cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medical and surgical evaluation and treatment of adrenal incidentalomas.

Introduction: Adrenal incidentalomas are detected in approximately 4% of patients undergoing high-resolution abdominal imaging studies. The majority of adrenal incidentalomas are benign, but careful evaluation of all patients is warranted to be certain that primary adrenocortical carcinoma and functional adenomas are not missed. Methods: The diagnostic approach in patients with adrenal incidentalomas should focus on two main questions: whether the lesion is malignant, and whether it is hormonally active. Radiological evaluation including noncontrast and contrast computed tomography attenuation values expressed in Hounsfield units is the best tool to differentiate between benign and malignant adrenal masses. All adrenal tumors with suspicious radiological findings, most functional tumors, and all tumors more than 4 cm in size that lack characteristic benign imaging features should be surgically excised. All patients should undergo hormonal evaluation for subclinical Cushing's syndrome and pheochromocytoma,...
Trolox Inhibits Peroxynitrite-Mediated Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Rat Thymocytes

Peroxynitrite is a strong oxidant that reacts with a variety of biomolecules in vivo and in vitro. When rat thymocytes in phosphate buffer are exposed to 25 microM peroxynitrite for 10 min, DNA single strand breaks (SSB) can be detected. These SSB are repaired if the cells are incubated in fresh media at 37 degrees C for 120 min. In addition, DNA protein cross-links and apoptosis are observed 1 and 6 h, respectively, after peroxynitrite exposure. Peroxynitrite mediates the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) that may be responsible for the DNA-protein crosslinks (DPXL). Both TBARS and DPXL formation are lowered by posttreating the cells immediately after the 10-min exposure to peroxynitrite with Trolox, a water-soluble vitamin E analog. These results suggest that oxidative stress mediated by peroxynitrite can trigger a critical sequence of events ending in programmed cell death and that intracellular oxidation is a component of the apoptosis of thymocytes, since both oxidative processes and apoptosis can be prevented by Trolox. In addition to Trolox, we obtained partial data on three other phenolic antioxidants (3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and 2,6-diisopropylphenol). We find that Trolox and these three phenols similarly protect rat thymocytes from apoptosis mediated by peroxynitrite.
Do Afterlife Beliefs Affect Psychological Adjustment to Late-Life Spousal Loss?

Objectives. We explore whether beliefs about the existence and nature of an afterlife affect 5 psychological symptoms (anxiety, anger, depression, intrusive thoughts, and yearning) among recently bereaved older spouses. Method. We conduct multivariate regression analyses using data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC), a prospective study of spousal loss. The CLOC obtained data from bereaved persons prior to loss and both 6 and 18 months postloss. All analyses are adjusted for health, sociodemographic characteristics, and preloss marital quality. Results. Bleak or uncertain views about the afterlife are associated with multiple aspects of distress postloss. Uncertainty about the existence of an afterlife is associated with elevated intrusive thoughts, a symptom similar to posttraumatic distress. Widowed persons who do not expect to be reunited with loved ones in the afterlife report significantly more depressive symptoms, anger, and intrusive thoughts at both 6 and 18 months postloss. Discussion. Beliefs in an afterlife may be maladaptive for coping with late-life spousal loss, particularly if one is uncertain about its existence or holds a pessimistic view of what the afterlife entails. Our findings are broadly consistent with recent work suggesting that “continuing bonds” with the decedent may not be adaptive for older bereaved spouses.
Document zone content classification and its performance evaluation

This paper describes an algorithm for the determination of zone content type of a given zone within a document image. We take a statistical based approach and represent each zone with 25 dimensional feature vectors. An optimized decision tree classifier is used to classify each zone into one of nine zone content classes. A performance evaluation protocol is proposed. The training and testing data sets include a total of 24,177 zones from the University of Washington English Document Image database III. The algorithm accuracy is 98.45% with a mean false alarm rate of 0.50%.
An experimental test of the effects of fictional framing on attitudes

Objectives. Most studies of media effects in political communication focus on news media. A smaller body of work extends theories of news media effects to fictional entertainment media. Just as news media engage in priming and agenda setting, these studies suggest that fictional media do as well. In this study, we deal with fictional media’s framing of issues. No research has sought to test the effects of framing in explicitly fictional media on political opinions. We develop the outlines of a theory we call ‘‘fictional framing’’ and test it in an experiment. Methods. Participants in our treatment group watched the film Cider House Rules. The movie frames the issue of abortion in the case of incest in a pro-choice way, and frames morality in terms of following one’s own conscience. Results. The film influenced opinions in ways consistent with the framing of these issues. Conclusions. Since abortion opinions and moral values tend to be entrenched, we consider this a strong first test of the effects of fictional framing. Almost all research on the effects of mass media on public opinion focuses on the influence of news media or political campaigns. Although some recent work has begun to demonstrate the influence of ‘‘infotainment,’’ a form of ‘‘soft’’ news that entertains while it enlightens (Baum, 2002, 2003), relatively few studies of political communication have investigated the effects of explicitly fictional entertainment media on political attitudes and values. 1 This is unfortunate for at least two reasons. For one, fictional media in particular can contain socially and politically relevant topics and themes that are woven into the media’s plots, subplots, dialogue, and imagery. These themes could affect how consumers of fictional entertainment media think
Lean on Leptin or Lean for Sugar

Dieting has a significant impact on the reward value of food. New pre-clinical studies using optogenetics show that leptin regulates the reward value of sugar, suggesting that leptin reconstitution during weight loss may curb the reward value of sugar.
Coherent constructivism: A response to Mackay.

In this article we outline a response to Mackay's (2003) critique of constructivism as anti-realist, anti-determinist and anti-scientific. We argue that Mackay and constructivists operate from very different theoretical premises. Whereas Mackay sees his philosophical bases as foundational absolutes, constructivists see theirs (as well as Mackay's) as postulated premises. Thus, Mackay's theoretical assumptions, in combination with his construction of a `straw figure' version of his opponents, lead him to see constructivism as incoherent. However, this tells us more about Mackay's point of view than it does about constructivism's coherence. In our view, constructivism is not hostile to scientific discourse, and, indeed, converges at important points with Mackay's own treatment of `experiential meaning'. Ultimately, however, constructivists attempt to stretch the boundaries of permissible scholarly discourse beyond the realist bases advocated by Mackay, in order to analyze and critique the social epistemolog...
494: Elafin and fFN do not improve prediction of preterm birth compared to cervical length alone in asymptomatic, high risk women

proxy for comparing triplet test scores. RESULTS: Triplets with an adjusted age of six months to 2 years were tested using the BSID-II on at least one occasion and some of these triplets were tested a second time. On both occasions, triplets scored significantly lower than singletons (Table I). Triplets over 2 years did not significantly differ from singletons using the KBIT-2. Triplets scored a significantly higher average score than singletons using the BOT-2 Standard Score. CONCLUSION: Early analysis of triplets, with an adjusted age of 6 months to 2 years of age, display a significantly lower cognitive development when compared to singleton pregnancies, but this observation disappears when they reach age two. In fact, the motor development of triplets in our study show advanced skills when compared to singletons. This observation is possibly related to the phenomenon known as catch-up growth/development. These data may be biased due to the high percentage of assisted reproductive technology used, implying a higher likelihood of affluent households.
Direct measurements of latent heat during crystallization and melting of a ugandite and an olivine basalt

Received: 19 October 1993 / Accepted: 3 May 1994 Abstract Step-scanning calorimetric measurements us- ing a Setaram HT1500 calorimeter were performed be- tween 800 and 1400~ on two natural samples: a ugan- dite from the East African rift and an olivine basalt from the western Mexican arc. Our measurements provide the first in-situ quantitative assessment of enthalpy dur- ing melting of initially crystalline natural samples. The distribution of latent heat across the liquidus-solidus intervals of the two samples is distinctly different, re- flecting significant variation in the sequence and abun- dance of mineral phases during melting (clinopyroxene and leucite in the ugandite; olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase in the basalt). Our data further indicate that the common assumption of a uniform distribution of latent heat across the liquidus-solidus interval of a mag- ma is a reasonable approximation for the olivine basalt, but is grossly in error for the ugandite. This is due to cotectic precipitation of leucite and clinopyroxene, lead- ing to a large, disproportionate release of latent heat early in the crystallization sequence. The implication for the thermal history of a crystallizing ugandite magma is that the rate of heat loss during conductive cooling will initially be more rapid than the average rate. The net result will be to produce lower magmatic temperatures after a given cooling interval relative to models assum- ing a uniform release of latent heat. An additional series of scanning calorimetric experiments were performed at variable rates (1, 2, and 3~ to evaluate the role of kinetics on the distribution of enthalpy during both melting and crystallization of the ugandite and olivine basalt. The results indicate that clinopyroxene is the most important mineral phase in controlling the shapes of the enthalpy profiles during cooling; this is due to its large enthalpy of fusion and its tendency for sluggish nucleation, followed by rapid crystallization at temper- atures that vary with cooling rate. The resolution of the calorimeter (in terms of heat detected per unit time) is also important in determining the shapes of the observed enthalpy profiles during these rapid scans. Estimates based on the observed calorimetric signal associated with melting of olivine, and the lack of a calorimetric signal during melting of leucite, combined with known enthalpies of fusion for the two phases, indicate detec- tion limits of approximately 0.6-1.2 kJ per 5 rain incre- ments.
Runs Test: Examples†

The Wald–Wolfowitz runs test dates from 1940, making it one of the earliest nonparametric tests. It provides a test of a common distribution for two independent random samples. However, the test has low power relative to such alternatives as the Kolmogorov–Smirnov or Cramer–von Mises two-sample tests and has declined in popularity. Keywords: two-sample test; common distribution; permutation test; Kolmogorov–Smirnov test; Cramer–von Mises test
Patterning at 24-hour ITI: Resolution of a discrepancy more apparent than real'

Investigated was the effect of nonrewarded confinement durati on on patterning in rats at a 24-hr ITI. Confinements of 120 sec. produced patterning while confinements of 30 sec. did not. These results are consistent with previous findings employing both short and long III. Can rats, given an alternating schedule of rewarded (R) and nonrewarded (N) trials at 24-hr. ITI, learn to run slower on N than on R trials (pattern) without the support of external cues using only those cues pro­ vided by the Nand R trials themselves? They can according to Capaldi & Spivey (1964) who obtained patterning at 24-hr. ITI. Later Surridge & Amsel (1965), who failed to obtain patterning at a 24-hr. ITI, came to the opposite conclusion. The results of Capaldi and Spivey, they suggested, represent only apparent patterning, produced by a failure to control differential cues on Nand R trials, e.g. smell from food in goalbox, previous S cues next S, E cues etc. Two general com­ ments may be offered in connection with their suggestion. Is this external cue analysis consistent with patterning investigations generally, investigations run under con­ ditions highly similar to those of Capaldi and Spivey? Capaldi & Spivey (1965) have shown that it is not. Nevertheless, Capaldi and Spivey did not include a control for external cues and, in retrospect, it was probably a mistake to rely entirely on past knowledge. Moreover, Surridge and Arosel failed to suggest that any of the numerous differences between the two investi­ gators might have been responsible for the discrep­ ancy-aside, of course, from the presumed differential cues. In this connection, Capaldi & Spivey (1965) sug­ gested that their failure to obtain patterning may have been related to the short (for 24-hr. ITI) nonrewarded confinement (NC) they employed (30 sec. vs. 120 sec. for Capaldi and Spivey). The abnormally long NC of 120 sec. was employed by Capaldi and Spivey because Burt & Wike (1963) had shown patterning to be better the longer the NC. Despite such published data, Surridge and Arosel not only neglected to mention NC as a possible basis for the discrepancy but the value of NC employed was not given in their original report.2
Sequential effects in two-choice reaction time tasks: Decomposition and synthesis of mechanisms

Performance on serial tasks is influenced by first-and higher-order sequential effects, respectively, due to the immediately previous and earlier trials. As response-to-stimulus interval (RSI) increases, the pattern of reaction times transits from a benefit-only mode, traditionally ascribed to automatic facilitation (AF), to a cost-benefit mode, due to strategic expectancy (SE). To illuminate the sources of such effects, we develop a connectionist network of two mutually inhibiting neural decision units subject to feedback from previous trials. A study of separate biasing mechanisms shows that residual decision unit activity can lead to only first-order AF, but higher-order AF can result from strategic priming mediated by conflict monitoring, which we instantiate in two distinct versions. A further mechanism mediates expectation-related biases that grow during RSI toward saturation levels determined by weighted repetition (or alternation) sequence lengths. Equipped with these mechanisms, the network, consistent with known neurophysiology, accounts for several sets of behavioral data over a wide range of RSIs. The results also suggest that practice speeds up all the mechanisms rather than adjusting their relative strengths.
SIMPLE: Interactive Analytics on Patent Data

Intellectual Properties (IP), such as patents and trademarks, are one of the most critical assets in today’s enterprises and research organizations. They represent the core innovation and differentiators of an organization. When leveraged effectively, they not only protect freedom of action, but also generate significant opportunities in licensing, execution, long term research and innovation. In this paper, we expand upon a previous paper describing a solution called SIMPLE, which mines large corpus of patents and scientific literature for insights. In this paper we focus on the interactive analytics aspects of SIMPLE, which allow the analyst to explore large unstructured information collections containing mixed information in a dynamic way. We use real-world case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of interactive analytics in SIMPLE.
Private Prayer and Civic Involvement

We analyze the relationship between private prayer and participation in voluntary association. We argue that prayer fosters a cognitive connection to the needs of others, and thus promotes membership in associations that emphasize personal relationships. Private prayer is not related to membership in political groups. The effect of prayer is strengthened by membership in religious groups, suggesting the relevance of both organizational and devotional aspects of religion for civil society participation.
Pericardial Effusion in a 29-Year-Old HIV(+) Man

1. What are this patient’s most striking clinical and laboratory findings? 2. How do you explain this patient’s most striking clinical and laboratory findings? 3. What is this patient’s likely diagnosis? 4. What is the characteristic clinical presentation of individuals with this disorder? 5. What are the pathologic characteristics of this disorder? 6. What pathologic feature in this case provided the definitive diagnosis? 7. What treatment options are available for this patient’s condition?
Delay Fault Coverage

It is not feasible to test a circuit for delay faults by applying all possible delay tests (i.e., all possible input sequences). For the purposes of delay testing, it is therefore judicious to select a manageable set of test patterns which test each fabricated chip for the presence of delay faults. If a fabricated chip passes a set of delay tests, the confidence one has in the absence of delay faults in the chip is a measure of the effectiveness of the test set. This notion has typically been quantified in terms of the percentage of all possible delay faults which can be detected by the test set. This quantification has been used as a measure of the delay fault coverage of the test set, and has evolved from the definition of fault coverage for functional failures (e.g., stuck-fault coverage), where the coverage of a test set is defined as the percentage of the total number of faults detectable by the test set. However, this quantification is not a realistic metric for delay fault coverage. This is because the size of a delay fault also determines whether or not a delay failure is observed at a circuit output.
The Value of 'Cooling Off'

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 mandated that an auditing firm's independence is impaired if a former member of a public company's audit engagement team accepts a supervisory accounting position or financial reporting oversight role with the audit client, unless that individual observes a one-year cooling off period. Drawing on recent empirical research, we question whether investors prefer this one size fits all cooling off mandate, or whether a company-specific disclosure alternative would have equal or greater value relevance.
The minimum achievable timing resolution with high-aspect-ratio scintillation detectors for time-of-flight PET

Clinically translatable scintillation detectors employ relatively long crystals (20-30 mm) for increased system sensitivity in whole-body PET. In these high-aspect ratio (HAR) crystals (long and narrow), the degradation in timing performance due to variance in the optical path length of scintillation light is non-negligible. In this work, an accurate, analytical probability density function (p.d.f.) for photon transit time was incorporated into a calculation of the Cramr-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) on timing resolution to investigate the minimum achievable timing resolution for crystals with HAR geometries. The analytical p.d.f. was compared against light transport simulations and direct measurement of photon arrival time statistics using time-correlated single photon counting techniques (TCSPC), demonstrating consistency between the observed and theoretical distributions (χ2 p-value > 0.95). A coincidence timing resolution for two 3×3×20 mm3 LYSO:Ce scintillators coupled to MPPCs was measured to be 162 ps FWHM, approaching the statistically calculated limit of 152 ps within 6.5%. Parametric studies, where crystal and photosensor properties were varied, revealed that the increased optical transport spread in HAR crystals does not preclude an achievable coincidence timing resolution of 100 ps FWHM. The CRLB for various HAR scintillation detectors is presented, and instrumentation performance improvements necessary for achieving 100 ps FWHM coincidence timing resolution with HAR scintillators are discussed.
Comparisons Between Blacklight and Pheromone Traps for Monitoring the Western Bean Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in South Central Idaho

Blacklight traps have been used since 1958 in south central Idaho to monitor western bean cutworm, Loxagrotis albicosta (Smith), populations and to predict damage on beans and corn. In 1982, 1983, and 1984, two types of pheromone traps were compared with the standard blacklight trap. Pheromone traps were a handmade water-bucket trap and a modified Japanese beetle trap. For the overall trapping season, catches from both pheromone traps correlated well with catches from blacklight traps and with one another. In addition, total catches up to the time of peak moth flight from all three traps correlated well with percentage of damage to both bean pods and seeds. However, average daily catch per trap showed a high amount of variability and lack of association between moth counts and damage. Traps located on the west side of fields at 1.2 m above ground provided the best catches. Results of this study suggest that pheromone traps can be used to replace the standard blacklight trap, which is expensive, nonselective, bulky, and dependent upon a power source.
Aroma Active Volatiles in Four Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars Determined by Gas Chromatography–Olfactometry (GC-O) and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

Aroma active volatiles in four southern highbush blueberry cultivars ('Prima Dona', 'Jewel', 'Snow Chaser', and 'Kestrel') were determined using solid phase microextraction (SPME) in combination with gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and identified via GC-PFPD and GC-MS using retention indices of reference compounds and mass spectral data. The aromas of total, unseparated SPME extracts evaluated using GC-O were rated 8.2-9.0/10 for the four cultivars in terms of similarity to the original blueberry homogenates. In terms of GC-O aroma similarity, those aroma active volatile groups characterized as green, fruity, and floral were most intense. Of the 43 volatiles found to have aroma activity, 38 were identified and 13 had not been previously reported in blueberries. Although linalool and (E)-2-hexenal were common major aroma impact volatiles, dominant aroma-active volatiles were different for each cultivar. Principal component analysis confirmed that each cultivar possessed a unique aroma active profile as each cultivar was clustered into a separate score plot quadrant.
Insecticidal Activity of Supercritical Fluid CO_2 Extract from Acorus calamus L. against Stored-grain Insects

The contact,repellent and fumigant activity of supercritical fluid CO2 extract from Acorus calamus against the main stored-grain insects,such as Sitophilus zeamais,Rhizopertha dominica,Tribolium castaneum,Tribolium confusum,Cryptolestes pusillus and Oryzaephilus surinamensis were studied in this paper.The results indicated that supercritical fluid CO2 extract showed contact,repellent and fumigant activity to the six species of insects.The response of contact activity varied with different insects,while the contact toxicity to Cryptolestes pusillus was the most significant,and T.confusum and T.castaneum possessed a relatively high endurance to the extract.Sixty hours after treatment,the repellency to R.dominica,T.castaneum,T.confusum,C.pusillus and O.surinamensis were all above 90%,while the repellency to S.zeamais was above 70%.The extract showed significant fumigant toxicity against R.dominica,C.pusillus and O.surinamensis,but showed little activity to T.castaneum and T.confusum.We can draw the conclusion that supercritical fluid CO2 extract showed significant insecticidal activity against the stored-grain insects,and shows promise as a novel pesticide candidate.
Minimizing the energy-delay product of SRAM arrays using a device-circuit-architecture co-optimization framework

The objective of this paper is to minimize the energy-delay product of static random access memory (SRAM) arrays by using a device-circuit-architecture co-optimization framework. More specifically, at the device-level, high-V t FinFETs are adopted for the 6T SRAM cell, which significantly reduces the leakage power and improves static noise margins. However, due to the lower ON current, the bitline delay of the read access is increased. Accordingly, at the circuit-level, the voltage level of assist circuits, and at the architecture-level (i.e., the array organization), key parameters of the SRAM array are jointly optimized to derive a design that results in the minimum energy-delay product point. By using the proposed optimization framework, for SRAM array capacities ranging from 1KB to 16KB, on average 59% lower energy-delay product with maximum 12% (and on average 9%) performance penalty is achieved.
Development of biochemical measures of age in the Alaskan red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus (Anomura): Validation, refinement and initial assessment

Age determination of marine organisms is a central metric for understanding the timing and magnitude of spawning, recruitment and habitat use, juvenile duration, and population age structure. For crustaceans, however, age determination has been a challenge because they lack permanent hard structures and thus easily identified increments of chronology. For the commercially important red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus, size and shell condition have been used in lieu of accurate age information for estimating population dynamics. Our goal for this validation study was to evaluate an alternative approach based on analysis of specific metabolic products. These “age pigments” collectively termed lipofuscins (LF) were used to assess P. camtschaticus age and provide a more robust metric of age than size measurements alone. For LF measurements, we relied on solvent extraction followed by HPLC separation and fluorometric quantification over histological microscopic analysis to allow higher throughput of samples for practical application in fisheries management where significant numbers of analyses are required. LF accumulation in crabs of known age reared in the laboratory under controlled conditions was tracked for calibration, with testing on P. camtschaticus from wild populations. Initial analysis showed that the P. camtschaticus fluorescence properties were broadly similar to other crustaceans but also had properties unique to this high latitude species. P. camtschaticus accumulated LF in a highly predictable manner during first four years of their lifespan consistent with observations of their increase in body size. The impact of temperature on LF accumulation was also examined in juvenile crabs 3–20 months after hatching and showed positive albeit highly variable results. Estimates of age of young P. camtschaticus from the wild population in Southeast Alaska based on LF content was in close agreement with estimates based on the population size structure and time of the spawning in the region, supporting the feasibility of the technique to provide valuable demographic information for future P. camtschaticus studies.
A Comparison of Estimation Methods for a Multi-unidimensional Graded Response IRT Model

This study compared several parameter estimation methods for multi-unidimensional graded response models using their corresponding statistical software programs and packages. Specifically, we compared two marginal maximum likelihood (MML) approaches (Bock-Aitkin expectation-maximum algorithm, adaptive quadrature approach), four fully Bayesian algorithms (Gibbs sampling, Metropolis-Hastings, Hastings-within-Gibbs, blocked Metropolis), and the Metropolis-Hastings Robbins-Monro (MHRM) algorithm via the use of IRTPRO, BMIRT, and MATLAB. Simulation results suggested that, when the intertrait correlation was low, these estimation methods provided similar results. However, if the dimensions were moderately or highly correlated, Hastings-within-Gibbs had an overall better parameter recovery of item discrimination and intertrait correlation parameters. The performances of these estimation methods with different sample sizes and test lengths are also discussed.
The Carbon Cycle 1: Production and Transformations of Organic Matter Under Aerobic Conditions

This chapter highlights the dynamics of carbon in seawater under aerobic conditions, starting from a brief consideration of forms of inorganic carbon, and moves on to consider inputs, losses, and internal transformations of organic carbon.
The Transformation of American Law, 1780–1860

(1979). The Transformation of American Law, 1780–1860. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 193-205.
Square-Gradient Model for Inhomogeneous Systems: From Simple Fluids to Microemulsions, Polymer Blends and Electronic Structure

The square-gradient approximation for describing the thermodynamic and structural properties of inhomogeneous systems was first proposed many years ago by van der Waals in his celebrated work on capillarity. Because it entails no a priori knowledge on inter-particle interactions, the mathematical procedure is generically applicable to a wide variety of seemingly unrelated phenomena, regardless of whether the system contains classical or quantum particles. This chapter presents a few common concepts underlying different incarnations of the square-gradient model for simple fluids, microemulsions, polymer blends as well as electronic systems. Pedagogical examples are given to illustrate its applications to describing the physical properties of various inhomogeneous systems including surface tensions, x-ray scattering from microemulsions, and spinodal decomposition in polymer blends. By emphasizing similar ideas used in different subfields of statistical mechanics, the tutorial material may help better understand connections among similar theoretical methods established in different contexts.
Generation of Floxed Tissue Factor Mice.

Abstract Tissue factor (TF) is the primary cellular initiator of blood coagulation. Since TF Deficiency leads to embryonic lethality, we generated floxed TF mice to allow analysis of the effect of deleting the TF gene in different cell types. A targeting vector was constructed containing two loxP sites spanning the promoter and intron 1 together with a neomycin resistance gene (NEO) in intron 1 that is flanked by two frt sites. The floxed TF gene targeting plasmid was transfected into ES cells and clones were selected using G418 and gancyclovir. We screened 144 clones by Southern blotting and found six targeted clones. Three clones were injected into blastocysts to generate chimeric mice. Only one chimera demonstrated germline transmission when bred with C57BL/6 mice. TFflox/flox mice were generated at the expected frequency (15 out of 58; 25.8%) from TF+/flox intercrosses, indicating that the floxed TF allele is functional. To detemine if the DNA between the loxP site can be efficiently excised from the floxed TF allele to create an inactive gene, we crossed TFflox/flox mice with mice expressing the Cre transgene under the control of the adenovirus EIIa promoter. This transgene is expressed in one cell zygotes and results in deletion of DNA at the earliest stage of development. From this breeding, we generated TF+/flox− offspring and intercrossed them. To date, analysis of 14 mice at wean has not identified a TFflox−/flox− mouse, suggesting efficient inactivation of the TF gene. To remove the NEO cassette from intron 1 of the floxed TF allele, we crossed TFflox/flox with transgenic mice expressing flipase under the control of the human β-actin promoter (FLP). TF+/flox/FLP+ mice were intercrossed. To date, we have successfully generated 9 TFflox/flox/NEO− mice. These mice will be crossed with tissue-specific deleter strains to investigate the contribution of TF expression in various cell types to a variety of biological processes, including hemostasis, inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis and cell migration.
Factors affecting tacticity and aggregation of P3HT polymers in P3HT:PCBM blends

Optimising the performance of P3HT:PCBM (polymer–fullerene, P3HT – poly(3-hexylthiophene), PCBM – [6, 6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester) blends for solar cell applications is currently impede...
Increased frequency of argyrophilic grain disease in Alzheimer disease with 4R tau-specific immunohistochemistry.

Argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) is a medial temporal 4R tauopathy with filamentous inclusions in dendrospinal portions of neurons. AGD is often associated with mild Alzheimer-type pathology, but it is difficult to detect AGD in the setting of advanced Alzheimer disease (AD). The frequency of AGD in AD has been difficult to determine because of masking of grains by neurofibrillary lesions. To address this issue, medial temporal lobe sections from AD brains were immunostained with a 4R tau-specific antibody, ET3, which permitted detection of grains even in the setting of advanced neurofibrillary degeneration. AGD was found in 61 of 239 AD cases (26%). The frequency of AGD in AD in this study is higher than in previous studies that relied on less selective staining methods, such as the Gallyas silver stain or immunostaining with phospho-tau antibodies. The frequency of AGD in AD did not correlate with Braak stage or with the density of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques in the limbic lobe; however, AD cases with AGD were significantly older than cases without AGD. The MAPT H1 frequency tended to be higher in AD cases with AGD than in those without AGD, but there were no differences in APOE e4 carrier state. These findings suggest advanced age and possibly MAPT H1 are risk factors for AGD, even in the setting of concurrent AD, in which neurofibrillary degeneration is associated with accumulation of both 3R and 4R tau.
CD25 expression and outcomes in older patients with acute myelogenous leukemia treated with plerixafor and decitabine

We investigated CD25 expression in older (≥60 years) patients with new acute myelogenous leukemia treated with decitabine and plerixafor. Patients resistant to therapy or survival ≤1 year had signi...
Human Herpesvirus 8 Interferon Regulatory Factors 1 and 3 Mediate Replication and Latency Activities via Interactions with USP7 Deubiquitinase.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) encodes four viral interferon regulatory factors (vIRF-1 to -4) that likely function to suppress innate immune and cellular stress responses through inhibitory interactions with various cellular proteins involved in these activities. It is notable that vIRF-1 and -4 have been reported to interact with the deubiquitinase ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7), substrates of which include p53 and the p53-targeting and -destabilizing ubiquitin E3 ligase MDM2. Structural studies of vIRF-1 and vIRF-4 USP7 binding sequences in association with USP7 have been reported; both involve interactions with N-terminal-domain residues of USP7 via EGPS and ASTS motifs in vIRF-1 and vIRF-4, respectively, but vIRF-4 residues also contact the catalytic site. However, the biological activities of vIRF-1 and vIRF-4 via USP7 interactions are unknown. Here, we report that vIRF-3, which is latently, as well as lytically, expressed in HHV-8-infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells, also interacts with USP7—via duplicated EGPS motifs—and that this interaction is important for PEL cell growth and viability. The interaction also contributes to suppression of productive virus replication by vIRF-3, which we identify here. We further show that vIRF-1, which is expressed at low levels in PEL latency, promotes latent PEL cell viability and that this activity and vIRF-1-promoted productive replication (reported previously) involve EGPS motif-mediated USP7 targeting by vIRF-1. This study is the first to identify latent and lytic functions of vIRF-1 and vIRF-3, respectively, and to address the biological activities of these vIRFs through their interactions with USP7. IMPORTANCE HHV-8 is associated with Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and multicentric Castleman's disease; both latent and lytic viral functions are believed to contribute. Viral interferon regulatory factors specified by HHV-8 are thought to be critically important for successful productive replication through suppression of innate immune and stress responses triggered by the lytic cycle. Latently expressed vIRF-3 contributes significantly to PEL cell survival. Here, we identify ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) deubiquitinase targeting by vIRF-3 (in addition to previously reported USP7 binding by vIRF-1 and vIRF-4); the importance of vIRF-1 and vIRF-3 interactions with USP7 for latent PEL cell growth and viability; and the positive and negative contributions, respectively, of USP7 targeting by vIRF-1 and vIRF-3 to HHV-8 productive replication. This is the first report of the biological importance of vIRF-1 in PEL cell latency, the modulation of productive replication by vIRF-3, and the contributions of vIRF-USP7 interactions to HHV-8 biology.
Minimally Invasive Pediatric Cholecystectomy: A Comparison of Robotic and Laparoscopic Single and Multiport Techniques

Abstract Background: Pediatric laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the current standard of care for gallbladder pathology. Single-incision and multiport procedures, as well as robotic and minimally invasive platforms, have been described; however, there is no head-to-head assessment of these interventions in the existing literature. The purpose of our study was to directly compare the minimally invasive cholecystectomy techniques of laparoscopic multiport (LMP), laparoscopic single incision (LSI), robotic multiport (RMP), and robotic single incision (RSI). Materials and Methods: All cholecystectomies performed by a single surgeon at a tertiary-care center from 2010 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Seventy-one subjects were included as follows: 30 LMP, 20 LSI, 11 RMP, and 10 RSI. Data were collected on patient characteristics, operative technique, operative times, medications, and postoperative course and analyzed using a Kruskal-Wallis test with a significance of P < .05. Results: Operative times for LM...
Microbial Processes in the Sea: Diversity in Nature and Science

Marine microbial ecology is, as its name implies, an interdisciplinary pursuit which draws not from two but from several disciplines, creating a unique and diversified field for research. The results of this interaction of disciplines have had some impact on ecological theory. For example, recent advances in marine microbial ecology have made the trophic level concept almost meaningless, because microorganisms enter food webs at many trophic levels simultaneously. Also, studies of microorganisms have contributed to the demise of the belief in a standard “ecological efficiency” or 10 percent per trophic level, and they have done violence to the concept of a pyramid of numbers, or biomass, in natural communities. At the same time, recent developments in microbial ecology have been influenced by ecological concepts and methods, and many of the classical methods of microbiology have been replaced in marine studies by ones developed by ecologists. The recent results have brought the realization that microbial activities in the ocean biome are greater quantitatively and more varied than marine ecologists had realized.
Attraction of Mexican Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) to Grapefruit: Enhancement by Mechanical Wounding of and Experience with Grapefruit

Wild strain, mated, female Mexican fruit flies, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), with no prior experience with fruit (naive), were not attracted to grapefruit, a preferred cultivated host, in wind tunnel experiments. Naive, mated laboratory strain females were attracted. Prior experience with grapefruit increased attraction of both laboratory and wild strains. More females were attracted to fruit with peel damage than to undamaged fruit, indicating that fruit odor mediated attraction. More naive than experienced females attempted to oviposit on the sides of the wind tunnel. Experienced laboratory males, but not wild males or naive males, were attracted to grapefruit. Attraction and oviposition behavior of laboratory flies was greater than that of wild flies.
Delattre, Pierre (1903–1969)

Pierre Delattre (1903–1969) began his career in articulatory French phonetics with a strong commitment to developing practical applications for teaching French to American speakers. He later became part of the Cooper and Liberman research team. Together, they made the first major breakthroughs in acoustic phonetics, methodically discovering the principal perceptual cues for phonemes and developing a motor theory of speech perception.
Creep-Fatigue Damage in OFHC Coolant Tubes for Plasma Facing Components

Carbon-carbon s(C-C) tiles brazed to water cooled copper tubes provide a concept for heat removal in high flux regions of fusion devices such as ITER. A nearly flawless braze between the C-C and coolant tube can be achieved by the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process in which high pressure is applied to the surfaces of the components during brazing. The use of annealed oxygen free copper (OFHC) is often considered because its low yield strength not only allows the tube to conform to the C-C interfaces, but also minimizes residual stresses in the C-C that are developed during the brazing process. However, the low creep and fatigue strengths of OFHC cause concern regarding the survivability of the tube through the various operational loading cycles. An elastic-plastic-creep-fatigue analysis was performed for the macroblock design using a simplified axisymmetric structural model. The results show that the strain range induced by 350°C bake cycles exceeds the fatigue criteria after only 160 cycles. Although the creep stress level in the coolant tube is much lower than that for which data is available, use of extrapolated data estimates that high creep damage will occur. Recent high heat flux tests performed by JAERI on C-C saddleblock tile specimens resulted in a water leak due to thermal fatigue stress at the location predicted by the presented creep-fatigue analysis. It is concluded that relatively simple structural models can be used to predict failure in the coolant tubes for high heat flux components. In addition, these results indicate that a copper alloy with greater creep-fatigue properties than OFHC, but still acceptable for the HIP brazing process, is required for the monoblock and similar concepts.
Transparency, Interactivity, Diversity, and Information Provenance in Everyday Data Journalism

This article examines the features of day-to-day data journalism produced by The New York Times and The Washington Post in the first half of 2017. The content analysis evaluates story characteristi...
Toxicology in the Super-Resolution Era

Light microscopy has played a central role in science for the past couple of hundred years and will continue to do so. Multiple super-resolution microscopy techniques have been in the headlines for smashing what for more than 100+ years was believed to be the limits of optical microscopy. This resolution improvement enables the visualization of molecular structures and processes on the nano scale. While certain scientific questions in toxicology can benefit from modalities within the super-resolution suite, due diligence is required for efficiency and to achieve optimal results. For a given hypothesis being tested, there are biophysical issues that need to be considered before heading down the super-resolution road. All commercially available super-resolution modalities, along with cautions and tips, will be discussed. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Software-Based Phase Control, Video-Rate Imaging, and Real-Time Mosaicing With a Lissajous-Scanned Confocal Microscope

We present software-based methods for automatic phase control and for mosaicing high-speed, Lissajous-scanned images. To achieve imaging speeds fast enough for mosaicing, we first increase the image update rate tenfold from 3 to 30 Hz, then vertically interpolate each sparse image in real-time to eliminate fixed pattern noise. We validate our methods by imaging fluorescent beads and automatically maintaining phase control over the course of one hour. We then image fixed mouse brain tissues at varying update rates and compare the resulting mosaics. Using reconstructed image data as feedback for phase control eliminates the need for phase sensors and feedback controllers, enabling long-term imaging experiments without additional hardware. Mosaicing subsampled images results in video-rate imaging speeds, nearly fully recovered spatial resolution, and millimeter-scale fields of view.
Potassium Binders for Hyperkalemia in Chronic Kidney Disease—Diet, Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitor Therapy, and Hemodialysis

Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The management of CKD requires balancing the benefits of specific treatments, which may exacerbate the potential for hyperkalemia, with the risks of hyperkalemia itself. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors, which slow CKD progression and improve cardiovascular outcomes, are often discontinued if hyperkalemia develops. Patients with hyperkalemia are frequently advised to restrict dietary potassium (K+), depriving these patients of many heart-healthy foods. Patients receiving hemodialysis are particularly susceptible to hyperkalemia during long interdialytic intervals, and managing this risk without causing hypokalemia can be challenging. Recently, 2 K+-binding agents were approved for the treatment of hyperkalemia: sodium zirconium cyclosilicate and patiromer. These agents offer alternatives to sodium polystyrene sulfonate, which is associated with serious gastrointestinal adverse effects. For this review, PubMed was searched for English-language articles published in 2014-2018 using the terms patiromer, sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, hyperkalemia, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, diet, and dialysis. In randomized controlled studies of patients with hyperkalemia, sodium zirconium cyclosilicate and patiromer effectively reduced serum K+ and were generally well tolerated. Furthermore, patients in these studies could maintain RAAS inhibitor therapy and, in some studies, were not required to limit dietary K+. There may also be a role for these agents in preventing hyperkalemia in patients receiving hemodialysis. Thus, K+-binding agents may allow patients with CKD at risk for hyperkalemia to optimize RAAS inhibitor therapy, receive benefits of a K+-rich diet, and experience improved hemodialysis outcomes. Additional long-term studies are necessary to confirm these effects.