cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solid-state complexes of poly(L-histidine) with metal chlorides from the first row of thed-block

Solid-state characterization of poly(L-histidine) was obtained via differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, optical microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. The glass transition temperature of poly(L-histidine) is 169°C. This thermal transition has not been reported previously. Poly(L-histidine)'s Tg increases when complexes are produced with the following divalent transition metal chlorides: cobalt chloride hexahydrate, nickel chloride hexahydrate, copper chloride dihydrate, and anhydrous zinc chloride. At 10 mol % salt, nickel chloride increases Tg by 69°C. The enhancement in poly(L-histidine)'s Tg correlates well with ligand field stabilization energies for pseudo-octahedral dn complexes (n = 7, 8, and 10) from the first row of the d-block. However, d9 copper(II) complexes do not conform to this empirical correlation. Infrared spectroscopic evidence indicates that these metal chlorides form complexes with the imidazole ring in the histidine side group and the amide group in the main chain of the polymer. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 301–309, 1999
Ruminal Degradation, Amino Acid Composition, and Estimated Intestinal Digestibilities of Four Protein Supplements

Blood meal, canola meal, corn gluten meal, and menhaden fish meal were weighed into dacron bags for incubation in the rumens of two ruminally cannulated Holstein cows on 3 d for 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h. Both the original feeds and the residues remaining after 12 h were analyzed for amino acid (AA) content. Canola meal was degraded the most extensively in the rumen, and blood meal was degraded the least extensively. Intestinal digestibilities estimated using an enzymatic in vitro technique were all high; canola meal was estimated to have the lowest intestinal digestibility, and corn gluten meal was estimated to have the highest intestinal digestibility. The AA profile of the 12-h residues differed only slightly from the AA profile of the original protein supplements. A comparison of the AA profiles of feed residues with milk protein showed that isoleucine was the first-limiting AA in blood meal, canola meal, and fish meal, and lysine was the first-limiting AA in corn gluten meal. Although canola meal was extensively degraded in the rumen, its 12-h residue still provided an estimated AA profile to the intestinal tract that was closest to the AA profile of milk protein. Blood meal and corn gluten meal are good sources of ruminally undegradable protein but are deficient in some AA and should probably be fed only in combination with other protein sources that complement their AA profiles.
Electro-optic polymer waveguide modulators with refractive index tapers leading to low coupling loss and a high confinement factor

A new design of a hybrid electro-optic polymer waveguide modulator is demonstrated that uses grayscale lithography to create refractive index tapers by photobleaching. It leads to a device with a half-wave voltage of 1.9 V, modulation efficiency of 15 dB and a fiber to lens insertion loss of 11.6 dB using 20 wt. % AJLS102.
Confidence intervals for modeling anthocyanin retention in grape pomace during nonisothermal heating.

Degradation of nutraceuticals in low- and intermediate-moisture foods heated at high temperature (>100 ◦ C) is difficult to model because of the nonisothermal condition. Isothermal experiments above 100 ◦ Ca re difficult to design because they require high pressure and small sample size in sealed containers. Therefore, a non- isothermal method was developed to estimate the thermal degradation kinetic parameter of nutraceuticals and de- termine the confidence intervals for the parameters and the predicted Y (concentration). Grape pomace at 42% moisture content (wb) was heated in sealed 202 × 214 steel cans in a steam retort at 126.7 ◦ Cf or> 30 min. Can cen- tertemperaturewasmeasuredbythermocoupleandpredictedusingComsolsoftware.Thermalconductivity(k)and specificheat(Cp)wereestimatedasquadraticfunctionsoftemperatureusingComsolandnonlinearregression.The kandCp functionswere thenusedtopredicttemperatureinsidethegrapepomaceduringretorting.Similarheating experiments were run at different time-temperature treatments from 8 to 25 min for kinetic parameter estimation. Anthocyanin concentration in the grape pomace was measured using HPLC. Degradation rate constant (k110◦C )a nd activationenergy(Ea)wereestimatedusingnonlinearregression.Thethermophysicalpropertiesestimatesat100 ◦ C were k = 0.501 W/m ◦ C, Cp = 3600 J/kg and the kinetic parameters were k110◦C = 0.0607/min and Ea = 65.32 kJ/mol. The 95% confidence intervals for the parameters and the confidence bands and prediction bands for anthocyanin retention were plotted. These methods are useful for thermal processing design for nutraceutical products.
Thermal behavior of visible AlGaInP-GaInP ridge laser diodes

The thermal behavior of visible AlGaInP-GaInP ridge laser diodes was investigated numerically and experimentally. It is shown that various parameters critically influence the thermal resistance, R, of such devices. R is inversely proportional to the thermal conductivity of the heat sink. A substantial improvement in R is achieved for junction-side-down mounting compared to junction-side-up. R depends strongly on the width, w, of the ridge, and this effect is different for junction-side-up or junction-side-down mounting. In the first case, R approximately log(w) and in the second, R approximately 1/w. The thickness of the soldering material is a sensitive parameter which may increase the value of R by up to 15 K/W. For junction-side-up mounted devices, the top metallization layer has a very favorable effect: a 1- mu m-thick gold layer reduces R by 30%. It is shown that when a laser is switched on, the thermal steady state is reached in the millisecond time range. The experimental results show very good agreement with numerical data. >
Detecting landmines with ground-penetrating radar using feature-based rules, order statistics, and adaptive whitening

An approach to detecting landmines using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) based on feature-based rules, order statistics, and adaptive whitening (FROSAW) is described. FROSAW relies on independent adaptation of whitening statistics in different depths and combining feature-based methods with anomaly detection using rules. Constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detectors are used for anomaly detection on the depth-dependent adaptively whitened data. A single CFAR confidence measure is computed via a function of order statistics. Anomalies are detected at locations with high CFAR confidence. Depth-dependent features are computed on regions containing anomalies. Rules based on the features are used to reject alarms that do not exhibit mine-like properties. The utility of combining the CFAR and feature-based methods is evaluated. The algorithms and analysis are applied to data acquired from tens of thousands of square meters from several outdoor test sites with a state-of-the-art array of GPR sensors.
Spawning in the nick of time? Effect of adult demographics on spawning behaviour and recruitment in Chesapeake Bay striped bass

Secor, D. H. 2000. Spawning in the nick of time? Effect of adult demographics on spawning behaviour and recruitment in Chesapeake Bay striped bass. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 57: 403–411. Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is an iteroparous anadromous species that spawns dispersive offspring into freshwater habitats and exhibits a high fecundity and high embryo and larval mortality rates. Field studies indicate that temperature differentially affects spawning behaviour and larval survival, and periods of high egg production are often mis-timed for optimal larval survival. I hypothesize that age structure of females may be an important determinant in reducing variability in recruitment through its influence on spawning behaviour. Age diversity of Chesapeake Bay female striped bass is indexed according to expectations of age-specific reproductive values in an unexploited population. The age diversity index was positively correlated to spawning dispersion (egg presence ratio) and 0+ juvenile abundance during the recent period of population recovery (1985–1995). Diversity in age structure and spawning behaviour may contribute to a storage effect, because in most years minority behaviours would result in sustained recruitment. A diverse age structure may thus contribute to an accumulation of spawning stock biomass and increase the future likelihood of dominant year classes. 2000 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Towards a Virtual Coach for manual wheelchair users

We introduce the concept of a Virtual Coach (VC) for providing advice to manual wheelchair users to help them avoid damaging forms of locomotion. The primary form of context for this system is the user's propulsion pattern. The contexts of self vs. external propulsion and the surface over which propulsion is occurring can be used to improve the accuracy of the system's propulsion pattern classifications. To obtain these forms of context, we explore the use of both wearable and wheelchair-mounted accelerometers. We show achievable accuracy rates of up to 80-90% for all desired contextual information using two common machine learning techniques: k-nearest neighbor (kNN) and support vector machines (SVM).
Leveraging and Limiting Practical Drift in Emergency Response Planning

A knowledge gap exists between what emergency responders know from their direct experience and what emergency planners know from analysis and reflection. The theory of practical drift suggests that shared understanding between planners and responders may break down as local response practice adapts and evolves with respect to static planning knowledge. In this article we discuss how practical drift impacts emergency preparedness and, using Schon's theory of reflective practice, describe how design of collaborative technology might help mitigate this knowledge disparity. We draw on two field studies, one national, and one at the local level, to illustrate dimensions of the problem space
Orientation of self-assembled block copolymer cylinders perpendicular to electric field in mesoscale film

The possibility of using self-assembled films of block polymers as templates to fabricate nanoscale structures for devices has attracted great attention towards this class of material. Self-assembly of a block copolymer can be directed by using an electric field to orient features (i.e., ∼10-nm-diam cylinders) parallel to the electric field, making the material more attractive as a nanoscale lithography mask. In this letter we describe an approach to influence the electric field orientation phenomena by interfacial effects. As a result, the 15-nm-diam polystyrene cylinders of the polystyrene–polyisoprene–polystyrene triblock copolymer orient perpendicular to the electric field. The described approach along with the previous method can produce a directed self-assembly to fabricate complex nanoscale structures with orthogonally oriented nanoscale width lines.
The Regional Distribution of Population, Migration, and Climate

Regional migration is analyzed utilizing a model that develops a system of urban areas. The areas differ in their endowment of a site-specific factor--climate is used as the example. The effects of differences in tax rates and technology are determined in a model where the price of housing is endogenous. Compensation for an inferior climate occurs through regional differences in income levels or the price of housing dependent on the manner in which climate affects production or consumption. The market distribution of households is found to be suboptimal in cases where utility is derived directly from the consumption of climate. (EXCERPT)
Tissue Lycopene Concentrations and Isomer Patterns Are Affected by Androgen Status and Dietary Lycopene Concentration in Male F344 Rats

Diets rich in lycopene from tomato products as well as greater concentrations of blood lycopene have been associated with a decreased risk for prostate cancer in epidemiologic studies. However, little is known about factors modulating lycopene absorption, metabolism and tissue distribution in humans and animal models of prostate cancer. A 2 x 4 factorial design was used to measure the effects of androgen status (castrated vs. intact), dietary lycopene concentration (0.00-5.00 g/kg lycopene) and their interaction on tissue lycopene accumulation and isomer patterns in male F344 rats. Male F344 rats ( 14 wk old; 44 castrated, 44 intact) were randomly assigned to one of four diets containing total lycopene concentrations of 0.00, 0.05, 0.50 or 5.00 g/kg as beadlets and fed for 8 wk. Tissue total lycopene and cis/trans lycopene profiles were determined by HPLC. Tissue and serum lycopene concentrations increased significantly (P < 0.01) as dietary lycopene levels increased between 0.00 and 0.50 g/kg. No further increases in serum or tissue concentrations were seen in rats fed dietary lycopene between 0.50 and 5.00 g/kg. As dietary lycopene increased, so did the percentage of cis lycopene in the liver (P < 0.05), due primarily to an increase in the 5-cis isomer. Castrated rats accumulated twice (P < 0.01) the liver lycopene as compared to intact controls, with no effect of castration on serum lycopene or adrenal, kidney, adipose, or lung tissue concentration. Livers from castrated rats had a greater proportion of cis-lycopene than those of intact rats (P < 0.05). A significant interaction between dietary lycopene concentration and androgen status was seen for liver lycopene concentration (P < 0.01). We conclude that serum and tissue lycopene reaches a plateau between 0.05 and 0.50 g/kg dietary lycopene, the tissue cis/trans lycopene ratio increases with greater dietary lycopene and androgens modulate hepatic lycopene metabolism.
Effect of actinomycin D on the pituitary response to LH-RH.

The effect of Actinomycin D (Act D) on the release of LH and FSH induced by LH-RH was investigated in rats. Immature male rats received an iv infusion over a period of 3-4 h or a quick iv injection of synthetic LH-RH. Infusion of LH-RH significantly increased serum LH and FSH levels at 1, 2, 3 and 4 h after the initiation of infusion. Pre-treatment with 100 mug/100 g.b.w. Act D failed to affect the rise of serum LH and FSH levels 1 h after the infusion but significantly suppressed the response at 2, 3 and 4 h. The increase in serum LH and FSH levels after a quick injection of LH-RH was unaffected by pre-treatment with Act D whether the antibiotic was injected 1 or 2 h before LH-RH. The results suggest that the initial phase of the pituitary response to LH-RH does not require DNA-dependent RNA synthesis, whereas that in the later period does. RNA synthesis may be necessary only to maintain the increased secretion of both LH and FSH during a continuous stimulation with LH-RH.
Chemicals and Environmentally Caused Diseases in Developing Countries

This chapter discusses international aspects of diseases resulting from exposure to chemical pollutants in the environment, with an emphasis on developing countries. These countries share many of the same problems of air, water, and pesticide pollution that face the more industrialized countries. In developing countries, however, the problems are compounded by a number of unique situations, viz., economic priorities, high burden of infectious diseases, impoverishment, and absence of a regulatory framework for the disposal of toxic chemicals. This discussion emphasizes the importance of interactions among toxicants, malnutrition, and infectious diseases for both urban and rural populations insofar as these interactions contribute to disease. Toxicants not only produce disease directly but also exacerbate diseases with other causes. Specific examples from developing countries demonstrate how human health effects from exposures to environmental chemicals can be assessed. While they do not strictly fall under the rubric of "developing countries," the public health consequences of inadequate control of environmental pollution in the East European countries should demonstrate the magnitude of the problem, except that in developing countries the public health consequence of environmental chemicals will be aggravated by the widespread malnutrition and high prevalence of infectious diseases. Much needs to be done before we can adequately quantify the contribution of environmental chemicals to morbidity and mortality in developing countries with the level of sophistication now evident in the charting of infectious diseases in these countries.
Preoperative imaging to predict orbital invasion by tumor.

Background Our purpose was to examine the accuracy of preoperative imaging in assessing tumor invasion of the orbit and nasolacrimal system. Methods Nineteen preoperative CT and 17 preoperative MR images from patients at risk for orbital invasion were retrospectively reviewed. Invasion was corroborated by pathologic and intraoperative assessment. Results Tumor adjacent to the periorbita was the most sensitive predictor of orbital invasion (90%) for both CT and MRI. Extraocular muscle involvement on MRI (100%) and orbital fat obliteration (80% MRI, 86% CT) had the highest positive predictive values of the criteria evaluated. Extraocular muscle displacement and enhancement were less accurate ( 79% accurate in predicting orbital invasion. Six or more positive criteria predicted invasion with 67% sensitivity and 80% specificity (accuracy, 72%). CT was more accurate than MRI in seven of nine criteria. Invasion of the nasolacrimal system was predicted accurately (89%). Conclusions Although preoperative imaging can aid in surgical planning, it should not replace intraoperative assessment in ambiguous cases of orbital invasion. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 22: 456-462, 2000.
Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas . By Judith A. Carney. Cambridge, MA and London: Harvard University Press, 2001. Pp. xiv, 240. $37.95.

The subtitle of this important book captures the author's key theme very well: the African origins of rice cultivation in the Americas. According to Carney, for a variety of reasons—racism, most notably—many contemporary observers and most scholars over the centuries have overlooked or willfully denied the fact that the origins of rice production in the Americas lay in Africa rather than in Asia or Europe. The unsurprising concomitant of this argument about origins is that Africans and African Americans were primarily responsible both for the introduction of rice seed to the Americas and for the transfer and diffusion of an “indigenous knowledge system” pertaining to the cultivation and processing of the cereal (p. 2). This knowledge system, once expropriated from Africans and African Americans and appropriated by Europeans and Euro-Americans, created the basis for great wealth in parts of the New World, particularly in South Carolina and Georgia. The larger implication of this argument—hardly surprising in light of the foregoing—is that until recently Western scholars, in promoting the view that Africans and African Americans contributed nothing to risiculture in the New World except their labor, have supported and legitimized the imperial project through an egregious case of cultural dispossession and expropriation.
Diagnosis and misdiagnosis of poisoning with the cyanide precursor acetonitrile : nail polish remover or nail glue remover ?

Accurate diagnosis of acetonitrile ingestion is critical to management. Often this involves differentiating nail polish remover (acetone) from nail glue remover (acetonitrile). Initial symptoms of acetonitrile ingestion are indistinguishable from those of acetone and common alcohols. However, acetonitrile is metabolized to cyanide, producing severe delayed toxicity. Acetonitrile produced increased serum osmolality and osmolal gap, but these findings are non-specific and normal values cannot rule out potentially fatal exposure. Acetone, but not acetonitrile, was detectable in urine or serum with Acetest tablets; both were unreactive with a ketone dipstick. Acetone and acetonitrile could be detected with routine gas chromatography methods for alcohols. Both substances had identical retention times on the widely used stationary phase, 5% Carbowax 20M on graphitized carbon, and with GasChrom 254. Three other systems afforded unique retention times, but acetonitrile was easily mistaken for ethanol in two. Physicians and laboratories must take care to avoid misdiagnosis of acetonitrile ingestion as exposure to acetone, ethanol or another alcohol.
Mutant identification and characterization of the laccase gene family in Arabidopsis

Laccases, EC 1.10.3.2 or p-diphenol:dioxygen oxidoreductases, are multi-copper containing glycoproteins. Despite many years of research, genetic evidence for the roles of laccases in plants is mostly lacking. In this study, a reverse genetics approach was taken to identify T-DNA insertional mutants (the SALK collection) available for genes in the Arabidopsis laccase family. Twenty true null mutants were confirmed for 12 laccase genes of the 17 total laccase genes (AtLAC1 to AtLAC17) in the family. By examining the mutants identified, it was found that four mutants, representing mutations in three laccase genes, showed altered phenotypes. Mutants for AtLAC2, lac2, showed compromised root elongation under PEG-induced dehydration conditions; lac8 flowered earlier than wild-type plants, and lac15 showed an altered seed colour. The diverse phenotypes suggest that laccases perform different functions in plants and are not as genetically redundant as previously thought. These mutants will prove to be valuable resources for understanding laccase functions in vivo.
Theoretical bounds for algebraic multigrid performance: review and analysis

Algebraic multigrid methods continue to grow in robustness as effective solvers for the large and sparse linear systems of equations that arise in many applications. Unlike geometric multigrid approaches, however, the theoretical analysis of algebraic multigrid is less predictive of true performance. Multigrid convergence factors naturally depend on the properties of the relaxation, interpolation, and coarse-grid correction routines used; yet, without the tools of Fourier analysis, optimal and practical bounds for algebraic multigrid are not easily quantified. In this paper, we survey bounds from existing literature, with particular focus on the predictive capabilities of the theory, and provide new results relating existing bounds. We highlight the impact of these theoretical observations through several model problems and discuss the role of theoretical bounds on practical performance. Copyright c © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Secularization and Religious Change among Elite Scientists

Sociologists of religion have often connected secularization to science, but have rarely examined the role of religion in the lives of scientists or how the sciences have changed religiously over time. Here we address this shortcoming by comparing religiosity between two samples of elite academic natural and social scientists, one in 1969 and one in 2005. Findings show an overall decline in religiosity among university scientists as well as a change in their religious composition. Attendance rates were lower for social scientists in 1969 compared to natural scientists, but in 2005 growing parity in attendance occurred between the two fields. Findings also show a decline in the proportion of Protestant scientists and a growth in Catholic scientists. Demographic factors associated with religiosity in the general population, with the exception of age and having children, had no impact among elite academic scientists. Overall, findings challenge and revise older studies on the role of religion in the lives of scientists. Specific results are connected to theories that pose science as a master identity, which may be mitigated by some institutionalized aspects of religion. They also lead to new directions in the sociology of religion that take seriously the role of religion in the lives of elites and connect societal religious changes to differences between institutional spheres, particularly those, such as the academy, that play a leadership role in society.
Design of intelligent ship autopilots using particle swarm optimization

A study is presented on the application of particle swarm optimization (PSO) to design intelligent autopilots for ship steering. Two versions of PSO-conventional and anti-predatory (APSO) - have been used. The autopilot consists of a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) emulating the characteristics of manual ship steering. The parameters for the FLC are optimized using PSO and APSO. The robustness of the autopilot based on the optimized FLC is illustrated through the simulation of a realistic nonlinear ship model. The steering performance of the optimal FLC is compared with a PID type autopilot designed with and without PSO.
Effects of Antidumping Duties with Bertrand Competition: Some Evidence for Frozen Catfish Fillets

Antidumping duties are popular in the United States because under the Byrd Amendment domestic industry gets to keep tariff revenues. However, whether antidumping duties are an effective instrument of protection depends crucially on the tariff's ability to increase demand for the home good. Under Bertrand competition, the Byrd Amendment enhances tariff effects on the home price and trade flows in comparison to perfect competition. Assuming Bertrand competition and differentiated products, price-reaction functions of frozen catfish fillets are derived and estimated jointly with a demand equation using monthly data for the period January 1999 - December 2005. An inverse demand equation for farm-level products is also added to explore the efficacy of the tariff on price of farmed catfish. The estimated increase associated with the duty is exhibited tiny in price and sales of domestic fillets but insignificant in farm price. The result suggests antidumping duties are a weak tool for protecting the domestic catfish industry.
SNA route generation using traffic patterns

This paper describes a procedure used by the IBM Information Network to generate optimum routes for a complex Systems Network Architecture (SNA) network by utilizing communication traffic patterns. The Route Table Generator and an understanding of customer locations and available facilities had been the basis for route generation. However, this approach became overwhelming as the network grew. The lack of flexibility required an increasing need to manually override generated routes. The resulting approach could not ensure that network delay had been minimized. The Network Design and Analysis (NETDA) tool developed at the IBM Yorktown Research Center was used as a solution. NETDA orders routes based on static indicators such as number of hops, route distance, and speed of the path components. However, NETDA also selects optimal routes based on network traffic patterns. Traffic data were easily incorporated into NETDA, and the IBM Information Network has optimized its SNA routing using NETDA and actual traffic data. The process was challenging because of the number of network components involved and the difficulty in obtaining portions of the traffic data. The use of NETDA for route generation is discussed, and the data collection methodology is described. Network component utilization and network delay changes are reviewed as a means of showing the benefits of such optimizations.
Regret of Treatment Decision and its Association with Disease-Specific Quality of Life Following Prostate Cancer Treatment

We examined decisional regret among prostate cancer patients and its association with disease-specific quality of life. Patients (N = 793) completed questionnaires at diagnosis, at 6 months, and 12 months thereafter. Although levels of decisional regret were low, regret increased significantly between 6 and 12 months after diagnosis. The increase was substantial for patients treated with prostatectomy compared to patients treated with external beam radiation or brachytherapy. Cross-sectional, significant, and positive associations among regret, activity limitation attributed to urinary dysfunction, and bother with sexual and urinary dysfunction emerged. Longitudinally, the change in the level of regret was significantly associated with treatment modality and with the change in bother with sexual dysfunction over the first 6 months after diagnosis. Extensive discussions about disease-specific quality of life should be included when physicians counsel patients about treatment options.
Liquid Operation of Silicon Microcantilever Heaters

This letter reports characterization and calibration of silicon microcantilever heaters for operation in liquid environments. Cantilever thermomechanical noise spectra were measured in air and in water using a commercial atomic force microscope. Cantilever electrical characteristics were measured in air and water. Laser Raman thermometry measured cantilever temperature in air and water, allowing temperature calibration through comparison with electrical characteristics. Cantilever thermal conductance in water was 136-610 W/K, depending upon the cantilever type. The cantilever electrical resistance is an accurate measure of cantilever temperature in both air and water.
Injuries in Full-Scale Vehicle Side Impact Moving Deformable Barrier and Pole Tests Using Postmortem Human Subjects

Objective: To conduct near-side moving deformable barrier (MDB) and pole tests with postmortem human subjects (PMHS) in full-scale modern vehicles, document and score injuries, and examine the potential for angled chest loading in these tests to serve as a data set for dummy biofidelity evaluations and computational modeling.Methods: Two PMHS (outboard left front and rear seat occupants) for MDB and one PMHS (outboard left front seat occupant) for pole tests were used. Both tests used sedan-type vehicles from same manufacturer with side airbags. Pretest x-ray and computed tomography (CT) images were obtained. Three-point belt-restrained surrogates were positioned in respective outboard seats. Accelerometers were secured to T1, T6, and T12 spines; sternum and pelvis; seat tracks; floor; center of gravity; and MDB. Load cells were used on the pole. Biomechanical data were gathered at 20 kHz. Outboard and inboard high-speed cameras were used for kinematics. X-rays and CT images were taken and autopsy was don...
Proton beam therapy for pediatric malignancies.

Although major advances have been made in radiation techniques, concerns still exist about the treatment-related acute and long-term side effects. This issue is most notable in the pediatric population because of developing organs and tissues combined with longer life expectancies. Proton beam therapy has the advantage of a reduced dose of radiation with less scatter to normal tissue, which may lead to fewer adverse side effects. AT A GLANCE: Many pediatric patients with cancer receive radiation therapy.Radiation treatments can cause significant acute and long-term side effects.Proton beam therapy reduces radiation scatter to normal tissues and may decrease acute and late toxicities.
Intense Laser Interactions: Higher Order Resonances and Hot Electrons

The kinetic energy spectrum of electrons produced by multiphoton and above threshold ionization of atoms has been studied in detail for nearly two decades. Much has been learned about the mechanisms behind the gross and fine structures present in these spectra over a wide range of experimental conditions. Theoretical models ranging from very simple and semiclassical to sophisticated quantum treatments have been developed to explain a great deal of the phenomena observed in experiments.
Compatibility of premixed theophylline and methylprednisolone sodium succinate intravenous admixtures

The stability of theophylline supplied as a premixed injection and of methylprednisolone sodium succinate in admixtures containing both drugs was studied. Solutions containing theophylline in concentrations of 4.0 mg/mL and 0.4 mg/mL were used. Methylprednisolone sodium succinate was added to each solution to produce a final concentration of 0.5 mg/mL and 2.0 mg/mL of methylprednisolone alcohol, a pharmacologically active form of methylprednisolone sodium succinate. Each admixture was prepared in triplicate, and samples were kept at room temperature in glass containers. Immediately after admixture and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours, samples were visually inspected, tested for pH, filtered, and assayed in duplicate by high-performance liquid chromatography for theophylline concentration and for both methylprednisolone sodium succinate and methylprednisolone alcohol content. Control solutions containing only one of the two drugs were also tested. No visual changes were observed. The addition of theophylline in 5% dextrose injection to the methylprednisolone sodium succinate solutions resulted in decreased pH values for all solutions, which did not vary significantly throughout the study period. Theophylline concentrations did not change significantly compared with baseline. In solutions containing theophylline 0.4 mg/mL with either 2.0 or 0.5 mg/mL of methylprednisolone sodium succinate, less than 90% of the initial methylprednisolone sodium succinate concentrations remained at 24 hours. However, within three hours after admixture preparation, methylprednisolone alcohol was detected in those solutions in increasing concentrations. A commercial preparation of premixed theophylline in 5% dextrose injection in a concentration of 4 mg/mL or less can be mixed with methylprednisolone sodium succinate in a final concentration of 2 mg/mL or less and administered intravenously within 24 hours after mixing.
Standard enthalpies of formation of TiSi 2 and VSi 2 by high-temperature calorimetry

The standard enthalpies of formation of TiSi2 and VSi2 have been measured by a new calorimetric method. The following results are reported: ΔH f ° (TiSi2) = −(170.9 ± 8.3) kJ mol−1 and ΔH {f °} (VSi2) = −(112.4 ± 6.0) kJ mol−1. These results are compared with experimental, assessed, and predicted values reported in the literature and with our own data for the corresponding borides. Estimates are given for the enthalpies of formation of the silicides of scandium and chromium.
Successive sensory discriminative behavior maintained by forebrain self-stimulation reinforcement

Nine albino rats were trained on a CRF schedule to press a lever for electrical self-stimulation reward in the forebrain. They were then taught to discriminate between an S+ (a white noise plus a light) that lasted until the animal made one reinforced leverpress and an S− (defined as the absence of the light and noise) that varied from 15 sec to 16 min in duration. The duration of the S− interval did not affect the latency of the response to the S+, except, in some cases, in the early stages of the learning of the discrimination. The results are discussed in terms of the drive-decay and the incentive models of rewarding brain stimulation.
Switchable polarisation-independent blue phase liquid crystal Fresnel lens based on phase-separated composite films

ABSTRACTA simple method for fabricating a polarisation independent blue-phase liquid crystal Fresnel lens (BPLCFL) is demonstrated by utilising the photo-polymerisation-induced phase separation. The BPLC/polymer binary Fresnel zones is obtained well by periodic UV illumination with phase separation of the BPLC molecules and UV-curable pre-polymer mixture. The diffraction efficiency can be controlled when applying a uniform electric field which modulates the phase difference between even and odd Fresnel zones. Experimental results show that the maximum diffraction efficiency reaches 24.3%, which is close to the measured diffraction efficiency of the used Fresnel zone-plate mask of 25%. We also characterise the tunable lens performance at different applied voltages.
Wide but Variable Distribution of a Hypervirulent Campylobacter jejuni Clone in Beef and Dairy Cattle in the United States.

Campylobacter jejuni clone SA is the major cause of sheep abortion and contributes significantly to foodborne illnesses in the United States. Clone SA is hypervirulent because of its distinct ability to produce systemic infection and its predominant role in clinical sheep abortion. Despite the importance of clone SA, little is known about its distribution and epidemiological features in cattle. Here we describe a prospective study on C. jejuni clone SA prevalence in 35 feedlots in 5 different states in the United States and a retrospective analysis of clone SA in C. jejuni isolates collected by National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) dairy studies in 2002, 2007, and 2014. In feedlot cattle feces, the overall prevalence of Campylobacter organisms was 72.2%, 82.1% of which were C. jejuni. Clone SA accounted for 5.8% of the total C. jejuni isolates, but its prevalence varied by feedlot and state. Interestingly, starlings on the feedlots harbored C. jejuni in feces, including clone SA, suggesting that these birds may play a role in the transmission of Campylobacter. In dairy cattle, the overall prevalence of clone SA was 7.2%, but a significant decrease in the prevalence was observed from 2002 to 2014. Whole-genome sequence analysis of the dairy clone SA isolates revealed that it was genetically stable over the years and most of the isolates carried the tetracycline resistance gene tet(O) in the chromosome. These findings indicate that clone SA is widely distributed in both beef and dairy cattle and provide new insights into the molecular epidemiology of clone SA in ruminants. IMPORTANCE C. jejuni clone SA is a major cause of small-ruminant abortion and an emerging threat to food safety because of its association with foodborne outbreaks. Cattle appear to serve as a major reservoir for this pathogenic organism, but there is a major gap in our knowledge about the epidemiology of clone SA in beef and dairy cattle. By taking advantage of surveillance studies conducted on a national scale, we found a wide but variable distribution of clone SA in feedlot cattle and dairy cows in the United States. Additionally, the work revealed important genomic features of clone SA isolates from cattle. These findings provide critically needed information for the development of preharvest interventions to control the transmission of this zoonotic pathogen. Control of C. jejuni clone SA will benefit both animal health and public health, as it is a zoonotic pathogen causing disease in both ruminants and humans.
Modification of the Associations Between Duration of Oral Contraceptive Use and Ovarian, Endometrial, Breast, and Colorectal Cancers

Importance Although oral contraceptive (OC) use is common, the influence of OC use on carcinogenesis is not fully understood. A recent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report identified a need to understand the consistency of OC use and cancer associations across subpopulations, including smokers and obese women. Objective To determine whether associations between duration of OC use and risk of specific cancers were modified by lifestyle characteristics. Design, Setting, and Participants The prospective NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study (enrolled 1995-1996, followed until 2011), with population-based recruitment of AARP members in 6 states and 2 metropolitan areas. All analyses included at least 100 000 women who reported OC use at enrollment. We identified 1241 ovarian, 2337 endometrial, 11 114 breast, and 3507 colorectal cancer cases during follow-up. Data analysis was performed between September 2016 and April 2017. Exposures Duration of OC use (never or Main Outcomes and Measures Development of ovarian, endometrial, breast, and colorectal cancers. We examined effect modification by modifiable lifestyle characteristics: cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity. We used Cox models adjusted for age, race, age at menarche, and the modifiers of interest. Results The analytic population was aged 50 to 71 years (median, 62 years) at enrollment and largely white (91%) and postmenopausal (96%). For ovarian cancer, OC use–associated risk reductions strengthened with duration of use (long-term OC use [≥10 years] HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.47-0.76;P Conclusions and Relevance Long-term OC use is consistently associated with reduced ovarian cancer risk across lifestyle factors. We observed the greatest risk reductions for endometrial cancer among women at risk for chronic diseases (ie, smokers, obese BMI). Oral contraceptive use may be beneficial for chemoprevention for a range of women with differing baseline cancer risks.
Knowing climate as a social-ecological-atmospheric construct

Abstract Climate perception, broadly construed, can include interpretations of experienced climate, beliefs about how climate works or changes, attitudes about climate issues such as the human role in climate change, and even climate preferences. The recent literature has stressed three main themes: attitudes and beliefs about anthropogenic climate change, climate literacy, and experienced knowledge of climate change. This study focuses on how people come to “know” climate, not just climate change, in a more fundamental way. To discern the structure of these knowledges we conducted semi-structured interviews of residents of a basin in the U.S. Rocky Mountains whose livelihoods and avocations bring them in routine contact with weather, climate, and landscape. Analysis of their climate knowledge in three categories, features, processes, and benchmarks, and placed in perspective of previous research on climate knowledges, yielded three findings. 1) People often focus on climate-related proxies that might be disregarded as tangential within narrow definitions of climate. 2) People use rubrics to structure climate knowledge, they understand climate as relational and connected. 3) Climate knowledge does not isolate individual climate elements, but accentuates the complex way that many processes together constitute climate. These findings reveal that, for our interviewees, climate is a social-ecological-atmospheric construct. This has both theoretical and methodological implications for future research on climate perception and illuminates the challenge of linking perception to effective mitigation and adaptation.
A microRNA's journey to the center of the mitochondria.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known as the master regulators of gene expression, and for the last two decades our knowledge of their functional reach keeps expanding. Recent studies have shown that a miRN...
Simulation of dynamic expansion, contraction, and connectivity in a mountain stream network

Abstract Headwater stream networks expand and contract in response to changes in stream discharge. The changes in the extent of the stream network are also controlled by geologic or geomorphic setting – some reaches go dry even under relatively wet conditions, other reaches remain flowing under relatively dry conditions. While such patterns are well recognized, we currently lack tools to predict the extent of the stream network and the times and locations where the network is dry within large river networks. Here, we develop a perceptual model of the river corridor in a headwater mountainous catchment, translate this into a reduced-complexity mechanistic model, and implement the model to examine connectivity and network extent over an entire water year. Our model agreed reasonably well with our observations, showing that the extent and connectivity of the river network was most sensitive to hydrologic forcing under the lowest discharges (Qgauge 10 L s−1) the extent of the network was relatively insensitive to hydrologic forcing and was instead determined by the network topology. We do not expect that the specific thresholds observed in this study would be transferable to other catchments with different geology, topology, or hydrologic forcing. However, we expect that the general pattern should be robust: the dominant controls will shift from hydrologic forcing to geologic setting as discharge increases. Furthermore, our method is readily transferable as the model can be applied with minimal data requirements (a single stream gauge, a digital terrain model, and estimates of hydrogeologic properties) to estimate flow duration or connectivity along the river corridor in unstudied catchments. As the available information increases, the model could be better calibrated to match site-specific observations of network extent, locations of dry reaches, or solute break through curves as demonstrated in this study. Based on the low initial data requirements and ability to later tune the model to a specific site, we suggest example applications of this parsimonious model that may prove useful to both researchers and managers.
Portal Vein Embolization Prior to Resection

With improvements in perioperative care, major hepatic resections are increasingly being performed for primary and metastatic hepatobiliary neoplasia. Although fatal hepatic failure and major technical complications are now rare after resection, impaired synthetic function, fluid retention, and cholestasis still contribute to prolonged recovery time and extended hospital stay [1, 2]. Although there are many potential contributing causes for perioperative hepatic failure, volume of the future liver remnant (FLR) constitutes one of the most important risk factors. Patients considered at “high risk” for perioperative failure are those with chronic liver disease in whom more than 60% of the functional liver mass will be removed or those with normal underlying liver who undergo resection of more than 80% of their functional liver mass [2–5].
Inhibition of Human Corneal Myofibroblast Formation.

Purpose Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) isoform 1 (T1) is involved in corneal fibrotic wound healing by stimulating myofibroblast transformation and altering fibrotic gene expression. In this study, two specific inhibitors were used to dissect the relationship between myofibroblast generation and the TGF-β/Smad- or TGF-β/p38-signaling pathway in human corneal fibroblasts (HCF). Methods In HCF, Trx-SARA (Smad-pathway inhibitor) was used to block the TGF-β/Smad-signaling pathway, and the p38 inhibitor (p38inh, SB202190) was used to inhibit p38MAPK, thus blocking the TGF-β/p38-signaling pathway. HCF ± Trx-SARA or Trx-GA (SARA control) were serum starved overnight in Eagle's minimum essential medium (EMEM) ± p38inh, grown in EMEM ± T1 ± p38inh for 24 hours, and then processed for indirect-immunofluorescence, Western blot, or quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to examine α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and other fibrotic genes, such as fibronectin, thrombospondin1, and type III collagen. In addition, the morphology and the effect of p38inh on myofibroblast phenotype after myofibroblast formation were examined. Results We observed that Trx-SARA had little effect on αSMA expression, indicating that blocking the Smad pathway did not significantly inhibit myofibroblast formation. However, p38inh did significantly inhibit αSMA and other fibrotic genes, thus efficiently preventing the transition of HCFs to myofibroblasts. In addition, morphology changed and αSMA decreased in myofibroblasts exposed to p38inh medium, as compared with controls. Conclusions HCF transition to myofibroblasts was mainly through the p38 pathway. Therefore, blocking the p38 pathway may be a potential therapeutic tool for human corneal fibrosis prevention/treatment, because it controls myofibroblast formation in human corneal cells, while leaving other functions of T1 unaffected.