cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A superconvergent local discontinuous Galerkin method for the second-order wave equation on Cartesian grids

Abstract In this paper, we propose and analyze a new superconvergent local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) method equipped with an element residual error estimator for the spatial discretization of the second-order wave equation on Cartesian grids. We prove the L 2 stability, the energy conserving property, and optimal L 2 error estimates for the semi-discrete formulation. In particular, we identify special numerical fluxes for which the L 2 -norm of the solution and its gradient are of order p + 1 , when tensor product polynomials of degree at most p are used. We further perform a local error analysis and show that the leading term of the LDG error is spanned by two ( p + 1 ) -degree right Radau polynomials in the x and y directions. Thus, the LDG solution is O ( h p + 2 ) superconvergent at Radau points obtained as a tensor product of the roots of ( p + 1 ) -degree right Radau polynomial. Furthermore, numerical computations show that the first component of the solution’s gradient is O ( h p + 2 ) superconvergent at tensor product of the roots of left Radau polynomial in x and right Radau polynomial in y while the second component is O ( h p + 2 ) superconvergent at the tensor product of the roots of the right Radau polynomial in x and left Radau polynomial in y . Computational results indicate that global superconvergence holds for LDG solutions. We use the superconvergence results to construct a posteriori LDG error estimates. These error estimates are computationally simple and are obtained by solving local steady problems with no boundary condition on each element. Finally, we present several numerical examples to validate the superconvergence results and the asymptotic exactness of our a posteriori error estimates under mesh refinement.
The Influence of Shyness on Loneliness in a New Situation

Subjects completed a trait-measure of shyness and a state-measure of loneliness at the start of a new semester (Time 1), and repeated the loneliness measure at the end of the semester (Time 2). Shy students had significantly higher loneliness scores than unshy students at Time 1. Both groups showed a decline in loneliness over the length of the semester, presumably due to habituation, but the shy students were still significantly lonelier than the unshy students at the end of the semester. These findings indicate that both social situations (such as the novel circumstances of a new semester) and personality dispositions (such as shyness) contribute to the amount of loneliness that an individual may experience.
Solution to the long-standing puzzle of Huygens’ “anomalous suspension”

In 1662 Christiaan Huygens carried out the famous Torricelli experiment to test the existence of atmospheric pressure by inserting the apparatus in the glass receiver of a vacuum pump, and evacuating the air inside it. He reported that when the air was exhausted, a column of water remained suspended in a 4-foot tube. This unexpected result was in stark contrast with earlier experiments of Boyle and Hooke that apparently had confirmed Torricelli’s explanation that such a water column was supported by outside air pressure, and would fall when the air was removed. Huygen’s “anomalous suspension” led to the continuation of controversies in the seventeenth century about the nature of the vacuum that these experiments were expected to resolve. Surprisingly, the origin of Huygens’ unexpected result has remained a puzzle up to the present time. In this paper, I discuss the dynamics of such a column of water under the experimental conditions reported by Boyle and by Huygens, that turned out to be different, and present the results of a replication of their experiments with a modern vacuum pump. Contrary to the conventional explanations of these experiments, I demonstrate that in the Boyle–Hooke version of this experiment, the water column descends initially because it is forced down by the gas pressure due to air dissolved in the water which is released inside the Torricelli tube after the external pressure is sufficiently decreased. Huygens, however, first removed this trapped air before he carried out his experiment. In the absence of this internal gas pressure, the early rudimentary vacuum pumps were inadequate to decrease the air pressure sufficiently inside the receiver to demonstrate the descent of a Torricelli column of airless water 4-foot in height or less.
The LISS project

Abstract A storage ring with internal targets offers a novel, cost-effective and very well-suited environment for pursuing experiments with multi-GeV polarized light-ion beams. The Indiana University Cyclotron Facility is in the late stages of preparing a funding proposal for such a synchrotron/storage ring, called LISS. I review the status, the extensive technical advantages, and the projected physics program of LISS.
A theorem on accepted elasticity in certain local arithmetical congruence monoids

We give necessary and sufficient conditions for a certain class of local arithmetical congruence monoids (or ACMs) to have accepted elasticity.
The communal construction of the “outsider” in a Quaker community in Costa Rica

This paper attempts to capture the process of exclusion in a Quaker, rural farming community in the rain forest mountains of Costa Rica. The “outsider” is defined as a member of a close community, whose voice is not part of the communal dialogue. The “silenced” voice is investigated through the lives of four members — an authoritarian founding father in a community of the fraternal, an entrepreneur and his wife among the uncommercial, and an inarticulate man among the persuasive.
Atmospheric Mercury Concentrations Associated with Geologically and Anthropogenically Enriched Sites in Central Western Nevada

This paper documents the atmospheric mercury concentrations above anthropogenically contaminated and naturally enriched sites in central western Nevada. Atmospheric mercury concentrations were measured at five representative regional sites (1.2−7.5 ng/m3) and two anthropogenically contaminated areas (13−866 ng/m3) in the Carson River Superfund Site. The highest regional concentrations were measured at the Steamboat Geothermal area, where mercury mineralization occurs naturally. Concurrent with atmospheric sampling, environmental conditions were monitored to assess their covariance with mercury concentrations. Atmospheric mercury concentrations were influenced by multiple factors with dominance exerted by substrate mercury concentration, site surface characteristics, and local and synoptic scale air masses. A mercury flux of 5−125 (±50%) μg of mercury m-2 h-1 was estimated via modified K-theory for a contaminated location. This flux was scaled up to estimate the contribution of atmospheric mercury from min...
Characterization of electronically excited states in anionic acetonitrile clusters.

We have identified and examined the excited state of the cluster-solvated, valence-bound acetonitrile anion dimer, consistent with recent experimental findings, determining that the cluster excited state is of predominantly single-excitation character. Potential energy surface scans in coordinates specific to a “dissociative” normal mode common between the excited and ground states of the valence anion as well as the ground-state neutral dimer species shed light on the proposed vibrational autodetachment mechanism, with calculated excited-state lifetime consistent with experiment.
The Impact of a State Systemic Initiative on U.S. Science Teachers and Students

This study investigated the extent to which a State Systemic Initiative (SSI), a National Science Foundation program designed to improve science education across an entire state, implemented in the United States, could reform science education. Impacts that were measured included teachers' instructional practices, professional community, influence of the SSI on school policy, external influences on science instruction, and family involvement. In addition, students' views of instructional practice, school community and family involvement were measured. A retrospective comparative design was used to collect survey data from 46 middle schools; 23 that had significant amounts of contact with the SSI and 23 matched schools that had little to no contact with the SSI. The results suggested there were important differences favoring schools whose science teachers had participated in the SSI. Included were differences in the use of standards-based instruction, and external influences on science instruction teachers' influence on policy. No differences between the two groups were found for professional community or family involvement. For students, significant differences were only found for access to standards-based instruction. Results imply that SSIs can help change specific aspects of the system, but broader impacts are more difficult to achieve.
17β-Estradiol inhibits HIV-1 by inducing a complex formation between β-catenin and estrogen receptor α on the HIV promoter to suppress HIV transcription.

Human Immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) disproportionately affects women, accounting for >50% of new HIV infections in adults worldwide. While multiple mechanisms may contribute to a greater degree of HIV infection in women than men, we evaluated the direct effect of 17β-estradiol, the most bioactive form of estrogen in women, on HIV replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We demonstrate that 17β-estradiol, in an ERα dependent manner, inhibits HIV replication by activating β-catenin signaling. Specifically, we show for the first time that 17β-estradiol induces a complex formation between ERα and β-catenin which tether on the HIV LTR at −143 nt site from +1 start site of HIV transcription to repress HIV promoter activity. These studies define a role of 17β-estradiol in inhibiting HIV replication which may impact HIV pathogenesis in women and add to a growing list of viruses that are inhibited by 17β-estradiol through ERα engagment.
Role of pharmacist in multidisciplinary pediatric intensive care rounds: a retrospective descriptive study

Multidisciplinary rounding practices in the ICU have now become the standard of care in most institutions. Few objective data are available, however, on the value each individual member of the team brings to the patient care. In our institution, pediatric pharmacists have been an integral part of the PICU rounds since 2002, although their role has evolved over the course of years. This study was undertaken with the primary aim of identifying the impact of pharmacist involvement in PICU rounds, with respect to changes in therapy.
Conformational flexibility of inositol phosphates: Influence of structural characteristics

Dynamic NMR and molecular modeling techniques were employed to investigate the influence of structural characteristics on the ring inversion processes of inositol phosphates. The results indicate that inositol phosphates that contain the syn-1,3,5-triaxial trisphosphate arrangement show great proclivity to adopt the sterically hindered conformation. These results suggest that the ability to form chelation cages with counter-ions is a major factor in the ring inversion processes of inositol phosphates.
Tax and non-tax distortions

Abstract Measurements of the distortionary cost of labor income taxation generally assume that there are no other distortions. Browning (1994) identifies many pre-existing distortions, argues that such distortions reduce wages below the social value of labor's marginal product, and concludes that the marginal welfare cost of labor income taxation is substantially higher than suggested by previous estimates. The primary type of distortion Browning analyzes, however, has no direct effect on the marginal distortionary cost of labor income taxation.
Effect of surface chemistry on the quality factors of micromechanical resonators

Single monolayers of molecules were found to strongly affect the quality factors of MHz-range torsional silicon resonators. By changing a single monolayer of molecules on the surface of a 5-μm-wide, 250-nm-thick silicon resonator - less than 0.07% of the total mass - the quality factor of the resonator was increased by 70%. In contrast, the standard commercial coating, a thin layer of silicon oxide, dissipates at least 75% of the mechanical energy in similarly sized resonators. Since the relative importance of these surface chemical losses scales with the resonator's surface-to-volume ratio, the development of low-loss, stable surface chemistries will be important for the production of high-performance micro- and nano-mechanical devices.
Mechanistic perspectives on sulfonamide-induced cutaneous drug reactions.

Purpose of reviewIdiosyncratic drug reactions continue to limit the therapeutic utility of sulfonamide drugs because of their associated morbidity and mortality. Cutaneous reactions are the predominant reasons for withdrawal of such drugs from use in patients. As a consequence of the recognized meta
Proliferative characteristics of atypical cells in native oysters (Ostrea lurida) from Yaquina Bay, Oregon.

Abnormal, large, possibly neoplastic cells from two Ostrea lurida have been successfully labeled with tritiated thymidine, and thus, for the first time, data are available for analyzing a presumptive invertebrate proliferative disorder. Large numbers of labeled atypical cells (AC) were uniformly distributed throughout the connective tissue (CT) underlying the gills, mantle, stomach, gut, digestive diverticula, kidney, and gonad. Two general types of AC are associated with the proliferative disorder. Both are abnormally large with many features characteristic of undifferentiated cells, and both are probably members of a proliferating compartment. The labeling index (LI) for AC ranged from 1.22% in connective tissue surrounding digestive tubules to 14.17% in CT underlying gill epithelium; the LI for all AC was 4.82%. The data strongly suggest that the AC proliferate at a much greater rate than any other oyster cells subjected to similar treatment.
Studies on the mechanism of reduction in glomerular filtration rate after benzolamide.

In previous studies, we have shown that benzolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor with diuretic activity confined primarily to the proximal tubule, causes a significant reduction in nephron filtration rate by increasing afferent and efferent arteriolar vascular resistance [30], possibly through an activation of tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism. The present studies were designed to determine if infusion of 1-sar, 8-ala angiotensin II, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist (AIIA) could prevent and reverse the vasoconstriction and resulting reduction in SNGFR with benzolamide. Benzolamide administration to hydropenic rats decreased SNGFR by 5.0±1.3 nl/min and AIIA infusion in these rats completely restored SNGFR to the control, prebenzolamide values. These results occurred when SNGFR was measured in both proximal and distal tubules. In another group of hydropenic rats prior AIIA infusion completely prevented any alteration in SNGFR with benzolamide administration (33.0±2.8 vs. 32.3±1.5 nl/min). Benzolamide administration did increase the late proximal tubular flow rate during AIIA infusion (17.2±1.1 to 23.4±1.1 nl/min,P<0.01), demonstrating that AIIA did not act by preventing the diuretic action of benzolamide in the proximal tubule. AIIA infusion alone did not alter control SNGFR or nephron plasma flow, suggesting that the effect of AIIA was not that of a non-specific vasodilator. These studies suggest that the renal vasoconstriction and reduction in SNGFR which results from benzolamide administration is mediated by the local action of angiotensin II.
Increased expression of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1) in heart transplant recipients with recurrent rejection.

Background Angiotensin II receptor sub-type 1 (AGTR1) plays an important role in the regulation of the cellular immune process. We hypothesized that recurrent acute rejection is associated with increased gene expression of AGTR1 in human heart transplantation. Methods We identified a group of 14 heart transplant recipients who had recurrent acute cellular rejection (RAR), defined as three consecutive episodes of acute rejection (Grade ≥3A). These patients were matched to a control group ( n = 15). mRNA gene expression of AGTR1 was measured in heart biopsy specimens of controls at 1 week post-transplant. AGTR1 mRNA was determined serially in the RAR group at baseline, each rejection episode, and after resolution of rejection. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) polymorphism was also evaluated. Results Both the control and RAR groups had similar mRNA AGTR1 expression at baseline. Compared with baseline, the RAR group had significantly increased mRNA expression of AGTR1 at the first episode of rejection (9-fold, p p p p p Conclusions This is the first report to describe increased mRNA expression of AGTR1 in response to recurrent cellular rejection. Up-regulation of AGTR1 responds to treatment of rejection but not to complete recovery, a phenomenon that may potentially explain the link between rejection and subsequent clinical outcome.
Incorporation of [1-14C]linoleic acid into lipids of polymorphonuclear leukocytes

1. 1. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes obtained from rabbit-peritoneal exudates, incubated in vitro, rapidly incoporate into cell lipids [1-14C]linoleic acid, present in the medium as non-esterified fatty acid bound to albumin. 2. 2. Almost all radioactivity recovered in association with cell lipids appears in the esterified form, both as phospholipid and as non-phospholipid. 3. 3. Metabolic utilization of the [1-14C]linoleic acid incorporated was evident from evolution of 14CO2 and appearance of increasing amounts of water-soluble radioactivity in water washes of lipids extracts of the leukocytes. 4. 4. Uptake of linoleic acid does not take place at low temperatures and is markedly diminished by inhibition of anaerobic glycosis, whereas interference with oxidative metabolism does not inhibit accumulation. 5. 5. The possibility is discussed that incorporation by the leukocytes of non-esterified fatty acids depends upon esterification and therefore upon the availability of glycerophosphate derived from anaerobic glycolysis.
An Assembly of Readers: Magema Fuze and his Ilanga lase Natal Readers

The case of Magema Magwaza Fuze (c. 1840–1922) is about the problem of the introduction of writing in nineteenth-century colonial Natal by missionaries. The relative ‘success’ of this missionary endeavour appeared in the small and growing number of converts to Christianity who were literate and therefore no longer confined to an oral culture only. By the end of the nineteenth century, observers could identify an incipient ‘class’ of educated and literate Africans, amakholwa (‘believers’). Fuze was one of these literati: an aspirant kholwa intellectual, he was a printer by profession and an assistant to the controversial John William Colenso, the Bishop of Natal. In the early twentieth century he was a columnist for the Zulu-English newspaper Ilanga lase Natal and authored the book Abantu Abamnyama Lapa Bavela Ngakona (The Black People and Whence They Came). This article considers how Fuze and his kholwa contemporaries debated the meaning of reading and writing in the pages of Ilanga lase Natal, contested ...
The Development of Metacognitive Awareness in Memory, Communication, and Attention.

Abstract Four- and six-year-olds were asked questions about hypothetical situations in which a child was to perform one of three cognitive activities: (1) to remember something, (2) to communicate a message, or (3) to attend to a visual array. Questions focused on the child's understanding of the following four facts about the variables under study: (1) that it is easier to cognize about a shorter than a longer list (length), (2) that it is easier to cognize in the absence of noise than in its presence (noise), (3) that an adult or older child will find a cognitive problem to be easier than will a younger child (age), and (4) that it is generally easier to cognize with more time than with less time (time). Results indicated that the pattern of understanding was the same across the different cognitive activities, that there was a higher level of accuracy in answering questions about length and noise than about age and time, and that, over all, the 6-year-olds were more accurate than the 4-year-olds.
Cyanoisocyanoarene Metal Complexes as Building Blocks for Coordination Polymers: Structural Nonrigidity of a Metal−Nitrile Linkage1

The complexes trans-[PdI2(CNR)2], 1a−1e, (CNR = 3-CN−C6H4−CN (1a), 4-CN−3−C2H5−C6H3−CN (1b), c: 4-CN−3−Cl−C6H3−CN (1c), 4-CN−1,2-(NC)2−C6H3 (1d), 4-CN−C6H4−CH2CN (1e)), have been prepared. Complex...
A matrix formulation for nonparametric permutation tests

Many of the common permutation tests, particularly those from survival analysis, are special cases of a more general methodology. They are based on a single covariance matrix which is simple and can be derived by elementary means. It is, however, surprisingly hard to find a complete treatment of this covariance matrix in the literature. Such a treatment is given here together with a discussion of the permutation tests' uses in data analysis.
Changes in the carotenoids and sterol fractions during the prolonged storage of wheat flour

Changes in the carotenoid and sterol fractions of three wheat flours have been studied during storage. Total carotenoid decreased throughout the storage period; the relative rates of loss in each flour were the same as the relative rates of oxidation of polyenoic acids previously found to occur in these flours. Hexane-extractable total sterol content remained unchanged during storage. Esterification of free sterol was demonstrated and esterification of free lutein was also indicated.
Vapor-liquid equilibria with supercritical gases calculated by the excess Gibbs energy method

Abstract Vetere, A., 1986. Vapor-liquid equilibria with supercritical gases calculated by the excess Gibbs energy method. Fluid Phase Equilibria , 28: 265–281. A thermodynamic method for vapor-liquid equilibria calculations of mixtures containing supercritical components is described. According to the proposed method the Raoult law is assumed as a reference point also for the supercritical gases, and the non-ideality of the liquid phase is represented by using the NRTL equation in the one parameter form. The vapor phase is described by applying the Redlich-Kwong equation. Literature data of 10 binary systems formed by N 2 , CH 4 , CO 2 , H 2 S and CH 3 OH are correlated by applying the new procedure. The binary interaction parameters calculated for these systems are used for the prevision of one ternary and two quaternary systems formed by the cited gas in methanol, which is an industrial solvent used for the purification of natural streams from the sour gases. Rules are given to describe the dependence on temperature of the binary interaction parameters.
The effects of 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine on evoked release of [3H]serotonin in the rat nucleus tractus solitarius.

Abstract 5′-N-Ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) a non-selective adenosine A1 and A2a receptor agonist was employed in stimulated (3 Hz, 25 mA, 1 min) superfused nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) brain slices loaded with [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine ([3H]5-HT), and ligand binding with [3H]NECA on NTS membranes. Superfusion of NTS slices with 1.0 and 3.0 nM NECA for 5 min prior to S2 stimulation produced an augmented release of [3H]5-HT (35.7%) above the control S 2 S 1 ratio. When the duration of NECA perfusion was increased to 20 min prior to S2, the S 2 S 1 ratio was depressed 21% at 1.0 nM for [3H]5-HT release. The augmented release of [3H]5-HT by NECA at 5 min was blocked by the adenosine A2a antagonist 8-(3-chlorostyryl)caffeine (CSC; 100 nM), and was reduced but not blocked by the A1 antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX; 10 nM). Saturation binding assays with [3H]NECA on NTS membranes showed two binding sites, a high affinity site with a KD 2.18 nM and low affinity site with a KD of 44.9 nM. With the selective adenosine A2a antagonist CSC the high affinity site was blocked while 10 nM DPCPX, the A1 antagonist, reduced binding of the low affinity site, but did not abolish it. NECA binds to two different adenosine receptor sites in NTS membranes with the A2a receptor being the high affinity site. The same A2a site is associated with the augmented neurotransmitter release of [3H]5-HT with 5 min tissue exposure since it is blocked by CSC. Longer tissue exposure to NECA resulted in desensitization and finally inhibition of release possibly associated with adenosine A1 receptors.
Implications of Abrikosov-Gor'kov exchange scattering for theories of high-temperature superconductivity

Abstract The local-probe nature of exchange scattering and Abrikosov-Gor'kov pair-breaking by magnetic impurities in (rare-earth) Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 , La 2−β Sr β CuO 4 , and Nd 2− z Ce z CuO 4 indicates that high-temperature superconductivity is rooted in the vicinity of dopant oxygen, not in cuprate planes.
The Role of Physical Exercise in Alcoholism Treatment and Recovery

A growing body of literature has demonstrated that physical exercise is associated with favorable mental health outcomes. Exercise has the potential to be an accessible and affordable adjunct treatment option for persons with alcohol use disorders (AUD); however, exercise-based interventions have rarely been applied to this population. The authors examine the potential role of physical exercise in the process of recovery from AUD. Possible physiological, psychological, and social mechanisms whereby exercise may exert influence on alcohol use outcomes are outlined. Studies examining the effects of physical exercise on alcohol and other addictive behaviors are reviewed, and the viability of structured, exercisebased adjunct interventions for AUD populations is discussed. Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are among the most common of the psychiatric disorders, affecting as much as 20% of the U.S. population (Kessler, McGonagle, & Shanyang, 1994). A number of psychological treatment approaches for AUD have been shown to be effective, including cognitive– behavioral therapies, 12-step programs, skills training, and psychopharmacological medications (W. R. Miller & Hester, 1995; Read, Kahler, & Stevenson, 2001). However, despite the success of these approaches in facilitating initial treatment gains, relapse remains a major problem, with relapse rates ranging from 60% to 90% (Brownell, Marlatt, Lichtenstein, & Wilson, 1986). In light of this, and consistent with a
Allocation of cells to inner cell mass and trophectoderm lineages in preimplantation mouse embryos.

Abstract Inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm cell lineages in preimplantation mouse embryos were studied by means of iontophoretic injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a marker. HRP was injected into single blastomeres at the 2- and 8-cell stages and into single outer blastomeres at the 16-cell and late morula (about 22- to 32-cell) stages. After injection, embryos were either examined immediately for localization of HRP (controls) or they were allowed to develop until the blastocyst stage (1 to 3.5 days of culture) and examined for the distribution of labeled cells. In control embryos, HRP was confined to one or two outer blastomeres. In embryos allowed to develop into blastocysts, HRP-labeled progeny were distributed into patches of cells, showing that there is limited intermingling of cells during preimplantation development. A substantial fraction of injected blastomeres contributed descendants to both ICM and trophectoderm (95, 58, 44, and 35% for injected 2-cell, 8-cell, 16-cell, and late morula stages, respectively). Although more than half of the outer cells injected at 16-cell and late morula stages contributed descendants only to trophectoderm (53 and 63%, respectively), some outer cells contributed also to the ICM lineage even at the late morula stage. Although the mechanism for allocation of outer cells to the inner cell lineage is unknown, our observation of adjacent labeled mural trophectoderm and presumptive endoderm cells implicated polarized cell division. This observation also suggests that mural trophectoderm and presumptive endoderm are derived from common immediate progenitors. These cells appear to separate into inner and outer layers during the fifth cleavage division. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of HRP as a cell lineage marker in mouse embryos and show that the allocation of cells to ICM or trophectoderm begins after the 2-cell stage and continues into late cleavage.
Poor prognosis in Negro children with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

This study of 334 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia was undertaken to compare the clinical course and response to chemotherapy of Negro children with those of Caucasian children. An initial hematologic remission was attained in 34 of 46 Negro children (74%) with a median duration of the first hematologic remission of 4.9 months and median survival of 14 months. In Caucasian children, a remission occurred in 265 of 288 (92%) with a median duration of 13.1 months and a median survival of 23 months. The poor prognosis in Negro children was related to advanced disease and poverty. However, the natural history of leukemia in the Negro children suggested that other factors related to race also influence host-disease interaction. Because of the difference in response, Negro children should be considered separately in designing and evaluating chemotherapy programs.
Proximal tubal obstruction associated with tubal schistosomiasis.

Abstract The gynecologic consequences of schistosomiasis may range from minimal inflammation of tubal serosa to more intense reactions involving the periadnexal regions. Complete obliteration of the tubai lumen has not been described. We describe a case of proximal tubal obstruction associated with tubal schistosomiasis.
Bimetallic reactivity. Preparations, properties and structures of complexes formed by unsymmetrical binucleating ligands bearing 4- and 6-coordinate sites supported by alkoxide bridges

Four binucleating ligands which potentially could provide bimetallic complexes bearing 5- and 6-coordinate sites have been prepared. These ligands, which have alkoxide bridging groups, can be regarded as more elaborate versions of binucleating ligands which have tridentate chelates on each side of the alkoxy bridge. Unlike these previous, less complex ligands, the present series of binucleating ligands have a strong tendency to form oligomers. This has been demonstrated with a series of crystal structures of copper(II) complexes of these ligands. It is probable that oligomers are formed because of the high flexibility of the present ligands. The work serves to illustrate the limits of binuclear ligand design and suggests that, with alkoxide ligand bridges, rigidity is necessary in order to obtain bimetallic complexes with extended multidentate binucleating ligands. One of the ligands gives a mixed valence Mn(II)–Mn(IV) complex after O2 oxidation of a di-Mn(II) precursor.
Secure Communication without Encryption

The potential computational speedup that quantum algorithms offer in certain problems threatens the security of current cryptographic techniques that rely on the infeasibility of factoring large numbers. But the same technology that currently threatens public-key infrastructure also provides a seeming alternative: a protocol for quantum key distribution (QKD), which provides a secure method for establishing a secret key between two participants. These two people can then use this key to encrypt information, providing them with the ability to communicate securely
A Methodological Study for the Analysis of Apatite-Coated Dental Implants Retrieved From Humans

The stability of thermally processed hydroxyapatite coatings for oral and orthopedic bioprostheses has been questioned. Information on the chemical changes, which occur with hydroxyapatite biomaterials post-implantation in humans, is lacking. The purpose of this investigation was to begin to examine post-implantation surface changes of hydroxyapatite-coated implants using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray microanalysis (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Three retrieved dental implant specimens from humans following clinical failure due to peri-implantitis were examined. Unimplanted cylinders served as controls. Clinically, the retrieved specimens were all enveloped by a fibrous tissue capsule with bone present at the apical extent of the implant. SEM analysis showed that the retrieved surfaces were coated with both calcified and proteinaceous deposits. EDAX scans of the retrieved specimens demonstrated evidence of hydroxyapatite coating loss reflected by increasing titanium and aluminum signals. Other foreign ions such as sodium, chloride, sulfur, silica, and magnesium were detected. XRD of the control specimens showed that the samples were predominantly apatite; however, two peaks were detected in the diffraction pattern, which are not characteristic of hydroxyapatite, indicating that small amounts of one or more other crystalline phases were also present. The retrieved specimens showed slightly larger average crystal size relative to the control sample material, and the non-apatite lines were not present. FTIR evaluation of the retrieved specimens revealed the incorporation of carbonate and organic matrix on or into the hydroxyapatite. Narrowing of and increased detail in the phosphate peaks indicated an increase in average crystal size and/or perfection relative to the controls, as did the XRD results. Based on these results, we conclude that chemical changes may occur within the coating, with the incorporation of carbonate and concomitant reduction in hydroxyapatite coating thickness. Thermodynamic dissolution-reprecipitation of the coating itself and subsequent surface insult by bacterial and local inflammatory components may be involved with these changes.
CARTILAGE RODS AS A POTENTIAL MATERIAL FOR PENILE RECONSTRUCTION

AbstractPurpose: Sex assignment is made in patients with ambiguous genitalia, genital trauma or iatrogenic injury after a thorough diagnostic evaluation and careful consultation with the family. In numerous instances a decision is made to rear the child as the female gender due to inadequate genitalia regardless of karyotype. Although a silicone penile prosthesis is accepted treatment in adults who require penile reconstruction, it has not been generally used in the pediatric population, mainly due to associated long-term problems. We determine the feasibility of creating natural penile prostheses of cartilage which, if biocompatible and elastic, may be used in patients who require genital reconstruction.Materials and Methods: Cartilage was harvested from the articular surface of calf shoulders. Chondrocytes were isolated, grown and expanded in vitro. Cells were seeded onto performed cylindrical polyglycolic acid polymer rods 1 cm. in diameter and 3 cm. long at a concentration of 50 × 106 chondrocytes per...
Spatial and temporal periodicity during atrial fibrillation.

To the Editor: The article by Skanes et al1 presented interesting evidence of spatial and temporal periodicity during atrial fibrillation, contrary to the traditional concept of totally disorganized random atrial activity in atrial fibrillation. Skanes et al referred to recent work by others2 3 in accord with their own. With former colleagues in Chicago, Ill, I called attention 20 years ago to the fact that some patients with ECG features of atrial fibrillation have M-mode echocardiographic findings indicating regular atrial contractions. Regular deflections on the mitral valve …
Skew spreading for peak current reduction

This paper presents a circuit optimization technique called skewspreading. Given an edge-triggered sequential circuit, skew spreadingderives the required clock arrival times for all registers so that theskews are distributed evenly in a preselected time window without changing the operating frequency of the circuit. Skew spreading is ideal for peak current reduction, since it distributes clock activities and the ensuing signal activities widely in time. We have developed a skew spreading algorithm and applied it to a suite of benchmark circuits. Simulation results demonstrate that the variance of the resulting skew from the uniform distribution can be reduced to 4% on the average. In comparison to other gate-level peak current reduction techniques, our scheme achieves an average improvement of 17% with a speedup of up to 13.9 times.
'Real-time' diagnostics for a laser fusion system

An automated diagnostic system has been developed and installed on a multibeam laser for fusion research. Laser-beam phase and intensity profile, focal-spot profile, pulse width, beam energy, and other laser parameters are measured at a number of points in the system. Data from the optical and voltage sensing elements are processed by an on-line mini-computer and the information is presented in graphic, pictorial, and tabular form. The processed information is used
Quenching of backward stimulated Raman scattering by broadband forward Raman radiation

Experiments on backward stimulated Raman scattering of an injection-locked XeF (351.1-nm) laser beam are presented. Because the XeF laser is inhomogeneously broadened, its output is composed of both a narrow-band component (50–60% of the energy) and an unlocked broadband component. It is found that the presence of forward Raman scattering from the broadband unlocked component of the XeF energy terminates the backward Raman scattering of the narrow- (~1-GHz) bandwidth-locked component of the radiation. The results are of a general nature and would apply to scattering from any inhomogeneously broadened injection-locked laser.
Root-Associated Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Shared by Various Boreal Forest Seedlings Naturally Regenerating after a Fire in Interior Alaska and Correlation of Different Fungi with Host Growth Responses

The role of common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) in postfire boreal forest successional trajectories is unknown. We investigated this issue by sampling a 50-m by 40-m area of naturally regenerating black spruce (Picea mariana), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), and paper birch (Betula papyrifera) seedlings at various distances from alder (Alnus viridis subsp. crispa), a nitrogen-fixing shrub, 5 years after wildfire in an Alaskan interior boreal forest. Shoot biomasses and stem diameters of 4-year-old seedlings were recorded, and the fungal community associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root tips from each seedling was profiled using molecular techniques. We found distinct assemblages of fungi associated with alder compared with those associated with the other tree species, making the formation of CMNs between them unlikely. However, among the spruce, aspen, and birch seedlings, there were many shared fungi (including members of the Pezoloma ericae [Hymenoscyphus ericae] species aggregate, Thelephora terrestris, and Russula spp.), raising the possibility that these regenerating seedlings may form interspecies CMNs. Distance between samples did not influence how similar ECM root tip-associated fungal communities were, and of the fungal groups identified, only one of them was more likely to be shared between seedlings that were closer together, suggesting that the majority of fungi surveyed did not have a clumped distribution across the small scale of this study. The presence of some fungal ribotypes was associated with larger or smaller seedlings, suggesting that these fungi may play a role in the promotion or inhibition of seedling growth. The fungal ribotypes associated with larger seedlings were different between spruce, aspen, and birch, suggesting differential impacts of some host-fungus combinations. One may speculate that wildfire-induced shifts in a given soil fungal community could result in variation in the growth response of different plant species after fire and a shift in regenerating vegetation.
Targeting TBK1 Inhibits Migration and Resistance to MEK Inhibitors in Mutant NRAS Melanoma

Melanoma is a devastating form of skin cancer with limited therapeutic options. Fifteen to 20% of patients with melanoma have an activating mutation in the GTPase, NRAS . The major downstream effectors of RAS are RAFs (ARAF, BRAF, and CRAF), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and the Ral guanine exchange factors (RalGEF). TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is an atypical IκB kinase family member that acts downstream of RalGEFs. Whereas many studies have analyzed RAF and PI3K signaling in mutant NRAS melanoma, the role of RalGEF/Ral is understudied and TBK1 has not been examined. To address this, TBK1 was modulated with knockdown approaches and targeted therapies to determine the role of TBK1 in motility, apoptosis, and signaling. In melanoma, NRAS overexpression increased TBK1 phosphorylation. TBK1 depletion inhibited migration and invasion, whereas its constitutive overexpression led to an increase in invasion. In three-dimensional systems that mimic the dermal microenvironment, TBK1 depletion or inhibition cooperated with MEK inhibitors to promote apoptosis, particularly in the context of MEK-insensitive mutant NRAS . This effect was absent in melanoma cells that are wild-type for NRAS . These results suggest the utility of TBK1 inhibitors as part of a treatment regimen for patients with mutant NRAS melanoma, for whom there are no current effective therapies. Implications: TBK1 promotes the malignant properties of NRAS -mutant melanoma and its targeting, in combination with MEK, promotes apoptosis, thus providing a potential novel targeted therapeutic option. Mol Cancer Res; 12(10); 1509–19. ©2014 AACR .
Understanding the resilience of dive tourism to complex change

In this era of rapid multi-scale economic, environmental, and social change the continuation of any given tourism phenomenon into the long-term future should not be taken for granted. The field of tourism studies is largely accounting for the influences of complex change on tourism. However, dive tourism research is lagging behind in this regard. A resilience framework for the study of dive tourism systems is proposed that addresses the need to better account for the threats posed by complex change and the ways dive tourism is responding. The effectiveness of the framework is demonstrated through a case study in the US Virgin Islands. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were carried out with dive operators and government officials. Findings show that perturbations to dive tourism include a lack of support from the larger social–political system, the recent US economic downturn, and an invasive fish species. On the other hand, sources of resilience include dive operators’ formation of self-advocating orga...
Use of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization to Predict Response to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Therapy for Bladder Cancer: Results of a Prospective Trial

Purpose: No reliable methods currently exist to predict patient response to intravesical immunotherapy with bacillus Calmette-Guerin given after transurethral resection for high risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. We initiated a prospective clinical trial to determine whether fluorescence in situ hybridization results during bacillus Calmette-Guerin immunotherapy can predict therapy failure.Materials and Methods: Candidates for standard of care bacillus Calmette-Guerin were offered participation in a clinical trial. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed before bacillus Calmette-Guerin, and at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months during bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy with maintenance. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the relationship between fluorescence in situ hybridization results and tumor recurrence or progression. The Kaplan-Meier product limit method was used to estimate recurrence-free and progression-free survival.Results: A total of 126 patients participated in th...
Steady flow past an island with applications to Bermuda

Abstract Temperature and salinity data from the vicinity of Bermuda reveal large vertical displacements of the isopycnals of over 100 m close to the island. A model based on the steady flow of an inviscid, stratified ocean past a circularily symmetric island on a rotating plane gives good qualitative agreement. The effects of island slope and nonlinearities are accounted for in a perturbation procedure. In an anomalous area over the left slope of the island (looking downstream) large steps were observed in the temperature and salinity profiles. The theoretical flow is shown to have a minimum Richardson number in this region. In a quasi-empirical manner it is possible to compute a Richardson number profile from the observed density data. This procedure gives values very close to that needed for instability to be possible suggesting that instabilities promote mixing and the development of the observed layers.
Selecting Fantasy Literature

Ancient and universal, fantasy was most likely the first mainstream literature rather than the naturalism later recognized as mainstream. Every generation of every culture tells and retells tales based on psychological archetypes, the elements of fantasy. For instance, the Celtic tale “Leir and His Daughters” has been reworked and updated by authors ranging from Shakespeare to Diana Paxson (The Serpent's Tooth, Morrow, 1991). One of the old English/Scottish ballads collected by Francis James Child in the late 19th century (Child ballad No. 37) has recently reappeared as the novel Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner (Morrow, 1991). Similarly, retellings of the Arthurian legend are legion, from Geoffrey of Monmouth to Malory to Tennyson to such modern writers as T.H. White, Mary Stewart, Marion Zimmer Bradley (The Mists of Avalon, Knopf, 1982), and Guy Gavriel Kay (The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road, Collins, 1986).
Characterizing the Host and Symbiont Proteomes in the Association between the Bobtail Squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the Bacterium, Vibrio fischeri

The beneficial symbiosis between the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the bioluminescent bacterium, Vibrio fischeri, provides a unique opportunity to study host/microbe interactions within a natural microenvironment. Colonization of the squid light organ by V. fischeri begins a lifelong association with a regulated daily rhythm. Each morning the host expels an exudate from the light organ consisting of 95% of the symbiont population in addition to host hemocytes and shed epithelial cells. We analyzed the host and symbiont proteomes of adult squid exudate and surrounding light organ epithelial tissue using 1D- and 2D-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) in an effort to understand the contribution of both partners to the maintenance of this association. These proteomic analyses putatively identified 1581 unique proteins, 870 proteins originating from the symbiont and 711 from the host. Identified host proteins indicate a role of the innate immune system and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in regulating the symbiosis. Symbiont proteins detected enhance our understanding of the role of quorum sensing, two-component signaling, motility, and detoxification of ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) inside the light organ. This study offers the first proteomic analysis of the symbiotic microenvironment of the adult light organ and provides the identification of proteins important to the regulation of this beneficial association.