cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of Liver Stiffness Using Shear Wave Elastography in a Rat Model: Factors Impacting Stiffness Measurement with Multiple- and Single-Tracking-Location Techniques.

Abstract The clinical use of elastography for monitoring fibrosis progression is challenged by the subtle changes in liver stiffness associated with early-stage fibrosis and the comparatively large variance in stiffness estimates provided by elastography. Single-tracking-location (STL) shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) is an ultrasound elastography technique previously found to provide improved estimate precision compared with multiple-tracking-location (MTL) SWEI. Because of the improved precision, it is reasonable to expect that STL-SWEI would provide improved ability to differentiate liver fibrosis stage compared with MTL-SWEI. However, this expectation has not been previously challenged rigorously. In this work, the performance of STL- and MTL-SWEI in the setting of a rat model of liver fibrosis is characterized, and the advantages of STL-SWEI in staging fibrosis are explored. The purpose of this study was to determine what advantages, if any, arise from using STL-SWEI instead of MTL-SWEI in the characterization of fibrotic liver. Thus, the ability of STL-SWEI to differentiate livers at various METAVIR fibrosis scores, for ex vivo postmortem measurements, is explored. In addition, we examined the effect of the common confounding factor of fluid versus solid boundary conditions in SWEI experiments. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with carbon tetrachloride over several weeks to produce liver disease of varying severity. STL and MTL stiffness measurements were performed ex vivo and compared with the METAVIR scores from histological analysis and the duration of treatment. A strong association was observed between liver stiffness and weeks of treatment with the liver toxin carbon tetrachloride. Direct comparison of STL- and MTL-SWEI measurements revealed no significant difference in ability to differentiate fibrosis stages based on SWEI mean values. However, image interquartile range was greatly improved in the case of STL-SWEI, compared with MTL-SWEI, at small beam spacing.
Annual Irrigation Dynamics in the U.S. Northern High Plains Derived from Landsat Satellite Data

Sustainable management of agricultural water resources requires improved understanding of irrigation patterns in space and time. We produced annual, high-resolution (30 m) irrigation maps for 1999–2016 by combining all available Landsat satellite imagery with climate and soil covariables in Google Earth Engine. Random forest classification had accuracies from 92 to 100% and generally agreed with county statistics (r2 = 0.88–0.96). Two novel indices that integrate plant greenness and moisture information show promise for improving satellite classification of irrigation. We found considerable interannual variability in irrigation location and extent, including a near doubling between 2002 and 2016. Statistical modeling suggested that precipitation and commodity price influenced irrigated extent through time. High prices incentivized expansion to increase crop yield and profit, but dry years required greater irrigation intensity, thus reducing area in this supply-limited region. Data sets produced with this approach can improve water sustainability by providing consistent, spatially explicit tracking of irrigation dynamics over time.
The effects of exercise-induced muscle damage on critical torque.

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) has been shown to reduce endurance exercise performance. This study examined the effects of EIMD on critical torque (CT) and the sum of the torque integral above CT during (∫ T total) during a 5-min all-out, intermittent isometric knee extension exercise. CT was determined in eight participants prior to and 48-h following EIMD. EIMD was induced using electrically stimulated eccentric knee extensions until maximal voluntary strength (MVC) was reduced by 40%. EIMD was assessed by changes in MVC and ratings of muscle soreness using a VAS scale. EMG and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were collected from the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis, respectively, during the CT test to assess neuromuscular electrical activity and microvascular circulation. MVC decreased 22% (p = 0.006) and soreness increased from 2.1 ± 1.9 to 50.4 ± 31.5 mm (p = 0.002) 48-h following eccentric exercise. CT declined from 61.6 ± 17.8 to 52.0 ± 14.1 Nm (−14%; p = 0.005) post-EIMD. ∫ T total declined 33% (p = 0.0006) post-EIMD. No changes were observed in neuromuscular electrical activity (p = 0.95 for EMG RMS and p = 0.57 for EMG median frequency) or any parameter of microvascular circulation (p = 0.60 for tissue saturation index, p = 0.27 for total hemoglobin and myoglobin, p = 0.51 for oxyhemoglobin, and p = 0.26 for deoxyhemoglobin) between conditions. Our finding that EIMD-reduced CT may explain the decrements in endurance performance following EIMD observed in the previous studies. The disproportionate reduction in ∫ T total compared to MVC and CT is suggestive of a more rapid depletion of anaerobic energy stores and/or accumulation of metabolic by-products leading to fatigue following EIMD.
Chronicles of the Partially Distributed Team Project

This chapter describes the development and evolution of the Partially Distributed Teams (PDTs) project, which is designed to prepare students to work in global teams. I discuss key milestones in its transition from a small project involving regional teams into a global project where several thousand students have participated from over a dozen countries across five continents. I share my experiences as one example of how a small, “off-the-cuff” undertaking evolved into a large, sustained effort. I highlight my missteps along the way and the changes that ensued to improve the project and move it forward. The evolution of the project has been empirically driven, based on data collected from student participants as well as my own observations as project lead and participating instructor.
Alcohol-related sex expectancies explain the relation between alcohol use and sexting among college students

Abstract Alcohol use and sexual behavior are prevalent among college students. Sexting, defined as the sending and/or receiving of sexually explicit content via electronic methods, is also associated with college students’ alcohol use. Alcohol-related expectancies (i.e., beliefs one has regarding the cognitive and behavioral effects of alcohol) partially explain the association between alcohol use and sexual behavior. Specifically, college students perceive that alcohol relates to sexual activities through increases in sexual arousal and disinhibition. Based on prior research, the relation between alcohol use and sexting may be explained by alcohol-sex expectancies. We hypothesized that alcohol use and problems would relate to sexting indirectly through sexual drive and sexual affect expectancies. We tested this hypothesis using cross-sectional, self-report methodology in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 534). Results indicated that alcohol use and problems related to sexting through sexual drive, but not sexual affect, expectancies. Findings highlight the importance of expectancies in the relationship between alcohol use and the understudied sexual behavior of sexting.
Knowledge Network Equilibrium

In this chapter we discuss a new and evolving application of network equilibrium — that of knowledge networks. In today’s networked economy, the existence of highly skilled workers is essential for innovation, for research and development purposes, as well as, for increasing the competitive position of regions and nations.
Mechanical deformation effects on ion conduction in stretchable polymer electrolytes

Flexible and stretchable energy storage devices, including batteries, supercapacitors, and ionic piezoelectrics, have garnered substantial research interest in recent years to address a wide range of applications such as smart textiles and medical implants. These devices are intended to undergo mechanical deformation, and the impact of deformation on electrochemical performance is not well understood. One important area of focus is studying how mechanical deformation influences ion conduction in polymer electrolytes. In this work, a dual theoretical and experimental approach is taken to further evaluate this phenomenon. A stretchable solid polymer electrolyte film subjected to tensile deformation (approximately 48% strain), through which ion diffusion occurs, is analyzed using a continuum approach treating ion diffusion and mechanical deformation as coupled. Thermodynamic laws are applied to obtain governing multiphysics equations accounting for large deformation mechanics and material nonlinearity. The theoretical solution obtained demonstrates how through-plane ionic conductivity changes when the polymer is subjected to stretching. Evolutionary materials deformation of the polymer electrolyte is considered to elucidate the underlying driving physical mechanisms of ion conduction. An experiment was also conducted to measure change in through-plane ionic conductivity with applied uniaxial strain in a sample of polyethylene oxide (PEO), a material commonly used as the electrolyte in solid polymer electrolyte lithium ion batteries. The experimental results show a greater than 1600% ionic conductivity enhancement for approximately 48% strain. The theoretical and experimental results are in good agreement and show that ion conduction is enhanced with increasing strain following an exponential function for a PEO electrolyte.
The Nativity and Distribution of the Cryptic Invader Phalaris arundinacea (Reed Canarygrass) in Riparian Areas of the Columbia and Missouri River Basins

Cryptic invaders are inherently difficult to study due to morphological similarity with native lineages of the same species or genus. Wetland and riparian systems are particularly prone to plant invasions, and have been impacted by a number of widespread cryptic invaders such as Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass). Here we combine molecular genetic analyses with species distribution modeling to assess the nativity of Phalaris and determine potential drivers of non-native Phalaris invasion in riparian areas across a large region of the semiarid northwestern USA. Based on our genetic analyses, we found that throughout our study region Phalaris is largely non-native, and no modern-day samples from our study region were of native North American origin. At least half of the four species distribution models suggested that non-native Phalaris invasion across the region was associated with warmer temperatures, more growing days, wetter summers, drier winters, higher nitrogen levels, shallower stream slopes, and at sites closer to roads and without a history of grazing. These findings can be used to determine the best locations for targeted monitoring. Furthermore, there is the potential for increased Phalaris invasion with climate change-induced temperature increases.
In the Nest of Extreme Radicalism: Radical Networks and the Bolshevization of Claude McKay in London

ABSTRACTBetween 1919 and 1921, Claude McKay (1889–1948), best known as a distinguished black poet and novelist, spent 14 months in London, a crucial and transformative moment in his life and work. ...
Reducing bats' pinnae deformation complexity for a biomimetic reception baffle dynamics

Horseshoe bats are known to have about 20 muscles on each pinna that allow the animals to deform their pinnae during echo reception. Simplified biomimetic reproductions of this reception baffle dynamics have demonstrated the encoding of additional, useful sensory information. However, reproducing the full complexity in the actuation of the bat pinna shapes by virtue of numerous muscles poses a daunting challenge. Furthermore, it remains unknown which level of complexity is necessary to realize the functional advantages of the bats' pinna dynamics. To address this issue, the current work has focused on non-rigid deformations of the pinnae. 3D kinematic data for a dense grid of landmark points distributed over the pinna surface has been used as input for manifold learning algorithms designed to reduce the dimensionality of the motion. The results of this analysis suggest that the deformations of the pinna can be described in spaces that with much lower dimensionality than the original kinematic data. In addition, a kernel method has been implemented to generate a reduced model of the pinna deformations. Ongoing work is aimed at understanding how these low-dimensional descriptions of the pinna deformation relate to muscular coordination patterns in the pinna and its dynamic functional characteristics.
Comparing crime types: a linguistic analysis of communiqués associated with the animal and earth liberation movement

The content and style of language reveal significant insight into psychological, cognitive, and emotional processes. A growing number of studies have also been devoted to linking language to psycho...
A General Cache Framework for Efficient Generation of Timing Critical Paths

The recent TAU 2018 contest was seeking novel idea for efficient generation of timing reports. When the timing graph is updated, users query different forms of timing reports that happen subsequently and sequentially. This process is computationally expensive and inherently complex. Therefore, we introduce in this paper a general cache framework for efficient generation of timing critical paths. Our framework efficiently supports (1) a cache scheme to minimize duplicate calculation, (2) graph contraction to reduce the search space, and (3) multi-threading. We evaluated our framework on the TAU 2018 contest benchmarks and demonstrated promising performance over the top performer.ACM Reference Format:Kuan-Ming Lai, Tsung-Wei Huang and Tsung-Yi Ho. 2019. A General Cache Framework for Efficient Generation of Timing Critical Paths. In The 56th Annual Design Automation Conference 2019 (DAC ’19), June 2–6, 2019, Las Vegas, NV, USA. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 6 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3316781.3317744
Mal tiempo en Bagdad: al-Ṭurṭūšī y el “eclipse” de 478/1085-1086

The article discusses an autobiographical passage in the life of al-Ṭurṭūshī (ca. 451/1059-520/1126, or Jumādā I 525/April 1131) contained in the Siyar A‘lām al-Nubalā’ of al-Dhahabī (673/1274-748/1348). The text reports a remarkable set of meteorological phenomena during al-Ṭurṭūshī’s visit to Baghdad in 478/1085-86. Fierro interpreted the story as a description of an eclipse, and as lying at the origin of al-Ṭurṭūshī’s turn to asceticism, paralleling a similar story about the earlier Muḥammad Iḅn Waḍḍāḥ. I show here, based on astronomical records, that there was no eclipse at that time in Baghdad, consequently that what al-Ṭurṭūshī experienced could not have been one. Further, al-Ṭurṭūshī did not understand it as having been one. It could not, therefore, have been the cause of his turn to asceticism. The description points more naturally instead to a dust-storm, or simoom. There is therefore no link, literary or other, between this aspect of the life of al-Ṭurṭūshī and that of Muḥammad Iḅn Waḍḍāḥ.
ÉTICA SOCIAL CATÓLICA E SAÚDE PÚBLICA: EM BUSCA DE UMA BIOÉTICA LIBERTADORA

This article argues that the option for the poor offers an ethical imperative to analyze bioethical issues that are not restricted to the traditional discussion on the use of medical technology and the health professional-patient relationship. The author presents a bioethics in a liberationist key that integrates Catholic social teaching into healthcare issues and ethical challenges to promote justice through a public system based on the right to healthcare. This essay beÂ­gins by examining the option for the poor, presented by Catholic social teaching, and how it relates to healthcare. Then, it analyses data and studies showing the relationship between poverty, illness and premature death. This analysis clearly demonstrates the existence of a vicious cycle: poverty, vulnerability to illnesses, lack of healthcare, and death. This dramatic reality must be ended because it is a threat to human life. Finally, the author suggests that a bioethics capable of responding to this challenge is yet to be built. The integration of Catholic social teaching into bioethics, with the option for the poor as an ethical imperative, offers resources for the construction of a liberating bioethics.
Nonlocality claims are inconsistent with Hilbert-space quantum mechanics

It is shown that when properly analyzed using principles consistent with the use of a Hilbert space to describe microscopic properties, quantum mechanics is a local theory: one system cannot influence another system with which it does not interact. Claims to the contrary based on quantum violations of Bell inequalities are argued to be incorrect. A specific example traces a violation of the CHSH Bell inequality in the case of a spin-3/2 particle to the noncommutation of certain quantum operators in a situation where (non)locality is not an issue. A consistent histories analysis of what quantum measurements measure, in terms of quantum properties, is used to identify the basic problem with derivations of Bell inequalities: the use of classical concepts (hidden variables) rather than a probabilistic structure appropriate to the quantum domain. A difficulty with the original Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) argument for the incompleteness of quantum mechanics is the use of a counterfactual argument which is not valid if one assumes that Hilbert-space quantum mechanics is complete; locality is not an issue. The quantum correlations that violate Bell inequalities can be understood using local quantum common causes. Wave-function collapse and Schr\"odinger steering are calculational procedures, not physical processes. A general Principle of Einstein Locality rules out nonlocal influences between noninteracting quantum systems. Some suggestions are made for changes in terminology that could clarify discussions of quantum foundations and be less confusing to students.
Characterising acetabular component orientation with pelvic motion during total hip arthroplasty

Introduction:Suboptimal acetabular component position can result in impingement, dislocation, and accelerated wear. Intraoperative pelvic motion has led to surgeon error and acetabular cup malposit...
Exchange rates, soybean supply response, and deforestation in South America

Abstract The advancement of South America's agro-pastoral frontier has been widely linked to losses in biodiversity and tropical forests, with particular impacts on the Brazilian cerrado, the Atlantic Forest, and the Amazon. Here we consider an important, yet largely overlooked, driver of South America's soybean expansion, namely the devaluation of local currencies against the US dollar in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Much interest has emerged in recent years over the environmental implications of soybean production in Brazil, with evidence of both direct incursions into moist tropical forest by soybean producers and of potential indirect effects, via the displacement of existing ranching operations. In this research we utilize historical trends in soybean prices, exchange rates, and cropland dedicated to soybean production in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil to estimate the impact of currency devaluations on area of production. The results suggest that approximately 80,000 km 2 , or 31% of the current extent of soybean production in these countries, emerged as a supply area response to the devaluation of local currencies in the late 1990s. The results also indicate that the more recent depreciation of the dollar and appreciation of the Brazilian real have counteracted a recent rise in global soybean prices, in the process sparing an estimated nearly 90,000 km 2 from new cropland, 40,000 km 2 of this in the Amazon alone. Amidst an increasingly neoliberal economic environment, where barriers to trade are jettisoned in favor of the free flow of commodities, relative currency values will occupy an important role in the future sourcing of both agricultural expansion and environmental degradation.
Theory of Adaptive Data Compression

Publisher Summary The compression system operates to take advantage of any predictability that exists in the data. Only those points which cannot be predicted to within some threshold interval are transmitted. This chapter presents a block diagram of the system. The samples are sent to a predictor, where the optimum prediction operation is “learned.” The prediction of each sample is made and then delayed until the actual sample is generated. The prediction and the actual sample are compared. If their difference is less than some threshold value, the sample is not transmitted, and this fact is encoded by some method such as the replacement of the sample by one bit. Thus, compression is obtained. As a first step in the data compression system analysis, the mean square prediction error is derived asymptotically as a function in the learning period for fixed memory when the operation is open loop. From the asymptotic result, a simple approximate formula is derived that can be used in the adaptive predictor design.
No-go result for covariance in models of loop quantum gravity

Based on the observation that the exterior space-times of Schwarzschild-type solutions allow two symmetric slicings, a static spherically symmetric one and a timelike homogeneous one, modifications of gravitational dynamics suggested by symmetry-reduced models of quantum cosmology can be used to derive corresponding modified spherically symmetric equations. Generally covariant theories are much more restricted in spherical symmetry compared with homogeneous slicings, given by $1+1$-dimensional dilaton models if they are local. As shown here, modifications used in loop quantum cosmology do not have a corresponding covariant spherically symmetric theory. Models of loop quantum cosmology therefore violate general covariance in the form of slicing independence. Only a generalized form of covariance with a non-Riemannian geometry could consistently describe space-time in models of loop quantum gravity.
Heterogeneity in Husbands’ and Wives’ Physical Pain Trajectories Over Mid-Later Years: Biopsychosocial Stratification and Implications for Later-Life Well-Being

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The present study investigated pain trajectories of husbands and wives over their mid-later years, the grouping of these trajectories, and differences in baseline biopsychosocial profiles and health and well-being outcomes in later years across the pain trajectory groups. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Growth mixture modeling was used to identify latent classes of 244 husbands' and wives' physical pain trajectories over their mid-later years (1994-2015, average ages of 44-65 years). Analyses were conducted to identify how these pain trajectory classes were associated with respondents' biopsychosocial profiles in 1994 and health and well-being in later years (2017 [>67 years]). RESULTS The individual pain trajectories of husbands and wives were clustered into 3 heterogeneous groups with differing trajectory patterns. Nonnormative pain trajectory groups (with either a high pain level and/or persistent pain) were associated with adverse baseline biopsychosocial characteristics. These groups also experienced poorer health and well-being outcomes in later years (2017) compared to those with consistently low pain after controlling for lagged measures in 2015. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS The identification of pain trajectory groups and characteristics of group members provides a potentially useful prognostic tool for early preventive intervention efforts, treatment, and policy formation. Such interventions can promote and develop resiliency factors, thereby aiding in the redirection of middle-aged husbands' and wives' adverse pain trajectories.
Principles of Death and Dying

In this chapter, you will learn about the psychological effects of a patient’s death and how to deal with them, as well as how to console and interact with a patient’s family and friends.
Biosensors and biopolymer-based nanocomposites for smart food packaging: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract The concept of smart food packaging based on biosensors and biopolymer-based nanocomposites has been attracting more and more interest to the industrial community because of the concerns of food quality and safety. A biosensor with food packaging has a scope to enable real-time monitoring of microbial breakdown products of packaged foods. Biopolymer-based nanocomposites (named bionanocomposites) have been extensively studied over the past few decades due to their excellent mechanical, thermal, optical, and antimicrobial properties. Despite significant progress made in different studies regarding the uses of biosensors and bionanocomposites, the potential challenges and opportunities of them in developing smart food packaging have not been properly addressed. The idea of integrating bionanocomposites and using them as a biosensor in food packaging can be a milestone for developing smart food packaging industries. Therefore, it is important to know more about biosensors and bionanocomposites for developing sustainable and affordable smart packaging materials. The focus of this review is to outline existing research and developments (R&D) on biosensors and bionanocomposites and provide some perspectives of their potential challenges and opportunities in future smart food packaging industries.
Low profile sheaths in pediatric neurointervention: a multicenter experience.

Background Pediatric neurointervention is challenged by the appropriateness of adult catheters and devices. This multicenter report on the smallest groin access sheaths offers technical notes and clinical outcomes in the pediatric neurointerventional population. Methods All pediatric neurointerventional cases from 2019 to 2021 were reviewed for use of a 3.3F Pediavascular or a 4F Merit Prelude Ideal low profile sheath. Hospital records were reviewed for complications and technical notes and compared with arterial groin access with the 4F Terumo Pinnacle in infants less than 1 year old, before the low profile sheaths at one author’s institution were introduced. Results From January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021 there were 347 procedures performed at Boston Children’s Hospital and University of Wisconsin. Forty-four procedures in 26 patients were identified in which a 3.3F (38 cases, 20 patients) or 4F (6 cases, 6 patients) sheath was used. The average age was 2.2 years (1.5 days to 18 years). Retinoblastoma intra-arterial chemotherapy infusion (18 of 44) was the most common indication. The remaining procedures comprised vein of Galen embolization (12), diagnostic cerebral angiography (13), and one preoperative tumor embolization. Morbidity included a groin hematoma and decreased pulses (4.5%). No major groin complications occurred. There was no statistically significant difference compared with the historical cohort (132 procedures), which had seven instances of decreased pulses (5.3%, p>0.05). Conclusion The 3.3F Pediavascular and 4F Merit Prelude Ideal sheaths are easily incorporated into the pediatric neurointerventionalist’s armamentarium for infants and readily accommodate various microcatheters for distal embolization and catheterization.
Cerebral Perfusion in Pediatric Stroke: Children Are Not Little Adults.

ABSTRACT Cerebral perfusion imaging provides useful information about the hemodynamic state of the brain that is relevant to a number of neurologic conditions, including stroke, epilepsy, and brain tumors. Multiple imaging modalities have been developed to evaluate brain perfusion, primarily by the use of different tracers to measure cerebral blood volume and cerebral blood flow. Here, we provide an overview of magnetic resonance imaging perfusion techniques; summarize the role of perfusion imaging in adult stroke; describe changes in cerebral blood flow over childhood; and discuss the relevance and future directions of perfusion imaging in pediatric cerebrovascular disorders and stroke.
Robotic end-to-end fusion of microtubules powered by kinesin.

The active assembly of molecules by nanorobots has advanced greatly since “molecular manufacturing”—that is, the use of nanoscale tools to build molecular structures—was proposed. In contrast to a ...
Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction in CNS Disorders and Putative Therapeutic Targets: An Overview.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a fundamental component of the central nervous system (CNS). Its functional and structural integrity is vital to maintain the homeostasis of the brain microenvironment by controlling the passage of substances and regulating the trafficking of immune cells between the blood and the brain. The BBB is primarily composed of highly specialized microvascular endothelial cells. These cells’ special features and physiological properties are acquired and maintained through the concerted effort of hemodynamic and cellular cues from the surrounding environment. This complex multicellular system, comprising endothelial cells, astrocytes, pericytes, and neurons, is known as the neurovascular unit (NVU). The BBB strictly controls the transport of nutrients and metabolites into brain parenchyma through a tightly regulated transport system while limiting the access of potentially harmful substances via efflux transcytosis and metabolic mechanisms. Not surprisingly, a disruption of the BBB has been associated with the onset and/or progression of major neurological disorders. Although the association between disease and BBB disruption is clear, its nature is not always evident, specifically with regard to whether an impaired BBB function results from the pathological condition or whether the BBB damage is the primary pathogenic factor prodromal to the onset of the disease. In either case, repairing the barrier could be a viable option for treating and/or reducing the effects of CNS disorders. In this review, we describe the fundamental structure and function of the BBB in both healthy and altered/diseased conditions. Additionally, we provide an overview of the potential therapeutic targets that could be leveraged to restore the integrity of the BBB concomitant to the treatment of these brain disorders.
Dysplastic (Atypical) Nevi

Dysplastic nevi or atypical lentiginous nevi are clinically atypical and have histologic architectural disorder and cytologic atypia. The significance of atypical nevi was emphasized by reports of atypical moles in family members with hereditary melanoma. The genetic change, mutations in the CDKN2A gene, results in a predisposition in certain patient in the development of malignant melanoma. Within members of familial melanomas, the presence of atypical nevi is associated with a 50 % risk of developing melanoma by age 50 years. Therefore, dysplastic nevi are significant in that they can be mimics of melanoma histologically, precursors to melanoma, and indicators of increased melanoma risk. In this chapter, the various features necessary to render the diagnosis of dysplastic nevus as well as the grading of these lesions are outlined.
Preparation and Properties of α- and β-Chains from Human Hemoglobin

Abstract A new procedure is described using carboxymethyl cellulose and diethylaminoethyl cellulose columns for the preparation of native α and β chains from human hemoglobin. The chains appeared to be more stable than those obtained by earlier methods and permitted the preparation of modified chains containing meso- and deuterohemes. The kinetics of carbon monoxide binding was determined for proto-, meso-, and deutero-α and β chains by both stopped flow and flash photolysis methods. The kinetic properties of β—SH chains with protoheme are similar to those reported for hemoglobin H, and their rate of reaction with carbon monoxide is more than twice as great as that for α—SH chains.
Alteration of folate analogue transport inward after induced maturation of HL-60 leukemia cells. Molecular properties of the transporter in an overproducing variant and evidence for down-regulation of its synthesis in maturating cells.

Studies are described examining further the decline in folate analogue influx mediated by the one-carbon reduced-folate transport system in HL-60 cells following induction of maturation by cytodifferentiation agents. To facilitate the investigation of the underlying basis of this phenomenon, we derived a variant (HL-60/LCV) with 4-5-fold elevated influx capacity (Vmax) for folate analogues. A commensurate increase in the putative transporter for this system was documented by affinity labeling of these cells with N-hydroxysuccinimide-[3H]aminopterin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the affinity labeled plasma membrane in HL-60/LCV cells delineated a protein peak at Mr = 75,000-80,000. This was substantially greater than the analogous transporter (Mr = 45,000-47,000) we had delineated (Yang, C.-H., Sirotnak, F.M., and Mines, L.S. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 9703-9709) with the same methodology in the L1210 cell plasma membrane. In addition, the rate of translocation of the Mr = 75,000-80,000 transporter in HL-60 and HL-60/LCV cells was 2-fold lower than the rate of translocation determined for the Mr = 45,000-47,000 transporter in L1210 cells. During induced maturation of HL-60/LCV cells toward the granulocyte pathway, [3H]methotrexate (MTX) influx capacity and the amount of the affinity labeled transporter decreased rapidly in a parallel fashion. The decrease in [3H]MTX influx and in affinity labeling and in the amount of the Mr = 75,000-80,000 transporter was 5-fold following exposure to 210 mM dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) for 5 days during growth in culture. Moreover, during cycloheximide treatment, the decay in [3H]MTX influx at 37 degrees C and in amount of affinity labeled transporter was the same (t1/2 = 144-155 min) for both control and Me2SO-treated HL-60/LCV cells. These results, which reveal no difference in metabolic turnover for control and Me2SO-treated cells, suggest that the decline in folate analogue influx in HL-60/LCV influx cells is a very early event in the program of differentiation and probably occurs by down-regulation of synthesis of the transporter for the one-carbon reduced-folate transport system.
Security of Distributed, Ubiquitous, and Embedded Computing Platforms

As embedded computer systems continue to explode in number and capability, security and privacy challenges abound. We review desirable security properties and the design constraints posed by these systems that make security difficult. We summarize current research by focusing on solutions for ad hoc networks, wireless sensor networks, and RFID tags as representative of the design space. State-of-the-art protocols and approaches for defeating or mitigating attacks at the physical, network and middleware layers are presented. Critical application areas and research needs are identified, as are possible funding sources. Keywords: ad hoc network; wireless sensor network; RFID; embedded; security; privacy
Setting limits on homeotic gene function : restraint of Sex combs reduced activity by teashirt and other homeotic genes

Each of the homeotic genes of the HOM or HOX complexes is expressed in a limited domain along the anterior-posterior axis. Each homeotic protein directs the formation of characteristic structures, such as wings or ribs. In flies, when a heat shock-inducible homeotic gene is used to produce a homeotic protein in all cells of the embryo, only some cells respond by altering their fates. We have identified genes that limit where the homeotic gene Sex combs reduced (Scr) can affect cell fates in the Drosophila embryo. In the abdominal cuticle Scr is prevented from inducing prothoracic structures by the three bithorax complex (BX-C) homeotic genes. However, two of the BX-C homeotic genes, Ultrabithorax (Ubx) and abdominal-A (abd-A), have no effect on the ability of Scr to direct the formation of salivary glands. Instead, salivary gland induction by Scr is limited in the trunk by the homeotic gene teashirt (tsh) and in the last abdominal segment by the third BX-C gene, Abdominal-B (AbdB). Therefore, spatial restrictions on homeotic gene activity differ between tissues and result both from the regulation of homeotic gene transcription and from restraints on where homeotic proteins can function.
Diagnosis and Assessment of Depression and Suicidality Using the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-2.3)

The diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-2.3) was studied in a sample of 265 adolescent inpatients to determine type and concurrent validity of depressive symptoms and depressive disorder diagnoses for different DISC-2.3 informants (parent, adolescent, both). The Children's Depression Rating Scale--Revised, Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS), Suicide Ideation Questionnaire--Junior, Spectrum of Suicide Behavior Scale, and clinical consensus diagnoses were used to assess concurrent validity. Results indicated that (1) parents, compared to adolescents, reported a higher prevalence of all depressive symptoms with the exception of weight change; (2) DISC-2.3 depressive and suicidality symptoms were related positively to independent validating criteria for all informant conditions, suggesting good concurrent validity; (3) the DISC-2.3 both informant condition correctly identified the most depressive disorders; and (4) the parent, but not the adolescent, DISC-2.3 Informant condition contributed to the prediction of clinical consensus diagnoses of depression after taking into account RADS scores.
Trinucleotide repeat expansions: timing is everything

The expansion of trinucleotide repeats is known to cause a growing number of human diseases. However, the mechanism and timing of expansions are poorly understood. Recent studies indicate that expansion mutations occur by multiple pathways during both meiotic and mitotic divisions, and at various stages of cell division. In addition, mismatch repair proteins play a major part in generating expansions.
Merkel cell carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma is a malignant neuroendocrine tumor with features of epithelial differentiation. Biologically aggressive, it may be difficult to diagnose and, particularly in its late stages, even more difficult to treat effectively. This article addresses what is known and what is still controversial about the histogenesis, diagnosis, and management of Merkel cell carcinoma and the structure and function of the Merkel cell from which it is believed to be derived. The incidence, clinical presentation and diagnosis, ultrastructure, immunocytochem-istry, treatment, and prognosis of this tumor will be discussed.
Spectroscopic changes in fats during rancidification

Because the measurements that have been described were designed as preliminary studies, a comparison of the spectral characteristics of ethyl oleate, linoleate, and linolenate at this stage can only be made along broad lines. At 2,300 angstroms the measurements for ethyl oleate were too inaccurate or incomplete to permit any comparisons but in the cases of the linoleate and linolenate oxidation produced marked increases in the absorption as measured in alcohol, which were not significantly altered by the addition of alkali.
Experimental study of the safety of simultaneous nasal and Le Fort I osteotomies

Abstract Purpose: This study evaluated the risk of unfavorable fractures extending to adjacent structures from nasal osteotomies during simultaneous rhinoplasty and Le Fort I osteotomy. Materials and Methods: Sixteen nasal osteotomies (medial and lateral) were performed in conjunction with Le Fort I osteotomy on eight fresh cadaver heads. Skin and soft tissue of the face were removed and the patterns of fracture along the nasal bones and the presence of unfavorable fractures extending from the nasal osteotomies toward the orbit, skull base, and the maxillary osteotomy site were assessed. Results: All 16 nasal osteotomies were successfully performed with a single pass of the osteotome. The nasal bones were easily mobilized in every instance. There were 11 (69%) complete fractures and five (31%) greenstick fractures at the superior aspect of the nasal bones. There were no unfavorable fractures extending from the nasal fracture sites toward the skull base, orbit, or the maxillary osteotomy site. Conclusion: Simultaneous Le Fort I osteotomy and nasal osteotomies can be performed without significant risk of unfavorable fractures or extension of the fracture lines to adjacent structures.
DISSOCIATION AND STRIPPING OF HIGH-ENERGY DEUTERONS.

The dissociation and stripping of high-energy deuterons are studied in a Glauber-model approach. In particular, our treatment of the dissociation problem includes both nuclear and Coulomb forecs. For heavy nuclei, the Coulomb dissociation cross section turns out to be much more important than the nuclear dissociation cross section and comparable in magnitude to the nuclear-stripping cross section. Comparison with experimental cross sections for $3.54\ensuremath{-}\frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}$ deuterons shows satisfactory agreement.
Antibodies to Tumor Necrosis Factor-α: Use as Adjunctive Therapy in Established Group B Streptococcal Disease in Newborn Rats

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal sepsis. Adjunctive therapies are being sought to improve the outcome. Because increased blood levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α may play a role in the development of sepsis and an adverse outcome thereof, we evaluated the potential use of antibodies against TNF-α as adjunctive therapy of GBS sepsis. Using a neonatal rat model of GBS sepsis, we measured serum levels of TNF-α. Levels of TNF-α were significantly increased beginning 12 h after GBS inoculation and remained significantly increased at 30-36 h. We then examined the use of adjunctive therapy with antibody to TNF-α in animals with established GBS sepsis using polyclonal rabbit antirecombinant mouse TNF-α antiserum. Twelve hours after GBS inoculation, animals received a single dose of antibody to TNF-α or normal rabbit serum, and penicillin therapy (twice a day for 3 d) was begun. Animals receiving penicillin and antibody to TNF-α had a survival rate of 52% (13 of 25) versus 29% (7 of 24) for animals receiving penicillin and normal rabbit serum. Thus, the use of antibodies directed against TNF-α may have a role as adjunctive therapy of established GBS sepsis in the newborn infant.
Tutorial on the Health and Social Value of Computerized Medical Imaging

Computerized medical imaging devices represent dramatic advances in the medical diagnostic armamentarium. The imaging device is only one part of the system that determines the information produced by an imaging test. The diagnostic system includes a number of human-human and human-machine interactions. Attention to human interface design features of imaging equipment can improve the performance of the system.
Heavy metals removal by high gradient magnetic separation

Experimental data is presented on the effective removal of heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, nickel and zinc by absorption onto ferric hydroxide flocs. Ferric sulphate is used as the source of ferric ions along with a small amount of magnetite which is added to make use of high gradient magnetic separation. This paper examines the use of HGMS for this operation. The role of pH, flow rate through the filter, magnetic field strength and collection tube diameter is discussed in detail.
Synthesis of carbon‐14 labeled 1‐(2‐hydroxyiminomethyl)‐1‐pyridino‐3‐(4‐carbamoyl‐1‐pyridino)‐2‐oxapropane dichloride monohydrate ([14C]HI‐6 · H2O)

The synthesis of the title compound ([ 14 C]-2) is described. Simultaneous quaternizations of 2-pyridine[ 14 C]aldoxime (8) and isonicotinamide (10) by bis(methylsulfonoxymethyl) ether gave 1-(2-hydroxyimino-[ 14 C]methyl)-1-pyridino-3-(4-carbamoyl-1-pyridino)-2-oxapropane dimethanesulfonate (11) which was converted to [ 14 C]-2 by ion-exchange chromatography. Purification of [ 14 C]-2 was done by serial crystallization with isotopic dilution which gave product of 97% and 98% radiochemical and chemical purity, respectively with 3% overall radiochemical yield.
Food imprinting in domestic chicks as a function of social contact and number of companions

Three-day-old cockerel chicks were trained to peck a green stimulus for food in preference to a blue stimulus within a social, visual, or isolated condition (Experiment 1), or within a 1, 2, 3, or 4–5 group (Experiment 2). The chicks were tested on four subsequent nonreinforced days to ascertain the generality of “food imprinting.” On the initial reinforced day, the chicks discriminated between the two stimuli. The social group pecked more than the visual group and the visual more than the isolated, and the larger the group number, the higher the mean rate. Over the nonreinforced days, all groups showed a rapid decline in the frequency of responses. The data were interpreted as extinction rather than as “food imprinting.”
Correction of enhanced Na(+)-H+ exchange of rat small intestinal brush-border membranes in streptozotocin-induced diabetes by insulin or 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol.

Diabetes was induced in rats by administration of a single i.p. injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body wt). After 7 d, diabetic rats were further treated with insulin or 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3) for an additional 5-7 d. Control, diabetic, diabetic + insulin, and diabetic + 1,25(OH)2D3 rats were then killed, their proximal small intestines were removed, and villus-tip epithelial cells were isolated and used to prepare brush-border membrane vesicles. Preparations from each of these groups were then analyzed and compared with respect to their amiloride-sensitive, electroneutral Na(+)-H+ exchange activity, using {sup 22}Na uptake as well as acridine orange techniques. The results of these experiments demonstrated that (a) H+ gradient-dependent {sup 22}Na uptake as well as Na+ gradient-dependent transmembrane H+ fluxes were significantly increased in diabetic vesicles compared to their control counterparts, (b) kinetic studies demonstrated that this enhanced {sup 22}Na uptake in diabetes was a result of increased maximal velocity (Vmax) of this exchanger with no change in apparent affinity (Km) for Na+, (c) serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 were significantly lower in diabetic animals compared with their control counterparts; and (d) insulin or 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment restored the Vmax alterations to control values, without any significant changes in Km, concomitant with significantlymore » increasing the serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 in diabetic animals. These results indicate that Na(+)-H+ activity is significantly increased in proximal small intestinal luminal membranes of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Moreover, alterations in the serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D3 may, at least in part, explain this enhanced antiporter activity and its correction by insulin.« less