cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relation of corn and alfalfa silage to the quality of cheese and its carotene and vitamin A content.

Summary Eight lots of cheese made from three types of silage milk were studied with respect to quality and vitamin A potency. Cheese made from milk produced on an alfalfa silage ration equalled or excelled in quality and vitamin A potency, cheese made from milk produced on a corn silage ration. A method for the determination of carotene and vitamin A in the cheese was devised. The distribution of vitamin A potency in cheese-making was shown to be as follows: 85 per cent was retained in the cheese, 7 per cent was found in the whey and 8 per cent remained unaccounted for. A pound of milk, which contained on the average 83 μg. of carotene and 109 μg. of vitamin A, gave cheese containing 69 μg. of carotene and 93 μg. of vitamin A. The whey accounted for 6.5 μg. of carotene and 7.5 μg. of vitamin A; thus leaving about 7.5 μg. of carotene and 8.5 μg. of vitamin A unaccounted for. The vitamin A potency of cheese during curing and storage was practically unchanged over almost a year.
Cutting the Supply Lines in Cancer and Retinal Disease

Blood vessels are the pipelines that carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Under the right conditions, the body can grow new vessels from preexisting vasculature—a process known as neovascularization. Although this process is critical for normal tissue homeostasis, certain diseases can elicit the formation of new blood vessels during their progression. Cancer cells trigger neovascularization to feed the growth of tumors, and a key feature of ischemic retinopathy—the major cause of blindness worldwide—is the neovascularization of the retina leading to retinal detachment. Current therapies that target neovascularization often have toxic side effects because they damage existing healthy blood vessels as well. Now, Okuno et al have discovered a new pathway involving ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase that can be manipulated to inhibit pathological neovascularization in cancer and retinal disease. The DNA damage response (DDR) pathway allows cells to monitor the integrity of their genome—acting as a barrier to cell senescence and tumorigenesis. ATM kinase is a critical component of this pathway. Recent studies have implicated the DDR pathway in the formation of new blood vessels in disease. Okuno and colleagues used mice lacking the ATM gene and treated them with high levels of oxygen to induce neovascularization of the retina. They found that mice that lacked ATM had less pathological neovascularization in comparison with wild-type mice. They then compared mice with retinal disease treated with an ATM inhibitor (KU-55933) to those treated with a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor blocker—one of the treatments explored for human use. They found that ATM inhibition promoted the recovery of normal vasculature, whereas VEGF receptor inhibition inhibited both pathological and normal neovascularization. In parallel studies, the authors examined the formation of tumors in the absence of ATM and found that tumor size was dramatically reduced in ATM knockout animals. The work of Okuno et al. provides a new insight into the mechanisms of pathological neovascularization and demonstrates in animal studies that blocking this pathway can reduce neovessel formation in cancer and retinal disease. Although their studies show promise for treating neovascular disease, further work is needed to validate the safety and efficacy of therapies targeting this pathway in humans. Y. Okuno et al ., Pathological neoangiogenesis depends on oxidative stress regulation by ATM. Nat. Med. , 2012 15 July 2012 (10.1038/nm.2846). [[PubMed]][1] [1]: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22797809
Exhibition: ‘La France en Relief’

The collection of plans-reliefs (relief maps), three-dimensional models of cities and their surrounding countryside, was begun under Louis XIV and greatly expanded under Napoleon I. They were originally military tools to study the state of border fortress towns and also served as symbols of possession and control. An exhibition last year at the Grand Palais in Paris showed how the plans-reliefs continue to be powerful tools of territorial control. In this exhibition, Nicholas Sarkozy's directives highlighted their historical connotations as symbols of nationalism. La France en Relief was the inaugural exhibit for his Presidential legacy cultural project, the Maison de l'Histoire de France. In fact, it felt like an appeal to the right-wing voter base he hoped would help his re-election. To this foreign author, a specialist in military history and a former curator at the plans-reliefs museum, the uncritical reception of this exhibition in the community of specialists and among the general public is as troub...
Some comparisons of self-curing and heat-curing denture resins

D URING the past year or more there has been a continued and growing interest in the self-curing resins for denture base applications. The general adoption of the heat-cured methyl methacrylate type of denture base resin by the profession and patient gives a standard by which comparisons in properties of other types of resins can be made. To this time, only limited reports of studies are available for making these comparisons, and further studies should contribute much to the understanding of these cold-cured materials. The cold-cured or self-cured type of resins lend themselves well to comparison with properties of the heat-cured type by giving consideration to the chemical nature of the two types of materials. It is now common knowledge that chemically the chief difference between the two is the method of initiation or activation of the polymerization process. One is accomplished by the presence of a small amount of an appropriate chemical, while th’e other is brought about by the application of heat to the plastic mass. Fundamentally the two types are therefore quite similar in basic composition except. for minute differences in essential ingredients. It is to be reasoned, therefore, that the self-cured resins for dentures may have physical and mechanical properties as good as, but generally no better than, the heat-cured resins. As is often true, however, with two substances that are very similar in nature, one may lend itself better to certain adaptations or techniques than another. This may be a most favorable feature of the self-curing resins for denture bases.
Wiring the cell signaling circuitry by the NF-kappa B and JNK1 crosstalk and its applications in human diseases.

Integration of the cell signaling circuitry determines the ultimate response of a cell to extracellular stimuli. The transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase JNK1 are major players in the cell signaling circuitry, regulating numerous cellular events and being implicated in the process of many human diseases and certain types of cancer. The interplay between NF-κB and JNK1 provides a paradigm that shows how the crosstalk between different signaling pathways decides the function of the cell signaling circuitry. Understanding the wiring of the cell signaling circuitry may hold the key for cell signaling-based therapy of human diseases.
Placental Thrombosis and Spontaneous Fetal Death in Mice Deficient in Ethanolamine Kinase 2

Ethanolamine kinase catalyzes the first step in the CDP-ethanolamine pathway for the formation of the major membrane phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn). In this work, the predicted Etnk2 cDNA was established as a soluble protein with ethanolamine-specific kinase activity that was most highly expressed in liver. Mice with an inactivated Etnk2 gene were derived, and its absence reduced the rate of PtdEtn synthesis from exogenous ethanolamine in hepatocytes. PtdEtn is a major precursor to phosphatidylcholine in liver; however, Etnk2-/- mice did not have reduced amounts of either PtdEtn or phosphatidylcholine or an altered phospholipid molecular species distribution. The knock-out animals were able to adapt to a choline-deficient diet. The Etnk2-/- mice exhibited a maternal-specific intrauterine growth retardation phenotype that resulted in a 33% reduction in litter size and frequent perinatal death. Histological analysis of pregnant Etnk2-/- females showed that fetal development failed at the late stage of pregnancy in a significant percentage of embryos because of the appearance of extensive placental thrombosis. These results illustrate a non-redundant role for EtnK2 expression in regulating placental hemostasis.
On the Adaptive Software-Defined LDPC-Coded Multidimensional Spatial-MIMO Multiband Generalized OFDM Enabling Beyond 10-Tb/s Optical Transport

Future Internet technologies will be affected by limited bandwidth of information infrastructure, high energy consumption, and heterogeneity of optical networks. In order to simultaneously solve these problems, we propose an adaptive multidimensional mode-multiplexed software-defined LDPC-coded modulation scheme suitable for few-mode-fiber-optic communications enabling beyond 10-Tb/s optical transport. This scheme employs the optimum multidimensional signal constellations and generalized OFDM operation principle. The proposed scheme significantly outperforms the corresponding scheme based on conventional polarization-division multiplexed QAM.
EditorialModern approaches to language

Recently, research on language has undergone major and accelerating transformations. This includes work addressing language related psychological processes and language development. At one point, such work was strongly dominated (at least in the United States) by Chomsky’s theories and metatheories about language. This dominance has begun to fade as more fruitful models and approaches have been developed, with a special flowering of alternative approaches in the last decade or so. The intent of this special issue on modern approaches to language is to present a sampling of more recent approaches to understanding and studying language, with a particular emphasis on the relevance of these developments for psychologists.
Random fields and processes in mechanics of granular materials

Abstract This paper gives a review of newly developed stochastic methods for analysis of the effects of granular materials' geometric and physical randomness at the microscale on their response at the macroscale. Two problem areas are discussed: (i) determination of stochastic and deterministic constitutive laws for a wide class of granular materials; and (ii) wavefront propagation in random continuous and heterogeneous media. Techniques in both areas take advantage of results in mechanics of microstructures and methods of random processes and fields. Focus in the first area is on scale-dependence of stochastic constitutive laws of random microstructures and the relation of mechanics of granular materials to the mechanics of matrix-inclusion systems, homogenization and the stochastic finite element method. Focus in the second area is on modelling wavefronts' evolutions in one-dimensional media modelled by random processes with piecewise-constant and continuous realizations.
Biomimetic synthesis of a preclavulone a model

Abstract A synthetic route to the preclavulone-A (3) analogs 11 and 14 via allene oxide and 2-oxidopentadienyl cation intermediates is described which is based on the proposed biosynthesis of 3.
Kinetic desorption study of chemisorbed alkene molecules on H-mordenite

Abstract Kinetic desorption mechanism of chemisorbed alkene molecules in synthetic zeolites was investigated. First order kinetics was established with an activation energy for desorption equal to 25 ± 2 kcal/mole for the most stable n-hexene isomer −2.3 dimethyl-2-butene diffuse out of the H-mordenite in the temperature range of −75 −50 °C. The boundary layer theory was used to calculate the surface coverage and the depth of the layer in which the electron donated by alkene molecule should be delocalized. The orders of magnitude are reasonable in agreement with other published work on semiconductor solids.
SU-E-T-588: A Novel IMRT Plan Optimization Algorithm for Physician-Driven Plan Tuning

Purpose: To greatly speed up the time‐consuming treatment planning procedure by developing a new optimization algorithm allowing the physicians to interactively fine‐tune the DVHs and iso‐dose lines of an IMRT plan. Methods: The conventional treatment planning procedure is a time‐consuming and resource‐demanding task that may need multiple iterations between the dosimetrists and clinicians after an initial plan is developed. We develop a new optimization algorithm to speed up this procedure by allowing the physician to interactively fine‐tune the DVH and iso‐dose lines on top of the initially optimized plan. After the physician modifies the DVH and iso‐dose lines of the current plan towards a more desired one through an interactive graphical interface, the algorithm will adjust the voxel‐dependent optimization parameters to guide the plan towards the modified one. To ease the fine‐tuning procedure, the algorithm enables the physician to lock some DVH curves as well as to change the priorities of the organs. The algorithm explores a large Pareto surface by adjusting voxel‐dependent parameters to find out a plan that is the closest to the physicians desired plan. Results: The algorithm was tested using a series of clinically realistic patient data and found to have desirable performance. It can adjust the voxel‐dependent parameters and guide a plan towards the physician‐driven fine‐tuned plan. This algorithm has been implemented on GPU for high efficiency, and the updating procedure is near real time. Conclusion: The conventional treatment planning procedure can be significantly improved in terms of efficiency and physician satisfactory by utilizing the new GPU‐based algorithm allowing the physician to interactively fine‐tune the plan in near real time.
Laser-induced breakdown spectrometry as a multimetal continuous-emission monitor.

Laser-induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) has been used to detect atomic and molecular species in various environments. LIBS has the capability to be used as a continuous-emission monitor to monitor toxic-metal concentrations in stack emissions. Recently a mobile LIBS system was calibrated in our laboratory and tested as a multimetal continuous-emission monitor during a joint U.S. Department of Energy–Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) test. LIBS measurements were performed with three sets of metal concentrations at the EPA Rotary Kiln Incinerator Simulator. The LIBS system successfully measured concentrations of Cr, Pb, Cd, and Be in near real time in this test. Real-time LIBS data were averaged and compared with data obtained from an EPA reference method that was conducted concurrently with LIBS. The details of the LIBS calibration and results of these LIBS measurements are described.
Maxillary sinus augmentation with deproteinated bovine bone and platelet rich plasma with simultaneous insertion of endosseous implants.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the clinical applicability of using deproteinated bovine bone mixed with autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) in human maxillary sinus augmentations in severely resorbed posterior maxillary alveolar processes with simultaneous insertion of endosseous dental implants. Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients with less than 5 mm of residual alveolar bone height in the posterior maxillary alveolus underwent a total of 24 maxillary sinus augmentations. Seventy endosseous implants were inserted simultaneously in the grafted sinuses. The implants were uncovered and loaded 4 months after insertion and the sinus augmentation. An osseous biopsy specimen was obtained from the augmented maxillary sinus in 1 patient. In 3 patients, computed tomography scans of the grafted maxillae were obtained and the bone density quantified and compared with native bone density using SIMPlant 7 (Columbia Scientific, Columbia, MD) software 4 months postoperatively. Results: Although a total of 5 implants in 4 patients were lost, this did not result in the loss of any of the restorations, for an overall success rate of 92.9 %. Follow-up for patients in this study after insertion of the permanent restoration was between 6 and 36 months. The bone biopsy from the patients showed evidence of viable new bone formation in close approximation to the xenograft. The bone density of the grafted bone was similar or exceeded the bone density of the surrounding native maxillary bone. Conclusion: Based on our clinical experience, we believe that the use of platelet rich plasma in combination with deproteinated bovine bone is effective for maxillary sinus augmentation with simultaneous insertion of endosseous dental implants in severely resorbed posterior maxillae. © 2003 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 61:157-163, 2003
Evidence for a morphological sex difference within the medial preoptic area of the rat brain.

Abstract The present report demonstrates the existence of a marked sexual difference in the volume of an intensely staining cellular component of the medial preoptic nucleus (MPON) of the rat. Moreover, this sexual dimorphism is shown to be independent of several specific hormonal conditions in the adult, but significantly influenced, perhaps determined, by the perinatal hormone environment. Adult rats were gonadectomized and sacrificed 2 or 5–6 weeks later, or sacrificed after gonadectomy and priming with estradiol benzoate (2 μg/day × 3) and 500 μg progesterone, or testosterone propionate (TP, 500 μg/day × 14), or the ingestion of propythiouracil (0.15% of the diet) for one month, or following water deprivation for 24 h. These treatments did not affect the sexual dimorphism in the MPON and, in all groups, nuclear volume in the male animals was significantly greater than that of females whether nuclear volume was expressed in absolute terms or relative to brain weight. On the other hand, the volume of the MPON of the adult male castrated neonatally was significantly reduced when compared to that of the male castrated at the time of weaning, i.e. after the period of sexual differentiation of the brain. Consistent with the view that this nuclear region undergoes sexual differentiation is the fact that the volume of the MPON was significantly greater in female rats injected with 1 mg TP on day 4 of life than in oil-treated females. More subtle sex differences in the volume of the suprachiasmatic nucleus were also detected, as were several treatment effects. Although these differences may fall within the error of the analytical procedure, it is possible that hormone- or sex-dependent morphological differences exist elsewhere in the brain. Nevertheless, the gross sexual dimorphism in the MPON clearly demonstrates a possible morphological basis for the sexual differentiation of brain function.
On the length of validity of averaging and the uniform approximation of elbow orbits, with an application to delayed passage through resonance

Consider a system of differential equations of the form\(\dot x = \varepsilon f(x,t,\varepsilon )\), wheref is 2π-periodic int and the averaged system\(y' = \bar f(y)\) is Morse-Smale. We show by geometrical resoning that in general no asymptotic approximation to the initial value problem is valid for larger thant=O(1/e). This comes about because the stable manifolds vary withe. But in the neighborhood of the stable and unstable manifolds of a hyperbolic periodic solution, every orbit (a so-called elbow orbit) has an approximation which is valid for as long as it remains in the neighborhood, although it does not satisfy the same initial conditions. This result is applied to passage through resonance.
Sex ratio, poverty, and concurrent partnerships among men and women in the United States: a multilevel analysis

Abstract Purpose Social and economic contextual factors may promote concurrent sexual partnerships, which can accelerate population HIV transmission and are more common among African Americans than U.S. Whites. We investigated the relationship between contextual factors and concurrency. Methods We analyzed past 12-month concurrency prevalence in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth and its contextual database in relation to county sex ratio (among respondent's racial and ethnic group), percentage in poverty (among respondent's racial and ethnic group), and violent crime rate. Analyses examined counties with balanced (0.95–1.05 males/female) or low ( Results Concurrency prevalence was greater (odds ratio [OR]; 95% confidence interval [CI]) in counties with low sex ratios (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.17–2.39), more poverty (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.98–1.42 per 10 percentage-point increase), and higher crime rates (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00–1.09 per 1000 population/year). Notably, 99.5% of Whites and 93.7% of Hispanics, but only 7.85% of Blacks, lived in balanced sex ratio counties; about 5% of Whites, half of Hispanics, and three-fourths of Blacks resided in counties with >20% same-race poverty. Conclusions The dramatic Black-White differences in contextual factors in the United States and their association with sexual concurrency could contribute to the nation's profound racial disparities in HIV infection.
Pygmy Marmosets modify call structure when paired

Pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea) modified the structure of their trill vocalizations in response to pairing with a new mate. Prior to pairing, individual marmosets displayed different acoustic parameters of trill structure. Within the first 6 wk after pairing, three of four pairs produced trills that were more homogeneous between mates. Pairs that had the greatest individual difference in trill structure prior to pairing displayed convergence on a greater number of parameters than pairs having fewer differences in prepairing trill structure. The vocal structure following pairing remained highly stable in the two pairs that could be recorded 3 yr after initial pairing. Changes in trill structure that occurred within the first 6 wk after pairing were greater than spontaneous changes that occurred during baseline control recording sessions on the same animals. These results suggest that nonhuman primates show subtle modification of vocal structure, especially in response to changes in social environment. Similar findings have been reported in birds and other mammals.
Feature-based transfer learning to train a novel cotton imaging system

In recent years, the transfer learning framework has gained increasing interest in the machine learning community. Fundamentally, this framework aims to train a new target system using existing data or knowledge from one or more previous source systems. By extending the theory of standard machine learning techniques, this framework allows us to solve many challenging problems directly and intuitively. This paper presents an application of this framework to train a novel target system whose goal is to measure a cotton fiber property named maturity using image analysis. In addition, this paper also presents a feature-based supervised domain adaptation approach named G2DA which performs mapping using the generalized (kernel) discriminant analysis. After domain adaptation is complete, model estimation is performed easily using traditional machine learning algorithms. Specifically, RANSAC-based regression is performed to learn a maturity function for the target system. This function is then used to estimate the maturity of any newly scanned fiber. Validation studies performed show good results for our overall approach.
Comparative Oncological Studies of Feline Bronchioloalveolar Lung Carcinoma, Its Derived Cell Line and Xenograft

Although certain neoplasms are unique to man, others occur across species. One such neoplasm is bronchioloalveolar lung carcinoma (BAC), a neoplasm of the Type II pneumocyte that affects humans, sheep, and small animals (dogs and cats). Human BAC occurs largely in nonsmokers. Sheep BAC is caused by the jaagsiekte retrovirus and is endemic and contagious. Feline BAC is neither endemic nor contagious and occurs sporadically and spontaneously in older purebred cats. In these respects, feline BAC is more closely similar to human BAC than sheep BAC (jaagsiekte) is. To study feline BAC further, we established the first immortal cell line (SPARKY) and transplantable scid mouse xenograft (Sparky-X) from a malignant pleural effusion of a 12-year-old Persian male with autopsy-confirmed BAC. SPARKY exhibited a Type II pneumocyte phenotype characterized by surfactant and thyroid-transcription factor-1 immunoreactivities and lamellar bodies. SPARKY's karyotype was aneuploid (66 chromosomes: 38, normal cat) and showed evidence of genomic instability analogous to human lung cancers. p53 showed a homozygous G to T transversion at codon 167, the feline equivalent of human codon 175, one of the many hot spots mutated in the lung cancers of smokers. H-ras and K-ras were not altered. By reverse transcription-PCR, SPARKY lacked expression of retroviral JSRVgag transcripts that were present in the lungs of sheep BAC (jaagsiekte). Unlike human BAC xenografts, SPARKY-X retained its unique lepidic BAC growth pattern even though it was grown in murine s.c. tissues. This property may be related to the ability of SPARKY-X to up-regulate its surfactant genes (SP-A, SP-B, and SP-D). These studies of feline BAC may allow insights into the human disease that are not possible by studying human BAC directly.
Intraoperative gamma probe localization of the ureters: a novel concept.

Background Ureteral stent placement to localize the ureters during operations is an invasive procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the gamma probe to intraoperatively identify the ureters after intravenous injection of a radiopharmaceutical agent. Study Design Ten patients undergoing elective abdominal operations were prospectively enrolled in this study. An average dose of 4.5 mCi (range 2.8 to 5.3 mCi) of technetium Tc 99m–labeled diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid ( 99m Tc-DTPA) was administered intravenously before localization of the ureters. The gamma probe was used to localize the ureters. Correct identification of the ureters was confirmed when gentle manipulation induced a typical ureteral peristaltic pattern. Results Gamma counts were significantly elevated in all ureters examined. Compared with background counts, gamma counts were increased over the ureter in all patients, with an average increase of 465%. The technique was modified after use in the first 3 patients and standardized for patients 4 through 10. Data from those seven patients were analyzed. Both ureters were correctly identified using the gamma probe at a mean of 15 minutes (median, 10 minutes) after a single 99m Tc-DTPA injection (range 4 to 41 minutes). The mean background count was 80 counts per second (cps, range 50 to 130 cps). The mean ureter count was 393 cps (range 128 to 700 cps). The average percent increase of each ureter count compared with its specific background count was 465% (range 256% to 1,077%). The difference was statistically significant for all values (p Conclusions This novel technique of gamma probe localization of the ureters may offer a noninvasive approach for ureteral identification.
Analyzing Media Effects on Advertising Responses

T HE MEDIUM BY WHICH ADVERTISING information is transmitted is one of the most basic components of the communication environment. The choice remains quite risky, however, since substantial investments are involved and the role of media in the communication process is quite uncertain. Computer models developed to systematize media selection will continue to require inputs estimating how particular media affect the attitudinal responses of audience members. Ideally, media, message, and receiver variables could be integrated in such an analysis, based on empirical evidence of the interrelationships. Yet media variables have been strangely ignored in research on the persuasion process. McGuire, in noting the scarcity of research on media effects, suggests that social influence theories have just not developed ". . . in ways that make channel factors interesting."' However, if the form of transmission shapes the nature of response, media effects become quite interesting. This article will discuss issues in studying media effects and will demonstrate a procedural development for measuring and analyzing communication response.
Improving family communications at the end of life: implications for length of stay in the intensive care unit and resource use.

• BACKGROUND Inadequate communication persists between healthcare professionals and patients and patients’ families in intensive care units. Unwanted or ineffective treatments can occur when patients’ goals of care are unknown or not honored, increasing costs and care. Having the primary physician provide medical information and then having a physician and clinical nurse specialist team improve opportunities for patients and their families to process that information could improve the situation. This model has not been tested for its effect on patients’ outcomes and resource utilization. • OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of a communication team that included a physician and a clinical nurse specialist on length of stay and costs for patients near the end of life in the intensive care unit. • METHODS During a 1-year period, patients judged to be at high risk for death (N = 151) were divided into 2 groups: 43 patients who were cared for by the medical director teamed with a clinical nurse specialist and 108 patients who received standard care, provided by an attending physician. • RESULTS Compared with the control group, patients in the intervention group had significantly shorter stays in both the intensive care unit (6.1 vs 9.5 days) and the hospital (11.3 vs 16.4 days) and had lower fixed ($15 559 vs $24 080) and variable ($5087 vs $8035) costs. • CONCLUSIONS Use of a physician and a clinical nurse specialist focused on improving communication with patients and patients’ families reduced lengths of stay and resource utilization. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2003;12:317-324)
A critical evaluation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in Parkinson's disease

The evidence for impairment in the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is mounting and becoming increasingly more convincing. However, it is presently unclear whether UPS dysfunction is a cause or result of PD pathology, a crucial distinction which impedes both the understanding of disease pathogenesis and the development of effectual therapeutic approaches. Recent findings discussed within this review offer new insight and provide direction for future research to conclusively resolve this debate.
Unintended consequences: surgical complications in gynecologic cancer

More than 91,000 women in the USA will be diagnosed with a gynecologic malignancy in 2013. Most will undergo surgery for staging, treatment or both. No therapeutic intervention is without consequence, therefore, it is imperative to understand the possible complications associated with the perioperative period before undertaking surgery. Complication rates are affected by a patient population that is increasingly older, more obese and more medically complicated. Surgical modalities consist of abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted approaches, and also affect rates of complications. An understanding of the various approaches, patient characteristics and surgeon experience allow for individualized decision-making to minimize the complications after surgery for gynecologic cancer.
Corrosion of Lead and Lead Alloys in Simulated Repository Environments

A series of corrosion tests were sponsored by the International Lead Zinc Research Organization, Inc. and conducted by Battelle Northwest to obtain information regarding the suitability of lead for applications in the containment of high-level nuclear waste. Two grades of unalloyed lead and two lead alloys were exposed to basalt, salt, and tuff simulated repository environments for times up to 1 year and temperatures from 55 to 200°C. Information was obtained on the corrosion rates, corrosion products, and concentration of lead in the test liquids under these conditions, which were intended to simulate the anticipated environments in candidate U.S. nuclear waste repositories. Leachates from the 12-month tests were analyzed in order to prepare synthetic leachates that were used to conduct scoping evaluations of the transport of lead in basalt and tuff environments.
Thrombocytopenia in association with a wandering spleen

An ectopic, so-called wandering spleen is an uncommon occurrence. We present the case of a young woman who presented with abdominal pain and was found to have an enlarged spleen, located in the lower abdomen and pelvis. The possibility of lymphoma was entertained because of concomitant findings of thrombocytopenia and a possible mesenteric mass. The mass was subsequently found at laparotomy to be the tail of the malpositioned pancreas, and the thrombocytopenia resolved with splenectomy. Review of the literature indicates that lymphoma is an uncommon finding in wandering spleens, that wandering spleens are enlarged in most cases, and that thrombocytopenia, while uncommon, can be seen, in particular when associated with torsion of an elongated splenic pedicle. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Relationship Between Psychological Understanding and Positive Social Behaviors

This research investigates the relationship between psychological understanding and positive social behavior in preschool children. A sample of 67 children were given measures of mental state understanding and emotion understanding. Positive social behavior was measured by classroom observation, teacher report and peer ratings. Both mental state understanding and emotion understanding were positively related to teacher ratings of social skills, behavioral observers’ global ratings of social skills and peer popularity. When language ability was partialled out of these relationships, many of the significant correlations disappeared; however, for variables related to peers’ perceptions, psychological understanding continued to predict unique variance. The results are discussed in terms of the multiple determinacy of positive social behaviors and the potential role of language in these processes.
The effects of season and soil type on microbial degradation of gasoline residues from incendiary devices.

The primary task of a fire debris chemist is to determine if there is an ignitable liquid present in a fire debris sample and, if so, to classify it according to its boiling point and carbon number range. However, in organic-rich substrates such as soil, the ignitable liquid residue is subject to microbial degradation due to the ease with which bacteria can metabolize the various hydrocarbons present. This is a rapid process which is problematic in many forensic laboratories as fire debris is often stored for extended periods of time due to case backlog. Although microbial degradation has been studied in laboratory samples, it has not been well-studied in “real-world” samples, which have not only been exposed to microbial degradation but have also suffered the effects of weathering due to the intense heat of the fire. In this work, the effects of microbial degradation of gasoline from an incendiary device have been evaluated over time. In addition to visually monitoring chromatographic changes, this work also utilizes multivariate statistical techniques to simplify the complex data set and elucidate trends that might not otherwise be observed. Results indicate a clear difference between glass samples, which suffered the loss of low boiling compounds, and soil, which suffered the loss of the normal alkanes and lesser substituted aromatics. Also, devices deployed on lawn soil and in the winter season appear to show the most extensive degradation of gasoline. Finally, while the ratio of the C3-alkylbenzenes is significantly altered in soil samples recovered from large devices, the overall chromatographic profile of gasoline recovered from smaller incendiary devices is significantly lower.
Magnetic Disturbances preceding the 1964 Alaska Earthquake

THROUGH a fortunate circumstance, a recording magnetometer was operating in the city of Kodiak, 30 km north-west of the surface trace of a fault zone along which movement occurred at the time when the earthquake occurred in Alaska on March 27, 1964. Fortunately, too, the instrument was on such high ground that it was not reached by the subsequent seismic sea wave which virtually destroyed the city. The magnetometer recorded the fact that the largest of several magnetic disturbances briefly increased the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field by 100γ at Kodiak, 1 h 6 min before the earthquake (Fig. 1).
Design considerations and implementations of a high performance dynamic register file

This paper presents a detailed analysis of a high performance dynamic (self-resetting) 500 MHz 8-port register file (6 Read and 2 Write ports, 32 wordlines/spl times/64 bitlines). The register file includes novel multistage fast forward evaluation and multi-branch reset paths. The design of such paths requires a detailed timing plan. Based on gate delays and performance requirements collisions are prevented by providing interlocks for the incoming addresses with the reset trigger signals. The output pulsewidth is controlled by a chopper circuit. Measured internal waveforms of the hardware are correlated with the simulations indicating a robust high performance design. A full functional behavior of register file is achieved at a cycle time of 2 ns in a 2.5 V, 0.5 /spl mu/m, CMOS technology. Low noise levels at the dynamic nodes and low power are salient features of 8-port register file. Measurements of the supply current variation as a function of frequency are useful in diagnosing collisions. Further improvement in performance is demonstrated by mapping the register file 0.5 /spl mu/m Silicon on Insulator (SOI) CMOS technology.
Modulation of the ability of clozapine to facilitate NMDA- and electrically evoked responses in pyramidal cells of the rat medial prefrontal cortex by dopamine: pharmacological evidence.

Previous studies have shown that dopamine (DA) may play an important role in mediating or modulating the facilitating action of clozapine in glutamatergic transmission. This possibility was tested further in the present study by pharmacological manipulation of the DA system. When rats were pretreated with reserpine (which blocks storage of biogenic amines) and alpha-methyl para-tyrosine (AMPT, which inhibits tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme for the DA synthesis), the ability of clozapine to augment glutamatergic transmission in pyramidal cells of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was totally abolished. Furthermore, the application of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA, the immediate precursor of DA which bypasses the synthesis step inhibited by AMPT) reversed the effect produced by reserpine plus AM PT and re-instated the facilitating action of clozapine, whereas administration of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the immediate precursor of 5-HT, was ineffective. In addition, DA D 1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 also completely prevented clozapine-induced facilitating action in the mPFC pyramidal cells. The present results demonstrate that newly synthesized DA and DA D 1 receptors are required for clozapine to elicit its facilitating action on glutamatergic neurotransmission in the mPFC.
A Hybrid Approach to Solving the Position Equations for Planar Mechanisms

In this paper, a straightforward approach is developed to solve the nonlinear position equations for a linkage when a closed-form solution to some of the equations can be obtained. This is done with the aid of dependency checking concepts that organizes a system of 2n equations and 2n unknowns (variables) into smaller sets of equations. When a set of two equations and two unknowns is obtained, the variables are analyzed using a closed-form (non-iterative) solution approach. Otherwise, an iterative approach such as the Newton-Raphson method is used for the analysis.
Diversity Regimes in Worker Cooperatives: Workplace Inequality under Conditions of Worker Control

Two major shifts in contemporary work organizations—“employee participation” and “diversity management”—have typically been studied in isolation from one another. Building on theoretical work by Acker (2006a,b), we ask how the interaction of these two constructs has affected the pursuit of workplace democracy at two worker cooperatives in Northern California. Using qualitative methods, we find that distinct “diversity regimes” have emerged at these establishments, substantially affecting the configurations of inequality that evolved. We distinguish two types of diversity regimes—“utilitarian” and “communitarian”—which operate either to obscure the workings of inequality or to foster attention to their presence. Our results suggest that how sociodemographic differences are managed has material consequences for the development of egalitarian structures at work.
Modeling Effects of Length Limit Regulations on Riverine Populations of Channel Catfish

AbstractChannel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus is an important species among anglers in North America. Channel Catfish management strategies vary greatly in the United States and Canada, and there are few examples of regulations aimed at improving size structure in the literature. The goal of this study was to model the response of Channel Catfish to changes in regulations that meet specific management objectives. We modeled a suite of regulations to determine if minimum length limits or a protected slot limit could be used to improve size structure or avoid growth overfishing of Channel Catfish in a large river. We modeled three minimum length limits (304, 356, and 406 mm) and a 356–456-mm protected slot limit to assess the effectiveness of each at delaying or eliminating growth overfishing and increasing the number of quality-sized fish in the Missouri River, Nebraska. Our models indicated a 406-mm minimum length limit could be used to avoid growth overfishing until exploitation rates were greater than 45%...
Revisions of Physical Geology Laboratory Courses to Increase the Level of Inquiry: Implications for Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACT The introductory physical geology laboratory courses taught at North Carolina State University aims to promote scientific thinking and learning through the use of scientific inquiry–based activities. A rubric describing five possible levels of inquiry was applied to characterize the laboratory activities in the course. Two rock and mineral laboratory classes and a geologic time laboratory class were found to contain a greater proportion of low-level inquiry activities than the other laboratory classes. Student exercises within these classes were modified by increasing the degree of student independence, exploration, and prediction required for several activities. Such modifications included students categorizing rock samples before instruction on rock types and predicting the placement of fossils along a geologic time line. Learning gains were measured and compared between students in the traditional lower-inquiry (control) and the revised higher-inquiry laboratory classes (treatment). In all thr...
Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Vision Impairment

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major contributing factor to non-reversible vision loss in the aging population in the developed world, but as of yet, it is still a poorly understood disease with few to no approved treatments, depending on the form of the disease. AMD has two primary forms: the non-exudative (dry) form and the exudative (wet) form. Many recent lines of evidence indicate that AMD may have a strong autoimmune component. The complement cascade, inflammasome, and angiogenic signaling pathways are of particular interest as targets for future therapeutic development. Herein we will discuss the potential roles that inflammation, angiogenesis, metal and lipid dysmetabolism, genetics and aging may play in the development and progression of AMD. Although there are no current effective therapies approved for the treatment of certain forms of AMD, the growing body of knowledge concerning the different facets of age-related processes associated with this disease offers a host of exciting new therapeutic approaches that will be the focus of future investigations.
Overcoming Barriers in Unhealthy Settings: A Phenomenological Study of Healthy Truck Drivers

We investigated the phenomenon of sustained health-supportive behaviors among long-haul commercial truck drivers, who belong to an occupational segment with extreme health disparities. With a focus on setting-level factors, this study sought to discover ways in which individuals exhibit resiliency while immersed in endemically obesogenic environments, as well as understand setting-level barriers to engaging in health-supportive behaviors. Using a transcendental phenomenological research design, 12 long-haul truck drivers who met screening criteria were selected using purposeful maximum sampling. Seven broad themes were identified: access to health resources, barriers to health behaviors, recommended alternative settings, constituents of health behavior, motivation for health behaviors, attitude toward health behaviors, and trucking culture. We suggest applying ecological theories of health behavior and settings approaches to improve driver health. We also propose the Integrative and Dynamic Healthy Commercial Driving (IDHCD) paradigm, grounded in complexity science, as a new theoretical framework for improving driver health outcomes.
Diffusion of Metallic Impurities in Semiconductor Thin Film

The diffusion transport of metal impurities in semiconductors is considered. Critical magnitude of dislocation density and critical sample size are obtained at which the diffusion kinetics change from the interstitial impurity regime of diffusion transport to the self-interstitial regime or the vacancy regime. It is predicted that the critical density of dislocations decreases with increasing temperature.
Dynamic Annealing Phenomena and the Origin of RTA-Induced “Hairpin” Dislocations

The geometry, origin, and diffusion along hairpin defects in Si were investigated using TEM and SIMS techniques. The defect that grows from the amorphous-crystalline (a/c) interface following solid phase epitaxy growth front was found to be a perfect dislocation with a/2(101) Burgers vector. Misoriented microcrystallites within the a/c transition region are proposed to be nucleation sites for the hairpin dislocations. The density of the crystallites increases with an overall coarsening of the interface which occurs during dynamic annealing processes stimulated by implantation or post-implantation low temperature annealing. Hairpin dislocations were found to pipe-diffuse boron at much higher rates than bulk processes significantly shifting dopant profiles. The diffusion coefficient of boron pipe diffusion at 1150°C was found to be about 104 times higher than the bulk one.
RNA Interference in Ticks: A Functional Genomics Tool for the Study of Physiology

Abstract Ticks are an example of an efficient ectoparasite that feeds on a variety of hosts including humans, domestic and wild animals. Tick salivary glands are critical to the biological success of ticks both during extended periods off the host and during the feeding period on the host. The salivary glands are also the sites of pathogen development and saliva is the route of transmission. The importance of multifunctional salivary glands to tick survival and vector competency makes the glands potential targets for intervention. RNA interference (RNAi) has the potential to revolutionize genetic manipulation and enhance the development of therapeutic and control agents in many arthropod-borne diseases and vectors. This reverse genetics tool has already been successfully used to study tick–host and tick–pathogen interactions. The translation of RNAi from an effective functional genomics tool into field application has been hindered by the challenge of delivering RNAi molecules to their target tissues by systemic administration. This review highlights the current status of RNAi in defining the physiological role of tick molecules in vector competence and vector–host interactions.