cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurocirculatory responses to intubation with either an endotracheal tube or a laryngeal mask airway in humans

Abstract Study Objective: To compare the sympathetic and hemodynamic responses to intubation with either an endotracheal tube (ETT) or laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Design: Prospective, randomized, single-blinded study. Setting: The in vivo study was carried out in an experimental laboratory. Patients: 16 healthy male consenting volunteers, ages 20 to 31 years, were studied. Interventions: After placement of a radial artery catheter, ECG electrodes, and a recording needle in the peroneal nerve, subjects were anesthetized with propofol 2.5 mg/kg, paralyzed with vecuronium 0.15 mg/kg, and ventilated via mask for 5 minutes with oxygen and 0.5 MAC desflurane or 0.5 MAC isoflurane. A LMA or ETT was inserted and neurocirculatory responses were continuously recorded. Measurements and Main Results: Measurements of heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) were made at preintubation baseline and at the peak response after airway manipulation. The time to recovery to 20% and 10% of baseline MAP and HR also was measured. Neurocirculatory variables did not differ in either the LMA (n = 7) or ETT (n = 9) groups immediately prior to intubation. The ETT group demonstrated a 27% HR increase and a 42% MAP increase compared with a 12% HR increase and a 23% MAP increase in the LMA group. Muscle SNA increased 600% in the ETT group versus 66% in the LMA group ( p p Conclusions: Because of the substantial reduction in the neurocirculatory responses to the LMA versus ETT, the LMA may prove advantageous in patients in whom HR and MAP increases may predispose to adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events.
Low-level fluoride toothpastes are not as effective at preventing caries as high-fluoride toothpastes

Abstract Original Article Ammari AB, Bloch-Zupan A, Ashley PF. Systematic review of studies comparing the anti-caries efficacy of children's toothpaste containing 600 ppm of fluoride or less with high fluoride toothpastes of 1,000 ppm or above. Caries Res 2003;37(2):85–92. Level of Evidence 1a Purpose To determine whether low-level fluoride-containing toothpastes (250–600 ppm) are as effective in caries prevention as high-level fluoride dentifrices(1000 ppm) Source of Funding Information not available Type of Study/Design Systematic review
Photoluminescence from wurtzite GaN under hydrostatic pressure

The photoluminescence spectrum of undoped epitaxial wurtzite GaN layers on sapphire was measured for applied hydrostatic pressures up to 73 kbar at 9 K and up to 62 kbar at 300 K. The pressure dependences of the I2 exciton recombination line and the ‘‘yellow’’ band (2.2 eV band at ambient pressure) were examined at 9 and 300 K, and the series of donor‐acceptor‐pair emission lines was analyzed at 9 K. From the I2 lines, it was found that the band gap increases with pressure by 4.4±0.1 meV/kbar at 9 K and 4.7±0.1 meV/kbar at 300 K.
PD-CATALYZED SYNTHESIS OF A TETHERED SOLUBLE POLYMERIC PHOSPHINE LIGAND

Abstract The use of a Pd-catalyzed phosphine-aryl iodide coupling chemistry to prepare soluble polymeric phosphine ligands is described. The lack of sensitivity of the catalyst to the presence of excess phosphine ligand and the fact that the soluble polymeric phosphine ligands are effective ligands for the active catalyst results in a self-replicating ligand synthesis. Ligand or ligand plus catalyst recovery is achieved by solvent precipitation of the polymeric product of this chemistry.
Pulsed microwave characterization of an SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor

This paper presents the first pulsed characterization of a silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). Comparison is made of the SiGe HBT's performance to that of a Si bipolar junction transistor fabricated using the same mask set. Measurements made over a 400-/spl mu/s pulse show how device self-heating dramatically affects the microwave-frequency response of the devices. Using pulse-profiled S-parameters to find the intrinsic base resistance r/sub /spl pi// and base-collector capacitance C/sub jc/, plots reveal how these two elements significantly vary over the length of the pulse. The results emphasize the need for accurate characterization of microwave Si-based devices in pulsed applications.
Matrix habitat and species richness in tropical forest remnants

The abilities of species to use the matrix of modified habitats surrounding forest fragments may aAect their vulnerability in fragmented landscapes. We used long-term (up to 19-year) studies of four animal groups in central Amazonia to test whether species’ abundances in the matrix were correlated with their relative extinction proneness in forest fragments. The four groups, birds, frogs, small mammals, and ants, had varying overall responses to fragmentation: species richness of small mammals and frogs increased after fragment isolation, whereas that of birds and ants decreased. For all four groups, a high proportion of nominally primary-forest species were detected in matrix habitats, with 8‐25% of species in each group found exclusively in the matrix. The three vertebrate groups (birds, small mammals, frogs) exhibited positive and significant correlations between matrix abundance and vulnerability to fragmentation, suggesting that species that avoid the matrix tend to decline or disappear in fragments, while those that tolerate or exploit the matrix often remain stable or increase. These results highlight the importance of the matrix in the dynamics and composition of vertebrate communities in tropical forest remnants, and have important implications for the management of fragmented landscapes. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Scene detection in Hollywood movies and TV shows

A scene can be defined as one of the subdivisions of a play in which the setting is fixed, or when it presents continuous action in one place. We propose a novel two-pass algorithm for scene boundary detection, which utilizes the motion content, shot length and color properties of shots as the features. In our approach, shots are first clustered by computing Backward Shot Coherence (BSC) - a shot color similarity measure that detects Potential Scene Boundaries (PSBs) in the videos. In the second pass we compute Scene Dynamics (SD), a function of shot length and the motion content in the potential scenes. In this pass, a scene merging criteria has been developed to remove weak PSBs in order to reduce over segmentation. We also propose a method to describe the content of each scene by selecting one representative image. The segmentation of video data into number of scenes facilitates an improved browsing of videos in electronic form, such as video on demand, digital libraries, Internet. The proposed algorithm has been tested on a variety of videos that include five Hollywood movies, one sitcom, and one interview program and promising results have been obtained.
A Robust Method to Determine the Coordinates of a Wave Source for 3-D Position Sensing

This work addresses a method for location of a wave source by observing the wave as it reaches various observation points (receivers), or conversely, this is also a method for location of a receiver at an observation point, by probing with waves generated at various sources. The terms observing and probing imply measurement of time-of-flight (TOF) between a source (transmitter) and a receiver. Practical implications of this work include development and improvement of systems that triangulate the position of a point of interest based on TOF measurements to observation points. Typical applications to benefit from this work include 3-D digitization devices based in ultrasonic, laser, or infrared wave energy
Rate corrected step track

"Step track", an open loop procedure for antenna tracking with application to ground terminals following low altitude satellites, is described where the signal source follows an estimated trajectory. This procedure consists of an initial acquisition and the means to follow and update the estimated trajectory.
SC2ATmd: A tool for integration of the figure of merit with cluster analysis for gene expression data.

Summary: Standard and Consensus Clustering Analysis Tool for Microarray Data (SC2ATmd) is a MATLAB-implemented application specifically designed for the exploration of microarray gene expression data via clustering. Implementation of two versions of the clustering validation method figure of merit allows for performance comparisons between different clustering algorithms, and tailors the cluster analysis process to the varying characteristics of each dataset. Along with standard clustering algorithms this application also offers a consensus clustering method that can generate reproducible clusters across replicate experiments or different clustering algorithms. This application was designed specifically for the analysis of gene expression data, but may be used with any numerical data as long as it is in the right format. Availability: SC2ATmd may be freely downloaded from http://www.compbiosci.wfu.edu/tools.htm. Contact: ude.ufw@laxelo Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Amplitude-dependent attenuation of compressive waves in curved granular crystals constrained by elastic guides

We study the wave propagation in a curved chain of spherical particles constrained by elastic guides under the axial impact of a falling mass. We characterize the force transmission properties of the chain by varying the striker’s mass and the chain’s curvature. Experimental tests demonstrate amplitude-dependent attenuation of compressive waves propagating through the curved chain. In particular, we observe that the curved systems present an improved transmission of small dynamic disturbances relative to that of strong excitations, resulting from the close interplay between the granular particles and the softer elastic medium. We also find that the transmission of the compressive waves through the chains is dependent on the initial curvature imposed to the system. Numerical simulations, based on an approach that combines discrete element and finite element methods, corroborate the experimental results. The findings suggest that hybrid structures composed of granular particles and linear elastic media can be employed as new passive acoustic filtering materials that selectively transmit or mitigate excitations in a desired range of pressure amplitudes.
Imaging with the fluorogenic dye Basic Fuchsin reveals subcellular patterning and ecotype variation of lignification in Brachypodium distachyon

Lignin is a complex polyphenolic heteropolymer that is abundant in the secondary cell walls of plants and functions in growth and defence. It is also a major barrier to the deconstruction of plant biomass for bioenergy production, but the spatiotemporal details of how lignin is deposited in actively lignifying tissues and the precise relationships between wall lignification in different cell types and developmental events, such as flowering, are incompletely understood. Here, the lignin-detecting fluorogenic dye, Basic Fuchsin, was adapted to enable comparative fluorescence-based imaging of lignin in the basal internodes of three Brachypodium distachyon ecotypes that display divergent flowering times. It was found that the extent and intensity of Basic Fuchsin fluorescence increase over time in the Bd21-3 ecotype, that Basic Fuchsin staining is more widespread and intense in 4-week-old Bd21-3 and Adi-10 basal internodes than in Bd1-1 internodes, and that Basic Fuchsin staining reveals subcellular patterns of lignin in vascular and interfascicular fibre cell walls. Basic Fuchsin fluorescence did not correlate with lignin quantification by acetyl bromide analysis, indicating that whole-plant and subcellular lignin analyses provide distinct information about the extent and patterns of lignification in B. distachyon. Finally, it was found that flowering time correlated with a transient increase in total lignin, but did not correlate strongly with the patterning of stem lignification, suggesting that additional developmental pathways might regulate secondary wall formation in grasses. This study provides a new comparative tool for imaging lignin in plants and helps inform our views of how lignification proceeds in grasses.
Water Security in a Changing World

This essay defines the concept of water security and explores the implications of the eternal pursuit of it. I will describe how water security is perceived by wealthy and by poorer nations, the tensions that arise from these differing views, and how these tensions are being resolved in a world in which the geography of economics and power is changing rapidly. I outline a few iconic cases of how societies have built institutions and infrastructure to deal with both floods and droughts. The essay assesses the effects of changes in climate and land use systems, and the differing reactions to the new perception of “nonstationarity”: the idea that these systems are less predictable than they have historically been. The essay concludes with some reflections on the challenges of educating young people seized with passion for the issues of their generation but who may have difficulty taking a long view of water security. Many have been taught about the environmental ravages wrought by water infrastructure, but f...
The Genome of Swinepox Virus

Swinepox virus (SWPV), the sole member of the Suipoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae, is the etiologic agent of a worldwide disease specific for swine. Here we report the genomic sequence of SWPV. The 146-kbp SWPV genome consists of a central coding region bounded by identical 3.7-kbp inverted terminal repeats and contains 150 putative genes. Comparison of SWPV with chordopoxviruses reveals 146 conserved genes encoding proteins involved in basic replicative functions, viral virulence, host range, and immune evasion. Notably, these include genes with similarity to genes for gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) receptor, IFN resistance protein, interleukin-18 binding protein, IFN-alpha/beta binding protein, extracellular enveloped virus host range protein, dUTPase, hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, serpin, herpesvirus major histocompatibility complex inhibitor, ectromelia virus macrophage host range protein, myxoma virus M011L, variola virus B22R, four ankyrin repeat proteins, three kelch-like proteins, five vaccinia virus (VV) A52R-like family proteins, and two G protein-coupled receptors. The most conserved genomic region is centrally located and corresponds to the VV region located between genes F9L and A38L. Within the terminal 13 kbp, colinearity is disrupted and multiple poxvirus gene homologues are absent or share a lower percentage of amino acid identity. Most of these differences involve genes and gene families with likely functions involving viral virulence and host range. Three open reading frames (SPV018, SPV019. and SPV020) are unique for SWPV. Phylogenetic analysis, genome organization, and amino acid identity indicate that SWPV is most closely related to the capripoxvirus lumpy skin disease virus, followed by the yatapoxvirus yaba-like disease virus and the leporipoxviruses. The gene complement of SWPV better defines Suipoxvirus within the Chordopoxvirinae subfamily and provides a basis for future genetic comparisons.
Program slicing in understanding of large programs

Program slicing transforms a large program into a smaller one that contains only statements relevant to the computation of a given function. It has been shown that program slicing can be useful in program understanding. Traditionally, program slices are represented in the textual form. Although slicing does narrow the size of the program, the textual representation of a slice does not provide much guidance in the understanding of large programs. In this paper we present program slicing concepts on the module level that allow for better understanding of program slices of large programs and their executions. These concepts have been developed for static and dynamic program slicing and are combined with different methods of visualization to guide programmers in the process of program understanding. The presented concepts have been implemented in the slicing tool that is used to investigate the usefulness of these concepts in the process of understanding of large programs.
A role for the prefrontal cortex in stress- and cocaine-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in rats

It is well established that stress induces reinstatement of drug seeking in an animal model of relapse. Here we studied the role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in foot-shock stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Groups of rats were trained to self-administer cocaine (0.5 mg/kg per infusion, i.v., 3 h/day for 9 days) and after ten drug-free days were exposed to extinction and reinstatement test sessions. Each 60 min of extinction was separated by a 30-min time-out period after which the lever and stimulus lights were reintroduced. Rats were given four 1-h extinction sessions on day 1 and then on subsequent days were given two to three 1-h extinction sessions that were followed by a 3-h test for reinstatement. Tests were run every 48 h. In one set of experiments, the effects of inactivation of the prelimbic (PL), infralimbic (IL) or OFC by tetrodotoxin (TTX, 5 ng/0.5 µl per side) on reinstatement induced by foot shock (5 min, intermittent, 1 mA) or priming injections of cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) were determined. In a second set, the effects of infusions of the D1-like and D2-like dopamine receptor antagonists (SCH 23390 and raclopride) were studied using the same methods. TTX infusions into the PL cortex blocked both foot shock and cocaine-induced reinstatement. TTX into OFC attenuated foot-shock-induced, but not cocaine-induced reinstatement. Infusions into IL were ineffective. Infusions of SCH 22390 (0.25 µg/0.5 µl per side) into either PL or OFC blocked foot-shock-induced reinstatement, but infusions into PL had no effect on cocaine-induced reinstatement. Raclopride (5 µg/0.5 µl per side) had no effect on foot-shock-induced reinstatement in either PL or OFC or on cocaine-induced reinstatement when infused into PL. Neither TTX nor SCH23390 infusions into PL or OFC had any effect on lever pressing for sucrose. These results suggest that the PL and OFC regions form part of the circuitry mediating the effects of foot shock stress on reinstatement of drug seeking and that the PL region may be a common pathway for cue, drug and foot-shock stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking.
Duct carcinoma in situ of the breast : an analysis of local control after conservation surgery and radiotherapy

Abstract Patients with duct carcinoma-in-situ are being treated with increasing frequency at our center. Between 1977 and 1988, 54 patients, including one with bilateral disease, opted for breast conserving surgery and radiation therapy. The median follow-up was 3 years (range 2–3 years). During this period, 10 patients (18%) had a recurrence in the breast; the local failure probability was 22% at 6 years (Kaplan-Meier). All patients had pre-biopsy mammograms, and in 67% this was the presenting abnormality. Thirty-three lesions (60%) required needle localization. Size, as determined by mammogram or pathology, was 2 cm or less in 60%, 2.1 to 4 cm. in 2%, and not measurable in the remainder. Close or involved margins were noted in 30% of patients who locally recurred, despite the fact that 50% had had a re-excision after their initial biopsy. Breasts which maintained local control had only 4% involved margins and re-excision was performed in only 20%. Radiation doses ranged from 4600 to 5200 cGy to the entire breast with tangential fields, followed by a boost dose in 73% of patients. No patient in the study has developed distant metastasis or died of breast carcinoma, but the local failure rate is of concern and has alerted our group to reexamine its treatment policy in patients with evidence of margin involvement. We continue to consider residual microcalcifications after surgery to be a contraindication to breast conservation.
Localization of Cathepsin K and Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase in Synovium and Cranial Cruciate Ligament in Dogs with Cruciate Disease

Objective— To localize cathepsin K and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in synovium and cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) of dogs with cruciate disease. Animals— Dogs (n=15) with cruciate disease and ruptured CCL, and 12 dogs with intact CCL. Methods— Synovium and CCL were examined histologically and cells containing cathepsin K or TRAP were identified immunohistochemically and histochemically, respectively. Results— Increased cellular localization of cathepsin K and TRAP was detected in synovium and ruptured CCL in dogs with cruciate disease, when compared with tissues from dogs with intact CCL. Inflammation of synovium with TRAP+ macrophage-like cells was seen in 73% of dogs with CCL disease, but was not seen in dogs with intact CCL. The presence of cathepsin K and TRAP protein in synovium and CCL tissues was significantly correlated in dogs with CCL rupture. Conclusion— Inflammation of the epiligament of ruptured CCL with cathepsin K+ and TRAP+ macrophage-like cells forms part of a similar, more generalized chronic inflammatory change within the periarticular tissues of the stifle of a large proportion of dogs with CCL rupture. Clinical Relevance— Production of matrix-degrading enzymes by the synovium may induce progressive pathologic rupture of the CCL. Therefore, these collagenolytic pathways may offer a novel target for medical therapy of joint inflammation in canine patients with cruciate disease.
Low-Temperature Kinetic Behavior of the Bimolecular Reaction OH + HBr (76-242 K)

The temperature dependence of the rate coefficient for the atmospherically important radical−molecule reaction OH + HBr has been investigated between 76 and 242 K using a pulsed uniform supersonic flow reactor. The current work indicates that the rate coefficient shows significant inverse temperature dependence only below 150 K. These results verify that within the terrestrial atmosphere, the OH + HBr reaction manifests a temperature-independent bimolecular rate coefficient k = (1.2 ± 0.2) × 10-11 cm3 s-1.
First-principles study of constitutional point defects in B2 NiAl using special quasirandom structures

We developed special quasirandom structures (SQSs) for substitutionally random pseudobinary A1 � xBxC B2 alloys at compositions x = 0.25 and 0.5. The structures mimic the local pair and multisite correlation functions of the corresponding random simplecubic alloy. Our SQSs were applied to study non-stoichiometric B2 NiAl alloys containing high concentrations of constitutional point defects. Direct first-principles calculations on the SQSs provide formation enthalpies, equilibrium lattice parameters and elastic constants of non-stoichiometric B2 NiAl alloys in satisfactory agreement with existing experimental data in the literature. Our calculations unambiguously show that Ni vacancies and Ni antisites are the stable constitutional point defects in Al-rich and Ni-rich B2 NiAl, respectively, up to large deviations from stoichiometry. Our SQS calculations also confirmed the experimentally observed structural instability of B2 NiAl at high Ni concentrations. Finally, we demonstrated that our SQSs can even give formation enthalpies of isolated defects in good agreement with 54-atom supercell calculations. � 2005 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Niche Expansion and Contraction in a Variable Environment

When food is abundant, sparrows are found in great variety of habitats and appear to specialize on particularly profitable types of seeds. However, during periods of food scarcity, each sparrow species occupies a very narrow range of habitats but consumes a great variety of seeds within each occupied habitat. As a result, average dietary overlap may underestimate the potential for competition for food within habitats during periods of food shortage whereas average habitat overlap overestimates the potential for competition since each species occupies a different habitat during periods of food shortage.
Detection of orthopaedic implants in vivo by enhanced-sensitivity, walk-through metal detectors.

Background: Since the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center terrorist attack, airports worldwide have heightened their security standards in efforts to discourage terrorist attacks. Patients have become increasingly concerned about whether their metallic implants will set off airport metal detectors. The purpose of this study was to assess rates of detection of various orthopaedic implants by airport detectors with the new security sensitivities. Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine volunteers with a total of 149 implants were asked to walk through an M-Scope three-zone metal detector at two sensitivity settings. Low sensitivity was equivalent to the United States Transportation Security Administration setting for regular security, and high sensitivity was equivalent to its standard for high security. Results: Of the 149 implants in 129 patients who were screened, eighty-four (56%) were trauma hardware, including intramedullary nails, plates, screws, and Kirschner wires, and sixty-five (44%) were arthroplasty implants. Seventy-seven (52%) of the 149 implants were detected by the metal detector at one or both settings. Multivariate analysis revealed that the type (p < 0.001), material (p < 0.001), and location (p < 0.001) of the implant were independent predictors of detection. The overall rate of detection was 88% for prosthetic replacements compared with 32% for plates, with the likelihood of detection being fifteen times greater (odds ratio = 15.0, 95% confidence interval = 5.9 to 39.1) for the prosthetic replacements. All total hip replacements and 90% of the total knee replacements were detected at the low-sensitivity setting. Intramedullary nails and Kirschner wires were not detected. The overall detection rate was 67% for implants in the lower extremity, 17% for those in the upper extremity, and 14% for those in the spine. The detection rate for implants in the lower extremity was ten times higher than that for implants in the upper extremity and eleven times higher than that for implants in the spine. Conclusions: More than half of all orthopaedic implants may be detected by metal detectors used at commercial airports. Total joint prostheses will routinely set off the detector, whereas nails, plates, screws, and wires are rarely detected. Cobalt-chromium and titanium implants are more likely to be detected than stainless-steel implants.
Clinical Presentation of Hypoparathyroidism

Hypoparathyroidism is a rare disorder that most commonly presents early after thyroid, parathyroid, or laryngeal surgery. The disorder can also present months and even years after the causative surgical procedure. Therefore, the astute clinician must be aware of the past surgical history in any patient who presents with reduced serum calcium levels and inappropriately normal or frankly low PTH levels with or without clinical manifestations of hypocalcemia. Variations in the severity of the abnormal mineral balance account, at least in part, for the nature and extent of the clinical presentation. Mildly low serum calcium may go undetected for years and produce little to no clinical complaints. Severely low and rapid falls in serum calcium tend to present with neuromuscular, sensory, and central nervous system complaints and need to be diagnosed and treated rapidly. The clinician should look for any of the many signs and symptoms of nonsurgical forms of hypoparathyroidism when the biochemical diagnosis is clear, but there is no history of prior procedure. To make the correct diagnosis, careful family history and possibly family screening are needed, as well as a thorough physical examination and assessment. In many cases, genetic testing will be needed to come to a definitive diagnosis.
Outcomes of unselected patients with metastatic clear‐cell renal cell carcinoma treated with first‐line pazopanib therapy followed by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors or mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors: a single institution experience

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of pazopanib in a ‘real-world’ setting in unselected patients, as data regarding unselected patients with metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) treated with first-line pazopanib are limited. Patients and Methods We reviewed records of patients with metastatic ccRCC treated with first-line pazopanib from 1 November 2009 through to 1 November 2012. Cox models were fitted to evaluate the association of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with patient co-variables. Results In all, 88 patients were identified; 74 were evaluable for response: two (3%) had a complete response, 27 (36%) a partial response, 36 (49%) had stable disease and nine (12%) had progressive disease. The median PFS was 13.7 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.7–18.3]. PFS was correlated with a Karnofsky Performance Status score of 1.5 × upper limit of normal (HR 3.25, P = 0.014). The median OS was 29.1 months (95% CI 20.2–not reached). The OS was correlated with brain metastasis (HR 2.55, P = 0.009), neutrophilia (HR 1.179, P = 0.018), and anaemia (HR 3.51, P < 0.001). There were no treatment-related deaths. In all, 53 patients received second-line therapy [vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKI) in 22 patients, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi) in 22 patients, and other therapy in nine patients]; the median PFS was 8.6 months (95% CI 3.3–25.7) with VEGFR-TKI and 5 months (95% CI 3.5–15.2) with mTORi (P = 0.41); the median OS was 19.9 months (95% CI 12.9–not reached) and 14.2 months (95% CI 8.1–not reached), from initiation of second-line VEGFR-TKI or mTORi, respectively (P = 0.37). Conclusions In this retrospective study, first-line pazopanib confirmed its efficacy in metastatic ccRCC. Trends for longer PFS and OS were seen with VEGFR-TKI compared with mTORi after first-line pazopanib.
War Powers Irresolution: The Obama Administration and the Libyan Intervention

The US military intervention in Libya, now in its third month, has brought two fundamental and recurrent constitutional questions to the fore. The first is whether the President can initiate a war, admittedly not in national self-defense or for the protection of US persons or property abroad, with prior approval from Congress. The second is whether the provisions of the War Powers Resolution that require disengagement if the President has not obtained congressional sanction within two months of beginning such a war are constitutional.
Preparation of Thermoelements and Construction of Cooling Units

The performance of a cooling unit is usually calculated on the basis of the assumption that all the positive or negative thermoelements have the same dimensions and thermoelectric properties. In practice, of course, it is impossible to manufacture a batch of thermoelements with identical properties, and this must usually lead to some deterioration in performance. Thus, if the nominal electrical conductivity has the optimum value, any other value for the electrical conductivity must reduce the figure of merit. Moreover, a departure of the thermoelectric properties or of the dimensions from their nominal values implies that the optimum current for a thermoelement with the nominal design parameters will no longer lead to the best performance. Before discussing the preparation of thermoelements, some consideration will therefore be given to the tolerances that can be allowed in their manufacture. Ioffe(41) has calculated some of the effects of departure from the optimum conditions; we shall make use of his calculations and extend them to the situation where the parameters show a Gaussian distribution about some nominal value.
Radium-223 therapy for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer

2701 Objectives Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in men today. Once this cancer reaches the castration-resistant state, most cases include bone metastases and the prognosis is poor. In the past the only radionuclide treatments for osteoblastic metastases included strontium-89 and samarium-153, which are only palliative solutions for the pain produced by the metastases. In May 2013, after a number of phase 3 clinical trials, the FDA approved a new radiopharmaceutical agent that has shown to improve survival in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer with symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease. Methods This agent is radium-223 dichloride, also known as Xofigo®. A full treatment of Xofigo® includes six intravenous injections (dose based on patient weight) given at four week intervals. Results Radium, an alkali earth metal, behaves like calcium and seeks areas of new bone formation. Radium-223 is an alpha particle-emitting therapeutic radioisotope. After an intravenous injection of Xofigo®, the radium-223 deposits in the bony metastatic sites. Unlike the beta-emitting palliative treatment isotopes, radium-223 decays by the emission of high energy alpha particles. This causes less damage to the surrounding tissues and bone marrow since heavy alpha particles do not travel as far. Having a half life of 11.4 days, radium-223 is very suitable for cancer treatment. Conclusions Radium-223 is a very promising therapy for patients with prostate cancer as it can delay complications and prolong survival. Radium-223 is also currently being researched in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer.
Review of Literature Concerning the Impact of UV-B Radiation Upon Marine Organisms

UV-B radiation (e.g. 310 nm) penetrates approximately the upper 10% of the coastal marine euphotic zone before it is reduced to 1% of its surface irradiance (Jerlov, 1976). There is good evidence that current levels of solar UV radiation depress near-surface primary production in marine waters (e.g., Steemann Nielsen, 1964; Jitts et al., 1976). Marine animals may tolerate current levels of solar UV-B radiation by means of protective screens, avoidance behavior, and repair processes which reverse much of the potential damage inflicted by the radiation. However, as early as 1925, scientific investigators have documented the damage inflicted on marine animals by exposure to sunlight, especially the UV component of the sunlight (Huntsman, 1925; Klugh, 1929, 1930; Harvey, 1930). Utilizing currently available laboratory and field data the present contribution will review the literature relating to the impact of UV-B radiation upon marine organisms.
Treatment outcome and survival for patients (pts) with sarcomatoid-variant metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC): Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) experience

e16017 Background: Sarcomatoid-variant represents a spindle cell phenotype of RCC that can be present in any subtype, usually showing aggressive biological behavior. MSKCC experience was studied to...
Laboratory Contributions to Channel Stabilization

Hydraulic model studies for investigation of channel stabilization problems on the Mississippi, Ohio, Middle Rio Grande, and Arkansas Rivers are summarized. Most of the studies were conducted with models of the movable-bed type for the purpose of predicting changes in channel regime, for determining causes of failure of channel stabilization works, and for the design of systems of channel stabilization works. There has been a steady trend toward the use of models of larger scale and with smaller distortion, and movable-bed model techniques have been improved and refined. During the past 35 yr, models have made significant contributions to the understanding of alluvial river phenomena and to the development of the design of bank stabilization works.
Ki67 score as a potential predictor in the selection of liver-directed therapies for metastatic neuroendocrine tumors: a single institutional experience

Background Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) metastatic to the liver are treated with transarterial radioembolization (TARE) using yttrium-90 (Y-90) microspheres or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). However the criteria for patient selection are not well defined. We sought to determine if Ki67 score could help select patients for one therapy over the other in the management of hepatic neuroendocrine metastases.
Effects of fluoride on developing bones in tissue culture.

SummaryIn embryonic bones growing in tissue culture the process of calcification of cartilage can be inhibited by NaF without influencing growth. To achieve this effect the concentration of fluoride had to be 20 times greater than that which will produce inhibition of calcification in test-tube experiments. The inhibition in the present experiments is probably due to at least two things: lst, interference with the Production of Phospho-Pyruvate as a substrate for bone phosphatase; 2and, some degree of binding of calcium by fluoride.
Construction of E.coli Outer Protein OmpA Expression Vector and Optimization of Inducing Conditions

Objective:To construct prokaryotic expression vector for E.coli outer protein OmpA,and optimize the condition for expression of OmpA.Method:The OmpA expression strain was obtained by molecular clone,and the optimal inducing and culture condition was gained by the method of orthogonal experiment.Result:OmpA recombinant vector had been sequenced and restriction digestion identification to confirm the correct construction.Western Blot results showed that the antibody could bind to OmpA protein.The optimal inducing expressing condition of OmpA protein:IPTG concentration,strain OD600 value,inducing time and temperature,which was 0.1mmol/L,0.8,8h and 28℃,respectively; the optimal culture condition:glucose concentration,rotation rate and medium volume,which were 1%,230r/min and 50mL,respectively.Conclusion:Succession of cloning of E.coli OmpA gene,the inducing and culture conditions of recombinant OmpA was preliminarily optimized.
Allergic Fungal Rhinosinusitis

This article reviews the history of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis and the clinical, pathologic, and radiographic criteria necessary to establish its diagnosis and differentiate this disease from other types of chronic rhinosinusitis. Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis is a noninvasive fungal form of sinus inflammation characterized by an often times unilateral, expansile process in which the typical allergic "peanut-butter-like" mucin contributes to the formation of nasal polyps, hyposmia/anosmia, and structural changes of the face. IgE sensitization to fungi is a necessary, but not sufficient, pathophysiologic component of the disease process that is also defined by microscopic visualization of mucin-containing fungus and characteristic radiological imaging. This article expounds on these details and others including the key clinical and scientific distinctions of this diagnosis, the pathophysiologic mechanisms beyond IgE-mediated hypersensitivity that must be at play, and areas of current and future research.
Digitizing Strength of Weak Ties: Understanding Social Network Relationships through Online Discourse Analysis

Strength of weak ties theory (SoWT) explains the social influences of weak ties as they facilitate access across social networks. An underlying assumption is that SoWT involves face-to-face interaction. Today, social media allow tie formation without necessarily being linked to time or place. We assert that building networks through online, text-based communication adds layers of complexity that are not fully part of the classic SoWT theory and application. We suggest discourse analysis constructs to extend SoWT to relationships formed and maintained with social media. We formulate propositions to extend SoWT to understand the consequences and opportunities afforded by online-only connections.
Structural Transition in an Ionic Liquid Controls CO2 Electrochemical Reduction

Broad-band multiplex vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) was used to study CO2 reduction on a polycrystalline Ag electrode with a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolyte, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIM-BF4), with 0.3 mol % water. The Ag/RTIL/H2O system has been shown to reduce CO2 with low overpotential and, depending on water concentration, with Faradaic efficiency of nearly 100% (Rosen, B. A.; Salehi-Khojin, A.; Thorson, M. R.; Zhu, W.; Whipple, D. T.; Kenis, P. J. A.; Masel, R. I. Science 2011, 334, 643–644). The adsorbed CO created by CO2 reduction was probed with infrared (IR) pulses tuned to the CO stretch. Nonresonant (NR) SFG was used to probe the double layer. SFG showed that CO binds weakly to Ag at the CO2 reduction threshold of −1.33 V (vs Ag/AgCl), so CO does not poison the surface. At potentials equal to or more negative than the threshold, the curvature of the parabolic potential-dependent NR intensity significantly increased, and the Stark ...
Pathogen Survival in Precooked Beef Products and Determination of Critical Control Points in Processing.

Surfaces of precooked, roast beef slices were inoculated with Clostridium perfringens , Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Salmonella typhimurium , or Listeria monocytogenes , vacuum packaged and then stored at 3°C for 70 d to determine survival of pathogens under extended refrigerated storage in the presence of a natural competing microflora. S. typhimurium and L. monocytogenes remained present on the slices for the duration of the experiment. Numbers of S. aureus did not decrease significantly (P>0.05), and counts of C. perfringens decreased steadily over the 70-d storage period. Numbers of E. coli also declined, but more rapidly than the other pathogens during initial storage of the product. Total bacterial numbers for both uninoculated (control) and inoculated slices were similar. Samples obtained at selected locations in the processing sequence of a commercial restructured beef product contained L. monocytogenes at most sampling locations prior to heat processing, but not after heating. Salmonella was occasionally isolated from the product prior to heating. Total bacterial numbers decreased as processing day progressed, as did counts for S. aureus , E. coli , and coliforms. Counts of S. aureus and total bacterial numbers increased after the cooked product was removed from the package and coated with a seasoning mix. Data collected in this study support the designation of the following locations as critical control points: initial bacterial levels on raw products, cooking temperature and time, proper cooling after cooking, sanitation after opening the package (rubbing with seasonings and rebagging), and temperature control of the final product.
New Developments in Astronomy Relevant to Astrobiology

This paper outlines the principal relationships between conventional Astronomy and Astrobiology. In particular, it addresses the issues of the origin of the elements that make life possible, and the origin of the planets which are also an essential requirement for the development of living systems. The paper presents the newest developments in Astronomy that confirm the general ideas on these matters developed over the last 50 years, and points out detailed features that disagree with the existing paradigms.
Reducing infection and secondary inoculum of Phytophthora ramorum on Viburnum tinus roots grown in potting medium amended with Trichoderma asperellum isolate 04-22

Abstract Phytophthora ramorum is a concern of the ornamental nursery business because it is implicated in the movement on ornamental plants such as rhododendron and viburnum. Since there is a soil phase that infects the roots, above-ground symptoms are not often manifested and easily detected. Government agencies require that a P. ramorum-positive nursery be placed under some type of quarantine until it can demonstrate that it has mitigated P. ramorum. Typical methods of mitigation are often expensive, harmful to the environment, and impractical. Biological control using Trichoderma asperellum isolate 04-22 (Ta 04-22) has been demonstrated to reduce P. ramorum soil populations to below detectable limits when incorporated into soil or potting mix. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Ta 04-22 would reduce Viburnum tinus root infection and reduce secondary sporulation from infected roots. When rooted V. tinus cuttings were planted into potting mix amended with three different final concentrations (1 × 105, 1 × 106, and 1 × 107 CFU/cm3 potting mix) of Ta 04-22 and drenched with either a P. ramorum sporangia or chlamydospore suspension, plants with any infected roots declined as the Ta 04-22 concentration increased. This was significant (P = 0.039) when P. ramorum chlamydospores were used as the inoculum propagule but not (P = 0.143) when sporangia were used. A second application of Ta 04-22 as a top-dressing after 4 weeks did not result in a decrease in plants with infected roots. When P. ramorum-infected V. tinus roots were treated with Ta 04-22 grown on wheat bran, Ta 04-22 formulated as a wettable powder, or RootShield® Plus WP, flow-through of P. ramorum secondary inoculum was significantly reduced compared to non-treated controls (P
Unexpectedly stalled: Two-photon microscopy reveals white blood cell adhesion in capillaries causes reduced brain blood flow in Alzheimer's disease

About 2% of brain capillaries were occluded by leukocytes adhered to the vessel wall in mouse models of Alzheimer's. When this adhesion was blocked, brain blood flow immediately increased by ∼30% and spatial memory performance improved.
A microspine tool: Grabbing and anchoring to boulders on the Asteroid Redirect Mission

NASA's proposed Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) plans to change an asteroid's orbit, showing the ability to, in the future, deflect an object headed for a collision with the Earth. The mission plans to extract a boulder from the asteroid's surface and use the combined mass of the spacecraft and boulder to slowly change the parent asteroid's orbit using a gravity tractor technique. ARM would then return this boulder to the Earth-Moon system for future human exploration. ARM would also mature several critical technologies needed for human missions to Mars including high power solar electric propulsion, dexterous robotics and autonomy, and support technologies for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. ARM has baselined two Microspine Tools for grasping, anchoring to, and helping extract the boulder from the asteroid. These tools must operate in the microgravity environment of the asteroid with the ability to grip and drill in microgravity. Another challenging constraint is the large uncertainty in the physical properties of the boulder. This paper describes the Microspine Tool's architecture, detailed design, and the fabrication and testing of a development unit. Three subsystems comprise the Microspine Tool: microspine gripper, anchoring drill, and the drivetrain, each of which expands the state of the art in space mechanisms.
Computing Measured Spectra from Hypersonic Pitot Probes with Flow-Parallel Freestream Disturbances

The relationship between freestream disturbances and measured pitot pressure spectra, defined as the transfer function, is investigated. Pitot probes used to characterize hypersonic facilities are ...