cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neoadjuvant Therapy and Liver Transplantation for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Is Pretreatment Pathological Confirmation of Diagnosis Necessary?

Background Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by operative staging and liver transplantation is an effective treatment for patients with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and CCA arising in the setting of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Pathologic confirmation of CCA is notoriously difficult, and many patients have been treated based on clinical criteria without pathological confirmation. Study Design We reviewed our experience with the specific aim of determining the need for pathological confirmation of CCA before treatment. Results Two hundred and fifteen patients received neoadjuvant therapy between 1992 and 2011. One hundred and eighty-two patients underwent operative staging and 38 (21%) had findings that precluded transplantation. Pathological confirmation of CCA before therapy was achieved in 45 of 87 (52%) PSC patients and 22 of 49 (45%) de novo patients who underwent transplantation. Pretreatment pathological confirmation was associated with significantly worse 5-year survival after start of therapy for PSC patients (50% vs 80%; p=0.001), but not for de novo patients (39% vs 48%; p=0.27). Pretreatment pathological confirmation was associated with worse 5-year survival after transplantation for PSC patients (66% vs 92%; p=0.01), but not for de novo patients (63% vs 65%; p=0.71). The difference in the PSC patients was not due to recurrent cancer. Absence of pretreatment pathological confirmation did not result in less detection of residual CCA in the explanted livers or in less recurrence after transplantation. Conclusions Rates of residual CCA in liver explants and recurrences after transplantation are comparable for patients with and without pretreatment pathological confirmation of CCA and attest to the accuracy of clinical diagnostic criteria. Pretreatment pathological confirmation of CCA is desirable but should not be a requirement for treatment.
THE ENDOCRINE LITERATURE OF 1939

THE DIFFICULTIES of keeping up with medical literature in general have been II presented by numerous persons on various occasions, never more aptly, per haps, than by Sir Robert Hutchison.2 With more than 5000 medical journals to consider, certainly no single person can hope to do more than keep aware of the literature of his own specialty, but even the specialist is confronted with a problem too vast for his individual attention, and must either blissfully disregard it or set about to conquer it. To quote Sir Robert, “… Neglect of the previous literature must necessarily involve much needless repetition of effort and searching for that which is found, besides making it difficult for the investigator to see his subject in correct focus. The case of those, and they are the great majority of us, who are not investigators but who read only to learn and keep abreast of current knowledge, is equally hard … yet current medical literature cannot be permanently ignored with impunity.”
A 1-kV 4H-SiC Power DMOSFET Optimized for Low on -Resistance

In this paper we describe a low-voltage (~1 kV) short-channel 4H-SiC power DMOSFET with several structural modifications to reduce the specific on-resistance. These include the following: 1) a heavily doped n-type current-spreading layer beneath the p-base; 2) a heavily-doped JFET region with narrow ( ~1 mum) JFET width; 3) a ldquosegmentedrdquo base contact layout; and 4) tighter alignment tolerances to reduce cell pitch. The design is optimized using computer simulations, and the resulting devices are fabricated and characterized. The fabricated device exhibits a specific on-resistance of 6.95 mOmega-cm2, which is one of the lowest yet reported on-resistances for a power MOSFET in this voltage range.
Genetic Polymorphism PC-1 K121Q and Ethnic Susceptibility to Insulin Resistance

Genetic susceptibility may be responsible for high prevalence of insulin resistance in Asian Indians. This study was carried out in samples of local Asian Indians and Caucasians to determine whether plasma cell membrane glycoprotein (PC)-1 K121Q and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) G972A polymorphisms contribute significantly to susceptibility to insulin resistance in Asian Indians. The frequency of carrying at least one copy of the PC-1 121Q variant in Asian Indians was significantly higher than that in Caucasians (P = 0.01), but the frequency was similar for IRS-1 972A (6% and 7%). A significantly higher insulin area under the curve during oral glucose tolerance testing (P < 0.0001) and lower insulin sensitivity during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps (P = 0.04) were found in Asian Indians with PC-1 121Q variant compared with Asian Indians with wild-type PC-1 and with Caucasians with or without the polymorphism. IRS-1 972A was not associated with any change in insulin sensitivity. We conclude that the PC-1 K121Q polymorphism associates with primary insulin resistance in migrant Asian Indians. A relatively high frequency of this polymorphism thus may be one factor contributing to insulin resistance susceptibility in Asian Indians. This finding indicates the need for expanded studies on the association between PC-1 K121Q and insulin resistance in a representative sample of the Asian Indian population.
Surface adsorption effects in the inkjet printing of an aqueous polymer solution on a porous oxide ceramic substrate.

Abstract The inkjet printing of a polymeric solution into a porous substrate was studied, with the focus on phenomena occurring within the pore space during infiltration. Lines of aqueous polyacrylic acid (PAA) solution were printed onto the surface of porous, high-green-density ceramic powder beds. The PAA is a binder for the ceramic particles, allowing removal of the printed line structure (“primitive”) and characterization of the extent of polymer penetration. Large differences in cross section of the retrieved printed structure were observed between ceramic systems and for different specific surface area powders. A mechanism for “filtration” of the polymer by adsorption onto the ceramic particle surfaces during infiltration was proposed. The adsorption of PAA onto Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , and TiO 2 was characterized via adsorption isotherms, and the trend of primitive cross section with PAA adsorption was consistent with the filtration hypothesis, as was the variation with powder-specific surface area. These results can be generalized to other systems where a solution is inkjet printed onto a porous substrate (e.g., inks on plain paper, porous coated papers, etc.) Utilization of the adsorption effects may allow confinement of the solute molecules (e.g., colorant) to a small region near the substrate surface.
A lighter shade of trauma.

On the morning of Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana. The levee system of New Orleans failed catastrophically. Storm surges penetrated the entire city and lingered for weeks. Hurricane Katrina became known as one of the most intense, costliest, and deadliest natural disasters ever recorded in the history of the United States. Almost exactly 3 years later, on August 31, 2008, Hurricane Gustav made landfall along the still recovering Louisiana coast. Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina prompted one of the largest evacuations in U.S. history, with 1.9 million people leaving southern Louisiana, including 200,000 residents of New Orleans. The levees held, and although the winds crippled the power system and blew off many rooftops and trees, the damage and death toll were significantly lower than the devastating consequences of Hurricane Katrina. A recent study by Weems et al. (1) examined the course of traumatic memories in youth in New Orleans attending school in a neighborhood that sustained massive flooding during Hurricane Katrina. Their findings were unintuitive. A group of youth studied 1 month after Hurricane Gustav recalled fewer negative memories of Hurricane Katrina and demonstrated reduction in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (2). Why would exposure to another devastating storm improve psychological well-being rather than aggravate it? The authors speculated this has to do with a phase of memory called reconsolidation. Memories form through a consolidation process in which longterm structural changes occur in synaptic connections of nerve cells. For the most part of the 20th century, the prevailing hypothesis was that consolidation is a one-time process for storing memories in a fixed and unchangeable form (3). During the last decade, however, robust evidence is indicating an alternative view: Not only the first formation of memory but every recall of it initiates a consolidation-like storage process, that is, reconsolidation (4). In this issue of Biological Psychiatry, Liu et al. (5) report new findings on reconsolidation of laboratory-made threat memories, which might provide a mechanistic explanation for the fading memories of individuals who survived the two hurricanes. According to the reconsolidation theory, an active memory undergoing reconsolidation might be vulnerable in two ways. At the biological level, pharmacologic agents, such as protein synthesis inhibitors (6), or cruder manipulations, such as electroconvulsive shock stimulation (7), could block various stations in the cascade of synaptic, cellular, or molecular events of reconsolidation. At the behavioral level, new information or different experiences taking place at the time of reconsolidation might infiltrate the reconsolidating memory (8). Physiologic blockade typically renders the memory inaccessible (perhaps even erased).
Ethics, narrative, and agriculture: transforming agricultural practice through ecological imagination

The environmental degradation caused by industrial agriculture, as well as the resulting social and health consequences, creates an urgency to rethink food production by expanding the moral imagination to include agricultural practices. Agricultural practices presume human use of the earth and acknowledge human dependence on the biotic community, and these relations mean that agriculture presents a separate set of considerations in the broader field of environmental ethics. Many scholars and activists have argued persuasively that we need new stories to rethink agricultural practice, however, the link—the story that does and can shape agricultural practice—has not yet been fully articulated in environmental discourse. My analysis explores how language has shaped existing agricultural models and, more important, the potential of story to influence agricultural practice. To do this, I draw upon cognitive theory to illustrate how metaphoric and narrative language structures thought and influences practice, beginning with my contention that industrial agriculture relies on a discourse of mechanistic relations between humans and a passive earth, language that has naturalized the chemically intensive monocultures prevalent in much of the American Midwest. However, alternative agricultures, including organic agriculture, agro-ecology, and ecological agriculture, emphasize qualities such as interdependence and reciprocity and do so as a deliberate response to the perceived inadequacies of industrial agriculture and its governing narrative. Exploring the different discourses of agricultural systems can help us think through different modalities for human relations with the biotic community and demonstrate story’s potential role in altering practice.
Threat perception after the Boston Marathon bombings: The effects of personal relevance and conceptual framing

We examined how the Boston Marathon bombings affected threat perception in the Boston community. In a threat perception task, participants attempted to "shoot" armed targets and avoid shooting unarmed targets. Participants viewing images of the bombings accompanied by affectively negative music and text (e.g., "Terror Strikes Boston") made more false alarms (i.e., more errors "shooting" unarmed targets) compared to participants viewing the same images accompanied by affectively positive music and text (e.g., "Boston Strong") and participants who did not view bombing images. This difference appears to be driven by decreased sensitivity (i.e., decreased ability to distinguish guns from non-guns) as opposed to a more liberal bias (i.e., favouring the "shoot" response). Additionally, the more strongly affected the participant was by the bombings, the more their sensitivity was reduced in the negatively framed condition, suggesting that this framing was particularly detrimental to the most vulnerable individuals in the affected community.
Investing in HRD in Uncertain Times Now and in the Future

The ProblemWe live in uncertain times, exacerbated by many direct and indirect effects of the global financial crisis. However, there is a lack of understanding about how human resource development...
Anisotropic dynamics of the JE-2147-HIV protease complex: drug resistance and thermodynamic binding mode examined in a 1.09 A structure.

The structure of HIV protease (HIV Pr) bound to JE-2147 (also named AG1776 or KNI-764) is determined here to 1.09 A resolution. This highest-resolution structure for HIV Pr allows refinement of anisotropic displacement parameters (ADPs) for all atoms. Clustering based on the directional information in ADPs defines two sets of subdomains such that within each set, subdomains undergo similar anisotropic motion. These sets are (a) the core of monomer A grouped with both substrate-binding flaps and (b) the core of monomer B coupled to both catalytic aspartates (25A/B). The four-stranded β-sheet (1−4 A/B and 95−99 A/B) that forms a significant part of the dimer interface exhibits large anisotropic amplitudes that differ from those of the other sets of subdomains. JE-2147 is shown here to be a picomolar inhibitor (Ki = 41 ± 18 pM). The structure is used to interpret the mechanism of association of JE-2147, a second-generation inhibitor for which binding is enthalpically driven, with respect to first-generation ...
Complication rates among peripherally inserted central venous catheters and centrally inserted central catheters in the medical intensive care unit

Abstract Purpose There are limited contemporary data describing the rates of catheter-related deep vein thrombosis (CRDVT) and central line–associated bloodstream infection for peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) and centrally inserted central venous catheters (CICCs) in the medical intensive care unit (ICU). Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 200 PICCs (dual/triple lumen) and 200 CICCs (triple/quadruple lumen) placed in medical ICU adults at Mayo Rochester between 2012 and 2013. Central lines were followed from insertion time until hospital dismissal (primary analysis) or ICU discharge (secondary analysis). Symptomatic CRDVT was determined by Doppler ultrasound. Central line–associated bloodstream infection was defined according to federal reporting criteria. Results During 1730 PICC days and 637 CICC days, the incidence of CRDVT when followed until hospital dismissal was 4% and 1% (4.6 and 3.1 per 1000 catheter-days), respectively, P = .055. When censored at the time of ICU dismissal, the rates were 2% and 1% (5.3 and 3.7 per 1000 catheter-days), P = .685. Only 1 central line–associated bloodstream infection occurred in a PICC following ICU dismissal, P > .999. Conclusions Thrombotic and infectious complications were uncommon following PICC and CICC insertion, with no significant difference in complication rates observed. Half of PICC DVTs occurred on the general floor, and like all central catheters placed in the ICU, PICCs should be aggressively discontinued when no longer absolutely needed.
Reduced FMRP and increased FMR1 transcription is proportionally associated with CGG repeat number in intermediate-length and premutation carriers

The 5' untranslated CGG repeat in the fragile X mental retardation-1 (FMR1) gene is expanded in families with fragile X syndrome, with more than 200 CGGs resulting in mental retardation due to the absence of the encoded fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Intermediate and premutation alleles, containing between approximately 40 and 200 repeats, express grossly normal FMRP levels and such carriers are widely believed to be non-penetrant, despite continued reports of subtle cognitive/psychosocial impairment and other phenotypes. Using a highly sensitive quantification assay, we demonstrate significantly diminished FMRP levels in carriers, negatively correlated with repeat number. Despite reduced FMRP, these carrier alleles overexpress FMR1, resulting in a positive correlation between repeat number and FMR1 message level. These biochemical deviations associated with intermediate and premutation FMR1 alleles, found in approximately 4% of the population, suggest that the phenotypic spectrum of fragile X syndrome may need to be revisited.
Sex Talk and Gender Rites: Women and the Tantric Sex Rite

The sage Vasistha is well known in the Hindu landscape as a role model of piety. Soft-spoken, calm, with the divine docile cow at his side, Vasistha embodies the Br?hmana ascetic. He stands for the values of orthodox Hinduism.1 Less well known is his Tantric persona, particularly the persona associated with the region of K?m?khy?. In this locale his piety undergoes a sea change. Rather than the untarnished emblem of pious Br?hmana perfection, he presents a hard-headed and fastidious adherence to empty and inhibited rules of purity. His mastery over the senses (C?nacara Tantra 1.34) results in a fanatical ascetic excess, a denial of the sensual, the body, and all that is associated with the tainted illusory world of desires. So, in the Cm?c?ra Tantra (1.13-14), the ascetic Vasistha practices austerities for 10,000 years on the Blue Hill in K?m?khy?.2 Despite the fervor of his worship, the
SSC Dipole Magnet Measurement and Alignment Using Laser Technology

Advancing into the prototype production stage of the SSC dipole magnets has introduced the need for a reliable, readily available, accurate alignment measuring system which gives results in real time. Components and subassemblies such as the cold mass and vacuum vessel are being measured for various geometric conditions such as straightness and twist. Variations from nominal dimensions are also being recorded so they can be compensated for during the final assembly process. Precision laser alignment takes specific advantages of the properties of helium-neon laser. The laser beam forms a straight line of the greatest accuracy. When combined with an optically produced perpendicular plane, this results in a system of geometric references of unparalleled accuracy. This paper describes the geometric requirements for SSC dipole magnet components, sub and final assemblies as well as the use of laser technology for surveying as part of the assembly process.
System Identification for the Hodgkin-Huxley Model using Artificial Neural Networks

A single biological neuron is able to perform complex computations that are highly nonlinear in nature, adaptive, and superior to the perceptron model. A neuron is essentially a nonlinear dynamical system. Its state depends on the interactions among its previous states, its intrinsic properties, and the synaptic input it receives. These factors are included in Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model, which describes the ionic mechanisms involved in the generation of an action potential. This paper proposes training of an artificial neural network to identify and model the physiological properties of a biological neuron, and mimic its input-output mapping. An HH simulator was implemented to generate the training data. The proposed model was able to mimic and predict the dynamic behavior of the HH simulator under novel stimulation conditions; hence, it can be used to extract the dynamics (in vivo or in vitro) of a neuron without any prior knowledge of its physiology. Such a model can in turn be used as a tool for controlling a neuron in order to study its dynamics for further analysis.
RESONANCE RAMAN SPECTRUM OF CARBON TETRACHLORIDE

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is one of a number of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) of interest as pollutants which are regulated at very low levels (ppm to ppb) by the EPA. A need exists to measure these chemicals at these regulatory levels rapidly and, in many cases, in situ. Raman spectroscopy is one method which has the potential to be a useful tool for remote monitoring and has already found a number of applications for process and field monitoring of chemicals. While carbon tetrachloride has been detected with these remote sampling systems, it is doubtful that the requisite sensitivity could be obtained with visible or near-IR lasers because of the relatively small cross section for the Raman effect. Large increases in the Raman cross section have been observed when the excitation frequency is at or near an electronic absorption of the molecule. Resonance enhancement of the Raman cross sections can be many orders of magnitude (103 to 106). Hence, large gains in sensitivity might be expected. Such measurements are complicated by background florescence as well as the need to use lasers in the UV region of the spectrum to access the electronic transitions of simple VOCs.
Observer based imaging methods for Atomic Force Microscopy

In atomic force microscopy, bandwidth or resolution can be affected by active quality factor (Q) control. However, in existing methods the trade off between resolution and bandwidth remains inherent. Observer based Q control method provides greater flexibility in managing the tradeoff between resolution and bandwidth during imaging. It also facilitates theoretical analysis lacking in existing methods. Steady state signals like amplitude and phase are slowly varying variables that are suited to image low bandwidth content of the actual sample profile. Observer based transient imaging scheme with Q control has the promise of detecting high bandwidth content of the sample features during scanning. Transient detection also has the advantage of high sensitivity to small features.
Evolution in metacommunities

A metacommunity can be defined as a set of communities that are linked by migration, and extinction and recolonization. In metacommunities, evolution can occur not only by processes that occur within communities such as drift and individual selection, but also by among-community processes, such as divergent selection owing to random differences among communities in species composition, and group and community-level selection. The effect of these among-community-level processes depends on the pattern of migration among communities. Migrating units may be individuals (migrant pool model), groups of individuals (single-species propagule pool model) or multi-species associations (multi-species propagule pool model). The most interesting case is the multi-species propagule pool model. Although this pattern of migration may a priori seem rare, it becomes more plausible in small well-defined ‘communities’ such as symbiotic associations between two or a few species. Theoretical models and experimental studies show that community selection is potentially an effective evolutionary force. Such evolution can occur either through genetic changes within species or through changes in the species composition of the communities. Although laboratory studies show that community selection can be important, little is known about how important it is in natural populations.
Determining the Saddle Point in Micromagnetic Models of Magnetization Switching

A numerical model of single-domain nanoscale iron magnets fabricated using scanning-microscope-assisted chemical vapor deposition is simulated using finite-temperature micromagnetics. A projective-dynamics method is used to determine the magnetization at the saddle point as a function of temperature. This magnetization is found to decrease linearly as the temperature is raised
Grade IV Fetal Intracranial Hemorrhage With Good Cognitive Function

Fewer than 200 cases of prenatally diagnosed magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed fetal intracranial hemorrhage have been reported. Children surviving grade IV fetal intracranial hemorrhage usually manifest severe impairments, including mental retardation. We report on a child with a grade IV intracranial hemorrhage diagnosed by in utero ultrasound at 28 weeks of gestation, and confirmed by fetal magnetic resonance imaging at 29 weeks of gestation. At age 27 months, she has a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and exhibits hemiplegic cerebral palsy, but without seizures, and with normal cognitive function and excellent verbal ability. We discuss how perinatal care may have contributed to her good outcome.
Heat Transfer and Wall Heat Flux Partitioning During Subcooled Flow Nucleate Boiling—A Review

In this paper we provide a review of heat transfer and wall heat flux partitioning models/correlations applicable to subcooled forced flow nucleate boiling. Details of both empirical and mechanistic models that have been proposed in the literature are provided. A comparison of the experimental data with predictions from selected models is also included.
Inhibiting long chain fatty Acyl CoA synthetase increases basal and agonist-stimulated NO synthesis in endothelium

Objectives: Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation/deactivation is associated with cyclic depalmitoylation/repalmitoylation of specific Cys residues. The mechanism of depalmitoylation has been identified recently, but repalmitoylation remains undefined. We hypothesized that long chain fatty acyl CoA synthetase (LCFACoAS) modulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase repalmitoylation by limiting palmitoyl CoA availability. Methods: Human coronary endothelial cells were treated with triacsin-C, an inhibitor of long chain fatty acyl CoA synthetase, for 24 h. Media nitrite accumulation, eNOS activity, and eNOS palmitoylation were measured. Methacholine-induced NO synthesis or vascular relaxation were measured in endothelium-intact rat aortae in the presence and absence of triacsin-C. Results: Triacsin-C significantly reduced incorporation of [3H] palmitate into immunoreactive endothelial nitric oxide synthase and over a concentration range of 0.1 to 10 μM, increased media nitrite accumulations 2- to 2.5-fold over baseline. Total in vitro catalytic activity of nitric oxide synthase in triacsin-C treated cells did not differ significantly from control. Triacsin-C significantly increased methacholine-induced NO synthesis in the isolated rat aorta, and significantly enhanced methacholine-induced relaxation of rat aortic rings. Conclusions: These data are consistent with the interpretation that inhibition of palmitoylation increases endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity without changing endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression, suggesting that inhibiting palmitoylation increases the catalytically active fraction of endothelial nitric oxide synthase.
Determinants of local responsiveness: perspectives from foreign subsidiaries in an emerging market

This study examines various determinants of local responsiveness as perceived by MNE subsidiary managers in a dynamic environment. It proposes and validates three levels of factors affecting responsiveness, including environmental, structural, and organizational. Analysis of data containing 168 MNE subsidiaries in the People’s Republic of China suggests that environmental complexity and business culture peculiarity heighten local responsiveness. Structural factors such as competition intensity, demand heterogeneity, and component localization elevate local responsiveness. A subsidiary’s local market orientation and the strength of its established network with the business community and governmental agencies also propel such responsiveness. Finally, there is a stronger relationship between environmental and industrial factors and responsiveness for firms seeking local market expansion than for those pursuing export growth.
ANTECEDENT VERSUS CONSEQUENT EVENTS AS PREDICTORS OF PROBLEM BEHAVIOR

Comparisons of results from descriptive and functional analyses of problem behavior generally have shown poor correspondence. Most descriptive analyses have focused on relations between consequent events and behavior, and it has been noted that attention is a common consequence for problem behavior even though it may not be a functional reinforcer. Because attention may be prescribed simply as a means of stopping serious problem behavior, it is possible that naturally occurring antecedent events (establishing operations) might be better predictors of problem behavior than consequences. We conducted descriptive and functional analyses of the problem behaviors of 7 participants. Conditional probabilities based on combined antecedent and consequent events showed correspondence with the functional analysis data for 4 of the 7 participants, but antecedent events were no better than consequent events in identifying the function of problem behavior.
Trochlear Calcification: A Common Entity

Purpose: This study aims to quantify the prevalence of trochlear calcification.Methods: A retrospective case review was performed on orbital CT scans ordered at Wills Eye Emergency room and Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience for patients from June 2009 through September of 2009.Results: In our series, we examined 132 scans, 61% (81/132) men, 39% (51/132) women, ranging in age from 10–83. We found a 13% (17/132) prevalence of calcification of the trochlea, 53% (9/17) unilateral and 47% (8/17) bilateral. Forty-one percent (7/17) were female, 59% male (10/17). Age (19–83) was not a factor in the presence of trochlear calcification. The calcification either came straight off of the bone or was free-floating in the trochlea.Conclusions: Our study establishes that calcification of the trochlea is common in the general population with a prevalence of 13%. Calcification of the trochlea should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hyperintense densities in the superomedial orbit, especially in cases of t...
The spontaneous-rate histogram of the auditory nerve can be explained by only two or three spontaneous rates and long-range dependence.

Estimates of the spontaneous discharge rate (SR) of auditory-nerve (AN) fibers are often based on measurements of the average rate over a long (e.g., 30 s) interval. These measurements are important because SR is apparently correlated with other AN properties, such as threshold to acoustic stimuli, shape of rate-level function, recovery from prior stimulation, and certain anatomical characteristics. Furthermore, histograms of SR estimates from large numbers of fibers suggest that they can be divided into two (i.e., low and high) or three (i.e., low, medium, and high) SR classes. Yet, even “simple” statistical estimates, such as average rate, can behave surprisingly poorly for processes with long-range dependence (LRD), which has been found in the spontaneous activity of AN fibers. In particular, LRD greatly increases the variability of estimates of mean discharge rate. We investigated the implications of this effect of LRD for our understanding of the SRs of AN fibers. The fractional-Gaussian-noise-driven Poisson process (fGnDP) was originally developed to model the LRD action-potential trains of AN fibers. Using rate estimates computed from this model, we were able to reproduce the shape of published histograms of SR using only three fixed SR values. Moreover, by using a Poisson-equivalent integrate-and-fire (IF) model in place of the inhomogeneous Poisson process in the fGnDP model, we were able to reproduce SR histograms using only two fixed SR values. These results suggest that AN fibers may have only two or three possible values for their long-term average spontaneous discharge rates. In other words, all “high-SR” neurons may actually have the same underlying SR. Furthermore, both “low-SR” and “medium-SR” neurons may have a single “true” SR value, or these two classes may have two different “true” SR values. Furthermore, the Poisson-equivalent IF model may prove useful in other applications involving the modeling of trains of action potentials.
The spread of cell death from impact damaged cartilage: lack of evidence for the role of nitric oxide and caspases.

Abstract Over 21 days in culture, cell death spreads, both radially and transversely, from loaded to surrounding cartilage. This spread was prevented by physical separation and separate culture post-impact. Objective One aim was to determine if nitric oxide (NO) is the intercellular signal mediating cell death. Another aim was to clarify the nature of the cell death, whether caspase mediated apoptosis or necrosis. Design Cyclic impacts were applied to the central 2mm core of 4mm canine articular cartilage discs. Post-impact culturing was for 21 days in the presence or absence of the iNOS inhibitor, l-NAME, or the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD FMK. Cell death was quantified using the TUNEL assay. Culture media were collected every 2 days for measurements of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and NO release. Results Cell death spread from the loaded core into the surrounding ring over 21 days in culture. Although l-NAME significantly reduced nitrite release into the culture media of both loaded and control cartilage, the spread of cell death was not prevented. Neither was the spread of cell death prevented by Z-VAD FMK. Conclusions These data indicate that NO is not acting as an intercellular signalling factor in this in vitro system and that the cell death post-impact is not caspase mediated.
Effect of Bioplex™ on Transplant Success and Recovery of Summer-dug Goldenraintree

Biostimulants are intended to reduce stress associa ted with non-dormant (summer-dug) harvest of field-grown nursery stock; however, the effectiveness of biosti mulant treatment is uncertain. We tested the effect s of three application methods of Bioplex™ (a biostimulant) on transpiration rates, transplant survival, and reco very of field-grown goldenraintree ( Koelrueteria paniculata Laxm.), which is considered difficult to transplant and is rarely summer dug. Bioplex™ was applied as a foliar spray, soil drench, or a combination of foliar spr ay and soil drench. Bioplex™ reduced transpiration rates of tre es by 12% compared to untreated control trees. Root loss associated with digging reduced transpiration rates and had a greater effect on transpiration than any Bioplex™ treatment. Survival 12 months after transplanting w as 100%. Bioplex™ treatments applied before digging had no effect on growth after transplanting. Transplant ed trees had reduced caliper growth and shoot exten sion the season after transplant compared to non-dug control s. Although Bioplex™ reduced transpiration rates fo r three to five days after application in non-dug trees, th ere were no long-term benefits to survival or re-gr owth to summer transplanted trees.
Plasma Treatment of Silver Impregnated Mesoporous Aluminosilicate Nanoparticles for Adsorptive Desulfurization

We report a regenerable adsorbent for the removal of refractory organosulfur compounds from fossil fuels. The material is composed of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles confined within the mesochannels of aluminum-doped MCM-41 nanoparticles. With an average initial desulfurization capacity of 15 mg S·g–1, 79% desulfurization capacity is retained after six cycles for the removal of dibenzothiophene from n-decane. The addition of intraframework aluminum to form a mesoporous aluminosilicate nanoparticle (MASN) aids in the retention and dispersion of silver ions within the mesochannels (Ag-MASN). The nanoparticles are subsequently reduced by glow discharge plasma treatment in argon (PT-Ag-MASN). The size dispersion, surface area, and structural integrity were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF-STEM), nitrogen adsorption analysis (BET), and powder X-ray diffraction. Silver nanoparticle formation within the mesochannels of MASN was c...
Opportunity, Risk, and Public Acceptability: The Question of Shale Gas Exploitation in Québec

The Canadian province of Quebec has the largest reserves of shale gas in Eastern Canada, but Quebeckers are in the midst of a heated debate over the desirability of exploiting this resource. At issue is the controversial technique of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” The provincial government has decided to proceed cautiously. In 2011, Quebec instituted a temporary moratorium, still in effect, on shale gas development in order to conduct consultations with experts and members of the public that has continued to present day. Recently, the government released the results of the experts’ report, the Strategic Environmental Evaluation. This paper highlights the report’s key findings about the potential economic benefits, environmental risks, and public acceptability of shale gas development. Quebec’s balanced approach to the complex, technical issue of shale gas development represents a deliberative approach to governance that emphasizes extensive public engagement.
Terror's talk: Fieldwork and war

My purpose in this essay is to raise some questions about what isinvolved in research on political violence. Since 1995 I haveconducted ethnographic research in rural villages throughoutAyacucho, the region of Peru most heavily affected by the warbetween the guerrilla group Sendero Luminoso, the rondascampesinas (armed peasant patrols) and the Peruvian armed forces.A key factor motivating my research was a desire to write againstthe culture of violence arguments that were used to ``explain''the war. The concept of a ``culture of violence'' or ``endemicviolence'' has frequently been attributed to the Andean region,particularly to the rural peasants who inhabit the highlands.I wanted to understand how people make and unmake lethal violencein a particular social and historical context, and to explore thepositioning and responsibilities of an anthropologist who conductsresearch in the context of war.
Pediatric Vision Screening

1. Gary L. Rogers, MD 2. Catherine Olson Jordan, MD 1. Department of Ophthalmology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH. Although early detection of visual disorders can lead to therapy that will prevent permanent blindness, compliance with screening guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics is low. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Be aware of common vision-threatening conditions that can be detected by using basic screening examinations. 2. Become familiar with techniques and findings used in vision screening examinations. 3. Understand the role of commercial screening tools. Early detection of ocular conditions can allow for assessment and treatment of a vision-threatening or life-threatening condition. Amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” can develop if a clear visual image is not projected onto the retina. Amblyopia can be caused by deprivation, strabismus, high refractive error (hyperopia, myopia, or astigmatism), or anisometropia (significant difference in the refractive error between eyes) and can be unilateral or bilateral. The prevalence of amblyopia is estimated to be 1% to 4%. (1) Many factors may prevent the achievement of universal vision screening, including lack of education of families; language, financial, and state legislative barriers; and a lack of available providers. (2) Primary care physicians are crucial providers for detecting and referring vision-threatening ocular conditions. From the newborn examination, through subsequent health supervision visits, and throughout a child’s life, the pediatrician and family physician can perform effective examinations to screen for common and uncommon conditions that may be vision-threatening or even potentially life-threatening. (3) However, vision screening in the primary care office should not take the place of a full eye examination. If a patient cannot be screened effectively after two attempts, a referral should be made to an eye care professional who is comfortable examining children. …
Modifications in Feather Pattern and Growth Rate Following Administration of Thiouracil in Brown Leghorn Fowl.

SummaryDaily administration of 0.3 to 0.5 g of thiouracil in Brown Leghorn capons and cockerels brought about changes in plumage similar to those observed following thyroidectomy in this breed. Black pigments were replaced by red, barbulation was reduced, and growth rates retarded. Changes in feather color were first apparent 24 to 28 days following initiation of medication and in capons continued for approximately 18 to 20 days after medication ceased.In a recent note7 Juhn reported similar modifications of breast feather pattern in the Brown Leghorn capon following thiouracil administration ad libitum by mixing with food. No record was made of observations on growth rate.
Random Poly(3-hexylthiophene-co-3-cyanothiophene) Copolymers via Direct Arylation Polymerization (DArP) for Organic Solar Cells with High Open-Circuit Voltage

A family of four poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) based copolymers containing 5, 10, 15, and 20% of 3-cyanothiophene (CNT) incorporated in a random fashion with a regioregular linkage pattern (P3HT-CNT) were successfully synthesized via direct arylation polymerization (DArP). Unique reaction conditions, previously reported for P3HT, were used, which employ very low loadings of Pd(OAc)2 as a catalyst and an inexpensive bulky carboxylic acid (neodecanoic acid) as an essential part of the palladium catalytic center. The chemical structures and optoelectronic properties of DArP P3HT-CNT polymers were found to be similar to those of previously investigated P3HT-CNT polymers synthesized via Stille polycondensation. All polymers are semicrystalline with high hole mobilities and UV–vis absorption profiles that resemble P3HT, while the polymer highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level decreases with increasing content of cyanothiophene in both DArP and Stille P3HT-CNT polymers. In photovoltaic devices with a PC...
Simulating mTOR Hyperactivating Mutations to Understand Functionally Significant Structural Rearrangements

The kinase mTOR is a common therapeutic target for a number of cancers and most prominently in clear cell Renal cell carcinoma where hyperactivating mTOR mutants can be found. In vitro data suggests that these mutants can be divided into different groups and that combining mutants from different groups has an additive effect on mTOR kinase activity. However, the mechanisms through which these mutants activate mTOR are not well characterized. To dissect these mechanisms, we sought to identify possible structural rearrangements in response to these point mutants using molecular dynamics simulations on Folding@home, a massively distributed computing network. Using these atomistic models, we use a variety of computable surrogates to examine how mutants impact substrate affinity. Understanding how these mutants are hyperactivating will provide insight into the development of future therapies.
Primary Systemic Amyloidosis (AL): Comparison of Melphalan-Prednisone vs. Colchicine Treatment in 101 Cases

One hundred one patients with primary amyloidosis (AL) were stratified in four groups on the basis of their major clinical features: 1) Nephrotic syndrome or renal insufficiency; 2) congestive heart failure; 3) peripheral neuropathy; and 4) other. The patients were randomized to 1) melphalan (0.15 mg/kg daily) and prednisone (0.8 mg/kg daily) for 7 days every 6 weeks, or 2) colchicine (0.6 mg twice a day). Forty-nine patients were randomized to melphalan-prednisone (M-P) therapy, while 52 were to receive colchicine (C). No important differences were found between the two groups in the history or the initial physical examination and laboratory findings. If there was progressive disease or lack of benefit from therapy, either M-P or C was added to the original therapeutic regimen. Twenty-one of the 40 patients with the nephrotic syndrome who received M-P had >50% reduction in urinary protein. Four patients died of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. The median survival was 25 months for the M-P group and 18 months for the C group (P = 0.23). When survival was calculated from the onset of randomization to death or progression of disease, the median survival was 16 months for the M-P group and 6 months for the C group (P = 0.0001).
A randomized trial of amniotomy in active labor.

The role of amniotomy in active labor is controversial because of contradictory data and a paucity of randomized studies. A randomized trial was conducted on the role of amniotomy in spontaneous labor. Fifty-three women who were admitted to the Family Medicine Service in active labor were randomly assigned to receive amniotomy (n = 26) or no amniotomy (n = 27). Amniotomy shortened the time from randomization to delivery by 143 minutes (t = 2.3, P less than .05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 19-265). After adjusting for possible confounders, the effect of amniotomy was to shorten labor by 155 minutes (CI = 9-301). The effect of amniotomy on labor was not found to be related to parity or cervical dilatation. Amniotomy had no apparent effect on Apgar scores or use of analgesia.
On observability and unbiased estimation of nonlinear systems

In this paper, we have studied the nonlinear observability theory and its relationship with nonlinear estimation problems. We first presented a necessary and sufficient condition for local observability of nonlinear systems. Based on the sufficient condition for local observability, we developed a global observability condition for a class of nonlinear systems. We have found that the observability of a nonlinear system is necessary for the existence of an unbiased, bounded-variance state estimate. However, different from the linear counterpart, the converse is not true in general. A sufficient condition for asymptotic observability for nonlinear systems is given. This condition also assures the asymptotic convergence, in both the almost sure and the mean square sense, of the maximum likelihood estimate to the true state vector.
Development of plasmonics-based photoacoustic immunoassay and a photonic crystal substrate for sensitivity enhancement

Immunosandwich assay is an ideal tool for targeted, high-throughput, and quantitative protein analysis. In such an assay, a pair of specific antibodies recognize the analyte, such as a disease biomarker, and the analyte concentration is measured using labels. Conventional immunoassays utilize fluorescent or chemiluminescent dye molecules or enzymes, i.e. enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), as the label to quantify the analyte concentration. By and large, fluorescence-based immunoassays are highly sensitive, but require expensive instrumentations, which limit its application in a point-of-care system in resource-limited settings. In addition, the fluorescent dyes are prone to photobleaching and affected by environmental conditions, which makes the quantitative analysis especially difficult. ELISA uses an inexpensive colorimetric detection system but it lacks the sensitivity to detect low-abundance biomarkers present at the early stage of diseases. To overcome these problems, we proposed a novel photoacoustic (PA) immunoassay using plasmonic nanoparticles to facilitate the detection of disease biomarkers. The principle of PA detection is based on the photothermal effect, in which the absorption of light by target substances generates heat. Illuminated by modulated light from a laser source, the samples will periodically generate heat, which causes the thermal expansion and contraction of the air in the vicinity. The expansion and contraction process results in a pressure wave, which is measured by a microphone. The advantages of the PA detection include a high sensitivity, a large dynamic range, and a low-cost instrumentation. The developed photoacoustic immunoassay uses gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a label that converts photons into acoustic waves and reports the analyte concentration. When the laser wavelength matches the