cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Johnson noise from normal metal near a superconducting SQUID gradiometer circuit

The effect of Johnson noise generated by normal metal in an otherwise superconducting SQUID gradiometer circuit is investigated theoretically. The generalized Nyquist theorem is applied to develop a simple method for computing the noise at frequencies less than the inverse of the normal metal's magnetic flux diffusion time. For gradiometers prepared using printed-circuit-board technology (superconducting lines deposited on copper substrate lines) the Johnson noise is predicted to generate white current noise at low frequencies. Since the power spectrum is proportional to the cube of the normal-metal thickness, the current noise can be of nearly the same order of magnitude as that which would be generated by the bare normal metal when the normal metal is sufficiently thick. The method also can be used to compute the Johnson noise generated by normal metal at solder joints, as well as by any normal metal in the vicinity of the SQUID input circuit, whether in electrical contact or not. The theoretical results indicate that, to limit the amount of Johnson noise generated by a SQUID gradiometer, one should avoid placing excessive quantities of normal metal close by.
Expression and characterization of a functional myosin head fragment in Dictyostelium discoideum

The isolated head fragment of myosin is a motor protein that is able to use energy liberated from the hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate to cause sliding movement of actin filaments. Expression of a myosin fragment nearly equivalent to the amino-terminal globular head domain, generally referred to as subfragment 1, has been achieved by transforming the eukaryotic organism Dictyostelium discoideum with a plasmid that carries a 2.6-kilobase fragment of the cloned Dictyostelium myosin heavy chain gene under the control of the Dictyostelium actin-15 promoter. The recombinant fragment of the myosin heavy chain was purified 2400-fold from one of the resulting cell lines and was found to be functional by the following criteria: the myosin head fragment copurified with the essential and regulatory myosin light chains, decorated actin filaments, and displayed actin-activated adenosine triphosphatase activity. In addition, motility assays in vitro showed that the recombinant myosin fragment is capable of supporting sliding movement of actin filaments.
A 3-axis force balanced accelerometer using a single proof-mass

This paper presents a new method for wideband force balancing a proof-mass in multiple axes simultaneously. Capacitive position sense and force feedback are accomplished using the same air-gap capacitors through time multiplexing. Proof of concept is experimentally demonstrated with a single-mass monolithic surface micromachined 3-axis accelerometer.
The life, death, and attempted rebirth of bevacizumab in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer in women. In recent years, there has been immense drug discovery and development in the field of breast cancer. Most recently, the role of vascular endothelial growth factor has moved to the treatment forefront with bevacizumab immersed into the literature as well as the media. Bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor FDA approved for the treatment of other cancers, was first studied in metastatic breast cancer. Its use in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative metastatic breast cancer ultimately failed to show an improvement in overall survival in landmark trials (E2100, AVADO, RIBBON-1 and RIBBON-2) despite its positive impact on progression-free survival. The role is yet to be determined in triple negative breast cancer as well as in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings. Trends begin to emerge as bevacizumab is combined with other chemotherapeutic drugs in terms of toxicities. The addition of bevacizumab is associated with an i...
A single-level low rank IE-QR algorithm for PEC scattering problems using EFIE formulation

This paper presents a single-level matrix compression algorithm, termed IE-QR, based on a low-rank approximation to speed up the electric field integral equation (EFIE) formulation. It is shown, with the number of groups chosen to be proportional to N/sup 1/2/, where N is the number of unknowns, the memory and CPU time for the resulting algorithm are both O(N/sup 1.5/). The unique features of the algorithm are: a. The IE-QR algorithm is based on the near-rank-deficiency property for well-separated groups. This near-rank-deficiency assumption holds true for many integral equation methods such as Laplacian, radiation, and scattering problems in electromagnetics (EM). The same algorithm can be adapted to other applications outside EM with few or no modifications; and, b. The rank estimation is achieved by a dual-rank process, which ranks the transmitting and receiving groups, respectively. Thus, the IE-QR algorithm can achieve matrix compression without assembling the entire system matrix. Also, a "geometric-neighboring" preconditioner is presented in this paper. This "geometric-neighboring" preconditioner when used in conjunction with GMRES is proven to be both efficient and effective for solving the compressed matrix equations.
Age-Associated Disruption of Molecular Clock Expression in Skeletal Muscle of the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat

It is well known that spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) develop muscle pathologies with hypertension and heart failure, though the mechanism remains poorly understood. Woon et al. (2007) linked the circadian clock gene Bmal1 to hypertension and metabolic dysfunction in the SHR. Building on these findings, we compared the expression pattern of several core-clock genes in the gastrocnemius muscle of aged SHR (80 weeks; overt heart failure) compared to aged-matched control WKY strain. Heart failure was associated with marked effects on the expression of Bmal1, Clock and Rora in addition to several non-circadian genes important in regulating skeletal muscle phenotype including Mck, Ttn and Mef2c. We next performed circadian time-course collections at a young age (8 weeks; pre-hypertensive) and adult age (22 weeks; hypertensive) to determine if clock gene expression was disrupted in gastrocnemius, heart and liver tissues prior to or after the rats became hypertensive. We found that hypertensive/hypertrophic SHR showed a dampening of peak Bmal1 and Rev-erb expression in the liver, and the clock-controlled gene Pgc1α in the gastrocnemius. In addition, the core-clock gene Clock and the muscle-specific, clock-controlled gene Myod1, no longer maintained a circadian pattern of expression in gastrocnemius from the hypertensive SHR. These findings provide a framework to suggest a mechanism whereby chronic heart failure leads to skeletal muscle pathologies; prolonged dysregulation of the molecular clock in skeletal muscle results in altered Clock, Pgc1α and Myod1 expression which in turn leads to the mis-regulation of target genes important for mechanical and metabolic function of skeletal muscle.
Driving Convergence with Human Diversity

Convergent science will require human diversity—individuals with different backgrounds and life experiences—to drive it forward.
A Criterion For Best Shapes For Edge Correlation

Edge correlation between multi-sensor images is an efficient technique for scene matching. However, in aerial images, the question of which edges of a scene should be used in the correlation requires consideration. A method is presented which suggests a criterion for selecting the best shape for connected edges for edge correlation. The criterion is based on reducing any secondary correlation peaks. A basis for selecting the best edges directly from a knowledge of the edge shapes is also presented.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Conservative open acromioplasty

Chronic rotator-cuff syndrome with impingement is satisfactorily treated by acromioplasty by both open and arthroscopic techniques, but the Neer operation with deltoid detachment requires a prolonged rehabilitation. Arthroscopic acromioplasty reduces recovery time but is a difficult procedure. McShane, Leinberry and Fenlin (1987) described a conservative open anterior technique with good results and shortened rehabilitation. A similar technique has been used in 25 patients with an average age of 46 years. After a mean follow-up of 24 months, 80% were very satisfied and none was dissatisfied. The average recovery times were 2.7 weeks for activities of daily living, 1.9 months for return to work and 3.7 months for all activities including overhead manual labour.
Dietary protein and nitrogen balance in lactating and nonlactating women.

Adaptive responses of body protein metabolism to dietary protein intakes of 1.0 g.kg body wt-1.d-1 were determined by nitrogen balance and urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion in lactating and nonlactating women. Despite higher energy intakes (p less than 0.04), lactating women had lower nitrogen balances compared with nonlactating postpartum and nulliparous women (p less than 0.001). Nitrogen losses in milk did not account entirely for these differences. Nitrogen balance showed linear (p less than 0.04) and quadratic (p less than 0.03) trends over time postpartum among the lactating women. Urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion also was reduced (p less than 0.05) in lactating compared with nonlactating women. These observations suggest that protein intakes of 1.0 g.kg body wt-1.d-1 in lactating women are associated with adaptive responses that promote the conservation of skeletal muscle protein stores and that currently recommended dietary protein allowances may be insufficient to meet the nutritional needs of well-nourished lactating women.
A comparative study on drop test performance of fine pitch BGA assemblies using Pb-free and tin-lead solders

This paper described a new board-level free fall drop (BFFD) and its application in the evaluation of solder joints in fine pitch ball grid array (BGA) or chip-scale packaging (CSP) assemblies. This drop test method simulates the product-level free fall or phone level drop test (PFFD), which was widely used in the industry. A comparison study between solder alloys using Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) and SnPb were performed experimentally using BFFD. The test vehicle was built from different alloys (SAC vs. SnPb) with various surface finishes and structures. The packages include 0.4mm pitch ultraCSP (chip scale package), uSMD (micro surface mount device) and micro leadless package and stacked die packages. In order to understand the differences between the two alloys (SAC and SnPb), an FEA (finite element analysis) was employed to calculate the stress and strain in the free fall drop for various packages. From the experimental work, it shows there is a clear difference between those two alloys but a mixed trend across all packages. In general, SAC is not as good as SnPb for larger packages. When combining with the strain-stress analysis, it was found from this study that the strain plays an important role.
Lipase-catalyzed glycerolysis of soybean oil in supercritical carbon dioxide

The transesterification of soybean oil with glycerol, 1,2-propanediol, and methanol by an immobilized lipase in flowing supercritical carbon dioxide for the synthesis of monoglycerides is described. A lipase from Candida antarctica was used to catalyze the reaction of soybean oil with glycerol, 1,2-propanediol, ethylene glycol, and methanol. Reactions were performed in supercritical carbon dioxide at a density of 0.72 g/L and at a flow rate of 6 µL/min (expanded gas). The substrates were added at flows ranging from 2.5 to 100 µL/min. Monoglycerides were obtained at up to 87 wt%, and fatty acid methyl esters at nearly 100 wt%. The reactivity of the alcohols paralleled the solubility of the substrate in liquid carbon dioxide. Glycerol has the slowest reaction rate, only 2% of that of methanol.
Catholic Counselor's Book Shelf

PSYCHOLOGY AND RELIGION: Three Joint Symposia from the ACPA-APA Meetings of 1957, 1958, 1959. American Catholic Psychological Association, Fordham University, New York Selected Papers from the ACPA Meetings of 1957, 1958, 1959. New York: American Catholic Psychological Association TO LIVE IS CHRIST: Robert W. Gleason, S. J. Sheed and Ward THE INFORMATION SERVICE IN GUIDANCE: Willa Norris, Franklin R. Zeran, Raymond N. Hatch, Rand McNally WORKING WITH SUPERIOR STUDENTS: THEORIES AND PRACTICES: Bruce Shertzer, Ed. VOCATIONAL MATURITY OF NINTH-GRADE BOYS: Donald E. Super, Phoebe L. Over-street, et. al., Monograph 2.
Do Localization Economies Matter in Cluster Formation? Questioning the Conventional Wisdom with Data from Indian Metropolises:

The large and growing literature on industrial clustering suggests that firms seek locations that provide localization economies (benefits from having common buyers and suppliers, a specialized or skilled labor pool, and informal knowledge transfers). This study of manufacturing industry clusters in three Indian metropolises suggests instead that industry location decisions are guided by market imperfections, specifically rigidities in the land market caused by state action (segregationist or environmental policies, the absence of exit policies, and activist industrial promotion policies). For the investigation the authors use geographically disaggregated industry location and size data from Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, to analyze eight industrial sectors (food and beverages, textiles, leather, printing and publishing, chemicals, metals, machinery, and electrical and electronics). The authors test for evidence of global and local clustering and distinguish between and test for coclustering and colocation...
Zinc Finger Protein Tristetraprolin Interacts with CCL3 mRNA and Regulates Tissue Inflammation

Zinc finger protein tristetraprolin (TTP) modulates macrophage inflammatory activity by destabilizing cytokine mRNAs. In this study, through a screen of TTP-bound mRNAs in activated human macrophages, we have identified CCL3 mRNA as the most abundantly bound TTP target mRNA and have characterized this interaction via conserved AU-rich elements. Compared to the wild-type cells, TTP−/− macrophages produced higher levels of LPS-induced CCL3. In addition, the plasma level of CCL3 in TTP−/− mice was markedly higher than that in wild-type mice. To determine the in vivo significance of TTP-regulated CCL3, we generated CCL3−/−TTP−/− double-knockout mice. Along with decreased proinflammatory cytokines in their paw joints, there were significant functional and histologic improvements in the inflammatory arthritis of TTP−/− mice when CCL3 was absent, although cachexia, reflecting systemic inflammation, was notably unaffected. Furthermore, the marked exacerbation of aortic plaque formation caused by TTP deficiency in the APOE−/− mouse model of atherosclerosis was also rescued by disrupting CCL3. Taken together, our data indicate that the interaction between TTP and CCL3 mRNA plays an important role in modulating localized inflammatory processes in tissues that are dissociated from the systemic manifestations of chronic inflammation.
Effects of 900-MHz Radio Frequencies on the Chemotaxis of Human Neutrophils in Vitro

The effects of radio frequency (RF) fields on the ability of human neutrophils to follow concentration gradients of Cyclic Adenosine 3', 5'-Monophosphate (C-AMP) are reported. Blood from healthy adult donors was exposed in vitro to different temperatures and 900-MHz RF field at approximately 0.4 V/m. It was observed that the neutrophils' speed increased with increasing temperatures from 35 degC to 40 degC where it peaked and then decreased above 40 degC without RF exposure. When 900-MHz RF field was applied, the speed increased above the value observed at the same temperature, and the maximum speed exceeded that measured value at any temperature by approximately 50%. The calculated temperature change resulting from the RF exposure was less than one microdegree. The direction of motion changed from along the concentration gradient and the electrical field lines to motion at right angles to the concentration gradient and the electric field. The average time for the neutrophils to respond to the effect of RF radiation was about 2.5 min.
Making Sense of a Failed Triad: Mentors, University Supervisors, and Positioning Theory.

Mentoring is often portrayed as an unqualified good. Teacher educators claim that mentoring holds promise for beginning teacher development, increased retention of novice teachers, and mentorteache...
Recurrent points and transition functions acting on continuous functions

Abstract : Omega is assumed to be a locally compact separable metric space with P a transition function taking bounded continuous functions on omega into continuous functions. A point x is said to be a point of sure return if for each neighborhood M of x P((X sub k) belongs to M for some k > or = 1 X sub 0) = 1, and a recurrent point if for each neighborhood M of x P(X sub k) belongs to M for infinitely many j > or = 1 (X sub 0 = x) = 1, where (X sub k) is a Markov process with transition function P. It is shown that if x is a point of sure return, it is recurrent. Various implications of recurrence for points are investigated. Corresponding notions of conservative and dissipative points based in part on topological ideas are considered and compared with related concepts introduced by Foguel. (Author)
The improvement of electrical programmable fuse with salicide-block dielectric film in 40nm CMOS Technology

This paper presents an improvement of electrical programmable fuse with dielectric film. By inserting a dielectric film as cap layer combined with self-align silicide block (SAB) process, the program current margin has been extended. This macro has lower program voltage at 2.3V for 8.5μs and can be successfully read out with proper sensing amplifier design.
On-line diagnostic monitoring of photoresist ashing

On-line statistical process control (SPC) has been implemented on a single-wafer remote microwave plasma photoresist asher. SPC for ashing is made more difficult because the prior processes, e.g., ion implantation, affect the properties of the resist material, and consequently the ashing behavior. The system presented comprehends the variety of incoming wafer states from a complex process flow. On-line SPC charts track photoresist clear time on a wafer-to-wafer basis using optical emission spectroscopy. The data is corrected for the "first-wafer" effect, whereby the clear time for a wafer decreases as the delay time between ashing wafers increases. The data is standardized using an expected time and variance for each process flow level to allow all results to be presented in a single set of individuals and moving-standard deviation Shewhart charts. Standard SPC rules are applied automatically within each process flow level to test for unnatural variation in the data. Observed abnormal behavior is due mainly to changes in the incoming material for a specific process flow level, not deviations in the ashing process. When a shift in incoming wafer state is detected, the expected response for that process level is automatically updated to reflect the change. The usefulness of on-line monitoring as a means for identifying misprocessing at prior process steps has been demonstrated, Early diagnosis can save money by avoiding expensive downstream processing on previously misprocessed wafers, In our demonstration laboratory, the equipment has processed wafers from a dozen process flow levels. >
Optimization of switched-mode systems with switching costs

This paper concerns the problem of optimizing switched-mode hybrid dynamical systems, where it is required to balance the tracking of a reference signal with an attempt to reduce a state-dependent cost-penalty associated with the switchings among the modes. We propose an algorithmic approach to the problem and we illustrate it on a specific example. The investigation has been motivated by design issues in power electronics, where it is desirable to regulate the load current in a switching circuit by controlling the state of a switch. On one hand tighter regulation requires switching at a higher frequency, and on the other hand each switching requires a certain amount of energy. Our algorithmic approach brings together various techniques that we recently have developed for optimizing hybrid systems, and its demonstrated application on a specific example suggests its potential viability in a broader array of problems in power electronics.
Bone loss in revision total knee arthroplasty: Graft options and adjuncts

Abstract The treatment of small bone defects in revision total knee arthroplasty should make immediate full weight bearing and full therapy possible, provide long-term stability for the implants, and restore bone stock. These objectives are achieved with bone grafts if the defects are cavitary or small (involving less than one fourth of the cortical rim) segmental defects. These objectives are achieved with porous metal augments if the defects are segmental and involve more than one fourth of the cortical rim. The treatment of bone loss on the femur must allow the re-establishment of the distal and posterior joint lines as well as provide a firm fixation base for the implants. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A short proof of the induced Ramsey Theorem for hypergraphs

For fixed r ? 2 , an r -graph ? G = ( V , E ) is an r -uniform hypergraph with vertex set V and edge set E ? ( V r ) . For k ? r ? 2 , let K k denote the complete r -graph on k vertices and let K k ? denote its complement, an independent set on k vertices.The Induced Ramsey Theorem states that for c , r ? 2 and every r -graph G , there exists an r -graph H such that every c -coloring of the edges of H contains a monochromatic induced copy of G . A natural question to ask is what other subgraphs F can be partitioned and have a similar Ramsey property. One can show that if F ? K k or F ? K k ? , then this fails to be true. On the other hand, a result of Abramson and Harrington (1978) and Nesetřil and Rodl (1977) implies that F = K k , as well as F = K k ? , has the Ramsey property.The proof of the Induced Ramsey Theorem was based on a partite lemma and partite construction as shown in Nesetřil and Rodl (1977) and Nesetřil and Rodl (1987). In this note, we present a short proof of this result by eliminating the partite construction to show that the theorem is a direct consequence of the Hales-Jewett Theorem. In other words, we have reduced the proof of this result to one step, rather than two steps.
Restocking the optical designers' toolbox for next-generation wearable displays (Presentation Recording)

Three years ago, industry and consumers learned that there was more to Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) than the long-lasting but steady market for defense or the market for gadget video player headsets: the first versions of Smart Glasses were introduced to the public. Since then, most major consumer electronics companies unveiled their own versions of Connected Glasses, Smart Glasses or Smart Eyewear, AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) headsets. This rush resulted in the build-up of a formidable zoo of optical technologies, each claiming to be best suited for the task on hand. Today, the question is not so much anymore "will the Smart Glass market happen?" but rather "which optical technologies will be best fitted for the various declinations of the existing wearable display market," one of the main declination being the Smart Glasses market.
Knowledge based Automatic Beam Angle Determination for Lung IMRT Planning

We present an efficient knowledge based automatic beam configuration determination method by utilizing patient-specific anatomy and tumor geometry information and a beam bouquet atlas. The proposed technique is based on learning the relationship between patient anatomy and beam configurations from clinical plans designed by experienced planners. The training dataset contains 60 lung IMRT plans with plan prescription dose between 45 and 70 Gy. The method involves three major steps. First, a beam bouquet atlas was established by classifying the clinical plans into 6 beam configuration groups using the k-medoids cluster analysis method. Second, a beam efficiency map was constructed to characterize the geometry of the tumor relative to the lungs, the body and the other OARs at each candidate beam direction. Finally, the beam efficiency maps of the clinical cases and the cluster assignments of their beam bouquets were paired to train a Bayesian classification model. This classification model was used to select a suitable beam bouquet from the atlas for a new case based on its beam efficiency map. This technique was validated by leave-one-out cross validation with 16 cases randomly selected from the original dataset. The dosimetric parameters (mean±S.D. in percentage of prescription dose) in the auto-beam plans and in the clinical plans, respectively, and the p-values by a paired t-test (in parenthesis) are: lung mean dose (Dmean): 16.3±9.3, 18.6±7.4 (0.48), esophagus Dmean: 28.4±18, 30.7±19.3 (0.02), Heart Dmean: 21.5±17.5,21.1±17.2 (0.76), Spinal Cord D2%: 48±23, 51.2±21.8 (0.01), PTV dose homogeneity (D2%-D99%): 22±27.4, 20.4±12.8 (0.10). The other dosimetric parameters are not statistically different. In conclusion, plans generated by the automatic beam angle determination method can achieve dosimetric quality equivalent to that of clinical plans. This method can help improve the quality and efficiency of lung IMRT planning.
Host Variety as an Ecological Environmental Factor in the Population Dynamics of the European Corn Borer, Ostrinia nubilalis

The survival, development, and tunneling activity of out that the genetic makeup of food is an important Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) were checked in 2 groups factor in the population dynamics of insects, particularly of hosts (1) varieties popular in 1955 and (2) varieties for insects feeding on field crops the genetic makeup popular in 1965. The general host-resistance level was of which is continuously being changed through selection about 5–15% higher in 1965 than in 1955. It is pointed and breeding.
Role of vitamin B12 in nucleic acid metabolism. V. Liver deoxyriboaldolase activity.

SummaryAn apparent decrease in liver deoxyriboaldolase activity was observed in livers from vit. B12 deficient rats as compared to the activity observed with livers from littermates supplemented with vit. B12.
Legal geography II: Discerning injustice

In this report I assess progress in legal geography – past and potential – in terms of its contributions to two significant projects in contemporary critical geographic thought: the discernment and...
Tuning the Photophysical Properties of Metal-Free Room Temperature Organic Phosphors via Compositional Variations in Bromobenzaldehyde/Dibromobenzene Mixed Crystals

Spurred by several recent discoveries and a broad and largely unexplored design space, purely organic phosphorescent materials are starting to garner interest for potential applications in organic optoelectronics and sensors. One particularly promising class of purely organic phosphor is the family consisting of bromobenzaldehyde emitters doped into crystals of dibromobenzene hosts. These stand out by featuring bright, robust, and color-tunable room temperature phosphorescence. However, despite these attractive qualities, the mixed crystal motif defining these materials puts complex demands on crystal packing, chemical structure, and sample preparation in ways that are not yet well understood. Here we report a detailed study on these materials to optimize emission efficiency and fine-tune color. Overall, data suggest that achieving efficient inclusion of the emitter into the host crystal is critical to optimizing quantum efficiency. Phosphorescent emission from the mixed crystals is polarized, indicating ...
Effect on Blood Sugar of Direct Irradiation of Blood in Vivo.

In a paper previously published1 one of us described a method of irradiating the blood of etherized dogs by allowing a beam from a special carbon arc to fall on a quartz tube inserted in the carotid artery. By this method a series of studies has been undertaken on the effects of this procedure on blood pressure,1 on leucocytes,2 on electrophoretic potential of erythrocytes,3 on blood uric acid,4 blood calcium,5 and CO2 combining power.6It is the purpose of this paper to report the results of this procedure on blood sugar, for the sake of a more complete picture of the effects of such a method of irradiation.A control series was first run in which the dog was subject to ether anesthesia together with all the operative technic but without irradiation. The first sample of blood was drawn from the saphenous vein before anesthesia. Subsequent samples were drawn from the femoral vein at various intervals. All blood samples were heparinized either in vitro or in vivo. Determinations were made by the method of To...
The Volksgeist and a Piece of Sulphur

Savigny was a principal architect of the historical theory of jurisprudence which holds that law must be consonant with the spirit of the people it governs. In his own times, however, he was more than a philosopher. As a participant in a great debate, Savigny developed his theory as a weapon to resist the wholesale imposition of a legal code which he regarded as alien to and ill suited for the emerging German states. Professor Elliott explores the thought of this controversial man in a fashion which is of interest not only to the philosopher and historian, but also to the lawyer who practices in an age, like Savigny's, preoccupied with the adoption of uniform legal codes.
Steroids and related natural products—XXII : Oxidation of 3β-acetoxy-5α-lanostane

Abstract Chromium trioxide oxidation of 3β-acetoxy-5α-lanostane (IVa) has been evaluated as a route to 3β-acetoxy-20-oxo-4,4,14α-trimethyl-5α-pregnane (VI) and 3β-acetoxy-17-oxo-4,4,14-α-trimethyl-5α-androstane (VIIa). One of the principal oxidation products was 3β-acetoxy-25-oxo-5α-27-norlanostane (V). Transformation of 25-ketone V to 3β,24-dihydroxy-4,4,14α-trimethyl-5α-cholane (VIIIa) confirmed the structural assignment. Although small amounts of 20-oxo-pregnane VI and 17-oxo-androstane VIIa were detected among the oxidation products, stepwise degradation of lanosterol was considered a more satisfactory route to these substances.
Doubly Bonded Metalloid Functions, R 1 C(X) SiR 2 2 , R 1 C(X) BR 2 , R 1 C(X) GeR 2 2

Recent advances in the preparation of oxasilenes, silasilenes, and germasilenes are described together with leading references to the chemistry of these molecules. The corresponding germanium and boron series remain poorly described in the literature.
Letting Go: Imagery and Symbolic Naming in Plato's Lysis

At the beginning of the Lysis, Socrates is walking from the Academy to the Lyceum (a good route for any Western philosopher), when he meets some young men who lure him into a new palaestra with the promise of logoi and kaloi. The dialogue which follows has been fairly generally felt to be charming, early, and not very well unified. Most scholars would call the subject of the discussion ‘Friendship’, but the inconclusive discussion of friendship does not apparently begin until the dialogue is almost half completed.I believe that the Lysis is unified, and that this unity can be most readily seen in two areas: (1) the role and character of the boy Lysis and (2) the simple and consistent use of repeated images or references drawn from three areas of life. These three categories of images, I think, are all related to each other and to the eponymous ‘hero’ of the dialogue, and an understanding of their use can help us to see that the subject of the dialogue is more complicated than ‘what is friendship?’, and that Plato's position is a good deal less inconclusive than the ending of the dialogue would lead us to believe.
Spatial Memory Activity Distributions Indicate the Hippocampus Operates in a Continuous Manner

There is a long-standing debate as to whether recollection is a continuous/graded process or a threshold/all-or-none process. In the current spatial memory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we examined the hippocampal activity distributions—the magnitude of activity as a function of memory strength—to determine the nature of processing in this region. During encoding, participants viewed abstract shapes in the left or right visual field. During retrieval, old shapes were presented at fixation and participants classified each shape as previously in the “left” or “right” visual field followed by an “unsure”–“sure”–“very sure” confidence rating. The contrast of left-hits and left-misses produced two activations in the hippocampus. The hippocampal activity distributions for left shapes and right shapes were completely overlapping. Critically, the magnitude of activity associated with right-miss-very sure responses was significantly greater than zero. These results support the continuous model of recollection, which predicts overlapping activity distributions, and contradict the threshold model of recollection, which predicts a threshold above which only one distribution exists. Receiver operating characteristic analysis did not distinguish between models. The present results demonstrate that the hippocampus operates in a continuous manner during recollection and highlight the utility of analyzing activity distributions to determine the nature of neural processing.
White Crappie Tank Culture and Out-of-Season Spawning

AbstractWhile extensive crappie culture has been practiced for decades, limited knowledge of crappie aquaculture methods has hampered the production potential of White Crappie Pomoxis annularis to a small time frame during the natural spawning season, which occurs only once annually. Out-of-season spawning of White Crappie could greatly enhance annual production potential. Therefore, White Crappie out-of-season spawning experiments were conducted from November to February in recirculating tank systems. After 2 weeks of simulated winter (10°C, 8 h light), photoperiod and temperature were increased to spring (22°C, 16 h light) conditions over 3 weeks (1°C and 30 min increase every 2 d) and 6 weeks (1°C and 30 min increase every 4 d). Fish were injected with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa; 100% priming dose and 100% resolving dose, 24 and 48 h later) and strip-spawned upon ovulation. The 3-week treatment (11 females : 10 males) induced 1 female to spawn with 11% fertilization rate. The 6-week t...
Intracranial Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma: Case Report and Literature Review

Background Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare and low-grade soft tissue lesion that typically arises from subcutaneous and deep dermal tissue of extremities. The first case was reported in 1979 by Enzinger and has since become known as a distinct entity. AFH has been increasingly reported in different organ systems, with rare reports of primary intracranial AFH. To date there have been 3 reports of intracranial AFH and 1 report of metastasis to the brain, most of which were in young adults. Case Description In this paper, we present a case of an older patient with a large, petrous apex AFH that was clinically mistaken for a trigeminal nerve schwannoma. We discuss radiographic and histologic features initially found and the findings that ultimately led to the diagnosis of AFH. We also discuss the findings noted in all other reports of intracranial AFH. Conclusion We present a rare case of intracranial AFH in a patient relatively old for onset of diagnosis. To date, only 3 prior cases of AFH have been reported. The radiographic findings were nonspecific and initially pointed toward a diagnosis of schwannoma, whereas histopathology seemed to initially suggest meningioma. Further pathologic consultation finally confirmed AFH as the diagnosis. We suspect there are more cases of intracranial AFH that are misdiagnosed due to variability of findings on pathology. The behavior of this tumor remains in question as 1 of the 3 reported cases demonstrated significant recurrence. As such, gross total resection of this lesion is preferable.
The Spectacle of a Good Half‐Widow: Women in Search of their Disappeared Men in the Kashmir Valley

After militancy for self-determination and Independence started in 1989 in the Kashmir Valley, more than eight thousand Kashmiri men have been subjected to enforced disappearance by the Indian Army. In 1994 the Association of Parents of the Disappeared Persons (APDP), a female-dominated movement, began to search for these disappeared men. In this article, I trace the everyday agency and activism of an APDP activist amid the entrenched militarization of Kashmir. In mainstream Western feminist understanding, gendered agency is often seen as aggressive and openly subversive. In this analysis, agency emerges as more nuanced than, and thus different from, a simple notion of confrontational resistance to oppression. I use the Foucauldian paradigm of micropolitics, specifically focusing on its biopolitical aspect, to ethnographically illustrate how a particular APDP activist performs and sustains her public activism. By theorizing the Kashmiri language's term Asal Zanan, which translates as “a good woman,” I illustrate how a finer understanding of agency emerges, which may not only appear in stereotypical and confrontational forms but also with deeply contextual and cultural nuances.
Pharmacologic and Metabolic Mitochondrial Rescue

Studies dating back four decades have implicated mitochondrial damage in the pathogenesis of cell injury during ischemia/reperfusion and hypoxia/reoxygenation. Multiple structural and biochemical changes have been described [1, 2]. These include development of condensation or swelling of the mitochondrial matrix depending on the stage of the lesion [3], impairment of electron transport most consistently involving complex I of the electron transport chain, but not limited to it [4, 5], functional abnormalities of other inner membrane proteins such as the adenine nucleotide translocase and the F1F0-ATPase [5, 6, 7, 8], and increases of inner membrane permeability [9, 10, 11]. However, the pathogenic significance of most of these changes and, indeed, the question of whether mitochondrial dysfunction plays a decisive role in cell injury remained subject to debate and uncertainty [1, 2, 5] because of a number of confounding factors. The mitochondrial inner membrane permeability alterations appeared to be nonspecific. Effects of massive post lethal cellular calcium influx confounded interpretation of more pathogenically relevant earlier events in many studies. The specific defect responsible for lethal plasma membrane damage during ATP depletion conditions that produce rapid, necrotic cell death was not defined. The importance of apoptotic cell death was not appreciated and its mechanisms were unknown. The vast majority of measurements used isolated mitochondria, which are subject to selection and further damage during their preparation and which, under typical in vitro study conditions, lack extra-mitochondrial protective mechanisms that modulate injury as it occurs within cells. In some instances, ATP depletion per se appeared to be insufficient to account for the cellular damage associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, and, in others [1], overall cellular injury was paradoxically promoted by energetic recovery.
Role of CCL5 and Interleukin-6 in the Biology of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia.

Abstract Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a B-cell malignancy that is characterized by the production of a monoclonal IgM protein, a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate in the bone marrow, and associated symptoms including anemia, lymphadenopathy and hyperviscosity. The aberrant production of a monoclonal IgM in the serum is a major factor causing significant morbidity in patients with this disease, yet little is known about the mechanisms that regulate monoclonal protein synthesis. While recent gene array studies and serum analysis have shown that IL-6 is elevated in WM patients suggesting an important role for this cytokine in this disease, the precise role played by IL-6 in WM is unknown. Using a multiplex ELISA approach to screen sera from WM patients, we confirmed that IL-6 was significantly elevated (p
Trends in National Institutes of Health-Funded Congenital Heart Disease Research from 2005 to 2015.

In an era of ongoing need for research to enable evidence-based care for the expanding population with congenital heart disease (CHD), economic fluctuations have impacted research funding. We characterize trends in NIH-funded CHD research from 2005 to 2015. We searched the NIH RePORTER database from 2005 to 2015 using the terms “congenital heart” and “cardiac morphogenesis”. Projects were characterized by year, institute, mechanism, costs, type and topic, and funding trends were analyzed. From 2005 to 2015, NIH funded 633 CHD research projects with total costs of $991 million. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute funded 83% of CHD projects (528, $857 million). The R01 mechanism was used for 45% of projects (288, $421 million). Projects were 70% basic/early translational research, 27% clinical research, and 3% both. Cardiac developmental biology was the most common topic (52%), followed by technology/therapy development (15%), and diagnosis/management (12%). The total number of CHD projects ranged from 153 to 221 per year (30–58 new projects/year), and costs per year ranged from $58 to $116 million. The number of projects and total costs increased until 2012, but decreased again thereafter. CHD research did not experience as much erosion as overall NIH purchasing power; in constant dollars, CHD research funding levels in 2015 were $12 million higher than those in 2005. The NIH supported a diverse portfolio of CHD projects from 2005 to 2015. Support of CHD research projects trended upward until 2012, but declined thereafter due to fiscal austerity measures.
Treatments to Prevent Bone Loss in Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that evaluated the effect of hormonal therapy [estrogen therapy including oral contraceptive pills (OCP)] and bisphosphonates in preventing bone loss in patients with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA). Methods We searched several electronic databases for controlled and noncontrolled studies that enrolled females of any age presenting with FHA (including athletic, weight loss, and stress-associated amenorrhea/oligomenorrhea) through 9 January 2017. The outcomes of interest were fractures and bone mineral density (BMD). Random effects meta-analysis was used to pool outcomes across studies expressed as weighted mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Nine studies reporting on 280 patients that received different hormonal therapies were included. We did not identify studies that evaluated bisphosphonates. Meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant increase in BMD of the lumbar spine in patients receiving hormonal therapy after a median follow-up of 12 months (weighted mean difference, 0.032 g/cm2; 95% CI, 0.017 to 0.047; percentage change in BMD, 3.30%; 95% CI, 1.74 to 4.86). There was no substantial effect of receiving hormonal therapy on BMD of the femoral neck, trochanteric region, Ward triangle, or total body BMD. The quality of evidence was low because of the high risk of bias, imprecision (small sample size), and indirectness (as BMD is a surrogate outcome). None of the studies reported the incidence of fractures. Conclusion The current evidence does not support using hormonal therapy for the sole purpose of improving bone health in patients with FHA. There are no data about bisphosphonates in this population.
Conceptualizing Organizational Policy in Principle and Practice

Recent large-scale changes prompted by the U.S. Affordable Care Act (ACA) have required many healthcare organizations to implement new information technology (IT) platforms as a means to effectively manage and adhere to the compliance mandates. In this paper I posit that policy implementation requires two types of artifacts: policy text documents dictating the federal mandates and technology tools through which people can actually perform a policy. To this point, I conceptualize policy implementation in organizations as a process of translation that constitutes both policy text and technology that are constitutively entangled. In the study, I observe how management translates a federally initiated policy into organizational policies and subsequently designs a new technology to support compliance with those policies. Taken together, the findings illustrate how technology and policy artifacts are shaped through communication.
The Everyday Soundscape: Sound and Mixed Aesthetic Modes in Dorothy Wordsworth’s Journals

ABSTRACTThis article considers the ways in which Dorothy Wordsworth’s discontent with available aesthetic modes is suggested by shifts in her observational stance from that of a distanced and autonomous viewer to that of an active and involved listener. Throughout the Grasmere Journal and the Alfoxden Journal, Wordsworth establishes herself as continuously situated within a sonic environment, simultaneously subject to the soundscape as a resonator and reciprocally contributing to it as a sounding body. Wordsworth’s approach to recording her listening experiences in the journals gives voice to a dynamic world, weaving its familiar “undersongs” and “strange sounds” into a sonic fabric of everyday life. Her receptivity to sound looks beyond the reign of the visual in picturesque landscape aesthetics and resonates presciently with twentieth- and twenty-first-century theories of sonic sensation. I argue that Wordsworth treats attunement to disorganized, even disharmonious sounds as generative of aesthetically ...
The Delinquents, 1643–1649

The history of parliament’s policy toward the royalists begins with an attack on certain of the king’s advisers styled delinquents by the party at Westminster. One of the nineteen propositions sent to Charles at York in July 1642 called for censure and punishment of all delinquents.1 Although at first no names were mentioned, later the framers of parliament’s program grew more specific. In the meantime, for all practical purposes, anyone refusing to contribute to parliament or otherwise evincing disinclination toward its measures was treated as a delinquent. Members of parliament who deserted the Houses to join the king were especially incriminated, nine of the peers who went to York being formally impeached, and more than fifty members of the Commons being expelled during the first four months of the war. 2 Arrests were common among those suspected of forwarding the king’s interests. Lord Montague of Boughton and the earls of Berkshire and Bath were among the first to be seized, and by August 1643 the private houses in London utilized as prisons were alarmingly full, and parliament resolved to confine delinquents on board ships in the Thames. 3 Public antagonism toward parliament was cause for arrest, one Elizabeth Humphries being fined forty nobles for saying, “The devil take the parliament.”
The Dangers of Overconfidence and Absolute Certainty in the Age of Post-Truth, Junk Science, and Arrogance

A major threat to the success of a society or organization is the feeling of certainty. It is clear that people overestimate how much they actually know. This paper will examine the dangers of certainty. People who have too much confidence in their opinions may actually have a mental flaw that can be dangerous. Moreover, much of the research in areas such as medicine and management cannot be replicated and turns out to be untrue. In fact, doctors only make about 15% of decisions using scientifically valid studies.