cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronic Daily Headache in Adolescents

The prevalence of chronic daily headache (CDH), and its impact and related medication use or overuse in adolescents were examined at the Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and other centers in Taiwan.
Central Nervous System Involvement By Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Abstract INTRODUCTION. Although uncommon, involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is the most common extramedullary manifestation of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Nonetheless, a broad array of conditions can lead to neurologic symptoms in CLL patients and distinguishing between clinically significant CLL involvement of the CNS and other etiologies can be challenging. The actual prevalence of CNS involvement by CLL is unknown, the only available data being case reports and small case series. METHODS. Between 01/1995 and 11/2014, 186 of the 4317 (4%) patients with CLL followed at our center underwent an MRI of the CNS (e.g. brain, spine) and/or a lumbar puncture (LP) with cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) analysis to evaluate neurologic symptoms. As the mere presence of CLL cells in the CSF is not diagnostic of clinically significant CNS disease, a final diagnosis of clinically significant CNS involvement by CLL was established by the collaborative review of the pathologist, neurologist and treating hematologist based on comprehensive work-up and multi-disciplinary evaluation. RESULTS. After evaluation, the etiology of neurologic symptoms was clinically significant involvement of the CNS by CLL in 19 (10%) patients, CNS Richter Syndrome (RS) in 15 (8%), infection in 42 (23%), autoimmune conditions in 31 (17%), other cancer in 9 (5%), and another etiology in 70 (37%). The sensitivity of LP to detect clinically significant CNS involvement by CLL was 89%, however its specificity was only 42% where CLL cells were also frequently observed in the CSF in concomitance with inflammatory processes, such as infections and autoimmune disease. Factors associated with clinically significant CNS involvement by CLL/RS were mutated IGHV (p=0.04), low CSF glucose (p=0.02), elevated CSF total nucleated cells (TNC)(p=0.004), lymphocytes (p=0.02) and CLL cells, both as absolute count (p=0.05) and percentage of TNC (p=0.02). Median OS among patients with clinically significant CNS involvement by CLL or RS were 21 and 11 months, respectively. Median OS for patients with neurological symptoms secondary to infection was 6 months, to autoimmune process was 63 months, to other cancers was 19 months, and to other non-CLL related etiologies was 37 months. CONCLUSIONS. Clinically significant CNS involvement by CLL and RS are rare conditions. Neurologic symptoms in patients with CLL are attributable to non-CLL-related etiologies in the majority of cases, even when CLL B-cells are present in the CSF. Analysis of the CSF has high sensitivity but limited specificity to distinguish clinically significant CNS involvement by CLL from other etiologies. Comprehensive evaluation is required before attributing neurologic symptoms to CLL. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Predictive Value of the Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplantation (PACT) Scale in Allogeneic BMT.

Purpose: Psychosocial risk factors have been reported to be associated with or predictive of treatment-related vulnerability and survival in allogeneic BMT. Recent survey research revealed that BMT clinicians consider psychosocial risk factors when making a decision whether or not to proceed with allogeneic BMT. The Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplantation (PACT) scale, a tool designed to study the psychosocial screening process and uniformity of decision-making in solid organ transplantation, has been utilized in BMT, but there is no research as to the relationship of the scores of psychosocial risk to medical outcomes, either in BMT or solid organ transplantation. This research analyzes the predictive value of PACT scale scores in relation to medical outcomes in allogeneic BMT. Methods: From 11/2003 to 6/2007, 120 allogeneic BMT patients were assessed pre-transplant by oncology social workers who subsequently completed the PACT scale. The PACT scale has ratings for social support, psychological health, lifestyle factors, and understanding of transplant and follow-up. Data analyses examined relationships between the overall PACT score of a patient (ranging from low to high risk) and post-transplant medical outcomes and baseline quality of life, mood states, and coping with illness; instruments utilized to measure the latter three psychosocial variables, in order, are the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy scale (FACT) specific to BMT, Profile of Mood States (brief form), and Brief COPE. Results: There is no significant relationship between risk scores on the PACT scale and shorter-term medical outcomes (i.e., length of stay, in-hospital death, death within 100 days, days until engraftment, and readmissions) nor longer-term medical outcomes (i.e., GVHD, relapse, overall survival, and relapse free survival). However, there is a significant relationship between the patient’s PACT score and pre-morbid psychosocial functioning. Lower risk PACT scores are associated with better quality of life; lower depression, anger, and confusion, higher vigor; and positive coping behaviors of self-distraction, positive reframing, and use of religion. Higher risk PACT scores are associated with negative coping behaviors of denial, substance use, and behavioral disengagement. Conclusions: Although the PACT scale as a measure of overall psychosocial risk has been promoted as a helpful tool for the pre-transplant psychosocial evaluation process, its’ predictive value with respect to medical outcomes in BMT is arguable. However, that PACT scores associated with pre-morbid psychosocial functioning underscores the utility of the PACT scale for screening a cluster of psychosocial issues that may combine as risk factors for treatment related vulnerability. Determining patient eligibility for BMT based on overall psychosocial risk is not advisable; needed is research to further study which specific psychosocial risk factors, if any, are associated with, if not prognostic of, medical outcomes.
An incremental constraint-based framework for task and motion planning

We present a new constraint-based framework for task and motion planning TMP. Our approach is extensible, probabilistically complete, and offers improved performance and generality compared with a similar, state-of-the-art planner. The key idea is to leverage incremental constraint solving to efficiently incorporate geometric information at the task level. Using motion feasibility information to guide task planning improves scalability of the overall planner. Our key abstractions address the requirements of manipulation and object rearrangement. We validate our approach on a physical manipulator and evaluate scalability on scenarios with many objects and long plans, showing order-of-magnitude gains compared with the benchmark planner and improved scalability from additional geometric guidance. Finally, in addition to describing a new method for TMP and its implementation on a physical robot, we also put forward requirements and abstractions for the development of similar planners in the future.
Land Surface Processes

Through their regulation of water and energy transfer between the land and atmosphere, the dynamics of terrestrial water stores are an important boundary condition for the global water cycle at weather and climate timescales. The basis for a concerted integrated research effort is now provided by breakthroughs in techniques to observe: (1) global and regional precipitation, (2) surface soil-moisture, (3) snow, (4) surface soil freezing and thawing, (5) surface inundation, (6) river flow, and (7) total terrestrial water-storage changes, combined with better estimates of evaporation. As the primary input of water to the land surface, precipitation defines the terrestrial water cycle. The partitioning of this precipitation between infiltration (and subsequently evapotranspiration) and runoff is determined by surface physics, vegetation, snow and soil-moisture conditions, and soil-moisture dynamics.
The Relative Contribution of Diagnostic and Psychosocial Variables to Severity of Suicidal Ideation

The present study examined the relative contribution of diagnostic and psychosocial factors to the prediction of severity of suicidal ideation in a sample of 78 college students. Using hierarchical regression analyses to control for each set of factors, psychosocial variables were found to consistently predict level of suicidal ideation. In contrast, diagnostic variables including diagnosis of substance abuse and composite scores for depression and anxiety were unrelated to level of suicidality. An examination of individual diagnoses revealed no predictable relationships with severity of suicidality in this population. The results were discussed from several methodological viewpoints.
Keystone mutualists can facilitate transition between alternative ecosystem states in the soil

Symbioses between plants and microbial organisms can fundamentally alter the structure of ecosystems, from their species diversity to rates of nutrient cycling. Yet, many aspects of how differences in the prevalence of microbial symbioses arise are unclear. This is a key knowledge gap, as if co-variation in plant and microbial distributions are primarily determined by extrinsic abiotic factors then symbioses should exert little independent control over ecosystems. To examine the potential for alternative symbiotic communities to arise under similar conditions we examined biogeochemical cycling and microbial community structure in a coastal landscape where historical patterns of vegetation transition are known, allowing us to eliminate abiotic determinism. We found that alternative states in microbial community structure and ecosystem processes emerged under different plant species. Greenhouse studies further demonstrated that plant selection of symbiotic microbes is central to emergence of these alternative states and occurs independent of soil abiotic conditions. Moreover, we provide evidence that transition between states may be highly dependent on the presence of a small set of ruderal symbionts that are rare in mature systems but may act as keystone mutualists. Because differences between these alternative states can be directly linked to plant-microbe symbioses, independent of initial conditions, our results suggesting that biotic feedbacks between keystone symbiotic microbes and plants play a foundational role in the diversity and function of soils.
The Effect of Radioscapholunate Fusion With and Without Distal Scaphoid and Triquetrum Excision on Capitolunate Contact Pressures.

Purpose To determine the effects of motion-increasing modifications to radioscapholunate (RSL) arthrodesis on capitolunate contact pressure in cadaveric wrist specimens. Methods Ten fresh-frozen cadaveric wrists were dissected of all superficial soft tissue, potted in polymethyl-methacrylate, and the carpus exposed via a ligament-sparing capsulotomy. An RSL arthrodesis was simulated using 2 2.4-mm distal radius plates with locking screws. The distal scaphoid pole and triquetrum were removed with an osteotome and rongeur, respectively. Contact area, pressure, and force were measured in the capitolunate joint during the application of a 35-N uniaxial load using pressure-sensitive film. Measurements were obtained before and after simulated RSL fusion, following distal scaphoidectomy and after triquetrectomy. Results The combination of RSL fusion with distal scaphoid excision (DSE) increased contact forces in the capitolunate joint by 50% over controls. An RSL fusion, and RSL fusion with DSE and triquetrum excision (TE), exhibited intermediate levels of contact force between controls and RSL fusion with DSE. Capitolunate contact pressures were similar between all experimental groups. Contact area in the capitolunate joint increased by 43% after RSL fusion with DSE over intact specimen controls. Lastly, contact area in wrists with RSL fusion, and RSL fusion with DSE and TE, were elevated, but not significantly different from intact controls. Conclusions A DSE performed at the time of RSL fusion results in increased midcarpal joint contact force and area, with resultant contact pressures unchanged. Triquetrectomy, which has been previously shown to improve range of motion, did not increase contact forces in the capitolunate joint. Clinical relevance If a surgeon is contemplating performing an RSL arthrodesis with DSE, we recommend adding a triquetrectomy to improve motion because this does not add to the potentially deleterious effects of increased midcarpal contact force.
Effects of percent solids and mill loading on ball wear in laboratory taconite grinding

The effects of percent solids, mill loading, and grinding time on product size distribution and ball wear were studied in a laboratory ball mill for a taconite ore. Mild steel balls and HCLA steel balls were used to examine the role that ball hardness play in grinding. Net production of −44-µm (−325-mesh) material reached maximum at 70% solids, whereas the ball wear decreased as pulp density increased. HCLA steel balls ground the taconite ore finer than mild steel balls under otherwise identical conditions. Examination of ball surfaces with a scanning electron microscope suggested that corrosive wear was minimal under nitrogen flushing conditions, and that grinding with mild steel balls involved nipping rather than attrition, whereas grinding with harder HCLA balls involved both nipping and attrition. Pulp viscosity controlled the thickness of pulp layer on balls, thereby affecting grinding efficiency and ball wear.
Integrating Natural Resource Management into Disaster Response and Mitigation

No population on this planet is immune to the threat of disaster. Whether it takes the form of a rapid onset disaster like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which devastated the coastal zone of Aceh Indonesia, or the slow onset drought of 2006 which crept across the Horn of Africa, leaving poor harvests and weakened herds throughout the region, nearly all communities are at risk. The full impact of a disaster depends on the scale of the disaster and the ability of the affected population to both withstand the shock and to recover. When populations cannot recover on their own, national governments and at times, the international humanitarian community in the form of donors and implementing agencies must provide support to the people in need.
Safety of Initiation of Sacubitril/Valsartan in ICU Patients with Advanced Decompensated Heart Failure

Introduction Sacubitril/valsartan (S/V) is superior to enalapril in reducing mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic stable heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The goal of this investigation was to determine if S/V could be used safely as an oral vasodilator when weaning intravenous vasoactive therapies. Methods Invasive hemodynamic data was prospectively collected from ten consecutive patients with Stage D HFrEF admitted to the heart failure intensive care unit (HF-ICU) for treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. All patients were admitted for pulmonary artery catheter hemodynamic guided therapy and were initiated on S/V. Results Ten patients were included in the cohort and were on either intravenous inotropes n=3 or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) n=7. Mean dose of SNP was 151 mcg/min, mean dose for dobutamine was 5 mcg/kg/min and milrinone dose was 0.5 mcg/kg/min. Mean age was 50 years old, with 4 females and 6 males. Three patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, 7 non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. All patients were successfully weaned from inotropes or SNP and tolerated S/V initiation. Average mean arterial pressure of the cohort decreased from 88.3 to 80.6 mmHg (9% reduction), right atrial pressure decreased from 15.6 to 5 mmHg (70% reduction), mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 43.6 to 27.3 mmHg (37% reduction), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased from 28.4 to 14.7 mmHg (48% reduction), mean cardiac index increased from 1.7 to 2.56 l/min/m2 (51% increase) and mixed venous saturation increased from 52.6 to 67.2% (22% increase). The detailed hemodynamic results for each patient are summarized in Table 1. S/V was well tolerated and hemodynamics were stable after weaning IV therapy. Conclusion Patients with cardiogenic shock tolerated initiation of S/V and subsequent successful weaning of intravenous vasodilator or inotropic therapy. These preliminary novel hemodynamic observations suggest S/V may be initiated safely in ICU patients and facilitate weaning from intravenous therapies.
Improving Patient Safety in the Patient Journey: Contributions from Human Factors Engineering

Patient safety remains a significant concern even in light of some improvements, such as reduction of healthcare-associated complications for hospitalized patients. We argue that renewed attention for systems approaches is necessary in order to more effectively tackle complex patient safety problems. We propose the concept of patient journey as a new perspective for patient safety. The spatio-temporal interactions and care transitions are the essence of the patient journey. The patient journey perspective emphasizes patients’ interactions with multiple care settings over time.
Facilitating Informal Learning at Work

While the majority of workplace learning is informal, most organizational resources devoted to learning are allocated to more formal means, such as training. The purpose of this study was to investigate how instructional designers facilitate informal learning in the workplace. Three hundred eighty-five practitioners completed an online survey developed to measure how informal workplace learning is facilitated. In addition, 20 survey respondents participated in follow-up interviews. Findings revealed that practitioners employ a variety of methods to facilitate informal workplace learning. Sharing knowledge, materials, and resources emerged as the most common approach. As proponents of learning, instructional designers, as well as their managers and clients, may leverage the findings of this study to facilitate informal workplace learning, thus increasing performance.
Prostate brachytherapy procedural training: incorporation of related procedures in resident training and competency assessment.

Purpose Inadequate procedural training is of increasing concern in resident training, especially in prostate brachytherapy (PB). Transperineal rectal spacer placement (TRSP) requires many of the same proficiencies as PB. This work describes the assessment of teaching techniques focusing on developing critical competencies for PB using related clinical procedures (TRSP). Material and methods For PB and TRSP, key competencies were identified: 9 for PB and 7 for TRSP; 4 are shared between PB and TRSP. "Comfort level" with these procedures was assessed prior to and following participation in TRSP. Results 8 of 12 trainees at our institution participated in TRSP procedures. 2 of these trainees had prior experience with PB or related procedures and were excluded. Trainees self-reported "comfort levels" between 0 and 3 for four competency domains. Initial median comfort (MC) level for competency domains relevant to PB included: patient positioning (median 1, range 0-2), transrectal ultrasound imaging (median 1, range 0-1), fiducial placement (median 1, range 0-1), and hydrodissection (median 0, range 0-1). Median number of TRSP procedures performed by assessed trainees during the analysis period was 4 (range 1-6). Following TRSP procedure training, MC level increased: 2 points for patient positioning (median 3, range 1-3; p < 0.01), 1.5 points for transrectal ultrasound imaging (median 2.5, range 1.3, p < 0.001); 1 point for fiducial placement (median score 2, range 1-3; p < 0.001); and 1.5 points for hydrodissection (median score 2, range 1-3; p < 0.001). Conclusions Increasing trainee involvement in related procedures to develop core competencies may help facilitate increased comfort with common skills critical to the independent performance of PB.
FCC Announces Its Existing RF Exposure Limits Apply to 5G [Health Matters]

Citing support from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced in December 2019 that it reaffirms the RF radiation exposure li mits it first adopted in 1996 fa The action was undertaken in the face of appeals from some to tighten, and others to loosen, the existing limits. In the process, the FCC also resolved and terminated a 2013 Notice of Inquiry that sought public input on whether it should modify its existing RF exposure rules considering recent scientific opinions and authoritative expert views, among other issues [2]. Apparently, six years since the Notice of Inquiry, the FCC deems it appropriate to maintain the existing RF exposure limits. It is interesting to observe that the FCC dedined to make changes that would stiffen the current rules or to make any changes that would effectively relax the current rules.
Model Calculations of Radiation-Induced Damage in 1-Methyluracil:9-Ethyladenine

Detailed EPR and ENDOR experiments on the cocrystalline complex of 1-methyluracil:9-Ethyladenine (MUEA) have revealed that the major radiation-induced products observed at 10 K on MU are: MUEA1, a radical formed by net hydrogen abstraction from the N1-CH3 methyl group, MUEA2, the MU radical anion, and MUEA3, the C5 H-addition radical. The following four products were observed on the adenine moiety at 10 K, MUEA4, the N3 protonated adenine anion, MUEA5, the native adenine cation, MUEA6, the amino deprotonated adenine cation, and MUEA7, the C8 H-addition radical formed by net H-addition to C8 of the adenine base. The geometries, energetics, and hyperfine properties of all possible radicals of MU and EA, the native anions and cations, as well as radicals formed via net hydrogen atom abstraction (deprotonated cations) or addition (protonated anions) were investigated theoretically. All systems were optimized using the hybrid Hartree–Fock–density functional theory functional B3LYP, in conjunction with the 6-31G(d,p) basis set of Pople and co-workers. Calculations of the anisotropic hyperfine couplings for all the radicals observed in MUEA are presented and are shown to compare favorably with the experimentally measured hyperfine couplings. The calculated ionizations potentials indicate that EA would be the preferred oxidation site. In MUEA, both the adenine cation and its N4-deprotonated derivative were observed. The calculated electron affinities indicate that MU would be the preferred reduction site. In MUEA radical, MUEA2 is a uracil reduction product, however the protonation state of this radical could not be determined experimentally. Calculations suggest that MUEA2 is actually the C4=O protonated anion.
Uniform wet-Spinning Mechanically Automated (USMA) fiber device

Abstract Bioengineering techniques for producing fibers from biomaterials is a growing requirement in medical device technology research and development environments. Scale-up and control of diameter, shape, and length of fibrous proteins and elastomeric polymers are essential to produce defined and consistent materials for experimentation and clinical use. Here, we developed a novel wet spinning fiber extruder and spooler system engineered to draw precipitated fibers several meters in length across five spools. By controlling both the extrusion and spooling rate, the diameter of the fiber can be controlled on the order of 10–1000 µm. Using this system, we extruded and spooled precipitated Type-1 Collagen fibers up to 7.5 m in length on a single spool with a controllable diameter range of 30–50 µm. Furthermore, this device facilitated bundling of fibers directly on the spool in order to create 1–12 cm long fiber bundles for experimentation. This system may be used in the laboratory to scale up biomaterial fiber production to produce degradable scaffolds made from synthetic or natural materials for a range of biomedical applications.
Thermal Conductance Through the Skull Base From Endoscopic Surgery Cauterization Instruments: Cadaver and Goat Model.

ObjectiveCauterization prevents hemorrhage and optimizes the surgical field during endoscopic sinus surgery but may cause injury to nearby structures. The objective of this study is to examine ther...
Examining frequency and modality of parent engagement in an elementary school mental health intervention

School psychologists are encouraged to empower parents to be active partners in their child’s education, including providing social-emotional supports. Typical parent engagement efforts involve try...
Optimal pooled testing design for prevalence estimation under resource constraints

Abstract Accurate estimation of disease prevalence is essential for mitigation efforts. Due to limited testing resources, prevalence estimation is often conducted via pooled testing, in which multiple specimens are combined and tested via a single test. The pool design, i.e., the number and sizes of testing pools, has a substantial impact on estimation accuracy. Determining an optimal pool design is challenging, especially for emerging or seasonal diseases for which information on the status of the disease is unreliable or unavailable prior to testing. We develop novel optimization models for testing pool design under uncertainty and limited resources, and characterize structural properties of optimal pool designs. We apply our models to estimate the prevalence of West Nile virus in mosquitoes (the main vector of transmission to humans). Our findings suggest that estimation accuracy can be substantially improved over the status quo through the proposed optimal pool designs.
Hydrothermal liquefaction conversion of lignocelluloses with enhanced fungal pretreatment.

Abstract Although it is considered to be an environmental-friendly approach to reduce recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass, current fungal pretreatment methods suffer from major weaknesses, including inefficient delignification, loss of cellulose, and the need for long processing time. The addition of Mn to white-rot fungal treatment process could facilitate selective removal of lignin. However, the effect of Mn addition on the thermal decomposition and conversion of fungi-pretreated biomass is not clear. In this study, three types of lignocelluloses (poplar, wheat straw, and corn stover) were pretreated with fungi that was cultured with Mn supplements. Results demonstrated that the Mn addition affected thermogravimetric properties, as well as lignin and hemicellulose contents. The poplar samples showed the highest delignification (50.5 %) and lowest loss of cellulose (1.1 %). The initial degradation temperatures were lowered by 11–36 ℃, measured with thermogravimetric analysis. Additionally, fungi-pretreated feedstocks were converted in a two-stage hydrothermal liquefaction process to produce hydrolyzed sugars and value-added derivatives in a stepwise manner. A 163.6 % more hemicellulose sugars were recovered from poplar with the addition of Mn compared with untreated samples, while 75.2 % of hemicellulose sugar production was achieved in the first stage from fungi-treated corn stover with the Mn addition. Pretreating lignocelluloses with fungi that includes Mn supplements significantly improved sugar production. Thus, the combination of fungal pretreatment with the subsequent thermochemical conversion process offers a promising alternative technical route for lignocellulosic biomass valorization.
Modeling of Economic Growth Vis-a-Vis Modeling of Economic Development: Dichotomies Characteristic of General Equilibrium

It is well established that economic growth that is funded, in entirety, by technical change equates to economic development. This study provides formal theoretical evidence that production functions inherently always are inappropriate to modeling of economic development. In stated respect, modeling of economic development requires unraveling of a function that is not well defined, that is, not `one-to-one' from a topological space that is composition of the topological space for real GDP Per Capita and topological space for income inequality - a proxy for beneficial (respectively, detrimental) effects of arrival (respectively, non-arrival) of technical change - to the topological space for economic development. Modeling (of economic development) necessarily transpires in context of choice under uncertainty, because economic agents, all of whom are rational can, in presence of shortfalls to estimates for technical change that facilitate full employment embark on substitution of `government largesse' for technical change as source of employment and growth. Uncertainty as to each of future realizations for technical change, and choices to transpire domiciles modeling of economic development in context of choice under uncertainty, as such rationalizes transformation of similar amounts of growth into heterogeneous realizations of economic development. An important fallout of study findings is inference of integrity of models of neoclassical or endogenous growth theory, all of which arrive at necessity of determinism of evolution of technical change for success at workouts of models of economic growth. Study findings reiterate importance of searches for new approaches to modeling of economic development.
Growth Requirements of Neural Cells in Vitro

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses factors known to influence the survival and growth of virtually all vertebrate cells as well as those of special significance for neural cells. To sustain the survival or division of most vertebrate cells in vitro , a nutrient medium must satisfy the requirements for a balanced salt solution of appropriate osmolarity, buffered hydrogen ion concentration, carbohydrate source, amino acids, vitamins, trace elements, and growth factors. A few cell types can survive in basal medium alone, but the continued survival or division of most cells still requires supplementation with serum or other undefined additives. Under normal conditions in vivo , the brain, unlike most other tissue, derives its energy almost exclusively from the oxidation of glucose. The ability to select for specific cell types from a mixed culture is a clear benefit of using defined medium, as is the suppression of fibroblast overgrowth, even in cultures where the selectivity is not absolute.
Design of the GODIVA Performance Measurement System

GODIVA (GODdard Instrumentation Visualizer and Analyzer) is a software system for instrumentation and performance analysis of large Fortran and C science codes executing on scalable parallel systems, including traditional MPPs and Beowulf-class clusters. The system consists of an annotation "language" used to add annotations to Fortran or C codes, a preprocessor for translating annotated codes into standard Fortran or C with embedded calls to the Godiva run-time library, the run-time library itself, and a set of postprocessors for generating analyses of instrumentation data collected during program execution. This paper provides an overview of the system and discusses several of the most important and unique design decisions that differentiate Godiva from other performance measurement systems.
Identification and implications of off-axis lava flows around the East Pacific Rise

[1] Off-axis eruptions at ocean ridges provide critical information with respect to underlying crustal plumbing and mantle melting systems. A detailed study of basaltic glass samples around the East Pacific Rise from 12°00′ to 12°30′N provides geological evidence for the existence of off-axis eruptions with a distinctive chemical composition. This composition has not been found along the axis of the EPR from 8° to 14°N except at a ridge-transform intersection but has been recovered in numerous locations that were farther than 1 km off axis. These off-axis normal mid-ocean ridge basalts, or OA-NMORB, are distinguished by low Na2O, Sr, and Al2O3 and are unusually depleted in incompatible elements. Moderately enriched off-axis transitional mid-ocean ridge basalts (OA-TMORB) with the same compositional tendencies can also be identified. Comparison of EPR axis lavas and the OA type suggests that they come from the same range of (unmelted) mantle source compositions but that the source of the OA magmas was depleted in incompatible trace elements by removal of a small- degree partial melt. This would be consistent with the OA type as an EPR pooled melt that is missing the low-degree melt fraction from deep in the melting regime, which provides a reasonable physical model for their formation. In this case, off-axis magmas do not represent the same range of chemical variation as magmas delivered to the axial magma system. The OA-NMORB are similar to depleted lavas from near-EPR seamounts. Other seamount lavas with depleted trace elements have TMORB-like major elements, and may be classified as OA-TMORB. The similarity between seamount lavas and the lavas erupted off axis close to the EPR suggests that the two are manifestations of the same phenomenon. We suggest that seamount-type volcanism effectively starts within 1–2 km of the axis. This is within the range where lavas derived from the axial plumbing system may also erupt. Therefore there is a narrow zone where young lava flows from the axial plumbing system and from the off-axis systems may overlap. Lavas erupted off axis may ultimately cover 20% of the seafloor around the EPR, which is substantially more than previous estimates that were based primarily on morphological studies.
Welcome to Carbon Balance and Management

We are pleased to announce the launch of Carbon Balance and Management, a new online open access journal published by BioMed Central.
Azadipyrromethene-Based Near-Infrared Dyes: Effect of Thienylethynyl Substitution at the Distal and Proximal Phenyl Groups

Azadipyrromethene (ADP) ligands substituted with thienylethynyl substituents either at the distal phenyl groups H(CD1) or the proximal phenyl groups H(CD2) were synthesized and characterized. The thienyl groups have a hexyl group at the third position to improve solubility in organic solvents and prevent homocoupling of the ethynylthiophene reactants. To further tune the opto-electronic properties, the substituted ADPs were coordinated with BF2+ and ZnII. Absorption spectroscopy shows that the thienylethynyl substitutions redshift the absorption spectra of the dyes, with a larger shift when the substituents are added on the proximal phenyl groups. Cyclic voltammetry experiments show that the substitutions stabilize the anion and dianion. The reduction potentials for the modified ligands (or zinc chelates) were not affected by the placement of the thienylethynyl groups. Preliminary studies of blends of the new molecules with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) suggest that the zinc(II) chelates have potential as electron acceptors for organic solar cells.
Nucleon-alpha elastic scattering analyses (I). Low-energy n-α and p-α analyses

Abstract Energy-dependent phase-shift analyses of low-energy n-α and p-α elastic scattering data were performed. Effective range parameters were obtained using the least number of parameters, and data up to the lowest energy necessary to give good fits. Fits to data up to 5 MeV for p-α scattering and up to 3 MeV for n-α scattering, with 7 parameters used in each case, were chosen as the optimum low-energy solutions. Examples of observables which can be calculated from these solutions are presented.
Manageable Phrase-Based Statistical Machine Translation Models

Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) is an evolving field where many techniques in Syntactic Pattern Recognition (SPR) are needed and applied. A typical phrase-based SMT system for translating from a T (target) language to an S (source) language contains one or more n-gram language models (LMs) and one or more phrase translation models (TMs). These LMs and TMs have a large memory footprint (up to several gigabytes). This paper describes novel techniques for filtering these models that ensure only relevant patterns in the LMs and TMs are loaded during translation. In experiments on a large Chinese-English task, these techniques yielded significant reductions in the amount of information loaded during translation: up to 58% reduction for LMs, and up to 75% for TMs.
Iron‐Only Hydrogenases

The Fe-only hydrogenases, also termed FeFe hydrogenases, catalyze reversible hydrogen oxidation and occur in various microorganisms and a few lower eukaryotes. These enzymes are complex FeS enzymes with unique organometallic biological activity. The Fe-containing cluster at the active site, termed the H cluster, consists of a complex bridged metal cluster assembly with a [4Fe-4S] subcluster linked to a 2Fe subcluster containing a unique non-protein dithiolate linkage and both carbon monoxide and cyanide ligands. Because of the novelty of the active site H cluster, the enzyme has been a very interesting topic for experimental analysis by using a variety of physical methods. This chapter describes methods to probe the activity and electronic structure properties of Fe-only hydrogenases and the state of the understanding of the mechanistic features of the enzymes based on data compiled to date. 3D Structure Keywords: iron; non-heme proteins; dinuclear iron proteins; enzyme; hydrogen; acceptor oxidoreductase; EC1.12.2.1; complex iron-sulfur proteins known as iron(Fe)-only hydrogenases
Cardiolipin prevents rate-dependent uncoupling and provides osmotic stability in yeast mitochondria.

The role of cardiolipin in mitochondrial function was studied by comparing the energy-transforming and osmotic properties of mitochondria isolated from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cardiolipin synthase-null mutant crd1Δ, which has no cardiolipin, and the isogenic wild type. The results indicated that the importance of cardiolipin for energetic coupling strongly depends on the rate of oxidative phosphorylation, which was set by using NADH (maximal rate limited by coupling mechanism) or ethanol (moderate rate limited by electron supply) as a respiratory substrate, or by modulating the steady-state rate of NADH supply. The absence of cardiolipin resulted in only a small effect on oxidative phosphorylation proceeding at a moderate rate, but led to significant uncoupling (decreased ADP/O and increased state 4 respiration) at the maximal rate of respiration. This indicates that cardiolipin prevents rate-dependent uncoupling in the energy-transforming apparatus. This role of cardiolipin may derive from its strong interaction with, and modulation of the function of, respiratory complexes, and from its effects on the physical properties of the membrane. The importance of cardiolipin for mitochondrial osmotic properties was determined by comparing oxidative phosphorylation, release of matrix enzyme, shrinking ability and volume dynamics upon hypotonically induced swelling in crd1Δ and wild-type mitochondria. Opening of the yeast mitochondrial unspecific channel (YMUC) in the wild-type and mutant mitochondria was also tested. It was found that the lack of cardiolipin strongly undermines the osmotic stability of the mitochondrial membrane.
Linear trends and closures of 10-yr observations of AIRS stratospheric channels

AbstractThe Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) level-1b radiances have been shown to be well calibrated (~0.3 K or higher) and have little secular drift (~4 mK yr−1) since operation started in September 2002. This paper investigates the linear trends of 10 years (2003–12) of AIRS global-mean radiances in the CO2 v2 band that are sensitive to emissions from the stratosphere (stratospheric channels). AIRS lower-stratospheric channels have a cooling trend of no more than 0.23 K decade−1 whereas the midstratospheric channels consistently show a statistically significant cooling trend as large as 0.58 K decade−1. The 95% confidence interval for the trend is ~±0.20 K decade−1. Two sets of synthetic AIRS radiances are computed using the principal component–based radiative transfer model (PCRTM), one based on a free-running GFDL Atmospheric Model, version 3 (AM3), over the same period and one based on ERA-Interim. The GFDL AM3 simulations overestimate the cooling trends in the mid- to upper-stratospheric channel...
Social Skills Training for Depression

Since the late 1970s, behavior therapists have turned their attention to the assessment (Hersen, 1981; Rehm, 1976) and treatment of unipolar depression (cf. Craighead, 1980; Hersen, Bellack, & Himmelhoch, 1982; Kovacs, 1979; Lewinsohn, 1975; Lewinsohn & Hoberman, 1982; Rehm, 1977; Rehm & Kornblith, 1979; Wolpe, 1979). The word unipolar here refers to an affective disorder of nonpsychotic proportions. During the long history of changing diagnostic labels, such depression has alternatively been referred to as reactive, neurotic, or unipolar. Some authorities in the field (e.g., Wolpe, 1979) still continue to speak of “neurotic depression” in spite of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), which refers to it as a Major Depressive Episode.
Fabrication of Gas-Filled Tungsten-Coated Glass Shells

OAK-B135 Deuterium (D{sub 2}) filled glass shells coated with a high Z element are needed for high energy density (HED) experiments by researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory. They report here on our initial attempt to produce such shells. Glass shells made using the drop tower technique were coated with gold, palladium or tungsten, or a mixture of two of these elements. It was found that gold and palladium coatings did not stick well to the glass and resulted in poor or delaminated films. Tungsten coatings resulted in films suitable for these targets. Bouncing of shells during coating resulted in uniform tungsten coatings, but the surface of such coatings were filled with small nodules. Proper agitation of shells using a tapping technique resulted in smooth films with minimal particulate contamination. For coating rates of {approx} 0.15 {micro}m/hr coatings with {approx} 2 nm RMS surface finish could be deposited. The surface roughness of coatings at higher rates, 0.7 {micro}m/hr, was considerably worse ({approx} 100 nm RMS). The columnar structure of the coatings allowed permeation filling of the tungsten coated glass shells with deuterium at 300 C.
A Novel Method for Expression and Purification of the C-Terminal Domain of Apolipoprotein A-I

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is the most abundant protein in high-density lipoprotein, an anti-antherogenic complex responsible for reverse cholesterol transport. Human apoA-I is a 243 amino acid protein comprised of two domains, a helix bundle N-terminal domain, and an unstructured C-terminal (CT) domain comprising residues 179-243 which adopts a helical conformation when lipid bound. To better understand the function of the CT apoA-I, a novel strategy was employed to produce large quantities of this small fragment using a recombinant expression system. The strategy required the introduction of a methionine residue in front of the CT domain to be able to cleave with cyanogen bromide and isolate the desired fragment. However, apoA-I contains three methionine residues making it difficult to cleave and isolate the correct fragment. Therefore, a new construct was engineered by combining CT apoA-I with apolipophorin III (apoLp-III), an insect apolipoprotein that lacks methionine. A unique methionine was then i...
Research synthesis methods and library and information science: Shared problems, limited diffusion

Interests of researchers who engage with research synthesis methods RSM intersect with library and information science LIS research and practice. This intersection is described by a summary of conceptualizations of research synthesis in a diverse set of research fields and in the context of Swanson's 1986 discussion of undiscovered public knowledge. Through a selective literature review, research topics that intersect with LIS and RSM are outlined. Topics identified include open access, information retrieval, bias and research information ethics, referencing practices, citation patterns, and data science. Subsequently, bibliometrics and topic modeling are used to present a systematic overview of the visibility of RSM in LIS. This analysis indicates that RSM became visible in LIS in the 1980s. Overall, LIS research has drawn substantially from general and internal medicine, the field's own literature, and business; and is drawn on by health and medical sciences, computing, and business. Through this analytical overview, it is confirmed that research synthesis is more visible in the health and medical literature in LIS; but suggests that, LIS, as a meta-science, has the potential to make substantive contributions to a broader variety of fields in the context of topics related to research synthesis methods.
Rate of Thromboembolic Events in Mesothelioma

Background Thromboembolic event (TEE) rates in the general population and the cancer population are 0.1% to 2% and 10% to 15%, respectively. Our clinical observation is that mesothelioma patients are very susceptible to TEE, including arterial thromboses, but the TEE incidence has not been reported. This retrospective study attempts to determine the rates of TEE in patients with mesothelioma. Methods Three hundred seventy-four patients with mesothelioma were identified through the New Mexico SEER database. Sixty-five of them were included in the University of New Mexico tumor registry from 1973 to 2003. Documented TEE rates were abstracted from the patient charts. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression were used to identify potentially associated prognostic factors. Results Fifty-four medical records were reviewed. Patients had a median of six visits (range, 1 to 63 visits). Median age was 60 years (range, 29 to 79 years). Sex distribution was 11 women and 43 men. Anatomic locations of the primary tumor were 35 pleural, 17 peritoneal, 1 pericardial, and 1 pericardial or pleural mesothelioma. The TEE rate was 27.7% (15 of 54), including 10 deep venous thromboses, 2 arterial clots, 2 myocardial infarctions, and 1 pulmonary embolus. No association between the development of TEE and any known prognostic factors were observed. Conclusions The 27.7% TEE incidence rate in mesothelioma patients is higher than in other cancer patients. The true incidence of TEE in mesothelioma is likely to be higher than the rate observed in our review, owing to the retrospective nature of the data. Prophylactic anticoagulation trials are recommended to determine the prevention benefit in this high-risk population.
The Longitudinal Stability and Dynamics of Group Membership in the Dual-Factor Model of Mental Health: Psychosocial Predictors of Mental Health

This study examined the longitudinal stability and dynamics of group membership within the Greenspoon and Sakflofske’s dual-factor model of mental health. This expanded model incorporates informati...
Simplified chromatographic method for isoamylase analysis.

Abstract A simplified and relatively rapidly performed Chromatographic method for measuring the principal isoamylases in serum and urine has been developed. It is hoped that this method may help make isoamylase analysis more readily applicable in the ordinary clinical setting.