cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mycophenolate Versus Cyclophosphamide for Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease Associated with Systemic Sclerosis: A 2-Year Case Control Study

Cyclophosphamide is considered the treatment of choice for interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to systemic sclerosis (SSc), albeit having a minimal effect. Although controlled evidence does not exist, mycophenolate is used increasingly in clinical practice as an alternative. We aimed to compare the long-term efficacy of these drugs. Patients from our SSc cohort who received mycophenolate for over 1 year for progressive ILD were 1:1 matched for age, gender, and baseline forced vital capacity (FVC ±3 %) with cyclophosphamide-treated patients. Changes in FVC, total lung capacity (TLC), diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scans were compared between groups. Changes in pulmonary function tests (PFTs) over at least 1 year in six unmatched control patients, who had denied mycophenolate or cyclophosphamide, also were examined. FVC, TLC, and DLCO did not change significantly in either mycophenolate (from 79.0 ± 12.5 to 80.2 ± 8.1 to 81.2 ± 11.4, from 71.5 ± 16.1 to 74.3 ± 10.8 to 71.8 ± 13.0, from 56.8 ± 12.0 to 55.2 ± 9.9 to 50.6 ± 8.5, respectively) or cyclophosphamide group (from 77.3 ± 12.5 to 79.7 ± 10.3 to 82.5 ± 12.9, from 64.7 ± 14.9 to 68.6 ± 16.0 to 66.1 ± 15.5, from 53.1 ± 14.3 to 56.4 ± 13.5 to 56.3 ± 6.7, respectively), after 1 or 2 years of treatment. PFTs also remained stable in the control group. In either the mycophenolate or cyclophosphamide groups, six patients remained stable, three improved, and one deteriorated according to the definitions of the American Thoracic Society. However, and despite the fact that patients in the cyclophosphamide group had more extended ILD at baseline, a deterioration of lung HRCT findings at 2 years was noticed after mycophenolate (from 10.0 ± 8.9 to 12.7 ± 8.2, p = 0.039) but not after cyclophosphamide. Although these results derive from patients selected for receiving at least 1 year of treatment and therefore they do not represent an intention-to-treat cohort, an eagerness to replace cyclophosphamide by mycophenolate in SSc-associated ILD treatment is not supported.
Digital lithographic processing for large‐area electronics

— A non-contact jet-printed mask-patterning process is described. By combining digital imaging with jet printing, digital lithography was used to pattern a-Si:H-based electronics on glass and plastic substrates in place of conventional photolithography. This digital lithographic process is capable of layer-to-layer registration of ±5 μm using electronic mask files that are directly jet printed onto a surface. Aminimum feature size of 50 μm was used to create 180 × 180 element backplanes having 75-dpi resolution for display and image-sensor applications. By using a secondary mask process, the minimum feature size can be reduced down to ∼15 μm for fabrication of short-channel thin-film transistors. The same process was also used to pattern black-matrix wells in fabricating color-filter top plates in LCD panels.
Mesoporous titania spheres with tunable chamber stucture and enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Urchinlike TiO2 spheres with tunable chamber structure were synthesized using a template-free solvothermal method. The unique sphere-in-sphere chamber structure allows multiple reflections of UV light resulting in greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity. This work provided novel structural platforms for novel materials and device applications.
Compositional variation of leaf pocket sesquiterpenes in Trachylobium verrucosum

Abstract Greenhouse-grown plants originating from Kenyan and Madagascan populations of Trachylobium verrucosum are qualitatively identical in leaf pocket resin sesquiterpene composition, but differ quantitatively.
Radiotherapeutic Schedule Optimization for Targeting Tumor Vasculature: Implications of Non-invasive Physiologic Imaging

Purpose/Objective: The identification of protein markers produced by a tumor and its micro-environment in response to vasculature targeted agents may have prognostic and therapeutic implications. Treatment optimization is desirable for vasculature targeted radiation therapy (RT) which includes: 1) low dose fractionated RT combined with vasculature targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) or 2) high dose single fraction RT. The two-fold purpose of this study was to identify protein markers produced in vivo in response to TKI and to non-invasively monitor and compare tumor physiology in response to a variety of vasculature targeted RT regimens.
Effects of Devil′s Advocacy and Dialectical Inquiry on Individuals versus Groups

Abstract There is a long history of research that has investigated the effects of cognitive conflict on group and individual decision making. No study has simultaneously compared the effects of two techniques, devil′s advocacy and dialectical inquiry, on the performance of individuals versus groups. In this paper, we report the results of a laboratory experiment that makes this comparison. Artificial groups (groups formed by pooling individuals working independently) obtained an overall lower-quality solution for a case analysis problem than intact groups. However, there were no performance differences between intact groups and the performance of the best member of artificial groups. When artificial and intact groups were examined together, those given the devil′s advocacy treatment produced higher-quality solutions than those given the dialectical inquiry treatment and a simpler expert-based approach involving no conflict. Intact groups given the devil′s advocacy treatment produced higher-quality solutions than those given the expert treatment. Artificial groups given devil′s advocacy produced higher-quality solutions than those given the expert or dialectical inquiry treatment. Overall, the results suggest that the devil′s advocacy treatment has a slightly greater advantage over the dialectical inquiry with individuals than with groups.
Baseline drinking behaviors in alcoholics and social drinkers kinds of drinks and sip magnitude

Abstract The kind of drink ordered and the magnitude of sips taken in the course of a drinking session of alcoholic beverages in a bar-and-lounge environment were found to differ significantly between 15 social drinkers and 16 hospital admitted alcoholics with previous histories of hospitalization for alcoholism. The alcoholics as defined in this sample take on the average larger sips and more straight (non-mixed) liquor than do the social drinkers. An argument to train alcoholics to become social drinkers is offered.
Digital period analysis of EEG in depression : periodicity, coherence, and interhemispheric relationships during sleep

Abstract 1. 1. Interhemispheric EEG differences were compared between 12 symptomatic depressed outpatients, 12 asymptomatic patients and 12 normal controls during two consecutive nights in the Sleep Study Unit. 2. 2. EEG was quantified using digital period analysis (DPA), a time-domain analysis of successive polarity changes (zero-cross) and instances of zero slope (first derivative), yielding percent-time in each frequency band. 3. 3. The degree of hemispheric asymmetry (L-R) was computed for delta, beta and theta percentages from REM, Stage 2 and Slow-Wave (SW) sleep. 4. 4. Normals showed small asymmetries throughout sleep with largest differences in SW, with no consistant relationship between right and left activity and sleep stage. 5. 5. Both depressed groups showed largest asymmetries in REM sleep, with significantly more beta, theta and delta in the right hemisphere consistantly. None of the 24 depressed patients showed greater left hemisphere activity throughout sleep.
The Ames dwarf gene is required for Pit-1 gene activation.

The tissue-specific POU domain transcription factor Pit-1 is required for phenotypic specification of three cell types in the anterior pituitary gland of mammals: somatotropes, thyrotropes, and lactotropes. Mutations in thePit-1gene, as first described in Snell and Jackson dwarf (dw) mice, led to pituitary hypoplasia due to lack of these three cell types, as well as hypothyroidism and dwarfism because of deficiency of thyroid-stimulating hormone and growth hormone, respectively. The Ames dwarf (df) exhibits a phenotype identical to that of Pit-1-mutated mice but the defective gene has been mapped to a locus on mouse chromosome 11, distinct from thePit-1gene located on mouse chromosome 6. Our studies indicate that initial activation of thePit-1gene is deficient in the Ames dwarf. This suggests that thedfgene is required for activation of thePit-1gene and provides evidence for a hierarchy of tissue-specific factors required for cellular commitment in the anterior pituitary gland.
Synthesis and properties of organotin epoxy polymers from tri-n-butyltin esters of ω - amino acids

Abstract Structure-property relationships in a series of thermoset organotin polymers have been investigated. The tri-n-butyltin esters of glycine, 4-aminobutanoic, 6-aminohexanoic, and 11-aminoundecanoic acids were synthesized and reacted with diepoxides to prepare prepolymers carrying epoxide end groups. The prepolymers were crosslinked by diethylenetriamine or metaphenylenediamine. Similar epoxy network polymers were prepared directly from the tributyltin ester of 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid which was also synthesized. The strength, moduli, toughness, glass transition and dynamic mechanical response of the polymers were investigated, and correlated with structural changes introduced in the network. The results establish the utility of the adopted synthesis schemes in exercising considerable control over the bulk polymer properties, and consequently, in modifying the controlled release of organotin groups from the crosslinked network.
Do nominal devaluations lead to real devaluations? Evidence from 89 countries

Abstract Studies that have concentrated on the relationship between nominal and real exchange rates to determine whether nominal devaluation leads to real devaluation have concluded that this only happens in the short to medium run. This is based on a small number of countries, however. In this paper we engage in the most comprehensive empirical analysis in the literature by using monthly effective exchange rate data from 89 countries. Our bounds-testing approach reveals that nominal devaluations lead to real devaluations in all countries in the short-run. However, we find long-run effects only in a limited number of countries.
Enthalpies of dilution of aqueous tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide from 50 to 175°C

Enthalpies of dilution of aqueous tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide have been measured from 0.3 to about 0.002 mol-kg−1 and from 323 to 448 K at 1.03 MPa. Different methods of obtaining the enthalpy of micellization from experimental data are examined. Enthalpies of micellization calculated from these methods disagree by large amounts. From consideration of the temperature dependence of the average aggregation number and multiple equilibria equations for micellization, it is shown that there is an enormous dependence of micellizaton enthalpy on aggregation number of a micelle.
The Geographic Link between Sex Offenders and Potential Victims: A Routine Activities Approach:

Despite the publicity surrounding several high-profile sex offender incidents in the 1990s, relatively little research has been done on sex offenders themselves. This article reports on a study of sex offenders in one Arkansas county who had children as victims. Specifically, we examined the relationship between where the offenders live and where children congregate to see whether offenders choose to reside in areas with high concentrations of children. We use routine activities theory as a foundation for explaining our results, and conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of the findings.
Alcoholism, depression, and abnormal cognition in head and neck cancer: A pilot study

Objective To determine prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependency, depression, and cognitive impairment in presurgical head and neck cancer patients. Study design Standardized testing by diagnostic interview was used to determine major depression and alcoholism. Mattis Dementia Rating Scale examined cognitive ability preoperatively. Twenty-four patients with advanced head and neck cancer participated. Setting University hospital. Results A total of 63.6% met criteria for alcohol abuse and 62 percent for alcohol dependence; 26.1 % of patients met criteria for major depression. Testing in multiple subsets of cognitive function demonstrated measurable deficits in both alcohol dependents and abusers. All deficits were significant when compared with population norms. Conclusions Findings suggest that prevalence of alcohol abuse, major depression, and cognitive impairment is common in head and neck cancer patients preoperatively. Early diagnosis and management of these disorders should be considered in care of the head and neck cancer patient.
Sterilizing Bacillus pumilus spores using supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO2) has been evaluated as a new sterilization technology. Results are presented on killing of B. pumilus spores using SC CO2 containing trace levels of additives. Complete killing was achieved with 200 part per million (ppm) hydrogen peroxide in SC CO2 at 60 °C, 27.5 MPa. Addition of water to SC CO2 resulted in greater than three-log killing, but this is insufficient to claim sterilization. Neither ethanol nor isopropanol when added to SC CO2 affected killing.
The Horizons of the Moral: A Reply to David Bloome

David Bloome appreciates a major theme of my article, that moral education can be seen as an ongoing process in the classroom rather than as a formal program added to the curriculum. His own views on the matter are provocative. In metaphorical terms, however, his response to my article is a case of taking the pianist to task for not playing the cello. He is an accomplished cultural analyst who does not find enough culture and society in my article. But since I was not engaged in cultural analysis, his criticisms seem tangential to the purposes I had in mind. Cultural analysis encompasses research undertakings that are sometimes called sociolinguistic, semiotic, or ethnographic. This family of approaches has helped us make sense of some of the things that take place in classrooms. It has shed light on how cultural factors impinge on the actions of teachers and students. But the moral dimensions of teaching that I highlighted cannot be understood through the cultural categories Bloome itemizes. Cultural analysis, as he outlines it, overloads perception with analytic constructs that can blind one to the many issues I raised. I will explain this point by responding here to a pair of questions, the first posed by Dewey ([1932] 1960) years ago. That question is, When is it appropriate to raise the issue of the moral? The second question, related in form to the first, is, When is it appropriate to conduct cultural analysis of the moral? Both questions imply that there is no single conceptual lens capable of capturing the moral meanings in what teachers and students do.
Moving wire technique studies of ablation, ignition and extinction of polymer flames†

A new experimental method for studying the ablation, ignition and extinction of polymers exposed to flames and other ignition sources is presented. The technique is called the ‘Moving Wire Technique’. The polymer sample is carried on a wire support which is moved uniformity through the ignition source which is a flame in the example given. In the laboratory coordinate system, points along the path of the wire correspond to increasing residence time. The polymer combustion thus becomes a steady-state phenomena which can be studied at leisure with the improvements in precision associated with long time steady-state measurements. In addition to steady-state combustion, ignition and extinction transitions are observed whose onsets are sharp and can be accurately characterized in this system. In a favorable case, a reproducibility of a few parts per thousand is attained in determining critical ignition exposure times and extinction velocities. Results from initial studies of commercial Teflon® and poly-(vinylchloride) are presented. Measurements include critical ignition times and extinction velocities a function of free oxygen concentration. For poly-(vinylchloride), measurements are given of gas phase composition, mass loss of the polymer, and surface temperature of the polymer as a function of exposure time. A discussion is given of the relation of the results to other experiments and potential uses of the technique.
The cluster bootstrap consistency in generalized estimating equations

The cluster bootstrap resamples clusters or subjects instead of individual observations in order to preserve the dependence within each cluster or subject. In this paper, we provide a theoretical justification of using the cluster bootstrap for the inferences of the generalized estimating equations (GEE) for clustered/longitudinal data. Under the general exchangeable bootstrap weights, we show that the cluster bootstrap yields a consistent approximation of the distribution of the regression estimate, and a consistent approximation of the confidence sets. We also show that a computationally more efficient one-step version of the cluster bootstrap provides asymptotically equivalent inference.
The household composition coefficient: A method for measuring inequality in the distribution of childrearing demands among households

A method for measuring distributional inequality was applied to household composition data to document and analyze the trend in the distribution of children and adult among households. Lorenz Curve methodology was used to depict the departure of child-adult living arrangements from absolute equality. Households and children were ranked by a child-adult ratio to capture the trend toward smaller families, single-parent families, and childless households. A Gini Coefficient was calculated to mathematically represent the relative degree of inequality in the distribution of childrearing demands from 1940 to 1980.
Coronary artery immunogenecity: a comparison between explanted recipient or donor hearts and transplanted hearts

Abstract Transplant associated accelerated coronary sclerosis (TX-ACS) is the most serious complication following heart transplantation. In order to elucidate the involvement of possible immune mechanisms, we have used immunocytochemistry to characterize the antigens present on the endothelium and the cells present within coronary arteries taken at time of surgery from patients who required retransplantation ( n = 4) or at post mortem ( n = 10) from transplant patients who died. Coronary arteries from unused donor hearts ( n = 4) or heart transplant recipients whose original disease did not involve the coronaries ( n = 8) were used as controls. Endothelium from all control coronary arteries strongly expressed MHC class I, DR antigen, PECAM, ICAM-1 and E-selectin. Expression of VCAM-1, DP and particularly DQ antigen was more patchy. There was no significant difference in the expression of MHC or adhesion molecules between control arteries and those from transplant patients. More cells were present in the intima and media of coronary arteries taken from transplanted hearts, particularly those with intimitis/TX-ACS, than were found in control coronaries. T cells were present in the intima of most coronaries, but the media of only the transplanted coronaries. Cells expressing prolyl 4-hydroxylase were more evident on coronaries from transplanted hearts. In conclusion, coronary arteries from hearts used for transplants appear to be highly immunogenic. This suggests the endothelium would need little, if any, stimuli to initiate as well as be a target for an immune response after transplantation.
The John Insall Award: Both Morphotype and Gender Influence the Shape of the Knee in Patients Undergoing TKA

There is an ongoing debate whether gender differences in the dimensions of the knee should influence the design of TKA components. We hypothesized that not only gender but also the patient's morphotype determined the shape of the distal femur and proximal tibia and that this factor should be taken into account when designing gender-specific TKA implants. We reviewed all 1000 European white patients undergoing TKA between April 2003 and June 2007 and stratified each into one of three groups based on their anatomic constitution: endomorph, ectomorph, or mesomorph. Of the 250 smallest knees, 98% were female, whereas 81% of the 250 largest knees were male. In the group with intermediate-sized knees, female knees were narrower than male knees. Patients with smaller knees (predominantly female) demonstrated large variability between narrow and wide mediolateral dimensions irrespective of gender. The same was true for larger knees (predominantly male). This variability within gender could partially be explained by morphotypic variation. Patients with short and wide morphotype (endomorph) had, irrespective of gender, wider knees, whereas patients with long and narrow morphotype (ectomorph) had narrower knees. The shape of the knee is therefore not only dependent on gender, but also on the morphotype of the patient.
Interaction between the creatine kinase of heart mitochondria and oxidative phosphorylation

Respiration dependent phosphocreatine (CP) synthesis by isolated heart mitochondria was studied under conditions designed to approximate the intracellular milieu. Oxidative phosphorylation and CP synthesis were shown to be in dynamic equilibrium, with the rate of each process being partially determined by the quasi-steady state ATP/ADP ratio of the suspending medium. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption was shown to be a function of extramitochondrial ATP/ADP ratios rather than ATP 4− /ADP 3− or ADP concentration per se when inorganic phosphate (P 1 ) was held constant. The rate of oxidative phosphorylation was also a function of extramitochondrial P 1 but not of phosphorylation potential since very high ATP/ADP ratios inhibited respiration regardless of phosphate concentration. The rate of CP synthesis was directly determined by the degree of displacement of the creatine kinase (CPK) mass action quotient from equilibrium, and the observed respiration dependent stimulation of CP synthesis from ATP and creatine appeared related to the high extramitochondrial ATP/ADP ratios observed during oxidative phosphorylation. When similar ATP/ADP ratios were maintained by adding pyruvate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to non-respiring mitochondria, the rate of CP synthesis was comparable to that observed during respiration. Labelling studies indicated that extramitochondrial ATP is the source of CP phosphate, and no privileged access of matrix ATP for mitochondrial CPK could be detected. These studies suggest that the myocardial creatine kinase system promotes rapid equilibration of CPK substrates throughout the cytoplasmic compartment. Accordingly, fluctuations of ATP and ADP are minimized while CP/creatine ratios and P 1 communicate energy demands of the contractile system to the mitochondria.
The metal efflux island of Legionella pneumophila is not required for survival in macrophages and amoebas.

Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular pathogen causing pneumonia-like disease in humans. A 43-kb putative heavy metal efflux gene island was found on the L. pneumophila genome. Large Legionella deletion strains of the metal efflux genes were tested in human THP-1-derived macrophages and amoebal Acanthamoeba castellanii cells and were able to survive and replicate similar to the wild type, suggesting that they do not play a significant role within the intracellular environment. Examination of the sequence of this genomic island revealed that some genes were not accurately annotated and there were no known metal-responsive regulators encoded in this region. Therefore, functional roles of these metal resistance genes were tested by conducting metal resistance assays. Individual genes were cloned in an expression vector and expressed in an appropriate metal-sensitive Escherichia coli background with varying concentrations of the tested metal. Of the 11 efflux systems, a role was determined only for one. A Cu(I)-translocating PIB-type ATPase was shown to be encoded by lpg1024. This gene, termed copA, complemented a copper-sensitive (ΔcopA) E. coli strain in trans and was able to confer copper resistance.
Objective Evaluation of Quality in Poultry Meat

RECENT work in this laboratory1–5 has indicated a relation between biochemical and quality changes occurring in chicken muscle during storage. During frozen storage the buffer-extractable nitrogen of chicken muscle decreased and the products of protein breakdown increased1. The decrease in buffer-extractable nitrogen occurred as a result of loss of solubility of the actomyosin fraction and was accompanied by a loss of sulphydryl groups (−SH) of muscle tissue. During storage at above freezing temperatures, extensive proteolysis occurred, but the changes in the protein extractability and −SH group content of muscle tissue were small2. In meat in which the proteolytic activity had been destroyed by cooking, the −SH groups of muscle tissue decreased progressively during frozen storage without any increase in the protein-breakdown products3. The loss of −SH groups and solubility of muscle protein was accompanied by a loss of tenderness and development of dryness in frozen stored meat, while the amount of protein-breakdown products increased with the development of off-odour in meat stored either frozen or unfrozen.
Diagnostic comparison of 1.5 Tesla and 3.0 Tesla preoperative MRI of the wrist in patients with ulnar-sided wrist pain

Purpose The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 1.5 Tesla (T) and of 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are correlated with wrist arthroscopy findings in patients presenting with ulnar-sided wrist pain. Methods The records and diagnostic MRI scans of 102 patients who presented between 1997 and 2006 with ulnar-sided wrist pain were evaluated. Preoperative MRI scans at 1.5T (n = 70) and 3.0T (n = 32) were evaluated by 2 experienced musculoskeletal radiologists with different levels of experience who were blinded to the arthroscopic findings. Preoperative MRI findings for the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), scapholunate, ulnotriquetral, and lunotriquetral ligaments were recorded and compared with findings at diagnostic arthroscopy. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated for both the 1.5T and 3.0T preoperative MRI scans. Statistical comparisons were made using chi-square test and JMP 6.0 software. Results A tear of the TFCC was identified retrospectively on 1.5T images in 49 of 58 patients and on 3.0T images in 15 of 16 patients. Compared with the gold standard of arthroscopy, 1.5T wrist MRI in this patient population had a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 75%, and an accuracy of 83% for reader 1 for the detection of a tear of the TFCC. In the same patient population, 3.0T wrist MRI had a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of 88%, and an accuracy of 91% for reader 1. For reader 2, the improvement in sensitivity for the lunotriquetral ligament between the 1.5T and 3.0T images was statistically significant. Conclusions The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 3.0T wrist MRI for the TFCC is consistently higher compared with those of 1.5T wrist MRI. The trend suggests that 3.0T wrist MRI provides improved capability for detection of TFCC injuries. Given the available sample size, however, the confidence intervals around the point estimates are wide and overlapping. Further studies are needed to confirm or refute our results of the estimated sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy parameters.
Establishment of an HPA‐1‐ to ‐16‐typed platelet donor registry in China

In order to determine gene frequencies of human platelet antigen (HPA) and establish a panel of accredited HPA-1a, -2a, -4a, -5a and -6a-negative donors as well as an HPA-typed platelet donor registry, a total of 1000 Chinese donors of Han nationality (500 from north China and 500 from south China) were typed for HPA-1 through -16 using a DNA-based polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers genotyping method. The gene frequencies of HPA-1b, -2b, -3b, -4b, -5b, -6bw, -10bw and -15b were 0.0060, 0.0485, 0.4055, 0.0045, 0.0140, 0.0135, 0.0005 and 0.4680, respectively. The HPA-7bw, -8bw, -9bw, -11bw, -12bw, -13bw, -14bw and -16bw alleles were not found. The HPA-2b and -5b homozygous donors were detected at low frequencies. The HPA mismatch probabilities potentially leading to alloimmunization in random platelet transfusion vary with a region from 0.1% to 37% depending on the distribution patterns of common and less common alleles in each system. This study provides a useful HPA-typed plateletpheresis donor registry in China and could improve platelet antibody detection and HPA-matched platelet transfusion in alloimmune thrombocytopenic patients.
A clinicopathologic study of osteonecrosis in the osteoarthritic hip

Abstract Objective To investigate the incidence and nature of secondary osteonecrosis observed in osteoarthritis (OA) of the femoral head. Design This study is based on a retrospective review of the histopathologic and radiologic materials obtained from 906 consecutive cases (1007 femoral heads) diagnosed as OA. Results Secondary osteonecrosis was recognized grossly and confirmed microscopically in 38.2% of the femoral heads. The lesions were categorized into two types based on shape, size and depth; ‘shallow' flat lesion (median axis 3–10mm, depth 2–3mm) with or without cysts (368 cases, 36.5%), and ‘deep, wedge-shaped' large lesion (more than 20mm across and 10mm in depth) with or without cyst (17 cases, 1.7%). In the ‘shallow' flat lesion, the age ranged from 25 to 88 (average 66), the female/male ratio was 0.8, and the location of osteonecrosis correlated best with the direction of migration in OA. In the ‘deep, wedge-shaped' lesion, the age ranged from 56 to 92 (average 70), the female/male ratio was 1.8, and the location of osteonecrosis was similar to that found in primary osteonecrosis. Conclusion Two different types of osteonecrosis were observed in OA. 'Shallow' osteonecrosis may be pressure necrosis as a result of eburnation, while ‘deep, wedge-shaped' osteonecrosis appears to be an independent phenomena presumably caused by similar causal factors to those in primary osteonecrosis.
Cardiac Performance Preserved Despite Thiopental Loading

Background Some cerebral artery aneurysms require cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest to be clipped safely. During bypass these neurosurgical patients often are given large doses of thiopental in the hope that additional cerebral protection will be provided. However, thiopental loading during bypass has been associated with subsequent cardiac dysfunction in patients with heart disease. This study was undertaken to determine how patients without concomitant heart disease would respond to thiopental loading. Methods Twenty-four neurosurgical patients with giant cerebral aneurysms and little or no cardiac disease were anesthetized with fentanyl, nitrous oxide, and isoflurane. Thiopental was titrated to achieve electroencephalographic burst-suppression before bypass, and the infusion was continued until after separation. Prebypass hemodynamic and echocardiographic measurements were obtained during a stable baseline and 15 min after thiopental loading began. They were repeated after bypass. Results Prebypass thiopental loading increased heart rate from 61 +/- 11 to 72 +/- 13 beats/min and decreased stroke volume from 43 +/- 10 to 38 +/- 8 ml.beat-1.m-2, but arterial and filling pressures, vascular resistance, cardiac index, and ejection fraction remained the same. Before bypass, thiopental plasma concentration measured 28 +/- 8 micrograms/ml. Loading continued for 2-3 h until after bypass was terminated, and the overall infusion rate was 18 +/- 5 mg.kg-1.h-1. All patients were easily separated from bypass without inotropic support. Following bypass, vascular resistance was decreased; heart rate, filling pressures, and cardiac index were increased; stroke volume had returned to its baseline; and ejection fraction was unchanged. Conclusions It was concluded that if preoperative ventricular function is good, thiopental loading to electroencephalographic burst-suppression causes negligible cardiac impairment and does not impede separation from cardiopulmonary bypass.
Backed Bladelets Are a Foreign Country

For a period of some ten millennia, the stone-tool industries of North Africa were dominated by microlithic backed bladelets, sometimes almost to the exclusion of any other forms. They were made and used in very small, face-to-face, social contexts and so must have had a role in shaping and negotiating social identity. This can be best seen in the extreme consistency of their forms, both size and shape. Within each of the various cultural contexts, across half a continent, the backed bladelets are so unvarying as to raise the question of whether any determinants other than social negotiation were important. The answer seems to be that, like all things, such nonsocial factors remain possible, but they are very difficult to find.
Chronology of late Brunhes biostratigraphy and late Cenozoic disconformities in the Vema Channel (South Atlantic)

Abstract The stratigraphic ranges of two planktonic foraminiferal species provide a useful biostratigraphic zonation for late Brunhes sediments of the subtropical South Atlantic (30°S). By comparison with oxygen isotopic stratigraphy in two cores and calcium carbonate stratigraphy in nine cores, the range ofG. hirsuta extends from isotope stage 7 to the Recent (t = 240,000 years B.P. to Present Day) and that ofG. crassaformis from the late Pliocene to isotope stage 5 (120,000 years B.P.). This biostratigraphic zonation was utilized to demonstrate that for the last 130,000 years sediment accumulation changes between water depths of 2,940–4,235 m reflect the transition between Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) and North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) in the Vema Channel. The combination of the paleomagnetic stratigraphy and planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy in two other cores enabled the detection of two late Cenozoic disconformities in the Vema Channel. The late Pliocene disconformity is marked by a buried manganese oxide crust and associated winnowing of slope sediments. The intensification of bottom currents which produced the Mn-crust ceased in the middle of the Gauss Epoch (2.90 m.y. B.P.). The late Pliocene disconformity may be related to the initial build-up of Northern Hemispheric ice sheets and/or Southern Hemispheric cooling. The second disconformity extends from the late Miocene to the middle of the Gilbert Epoch (3.8 m.y. B.P.).
Chalcogen extrusion from heteroallenes and carbon monoxide by a three-coordinate rh(i) disilylamide.

We report the reactions of several heteroallenes (carbon disulfide, carbonyl sulfide, and phenyl isocyanate) and carbon monoxide with a three-coordinate, bis(phosphine)-supported Rh(I) disilylamide (1). Carbon disulfide reacts with 1 to afford a silyltrithiocarbonate complex similar to an intermediate previously invoked in the deoxygenation of CO2 by 1, and prolonged heating affords a structurally unusual μ-κ2(S,S′):κ2(S,S′)-trithiocarbonate dimer. Carbonyl sulfide reacts with 1 to afford a structurally unique Rh(SCNCS) metallacycle derived from two insertions of OCS and N-to-O silyl-group migrations. Phenyl isocyanate reacts with 1 to afford a dimeric bis(phenylcyanamido)-bridged complex resulting from multiple silyl-group migrations and nitrogen-for-oxygen metathesis, akin to reactivity previously observed with carbon dioxide. The ability of 1 to activate carbon–chalcogen multiple bonds via silyl-group migration is further supported by its reactivity with carbon monoxide, where a nitrogen-for-oxygen met...
A Two-Stage Kalman Filter Approach for Robust and Real-Time Power System State Estimation

As electricity demand continues to grow and renewable energy increases its penetration in the power grid, real-time state estimation becomes essential for system monitoring and control. Recent development in phasor technology makes it possible with high-speed time-synchronized data provided by phasor measurement units (PMUs). In this paper, we present a two-stage Kalman filter approach to estimate the static state of voltage magnitudes and phase angles, as well as the dynamic state of generator rotor angles and speeds. Kalman filters achieve optimal performance only when the system noise characteristics have known statistical properties (zero-mean, Gaussian, and spectrally white). However, in practice, the process and measurement noise models are usually difficult to obtain. Thus, we have developed the adaptive Kalman filter with inflatable noise variances (AKF with InNoVa), an algorithm that can efficiently identify and reduce the impact of incorrect system modeling and/or erroneous measurements. In stage one, we estimate the static state from raw PMU measurements using the AKF with InNoVa; then in stage two, the estimated static state is fed into an extended Kalman filter to estimate the dynamic state. The simulations demonstrate its robustness to sudden changes of system dynamics and erroneous measurements.
Absence of non-specific effects of RNA interference triggered by long double-stranded RNA in mouse oocytes.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved eukaryotic mechanism by which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers the sequence-specific degradation of homologous mRNAs. Recent concerns have arisen in mammalian systems about off-target effects of RNAi, as well as an interferon response. Most mammalian cells respond to long dsRNAs by inducing an antiviral response mediated by interferon that leads to general inhibition of protein synthesis and nonspecific degradation of mRNAs. Moreover, recent reports demonstrate that under certain conditions, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs, 21–25 bp) may activate the interferon system. Mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos apparently lack this response, as potent and specific inhibition of gene expression triggered by long dsRNA is observed in these cells. In the present study, we analyzed the global pattern of gene expression by microarray analysis in transgenic mouse oocytes expressing long dsRNA and find no evidence of off-targeting. We also report that genes involved in the interferon response pathway are not expressed in mouse oocytes, even after exposure for an extended period of time to long dsRNA.
Hydrodynamical limit for a Hamiltonian system with weak noise

Starting from a general hamiltonian system with superstable pairwise potential, we construct a stochastic dynamics by adding a noise term which exchanges the momenta of nearby particles. We prolve that, in the scaling limit, the time conserved quantities, energy, momenta and density, satisfy the Euler equation of conservation laws up to a fixed timet provided that the Euler equation has a smooth solution with a given initial data up to timet. The strength of the noise term is chosen to be very small (but nonvanishing) so that it disappears in the scaling limit.
A Notch1-neuregulin1 autocrine signaling loop contributes to melanoma growth

The Notch pathway is an evolutionary conserved signaling cascade that has an essential role in melanoblast and melanocyte stem cell homeostasis. Notch signaling is emerging as a key player in melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. In melanoma, Notch1 is inappropriately reactivated and contributes to melanoma tumorigenicity. Here, we propose a novel mechanism by which Notch1 promotes the disease. We found that Notch1 directly regulates the transcription of neuregulin1 (NRG1) by binding to its promoter region. NRG1 is the ligand for ERBB3 and 4, members of the epidermal growth factor family of receptors that are involved in the genesis and progression of a number of cancers. Notch1 and NRG1 expression are associated in melanoma and inhibition of NRG1 signaling leads to melanoma cell growth inhibition and tumor growth delay. Mechanistically, these effects are associated with the inhibition of the PI3Kinase/Akt signaling pathway and with the accumulation of p27(Kip1). On the other end, addition of recombinant NRG1 can partially restore melanoma cell growth that is inhibited by Notch1 ablation. Taken together, our findings underline a new, previously undescribed autocrine signaling loop between Notch1 and NRG1 that controls melanoma growth and provide experimental evidence that the targeting of Notch and ERBB signaling may represent a novel potential therapeutic approach in melanoma.
Accelerated uplift and magmatic intrusion of the Yellowstone caldera, 2004 to 2006

The Yellowstone caldera began a rapid episode of ground uplift in mid-2004, revealed by Global Positioning System and interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements, at rates up to 7 centimeters per year, which is over three times faster than previously observed inflation rates. Source modeling of the deformation data suggests an expanding volcanic sill of ∼1200 square kilometers at a 10-kilometer depth beneath the caldera, coincident with the top of a seismically imaged crustal magma chamber. The modeled rate of source volume increase is 0.1 cubic kilometer per year, similar to the amount of magma intrusion required to supply the observed high heat flow of the caldera. This evidence suggests magma recharge as the main mechanism for the accelerated uplift, although pressurization of magmatic fluids cannot be ruled out.
0.61W/mm 2 resonant inductively coupled power transfer for 3D-ICs

A high power density wireless inductive power link targeting 3D-ICs and wireless testing is implemented in 65nm CMOS. Its operating frequency is 3.5GHz, the optimal frequency from the trade-off between delivered power and power loss. The link exploits high-Q inductors and resonant inductive coupling to boost the received voltage and maximize the delivered power. A power density of 0.61W/mm2 is achieved with 0.12×0.12mm2 coils and a 50μm separation.
Explicit knowledge in dolphins

The theoretical framework proposed by Dienes & Perner sets the wrong standards for knowledge to be considered explicit. Animals other than humans possess knowledge, too, some of which is probably explicit. We argue that a comparative approach to investigating knowledge is likely to be more fruitful than one based on linguistic constructs and unobservable phenomena.
Numerical simulation of corona discharge in N2

A numerical study of a negative corona discharge in nitrogen in a point-plane gap using a Monte Carlo method is presented. The simulation provides a detailed structure of avalanches, propagation of successive avalanches and ion distribution can be discerned. The development of electron avalanches is due to ionization and photoionization in the high-field region, while the quenching of the avalanches is due to the low electric field near the plane electrode. Also the accumulation of electrons and positive ions are displayed in detail. The space charge field distortion is studied.
EHV-DC Simulator

The salient features of the design and construction of an analog computer for the study of HV-dc transmission systems are described. The special modeling techniques which permitted a relatively low power base simulator which could be interconnected with the ac Transient Network Analyzer are outlined. The completed simulator is a useful tool for the systems planning engineer whereby system and control can be studied in all their complexity while maintaining a reasonable dimension on the output time.
Vascular Targeting as a Strategy for Cancer Therapy

New molecular techniques have yielded a battery of potential therapies for many diseases, but the clinical fruits of these methods have not been abundant, in part because in vitro models used for s...
What makes a good story? The naïve rater's perception

Background: Individuals with aphasia (IWA) present with language impairments at the discourse level. Recently researchers have found a relationship between discourse measures in aphasia and raters' perceptions of the quality of language produced by IWA. However, the relationship between naive raters' perceptions of language quality and linguistic measures of discourse in individuals without aphasia is less clear. Due to variations in researchers' intentions, discourse tasks used, objective measures analysed, and methods used to assess language quality, a cogent understanding of what linguistic measures impact the perception of language quality is still lacking. If certain discourse measures important for differentiating the language quality of individuals with language impairments are also important to distinguishing the quality of stories produced by individuals without language impairments, those elements should have a significant impact on communicative success for IWA. Aims: The purpose of this study ...
STAM Adaptor Proteins Interact with COPII Complexes and Function in ER-to-Golgi Trafficking

Signal transducing adaptor molecules (STAMs) are involved in growth factor and cytokine signaling as well as receptor degradation, and they form complexes with a number of endocytic proteins, including Hrs and Eps15. Here we demonstrate that STAM proteins also localize prominently to early exocytic compartments and profoundly regulate Golgi morphology. Upon STAM overexpression in cells the Golgi apparatus becomes extensively fragmented and dispersed, but when STAMs are depleted the Golgi becomes highly condensed. Under both scenarios, vesicular stomatitis virus G protein (VSVG)-GFP trafficking to the plasma membrane is markedly inhibited, and recovery of Golgi morphology after brefeldin A treatment is substantially impaired in STAM-depleted cells. Furthermore, STAM proteins interact with COPII proteins, probably at endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit sites, and Sar1 activity is required to maintain the localization of STAMs at discrete sites. Thus, in addition to their roles in signaling and endocytosis, STAMs function prominently in ER-to-Golgi trafficking, most likely through direct interactions with the COPII complex.
Mitochondrial Free Ca2+ Levels and Their Effects on Energy Metabolism in Drosophila Motor Nerve Terminals

Mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake exerts dual effects on mitochondria. Ca2+ accumulation in the mitochondrial matrix dissipates membrane potential (ΔΨm), but Ca2+ binding of the intramitochondrial enzymes accelerates oxidative phosphorylation, leading to mitochondrial hyperpolarization. The levels of matrix free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]m) that trigger these metabolic responses in mitochondria in nerve terminals have not been determined. Here, we estimated [Ca2+]m in motor neuron terminals of Drosophila larvae using two methods: the relative responses of two chemical Ca2+ indicators with a 20-fold difference in Ca2+ affinity (rhod-FF and rhod-5N), and the response of a low-affinity, genetically encoded ratiometric Ca2+ indicator (D4cpv) calibrated against known Ca2+ levels. Matrix pH (pHm) and ΔΨm were monitored using ratiometric pericam and tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester probe, respectively, to determine when mitochondrial energy metabolism was elevated. At rest, [Ca2+]m was 0.22 ± 0.04 μM, but it rose to ∼26 μM (24.3 ± 3.4 μM with rhod-FF/rhod-5N and 27.0 ± 2.6 μM with D4cpv) when the axon fired close to its endogenous frequency for only 2 s. This elevation in [Ca2+]m coincided with a rapid elevation in pHm and was followed by an after-stimulus ΔΨm hyperpolarization. However, pHm decreased and no ΔΨm hyperpolarization was observed in response to lower levels of [Ca2+]m, up to 13.1 μM. These data indicate that surprisingly high levels of [Ca2+]m are required to stimulate presynaptic mitochondrial energy metabolism.