cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of polymer targets for CO2 laser ablation

One of the many challenges faced by laser propulsion is the long-term performance of the propellant. The chemical changes that can take place at the propellant surface during ablation can greatly modify the in-flight performance characteristics. For stable regimes for propulsion, such chemical action should be minimized. A TEA (Transverse Electrical discharge in gas at Atmospheric pressure) CO 2 laser of 10.6 μm wavelength, 300 ns pulse length, and up to 20 J pulse energy was used to ablate several types of polymer targets with a range of observable chemical changes at the surface following ablation. After 10 subsequent shots, the target samples were measured using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR FTIR) spectroscopy then compared to unablated samples of the same polymer. An analysis of the results was made with an emphasis on laser propulsion applications, with a comparison of the propulsion performance of the targets, specifically regarding the ablated mass per spot area (Δm a ). Chemical reaction pathways for combustion and vaporization are discussed on the basis of the differences observed in the FTIR spectra, and the consequences for using such materials as laser propulsion propellants are explored.
The mad estimator: when is it non-linear? applications to two-way design models

The mean absolute deviation (MAD) estimator has recently received a great deal of attention as applied to full-rank linear regression models. This paper provides a necessary and sufficient condition for the MAD estimator to be a non-linear estimator, in which case conditions for the variance of the MAD estimator to be larger or smaller than those for OLS are, in general, unknown. The non-linearity of the MAD estimator is examined for several two-way designs; in particular (1) randomized block design (2) two-way nested design (3) two-way classification with interaction and (4) partially balanced incomplete block design
Bulk and contact resistance in P3HT:PCBM heterojunction solar cells

Abstract In this paper, the series resistance of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSC) has been studied. The series resistance of thermal annealed and un-annealed devices with different active layer thicknesses was measured. The series resistance of the organic solar cells consists of the bulk resistance of the active layer itself and the specific contact resistance between the active layer and the electrode. The bulk resistance and contact resistance were extracted from the measured series resistance using the vertical transmission line model (TLM) method. By fabricating solar cell devices with different active layer thicknesses, a relationship of the series resistance with thickness was established from which bulk and contact resistances were derived. We have also found that thermal annealing helps reduce both contact resistance and bulk resistance significantly; the contact resistance dropped by a factor of 2, while the bulk resistance decreased by a factor of 8. Results have shown that for an annealed P3HT:PCBM device that has an active layer thickness of 85 nm (optimum thickness for high efficiency), 17% of the total series resistance was due to the contact resistance, and bulk resistance contributed the rest 83%. The bulk resistance value for thermal annealed organic solar cell device with an active area of 0.1 cm2 was found to be 150 Ω, and the measured specific contact resistance was 3.1 Ω cm2. The measured bulk and contact resistance values are much higher as compared to the high efficiency silicon solar cells. Bulk resistance and contact resistance need to be further decreased in order to achieve higher organic solar cell efficiency.
Avoiding Expert Testimony About Family Therapy

Although the family therapist may prefer to not be involved in legal proceedings, it is common for attorneys and judges to use the legal process (e.g., a subpoena or court order) to obtain testimony. This article considers how the family therapist should respond to a legal process that seeks to expand testimony from facts about the treatment to expert opinions. Ethics and legal considerations are discussed, and recommendations are offered.
Laryngeal cleft: Report of eight patients and a review of the literature

Eight cases of laryngeal cleft are presented and the literature on this topic is reviewed. Patients most frequently present with stridor, respiratory distress, or a history of choking while feeding. A number of cases are found at autopsy or surgery. Laryngeal cleft frequently is found associated nonspecifically with tracheoesophageal fistula, cleft lip and cleft palate, and congenital heart defects. Laryngeal cleft may be a component manifestation of several syndromes, eg, the G syndrome, and the Pallister-Hall syndrome of congenital hypothalamic hamartoblastoma, hypopituitarism, imperforate anus, and postaxial polydactyly. Surgical treatment is successful in more than 50% of the reported cases, depending on the extent of the cleft. Cleft larynx is most likely a developmental field defect, occurring coincidentally with separation of larynx and esophagus and closure of the larynx.
Accuracy of eye position information for motor control.

Two dimensional eye movements were recorded to show that subjects could return their eyes to a reference position following both saccades and slow phase of vestibular nystagmus suggesting eye position was signalled accurately during both movement types and this signal was closely timelocked to saccades. In addition, this signal could be used by naive subjects for oculomotor control without special training. Finally, subjects could strike blows within a few minutes of arc of a target localized only by eye position information suggesting both that motor systems detect eye position to better than 0.5° arc and that large errors in controlling eye position in the dark could be attributed to poor spatial memory.
Signal processing for sensor arrays

Five methods have been developed to process output signals from sensor arrays to improve sensor characteristics. A multielement capacitive force sensor array with nonlinear characteristics and inter-element cross-talk was used to demonstrate and compare the performance of these methods: (1) Variable Threshold, which calculated a threshold value from a histogram of the data to determine whether the output of each element was due to an input or cross-talk; (2) Algebraic Cross-Talk Reduction, which reduced the cross-talk between array elements by solving for the input matrix from the input-output relation of the sensor; (3) 2 x 2 Edge and Shape Detection, which was adapted from image processing techniques and enhanced the resolution of the sensor output; (4) Deconvolution using FFT; and (5) Artificial Neural Network, which was trained to learn the inverse relation of the sensor transfer function. The ability of these methods to reduce the cross-talk seen between sensor elements and more closely estimate the sensor input was studied. Preprocessing of the sensor output, which consisted of calibration of each element using non-linear curve fitting, was used to compensate for the non-linear, non-uniform sensitivity characteristics of the sensor array elements. Postprocessing compensated for the dependency on the number of excited elements. A comparative study of eight force sensor arrays using a 200 element test set showed that the simpler signal processing methods, Variable Threshold and 2 x 2 Edge and Shape Detection, performed well only for a limited number of input conditions especially when forces were applied through small objects. In general, neither reduced the error in determining total force by more than 30 percent. The Artificial Neural Network method, the most complicated and computationally intensive method during initial training but simple to implement thereafter, produced superior results for the majority of the input patterns applied to the sensor array, reducing the overall error by 6 to 83 percent. All five signal processing techniques reduced the overall errors of the sensor outputs, some more consistently than others. However, when the overall error magnitude was less than 10 percent, only the Artificial Neural Network reduced the error consistently, making it the method of choice. The results of this study showed that sensors having outputs with high error values can be converted into sensors with much lower output error using appropriate signal processing methods. Incorporation of such signal processing methods into sensor arrays allows the use of sensors with less than ideal characteristics.
Low power consumption lasers for next generation miniature optical spectrometers for trace gas analysis

The air quality of any manned spacecraft needs to be continuously monitored in order to safeguard the health of the crew. Air quality monitoring grows in importance as mission duration increases. Due to the small size, low power draw, and performance reliability, semiconductor laser-based instruments are viable candidates for this purpose. Achieving a minimum instrument size requires lasers with emission wavelength coinciding with the absorption of the fundamental absorption lines of the target gases, which are mostly in the 3.0-5.0 μm wavelength range. In this paper we report on our progress developing high wall plug efficiency type-I quantum-well GaSb-based diode lasers operating at room temperatures in the spectral region near 3.0-3.5 μm and quantum cascade (QC) lasers in the 4.0-5.0 μm range. These lasers will enable the development of miniature, low-power laser spectrometers for environmental monitoring of the spacecraft.
Oxidative Turnover of Auxins in Relation to the Onset of Ripening in Bartlett Pear

Pears (Pyrus communis var. Bartlett) kept in 100% O(2) showed an increase in the rate of softening, chlorophyll degradation, and ethylene evolution. The O(2) application could overcome, in part, the inhibition of ripening by 1 mm indoleacetic acid. Ripening of pears was also accelerated by the application of solutions containing indoleacetic acid-oxidation products, obtained by an overnight incubation of 0.1 and 1 mm indoleacetic acid with traces of H(2)O(2) and horseradish peroxidase. Although both treatments stimulated ethylene evolution, the promotion of ripening could not be attributed to an indirect ethylene effect. Indoleacetic acid oxidation products obtained in vivo by high O(2) tensions or in vitro by enzymatic degradation may function in the promotion of fruit ripening and the synthesis of ethylene.
Genetic Control of Carbon Partitioning in Grasses: Roles of Sucrose Transporters and Tie-dyed Loci in Phloem Loading

Plants have specialized organs for distinct functions. Leaves perform photosynthesis and fix carbon, whereas roots absorb water and minerals. To distribute resources between these organs, plants have a vasculature composed of phloem and xylem. The xylem conducts water and minerals from the roots up
Current development of analytical affinity chromatography: Design and biotechnological uses of molecular recognition surfaces

Analytical high performance liquid affinity chromatography (analytical HPLAC) has been investigated as an experimental guide to both synthetic design and affinity technological use of peptide and protein recognition surfaces. This work has progressed from the ongoing use of analytical affinity chromatography to study interaction mechanisms of naturally-occurring peptides and proteins, including enzyme fragment complexes and neuroendocrine biosynthetic precursors. We recently initiated a study to use analytical HPLAC for de novo design of recognition peptides called “anti-sense peptides”. Present data suggest the potential to use anti-sense peptides as “synthetic antibodies”, in immobilized forms, for biomolecular separation and analysis. Analogous studies have been started with immobilized natural antibodies in analytical immuno HPLAC. Our present data typify the growing usefulness of analytical HPLAC when designing recognition molecules, analyzing their interaction characteristics, and devising ways to use them in affinity technology.
The adequate stimulus for shivering.

SummaryOn the basis of Hensel's account of thermal sense organs, it may be postulated that adequate stimulus for shivering is a combination of the rate at which cold sensitive end-organs are discharged, the number stimulated, and the thermal state of the center. In some experiments, Subjects drank cold water to lower deep body temperature before the start of room cooling. Skin and deep body temperatures, oxygen uptake, and finger blood flow were measured. In 4 subjects, the sequence of events with room cooling at 0.6°C/minute from 25°C was: skin cooling, reduced blood flow, shivering, and increased oxygen uptake. Lowered deep body temperature does increase the tendency to shiver. At no time did shivering reach a level to maintain total body temperature. Onset of shivering was related to regions of body exposed. Covering the thorax delayed its onset longer than covering the legs. The geometric areas exposed were comparable, a difference existing in the number of cold spots/cm2
The Intermingling of Aesthetic Sensibilities and Instrumental Rationalities in a Collaborative Arts Studio

This article argues for the theoretical and practical incorporation of aesthetic sensibilities into the communicative management of hybrid organizing. Using Dewey's Art as Experience as a conceptual framework, it explores imaginative and aesthetic practices as knowledge-producing resources for organizing and social change. The analysis centers on the complex and contradictory ways that artful capacities and instrumental rationalities interweave to achieve the organizational order of a collaborative art studio. Using discourses from multiple stakeholders, this article examines in detail three themes: art as creation and vocation, art as ephemeral integration, and art as survival and social change. Findings are discussed in the context of other scholarship committed to recovering and fostering alternative logics for organizing.
Channel and flow adaptive multiuser DMT

This paper considers the design of biorthogonal DMT multicarrier transceiver systems supporting multiple services. The supported user services may have differing quality of service (QoS) requirements, quantified by bit rate and symbol error rate specifications. Our goal is to minimize the transmitted power given the QoS specifications for the different users, subject to the knowledge of colored interference at the receiver input of the DMT system. In particular, we find an optimum bit loading scheme that distributes the bit rate transmitted across the various subchannels belonging to the different users, and subject to this bit allocation, determine an optimum transceiver. This work differs from our prior work where orthonormal transceivers were considered.
Clinton y Castro : pragmatismo o parálisis

En el plano interno, Cuba esta llegando al convencimiento de que la unica manera de salvarse del descalabro de las realizaciones del socialismo, huerfana como esta de la ayuda sovietica, consiste en elevar el rendimiento de la economia. Especificamente, para financiar los programas que han permitido a la Isla sus grandes logros en materia de mortalidad infantil, esperanza de vida y educacion, es preciso que el pais produzca riqueza a un ritmo muy superior al precedente. En el plano externo, Cuba necesita entrar en un nuevo tipo de relaciones comerciales y, ademas, negociar con un numero mucho mayor de paises. Sin embargo, los ajustes que deberian introducirse para remediar los problemas internos y externos se topan con la resistencia de una serie de intereses y estructuras solidamente arraigados, que se ven amenazados por la posibilidad de esos cambios. Por consiguiente, no es extrano que el observador externo perciba que la politica cubana lleva un curso ambivalente y asistematico. Como es natural, las entidades economicas y politicas que procuran vincularse de un modo racional con Cuba no se atreven a adentrarse mas decididamente en esas relaciones y prefieren no comprometerse. En el plano interno, Estados Unidos necesita que haya mas justicia social, a fin de recuperar el rendimiento economico y las realizaciones del capitalismo. El abandono en que se dejaron los servicios de salud y educacion y los esfuerzos tendientes a redistribuir la riqueza han terminado por mermar la eficiencia economica, debido, entre otras cosas, a que los seguros correspondientes son ahora mas altos que los de los paises competidores; a que el pais no ha logrado capacitar a la fuerza de trabajo en las tecnicas modernas; y al hecho de que se ha desviado gran cantidad de recursos desde la
Interfacial polycondensation. VI. Polyamides based on 4,4′-sulfonyldibenzoic acid

The preparation of eleven soluble polyamides based on 4,4′-sulfonyldibenzoic acid by interfacial polycondensation with the use of aliphatic and alicyclic diamines is reported. Polymer melt temperatures of those polyamides prepared from aliphatic diamines decreased with increasing chain length and amount of chain branching in the diamine. The usual odd-even alternation of melting points was noted. Cyclic secondary diamines gave higher-melting polyamides than straight-chain diamines, despite the lack of hydrogen bonding. Solubility decreased with increasing melting point, except for the polyamides based on cyclic diamines, which were both soluble and high-melting. Fiber properties are reported for those polymers which were spun.
Minimum alveolar concentration of desflurane in llamas and alpacas.

Abstract Objective To determine the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of desflurane in llamas and alpacas. Design Prospective study. Animals Six healthy adult llamas and six healthy adult alpacas. Procedure Anesthesia was induced with desflurane delivered with oxygen through a mask. An endotracheal tube was inserted, and a port for continuous measurement of end-tidal and inspired desflurane concentrations was placed between the endotracheal tube and the breathing circuit. After equilibration at an end-tidal-to-inspired desflurane concentration ratio >0.90 for 15 minutes, a 50-Hz, 80-mA electrical stimulus was applied to the antebrachium until a response was obtained (i.e. gross purposeful movement) or for up to 1 minute. The vaporizer setting was increased or decreased to effect a 10–20% change in end-tidal desflurane concentration, and equilibration and stimulus were repeated. The MAC was defined as the average of the lowest end-tidal desflurane concentration that prevented a positive response and the highest concentration that allowed a positive response. Results Mean ± SD MAC of desflurane was 7.99 ± 0.58% in llamas and 7.83 ± 0.51% in alpacas. Conclusions and clinical relevance The MAC of desflurane in llamas and alpacas was in the range of that reported for other species.
Computer-Assisted Instrumentation during Endoscopic Transaxillary First Rib Resection for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A Safe Alternate Approach:

The purpose of this article is to discuss the feasibility of using computer-enhanced instrumentation to improve visualization and therefore patient safety during transaxillary first rib resection.From November 1998 to July 2005, 105 patients who had failed conservative treatment underwent 131 procedures for thoracic outlet decompression. Eighty-nine endoscopic transaxillary first rib resections were completed using Aesop/Hermes integrated voice control instrumentation (Computer Motion, Goleta, CA). Since February 2003, dissection in 42 procedures was performed using the daVinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Inc, Sunnyvale, CA).The surgical findings with cervical bands correlated with the preoperative symptoms. One hundred percent of patients with a combination of neurogenic and arterial thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) requiring cervical rib resection had Roos type I and/or II bands. Additional surgical findings included the following: combination of neurogenic and arterial TOS without cervical ribs ...
The effect of high dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels on tamoxifen blockade and breast cancer progression.

Abstract Background We investigated the stimulatory potential of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) on tamoxifen-treated cells and assessed its effect on cancer progression in the adjuvant setting. Methods Mean serial serum levels of sex hormones from 44 patients receiving tamoxifen were correlated with follow-up status. T-47D (ER+/PR+) and HCC1937 (ER−/PR−) breast cancer cells were pretreated with 100 μM anastrozole, with or without tamoxifen, and stimulated with 22.8 μM DHEA-S. Rapid colorimetric assays allowed calculation of growth percent change. Results Clinically, development of metastatic disease correlated only with ≥90 μg/dL DHEA-S (P = 0.005). In vitro, T-47D cells stimulated with DHEA-S after anastrozole showed 35% increased growth. Addition of 0.01 nM tamoxifen demonstrated −7% inhibition. Increasing the DHEA-S/tamoxifen ratio reversed suppression to +25%. Conclusions DHEA-S ≥90 μg/dL is a risk factor for recurrence in the adjuvant setting. In vitro, although tamoxifen inhibits cell growth at high doses it can be circumvented by DHEA-S. These results indicate that DHEA-S contributes to tamoxifen resistance and disease progression.
Operative results and outcomes in children with Shone's anomaly.

Background The outcome of children with multilevel left heart obstructions with mitral valve involvement (Shone's anomaly) is generally poor. This study reviews our results and outcomes in patients with staged repair for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) and mitral valve reconstruction. Methods A total of 27 children underwent staged repair for Shone's anomaly between 1978 and 2003. The mean age at the first operation was 9.0 months (range, 2 days to 3 years). Mitral stenosis was present in all; with supravalvular mitral ring (n = 11), mitral valve abnormalities including parachute mitral valve, fused chordae, single papillary muscle (n = 10), and "typical" (Ruckman & Van Praagh) congenital mitral stenosis (n = 14). The LVOT obstruction features included subaortic stenosis (n = 16), valvar aortic stenosis (n = 7), bicuspid aortic valve (n = 24), and coarctation (n = 18). All 27 patients underwent 94 surgical procedures, including 22 mitral operations and 48 LVOT operations. Results There were no operative deaths at the first operation. Mean follow-up was 4.7 ± 4.4 years (range, 6 months to 15 years). There were three late deaths (11%). All late deaths were secondary to severe mitral valve disease. Overall 15-year actuarial survival was 89%. All surviving patients are in New York Heart Association functional class I or II. Conclusions Patients with Shone's anomaly are seen with a wide spectrum of major anatomic and hemodynamic abnormalities. A favorable outcome is possible for most. Operative mortality is adversely affected by the severity of mitral valve disease, the degree of left ventricular hypoplasia, and the need for multiple operative procedures.
Hypaxial muscle activity during running and breathing in dogs

The axial muscles of terrestrial vertebrates serve two potentially conflicting functions, locomotion and lung ventilation. To differentiate the locomotor and ventilatory functions of the hypaxial muscles in mammals, we examined the locomotor and ventilatory activity of the trunk muscles of trotting dogs under two conditions: when the ventilatory cycle and the locomotor cycle were coupled and when they were uncoupled. Patterns of muscle-activity entrainment with locomotor and ventilatory events revealed (i) that the internal and external abdominal oblique muscles performed primarily locomotor functions during running yet their activity was entrained to expiration when the dogs were standing, (ii) that the internal and external intercostal, external oblique thoracic and transversus abdominis muscles performed both locomotor and respiratory functions simultaneously, (iii) that the parasternal internal intercostal muscle performed a primarily respiratory function (inspiration) and (iv) that the deep pectoralis and longissimus dorsi muscles performed only locomotor functions and were not active while the dogs were standing still. We conclude that the dual function of many hypaxial muscles may produce functional conflicts during running. The redundancy and complexity of the respiratory musculature as well as the particular pattern of respiratory-locomotor coupling in quadrupedal mammals may circumvent these conflicts or minimize their impact on respiration.
Explaining control strategies in problem solving

Explaining how knowledge-based systems reason involves presentation user modeling, dialogue structure, and the way systems understand their own problem-solving knowledge and strategies. The authors concentrate on the last of these, noting that such understanding provides any explanations's content. The authors also note that most current approaches to knowledge-based system construction require expressing knowledge and control at such low levels that it's hard to give high-level explanations. Providing an explanation example from a prototypical system (MYCIN) built using generic-task methods, they propose generic-task methodology as one way to build knowledge-based systems that contain basic explanation constructs at appropriate abstraction levels. The central concept of generic tasks is what input-output behavior (i.e. that task function), knowledge needed to perform the task, and inferences appropriate for the task are all specified together. >
Using Ecological Frameworks to Advance a Field of Research, Practice, and Policy on Aging-in-Place Initiatives

Initiatives to promote aging in place have emerged rapidly in the United States across various health care settings (e.g., acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities) and broader community settings (e.g., public social service agencies). Moreover, recent federal policies include a growing number of provisions for local efforts to promote aging in place. Despite emerging bodies of research that have described singular initiatives in their own right, there has been very little scholarship that forges conceptual linkages across this increasingly vast domain of research, practice, and policy. Integrative theory development is critical to ensure that aging-in-place initiatives do not become fragmented from each other. This article uses insights from ecological frameworks-specifically Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological systems theory and M. Powell Lawton's general ecological model of aging-to conceptualize a range of programs as aging-in-place initiatives and for describing their similarities and differences, particularly in terms of the features through which they intend to promote aging in place. Theoretically derived dimensions along which to characterize aging-in-place initiatives include environment-focused aspects (e.g., the types of social systems and structures that the initiatives target for change) and person-focused aspects (e.g., the extent to which the initiatives target particular subgroups of older adults). The article concludes with a discussion on how these theoretically derived dimensions can be used to advance and integrate research, practice, and policy to systematically develop and expand aging-in-place initiatives.
Macrophage β3 Integrin Suppresses Hyperlipidemia-Induced Inflammation by Modulating TNFα Expression

Objective— High-fat, cholesterol-containing diets contribute to hyperlipidemia. Both high-fat diets and hyperlipidemia are associated with chronic inflammatory diseases like atherosclerosis. Integrins, heterodimeric mediators of inflammatory cell recruitment, are not generally thought to be affected by diet. However, high-fat feeding promotes inflammation, atherosclerosis, and death in hyperlipidemic mice with β3 integrin deficiency, and treatment of humans from Western populations with oral β3 integrin inhibitors increases mortality. The mechanisms responsible for these β3 integrin-associated events are unknown. Methods and Results— Here we show that diet-induced death in β3 integrin-deficient mice is a TNFα-dependent process mediated by bone marrow–derived cells. In 2 different hyperlipidemic models, apoE-null and LDL receptor–null mice, β3-replete animals transplanted with β3-deficient marrow died with Western-type high-fat feeding whereas β3-deficient animals transplanted with β3-replete marrow were rescued from diet-induced death. Transplantation with β3-deficient marrow also increased atherosclerosis. TNFα expression was increased in β3-deficient macrophages and normalized by either retroviral or adenoviral reconstitution of β3 integrin expression. Treatment with the anti-TNFα antibody infliximab rescued β3 integrin–deficient mice from Western diet–induced death, directly implicating TNFα in the pathophysiology triggered by diet-induced hyperlipidemia. Conclusions— These findings suggest that macrophage β3 integrin, acting through TNFα, suppresses inflammation caused by hyperlipidemia attributable to high-fat feeding.
Patchiness in marine and terrestrial systems: from individuals to populations

The phenomenon of patchiness is critical to understanding biological diversity. Individuals respond to patchiness in their environments by movements patterns, by allocation strategies, and by other mechanisms. On an evolutionary timescale, these responses to variability change the scales on which organisms perceive the environment; and through the effects of individuals on their environments, such evolutionary responses alter the ecological and evolutionary context experienced by other organisms. Understanding the causes and consequences thus requires an understanding of individual responses, and of how those responses lead to non-uniform patterns of distribution. In this paper, the dynamics of aggregation are explored from both a terrestrial and a marine perspective. Through a spectrum of models that are individual-based, aggregations are seen to develop, and macroscopic descriptions are derived.
Update on Paraneoplastic Neurologic Disorders

Once considered rare, paraneoplastic neurologic disorders (PNDs) are an extensive group of neurologic disorders that occur either exclusively or at increased frequency in patients with cancer. PNDs have been increasingly recognized due in large part to the identification of antineuronal antibodies in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients. Although almost any neoplasm can cause PND, the tumors most commonly involved are small-cell lung cancer, cancers of the breast and ovary, thymoma, neuroblastoma, plasma cell tumors, and ovarian teratoma. Establishing the diagnosis of PND is important because in more than two-thirds of patients the neurologic symptoms develop before the presence of the cancer is known. When PND is suspected and no tumor is found, it is recommended that cancer screening be repeated every 6 months. Early diagnosis and intervention offers the best chance of neurologic stabilization or improvement.
Fibrosarcoma with Metastasis in a Rhesus Monkey

Absfracf. Malignant neoplasms that metastasize are uncommon in nonhuman primates. A nat~irally occurring fibrosarcoma of the forearm with metastasis to the axillary lymph nodes was found in an adult male Rhesus monkey. The primary neoplasm grew rapidly to a size of 8 x 10 x 18 cm. Diagnosis was based on characteristic morphologic findings by light and electron microscopy. O’GARA and ADAMSON [ 131 recently noted nearly 200 spontaneous tumors in nonhuman primates reported in the literature, some of which are of doubtful neoplastic nature. Several authors have listed neoplasms in monkeys [4,6,9, 141. Chemicals and viruses have been used to induce fibrosarcomas in nonhuman primates other than the Rhesus monkey, but only a few spontaneous fibromas or fibrosarcomas in these species have been reported [2, 3, 6-8, 11-15]. Naturally occurring fibromas or fibrosarcomas in the Rhesus monkey are rare. KENT and PICKERING [5] found a fibroma in the adrenal gland, and CHAPMAN [2] described a subcutaneous fibroma. Two examples of irradiation-induced, non-metastasizing fibrosarcomas in the Rhesus monkey have been reported [5], but ours is the first report of a naturally occurring fibrosarcoma with metastasis in this species.
Seasonal changes in aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity of a marine fish Tautogo labrus adspersus (walbaum) with and without petroleum exposure

1. Organ indices and hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) were measured periodically from before gonad maturation to post-spawning on cunners (Tautogolabrus adspersus) (a) maintained in captivity, (b) maintained in captivity and treated continuously with 0.3–0.8 ppm crude oil accommodated in seawater and (c) sampled directly from the field population. 2. Total (AHH) activity in field-sampled fish (normalized to 100 g body weight) decreased 166-fold in males and 155-fold in females from maximal values before gonad maturation to minimum values two weeks following spawning. 3. Inducibility of AHH was suppressed during the period of minimum AHH activity but returned about 3 weeks after the end of spawning. 4. Maximal mean AHH induction by exposure to crude oil observed during the study was 5.8-fold in males and 7.5-fold in females. 5. Captive fish had smaller gonads in both sexes and reduced liver size in females relative to fish caught immediately before sampling. 6. Petroleum exposure further inhibited the normal increase in gonad size in both sexes relative to an unexposed fish in addition to the inhibition due to captivity alone. 7. Captive fish did not feed well and decreased in condition index; the oil exposed group was more affected than the control captive group.
Evaluating the use of 3′-(p-Aminophenyl) fluorescein for determining the formation of highly reactive oxygen species in particle suspensions.

Given the importance of highly reactive oxygen species (hROS) as reactants in a wide range of biological, photochemical, and environmental systems there is an interest in detection and quantification of these species. The extreme reactivity of the hROS, which includes hydroxyl radicals, presents an analytical challenge. 3'-(p-Aminophenyl) fluorescein (APF) is a relatively new probe used for measuring hROS. Here, we further evaluate the use of APF as a method for the detection of hydroxyl radicals in particle suspensions. Particle-generated hROS can be quantified with an estimated detection limit of 50 nM. Measurements of hROS in two National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST 2709 and 2710) soil suspensions and a pyrite suspension show non-linear particle dose-response curves for hROS generation. APF can also be used in solutions containing no dissolved molecular oxygen (O2) to determine the role of O2 in the formation of hROS. Results confirm that O2 is mechanistically important in the formation of hROS by dissolved ferrous iron and in pyrite suspensions. Given the non-linear dose-response curves for particle generation of hROS, we recommend using several particle loadings in experiments aimed to compare particles for their hROS generation potential. The method presented here is specific to hROS and simple to perform. The analysis can be conducted in mobile labs as only basic laboratory equipment is required.
SPIRIT-ML: A Machine Learning Platform for Deriving Knowledge from Biomedical Datasets

SPIRIT-ML (Software Platform for Integrated Research Information and Transformation - Machine Learning) is a synergistic and flexible machine learning component of integrated research informatics platform, SPIRIT, being developed at City of Hope. SPIRIT-ML is being developed to analyze varied data analysis problems in biomedical and clinical datasets to further translational research. An interactive interface, broad spectrum of data driven learning models, multiple cross-validation techniques, visualization methods and reporting metrics constitute the platform.
Risk Factors for Childhood Obesity in the First 1,000 Days: A Systematic Review.

Context Mounting evidence suggests that the origins of childhood obesity and related disparities can be found as early as the "first 1,000 days"—the period from conception to age 2 years. The main goal of this study is to systematically review existing evidence for modifiable childhood obesity risk factors present from conception to age 2 years. Evidence acquisition PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between January 1, 1980, and December 12, 2014, of childhood obesity risk factors present during the first 1,000 days. Prospective, original human subject, English-language research with exposure occurrence during the first 1,000 days and with the outcome of childhood overweight or obesity (BMI ≥85th percentile for age and sex) collected between age 6 months and 18 years were analyzed between December 13, 2014, and March 15, 2015. Evidence synthesis Of 5,952 identified citations, 282 studies met inclusion criteria. Several risk factors during the first 1,000 days were consistently associated with later childhood obesity. These included higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, prenatal tobacco exposure, maternal excess gestational weight gain, high infant birth weight, and accelerated infant weight gain. Fewer studies also supported gestational diabetes, child care attendance, low strength of maternal–infant relationship, low SES, curtailed infant sleep, inappropriate bottle use, introduction of solid food intake before age 4 months, and infant antibiotic exposure as risk factors for childhood obesity. Conclusions Modifiable risk factors in the first 1,000 days can inform future research and policy priorities and intervention efforts to prevent childhood obesity.
The Current State of Nuclear Medicine Physics Training: Findings of the AAPM/SNMMI Task Force.

1146 Objectives Increased activity of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) -2 and -9 is associated with poor prognosis and metastasis processes in cancer tissues. Aiming to produce a MMP tumour cell-selective cytotoxin, Leppla et al. genetically modified the two protein components of the AB-type lethal toxin (LT) from Bacillus anthracis. The celullar binding component of this toxin, Protective Antigen (PA), was designed to form an oligomeric pore in cell membranes only when cleaved by MMPs (PA-L1). The second part, Lethal Factor (LF), which binds to the PA-pore, had its N-terminal translocation domain (LFn) fused to exotoxin-A domain (fusion toxin - FP59) to increase its cytotoxic effect when delivered to cancerous cells. The current work describes the development of MMP imaging using PA-L1 and LFnCys (LFn containing a C-terminal cysteine residue) radiolabelled with In-111. Methods Using the MTT assay we evaluated PA-L1 MMP-mediated activation and translocation of FP59 toxin into a set of cancer cell lines. Gelatinase (MMP-2 and -9) zymograms were used to confirm these results. Since LFnCys is known to be thermolabile, CD analysis reproducing standard radiolabelling conditions were used to evaluate secondary structure changes. The metal ion chelators DTPA-maleimide and DOTA-GA-maleimide were conjugated to LFnCys to allow radiolabelling with In-111. Since In-111 incorporation into DOTA-GA requires heating, a strategy was developed where In-111 was chelated to DOTA-GA-maleimide first and then conjugated to LFnCys under mild conditions. The MMP-positive cell lines HT-1080 (gelatinase positive) and MCF7 (negative) were used to compare internalisation of In-111-DOTA-GA-LFn with In-111-DTPA-LFn in the presence of PA-L1. For cross-validation by confocal microscopy, LFnCys was site-specifically conjugated to AlexaFluor488-maleimide. Results MTT tests showed that MCF7 cells did not activate PA-L1 pore formation, while B8484, CAPAN-1, MDA-MB-231 and HT-1080 cells were sensitive to FP59, suggesting activation by MMPs. Zymography gels demonstrated varying levels of MMP-2 and -9 activity in the different cells lines, correlating well with the MTT assay results. While buffer composition did not affect the secondary structure of LFnCys, temperature increases over 95°C for 15 to 60 minutes significantly disturbed its overall secondary structure. Radiolabelling yields for 111In-DTPA-LFn was 98.9%, while 92.4% was obtained for In-111-DOTA-GA-LFn using the pre-labelling strategy. Uptake of both radiolabelled forms of LFnCys in gelatinase-positive HT-1080 cells was significantly higher in the presence of PA-L1 when compared to cells not exposed to PA-L1 or to MCF-7 cells. These results were corroborated by confocal imaging using fluorescently labelled LFnCys. Conclusions Our results indicate that radiolabelled forms of genetically engineered anthrax lethal toxin could be developed as a promising MMP activity imaging agent for non-invasive imaging of cancer.
Developmental differences in schema dependency for temporally ordered story events

This research project was undertaken to investigate whether temporally ordered story events would be recalled in logical sequence as opposed to presentation order by various ages and under various task conditions. A 24-hour delayed condition was used as well as immediate recall. Six-year-olds, 8-year-olds, and adults were asked to recall four narratives. Instructions given were either vague or specifically required subjects to recall events exactly as they had been presented. Following the delayed recall, a picture-sequencing task was adminstered to assess whether picture cues would enable subjects to demonstrate awareness of input order even though they had reordered events in recall. All subjects reordered more during the delayed recall than during the immediate recall. Age differences (p<0003) occurred in the ability of subjects to demonstrate verbatim memory on the picture-sequencing task. Findings suggest that in contrast to adults, once children have reordered narrative events in memory, they no longer have an alternative verbatim version available. Results also suggest a greater schema dependency in children than in adults in recall tasks.
Distinguishing Sarcasm From Literal Language: Evidence From Books and Blogging

Sarcasm production and comprehension have been traditionally described in terms of pragmatic factors. Lexical cues have received less attention, but they may be important potential indicators. A major obstacle to examining such features is determining sarcastic intent. One solution is to analyze statements explicitly marked as being sarcastic. This study examined Twitter postings marked with #sarcasm as well as dialog from Google Books containing the phrase “said sarcastically.” We used word counting and part-of-speech tagging to compare specific lexical features of the explicitly-marked sarcastic statements to statements by the same author not marked as sarcastic. Our results broadly support the Lexical Cues Hypothesis—certain word-level cues, such as interjections and positive affect terms, are stereotypic of sarcasm. A model incorporating these features performed comparably to human raters in making sarcastic versus nonsarcastic judgments. This finding shows promise for future work toward automatically...
Two-photon Mueller matrix-second-harmonic generation microscopy of porcine samples

Quantitative assessment of collagen-based porcine samples is performed using two-photon Mueller matrix analysis of second-harmonic generation (SHG) images. A depolarization parameter is evaluated as a function of sample type and thickness.
The Love/Hate Checklist: a further report.

The Love/Hate Checklist was introduced by Parish (1) as an effective index of love and/ or hate based on checked adverbs descriptive of the perceived actions of people toward one another. Specifically, the Love/Hate Checklist reliably assessed actions by parents as perceived by their adult children and was judged to be valid since its scores regarding both parents' loving actions were directly related to adult children's self-concepts. As noted by Parish (11, however, additional validation research is still needed so 126 undergraduate college students from intact families (n = 105) and divorced families (n = 21) were asked to describe on the Love/Hate Checklist how theit Lacher5 act toward their mothers and vice versa. Since divorced parents are often described as acllng more hatefully toward one another than peers from intact families (2), the hate score on [he checklist describing parents' actions from divorced families was hypothesized to be significantly hlgher than the score describing actions of parents from intact f a d e s . Respondents who voluntarily participated in the present study were enrolled in educational psychology classes at a large midwestern university. This sample included 39 men and 87 women, primarily from white middle-class backgrounds. They ranged in age from 18 yr. to 36 yr., with an average age of 22.4 yr. The LoveIHate Checklist they completed consists of 45 "loving" and 45 "hateful" adverbs and asked the respondents to select 25 words which best describe how their acts toward t h e i r . On Form 1 the target was "father acts toward mother," while on Form 2 the target was "mother acts toward father." Number of "hateful" words checked was recorded. The order of forms was counterbalanced. O n the back of the checklist respondents indicated their sex and age, and whether they were from intact or divorced families. To compare individuals from intact and divorced families, two t tests (using separate variance estimates) were performed. How mothers were perceived to act toward fathers varied significantly as a function of the respondents' familial configurations (t = 7.54, df = 24, p < ,001); those from divorced families (M, = 17.57) checked significantly more "hateful" adverbs than students from intact families (M, = 2.58). Regarding how fathers were perceived to act toward mothers, similar significant differences were found (t = 6.20, df = 24, p < ,001). Again, respondents from divorced families (M, = 17.76) checked significantly more "hateful" adverbs than those from intact families (M, = 3.48). In this sample the Love/Hate Checklist score seems to have discerned the predicted differences in perceptions of parents' loving or hateful actions which apparently vary as a function of parents' marital status (~ .e . , intact or divorced). Such findings support the notion that the Lovemate Checklist provides predictive validity and may be useful to psychologists and counselors.
Network Modeling for Security Analytics

Comprehensive network modeling remains a challenge for the security analyst. Complete coverage and depth of detail in network models is difficult to achieve for large and complex networks, especially when significant effort in manual elaboration is required. This paper describes an automated approach to network model acquisition using coordinated bump-in-the-wire devices. The system described here relieves a substantial burden from the modeler while offering improved visibility over competing solutions.
Assessing Diastology in Aortic Stenosis: Should We Stress About Strain Rate?

When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers, you know something about it: but when you cannot measure it . . . your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.Lord Kelvin, lecture to the Institute of Civil Engineers, 1883 [(1)][1] A method to represent
Milk yield, composition, and somatic cells as a function of time of day in goats under a continuous lighting regimen.

SUMMARY Goats were milked hourly for 51 consecutive hours or at 13-hour intervals for 32 consecutive milkings. Milk production, milk fat percentage, somatic cell content, and milk serum proteins were considered as a function of time of day and infection. Milk production and milk constituents were not time-of-day dependent. Infection significantly reduced the milk produced, and increased the fat percentage and somatic cell content. Milk production and cell concentration were inversely related. Hourly milking resulted in a linear increase in milk of 0.57 ml./hour. Cell concentration decreased in a curvilinear manner. When milked at 13-hour intervals, fat percentage decreased linearly at the rate of 0.16 per cent per milking. Percentages of albumin and immuno-G-globulins increased and a-lactalbumin, b-lactoglobulin decreased in milk from infected glands. The lack of diurnal variation in milk cell content is probably explained by the facilitation of cell passage within the mammary gland by oxytocin.