cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the cortisol response to traumatic hemorrhage and intra-abdominal contamination models in Cynomologus Macaques.

Abstract Introduction Trauma, hemorrhage, and peritonitis have widely varying impacts on endocrine response in the injured patient. We sought to examine cortisol response in established non-human primate models of traumatic hemorrhage and intra-abdominal contamination. Methods Cynomologus Macaques were separated into two experimental groups, the polytrauma and hemorrhage model, involving a laparoscopic liver resection with uncontrolled hemorrhage, cecal perforation, and soft tissue excision; and the traumatic hemorrhage model, involving only liver resection and uncontrolled hemorrhage. Cortisol levels were measured pre-operatively, at the time of injury, and at regular intervals until post-operative day 1. Results Cortisol levels increased 600% from the pre-operative value in the polytrauma and hemorrhage model, with minimal changes (20%) in the hemorrhage only model. Conclusion Cortisol levels increase dramatically in response to polytrauma and intra-abdominal contamination as compared to hemorrhage only. The lack of response in the hemorrhage only group may be due to relative adrenal insufficiency caused by the shock state or lack of enticing stimuli from fecal peritonitis.
Highly sensitive mercury detection using electroactive gold-decorated polymer nanofibers

Abstract Easy to use devices for the rapid detection of toxic metal ions in water or food samples are essential for identifying, monitoring and effectively managing the effects of heavy metal pollution. We report a novel conductive nanofibrillar structure with a high number of nitrogen binding sites as a general strategy for enhancing detection sensitivity of electrodes for mercury ions (Hg2+) quantification by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The nanofibers are made of a conductive copolymer, poly(aniline-co-o-aminophenol) – PANOA – decorated with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) homogenously distributed throughout the fibrillar structure grown directly onto the surface of low cost disposable working electrodes. The synergistic effect arising from the high affinity provided by the large number of nitrogen functional groups (imine, amino, amido) in the PANOA and the Au NPs enabled the development of a very sensitive sensor for Hg2+ with a detection limit of 0.23 nM and a linear dynamic range between 0.8 and 12.0 nM, using a 180 s pre-concentration step. The sensor was selective for Hg2+ in the presence of As, Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd ions. An example application for detection of Hg2+ in river water as well as fish samples was demonstrated. The method provides a broadly applicable strategy to increase sensitivity of electrochemical sensors for field monitoring of heavy metal ion pollution.
Dominance-diversity architecture of a mixed hygromorphic-to-xeromorphic flora from a botanically rich locality in western equatorial Pangea (lower Permian Emily Irish site, Texas, USA

Abstract Here we describe the Leonardian-age flora from “Emily Irish” (Russell Ranch), a small oxbow lake deposit, which is believed to be one of the most extensively collected, single-excavation floras of this age from any place in the world, including ca. 5200 hand specimens housed at the US National Museum of Natural History. The flora is dominated by a mixture of xeromorphic and meso-hygromorphic elements. The xeromorphs include conifers, taeniopterids, cordaitaleans, and noeggerathialeans. The mesomorphic-to-hygromorphic elements include marattialean tree ferns, sphenopsids, lycopsids, callipterids, and medullosan pteridosperms. This co-dominance of hygromorphic and xeromorphic elements is made especially conspicuous by the intimate co-mingling of plant remains from each group on the same hand specimens, and by the relative preservation-state of the macrofossils, which does not differ between the two groups. These observations suggest that they inhabited the same landscape immediately surrounding the depositional environment, and were likely only differentiated by microhabitat. We suggest that the Emily Irish flora grew under seasonally dry climate, but that areas adjacent to the lake and feeder streams retained sufficient moisture to support patches of taxa requiring consistently high soil moisture. These patches, thus, were embedded within a landscape of periodic moisture deficit that supported vegetation composed mostly of xeromorphic elements. This is more likely than requiring the xeromorphic taxa to be transported to the site from extrabasinal habitats, the nearest of which were hundreds of kilometers away at the time the deposit formed.
Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Treatment of Cornual Ectopic Pregnancy

Study Objective Demonstrate the treatment of a cornual ectopic pregnancy using robotic assisted laparoscopy. Design NA Setting Operating Room. Patients or Participants 1. Interventions Robotic Assisted Laparoscopy was used to treat the cornual ectopic pregnancy. Measurements and Main Results NA Conclusion Patient was sent home the same day, estimated blood loss was
Characterizing and Quantifying Arbovirus Transmission by Aedes aegypti Using Forced Salivation and Analysis of Bloodmeals.

Arbovirus transmission studies are dependent on the ability to estimate the titer of virus transmitted from infectious mosquitoes to a host. There are several methods for estimating virus titer in mosquito saliva, including (1) using forced salivation (FS) whereby the infectious mosquito’s proboscis is forced into a capillary tube containing media to collect and test their saliva for virus, and (2) by quantifying virus expectorated into host tissues or into the blood contained in an artificial feeder immediately after blood feeding. We studied FS and bloodmeals to estimate and compare titers of Zika virus and chikungunya virus transmitted by the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti. Infectious virus and viral genomes of both viruses were detected more often from individual mosquitoes using immersion oil for the FS media compared to fetal bovine serum (FBS) plus glycerol, but the FS media had no influence on virus quantification from positive samples. FS virus titers were equivalent when comparing individuals or groups of mosquitoes that never received a blood meal compared to those that were blood fed immediately prior, showing that blood feeding does not influence FS. This suggested that performing FS on mosquitoes after blood feeding might be an efficient way to estimate virus transmitted during blood feeding. However, detecting virus from the blood remaining in an artificial feeder post-blood feeding was mostly unsuccessful relative to quantifying virus from FS of the post-blood fed mosquitoes. In contrast, immunocompromised mice always became infected after being fed on by Zika-infected mosquitoes, even when no infectious virus was detected in their saliva by FS post-blood feed. Due to this discrepancy, we tested the ingested bloodmeals of individual mosquitoes that fed on artificial blood feeders for virus, and compared these to virus in their saliva harvested from FS and to virus in their bodies. These experiments revealed ~50–100 times higher virus titers in the dissected bloodmeals compared to those detected in the same mosquitoes’ saliva, demonstrating how mosquitoes re-ingest much of their saliva during artificial blood feeding, and highlighting a large increase in virus transmission during Aedes aegypti blood feeding. Both FS and the dissected bloodmeals of artificially blood-fed mosquitoes showed that the quantity of viral RNA expectorated by mosquitoes was 2–5 logs more than the quantity of infectious virus. The results from this study add critical information to understanding and quantifying the transmission of Aedes aegypti arboviruses.
Types of child maltreatment and child welfare involvement among opioid-using mothers involved in substance use treatment

Although there is a significant link between maternal substance use and child maltreatment risk, extant literature has not investigated this link specifically among the growing number of parents abusing opioids. Underreporting of opioid use within child welfare presents further challenges in elucidating relations between maternal opioid use and child maltreatment. The purpose of the current study is to examine the link between maternal opioid use in women in substance use treatment and self-reported rates of child maltreatment and child welfare involvement of their children. We examined maternal substance use, severity of substance use, severity and type of child maltreatment of their children, and child welfare involvement across mothers who misuse opioids and misuse other substances using self-report surveys with 89 mothers. Results suggest similarities and differences among mothers who use opioids and other substances. Mothers who use opioids endorsed more significant and prolonged involvement with child welfare than mothers who use other substances. Participants did not endorse significant differences between rates of child maltreatment, and treatment engagement across groups. Given increased awareness of significant risks associated with opioid abuse, including greater risk for child maltreatment, a better understanding of its intersection with child welfare is necessary.
A Transformer-based Framework for Neutralizing and Reversing the Political Polarity of News Articles

People often prefer to consume news with similar political predispositions and access like-minded news articles, which aggravates polarized clusters known as "echo chamber". To mitigate this phenomenon, we propose a computer-aided solution to help combat extreme political polarization. Specifically, we present a framework for reversing or neutralizing the political polarity of news headlines and articles. The framework leverages the attention mechanism of a Transformer-based language model to first identify polar sentences, and then either flip the polarity to the neutral or to the opposite through a GAN network. Tested on the same benchmark dataset, our framework achieves a 3%-10% improvement on the flipping/neutralizing success rate of headlines compared with the current state-of-the-art model. Adding to prior literature, our framework not only flips the polarity of headlines but also extends the task of polarity flipping to full-length articles. Human evaluation results show that our model successfully neutralizes or reverses the polarity of news without reducing readability. We release a large annotated dataset that includes both news headlines and full-length articles with polarity labels and meta-data to be used for future research. Our framework has a potential to be used by social scientists, content creators and content consumers in the real world.
3M-RL: Multi-Resolution, Multi-Agent, Mean-Field Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous UAV Routing

Collision-free path planning is a major challenge in managing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fleets, especially in uncertain environments. In this paper, we consider the design of UAV routing policies using multi-agent reinforcement learning, and propose a Multi-resolution, Multi-agent, Mean-field reinforcement learning algorithm, named 3M-RL, for flight planning, where multiple vehicles need to avoid collisions with each other while moving towards their destinations. In the system we consider, each UAV makes decisions based on local observations, and does not communicate with other UAVs. The algorithm trains a routing policy using an Actor-Critic neural network with multi-resolution observations, including detailed local information and aggregated global information based on mean-field. The algorithm tackles the curse-of-dimensionality problem in multi-agent reinforcement learning and provides a scalable solution. We test our algorithm in different complex scenarios in both 2D and 3D space and our simulation results show that 3M-RL result in good routing policies.
Histopathologic, immunophenotypic, and mutational landscape of follicular lymphomas with plasmacytic differentiation

Follicular lymphomas with plasmacytic differentiation (FL-PCD) include two major subtypes: one with predominantly interfollicular PCD that usually harbors a BCL2 rearrangement (BCL2-R), and a second that has predominantly intrafollicular PCD and the frequent absence of a BCL2-R. It is proposed that these latter cases share some features with marginal zone lymphomas (MZL). To further explore this hypothesis in an expanded cohort of FL-PCD, a clinicopathologic investigation of 25 such cases was undertaken including an analysis of their mutational landscape. The 10 interfollicular FL-PCDs exhibited typical intrafollicular centrocytes/centroblasts (90%), CD10 expression (90%), full PCD including expression of CD138 by the plasma cells (PC) (100%), and PCs with class-switched immunoglobulin heavy chains (70%). These cases were BCL2-R positive (100%), BCL6-R positive in 30%, lacked extra BCL2 copies, and only 22% had extra copies of BCL6. Similar to classic FLs, 80% of interfollicular FL-PCDs harbored mutations in epigenetic regulators KMT2D (70%), CREBBP (40%), and/or EZH2 (30%). In contrast, only 45% of 11 intrafollicular FL-PCDs demonstrated typical intrafollicular centrocytes/centroblasts, 55% were CD10(-), 80% contained IgM+ PCs, and only 27% harbored BCL2-Rs. BCL6-Rs were identified in 27% of intrafollicular FL-PCD, while 60% showed extra copies of BCL2 and 50% extra copies of BCL6, consistent with complete or partial trisomies of chromosomes 18 and 3, respectively. Only 54% of intrafollicular FL-PCDs showed mutations in epigenetic regulators. Both subtypes showed mutational differences compared to classic FL, but only the interfollicular subtype showed differences from what is reported for nodal MZL. Four additional cases showed mixed intra- and interfollicular PCD. These results suggest that FL-PCD has some distinctive features and supports the existence of two major subtypes. The interfollicular PCD subtype shares many features with classic FL. The intrafollicular FL-PCDs are more heterogeneous, have differences from classic FL, and have a greater morphologic, immunophenotypic, and genetic overlap with MZL.
Genetic Transformation in Agrostis palustris Huds. (Creeping Bentgrass)

Bentgrass (Agrostis spp.) is the cool-season turfgrass used most commonly on greens in the cool and transitional climatic regions and in the cooler portions of the warm climatic region, especially the arid zone (Beard 1982). The genus Agrostis L. includes a number of species suitable for many turfs, especially in temperate climates with cool, moist summers. The common name bentgrass is applied to all turfgrass species within the genus Agrostis with the exception of redtop. Bentgrasses are generally tolerant of acid soils and can thrive at lower levels of soil fertility than that needed for good performance of Kentucky bluegrass or perennial ryegrass. Some species are annuals but most are perennials and have excellent low-temperature hardiness, including all those utilized for turfgrass purposes.
Genetic control of floral development in selected species

The genetic control of floral development has been a field which has seen remarkable progress in recent years, largely due to the efforts of Meyerowitz and Coen and their colleagues, working with Arabidopsis thaliana and Antirrhinum majus, respectively. The research has developed consistent testable genetic models of the control of the identity of the organs in the floral whorls. It has also led to the molecular cloning of several of these loci with subsequent identification of some of the gene products as transcription factors. This research has been inspiring, and has lead to a resurgence of mutational analysis of a number of aspects of floral development, beyond the genes that control organ identity within the floral whorls.
Nonlinear dynamics of the heartbeat: I. The AV junction: Passive conduit or active oscillator?

Under physiologic conditions, the AV junction is traditionally regarded as a passive conduit for the conduction of impulses from the atria to the ventricles. An alternative view, namely that subsidiary pacemakers play an active role in normal electrophysiologic dynamics during sinus rhythm, has been suggested based on nonlinear models of cardiac oscillators. A central problem has been the development of a simple but explicit mathematical model for coupled nonlinear oscillators relevant both to stable and perturbed cardiac dynamics. We use equations describing an analog electrical circuit with an external d.c. voltage source (V0) and two nonlinear oscillators with intrinsic frequencies in the ratio of 3:2, comparable to the SA node and AV junction rates. The oscillators are coupled by means of a resistor. 1:1 (SA:AV) phase-locking of the oscillators occurs over a critical range of V0. Externally driving the SA oscillator at increasing rates results in 3:2 AV Wenckebach periodicity and a 2:1 AV block. These findings appear with no assumptions about conduction time or refractoriness. This dynamical model is consistent with the new interpretation that normal sinus rhythm may represent 1:1 coupling of two or more active nonlinear oscillators and also accounts for the appearance of an AV block with critical changes in a single parameter such as the pacing rate.
Development of normal and dystrophic chick muscle in tissue culture

Abstract Creatine kinase (CK) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were followed during the course of development of embryonic muscle in tissue culture for periods of up to 8 weeks. Control muscle cultures released CK and AChE into the medium for the first 2–3 weeks, after which time measurable enzyme release ended. In dystrophic muscle cultures release of CK and AChE continued over most of the 8-week culture period. Cumulative measurable activity of CK was significantly greater than that of controls by the 3rd week and thereafter and cumulative AChE release was greater than that of controls by the 5th week and averaged about twice that of controls by the end of the culture period. Total cell CK activity of the dystrophic muscle cultures was greater than control values but results of cellulose acetate electrophoretic analysis of CK isozyme composition indicated that control muscle cultures attained higher percentage levels of MM isozyme type and lower levels of MB isozyme. Breast muscle extracts from adult dystrophic chickens had an approximately 10–13% content of MB isozyme while in similar extracts of control chicken muscle only the MM isozyme was detectable and total activity was greater than in dystrophics. Bound AChE activity of dystrophic muscle was significantly greater than control levels subsequent to the 2nd week in culture. Soluble AChE activity of dystrophic muscle was somewhat greater than comparable control activity in 2 of 3 tissue culture series at approximately the same period. In 7–10-week-old dystrophic chickens, both soluble and bound AChE activities of dystrophic breast muscle extracts were markedly increased over control values. None of these enzymatic differences between control and dystrophic muscle cultures could be attributed to the fibroblast component of the cultures.
Milliarcsecond Structure of Microarcsecond Sources

We present the key findings of an ongoing program of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of scintillating and non-scintillating flat-spectrum extragalactic radio sources whose scintillation status was determined by the Micro-Arcsecond Scintillation-Induced Variability (MASIV) survey. Both single frequency (8.4 GHz) observations to compare morphologies, and multi-frequency observations (from 330 MHz through 22 GHz) to study scattering behaviour have been carried out. Though scintillation probes the structure of quasars on scales of tens of microarcseconds, information at the milliarcsecond scale probed by these VLBI observations is proving invaluable in furthering our understanding of this phenomenon. Also, the common occurence of scintillation in compact radio sources might be the ultimate limitation for VLBI astrometry (which among other things defines the International Celestial Reference Frame) in the sense that the final precision of reference frame source positions are likely to be influenced by the presence of scintillation.
Antigenic structure of Treponema pallidum, Nichols strain. II. Extraction of a polysaccharide antigen with " strain-specific " serological activity.

An ultracentrifugally homogeneous heat-stable polysaccharide preparation free from serologically reactive rabbit testicular tissue antigen, including cardiolipin, was extracted from the Nichols strain of Treponema pallidum, and found to react by complement-fixation with homologous rabbit sera but not with human syphilitic sera. In addition, the reactive “strain-specific” component was found to be distinct from a second reactive component within the preparation related to an antigen of T. reiteri.
Myocardial viability in patients with chronic coronary artery disease. Comparison of 99mTc-sestamibi with thallium reinjection and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose.

BACKGROUND99mTc-sestamibi and thallium imaging have similar accuracy when used for diagnostic purposes, but whether sestamibi provides accurate information regarding myocardial viability in patients with chronic coronary artery disease has not been established. Since there is minimal redistribution of sestamibi over time, it may overestimate nonviable myocardium in patients with left ventricular dysfunction, in whom blood flow may be reduced at rest.METHODS AND RESULTSWe studied 54 patients with chronic coronary artery disease with a mean ejection fraction of 34 +/- 14%. Patients underwent stress/redistribution/reinjection thallium tomography and, within a mean of 5 days, same-day rest/stress sestamibi imaging using the same exercise protocol and with patients achieving the same exercise duration. Of the 111 reversible thallium defects on either the redistribution or reinjection study, 40 (36%) were determined to be irreversible on the rest/stress sestamibi study, whereas only 3 of 63 irreversible thalliu...
Enhancing Quality of Life for Survivors of Stroke Through Phenomenology

Kaufman argued for the need to implement a phenomenological approach to explore the boundaries of authority and responsibility associated with modern Western medicine. Twenty-two years later, survivors of stroke and their families continue to experience a poor quality of life (QOL) due to unmet health care expectations. Therefore, the need to establish a phenomenological approach to examine the issues impacting the QOL of survivors of stroke is as important as ever. This article will examine 3 issues germane to the QOL of survivors of stroke that can be addressed through phenomenological methodology: (1) comprehensive-holistic treatment; (2) active, problem-based coping strategies; and (3) education for the general public and health care personnel. Existential responses from survivors of stroke and recent findings from narrative-based research will help to highlight these important issues.
Host Specificity Testing of the Solenopsis Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Pathogen, Kneallhazia (=Thelohania) Solenopsae (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae), in Florida

The microsporidium Kneallhazia solenop sae (Knell, Allen & Hazard), formerly known as Thelohania solenopsae (Sokolova & Fuxa 2008), is a pathogen of Solenopsis fire ants. It was first reported in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, collected during South American surveys of fire ants in the early 1970s (Allen & Buren 1974) and initially described by Knell, Al len & Hazard (1977). Further details on its life cycle were subsequently provided by Sokolova & Fuxa (2008). Observations in the 1970s (Allen & Buren 1974; Allen & Knell 1980) and field studies in South America in the 1990s (Briano et al. 1995) led to the conclusion that K. solenopsae potential ly could be utilized as a classical biological control agent. In 1996, K. solenopsae was detected in the U.S. from S. invicta populations in Florida and shortly thereafter identified in Mississippi and Texas (Williams et al. 1998; Williams et al. 2003). The host range of K. solenopsae was reported to be specific to Solenopsis fire ants in the Sae vissima species group with the following species being suitable hosts: S. invicta, S. richteri Forel, S. quinquecuspis Forel, S. saevissima Smith, S. macdonaghi Santschi, and S. interrupta Santschi (Oi & Valles 2009; references therein). Recently, Ascunce et al. (2010) reported that Solenopsis geminata (F.) and the S. geminata x S. xyloni McCook hybrid were capable of serving as hosts for K. solenopsae. These ant species are in the geminata species group and are native to North America. Examination of archived S. invicta specimens in Texas documented the presence of K. solenopsae in S. invicta in the U.S. as early as 1984 (Snowden & Vinson 2006). Ascunce et al. (2010) hypothesized that K. solenopsae in North America may have transferred from S. geminata to S. invicta in this region, but indicated this sce nario remains uncertain.
Research priorities: seating and positioning.

The Mobility Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology held its State of the Science Conference to address challenges in studying the health, activity and participation of wheelchair users. This article summarizes the discussions of four seating and positioning research topics.Attendees were divided into Breakout Groups and assigned specific research topics that were deemed priorities by the attendees. Breakout Groups were charged with configuring the research topic into a research project and were asked to identify research questions, specific aims or hypotheses, significance, study design possibilities, recruitment considerations, measurement variables and tools, analysis considerations, and anticipated challenges.The four research topics selected for discussion were: Impact of a seating and mobility intervention, Defining a systematic clinical approach to cushion selection, Functional impact of wheelchair cushions, and Long term impact of sitting.Group synopses p...
Cellular Neuronal Control of Molluscan Heart

Bivalve and gastropod molluscs undergo large changes in external environmental conditions, as well as in internal state. Cardiac responses to these changing conditions have been recorded in a variety of species. There is a general tendency for heart rate, and presumably cardiac output, to increase in response to situations that would increase the load on respiratory and excretory systems. Changes in molluscan heart function in many cases appear not to be mediated directly by cardiac nerves, but rather by such indirect mechanisms as changes in blood constituents or mechanical, hemodynamic effects on heart muscle. Three types of cardiac response in Aplysia have been shown to be mediated, at least in part, by the heart regulator nerves. The neural circuits that regulate heart rate in Aplysia and in Helix have been partially described in cellular detail. In Mercenaria, Aplysia and other molluscan species there is evidence that cyclic adenosine monophosphate has a role in mediating the excitatory effects of serotonin on heart muscle. There appears to be, in fact, a general tendency in the Aplysia nervous system for neurons that exert tonic, modulatory effects within neural networks that control a variety of behaviors to use serotonin for a transmitter. In each case there is evidence to suggest that changes in cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels may mediate some of the modulatory effects of serotonin.
Eigenmode expansions using biorthogonal functions: complex-valued Hermite–Gaussians

A number of important optical systems, including gain-guided semiconductor lasers and unstable optical resonators, have governing equations that are linear but not Hermitian or self-adjoint. As a consequence, the propagation eigenmodes of these systems are not orthogonal in the usual fashion but rather are biorthogonal to a set of adjoint functions. If one wishes to expand an arbitrary wave of such a system in terms of its eigenmodes, conventional wisdom says that the expansion coefficients are given by the quadrature integrals between the input wave and the adjoint functions. Using a parabolic gain-guided system with complex Hermite–Gaussian eigenfunctions as a test case, we find that under a wide range of circumstances finite expansions using the quadrature integrals fail to converge properly, even for simple and realistic input functions. We then demonstrate that the coefficients for a finite expansion with minimum least-squares error in a biorthogonal system must be obtained from a more complex procedure based on inverting the eigenmode orthogonality matrix. Further tests on the complex Hermite–Gaussian system show that series expansions using these minimum-error coefficients converge and give much smaller errors under all circumstances.
The surgical approach to management of pediatric obesity: When to refer and what to expect

Weight loss surgery is recommended for adult patients with morbid obesity and has been used on a case by case basis in the pediatric population. Surgery, however, is just a tool added to the two mainstays of therapy for obesity: 1.) controlled dietary intake and 2.) increases in activity and exercise behaviors. For the pediatric population, the health consequences of obesity are profound with increased cardiovascular risk during adolescence and increased mortality in adulthood. Currently accepted guidelines for weight loss surgery referral use BMI cut points that are the same as for adults: BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 and serious comorbidities of obesity or BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 with minor comorbidities of obesity. A multidisciplinary approach to weight management must be utilized, and a lifetime of follow-up must be addressed. The most commonly performed operations for obesity are laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). LAGB is safer and does not permanently alter gastrointestinal continuity; however, LAGB is not currently approved for implantation in adolescent patients. LRYGB involves a complex, permanent altering of the gastrointestinal anatomy and is associated with more complications around the time of surgery and is not subject to FDA approval because there is no associated implant. In each operation, appetite is suppressed by construction of a virtual (LAGB) or real (LRYGB) pouch. The dynamics and speed of appetite suppression and, consequently, weight loss are typically different for each operation though longer-term outcomes may be similar. Short- and long-term risks of surgery must be carefully weighed against the benefits of the associated weight loss for each patient. The patient must be empowered to understand the importance of lifestyle and behavior in achieving long-term health.
7. The Revolution That Never Was: Anarchism in the Guomindang

In 1927, anarchists made an attempt to acquire a voice in the Guomindang, perhaps even to shape its future. Their goal was not to take over the Guomindang politically because they rejected politics, as opponents charged, but rather to use the possibilities the party offered to channel the Chinese revolution in a direction consistent with anarchist goals. In hindsight, the attempt was futile; a last desperate, and somewhat opportunistic, act in the anarchists' efforts to recapture the revolutionary ground they had lost over the previous three years to successful communist inroads among the masses. Following this attempt, anarchism for all practical purposes would disappear as a significant force in Chinese radicalism. In the attempt, no less than in the suppression that it invited, was inscribed the complex legacy of the history of anarchism in China. In historical hindsight, the anarchist hope to remake the Guomindang in an anarchist image at the very moment that the party had turned against the social revolutionary movement in China appears if not as an instance of a supreme revolutionary opportunism, then at best as another illustration of the seemingly limitless capacity of anarchists for self-delusion. This was not necessarily what a contemporary perspective yielded, however. The Guomindang, always incoherent as a political organization, in 1927 was in great disarray. True, the Northern Expedition it had launched in 1926 was in full swing and would reunify the country by 1928, the party was already in the process of establishing itself as the new national government, and it had just averted an internal threat by bloodily terminating its three-yearold united front with the Communist Party. Although the latter
Increasing the optical rotation of L-carbidopa by reaction with dicarbonyl compounds

Abstract To enhance optical rotation, the hydrazino moiety of l -carbidopa was derivatized to a pyrazole ring by reaction with a β-dicarbonyl compound, 2,4-pentanedione, 1,1,1-trifluoro-2,4-pentanedione or malondialdehyde. Reaction with 2,4-pentanedione produced a product with an increased specific rotation in a derivatization completed in 20 min.
Limnological Surveys of the Great Lakes–Early and Recent

Abstract Early explorations on the Great Lakes were concerned largely with things easily collected or observed—common organisms, water levels, surface temperatures … Even when more scientific studies were undertaken, they were at first scattered and small-scale. Effective surveys became possible only through inter-agency cooperation which permits a pooling of facilities, staff, and equipment. Expansion of limnological research on the Great Lakes has been rapid in later years and the outlook for the future is good.
Quality Evaluation of Peanut-Supplemented Chinese Type Noodles

Peanut-supplemented Chinese-type noodles were prepared from blends of Durum wheat flour and partially defatted peanut flour (10, 20, and 30%). Physical measures and sensory quality of cooked fresh noodles were evaluated. Lightness (L) and cutting force of noodles were reduced as the level of peanut flour was increased. Firmness, number of chews before swallowing, yellowness and all other sensory scores of noodles were decreased as the level of supplementation increased. Replacement of up to 15% of wheat flour with peanut flour resulted in noodles judged to have acceptable sensory qualities. However, sensory attribute scores of cooked oven-dried (70°C 2 hr) noodles were higher than that of cooked deep-fried (160°C 30 set) noodles.
Pretilt Angle Effects on Liquid Crystal Response Time

Pretilt angle effect on liquid crystal dynamics is analyzed theoretically. Analytical expressions are derived to describe liquid crystal response time under nonzero pretilt angle conditions. The theoretical analysis is confirmed experimentally using vertically aligned liquid crystal cells. This finding quantitatively correlates pretilt angles with liquid crystal response time. This study improves the understanding of the liquid crystal dynamic process which is helpful for optimizing liquid crystal response time.
Modeling the early endometriotic lesion: mesothelium-endometrial cell co-culture increases endometrial invasion and alters mesothelial and endometrial gene transcription

Objective To determine the role of peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) in the process of endometrial invasion into the peritoneum and to evaluate gene expression after endometrial-PMC co-culture. Design In vitro study. Setting University laboratory. Patient(s) Reproductive-age women without endometriosis. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) The rate of endometrial invasion through modeled peritoneum in the presence and absence of PMCs was evaluated. The influence of endometrial-PMC attachment on the expression of target genes, implicated in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, was examined by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Result(s) Endometrial stromal cell (ESC) invasion through invasion chambers coated with Matrigel (MTGL) and with growth factor–reduced Matrigel (GFR-MTGL) was increased 10-fold when a PMC monolayer was present. Endometrial epithelioid cell (EM42) invasion increased greater than threefold through the MTGL and GFR-MTGL–coated membranes when a PMC monolayer was present. Endometrial stromal cell, EM42, and PMC transcription of extracellular signal-related kinase, colony stimulating factor-1, c-fms, and c-Met was increased after endometrial-PMC attachment. Similar changes were not seen when endometrial cells were exposed to PMC-conditioned media and when PMCs were exposed to endometrial cell conditioned media. Conclusion(s) Peritoneal mesothelial cells increased invasion of ESCs and EM42s through modeled peritoneum. Endometrial-PMC co-culture led to alterations in gene transcription by endometrial cells and PMCs. This study suggests that PMCs contribute to the process of endometrial invasion into the peritoneum.
Efficient WDM Laser Sources Towards Terabyte/s Silicon Photonic Interconnects

Efficient multi-wavelength sources are essential to realize sub-pJ/bit modulated silicon photonic links for multi-TB/s interconnect applications. From a complete link perspective, we discuss the efficiency requirement for silicon WDM on-chip sources. A waveguide-coupled wall-plug efficiency (WPE) better than 10% is important to complement ultra-low power silicon photonic components for practical implementations. We propose a non-invasive hybrid, flip-chip integration approach using surface-normal coupling of an un-cooled III/V gain medium with a tunable wavelength selective silicon reflector. We show that a tunable, external-cavity WDM laser using such a hybrid integration approach can achieve high waveguide-coupled WPE when optimized. A proof-of-concept demonstration achieved a C-band tunable laser with an output power of more than 6 mW in the silicon waveguide, a tuning range of 15 nm, and a WPE of over 4.5%.
Inelastic electron tunneling

Abstract Inelastic Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy (IETS) is a new technique for measuring the vibrational spectrum of minute quantities of organic compounds. Sensitivity is its key advantage over the conventional techniques of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. This article will first discuss the technique itself: its theoretical basis, selection rules, sensitivity, vibrational mode shifts due to surface interactions and superconductivity, and sample preparation. Then it will discuss applications of the technique to problems in biology, radiation physics, surface physics, and catalysis.
Lateral cerebral differences in the deaf in response to linguistic and nonlinguistic stimuli

Abstract Groups of deaf subjects, exposed to tachistoscopic bilateral presentation of English words and American Sign Language (ASL) signs, showed weaker right visual half-field (VHF) superiority for words than hearing comparison groups with both a free-recall and matching response. Deaf subjects showed better, though nonsignificant, recognition of left VHF signs with bilateral presentation of signs but shifted to superior right VHF response to signs when word-sign combinations were presented. Cognitive strategies and hemispheric specialization for ASL are discussed as possible factors affecting half-field asymmetry.
Heroin as hero: the ‘heroin chic’ film in European cinema (1995–2000)

AbstractThe ‘heroin chic’ film is one that glamorizes or romanticizes the use of drugs. It portrays attractive, usually middle-class young adults partying and seeking a heightened sense of experience. This ‘fun’ state of being is to be attained and intensified by taking various drugs. This is what the ‘beautiful people’, the ‘in’ crowd, the ‘hip’ generation are doing. Life is one continuous adventure; the ideal is to get ‘high’ as often and as long as possible. Also implied is the message that those who do not partake of the drug fantasy are hopelessly dull and missing out on real life. The negative aspects of drug use are rarely shown or they are underplayed. This type of film was popular in European cinema from 1995 to 2000. Films from Holland, Denmark, England, Greece, and Spain are discussed.
Tissue distribution of human T cells with complement receptors (D cells)

Abstract An assay system detecting D lymphocytes (T cells with complement receptors) was used to examine human lymphoid tissues for the presence of this unique cell. These cells were not found in adult primary lymphoid organs: bone marrow and thymus. They were found in the peripheral lymphoid tissues: spleen, adenoids, and tonsils, as well as fetal lymphoid organs. These studies support the hypothesis that the D cell may represent an immunologically competent lymphocyte rather than a precursor cell.
Yield Increase Has Been More Rapid for Maize than for Grain Sorghum

In the United States, much grain sorghum (Sor- ghum bicolor (L.) Moench) production area has shifted to maize (Zea mays L.) during the last 25 yr, which has been partially due to grain yield dif- ferences between these crops. The objective of this study was to document the rate of grain yield increases for maize and sorghum hybrids from 1950 to 1999 in rainfed and irrigated environ- ments in eastern Nebraska. Across all produc- tion environments and years, maize produced 1.7 to 4.3 Mg ha −1 greater yield than sorghum. The rate of yield increase was approximately three times faster for maize than sorghum but varied with production environments. The highest rate of yield increase (0.050 Mg ha −1 yr −1 ) was found for rainfed, high water-holding capacity soil con- ditions; the second highest rate of increase was for irrigated maize (0.028 Mg ha −1 yr −1 ). The rate of sorghum yield increase under all environments and maize under rainfed, low water-holding capacity soil conditions was low at 0.010 to 0.015 Mg ha −1 yr −1 . Pearson correlations indicated that the number of ears (panicles) per square meter had the highest association with yield (r = 0.68 for maize and r = 0.59 for sorghum) while both the number of kernels per ear (per panicle) and kernel weight were signifi cantly correlated to yield for both crops. Yield component analysis for maize shows that yield increases with intro- duction year resulted from increased number of ears per square meter and kernel weight, while sorghum saw no signifi cant correlation between yield and yield components.
Regulation of Function by Dimerization through the Amino-terminal Membrane-spanning Domain of Human ABCC1/MRP1

Overexpression of some ATP-binding cassette (ABC) membrane transporters such as ABCB1/P-glycoprotein/MDR1 and ABCC1/MRP1 causes multidrug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. It has been thought that half-ABC transporters with one nucleotide-binding domain and one membrane-spanning domain (MSD) likely work as dimers, whereas full-length transporters with two nucleotide-binding domains and two or three MSDs function as monomers. In this study, we examined the oligomeric status of the human full-length ABC transporter ABCC1/MRP1 using several biochemical approaches. We found 1) that it is a homodimer, 2) that the dimerization domain is located in the amino-terminal MSD0L0 (where L0 is loop 0) region, and 3) that MSD0L0 has a dominant-negative function when coexpressed with wild-type ABCC1/MRP1. These findings suggest that ABCC1/MRP1 may exist and function as a dimer and that MSD0L0 likely plays some structural and regulatory functions. It is also tempting to propose that the MSD0L0-mediated dimerization may be targeted for therapeutic development to sensitize ABCC1/MRP1-mediated drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy.
An investigation of a molybdenum gate for submicrometer CMOS

Processing issues including Mo deposition, gate etching, ion implant channeling, and integration of a Mo gate with high-temperature processing are discussed. Methods for addressing these issues are described. A 0.8- mu n Mo-gate CMOS process incorporating these methods has been developed. Submicrometer Mo-gate NMOS and PMOS devices and 0.8- mu m CMOS ring oscillator results are presented. The high performance of these devices and circuits demonstrates the potential of a Mo gate. >
Cholesterol enrichment upregulates intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in human vascular endothelial cells.

Abstract Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, but the mechanism by which cholesterol activates the endothelium remains undocumented. The present investigation was undertaken to investigate the role of cholesterol, one of the bioactive moieties of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle, in initiating of intracellular signaling in endothelial cells (ECs) and culminating in increased abundance of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Cholesterol was delivered to human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) via cholesterol-enriched liposomes. In HUVECs, the cellular cholesterol:phospholipid ratio increased after 1 h of exposure to cholesterol. The level of ICAM-1 increased in both mRNA and protein after 24 h of cholesterol exposure. ICAM-1 mRNA half-life was not affected by cholesterol exposure. Promoter studies showed greater than two-fold activation of the ICAM-1 gene expression after cholesterol exposure. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity substantially increased after 2 h of exposure to cholesterol. In contrast, cholesterol did not affect nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity. Results of trans-reporting assay revealed 2.5-fold increased expression of the AP-1-dependent reporter gene after cholesterol exposure whereas NF-κB-dependent expression was not affected. The AP-1/Ets (−891 to −908) site, one of the three AP-1-like sites in the ICAM-1 promoter, was most responsive to cholesterol. These data demonstrate for the first time that cholesterol enrichment phenotypically modulates ECs by transcriptionally upregulating ICAM-1 expression.
Radiorecovery Activity of Dicopper(II) Tetrakis(3,5-Diisopropylsalicylate) Includes Recovery of Radiation-Induced Loss ofBody Mass and Impaired Mouse Locomotion

Dicopper(II) tetrakis(3,5-diisopropylsalicylate), [Cu(II)2(3,5-DIPS)4], is effective in increasing survival of lethally irradiated mice when it is administered after irradiation. The possibility that this radiorecovery activity might also facilitate recovery from radiation-induced impaired increase in body mass and locomotion was examined. Cu(II)2(3,5-DIPS)4 was used to treat LD 50/30 gamma irradiated female C57BL/6 mice after irradiation. A dose of 0, 5, 10, or 20 μmol Cu(II)2 (3, 5-DIPS)4 /kilogram of body mass was administered subcutaneously 3 hrs after LD 50/30 irradiation and change in body mass and locomotor activity measured daily throughout the 30 day post-irradiation period. Treatment with 5, 10, or 20 μmol Cu(II)2 (3,5-DIPS)4 /kg of body mass increased survival, which was statistically significant for the 10 μmol /kg of body mass-treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group (P<0.05), significantly (P<0.05) increased recovery of locomotion from days 13 to 15 post-irradiation onward for all treated groups compared to vehicle-treated mice, and increased recovery of body mass gain from day 14 onward for the 20 μmol /kg of body mass-treated group (P<0.001) and day 21, although not statistically significant, for the 10 μmol /kg of body mass-treated group. There were no statistically significant differences between the increase in survival, recovered increase in body mass, and recovered increase in locomotion for mice treated with 10 μmol or 20 μmol Cu(II)2(3,5-DIPS)4 /kg on day 30 post-irradiation. It is concluded that Cu(II)2(3,5-DIPS)4 in addition to increasing survival of irradiated mice increases the rate of recovery of radiation-induced decrease in body mass and locomotion.
A VLSI design for universal noiseless coding

The practical, noiseless and efficient data-compression technique presented involves a conceptual VLSI design which is capable of meeting real-time processing rates and meets low-power, low-weight, and small-volume requirements. This form of data compression is applicable to image data compression aboard future low-budget spaceflight missions, for such instruments as visual-IR mapping spectrometers and high-resolution imaging spectrometers.