cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonfluoride enamel hypoplasia in varying fluoride-temperature zones

This paper reports the results of a study to determine the prevalence and other epidemiologic aspects of nonfluoride enamel hypoplasia. Results indicate that the occurrence of nonfluoride enamel hypoplasia is not random.
Platelet aggregation in flowing blood in vitro. I. Production by controlled ADP convective diffusion and quantification by videodensitometry

Abstract The overall objective of this work has been to quantify and to control the effects of flow and diffusion of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) on platelet adhesion and aggregation in whole blood. Flow conditions were chosen such that the study has maximal relevance to arterial thrombosis , where platelets are believed to play a prominent role. Toward this end, a blood flow chamber was designed and constructed wtihin which platelet aggregates form at and adhere to a specified, microscopic site on Cuprophan (PT 150, Enka Glanzstoff) membrane. Important features include controlled surface shear rate, controlled ADP diffusion (assessed by separate sutdies with [ 3 H]ADP) through the membrane and into the flowing blood at the microscopic site, and a design permitting continuous in situ observation and quantification (e.g., aggregate mean thicknesses and thickness growth rates) using videomicroscopy and dual window densitometry of video recordings. Video calibration is carried out using differing, but known thicknesses of blood film between the light source and microscope objective. Although the wavelength of the incident light is 800 ± 90 nm (mean ± half-bandwidth for 50% peak intensity), the Lambert-Beer law is applicable to the present system, as shown by separate determination of the relative constancy of the absorptivities of both whole blood and packed platelets over the range from 700 to 900 nm. The chamber, videomicroscope, and videodensitometer constitute a whole blood platelet aggregometer, one with which shear rate (99 to 986 sec −1 or more) and entry rate of ADP into citrated or heparinized blood (leading to membrane-blood interface concentrations of ADP of micromolal to millimolal in present experiments) may be varied independently. The calibrated output of the device is a recording of the mean thickness of adherent aggregates within a standardized electronic “window” as a function of time. From such a recording, which may be correlated with simultaneous morphologic observations by videomicroscopy, estimates may be made of time to embolization, maximum mean aggregate thickness, and rate of increase of mean aggregate thickness.
The Masculinity of the Governator: Muscle and Compassion in American Politics:

Arnold Schwarzenegger's celebrity status allowed him to project a symbolic masculine persona that was effective in gaining political power as California governor. The well-known violent tough-guy persona that Schwarzenegger developed in the mid-1980s contributed to a post—Vietnam era cultural remasculinization of the American man. But this narrow hyper-masculinity was often caricatured in popular culture and delegitimized. In the 1990s and 2000s, Schwarzenegger forged a credible masculine imagery by introducing characters who were humorously self-mocking and focused on care and protection of children. Schwarzenegger's resultant hybrid masculinity, the “Kindergarten Commando,” represents an ascendant hegemonic masculinity always foregrounding muscle, toughness, and the threat of violence and following with situationally appropriate symbolic displays of compassion. The equation of toughness plus compassion composing the Kindergarten Commando is asymmetrical, with toughness eclipsing compassion; this has imp...
Geographic Access to Healthy and Unhealthy Foods for the Older Population in a U.S. Metropolitan Area

Poor nutrition is known to be associated with a number of adverse health outcomes; adequate nutrition is related to a large number of factors, including geographic access to healthy foods. Access to healthy foods can be especially challenging for older people with any kind of transportation or mobility limitations. In addition, some older populations may have reduced access to healthy foods because of the unavailability of food outlets in their neighborhoods. Using the geographic information system (GIS), this study assessed census block level geographic accessibility to healthy and unhealthy food outlets in one county in Ohio. It was found that there was a noticeable disparity in geographic access to food outlets in this older population, depending on which part of the county they live in. These findings have implications for future public health research and policy planning.
When ab ≠ c – c′: Published errors in the reports of single-mediator models

Accurate reports of mediation analyses are critical to the assessment of inferences related to causality, since these inferences are consequential for both the evaluation of previous research (e.g., meta-analyses) and the progression of future research. However, upon reexamination, approximately 15 % of published articles in psychology contain at least one incorrect statistical conclusion (Bakker & Wicherts, Behavior Research Methods, 43, 666–678 2011), disparities that beget the question of inaccuracy in mediation reports. To quantify this question of inaccuracy, articles reporting standard use of single-mediator models in three high-impact journals in personality and social psychology during 2011 were examined. More than 24 % of the 156 models coded failed an equivalence test (i.e., ab = c – c′), suggesting that one or more regression coefficients in mediation analyses are frequently misreported. The authors cite common sources of errors, provide recommendations for enhanced accuracy in reports of single-mediator models, and discuss implications for alternative methods.
A case study in the quantification of a change in the conditions of a highway construction operation

Changes in the conditions under which construction operations take place disrupt projects and can have severe construction cost impacts that must be quantified. This paper presents a case study in which discrete-event simulation was used to quantify the impacts of a change in a highway construction project.
Lysophosphatidylcholine-induced Surface Redistribution Regulates Signaling of the Murine G-Protein-coupled Receptor G2A

Intracellular trafficking and spatial dynamics of membrane receptors critically regulate receptor function. Using microscopic and subcellular fractionation analysis, we studied the localization of ...
Trends in bile duct injuries from laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Bile duct injuries are a serious complication of cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) were originally associated with an increased incidence of injuries. Patients referred to a tertiary center were reviewed to assess the trends in the number, presentation, and management. Seventy-three patients were referred over a 6-year period with a maximum of 17 patients referred in 1992, but the number has not declined substantially over time. The persistent number of referrals is a consequence of ongoing injuries. One third of injuries were diagnosed at LC, and the use of cholangiography has not increased. The number of cystic duct leaks has not decreased and they represent 25% of all cases. The level of injury has remained unchanged with Bismuth types I and II in 37% and types III and IV in 38%. Excluding patients with cystic duct leaks, 58% were referred after a failed ductal repair. Definitive treatment with biliary stenting was successful in 37%, and 34 patients (47%) required a biliary-enteric anastomosis. Complications occurred in 18 patients (25%) including seven with postoperative stricture or cholangitis. No biliary reoperations have been performed at a mean follow-up of 36 months.
The β-amylase genes of grasses and a phylogenetic analysis of the triticeae (Poaceae)

There are two forms of β-amylase in the Triticeae crop plants wheat, barley, and rye: an endosperm-specific form encoded by two or three closely linked genes, and a tissue-ubiquitous form encoded by a single gene. Both rice and corn have one ubiquitously expressed form encoded by a single gene. This study focuses on two phylogenetic analyses of β-amylase gene sequences. First, a phylogenetic analysis of coding sequences from wheat, barley, rye, rice, and corn was expected to clarify the relationship between the endosperm-specific and tissue-ubiquitous forms of the protein. Instead, it illustrates possible effects of distant outgroups, based on conflicting patterns of character state variation consistent with different root positions. Next, a broad sample of the monogenomic Triticeae was included in a phylogenetic analysis based on sequences from a portion of the tissue-ubiquitous β-amylase gene. The results were compared to existing Triticeae gene trees, among which extensive conflict had been noted in the past. One additional gene tree has not completely clarified the complexity of the group, but has shed additional light on reticulate phylogenetic patterns within the tribe, including relationships involving Eremopyrum, Thinopyrum, and the Triticum/Aegilops group.
Adapting to Radical Change: Strategy and Environment in Piece-Rate Adoption During China's Transition

Adaptation to radical change is central to research in organization theory, and some of the most dramatic examples of environmental change have occurred recently in transition economies such as China. I take advantage of change during China's economic reform to study the relative importance of organizational and environmental factors in producing innovative managerial response. I find that strategic choice predicted innovation in the early stages of reform, but environmental factors increased in salience over time. Intrafirm support, Communist Party connections, and a market orientation produced innovation early in reform. Simple imitation of others was also salient in early years. As reform progressed, managers increasingly imitated other profitable firms and drew on their own experience. My results inform an understanding of both the process by which innovation occurs and firm behavior in transition economies.
Example-driven design of efficient record matching queries

Record matching is the task of identifying records that match the same real world entity. This is a problem of great significance for a variety of business intelligence applications. Implementations of record matching rely on exact as well as approximate string matching (e.g., edit distances) and use of external reference data sources. Record matching can be viewed as a query composed of a small set of primitive operators. However, formulating such record matching queries is difficult and depends on the specific application scenario. Specifically, the number of options both in terms of string matching operations as well as the choice of external sources can be daunting. In this paper, we exploit the availability of positive and negative examples to search through this space and suggest an initial record matching query. Such queries can be subsequently modified by the programmer as needed. We ensure that the record matching queries our approach produces are (1) efficient: these queries can be run on large datasets by leveraging operations that are well-supported by RDBMSs, and (2) explainable: the queries are easy to understand so that they may be modified by the programmer with relative ease. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on several real-world datasets.
Classical potential energy calculations for ApA, CpC, GpG, and UpU. The influence of the bases on RNA subunit conformations.

Synopsis Classical potential energy calculations have been made for the ribodinucleoside monophosphates ApA, CpC, GpG, and UpU. Van der Waals’, electrostatic, and torsional contributions to the energy were calculated, and the energy was minimized with the seven backbone conformational angles as simuitaneously variable parameters. At the global minimum, ApA and CpC have conformations like double helical RNA: the angles w’ and w are g-g-, the sugar pucker is C3’-endo, and the bases are anti. GpG and UpU, on the other hand, have the w’,w angle pair g-t at the global minimum, and for GpG the bases are syn. Energy contour maps for w’ and w show two broad, low energy regions for ApA, CpC, and UpU: one is g-g-, and the second encompasses g-t and g+g+ within a single lowenergy contour. The two regions are connected by a path at 10-13 kcal./mole. For GpG, with bases syn, however, only a small low-energy region at g-t is found. The helical ‘A’ RNA conformation is 8.5 kcal/mole higher for this molecule. Thus, the base composition is shown to influence the conformations adopted by dinucleoside phosphates. Comparison of calculations with experimental data, where available, show good agreement.
Epidural venous engorgement resulting in progressive cervical myelopathy from shunt-related intracranial hypotension : Case report and review of the literature

The authors report an unusual case of engorged epidural veins causing progressive cervical myelopathy after long-term cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt therapy and intracranial hypotension. An 18-year-old woman, who had previously undergone shunt placement with a distal slit valve for a porencephalic cyst when 2 years of age, presented with progressive spastic quadriparesis, numbness, and gait difficulty. Postural headaches were absent and a lumbar puncture revealed low CSF pressure. Neuroimaging disclosed markedly engorged anterior epidural veins causing compression of the cervical spinal cord. The slit-valve shunt system was surgically removed and an external drain was placed. The patient's CSF pressure was gradually raised to clinically tolerable levels. Once the optimal pressure was identified, a programmable shunt was placed with the valve set at the same level. The patient's neurological status improved, and the epidural veins had returned to their normal size on follow-up imaging. The authors describe the unique treatment strategy used in this patient and review the literature on epidural venous engorgement as it relates to intracranial hypotension.
Proliferation pessimism and emerging nuclear powers

This article offers a critique of the most recent wave of pessimistic literature to appear in the scholarly discussion on proliferation. The author argues that these claims need to specify better why and how the spread of nuclear weapons is likely to have deleterious consequences, particularly between entrenched regional rivals. Also presented is an overview of optimistic and pessimistic thinking, outline the innovations contained in the newest work by pessimists, and sketch the areas of contention between this group of pessimists and their optimistic counterparts. The next two sections examine in greater detail the pessimistic claims concerning the dangers of preventive war, crisis instability, and accidental use, and offer specific criticisms of these claims in light of the behavior of regional nuclear powers. The pessimistic assumption is challenged in that the opaque arsenals possessed by the newest generation of nuclear states are intrinsically detrimental to deterrence stability. The critique is based on the argument that the analogies that pessimists draw from Cold War nuclear history are misleading and thus mischaracterize the context in which new nuclear states emerge and act. Relying too closely on a singular, ungeneralizable example, the deductive model offered by the new pessimists is unlikely to generatemore » much insight into the pathways by which unwanted nuclear conflict could arise between proliferators. 111 refs.« less
Preparing students for studying abroad

Abstract: This study is situated in the fields of language education, study abroad (SA) and intercultural communication. The interest in SA is increasing on the part of students, administrators, educators, and business companies. However, SA students are not always prepared to maximize their learning opportunities at the foreign site, to effectively interact with locals, to develop cultural awareness, and to respond to challenging situations occurring abroad. This article suggests preparatory activities and projects, including exercises on students’ own identity as a powerful construct impacting their SA experiences. University officials and international education offices face the challenge to rethink the SA experience at their institution, focus on what learners need to take home from SA, and implement practices that are the truly effective to prepare student to become global citizens. Our fast-changing multicultural societies need translingually and transculturally competent language speakers who can function as informed interlocutors in contact with host communities.
The Importance Of A Good Business Plan

The business plan is the product of a strategic thinking or planning process. The strategic direction developed in that process can then be communicated in the form of a business plan to lenders, potential investors and associates within your company. The development of a strategic direction is a critical step for your company. It allows your business to leverage the knowledge and competence of its management team, staff and advisors to develop a strategic direction for the organization that will lead to its best chance for success. This gives you an opportunity to use the advising team you have put together.
Hey, That’s Me! Social Identity and Group-Implicating Rhetoric in a Dynamic Framing Environment

While individual evaluations of and identification with social groups have been shown to influence political opinions, this effect is often treated as constant. Little work has examined dynamic relationships between issues, identity, and opinion as a function of changes in the political context. Elite rhetoric changes over time; in response to these changes, the weight that group evaluations and identification has on issue opinion should also vary. To test this argument, I use a content analysis of abortion rhetoric in combination with survey data from the ANES. Results suggest that messages confirming or threatening values or beliefs tied to one’s religious in-group affect support for legalized abortion among Catholic and Mainline Protestants, but not Evangelicals. Additionally, individuals’ strength of religious identification acts as a moderating factor for framing, more consistent framing effects are observed among both the weakest and strongest identifiers, but not among moderate identifiers.
Urban Solid Waste Generation and Management Issues Analysis of Solid Waste Disposal in the Kattankudy Urban Council Area, Sri Lanka

Urban solid waste management is a problem for local authorities of many cities in Sri Lanka,due to rapid population growth and changes in consumption patterns of urban households,leading to large quantity of solid waste generation. This paper addresses solid wastemanagement in the Kattankudy urban council area in Sri Lanka. The study used mainlysecondary data collected from the Urban Council office and some discussions with UCofficials dealing with waste management. Total waste generation per day was 37,368 kg, totalbio waste per day of 21,371 kg (57.20%), total Non-bio waste per day 15,829 kg (42.36%),and total special waste per day 168 kg (0.44%). Total waste generated per day was composedof bio waste of 21,371 kg (57.20%), total Non-bio waste of 15,829 kg (42.36%), and totalspecial waste of 168 kg (0.44%). The total waste generation per person per day was 0.753 kg,0.43 kg of biodegradable waste, 0.32 kg non-biodegradable waste and 0.003 kg special wasteper person per day. It was estimated that about 54% of the revenue collected by theKattankudy UC was being spent on solid waste collection activities, which has hindered useof funds for other essential service provision such as repairs to roads, water supply andsanitation facilities. Findings indicate that massive amounts of solid waste are generatedwhich are difficult to collect and dispose. Some policy issues are discussed for a better wastemanagement strategy.
Targeting Wnt/calcium pathway components and Bcr-Abl for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia

C251 Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by expression of the oncogenic fusion protein Bcr-Abl that has constitutive tyrosine kinase activity. The selective Bcr-Abl antagonist imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has proven highly effective in the treatment of CML. Although effective, imatinib therapy is usually not curative. Imatinib fails to completely eliminate Bcr-Abl+ cells and the disease often relapses due to development of imatinib resistance. Moreover, patients in the advanced phases of CML are much less responsive to imatinib therapy. Furthermore, Bcr-Abl+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is generally refractory to treatment with imatinib. Thus, the targeting of an additional gene product(s) may be necessary to potentiate the efficacy of imatinib in eliminating Bcr-Abl+ leukemic cells and lead to complete eradication of these leukemias. We have designed an unbiased loss-of-function screen using RNA interference (RNAi) to identify such genes. We utilized a genome-wide lentiviral small hairpin RNA (shRNA) library in combination with microarray analysis to identify gene targets that, when inhibited, potentiate CML cell killing by imatinib. Our novel screen identified several genes that are potential components of the noncanonical Wnt/calcium signaling pathway including Wnt5a, Frizzled, PLC, PDE, CaMKII, calcineurin and NFAT, indicating that this pathway is critical for survival of CML cells upon exposure to imatinib. Using shRNA-mediated knockdown and/or pharmacological inhibitors, we have verified that inactivation of several of these genes, including Frizzled-8, PDE1, CaMKII and calcineurin, cooperates with imatinib in eliminating CML cells in vitro. Furthermore, we found that inhibition of CaMKII and calcineurin also sensitizes Bcr-Abl+ ALL cells to imatinib treatment. Thus, targeting Wnt/calcium pathway components in combination with Bcr-Abl inhibition may represent a very effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Bcr-Abl+ leukemias.
Effects of mass transfer between Martian satellites on surface geology

Abstract Impacts on planetary bodies can lead to both prompt secondary craters and projectiles that reimpact the target body or nearby companions after an extended period, producing so-called “sesquinary” craters. Here we examine sesquinary cratering on the moons of Mars. We model the impact that formed Voltaire, the largest crater on the surface of Deimos, and explore the orbital evolution of resulting high-velocity ejecta across 500 years using four-body physics and particle tracking. The bulk of mass transfer to Phobos occurs in the first 102 years after impact, while reaccretion of ejecta to Deimos is predicted to continue out to a 104 year timescale (cf. Soter, S. [1971]. Studies of the Terrestrial Planets. Cornell University). Relative orbital geometry between Phobos and Deimos plays a significant role; depending on the relative true longitude, mass transfer between the moons can change by a factor of five. Of the ejecta with a velocity range capable of reaching Phobos, 25–42% by mass reaccretes to Deimos and 12–21% impacts Phobos. Ejecta mass transferred to Mars is We find that the characteristic impact velocity of sesquinaries on Deimos is an order of magnitude smaller than those of background (heliocentric) hypervelocity impactors and will likely result in different crater morphologies. The time-averaged flux of Deimos material to Phobos can be as high as 11% of the background (heliocentric) direct-to-Phobos impactor flux. This relatively minor contribution suggests that spectrally red terrain on Phobos (Murchie, S., Erard, S. [1996]. Icarus 123, 63–86) is not caused by Deimos material. However the high-velocity ejecta mass reaccreted to Deimos from a Voltaire-sized impact is comparable to the expected background mass accumulated on Deimos between Voltaire-size events. Considering that the high-velocity ejecta contains only 0.5% of the total mass sent into orbit, sesquinary ejecta from a Voltaire-sized impact could feasibly resurface large parts of the Moon, erasing the previous geological record. Dating the surface of Deimos may be more challenging than previously suspected.
Succinate and Oxygen Dependence of Mitochondrial Function in Neonatal Hepatocytes

The transition from a relatively anaerobic environment in the fetus to that of an aerobic one in the neonate is accompanied by a dramatic increase in tissue oxidative activity. The attainment of functional maturity of the mitochondria through marked changes in the composition and contents of the enzymes of the respiratory systems (Van Rossum, 1963; Jakovcic et al., 1971; Pollak and Duck-Chong, 1973; Jones, 1982) enables the neonate to accommodate the increase in cellular energy requirements during development.
Personality and the Determinants of Product Choice

Market segmentation according to amount of product usage, demographics, social class, personality, and product attribute preference has been suggested in the literature [7, 8, 10, 17], but the role of personality in determining product choices is particularly controversial. Attempts to show that purchasers of different products or brands have different personality traits have met with limited practical success, although a relationship between usage of various products and the buyer's personality profile has been shown [13]. If users of various products or brands have different personalities (and nonpsychological characteristics) and thus respond more to appeals structured to their particular needs, they might purchase the same product for different reasons. If product attributes that determine their choices are somehow related to their personality structures, specific appeals might be aimed at particular personality types. Ideally, an entire marketing mix could be designed for different psychological segments, particularly if different types of people not only want different attributes in a product, but also expose themselves to different media, live in different locations, and so forth. However, even without isolating psychological segments, appeals directed at various personality types as market segments might still achieve stronger effects than bland ones aimed at a mass market.
Abstract PL02-01: Energy balance and cancer prevention: Mechanistic insights from mutant mice

The prevalence of obesity, an established risk and progression factor for many cancers, has risen steadily during the past several decades in the US and many other countries. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying the obesity and cancer connection are not well understood, and new targets and strategies for offsetting the impact of obesity on cancer risk are urgently needed. Calorie restriction (CR), the most commonly recommended dietary strategy for preventing or reversing obesity, inhibits spontaneous, transplanted and chemically induced tumors in a variety of animal models. In contrast, diet-induced obesity enhances tumorigenesis in many of these same models. We demonstrated in a series of transgenic mouse model systems and microarray studies that the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 pathway appears central to many of the anticancer effects of CR and procancer effects of obesity. Using AZIP/F1 transgenic mice (which lack white adipose tissue but have high levels of insulin, IGF-1 and inflammatory markers), and liver-specific IGF-1-deficient mice, we showed that components of the IGF-1 and inflammatory pathways (independent of the adipose tissue per se) are important targets for disrupting the obesity-cancer link. Also, genetic or pharmacologic (rapamaycin, metformin) inhibition of the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in murine models of breast, skin and pancreatic cancer blocks the effects of obesity on tumor development and progression. We are currently conducting parallel studies in high-risk human subjects and relevant animal models to further elucidate underlying mechanisms, biomarkers, and effective interventions for offsetting the effects of obesity on cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):PL02-01.
Analysis of Different Design Strategies to Improve Single Blade Performance in Rotorcrafts

The performance of rotorcraft blades such as the ones found on helicopters is greatly affected by the blade-wake interaction. Different blade designs will have an impact on the rotor’s wake structure in which rotorcrafts fly in. The objective of the current study is to analyze the effect of a blade design on the rotor’s wake structure by conducting flow simulations. Wakes behind different single-bladed rotors in hover will be compared. The considered blade design options include biologically inspired and rectangular blades with uniform cross-sections as well as a rectangular blade with an airfoil cross-section. A ducted rotor with a single rectangular blade with an airfoil cross-section will also be considered.
Single Bargainer's Integrated Control Strategy with Muti-kinds Commodity under Continuous Double Auction Mechanism

In this paper,a mathematical model is given for a special condition of continuous double auction.With assumption of commodities' possible auction price could be forecasted;maximum increasing concave envelope is offered for the set of commodities' optimal auction price.On the basis of defining minimum acceptance auction price and analyzing its' character,a definition and arithmetic are given for switch threshold of optimal auction price.With this,single bargainer can implement its' integrated control strategy of pricing and inventory.
A Probable Source for the Title of "The Small Rain"

Richard Darabaner suggests that the title of Pynchon's short story "The Small fain" may have been derived from a passage in Deuteronomy. He goes on to argue that the atmosphere of Pynchon's story is appropriate to the Old Testament reference. Indeed it is, though I would like to suggest that the story echoes the Old Testament, not directly, but indirectly through the works of Ernest Hemingway and T. S. Eliot. Pynchon himself admits to having made a conscious effort to echo A Farewell to Arms and The Waste Land in his story, and both of those works have atmospheres that can be fruitfully glossed by reference to the Old Testament, particularly to Ecclesiastes. Moreover, rain is extremely significant in both of those works, as pynchon's story explicitly remarks.
Madness and Method: a Pastoral Theological Reflection

This article is a reflection on pastoral method in light of the metaphor of madness. I consider the notion of madness in terms of how it is represented in Western thought and take these representations as prisms to reflect on the attributes of pastoral methodology. More specifically, I use the notions of unreason, otherness, creativity, rage, and folly to think about the strengths of pastoral method.
Cosmic Ruminations: The Creative Imagination, Imagined Experience, and the Lure of Distant Horizons

This paper discusses the role of the creative imagination in the work of the theoretical physicist Albert Einstein and the daring artistic composition, Two Men Contemplating the Moon (circa 1830) of the German Romantic landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich. It explores the different ways in which the creative imagination is used to explore singular (and even extraordinary) ideas about objects and phenomena that lie beyond the visible and, at times, even what seems the conceivable. Einstein’s use of creative imagination in his theoretical constructions, especially his brilliant use of “thought experiments” and “creative description” to limn new possibilities in theoretical physics are explored. As is the profoundly original visual artist Friedrich’s Two Men Contemplating the Moon that had the consequence of fracturing the existing notions of landscape art; reshaping them and then extending creative pictorial representation so as to achieve a closer approximation as to how the most distant horizons of the universe truly appear. Such imaginative feats serve as stepping stones for new intellectual advances that enable truly visionary thinkers and artists to re-frame how we conceive of the Cosmos. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein
Natural Products Chemistry

Tricyclic compounds 756 and 757 have been found to exist in low concentration in lavender oil. Structure proof was realized by selenium dioxide oxidation of α-cedrene. Hydrogenation of 756 and subsequent copper-catalyzed oxidation of the saturated aldehyde furnished 757 [347].
Epileptic Spike Detection with EEG using artificial Neural Networks

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that causes seizures in its victims that can lead to physical injury or even death in some circumstances. It is caused by excessive, synchronous abnormal firing of neurons in the brain. This chronic disease has no known cure and affects millions of people worldwide but can be managed through various methods. The successful treatment is dependent upon correct identification of the origin of the seizures within a brain. One major challenge for doctors is the analysis of the immense amount of data collected by electroencephalogram (EEG) devices. In order to identify a region of the brain that causes epileptic seizures, millions of samples must be analyzed manually by a trained eye to find interictal spikes that emanate from the afflicted region of the brain. This paper presents a method for automatic interictal spike detection while minimizing false positives. In this way, it eliminates the lengthy, manual process currently used by doctors. Analyzing real world data, the presented Neural Network Epileptic Spike Detector (NNESD) showed a PPV of 72.67% and sensitivity of 82.68% on average over 300 trained networks on a single channel of EEG.
Ten-Year Cross-Sectional Study of Mechanically Assisted Crevice Corrosion in 1352 Consecutive Patients With Metal-on-Polyethylene Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Mechanically assisted crevice corrosion (MACC) in metal-on-polyethylene total hip arthroplasty (THA) is of concern, but its prevalence, etiology, and natural history are incompletely understood. Methods From January 2003 to December 2012, 1352 consecutive THA surgeries using a titanium stem, cobalt-chromium alloy femoral head, and highly cross-linked polyethylene liner from a single manufacturer were performed. Patients were followed at 1-year and 5-year intervals for surveillance, but also seen earlier if they had symptoms. Any patient with osteolysis >1 cm (n = 3) or unexplained pain (n = 85) underwent examination, radiographs, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein, as well as tests for serum cobalt and chromium levels. Results Symptomatic MACC was present in 43 of 1352 patients (3.2%). Prevalence of MACC by year of implant ranged from 0% (0 of 61, 2003; 0 of 138, 2005) to 10.5% (17 of 162; 2009). The M/L Taper stem had a greater prevalence (4.9%) of MACC than all other Zimmer (Zimmer, Inc, Warsaw, IN) 12/14 trunnion stem types combined (1.2%; P Conclusion The prevalence of MACC in metal-on-polyethylene hips is higher in this cross-sectional study than previously reported. A significantly higher prevalence was found in patients with M/L Taper style stem and THA performed both in 2009 and also between 2009 and 2012 with this manufacturer.
Delayed left atrial appendage contrast filling in computed tomograms after percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion

Abstract Background The gold standard for the follow-up of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is performing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) at 45 days after LAAO; however, the duration for complete LAA seal-off after percutaneous LAAO is unknown in humans. We retrospectively evaluated the LAA contrast-filling (CF) rate in follow-up cardiac computed tomography (CT) scans after LAAO. Methods We included 35 patients (age 67.5 ± 10.9 years, CHA2DS2VASc 4.2 ± 1.6, HAS-BLED 3.7 ± 1.5) who underwent LAAO [16 WATCHMAN, 19 Amplatzer cardiac plug (ACP)] and follow-up cardiac CT within 6 months after LAAO, and evaluated the LAA-CF rates. Eighteen patients (51.4%) underwent multiple episodes of CT follow-up. Results 1. The proportions of patients with LAA-CF were 54.2% (19/35) at 6 months, 55.5% (5/9) at 6–18 months, and 33.3% (3/9) at >18 months after LAAO. 2. Among 23 patients with no peridevice leak at the 2 months TEE, LAA-CFs were found in 12 patients at 2.8 ± 1.5 months (66.6% in WATCHMAN and 36.3% in ACP; p = 0.158). 3. Among eight patients with consecutive follow-up CT (≥3 times), LAA-CFs were partially reduced in three; however, there was no complete LAA seal-off at 19.0 ± 11.3 months. 4. A larger LAA landing zone diameter was independently associated with LAA-CF in follow-up CT [OR 1.45 (1.08–1.96), p = 0.013, adjusted for age, sex, and device type]. Conclusions Delayed LAA-CF is common after LAAO, with considerable discrepancies between cardiac CT and TEE findings. Although the clinical significance of LAA-CF is unclear, 45 days seem to be insufficient for complete LAA seal-off after LAAO.
CURRENT DISTRIBUTION AND pH GRADIENTS IN A MODEL OF A BATTERY PLATE

ABSTRACT Measurements have been performed on a scaled-up model of a cadmium battery plate which cannot be performed on an actual battery plate. The model consists of a flat horizontal cadmium plate. It is arranged in such a way that a highly non-uniform current distribution similar to that in the pores of a battery plate is produced. The distribution of current density, potential and charge along the model electrode is measured. The occurrence of pH gradients in the thin electrolyte film covering the plate is established. The pH gradients produce local concentration cells that induce the flow of currents between different areas of the plate. The implications of these results for actual battery plates are discussed. Certain capacity loss and recovery phenomena can be readily explained on the basis of the “pH mechanism” that was found to exist in the model.
John Sculley's Noble Cause: Disruptive Innovation to Transform Healthcare.

As Congress currently struggles with legislation around Obamacare, I had the privilege of speaking with John Sculley, legendary marketing genius and former CEO of Pepsi and Apple. “The healthcare industry is the only technology-driven industry where we spend more each year and get less for our
Alisertib: a review of pharmacokinetics, efficacy and toxicity in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Aurora kinases are essential mediators in cell mitosis. Amplification of these kinases can lead to the development of malignancy and may be associated with inferior survival. ...
Adiposity signals predict vocal effort in Alston's singing mice

Advertisement displays often seem extravagant and expensive, and are thought to depend on the body condition of a signaller. Nevertheless, we know little about how signallers adjust effort based on condition, and few studies find a strong relationship between natural variation in condition and display. To examine the relationship between body condition and signal elaboration more fully, we characterized physiological condition and acoustic displays in a wild rodent with elaborate vocalizations, Alston's singing mouse, Scotinomys teguina We found two major axes of variation in condition-one defined by short-term fluctuations in caloric nutrients, and a second by longer-term variation in adiposity. Among acoustic parameters, song effort was characterized by high rates of display and longer songs. Song effort was highly correlated with measures of adiposity. We found that leptin was a particularly strong predictor of display effort. Leptin is known to influence investment in other costly traits, such as immune function and reproduction. Plasma hormone levels convey somatic state to a variety of tissues, and may govern trait investment across vertebrates. Such measures offer new insights into how animals translate body condition into behavioural and life-history decisions.
Nonstimulant Drugs in the Treatment Of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

About 25% of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) respond unsatisfactorily to stimulant medications. The author summarizes the usual indications for the use of nonstimulant drugs in the treatment of ADHD and reviews some relevant studies. In addition, the combined use of a nonstimulant medication and a stimulant for their synergistic effects or to augment an inadequate therapeutic response to a stimulant alone is discussed. Reliable criteria for identifying etiologically distinct subgroups of subjects and for determining to which psychopharmacologic agent(s) they will have optimal responses are in statu nascendi and remain for future research to elucidate.
Analysis of a Time-Space Periodic Filter Structure with Tunable Band-Pass Characteristic

A periodically in time and space modulated medium gives rise to an electromagnetic bandgap structure. The band characteristic can be shifted by tuning of the time modulation of the medium. We compare the effect of a sinusoidally modulated structure on the bandgap using an FDTD implementation for curved moving boundaries with an approximation to the analytic solution derived from Floquet’s theorem. For the latter one we consider the mutual coupling of a finite set of time-space harmonics.
Update on Antiarrhythmic Drugs in Emergency Medicine

Summary Most patients presenting to the Emergency Department with acute arrhythmias can be adequately treated with the available, conventional antiarrhythmics. Recent studies have taught us to use them with better understanding. In the future, several new antiarrhythmics look promising for use in the Emergency Department when given by the intravenous route; particularly, pirmenol, encainide, esmolol, amiodarone, Sotalol, and magnesium. However, there have been few comparison studies between various antiarrhythmics, and experience must be gained for a full understanding of the benefits and risks of these agents.
Nesokia indica (Short-tailed bandicoot rat)

The chromosome number was determined from the bone marrow of 36 males and 14 females, containing 1000 well spread metaphases. The X chromosome is the largest in the complement (15.6% of haploid complement). The Y in males is highly polymorphic: metacentric (10.7% of haploid complement), submetacentric (8.8%) and acrocentric (6.7%). The three types are here depicted. The identification of X and Y has been confirmed by autoradiography and meiotic behavior. Males with metacentric Y predominate (83.3%) in the population at the Delhi University Campus. The karyotypes are gifts of Dr. S. R. V. Rao, Delhi, India.
In vitro efficacy of carboplatin and hyperthermia in a murine retinoblastoma cell line.

Purpose To determine the cell-killing activity of varying doses of carboplatin, graded hyperthermia, and the combination of carboplatin and hyperthermia in the treatment of a transgenic murine retinoblastoma cell line. Methods Replicate cell wells (more than six wells per dose point) from an established transgenic murine retinoblastoma cell line (Rb-6) were exposed to a single application of hyperthermia for 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes at temperatures of 37 degrees C (control), 40 degrees C, and 43 degrees C. Carboplatin dose response treatment was studied at doses of 2000, 1000, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, and 50 ng per well. Combined treatment studies used these carboplatin dosages with each of the graded hyperthermia exposure temperatures at each exposure time. At 24 hours, all wells were pulsed with 3H-thymidine for 24 hours, washed three times, harvested, and counted. Raw counts (3H-thymidine) were fitted to a linear regression model to calculate the lethal dose for 50% (LD50) of cells. Results The LD50 for carboplatin exposure at 37 degrees C occurred at 542 ng. The LD50 for hyperthermia at 40 degrees C occurred at 90 minutes and at 43 degrees C it occurred at 62 minutes. Combined hyperthermia and carboplatin exposure yielded a synergistic interaction with an LD50 of 327 ng at 43 degrees C for 30 minutes. Determination of a thermal enhancement ratio yielded an enhancement range of 1.1 to 25.8. Conclusions The synergistic cytocidal interaction of heat and carboplatin in a transgenic murine retinoblastoma cell line has been established in this study. The increased thermal enhancement ratio documents the potential utility of combined treatment applications in reducing treatment levels of single-modality therapy, potentially allowing for a decrease in treatment-related morbidity.
The use of 6α-and 6β-carboxymethyl testosterone-bovine serum albumin conjugates in radioimmunoassay for testosterone

Abstract The synthesis of 6α- and 6β-testosterone-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates is described. 6β-Carboxymethyl-4-androstene-3, 17-dione was prepared by a route analogous to that described earlier for 6β-carboxymethyl progesterone. Sodium borohydride reduction of the 3 and 17 keto groups and subsequent selective oxidation of the resulting 3β, 17β-diol using Mn0 2 provided 6 -carboxymethyl testosterone. Further acid catalyzed epimerization of the C-6 center gave the isomeric 6α-carboxymethyl testosterone. The 6α- and 6β-testosterone derivatives were attached to BSA via a mixed anhydride coupling employing tributylamine and i-butylchlorocarbonate. For each molecule of BSA, the 6α- and 6β-conjugates contained an average of 23 and 20 steroid residues, respectively. Antisera to the conjugates exhibited similar high specificities toward various steroids, the only incidence of serious cross-reaction being the expected case of dihydrotestosterone.
Impact of Assimilating Upper-Level Dropsonde Observations Collected during the TCI Field Campaign on the Prediction of Intensity and Structure of Hurricane Patricia (2015)

AbstractThe dropsondes released during the Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) field campaign provide high-resolution kinematic and thermodynamic measurements of tropical cyclones within the upper-lev...
The role of lifetime periods in the organisation of episodic memories

ABSTRACTResearch on the nature of episodic memory associations has suggested that episodic memories are associated by conceptual knowledge, where memories cluster around the same content (e.g. memo...
The Art of Curved Reinforcing in Biological Armors — Seashells

Seashells, commonly referred to as nature’s armors against predatory attacks, have been serving as the inspirations for designing strong and tough engineering materials. Previous studies on conch shells have been focused on the shell body parts. The conch spines which are evenly distributed at the tail of conch shell are generally accepted as the decoration, enabling conch shells as art pieces. Here we report a new finding that nature uses curved reinforcements, different from the straight ones in conch body parts, to construct conch spines which exhibit 30% increase in fracture strength compared to conch shell body parts. The curved lamellae not only endow conch spines with pyramid-shape but also add extra shielding to the shells. Under equilibrium state, the curved lamellar configuration withholds 3 times higher loading than the straight one. Our finding uncovered nature’s wisdom in constructing seashells and provides an additional design guideline for utilizing curved reinforcements to achieve multifunctionalities and superior mechanical prowess.