health professionals and a foundational science for many other health disciplines such as medicine and nursing. Our acute awareness regarding the influenza and scare of potential influenza pandemic has solidified the essential nature and critical science of epidemiology to the prevention, control, and management of health and health alterations such as influenza. As men’s health professionals, we should use what has been learned from the international communication and awareness created regarding the epidemiology of influenza. In addition, we need to use lessons learned regarding communication about health alternations and prevention measures used to engage not only a national community but also an international one. As health care professionals focusing on men’s health, we need to ensure that we present the epidemiology of health states and health alterations that impact men. The epidemiology of the these men’s health or health alteration states should serve as the core foundation on which to create not only a national but international communication and dialogue about unique men’s health issues. Once again, epidemiology serves as the foundation for creating awareness, health education, and the basis for program planning and evaluation. Maximize the potential of epidemiologic data to communicate your emphasis on men’s health issues.
Geometric and electronic structures of the His–Fe(IV)=O and His–Fe(IV)–Tyr hemes of MauG

Biosynthesis of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor activates the enzyme methylamine dehydrogenase. The diheme enzyme MauG catalyzes O-atom insertion and cross-linking of two Trp residues to complete TTQ synthesis. Solution optical and Mossbauer spectroscopic studies have indicated that the reactive form of MauG during turnover is an unusual bisFe(IV) intermediate, which has been formulated as a His-ligated ferryl heme [Fe(IV)=O] (heme A), and an Fe(IV) heme with an atypical His/Tyr ligation (heme B). In this study, Fe K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies have been combined with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT methods to solve the geometric and electronic structures of each heme site in the MauG bisFe(IV) redox state. The ferryl heme site (heme A) is compared with the well-characterized compound I intermediate of cytochrome c peroxidase. Heme B is unprecedented in biology, and is shown to have a six-coordinate, S = 1 environment, with a short (1.85-A) Fe–O(Tyr) bond. Experimentally calibrated DFT calculations are used to reveal a strong covalent interaction between the Fe and the O(Tyr) ligand of heme B in the high-valence form. A large change in the Fe–O(Tyr) bond distance on going from Fe(II) (2.02 A) to Fe(III) (1.89 A) to Fe(IV) (1.85 A) signifies increasing localization of spin density on the tyrosinate ligand upon sequential oxidation of heme B to Fe(IV). As such, O(Tyr) plays an active role in attaining and stabilizing the MauG bisFe(IV) redox state.
The economics term paper as an effective teaching tool: Another approach

Combining the term paper with the format of a professional conference session provided a learning experience with a lasting positive impact. Students' role playing as chairperson, presenters, and discussants helped to enhance the learning process. Students were motivated go the extra mile not only for peer approval but also because of the impact on their final grade. This approach also helped to develop their oral and written communications skills. These skills are equally relevant for students planning academic and business careers.
Qualitative alterations in plasma esterases in BALB/c mice following the administration of diethylnitrosamine

Abstract Selected non-specific plasma esterases in female BALB/c mice, separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were qualitatively altered following treatment of the mice with diethylnitrosamine (DEN). These alterations include a decreased preference for naphthyl butyrate as a substrate relative to naphthyl acetate; decreased sensitivity to enhancement by divalent cations such as Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Mn 2+ ; and an increased sensitivity to inhibition by eserine. All esterase species affected were also quantitatively altered and some were testosterone-dependent.
Failure to demonstrate a functional connection between the adrenal gland and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei with regard to control of food intake

Die vonHalasz undSzentagothai gezeigte funktionelle Beziehung der Nebennierenrinde mit dem N. ventromedialis hypothalami legte die Vermutung nahe, dass moglicherweise diese Kerne die Futteraufnahme kontrollieren und durch Nebennierenentkernung beeinflusst werden konnen. Nach unseren Ergebnissen bei jungen, weiblichen Ratten ist dies sicher nicht der Fall. Auch die erhohte Futteraufnahme normaler Ratten, welche durch Lasionen in den ventromedialen Kernen hervorgerufen werden kann, blieb durch Enukleierung der Nebenniere unbeeinflusst.
Heterodyne Readout for Read-Write Holographic Memories

A heterodyne readout technique for read-write holographic memory systems that reconstruct a virtual image wavefront is described and demonstrated. The conventionally recorded hologram is illuminated simultaneously with a suitable combination of temporally modulated reference and modified object waves for readout. Best performance is obtained for temporal phase modulation. The coupling of the illuminating wavefronts by the hologram is analyzed.
Advances in treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia – new treatment options with tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Imatinib is considered standard therapy for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), inducing a high rate of hematologic and cytogenetic responses. Despite these excellent results, several patients develop resistance to imatinib. Mechanisms of resistance are varied and include BCR-ABL1 kinase domain mutations, decreased entry of imatinib into cells, acquisition of secondary genetic changes and activation of alternate signaling pathways. Second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) (dasatinib, nilotinib) were developed as an alternative for patients that develop resistance or are intolerant to imatinib. Dasatinib is a dual Abl/Src kinase TKI that is structurally unrelated to imatinib and is approved for therapy of all phases of CML in patients who are resistant or intolerant to imatinib. Nilotinib is a compound related to imatinib that has greater specificity and improved binding characteristics, and has clinical activity in the setting of imatinib failure. Resistance to multiple TKIs does o...
Optimizing energy consumption under flow and stretch constraints

In embedded systems and data-center systems (systems, for short), it is widely accepted that energy consumption has become the bottleneck of system's performance improvement and it is one of the most significant factors to optimize. Unfortunately, an effective energy-aware strategy usually has an adverse impact on a job's flow time or stretch — two important user-perspective system performance metrics. In some cases, the more energy is saved by an energy-aware policy, the more flow time and the larger stretch occur to jobs. In this paper, we investigate the impact on job processing delay introduced by power-down energy-saving mechanisms. Specifically, we study bicriteria algorithms that minimize maximum flow time or largest stretch under a fixed energy budget and minimize total energy consumption under an upper bound of flow time or stretch. We develop optimal offline algorithms to quantitatively balance the system-perspective performance metric (energy consumption) and the user-perspective performance metric (flow time and stretch). We also develop two simple min-energy online algorithms against weakened adversaries. We prove that (1.) with appropriate extra flow time, an online algorithm can beat any non-idling algorithm, in terms of energy consumption; (2.) a deterministic online algorithm which has a bounded times of optimal stretch, is optimal in terms of competitive ratio with respect to energy consumption.
Predictive control of sheet and film‐forming processes

A constrained infinite-horizon model-predictive controller is advocated to improve product properties from sheet- and film-forming processes by feedback control; the proposed model structure captures the main characteristics of the process, including the scanning sensor and large time delay. Model parameters are identified from process data, and symmetry is enforced to improve the parameter estimates. The film thickness is estimated from sparse measurements using a periodic Kalman filter. The covariances of the estimates are used to evaluate scanning patterns. Integrating disturbance models are used to achieve offset free control. Detectability conditions are presented for both models to ensure that the disturbances can be estimated from the measurement. Once the state of the film is reconstructed adequately from the measurement, a control strategy can be implemented to improve film properties. One important control contribution is to enable the controller to handle hard constraints on the actuators without clipping the controller output signal. The target-tracking problem is discussed, and the uniqueness of the steady-state solution is established. By simulations an output disturbance model is compared with a measured input disturbance model.
Predictors of outcome of pneumatic dilation in achalasia

Abstract Background & Aims: Graded pneumatic dilation (PD) is a widely accepted treatment for achalasia. We investigated the potential predictors of outcome in a large group of patients with achalasia and tested the hypothesis that graded PD may not be appropriate for all patients. Methods: Patients undergoing PD from 1992 to 2002 were evaluated retrospectively. Symptom scores (0–15) for dysphagia (0–5), regurgitation (0–5), and chest pain (0–5), as well as degree of esophageal emptying by timed barium swallow, were assessed for all patients. Failure was defined as the return of symptoms resulting in repeated PD or surgical myotomy. Clinical data assessed for short- and long-term predictors of response. Results: Seventy-five patients with achalasia without previous therapy constituted the studied population. Three-year success rates for PD using 3.0-cm, 3.0-cm followed by 3.5-cm, and 3.0-cm and 3.5-cm followed by 4.0-cm Rigiflex balloons were 37% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26–53), 76% (95% CI, 65–88), and 88% (95% CI, 80–97), respectively. Patient age and sex were important treatment outcome predictors. A Cox proportional hazards model of time to additional therapy on sex and 10-year increase in age showed that 3.0-cm PD was significantly (P = 0.04) more likely to fail in younger men than older men (hazard ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.41–0.98). In 25 of 68 patients (37%) initially treated with a 3.0-cm balloon, PD failed within 3 months. Twenty-two of 25 patients (88%) with early failure were men. Conclusions: (1) Young men have a greater failure rate with 3.0-cm PD than older men or women in general, and (2) graded PD in this group starting initially with the 3.0-cm balloon is more likely to fail.
Age dependent increase in prostaglandin pathway coincides with onset of ovarian cancer in laying hens

Chronic inflammation has been linked to cancer. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is the most pro-inflammatory lipid and one of the downstream products of 2 isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes: COX-1 and COX-2. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy and mainly occurs in older women. The factors that contribute to the correlation of age and ovarian cancer are unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of COX enzymes and PGE2 levels in ovaries and correlate them to ovarian cancer and aging. White Leghorn hens aged 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 3.5 years were used. The incidence of ovarian cancer was determined by gross pathology and histology. COX-1 and COX-2 protein and mRNA expression and PGE2 concentrations in ovaries were measured using Western blot, quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Our results indicated an increase in ovarian cancer incidence and expression of both COX enzymes in ovaries of older hens. In correlation with ovarian cancer incidence and COX enzymes expression, PGE2 concentrations were elevated with age. Ovaries with tumor had elevated COX-1 expression and PGE2 concentration compared to normal ovaries. Our findings suggest that the up-regulation of COX enzymes with age is the main contributing factor in the age associated increase in PGE2. Furthermore, elevated PGE2 in ovaries of hens concomitant with age suggests its important role in early stages of ovarian carcinogenesis. These finding may provide the basis for clinical trials utilizing COX specific inhibitors or dietary intervention targeting prostaglandin biosynthesis for the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.
Cosmogenic 3He surface-exposure dating of stone pavements: Implications for landscape evolution in deserts

The formation of stone pavements, a ubiquitous gravel armor mantling landforms in arid regions of the world, has been previously attributed to erosion by wind and water or alternating shrinking and swelling of soil horizons, implying that gravel is concentrated at the land surface in a time-transgressive manner. A newly proposed model for pavement evolution differs from these models in that pavement clasts are continuously maintained atthelandsurfaceinresponsetodepositionandpedogenicmodificationofwindblowndust. In-situ cosmogenic 3 He surface-exposure ages on volcanic and alluvial landforms in the Mojave Desert of California are used to understand pavement evolution over geologic time scales and to test this new model. These exposure ages are stratigraphically consistent, show internal consistency at each site, and, for stone pavements adjacent to pristine, continuously exposed volcanic bedrock, are indistinguishable at the 1! level. We conclude that stone pavements are born at the surface and that pavements may provide one of the longest-term records of geologic, hydrologic, and climatic processes operating on desert surfaces.
On the Accuracy of Dispositional Versus Situational Attributions

Research on attribution “error” often implies that situational attributions are generally more accurate than dispositional ones, and the widespread acceptance of this implication has had important consequences for psychology. However, evidence also exists that would tend to support the reverse conclusion. In fact, the important difference between situational and dispositional attributions is not one of accuracy, but of level of analysis.
Gentamicin population pharmacokinetic models for low birth weight infants using a new nonparametric method

Availability of personal computer programs for control of drug regimens has stimulated interest in modeling population pharmacokinetics. In this study, we found parameter values for gentamicin in two infant populations with low birth weights. The models were developed by use of a parametric (i.e., standard two-stage algorithm) and with a new nonparametric expected maximum algorithm. Data for the two populations (i.e., infants less than or equal to 31 weeks' and greater than 31 but less than or equal to 34 weeks' gestational age) were obtained from infants admitted to the University of Texas Medical Branch intensive care nursery between August 1, 1988, and July 31, 1989. The new nonparametric method was demonstrated to be not only the equal of the standard two-stage method for population modeling but better, especially in use of sparse data sets (e.g., single serum levels). It also obviates the need for selecting proper starting conditions for the least-squares fitting procedure used in the standard two-stage method.
Efficacy of Alvimopan Following Bowel Resection: A Comparison of Two Dosing Strategies

Background: Alvimopan is indicated to accelerate the time to gastrointestinal recovery following partial bowel resection with primary anastomosis. The approved dosing regimen includes an initial dose prior to surgery and 12 mg twice daily after surgery for up to 7 days; however, there are no human studies evaluating the need for the preoperative dose. We report our experience with gastrointestinal recovery when the preoperative dose is omitted. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of alvimopan therapy when the preoperative dose is not administered. Methods: This retrospective study included elective surgery patients who underwent bowel resection with primary anastomosis without colostomy or ileostomy. The study compared (a) patients who received alvimopan and received a dose preoperatively, (b) patients who received alvimopan but did not receive a dose preoperatively, and (c) matched control patients who did not receive alvimopan. Length of stay following bowel resection, direct hospital costs, time to fir...
The utilization of TG/GC/MS in the establishment of the mechanism of poly(styrene) degradation

General purpose poly(styrene) is a large volume commodity polymer used in a variety of applications. It is widely used in food packaging, particularly for baked goods. In this application, the presence of styrene monomer, which has a distinctive taste and aroma, cannot be tolerated. Processing of the polymer and forming of the food container at an unacceptably high temperature leads to the formation of styrene monomer and finished articles with unacceptable aroma characteristics. An examination of the thermal degradation of poly(styrene) has revealed the origin of monomer formation. The thermal decomposition of poly(styrene) has been widely studied. However, most studies have been carried out at high temperature (>300°C) where many processes are occurring simultaneously. Degradation at lower temperature, 280°C, occurs in two well-defined steps. The first is thermolysis of a head-to-head bond present in the mainchain as a consequence of polymerization termination by radical coupling. This generates macroradicals which smoothly depolymerize to expel styrene monomer. The nature of the degradation is readily apparent from kinetic analysis of the isothermal thermogravimetry (TG) data and the identity of the single volatile product may be readily established by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of the effluent from the TG analysis.
Asynchronous Communication: Exact Synchronization, Universality, and Dispersion

Recently, Tchamkerten and coworkers proposed a novel variation of the problem of joint synchronization and error correction. This paper considers a strengthened formulation that requires the decoder to estimate both the message and the location of the codeword exactly. Such a scheme allows for transmitting data bits in the synchronization phase of the communication, thereby improving bandwidth and energy efficiencies. It is shown that the capacity region remains unchanged under the exact synchronization requirement. Furthermore, asynchronous capacity can be achieved by universal (channel independent) codes. Comparisons with earlier results on another (delay compensated) definition of rate are made. The finite blocklength regime is investigated and it is demonstrated that even for moderate blocklengths, it is possible to construct capacity-achieving codes that tolerate exponential level of asynchronism and experience only a rather small loss in rate compared to the perfectly synchronized setting; in particular, the channel dispersion does not suffer any degradation due to asynchronism. For the binary symmetric channel, a translation (coset) of a good linear code is shown to achieve the capacity-synchronization tradeoff.
The white spot target for microscopic examination of nails for fungi.

Microscopic examination of dystrophic fingernails and toenails for pathogenic fungi can be greatly facilitated by (1) sampling an area of whitish discoloration of the nail plate, (2) employing a Gillette Super Blue Blade to secure a thin slice of friable material within the white spot, and (3) immersing this nail specimen in xylene for instant clearing and reading.
NVP-TAE684 reverses multidrug resistance (MDR) in human osteosarcoma by inhibiting P-glycoprotein (PGP1) function

Background and purpose Increased expression of P-glycoprotein (PGP1) is one of the major causes of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer, including in osteosarcoma, which eventually leads to the failure of cancer chemotherapy. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop effective therapeutic strategies to override the expression and function of PGP1 to counter MDR in cancer patients. Experimental approach In an effort to search for new chemical entities targeting PGP1-associated MDR in osteosarcoma, we screened a 500+ compound library of known kinase inhibitors with established kinase selectivity profiles. We aimed to discover potential drug synergistic effects among kinase inhibitors and general chemotherapeutics by combining inhibitors with chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin and paclitaxel. The human osteosarcoma MDR cell lines U2OSR2 and KHOSR2 were used for the initial screen and secondary mechanistic studies. Key results After screening 500+ kinase inhibitors, we identified NVP-TAE684 as the most effective MDR reversing agent. NVP-TAE684 significantly reversed chemoresistance when used in combination with doxorubicin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, vincristine, ET-743 or mitoxantrone. NVP-TAE684 itself is not a PGP1 substrate competitive inhibitor, but it can increase the intracellular accumulation of PGP1 substrates in PGP1-overexpressing cell lines. NVP-TAE684 was found to inhibit the function of PGP1 by stimulating PGP1 ATPase activity, a phenomenon reported for other PGP1 inhibitors. Conclusions and implications The application of NVP-TAE684 to restore sensitivity of osteosarcoma MDR cells to the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutics will be useful for further study of PGP1-mediated MDR in human cancer and may ultimately benefit cancer patients.
Preventing Dangerous Mentally Ill Individuals From Obtaining and Retaining Guns: New York’s SAFE Act

This article closely examines one facet of New York State's 2013 comprehensive gun control law that was passed in response to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Among other things, the "Safe Act" requires that medical care professionals report to the state the names of patients whom they believe likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to self or others. Those who are reported are disqualified from owning or possessing a firearm for five years. If they have a firearms license, it will be revoked. If they have a firearm, it must be relinquished. The reporting requirement law has been strenuously criticized by mental health and veterans advocates as well as by civil liberties groups. The article assesses the criticisms and the reporting requirement's likelihood of preventing future massacres like Sandy Hook.
Under the Robes: A Judicial Right to Bare Arms (and Legs and . . .)

This essay considers a time-dishonored question: What, if anything, do judges have on under their robes? After serious research and thought, the author concludes that judges are-or, in an economically rational world, should be-minimalists.
Training Students to Serve: The Applicability of K. Ander's Ericsson's Theory of Deliberate Practice for Expert Performance in Contemporary Schools

The application of research-based methods of skill development has enabled people across a variety of fields to reach extraordinary levels of achievement. Among the various fields where superior achievement might be attained, training individuals to recognize the dignity of others and strive for remarkable accomplishment in humanitarian service would be an area that would greatly affect our schools, society and world.
Nuclear factor XIIIa staining (clone AC‐1A1 mouse monoclonal) is a highly sensitive marker of sebaceous differentiation in normal and neoplastic sebocytes

Background Sebaceous proliferations are common and may be confused with other cutaneous neoplasms. Few useful or specific immunohistochemical markers for sebaceous differentiation are available. We incidentally observed strong factor XIIIa (Ventana clone AC-1A1 on Ventana Benchmark Ultra stainer) nuclear staining in normal sebaceous glands and hypothesized that this might be a useful marker in sebaceous proliferations. Methods Immunohistochemistry for factor XIIIa (AC-1A1) was performed on seven sebaceous hyperplasias, eight sebaceous adenomas, five sebaceomas, seven sebaceous carcinomas. Results Strong nuclear factor XIIIa (AC-1A1) staining was present in 100% of normal sebaceous glands, 100% of sebaceous hyperplasia, adenoma and carcinoma, and 80% of sebaceoma. Moderately or poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) (n = 26) were also stained for factor XIIIa (AC-1A1); two showed focal strong staining (8%), but the remainder showed only weak or negative staining (92%). In contrast, factor XIIIa clones from Abcam, Cambridge, MA, USA (EP3372) and Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA, USA (E980.1) were negative in sebocyte nuclei. Conclusions We report the novel finding of consistent nuclear factor XIIIa (AC-1A1) staining in normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic sebocytes. Factor XIIIa (AC-1A1) is a highly sensitive marker of sebaceous differentiation. It may have potential clinical utility as a specific marker to distinguish sebaceous carcinoma from poorly differentiated SCC.
Spectral Sparsification in Dynamic Graph Streams

We present a new bound relating edge connectivity in a simple, unweighted graph with effective resistance in the corresponding electrical network. The bound is tight. While we believe the bound is of independent interest, our work is motivated by the problem of constructing combinatorial and spectral sparsifiers of a graph, i.e., sparse, weighted sub-graphs that preserve cut information (in the case of combinatorial sparsifiers) and additional spectral information (in the case of spectral sparsifiers). Recent results by Fung et al. (STOC 2011) and Spielman and Srivastava (SICOMP 2011) show that sampling edges with probability based on edge-connectivity gives rise to a combinatorial sparsifier whereas sampling edges with probability based on effective resistance gives rise to a spectral sparsifier. Our result implies that by simply increasing the sampling probability by a O(n 2/3) factor in the combinatorial sparsifier construction, we also preserve the spectral properties of the graph. Combining this with the algorithms of Ahn et al. (SODA 2012, PODS 2012) gives rise to the first data stream algorithm for the construction of spectral sparsifiers in the dynamic setting where edges can be added or removed from the stream. This was posed as an open question by Kelner and Levin (STACS 2011).
Simulating International Diplomacy: The National Model United Nations Experience

Abstract Model United Nations provide a lesson in practical politics and a vehicle for socializing students into the political science discipline. This study investigates the nature and operation of model UN programs at 81 institutions which participated in the 1982 National Model United Nations (NMUN). A number of common trends emerge from the data concerning the content, educational objectives, and academic context of NMUN participation. The selection, organization, and funding of NMUN delegations is also surveyed. The article concludes that NMUN participation is most often seen from the perspective of integrating the simulation with the study of international relations.