cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laterality of cortical response to ethanol is moderated by TaqIA A1 allele.

Acute ethanol releases dopamine, implicated in drug-related reinforcement, and suppresses glucose metabolism, particularly within the right cerebral hemisphere (Volkow et al., 2008; Volkow et al., 2006). This is consistent with a predominance of left hemisphere activity being associating with positive affect or approach, and right hemisphere predominance with negative affect/avoidance (Davidson, 2002; Tomer et al., 2008). Despite substantial evidence linking the Taq1 DRD2 A1 allele with lower dopaminergic tone and greater vulnerability to alcoholism (Noble, 2000), its role in modulating acute effects of alcohol is unknown. We hypothesized that in individuals with the A1 allele, acute ethanol would improve mood and alter relative hemispheric activity. Twelve healthy right-handed white men (mean age [sd]= 29.0 [5.0]) with no history of psychiatric diagnosis or dependence on alcohol had TaqI A DRD2 alleles assessed from blood. Six had the A1A2 genotype (A1+) and six the A2A2 genotype (A1-). In two order-counterbalanced [F-18]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET- Siemens ECAT EXACT HR+ tomography; CTI, Knoxville, TN) sessions 10 ± 8 days apart, globally-scaled counts served as a surrogate marker of relative glucose metabolism while participants performed a 35-min auditory vigilance task. Five min before testing, participants drank 250-ml of diet soda containing either 0.75 g/kg body weight or a trivial dose of ethanol, and self-rated their anxiety and fatigue (McNair et al., 1971). Five min after task initiation, FDG (≤5 mCi, ≤185 MBq) was injected intravenously. PET images were acquired for 30 min, and analyzed via statistical parametric mapping software (SPM5; http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/spm/software/spm5/), as previously detailed (London et al., 2004). Individual hemispheric comparisons of relative activity within lateral cortex also analyzed 56 anatomical regions-of-interest (ROIs) from a parcellation of MNI-space (Tzourio-Mazoyer et al., 2002). We hypothesized that presence of the A1 allele would influence effects of ethanol on laterality ([Right/(Left+Right)]×100ethanol - [Right/(Left+Right)]×100placebo). Within-subject hemispheric differences were assessed with t-tests. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests assessed group differences. Correlation analysis quantified the relationship between ethanol-related change in mood and laterality.
A simple dynamic adjustment model of lumber and pulpwood production

(1979). A simple dynamic adjustment model of lumber and pulpwood production. Applied Economics: Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 367-376.
Genome-wide recombination in Chlamydia trachomatis

A new study reports comparative genomic analysis of 52 geographically diverse strains of Chlamydia trachomatis. The authors reconstruct a genome-wide phylogeny of the species and report extensive genome-wide recombination across multiple lineages of this intracellular bacterial pathogen.
Carbohydrate restriction, prostate cancer growth, and the insulin-like growth factor axis

BACKGROUND Recent evidence suggests carbohydrate intake may influence prostate cancer biology. We tested whether a no-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (NCKD) would delay prostate cancer growth relative to Western and low-fat diets in a xenograft model.
Obliterative Portal Venopathy: A Clinical and Histopathological Review

Non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH) is characterized by the elevation of the portal pressure in the absence of cirrhosis. Obliterative portal venopathy (OPV) as a cause of NCPH is being increasingly diagnosed, especially after recent reports of its occurrence in patients with HIV using didanosine. Patients usually present with episodes of variceal hemorrhage and other features of portal hypertension including jaundice, ascites, encephalopathy and hepatopulmonary syndrome. Hepatic synthetic function is typically well preserved and the laboratory evaluation in OPV patients typically reveals only mild nonspecific hematological abnormalities chiefly related to hypersplenism. Its diagnosis remains a challenge and patients are often mistakenly diagnosed as having cirrhosis. Despite the increasing recognition of OPV, its etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear. A number of etiologies have been proposed including genetic predisposition, recurrent bacterial infections, HIV infection and highly active antiretroviral therapy, an altered immune response, hypercoagulability, and exposure to chemicals and certain medications. Histopathological evaluation remains critical in excluding cirrhosis and other causes of portal hypertension, and is the only way of definitively establishing the diagnosis of OPV. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for OPV in patients who present with variceal bleeding and splenomegaly and who do not have other features of cirrhosis. The purpose of this review is to summarize the known etiologies for OPV and its associated clinical aspects and correlations, and to also provide ample histophotomicrographs of OPV to aid in the diagnosis. It will also help raise awareness of this entity amongst pathologists and clinicians alike.
Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) based ideal observer estimation using a parameterized phantom and a pre-calculated dataset

The ideal observer (IO) employs complete knowledge of the available data statistics and sets an upper limit on the observer performance on a binary classification task. Kupinski proposed an IO estimation method using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques. In principle, this method can be generalized to any parameterized phantoms and simulated imaging systems. In practice, however, it can be computationally burdensome, because it requires sampling the object distribution and simulating the imaging process a large number of times during the MCMC estimation process. In this work we propose methods that allow application of MCMC techniques to cardiac SPECT imaging IO estimation using a parameterized torso phantom and an accurate analytical projection algorithm that models the SPECT image formation process. To accelerate the imaging simulation process and thus enable the MCMC IO estimation, we used a phantom model with discretized anatomical parameters and continuous uptake parameters. The imaging process simulation was modeled by pre-computing projections for each organ in the finite number of discretely-parameterized anatomic models and taking linear combinations of the organ projections based on sampling of the continuous organ uptake parameters. The proposed method greatly reduces the computational burden and makes MCMC IO estimation for cardiac SPECT imaging possible.
Error analysis and feasibility study of dynamic stiffness matrix-based damping matrix identification

Developing a method to formulate a damping matrix that represents the actual spatial distribution and mechanism of damping of the dynamic system has been an elusive goal. The dynamic stiffness matrix (DSM)-based damping identification method proposed by Lee and Kim is attractive and promising because it identifies the damping matrix from the measured DSM without relying on any unfounded assumptions. However, in ensuing works it was found that damping matrices identified from the method had unexpected forms and showed traces of large variance errors. The causes and possible remedies of the problem are sought for in this work. The variance and leakage errors are identified as the major sources of the problem, which are then related to system parameters through numerical and experimental simulations. An improved experimental procedure is developed to reduce the effect of these errors in order to make the DSM-based damping identification method a practical option.
Bodily ownership, bodily awareness and knowledge without observation

In a recent paper, Frederique de Vignemont has argued that there is a positive quale of bodily ownership (de Vignemont 2013, The mark of bodily ownership. Analysis 73: 643�51, see also 2007, Habeas corpus: the sense of ownership of one�s own body. Mind and Language 22: 427�49). She thinks that tactile and other forms of somatosensory phenomenology incorporate a distinctive feeling of myness and takes issue with my defense in Bermudez (2011, Bodily awareness and self-consciousness. Oxford Handbook of the Self, ed. S. Gallagher. 157�79. Oxford: Oxford University Press.) of a deflationary approach to bodily ownership. That paper proposed an argument deriving from Elizabeth Anscombe�s various discussions of what she terms knowledge without observation (Anscombe 1957, Intention. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1962, On sensations of position. Analysis 22: 55�58.). De Vignemont is not convinced and appeals to the Rubber Hand Illusion to undercut my appeal to Anscombe. Section 1 of this article restates the case against the putative quale of ownership. Section 2 explains why de Vignemonts� objections miss the mark. Section 3 discusses in more detail how to draw a principled distinction between bodily awareness and ordinary perceptual awareness.
Scouring the Scourge: Spontaneous Abortion and Morality

Toby Ord has written a thought-provoking article. As it so happens, I agree with his conclusion that one ought to reject the claim that embryos have the same moral status as adult humans. Yet, as I...
Through wall imaging at microwave frequencies using space-time focusing

Imaging inside of buildings to detect a human signature has become a problem of great importance to law enforcement agencies. A physics based wave propagation simulation tool is employed to investigate the phenomenology of wave propagation inside complex building structures such as statistics of path loss, angle of arrival, spatial and spectral field coherence, etc. In addition the application of a space-time focusing method for detecting objects inside a building is examined. The focus of this investigation is mainly on the forward problem to better understand the physics of the problem which can be utilized to simplify the inverse problem. The result of this study will be used in the development of novel radar-based detection algorithms as well as detection methods based on multi-modality.
Homogenized constitutive and fatigue nucleation models from crystal plasticity FE simulations of Ti alloys, Part 2: Macroscopic probabilistic crack nucleation model

Abstract This is the second of a two-part paper aimed at the developing macroscopic models of fatigue deformation and failure in polycrystalline Ti alloys. In this part, a probabilistic crack nucleation model is developed for predicting damage nucleation in macroscopic computations of the structural components from rigorous microscopic analyzes. Inputs to this model include morphological characteristics of the microstructure at any material point along with the local stress/strain state. This stress-state, needed to trigger this model, can be obtained from finite element analysis using the homogenized, anisotropic plasticity constitutive (HAPC) model developed in part 1 ( Ghosh et al., in press ). A deterministic functional form, relating time for macroscopic crack nucleation to the macroscopic stress state and microstructural characteristic parameters, is derived from rigorous crystal plasticity FE simulations of representative volume element of a bi-crystal system that implements a physics-based grain level crack nucleation model. Subsequently, a probabilistic model for expected crack nucleation in the macroscopic (structural) scale is generated from this functional form. The probabilistic model has a direct connection to the mechanisms of microstructural crack nucleation and can be obtained from macroscopic FE analysis with knowledge of statistics of the local microstructure.
Spectra and structure of small ring molecules. XLV. Microwave, infrared, and Raman spectra, conformational stability, dipole moment and vibrational assignment of cyclobutylcarboxaldehyde

Abstract The microwave spectrum of cyclobutylcarboxaldehyde, c-C4H7CHO, has been recorded from 12.4 to 39.0 GHz. Two sets of a-type R-branch transitions were observed and assigned, on the basis of the rigid rotor model, to the equatorial-trans and the equatorial-gauche conformers. The rotational constants for the ground state for the equatorial-trans conformer are: A=9653.70 ± 0.47, B=2224.15 ± 0.01 and C=1986.68 ± 0.01 MHz. The lines for the first excited state of the asymmetric torsion for the equatorial-trans conformer have also been identified and assigned and, from relative intensity measurements, the frequency of the asymmetric torsion of this conformer is estimated to be 71 ± 10 cm−1. For the equatorial-gauche conformer in addition to the R-branch assignments, Q-branch assignments have been made for b- and c-type transitions for the ground state. The rotational constants for this conformer are: A=8108.08 ± 0.05, B=2554.89 ± 0.01, and C=2215.78 ± 0.01 MHz. From the Stark effect the dipole moment components for both conformers were determined. For the equatorial-trans conformer the dipole moment components were determined to be: &|μa&| = 1.65 ± 0.01 D, &|μb&|=0.00 (by symmetry), &|μc&|=1.23 ± 0.01 &|μt&|=2.06 ± 0.01 D. For the equatorial-gauge conformer the dipole moment components were determined to be: &|μa&|=2.03 ± &|μb&|=1.52 ± 0.04, &|μc&|=0.83 ± 0.06 and &|μt&|=2.66 ± 0.02 D. The infrared (3500−30 cm−1 and Raman have been recorded for the gaseous and solid states of cyclobutylcarboxaldehyde. Additionally, the Raman spectrum of the liquid phase has been recorded and qualitative depolarization values have been obtained. From variable temperature measurements of the microwave and Raman spectra, for the gaseous and liquid phases, respectively, the equatorial-gauche conformer was found to be thermodynamically preferred for the gas phase; however, it is the equatorial-trans rotamer which is most stable in the liquid. Furthermore, the only conformation present in the annealed solid is the equatorial-trans rotamer. From these data a complete vibrational assignment is proposed. The observed splitting of many of the fundamentals in the solid state indicates that there are at least two molecules per primitive cell. These results are compared to similar quantities in some related molecules.
Analysis of biomass cellulose in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation processes

A direct method for determining the cellulose content of biomass residues resulting from simultaneous saccharifiaction and fermentation (SSF) experiment has been developed and evaluated. The method improves on classical cellulose assays by incorporating the enzymatic removal of yeast glucans from the biomass residue prior to acid hydrolysis and subsequent quantification of cellulose-derived glucose. An appropriate cellulase-free, commercially available, yeast-lysing enzyme preparation from Cytophaga was identified. A freeze-drying step was identified as necessary to render the SSF yeast cells susceptible to enzymatic lysis. The method was applied to the analysis of cellulose and yeast-associated glucans in SSF residues from three pretreated feedstocks; hybrid poplar, switchgrass, and cornstover. Cellulose assays employing the lysing-enzyme preparation demonstrated relative errors up to 7.2% when yeast-associated glucans were not removed prior to analysis of SSF residues. Enzymatic lysis of SSF yeast cells may be viewed as a general preparatory procedure to be used prior to subsequent chemical and physical analysis of SSF residues.
Evaluation of technical factors affecting the quantification of trabecular bone structure using magnetic resonance imaging

High resolution magnetic resonance (MR) techniques combined with standard techniques of stereology and texture analysis have been used to quantify trabecular structure. Using dried excised specimens from the tibia (n = 10) and radius (n = 2) we evaluate the impact of using volumetric gradient-echo (GE) and spin-echo (SE) MR imaging sequences, the relative importance of echo time in gradient-echo MR imaging, and the impact of different threshold values to segment the bone and bone marrow on the estimation of trabecular bone structure. We also investigate the interrelationships between the different structural parameters derived from MR images. Images were obtained using fast gradient-echo and spin-echo imaging sequences, with TE values ranging from 7 to 17 ms using 4.7 and 1.5 Tesla imaging systems. In-plane image resolution ranged from 128 to 156 μm, and slice thickness ranged from 128 to 1000 μm. We derived stereological measures such as the mean intercept length, trabecular width, fractional area of trabecular bone, trabecular number, and trabecular spacing, the fractal dimension as a texture-related parameter and the Euler number as a measure of connectivity from these images. We found that the mean intercept length as a function of angle traced an ellipse with the orientation of the principal axis of the ellipse, a measure of trabecular orientation, identical when measured from the spin-echo or gradient-echo MR images. Absolute measures such as the fractional area, trabecular width, trabecular number, and fractal dimension as measured from gradient echo images were 28%, 30%, 1.3%, and 0.6% greater, respectively, than those calculated from spin-echo images, while the trabecular spacing was 14% less when calculated from gradient-echo images compared to spin-echo images. The structural parameters also depended on the echo time used to obtain the MR image. The choice of the threshold used to segment the high resolution images also affected the estimated structural parameters significantly. Our results indicate that MR may be used to visualize and quantify trabecular bone architecture; however, the different technical factors that could affect the appearance of MR images must be understood and considered in the data analysis and interpretation.
Purchasing performance evaluation: with data envelopment analysis

Abstract Because of supply chain management and other factors, purchasing's performance is considered an important element of corporate performance. Nonetheless, the measurement of purchasing performance, and comparing that performance to other purchasing departments has proven to be very difficult. These difficulties stem from the lack of valid measurement criteria and adequate methodologies to aggregate individual performance measures into a single index of overall performance. Many methodologies are unable to account for the relative importance of performance measures, which varies among firms. This paper examines the application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which has demonstrated potential as a management tool to overcome the shortcomings of other techniques and to help purchasing executives improve the efficiency of their operations. A DEA model was developed to compare the purchasing efficiency of firms in the petroleum industry. The model introduces one more method by which managers can obtain information to assist in the decision making process.
Statistical fission parameters for nuclei at high excitation and angular momenta

Experimental fusion/fission excitation functions are analyzed by the statistical model with modified rotating liquid drop model barriers and with single particle level densities modeled for deformation for ground state (${a}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$) and saddle point nuclei (${a}_{f}$). Values are estimated for the errors in rotating liquid drop model barriers for the different systems analyzed. These results are found to correlate well with the trends predicted by the finite range model of Krappe, Nix, and Sierk, although the discrepancies seem to be approximately 1 MeV greater than the finite range model predictions over the limited range tested. The a priori values calculated for ${a}_{f}$ and ${a}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ are within \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2% of optimum free parameter values. Analyses for barrier decrements explore the importance of collective enhancement on level densities and of nuclear deformation in calculating transmission coefficients. A calculation is performed for the $^{97}\mathrm{Rh}$ nucleus for which a first order angular momentum scaling is used for the $J=0$ finite range corrections. An excellent fit is found for the fission excitation function in this approach. Results are compared in which rotating liquid drop model barriers are decremented by a constant energy, or alternatively multiplied by a constant factor. Either parametrization is shown to be capable of satisfactorily reproducing the data although their $J=0$ extrapolated values differ markedly from one another. This underscores the dangers inherent in arbitrary barrier extrapolations.NUCLEAR REACTIONS Deduced corrections to rotating liquid drop model barriers for selected data sets via statistical model fitting. Considered uncertainties due to collective enhancement of level densities, deformation effects on transmission coefficients. Compared deduced corrections to predictions of the finite range model.
Purification of porcine heart latent protein phosphatase Fc.M.

Abstract Latent protein phosphatase, Fc.M, was purified from porcine heart extracts by a procedure involving precipitation at pH 5.0, DEAE-Sephacel chromatography, ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, Biogel-A 0.5m and poly-L-lysine-agarose. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 12,200 nanomoles of phosphate released from phosphorylase a/mg protein when assayed following activation by pretreatment with Mn and trypsin in the presence of 0.2 M++ NaCl. The enzyme is a heterodimer of 66 kDa composed of a catalytic (37 kDa) and a modulator (31 kDa) subunit.
Exercise-induced increase in core temperature does not disrupt a behavioral measure of sleep

On separate nights 90 to 30 min before typical bedtime, eight physically active men completed three conditions: seated rest, low-intensity and moderate-intensity cycle exercise. Low-and moderate-intensity exercise had no significant effect on sleep onset latency, the number of awakenings, total sleep time or sleep efficiency as measured by the Sleep Assessment Device. Mean core body temperature was higher during sleep after moderate intensity (36.80+/-0.02 degrees C) exercise compared to both the low-intensity exercise (36.67+/-0.02 degrees C) and rest (36.51+/-0.02 degrees C) conditions. It is concluded that a 1-h bout of moderate-intensity exercise performed shortly before bed elevates core body temperature before and during sleep; however, this elevated temperature does not disrupt behavioral measures of sleep obtained in the home environment in physically active male college students who were somewhat sleep deprived.
Holographic particle-streak velocimetry.

We present a way to measure the positions and instantaneous velocities of micrometer-scale colloidal spheres using a single holographic snapshot obtained through in-line holographic video microscopy. This method builds on previous quantitative analyses of colloidal holograms by accounting for blurring that occurs as a sphere moves during the camera’s exposure time. The angular variance of a blurred hologram’s radial intensity profile yields both the magnitude and direction of a sphere’s in-plane velocity. At sufficiently low speeds, the same hologram also can be used to characterize other properties, such as the sphere’s radius and refractive index.
Relation between reactivity and structure for coals and chars

Abstract Causal relationships were determined for the chemical and physical properties and reaction characteristics of three coals and two types of chars derived from these coals. The reactivities of the virgin coals and extract chars correlated well with the fuel rank. The higher proximate volatiles contents in these prepared fuels resulted in reactivities higher than those measured for the low-volatile pyrolysis chars. The reactivities of the pyrolysis chars were strongly correlated with fuel properties, whose relative order of importance was: catalytic elements > porosity > hydrogen types > cluster size.
Development of a Scalable Synthesis to VEGFR Inhibitor AG-28262

The synthesis of N,2-dimethyl-6-(2-(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]pyridin-7-yloxy)benzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxamide (1, AG-28262) on kilogram scale is described. Initial syntheses of key components 2 and 3 worked well on laboratory scale but had significant drawbacks for larger-scale manufacture. Therefore, new routes to these two key fragments were developed and demonstrated to synthesize kilogram quantities. Key steps involve a two-step thiophenol alkylation/cyclization protocol to synthesize 2 in a convergent manner. A difficult Pd-mediated coupling to produce 3 was replaced with a more scalable stepwise imidazole synthesis. Key rationale for the new routes are discussed.
An Inhibitory Antibody against Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV Improves Glucose Tolerance in Vivo

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) degrades the incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Small molecule DPP-IV inhibitors have been used as treatments for type 2 diabetes to improve glucose tolerance. However, each of the marketed small molecule drugs has its own limitation in terms of efficacy and side effects. To search for an alternative strategy of inhibiting DPP-IV activity, we generated a panel of tight binding inhibitory mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against rat DPP-IV. When tested in vitro, these mAbs partially inhibited the GLP-1 cleavage activity of purified enzyme and rat plasma. To understand the partial inhibition, we solved the co-crystal structure of one of the mAb Fabs (Ab1) in complex with rat DPP-IV. Although Ab1 does not bind at the active site, it partially blocks the side opening, which prevents the large substrates such as GLP-1 from accessing the active site, but not small molecules such as sitagliptin. When Ab1 was tested in vivo, it reduced plasma glucose and increased plasma GLP-1 concentration during an oral glucose tolerance test in rats. Together, we demonstrated the feasibility of using mAbs to inhibit DPP-IV activity and to improve glucose tolerance in a diabetic rat model. Background: Suppression of DPP-IV activity improves type 2 diabetic symptoms. Results: Inhibitory antibodies suppress DPP-IV activity, promote glucose tolerance, and increase plasma GLP-1 levels in hyperglycemic Zucker fatty rats. Conclusion: Inhibitory antibody against DPP-IV offers pro-incretin effects in vivo. Significance: This study validates a large molecule approach for targeting DPP-IV activity.
Medicinal plant species with potential antidiabetic properties.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the world's major diseases. It currently affects an estimated 143 million people worldwide and the number is growing rapidly. In the USA alone, about 20.8 million or 7% of the population suffer from diabetes or related complications. The estimated direct and indirect costs of diabetes exceed US$ 132 billion annually. Plant-based medicinal products have been known since ancient times, and several medicinal plants and their products (active natural principles and crude extracts) have been used to control diabetes in the traditional medicinal systems of many cultures worldwide, including those of the Asian Indians, Chinese and South Americans. A limited number of these plant species have been studied and validated for their hypoglycaemic properties using diabetic animal models and in clinical studies using human subjects. Several oral hypoglycaemic agents are the primary forms of treatment for diabetes. However, prominent side-effects of such drugs are the main reason for an increasing number of people seeking alternative therapies that may have less severe or no side-effects. Thus plant-based herbal drugs or botanicals are emerging as the primary components of holistic approaches to diabetes management. In this review, selected species that have been validated for their hypoglycaemic or antihyperglycaemic properties using laboratory diabetic animal models and in clinical trials using human subjects, and reported in refereed journals are presented. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
The influence of ∑3 twin boundaries on the formation of radiation-induced defect clusters in nanotwinned Cu

We investigate the collective effect of a high volume fraction of ∑3 twin boundaries on the response of nanotwinned Cu to high dose He implantation near room temperature and find that they do not curtail the formation of vacancy and interstitial clusters. This result is rationalized through atomistic modeling, which shows that point defects at these boundaries have nearly identical properties to those in pure fcc Cu.
Equivalence of simplicial localizations of closed model categories

Abstract We determine a necessary and sufficient condition for a functor between closed model categories to induce an equivalence of Dwyer–Kan simplicial localizations.
A Cognitive-behavioral Approach to Reconstructing Intergenerational Family Schemas

This article suggests the use of cognitive-behavioral techniques, namely cognitive restructuring combined with family-of-origin sessions, for reconstructing intergenerational family schemas. A case example portrays the use of the techniques as an effective intervention for addressing ingrained schemas, such as in the case of spousal abuse.
Physical properties of membranes and membrane lipids from the fiber cell of the U18666A-cataractous rat.

Steady state fluorescence anisotropy of parinaric acid probes was used to examine lipid motion in membranes and membrane lipids from U18666A-induced cataractous rat lenses. Cortical and nuclear fractions were examined separately. The drug treatment resulted in an increase in the sterol/phospholipid ratio in the nucleus and a decrease in this ratio in the cortex. Fluorescence anisotropy of trans parinaric acid (tPnA) suggested that membranes from the cortex of cataractous lenses were more ordered than the cortical membranes from control or treated-but-clear lenses. Membranes from the nucleus of control lenses were more ordered than membranes from the cortex of controls. Nuclear membranes from cataractous lenses were slightly less ordered than nuclear membrane from control or treated-but-clear lenses. Similar experiments using liposomes prepared with membrane lipid from lens cortex showed that membrane lipids from treated lenses, control lenses, and treated-but-clear lenses had similar fluorescence anisotro...
A case of chest wall angiosarcoma associated with breast implants.

ventricular diameter exhibits benefits in recovering left ventricular function in accordance with the concept proposed by Batista. The possibility of compromise ventricular stroke volume is always present. However, if we consider the base of the papillary muscle as a mark to limit our ventricular reduction, this risk becomes very low, as demonstrated in the echocardiographic results of our latest patient obtained 7 months postoperatively, which present a normal ventricular cavity and normal ventricular ejection fraction. Although this study involved few patients, this simple technical variation could be used to close the ventricular septal rupture without any residual shunt and could represent one more alternative to resolve a difficult surgical problem. References 1. Skillington PD, Lamb RD, Monro JL, et al. Surgical treatment of infarct related ventricular septal defects: improved early results combined with analysis of late functional status. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1990;99: 798-808. 2. Kitamura S, Mendez A, Kidy JM. Ventricular septal defect following myocardial infarction: experience with surgical repair through a left ventriculotomy and review of literature. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1971;61:186-99. 3. David TE, Dale L, Sun Z. Postinfarction ventricular septal rupture: repair by endocardial patch with infarction exclusion. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1995;110:1315-22. 4. Jatene AD. Left Ventricular aneurysmectomy: resection or reconstruction. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1985;89:321-31. 5. Batista R. Partial left ventriculectomy—the Batista procedure. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 1999;15(suppl 1):S12-9.
Electrocardiogram in Brugada syndrome

A 35-year-old Chinese male with no past medical history was found unresponsive at home. When emergency medical services arrived at the scene, patient was noted to be in ventricular fibrillation and had to be defibrillated twice. The patient subsequently had a return of spontaneous circulation and was brought to the emergency department (ER). The …
A sensory system at the interface between urban stormwater runoff and salmon survival.

Motor vehicles are a major source of toxic contaminants such as copper, a metal that originates from vehicle exhaust and brake pad wear. Copper and other pollutants are deposited on roads and other impervious surfaces and then transported to aquatic habitats via stormwater runoff. In the western United States, exposure to non-point source pollutants such as copper is an emerging concern for many populations of threatened and endangered Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) that spawn and rear in coastal watersheds and estuaries. To address this concern, we used conventional neurophysiological recordings to investigate the impact of ecologically relevant copper exposures (0−20 μg/L for 3 h) on the olfactory system of juvenile coho salmon (O. kisutch). These recordings were combined with computer-assisted video analyses of behavior to evaluate the sensitivity and responsiveness of copper-exposed coho to a chemical predation cue (conspecific alarm pheromone). The sensory physiology and predator avoidance behavi...
Nonrandom connectivity of the epileptic dentate gyrus predicts a major role for neuronal hubs in seizures

Many complex neuronal circuits have been shown to display nonrandom features in their connectivity. However, the functional impact of nonrandom network topologies in neurological diseases is not well understood. The dentate gyrus is an excellent circuit in which to study such functional implications because proepileptic insults cause its structure to undergo a number of specific changes in both humans and animals, including the formation of previously nonexistent granule cell-to-granule cell recurrent excitatory connections. Here, we use a large-scale, biophysically realistic model of the epileptic rat dentate gyrus to reconnect the aberrant recurrent granule cell network in four biologically plausible ways to determine how nonrandom connectivity promotes hyperexcitability after injury. We find that network activity of the dentate gyrus is quite robust in the face of many major alterations in granule cell-to-granule cell connectivity. However, the incorporation of a small number of highly interconnected granule cell hubs greatly increases network activity, resulting in a hyperexcitable, potentially seizure-prone circuit. Our findings demonstrate the functional relevance of nonrandom microcircuits in epileptic brain networks, and they provide a mechanism that could explain the role of granule cells with hilar basal dendrites in contributing to hyperexcitability in the pathological dentate gyrus.
Techniques for Motivating Students

LTHOUGH I, along with the Program Committee, selected the title for my remarks, I believe my theme can be more clearly advanced with a slight change of emphasis-techniques that lead to student motivation. If techniques exist that can accomplish self-motivation, I submit that the instructor's job would become considerably simplied as he manages the learning process and watches the students teach themselves. Professor Kropp [1] has distilled the key issues in the complex teacher-student relationship, i.e. teaching vs. learning, the need to decide if we as teachers are really interested in learning, the realization that students are smarter than we believe, and the possibilities for self-instruction through the creation of a learning environment. During my 10 years at the University of Nebraska I have been extremely fortunate. I have been afforded the opportunity of appearing before students in the classroom. I have been able
Complex high speed links in server environments

Complex interconnects for server links pose a design challenge due to many components, interactions and tradeoffs. This paper examines the evolution, design choices, current challenges, and future directions of such high speed links in a scalable server setting.
Modeling and simulation for a nano-photonic quantum dot waveguide fabricated by DNA-directed self-assembly

We propose a nano-photonic waveguide structure by DNA-directed self-assembled fabrication. In this paper, we focus on the study of quantum dot (QD) behavior under optical stimulation in terms of gain, absorption, and emission characteristics. Both continuous wave (CW) and pulsed operations are considered and the results are compared utilizing the CdSe/ZnS and In/sub 0.47/Ga/sub 0.53/As/InP core/shell material systems. Gain coefficients reach optima at pump powers of 0.055 and 0.05 nW for the former and 0.11 and 0.019 /spl mu/W for the latter in 100 ps pulsed and CW cases, respectively. Due to their unique properties and size, QDs provide a means to create integrated photonic circuits on the nanoscale. Accordingly, the optical propagation of a QD waveguide array in a single line formation is simulated and demonstrates a viable subdiffraction limit optical energy transfer for high coupling coefficient between adjacent QDs. A proposed fabrication process by DNA-directed self-assembly is also described.
Unusual appearance of a popliteal venous aneurysm in a 16-year-old patient: sonographic findings.

Popliteal venous aneurysms are rare but serious vascular anomalies that result in high morbidity and potential mortality from thromboembolic complications and recurrent pulmonary emboli, despite proper anticoagulation. The diagnosis of a popliteal venous aneurysm is difficult, however, because there are no characteristic signs and symptoms directly related to the aneurysm. Most symptomatic patients come to the clinician's attention because of a pulmonary embolism and, less commonly, because of a mass in the popliteal fossa, calf swelling, or pain. 1-5 We present imaging findings of a unique case of a popliteal venous aneurysm in a 16-year-old patient without respiratory symptoms who had chronic calf pain and muscle atrophy Sonographic findings are discussed in relation to the patient's symptoms. To our knowledge, calf muscle atrophy associated with a popliteal venous aneurysm has not been described.
Overcoming phase effects of voxel-sized coils in planar and cylindrical arrays

Parallel imaging in MRI (using multiple coils to partially encode k-space) is currently the primary route to decreasing scan time. Single echo acquisition (SEA) imaging is a completely parallel imaging method recently developed by our group that collects a full image in a single echo. Phase encoding is eliminated and replaced by the spatial localization of long and very narrow coils. The fact that the coils are on the order of the voxel size for the first time in an MR application has led to an examination of the effect of the phase of the coil on the signal received from the voxel and how to most effectively manipulate it. Obtaining full signal from a voxel in planar arrays can be accomplished with a single gradient compensation pulse, but the phase effects in cylindrical arrays are more complex due to the changing coil angle with regard to the Cartesian axes of the gradients. This paper discusses the signal-phase interactions of planar and cylindrical arrays of voxel-sized coils and suggests methods for phase manipulation for optimization.
The Market for Innovation: Implications for Corporate Strategy:

The strengthening of intellectual property protection in the United States has important implications for corporate strategy. Increasingly, firms are both selling intellectual property that they have developed and are purchasing it from other firms. The growth of a secondary market for innovation implies a new business model based on the ability of firms to develop strategies that can market and protect their innovations and efficiently access technologies developed externally. This article describes both the opportunities and risks of firms seeking to link their business strategies with the increasingly important market for innovation.
Cancer immunoediting: Molecular pathways to possible novel therapeutic interventions

Cancer immunoediting is the process by which immunity controls and shapes cancer. We originally envisaged that cancer immunoediting would occur in three phases that we termed Elimination (also known as cancer immunosurveillance, the host protective phase of the process), Equilibrium (a phase in which the outgrowth of tumor cells that survive immune destruction is kept in check resulting in a state of functional tumor dormancy) and Escape (the phase where tumor growth can no longer be immunologically controlled and becomes clinically apparent either because of immune sculpting of the cancer cell population or because the tumor cells have induced in the host a state of immunologic unresponsiveness). Strong experimental data has now been obtained using mouse models of cancer demonstrating the existence of each phase of the process and compelling clinical data suggests that a similar process may also occur during the evolution of certain types of human cancer as well. Our recent work has focused on identifying the molecules and cells that participate in elimination, equilibrium and escape. This work has led to the identification of specific cytokines (such as the interferons) and cytokine receptor signaling pathways (such as the JAK-STAT pathway) that, in some cases, promote immune effector mechanisms that result in cancer control while, in other cases, induce an immunosuppressive state that promotes tumor escape and results in uncontrolled tumor growth. We are currently exploring whether we can influence the eventual outcome of the cancer immunoediting process by therapeutically enhancing or inhibiting the expression and/or action of specific cytokines. This abstract was published in Cancer Immunity , a [Cancer Research Institute][1] journal that ceased publication in 2013 and is now provided online in association with Cancer Immunology Research . [1]: http://cancerresearch.org/
An Enthusiastic Second

Donald Worster and I have a history of agreeing on nearly everything except the positive qualities of New England winters, and "Transformations of the Earth" continues the pattern. I can think of no area of research in which historians have greater personal opportunities and can make greater contributions to the general weal than in the history of what he and others have called the "agroecosystem." The attention of most humans, and scholars, too, has been fixed on the triumphs won and the damage wreaked by the industrial revolution, a recent event in the history of Homo sapiens. Agriculture, a Neolithic development, has been altering the biosphere for a lot longer than the industrial revolution, and, one could argue, continues to make greater changes. Consider what has happened in the steppelands of Eurasia, the Americas, South Africa, and Australia in the last five or so human generations: a transformation of an ecosystem with its eggs in ten thousand baskets into what a hyperbolizing botanist in the midst of the rolling grain fields of Washington's Palouse once denounced to me as "wheat desert." Consider the role of ranchers and farmers in the current transformation of our tropical forests. Entrepreneurs and slash-and-burn farmers are destroying the indigenous biota and replacing it with a shoddy of exotic herd animals, grasses, and crops -or with everlasting laterite. Once the rocks of Zacatecas and Potosf and the Sierra Nevada contained silver for the easy taking, but now most of it is all mined out. Once the soil of the bottomlands of the world's rivers was deep and darkly fertile and aquifers brimmed beneath the grasslands. We have mined these loams and Pleistocene waters as if they were of no more lasting utility than the silver. Now we stimulate and simulate fertility with fertilizers made from our decreasing supply of petroleum. We manage the problem of the sinking water tables by buying bigger pumps (usually driven, directly or indirectly, by burning fossil fuels) and, ultimately, by going bankrupt and moving on, a behavior that FrederickJackson Turner (and, just conceivably, Oswald Spengler) would recognize as familiar. In contrast, we have, for instance, the traditional rice paddy system of southern China, with its sustained and astonishing productivity in rice, vegetables, algae, oysters, carp, pigs, chickens, ducks, and frogs.1 Agroecological history deserves attention and has had little. It is too large a subject, too long in duration, and for the most part the product of the boring, anony-
Occupational Hazard Assessment in Electronic Company of Chengdu

Objective To identify and analyze the occupational hazards in an electronic limited company in Chengdu and to evaluate the control effect.Methods Worksite investigation,safety checklist and chemical analysis were comprehensively conducted to evaluate the occupational hazards.Results For most of the monitoring points,the main occupational hazard factors were controlled under the national occupational health standard.Conclusion The status of occupational safety and hygiene in the project basically meet the national occupational standards,indicating that the control strategies are effective.Nevertheless,certain occupational hazards control measures in some worksites should be strengthened.
Parental Job Loss and Children's Long-Term Outcomes: Evidence from 7 Million Fathers' Layoffs

Abstract How do parental layoffs and their large attendant income losses affect children's long-term outcomes? This question has proven difficult to answer due to the endogeneity of parental layoffs. I overcome this problem by exploiting the timing of 7 million fathers' layoffs when children are age 12–29 in administrative data for the United States. Layoffs dramatically reduce family income but only slightly reduce college enrollment, college quality, and early career earnings. These effects are consistent with a weak estimated propensity to spend on college out of marginal parental income. I find that larger effects based on firm closures stem from selection. (JEL I23, I24, I26, J13, J22, J31, J63)
Milton’s Linking of Eve’s and Christ’s Temptations in Paradise Lost

(1988). Milton’s Linking of Eve’s and Christ’s Temptations in Paradise Lost. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 90-93.
Linear and quantile mixed-effects models comparison in traumatic brain injury clinical trials

T aim of this project was to assess the applicability and the robustness of Linear Quantile Mixed-Effects Models (LQMM) as compared to Linear Mixed-Effects Models, for the analysis of longitudinal data. Specifically, we focused on Linear Quantile MixedEffects Models using the Laplace distribution introduced by Geraci and Bottai in 2007. First, we addressed the advantages and the disadvantages of LQMM when considering the median instead of the mean as measure of central tendency. Second, we present the gain given by LQMM when modeling the first and third quartiles as valid and robust alternative to subgroups analysis. Data from the multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of amantadine hydrochloride in promoting recovery of function following severe traumatic brain injury, a randomized, placebo controlled, double blind clinical trial, was used in our application. LQMM can be very useful in characterizing the treatment effects among sub-groups of patients. In particular we address on the characterization based on patients in Vegetative State (VS) and Minimum Consciousness State (MCS). We also discuss the inefficiency of LQMM when the outcome is measured with high precision
Advancements in electrodynamic wireless power transmission

This article summarizes recent advancements in near-field electrodynamic wireless power transmission (EWPT), which relies on a time-varying magnetic field produced by a transmitter to excite the mechanical motion of permanent magnet in the receiver. The mechanical energy absorbed by the magnet is then converted into electrical energy via one or more transduction mechanisms, most commonly Faraday induction. EWPT is compared against other wireless power strategies, and theoretical upper bounds of power transmission are provided.