cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronic Abdominal Pain in Adolescents

Although there are very few prospective studies of CAP, organic causes of the problem are misdiagnosed probably in less than 5% of adolescents. Response to treatment seems to be better in males who have had signs and symptoms for less than 6 months, and is rather poor for patients with complaints exceeding 2 years. An organized nomenclature is necessary for classifying dysfunctional disorders, and physicians must recognize that these patients represent a heterogeneous population. In general, adequate data for the number of the adolescent population affected by these diseases is not available, so that physicians are still required to depend to a large extent on speculation and anecdotal information in assessing and managing these patients.
Multiple mechanisms are involved in regulating the expression of the developmental timing regulator lin‐28 in Caenorhabditis elegans

The timing of postembryonic developmental programs in Caenorhabditis elegans is regulated by a set of so-called heterochronic genes, including lin-28 that specifies second larval programs. lin-66 mutations described herein cause delays in vulval and seam cell differentiation, indicating a role for lin-66 in timing regulation. A mutation in daf-12/nuclear receptor or alg-1/argonaute dramatically enhances the retarded phenotypes of the lin-66 mutants, and these phenotypes are suppressed by a lin-28 null allele. We further show that the LIN-28 protein level is upregulated in the lin-66 mutants and that this regulation is mediated by the 3′UTR of lin-28. We have also identified a potential daf-12-response element within lin-28 3′UTR and show that two microRNA (miRNA) (lin-4 and let-7)-binding sites mediate redundant inhibitory activities that are likely lin-66-independent. Quantitative PCR data suggest that the lin-28 mRNA level is affected by lin-14 and miRNA regulation, but not by daf-12 and lin-66 regulation. These results suggest that lin-28 expression is regulated by multiple independent mechanisms including LIN-14-mediated upregulation of mRNA level, miRNAs-mediated RNA degradation, LIN-66-mediated translational inhibition and DAF-12-involved translation promotion.
Dissociation and reassociation of bacterial membrane components.

The dissociation of the phospholipid, lipopolysaccharide, and protein components of the bacterial cell envelope results in loss of enzyme activities which are normally located in the cell envelope structure and which are involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. The activity of one of these enzymes, UDP-galactose:lipopolysaccharide α,3 galactosyl transferase, can be restored by the reassociation of purified phospholipid, lipopolysaccharide, and enzyme protein. Reconstitution of activity occurs in stepwise fashion: lipopolysaccharide + phospholipid → lipopolysaccharide·phospholipid See PDF for Equation enzyme·lipopolysaccharide·phospholipid. The intermediates in the reaction were isolated by gradient centrifugation. The final ternary complex behaves in a similar manner to the intact cell envelope in the enzyme reaction and appears to represent the reconstitution of a portion of the membranous portion of the cell envelope.
Rethinking professional ethics in the cost-sharing era.

Changes in healthcare financing increasingly rely upon patient cost-sharing to control escalating healthcare expenditures. These changes raise new challenges for physicians that are different from those that arose either under managed care or traditional indemnity insurance. Historically, there have been two distinct bases for arguing that physicians should not consider costs in their clinical decisions—an “aspirational ethic” that exhorts physicians to treat all patients the same regardless of their ability to pay, and an “agency ethic” that calls on physicians to be trustworthy advisors to their patients. In the setting of greater patient cost-sharing, physicians' aspiration and agency roles increasingly conflict. Satisfactorily navigating the new terrain of consumer-driven healthcare requires physicians to consider these two roles and how they can best be reconciled so as to maximize quality of care while respecting the heterogeneity of patients' financial resources and willingness to pay.
Methodological Trends in Investigations into Ancient Pottery From the Levant

The Australian excavations at Pella in Jordan under the guidance of Professor Basil Hennessy (Sydney University, Australia) have over the past 13 years demonstrated the current range of methodologies used in pottery studies in the Levant. One feature of the Australian field team has been the continuing inclusion of this writer from the Archaeology Research Unit, Victoria College, Melbourne (ARU) as a ceramic technologist/potter. The ARU at Victoria College, which operates together with a practical pottery workshop and an Advanced Ceramic Mlaterials Development Unit, uses a multidisciplinary team approach to look at excavated ancient pottery not primarily as archaeological artefacts but as pottery. Within the ARU Dr Ralph Segnit handles the mineralogy, Dr John Hamilton the geology, while Robert Hughan, to whom I am indebted for the testing reported here, handles the ceramic chemistry and fracture mechanics aspects. My role as both a ceramic technologist involved in field archaeology and as a trained potter, is to participate in generating the questions which will form the focus of the team's investigations.
Quantification of fetal microchimeric cells in clinically affected and unaffected skin of patients with systemic sclerosis

Objective. Fetal microchimerism has been hypothesized as a potential pathogenic mechanism for systemic sclerosis (SSc). This hypothesis was based on the clinical similarities between SSc and graft-vs-host disease and the identification of microchimeric cells in affected SSc tissues. The aim of this study was to compare the quantity of microchimeric cells in clinically affected and non-affected skin of female patients with SSc. Methods. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and real-time PCR were employed in paired skin biopsies obtained from clinically affected and unaffected areas from five female SSc patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSC) and 10 healthy women. All women in the study had delivered a male fetus. Results. FISH analysis revealed the presence of male fetal cells in 1/5 SSc patients (20.0%) compared with 0/10 healthy women (P = 0.0037), whereas quantification by real-time PCR revealed that all SSc samples were positive for male DNA compared with none of the controls. In the five patients with dcSSc, there were similar numbers of microchimeric cells in both affected and unaffected skin (P = 0.4) Conclusion. The presence of higher numbers of microchimeric cells in clinically unaffected SSc skin, before any clinically detectable evidence of sclerotic changes, suggests that an influx of microchimeric cells may precede the development of tissue fibrosis. This provides additional support to the hypothesis that fetal microchimerism may play a role in the pathogenesis of SSc.
6′‐Methoxy‐(8S,9R)‐cinchonan‐9‐yl N‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl‐2‐pyrrolidinecarboxylate

6′-Methoxy-(8S,9R)-cinchonan-9-yl N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-2-pyrrolidinecarboxylate [916748-40-8] C30H39N3O5 (MW 521.65) InChI = 1S/C30H39N3O5/c1-6-19-18-32-15-12-20(19)16-26(32)27(22-11-13-31-24-10-9-21(36-5)17-23(22)24)37-28(34)25-8-7-14-33(25)29(35)38-30(2,3)4/h6,9-11,13,17,19-20,25-27H,1,7-8,12,14-16,18H2,2-5H3/t19-,20-,25-,26-,27+/m0/s1 InChIKey = KXDUYNVLODLRCV-QJORRVHFSA-N (asymmetric organocatalyst, used for asymmetric α-bromination of acyl chlorides)1, 2 Alternate Names: (R)-ProQ; N-Boc-L-Proline Quinine. Physical Data: mp = 116 °C; [α]D25 = + 17 (c = 0.01, CHCl3).3 Form Supplied in: white crystalline solid. Analysis of Reagent Purity: IR, NMR, Elemental analysis.3 Preparative Method: prepared according to the procedure of Lectka and coworkers.3 Purification: purified through a short plug of silica with 99.5% EtOAc/0.5% triethylamine to yield a white solid (foam) and recrystallized from boiling Et2O/hexanes. 6′-Methoxy-(8S, 9S)-cinchonan-9-yl N-tert-butoxycarbonyl-(2S)-2-pyrrolidinecarboxylate [916748-39-5] C30H39N3O5 (MW 521.65) InChI = 1S/C30H39N3O5/c1-6-19-18-32-15-12-20(19)16-26(32)27(22-11-13-31-24-10-9-21(36-5)17-23(22)24)37-28(34)25-8-7-14-33(25)29(35)38-30(2,3)4/h6,9-11,13,17,19-20,25-27H,1,7-8,12,14-16,18H2,2-5H3/t19-,20-,25+,26-,27+/m0/s1 InChIKey = KXDUYNVLODLRCV-RJGJBJKLSA-N (asymmetric organocatalyst, used for asymmetric α-bromination of acyl chlorides)1, 2 Alternate Names: (S)-ProQ; N-Boc-D-Proline Quinine. Physical Data: mp = 134 °C; [α]D25= −78 (c = 0.01,CHCl3).3 Form Supplied in: white crystalline solid; synthesized. Analysis of Reagent Purity: IR, NMR, Elemental analysis.3 Preparative Methods: prepared according to the procedure of Lectka and coworkers.3 Purification: purified through a short plug of silica with 99.5% EtOAc/0.5% triethylamine to yield a white solid (foam) and recrystallized from boiling Et2O/hexanes.
AirCore: An Innovative Atmospheric Sampling System

Abstract This work describes the AirCore, a simple and innovative atmospheric sampling system. The AirCore used in this study is a 150-m-long stainless steel tube, open at one end and closed at the other, that relies on positive changes in ambient pressure for passive sampling of the atmosphere. The AirCore evacuates while ascending to a high altitude and collects a sample of the ambient air as it descends. It is sealed upon recovery and measured with a continuous analyzer for trace gas mole fraction. The AirCore tubing can be shaped into a variety of configurations to accommodate any sampling platform; for the testing done in this work it was shaped into a 0.75-m-diameter coil. Measurements of CO2 and CH4 mole fractions in laboratory tests indicate a repeatability and lack of bias to better than 0.07 ppm (one sigma) for CO2 and 0.4 ppb for CH4 under various conditions. Comparisons of AirCore data with flask data from aircraft flights indicate a standard deviation of differences of 0.3 ppm and 5 ppb for C...
Inverse problems in population balances: Growth and nucleation from dynamic data

Particulate process modeling is critical for system design and control used widely in the chemical industly. Previous methods have focused on the assumption of appropriate models that can capture system behavior. A new technique presented is based on viewing the population balance from an inverse problem perspective that allows to determine appropriate models directly from experimental data. Under suitable assumptions (deterministic growth rate, no aggregation), the population balance equation may be solved by the method of characteristics, which associates the number density for any size at any time with a single point from the initial or boundary condition. The key to using this is the recognition that these characteristics correspond to the size history of individual particles and can be associated with constant cumulative number densities (quantiles) of the population. These quantiles are easily identifiable from experimental data. The variation of size and number density along these characteristics provides decoupled equations used to determine the growth rate. Validity of the determined growth law is checked by the collapse of the experimental data onto initial and boundary conditions.
Location of the N-acetyl-D-neuraminic acid binding site in wheat germ agglutinin. A crystallographic study at 2.8 A resolution.

Abstract The crystal structure of the non-covalent complex between wheat germ agglutinin (isolectin no. 2) and N -acetyl- d -neuraminic acid, a saccharide widely found at the termini of carbohydrate chains in membrane glycoproteins and known to interact with wheat germ agglutinin, has been determined from an electron density difference map at 2.8 A resolution. This map exhibits two strong binding sites on the wheat germ agglutinin dimer molecule which are located in corresponding crevices at the protomer/protomer interface. Amino acid sidechains from B and C-type domains of opposite protomers contribute to the binding site. The N -acetylneuraminic acid molecule is oriented such that its acetyl group becomes essentially buried upon binding, whereas the charged carboxylate and the glycerol groups point away from the protein surface, but are also able to make contact with surface side-chains. Model building shows that substituents of the pyranoside ring which had been predicted as essential for binding from solution studies, are situated favorably to allow interactions to be made with main and side-chain atoms of the protein molecule.
Financing Long-Distance Trade: The Joint Liability Rule and Bills of Exchange in Eighteenth-Century France

Over time, international trade expanded beyond the reach of an individual's personal networks. How was long-distance trade among strangers financed without using banks? I argue that the joint liability rule enabled the medieval bill of exchange to become a major form of payment and credit in the early modern period which in turn supported an unparalleled expansion of trade. This article empirically examines the role that joint liability played in ameliorating fundamental information problems in long-distance trade finance.
Dicarbonyl Stress and Apoptosis of Vascular Cells: Prevention by αB-Crystallin

Abstract Methylglyoxal (MGO) is an alpha-dicarbonyl compound produced from triose phosphate intermediates of glycolysis. It reacts rapidly with proteins to produce advanced glycation products. We have studied the effect of MGO modification of fibronectin on retinal capillary cell viability. Our studies show that pericytes grown on MGO-modified fibronectin (FN) undergo enhanced apoptosis through the p38MAPK-mediated oxidative pathway and that alphaB-crystallin, a stress protein present in pericytes, can protect them from MGO-mediated apoptosis. Our studies with vascular endothelial cells show that hyperglycemia-induced apoptosis is inhibited by overexpression of alphaB-crystallin. These observations suggest a novel role of alphaB-crystallin in hyperglycemia-mediated damage to vascular cells in diabetes.
Technology education at the US Military Academy

While advances in, and diverse applications of, technology are revolutionizing our way of life, they also expose us to numerous new threats. We must understand how these highly complicated and interconnected systems work, as well as how to employ and protect them. With these concerns in mind, USMA recently added a specific academic goal of ensuring that graduates can understand and apply information technology concepts to acquiring, managing, communicating, and defending information, solving problems, and adapting to technological changes. In addition to this specific goal, the academy has integrated applications of technology into all its academic disciplines. Our ubiquitous computing environment is an integral part of developing cadets' proficiency in the use of information technology.
Mesoscale nonhydrostatic and hydrostatic pressure gradient forces-theory

A theory is presented for the evaluation of the different terms of the pressure gradient force, when mesoscale flow is driven by a sensible heat source in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), or by an elevated confined heat source, such as the release of the latent heat of condensation in a cloud. The nonlinear and linear, and the nonhydrostatic and the hydrostatic pressure gradient contributions are evaluated. The validity of the different approximations is discussed as a function of time and space scales. In addition, the validity of this approach is explored as a function of atmospheric environmental parameters, such as static stability, large-scale flow, and dissipation. By accessing the relative importance of each contribution, specific solution techniques for mesoscale atmospheric flows can be adopted. For example, when the linear contributions dominate, an exact analytic model could be used, rather than relying on numerical approximation solution techniques. When the hydrostatic contribution dominates, the spatial variation of the vertical temperature profile can be used to uniquely define the horizontal pressure gradient force.
Language and the “Arts of Resistance”

James Scott's latest book, Domination and the Arts of Resistance: Hidden Transcripts (1990), is certainly instructive for anthropologists and is studded with stimulating insights about power. Nevertheless, it is a deeply flawed work. The book was published several years ago and has been widely reviewed in journals of political science and sociology where the major issues of contention have been Scott's arguments about the nature of hegemony, the rationality of political action, and the logic of explaining revolutions (see, for example, Mitchell 1990 and Tilly 1991). However, the book is at least as much about the political significance of speech. It analyzes the situated nature of political expression, the relationship among speech, belief, and ideology in everyday power relations, and the political efficacy of talk. And it is exactly the language-related concepts introduced in the book-such as transcript and infrapolitics-that are having the widest influence, appearing with increasing frequency in writings about local politics and the political meaning of linguistic and cultural practices. For this reason, my aim is to discuss Scott's work for what it says and assumes about language and power. Ironically, it is just this aspect of the book that has not yet been seriously and critically reviewed. Domination and the Arts ofResistance ambitiously attempts to theorize the nature of communication across lines of economic power. Scott's broader aim is to "suggest how we might more successfully read, interpret, and understand the often fugitive political conduct of subordinate groups" (1990:xii). He explicitly rejects the currently common assumption in neo-Marxist literature, as well as in mainstream political science, that subordinate groups acquiesce to economic systems that are manifestly against their interests because they come to believe in a dominant ideology that legitimates or naturalizes the power of ruling elites. Whether in the simplistic form of "false consciousness" and cultural consensus, or in more subtle stories about cultural hegemony or "hegemonic incorporation," these theories look to ideological mechanisms for
Task scheduling with and without communication delays: A unified approach

Abstract The problem of scheduling directed acyclic task graphs on an unbounded number of processors is considered. We present a single algorithm which is applicable to several special cases, thus effecting a unified approach to task scheduling independent of the task graph. We start by considering multi-stage dags and present an algorithm that computes a schedule in O( Nq log q ) time, where N is the number of stages, and q is the maximum number of edges between any two stages of the graph. We show that the schedule produced by the algorithm is optimal when: (i) all communication delays are zero or, (ii) the precedence graph is an in-tree or an out-tree and communication times are small or, (iii) the task graph is densely connected and communication costs and processing costs are unity. For multi-stage dags with small communication times we show that the makespan of the schedule generated by our algorithm is less than twice that of the optimal. We also bound the makespan for the case when communication times are arbitrary. We then show how the algorithm may be applied to schedule arbitrary dags and derive the performance bounds for this case. Finally, we present the results of tests we carried out with randomly generated task graphs. These seem to indicate that, on the average, the algorithm performs substantially better than theoretical worst case predictions.
Examination of central body fat deposition as a risk factor for loss-of-control eating

Background Elevated body mass index (BMI), higher waist-to-hip ratio, and body dissatisfaction have been investigated as risk factors for the development of bulimic symptoms. Central fat deposition may be particularly relevant to eating disorders. To our knowledge, the longitudinal relations between fat distribution, body dissatisfaction, and loss-of-control (LOC) eating development and maintenance have not been studied. Objective We examined body fat distribution, independent of BMI and depressive symptoms, as a unique correlate and predictor of body dissatisfaction and LOC eating cross-sectionally and over a 2-y follow-up. Design Body composition was measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 294 adult women at risk of weight gain at baseline, 6 mo, and 24 mo. We assessed LOC eating, body dissatisfaction, and depressive symptoms at baseline, 6 wk, 6 mo, 12 mo, and 24 mo by using the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Interview, the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales Body Areas Satisfaction subscale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, respectively. Results Independent of BMI, baseline total percentage body fat, percentage trunk fat, and percentage abdominal fat were related to greater body dissatisfaction. Total percentage body fat and trunk fat tended to be associated with greater body dissatisfaction at all subsequent time points. Women with a greater percentage trunk fat, specifically abdominal fat, were at highest risk of developing LOC eating. In the full sample, women with higher baseline percentage trunk and abdominal fat showed increases in LOC eating episode frequency over time, whereas LOC eating frequency remained stable among women with smaller percentages of fat in trunk and abdominal regions. Conclusion These findings lend further support to the premise that increased central body fat deposition is associated with body image dissatisfaction and suggest that it may represent a risk and maintenance factor for LOC eating. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00456131.
Adaptive decorrelation filtering for separation of co-channel speech signals from m>2 sources

The ADF algorithm for separating two signal sources by Weinstein, Feder, and Oppenheim (1993) is generalized for separation of co-channel speech signals from more than two sources. The system configuration, its accompanied ADF algorithm, and the choice of adaptation gain are derived. The applicability and limitation of the derived algorithm are also discussed. Experiments were conducted for separation of three speech sources with the acoustic paths measured from an office environment, and the algorithm was shown to improve the average target-to-interference ratio for the three sources by approximately 15 dB.
Employment Barriers for Persons With Psychiatric Disabilities: Update of a Report for the President's Commission

A major public policy problem is the extremely low labor force participation of people with severe mental illness coupled with their overrepresentation on the public disability rolls. This situation is especially troubling given the existence of evidence-based practices designed to return them to the labor force. This article reviews research from the fields of disability, economics, health care, and labor studies to describe the nature of barriers to paid work and economic security for people with disabling mental disorders. These barriers include low educational attainment, unfavorable labor market dynamics, low productivity, lack of appropriate vocational and clinical services, labor force discrimination, failure of protective legislation, work disincentives caused by state and federal policies, poverty-level income, linkage of health care access to disability beneficiary status, and ineffective work incentive programs. The article concludes with a discussion of current policy initiatives in health care, mental health, and disability. Recommendations for a comprehensive system of services and supports to address multiple barriers are presented. These include access to affordable health care, including mental health treatment and prescription drug coverage; integrated clinical and vocational services; safe and stable housing that is not threatened by changes in earned income; remedial and post-secondary education and vocational training; benefits counseling and financial literacy education; economic security through asset development; legal aid for dealing with employment discrimination; peer support and self-help to enhance vocational self-image and encourage labor force attachment; and active involvement of U.S. business and employer communities.
Decompression syndrome in plesiosaurs (Sauropterygia: Reptilia)

Recognition of avascular necrosis through propodial head subsidence in fossils indicates that plesiosaurs were susceptible to decompression syndrome and implies deep, prolonged or repetitive diving behavior for these animals. Contrary to the situation in mosasaurs, plesiosaur vertebrae were not targets of avascular necrosis. This suggests that the anastomosing internal vascularization of plesiosaur vertebral centra was functionally adaptive. No phyletic trend is evident in the susceptibility of plesiosaurs to the pathology, although stem group sauropterygians were almost never affected (not surprising for near-shore, shallow water animals). Cryptoclididae were the only plesiosaur family not regularly afflicted with decompression syndrome. The difference between this and other groups is most likely to have been behavioral and/or ecological.
The Lifetime Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Assessed in Late Adolescence

Purpose: To estimate the likelihood that a recent cohort of children would be exposed to sexual abuse and sexual assault by age 17 in the United States. Methods: This analysis draws on three very similarly designed national telephone surveys of youth in 2003, 2008, and 2011, resulting in a pooled sample of 708 17-year-olds, 781 15-year-olds, and 804 16-year-olds. Results: The lifetime experience of 17-year-olds with sexual abuse and sexual assault was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 19.8e33.5) for girls and 5.1% (95% CI 2.6e7.6) for boys. The lifetime experience with sexual abuse and sexual assault at the hands of adult perpetrators exclusively was 11.2% (95% CI 6.4e16.1) for females and 1.9% (95% CI .5e3.4) for males. For females, considerable risk for sexual abuse and assault was concentrated in late adolescence, as the rate rose from 16.8% (95% CI 11.5e22.2) for 15-year-old females to 26.6% (95% CI 19.8e33.5) for 17-year-old females. For males, it rose from 4.3% (95% CI 1.9e6.8) at 15 years to 5.1% (2.6e7.6) at 17 years. Conclusions: Self-report surveys in late adolescence reveal high rates of lifetime experience with sexual abuse and sexual assault at the hands of both adults and peers. Because of high continuing victimization during the late teen years, assessments are most complete when conducted among the oldest youth.
Cytogenetic studies in the Hottentot population: Count distribution, report of a fragment, and preliminary description of morphology

As part of a general investigation of the biology and morphological variation of the Hottentot population, this study deals with the karyotype analysis of a sample from that population. The modal number overall is 46; however, a high percentage of aneuploid cells, both hypomodal and hypermodal, is found. The rate of increase of aneuploidy with age is considered in detail. The rates for hypomodality with age for Hottentot females are positive and significantly higher than those for other populations previously reported. A fragment of chromatin is described. The fragment occurs in the two Hottentot males and in 22 of the 23 Hottentot females studied. Cells from the one non-steatopygic female successfully cultured show fragments, as do cells from a Bushman female. In the Hottentots the average incidence of the single anomaly equals or exceeds the incidence of the total of all chromosome lesions in published studies giving control data. Metaphases from five individuals are figured, and several unusual features of the chromosomes are described. The findings are discussed in terms of functional integration at a cytological level karyotype pictures to be expected in hybridization between demes long isolated, and microevolution of the Hottentot population.
Are mimics monophyletic? The necessity of phylogenetic hypothesis tests in character evolution

Background The processes governing the origin and maintenance of mimetic phenotypes can only be understood in a phylogenetic framework. Phylogenetic estimates of evolutionary relationships can provide a context for analyses of character evolution; however, when phylogenetic estimates conflict, rigorous analyses of alternative evolutionary histories are necessary to determine the likelihood of a specific history giving rise to the observed pattern of diversity. The polyphenic butterfly Limenitis arthemis provides a case in point. This species is comprised of three lineages, two of which are mimetic and one of which is non-mimetic. Conflicting estimates of the relationships among these three lineages requires direct evaluation of the alternative hypotheses of mimicry evolution.
Limited ice-sheet erosion and complex exposure histories derived from in situ cosmogenic 10Be, 26Al, and 14C on Baffin Island, Arctic Canada

Discordant cosmogenic nuclide exposure ages derived from 10 Be, 26 Al, and 14 C extracted from quartz in rocky summits along the eastern rim of the central Baffin Island plateau provide constraints on the efficiency of erosion by the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) and on the timing and duration of ice-free conditions in the eastern Canadian Arctic. In situ 14 C records the duration of exposure during the present interglaciation; any previously acquired 14 C decayed below detection limits beneath thick LIS during the last glaciation. The in situ 14 C exposure ages for two samples adjacent to a cold-based local ice cap are significantly less than for a nearby ice-free summit,
Defining normal three-dimensional kinematics of the lower forelimb in horses

Summary Although the equine metacarpophalangeal joint is frequently damaged, there is a scarcity of data concerning the three-dimensional kinematics of this joint. Thus, the purpose of this study was to define normal three-dimensional kinematics of the distal forelimb. Six mature Thoroughbreds were adapted to a high-speed treadmill and filmed at awalk (2.0 m/s), trot (4.0 m/s), and left-lead canter (7.0 m/s). An autodigitizing videographic system was used to collect and analyze the three-dimensional kinematic data. Retroreflective markers were placed on the left forelimb at approximate centers of rotation of the carpal and metacarpophalangeal joints and at midpoints of the radius, third metacarpal bone, and hoof. The measures made during the experiment included the angle the fetlock and hoof made with the ground in three dimensions (the XZ, YZ, and XY planes), range of motion of the fetlock joint, limb acceleration and velocity, stride length, and stride frequency. The average joint angles in the XZ plane at impact were 134.6°, 140.6°, and 151.7°, and at lift-offwere 69.6°, 81.2°, and 88.9° for the walk, trot, and canter, respectively. In the YZ plane, average impact angles were 99.2°, 97.2°, and 100.3°, and lift-off angles were 96.4°, 96.6°, and 95.5° for the walk, trot and canter, respectively. In the XY plane, average impact angles were 136.4°, 130.3°, and 136.3°, and lift-off angles were 163.2°, 168.4°, and 173.6° for the walk, trot and canter, respectively. Total range of motion of the fetlock joint was 50.3° at the walk, 52.1° at the trot, and 56.0° at the canter. Average acceleration values of the fetlock joint determined at peakprotraction were -90.3, -121.9, and -201.6 and at the end of retraction were 112.0, 126.1, and 238.7 m/s 2 for the walk, trot, and canter, respectively. The average stride frequencies for the walk, trot and canter were 0.98, 1.44, and 1.88 Hz, respectively. The average stride lengths for the walk, trot and canter were 2.21, 2.72, and 3.79 m, respectively. These data will be used to build a base on normal three-dimensional kinematic patterns of the distal forelimb of the horse moving at the walk, trot, and canter on a high-speed treadmill.
An HPLC Method for the Simultaneous Quantitation of Quinidine, Procainamide, N-Acetylprocainamide, and Disopyramide

A high performance liquid chromatographic method Is reported, which Incorporates three Internal standards ( I-cinchonidine, N-propylprocainamlde, and psra-chlorodlaopyramlde) for the simultaneous quantltatlon of four commonly prescribed antlarrhythmlc drugs: qulnldlne, procalnamlde, Nacetylprocalnamlde, and dlsopyramlde. Compounds were separated using combined Ion-pairing and adsorption chromatography on a silica column. Inter-run variation was 5.9 CV% for all drugs.
Detection of Human Brain Cancer Infiltration ex vivo and in vivo Using Quantitative Optical Coherence Tomography

More complete brain cancer resection can prolong survival and delay recurrence. However, it is challenging to distinguish cancer from noncancer tissues intraoperatively, especially at the transitional, infiltrative zones. This is especially critical in eloquent regions (for example, speech and motor areas). This study tested the feasibility of label-free, quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) for differentiating cancer from noncancer in human brain tissues. Fresh ex vivo human brain tissues were obtained from 32 patients with grade II to IV brain cancer and 5 patients with noncancer brain pathologies. On the basis of volumetric OCT imaging data, pathologically confirmed brain cancer tissues (both high- and low-grade) had significantly lower optical attenuation values at both cancer core and infiltrated zones when compared with noncancer white matter, and OCT achieved high sensitivity and specificity at an attenuation threshold of 5.5 mm(-1) for brain cancer patients. We also used this attenuation threshold to confirm the intraoperative feasibility of performing in vivo OCT-guided surgery using a murine model harboring human brain cancer. Our OCT system was capable of processing and displaying a color-coded optical property map in real time at a rate of 110 to 215 frames per second, or 1.2 to 2.4 s for an 8- to 16-mm(3) tissue volume, thus providing direct visual cues for cancer versus noncancer areas. Our study demonstrates the translational and practical potential of OCT in differentiating cancer from noncancer tissue. Its intraoperative use may facilitate safe and extensive resection of infiltrative brain cancers and consequently lead to improved outcomes when compared with current clinical standards.
Direct Observation of Defect Range and Evolution in Ion-Irradiated Single Crystalline Ni and Ni Binary Alloys

Energetic ions have been widely used to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of structural materials for nuclear power applications and to modify material properties. It is important to understand the defect production, annihilation and migration mechanisms during and after collision cascades. In this study, single crystalline pure nickel metal and single-phase concentrated solid solution alloys of 50%Ni50%Co (NiCo) and 50%Ni50%Fe (NiFe) without apparent preexisting defect sinks were employed to study defect dynamics under ion irradiation. Both cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy characterization (TEM) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry channeling (RBS-C) spectra show that the range of radiation-induced defect clusters far exceed the theoretically predicted depth in all materials after high-dose irradiation. Defects in nickel migrate faster than in NiCo and NiFe. Both vacancy-type stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT) and interstitial loops coexist in the same region, which is consistent with molecular dynamics simulations. Kinetic activation relaxation technique (k-ART) simulations for nickel showed that small vacancy clusters, such as di-vacancies and tri-vacancies, created by collision cascades are highly mobile, even at room temperature. The slower migration of defects in the alloy along with more localized energy dissipation of the displacement cascade may lead to enhanced radiation tolerance.
Calculation of Positron Bremsstrahlung Cross Sections

Here we wish to report comparisons of the role of electrons and positrons in production of bremsstrahlung.
Reduced port versus conventional laparoscopic total proctocolectomy and ileal J pouch-anal anastomosis

The feasibility and safety of single-incision laparoscopic total proctocolectomy (TPC) and ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) were first reported in 2010. To improve accuracy and efficiency while maintaining the cosmetic advantages of single-incision laparoscopic surgery, we have since modified the technique to include the use of a 5-mm instrument placed through the eventual drain site. The aim of this study is to compare reduced port laparoscopic (RPL) IPAA with conventional laparoscopic IPAA with respect to short-term outcomes to assess safety. RPL cases were matched to conventional laparoscopy cases for patient age (±5 years), body mass index, gender, diagnosis, type and number of stages of surgical procedure, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, and year of surgery (±3 years). Groups were compared using χ 2 or Fisher exact tests for categorical and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for quantitative data. Twenty-four RPL patients were case-matched to an equal number of patients who underwent conventional laparoscopic IPAA. Short-term outcomes including postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and time to first bowel movement were similar between groups. Despite similar diagnosis, previous surgery, and comorbidity, operative blood loss (p < 0.001) and operating time (p = 0.02) were lower for the RPL group. RPL IPAA can be safely performed with short-term outcomes comparable to conventional laparoscopy.
Alcohol use disorders in women. Screening methods and approaches to treatment.

PREVIEWAlcohol use disorders are a significant problem among women in the United States. The epidemiologic factors, physiologic effects, psychosocial and medical consequences, and detection and management of these disorders in women differ from those in men. Primary care physicians are in a unique position to identify, educate, and counsel women with alcohol problems and to refer them for treatment. In this article, Drs Cyr and McGarry discuss the consequences of drinking in women and outline ways in which physicians can guide them to the help they need.
Evolution or Intelligent Design? The Variation in Pari Passu Clauses

Standard doctrine presumes that sophisticated parties choose their terminology carefully because they want courts or counterparts to understand what they intended. The implication of this “Intelligent Design” model of behavior is that courts should pay careful attention to the precise phrasing of contracts. Using a study of the sovereign bond market, we examine the Intelligent Design model as applied to standard-form contracting. In NML v. Argentina, the New York courts attached importance to the precise phrasing of the boilerplate contracts at issue. The decision was promptly condemned in the industry for its supposedly erroneous mode of contract interpretation. Utilizing data on how industry contracting practices responded to the decision, we ask whether the market response indicates that parties in fact intended for the small variations in their contract language to embody a particular meaning. We find the data points toward a model closer to random evolution rather than intelligent design.
Polymerized Crystalline Colloidal Array Photonic Crystals for Chemical Sensing and Optoelectronics

We have developed a novel class of smart optical materials based on soft materials which are responsive to their environment and which can be actuated chemically or photonically. Highly charged, monodisperse colloidal particles will self assemble in water into crystalline colloidal arrays (CCA), which are either body centered or face centered cubic structures. We have developed smart materials from these self-assembled structures, which utilize the highly efficient Bragg diffraction of light from the CCA periodicity. We polymerized these CCA into acrylamide hydrogels. These CCA-embedded hydrogels show the rich volume phase transition phenomena characteristic of these soft materials. These materials act as frequency agile optical filters. We have functionalized these hydrogels with dyes and photochromic molecules, as well as with molecular recognition agents which cause the hydrogel to change volume in response to either photons, or the presence of specific analytes (eg Pb2+, glucose etc). The resulting volume changes alter the array spacing, which causes the diffracted light wavelength to shift, or causes the diffraction efficiency to change. We will discuss the volume phase transition properties of these arrays and also describe the use of these arrays and also describe the use of these arrays and also describe the use of these arrays as chemical sensors, novel ns optical switching materials as well as optical memory devices.
Quality Assurance for Corn and Wheat Flour Tortilla Manufacturing

SUMMARY Quality assurance (QA) is critical in both corn and wheat flour tortilla operations because it is key to providing safe products to consumers and maintaining products within the established standards given by regulatory agencies. An effective QA and quality control (QC) program should prevent defects and chronic waste, keep good quality records, establish a trace recall program, and improve shelf life. QA/QC improves shelf life by monitoring pH, moisture, storage conditions, initial microbial load, and preservative type and concentration. Responsibilities of QA/QC personnel also include production forms, returns, receiving, food safety and HACCP, allergen programs, labeling, and supplier certification. The corn and wheat flour tortilla industries have developed numerous assays to control the quality of raw materials and the intermediate and end products. The quality of both corn and wheat raw kernels is tested similarly to quality in other milling industries. The main quality control parameters for fresh masa and dry flours are particle size distribution, water absorption, water solubility, viscosity, color, and pH. Likewise, the principal quality measurements for wheat flour tortillas are dough rheological properties determined with the Farinograph, Alveograph, Mixolab, and related instruments. Both types of tortillas (fresh and stored) are tested for rollability, roundness, thickness, appearance, sticking, specific volume, pH, moisture, titratable acidity, texture, color, and sensory characteristics. The resulting tortillas are optimal for determining chemical composition and microbial and textural shelf life at different storage conditions.
Strange quarks put the proton in a spin

Protons and neutrons are the basic building blocks from which all nuclei are constructed. Particle physicists have known for almost 30 years that protons and neutrons are built from even smaller elementary particles called quarks. For example, the proton contains two "up" quarks and a "down" quark held together by gluons – the particles responsible for carrying the strong nuclear force So it is perhaps surprising that we still do not understand the structure of protons and neutrons in detail.
630. AAV Transduction of a Truncated Dysferlin Improves Dysferlinopathy

Dysferlinopathy is a progressive muscular dystrophy caused by the absence of functional Dysferlin. Dysferlin cDNA is over the packaging capacity of adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV), complicating potentially therapeutic gene addition strategies. The use of dual or fragmented AAV vectors, while genetically intriguing, is undesired as these formats demonstrate decreased transduction efficiencies. Therefore, an alternative approach using a panel of smaller dysferlin-like molecules was executed in vitro and in vivo in an AAV vector context. Three of the four “hybrid” dysferlin reading frames produced protein which behaved similar to full length dysferlin in localization studies. Upon AAV vector production, only 1 variant (341) demonstrated intact genome packaging despite final cassettes sizes of approximately 5kb. Intramuscular administration of vectors encoding 341 in dysferlin deficient mice resulted in increased muscle integrity without indications of toxicity. Dysferlin deficient mice receiving AAV9-341 through intravenous injection demonstrated increased rearing activity that was sustained 6 months post-injection. Consistently a trend of decreased muscle damage was observed in these mice. Our data suggest that 341, and additional hybrid dysferlin candidates under evaluation, may find relevance for the treatment of dysferlinopathy.
Phase-field simulations of pore migration and morphology change in thermal gradients

Abstract Here we present a phase-field simulation model that captures the thermal-gradient-driven migration of pores in oxide fuel associated with fuel restructuring. The model utilizes a Cahn-Hilliard equation supplemented with an advection term to describe the vapor transport of fuel material through the pore interior due to gradients in vapor pressure. Simulations demonstrate that the model not only predicts pore migration towards the centerline of the fuel, but also a concurrent change in pore shape during migration from an initially isotropic morphology to either a lenticular morphology or a prolate morphology depending on the vapor transport conditions. This model is a necessary first step to conducting accurate simulations of the microscopic changes that occur during the complicated process of oxide fuel restructuring.
Interaction of molecular alterations with immune response in melanoma

Major advances have been made in melanoma treatment with the use of molecularly targeted therapies and immunotherapies, and numerous regimens are now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for patients with stage IV disease. However, therapeutic resistance remains an issue to both classes of agents, and reliable biomarkers of therapeutic response and resistance are lacking. Mechanistic insights are being gained through preclinical studies and translational research, offering potential strategies to enhance responses and survival in treated patients. A comprehensive understanding of the immune effects of common mutations at play in melanoma is critical, as is an appreciation of the molecular mechanisms contributing to therapeutic resistance to immunotherapy. These mechanisms and the interplay between them are discussed herein. Cancer 2017;123:2130-42. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
How Does the Coral Microbiome Cause, Respond to, or Modulate the Bleaching Process?

Corals holobionts are formed by a dynamic multipartite symbiosis with intracellular photoautotrophs in the genus Symbiodinium and a consortium of other microbes that include bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protists. Coral bleaching, or the loss of Symbiodinium and their pigments, has caused significant global declines in reef-building corals, particularly in the past several decades as global sea surface temperatures continue to rise. The majority of the bleaching literature has primarily focused on Symbiodinium populations, with increasing interest in the role of the coral host in the bleaching process. However, much less attention has been paid to the coral-associated prokaryotes and viruses and their role in coral bleaching and the bleaching response. Microbes (e.g., Symbiodinium, prokaryotes, and viruses) exhibit extensive diversity and abilities to respond to and withstand environmental pressures and, as with other multipartite mutualisms, have the ability to recruit colonizers with distinct environmental tolerances that may provide the ability to adapt or acclimatize to environmental change. Here, we provide some context for the importance of the coral microbiome to holobiont function from the perspective of the bleaching response. We survey what is currently known about the relationship among Symbiodinium, temperature stress, and the associated prokaryotes and viruses. We also examine the impact of the coral bleaching response and environmental stressors conducive to bleaching (e.g., temperature, irradiance) on coral-associated microorganisms with particular emphasis on diazotrophic (nitrogen-fixing) bacteria. In conclusion, we summarize how a shifting and potentially dysbiotic microbiome may impact the coral host in the context of bleaching.