cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disorders of Glycogen and Related Macromolecules in the Nervous System

In this discussion we will consider some major pathological alterations involving glycogen or glycogen-like molecules in the nervous system. We will begin with a necessarily brief oversimplification of those aspects of the normal metabolism of glycogen which seem especially relevant to its patho-chemistry.
Measurement and calibration of fiber coating geometry by grey-scale analysis

Measurement of the coating geometry of optical fibers is important in maintaining the optical and mechanical integrity of fibers and in the control of splice loss in multiple-fiber ribbons. A method of measuring coating geometry using a side-view system with a novel dark-field illumination technique is presented. A high contrast image is produced with this system from which the coating diameter noncircularity and concentricity error of a fiber can be determined. The measurement repeatabilities of coating diameter and concentricity error are typically 0.20 /spl mu/m and 0.25 /spl mu/m respectively. A means of calibrating the side-view system using a glass rod has been developed and comparison with an interferometric method has shown that a total uncertainty on outer coating diameter of 0.5 /spl mu/m has been achieved. >
Changing Patterns in American Voting Behavior, 1914–1980

This paper analyzes voting behavior for President, Senate, and House att the state level for the period 1914-80. The major finding of this study is that since World War II, there has been a pronounced trend toward 6'particularization" in voting for federal offices. This trend consists of more than the erosion of party attachments atmong the electorate: it also includes the dissolution of other traditional electoral ties such as presidential coattails, the midterm congressional swing, and incumbency. As a result of this trend, the vote in federal elections is largely determined by factors which alre unique to the specific setting in which each election occurs and by the ability of candidates to convert these factors to their political advantage through mass media campaigns. Peter S. Tuckel is an Assistant Professor of Sociology alt Hunter College, The City University of New York. Felipe Tejera is a doctoral student in sociology at New York University. The auithors wish to thank D)r. Richard Matisel of the Department of Sociology. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, New York University. for his invaluable aissistance in all phases of this project. Public Opinion Quarterly Vol. 47:230-246 ? 19S3 hy the Trustees of Columbi.a University Published by Elsevier Science Publishing Co.. Inc. CX)33-362X/M31)0047-23(1S2.50) This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Mon, 20 Jun 2016 06:29:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms AMERICAN VOTING BEHAVIOR, 1914-1980 231 In this article, we use the term "particularization" to describe this more general process in which each election becomes an isolated event determined by the unique set of circumstances surrounding it. Specifically, this article aims to document the increasing trend toward particularization in voting in federal elections from 1914 to the present. The discussion is in five sections: (1) the data base, (2) the decline in communality in voting for federal offices during the same election year, (3) the decline in the effect of incumbency on the outcomes of U.S. Senate races, (4) an examination of the impact of campaign expenditures on senatorial voting, and (5) a brief overview of the findings.
Morphology based domain partitioning of multi-phase materials: a preprocessor for multi-scale modelling

This paper develops a microstructural morphology-based domain partitioning method (MDP) as a comprehensive pre-processor for multi-scale simulation of heterogeneous multi-phase materials. The MDP method systematically creates a multi-scale image simulation–characterization methodology to enable domain partitioning that can delineate homogenizable regions from those where explicit representation of phases is necessary for analysis. The methods are strictly based on geometric features of the material morphology and do not use any mechanical response functions. The first step in this development simulates high-resolution microstructural information from low resolution images of the domain and only a limited high resolution micrographs from optical or scanning electron microscopy. The second step uses quantitative characterization of these high resolution images with, e.g. phase distribution functions, to create effective metrics that can relate microstructural features to the material's physical behaviour. The third step invokes domain partitioning to demarcate regions corresponding to different length scales in a concurrent multi-scale model. Partitioning criteria are defined in terms of descriptors of microstructural characteristics and these are used to adaptively create multi-level domain partitions. The method developed is tested on a micrograph of a cast aluminium alloy A356. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pleistocene carbonate dissolution fluctuations in the eastern equatorial Pacific on glacial timescales: Evidence from ODP Hole 1241

Abstract This study presents a record of dissolution from the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) that extends to 2.1 Ma, based on sediments from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1241. A new benthic oxygen isotope record was developed in order to provide the stratigraphic framework for the Pleistocene section of the core. The isotope record extends back to 2.1 Ma, covering MIS 1–80, and has a sampling resolution of 2 kyr from 0 to 360 kyr and 5 kyr from 360 to 2100 kyr. Dissolution at ODP Site 1241 is characterized through the use of percent coarse fraction (%CF) and shell fragmentation records. These records indicate that %CF in the EEP is recording a dissolution signal dominated by the 41-kyr and 100-kyr climate cycles, and that preservation maxima lag glacial maxima by 9–14 kyr at the major orbital periods. The dissolution signals observed in the ODP Site 1241 record can be correlated across the Pacific and likely record the response to basinwide changes in carbonate chemistry. The dissolution fluctuations and δ13C signal observed at ODP Site 1241 are consistent with both the Shackleton, 1977 , Toggweiler et al., 2006 hypotheses that explain changes in the global carbon cycle during glacial–interglacial transitions.
Private and Public “Cradle to Maturity” Financing Patterns of U.S. Biotech Ventures (1970–2001)

Since 1970, U.S. biotech firms have raised over $141 billion in private and public financings. All types of financings in the 1970–2001 timeframe are investigated from “cradle to maturity,” or “cradle to grave.” The objectives are to determine: 1) if there are specific financing patterns that result in higher probability of success; 2) the impact of stock performance on management9s financing decisions; 3) the relationship of biotech hot and cold cycles to general market cycles; 4) the relationship between public and private markets; and 5) the principal determinants of biotech firm survival, including the effect of venture capital.
Unsung Heroines: Single Mothers and the American Dream - by Ruth Sidel

Unsung Heroines: Single Mothers and the American Dream. Ruth Sidel. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2006. 251 pp. ISBN 0-520-24772-8. $17.95 (paperback). In a recent minisymposium presented in this journal, Nelson (2006) explored how single mothers "do family" as they negotiate boundaries and relationships outside idealized traditional family models. Responding to Nelson's work, Sarkisian (2006) suggested that these single mothers may be better described as "doing family ambivalence," experiencing structural and internal tensions as they negotiate intimate relationships with nonresident fathers, new partners, and their mothers. Ruth Sidel's book, Unsung heroines: Single mothers and the American dream, enhances these discussions by providing an expansive vantage point for viewing and understanding the complexities of single motherhood. As Sidel outlines, single mothers experience multiple tensions in their daily lives. They desire achievement in relationships that frequently limit their autonomy and agency. They respect family traditions and culture, yet often reject marriage as a response to unplanned pregnancies. They aspire to act independently as they work to accept the help they need. Sidel interviewed New York City area single mothers (N = 50) who described their path to single modierhood as accidental or unintentional. Highlighting narratives of single mothers from varied ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, Sidel casts a wide net to illuminate how these women share common experiences across famiUes and over time. Because of the variation in ages among mothers, 23 - 89 years, and their diverse paths to single motherhood, Sidel's work is less focused on understanding single motherhood within bounded sampling categories. Instead, she offers a fluid approach, with vivid details of lives touched by disruption, loss, and resilience within the context of "imagined" and "derailed" life courses. By listening to these voices, we understand that single mothers, despite their various circumstances, share expectations and experiences with other single mothers and with women who mother in a variety of families. Through these collective stories, Sidel intends to challenge societal denigration of single mothers. Her success in this endeavor, however, is not achieved from her analysis or the multiple questions she poses in each chapter but rather emerges through the voices of Eva, Cicely, Jeri and the other women who share their experiences with her. The organization of the book centers on the themes that emerged during interviews. In the beginning, we learn how single mothers express concern and care for their children as they negotiate diminishing economic resources, severe upheavals, and redirected dreams and expectations. …
Adolescents' Perceptions of Canadian Cigarette Package Warning Labels: Investigating the Effects of Message Framing

This study investigates gain-framed and loss-framed messages on graphic cigarette warning labels and their effects on adolescents' smoking-related attitudes and behaviors. Canadian cigarette warning labels emphasizing health consequences of smoking (loss-framed) were digitally manipulated into gain-framed versions. High school students (N = 210) completed a questionnaire measuring attitudes, perceptions of the warnings, and behavioral intentions. The study used a posttest-only comparison group design with random assignment. The independent variable was message framing (loss-framed, gain-framed avoidance, gain-framed benefits), and the dependent variables were (a) attitudes toward the warning, (b) attitudes toward smoking, (c) effectiveness in reducing smoking levels, (d) intentions to smoke, (e) effectiveness in improving one's ability to quit, and (f) effectiveness in increasing the likelihood of a smoker quitting. Results indicate that adolescents had more favorable attitudes toward the loss-framed warnings and perceived them as more effective than the gain-framed warnings. Further, smokers exposed to the loss-framed version featuring decaying teeth had significantly lower intentions to smoke in the future. Loss-framed warning labels appear to have a positive influence on adolescents' smoking-related attitudes and behavioral intentions.
Physical Mechanisms of Tropopause Polar Vortex Intensity Change

Characterized by radii as large as 800km and lifetimes up to months, cyclonic tropopause polar vortices (TPVs) are coherent circulation features over the Arctic that are important precursors for surface cyclogenesis in high and middle latitudes. TPVs have been shown to be maintained by radiative processes over the Arctic owing to limited amounts of latent heating. This study explores the hypothesis that a downward extension of dry stratospheric air associated with TPVs results in an increase in longwave radiative cooling that intensifies the vortex. Idealized numerical modeling experiments are performed to isolate physical interactions, beginning with radiative forcing in a dry atmosphere and culminating with multiple physical interactions between radiation and clouds that more accurately represent the observed environment of TPVs. Results show that longwave radiative cooling associated with a rapid decrease in water vapor concentration near the tropopause is primarily responsible for observed TPV intensification. These enhanced water vapor gradients result from a lower tropopause within the vortex that places dry stratospheric air above relatively moist tropospheric air. Cloud-topradiativecoolingenhancesthis effectandalsopromotesthemaintenance of cloudsby destabilizing the region near cloud top. Shortwave radiation and latent heating offset the longwave intensification mechanism. Heating from shortwave radiation reduces the cloud water mixing ratio by preferentially warming levels above cloud tops.
Producers get Squeezed up the Farming Food Chain: A Theory of Crop Portfolio Composition and Land Use

There are a number of seemingly contradictory trends in the structure of American agriculture. For example, total revenues from agriculture in the United States continue to increase nearly every year, yet the total acreage of land in farms continues to decrease. This article presents an explanation using portfolio theory that is consistent both with the trends and with rational behavior of individual producers. The results have implications for commodity markets, land prices, and, in the long run, for the economic viability of American production agriculture.
Peripheral Blood Stem Cells: A Novel Source for Allogeneic Transplantation.

Cytokine-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) are increasingly viewed as a promising alternative to bone marrow (BM)-derived stem cells for allografting in patients with hematologic malignancies. Preliminary results seem to indicate several potential advantages of this approach, such as: A) a more “donor-friendly” and possibly safer stem cell collection procedure; B) the procurement of a significantly larger number of progenitor cells (allowing for graft engineering opportunities); C) a faster hematopoietic engraftment including immunologic reconstitution, and D) comparable rates of acute graft-versus-host disease. Although the superiority of this approach over the traditional BM allografting has not been clearly demonstrated thus far in a randomized trial and many open issues remain, experience is accumulating rapidly, and major transplant centers worldwide seem to have endorsed this procedure. The acceptance of the peripheral blood as the primary source of stem cells for hematopoietic reconstitution in the allogeneic setting is likely to have a profound impact in areas such as graftversus-leukemia/tumor effect, unrelated donor registries, and transplants. In the following, currently available information on blood stem cell harvesting and allografting is reviewed with the particular focus on donor safety. The Oncologist 1997:2:104-113
A Primer on the Implicit Financing Assumptions of Traditional Capital Budgeting Approaches

The most common capital budgeting approaches use the basic constant risk-adjusted discount models. The most popular valuation approach discounts the unlevered cash flows by the after-tax weighted average cost of capital. The adjusted present value (APV) approach takes the sum of the present value of the unlevered cash flow discounted by the cost of equity of the unlevered firm and the value of the tax benefits of debt discounted by the cost of debt. Traditional approaches for calculating the after-tax weighted average cost of capital and cost of equity of the unlevered firm assume that firms maintain a constant market-value percentage of debt. However, firms typically maintain a book-value percentage of debt. Brick and Weaver (Rev Quant Finance Account 9:111–129, 1997) present an approach to estimate the cost of equity of an unlevered firm when the firm maintains a constant book-value-based leverage ratio. We demonstrate that both the Modigliani and Miller (Am Econ Rev 53:433–443, 1963) and Miles and Ezzell (J Finan Quant Anal 15:719–730, 1980) approaches may yield substantial valuation errors when firms determine debt levels based on book-value percentages. In contrast, our method makes no errors as long as managers know the marginal tax benefit of debt. If the managers do not know the marginal tax benefits of debt, our approach will still result in the smallest valuation error.
Relationship Self-Regulation and Relationship Quality: The Moderating Influence of Gender

Relationship quality, as measured by relationship satisfaction and stability, is important to understanding how happy a couple is and the chances their relationship will end. Prior research has linked two aspects of relationship self-regulation (RSR), effort and strategies to improve a relationship, to increased levels of satisfaction and stability, but has not yet examined if gender moderates this association. Our paper addresses how both aspects of RSR are associated with increases in satisfaction and stability for male and female partners using data from the RELATionship Evaluation Survey. In the sample of 8006 men and women in a variety of romantic unions, we find that both aspects of RSR are positively associated with both aspects of relationship quality, but that this association is stronger for women’s reports of satisfaction than men’s. Additionally, relationship effort has a slightly stronger association with stability for women than men. Both clinical and research applications of these findings are discussed.
Channel Height and Wall Effects on Surface HTC in a Narrow Impingement Channel

This paper examines the local and averaged effects of channel height in the presence of side walls on heat transfer coefficients, with special a ttention given to the side wall heat transfer coefficient. High resolution local heat transfer c oefficient distributions on target and side wall surfaces were measured using temperature sensitive paint and recorded via a scientific grade charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, and compared to available literature. Streamwise pressure distributions were recorded and used to explain heat transfer trends and to determine the thermal efficiency of each cha nnel. Results are presented for average jet based Reynolds numbers between 17,000 and 45,000. All experiments were carried out on a large scale single row, 15 hole impingement ch annel, with X/D of 5, Y/D of 4, and Z/D of 1, 3 and 5.
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for solid tumors

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are engineered constructs composed of synthetic receptors that direct T cells to surface antigens for subsequent elimination. Many CAR constructs are also manufactured with elements that augment T-cell persistence and activity. To date, CAR T cells have demonstrated tremendous success in eradicating hematological malignancies (e.g., CD19 CARs in leukemias). This success is not yet extrapolated to solid tumors, and the reasons for this are being actively investigated. Here in this mini-review, we discuss some of the key hurdles encountered by CAR T cells in the solid tumor microenvironment.
Stratigraphic patterns and depositional environments in the Huesos Member (new lithostratigraphic unit) of the Palm Spring Formation of Southern California

The Huesos Member is proposed as a new lithostratigraphic unit for upper parts of the Palm Spring Formation in the Fish Creek-Vallecito Creek area of the Salton Trough, southern California. The Huesos Member is significant because it records the post-Colorado River history of this part of the Salton Trough, has produced the vast majority of vertebrate fossils in the Salton Trough, contains the Plio-Pleistocene boundary, and is a strong candidate for the Blancan-Irvingtonian boundary stratotype. Rocks of the Huesos Member are predominantly sandstone, silty sandstone, and siltstone. Texture, fabric, fluvial architecture, and stratigraphic relationships suggest that the Huesos Member represents deposits of a shallow, braided, bedload stream system that formed as the basinward extension of a conglomeratic, basin-margin bajada. Deposition was mainly by unchannelized sheetflow, rather than by active channel migration and reworking of older deposits. The stratigraphic pattern of the Huesos Member consists of three packages of strata: (1) sequences of alternating beds of sandstone and siltstone that represent "normal" deposition; (2) sequences of very coarse-grained sandstone that grade upward to siltstone, representing geologically instantaneous depositional events; and (3) thick beds of siltstone or claystone that represent primarily alluvial overbank deposits. Evaluation of stratigraphic patterns within paleomagnetic subchrons shows that "normal" sedimentation events dominated Huesos deposition, that sediment accumulation rates decreased with time, and that sediment accumulation rates resulted in continuous deposition.
Pressure field analysis of steady-state flow of vertically fractured well by boundary element method

The mathematic model of finite conductivity vertically fractured wells in reservoir with arbitrary shape is established and solved by he boundary element method(BEM)with the division of the whole reservoir into several areas.Then the pressure profile map is also drawn.By analysis,because of the high conductivity of fracture,the pressure distribution is asymmetric,the pressure gradient is smallest along the fracture orientation and the influence region of fracture can be observed directly.The pressure distribution of reservoir is changed obviously because of the existence of vertical fracture,and the contour lines of the bottom hole present as elliptical not circular.
Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of the Salmonella isolates from food in Taizhou

Objective To investigate the antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of Salmonella isolates from food in Taizhou,establish the molecular characteristics background of foodborne Salmonella,and provide science basis for foodborne diseases prevention and control.Methods 22 Salmonella strains isolated from food in recent years were tested for 12 kinds of antibiotics susceptibility and were screened for 10 potential virulence factors by polymerase chain reaction.All strains were genotyped by PFGE and analyzed with BioNumerics 5.0 software.Results The general resistant rate of 22 Salmonella strains was 59.1%.The strains were most resistant to co-trimoxazole(36%),tetracycline(27%) and nalidixic acid(27%).All strains were detected more than 6 kinds of virulence factors.One strain of S.enteritidis was found harboring virulence islands,plasmid and phages.21 bands were separated by PFGE,which could be divided into five genotypes including 18 kinds of fingerprints.The homology between genotypes was less than 70%.Conclusion Foodborne Salmonella could be a food risk,and the fingerprint databases could provide technical supports for foodborne disease prevention and control.
Implementing MACRA: Implications for Physicians and for Physician Leadership.

This Viewpoint discusses the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act and the key features of the law and the opportunities it presents to shape the future of payment and medical practice.
UFT Plus Leucovorin in Advanced Hepatobiliary Tumors and Pancreatic Adenocarcinomas

UFT (tegafur and uracil) has been studied extensively in Japan, with documented efficacy in hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancer. In the United States, UFT with or without leucovorin has not undergone phase II testing in these malignancies. Our current trial is designed primarily to assess the efficacy in terms of response rates to UFT with leucovorin in patients with advanced hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancer. Secondary objectives include determining response duration, time to disease progression, overall survival, quality of life, and toxicity.
Relaparoscopic approach for recurrence after laparoscopic incisional hernia repair - a video vignette.

We present the case of a relaparoscopic approach of recurrence after a laparoscopic repair of an incisional hernia, originally treated by laparoscopy. The patient was a 65 year old male obese patient with a history of multiple laparotomies, who underwent laparoscopic repair of a paramedial hypogastric incisional hernia. After division of adhesions the hernial sac was excised and primary closure was performed of the abdominal wall defect with insertion of a dual mesh. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Compensating for time-varying input and state delays inherent to image-based control systems

Image feedback has become a common means to provide feedback to autonomous systems. However, when used in a feedback loop, acquiring and then processing images introduces delays in both the state feedback and the control input. Since the image processing time depends on the complexity of the image/environment, the delays can be time varying. Such effects can destabilize the closed-loop system. A robust control approach is developed in this paper which enables an autonomous system to track a desired trajectory despite the time-varying input and state delays. Lyapunov-based analysis methods are used to prove the tracking error is uniformly ultimately bounded, and simulation results for a camera-to-hand image guided sensorless missile demonstrate the performance of the developed approach.
Sagittal Balance Correction in Lateral Interbody Fusion for Degenerative Scoliosis.

Background Sagittal balance restoration has been shown to be an important determinant of outcomes in corrective surgery for degenerative scoliosis. Lateral interbody fusion (LIF) is a less-invasive technique which permits the placement of a high lordosis interbody cage without risks associated with traditional anterior or transforaminal interbody techniques. Studies have shown improvement in lumbar lordosis following LIF, but only one other study has assessed sagittal balance in this population. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of LIF to restore sagittal balance in degenerative lumbar scoliosis. Methods Thirty-five patients who underwent LIF for degenerative thoracolumbar scoliosis from July 2013 to March 2014 by a single surgeon were included. Outcome measures included sagittal balance, lumbar lordosis, Cobb Angle, and segmental lordosis. Measures were evaluated pre-operative, immediately post-operatively, and at their last clinical follow-up. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to assess the differences between pre-operative, first postoperative, and a follow-up visit. Results The average sagittal balance correction was not significantly different: 1.06cm from 5.79cm to 4.74cm forward. The average Cobb angle correction was 14.1 degrees from 21.6 to 5.5 degrees. The average change in global lumbar lordosis was found to be significantly different: 6.3 degrees from 28.9 to 35.2 degrees. Conclusions This study demonstrates that LIF reliably restores lordosis, but does not significantly improve sagittal balance. Despite this, patients had reliable improvement in pain and functionality suggesting that sagittal balance correction may not be as critical in scoliosis correction as previous studies have indicated. Clinical Relevance LIF does not significantly change sagittal balance; however, clinical improvement does not seem to be contingent upon sagittal balance correction in the degenerative scoliosis population. The DUHS IRB has determined this study meets criteria for an IRB waiver.
An Improved Procedure for Determining Skylight Well Efficiency under Diffuse Glazing

AbstractThis paper presents a simplified procedure for determining skylight well transmission efficiency for vertical and splayed skylight wells when the glazing is assumed to be diffuse. The radiative exchange form factor between the top and bottom openings of the well is the key parameter that must be determined in applying this new approach. Equations and graphs for accurately determining this form factor are provided. An approximate well efficiency is then determined using a simple three-surface flux transfer system, to which a correction factor is applied to bring the calculated well efficiency into close agreement with a more accurate five-surface flux transfer model that addresses a variable wall luminance across the height of the well. This procedure provides a more accurate result than the existing graph in the IESNA Lumen Method for Toplighting (Rea 2000), and permits expansion of that method to splayed skylight wells of assorted geometries.
Optimizing cell sourcing for clinical translation of tissue engineered ears

Background . Currently, the major impediment to clinical translation of our previously described platform for the fabrication of high fidelity, patient-specific tissue engineered ears is the development of a clinically optimal cell sourcing strategy. A limited autologous auricular chondrocyte (AuC) supply in conjunction with rapid chondrocyte de-differentiation during in vitro expansion currently makes clinical translation more challenging. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer significant promise due to their inherent chondrogenic potential, and large availability through minimally invasive procedures. Herein, we demonstrate the promise of AuC/MSC co-culture to fabricate elastic cartilage using 50% fewer AuC than standard approaches. Methods Bovine auricular chondrocytes (bAuC) and bovine MSC (bMSC) were encapsulated within 10 mg ml-1 type I collagen hydrogels in ratios of bAuC:bMSC 100:0, 50:50, and 0:100 at a density of 25 million cells ml-1 hydrogel. One mm thick collagen sheet gels were fabricated, and thereafter, 8 mm diameter discs were extracted using a biopsy punch. Discs were implanted subcutaneously in the dorsa of nude mice (NU/NU) and harvested after 1 and 3 months. Results Gross analysis of explanted discs revealed bAuC:bMSC co-culture discs maintained their size and shape, and exhibited native auricular cartilage-like elasticity after 1 and 3 months of implantation. Co-culture discs developed into auricular cartilage, with viable chondrocytes within lacunae, copious proteoglycan and elastic fiber deposition, and a distinct perichondrial layer. Biochemical analysis confirmed that co-culture discs deposited critical cartilage molecular components more readily than did both bAuC and bMSC discs after 1 and 3 months, and proteoglycan content significantly increased between 1 and 3 months. Conclusion We have successfully demonstrated an innovative cell sourcing strategy that facilitates our efforts to achieve clinical translation of our high fidelity, patient-specific ears for auricular reconstruction utilizing only half of the requisite auricular chondrocytes to fabricate mature elastic cartilage.
Rockin’ in the unfree world: North Korea’s Moranbong Band and the celebrity dictator

ABSTRACTThis article examines how the North Korean regime incorporated various aspects of foreign pop music into its own state-created pop band in order to re-direct desire back towards Kim Jong-un. Using Guy Debord's theory of the spectacle, this article argues that North Korea has successfully created a celebrity dictator who is able to negotiate the increasing presence of a potentially destabilizing foreign popular culture due to globalization.
Improving outcomes after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for Hodgkin lymphoma in the brentuximab vedotin era

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) remains a valuable treatment alternative for relapsed/refractory (R/R) Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Data on alloHCT outcomes in the era of new HL therapies are needed. We evaluated 72R/R HL patients who received reduced intensity conditioning alloHCT and compared the time periods 2009-2013 (n=20) with 2000-2008 (n=52). Grafts included HLA-matched sibling (35%), unrelated donor (8%) and umbilical cord blood (56%). In the recent period, patients more often received brentuximab vedotin (BV, 60% vs 2%), had fewer comorbidities (Sorror index 0: 60% vs 12%) and were in complete remission (50% vs 23%). Median follow-up was 4.4 years. Three-year PFS improved for patients treated between 2009 and 2013 (49%, 95% CI 26-68%) as compared with the earlier era (23%, 95% CI 13-35%, P=0.02). Overall survival (OS) at 3 years was 84% (95% CI 57-94%) vs 50% (95% CI 36-62%, P=0.01), reflecting lower non-relapse mortality and relapse rates. In multivariate analysis mortality was higher among those with chemoresistance (HR 3.83, 95% CI 1.38-10.57), while treatment during the recent era was associated with better OS (HR for period 2009-2013: 0.24, 95% CI 0.07-0.79) and PFS (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.23-0.92). AlloHCT in patients with R/R HL is now a more effective treatment than previously.
Mitochondrially derived peptides as novel regulators of metabolism

Mitochondrially derived peptides represent a new class of circulating signalling molecules. Humanin, the first member of this class, has been shown to have several metabolic effects such as reducing weight gain and visceral fat and increasing glucose-stimulated insulin release. The discovery of several other new members, such as MOTS-c and SHLP1-6, has further added to this group. These new peptides have also been found to affect metabolism with MOTS-c potently decreasing weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet. This review covers the basic biology of this class of peptides and discusses the relevance to organismal metabolism.
Progress in FAST CARS Toward Quantum Biophotonics

Abstract Fast imaging with chemical specificity is important in many biomedical and biophotonics applications. Quantum optical technology has brought a new paradigm shift in which the biologists define the parameters that are needed for effective use, and the quantum physicists/engineers design and develop the technology to meet those needs. This requires developing new techniques and pushing the envelope in quantum physics on the one hand and bioscience on the other. In this review we describe recent progress in the development of the femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering and applications to quantum biophotonics.
Symbolic Politics or Generification ? The Ambivalent Implications of Tree Ordinations in the Thai Environmental Movement

Since the early 1990s, tree ordinations have become an important practice for some Thai environmental activists who seek greater legitimacy for local management and use of natural resources. This paper, explores the political and cultural effects of tree ordinations by applying the concepts of “cultural objectiﬁcation” and “cultural generiﬁcation. It argues that recent uses of tree ordinations depend on a process of cultural objectiﬁcation, facilitating the generiﬁcation of the ritual and its various components as an example of the larger category of “local wisdom.” Signiﬁcant forms of power difference are implicated in the process. Middle class NGO activists largely controlled the practice and representation of the ritual and its symbols, and tended to objectify and simplify the values and practices of rural people. The tree ordinations of 1996-1997, dedicated to King Rama IX, had the further effect of symbolically bolstering the hierarchical structure of the Thai state and Thai society as a whole – a structure in which local leaders and middle class NGO activists exercise power as arbiters of “good” and “bad” culture among rural people. These are the ambiguous implications to which the title of this article refers: a process of objectiﬁcation and generiﬁcation and its place in the reproduction of a hierarchical political and cultural order, together with some decidedly positive outcomes of tree ordinations for the conservation and control of natural resources by rural people. Key words: Thailand, environmental activism, social hierarchy, power, cultural objectiﬁcation.
Vitamin D Levels, Body Composition, and Metabolic Factors in Asian Indians: Results from the Metabolic Syndrome and Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America Pilot Study.

Author(s): Chiang, Janet M; Stanczyk, Frank Z; Kanaya, Alka M | Abstract: BACKGROUND/AIMS:Asian Indians have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. METHODS:We performed a cross-sectional study of 150 Asian Indians (50% male) from the San Francisco Bay Area. We assessed the association between 25-OH vitamin D (25-OHD) levels and vitamin D deficiency with body composition (anthropometric and radiographic measures) and metabolic outcomes. RESULTS:In both men and women, the presence of vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher systolic (p = 0.004) and diastolic (p = 0.01) blood pressure, and fasting glucose (p = 0.01). Only in women, vitamin D deficiency status was associated with higher body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, visceral fat area, and hepatic fat content after adjusting for age, income, and physical activity level. In women, 25-OHD was also associated with fasting glucose after adjusting for age, income, and physical activity and further adjusting for BMI and waist circumference (β -2.1, 95% CI -0.86 to -0.01, p = 0.04). This association between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic parameters was not significant in men. CONCLUSIONS:A lower level of 25-OHD and vitamin D deficiency were associated with higher levels of metabolic factors among Asian Indians. Our findings suggest that 25-OHD metabolism may differ by the distribution of adipose tissue and involve previously unexplored pathways accounting for the variability in the role of vitamin D in cardiovascular disease.
Prediction of Failure Sites Ahead of Moving Energy Source

High concentrations of energy can affect the local material properties and cause irreversible material damage. The degree of damage depends on the intensity and rate at which energy is being transferred to the system and the ability of the material to dissipate the excessive energy in the form of irrecoverable deformation and/or fracture. Predictions of the mechanical behavior of materials damaged by localized energy sources are difficult for two reasons. Firstly, no reliable methods are available for determining the change in material properties in relation to certain threshold energy level. Secondly, damage threshold of materials, say for crystalline solids, in terms of yielding and fracture must also be accounted for. The former and latter are distinguished by the size scale at which damage is being done to the material. For instance, yielding and fracture are associated with material damage at the microscopic and macroscopic scale level [1] while a change in material properties* corresponds to disturbances at the atomic level.
Ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase: a regulatory enzyme in the photosynthetic assimilation of carbon dioxide.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses ribulose 1,5-diphosphate (RuDP) carboxylase. One property of RuDP carboxylase that appears to be in conflict with its proposed role in photosynthesis is a requirement for a CO 2 concentration about 100-fold greater than that normally present in air. Since its initial isolation, RuDP carboxylase has continued to attract wide interest not only because of its key role in photosynthesis but also because of its unique features. The carboxylase is present at very high concentrations, accounting for up to 50% of the total soluble protein of leaves. On the basis of its carboxylase activity, RuDP carboxylase has been purified to homogeneity from algae and higher plants and was recently crystallized from tobacco leaves. The discovery that isolated chloroplasts photoassimilate bicarbonate to the level of carbohydrate extended more recently by findings that this reaction can be made to proceed at high rates, up to 60% those of leaves, permits an in vitro estimation of the concentration of bicarbonate needed to sustain a maximal rate of photosynthesis.
Sudanophilic leukodystrophy with large amounts of cholesterol ester

The patient was a 31-yr-old white male who developed behavioral abnormalities 6 months prior to death. He became progressively lethargic, socially withdrawn and somnolent. Over the 2 months prior to death his memory worsened, he exhibited an increasingly stumbling gait, and he developed multiple cranial nerve deficits. he became comatose, developed respiratory insufficiency, and died. The brain had gross and microscopic appearances consistent with a sudanophilic leukodystrophy. No specific intracellular inclusions were seen with electron microscopy. Water, total lipid, neutral lipid, phospholipid, cholesterol, and cholesterol ester contents of cerebral cortex were all normal. Levels of galactolipid and phospholipid were much lower than normal in affected white matter, but it contained almost three times the normal amount of neutral lipid. Cholesterol esters made up 75% of the total sterol in white matter, but very long chain fatty acids were not seen in this fraction. This case probably represents a type of sudanophilic leukodystrophy in which cholesterol esters accumulate in white matter to degrees not previously reported for other conditions.
Some comments on acoustic sensing at a single point in space

The directionality provided by an acoustic vector sensor can be viewed in the context of a Taylor series expansion of the acoustic pressure field. From this perspective, acoustic pressure and acoustic particle velocity are but two of an infinite number of acoustic field variables. The purpose of this presentation is to examine some of the properties of these higher order field variables, including their energetics and the behavior of their spatial cross spectra in homogeneous, isotropic noise. Analytical expressions for those spatial cross spectra involving the normal strain rate parallel to the direction of separation decrease rapidly with increasing separation, and then continue to oscillate with a sinc function behavior. In contrast, those involving the normal strain rate perpendicular to the direction of separation decrease more slowly so that significant positive coherence exists at half-wavelength spacing, but then decay to, and remain near, zero at larger spacings. Accurate estimates of the range to a near-field point source can be obtained from the in-phase and quadrature components of normal strain rate with respect to pressure. Do animals in the ocean exploit the properties of these higher-order field variables?The directionality provided by an acoustic vector sensor can be viewed in the context of a Taylor series expansion of the acoustic pressure field. From this perspective, acoustic pressure and acoustic particle velocity are but two of an infinite number of acoustic field variables. The purpose of this presentation is to examine some of the properties of these higher order field variables, including their energetics and the behavior of their spatial cross spectra in homogeneous, isotropic noise. Analytical expressions for those spatial cross spectra involving the normal strain rate parallel to the direction of separation decrease rapidly with increasing separation, and then continue to oscillate with a sinc function behavior. In contrast, those involving the normal strain rate perpendicular to the direction of separation decrease more slowly so that significant positive coherence exists at half-wavelength spacing, but then decay to, and remain near, zero at larger spacings. Accurate estimates of the range t...
Social power, offshore financial intermediaries and a network regulatory imaginary

Abstract While studies have paid attention to the activities of firms and their financial flows in offshore tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions, there is scant work on role of advanced business services (ABS) intermediary providers in shaping the geography of these jurisdictions. Yet such a study is needed in light of the recent release of the Panama Papers and the fallout of major political figures, celebrities and corporations as a result of the leaks. This paper examines the role of relational ties in mediating and linking high net worth individuals, political elites, corporations, intermediary providers, and, secrecy jurisdictions. By examining the major organizational hubs of social power embedded in network structures, it suggests that regulatory responses to tax avoidance and evasion associated with secrecy jurisdictions may need to move beyond a state-centered model of governance. Transnational governance involves a broader set of auspices and governors that include ABS actors and their social practices which constitute both a source of learning and normative regulation.
Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in conjunction with cytoreductive surgery (CRS) holds promise as an adjunctive treatment strategy in malignancies affecting the peritoneal surface, effectively targeting remaining microscopic residual tumor. HIPEC increases concentrations of chemotherapy directly within the peritoneal cavity compared with the intravenous route and reduces the systemic side effects associated with prolonged adjuvant intraperitoneal exposure. Furthermore, hyperthermia increases tissue penetration and is synergistic with the therapeutic chemotherapy agents used. In ovarian cancer, evidence is building for its use in both primary and recurrent scenarios. In this review, we examine the history of HIPEC, the techniques used, and the available data guiding its use in primary and recurrent ovarian cancer.
Theoretical study of photoluminescence spectroscopy of strong exciton-polariton coupling in dielectric nanodisks with anapole states

Abstract Semiconductor nanoparticles and nanostructures in the strong coupling regime exhibit an intriguing energy scale in the optical frequencies, which is specified by the Rabi splitting between the upper and lower exciton-polariton states. Technically, exciton-polaritons are part-light, part-matter quasiparticles that arise from the strong interaction of excitonic substances and photonic platforms. In this work, using full-wave numerical and theoretical studies, we showed the emergence of strong light-matter coupling between the nonradiating anapole states from an individual semiconductor nanodisk coupled to a J-aggregate fluorescent dye molecule resonating in the visible spectrum. By demonstrating the physical mechanism behind the observed energy splitting for various Lorentzian linewidth of excitonic material, we theoretically confirmed the obtained spectral responses by conducting photoluminescence spectroscopy analysis. The coupling of anapole resonances in semiconductor nanoparticles with excitonic levels can propose interesting possibilities for the control of directional light scattering in the strong coupling limit, and the dynamic tuning of deep-subwavelength light-matter coupled states by external stimuli.
Effects of Silicone Coatings on Heat Strengthened and Fully Tempered Glass

Abstract This study investigated the effects of inorganic silicone coatings on the load resistance of heat treated glass beams. The authors performed destructive load tests on 192 heat treated glas...
Book Review (Reviewing Gabriella E. Sanchez, Human Smuggling and Border Crossings (2015))

This is a review of Gabriella Sanchez's monograph, which challenges dominant narratives of human smugglers as violent members of organized criminal networks with qualitative research conducted with smuggling facilitators, their families, and those who utilized their services.