cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verrucous squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Five cases of verrucous carcinoma of the esophagus have been presented. This is a previously unreported location for this distinct morphologic variant of squamous cell carcinoma, which apparently may occur on any stratified squamous mucosa or modified skin. The tumor in the esophagus is morphologically similar to this tumor in other parts of the body. It is a slowly progressing infiltrating tumor which characteristically becomes large but rarely metastasizes. Early diagnosis of the lesion requires clinical suspicion of this growth, particularly in the presence of cardiospasm or esophageal diverticulum. Diagnosis is more likely when the pathologist is aware of the clinical nature of the lesion and when there is an adequate biopsy specimen to show the characteristic infiltrative growth pattern. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment of verrucous squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus should produce a better prognosis than that associated with the usual type of carcinoma of the esophagus.
Novel functional nortricyclene polymers and copolymers for 248- and 193-nm chemically amplified resists

We have designed and synthesized a series of novel non-acrylic nortricyclene polymer and copolymers containing various structural units for use in both 193 and 248 nm lithography. These polymers and copolymers are prepared using a free- radical cyclopolymerization process that is very versatile and allows use of a great variety of comonomers. The resulting materials exhibit outstanding dry-etch resistance, good adhesion to silicon, good transparency at 193 nm and, unlike many poly(norbornenes), they are not contaminated by metal catalysts. In preliminary 193 nm testing a resist formulated with a suitable photoacid generator afforded alkali-developed positive-tone images with sub-0.15 micrometer L/S resolution. Although a large array of copolymers are possible due to the ease with which the free-radical copolymerization reaction proceeds, copolymers based exclusively on functionalized norbornadiene and maleic anhydride-derived components have shown great promise. In particular, it is possible to tune their properties through simple variations in structure and composition.
An efficient chronic conflict paradigm: Lick suppression by incremental footshock

A conflict paradigm was designed which uses water as the reinforcer and incremental footshock as the punishment. It is easy to initiate responding and to maintain stable baselines over long periods of time. This paradigm proved selective for clinically effective anxiolytic compounds while a number of psychotropic compounds, which have no clinical anxiolytic activity, were not effective.
Melanocortin 4 receptor is a transcriptional target of nescient helix-loop-helix-2.

Abstract Melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r/MC4R) is a G-Protein coupled receptor that is expressed in the hypothalamus and implicated in body weight control. Mutations in MC4R are the most frequent cause of monogenetic forms of human obesity. Despite its importance, the MC4R signaling pathways and transcriptional regulation underlying the melanocortin pathway are far from being fully understood. The transcription factor nescient helix-loop-helix 2 (Nhlh2) influences the melanocortin pathway through transcriptional regulation of prohormone convertase I, which influences the production of melanocortin peptides. In the present study, Nhlh2’s role as a transcriptional regulator of Mc4r has been demonstrated. Nhlh2 knockout mice have reduced hypothalamic expression of Mc4r mRNA, suggesting that it could be a direct or indirect transcriptional regulator of the Mc4r promoter. To demonstrate direct transcriptional regulation, chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic gel shift assays show that Nhlh2 binds to the E-Boxes located at −551, −366 and +54 on the Mc4r promoter. Leptin-induced transactivation of the Mc4r promoter is significantly higher in the presence of exogenously added Nhlh2. siRNA knockdown of Nhlh2 leads to significantly reduced endogenous Mc4r mRNA expression levels in N29/2 cell line. Transactivation using promoters with mutations in each of the E-Boxes results in significantly reduced transactivation efficiency compared to the WT Mc4r promoter, suggesting that Nhlh2 regulates Mc4r transcription through these sites. Findings from these studies, combined with previous work implicating Nhlh2 as a transcriptional regulator of both the Mc4r gene and the melanocortin pathway, suggest that Nhlh2’s transcriptional activity directly influences the human and rodent body weight control pathways.
Determinants of cervical cancer rates in developing countries.

Although cervical cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in developing countries, incidence rates vary considerably, ranging from 3 to 61 per 105 females. Identifying determinants of high vs. low rates may suggest population-level prevention strategies. CC rates for 175 countries were obtained from the IARC. Country-specific behavioral, health, economic and demographic measures were obtained from United Nations agencies and other international organizations. Regression analyses performed for 127 low or medium developed countries identified both geography and religion as independently associated with high CC rates. Among behavioral measures, high fertility rates, early age at birth of first child and high teenage birthrates were significantly associated with high CC rates. Countries with high CC rates had fewer doctors per capita, less immunization coverage, more HIV infections and shorter life expectancies. CC rates also tended to be higher in countries with more spending on health and younger, less educated populations. Patterns of CC rates suggest that programmatic approaches, such as promoting delayed childbearing and sexual monogamy, may be appropriate interventions. For countries with high CC rates and some flexibility in their health-care budgets, a once-in-a-lifetime screen of women 30–50 years of age, using Pap smears, direct visual inspection and/or HPV DNA testing, may be cost-effective. Finally, relatively low immunization rates and a shortage of health-care workers in countries with high CC rates suggest potential challenges for introducing prophylactic HPV vaccines. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Transparent layer separation for dual energy imaging

Dual energy X-ray imaging can separate materials of different properties into different layers for more detailed inspection. However, motion during the acquisition of dual energy images causes significant challenges to layer separation. We propose a novel separation algorithm based on the sparse features in gradient domain. Instead of decomposing the image intensity values, we separate sparse gradient features to different layers and then reconstruct the layers based on the decomposed gradient fields by solving the Poisson Equation. The structure tensor, based on directional quadrature filters, is used to classify and separate the gradient field. Evaluation on both synthesized data and real datasets proves its effectiveness and robustness to complex non-rigid motion.
A generalized logistic item response model parameterizing test score inappropriateness

The person response curve has been suggested as a possible model for test score inappropriateness (Lums den, 1977, 1978; Weiss, 1973). The two-parameter person response curve proposed by Lumsden includes a person slope parameter but abandons the notion of differential item relatedness to the underlying trait. As an alternative, a generalized logistic model is consid ered that includes all item parameters of the three- parameter logistic model (Birnbaum, 1968). In addi tion to the usual person location parameter, the model has extra person parameters representing two possible characterizations of test score inappropriateness: a slope parameter indicating the degree to which a per son responds differently to items of varying difficulty, and an asymptote parameter measuring a person's pro clivity to engage in effective guessing or to omit items in the presence of partial information. To assess the model's feasibility, statistical comparisons were made between parameter estimates from data simulated ac cordin...
Limited proteolysis of branching enzyme from Escherichia coli.

Abstract Branching enzyme is involved in determining the structure of starch and glycogen. It catalyzes the formation of branch points by cleavage and transfer of α-1,4-glucan chains to α-1,6 branch points. Branching enzyme belongs to the amylolytic family of enzymes containing four conserved regions in a central (α/β)8-barrel. Limited proteolysis of the branching enzyme from Escherichia coli (84 kDa) by proteinase K produced a truncated protein of 70-kDa, which still retained 40–60% of branching activity, depending on the type of assay used. Amino acid sequencing showed that the 70-kDa protein lacked 111 or 113 residues at the amino terminal, whereas the carboxy terminal was still intact. We purified this truncated enzyme to homogeneity and analyzed its properties. The enzyme had a three- to fourfold lower catalytic efficiency than the native enzyme, whereas the substrate specificity was unaltered. Furthermore, a branching enzyme with 112 residues deleted at the amino terminal was constructed by recombinant technology and found to have properties identical to those of the proteolyzed enzyme.
Myocarditis in acute infectious diseases; a clinical and electrocardiographic study.

Serial clinical and electrocardiographic studies were carried out on 84 patients suffering from a variety of acute infectious diseases. About one-third were found to have myocarditis on the basis of abnormal electrocardiograms. Abnormal physical findings were usually present. Evidence of congestive heart failure was uncommon. A group of patients subjected to artificial fever therapy did not manifest similar abnormalities.
Goethe's Werther and the Critics

When Goethe's first novel, "Die Leiden des jungen Werther" ("The Sorrows of Young Werther") appeared in 1774, it caused a sensation that is hard to exaggerate. "Werther fever" gripped not just Germany, but Europe and North America. The many pirated versions make sales figures difficult to establish, but it was probably the most popular book of its century. Napoleon claimed to have read it seven times. In the intervening years, this interest has persisted, and the book has inspired hundreds of imitations and sequels in every conceivable genre. Numerous editions are still in print in many languages, and in English-speaking lands the novel is regularly read on campuses in comparative literature and "great book" courses. Literary critics, too, have maintained their interest, following on the lively debate that ensued upon the book's publication concerning its aesthetic and moral implications.In the 19th and early 20th centuries, critics increasingly explored its narrative strategies, its relation to various literary movements, its autobiographical elements, its depiction of an individual subjectivity, its social criticism, and its role in constructing a German national consciousness. Hundreds of subsequent critics have continued these discussions and added topics that reflect such developments as semiotics and gender studies. In fact, the history of Werther's critical reception largely mirrors the history of literary criticism in the last 230 years. The present study traces this development, demonstrating how changing notions of both aesthetics and the role of literary criticism have influenced perceptions of this great work. Bruce Duncan is Professor of German Studies at Dartmouth College.
Improving hospital performance in the treatment of febrile neutropenia

Purpose Febrile neutropenia (FN) remains a common and dangerous complication of cancer treatment. Guidelines from the Infectious Disease Society of America urge initiating antibiotics within 2 h of presentation. We reviewed our institution’s performance to identify areas of needed improvement and to design performance improvement steps.
Isolation of the crosslink, hydroxymerodesmosine, from borohydride-reduced collagen.

A new trifunctional crosslink, isolated from NaB3H4-reduced calf skin insoluble collagen, is described. The postulated structure of this compound, hydroxymerodesmosine, is based upon the analysis and comparison of its mass spectral fragmentation pattern with other crosslinks obtained from collagen and elastin.
Blind Calibration of Timing Offsets for Four-Channel Time-Interleaved ADCs

In this paper, we describe a blind calibration method for timing mismatches in a four-channel time-interleaved analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The proposed method requires that the input signal should be slightly oversampled. This ensures that there exists a frequency band around the zero frequency where the Fourier transforms of the four ADC subchannels contain only three alias components, instead of four. Then the matrix power spectral density (PSD) of the ADC subchannels is rank deficient over this frequency band. Accordingly, when the timing offsets are known, we can construct a filter bank that nulls the vector signal at the ADC outputs. We employ a parametrization of this filter bank to develop an adaptive null steering algorithm for estimating the ADC timing offsets. The null steering filter bank employs seven fixed finite-impulse response filters and three unknown timing offset parameters which are estimated by using an adaptive stochastic gradient technique. A convergence analysis is presented for the blind calibration method. Numerical simulations for a bandlimited white noise input and for inputs containing several sinusoidal components demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique
Comparison of tissue segmentation algorithms in neuroimage analysis software tools

Accurate segmentation of different brain tissues is of much importance in magnetic resonance imaging. This paper presents a comparison of the existing segmentation algorithms that are deployed in the neuroimaging community as part of two widely used software packages. The results obtained in this comparison can be used to select the appropriate segmentation algorithm for the neuroimaging application of interest. In addition to the entire brain area, a comparison is carried out for the subcortical region of the brain in terms of its gray matter composition.
Lack of Association Between Calf Morbidity and Subsequent First Lactation Milk Production in 25 New York Holstein Herds

Abstract The association of owner-diagnosed calfhood diseases with first lactation milk production was evaluated using data collected prospectively for 728 heifers from 25 New York dairy herds. Cows diagnosed with one or more Occurrences of dullness, respiratory disease, or scours within 90 d of birth had first lactation milk production that was similar to that of unaffected herdmates. Estimates for the effects of dullness, respiratory disease, and scours on second test milk production were –1.0, 1.0, and .4 kg/d, respectively (adjusted for season and age at calving, times milked per day, study month of birth, sire PTA for milk production, and the other two calfhood diseases). Estimates for the effects on 305-d mature equivalent production were –139, 123, and 158 kg for dullness, respiratory disease, and scours, respectively (adjusted for study month of birth, sire PTA for milk production, and the other two calfhood diseases). These results were based on data for heifers that were selected as replacements and remained in the herd long enough to have milk production recorded. There was no significant detrimental effect of owner-diagnosed calfhood disease on first lactation milk production, but affected heifers had higher mortality before calving and were less likely to enter the milking herd.
Protection of turkeys against furazolidone-induced cardiomyopathy

When fed furazolidone, 700 ppm, with their mash, most turkey poults develop dilated cardiomyopathy characterized by gross left ventricular dilatation with thinning of both the left ventricular free wall and ventricular septum. Birds fed propranolol, but not digoxin, did not develop this cardiomyopathy. It is not known what pharmacologic property of propranolol conferred protection or if mammals would receive similar protection.
The effect of text in storyboards for video navigation

A storyboard is a presentation scheme for abstracting information in a digital video clip based on imagery. This paper describes a series of storyboard interfaces with added transcript text features. These interfaces are used in a controlled experiment focusing on the utility of transcript text in storyboards for news video navigation. We wished to explore whether such text resulted in improvements in video navigation, and, if so, whether the amount of text and its synchronization with video imagery affected the navigation task. The text-augmented storyboards performed significantly better than storyboards with no text. Full transcript text produced benefits when presented as a block, whereas reduced contextual text descriptions produced benefits when aligned with storyboard image rows.
Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP): New Performance Equations for Optimal Design

The drive for energy independence has created a window of opportunity to innovations in oil recovery. New artificial lift methods like progressing cavity pumping (PCP) has been successfully applied to downhole pumping applications. The unique progressing cavity feature has still to be explored fully to handle oil and gas efficiently without any practical problems. The mulitlobe pumps are also making inroads into the industry to be used under different operating conditions. Although the design has been mainly based on empirical standards and trial and error modifications, a more phenomenally optimum design of the pump is required to achieve a high efficiency standard. This requires a more basic analytical consideration. Optimal relationship between the pitch and the diameter of the housing is obtained to achieve a maximum flowrate for multilobe pumps. This makes it possible to design a power section of the pump with some degree of confidence and predict its performance characteristics with reasonable assurance. The practical usefulness of the theory, backed by the fundamental and optimal analysis for incompressible fluid, is demonstrated with numerical examples.
Use of Internal Endoconduits as an Adjunct to Endovascular Aneurysm Repair in the Setting of Challenging Aortoiliac Anatomy

The combination of Trans-Atlantic Intersociety Consensus (TASC) D aortoiliac occlusive disease as well as a symptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is not a common occurrence. Extensive calcified atherosclerotic disease, occlusions, and small iliofemoral segmental arteries make transfemoral access difficult, if not impossible, for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in these patients. We present a case in which "controlled rupture" of the external iliac artery with a covered stent allowed transfemoral delivery of an aortouni-iliac stent graft with a completion femoral-to-femoral bypass. The patient is a 60-year-old male with a 5.3 cm symptomatic infrarenal AAA and a history of one block right leg claudication. Preoperative computed tomography angiography revealed the patient to have occlusion of the right common iliac artery, extensive calcified stenoses of his aortoiliac segments, and a prohibitively small left external iliac artery, which measured 4.5 mm at its narrowest diameter. The patient, despite discussions concerning the suitability of his iliac arteries as conduits for the delivery of the stent graft, insisted on an endovascular approach to lessen his chances of postoperative sexual dysfunction as well as minimize his length of stay. Access was obtained through bilateral femoral artery cutdowns, and attempts at dilating the left external iliac artery using 16-French dilators were performed without success. An 8 mm x 5 cm covered self-expanding stent was deployed in the diseased 4.5 mm left external iliac artery, followed by angioplasty performed with an 8 mm noncompliant balloon to disrupt the vessel. This endoconduit now allowed accommodation of our 18-French introducer for the aortouni-iliac stent graft. The operation was completed with a femoral-femoral bypass. Flow to both hypogastric arteries was preserved. We believe use of such techniques will ultimately expand the number of patients eligible for EVAR and avoid devastating access-related complications.
A Loading-Dependent Model of Probabilistic Cascading Failure

We propose an analytically tractable model of loading-dependent cascading failure that captures some of the salient features of large blackouts of electric power transmission systems. This leads to a new application and derivation of the quasibinomial distribution and its generalization to a saturating form with an extended parameter range. The saturating quasibinomial distribution of the number of failed components has a power-law region at a critical loading and a significant probability of total failure at higher loadings.
Left atrial late gadolinium enhancement with water-fat separation: the importance of phase-encoding order.

Purpose To compare two late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) methods: a Dixon LGE sequence with sequential phase-encoding order, reconstructed using water–fat separation, and standard fat-saturated LGE. Materials and Methods We implemented a dual-echo Dixon LGE method for reconstructing water-only images and compared it to fat-saturated LGE in 12 patients prior to their first pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedure. Images were analyzed for quality and fat-suppression. Regions of the left atrium were evaluated by a blinded observer (1 = prominent enhancement, 0 = mild or absent enhancement) on two sets of images (fat-saturated and water-only LGE) and agreement was assessed. Results Water-only LGE showed a trend toward better fat-suppression (P = 0.06), with a significantly more homogeneous blood pool signal and reduced inflow artifacts (both P < 0.01). Agreement between fat-saturated LGE and water-only methods was found in 84% of regions, significantly correlated by chi-squared test (P < 0.001). The kappa value was 0.52 (moderate). The average number of enhancing segments was higher for fat-saturated LGE than water-only LGE (4.2 ± 2.7 vs. 3.2 ± 2.9, P = 0.03). Conclusion The two-point Dixon LGE technique reduces artifacts due to a centric k-space order. A similar enhancement pattern was observed irrespective of the LGE technique, with more enhancement detected by fat-saturated LGE. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;40:119–125. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Increased cardiometabolic dysfunction in first-degree relatives of patients with psychotic disorders

Abstract Introduction Elevated prevalence of comorbid cardio-vascular and metabolic dysfunction (CMD) is consistently reported in patients with severe psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia (SZ), schizoaffective (SZA) and bipolar disorder (BP-P). Since both psychosis and CMD are substantively heritable in nature, we attempted to investigate the occurrence of CMD disorders in first-degree relatives of probands with psychosis. Methods Our sample included 861 probands with a diagnosis of SZ ( n = 354), SZA ( n = 212) and BP-P ( n = 295), 776 first-degree relatives of probands and 416 healthy controls. Logistic regression was used to compare prevalence of any CMD disorders (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia or coronary artery disease) across groups. Post hoc tests of independence checked for CMD prevalence across psychosis diagnosis (SZ, SZA and BP-P), both in relatives of probands and within probands themselves. Results After controlling for potential confounders, first-degree relatives with ( p p = 0.03) Axis I non-psychotic or Axis- II cluster disorders were at a significant risk for CMD compared to controls. No significant difference ( p = 0.42) was observed in prevalence of CMD between relatives of SZ, SZA and BP-P, or between psychosis diagnoses for probands ( p = 0.25). Discussion Prevalence of CMD was increased in the first-degree relatives of psychosis subjects. This finding suggests the possibility of overlapping genetic contributions to CMD and psychosis. Increased somatic disease burden in relatives of psychotic disorder probands points to need for early detection and preventive efforts in this population.
In vivo genotoxicity of estragole in male F344 rats

Estragole, a naturally occurring constituent of various herbs and spices, is a rodent liver carcinogen which requires bio-activation. To further understand the mechanisms underlying its carcinogenicity, genotoxicity was assessed in F344 rats using the comet, micronucleus (MN), and DNA adduct assays together with histopathological analysis. Oxidative damage was measured using human 8-oxoguanine-DNA-N-glycosylase (hOGG1) and EndonucleaseIII (EndoIII)-modified comet assays. Results with estragole were compared with the structurally related genotoxic carcinogen, safrole. Groups of seven-week-old male F344 rats received corn oil or corn oil containing 300, 600, or 1,000 mg/kg bw estragole and 125, 250, or 450 mg/kg bw safrole by gavage at 0, 24, and 45 hr and terminated at 48 hr. Estragole-induced dose-dependent increases in DNA damage following EndoIII or hOGG1 digestion and without enzyme treatment in liver, the cancer target organ. No DNA damage was detected in stomach, the non-target tissue for cancer. No elevation of MN was observed in reticulocytes sampled from peripheral blood. Comet assays, both without digestion or with either EndoIII or hOGG1 digestion, also detected DNA damage in the liver of safrole-dosed rats. No DNA damage was detected in stomach, nor was MN elevated in peripheral blood following dosing with safrole suggesting that, as far both safrole and estragole, oxidative damage may contribute to genotoxicity. Taken together, these results implicate multiple mechanisms of estragole genotoxicity. DNA damage arises from chemical-specific interaction and is also mediated by oxidative species. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 56:356–365, 2015. © 2014 Crown copyright.
Ordinary and neural Chi-squared tests for fault detection in multi-output stochastic systems

In this paper, two variations of the Chi-squared test are proposed for fault detection in multioutput stochastic systems. It is assumed that an optimal online estimation technique (such as the Kalman filter) is available in order to generate a residual sequence. We demonstrate that the ordinary (unweighted) Chi-squared test (which implies testing the squared Euclidean norm of the normalized residual vector) is equivalent to the conventional approach of testing the joint probability density function of the residual vector. However, the Chi-squared test is the simpler of the two, and requires less computation. The neural (weighted) Chi-squared test is proposed as a refinement of the ordinary (unweighted) test. It is shown that the weighted Chi-squared test can be easily implemented by a neural learning technique, in the absence of a priori information about how to select the weights. An example of how to implement the Chi-squared test is also presented, using real power system data recorded by digital monitors.
The Environmental Movement and the Greening of the State

Green States and Social Movements: Environmentalism in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Norway. By John S. Dryzek, David Downes, Christian Hunold, David Schlosberg, Hans-Kristian Hernes. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. 320 pp., $72.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-19-924902-4), $24.95 paper (ISBN: 0-19-924903-2). The relationships between the state, the environmental movement, and democracy have been explored from several different perspectives, including empirical studies of environmental organizations in various countries (for example, Richardson and Rootes 1995; Taylor 1995; Shaiko 1999) and theoretical discussions of abstract connections between environmentalism and democracy (Dryzek 1992; Doherty and de Geus 1996; Mathews 1996). For the most part, scholars writing from one perspective have not taken the other approaches into account. Green States and Social Movements bridges these different research perspectives with a thoughtful examination of how democratic regimes affect the environmental movement and how the strategies and behavior of the environmental movement can in turn influence democratic processes. John Dryzek and his colleagues focus on the evolution of the modern environmental movement in four countries: the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and Norway. Although they admit at the outset that none of these states is currently a “green state,” they argue that these states constitute good cases for seeing how the structure of the state can either facilitate or—perhaps more often—inhibit progress toward the integration of green ideology into the core priorities of the state. By offering a theoretical framework for studying the interaction between state structures and social movements, Green States and Social Movements is more ambitious than a comparative study of the effectiveness of the environmental movements in these four countries. Indeed, for a relatively short book, the scope of the volume is quite impressive. Following a brief introduction on states, social movements, and democracy, Dryzek and his colleagues argue that democratic states vary systematically in their relationship to citizens groups. Governments are either inclusive or exclusive in the degree of access they provide such groups, and they are either active or passive in maintaining this relationship. Thus, a typology of four …
Glutathione (GSH) concentrations vary with the cell cycle in maturing hamster oocytes, zygotes, and pre-implantation stage embryos

Glutathione (GSH) is thought to play critical roles in oocyte function including spindle maintenance and provision of reducing power needed to initiate sperm chromatin decondensation. Previous observations that GSH concentrations are higher in mature than immature oocytes and decline after fertilization, suggest that GSH synthesis may be associated with cell cycle events. To explore this possibility, we measured the concentrations of GSH in Golden Hamster oocytes and zygotes at specific stages of oocyte maturation and at intervals during the first complete embryonic cell cycle. Between 2 and 4 hr after the hormonal induction of oocyte maturation, GSH concentrations increased significantly (approximately doubling) in both oocytes and their associated cumulus cells. This increase was concurrent with germinal vesicle breakdown and the condensation of metaphase I chromosomes in the oocyte. GSH remained high in ovulated, metaphase II (MII) oocytes, but then declined significantly, by about 50%, shortly after fertilization, as the zygote progressed back into interphase (the pronucleus stage). GSH concentrations then plummeted by the two-cell embryo stage and remained at only 10% of those in MII oocytes throughout pre-implantation development. These results demonstrate that oocyte GSH concentrations fluctuate with the cell cycle, being highest during meiotic metaphase, the critical period for spindle growth and development and for sperm chromatin remodeling. These observations raise the possibility that GSH synthesis in maturing oocytes is regulated by gonadotropins, and suggest that GSH is more important during fertilization than during pre-implantation embryo development.
Optical Spectroscopy Applied to the Study of Plasma Etching

The use of an optical spectrographic system in the study of a CF3H plasma process has been investigated. CF3H plasma etch rates of SiO2 are related to emission intensities of spectral lines of compounds identified in the plasma. HF is a definite component when SiO2 is etched with a CF3H plasma. This optical spectrographic system has the potential to control and eventually automate both plasma etch and deposition processes.
Herodotus and the Dating of the Battle of Thermopylae

The battle of Salamis can be dated with a high degree of certainty. Probably about the time of that battle, Cleombrotus was at the Isthmus, constructing the defences there (Hdt. 8. 71. 1). At some point while building the wall, he considered giving chase to the Persian army. When his sacrifice was answered by a solar eclipse, he took this as a bad omen and immediately returned to Lacedaemon (9. 10. 2–3). The eclipse visible to Cleombrotus could only have been that of 2 October 480. Now it is generally supposed that Cleombrotus would not have thought to abandon the construction of the wall and pursue Xerxes unless the latter had just begun his retreat from Athens. Thus, as Herodotus says that a few days () after the battle of Salamis Xerxes withdrew from Attica (8. 113. 1), the battle of Salamis probably occurred before 2 October 480.
Use of poly(lactic acid) amendments to promote the bacterial fixation of metals in zinc smelter tailings

The ability of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) to serve as a long-term source of lactic acid for bacterial sulfate reduction activity in zinc smelter tailings was investigated. Solid PLA polymers mixed in water hydrolyzed abiotically to release lactic acid into solution over an extended period of time. The addition of both PLA and gypsum was required for indigenous bacteria to lower redox potential, raise pH, and stimulate sulfate reduction activity in highly oxidized smelter tailings after one year of treatment. Bioavailable cadmium, copper, lead and zinc were all lowered significantly in PLA/gypsum treated soil, but PLA amendments alone increased the bioavailability of lead, nickel and zinc. Similar PLA amendments may be useful in constructed wetlands and reactive barrier walls for the passive treatment of mine drainage, where enhanced rates of bacterial sulfate reduction are desirable.
Anatomic optimization of lung tumor stereotactic ablative radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that anatomic optimization through selection of the degree of breath hold that yields the largest separation between the target and nearby organ at risk could result in dosimetrically superior treatment plans. Methods and materials Thirty patients with 41 plans were included in this planned secondary analysis of a prospective trial. Fifteen plans were created for treatment with use of natural end exhale (NEE), and 26 plans used deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH). To evaluate whether the original plan was dosimetrically optimal, we replanned treatment using the opposite respiratory state with the same beam configuration as the original plan. A treatment plan was deemed superior if it met protocol constraints when the other did not. If both plans met or violated the constraints, the plans were deemed equivalent. Results Of the 26 plans originally planned with DIBH and replanned with NEE, 3 plans were dosimetrically superior with NEE, 1 plan was dosimetrically superior with DIBH, and 22 plans were dosimetrically equivalent. Of the 15 plans originally planned with NEE, 4 plans were dosimetrically superior with NEE, 2 plans were dosimetrically superior with DIBH, and 9 plans were dosimetrically equivalent. Conclusions For 10 of 41 plans, planning with 1 respiratory state was superior. To obtain uniformly optimal plans, individual anatomic optimization would be needed.
Remote analogical reminding

Remote analogical reminding is hypothesized to occur when one episode is cued by another sharing similar themes but not similar object, character, or event descriptions. We report three experiments exploring this view. Subjects' remindings in Experiment 1 showed sensitivity to remote analogical similarity even though targets were encoded only briefly in an incidental learning paradigm. Experiment 2 subjects showed reliable remindings of remote analogs with study-test delays of up to 1 week. Experiment 3 demonstrated that remote analogical reminding effects are not an artifact of subjects' editing nonanalogical remindings. All experiments supported the hypothesis that human memory is sensitive to remote analogical similarity. We discuss the implications of these findings for memory models. Future progress requires the development of formal models that quantify factors relevant to reminding performance, such as reminding interference, transfer-appropriate processing, and domain expertise.
An Evolutionary Approach to Emergence and Social Causation

Rom Harre criticizes critical realism for ascribing causal powers to social structures, arguing that it is human individuals, and not social structures, that possess causal powers, and that a false conception of structural causation undermines the emancipatory potential of critical realism. I argue that an interpretation of the category of process as the spatio-temporalization of the category of structure, which underpins much evolutionary theory, provides the conceptual tools to explain how the critical realist transformational model of social activity can escape from Harre's criticism, leading to a general conception of social development within which various types of evolutionary processes can be identified as particular cases. I then argue that Tony Lawson's PVRS model provides an evolutionary perspective that enables the conceptualization of coercive power as selective pressure.
Infarct Characterization and Quantification by Delayed Enhancement Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Is a Powerful Independent and Incremental Predictor of Mortality in Patients With Advanced Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Background— Infarct heterogeneity has been shown to be independently associated with adverse outcomes in previous smaller studies. However, it is unknown whether infarct characterization is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with advanced ischemic cardiomyopathy, after adjusting for clinical risk factors, severity of ischemic mitral regurgitation, incomplete revascularization, and device therapy. Methods and Results— A total of 362 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (left ventricular dysfunction with >70% stenosis in ≥1 epicardial coronary artery) underwent delayed hyperenhancement-magnetic resonance imaging and coronary angiography between 2002 and 2006. Total myocardial scar and peri-infarct (PI) area were measured using various threshold techniques. Multivariate survival analysis (primary end point of all-cause mortality) was conducted. One hundred fifty-seven deaths occurred during a mean 5.4-year follow-up (mean left ventricular ejection fraction, 23±9%; mean end-systolic volume index, 113±48 mL; mean total myocardial scar %, 25.5±16.0%; mean PI%, 5.7±2.9%). PI% (β=2.07; P <0.001) was an independent predictor of survival, independent of age, end-systolic volume, sex, mitral regurgitation, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease severity, implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and incomplete revascularization. PI% using 2 to 3 SD technique yielded the highest incremental prognostic power (χ2 score 149). Conclusions— In advanced ischemic cardiomyopathy, PI% is a powerful independent and incremental predictor of all-cause mortality. Infarct heterogeneity offers substantial further risk stratification when compared with quantification of total myocardial scar % alone even after adjusting for clinical risk factors, end-systolic volume index, mitral regurgitation, incomplete revascularization, and implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation.
Optimal harmonic elimination control

Harmonic elimination and control has been a widely researched alternative to traditional PWM techniques. The equations that govern harmonic elimination have multiple solutions based on different switching angles. Each solution will result in the uncontrolled harmonic content having a unique distribution of energy. To determine which solution is optimal, a cost function must be developed for a given specific application. Typical cost functions will require evaluation significantly beyond the last controlled harmonic. This paper develops a cost function and provides experimental results for a single-phase inverter and a three-phase induction motor drive system. Ultimately, it is shown that there exists an optimal harmonic control solution for a given application , which minimizes some cost function; in this case, system power loss.
FMEA software program for managing preventive maintenance of medical equipment

As most health technology managers have noticed, there's no question that medical equipment used today for patient care has become more reliable. As technology has improved and continues to improve, the number and types of medical devices requiring preventive maintenance (PM), is being questioned amidst the pressure to reduce costs in the healthcare industry. The question now is how far should a clinical engineering (CE) department go to reduce the PM frequency of medical devices without compromising patient and user's safety? Answers can lie in the maintenance history of a particular piece of medical equipment or a group of medical devices. The focus of this project is to design and test a software tool to aid in the analysis and management of PM frequency using modified concepts of the failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) methodology and statistical concepts to analyze PM history. A tool of such nature would aid management in revising their current PM frequency for certain medical devices and determine if it is necessary to alter the frequency in order to aid in cost reduction. This proposed program is specifically being designed for use in the Veterans Affair Medical Center in West Haven, Connecticut.
Speciated High-Density Lipoprotein Biogenesis and Functionality

Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration is a negative risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this, most attempts to raise plasma HDL-C concentrations in a cardioprotective way have failed. Recently, hypotheses about the atheroprotective effects of HDL have shifted away from quantity to quality, mostly HDL function in reverse cholesterol transport. Plasma HDL from CVD patients is a poorer acceptor of cellular cholesterol than plasma from healthy controls, independent of plasma HDL-C concentrations. The function of HDL is likely determined by two other factors, stability and composition. The kinetic instability of HDL, which varies according to subclass, is a likely determinant of its reactivity in response to many HDL-modifying activities. HDL composition is also heterogeneous and variable; all HDL particles contain apo AI but only about two-thirds contain apo AII. This occurs despite the fact that apo AI and apo AII are hepatically secreted on separate HDL that later fuse in plasma. HDL also contains traces of other proteins, some of which have not yet been associated with HDL function. One minor HDL species are those that are secreted with intact signal peptides, which enhances their binding to HDL; these HDL have special properties that are independent of cholesterol transport. Here, we review and provide a perspective about what is currently known about speciated HDL biogenesis in the context of health and disease.
The In Vitro Inhibition of Salmonella Gallinarum by Pancreatic-Intestinal Extracts from Chickens Exposed to Fowl Typhoid,

Abstract INTRODUCTION THE capacity of an individual to resist infection by various microorganisms depends upon one or more lines of defense. When these measures for natural resistance to a specific pathogen differ between breeds or varieties of an animal species little is known of the factors involved. The breed and age of the chicken have been reported to be involved in the resistance (or lack of resistance) of chickens to Salmonella gallinarum (Lambert and Knox, 1928; and Prince and Garren, 1966). Saline extracts of various tissues, blood and sera of young chickens differ in the in vitro inhibition of S. pullorum and S. gallinarum organisms (Schnetzler and Hartsell, 1940; Prince and Garren, 1966; Prince, 1967). These studies compare the capacity of extracts from the intestine and pancreas of chickens experimentally infected with S. gallinarum (fowl typhoid) to inhibit the fowl typhoid organism in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS The chickens used in…
Aerial Treatment of a Douglas-fir Needle Midge With Acephate

Acephate was aerially applied in 1977 against a Douglas-fir needle midge (Contarinia Pseudotsugae Condrashoff) in a Christmas tree plantation near Corvallis, OR. Results showed that 1.121 kg acephate/ha was as effective against the midge as 2.42 kg endosulfan/ha, the insecticide registered for midge control. Acephate was equally effective when applied at dosages of 0.560 or 1.121 kg AI/ha and when applied at the beginning of bud burst or 2 wk earlier.
Non-Monotonic Kinetics of Alkane Adsorption on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

We report kinetics measurements for the adsorption of methane, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane on close-ended single-walled carbon nanotube bundles. The measurements were conducted by monitoring the adsorption equilibration times. For methane and ethane, equilibration times were found to decrease as the fractional coverage on the surface of the nanotube bundles increased, approaching monolayer completion. However, for propane, butane, and pentane, the opposite trend was observed: for these longer alkanes, there was an increase in the equilibration time with increasing fractional coverage. We propose a plausible explanation for our experimental findings, and we suggest that different mechanisms for attaining equilibrium may be in place for short and long alkane chains.
Cell Adhesion Strength is Reduced by the Presence of Pericellular Matrix Patches

We present a detailed characterization of the organization of hyaluronan and bottlebrush proteoglycans in the pericellular matrix (PCM) of rat chondrocyte cells (RCJ-P) and PC3 prostrate cancer cells, and then use that insight to understand how the PCM impacts the transport of nanoparticles and charged molecules to the cell surface, and the cell's adhesion to substrates. Our studies reveal that the PCM strongly impacts the flux of nanoparticles to the cell surface in a size-dependent fashion. Further, the concentration of bottlebrushes (e.g. aggrecan, versican) in the PCM determines a maximal particle size that can reach the cell surface, ∼400nm for both cell lines but only ∼200nm when the PCM is saturated with proteoglycans. These observations have direct implications for studies of drug delivery vehicles and exosomes, whose particle sizes fall in this range. Our studies also provide evidence that negatively-charged chondroitin sulfates in the bottlebrush proteoglycans are available for binding to positively-charged molecules (e.g. growth factors), sequestering and concentrating molecules near the cell surface, as well as protecting them from enzymatic degradation. Super-resolution imaging of PCM at the cell-substrate interface reveals patches of PCM in co-existence with vinculin-rich adhesions. In order to address whether the PCM acts as a repulsive cushion, we quantify the cell adhesion strength versus enzymatic degradation of the PCM using a spinning disk apparatus. The studies show that the adhesion strength increases by ∼24% for RCJP cells enzymatically-treated with hyaluronidase and by a factor of ∼39% for PC3 cells. A similar increase in adhesion occurs with chondroitinase-ABC treatment. Together, these quantitative measurements of the pericellular matrix indicate that this common but neglected in vitro and in vivo structure deserves further attention to understand how it regulates cells’ interactions with their surroundings. Funding: NSF CAREER-DMR-0848797.
Coordination engineering toward high performance organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites

Abstract In this review we present how engineering of the coordination sphere of group IV transition metals allows to tune the structure and properties of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials and offer an overview of the preparation of organic–inorganic hybrid materials. The effects of various factors such as temperature, atmosphere, moisture content and solvent of precursor on the microstructure and optoelectronic properties are addressed. Review of the literature on the degradation and stability provides insight into the degradation mechanisms and stability improvement of hybrid perovskite materials. So-called “intermediate complexes” are commonly formed in solution-processed perovskite materials and are used as a route for the production of perovskite films with optimized morphologies and properties.