cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulse stacking in the SCA/FEL external cavity

Abstract There are many potential advantages to be obtained by coherently stacking successive FEL micropulses inside a resonator external to the FEL itself. Although the concept is simple, its paractical implementation requires dealing successfully with several issues. The accumulation of energy from the FEL requires that the external cavity have reasonably low losses, that its length and alignment be stable, and that the FEL beam be properly matched. If the accumulated energy is to be extracted from the cavity, then additional problems arise. At the Stanford FEL Center we have been studying these questions, both experimentally and theoretically, with the goal of implementing a practical system. Accumulation of micropulses with more than 75 times the energy of the incident micropulses has been demonstrated, and a system has been designed utilizing photo-induced reflectivity to provide mid-infrared (4–10 μm) micropulses at a 1 kHz rate and with 35 times the energy of individual FEL micropulses.
Intervention efficacy and intensity for children with speech sound disorder.

Purpose Clinicians do not have an evidence base they can use to recommend optimum intervention intensity for preschool children who present with speech sound disorder (SSD). This study examined the...
Development and Influence of Statewide Axle Load Spectra on Flexible Pavement Performance

The Mechanistic—Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) developed under NCHRP Project 1-37A requires new inputs for traffic characterization. One important traffic input is axle load distribution factors, or axle load spectra. These spectra represent the percentage of the total axle applications within each load interval for single, tandem, tridem, and quad axles. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department sponsored research to develop statewide axle load spectra and evaluate the significance of the developed inputs in the MEPDG. Of 25 weigh-in-motion sites selected for this study, only 10 stations provided good weight data for development of statewide axle load spectra. On the basis of the available weight data, statewide axle load spectra for single, tandem, and tridem axles were developed. However, the data contained few quad axles; therefore, statewide quad-axle load spectra were not generated. A sensitivity analysis related to the axle load spectra showed a significant difference in pre...
A Midlatitude Cumulus Parameterization that Incorporates Cloudtop Entrainment

Abstract In this paper we present a Kuo-type cumulus parameterization that includes a steady state one-dimensional cloudtop entraining cloud model and ice phase microphysics. Heating profiles computed with this parameterization are compared with those computed using the Kuo scheme and Anthes' scheme using data from SESAME-79. The results indicate that the downward flux of environmental air during storm evolution plays an important role in modification of the heating profile during the growth phase of a storm.
Litter accumulation promotes dominance of invasive species of cattails (Typha spp.) in Lake Ontario wetlands

Wetlands of the Great Lakes region are increasingly dominated by invasive cattails (Typha angustifolia and Typha X glauca) which form dense stands of live and dead biomass that may reduce plant diversity. We hypothesized that differences in plant litter accumulation explain cattail dominance under certain hydrologic regimes related to wetland hydrogeologic setting. We investigated cattail abundance, litter accumulation, and species density in three bayside wetlands hydrologically connected and three protected wetlands hydrologically isolated from Lake Ontario. Mean litter biomass was higher in bayside wetlands (1.7-2.6 vs. 0.4-1.2 kg/m 2 ) and negatively related to species density (p 5 0.004) in both settings. A litter addition experiment demonstrated that fallen litter negatively influenced seedling survival (p 5 0.061) and species density (p 5 0.024). Decomposition rates accounted only partially for higher overall litter accumulation in bayside wetlands. Growing season water levels in bayside wetlands tracked Lake Ontario levels and showed less variation than protected wetlands. More stable water levels and higher density of standing dead stems in bayside wetlands may limit litter fragmentation, resulting in greater litter accumulation. Thus, anthropogenic and natural factors affecting cattail litter production, fragmentation, and decomposition could influence species diversity in coastal wetlands.
Systematic engineering of phytochelatin synthesis and arsenic transport for enhanced arsenic accumulation in E. coli.

Phytochelatin (PC) is a naturally occurring peptide with high affinity towards arsenic (As). In this article, we demonstrated the systematic engineering of PC-producing E. coli for As accumulation by addressing different bottlenecks in PC synthesis as well as As transport. Phytochelatin synthase from Schizosaccharomyces pombe (SpPCS) was expressed in E. coli resulting in 18 times higher As accumulation. PC production was further increased by co-expressing a feedback desensitized g-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GshI � ), resulting in 30-fold higher PC levels and additional 2-fold higher As accumulation. The signifi- cantly increased PC levels were exploited further by co- expressing an arsenic transporter GlpF, leading to an addi- tional 1.5-fold higher As accumulation. These engineering steps were finally combined in an arsenic efflux deletion E. coli strain to achieve an arsenic accumulation level of 16.8 mmol/gDCW, a 80-fold improvement when compared to a control strain not producing phytochelatins. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;105: 780-785.
Recruitment of Mad1 to metaphase kinetochores is sufficient to reactivate the mitotic checkpoint

The mitotic checkpoint monitors kinetochore–microtubule attachment and prevents anaphase until all kinetochores are stably attached. Checkpoint regulation hinges on the dynamic localization of checkpoint proteins to kinetochores. Unattached, checkpoint-active kinetochores accumulate multiple checkpoint proteins, which are depleted from kinetochores upon stable attachment, allowing checkpoint silencing. Because multiple proteins are recruited simultaneously to unattached kinetochores, it is not known what changes at kinetochores are essential for anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) inhibition. Using chemically induced dimerization to manipulate protein localization with temporal control, we show that recruiting the checkpoint protein Mad1 to metaphase kinetochores is sufficient to reactivate the checkpoint without a concomitant increase in kinetochore levels of Mps1 or BubR1. Furthermore, Mad2 binding is necessary but not sufficient for Mad1 to activate the checkpoint; a conserved C-terminal motif is also required. The results of our checkpoint reactivation assay suggest that Mad1, in addition to converting Mad2 to its active conformation, scaffolds formation of a higher-order mitotic checkpoint complex at kinetochores.
Epidemiology 101: the new frontier

An introductory course in epidemiology for pre-baccalaureate junior and senior undergraduate students is described as part of a Public Health Option programme. The course was similar to that given in schools of public health with additional material on vital statistics. It was well received by the students and stimulated several students to enter graduate programmes in epidemiology in schools of public health. Epidemiology has now matured as an independent scientific discipline so that consideration should be given to establishing University Departments of Epidemiology similar to those in such fields as statistics and biology.
Metric Engineering of Soft Molecular Host Frameworks

The self-assembly and solid-state structures of host-guest inclusion compounds with lamellar architectures based on a common building block, a resilient hydrogen-bonded sheet consisting of guanidinium ions and sulfonate moieties of organodisulfonate "pillars", are described. The pillars connect adjacent sheets to generate galleries with molecular-scale cavities occupied by guest molecules. The size, shape, and physicochemical character of the inclusion cavities can be systematically adjusted by interchanging framework components while maintaining the lamellar architecture, enabling prediction and control of crystal lattice metrics with a precision that is unusual for "crystal engineering". The reliability of the lamellar architecture is a direct consequence of conformational flexibility exhibited by these hosts that, unlike rigid systems, enables them to achieve optimal packing with guest molecules. The adaptability of these hosts is further reflected by an architectural isomerism that is driven by guest templating during assembly of the inclusion compounds. Host frameworks constructed with various pillars display metric interdependences among specific structural features that reveal a common mechanism by which these soft frameworks adapt to different guests. This unique feature facilitates structure prediction and provides guidance for the design of inclusion compounds based on these hosts.
Platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) for androgenetic alopecia.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) treatment on androgenetic alopecia. Prospective cohort study of 15 (9 male and 6 female) subjects with androgenetic alopecia for at least 1 year who were treated with intradermal injections of autologous PRFM three times on a monthly basis. Hair density indices were measured in triplicate in the same area of the scalp before the treatment and 1, 2, 3 and 6 months after initial treatment. Hair density index (HDI) measurements were obtained and compared with pretreatment values for each subject. After a series of three intradermal PRFM injections, hair density indices increased significantly at 2 (47.4 ± 22.7%, p = 0.0031) and 3 (106.4 ± 56.9%, p = 0.0277, paired t-test) months after the initial treatment, and approached statistical significance at 6 months (75.1 ± 46.82%, p = 0.0606) after the initial treatment. Patients who achieved greater than 25% increase in HDI by 2 months after the initial treatment were more likely to have greater than 25% improvement at 6 months after the initial treatment (100 vs. 16.7%, p = 0.0476). Androgenetic alopecia affects a significant number of both men and women. A series of intradermal injections of autologous PRFM increased the HDI in patients with androgenetic alopecia at 2 and 3 months after initial treatment; this improvement approached statistical significance at 6 months after initiating treatment. Autologous PRFM injections may be a valuable treatment for androgenetic alopecia, particularly in cases with mild hair loss. The level of evidence is level 2.
Mitral Stenosis with Exertional Cyanosis and Pulmonary Hemosiderosis

A patient with mitral stenosis is reported who suffered from exertional cyanosis for the last eight years of his life. Radiologic examination of his chest demonstrated a diffuse pulmonary hemosiderosis, which was confirmed at autopsy. Physiologic studies in the last few weeks of life showed that the cyanosis was not due to impairment of oxygenation of the blood in the lungs but rather to slowed circulation, possibly augmented by local changes in the anatomy of the vessels of the skin.
Highly effective contraception and acquisition of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections

A key question for clinicians is whether an aetiological association exists between highly effective contraceptive methods and women's risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The authors searched the peer-reviewed literature for prospective studies published from January 1966 to August 2008 that assessed contraception and STI/HIV risk. The focus was on combined oral contraceptives (OCs), depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), the T380a copper intra-uterine device (IUD) and the risk of infection with HIV, Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Current data suggest that neither OCs nor DMPA increase HIV risk among women in the general population. Data are equivocal for women in high-risk groups (e.g. sex workers). Current data suggest an increased risk of chlamydial infection associated with OC use, with weaker evidence supporting a harmful effect of DMPA. Reports of OCs and gonococcal infection are inconsistent, and DMPA does not appear to be associated with gonorrhoea acquisition. Data suggest no increased STI/HIV risk among copper IUD users. Prospective data on highly effective contraceptive methods and women's STI/HIV risk are limited, and many studies have important methodological weaknesses. Additional information about the STI/HIV risks associated with these highly effective contraceptive methods is needed.
Lithium Treatment for Post-Head Injury Volatility.

Neurobehavioral problems are very common sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI), occurring in more than 60% of patients in a series, and they are strong predictors of poor social and vocational outcome. The literature on pharmacologic treatment of these problems unfortunately consistsmostly of uncontrolled case reports and series confounded by diagnostic imprecision, short follow-up, and polypharmacy. This is especially the case with lithium, with almost all published articles beingmore than 30 years old. Indeed, in literature of this era, there are some poorly substantiated suggestions that lithium is contraindicated in “organic brain syndrome” a rumor that is still sometimes heard today. Nevertheless, this older literature strongly suggests its potential utility in at least a subpopulation of patients with TBI. We describe the case of a patient, Mr. A, who had a history of severe TBI whose behavioral volatility had persisted for 23 years but improved markedly with lithium monotherapy.
Asymmetries in premating isolating mechanisms in a sympatric species flock of pupfish (Cyprinodon)

We examine cues used in assortative mating in a sympatric species flock of pupfishes (Cyprinodon) from San Salvador Island, The Bahamas. The species are morphologically, genetically, and ecologically distinct. We focus on 2 species, a generalist detritivore and a predator/scale-eater. Experiments show that premating isolation is based primarily on visual cues and is asymmetrical. It is well developed in the less abundant scale-eater but is much less well developed in the more abundant detritivore. Responses of detritivore females from 3 lakes to conspecific and scale-eater males suggest that abundance of the predator also affects development of premating isolating mechanisms in the prey species. These results highlight the importance of frequency-dependent selection and predators in the evolution of premating isolating mechanisms.
Optimizing Care in Diabetes: a Quixotic Challenge

Reported elsewhere in this issue is an analysis by the Division of Diabetes Translation (a component of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) of follow-up data linked to National Health Interview Surveys noting that, in both sexes, American adults with diabetes surveyed between 1997 and 2006 had a substantial decline in absolute mortality rate compared with nondiabetic adults (1). The authors caution that this favorable news may be modulated by a future rise in diabetes prevalence should diabetes incidence not be “curtailed.” Inferred from this study is affirmation of two main current strategic clinical goals to cope with pandemic diabetes: 1 ) reduction of the rate of new-onset diabetes and 2 ) interdiction of potentially fatal complications in individuals with diagnosed diabetes. Intervention to modify lifestyle has been termed “the most important single action to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus” (2). As advocated by the International Diabetes Federation, as much as 80% of new-onset diabetes may be preventable by combining increased physical activity, weight loss, and reduced consumption of sugar and saturated fat (3). Modifying lifestyle to include eating five or more fruits and vegetables daily, regular exercise, no more than moderate alcohol consumption, and not smoking tobacco, sharply reduced the risk of all-cause mortality in 11,761 adult men and women participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (4). A major problem in attempting to sustain lifestyle changes, however, is that without continuous medical team support and encouragement, adherence to a healthy lifestyle pattern was noted to decrease over an 18-year period of surveillance, with documented reduction in practice of three of five healthy lifestyle habits (5). Fradkin (6) recently assessed contemporary diabetes management, finding it to be “suboptimal, particularly in …
La voz del agua, la voz que nos lleva a soñar

The study deals with the analysis of Merinos story La voz del agua (from the collection of sto- ries 50 cuentos y una fabula, 1997) and shows not only authors conception of the fantastic but also his approach towards writing about existential questions of the being, in the first place the questions of identity and solitu- de. Its comparison with Cortazars story La noche boca arriba follows.
Gefitinib Therapy for Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and toxicity of gefitinib in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).DATA SOURCES:Primary literature search through MEDLINE and CANCERLIT, and abstract presentations (1966–May 2003).STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:All published trials and abstracts citing gefitinib were evaluated, and all information deemed relevant was included in this article.DATA SYNTHESIS:NSCLC is known to overexpress epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Gefitinib is a selective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Based on the Phase I/II trial results, the optimal dose is 250 mg/d orally. It is well tolerated, with minimal and reversible toxicity. Skin rash and diarrhea are the most common adverse effects. Recent trials have shown that gefitinib provided a 10% tumor response rate and improved disease-related symptoms in patients with refractory, advanced NSCLC.CONCLUSIONS:Gefitinib, with a unique mechanism of action and favorable toxicity profile, has demonstrat...
Effects of weather on agricultural crops and livestock: an overview

Weather plays a major role in determining the success of agricultural pursuits. Most field crops are dependent solely upon weather to provide life‐sustaining water and energy. Livestock are also dependent upon weather for their comfort and food supplies. Occasionally, adverse weather conditions can cause production losses, especially if experienced during critical stages of growth. Individual elements of weather influence crops and livestock in particular ways. However, the combination of all weather elements occurring simultaneously can have additive effects. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of effects the individual elements of weather (solar radiation, temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind) have on the physiology and production of agricultural plants and animals.
Information-Based Trading and the Bid-Ask Spread

We analyze the equilibrium spread when the transaction size of informed traders is elastic in the value of private information (α). We show that the pooling equilibrium is likely to be inefficient when trade size is sensitive to α and the inefficient equilibrium can occur before the market breaks down. The pooling equilibrium spread does not monotonically increase with α, although it increases with the elasticity of informed trades to α. The upper bound of the elasticity of informed trades for the market to remain open for the active specialist is higher than the corresponding value for the passive specialist when the specialist has enough leverage over brokers.
Conservation in a cup of water: estimating biodiversity and population abundance from environmental DNA.

Three mantras often guide species and ecosystem management: (i) for preventing invasions by harmful species, ‘early detection and rapid response’; (ii) for conserving imperilled native species, ‘protection of biodiversity hotspots’; and (iii) for assessing biosecurity risk, ‘an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure.’ However, these and other management goals are elusive when traditional sampling tools (e.g. netting, traps, electrofishing, visual surveys) have poor detection limits, are too slow or are not feasible. One visionary solution is to use an organism’s DNA in the environment (eDNA), rather than the organism itself, as the target of detection. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Thomsen et al. (2012) provide new evidence demonstrating the feasibility of this approach, showing that eDNA is an accurate indicator of the presence of an impressively diverse set of six aquatic or amphibious taxa including invertebrates, amphibians, a fish and a mammal in a wide range of freshwater habitats. They are also the first to demonstrate that the abundance of eDNA, as measured by qPCR, correlates positively with population abundance estimated with traditional tools. Finally, Thomsen et al. (2012) demonstrate that next-generation sequencing of eDNA can quantify species richness. Overall, Thomsen et al. (2012) provide a revolutionary roadmap for using eDNA for detection of species, estimates of relative abundance and quantification of biodiversity.
3-Morpholinopropyl isothiocyanate is a novel synthetic isothiocyanate that strongly induces the antioxidant response element-dependent Nrf2-mediated detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes in vitro and in vivo

The induction of NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2)-mediated detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes is recognized as an effective strategy for cancer chemoprevention. Here, we report that 3-morpholinopropyl isothiocyanate (3MP-ITC) is an exceptionally strong chemical inducer of these enzymes. Exposure of 3MP-ITC in HepG2C8 cells not only induced endogenous Nrf2 protein but also suppressed endogenous Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, resulting in an increased nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. Using chemical inhibitors of protein synthesis (cycloheximide) and 26S proteosomal degradation (MG-132), we observed that the induction of Nrf2 protein by 3MP-ITC appeared to be post-translationally regulated. 3MP-ITC activated ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 and the activation of antioxidant response element (ARE) by 3MP-ITC was significantly attenuated by chemical inhibition of PKC and PI3K signaling pathways in HepG2C8 cells. Treatment with 3MP-ITC significantly depleted the intracellular level of glutathione (GSH) in HepG2C8 cells and oral administration of 3MP-ITC increased the protein expression of hepatic NAD[P]H:quinone oxidoreductase-1 and Nrf2 in Nrf2 (+/+) but not in Nrf2 (-/-) mice, whereas UDP-glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 was induced in both genotypes. Our results indicate that 3MP-ITC is a novel ITC that strongly induces Nrf2-dependent ARE-mediated detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes in vitro and in vivo via the Nrf2 signaling pathway coupled with GSH depletion and activation of multiple signaling kinase pathways, which could be potentially useful agent for cancer chemoprevention.
Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) binds to the cell surface and translocates to the nucleus of human MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells.

To study cellular and subcellular localization of TIMP-1, we constructed a cDNA which would express a chimeric protein, TIMP-1-EGFP, having the enhanced green fluorescent protein of the jelly fishAequorea victoriafused to the carboxyl-terminus of TIMP-1. Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells were stably transfected with the TIMP-1-EGFP expressing plasmid. The secreted chimera was processed through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi, as was shown by fluorescent confocal microscopy after incubations at temperatures which block processing at the intermediate compartment and thetrans-Golgi network. In a co-culture system, secreted TIMP-1-EGFP could be visualized binding to the surface of MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells but not non-neoplastic HBL-100 breast epithelial cells. TIMP-1-EGFP localized to the nucleus of MCF-7 cells after 72 hrs in co-culture. These findings suggest that TIMP-1 may preferentially bind to and be taken up by malignant breast epithelial cells and that TIMP-1 may play a yet unidentified role in nuclear functions.
Comparing Apples and Oranges: Fifteen Years of Definitions of Giftedness in Research.

The lack of a unified definition of giftedness leads researchers to use very different operationalizations when selecting a sample of gifted individuals for use in research. We found 104 empirical ...
A Novel Heterozygous Mutation in Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ Gene in a Patient with Familial Partial Lipodystrophy

Familial partial lipodystrophies (FPL) are a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders characterized by marked loss of subcutaneous (sc) fat from the extremities. Affected individuals show an increased preponderance of insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. Recently, lamin A/C gene mutations were found in patients with FPL, Dunnigan variety. However, the genetic basis of other phenotypes remains unknown. We studied peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) gene as a candidate gene in seven FPL patients who did not appear to have Dunnigan variety. Analysis of the coding region of PPARG revealed C to T heterozygous mutation at nucleotide 1273 in exon 6 which changes a highly conserved residue, arginine at position 425 to cysteine (R425C) in the patient FX200.21. The patient is a 64-year-old nonHispanic white woman who developed diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia at age 32 years and lipodystrophy of the extremities and face at age 50 years. She also had hirsutism. Anthropometry and whole body magnetic resonance imaging revealed marked loss of sc fat particularly from the extremities but sc truncal fat was slightly increased. None of the four unaffected family members harbored the mutation. We conclude that heterozygous, R425C, mutation in PPARG could be the molecular basis for one of the familial partial lipodystrophy phenotypes.
Comprehensive approach to pulmonary image analysis

Results of the ongoing medical image analysis project leading towards development of a comprehensive suite of methods and tools for quantitative pulmonary image analysis from multi-detector CT image data are presented. This includes methodology for segmentation of lung, lung lobe, bronchial tree and vascular tree, together with methods for quantitative analysis of the segmented structures. Methods for matching of structures over time that allow longitudinal comparisons of the measured quantitative indices are discussed. In addition, texture analysis and pattern recognition techniques used for tissue characterization of pulmonary parenchyma, and validation results, are reported. The future directions of quantitative and highly automated approaches to pulmonary image analysis are addressed.
The Eucharistic Theology and Ethics of Balthasar Hubmaier

During the initial decade of the Protestant Reformation, the German Anabaptist theologian Balthasar Hubmaier (1480–1528)1 functioned as a transitional figure between radical and magisterial reform. This observation is seen most clearly in the fact that Hubmaier, while concurring with his Anabaptist coreligionists on the necessity of believers’ baptism, dissented from their anti-statism and strict pacifism.2 Earning his doctor theologiae from the University of Ingolstadt under famous Catholic polemicist John Eck in 1512, Hubmaier was an essentially independent thinker who employed his academic training in an attempt to formulate doctrine that not only transcended the controversies of his day but also pointed Christians to the necessity of spiritual formation within a life of common discipleship. With this approach, Hubmaier turned to the Eucharist, second only to justification as the most divisive doctrine of the sixteenth century.3 Hubmaier objected to Roman Catholic transubstantiation, Lutheran consubstantiation, and Zwinglian sacramentarianism on the grounds that all of them, in their concern with the status of the elements, had lost sight of the internal transformation that Christ accomplishes in the faithful during the meal.
New global positioning system reference station in Brazil

Co-located very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and global positioning system (GPS) reference stations were installed near Fortaleza, Brazil, in 1993. Both have been important in the realization and maintenance of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame. A new-generation GPS system was installed in 2005 to replace the original station. Experience gained in the prior 12 years was used to improve the design of the GPS antenna mount. Preliminary indications are greatly improved data quality from the new station. Simultaneous observations from the nearly half-year of overlapping operation have been used to determine the local tie between the new and old GPS reference points to about 1 mm accuracy. This can be used to update the 1993 survey tie between the original GPS and the VLBI points, although there are questions about the accuracy of that measurement based on a comparison with space geodetic data. A test of removing the conical radome over the old GPS antenna indicates that it has biased the station height by about 16 mm downward, which probably accounts for most of the previous survey discrepancy.
Chlorination by-products in drinking water and menstrual cycle function

We analyzed data from a prospective study of menstrual cycle function and early pregnancy loss to explore further the effects of trihalomethanes (THM) on reproductive end points. Premenopausal women ((italic)n(/italic) = 403) collected urine samples daily during an average of 5.6 cycles for measurement of steroid metabolites that were used to define menstrual parameters such as cycle and phase length. Women were asked about consumption of various types of water as well as other habits and demographics. A THM level was estimated for each cycle based on residence and quarterly measurements made by water utilities during a 90-day period beginning 60 days before the cycle start date. We found a monotonic decrease in mean cycle length with increasing total THM (TTHM) level; at > 60 microg/L, the adjusted decrement was 1.1 days [95% confidence interval (CI), -1.8 to -0.40], compared with less than or equal to 40 microg/L. This finding was also reflected as a reduced follicular phase length (difference -0.94 day; 95% CI, -1.6 to -0.24). A decrement in cycle and follicular phase length of 0.18 days (95% CI, -0.29 to -0.07) per 10 microg/L unit increase in TTHM concentration was found. There was little association with luteal phase length, menses length, or cycle variability. Examining the individual THMs by quartile, we found the greatest association with chlorodibromomethane or the sum of the brominated compounds. Incorporating tap water consumption showed a similar pattern of reduced cycle length with increasing TTHM exposure. These findings suggest that THM exposure may affect ovarian function and should be confirmed in other studies.
Imaging the Internal Structure of the Rat Cochlea Using Optical Coherence Tomography at 0.827 μm and 1.3 μm

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to use high-speed optical coherence tomography (OCT) to obtain cross-sectional images of the rat cochlea. Study design and methods The cochleae of Sprague- Dawley rats were imaged within 2 to 4 hours after death. Specimens were prepared by removing the bulla to expose the mesotympanum; some images were obtained in intact temporal bones removed from the cranium. The central element of an OCT imaging device is a Michelson interferometer combined with a low-coherence light source. This study used 2 OCT systems with different light sources: 1) a semiconductor optical amplifier operating and 2) a superluminescent diode with peak emissions wavelengths of 1.3 μm and 827 nm, respectively. Images (1.87 × 2.00 mm or 1.87 × 1.00 mm, 10 × 10 μm pixel resolution) were acquired at a frame rate of 1 Hz. Cross-sectional images at 100-μm increments were obtained from a medial-to-lateral direction. Results The scala vestibuli, scala media, scala tympani, modiolus, spiral ligament, and several turns of the cochlea were identified. Conclusion These images reflect the ability of OCT to provide images of the internal cochlea structure with micron scale resolution and at near-real time frame rates.
Readings of Winnicott

This article, part of a larger project examining the significance of Donald W. Winnicott’s contributions to research, teaching, and clinical care across psychology, religion, and theology, is written with this broad question in mind: What are Winnicott’s writings about? I draw from a study I carried out that concludes that Winnicott’s writings can be understood in terms of two “readings” (Ricoeur 1970)—expressing (a) a developmental–existential point of view and (b) a notion of being religious—of a network of six “theoretical ideas” (Stausberg 2009): early experience in infancy, transition, connecting and disconnecting, creative space, holding (and being held) and holding onto, and facilitating. This article outlines the contours of these two readings of the fifth set of theoretical ideas—holding (and being held) and holding onto—and spells out some implications.
Behavioral and Cognitive View on Sexual Perversion

Although there is a vast literature in the behavioral tradition on general principles of learning theory and the acquisition of behaviors, and a more recent emphasis on the role of cognitions in clinical disorders, there is a scarcity of integrated conceptualizations of these elements as related to the etiology and maintenance of sexual perversions. Unlike the psychodynamic orientations that have generated a variety of rich, if speculative, theories on the development of sexual perversions, the behavioral and more contemporary cognitive-behavioral integrations display a dearth of explanatory themes on sexual deviations, although they have made significant contributions to this field through their pragmatic treatment approaches.1 In this chapter, we will review some of the basic behavioral and cognitive views on the formation of sexual perversion, and also attempt to articulate a more coherent view on the genesis of sexual deviation within the tradition of learning theory.
Transient right bundle branch block: A rare manifestation in cardiac contusion.

Transient right bundle branch block following blunt cardiac injury is a known but under-recognized manifestation of cardiac contusion. The first case documented in the medical literature occurred in 1952 in a 22-year-old man who was thrown from a motorcycle. Due to their relatively anterior location, the right ventricle and right bundle branch are at particular risk of injury in contusion. We present here a case in which a 24-year-old man suffered a blunt chest trauma leading to a right bundle branch block and elevated troponin levels, consistent with cardiac contusion. His conduction system abnormalities rapidly resolved and he recovered completely, with no clinical sequelae.
Product distribution change in the early stages of carbon monoxide hydrogenation over cobalt magnesium Fischer-Tropsch catalyst

Abstract The catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide, known as the Fischer-Tropsch process, is a technologically important, complex multipath reaction which produces long chain hydrocarbons. In order to access the initial kinetics and the mechanism, we developed a reactor that provides information under non-steady state conditions. We tested a CoMgO catalyst and monitored the initial product formation within 2 s of exposure to CO as well as the time dependence of high molecular weight products (in a 60 s window) and found drastic changes in the product selectivity. The probability for forming branched isomers (C4 and C5) peaks in the first 25 s, and within that time frame no unsaturated products were detected. The subsequent decline (at ∼35 to 40 s) of branched isomers coincides with the detection of olefins (from C2 to C5) and the change in carbon coverage at the surface of the catalyst. This indicates a change in the reaction pathway.
Chromium Speciation by On-line Separation and Preconcentration on Surfactant Modified Clinoptilolite Zeolite with Detection by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A sequential injection procedure for chromium speciation coupled to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry was developed by using a micro-column packed with clinoptilolite zeolite modified with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide(HDTMAB).A linear range of 0.1~3.0 μg/L for chromium(Ⅵ) was obtained along with a limit of detection of 0.03 μg/L.The precision was derived to be 3.7%(n=5) at 1.0 μg/L Cr(Ⅵ),and an enrichment factor of 5.6 was achieved with a sampling frequency of 16/h.The procedure was applied for the speciation of chromium in a certified reference material of water GBW08608,and the obtained result agreed well with the certified value.Recovery test was performed for a tap water sample,and the results were satisfactory.
A phase I trial of docetaxel combined with synthetic lycopene in subjects with metastatic prostate cancer.

e16109 Background: Lycopene, the red pigment in tomatoes, has been show to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in tissue culture and animal models. We have shown that lycopene acts synergis...
Thermal limitations of two-dimensional semi-metallic WTe 2 devices

Layered semi-metallic materials other than graphene have not received much attention. Here, we examine electrical and thermal transport in WTe 2 devices by experiments, analytical and finite element simulations. We uncover that few-layer WTe 2 has remarkably high current density but ultra-low thermal conductivity, suggesting potential use as phase-change memory electrodes.
Human parechovirus and enterovirus initiate distinct CNS innate immune responses: Pathogenic and diagnostic implications.

Abstract Background Human parechovirus (HPeV) and enterovirus (EV) cause a range of human diseases including serious CNS infections. Little is known regarding the immune response to HPeV meningitis compared to EV meningitis or how the immune response to HPeV reflects its pathogenesis. Objective To characterize the innate immune response to HPeV CNS infection in order to increase our understanding of HPeV pathogenesis and possibly help identify HPeV in the clinical setting. Study design CSF samples from 13 patients with HPeV meningitis, 7 patients with EV meningitis, and 11 patients negative for CNS infections were analyzed for chemokines/cytokines using multiplex ELISA assays. Results CSF levels of the majority of cytokines/chemokines analyzed were significantly higher in patients with EV meningitis (EV group) compared to patients with HPeV meningitis (HPeV group) and controls. In the HPeV group, a small number of cytokine/chemokine levels were higher than controls; however, these levels were either significantly lower or not significantly different compared to the EV group. IL-6 levels were lower in HPeV than in both EV and controls. Conclusions The immune response to HPeV CNS infection differs from that of EV. Distinct patterns of cytokine/chemokine expression in HPeV infections suggest HPeV-mediated modulation of the immune response. HPeV disrupts the interferon cascade and seems to interfere with early inflammatory signaling. Although HPeV elicits a predominantly muted immune reaction, a partial, general infectious-type cytokine/chemokine response does occur. Beyond providing insight into HPeV pathogenesis, the identified cytokine/chemokine profile may aid in early detection of HPeV infection.
After Legitimacy: Next Generation Public Administration Theory

AbstractAnumber of major conceptual shifts in social theory appear to be occurring, suggesting the possibility of a paradigmatic change in the field of public administration. The first of these is ...
Janet E. Halley, Split Decisions: How and Why to Take a Break from Feminism

My overarching reaction to Janet Halley’s recent book, Split Decisions: How and Why to Take a Break from Feminism, can be summarized with a one sentence cliche: The perfect is the enemy of the good.
Listening to the Ocean in the Desert

The author describes her artistic process and works exploring the recontextualization of recorded sounds into radically different environments, such as the ocean and the desert. Such unusual juxtapositions of place aim to stimulate awareness of technological mediation and the processes we rely on to build knowledge of environmental issues. The artworks do this by focusing on a physiological experience that combines the senses, thereby activating an experiential affect that may stimulate a sense of remote presence, empathy and curiosity to more fully understand distant and diverse ecologies that we cannot otherwise access.
Rack1 maintains intestinal homeostasis by protecting the integrity of the epithelial barrier.

Our findings reveal a novel function for Rack1 in maintaining intestinal homeostasis by protecting the epithelial barrier. Rack1 loss results in a patchy, erosive, hemorrhagic, inflammatory enteroc...
Topical vancomycin and its effect on survival and migration of osteoblasts, fibroblasts, and myoblasts: An in vitro study

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of topical vancomycin on cell migration and survival of tissue healing cells. Human osteoblasts, myoblasts and fibroblasts were exposed to vancomycin at concentrations of 1, 3, 6, or 12 mg/cm2 for either a 1-h or 48-h (continuous) duration. Continuous exposure to all vancomycin concentrations significantly reduced cell survival (
Paylean alters myosin heavy chain isoform content in pig muscle.

Feeding beta-adrenergic agonists promotes muscle growth. Early histological techniques failed to show precisely how feeding ractopamine-HCl (Paylean) alters muscle growth in pigs. To understand these effects, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the abundance of each adult skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain isoform, one means of assigning muscle fiber type, in fast and slow muscles of pigs fed Paylean. Sixty growing pigs (-85 kg) were randomly assigned to three Paylean doses (0, 20, or 60 ppm). At 3, 7, 14, 28, and 42 d of treatment, four pigs per dose were harvested and white (WST) and red (RST) semitendinosus and longissimus (LM) muscles were removed and processed, and myosin heavy chain was quantified by ELISA. Feeding Paylean enhanced (P < 0.05) pigs' average daily gain. Muscle myosin heavy chain (slow, 2A, 2AX, and 2B) composition differed (P < 0.05) across muscles. Compared with LM, RST contained approximately five times more (P < 0.0001) slow and type 2A myosin heavy chain and three times more 2AX myosin heavy chain but nearly undetectable amounts of 2B myosin heavy chain. Myosin heavy chain composition of the WST closely resembled that of the LM (i.e., greater 2AX and 2B and less slow and 2A). After 42d of 60 ppm Paylean, the amount of slow, 2A, and 2AX myosin heavy chain decreased (P < 0.05) across the three muscles whereas the amount of 2B myosin heavy chain increased (P < 0.05). In contrast, relative amounts of 2A and 2AX myosin heavy chain increased (P < 0.05) in muscle of control pigs at 42d. Changes associated with the 20-ppm dose were intermediate to and different from (P < 0.05) control and 60 ppm treatments. Correlations (P < 0.05) among various myosin heavy chain within muscles suggest that slow, type 2A, and 2X decrease with increases in 2B myosin heavy chain. These data show that administration of Paylean affects myosin heavy chain isoform composition in a time- and dose-dependent manner and provides a mechanism of action for Paylean altering animal growth.
Open bronchus technique: another arrow in the quiver for the minimally invasive thoracic surgeon.

The evolution of minimally invasive thoracic surgery (MITS) over time has been quite fascinating. As surgeons have gained more experience in thoracoscopic operations, they have become more prolific in innovating techniques to overcome various challenges and improve patient outcomes. There are few remaining absolute contraindications to MITS thanks to the patience, persistence and ability to think outside the box demonstrated by minimally invasive surgeons worldwide.
Measuring Social Norms Related to Child Marriage Among Adult Decision-Makers of Young Girls in Phalombe and Thyolo, Malawi.

Abstract Purpose Given the importance of developing appropriate measures for assessing social norm change, this article documents the process, results, and lessons learned from a baseline survey measuring social norms related to child marriage in Phalombe and Thyolo districts in Southern Malawi. Methods A quantitative questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of all adults (age ≥18 years) who self-identified as a decision-maker for at least one girl between the ages of 10 and 17 years, for a total sample size of 1,492 respondents. Measures of empirical expectations, normative expectations, and sanctions related to child marriage were modeled after previously developed measures and social norm theory. Results Using an established social norm diagnostic process, this study found that, despite Southern Malawi having the lowest median age of first marriage in the country, child marriage may not be a strong social norm in the intervention communities. Specifically, although 89.3% of respondents expressed the empirical expectation that “Most girls in this community marry before the age of 18,” agreement with the normative expectation that “Most people in this community expect girls to marry before the age of 18” was just 53.2% overall and fear of sanctions was just 36.4%. Conclusions Taken together, the presence of prudential reasons for child marriage and the weak evidence of normative expectations and sanctions indicate that child marriage may not be a social norm in these communities although it may be indirectly perpetuated by other norms related to adolescent sexuality and access to contraception.