cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimization of the L/sup infinity /-induced norm for sampled-data systems

It is shown that given any degree of accuracy, there exists a standard discrete-time l/sup 1/ problem that can be determined a priori whose solution yields a controller that is almost optimal in terms of the hybrid L/sup infinity /-induced norm. This is accomplished by first converting the hybrid system into an equivalent infinite-dimensional discrete-time system using the lifting technique in continuous time, and then approximating the infinite-dimensional parts of the system which model the intersample dynamics. A thorough analysis of the approximation procedure is presented, and it is shown that it is convergent at the rate of 1/n. Explicit bounds that are independent of the controller are obtained to characterize the approximation. It is also shown that the geometry of the induced norm for the sampled-data problem is different from that of the standard l/sup 1/ norm, and hence there might not exist a linear isometry that maps the sampled-data problem exactly to a standard discrete-time problem. >
Focus groups among public, military, and private sector mothers: insights to improve the immunization process.

The underimmunization of children younger than 2 years old is a major health problem in U.S. cities. Innovative methods to increase immunization rates are being researched and implemented. In 1993, six focus groups were conducted with 41 mothers (25 African Americans and 16 Caucasians) to discuss their views regarding immunizations and the services they received from health care providers in the public health (n = 27), military (n = 4), and private (n = 10) sectors. Participants viewed immunizations positively, but perceived many barriers to immunization. They suggested the following ways to improve the immunization process: enhancing knowledge acquisition, improving reminder and appointment systems, providing transportation and child care, decreasing waiting times, improving the clinic environment, and making the immunizations less traumatic. According to mothers in this study, obtaining an immunization on time is a complex task that requires planning and resources. The fewer resources that are available to mothers, the more difficult it is to succeeded. Health care providers must help mothers identify and remove barriers if immunization rates are to be increased.
The effects of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, a novel inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate receptor modulator on myometrial contractions.

These studies were performed to evaluate the effect of 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), a novel membrane-permeable inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-receptor inhibitor on agonist-induced, spontaneous, and KCl-stimulated in vitro myometrial contractions. 2-APB significantly inhibited spontaneous myometrial contractions as well as phasic contractions induced by various uterotonic agonists. Confiriming its effects on intracellular calcium release, 2-APB inhibited phasic contractions in the absence of extracellular calcium. 2-APB had little effect on the tonic response to KCl stimulation, implicating its insignificant effect on voltage-gated calcium channels. The inhibitory effect of 2-APB on phasic contractions was completely reversed by washout. In summary, 2-APB effectively penetrated uterine tissue and significantly inhibited myometrial events previously shown to be mediated through activation of the PI-signaling pathway.
Oceanographic structure of the eastern Scotia Sea—II. Chemical oceanography

Abstract During the 1981 multidisciplinary study of the eastern Scotia Sea, samples were analyzed for silicate, nitrate, and tritium. Most silicate sections showed a pronounced increase in concentrations from north to south in the surface waters. A frontal-type structure in the temperature and salinity fields in the section just north of the South Orkneys, where water flowing through the Drake Passage meets that from the Weddell Sea, is mirrored in the silicate section. Further downstream the silicate sections show no distinct trends in the deep waters, but the distributions are characteristic of meso-scale eddies. No significant horizontal gradients are evident in the nitrate sections, but a nitrate maximum is present in all sections, generally between 200 and 300 m. Tritium profiles are presented for eight stations on two of the sections. Surface tritium concentrations are low (0.3 to 0.4 TU) with the highest concentrations in the north. There was substatial tritium at two stations on the most western section, indicating up to 50% of the deep water may have come from the surface since the early 1960s. On the section to the east, tritium concentrations dropped rapidly below the temperature minimum, and there was essentially no tritium in deep waters. At most, 10% of the deep waters could have come from the surface since the advent of nuclear testing.
New murid (Mammalia, Rodentia) fossils from a late Pliocene (2.4 Ma) locality, Hadar A.L. 894, Afar Region, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This paper describes a new assemblage of fossil murids (Mammalia: Rodentia) from an Oldowan archeological site, Hadar, A.L. 894. The dates for the site are well constrained to between 2.35 and 2.9 Ma and the site itself has an estimated age of 2.4 Ma. The A.L. 894 assemblage is the first described from the younger Busidima Formation at Hadar and extends the time range for micromammals at Hadar by 800 ka. The assemblage of 28 specimens has eight taxa represented, a surprising diversity given the sample size. The specimens include a fossil skull of Thallomys, a poorly documented African endemic rodent, as well as one of the earliest occurrences of a small gerbilid, such as Gerbillus in East Africa. Fossil rodents from this time period are important for the interpretation of hominid paleoecology as well as understanding the processes underlying the evolution of ecological communities through shallow, deep-time.
Cooxidation of benzidine by horseradish peroxidase and subsequent formation of possible thioether conjugates of benzidine.

Abstract The human bladder carcinogen BENZIDINE was found to be converted by horseradish peroxidase and H 2 O 2 to an intermediate which reacts with thiol-containing nucleophiles to give rise to a pattern of products which are identical to those produced by reaction of the two electron oxidation product of benzidine, 4,4′-biphenoquinonediimine, under identical conditions at physiological pH. The properties of the major reaction product are dependent on the identity of the thiol employed and are consistent with those expected for a ring-(S)-thioether conjugate of benzidine. These results may be indicative of a previously unrecognized minor pathway of benzidine metabolism.
Coherence gating and adaptive optics in the eye

An en face coherence gated camera equipped with adaptive optics (AO) has been constructed for imaging single cells in the living human retina. The high axial resolution of coherence gating combined with the high transverse resolution of AO provides a powerful imaging tool whose image quality can surpass either methodology performing alone. The AO system relies on a 37-actuator Xinetics mirror and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor that executes up to 22 corrections per second. The coherence gate is realized with a free-space Michelson interferometer that employs a scientific-grade 12-bit CCD array for recording 2-D retinal interferograms. Images were collected of microstructures the size of single cells in the in vivo retina. Early results suggest that a coherence gated adaptive optics camera should substantially improve our ability to detect single cells in the retina over the current state-of-the-art AO retina cameras, including conventional flood illuminated and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopes. To our knowledge, this is the first effort to combine coherence gating and adaptive optics.
Di(tert-butyl)phosphate Complexes of Aluminum: Precursors to Aluminum Phosphate Xerogels and Thin Films

Reactions of HO(O)P(OtBu)2 with Al2Me6 and [Al(OiPr)3]4 gave the new molecular aluminum phosphate complexes [Me2AlO2P(OtBu)2]2 (1) and [Al(OiPr)2O2P(OtBu)2]4 (2), respectively. In the solid state, 1 exists as a centrosymmetric dimer consisting of two four-coordinate Al centers bridged by two phosphate groups. In the solid state 2 exists as a centrosymmetric tetramer in which the unique half of the tetramer consists of two aluminum atoms bridged by two di(tert-butyl)phosphate groups. The central part of the molecule contains a planar Al2O2 four-membered ring containing two symmetry-related Al(1) atoms bridged by two −OiPr ligands. Solution-phase thermolyses of 1 and 2 in organic solvents led to the formation of transparent and opaque xerogels, respectively, after air-drying. The xerogel derived from 1 in 2-propanol had a surface area of 442 m2 g-1 after calcination to 600 °C in air. Thin, transparent films of aluminum phosphate were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using both 1 and 2 as molecula...
Purification and characterization of the respiratory nitrate reductase of Bacillus stearothermophilus.

Abstract The reduced methylviolegen-nitrate reductase of the obligate thermophile, Bacillus stearothermophilus NCA strain 2184 (ATCC 12016), has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity, 53-fold with a yield of 12,5%. The purification procedure involved solubilization with octyl glucoside, ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange, and molecular sieve chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to be about 210,000. The enzyme possesses two subunits of 150,000 and 44,000 daltons in equimolar ratio, and no cytochrome. There are 6 atoms of nonheme iron and 12 mol of labile sulfide in 1 mol of the purified enzyme. The 44,000-dalton β subunit is the smallest of all the characterized bacterial nitrate reductases and is very close to the size of the β 1 subunit of Escherichia coli . The various β components of other bacterial nitrate reductases are probably derived from this 44,000-dalton subunit.
Two-weight Caccioppoli inequalities for solutions of nonhomogeneous A-harmonic equations on Riemannian manifolds

In this paper, we first prove the local two-weight Caccioppoli inequalities for solutions to the nonhomogeneous A-harmonic equation of the form d*A(x, dω) = B(x, dω). Then, as applications of the local results, we prove the global two-weight Caccioppoli-type inequalities for these solutions on Riemannian manifolds.
Relevance of preoperative and postoperative blood tests to postoperative leg-vein thrombosis.

Abstract Fourteen tests of haemostasis and fibrinolysis were done before and after major elective surgery in 73 patients. The patients were also studied with 125 I-fibrinogen scanning, and 27 developed scan evidence of postoperative leg-vein thrombosis. Patients with thrombosis had a significantly shorter partial thromboplastin-time (P.T.T.) before surgery (mean 35.9 seconds) than patients without thrombosis (mean 38·8 seconds). They also had a significantly shorter P.T.T., higher antiplasmin level, and higher serum fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product level on the first postoperative day. The P.T.T, was the only test to show any difference between the two groups after this. These results suggest that blood tests done before and after surgery can detect differences beween patients with and without postoperative leg-vein thrombosis.
Analysis of high-perimeter planar electrodes for efficient neural stimulation.

Planar electrodes are used in epidural spinal cord stimulation and epidural cortical stimulation. Electrode geometry is one approach to increase the efficiency of neural stimulation and reduce the power required to produce the level of activation required for clinical efficacy. Our hypothesis was that electrode geometries that increased the variation of current density on the electrode surface would increase stimulation efficiency. High-perimeter planar disk electrodes were designed with sinuous (serpentine) variation in the perimeter. Prototypes were fabricated that had equal surface areas but perimeters equal to 2, 3 or 4 times the perimeter of a circular disk electrode. The interface impedance of high-perimeter prototype electrodes measured in vitro did not differ significantly from that of the circular electrode over a wide range of frequencies. Finite element models indicated that the variation of current density was significantly higher on the surface of the high-perimeter electrodes. We quantified activation of 100 model axons randomly positioned around the electrodes. Input-output curves of the percentage of axons activated as a function of stimulation intensity indicated that the stimulation efficiency was dependent on the distance of the axons from the electrode. The high-perimeter planar electrodes were more efficient at activating axons a certain distance away from the electrode surface. These results demonstrate the feasibility of increasing stimulation efficiency through the design of novel electrode geometries.
Comparison of POCT and central laboratory blood glucose results using arterial, capillary, and venous samples from MICU patients on a tight glycemic protocol.

Abstract Background Point of care (POC) glucose meters are routinely used to monitor glucose levels for patients on tight glycemic control therapy. We determined if glucose values were different for a POC glucose meter as compared to the main clinical laboratory for medical intensive care unit patients on a tight glycemic protocol and whether the site of blood sampling had a significant impact on glucose values. Methods Eighty-four patients (114 paired samples) who were on a tight glycemic protocol in the period November 2005 through August 2006 were enrolled. After simultaneous blood draws, we compared the glucose levels for the glucose meter (arterial/venous/capillary), blood gas (arterial/venous), and central clinical laboratory (serum/plasma from arterial/venous samples). Results The mean glucose levels of all arterial/venous/fingerstick samples using the glucose meter demonstrated a positive bias of 0.7–0.9 mmol/l (12.6–16.2 mg/dl) (p Conclusion Glucose meters using arterial/venous whole blood may be utilized in the MICU; however, due to the increased variability of results we do not recommend the routine use of capillary blood sampling for monitoring glucose levels in the MICU setting.
Oocyte cryopreservation: a feasible fertility preservation option for reproductive age cancer survivors.

Purpose To compare oocyte cryopreservation cycles performed in cancer patients to those of infertile women.
Finding errors in .net with feedback-directed random testing

We present a case study in which a team of test engineers at Microsoft applied a feedback-directed random testing tool to a critical component of the .NET architecture. Due to its complexity and high reliability requirements, the component had already been tested by 40 test engineers over five years, using manual testing and many automated testing techniques.Nevertheless, the feedback-directed random testing tool found errors in the component that eluded previous testing, and did so two orders of magnitude faster than a typical test engineer (including time spent inspecting the results of the tool). The tool also led the test team to discover errors in other testing and analysis tools, and deficiencies in previous best-practice guidelines for manual testing. Finally, we identify challenges that random testing faces for continued effectiveness, including an observed decrease in the technique's error detection rate over time.
Neonatal Estrogen Exposure of Male Rats Alters Reproductive Functions at Adulthood

The effects of neonatal exposure to different doses of diethylstilbestrol (DES) on the reproductive functions of male rats at adulthood were evaluated. Sprague-Dawley rats (5-8/group) received sc injections of 25 microl olive oil containing DES (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) at a dose of 10 microg, 1 microg, 100 ng, 10 ng, or 1 ng per rat on alternate days from Postnatal Days 2-12. Control animals received olive oil only. All animals were allowed to develop until 83-91 days of age; however, when they were 70 to 80 days old, four male rats each from the 10 microg, 1 microg, 100 ng, and control groups were cohabited with untreated 60- to 70-day-old females (1:1) for 12 days. At the end of cohabitation, both mated and unmated male rats were weighed, and blood and tissue samples were collected and processed. Results revealed that although sperm motility patterns and sperm morphology were adversely affected in the 10- microg group, other reproductive parameters, including 1). daily sperm production (DSP)/testis; 2). absolute and relative weights of the testis, epididymis, and seminal vesicle; and 3). sperm numbers in both regions of the epididymis declined significantly in a dose-dependent manner in the 10- and 1- microg groups. Conversely, in the <1- microg groups, none of these parameters (except DSP/testis and weight of the epididymis in the 100-ng group, and sperm numbers in the epididymis of the 100- and 10-ng groups) was different from controls. Generally, plasma testosterone levels decreased in the 10- and 1- microg groups, FSH level increased in the 10-microg group, and prolactin and LH levels were unaltered. In the fertility study, although each male in the 1-microg, 100-ng, and control groups produced a copulatory plug and impregnated a female, none could do so in the 10-microg group. The mean number of pups per litter was reduced to eight in the 1-microg group, in contrast to 15 each in the 100-ng and control groups. In conclusion, exposure of neonatal male rats to DES altered sperm motility patterns, sperm fertility (as evident from the reduced number of pups in the 1-microg group), and sexual behavior (as evident from the absence of copulatory plugs in the 10-microg group) and reduced weights of reproductive organs, DSP/testis, and sperm numbers in the epididymis. Whether these alterations/reductions persist in older rats (6-8 mo of age) is under investigation.
Fine-tuning function: Correlation of hinge domain interactions with functional distinctions between LacI and PurR

LacI and PurR are highly homologous proteins. Their functional units are homodimers, with an N-terminal DNA binding domain that comprises the helix-turn-helix (HTH), N-linker, and hinge regions from both monomers. Hinge structural changes are known to occur upon DNA dissociation but are difficult to monitor experimentally. The initial steps of hinge unfolding were therefore examined using molecular dynamics simulations, utilizing a truncated, chimeric protein comprising the LacI HTH/N-linker and PurR hinge. A terminal Gly-Cys-Gly was added to allow “dimerization” through disulfide bond formation. Simulations indicate that differences in LacI and PurR hinge primary sequence affect the quaternary structure of the hinge•hinge′ interface. However, these alternate hinge orientations would be sterically restricted by the core domain. These results prompted detailed comparison of recently available DNA-bound structures for LacI and truncated LacI(1–62) with the PurR structure. Examination revealed that different N-linker and hinge contacts to the core domain of the partner monomer (which binds effector molecule) affect the juxtapositions of the HTH, N-linker, and hinge regions in the DNA binding domain. In addition, the two full-length repressors exhibit significant differences in the interactions between the core and the C-linker connection to the DNA binding domain. Both linkers and the hinge have been implicated in the allosteric response of these repressors. Intriguingly, one functional difference between these two proteins is that they exhibit opposite allosteric response to effector. Simulations and observed structural distinctions are correlated with mutational analysis and sequence information from the LacI/GalR family to formulate a mechanism for fine-tuning individual repressor function.
Variations in the strength of the infrared forbidden 2328.2 cm−1 fundamental of solid N2 in binary mixtures

We present the 2335-2325 cm-1 infrared spectra and band positions, profiles and strengths (A values) of solid nitrogen and binary mixtures of N2 with other molecules at 12 K. The data demonstrate that the strength of the infrared forbidden N2 fundamental near 2328 cm-1 is moderately enhanced in the presence of NH3, strongly enhanced in the presence of H2O and very strongly enhanced (by over a factor of 1000) in the presence of CO2, but is not significantly affected by CO, CH4, or O2. The mechanisms for the enhancements in N2-NH3 and N2-H2O mixtures are fundamentally different from those proposed for N2-CO2 mixtures. In the first case, interactions involving hydrogen-bonding are likely the cause. In the latter, a resonant exchange between the N2 stretching fundamental and the 18O = 12C asymmetric stretch of 18O12C16O is indicated. The implications of these results for several astrophysical issues are briefly discussed.
Parallel adjustments in vegetation greenness and ecosystem CO2 exchange in response to drought in a Southern California chaparral ecosystem

Some form of the light use efficiency (LUE) model is used in most models of ecosystem carbon exchange based on remote sensing. The strong relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and light absorbed by green vegetation make models based on LUE attractive in the remote sensing context. However, estimation of LUE has proven problematic since it varies with vegetation type and environmental conditions. Here we propose that LUE may in fact be correlated with vegetation greenness (measured either as NDVI at constant solar elevation angle, or a red edge chlorophyll index), making separate estimates of LUE unnecessary, at least for some vegetation types. To test this, we installed an automated tram system for measurement of spectral reflectance in the footprint of an eddy covariance flux system in the Southern California chaparral. This allowed us to match the spatial and temporal scales of the reflectance and flux measurements and thus to make direct comparisons over time scales ranging from minutes to years. The 3-year period of this study included both “normal” precipitation years and an extreme drought in 2002. In this sparse chaparral vegetation, diurnal and seasonal changes in solar angle resulted in large variation in NDVI independent of the actual quantity of green vegetation. In fact, one would come to entirely different conclusions about seasonal changes in vegetation greenness depending on whether NDVI at noon or NDVI at constant solar elevation angle were used. Although chaparral vegetation is generally considered “evergreen”, we found that the majority of the shrubs were actually semi-deciduous, leading to large seasonal changes in NDVI at constant solar elevation angle. LUE was correlated with both greenness indices at the seasonal timescale across all years. In contrast, the relationship between LUE and PRI was inconsistent. PRI was well correlated with LUE during the “normal” years but this relationship changed dramatically during the extreme drought. Contrary to expectations, none of the spectral reflectance indices showed consistent relationships with CO2 flux or LUE over the diurnal time-course, possibly because of confounding effects of sun angle and stand structure on reflectance. These results suggest that greenness indices can be used to directly estimate CO2 exchange at weekly timescales in this chaparral ecosystem, even in the face of changes in LUE. Greenness indices are unlikely to be as good predictors of CO2 exchange in dense evergreen vegetation as they were in the sparse, semi-deciduous chaparral. However, since relatively few ecosystems are entirely evergreen at large spatial scales or over long time spans due to disturbance, these relationships need to be examined across a wider range of vegetation types.
DOG PLASMA PROTEIN GIVEN BY VEIN UTILIZED IN BODY METABOLISM OF DOG : HORSE PLASMA AND DOG HEMOGLOBIN NOT SIMILARLY UTILIZED.

Foreign plasma protein (horse) introduced parenterally into the protein fasting dog is not utilized in the body economy. Its fate appears to be disintegration and elimination as excess urinary nitrogen. This is totally different from the fate of dog plasma protein under similar conditions. Dog hemoglobin given parenterally to the protein fasting dog is not utilized as is dog plasma protein to keep the animal in nitrogen equilibrium but the globin is largely broken down and discarded as excess urinary nitrogen. A small part of the injected hemoglobin is probably utilized to maintain the red cell concentration in the blood at high levels. Dog plasma given parenterally in a protein fasting dog will maintain the dog in nitrogen equilibrium and there is no surplus nitrogen elimination in the after periods. It is apparent that the introduced plasma protein is utilized efficiently in body metabolism to replace or repair tissue protein. It is suggested that although this is an emergency reaction the same reactions may go on in normal internal metabolism. The observation that foreign plasma and dog hemoglobin cannot be utilized when given parenterally actually strengthens this last argument for a normal contribution from plasma proteins to body proteins.
Folate and cobalamin deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND Indian Asian men residing in the United Kingdom have a higher prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia than do their European counterparts. This has been largely attributed to dietary deficiencies in cobalamin associated with vegetarianism among these Indian Asians. OBJECTIVE We aimed to ascertain the prevalence of folate and cobalamin deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia in Bangladesh. DESIGN Plasma concentrations of homocysteine, folate, and cobalamin and urinary concentrations of creatinine were assessed in 1650 adults in Bangladesh. RESULTS The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (men: >11.4 micromol/L; women: >10.4 micromol/L) was markedly (P < 0.0001) greater among men (63%; x +/- SD: 15.3 +/- 9.5 micromol/L) than among women (26%; 9.5 +/- 4.7 micromol/L). Folate was lower (9.8 +/- 6.5 and 12.3 +/- 7.6 nmol/L, respectively), whereas cobalamin was higher (281 +/- 115 and 256 +/- 118 pmol/L, respectively) (P < 0.0001 for both) among men than among women. Folate explained 15% and cobalamin explained 5% of the variation in homocysteine concentrations. For men, folate (P = 0.005) and cobalamin (P = 0.03) were positively correlated with urinary creatinine. Smoking (P < 0.0003) and betelnut use (P < 0.0002) were independent negative predictors of folate. CONCLUSIONS Bangladeshi men have a high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia, which is more closely associated with folate than with cobalamin, although other factors, eg, smoking and betelnut use, may also contribute to its cause. The positive correlations between urinary creatinine and plasma folate and cobalamin were unanticipated and could suggest that, in marginal nutrition, these vitamins may be limiting for creatine biosynthesis.
A reconstruction of Vygotsky's theory of creativity

Abstract In this article, Vygotsky's theory of creative imagination is reconstructed on the basis of Francine Smolucha's translations of three papers which Vygotsky wrote on that topic. The three papers are “Imagination and Creativity in Childhood”; (1930/1967), “Imagination and Creativity in the Adolescent”; (1931/1984), and “Imagination and its Development in Childhood”; (1932/1960b). The three papers on creative imagination are discussed in chronological order with passages from other works by Vygotsky that place his statements regarding creativity into the larger context of his general theory. Vygotsky stated that early creative imagination is evident in the object substitutions that children perform during pretend play, such as the use of a stick as a horse. Creative imagination becomes a higher mental Junction directed by inner speech, and in adolescence it can be used together with conceptual thought. Creative thinking reaches its peak in adulthood as artistic, scientific, and technological innovat...
Long-Term Assessment of Periodontal Surgery Versus Curettage or Scaling and Root Planing

The various treatments for periodontal disease must be assessed in light of the recently articulated goals of periodontal therapy to preserve teeth for a lifetime and to enhance esthetics and comfort as well as oral health. This article examines the long-term comparisons of periodontal surgery, curettage, and scaling and root planing in improving attachment levels instead of the more traditional pocket depth.
Ontology Classification for Semantic-Web-Based Software Engineering

The semantic Web is the second generation of the Web, which helps sharing and reusing data across application, enterprise, and community boundaries. Ontology defines a set of representational primitives with which a domain of knowledge is modeled. The main purpose of the semantic Web and ontology is to integrate heterogeneous data and enable interoperability among disparate systems. Ontology has been used to model software engineering knowledge by denoting the artifacts that are designed or produced during the engineering process. The semantic Web allows publishing reusable software engineering knowledge resources and providing services for searching and querying. This paper classifies the ontologies developed for software engineering, reviews the current efforts on applying the semantic Web techniques on different software engineering aspects, and presents the benefits of their applications. We also foresee the possible future research directions.
The Clinical and Economic Burden of a Sustained Increase in Thyroid Cancer Incidence

Background: Thyroid cancer incidence is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate, yet little is known of the impact this increase will have on society. We sought to determine the clinical and economic burden of a sustained increase in thyroid cancer incidence in the United States and to understand how these burdens correlate with the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) prioritization of thyroid cancer research funding. Methods: We used the NCI's SEER 13 database (1992–2009) and Joinpoint regression software to identify the current clinical burden of thyroid cancer and to project future incidence through 2019. We combined Medicare reimbursement rates with American Thyroid Association guidelines, and our clinical practice to create an economic model of thyroid cancer. We obtained research-funding data from the NCI's Office of Budget and Finance. Results; By 2019, papillary thyroid cancer will double in incidence and become the third most common cancer in women of all ages at a cost of $18 to $21 billion dollars in the United States. Despite these substantial clinical and economic burdens, thyroid cancer research remains significantly underfunded by comparison, and in 2009 received only $14.7 million (ranked 30th) from the NCI. Conclusion: The impact of thyroid cancer on society has been significantly underappreciated, as is evidenced by its low priority in national research funding levels. Impact: Increased awareness in the medical community and the general public of the societal burden of thyroid cancer, and substantial increases in research on thyroid cancer etiology, prevention, and treatment are needed to offset these growing concerns. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 1–8. ©2013 AACR .
Pure dephasing induced by exciton-phonon interactions in GaAs quantum dots

We report studies of exciton dephasing in quantum dot (QD)-like islands in narrow GaAs quantum wells (QWs). Using three pulse transient four-wave mixing (FWM), we compare dephasing rates directly with population decay rates. This comparison reveals a pure dephasing process that dominates excitonic dephasing at elevated temperatures but does not involve exciton population relaxation.
The occipital artery: a microanatomical study.

Objective We performed a systematic microanatomical study of the occipital artery (OA) and its branches to describe the course, diameter, and branches of this vessel as well as the presence and pattern of anastomotic channels between the OA and the vertebral artery. Methods Twelve occipital arteries (6 adult cadaveric heads injected with colored latex) were studied using the surgical microscope. Particular attention was given to the course and branching pattern of the artery as well as the presence and type of anastomotic channels between the occipital artery and vertebral artery. Results Based upon anatomical considerations, the course of the occipital artery was divided into three segments. The first, or digastric segment, extends from the origin to the exit off the occipital groove of the mastoid process. The second segment, or suboccipital, extends from the occipital groove to the superior nuchal line. The third, or terminal segment, corresponds to the subgaleal segment just above the superior nuchal line up to the vertex. Two main descending branches of the second segment or suboccipital were identified. The superficial descending branch (SDB) runs between the splenium capitis and semispinalis capitis while the deep descending branch (DDB) enters the suboccipital triangle. Anastomotic vessels between one of these two descending branches and branches of the vertebral artery were found in 11 out of the 12 OAs dissected (91%). Conclusion Detailed knowledge of the OA anatomy is helpful in choosing this vessel as a donor for extra-intracranial bypasses. More importantly, knowledge and understanding of the type and pattern of anastomoses between the OA and the vertebral artery are critical to avoid disastrous complications (i.e., posterior circulation stroke) during embolization of vascular or neoplastic processes fed by distal OA branches.
Single-agent therapy for nonmetastatic and low-risk gestational trophoblastic disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of single-agent chemotherapy in the treatment ofnonmetastatic and low-risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumors. STUDY DESIGN: The medical literature was reviewed concerning single-agent chemotherapy in the treatment of nonmetastatic and low-risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumors. RESULTS: Methotrexate and actinomycin-D have achieved excellent and comparable remission rates with acceptable levels of toxicity. CONCLUSION: The optimal single-agent chemotherapy for nonmetastatic and low-risk metastatic gestational trophoblastic tumors has not yet been identified and can be best determined through a prospective, randomized trial.
Effects of corexit oil dispersants and the WAF of dispersed oil on DNA damage and repair in cultured human bronchial airway cells, BEAS-2B

Large quantities of dispersants were used as a method to disperse the roughly 210 million gallons of spilled crude oil that consumed the Gulf of Mexico. Little is known if the oil-dispersant and oil-dispersant mixtures on human airway BEAS-2B epithelial cells. Here we present the cytotoxic and genotoxic in vitro effects on the human lung cells BEAS-2B following exposure to and oil-dispersant mixtures on human airway BEAS-2B epithelial cells. Here we present the cytotoxic and genotoxic in vitro effects on the human lung cells BEAS-2B following exposure to Corexit dispersants EC9500 and EC9527, Water Accommodated Fraction (WAF) -crude, WAF-9500 + Oil, and WAF-9527 + Oil. Cellular cytotoxicity to WAF-dispersed oil samples was observed at concentrations greater than 1000 ppm with over 70% of observed cellular death. At low concentration exposures (100 and 300 ppm) DNA damage was evidenced by the detection of single strand breaks (SSBs) and double strand breaks (DSBs) as measured by alkaline and neutral comet assay analyses. Immunoblot analyses of the phosphorylated histone H2A.X (ɣ-H2A.X) and tumor suppressor p53 protein confirmed activation of the DNA damage response due to the exposure-induced DNA breaks. Although, many xenobiotics interfere with DNA repair pathways, in vitro evaluation of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) and DSB repair pathways appear to be unaffected by the oil-dispersant mixtures tested. Overall, this study supports that oil-dispersant mixtures induce genotoxic effects in culture.
Allocation of Experimental Resources Used in Potato Breeding to Minimize the Variance of Genotype Mean Chip Color and Tuber Composition

Breeders strive to select superior genotypes despite the challenges that environmental variation and environment × genotype interactions bring in increasing phenotypic variance. Effective selection requires experimental design that minimizes variance of genotype means and therefore allows for the identifi cation of superior genotypes. The variance components calculated from three extensive datasets were used in modeling experiments to determine how experimental replication and sampling affected the variance of genotype mean for composition or fried chip color of tubers from Solanum species including the cultivated potato Solanum tuberosum L. Maximizing experimental replication over years and locations with limited sampling minimized variance of genotype means for chip color, tuber sugar concentrations, and tuber dry matter. It is suggested that in the early stages of a potato breeding program, more precise evaluations of the genetic potential of individual clones would be achieved through the use of small plots evaluated over several locations and/or years rather than increased replication at one location.
Coupled Electrostatic-Structural Analysis Using Mesh Independent Approach

Coupled electrostatic-structural interaction needs to be modeled for designing many electrostatically actuated devices such as MEMS switches, accelerometers and comb-drives. The models for such devices must include an assembly of components and the air gaps between them. The electrostatic fields are generated in the air gaps and this field produces electrostatic forces which act on the structural components causing deformation and strains. Generating an appropriate mesh for such an assembly of regions with different material properties can be cumbersome. In this paper, we have developed an immersed boundary approach where the geometry is defined using the equations of the boundary and is immersed in a uniform background mesh. The loads and boundary conditions are imposed using the implicit boundary method since the nodes of the background mesh are not guaranteed to be on the boundaries. This approach is verified by applying it to commonly used examples.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The influence of examiner type on dental students' OSCE scores

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in grading of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) by full-time faculty examiners, part-time faculty examiners, and postgraduate resident examiners. The OSCE is an evaluation of clinical competence and is used as a multidisciplinary examination at HSDM. Two examiners are selected for each of ten disciplines. Evaluators meet to review the case before the OSCE is given, and faculty examiners are given the opportunity to write exam questions based on the students' expected level of knowledge and ability. All examiners also meet on the day of the OSCE to review the case and discuss relevant issues. Students are randomly assigned to examiners and meet with one examiner at a time in each discipline during the examination. Analysis of OSCE scores on four exams given to HSDM students between 2012 and 2013 suggests that part-time faculty members tended to score students significantly higher than full-time faculty members or postgraduate residents. This may be a result of reduced contact time between students and the part-time faculty although it may also point to a need for more efforts in calibration of the part-time faculty members who take part in the OSCE.
Prevention of Murine Rotavirus Infection with Chicken Egg Yolk Immunoglobulins

Passive protection of infant mice against murine rotavirus was achieved with use of immunoglobulins from the eggs of chickens. Immunoglobulins were obtained by vaccinating hens with simian rotavirus, collecting the eggs after a high level of immunoglobulins was reached in the hen's serum, and isolating the water-soluble fraction from these eggs. The water-soluble fraction was then given twice daily to three-day-old mice to protect them from infection with murine rotavirus. The protection was found to decrease the infection rate from 90% to 15% with use of a standard dose of virus.
New Approaches to the Rapid Diagnosis of Tuberculous Meningitis

The diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis depends on identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the CSF by direct staining or culture. Because of the catastrophic nature of this illness and because effective specific therapy is available, clinicians generally cannot delay treatment to receive a definitive laboratory diagnosis, and therapy is often begun on a presumptive basis. At the same time, other forms of meningitis may mimic tuberculosis, and some of these other forms demand different kinds of specific therapy. Thus, there remains a major need for additional methods of rapidly diagnosing tuberculous meningitis. The reports that appear elsewhere in this issue of the Journal (by Ribera and his colleagues [1], of the measurement of adenosine deaminase activity in CSF, and by Kadival and his co-workers [2], of the detection of mycobacterial antigen in CSF) are important contributions that may lead to new methods for rapidly diagnosing tuberculous meningitis. If mycobacteria were easily identifiable by direct smear of CSF from most patients, the diagnostic problem would not exist. In their recent review of tuberculous meningitis, Molavi and LeFrock [3] stated that mycobacteria were identified by smear of CSF in KWo^O^o of cases in most series and by culture in 45(7o-90(7o of cases. A careful modern study of the bacteriologic diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis is that of Kennedy and Fallon [4]. They found that the initial CSF specimen was positive in 37^0 of patients on direct smear and in 52^0 on culture. Examining second and third CSF specimens added substantial numbers of positives, but examining additional specimens yielded few additional diagnoses. Ultimately, 87^0 of patients had a positive CSF smear and 83 ^o, a positive culture. The diagnostic yield of CSF smear and culture in other studies has generally been lower. Any proposed test for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis must be examined, with respect
Relationship Between the Envelope and the Infectivity of Herpes Simplex Virus.

SummaryCrude herpes virus suspensions were fractionated by the cesium chloride density gradient sedimentation method into enveloped and naked virus particles. Particles without envelopes were found...
A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk

A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk was published to coincide with the exhibition of the same name that Valerie Steele curated along with Fred Dennis at The Museum at FIT, wh...
Particle-hole cumulant approach for inelastic losses in x-ray spectra

Inelastic losses in core level x-ray spectra arise from many-body excitations, leading to broadening and damping as well as satellite peaks in x-ray photoemission (XPS) and x-ray absorption (XAS) spectra. Here we present a practical approach for calculating these losses based on a cumulant representation of the particle-hole Green's function, a quasiboson approximation, and a partition of the cumulant into extrinsic, intrinsic, and interference terms. The intrinsic losses are calculated using real-time time-dependent density functional theory while the extrinsic losses are obtained from the $GW$ approximation of the photoelectron self-energy and the interference terms are approximated. These effects are included in the spectra using a convolution with an energy dependent particle-hole spectral function. The approach elucidates the nature of the spectral functions in XPS and XAS and explains the significant cancellation between extrinsic and intrinsic losses. Edge-singularity effects in metals are also accounted for. Illustrative results are presented for the XPS and XAS of both weakly and more correlated systems.
Pedro Almodóvar's La piel que habito: Of Late Style and Erotic Conservatism

AbstractIn this article, I read Almodovar's film La piel que habito (2011) as an example of what Edward Said calls late style. However, unlike the perfecting or visionary style of artists' later works, Almodovar's late style, lacking the counter-cultural ground provided by La movida, the urban movement in post-Francoist Spain, becomes self-referential, not only in the repeated allusions to his earlier films, but also in his readiness to imitate Hollywood's canonical cinematic language. In fact, I argue that La piel que habito maintains an internal dialogue with Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. The avant-garde aura identified with Almodovar's cinema is often related to La Movida. Yet, as Eduardo Subirats contends in Modernidad y exilio, this cultural movement never attempted to revise the political, social and cultural content remaining from the fascist rule but rather recycled them into a form of cultural transvestism. I argue that, beyond its liberated disguise, Almodovar's conception of sexuality is ideologi...
A comprehensive analysis of sequence variants and putative disease-causing mutations in photoreceptor-specific nuclear receptor NR2E3.

Purpose The photoreceptor-specific orphan nuclear receptor NR2E3 is a key regulator of transcriptional events during photoreceptor differentiation in mammalian retina. Mutations in NR2E3 are associated with enhanced S-cone syndrome and related retinal phenotypes that reveal characteristic excess of S-cone function. This study was undertaken to determine biochemical as well as functional consequences of reported sequence variants and disease-causing mutations in NR2E3.
The Optimum Design of Gear Transmission Based on MATLAB

Gear mechanism is the most popular transmission mechanism.However,conventional design methods are complex and inaccurate.The application of optimum design to gear design effectively solves the problems mentioned above.Among the numerous kinds of optimization software,MATLAB holds obvious predominance in program and numerical calculation.Take single gear transmission as an example.The math model of gear is founded systematically on the basis of analyzing the foundation of goal function,the selection of design variables and the confirmation of restrictive conditions and then is optimized by SQP algorithm.The results indicate that optimum design,by MATLAB,is effective,reliable and simple.
Immunostain use in the diagnosis of melanomas referred to a tertiary medical center: a 15-year retrospective review (2001-2015).

BACKGROUND Little is known regarding the clinical practice of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of melanoma. We aimed to assess the incidence of immunostain usage by referring pathologists and dermatopathologists in melanoma cases sent for consultative review. As a secondary objective, associations between immunostain use and specific melanoma characteristics were also evaluated. METHODS This is a retrospective review of consultation reports of referred melanomas at a tertiary academic center in New York, NY from 2001 to 2015. Univariate regression analysis was performed on melanomas with accompanying immunostains and on characteristics such as Breslow's depth, location, prognostic factors and morphologic subtypes. Associations between immunostain usage and these characteristics were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS Immunostain use significantly increased over the study period (p < 0.001) and was more likely to be associated with melanomas that were thicker [odds ratio (OR) = 2.5; 1.7-3.6]; located on the head and neck (OR = 1.6; 1.4-1.9) or acral sites (OR = 1.5; 1.1-2.0); had ulceration (OR = 2.1; 1.6-2.8), dermal mitoses (OR = 1.3; 1.1-1.5), or perineural invasion (OR = 3.6; 2.0-6.5); or were of desmoplastic (OR = 7.4; 4.5-12), amelanotic (OR = 7.1; 3.6-14), or nevoid subtypes (OR = 4.0; 1.7-8.9). CONCLUSIONS Immunostain use in the diagnosis of melanoma has increased significantly in the past 15 years for reasons that remain unclear.