cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
267 DIFFERENCES IN BULL SPERM NUCLEAR SHAPE BETWEEN FLOW-SORTED AND NON-SORTED SPERM USING FOURIER HARMONIC ANALYSIS

The objective of the study was to evaluate sperm nuclear shape in sex-sorted and non-sorted semen using Fourier Harmonic Amplitudes (FHA). Frozen semen was obtained from a single commercially available source. Mature bulls (n = 15) from the same breed with an average age of 4.42 ± 2.08 years were collected and the semen was either frozen or X-chromosome sorted using a flow cytometer and then frozen. Frozen straws were transported to the lab and analyzed for FHA. Briefly, straws were thawed and cells were incubated with 1.6 μm Hoechst 33342. Cells were then washed, fixed, dried to a slide and analyzed for nuclear head shape. Harmonic amplitudes 0 to 5 (HA0–HA5), derived from FHA, were previously shown to be an accurate, objective, and repeatable measure of sperm nuclear shape. HA0 describes the overall nuclear size of the sperm, whereas HA1 describes the anterior head, HA2 the length of the sperm along the longitudinal axis, and HA3 to 5 the distal, post-nuclear curvature of the sperm head. Each unit of semen was evaluated for motility and FHA. There was a significant decrease in motility in the sorted group (77 ± 1% v. 54 ± 3%; P < 0.0001). Multivariate ANOVA showed that there were differences between the sorted and non-sorted groups in HA1 to 4 (P < 0.02). Harmonic amplitude means ± SD (microns) for sorted and non-sorted treatments are as follows: HA1 (0.117 ± 0.003 v. 0.109 ± 0.003), HA2 (1.087 ± 0.005 v. 1.063 ± 0.005), HA3 (0.139 ± 0.003 v. 0.130 ± 0.003), and HA4 (0.201 ± 0.004 v. 0.191 ± 0.004), respectively. The nuclear shape of X-sorted sperm is longer and more pinched in both the anterior and posterior head. Interestingly there was no difference in HA0 (P = 0.119) indicating that the overall size of the sperm head is not affected by the sorting process. The differences in harmonic amplitudes may be due to the size and a restricted location of the X v. Y chromosome in the sperm nucleus.
Self-assembly and self-repair of arbitrary shapes by a swarm of reactive robots: algorithms and simulations

Self-assembly of active, robotic agents, rather than of passive agents such as molecules, is an emerging research field that is attracting increasing attention. Active self-assembly techniques are especially attractive at very small spatial scales, where alternative construction methods are unavailable or have severe limitations. Building nanostructures by using swarms of very simple nanorobots is a promising approach for manufacturing nanoscale devices and systems. The method described in this paper allows a group of simple, physically identical, identically programmed and reactive (i.e., stateless) agents to construct and repair polygonal approximations to arbitrary structures in the plane. The distributed algorithms presented here are tolerant of robot failures and of externally-induced disturbances. The structures are self-healing, and self-replicating in a weak sense. Their components can be re-used once the structures are no longer needed. A specification of vertices at relative positions, and the edges between them, is translated by a compiler into reactive rules for assembly agents. These rules lead to the construction and repair of the specified shape. Simulation results are presented, which validate the proposed algorithms.
Invisible residents: The chronically mentally ill elderly in nursing homes

This article presents results from a retrospective study of psychological assessments of elderly persons with chronic mental illness residing in nursing homes. All residents ( N = 570) received this assessment as part of federally mandated screening for mentally ill persons residing in long-term care. The process, the Preadmission Screening and Resident Review, was mandated by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA 87). These assessments were the first stage in a process to determine if the nursing home was the most appropriate placement for each resident. If nursing home care was deemed appropriate, then a psychological treatment program was to be established within the nursing home setting. The sample ranged in age from 50 to 104 (mean of 70). The majority had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and a history of psychiatric hospitalization occurring early in their life. The assessments did not include any quantificable data on activities of daily living, cognitive functioning, or level of psychiatric impairment. Therefore, the researchers coded the narrative data so that it could be interpreted. The majority functioned within the none-to-mild range of cognitive impairment, and very few were completely dependent in the need for physical care. The most recorded symptom was social withdrawal. Neuroleptic medications were administered to 64% of elderly persons with chronic mental illness. Importantly, there was no relationship between demographic or clinical information and treatment recommendations. Implications of these findings for psychiatric nurses are discussed.
The evolution of nuclear structure: the scheme and related correlations

The evolution of collective nuclear structure is discussed from a horizontal perspective, that is, as a function of the number of valence protons and neutrons. Starting from an explicit recognition of the importance of the valence residual p - n interaction in the equilibrium shape and structure of nuclei, the phenomenological scheme is presented, and validated via an analysis of empirical p - n interaction strengths. Applications of the scheme are presented which exploit this paradigm of structural evolution. The physics underlying occasional deviations from the scheme is extracted and new signatures of structure and of nuclear shape components are developed which will be useful for the study of exotic nuclei with radioactive beams. Finally, the smooth correlations of many observables with leads to a study of the correlations between different collective observables themselves. The remarkable results stemming from this approach are summarized.
Dynamics of Insulin Secretion in Myotonic Dystrophy

ABSTRACT Excessive insulin responses to oral and intravenous glucose have been observed in patients with myotonic dystrophy. This report describes the effects of 5 other modifiers of insulin secretion in 8 patients with myotonic dystrophy. Marked hypersecretion of insulin occurred after intravenous tolbutamide, comparable to that seen in islet cell adenoma patients. Intravenous glucagon produced immediate marked hyperinsulinemia and a normal rise in glucose. The insulin response to oral leucine was also increased, but not to the degree seen in insulinoma patients. Normal suppression of insulin release occurred with epinephrine. Plasma insulin was moderately suppressed on prolonged fasting, and the blood sugar fell only slightly. The data show that insulin secretion in myotonic dystrophy patients is markedly exaggerated in response to glucose, glucagon and tolbutamide. Normal control mechanisms are still operative in that epinephrine and fasting inhibited insulin secretion. The blood glucose responses to t...
The relationship between population density, juvenile hormone, juvenile hormone esterase and phase variation in larvae of the migrant insect, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner

Abstract Juvenile hormone esterase activity in synchronous ultimate-stadium larvae varied with development time and density but larval weight was not associated with esterase activity. Topical application of epofenonane to crowded ultimate-stadium larvae resulted in juvenile hormone esterase activity levels that were similar to uncrowded larvae indicating that esterase activity is in part, a function of the juvenile hormone titre. Reducing the density at the ultimate stadium of Anticarsia gemmatalis resulted in pupal and adult weights, and larval durations that were intermediate between larvae reared crowded or uncrowded throughout development. Juvenile hormone I and the juvenoid epofenonane inhibited dark pigmentation of crowded larvae when applied before dark pigmentation occurred in the ultimate stadium. Application of epofenonane to crowded larvae increased the pupal weight and larval duration. These results suggest that the juvenile hormone titre of crowded A. gemmatalis larvae is lower than uncrowded larvae.
Online Library Catalogs: Age-Related Differences in Query Construction and Error Recovery:

Online library catalogs have become pervasive in today's library. Unfortunately, these systems have been developed by computer programmers or librarians with little analysis of user behavior on the system. The present study compared the search performance of younger and older adults with general computer experience who were novice online catalog users on a set of ten search tasks of varying difficulty. This study examined types of errors made by novice users in database query construction and subsequent error recovery. Younger adults achieved a higher overall success rate than did older adults and were more efficient in performing these searches. Older adults made more query construction errors and recovered from them less efficiently than did younger adults. These data have important implications for identifying the specific needs, limitations, and capabilities of online library catalog users and the design of online library catalog systems for adults of differing ages.
Strategic development of a master's program on the World Wide Web.

Abstract Quality teaching requires more than masterful professors. In today's academic environments, leaders in educational institutions have responsibilities to supply fiscal and human resources that support settings conducive to learning and that instill human, educational, and professional values. Recent technologic advances have shifted the capacities to deliver programs of study outside traditional classrooms. The World Wide Web can deliver nursing courses that are complex, multimedia, and interactive. Planning to offer a degree program on-line requires examining the organization's mission and philosophy as well as allocating human and fiscal resources to the project. As leaders implement innovations, such as distance learning on-line, they must address the organization's political challenges and cultural changes. When leaders seek to introduce innovation within their organizations, they must be prepared for excitement as well as anxiety and resistance. Leadership also requires evaluating performance and outcomes for quality education. In addition, they strive to meet expectations of quality of all stakeholders. J Prof Nurs 17:166-172, 2001. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
"A veritable bucket of facts" origins of the data base management system

The data base concept derives from early military on-line systems, and was not originally associated with the specific technologies of modern data base management systems. While the idea of an integrated data base, or "bucket of facts," spread into corporate data processing and management circles during the early 1960s, it was seldom realized in practice. File-processing packages were among the very first distributed as supported products, but only in the late 1960s were they first called "data base management systems," in large part through the actions of the Data Base Task Group of the Committee on Data Systems Languages (CODASYL). As the DBMS concept spread, the data base itself was effectively redefined as the informational content of a packaged DBMS. Throughout the process, managerial descriptions of the data base as a flexible and integrated repository for all corporate data stood in sharp contrast with the useful but limited nature of actual systems.
Disintegration of a Silver Point: Report of Case

The apical portion of a silver point apparently disintegrated in the root canal of a maxillary right lateral incisor. This occurred between 7 and 35 months after the root canal was filled. The apex of the tooth was removed for examination.
Modified two-dimensional computational model for electrostrictive graft elastomer

A modified two-dimensional computational model is developed to calculate the electromechanical properties of the electrostrictive graft elastomer. The electrostrictive graft elastomer, recently developed by NASA, is a type of electro-active polymer. In a previous paper, the authors calculated electrostrictive graft elastomer electromechanical properties using a 2-D atomic force field. For this 2-D polymer structure, a much higher electric field was required to produce strain compared with that required in experiments. Two reasons could explain the higher electric field strength: (1) Polymer chain movement is restricted to a 2-D plane rather than to a 3-D plane. Out-plane dihedral torsional angle change would thus not be modeled. For this reason, 2-D polymer chains are less flexible than actual 3-D polymer chains. (2) Boundary effect of the computational model. In the original model, a unit cell consisting of a single graft unit was developed to simulate the deformation of the electrostrictive graft elastomer. The boundary of the unit cell would restrict the rotation of the graft unit. In this paper, a modified 2-D computational model is established to overcome the above problems. Firstly, three-dimensional deformations, induced by both bending angle and dihedral torsional angle changes, are projected onto a two-dimensional plane. Using both theoretical and numerical analyses, the projected 2-D equilibrium bending angle is shown to have the same value as the 3-D equilibrium bending angle. The 2-D equivalent bending stiffness is derived using a series model based upon the fact that both bending and dihedral torsion produce configuration change. The equivalent stiffness is justified by the characteristics of the polymer chain and end-to-end distance. Secondly, a self-consistent scheme is developed to eliminate the boundary effect. Eight images of the unit cell are created peripherally, with the original unit cell in the center. Thus the boundary can only affect the rotation of the eight images, not the central unit cell. The modified 2-D computational model is employed to determine the electromechanical properties of the electrostrictive graft elastomer. Relations between electric field induced strain and electric field strength is calculated. The effect of molecular scale factors, such as free volume fraction, graft weight percentage, and graft orientation are also discussed. The results should enable molecular scale design of the electrostrictive graft elastomer.
A three-dimensional computation of the force and torque on an ellipsoid settling slowly through a viscoelastic fluid

The orientation of an ellipsoid falling in a viscoelastic fluid is studied by methods of perturbation theory. For small fall velocity, the fluid's rheology is described by a second-order fluid model. The solution of the problem can be expressed by a dual expansion in two small parameters: the Reynolds number representing the inertial effect and the Weissenberg number representing the effect of the non-Newtonian stress. Then the original problem is split into three canonical problems: the zeroth-order Stokes problem for a translating ellipsoid and two first-order problems, one for inertia and one for second-order rheology. A Stokes operator is inverted in each of the three cases. The problems are solved numerically on a three-dimensional domain by a finite element method with fictitious domains, and the force and torque on the body are evaluated. The results show that the signs of the perturbation pressure and velocity around the particle for inertia are reversed by viscoelasticity. The torques are also of opposite sign: inertia turns the major axis of the ellipsoid perpendicular to the fall direction; normal stresses turn the major axis parallel to the fall. The competition of these two effects gives rise to an equilibrium tilt angle between 0° and 90° which the settling ellipsoid would eventually assume. The equilibrium tilt angle is a function of the elasticity number, which is the ratio of the Weissenberg number and the Reynolds number. Since this ratio is independent of the fall velocity, the perturbation results do not explain the sudden turning of a long body which occurs when a critical fall velocity is exceeded. This is not surprising because the theory is valid only for slow sedimentation. However, the results do seem to agree qualitatively with ‘shape tilting’ observed at low fall velocities.
Effects of Classroom Social Structure and Disability on Engagement

Children with disabilities have been found to be engaged for less time and at lower levels than children without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine further the effects of disability as well as age grouping and adult involvement on engagement, with developmental age serving as a covariate. Thirty-two children without disabilities and 16 children with disabilities were observed in four free-play sessions and four sessions with adult involvement. All observations occurred during regularly scheduled classroom activities. Children with disabilities were found to spend less time interactively engaged with adults, attentionally engaged with peers, and in mastery-level engagement with materials than did children without disabilities; they spent more time passively nonengaged. One finding supported mixed-age groups for less attentional engagement with peers among all children when adults were involved, whereas another finding supported same-age groups for less attentional engagement with adults...
Government Intervention in Health Care Markets Is Practical, Necessary, and Morally Sound

This essay makes the affirmative case for health reform by expounding on three fundamental points: (1) one moral case for expanding access to coverage and care to all is grounded in scriptural concepts of community and mutual obligation which continue to inform the American pursuit of justice; (2) the structure of PPACA springs from an appreciation of and approach to channeling market forces that was developed and proposed by a coalition of moderate and conservative Republican U.S. senators almost 20 years ago; (3) the most humane path to a better and more sustainable health system lies in implementing (and amending where appropriate) PPACA as fast and fully as we can. The purpose of this essay is to articulate why it is not possible to make our health system better, sustainable and serve us all without government playing specific and limited but absolutely crucial catalytic roles.
Gain-Error Calibration of a Pipelined ADC in an Adaptively Equalized Baseband Receiver

Two approaches to calibrate a pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and adapt an equalizer in a baseband receiver are proposed. Adaptive digital correction is used to calibrate the weights applied to the ADC output decisions so that the mean square error across the slicer in the receiver is minimized. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the joint calibration of a pipelined ADC and adaptation of a channel equalizer.
Developing large-scale field-programmable analog arrays for rapid prototyping

Field-programmable analog arrays (FPAAs) provide a method for rapidly prototyping analog systems. While currently available FPAAs vary in architecture and interconnect design, they are often limited in size and flexibility. For FPAAs to be as useful and marketable as modern digital reconfigurable devices, new technologies must be explored to provide area efficient, accurately programmable analog circuitry that can be easily integrated into a larger digital/mixed signal system. By leveraging recent advances in floating gate transistors, a new generation of FPAAs are achievable that will dramatically advance the current state of the art in terms of size, functionality, and flexibility.
Interpreting the First Eigenvalue of a Correlation Matrix.

The first eigenvalue of a correlation matrix indicates the maximum amount of the variance of the variables which can be accounted for with a linear model by a single underlying factor. When all correlations are positive, this first eigenvalue is approximately a linear function of the average correlation among the variables. While that is not true when not all the correlations are positive, in the general case the first eigenvalue is approximately equal to a lower bound derived in the paper. That lower bound is based on the maximum average correlation over reversals of variables and over subsets of the variables. Regression tests show these linear approximations are very accurate. The first eigenvalue measures the primary cluster in the matrix, its number of variables and average correlation.
Improved LC-MS/MS Spectral Counting Statistics by Recovering Low Scoring Spectra Matched to Confidently Identified Peptide Sequences

Spectral counting has become a popular method for LC−MS/MS based proteome quantification; however, this methodology is often not reliable when proteins are identified by a small number of spectra. Here, we present a simple strategy to improve spectral counting based quantification for low-abundance proteins by recovering low-quality or low-scoring spectra for confidently identified peptides. In this approach, stringent data filtering criteria were initially applied to achieve confident peptide identifications with low false discovery rate (e.g., < 1% at peptide level) after LC−MS/MS analysis and database search by SEQUEST. Then, all low-scoring MS/MS spectra that matched to this set of confidently identified peptides were recovered, leading to more than 20% increase of total identified spectra. The validity of these recovered spectra was assessed by the parent ion mass measurement error distribution, retention time distribution, and by comparing the individual low score and high score spectra that corresp...
The Bible in Persian Translation

The history of Persia from its very beginning until today, from Cyrus the Great to Riza Khan Pehlevi — a history covering twenty-five centuries equally divided by the Arab conquest of the year 642 into a pre-Islamic and an Islamic period — has seen an uninterrupted and continuous association between Iran and Israel. Jews have been living on Iran's soil from the dawn of the first Persian empire on, as an inseparable part of Iran's national destiny and development. Jews were the eye-witnesses of all the historical events in Persia under every dynasty — the Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids, the Omayyads and the Abbasids, the Seljuks, Mongols, Safavids, and Kajars, under every ruler, Caliph, Sultan, Il-Khan, Emir or Shah. Jews were the contemporaries of all the manifold religious movements and sects that were born on Persian soil, such as Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Shiʻa, Sufism, Bahaism; they were companions of the great classical poets, of a Firdūsī, Ḥāfiz, Saʻadī, Jāmī, and of all the other great Persian masters of art, literature and philosophy who made their everlasting contributions to world culture.
Eppure, non si muove: Legal change, institutional stability and Italian corporate governance

Prevailing theories in political economy hold that a coalition or political party, acting through parliament, can break down institutions of stable shareholding. In spite of extremely favourable conditions in the late 1990s – the election and durable rule of a leftist government supported by a transparency coalition, a bureaucratic elite that favoured institutional change, and substantial state shareholdings which the government could privatise in pursuit of its objectives – these reforms failed to affect the concentration of shareholdings among the largest private companies in Italy. This disjuncture between legal change and actual practice in Italian corporate governance suggests that current theories of institutional change in corporate governance systems are incomplete. The focus of inquiry needs to turn to the political resources of those who support the existing system: managers and large shareholders.
Aperture coupled patch antenna design methods

Microstrip patch antennas have been used extensively in applications requiring low-profile, mounting structure conforming, and low-cost wireless communications. Feed methods (antenna-transmission line interface) are critical for optimum performance. The aperture coupled technique exhibits reduced transmission line radiation and enhanced antenna radiation and co- to cross-pol performance relative to microstrip and probe fed configurations. Researchers have focused on analytical methods and design improvements without identifying parametric tradeoffs or design methods. Hence, this paper presents theoretically and parametrically identified critical antenna dimensions and performance effects, and a design procedure to convert desired performance requirements into operational prototypes.
Effect of inhibition of interleukin-12/23 by ustekinumab on the expression of leptin and leptin receptor in human THP-1 macrophages

SummaryBackground Leptin, an adipocyte-derived circulating cytokine that signals nutritional status, may play a role in the development of psoriasis and its associated systemic diseases. Patients with psoriasis have significantly decreased serum leptin levels compared with controls. Aim To investigate the effect of two commonly used anti-psoriatic biologic drugs, adalimumab and ustekinumab, on leptin and leptin receptor expression in human macrophages. Methods THP-1 differentiated macrophages were cultured under the following conditions: (i) untreated control, (ii) adalimumab 5 μg/mL, (iii) ustekinumab 1 μg/mL and (iv) ustekinumab 5 μg/mL. Expression of leptin and leptin receptors were measured using real-time quantitative PCR and immunoblotting techniques. Results The presence of either adalimumab or ustekinumab in growth medium significantly upregulated expression of leptin receptor in THP-1 human macrophages to 1.98 ± 0.47 and 2.09 ± 0.24, respectively (n = 3, P < 0.01) vs. 1.12 ± 0.19 for untreated control cells. However, only ustekinumab at a concentration of 5 μg/mL augmented expression of leptin to 1.99 ± 0.56 (n = 3, P < 0.01) vs. control untreated cells. Conclusions Enhanced leptin and leptin receptor expression in macrophages exposed to therapeutic levels of ustekinumab suggest a novel immunomodulatory mechanism for this biologic drug. Further mechanistic studies may yield targeted treatment using the leptin pathway, which could reduce the common obesity-related complications of psoriasis while alleviating symptoms and improving prognosis.
Percutaneous Ultrasound-Guided Aspiration of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Ganglion Cyst: Description of Technique and Case Presentation

An anterior cruciate ligament ganglion cyst is an infrequent but potentially clinically significant cause of knee pain. Although the cyst may be removed surgically, percutaneous ultrasound-guided anterior cruciate ligament ganglion cyst aspiration and injection is feasible. To our knowledge, we present the first reported case description of the utilization of ultrasound guidance to perform this procedure with a successful clinical outcome.
Homogeneous Dielectric Barrier Discharge in He/N2 Mixtures Driven by Unipolar Sub-microsecond Square Pulses

To shift the electron energy distribution function to high values in non-equilibrium plasmas, sub-microsecond high-voltage pulses have been used. Higher electron energies lead to an enhanced degree of ionization and excitation. In this paper, nanoseconds high-voltage pulses are used to drive a dielectric barrier discharge, one of the widely used methods to generate non-equilibrium, atmospheric pressure plasmas. To study the ignition process of the discharge and its structure, a high-speed ICCD camera was used. Using a 5 ns exposure time, photos showed that there are two separate discharges, referred to in this paper as the primary discharge and the secondary discharge. The first discharge starts from the bulk of the gap and the whole gap reaches its maximum emission intensity within 20 ns. Before the secondary discharge starts, there are weak emission layers next to both electrodes. The secondary discharge develops from the anode and expands towards the cathode, with the marked presence of a dark space adjacent to a weakly luminous cathode layer. Since the agents responsible for the efficient plasma reactivity are the ultraviolet (UV) photons and the chemically reactive species, the UV radiation and reactive species generation efficiency are also studied. The emission spectra shows that most of the UV is emitted by excited NO radicals, where the oxygen atoms come from residual trace amounts of air. In addition to NO and NO2 , excited N2, N2 +, OH, and He are also present in the plasma
Effect of Gamma Radiation on Campylobacter jejuni

Radiation resistance of Campylobacter jejuni in broth, ground beef, and ground turkey meat was determined using dose levels from 0 - 200 Krad at −30 ± 10°C, at 0 - 5°C, and at 30 ± 10°C. Irradiation at −30°C increased radiation resistance of cultures in ground meats; broth cultures were not greatly influenced by temperature. The effect of culture age on radiation resistance was also evaluated using cells in various physiological phases. Age did not have a pronounced effect on radiation resistance. The largest D10 value for C. jejuni was 32 Krad, which was less than D10 values commonly reported for salmonellae.
Implementing A Web-Based System Using Open-Source Software

This paper describes a case to illustrate analysis and design issues involving a multi-tier e-commerce system. The case is designed for use in accounting systems and systems analysis and design courses. The case involves analysis of a sales order system that will be implemented using a web interface and relational database, conceptual design of the system, and implementation of the system. A variety of tasks are involved in the case, but an instructor can select the tasks of relevance in a particular course. Detailed teaching notes are provided with examples of primary deliverables and guidance on implementing the system using open source software.
Survival in Patients With Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Undergoing Trimodality Therapy Is Independent of Regional Lymph Node Location.

Background The American Joint Committee on Cancer Cancer Staging Manual 7th Edition esophageal cancer staging was derived from outcomes of patients undergoing esophagectomy alone and eliminated nodal location from its schema. A limitation of this staging system is that it has not been validated in the setting of multimodality therapy for esophageal cancer. In addition, nodal location continues to influence treatment decisions. The aim of our study was to evaluate outcomes of patients with distal esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma undergoing trimodality therapy and assess the effect of nodal location on survival. Methods This multiinstitutional retrospective study assessed patients with clinically node-positive (cN+) distal esophageal/GEJ adenocarcinoma treated with trimodality therapy between January 2002 and December 2011. Nodal stations were classified as paratracheal, subcarinal, celiac, lower esophageal, paraaortic, supraclavicular, or perigastric/perihepatic. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with OS. Results A total of 196 cN+ patients met the study criteria. The most prevalent metastatic nodal location was in the perigastric region, present in 141 patients (72%); paratracheal nodal involvement was present in 19 patients (10%). None of the nodal stations was significantly associated with OS on univariable analysis. Multivariable analysis identified age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.036; p = 0.001), male sex (HR, 2.39; p = 0.003), pathologic ypT3 (HR, 1.81; p = 0.048), and ypN3 (HR, 2.93; p = 0.003) as being significantly associated with survival. Conclusions The location of cN+ regional node disease in patients with distal esophageal or GEJ adenocarcinoma was not predictive of survival after trimodality therapy. Age, sex, pathologic tumor depth, and the number of involved nodes were independent predictors of survival. Patients with cN+ cancers should not be deprived of potentially curative surgical resection based solely on the location of regional nodal disease.
Nanodots and Nanowires of Silicon

When the size of silicon is reduced towards the nanometer range, new properties emerge due to a dramatic change in bonding conditions, and due to electron and hole state quantization. Bulk silicon is characterized by diamond-type crystal structure, with sp 3-hybridization and 4-fold coordination. With decreasing size, silicon undergoes a phase change to a more close-packed atomic arrangement, which characterizes atomic and electronic structures of small Si clusters. In order to study size-dependent properties of silicon nanoparticles, we apply scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). For silicon clusters we determine the energy gap as a function of size. We show that pristine silicon particles show a major transition in their electronic properties at about 15 A. We find that by vapor-condensation in UHV, silicon is also able to form quasi-one-dimensional structures. Nanowires with diameters from 3 nm to 7 nm, more than 100 nm long were produced. Considering the calculated free energies and band gaps for several possible wire structures we suggest that silicon nanowires tend to grow with a fullerene-type Si24-based core structure.
Cultivating Purposeful Curiosity in a Clinical Setting: Extrapolating from Case to Social Justice

Curiosity is an essential component of intellectual development. Not surprisingly, recent data indicate that curious students perform better academically than those who do not exhibit this personality trait. Thus, law professors should harness and nurture this characteristic in our students to improve their learning experiences. This essay considers a three-step pedagogical approach to curiosity as it relates to developing lawyering skills and social justice awareness and to the expansion of access to justice.
Biology of Preimplantation Conceptus at the Onset of Elongation in Dairy Cows

The objectives of this study were to characterize changes in transcriptome of preimplantation conceptuses at the onset of elongation and associated changes in uterine histotroph composition and endometrial physiology. Lactating dairy cows (n = 160) had their ovulation synchronized by artificial insemination (study Day 0). On Day 15, uteri were flushed and endometrium tissue collected. Recovered conceptuses were classified based on morphology/length as ovoid (1-4 mm), tubular (5-19 mm), and filamentous (20-60 mm). Total RNA (n = 48) was subjected to transcriptome analysis. The uterine fluid (n = 30) was evaluated by mass spectrophotometry. Transcriptome analyses revealed drastic changes in the transition from ovoid to tubular and from tubular to filamentous. Differentially expressed genes were associated with cellular movement, cell-to-cell signaling, cellular assembly and organization, lipid metabolism, small molecule biochemistry, and molecular transport. Specific changes included reorganization of cytoskeleton and cell migration, arginine metabolism, growth factors signaling, and lipid metabolism. Functional analysis revealed fatty acids and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma as upstream regulators of transcriptome changes. Expression of PPARG increased 17-fold during the onset of elongation and was highly correlated with genes involved in lipid metabolism. The histotroph was rich in amino acids, lipids, saccharides, and other intermediate metabolites, and important changes in composition occurred in the presence of a conceptus. Pregnancy had a major impact on the concentrations of important lipids in the uterine fluid and expression of genes in the endometrium. Collectively, conceptus elongation involves remarkable changes in transcriptome, composition of the histotroph, and endometrial physiology, which help elucidate important events in uterine and conceptus biology at the onset of elongation.
Dual-comb spectroscopy

Dual-comb spectroscopy is an emerging new spectroscopic tool that exploits the frequency resolution, frequency accuracy, broad bandwidth, and brightness of frequency combs for ultrahigh-resolution, high-sensitivity broadband spectroscopy. By using two coherent frequency combs, dual-comb spectroscopy allows a sample’s spectral response to be measured on a comb tooth-by-tooth basis rapidly and without the size constraints or instrument response limitations of conventional spectrometers. This review describes dual-comb spectroscopy and summarizes the current state of the art. As frequency comb technology progresses, dual-comb spectroscopy will continue to mature and could surpass conventional broadband spectroscopy for a wide range of laboratory and field applications.
Nonaffine behavior of three-dimensional semiflexible polymer networks

Three-dimensional semiflexible polymer networks are the structural building blocks of various biological and structural materials. Previous studies have primarily used two-dimensional models for understanding the behavior of these networks. In this paper, we develop a three-dimensional nonaffinity measure capable of providing direct comparison with continuum level homogenized quantities, i.e., strain field. The proposed nonaffinity measure is capable of capturing possible anisotropic microstructures of the filamentous networks. This strain-based nonaffinity measure is used to probe the mechanical behavior at different length scales and investigate the effects of network mechanical and microstructural properties. Specifically, it is found that although all nonaffinity measure components have a power-law variation with the probing length scale, the degree of nonaffinity decreases with increasing the length scale of observation. Furthermore, the amount of nonaffinity is a function of network fiber density, bending stiffness of the constituent filaments, and the network architecture. Finally, it is found that the two power-law scaling regimes previously reported for two-dimensional systems do not appear in three-dimensional networks. Also, unlike two-dimensional models, the exponent of the power-law relation depends weakly on the density of the three-dimensional networks.
Ripening of Tomato Fruit and Susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea

Botrytis cinerea causes gray mold decay in the ripe fruit of many plant species leading to significant economic losses for the producers, distributers and consumers of fresh and stored produce. This chapter summarizes current knowledge about the biology of a model fleshy fruit, tomato, during B. cinerea infections. The information presented emphasizes how ripening regulation and events in the host influence resistance when fruit are unripe and susceptibility when fruit are ripe. Fruit ripening regulators (e.g., transcription factors, epigenetic modifiers and hormones) and events unique to ripening that can impact the susceptibility of tomato fruit to B. cinerea are discussed. Understanding the processes in the fruit that underlie the shift from resistance to susceptibility during ripening and resolving how B. cinerea modifies its strategies of infection in response to the developmental changes of the host may guide efforts to improve the resistance of fruit to B. cinerea and other fungal pathogens.
Predicting Unprotected Sex and Unplanned Pregnancy among Urban African-American Adolescent Girls Using the Theory of Gender and Power.

Reproductive coercion has been hypothesized as a cause of unprotected sex and unplanned pregnancies, but research has focused on a narrow set of potential sources of reproductive coercion. We identified and evaluated eight potential sources of reproductive coercion from the Theory of Gender and Power including economic inequality between adolescent girls and their boyfriends, cohabitation, and age differences. The sample comprised sexually active African-American female adolescents, ages 15–21. At baseline (n = 715), 6 months (n = 607), and 12 months (n = 605), participants completed a 40-min interview and were tested for semen Y-chromosome with polymerase chain reaction from a self-administered vaginal swab. We predicted unprotected sex and pregnancy using multivariate regression controlling for demographics, economic factors, relationship attributes, and intervention status using a Poisson working model. Factors associated with unprotected sex included cohabitation (incidence risk ratio (IRR) 1.48, 95 % confidence interval (1.22, 1.81)), physical abuse (IRR 1.55 (1.21, 2.00)), emotional abuse (IRR 1.31 (1.06, 1.63)), and having a boyfriend as a primary source of spending money (IRR 1.18 (1.00, 1.39)). Factors associated with unplanned pregnancy 6 months later included being at least 4 years younger than the boyfriend (IRR 1.68 (1.14, 2.49)) and cohabitation (2.19 (1.35, 3.56)). Among minors, cohabitation predicted even larger risks of unprotected sex (IRR 1.93 (1.23, 3.03)) and unplanned pregnancy (3.84 (1.47, 10.0)). Adolescent cohabitation is a marker for unprotected sex and unplanned pregnancy, especially among minors. Cohabitation may have stemmed from greater commitment, but the shortage of affordable housing in urban areas could induce women to stay in relationships for housing. Pregnancy prevention interventions should attempt to delay cohabitation until adulthood and help cohabiting adolescents to find affordable housing.
The Recaptured Scale Technique: A Method for Testing the Structural Robustness of Personality Scales

ABSTRACTTellegen and Waller advocated a complex and time-consuming scale construction method that they called “exploratory test construction.” Scales that are constructed by this method—such as the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ)—are presumed to be more “psychologically coherent” and “robust” than scales constructed by other means. Using a novel procedure that we call the “recaptured scale technique,” we tested this conjecture by conducting a megafactor analysis on data from the 411 adult participants of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart who completed the MPQ, the MMPI, and the CPI. We extracted and obliquely rotated 21 factors from a matrix of gender-corrected tetrachoric correlations for the 1,102 nonredundant items of the three omnibus inventories. Robustness of the 11 MPQ scales was assessed by the degree to which these factors recaptured the MPQ item groupings. Our results showed that nine factors were clearly recognizable as MPQ scales and two additional factors represented ...
The impact of star formation feedback on the circumgalactic medium

We use idealized 3D hydrodynamic simulations to study the dynamics and thermal structure of the circumgalactic medium (CGM). Our simulations quantify the role of cooling, stellar feedback driven galactic winds and cosmological gas accretion in setting the properties of the CGM in dark matter haloes ranging from $10^{11}$ to $10^{12}$ M$_\odot$. Our simulations support a conceptual picture in which the properties of the CGM, and the key physics governing it, change markedly near a critical halo mass of M$_{\rm crit} \approx 10^{11.5}$ M$_\odot$. As in calculations without stellar feedback, above M$_{\rm crit}$ halo gas is supported by thermal pressure created in the virial shock. The thermal properties at small radii are regulated by feedback triggered when $t_{\rm cool}/t_{\rm ff}\lesssim10$ in the hot gas. Below M$_{\rm crit}$, however, there is no thermally supported halo and self-regulation at $t_{\rm cool}/t_{\rm ff}\sim10$ does not apply. Instead, the gas is out of hydrostatic equilibrium and largely supported against gravity by bulk flows (turbulence and coherent inflow/outflow) arising from the interaction between cosmological gas inflow and outflowing galactic winds. In these lower mass haloes, the phase structure depends sensitively on the outflows' energy per unit mass and mass-loading, which may allow measurements of the CGM thermal state to constrain the nature of galactic winds. Our simulations account for some of the properties of the multiphase halo gas inferred from quasar absorption line observations, including the presence of significant mass at a wide range of temperatures, and the characteristic OVI and CIV column densities and kinematics. However, we underpredict the neutral hydrogen content of the $z\sim0$ CGM.
Genomic evidence of adaptive evolution in emergent Vibrio parahaemolyticus ecotypes

The ubiquitous marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a leading cause of illness associated with seafood consumption. The emergence of two genetically distinct ecotypes (ST3 and ST36) has led to an alarming increase in the size and frequency of disease outbreaks. We conducted a genomic comparison of 30 V. parahaemolyticus genomes that represent a diverse collection of 15 genetically distinct ecotypes, including newly sequenced representatives of ST3 and ST36, isolated from both clinical and environmental sources. A multistep evolutionary analysis showed that genes associated with sensing and responding to environmental stimuli have evolved under positive selection, identifying examples of convergent evolution between ST3 and ST36. A comparison of predicted proteomes indicated that ST3 and ST36 ecotypes laterally acquired tens of novel genes associated with a variety of functions including dormancy, homeostasis and membrane transport. Genes identified in this study play an apparent role in environmental fitness and may confer cross protection against stressors encountered in the human host. Together, these results show the evolution of stress response is an important genetic mechanism correlated with the recent emergence of the ST3 and ST36 ecotypes.
Existing Paradox in the Nationality Status of Biharis in Bangladesh: An Appraisal

The liberation war of Bangladesh has made the Bihari people stranded. Although 200,000 Bihari's have been repatriated to Pakistan under the Delhi Tripartite Agreement, 1974; however, a significant number of Bihari's were living in Bangladesh without any specific nationality. They have faced identity crisis for long time and finally the problem of citizenship was first resolved in 2003 by the landmark judgment of Abid Khan and others vs. Bangladesh and later in 2008 by the landmark decision of Sadakat Khan vs. Chief Election Commissioner. The Supreme Court’s rulings were important for resolving the matter of citizenship. However, some Bihari's are denying the citizenship of Bangladesh. This paper analyses the current status of those Bihari's despite their denial of Bangladeshi citizenship claims that they are still citizens of Bangladesh and they will not be eligible to surrender their citizenship until they acquire another country’s citizenship.
Academic Librarians’ Knowledge of Bibliometrics and Altmetrics

Objective – To measure the knowledge and opinions that academic librarians have of established and emerging research metrics. Methods – An online survey was distributed to all academic librarians in Oklahoma during Summer 2015. Results – Librarians were less familiar with altmetrics than with bibliometrics, but they viewed altmetrics as effective and were interested in receiving training to learn more about them. Librarians who had been in the profession for over five years knew more about both bibliometrics and altmetrics than newer librarians. Conclusions – Technological advances and changes in the ways that research products are shared have led to the possibility of and need for new ways of measuring research impact. Altmetrics have emerged to fill this need, but academic librarians need more familiarity and training to be able to fulfill a role as providers of these metrics.