cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capping-Ligand Effect on the Stability of CdSe Quantum Dot Langmuir Monolayers

The stability of Langmuir monolayers of CdSe Qdots capped with dodecan-ethiol (DDT), with dithiocarbamates having one, two, or three long alkyl chains (DTC-1, DTC-2 and DTC-3) or with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO), was investigated and linked to the transport of Qdots into the subphase via a dissolution and diffusion mechanism. Langmuir films of Qdots were created by depositing droplets of purified Qdots in chloroform at the air−water interface. While holding the Qdot films at 13 mN/m for 1 h in a Langmuir trough, the average monolayer areas decreased by roughly 9% for TOPO-capped Qdots, ∼15−18% for the three DTC-capped Qdot preparations, and ∼21% for DDT-capped Qdots. Using the model of Ter Minassian-Saraga, the relative stabilities of the Qdot films studied were related to differences in equilibrium partitioning into the subphase and to apparent Qdot diffusivities within the subphase. An analysis of the Qdot preparations by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the aliphatic t...
Insertion mutagenesis of embryonal carcinoma cells by retroviruses

Mutagenesis was studied in cultured F9 embryonal carcinoma cells infected with a variant of Moloney murine leukemia virus. Proviral insertion induced the inactivation of the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase locus, and the virus was used to isolate the mutated genes rapidly. Mutagenesis by these methods may be useful for the genetic dissection of the various mammalian cell phenotypes.
Exceptions in vowel harmony are local

This paper argues that while the domain of regular vowel harmony processes applies over the entire lexical item, exceptions to vowel harmony apply to a domain that is locally bound to the exceptional morpheme. This has important consequences for distinguishing between two competing theories of lexical exceptions in Optimality Theory (Prince and Smolensky, 1993/2004): lexically indexed constraints (e.g., Pater, 2000) and lexically indexed rankings (e.g., Anttila, 2002). Lexically indexed constraints are subject to a locality requirement in their locus of violation, forcing exceptions in harmony to have a local domain of application. Lexically indexed rankings do not naturally apply in a local fashion, and fail to account for locality of exceptions in vowel harmony.
Change in Mechanical Response of Arterial Elastin due to Glycation

Collagen and elastin are the primary load-bearing components of arteries. Elastin is a low strength, highly elastic, fibrous material and collagen is a stiffer material, generally present as wavy fibers when unstretched. Together, they account for the material response of arteries under tensile load. Arteries, and other soft tissues, exhibit a two-part material response to tensile load. There is an initial low stiffness response at low stretch followed by a high stiffness response at higher stretch. It has been proposed that the low stiffness response is dominated by the elastin in the material and the high stiffness response is dominated by collagen [1]. The elastin accounts for the initial low stiffness response of the material, until the wavy collagen fibers straighten and become engaged, at which point the material transitions to its higher stiffness response. It is important to understand the role of the individual collagen and elastin components and how they contribute to the overall mechanical response of the arteries. Further, it is important to understand how specific biochemical processes that occur with age and disease affect the mechanical response of the individual collagen and elastin components and consequently the overall mechanical response of the arteries. This knowledge will increase our understanding of arterial mechanical response and how this response changes arterial function in health and disease.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Effect of Premature Depolarization on the Duration of Action Potentials in Purkinje and Ventricular Fibers of the Moderator Band of the Pig Heart: ROLE OF PROXIMITY AND THE DURATION OF THE PRECEDING ACTION POTENTIAL

We compared premature and nonpremature action potentials in Purkinje and ventricular fibers from the moderator band of the pig heart to determine if the duration of premature action potentials depended on factors other than preceding cycle length. In Purkinje fibers, the duration of premature action potentials was cycle-length dependent in responses originating more than 100 msec after the preceding repolarization, but the duration of earlier responses was less than the cycle-length-dependent duration. This cycle-length-independent shortening of premature responses increased with greater proximity to the preceding repolarization and increasing duration of the preceding action potential. In ventricular fibers, the duration of premature action potentials was greater than the cycle-length-dependent duration. This cycle-length-independent lengthening increased as the duration of the preceding action potential increased; it also depended on proximity, being greatest when proximity ranged between 26 and 275 msec. The difference between the durations of simultaneously recorded Purkinje and ventricular action potentials decreased as prematurity increased, but the earliest premature Purkinje action potential was consistently shorter than the simultaneously recorded ventricular action potential. Thus, premature stimulation produced different effects in Purkinje and ventricular fibers. However, in both fibers, the deviation of the duration of premature action potentials from the cycle-length-dependent duration was determined, at least in part, by the duration of the preceding action potential and proximity.
On the Formal Extension of Dirac's Equation under Continuous Transformation Groups

The theory of equations of the Dirac type which are form-invariant under general finite continuous groups of point transformations in space-time is developed. The possible equations invariant under a given group depend on the structure of the group, but in each case the required invariance imposes a set of linear homogeneous relations on the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-operators with which any assumed algebra must be consistent. It is shown that the algebra appropriate to the general equation possessing form-invariance under the inhomogeneous Lorentz group is necessarily of infinite order.
Co detection by the photoimpedance response of semiconductor film sensors

Abstract Carbon monoxide (CO) influence on surface conductivity is investigated for illuminated polycrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO), tin dioxide (SnO2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) powder films. Comparison of transient photoconductivities of a ZnO film exposed to a carbon monoxide-oxygen mixture and an oxygen atmosphere gives quantitative measurement of the CO concentration. This photoinduced specificity for CO is achievable with sub-bandgap energy illumination. Electronically active surface states respond to photo-activation for various illumination wavelengths in the visible range, most notably at 625 nm (2.0 eV). The CO-dependent film photoconductivity response are found to decrease with time, but higher frequency illumination (380 – 405 nm) provides regeneration of CO photosensitivity at sub-bandgap energy wavelengths.
An analytical framework in the general coalescent tree setting for analyzing polymorphisms created by two mutations

This paper presents an analytical framework for analyzing polymorphisms created by two mutation events in samples of DNA sequences modeled in the general coalescent tree setting. I developed the framework by deriving analytical formulas for the numbers of the topologies of the genealogies with two mutation events. This approach gives an advantage to analyze polymorphisms in large samples of DNA sequences at a non-recombining locus under vicarious evolutionary scenarios. Particularly the framework allows to estimate the probability of polymorphism data created by two mutation events as well as the ages of the events. Based on these results I extended the definition of the site frequency spectrum by classifying pairs of polymorphic sites into groups and presented analytical expressions for computing the expected sizes of these groups. Within the framework I also designed a Bayesian approach for inferring the haplotype of the most recent common ancestor at two polymorphic sites. Lastly, the framework was applied to polymorphism data from human APOE gene region under various demographic scenarios for ancestral human population and explored the signature of linkage disequilibrium for inferring the ancestral haplotype at two polymorphic sites. Interestingly enough, the results show that the most frequent haplotype at two completely linked polymorphic sites is not always the most likely candidate for the haplotype of the most recent common ancestor.
Portable Accelerometer Device for Measuring Human Energy Expenditure

We have developed and tested a portable device that measures energy expenditure per unit time of a human subject. A modified ceramic phonocartridge senses the acceleration of the body. After amplification and rectification a Curtis 120 CP3 elapsed time meter integrates the output. This may prove to be useful in providing an objective measurement of the level of physical activity of human subjects and can be used in studying habitual and leisure time activities in a large population setting. It is worn on the waist, weighs 400 g, measures 14 X 8 X 4 cm, costs $ 30 plus 5 h assembly time, and runs 10 days on two 9 V transistor batteries.
Hodoscope Performance Tests on a 91-Pin Fuel Bundle at PARKA

Joint LASL/ANL studies of the fuel motion performance capability of a fast-neutron hodoscope have been performed on a 91-pin fuel bundle. Optimization of the neutron detectors used in the hodoscope was also investigated. The neutron detectors tested were a Hornyak button and a stilbene detector with pulse shape discrimination. These studies show that a hodoscope can provide useful fuel motion detection capability for large bundles and that the amount of information provided is greatly increased by the use of neutron detectors with high neutron thresholds and high detection efficiency. These measurements indicate that the TREAT hodoscope can be upgraded to meet most of the fuel motion diagnostic requirements of new safety facilities.
Formed power transformer cores

Efficient and economical utilization of oriented cold-rolled steel requires that magnetic flux traverse the steel in the rolling direction; the effects of joints be reduced; and strains in the finished core be minimized. Reductions in core loss, exciting current, and noise level are being obtained in routine production units of Spirakore transformers using these principles
Unexpected Motivations behind Joining Group Purchasing Organization (GPO)

Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) are commonly motivated by larger volume discounting and cost saving opportunities through economies of scale. We show that group purchasing also has other motivations. These motivations can explain a rather puzzling procurement practice where some large buyers subscribe to the GPO membership, only to later procure directly from the same vendor selling through the GPO. Interestingly, such GPO members often succeed in negotiating a price less than the GPO-negotiated price. The "economies of scale" reasoning suggests that an individual buyer would always be better off purchasing supplies as part of a group rather than on its own. However, we show that the above mentioned practice of renegotiation by large GPO members can be explained by price uncertainties prevailing in the market. We also explain the impact of such renegotiation on the total buyer surplus as well as the surplus of individual buyers of different sizes.
A Statistical Convergence Analysis of the FastICA Algorithm for Two-Source Mixtures

While the FastICA algorithm is a popular procedure for independent component analysis (ICA) and blind source separation, its average convergence behavior has yet to be studied. This paper provides several statistical convergence analyses of the kurtosis-based FastICA algorithm for two-source noiseless mixtures. We derive explicit and approximate expressions for the evolutions of the average value and the p.d.f. of the inter-channel interference (ICI) under arbitrary and uniform priors for the initial separating system vector. Our results support the observation in S.C. Douglas 2003: this version of the FastICA algorithm reduces the average ICI by 1/3 or 4.77 dB at each iteration, independent of the source distributions and initial system state. Simulations verify the analytical results
Primary hyperparathyroidism: Skeletal and non-skeletal effects, diagnosis and management

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is the third most common endocrinopathy seen today, and is most frequently found in the 6th to 7th decade of life. PHPT can present with various degrees of symptoms, and can affect many organ systems, including the skeletal, renal, central nervous system and cardiovascular system. Despite this, the most common presentation of hyperparathyroidism is "asymptomatic" with the diagnosis being made incidentally with the initial finding of hypercalcemia on routine laboratory studies, leading to further investigation. Surgical versus medical management is usually based on factors such as age and complications related to hyperparathyroidism (i.e. the presence of renal stones, renal insufficiency and bone loss and significant increases in serum calcium). Treatment options include parathyroidectomy, bisphosphonates, calcitonin and calcimimetics. In this review, we discuss primary hyperparathyroidism in detail with a focus on clinical manifestations particularly in the elderly population. We highlight the indications for surgical versus medical management and compare some of the uses of newer therapeutic agents relative to traditional ones.
Foam extrusion characteristics of thermoplastic resin with fluorocarbon blowing agent. II: Polystyrene foam extrusion

The foam extrusion characteristics of three different grades of polystyrene resin were investigated. For the study, cylindrical dies with various values of length-to-diameter ratio, entrance angle, and reservior-to-capillary diameter ratio were used. Fluorocarbon blowing agents were used, and mixtures of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate were used as nucleating agent. It was found that the die temperature, shear rate, the type and concentration of blowing agent, and die geometry affect the quality of the extruded polystyrene foam. Foam density and open cell fraction were used in determining the quality of extruded foams. We have found that the extrudate swell ratio is correlatable to foam density, independent of the die temperature employed. However, the die temperature has been found to be a very sensitive processing variable governing the quality of extruded foams.
The long-term habituation of sexual arousal in the human male

Long-term habituation of male sexual arousal occurs when (a) short-term (intrasession) habituation occurs; (b) habituated arousal spontaneously recovers; (c) the magnitude of spontaneous remission decreases across habituation sessions; and (d) the number of trials to habituation decreases across sessions. Five undergraduate volunteers each had six sessions at one week intervals of 15 presentations of erotic audiotapes. For three weeks, the same audiotape was presented, and for each of the other three sessions a different audiotape was presented at every stimulus trial. As indicated by penile plethysmography and self-report, in the constant stimulus conditions the criteria for long-term habituation generally were met. By contrast, responses to variable stimuli remained consistently high. Theoretical and clinical implications of the habituation process are discussed.
The biogeochemical consequences of the mid-Cretaceous superplume

Superplumes have been put forward as a driving mechanism for a variety of global phenomena,ranging from geomagnetic reversal anomalies to global climate warming via massive additions of volcanic CO2. Here I propose that rates of uplift caused by modern superplumes would result in the liberation of hundreds of Gt of carbon from methane clathrates on a timescale from tens to hundreds of millions of years. The associated eruption of the Ontong-Java flood basalts would additionally destabilize hundreds of Gt of carbon from methane hydrates during the Aptian-Albian. Evidence of this methane release is recorded in the early Aptian (ca. 117 Ma) carbon isotope records of marine carbonate,marine organic carbon,and terrestrially photosynthesized carbon as a 3–5% negative excursion. As this methane release was oxidized within the biosphere,it would have resulted in massive chemical cycling disruption within the ocean and on land,including widespread oceanic anoxia,and the out-competition of conifers by angiosperms at midand high-latitudes. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Simulating the impact of poly-CD wafer-level and die-level variation on circuit performance

In this paper, we present a methodology for simulating the impact of wafer-level (within-wafer) and die-level (within-die) variation on circuit performance. For a sample 0.25 /spl mu/m 64/spl times/8 SRAM layout, the impact of both die-level and wafer-level poly-CD variation as measured through signal skew and delay is shown to be significant.
Deciphering Disorder in Africa: Is Identity the Key?

At the beginning of the 1990s, a wave of democratization raised new hopes for peace in Africa, but as the decade progressed, violent politics spread and formed two large arcs of conflict that weakened or even collapsed states could not contain. This review article examines five recent books that address the potential impact of identity politics on civil violence in Africa. Two of the authors—Donald Horowitz and Ted Gurr—address these issues in a global comparison, while the other three—Luis Martinez, Stephen Ellis, and Mahmood Mamdani—examine important African instances of protracted internal warfare, in Algeria, Liberia, and Rwanda, respectively. Is identity politics the primary instigator of disorder? What is die impact of a prolonged period of state crisis upon communal relationships? The volumes under review offer useful insights, but large questions remain.
Annealing of cylindrical Ni-Fe films

The effect of annealing on the microstructure of cylindrical electrodeposited 81-percent Ni, 19-percent Fe films was studied with the electron microscope. The films were deposited onto 5-mil Be-Cu wires having either Au or Cu intermediate layers. The annealing was performed on both free-standing films and on films still attached to the substrate. The initial change in the free-standing films was a rapid recrystallization. After the whole film had recrystallized, normal grain growth was observed. There is evidence that the driving force for the annealing is provided by stresses present in the films. Films annealed while attached to a Au-Be-Cu substrate did not exhibit recrystallization or grain growth, and the electron microscope studies showed that the Ni-Fe grains were pinned by Be-Au which diffuses into the grain boundaries but does not alloy with the Ni-Fe. The films which were annealed while attached to a Cu-Be-Cu substrate behaved essentially like free-standing films. Electron beam microanalysis and electron diffraction studies revealed that Be-Cu diffuses into the Ni-Fe grain boundaries and then alloys with the Ni-Fe. Recrystallization of the alloy can then take place freely.
Confocal microlaparoscope for imaging the fallopian tube

Recent evidence suggests that ovarian cancer can originate in the fallopian tube. Unlike many other cancers, poor access to the ovary and fallopian tubes has limited the ability to study the progression of this deadly disease and to diagnosis it during the early stage when it is most amenable to therapy. A rigid confocal microlaparoscope system designed to image the epithelial surface of the ovary in vivo was previously reported. A new confocal microlaparoscope with an articulating distal tip has been developed to enable in vivo access to human fallopian tubes. The new microlaparoscope is compatible with 5-mm trocars and includes a 2.2-mm-diameter articulating distal tip consisting of a bare fiber bundle and an automated dye delivery system for fluorescence confocal imaging. This small articulating device should enable the confocal microlaparoscope to image early stage ovarian cancer arising inside the fallopian tube. Ex vivo images of animal tissue and human fallopian tube using the new articulating device are presented along with in vivo imaging results using the rigid confocal microlaparoscope system.
Time Requirements for the Different Item Types Proposed for Use in the Revised SAT

The current study used three data sources to estimate time requirements for different item types on the now current SAT Reasoning Test™. First, we estimated times from a computer-adaptive version of the SAT® (SAT CAT) that automatically recorded item times. Second, we observed students as they answered SAT questions under strict time limits and recorded the amount of time taken for each question. Finally, we asked high school students to record the amount of time taken for test subsections that were composed of items of a single type. The rules of thumb used by test developers were quite accurate in rank ordering the item types from least to most time-consuming, but the time actually spent was generally higher than assumed in the rules of thumb.
A community-based assessment of learning disabilities using environmental and contextual risk factors

Childhood placement in learning disability (LD) programs in the USA has tripled over the last few decades to 6% of all children enrolled in the public schools today. The revision of educational laws to improve LD testing and reporting guidelines has been credited for these trends. However, some researchers also believe that the increase in LD incidence may be due, in part, to chronic low level exposure to toxicants such as lead, heavy metals, solvents and others chemicals in the physical environment. This study employs the use of geo-statistical methods to explore the potential linkages between these pollution sources and the prevalence rates of LD within an urbanized environment, in the USA. The role of contextual factors such as housing quality, poverty, low parental educational achievement, and other disadvantages are also examined. Using primary data on childhood disabilities for 1997, the LD cases were queried and analyzed to identify the spatial clusters within the community. The neighborhoods within the LD clusters were then compared to other areas in the community on the basis of the environmental and contextual risk factors. The results confirmed that areas of high risk for LD were strongly associated with historically significant sources of lead toxicity and air pollution facilities. Among the socio-economic indicators, the high-risk neighborhoods were characterized by multiple/subdivided housing units, poverty, higher percentage of residents on public assistance and lower adult educational attainment. Taken together, these results suggest the need for a more inclusive multi-disciplinary research on LD that extends beyond the classroom context to the neighborhoods and communities in which these children reside.
Neoliberalism, welfare policy, and feminist theories of social justice Feminist Theory Special Issue: `Feminist Theory and Welfare'

An overview of the feminist theory literature on welfare policy and politics is presented. This introductory essay places a particular emphasis on the works that fall within the political sociology and normative political philosophy genres. In a lengthy digression, the article offers a tribute to the work of Iris Marion Young. It examines the centrality of her thinking about distribution, cultural marginalization, the welfare state bureaucracy, transnational responsibility and solidarity, and the pitfalls of maternalist discourse for this field. In the conclusion, the article makes brief remarks about each of the contributions to the special issue on Feminist Theory and Welfare.
Measuring and Accounting for Cross-Country Differences in Education Quality

This paper measures the role of quality-adjusted education in accounting for cross- country differences in income per worker. The returns to schooling of immigrants to the United States are used as a measure of their source-country education quality. Returns are available for 130 countries and vary by up to an order of magnitude between developed and developing countries. A model shows why the returns to schooling of immigrants and not other wage statistics are an appropriate measure of education quality. The model is consistent with the relationships between education quality, average school attainment, and the returns to schooling for immigrants and non-migrants. Calibrating the model, or augmenting a Bils and Klenow (2000)-style accounting exercise to account for education quality, yields large results. Quality- adjusted schooling is found to account for 38-42% of the income difference between the richest and poorest quintiles of countries, as opposed to the 21-24% in the current literature that accounts only for years of schooling.
On the Role of Eddies and Surface Forcing in the Heat Transport and Overturning Circulation in Marginal Seas

The factors that determine the heat transport and overturning circulation in marginal seas subject to wind forcing and heat loss to the atmosphere are explored using a combination of a high-resolution ocean circulation model and a simple conceptual model. The study is motivated by the exchange between the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean and the Nordic Seas, a region that is of central importance to the oceanic thermohaline circulation. It is shown that mesoscale eddies formed in the marginal sea play a major role in determining the mean meridional heat transport and meridional overturning circulation across the sill. The balance between theoceaniceddyheatfluxandatmosphericcooling,ascharacterizedbyanondimensionalnumber,isshownto be the primary factor in determining the properties of the exchange. Results from a series of eddy-resolving primitive equation model calculations for the meridional heat transport, overturning circulation, density of convective waters, and density of exported waters compare well with predictions from the conceptual model over a wide range of parameter space. Scaling and model results indicate that wind effects are small and the mean exchange is primarily buoyancy forced. These results imply that one must accurately resolve or parameterize eddy fluxes in order to properly represent the mean exchange between the North Atlantic and the Nordic Seas, and thus between the Nordic Seas and the atmosphere, in climate models.
Industrial Slavery in China During the Former Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 25)

Industry and commerce developed rapidly in China during the last three centuries before Christ, as they did also in the Mediterranean world. Contemporary Hellenistic and Roman businessmen made extensive use of slave labor, and slavery gradually developed an industrial character. Nothing comparable occurred in China. Private and government slavery had a marked growth under the Han empire, but the use of slaves for industrial purposes—even commercial farming— did not become an important characteristic of the Chinese institution. This fact raises questions concerning the “style” of ancient Chinese slavery, and concerning the economic organization of which it was a part.
The mother lode of liver transplantation, with particular reference to our new journal.

With certification for inclusion in the Index Medicus,* Liver Transplantation and Surgery will enter an exponential phase of its development. Authors contributing to the Journal now will find their work accessible to literature search via the same informational panoply as other major publications. The Journal has obtained an additional edge by its designation as an official organ of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD). However, its most important advantage is the richness of the material to which Liver Transplantation and Surgery has potential access. The reports about clinical liver transplantation that have filled the pages of the Journal until now constitute only the small tip of a large biological iceberg. Each member of the abdominal organ complex (Fig. 1) has anatomical and functional relationships with all the others. Probing into these interactions during the evolution of liver transplantation set off ripple effects at least as important for continuing creative research and development as the kind of minor refinements, case studies, and expressions of opinion about the procedure itself that quickly reach the point of diminishing returns. The argument can be made best with historical examples that continue to foster inquiry. Figure 1 The complex of intraabdominal viscera (center) functional and anatomic interrelations. (Reprinted with permission from Transplant Proc 1996;28:2430–2432.)
Desquamative gingivitis associated with IgG/IgA pemphigoid presents a challenging diagnosis and treatment: a case report.

Background: Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is a heterogeneous group of autoimmune blistering disorders characterized by subepithelial separation and the deposition of immunoglobulins and complement along the basement membrane zone (BMZ). This disease is diagnosed with direct immunofluorescence testing showing a linear deposition of immunoglobulins and/or complement along the BMZ and indirect immunofluorescence testing showing circulating IgG (and sometimes IgA) autoantibodies along the BMZ. In this case report we describe desquamative gingivitis secondary to IgG/IgA pemphigoid and the management of this challenging variant of MMP. Methods: Routine histology, direct immunofluorescence testing, and indirect immunofluorescence testing were utilized and correlated to the clinical findings to diagnose this unusual immunobullous disease. Results: Direct and indirect immunofluorescence testing confirmed the clinical diagnosis of IgG/IgA pemphigoid as the cause of desquamative gingivitis and the other mucosal f...
Using multiple alignments to improve seeded local alignment algorithms

Multiple alignments among genomes are becoming increasingly prevalent. This trend motivates the development of tools for efficient homology search between a query sequence and a database of multiple alignments. In this paper, we present an algorithm that uses the information implicit in a multiple alignment to dynamically build an index that is weighted most heavily towards the promising regions of the multiple alignment. We have implemented Typhon, a local alignment tool that incorporates our indexing algorithm, which our test results show to be more sensitive than algorithms that index only a sequence. This suggests that when applied on a whole-genome scale, Typhon should provide improved homology searches in time comparable to existing algorithms.
Should the dynamic characteristics of a mho distance relay be considered when testing a mho distance function

The dynamic characteristic of a mho distance relay is a characteristic that exists in all non-self-polarizing mho distance relays especially in microprocessor relays. This characteristic is often ignored, not known, or has not been considered when the mho distance function is tested. This paper gives a basic overview of how the dynamic characteristic manifests and how it can improve the transmission line protection. From the basic concept of the mho dynamic characteristic, a new effective yet economical testing method is recommended.
Activity of Tolclofos - Methyl (Rizolex) on Sclerotium rolfsii and Rhizoctonia solani in Peanut

Abstract Tolclofos-methyl was compared to PCNB in vitro to determine its relative activity against four isolates of Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. and two isolates of Rhizoctonia solani Kuehn. Concentrations of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10 μg/mL of each of the fungicides were used to evaluate their effects on radial growth on both S. rolfsii and R. solani and their effects on sclerotia formation and sclerotial germination of S. rolfsii. Little difference in efficacy between the fungicides occurred for S. rolfsii. However, tolclofos-methyl reduced radial growth of R. solani more than PCNB at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 μg/mL. In field tests in 1982 and 1984 tolclofos-methyl at 5.6 kg ai/ha or less was as effective or superior to PCNB or PCNB-fensulfothion in reducing incidence of southern stem rot and increasing yield. In 1984, tolclofos-methyl at 8.4 kg ai/ha reduced Rhizotonia limb rot damage over the control, but PCNB at 11.2 kg ai/ha did not.
Asymmetric Prospero localization is required to generate mixed neuronal/glial lineages in the Drosophila CNS

In many organisms, single neural stem cells can generate both neurons and glia. How are these different cell types produced from a common precursor? In Drosophila, glial cells missing (gcm) is necessary and sufficient to induce glial development in the CNS. gcm mRNA has been reported to be asymmetrically localized to daughter cells during precursor cell division, allowing the daughter cell to produce glia while precursor cell generates neurons. We show that (1) gcm mRNA is uniformly distributed during precursor cell divisions; (2) the Prospero transcription factor is asymmetrically localized into the glial-producing daughter cell; (3) Prospero is required to upregulate gcm expression and induce glial development; and (4) mislocalization of Prospero to the precursor cell leads to ectopic gcm expression and the production of extra glia. We propose a novel model for the separation of glia and neuron fates in mixed lineages in which the asymmetric localization of Prospero results in upregulation of gcm expression and initiation of glial development in only precursor daughter cells. SUMMARY
Scheuermann's kyphosis in adolescents and adults: diagnosis and management

Scheuermann's thoracic kyphosis is a structural deformity classically characterized by anterior wedging of 5 degrees or more of three adjacent thoracic vertebral bodies. Secondary radiographic findings of Schmorl's nodes, endplate narrowing, and irregular endplates confirm the diagnosis. The etiology remains unclear. Adolescents typically present to medical attention because of cosmetic deformity; adults more commonly present because of increased pain. The indications for treatment are similar to those for other spinal deformities, namely, progression of the deformity, pain, neurologic compromise, and cosmesis. The adolescent with pain associated with Scheuermann's kyphosis usually responds to physical therapy and a short course of anti-inflammatory medications. Bracing has been shown to be effective in controlling a progressive curve in the adolescent patient. For the adult who presents with pain, the early mainstays of treatment are physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and behavioral modification. In patients, either adolescent or adult, with a progressive deformity, refractory pain, or neurologic deficit, surgical correction of the deformity may be indicated. Surgical correction should not exceed 50% of the initial deformity. Distally, instrumentation should be extended beyond the end vertebral body to the first lordotic disk to prevent the development of distal junctional kyphosis.
Clinical utility of myb rearrangement detection and p63/p40 immunophenotyping in the diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma of minor salivary glands: a pilot study.

Objectives MYB rearrangement is observed in approximately 28% to 86% of adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACCs). Also, ACC features a p63+/p40+ immunophenotype in greater than 90% of cases, compared with p63+/p40− polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA). Our aim was to investigate the incidence of (1) MYB rearrangement and (2) p63/p40 immunoreactivity in ACC and PLGA of minor salivary glands (MSGs). Study Design Seven cases of ACC as well as five of PLGA were evaluated by using a MYB (6 q23.3) break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probe. In addition, all cases were immunohistochemically stained with p63 and p40 antibodies. Results All five successfully hybridized ACCs featured MYB rearrangement, whereas PLGAs did not show MYB rearrangement. Interestingly, one case of PLGA demonstrated a single intact copy of MYB in greater than 88% of the neoplastic cells. All ACCs exhibited consistent p63+/p40+ staining, whereas PLGAs demonstrated a p63+/p40− immunophenotype. Conclusions (1) MYB rearrangement is encountered in ACCs but not PLGAs of MSGs; (2) MYB aberrations, for example, monosomy or deletion, can be seen in PLGAs; (3) combined p63/p40 immunostaining can be used to differentiate ACC from PLGA in incisionally biopsied specimens; and (4) performance of either FISH or p63/p40 immunohistochemistry is expected to be able to confirm the diagnosis of ACC or PLGA in small intraoral biopsies, since both techniques appeared to be diagnostically accurate in this pilot study.
Synthetic and natural consensus design for engineering charge within an affibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor.

Protein ligand charge can impact physiological delivery with charge reduction often benefiting performance. Yet neutralizing mutations can be detrimental to protein function. Herein, three approaches are evaluated to introduce charged-to-neutral mutations of three cations and three anions within an affibody engineered to bind epidermal growth factor receptor. These approaches-combinatorial library sorting or consensus design, based on natural homologs or library-sorted mutants-are used to identify mutations with favorable affinity, stability, and recombinant yield. Consensus design, based on 942 affibody homologs, yielded a mutant of modest function (Kd = 11 ±4 nM, Tm = 62°C, and yield = 4.0 ± 0.8 mg/L as compared to 5.3 ± 1.7 nM, 71°C, and 3.5 ± 0.3 mg/L for the parental affibody). Extension of consensus design to 10 additional mutants exhibited varied performance including a substantially improved mutant (Kd = 6.9 ± 1.4 nM, Tm = 71°C, and 12.7 ± 0.9 mg/L yield). Sorting a homolog-based combinatorial library of 7 × 10(5) mutants generated a distribution of mutants with lower stability and yield, but did identify one strongly binding variant (Kd = 1.2 ± 0.3 nM, Tm = 69°C, and 6.0 ± 0.4 mg/L yield). Synthetic consensus design, based on the amino acid distribution in functional library mutants, yielded higher affinities (P = 0.05) with comparable stabilities and yields. The best of four analyzed clones had Kd = 1.7 ± 0.5 nM, Tm = 68°C, and 7.0 ± 0.5 mg/L yield. While all three approaches were effective in creating targeted affibodies with six charged-to-neutral mutations, synthetic consensus design proved to be the most robust. Synthetic consensus design provides a valuable tool for ligand engineering, particularly in the context of charge manipulation. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1628-1638. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Feasibility of an 8-week, Home-based Isometric Strength Training Program for Improving Dressage Test Performance in Equestrian Athletes

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of an 8-week, home-based isometric strength training program in equestrians. Also, we examined changes in muscular strength, endurance, and riding performance. 18 riders (≥1 year dressage experience, riding ≥1 h/week, otherwise untrained) completed pre-/post-muscular tests and a US Equestrian Federation Training Level Rider Test. A progressive, 3 day/week riding-specific intervention using TheraBands® was implemented. Feasibility was determined as >50% of riders completing ≥18/24 sessions of ≥2 sets/exercise of prescribed volume. Dependent samples t-tests compared pre/post composite muscular strength/endurance, and riding test scores. 55.5% of riders completed ≥75% exercise sessions. Significant improvements were observed for muscular endurance (pre 149.8±82.2, post 209.2±112.2; P=0.003), and for riding test scores (pre 57.8±7.4, post 60.8±5.1; P=0.037). Exploratory analyses revealed a significant correlation between improvements in muscular endurance...
A Career of Lifelong Learning, Not Lifelong Training: An Early Cardiologist's Perspective.

Medical training stands prominent among the most demanding career choices. Whether in intensity or duration, it requires a tremendous amount of commitment, along with a willingness to endure the financial burden of medical school loans. For the bold candidates who accept the challenge, the angle
Methods and limitations of focal plane sensing, estimation, and control in high-contrast imaging

Coronagraphy is a very promising method for directly imaging exoplanets, but the performance of a coronagraph is highly sensitive to quasi-static aberrations within the telescope. The resultant speckles are suppressed in the final focal plane using a wavefront control system that estimates the field at the final focal plane to avoid any noncommon path error. This requires a set of probe images that modulate the field so that it may be estimated. With an estimate of the focal plane electric field, a control law is defined to suppress the speckle field so that the planet can be imaged. Characterizing the planet requires that the speckle field be suppressed simultaneously over the bandpass of interest. The choice of control law, bandpass, estimator, and probing methodology has implications in the control solutions and contrast performance. Here, we compare wavefront probing, estimation, and control algorithms, and describe their practical implementation.
Parkinsonism, movement disorders and genetics in frontotemporal dementia

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) refers to a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders that are a common cause of adult-onset behavioural and cognitive impairment. FTD often presents in combination with various hyperkinetic or hypokinetic movement disorders, and evidence suggests that various genetic mutations underlie these different presentations. Here, we review the known syndromatic-genetic correlations in FTD. Although no direct genotype-phenotype correlations have been identified, mutations in multiple genes have been associated with various presentations. Mutations in the genes that encode microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) and progranulin (PGRN) can manifest as symmetrical parkinsonism, including the phenotypes of Richardson syndrome and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). Expansions in the C9orf72 gene are most frequently associated with familial FTD, typically combined with motor neuron disease, but other manifestations, such as symmetrical parkinsonism, CBS and multiple system atrophy-like presentations, have been described in patients with these mutations. Less common gene mutations, such as those in TARDBP, CHMP2B, VCP, FUS and TREM2, can also present as atypical parkinsonism. The most common hyperkinetic movement disorders in FTD are motor and vocal stereotypies, which have been observed in up to 78% of patients with autopsy-proven FTD. Other hyperkinetic movements, such as chorea, orofacial dyskinesias, myoclonus and dystonia, are also observed in some patients with FTD.
Motion Predicts Clinical Callus Formation: Construct-Specific Finite Element Analysis of Supracondylar Femoral Fractures.

Background: Mechanotransduction is theorized to influence fracture-healing, but optimal fracture-site motion is poorly defined. We hypothesized that three-dimensional (3-D) fracture-site motion as estimated by finite element (FE) analysis would influence callus formation for a clinical series of supracondylar femoral fractures treated with locking-plate fixation. Methods: Construct-specific FE modeling simulated 3-D fracture-site motion for sixty-six supracondylar femoral fractures (OTA/AO classification of 33A or 33C) treated at a single institution. Construct stiffness and directional motion through the fracture were investigated to assess the validity of construct stiffness as a surrogate measure of 3-D motion at the fracture site. Callus formation was assessed radiographically for all patients at six, twelve, and twenty-four weeks postoperatively. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses examined the effects of longitudinal motion, shear (transverse motion), open fracture, smoking, and diabetes on callus formation. Construct types were compared to determine whether their 3-D motion profile was associated with callus formation. Results: Shear disproportionately increased relative to longitudinal motion with increasing bridge span, which was not predicted by our assessment of construct stiffness alone. Callus formation was not associated with open fracture, smoking, or diabetes at six, twelve, or twenty-four weeks. However, callus formation was associated with 3-D fracture-site motion at twelve and twenty-four weeks. Longitudinal motion promoted callus formation at twelve and twenty-four weeks (p = 0.017 for both). Shear inhibited callus formation at twelve and twenty-four weeks (p = 0.017 and p = 0.022, respectively). Titanium constructs with a short bridge span demonstrated greater longitudinal motion with less shear than did the other constructs, and this was associated with greater callus formation (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this study of supracondylar femoral fractures treated with locking-plate fixation, longitudinal motion promoted callus formation, while shear inhibited callus formation. Construct stiffness was found to be a poor surrogate of fracture-site motion. Future implant design and operative fixation strategies should seek to optimize 3-D fracture-site motion rather than rely on surrogate measures such as axial stiffness.
CERTAIN MOLTS AND PLUMAGES OF ACADIAN AND YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS

DIFFICULTIES in identifying certain Empidonax flycatchers recently led me to survey the literature concerning the molts and plumages of birds of this genus and to examine a large number of specimens. In the course of this inquiry it became evident that there has been much confusion in regard to the molts and plumages of some of the species and that the literature is often misleading or actually incorrect. In the cases of the Acadian Flycatcher, Empidonax virescens, and the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, E. flaviventris, among others, this situation can lead to some difficulty in the allocation of specimens, and it is with these two species that this paper deals. Griscom (1923: 234) emphasized the close similarity of Acadian, Least (E. minimus) and Alder (E. traillii) flycatchers in the fall, but it seems not to have been generally recognized that any special difficulty attends the separation of any of these from the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Actually, during the fall a substantial proportion of virescens closely resembles flaviventris and can be most perplexing for this reason, especially to those not familiar with the genus. The possibility of misidentification is suggested by the fact that the only extant specimens of "flaviventris" for South Carolina, taken and recorded by the veteran ornithologist Arthur T.Wayne, were referred to virescens upon subsequent re-examination by Allan R. Phillips and E. B. Chamberlain (Sprunt and Chamberlain, 1949: 354). Inadequate description of the plumages of the Acadian Flycatcher is largely responsible for confusion such as this. I first became aware of this problem when H. B. Tordoff and I attempted to identify a number of specimens we had collected near Henderson, Kentucky, in early September, 1949. We found that in a series of six specimens, which we had assumed in the field to be flaviventris, there were actually some individuals of virescens. Nowhere in the literature could we find reference to such a "flaviventrislike" plumage of that species. My material, supplemented by additional specimens in the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (hereafter referred to as U. M. M. Z.), fortunately contains a nearly complete molting series of virescens, permitting more thorough analysis of its molts and plumages than has hitherto been possible.