cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of the colorectal polyp referred for resection: A case-matched comparison of advanced endoscopic surgery and laparoscopic colectomy.

Abstract Background Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colorectal screening and surveillance. Advanced endoscopic polypectomy techniques such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have been introduced to remove large colorectal polyps. Our aim was to compare the outcomes of patients who underwent ESD with those of who underwent laparoscopic colectomy for benign colorectal polyps. Methods Patients with a preoperative diagnosis of benign colorectal polyp who underwent ESD or colectomy between 2011 and 2016 were case matched for age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, polyp size, and location. Outcomes and cost data were analyzed. Polyps proximal to the splenic flexure were grouped as right-sided polyps, and polyps distal to the splenic flexure were grouped as left-sided polyps. Results We identified 144 patients in the laparoscopic resection group and 111 patients in the ESD group; 48 patients met the matching criteria. Of the 48 patients in the ESD group, 5 required operative resection. Mean duration of stay in laparoscopic resection group and the ESD group was 5.2 ± 2.4 days vs 1.5 ± 1.4 (P .05). ESD had a 43% cost-reduction advantage over laparoscopic colectomy, with a 44% and 39% cost advantage for right- and left-sided lesions, respectively. Conclusion ESD is more cost effective than conventional segmental resection. With an experienced endoscopist, ESD can be offered as a colon-preserving procedure.
The Boundary Work of Commercialists in Academe: Implications for Postdoctoral Training.

Using two conceptual frameworks—boundary work and field theory—I examined how academic scientists’ strategies for demarcating science from the market have implications for professional socializatio...
Effect of a congenital defect in hemopoiesis on myeloid growth and the stem cell (CFU) in an in vivo culture system.

W/Wv mice with congenitally defective CFU proliferation and their normal, congenic littermates were used as hosts for diffusion chamber (DC) implants. CFU growth in implanted allogenic CF1, or congenic +/+ marrow was significantly greater in W/Wv than in control hosts. When W/Wv mice were “cured” of their hemopoietic defect, CFU proliferation in the DCs decreased, but not to the control level. These observations have provided evidence for humoral control of CFU growth related to a genetic stem cell defect. Diffusion chamber myelopoiesis was also enhanced in W/Wv hosts. In comparison with their congenic controls, W/Wv mice were neutropenic and had decreased numbers of marrow myeloid elements. Thus, a humorally mediated feedback related to a defective myelopoiesis in the hosts might have accounted for increased DC myelopoiesis. However, a “spillover”effect from increased stem cell growth has not been excluded.
Bulls and Bears: Disagreement and Trading Volume Around News Announcements

We use posts on the investor-focused StockTwits social media network to generate new insights regarding investor disagreement, disclosure processing costs, and trading volume around earnings announcements. Using social media-based measures of disagreement, we find that trading volume is positively associated with both preannouncement disagreement and increases in disagreement around an earnings announcement. Drawing upon the disclosure processing costs literature, we provide evidence that the effects of disagreement increase when disclosure processing costs are lower. Our social media measures of disagreement remain significant after including traditional analyst earnings estimate measures of disagreement in the model. Our study provides new evidence on the importance of disclosure processing costs and is consistent with lower disclosure processing costs amplifying both the resolution of preannouncement disagreement and new disagreement about earnings information.
The structure-based design of novel AMPA bioisosteres

The reaction of 4-acetyl-5-methyl-3-isoxazolyl carboxylate with a variety of hydrazines and semicarbazides yielded molecules which are viable antagonist candidates for the AMPA receptor. Molecular modeling studies used in conjunction with the x-ray crystal structures of these derivatives show a close correlation between the hydrogen bonding characteristics of AMPA with that of the hydrazone and semicarbazone isoxazole derivatives. Uncyclized hydrazones and semicarbazones (1–5) were formed by using corresponding hydrazines and semicarbazides containing strong electron withdrawing groups to prevent cyclization with the ethyl ester. The crystals of 1 are orthorhombic with a = 14.2997(3), b = 15.4112(4),c = 16.0153(4) A, Z = 8, and space group Pbca; 2 monoclinic with a = 19.738(2), b = 10.4155(7), c = 15.583(1) A, β = 92.348(2)°, Z = 8, and space group C2/c; 3 triclinic with a = 8.3365(5), b = 8.4930(5), c = 12.2379(7) A, α = 92.568(2), β = 102.229(2), γ = 104.449(1)°, Z = 2, and space group P $$\bar 1$$ .
Pharmacological potentiation of the efferent vagus nerve attenuates blood pressure and renal injury in a murine model of systemic lupus erythematosus

Recent evidence suggests hypertension may be secondary to chronic inflammation that results from hypoactive neuro-immune regulatory mechanisms. To further understand this association, we used systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as a model of inflammation-induced hypertension. In addition to prevalent inflammatory kidney disease and hypertension, SLE patients suffer from dysautonomia in the form of decreased efferent vagal tone. Based on this, the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, an endogenous vagus-to-spleen mechanism that, when activated results in decreases in systemic inflammation, may be compromised in SLE. We hypothesized that stimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway via pharmacological potentiation of the efferent vagus nerve would reduce inflammation and halt the development of hypertension and renal injury in SLE. Female NZBWF1 mice, an established model of murine SLE, and female control mice were treated with galantamine (4 mg/kg daily ip), an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, or saline for 14 days. At the end of therapy, carotid catheters were surgically implanted and were used to measure mean arterial pressure before the animals were euthanized. Chronic galantamine administration attenuated both splenic and renal cortical inflammation, which likely explains why the hypertension and renal injury (i.e., glomerulosclerosis and fibrosis) typically observed in murine SLE was attenuated following therapy. Based on this, the anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and renoprotective effects of galantamine may be mediated through activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. It is possible that dysfunction of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway exists in SLE at the level of the efferent vagus nerve and promoting restoration of its activity through central cholinergic receptor activation may be beneficial.
Sales Performance: Timing of Measurement and Type of Measurement Make a Difference

This paper investigates how the time of measurement and the “type” of variable used to measure sales performance can impact the results of sales performance studies. Information is presented which indicates that performance measures taken at different times are not highly related. Further, the relationships between different performance measures are also not strong. Finally, the type of performance measure used and when the measure of performance was taken had an impact on the relationship of sales performance to a set of predictor variables. The results provide empirical support for previously published concerns that researchers exercise caution in their use of performance measures that are readily available from a host firm or easily created by the researcher.
Evaluation of Renal Stone Comminution and Injury by Burst Wave Lithotripsy in a Pig Model.

Abstract Introduction: Burst wave lithotripsy is an experimental technology to noninvasively fragment kidney stones with focused bursts of ultrasound (US). This study evaluated the safety and effec...
Development of In Vitro Bioengineered Vascular Grafts for Microsurgery and Vascular Surgery Applications.

Introduction The use of vascular grafts is continuing to rise due to the increasing prevalence of coronary artery bypass grafting and microvascular flap-based tissue reconstructions. The current options of using native vessels (saphenous vein) or the synthetic grafts (Dacron) have been unable to manage current needs. In this study, we employed an original tissue engineering approach to develop a multi-layered vascular graft that has the potential to address some of the limitations of the existing grafts. Materials and methods Biomaterials, gelatin and fibrin, were used to develop a two-layered vascular graft. The graft was seeded with endothelial cells and imaged using confocal microscopy. The graft's architecture and its mechanical properties were also characterized using histology, Scanning Electron Microscopy and rheological studies. Results Our methodology resulted in the development of a vascular graft with precise spatial localization of the two layers. The endothelial cells fully covered the lumen of the developed vascular graft, thus providing a non-thrombogenic surface. The elastic modulus of the biomaterials employed in this graft was found to be 5.186 KPa, paralleling that of internal mammary artery. The burst pressure of this graft was also measured and was found close to that of the saphenous vein (~2000 mm Hg). Conclusions We were successfully able to employ a unique method to synthesize a multi-layered vascularized graft having adequate biological and mechanical properties. Studies are ongoing involving implantation of this developed vascular graft in the rat femoral artery and characterization of parameters such as vascular remodeling and patency.
Re-introducing Cognitive Complexity: A Meta-analysis and Agenda for Future Research

Cognitive complexity represents the extent to which individuals cognitively structure and process their environment in a multidimensional manner. Despite over 60 years of research, gaps remain in o...
SweepStat: A Build-It-Yourself, Two-Electrode Potentiostat for Macroelectrode and Ultramicroelectrode Studies

Experimental electrochemistry offers unique opportunities for interactive instruction at all levels of education; however, widespread adoption in curricula is hindered by high costs associated with...
'Sustainable' tobacco industry?

Decisions governments will make in the next 5–10 years may determine whether we must continue fighting against the tobacco epidemic well into the second half of yet another century, or whether we can finally bring this ghastly, industrially produced epidemic of disease to an end. Smoking is plummeting in many high-income countries, and dropping even in some countries with very high prevalence, like China. But there are other countries, like Indonesia, where smoking prevalence remains shockingly high and is projected to go higher. And in African countries, where tobacco companies see their new markets for cigarettes emerging, the epidemic may be only just beginning.1 This is a preventable tragedy. Despite their many smarmy statements about ending smoking, tobacco companies remain the biggest obstacle to achieving a tobacco-free world. They have no intention of going quietly into that good night where they …
The Roads of Your Veins: Visualizing Map and Vein Data Matching

The roads of your veins is an interactive biometric-data artwork that allows participants to scan their veins and find the roads that match their vein lines. The vein data as one of the fascinating forms of biometric data contain uniquely complicated lines that resemble the roads and paths surrounding us. The roads resemble how our vein lines are interconnected and how the blood circulates in our bodies in various directions, at various speeds, and in different conditions. This new artwork explores the line segmentation and the structure of veins and compares them to roads in the real world. Through this project, users can explore the correlation between individuals and environments using the hidden patterns under the skin and the vein recognition techniques and image processing. This project also has the potential to lead the way in the interpretation of complicated datasets while providing aesthetically beautiful and mesmerizing visualizations.
The Impact of a Smartphone App on the Quality of Pediatric Colonoscopy Preparations: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Smartphone apps have been successfully used to help adults prepare for colonoscopies. However, no study to date has investigated the effect of a smartphone app on pediatric colonoscopy preparation. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine if an app (SB Colonoscopy Prep) designed to educate and guide patients through their colonoscopy preparation will yield benefits over paper-based instructions and information. Methods: In total, 46 patients aged 5-18 years received either app-based or written material with instructions on how to take their prep medications as well as information about the colonoscopy procedure. Prep quality, the number of calls to the gastroenterology service, and patient arrival time were recorded. After the procedure, a questionnaire was given to each patient through which they graded their knowledge of the procedure both before and after receiving the app or written material. Results: App users had higher mean Boston scores versus control subjects receiving written instructions (7.2 vs 5.9, P=.02), indicating better colonoscopy preps. In total, 75% (15/20) of app users and 41% (9/22) of written instruction users had preps categorized as “excellent” on the Boston scale. We found no significant differences in knowledge about the procedure (app users: 10/20 [50%], written instruction users 8/22 [36%]; P=.37), phone calls to the gastroenterology clinic (n=6 vs n=2; P=.27), or arrival times at the endoscopy suite (44 min vs 46 min before the scheduled procedure time; P=.56). Conclusions: Smartphone app use was associated with an increased number of colonoscopy preps classified as “excellent” on the Boston scale. There was no significant difference between app users and the control group regarding the number of calls to the gastroenterology clinic, patient arrival time, or patient knowledge about the procedure.
The Helix: Editorial Changes.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Dr. Suman Jayadev to the group of Associate Editors of Neurology® Genetics . She is a board-certified neurologist and Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Washington. She runs an adult neurogenetics clinic at the University of Washington and is also the Clinical Core Leader of the University of Washington Alzheimer Disease Research Center. Her neurogenetics laboratory focuses on inflammatory mechanisms related to neurodegeneration.
Constructing soft masculinity: Christian conversion and gendered experience among young Chinese Christian men in Beijing

Considering the influence of religion on the gendered experiences of men, this article explores how “soft masculinity” is constructed among college-educated young Chinese Christian men in Beijing. ...
Financial capacity and organizational stability in U.S. local governments

Stabilizing local governments’ expenditures over time is essential to ensure the continuity of public service provision. However, there is little agreement on the managerial determinants of expendi...
Development of Microgravity Boiling Experiments aboard the International Space Station from Terrestrial Adverse Gravity Outcomes for a Ratcheted Microstructure with Engineered Nucleation Sites

A ratcheted microstructure has demonstrated motion of vapor bubbles in adverse gravity conditions with distinct stages including nucleation of vapor bubbles from engineered nucleation sites and bubble coalescence which leads to vapor masses sliding across the microstructure. In contrast, a baseline surface with no ratchets but containing engineered nucleation sites showed stagnant vapor bubbles that grew large enough to surpass the test surface footprint. This terrestrial experimental setup was designed to recreate key aspects of the available International Space Station (ISS) hardware, including geometrical constraints and high-speed imaging through a square cross-sectioned transparent borosilicate glass ampoule. A simplified force balance model predicts the liquid film thickness between the crest and trough of the sawtooth for the downwardfacing surface by modifying a microgravity model from a prior parabolic flight experiment. At a heat flux of 1.78 W/cm2, the model estimated a liquid film thickness of 116 µm for a vapor slug moving at a velocity of 21.8 mm/s across the downward-facing microstructure. The design of the flight elements for the upcoming ISS experiments including the proposed two-stage pressure relief system, high-speed imaging requirements, and heater and cold zone details are discussed. Thus, the outcomes from the terrestrial downward-facing runs are considered to anticipate vapor bubble dynamics in the upcoming microgravity experiments to design the final flight ampoule elements.
Cytopathology and Management of Ureteroscopic Biopsy Samples

In this chapter we describe the special procedure to handle ureteroscopic samples in the cytopathology laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to achieve the best diagnostic results. Urinary specimens, such as voided urine, catheterized bladder urine, and aspiration of ureter and pelvis are collected in saline and rapidly delivered to the cytopathology laboratory to keep the cellular preservation. Biopsies samples of the tumors are also delivered to the cytopathology laboratory and prepared as cell blocks for histologic assessment. The cytology slides and the cell blocks are then evaluated by experienced pathologists taking into account the cytomorphologic and histopathologic features. Our ability to diagnose and grade UTUC has markedly improved since adopting the described sample processing, providing better guidance for patient management. Immunohistochemical stains, FISH or other molecular studies can be used for tumor diagnosis and grading.
The French Civil Code: A Model for Louisiana

This brief article notes Louisiana’s celebration of the bicentennial of the French Civil Code.
Rationale and Benefits of Surveillance After Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty and Stenting of Iliac and Femoral Arteries

Duplex surveillance of lower extremity bypass grafts significantly improves both primary assisted and secondary patency rates.1,2 In this setting duplex ultrasound provides objective, hemodynamic data, and can provide detailed anatomic information both in terms of degree of stenosis as well as plaque characteristics and morphology. It can also be cost-effective.3 The goal of any surveillance protocol is to reduce procedural failures by detecting disease progression within the treated segment and allow for reintervention before a failure is realized. Such a protocol will ideally be cost-effective based on the assumption that the cost of reintervention is less than the cost of treating a failure of that procedure, which is likely to require a more complex intervention with potentially greater morbidity. Although reporting standards are well-established for the surveillance of lower extremity bypass grafts there are currently no such standards for surveillance after lower extremity angioplasty. Therefore, duplex surveillance protocols following angioplasty of the iliac and femoral arteries have largely been based on the concepts and results derived from duplex surveillance of lower extremity bypass grafts.
Tunable Dispersion Compensators Realized in High-Refractive-Index-Contrast SiON Technology

Tunable dispersion compensators will be presented that are based on finite- and infinite-impulse response lattice filters. The compact waveguide devices compensate for linear- and higher-order dispersion with low delay ripple and show a wide dispersion tuning range
Machine vision for 3D mechanical part recognition in intelligent manufacturing environments

A 3D machine vision method used in intelligent manufacturing environments is presented. In this method, the neural network technology is used to provide effective methodologies for solving difficult computational problems in 3D recognition processes. The recognition processes can be divided into two parts. First, a 3D reconstruction. approach based on wavelet analysis is presented. The stereo matching problem is solved with a wavelet analysis. The dyadic discrete wavelet analysis is adopted in this process and a stereo matching process is realized with global optimization. A coherent hierarchical matching strategy is constructed, so that the stereo matching process can be accomplished with coarse to fine techniques. A 3D reconstruction neural network is constructed by using the BP neural network. With the results of stereo matching, the 3D shape of part can be reconstructed. Then the feature vectors of 3D parts are constructed by using the 3D moment and its invariant. An ART2 neural network is adopted for the neural network classifier, by which the 3D parts can be recognized and classified. The method was tested with both synthetic and real mechanical parts in intelligent assembly system. Results show that the method presented is effective and suitable for an intelligent assembly system.
Grid-Generated He II Turbulence in a Finite Channel - Experiment

We present experimental data on decaying turbulence, generated by towing a grid through a stationary sample of He II. We describe in detail the experimental apparatus and physical principles that allow observation of up to six orders of magnitude of decaying vortex line density over three orders of magnitude in time using the second sound attenuation technique.
Laparoscopic Orchiectomy and Contralateral Vasectomy in a Patient with an Abdominal Testicle: A Case Report

We present a case of a 38-year-old man with a unilateral intra-abdominal testicle and undesired fertility in whom orchiectomy and contralateral vasectomy were performed laparoscopically. Urologists have been using diagnostic laparoscopy in patients with nonpalpable testes to plan the definitive procedure when the testicle is present, and to avoid laparotomy in cases of testicular absence. This case of laparoscopic orchiectomy and vasectomy demonstrates that operative laparoscopy allows another subset of patients with cryptorchidism to avoid open laparotomy.
Approximate maximum likelihood estimators for position and energy in scintillation cameras

It is often assumed that the photon arrival process incident on the photodetector array in a scintillation camera is Poisson. Conditioned on the location and energy of the incident gamma-ray. A simple experiment, in which the covariance between the sensor outputs is empirically determined demonstrates that the observations are not independent conditioned merely on location and energy. We assume that this lack of independence arises from random parameters influencing the Poisson intensity or photodetector responses. Because, these responses can be difficult to either model or measure as a function of the nuisance parameters, we develop two simple approximations to the ideal maximum likelihood estimator for location and energy.
Osteocytes link bone maintenance to blood homeostasis.

In this issue of Blood , Fulzele and colleagues provide exciting new data implicating bone-imbedded osteocytes in the regulation of hematopoiesis.[1][1] Osteocytes are the most abundant cell type in the bone, comprising more than 90% of all cells within the bone matrix or on bone surfaces.
Adding written reflections to the reflecting team

The benefits of letter-writing in couples and family therapy are reviewed, noting the previous absence in the use of letters as part of a reflecting team format. The authors discuss their experience on a reflecting team at Massachusetts General Hospital and the rationale for the addition of letter-writing to the reflecting team process. A case vignette involving a couple who received several team letters is discussed in light of their reports that the letters facilitated their ability to hold onto dual perspectives, remind them of positive changes they had made and serve as an ongoing shared record of the consultations. Also mentioned are the benefits for the therapist: the letter as a touchstone when the therapy goes awry and the freedom the therapist experienced during the spoken reflections, knowing she would later receive a written account. The benefits of using the letter to facilitate the teaching of the reflecting team are also highlighted.
Mary Norton: "A Grand Girl"

£ £ \ E A R M A R Y , You are a grand gir l , " Franklin D . I 1 Roosevelt wrote on White House stationary on June 1, * J 1942.1 The letter was addressed to Honorable Mary T . Norton,2 the first Democratic woman elected, after suffrage, to the House of Representatives. Norton, whose papers are housed in Rutgers University's Alexander Library, represented Jersey City and Bayonne in the House from 1924 to 1950. She was the first woman to serve on the New Jersey State Democratic Committee, of which she was chairwoman from 1932 to 1948. She became the first woman to co-chair the National Democratic Platform Committee in 1944 and, in 1948, the first woman to chair the Credentials Committee; in 1932, Norton became the first Democratic woman elected to a position on the Board of Chosen Freeholders in Hudson County, New Jersey; and in 1924 she was elected to the House of Representatives and was the first woman to chair a congressional committee—the House Committee on the District of Columbia, on which she served as "Mayor" of the District from 1931 to 1937. Norton was also the first woman to chair the House Labor Commit-
A convenient monitor of EPR automatic frequency control function

This Note points out the utility of an easily saturated EPR signal for mon itoring the performance of an automatic frequency control circuit in an electron paramagnet ic resonance spectrometer. The fundamental principle is that only when the klystron frequency is exactly at the resonant frequency of the cavity will the detected signal be the absorption signal. When the frequency is off resonance, nonlinearities in the AFC system will cause a m ixture of absorption and dispersion (I). Since the dispersion does not saturate as readily as the absorption signal, a small amount of dispersion signal m ixed in with the absorption signal for a easily saturated signal will produce a large change in the recorded EPR spectrum. We demonstrate this with a sample of irradiated quartz. Most of the measurements were conducted with “spectrosil” quartz from Thermal American Fused Quartz, irradiated to 24 Mrad with Co-60 gamma. Similar results were obtained with a sample of irradiated quartz provided by Dr. M ichael Bowman, Argonne National Laboratory. The spectra are predominantly the E’ signal near g = 2. The electron spin relaxation time for the irradiated quartz signal is so long that operation at about 55 dB (below 200 mw ) is required to achieve a nonsaturated signal. Since the signal is weak and since the AFC does not hold well at this low power, all of the spectra were recorded under weakly saturating conditions. Spectra were run on a Varian E-9 with a El02 bridge and on a Bruker ER-200 with a ER044 MRDH bridge. The standard rectangular cavities from each manufacturer were used. Variable-temperature Dewar inserts were installed in each cavity. They increase the effective B, at the sample beyond what would be present in an empty cavity at the same incident power; 100 kHz magnetic field modu lation was used. Frequencies were measured with a Systron Donner 6245B M icrowave Frequency Counter. The sample of irradiated 2 m m o.d. quartz rod, contained in a 4 m m o.d. quartz tube, was placed in the cavity, and the cavity was critically coupled by adjusting the iris to keep the detector current nearly constant over a 0 to 40 dB attenuation range. Spectra (a) (2) and (b) (2) in F ig. 1 were obtained under these conditions. Next, with the AFC off, the klystron frequency was set about +-2 MHz from the cavity resonant
Stereoelectronic substituent effects on intramolecular H-bonding in crowded o-anisic acids

The minimum energy geometries, OH stretching frequencies, and fractional distributions of the free and intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded conformers of eleven substituted o-anisic acids were determined by density functional theory. The structural changes that are associated with formation of the intramolecular H-bond are discussed. Intensities and areas of pertinent peaks in the measured infrared spectra were used to obtain the mol fractions of the intramolecularly H-bonded conformer, in equilibrium with the intermolecularly H-bonded dimers in chloroform solution. These mol fractions follow the same order as the theoretically determined “gas phase” values. They also correlate linearly with the change in the time-averaged 13C NMR shift of the carboxyl group that is produced by a change of solvent from DMSO to CDCl3. The same solvent change leads to an increase in the size of the one-bond C–H coupling constant of the methoxy group because of the greater polarization of the its H–C bonds in the intramolecular H-bonded conformer. The solvent-induced changes in the CH3O coupling constant correlate with those of the ipsoC2-OMe shift. The latter shift changes involve opposing effects of intra- and intermolecular H-bonding of the o-anisic acids.
Piezoresistivity in Silicon Carbide Fibers

The polycrystalline β-SiC fiber of diameter 14 μm (without a carbon core) is piezoresistive under tension, with gage factor 5. The resistivity increases linearly and reversibly with strain in the elastic regime. The fiber of diameter 140 μm (with a carbon core) is not piezoresistive, due to the carbon core controlling the electrical resistance.
The effect of plant growth substances and natural products on RNA and DNA synthesis in leukocytes.

The effect of auxins, cytokinins, gibbrellins and phenolics on the incorporation of uridine and thymidine into the nucleic acids of human leukocytes was examined. Both the stimulation and inhibition of the incorporation of the precursors was noted. The auxins consistently promoted the incorporation of uridine.
Effect of a Health Hazard “Scare” on Consumer Demand

THE possibility of pesticide residue contaminations has become public knowledge in recent years. Such possible health hazards are new phenomena affecting the marketing of food. For example, when the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare announced on November 9, 1959, that cranberries may contain residues of a herbicide known as amino triazole, a major health hazard "scare" developed. This announcement received much consumer attention, and producers felt that the sale of cranberries from unsprayed bogs was hurt as a result [1]. Satisfactory documentation of the economic effects of this announcement is lacking, however.
Circulation of Progenitor Cells in Obese and Lean Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common life-threatening malignancy; risk and progression are elevated in obesity. The purpose of this study was to measure the frequency of circulating CD34-positive endothelial and progenitor cells in the circulation and evaluate their potential values as CRC biomarkers. Methods: Blood was collected from 45 patients with CRC and compared with cancer-free control donors. Detection and enumeration of cells was carried out by flow cytometry on the basis of immunophenotypes established for the cell populations of interest: hematopoietic and endothelial circulating progenitor cells, endothelial cells, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), and CD34bright leukocytes (CD34b LC). Groups were compared using multivariate regression analysis. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic values. Results: After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), the mean frequencies of MSCs and CD34b LCs were significantly higher in the circulation of patients with CRC than in controls. The areas under the ROC curve were 0.77 and 0.82 for MSCs and CD34b LCs, respectively. The frequency of circulating MSCs, but not of the other cell populations, was also found to be significantly higher in the circulation of obese patients with CRC (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) than in lean patients with CRC and obese controls. Conclusions: Increased frequency of MSCs and CD34b LCs in the peripheral blood may represent a new diagnostic marker for CRC. Impact: BMI-dependent changes in circulating MSCs, potentially mobilized from white adipose tissue may reveal their trafficking to tumors, which could be one of the mechanistic links between obesity and cancer progression. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2461–8. ©2011 AACR .
The Military Origins of Soviet Industrialization

The predominant account of Soviet industrialization in Western literature is that it aimed at accelerating economic growth by concentrating investment in heavy industry, a strategy credited to Preobrazhenskii and Feldman. Using evidence from the Soviet sources, this article proposes an alternative origin of the strategy of industrialization and suggests different motives for the policy. It finds no support for Preobrazhenskii’s and Feldman’s authorship. Similar policies were undertaken earlier without the sophisticated economic analysis. It also traces the emergence of the standard view, and offers an explanation for why it became accepted in the face of the readily available contradictory evidence.
Evaluation of CD Fluctuation on QC Monitor

The continually increasing complexity of IC integration drives the reduction of device dimensions. Because of this, material loss that alters the device critical dimension (CD) continues to be an important parameter to monitor for device performance. The processes used in advanced device generations therefore need to be well defined to maintain the correct CD. The basic processes used to define the profile were (i) photolithography for device patterning, (ii) dry etch and ash to form the profile and (iii) caros clean for photoresist strip [1]. The lithography and etch tools were critical to fine tune the CDs for each device generation. The accuracy of the CD monitor was very important for tool tuning and optimization. However the basic QC monitor results showed the CD data was more unstable on the patterned monitor wafer requiring additional tool tuning that was not required on the device wafer.
Lysophospholipid G Protein-coupled Receptors

The many biological responses documented for lysophospholipids that include lysophosphatidic acid and sphingosine 1-phosphate can be mechanistically attributed to signaling through specific G protein-coupled receptors. At least nine receptors have now been identified, and the total number is likely to be larger. In this brief review, we note cogent features of lysophospholipid receptors, including the current nomenclature, signaling properties, development of agonists and antagonists, and physiological functions.
THE p85β REGULATORY SUBUNIT OF PI3K SERVES AS A SUBSTRATE FOR PTEN PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY DURING INSULIN MEDIATED SIGNALING

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a tumor suppressor gene that is frequently mutated in brain, uterine, and prostate cancers. The protein phosphatase activity is poorly defined. We demonstrate that insulin stimulates phosphorylation of tyrosine and threonine/proline residues on the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K in Huh-7, and HEK 293 cells. The specificity of PTEN binding and dephosphorylation of PI3K appears to reside on the p85β subunit. Therefore, the PTEN phosphatase is active against the PI3K p85β subunit and dephosphorylates a protein involved in insulin signaling where known downstream consequences are increased cell migration, motility, and invasion.
Graduate Students Mentors for Technology Success.

Current efforts to integrate technology across teacher education, particularly special education, preparation programs are contingent upon preparing teacher education faculty members to integrate the use of technology into the teacher education curriculum. In this article, I describe the evaluation of an innovative faculty technology-training program that utilized special education graduate students as technology mentors. Feedback from pre-post interviews and weekly online journal submissions on the part of graduate student mentors was collected to assess the impact of this program. The results of this mentorship training model illustrate several distinctive outcomes: an increase in faculty technology integration, an increase in graduate student technology use, and an increase in mentoring relationships between the graduate students and faculty members.
Physical heart in a virtual body

In this video we present a special guitar that combines physical acoustic properties with virtual capabilities. A wooden resonator - a unique, replaceable piece of wood that gives the guitar a unique acoustic sound, will embody the acoustical values. The acoustic signal created by this wooden heart will be digitally processed in a virtual sound box in order to create flexible sound design. The project shows that traditional values can be embedded into a digital object.
Excimer Laser Phototherapeutic Keratectomy

Anterior corneal pathology, such as corneal scars and corneal stromal dystrophies, can be visually devastating. Over the past decade, there was a shift in treatment of these conditions from corneal transplantation to phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) using the 193 nm excimer laser for visual restoration. We have reviewed the recent literature on techniques for performing and refining PTK and also on various pathologic conditions that can be treated with PTK. The primary indications for PTK include anterior corneal dystrophies, such as lattice, granular, and Reis-Buckler's dystrophy. PTK can produce significant visual improvement in these patients, and corneal transplantation or retransplantation can be delayed. Corneal degenerations, such as Salzmann's nodular degeneration, keratoconus nodules, and climatic droplet keratopathy, also can be successfully treated with PTK. Additionally, anterior corneal scars from such etiologies as trauma, corneal ulcers, and prior refractive surgery can have visual improvement with PTK. In summary, PTK is a powerful tool for the management of anterior corneal pathology. In a properly selected and well-counseled patient, PTK can significantly improve vision and quality of life.
The Approximation of a Group Stimulus Space by Averaging Responses to Selected Subsets of the Stimuli.

This paper presents a simple random procedure for selecting subsets of stimulus pairs for presentation to subjects. The resulting set of ratings from the group of subjects allows the construction of a group (average) space through the use of the computer program TORSCA-9 or equivalent programs. The procedure is applied to both real and simulated data. It is found that subjects need only make between 20% and 50% of the usual judgements to reconstruct a reasonably accurate group space.
Fashioning Voices of Their Own: Three Ming-Qing Women Writers’ Uses of Qu Yuan’s Persona and Poetry

This article explores how, during the Ming-Qing era, women writers used the persona and poetry of the great Chinese poet Qu Yuan (340?-278 bce). In order to establish the authority of their own voices, marginalized female writers often identified themselves with the mainstream male tradition. The legacy of Qu Yuan became one of their favorite examples to follow. Qu Yuan’s sao-style poems, especially the long poem “Encountering Sorrow,” are classics in the Chinese literary canon. Qu Yuan’s high moral standard and his eventual suicide for a just cause earned him a reputation as a patriotic poet-statesman much respected by later generations. Ming-Qing women writers made use of Qu Yuan’s literary and moral authority to create their own personal, political, and intellectual voices. By doing so, they demonstrated their efforts to upgrade their status in literary and social arenas.
497 A NOSOCOMIAL OUTBREAK OF FATAL ADENOVIRUS TYPE 7

The CHHC has experienced, to our knowledge, the first major outbreak of adenovirus type 7 disease in a children's hospital. At least 61 hospital employees and 7 patients were involved. Patients experienced a biphasic course which consisted of croup, diarrhea, fever, exudative pharyngitis, and/or conjunctivitis which preceded an acute respiratory decompensation by 1 wk. Those patients acquiring disease were individuals with compromised airways and underlying pulmonary pathology. Mortality from overwhelming viral pneumonia was 4/6 (67%). All fatal cases grew the organism from multiple sites including lung. Widespread illness appeared among hospital employees beginning 7 days after admission of the index case. History, NP and rectal viral cultures, and serology were obtained on 336/363 (94%) of staff working during the outbreak. Conjunctivitis was reported by 61 employees (16%), which was associated with corneal infiltrates in 5 (8%). 92/336 (27%) reported diarrhea and 221/336 (66%) reported URI symptoms. Control of viral transmission was achieved only when strict isolation precautions and cohorting of infected patients was combined with extensive screening of staff, and the temporary closure of the hospital to all new admissions. While adenovirus is a frequent community pathogen, this outbreak demonstrates that nosocomial type 7 infections in patients with pulmonary compromise frequently can be fatal.
Effect of surface scattering on terahertz time domain spectroscopy of chemicals

The existence of unique absorption spectrum patterns for many chemicals at terahertz frequencies has opened an exciting avenue in non-contact safe detection of such materials by terahertz spectroscopy. However, scattering of THz waves, which have wavelengths on the order of material grain sizes, by surface roughness challenges the sensitivity of this detection scheme in practice. In this work, we present terahertz time domain spectroscopy results for materials with rough surfaces. Both reflection from and transmission through lactose, which has sharp absorption peaks in the terahertz regime, are studied and the effect of increasing scattering through controlled surface roughness is investigated. Such electromagnetic scattering can alter the terahertz absorption spectrum and thus obscure the detection of chemicals. Furthermore we examine electro-optic detection of terahertz signals reflected from randomly rough targets with a theoretical electromagnetic system perspective and provide a method to retrieve coherent reflection responses from rough surface targets.
Measuring the Glass Transition of Latex-Based Polymers in the Hydroplasticized State via Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Polymers produced as aqueous-based lattices are always saturated with water, and the "wet" T(g) of these polymers can be significantly lower than the equivalent "dry" T(g) of the same polymers. The differential scanning calorimeter is a simple and effective tool to determine the wet T(g), and raw latex can be used without any special sample preparation. It is necessary, as always, to include a preheat step in the DSC procedure in order that the thermal scan produces quality data. We show that this technique can be performed in many temperature ranges, including temperatures well below the freezing point of water. Extension to the measurement of both thermal transitions for composite latex particles shows that the wet latex data, and information contained in them, can be quite different from the dried polymer data obtained from the same instrument. Special considerations are necessary for polymers with wet T(g)'s near the freezing point of water.
Concentration of thyroid hormones and prolactin in dairy cattle serum and milk at three stages of lactation

Eighteen lactating Holstein cows were used with six each in early, mid, and late lactation. Blood samples were obtained on 7 successive d. Blood serum and milk were measured by radioimmunoassay for thyroxine, 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine, and 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine. Prolactin was also measured in serum by radioimmunoassay. Serum thyroxine increased as lactation progressed and milk production declined (50, 55, and 62 ng/ml). Serum concentrations of triiodothyronine and reverse triiodothyronine were unchanged throughout lactation. Prolactin in serum declined as lactation advanced linearly (14.4, 11.8, and 10.5 ng/ml). Concentrations of thyroxine and triiodothyronine in milk declined significantly between early and mid but not mid and late lactation. Reverse triiodothyronine in milk did not change over the lactation. Serum triiodothyronine contained 1200 to 1300 pg/ml, whereas that in milk was 200 to 300 pg/ml. Reverse triiodothyronine was over 300 pg/ml in serum and only 80 to 90 pg/ml in milk. Amounts of thyroxine and triiodothyronine available to offspring from milk were calculated to be minor sources (4 to 5%) of total requirements for maintenance of metabolic function.
Preparation of a dry 228Th source of thoron

Abstract A modification in the process of preparing a dry Ba(Th) stearate source of emanation (Tn or Rn) is described. Methyl alcohol is used instead of water as the solvent for the reactants allowing the reaction to be carried out at room temperature and yielding 99·8 per cent recovery of thorium-228.
Prevalence and Correlates of Disability in a Late Middle-Aged Population of Women

Objective: This study estimates the prevalence of disability among late middle-aged women and identifies important correlates of disability among this population. Method: Disability was assessed among 376 participants of the Michigan Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation cohort at the 2011 follow-up using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule. Demographic and health measures were related to disability status using logistic regression models (none or mild vs. moderate, severe, or extreme disability). Results: Nearly 25% of women reported moderate to extreme global disability. African American race/ethnicity, economic strain, peripheral neuropathy, and depressive symptomatology were associated with global disability. Obesity, knee osteoarthritis, and hypertension were only associated with disability for the mobility domain (getting around). Discussion: The prevalence of disability is relatively high among this population of late middle-aged women. Efforts to prevent or forestall d...
Resource co-allocation for large-scale distributed environments

Advances in the development of large scale distributed computing systems such as Grids and Computing Clouds have intensified the need for developing scheduling algorithms capable of allocating multiple resources simultaneously. In principle, the required resources may be allocated by sequentially scheduling each resource individually. However, such a solution can be computationally expensive, hence inappropriate for time-sensitive applications, and may lead to deadlocks. In this work we present an efficient online algorithm for co-allocating resources that also provides support for advance reservations. The algorithm utilizes data structures specifically designed to organize the temporal availability of resources, and implements co-allocation through efficient range searches that identify all available resources simultaneously. We use simulations driven by real workloads to show that the co-allocation algorithm scales to systems with large numbers of users and resources, and we perform an in-depth comparative analysis against existing batch scheduling mechanisms. Our findings indicate that the online scheduling algorithms may achieve higher utilization while providing smaller delays and better QoS guarantees without adding much complexity.