cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Caveolin-1 Expression and the Biological Character of Colon Carcinoma

Objective To explore the expression of colon carcinoma and the relationship between Caveolin-1 and biological character of colon carcinoma.Methods Expression of Caveolin-1 in colon carcinoma was determined in 126 cases of colon carcinoma tissues and 30 nor-mal mucous membrane of colon cases with SABC immunohistochemical method,and clinic pathological data of patients were collected and used to make statistical analysis.Results The positive rate of Caveolin-1 expression was 34.92% in 126 colon carcinoma tissues,but no expression of Caveolin-1 in found in the mucosa of normal colon.The percentages of the positive cases for Caveolin-1were 0%,2.86%,54.28% in patho-logical grades from grade one to grade three respectivly(P0.01).The percentages of the positive cases for Caveolin-1 clinic stages of Ta,T1-T4 were 0%,25.00%,52.94%,40.00% and 50.00% respectively(P0.01).Conclusion High expression of Caveolin-1 in colon carci-noma was positively related to the pathological grade and the clinic stage of tumor,which might be a valuable maker for the biological character of colon carcinoma.
Treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: a review.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Unruptured brain aneurysms (UIAs) present a challenge due to the lack of definitive understanding of their natural history and treatment outcomes. As the treatment of UIAs is aimed at preventing the possibility of rupture, the immediate risk of treatment must be weighed against the risk of rupture in the future. As such, treatment for a large proportion of UIAs is currently individualized.Areas covered: In this article, we discuss the important natural history studies of UIAs and discuss the existing scientific evidence and recent advances that help identify the rupture risk guide management of UIAs. We also address the recent advances in pharmacological therapy of UIAs.Expert commentary: In the recent years, there have been great advances in understanding the pathophysiology of UIAs and determining the rupture risk going beyond the traditional parameter of aneurysm size. Aneurysm morphology and hemodynamics play a pivotal role in growth and rupture. A true randomized trial for the m...
Toll-Like Receptors, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibodies targeting nucleic acids and nuclear proteins. Circulating self-antigen immune complexes (ICs) from patients with SLE have been shown to have adjuvant-like properties that can directly or indirectly hyperstimulate autoreactive lymphocytes. These adjuvant-like complexes are composed of DNA and/or RNA bound to self-derived protein antigens and immunoglobulin (Ig) G. Recently, nucleic acid-containing ICs were shown to activate leukocytes via engagement of the innate immune nucleic acid sensors Toll-like receptors 7, 8 (TLR7, TLR8) (ssRNA), and TLR9 (DNA), resulting in the production of interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and other inflammatory cytokines. Based on these observations, it is believed that TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 pathway activations are central to the development of inflammation in human lupus. This chapter will focus on the role of these TLR family members in the susceptibility, initiation, and exacerbation of SLE in mice and humans.
Validation of a mathematical model for correction of photographic perspective error

Photographic perspective error long has plagued the researcher attempting to obtain accurate three-dimensional coordinates from two-dimensional film. Accurate velocity and acceleration values are dependent on accurate positional information, and photographic perspective error is responsible for the concealment of true three-dimensional position coordinates. The purpose of this investigation was the validation of mathematical formulas derived to correct for photographic perspective error. These corrective formulas were derived from trigonometric relationships between two two-dimensional, perpendicular views of any th te-dimensional position in space and were designed to transform measured coordinate information (from film) to true three-dimensional coordinate data. The corrective formula for any point P is: where x = true x value; y = true y value; z = true z value; XYx = x coordinate measured in XY film plane; Zyy = y coordinate measured in ZY film plane; Zyz = z coordinate measured in ZY film plane; Dx = distance from Film Plane 2 to origin along x axis; and Dz = distance from Film Plane 1 to origin along z axis. A review of related literature on the topic of perspective error and the derivation of the corrective formula utilized in this investigation can be found in Martin and Pongratz (1973) or obtained from the senior author.
Serum Immunoglobulin Levels in Cholestasis

Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations were measured in 49 patients with clinical features of obstructive jaundice. In 32 patients jaundice was due to surgically proved extrahepatic biliary obstruction. Of 17 patients with intrahepatic cholestasis, 13 had primary biliary cirrhosis and 4 had chlorpromazine jaundice. Serum IgM concentrations were elevated in all except 2 of the patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, but were not elevated in the patients with chlorpromazine-induced cholestasis or those with extrahepatic biliary obstruction. This observation, and the finding of raised IgM values in cases of certain other parenchymal liver diseases, suggest that caution should be exercised in advising surgery for jaundiced patients with elevated serum concentrations of IgM.
Splines, Smoothers, and Kernels

In this chapter, we begin the transition from conventional regression analysis to statistical learning. Some of the procedures discussed have primarily a didactic purpose, but some can be effective data analysis tools as well. Regression splines are an example of the former. Smoothing splines are an example of the latter. The “wrong model” perspective is adopted for all level II analysis with regularization introduced as a key estimation feature. Kernels that will play an essential role in some later chapters are also introduced.
The hepatic “matrisome” responds dynamically to injury: Characterization of transitional changes to the extracellular matrix in mice

The extracellular matrix (ECM) consists of diverse components that work bidirectionally with surrounding cells to create a responsive microenvironment. In some contexts (e.g., hepatic fibrosis), changes to the ECM are well recognized and understood. However, it is becoming increasingly accepted that the hepatic ECM proteome (i.e., matrisome) responds dynamically to stress well before fibrosis. The term "transitional tissue remodeling" describes qualitative and quantitative ECM changes in response to injury that do not alter the overall architecture of the organ; these changes in ECM may contribute to early disease initiation and/or progression. The nature and magnitude of these changes to the ECM in liver injury are poorly understood. The goals of this work were to validate analysis of the ECM proteome and compare the impact of 6 weeks of ethanol diet and/or acute lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Liver sections were processed in a series of increasingly rigorous extraction buffers to separate proteins by solubility. Extracted proteins were identified using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Both ethanol and LPS dramatically increased the number of matrisome proteins ∼25%. The enhancement of LPS-induced liver damage by ethanol preexposure was associated with unique protein changes. Conclusion An extraction method to enrich the hepatic ECM was characterized. The results demonstrate that the hepatic matrisome responds dynamically to both acute (LPS) and chronic (ethanol) stresses, long before more-dramatic fibrotic changes to the liver occur. The changes to the mastrisome may contribute, at least in part, to the pathological responses to these stresses. It is also interesting that several ECM proteins responded similarly to both stresses, suggesting a common mechanism in both models. Nevertheless, there were responses that were unique to the individual and combined exposures. (Hepatology 2017;65:969-982).
Spliceosomal intronogenesis

Abstract The presence of intervening sequences, termed introns, is a defining characteristic of eukaryotic nuclear genomes. Once transcribed into pre-mRNA, these introns must be removed within the spliceosome before export of the processed mRNA to the cytoplasm, where it is translated into protein. Although intron loss has been demonstrated experimentally, several mysteries remain regarding the origin and propagation of introns. Indeed, documented evidence of gain of an intron has only been suggested by phylogenetic analyses. We report the use of a strategy that detects selected intron gain and loss events. We have experimentally verified, to our knowledge, the first demonstrations of intron transposition in any organism. From our screen, we detected two separate intron gain events characterized by the perfect transposition of a reporter intron into the yeast genes RPL8B and ADH2, respectively. We show that the newly acquired introns are able to be removed from their respective pre-mRNAs by the spliceosome. Additionally, the novel allele, RPL8Bint, is functional when overexpressed within the genome in a strain lacking the Rpl8 paralogue RPL8A, demonstrating that the gene targeted for intronogenesis is functional.
Complex signals and comparative mate assessment in wolf spiders: results from multimodal playback studies

Complex signals of animals involve multiple sensory modes and contain multiple structural components, and teasing apart how these modes and components interact in receiver decision making is an experimental challenge. Females of many species have ordered preferences for increased size or expression of male indicator traits. However, studies also suggest other species may exhibit comparative evaluation of mates rather than absolute preference hierarchies. We examined mate assessment by female wolf spiders, Schizocosa ocreata, using digital playback of video and vibratory/seismic signals in preference and choice tests of male trait differences. In playback experiments, female wolf spiders showed ordered preferences for male condition indicating traits (leg tuft size, vibration signal amplitude) in both individual sensory modes and multimodal (combined) signals. Tests with single modes and multimodal signals showed that trait expression in either signal mode affects outcome of mate choice. Females exhibited transitive preferences, consistently choosing males with larger tuft size or higher amplitude vibration in no-choice and two-choice tests. Thus, female S. ocreata do not necessarily need to compare mates to exhibit preferences for particular traits. Choice tests with multimodal playback showed that females made predicted choices when male traits covaried positively, but in ‘cue-conflict’ (negative trait covariance) choice tests, females showed a bias for visual signal trait expression (tuft size), displaying priority for visual signals over vibratory signals when in conflict. These studies demonstrate that under controlled experimental conditions, differences in behavioural responses to manipulation of digital video and vibration playback can provide valuable insights about recognition and interpretation of complex signals and their components.
Complete Genome Sequences of Mycobacterium kansasii Strains Isolated from Rhesus Macaques.

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium kansasii is a nontuberculous mycobacterium. It causes opportunistic infections with pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations. We report here the complete genome sequences of two M. kansasii strains isolated from rhesus macaques. We performed genome comparisons with human and environmental isolates of M. kansasii to assess the genomic diversity of this species.
Distributed Energy-Spectrum Trading in Green Cognitive Radio Cellular Networks

Reducing the power consumption of base stations is crucial to enhancing the energy efficiency of cellular networks. As the number of mobile users increases exponentially, enhancing the spectrum efficiency is also critical in order to accommodate more users. In this paper, by exploiting the cooperation between secondary base stations (SBSs) and primary base stations (PBSs), we propose a new energy spectrum trading model to enhance the energy as well as spectrum efficiency of cellular networks. In our scheme, by leveraging cognitive radio, PBSs share some portion of their licensed spectrum with SBSs, and SBSs, in exchange, provide data service to the primary users under their coverage. We first prove that the power consumption minimization problem is NP-hard. Then, to decrease the computational complexity, we design an efficient distributed auction model including green energy aware bidding (GEAB) and adaptive bid selection (ABS) algorithms, to achieve a good approximation of the optimal solution in less time. Our simulation results show that the cooperation between PBS and SBSs via ABS and GEAB algorithms can significantly improve the energy and spectral efficiency of cellular networks by nearly doubling the number of offloaded users and reducing the PBS power consumption by up to 40% as compared to existing approaches. Furthermore, green energy utilization among SBSs is increased by nearly 25%.
The Cardiac Action Potential

This chapter examines the action potential as originating from sinoatrial (SA) nodal cells, atrial cells, or ventricular cells. The cardiac action potential takes a different form in different cardiac cells, including SA nodal cells, atrial muscle cells, atrioventricular nodal cells, Purkinje fibers, and ventricular muscle cells. The SA nodal cells have an unstable resting membrane potential that spontaneously depolarizes due to a pacemaker potential. This is caused by the funny Na + current and a decrease in the conductance of the inward rectifier K + channel. On reaching a threshold of about 255 mV, an action potential begins by the progressive opening of T-type and L-type Ca 2+ channels. The spike returns to baseline because of an increase in the delayed rectifier K + current. The slope of the pacemaker potential and the resting membrane potential determine the time necessary to reach the threshold. Sympathetic stimulation increases the slope of the pacemaker potential and depolarizes the resting membrane potential. Both of these help increase the heart rate. Sympathetic stimulation releases norepinephrine that acts on the SA node through β 1 receptors that are coupled to a G s protein. Parasympathetic stimulation releases acetylcholine at terminals of the vagus nerve in the heart, which lowers the pacemaker potential and hyperpolarizes the cell. It is found that this reduces the frequency of action potentials originating at the SA node.
Pediatric Dental-Focused Interprofessional Interventions: Rethinking Early Childhood Oral Health Management

Evidence of effectiveness for prevention of early childhood caries suggests that parent engagement needs to occur perinatally and that unconventional providers, helping professionals like social workers and dietitians and lay health workers like community health workers, are most effective. This finding, coupled with the emergence of population-based accountable care, value-based purchasing with global payments, understanding of common risk factors for multiple conditions, and social determinants of health behaviors, calls for a rethinking of early childhood oral health care. A population-based model that incorporates unconventional providers is suggested together with research needed to achieve caries reductions in at-risk families.
Is Burglary a Violent Crime? An Empirical Investigation of the Armed Career Criminal Act’s Classification of Burglary as a Violent Felony:

Traditionally considered a non-violent property offense, burglary is nonetheless classified as a violent crime under the federal Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA). The ACCA, a three-strikes law that...
Affective prediction by collaborative chains in movie recommendation

Recommender systems have been successfully applied to alleviate the information overload and assist user's decision makings. Emotional states have been demonstrated as effective factors in recommender systems. However, how to collect or predict a user's emotional state becomes one of the challenges to build affective recommender systems. In this paper, we explore and compare different solutions to predict emotions to be applied in the recommendation process. More specifically, we propose an approach named as collaborative chains. It predicts emotional states in a collaborative way and additionally takes correlations among emotions into consideration. Our experimental results based on a movie rating data demonstrate the effectiveness of affective prediction by collaborative chains in movie recommendations.
The Day the Renaissance was Saved: The Battle of Anghiari and Da Vinci's Lost Masterpiece. By Niccolo Capponi. Translated by André Naffis-Sahely. (New York, NY: Melville House, 2015. Pp. 256. $25.95.)

The author of this book organizes this tome as a series of chapters to illustrate three basic themes. First, he offers a lengthy discourse on both the strategies and nature of warfare during the co...
Keynote Address the New Learners: Focus for the Future

(1975). Keynote Address the New Learners: Focus for the Future. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Western College Reading Association: Vol. 8, Proceedings of the Eight Annual Conference of the WCRA. College Learning Skills Today and Tomorrowland, pp. 1-8.
Beta integrals and the associated orthogonal polynomials

One reason certain definite integrals are interesting is that the integrand is the weight function for an important set of orthogonal polynomials. This is true for the beta integral and many extensions. Some of these orthogonality relations are surveyed, and a new orthogonality relation is given for a recently discovered q-extension of the beta integral.
Possible harmful effects of alcohol ingestion during rehabilitation of patients following myocardial infarction.

The role of alcohol as a risk factor in patients with established heart disease needs further empirical clarification and the literature that addresses the problem is limited. In healthy young males studied prospectively alcohol has a negative role as a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. However, conclusions about this group do not necessarily hold for those with already established cardiac damage. Two studies report a significant difference between normal controls and patients with cardiac disease using even small amounts of alcohol. One prospective study of risk factors for coronary heart disease found a record of alcohol intemperance significantly increased the risk of acute myocardial infarction or sudden death. The epidemiological, metabolic, hemodynamic and autopsy studies that bear on the effects of alcohol and its major metabolites on the heart are reviewed.
TCT-661 The Influence of Catheterization Laboratory Volume and Hospital Teaching Status on The Acute Myocardial Infarction Outcomes

Some studies have suggested that catheterization laboratory annual percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) volume might affect complication rates and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Furthermore, the influence of hospital teaching status on PCI-treated AMI complication rates and
Contextualizing personality: Personality within and across social roles and conceptual levels

Objective Personality psychologists have begun to consider the predictive ability of comparable personality characteristics at the levels of traits, goals, and narrative identity. Here, we build upon and extend this work by adopting a contextualized personality approach. Doing so entailed exploring the implications of personality characteristics within three social roles and at each level of personality in relation to role-specific and generalized measures of psychological adjustment. Methods Undergraduates (N = 155) rated traits and specified goals and narratives pertaining to their roles as friends, students, and sons/daughters. Measures of trait-based, goal-based, and narrative-based approach orientation were subsequently derived. Results Within personality levels, mean-levels of approach orientation differed significantly across social roles. Goal-based and narrative-based approach orientation showed inconsistent associations with role-specific psychological adjustment. When approach orientation was aggregated across roles, however, it demonstrated positive relations with adjustment at each personality level. Conclusions There exists contextual variability among and between personality characteristics and adjustment. In addition, in certain cases, aggregating across contextualized personality measures (within conceptual levels) may provide a more reliable indicator of the underlying psychological construct. These results contribute to an evolving understanding of personality coherence and the relation between personality characteristics and context.
Menopausal hormone therapy trends before versus after 2002: impact of the Women's Health Initiative Study Results

AbstractObjective:To better understand how to educate patients and providers about study findings relevant to treatment guidelines, we assessed pre- versus post-Women's Health Initiative (WHI) differences in menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) initiation and continuation and their correlates, and in wo
Repeatability of automated leakage quantification and microaneurysm identification utilising an analysis platform for ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography

Background/aims Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFA) provides unique opportunities for panretinal assessment of retinal diseases. The objective quantification of UWFA features is a labour-intensive manual process, limiting its utility. The present study assesses the consistency/repeatability of an automated assessment platform for the characterisation of retinal vascular features, quantification of microaneurysms (MA) and leakage foci in UWFA images. Methods An Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective image analysis study was performed on UWFA images. For each eye, two arteriovenous-phase images and two late-phase images were selected. Automated assessment was performed for retinal vascular features, MA identification and leakage segmentation. Panretinal and zonal assessment of metrics was performed. Results There was a significant correlation between paired time points for retinal vessel area and vessel length on early images (Pearson r=0.92, p Conclusion This automated algorithm demonstrated very strong intrastudy correlation between paired time points in the same phases of the angiogram for quantifying retinal vascular characteristics, MA count and leakage parameters in UWFA images. These findings suggest significant flexibility in the platform for consistency in evaluating metrics over time and is encouraging for longitudinal assessment opportunities.
International Education in the Twenty-First Century: Lessons Learned from 9/11 and Cautious Hope for the Future

In this chapter, we begin by describing the importance of international education and the nationwide movement to internationalize colleges and universities in the United States. Next, we highlight how 9/11 has played a role in internationalization, with a specific focus on changes in the monitoring of international students, student mobility, and public attitudes toward immigrants in the U.S. Finally, we discuss the U.S. government and education response to 9/11, the future of international education, and why the continued promotion of global awareness and cultural competency is critical to higher education. Events such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have far reaching implications for international educators and the strategies they use to educate global citizens in the twenty-first century.
Three-body problem for Langevin dynamics with different temperatures

A mixture of Brownian particles at different temperatures has been a useful model for studying the out-of-equilibrium properties of systems made up of microscopic components with differing levels of activity. This model was previously studied analytically for two-particle interactions in the dilute limit, yielding a Boltzmann-like two-particle distribution with an effective temperature. Like the Newtonian two- and three-body problems, we ask here whether the two-particle results can be extended to three-particle interactions to get the three-particle distributions. By considering the special solvable case of pairwise quadratic interactions, we show that, unlike the two-particle distribution, the three-particle distribution cannot in general be Boltzmann-like with an effective temperature. We instead find that the steady-state distribution of any two particles in a triplet depends on the properties of and interactions with the third particle, leading to some unexpected behaviors not present in equilibrium.
Chapter 18 – Quality Control: Recognizing and Managing Variation

This chapter is about statistical quality control, the use of statistical methods for evaluating and improving the results of any activity. Whether the activity involves production or service, it can be monitored so that problems can be discovered and corrected before they become more serious. Statistics is well suited for this task because good management decisions must be based, in part, on data. You will learn how to distinguish two types of variation: assignable causes (when there is a reasonably identifiable reason, which you can eliminate) and random causes; when only random causes remain, your system is “in control.” The Pareto diagram displays the causes of the various defects in order from most to least frequent (along with a cumulative percentage of problems solved) so that a manager can focus attention on the most important tasks. A control chart displays successive measurements of a process, together with a center line and control limits, to help you decide whether or not the process is in control. You will see control charts both for quantitative measurements (the X¯ and R charts) and for counts from qualitative data (the percentage chart).
A Case Study in Line Balancing and Simulation

Abstract Assembly line balancing (ALB) allocates individual tasks to work stations while respecting the physical, safety, and quality constraints. Two-sided assembly lines are generally used in the production of medium or large-sized products (e.g. automotive, household appliance). We considered several characteristics including zoning constraints, the task to task relationships, tooling and station dependent constraints to offer the real-world environment. The most common two objectives for the ALB are minimizing the number of workers (type-1) and minimizing the cycle time (type-2). This article presents an integer programming formulation for both type-1 and type-2 ALB problems and metaheuristics to solve this complex problem. Even if ALB gives better results than the current line balance that our industry partner applied, it cannot be guaranteed that the amount of daily production will increase due to randomness in the line. We simulate the proposed line balances to provide a testing platform for line balancing results and to help identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks in the system.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Hypertension: The Role of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 and the Renin-Angiotensin System

Hypertension emerged from early reports as a potential risk factor for worse outcomes for persons with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Among the putative links between hypertension and COVID-19 is a key counter-regulatory component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS): angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 facilitates entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, into host cells. Because RAS inhibitors have been suggested to increase ACE2 expression, health-care providers and patients have grappled with the decision of whether to discontinue these medications during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, experimental models of analogous viral pneumonias suggest RAS inhibitors may exert protective effects against acute lung injury. We review how RAS and ACE2 biology may affect outcomes in COVID-19 through pulmonary and other systemic effects. In addition, we briefly detail the data for and against continuation of RAS inhibitors in persons with COVID-19 and summarize the current consensus recommendations from select specialty organizations.
Porphyrinoid Drug Conjugates.

Summary Drawing inspiration from nature today remains a time-honored means of discovering the therapies of tomorrow. Porphyrins, the so-called “pigments of life” have played a key role in this effort due to their diverse and unique properties. They have seen use in a number of medically relevant applications, including the development of so-called drug conjugates wherein functionalization with other entities is used to improve efficacy while minimizing dose limiting side effects. In this Perspective, we highlight opportunities associated with newer, completely synthetic analogs of porphyrins, commonly referred to as porphyrinoids, as the basis for preparing drug conjugates. Many of the resulting systems show improved medicinal or site-localizing properties. As befits a Perspective of this type, our efforts to develop cancer-targeting, platinum-containing conjugates based on texaphyrins (a class of so-called “expanded porphyrins”) will receive particular emphasis; however, the promise inherent in this readily generalizable approach will also be illustrated briefly using two other common porphyrin analogs, namely the corroles (a “contracted porphyrin”) and porphycene (an “isomeric porphyrin”).
Fabrication of micro-porous hyaluronic acid hydrogels through salt leaching

Abstract Development of physiologically relevant culture platforms for studying cell behavior has been of particular interest in tissue engineering as well as in development of in vitro disease models. Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan found in the extracellular matrix, derivatives of which are commonly used to create three-dimensional biomimetic hydrogel scaffolds for the study of cell behavior in vitro. Herein, we report the fabrication of micro-porous hyaluronic acid hydrogels using a simple salt leaching technique. Porogens, specifically, salt particles of different sizes (i.e.,
Gas chromatography-vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopic analysis of organosilanes.

Organosilanes are used in a broad range of industrial, cosmetic, and personal care products. They serve as bridges between inorganic or organic substrates and organic/polymeric matrices. They are also versatile intermediates and can be used for a variety of synthetic applications. They do not exist naturally and have to be synthesized. Evaluation of intermediates and products resulting from the synthesis processes of organosilanes can be challenging. In this study, gas chromatography with vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopic detection (VUV) was used to analyze Si-containing compounds that are commercially available or were synthetically prepared. VUV measures full scan absorption in the range of 120-240 nm, a region that provides unique absorption signatures for chemical compounds. VUV absorption spectra of organosilanes showed rich and featured characteristics in this wavelength range. Theoretical computations of VUV absorption spectra based on time-dependent density functional theory were also explored as a complementary tool for identification. In addition, the synthesis process of isomeric benzodioxasiline compounds (ortho-, meta-, and para-) was monitored by GC-VUV. It was demonstrated that GC-VUV can be used for easy and rapid differentiation of organosilanes, including structural isomers.
Understanding Breaks in Flare X-Ray Spectra: Evaluation of a Cospatial Collisional Return-current Model

Hard X-ray (HXR) spectral breaks are explained in terms of a one-dimensional model with a cospatial return current. We study 19 flares observed by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager with strong spectral breaks at energies around a few deka-keV, which cannot be explained by isotropic albedo or non-uniform ionization alone. We identify these breaks at the HXR peak time, but we obtain 8 s cadence spectra of the entire impulsive phase. Electrons with an initially power-law distribution and a sharp low-energy cutoff lose energy through return-current losses until they reach the thick target, where they lose their remaining energy through collisions. Our main results are as follows. (1) The return-current collisional thick-target model provides acceptable fits for spectra with strong breaks. (2) Limits on the plasma resistivity are derived from the fitted potential drop and deduced electron-beam flux density, assuming the return current is a drift current in the ambient plasma. These resistivities are typically 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than the Spitzer resistivity at the fitted temperature, and provide a test for the adequacy of classical resistivity and the stability of the return current. (3) Using the upper limit of the low-energy cutoff, the return current is always stable to the generation of ion-acoustic and electrostatic ion-cyclotron instabilities when the electron temperature is nine times lower than the ion temperature. (4) In most cases, the return current is most likely primarily carried by runaway electrons from the tail of the thermal distribution rather than by the bulk drifting thermal electrons. For these cases, anomalous resistivity is not required.
Measurement of Portal Vein Blood Circulating Tumor Cells is Safe and May Correlate With Outcomes in Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

This study investigated the safety and feasibility of intraoperative portal vein blood (PVB) collection at the time of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) resection. Relationships of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in PVB and peripheral blood (PB) with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival were studied. Patients undergoing PDAC resection were offered enrollment in a prospective liquid biopsy protocol. The patients had PB drawn before incision and PVB drawn before tumor mobilization, then again immediately after resection. Using standard CellSearch protocols, CTCs were identified and compared with OS. Of the 34 patients enrolled in this study, 23 (68%) underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, 8 (23%) underwent distal pancreatectomy, and 3 (9%) underwent total pancreatectomy. Peripheral blood was available for 22 (65%) and PVB for 31 (91%) of the patients. No bleeding or thrombotic complications occurred with the PVB draws. The CTC counts per 7.5 mL of PVB collected before and after resection were highly correlated (R2 = 0.89). The study found CTCs in 11 (50%) of 22 PB samples and 22 (71%) of 31 PVB samples. The OS rate at 18 months was 92% for the patients with < 3 CTCs, 71% for the patients with ≥ 3 CTCs per 7.5 mL of PB (p = 0.30), 100% for the patients without PVB CTCs, and 70% for the patients with PVB CTCs (p < 0.01). Collection of PVB during PDAC resection is safe. In this pilot study, PVB CTC counts but not PB CTC counts were significantly correlated with OS. This opens the door for future studies on selective omission of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients treated preoperatively and tailored surveillance intensity for patients without PVB CTCs at PDAC resection.
Laboratory-Scale Investigation of the Slippage of a Natural Fracture Resulting from an Approaching Hydraulic Fracture

The interaction between a natural fracture (NF) and a hydraulic fracture (HF) has been studied extensively, both experimentally and numerically, to better understand the potential for crossing and arrest of a hydraulic fracture intersecting a natural fracture. However, the actual mechanical interaction between a hydraulic and a natural fracture or a bedding plane has not been studied, particularly under triaxial stress and injection conditions. Analysis of field microseismic data recorded during hydraulic fracturing shows that the bedding plane could slip due to the approaching hydraulic fracture. In this paper, we present the results of some lab-scale experimental work, demonstrating HF/NF interaction with an emphasis on the slippage of a discontinuity surface. Injection pressure, stress applied, and the sample deformation are monitored during the tests. Acoustic Emission (AE) technology is employed to record the AE signals generated during fracture initiation, propagation, and during the sliding of the joint. In addition, strain gauges are used to measure the slippage on the natural fracture. The tests are carried out on 101.6 mm diameter cylindrical samples of PMMA, shale, and granite. The calculated displacement based on the recorded strain clearly shows a jump at the breakdown point, which is accompanied by increased AE activity and stress drop. Analysis of the data clearly shows the occurrence of slippage on the joint in response to an approaching hydraulic fracture. Expectedly, the degree of shear slip varies with natural fracture dip and friction angle.
Neoadjuvant radiation for cutaneous and soft tissue angiosarcoma.

Background and objectives Neoadjuvant radiation (NRT) is frequently utilized in soft tissue sarcomas to increase local control. Its utility in cutaneous and soft tissue angiosarcoma remains poorly defined. Methods This retrospective cohort study was performed using the National Cancer Database (2004-2016) evaluating patients with clinically localized, surgically resected angiosarcomas. Factors associated with receipt of NRT in the overall cohort and margin positivity in treatment naive patients were identified by univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results Of 597 patients, 27 (4.5%) received NRT. Increasing age (odds ratio [OR] 0.95, p = 0.025), tumor size more than or equal to 5 cm (OR 3.16, p = 0.02), and extremity tumor location (OR 3.99, p = 0.04) were associated with receipt of NRT. All patients who received NRT achieved an R0 resection (p = 0.03) compared with 17.9% of patients without NRT. Factors associated with risk of margin positivity included tumor size more than or equal to 5 cm (OR 1.85, p = 0.01), and head/neck location (OR 2.24, p = 0.006). NRT was not significantly associated with improved survival (p = 0.21). Conclusions NRT improves rates of R0 resection but is infrequently utilized in cutaneous and soft tissue angiosarcoma. Increased usage of NRT, particularly for patients with lesions more than or equal to 5 cm, or head and neck location, may help achieve complete resections.
Characterization by sampling and in situ testing - connecticut valley varved clay

Varved clays, which consist of alternating layers of silt and clay, are common in glaciated regions of North America and Northern Europe. This layering results in several unique engineering properties making varved clays a challenging soil for engineering design. Varved clays have hydrau- lic conductivity and undrained shear strength anisotropy that far exceeds that of most other soils. The strength of the soil for shearing along the horizontal varves is much less than that for shearing across the varves. This paper summarizes the geotechnical engineering properties of Connecticut Valley Varved Clay (CVVC). CVVC is a lacustrine soil deposited approximately 15,000 years ago during retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Results from soil sampling, in situ testing, and laboratory testing conducted during the past 15 years for a deposit of CVVC at the National Geotechnical Experimenta- tion Site in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA, are presented. Varved clay deposits are common in glaciated regions of North America and Europe north of the 40th parallel and are a prolific source of serious construction diffi- culties (TERZAGHI et al. (13)). The layered nature of these soils requires special design considerations for geotechnical problems. The strength of the soil for shearing along the horizontal varves is much less than that for shearing across the varves. Because of the silt layers, the horizontal hydraulic conductivity can be far greater than that in the vertical direction. Laboratory testing of varved clays is problematic because results depend greatly on specimen size and the relative portions of the silt and clay layers used for test specimens. Thus directly relating laboratory test results to anticipated field behaviour could be greatly misleading. In this paper, the geotechnical engineering properties of Connecticut Valley Varved Clay (CVVC) are summarized based on data collected for a test site located in western Massachusetts, USA. The site is on the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) campus and is a US National Geotechnical Experimentation Site (NGES). Since 1989, the site has been the focus of education and research on soil sampling, in situ testing, groundwater hydraulics, laboratory testing, and prototype and full-scale testing of geotechnical engineering structures. This paper is an abridged version of DEGROOT and LUTENEGGER (4).
The advent of antifungal and immunosuppressive therapies: 1950 to 1969

Drastic changes were needed in medical mycology by the end of 1949, because the mortality rate for patients having invasive mycoses ranged between 50 and 100%, depending on the severity of the disease. The 1950s experienced the discovery of nystatin, the first active antifungal drug to be used in humans, followed by the development of stilbamidine and, more importantly, amphotericin B. John Fisher and John Perfect stated that although the azoles have been important new antifungal agents, the use of amphotericin B opened the field of antifungal therapy and remains the gold standard (J. Perfect; J. Fisher, questionnaires). The development of antifungal agents is ranked as the second most important event for the development of medical mycology in the United States (15 to 24.7% responses to the questionnaire, Tables 3 and 4, Appendix A), because it stimulated an intense interest among both the medical and pharmaceutical communities, enhanced public awareness, and legitimized the discipline as a distinctive field in medicine. Meanwhile, royalties from the sale of nystatin provided much needed financial support for training and research distributed through the Brown-Hazen Committee.
Required Momentum, Heat, and Mass Transport Experiments for Liquid Metal Blankets

The lack of experimental data for liquid metal blankets in the fusion environment restricts our ability to develop designs with demonstrated feasibility and adequately characterized performance. In...
Durkheim's Naturalistic Moral Education: Pluralism, Social Change, and Autonomy

Whatever happened to Emile Durkheim? The progenitor of modern educational sociological theory and research, today he is not so much dismissed as ignored. When mentioned in recent educational writing, he has become a stock character, a convenient trope whenever someone wants to argue against the idea that education is “mere socialization.” In those rare occasions when he is heeded, it is commonplace to view Durkheim as a “conservative” thinker who valued social quietism over individual freedom. The last decade has seen many figures from the history of social science influencing educational discourse—Vygotsky, Wittgenstein, Bateson, Goffman, Garfinkle, Weber, Habermas, and the ever-present Marx and Dewey. It is at least curious that the man who gave so much credibility to sociology, anthropology and educational research has disappeared from educational discourse. Durkheim has a “public relations problem.” The problem is not Durkheim’s, of course, but ours in the education community, for we have forgotten a rich source of social and educational ideas.
Influence of Iron and the Sex of Rats on Hematological, Biochemical and Immunological Changes during Copper Deficiency

The influence of dietary iron and the sex of rats on suppressed lymphocyte functions caused by copper deficiency was examined. Male and female weanling Lewis rats were fed two concentrations of copper (0.6 or 5.6 micrograms Cu/g diet) and iron (50 or 300 micrograms Fe/g diet) for 42 d. Regardless of dietary iron concentrations, male and female rats consuming low copper diets had lower serum ceruloplasmin activity and serum and liver copper concentrations than those fed the high copper diet. However, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were higher in copper-deficient females than in copper-deficient males and were unaffected by copper deficiency in females fed the high iron diet. Copper-deficient females also had higher serum and liver iron concentrations than copper-deficient males. Proliferation of concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated spleen lymphoid cells (SLC) was suppressed in copper-deficient males and females, but the suppression was less in the females. Thus, the primary cause of suppressed SLC proliferation in copper-deficient rats is poor copper status; poor iron status induced by copper deficiency had little influence on proliferation.
Climate sensitivity of the Earth to solar irradiance

[1] The mean surface temperature of the Earth depends on various climate factors with much attention directed toward possible anthropogenic causes. However, one must first determine the stronger effects such as El Nino/La Nina and volcanoes. A weaker effect, which must exist, is solar irradiance. We have determined the solar effect on the temperature from satellites measurements (available since 1979) of the solar irradiance and the temperature of the lower troposphere. We find the sensitivity to solar irradiance to be about twice that expected from a no-feedback Stefan-Boltzmann radiation balance model. This climate gain of a factor of two implies positive feedback. We also have determined a linear trend in the data. These results are robust under truncation from either end of the of the data record. These measurements of solar sensitivity are consistent with prior estimates from ocean temperatures on decadal scales and of paleo-reconstructed temperatures on centennial scales.
Use of an oxygen therapeutic as an adjunct to intraoperative autologous donation to reduce transfusion requirements in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Abstract Background The benefits of intraoperative autologous donation (IAD) in reducing the need for allogeneic blood transfusion in surgery have been debated for several years. The purpose of this study was to determine if IAD alone or in conjunction with hemoglobin raffimer (HR) confers a reduction in red cell or blood component transfusion compared with results in standard clinical practice. Study design The Phase III clinical trial was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind study to determine the efficacy and safety of HR versus 10% pentastarch when used to facilitate IAD in 299 patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting. The patients received HR or pentastarch as an adjunct to IAD immediately before cardiopulmonary bypass. Results were compared with transfusion requirements for 150 matched patients in the reference group. Results The frequency of allogeneic RBC transfusion in the HR, pentastarch, and reference groups was 56%, 76%, and 95%, respectively. The number of allogeneic red cell units used was 49 in the HR group, 104 in the pentastarch group, and 480 in the reference group (p Conclusions In this study, patients treated with HR in conjunction with IAD received fewer transfusions overall and a lower volume of allogeneic RBCs and non-RBC allogeneic blood products than did the two comparison groups. This confers a real benefit on the overall blood supply by decreasing use and increasing availability.
Methanol inhalation: site and other factors influencing absorption, and an inhalation toxicokinetic model for the rat.

Purpose. This investigation was conducted to identify the site and characteristics of methanol absorption and to develop an inhalation model relating methanol absorption, blood concentration, and elimination.