cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
2.2.1 Lunar Microcraters and Interplanetary Dust Fluxes

Conflicting data for depth-to-diameter ratios for lunar microcrater pits do not permit firm conclusions for distribution of meteoroid densities. The majority of meteoroids have equidimensional shapes. Meteoritic metal spherules have been detected in a small fraction of impact pit glasses, but contribution of meteoroidal material to most pit glasses is small to negligible. Impact pits less than 0.1 microns in diameter (impacting particle mass ~ 10−16 grams) have been observed. Size distributions -9 for microcrater pits less than 50 microns in diameter (particle mass < 10−9 grams) measured on different, samples differ significantly. An inflection in the cumulative size distribution curve at a diameter between 1 and 10 microns (particle masses between 10−14 and 10−11 grams) appears real, supporting the idea of a two-component model for the interplanetary dust. Data for the arrival direction of meteoroids at the moon are inconclusive.
I. Isolation and Identification of Microflora.

A survey of the soda cracker manufacturing process revealed that starter cultures were not used and that fermentation for the process relied primarily on chance contamination. Over 200 isolates from sponge and dough samples, obtained from two commercial plants, were screened. Microorganisms responsible for fermentation of commercial soda cracker sponge and dough were isolated and identified. Besides Bakers' yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ), which is part of the standard formulation, three species of lactic bacteria were found to have prominent roles in the fermentation process. Lactobacillus plantarum was found to be the dominant species. Two other species found in significant numbers were Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Lactobacillus leichmannii .
Monthly Laboratory Monitoring May Not Be Necessary for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease On Hydroxyurea

Abstract 3231 Background: Hydroxyurea is the only FDA-approved disease modifying agent for sickle cell disease. However, despite its efficacy proven in multi-centered, randomized, placebo-controlled studies, it remains highly under-utilized. This study aimed to determine the necessity for routine laboratory testing through a retrospective chart review of compliant, pediatric patients. Study Design: Charts were reviewed on all of the pediatric patients receiving treatment with HU at a single institution. 16 pediatric patients with HbSS disease were chosen to be included since they had attended >80% of monthly clinic visits over the designated 12-month period. Age range was 2–18 years (mean age of 11.8 years) and included 10 girls and 6 boys. All patients followed in this study also reported adherence to their HU regimens (missed Results: The coefficients of variation (Cv) was computed for each of five target variables including Hgb, Retic, ANC, WBC, and MCV (see table 1). The Cv was computed both quarterly (CVq) and monthly (CVm) for each patient. Finally, each measure was also compared to critical laboratory values to assess if patients were considered neutropenic (ANC Hgb and MCV were very stable. ANC was highly variable; however, it was never Discussion: Hydroxyurea is currently the only FDA approved medication for patients with SCD and is proven to decrease the overall frequency of vaso-occlusive crisis, decrease hospitalization rate, and improve overall quality of life. Despite these impressive results, the medication remains severely underutilized in part due to the stringent laboratory monitoring considered standard of care when treating patients with this medication. Current laboratory monitoring protocols were developed due to the potential risk of neutropenia, neutropenic infections, reticulocytopenia, or thrombocytopenia. These results in this limited study demonstrate that quarterly assessment would have been sufficient to obtain the necessary information without missing critical nadirs or complications. Decreasing the stringency of the requirements for laboratory monitoring for patients being treated with Hydroxyurea may lead to improved use. To confirm these results, outcomes including both laboratory and hospital utilization should be prospectively studied in a randomized fashion of patients undergoing monthly vs quarterly laboratory assessments. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Hydroxyurea is not currently FDA approved for use in pediatrics. It is presented for use in this abstract for treatment of sickle cell disease as per National guidelines.
Using Light-Sheet Microscopy to Understand Evoked Motor Sequence Generation

Motor sequences are critical elements of everyday behavior, but how they are produced by central neural circuits is poorly understood. The complexity and scale of the circuitry involved makes motor sequence generation very difficult to study at the cellular level in large, mammalian brains. However, the neural circuits of the fruitfly also drive complex motor sequences, and are small enough to investigate at a brain-wide scale via emerging methods in microscopy. A critical behavioral sequence for the fruitfly, called ecdysis, is required for molting at each developmental stage and consists of three serially executed, stereotyped behavioral programs at the pupal stage. The neural circuit controlling the pupal ecdysis sequence includes approximately 300 peptidergic neurons that express the Ecdysis Triggering Hormone receptor (ETHR) and are activated by peripheral release of Ecdysis Triggering Hormone (ETH). The activation of these neurons leads directly to the three phases of associated motor neuron activity that mediate the ecdysis sequence, and existing data indicate that specific subpopulations are required for each behavioral phase of ecdysis. However, the identities of the individual neurons that control each behavioral phase remain largely unknown, as do the mechanisms by which they regulate motor output. To achieve a detailed cellular-level understanding of the ecdysis circuit, we have built a light-sheet microscope that is capable of imaging the Drosophila pupal CNS rapidly at high resolution. We are currently using calcium biosensors to monitor the neural activity in ETHR-expressing neurons and motor neurons of excised brains in response to ETH. Single-cell activity imaging on the light-sheet microscope confirms that individual neurons respond to ETH with varying onset times and distinct activity profiles that suggest the generation of fictive ecdysis behavior. Analysis of these data, and data collected from other populations of neurons, are being used to generate a predictive model of the circuit underlying the ecdysis sequence with the general goal of understanding how nervous systems orchestrate complex motor sequences in response to input stimuli.
Global Citizenship Education at a Local Level: A Comparative Analysis of Four U.S. Urban Districts

This paper focuses on exploring how education for global citizenship and competence is being defined and practiced within the U.S. education policy landscape, with a specific focus on the local primary and secondary school level. Against a framework of the multiple conceptions and forms of global citizenship education, including “at home,” “abroad,” and “comprehensive” approaches, the paper explores some select ways in which global citizenship education is developing in select local initiatives. We specifically examine the definitions and practices of global citizenship education in four urban school districts: Boston, Chicago, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Findings show a focus on global citizenship and global competency in local initiatives, but also illustrate multiple approaches to global citizenship education, revealing diverse system ecologies within the national system.
Advances in Neuroimmunology

It is now widely accepted that an innate immune system exists within the brain and plays an important role in both physiological and pathological processes [1,2].[...].
The Ethics of Visual Research and Participant Empowerment

The ethics of research is integral to all studies involving people and communities. However, studies involving photographs, or other visual representations, present a unique set of ethical considerations. Those considerations present themselves through legal standards, institutional and professional guidelines, as well as personal morals. This chapter explores the different levels of ethical decision-making visual researchers face in designing and implementing photo-elicitation studies, as well as the dissemination of findings. The first portion of the chapter describes the ethical obligations and challenges associated with gaining research approval through institutional ethics committees. The second portion of the chapter addresses the more complicated realm of ethical decision-making that relies on researchers’ personal principles aimed at protecting what is in the best interest of participants.
Research on optimal operation method of pumping station based on machine learning

The traditional optimal operation method of pumping station had many shortcomings, such as strong dependence on the experience of engineers, high design and maintenance costs, and complicated operation. Based on the principle of machine learning, a set of optimal operation method of pumping station was established. According to this method, the pump characteristic curve data from SCADA were selected, and k-medoids algorithm was used to filter data noise. Then the BP neural network was used to train pump characteristic curve. Finally, the genetic algorithm was used to solve the minimum power consumption of unit water in pumping station. Experiments have proved that the method could automatically and effectively filter noise, and establish a higher precision model, and get the optimal solution. This method have realized the automatic operation of pumping station under weak manual intervention, and it had good versatility. After further research, it could be popularized and applied in engineering.
The politics of marital name change

Abstract Each year, millions of women face the decision whether or not to change their names after marriage. One study found that region, gender role traditionalism, career orientation, and educational attainment predicted name changes (Johnson and Scheuble, 1995). Another line of research discovered that women who changed their names were perceived as less ambitious and less competent, but more caring than women who did not change their name (Noordewier et al., 2010). Despite the prevalence and importance of this decision, we know very little about marital name change among political leaders. In this study, we take a preliminary look at marital name change in the political arena by focusing on name changing among women serving in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. We find that half of female legislators keep their name after marriage, and that Democrats, racial minorities, legislators who come from political families, legislators who were married later in life, and legislators who were first elected to office at a younger age are more likely to keep their names.
Navigating Social Networks, Resources, and Neighborhoods: Facilitators of Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Use among Women Released From Jail.

Our objective was to understand factors that support or undermine sexual and reproductive health care use among women released from jail. We conducted semistructured interviews with 28 women (ages ...
Self Consistency in Practice

In this chapter, the concepts introduced in Chapter 2 are applied to derive reference specifications for two Intel circuits: the out-of-order retirement pipeline from the Intel Pentium® Pro processor, and an IA-32 instruction-length decoder from a different processor. Both circuits are verified using reference specifications derived with self consistency. Both examples describe the functionality of the circuits and bugs that were found with the derived pecifications. Before presenting the examples, we will discuss using self consistency in practice and introduce our symbolic simulation platform.
The thyroid in infections and toxemias

Abstract We have observed that following infections and toxemias of a severe nature, the same changes take place in the human thyroid as occur in the thyroid gland of animals, but to a lesser extent. These changes are loss in colloid, hyperplasia, desquamation of acinous cells and decrease in iodine content. Administration of iodine by mouth is followed by an absorption of iodine by the thyroid glands of patients with exophthalmic goiter, adenomatous goiter (toxic or non-toxic) and normal glands. Injection of lipiodol into the lungs of 2 patients with lung abscesses and bronchiectasis produced a rise in the iodine content of the thyroid gland, to the extent of four or five times normal. This suggests that iodine can be absorbed from lipiodol, since the amount that escaped into the alimentary tract hardly seems sufficient to produce such a pronounced change in the iodine content of the thyroid. It seems probable that the tendency toward recurrence of exophthalmic goiter after operation can be predicted by the iodine content of the gland and its histological response to iodine. Hyperplasia of the type which can scarcely be differentiated from that seen in exophthalmic goiter is not uncommonly found in the thyroid glands of patients dying from acute infections.
From Political Islam to Militant Islam: The Pursuit of Justice

This chapter explores the centrality of the term “justice” in Islamist intellectual culture and the marginal presence of political “freedom” in its political debates. It looks at how the original sources of the Muslim Brotherhood’s teachings, Rasaail Hassan al-Banna (“Banna’s Letters,” or “Banna’s Collection of Essays”), shaped the evolution of militant Islam from the 1970s to the establishment of al-Qaeda in 1998. Within this discussion, the chapter examines how the first decade of the twenty-first century became the most prolific decade of militant Islamist writing. This burst of jihad treatises makes analytical sense since this specific decade saw the development of al-Qaeda and the rise of the Islamic State. Focusing on the Muslim Brotherhood as an organization and its connection to militant Islamist literature, the chapter examines how both moderate and militant Islamist groups articulate their opposition to the West’s liberal freedom agenda while projecting a strong allegiance to literal justice and the legitimacy of redressing grievances through jihad.
Safety and efficacy of high-dose methotrexate for osteosarcoma in adolescents compared with young adults

BACKGROUND Doxorubicin, cisplatin, and high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) are the backbone of pediatric osteosarcoma treatment. However, due to toxicity concerns and the lack of data regarding efficacy in adults, high-dose methotrexate is rarely used in the adult population. METHODS This single-center retrospective study examined 33 patients who received HDMTX (12 g/m2 , maximum 20 g) for the treatment of osteosarcoma at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) from 2011 to 2017. Time to serum methotrexate level ≤0.1 µmol/L was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included number of HDMTX doses received, methotrexate-related toxicities, and disease outcomes including histologic response at resection and metastasis-free survival. RESULTS Median age was 20 years [range 7-38]; 14 patients ≤18 years old and 19 patients >18 years old. Median time to clearance for patients ≤18 years was 79 hours (range 63-116) compared to 120 hours (range 77-315) for patients >18 years (P < 0.001). No correlation between age and histologic response at resection was observed (P = 0.50), but there was a significant positive correlation between the number of HDMTX doses received before resection and histologic response (r = 0.49, P = 0.006). There was no significant difference in metastasis-free survival between age groups, although a trend toward improved survival was noted for patients who received at least seven doses of HDMTX. CONCLUSION Age over 18 years correlates with delayed methotrexate clearance and fewer administered doses of methotrexate, without increased toxicity. The potential benefit of HDMTX in young adults with osteosarcoma may outweigh toxicity risks.
Subsurface Cylindrical Cavity Detection via TE and TM Mode Mismatch Analysis

A method to detect cylindrical cavities in the subsurface of a lossy-dielectric using low-frequency resonance mode scattering in the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes is presented. The technique offers a method to detect a cylindrical cavity in the sub-surface and find the cross sectional area of the cavity. Experimental data is shown to confirm the correlation between observed and theoretical data.
Application of electrical resistivity and gravimetry in deep geothermal exploration

Abstract The electrical resistivity method has been proven applicable to geothermal exploration because of the direct relationship between fluid and rock temperatures on the one hand electrical conductivity on the other. The problem of exploitation of a surface technique, such as resistivity, to the determination of geothermal gradients or ‘hot spots’ is complicated by the other geological parameters which affect resistivity: porosity, fluid salinity, cementation factor and clay content. However, by rational application of common geological techniques it is possible at times to isolate electrical resistivity changes due to temperature alone, and calculate the geothermal gradients. Nomograms are provided for calculation of some of the parameters which affect resistivity. Under some geologic conditions, gravimetry provides a useful clue as to the areas of abnormal heat flow, due to the metamorphism of sediments by circulating plumes of mineralized fluids. A case history of the application of the above methods to the geothermal exploration of the Imperial Valley graben of southern California is described showing how the above techniques were employed to detail the geothermal characteristics of portions of the valley.
Meta-heuristic approaches to solve shortest lattice vector problem

We present the aptness of population based meta-heuristic approaches to compute a shortest non-zero vector in a lattice for solving the Shortest lattice Vector Problem (SVP). This problem has a gre...
What Prior Experience Leads to a Successful CEO

We provide empirical evidence in the debate of the question whether CEOs should be chosen from outside or within the firm. The issue is equivalent to whether managerial skills for success are transferable from one firm to another, and if so, can these skills overcome the home court advantage of inside candidates acquired from years of firm-specific experience. We compare the performance of inside versus outside hired CEOs under two empirical approaches. In the 'level playing field', inside and outside hires are compared only under the same hiring conditions including firm endowment. In the second approach, 'hired against type,' we compare the performance of a) firms that hire insiders when outsiders would appear to be the better choice to b) that of firms that hired the 'right type' of outsiders. These comparisons are made in the following situations: 1) the hiring firms had been severely underperforming, 2) the hiring firms are expected to conduct major restructuring, 3) outside hires are specialists, such as turnaround experts, firms that are perceived not to have quality successors ( 4) firms experiencing a recent exodus of top managers, and 5) firms with no clear succession plan as evidenced by CEOs who had stayed well beyond their normal retirement age), and outsiders that are perceived to be superior ( 6) outside CEOs who are raided from other firms, 7) come from good performing firms, and 8) from larger firms). In all of these eight situations outside hires are one-to-one matched to inside hires at firms with the same prior performance and size. Because we use matching, extensive robustness tests are done. Our large sample results, based on average and top wealth creation, and superior performance persistence, indicate consistent support for insiders and their home court advantage.
Evolution of hyperossification expands skull diversity in frogs

Frogs (Anura) are one of the most diverse vertebrate orders, comprising more than 7,000 species with a worldwide distribution and extensive ecological diversity. In contrast to other tetrapods, frogs have a highly derived body plan and simplified skull. In many lineages of anurans, increased mineralization has led to hyperossified skulls, but the function of this trait and its relationship with other aspects of head morphology are largely unexplored. Using three-dimensional morphological data from 158 species representing all frog families, we assessed wide-scale patterns of shape variation across all major lineages, reconstructed the evolutionary history of cranial hyperossification across the anuran phylogeny, and tested for relationships between ecology, skull shape, and hyperossification. Although many frogs share a conserved skull shape, several extreme forms have repeatedly evolved that commonly are associated with hyperossification, which has evolved independently more than 25 times. Variation in cranial shape is not explained by phylogenetic relatedness but is correlated with shifts in body size and ecology. The species with highly divergent, hyperossified skulls often have a specialized diet or a unique predator defense mechanism. Thus, the evolution of hyperossification has repeatedly facilitated the expansion of the head into multiple new shapes and functions.
Randomness-Efficient Sampling within NC1

We construct a randomness-efficient averaging sampler that is computable by uniform constant-depth circuits with parity gates (i.e., in uniform AC 0[]). Our sampler matches the parameters achieved by random walks on constant-degree expander graphs, allowing us to apply a variety expander-based techniques within NC 1. For example, we obtain the following results: Randomness-efficient error-reduction for uniform probabilistic NC 1, TC 0, AC 0[] and AC 0: Any function computable by uniform probabilistic circuits with error 1/3 using r random bits is computable by circuits of the same type with error δ using r + O(log(1/δ)) random bits. An optimal bitwise biased generator in AC 0[]: There exists a 1/2Ω(n)-biased generator G : {0, 1} O(n) -> {0, 1}2n for which poly(n)-size uniform AC 0[] circuits can compute G(s) i given (s, i) {0, 1} O(n) x? {0, 1} n . This resolves question raised by Gutfreund and Viola (Random 2004). uniform BP . AC 0 uniform AC 0/O(n). Our sampler is based on the zig-zag graph product of Reingold, Vadhan & Wigderson (Annals of Math 2002) and as part of our analysis we givean elementary proof of a generalization of Gillman's Chernoff Bound for Expander Walks (SIAM Journal on Computing 1998).
Management of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the COVID-19 Era: The Role of Thrombosis and Anticoagulation Strategy

Cardiac manifestations of COVID-19 include myocarditis, demand ischemia, myocardial infarction and arrhythmias with prothrombotic state being a major underlying pathogenetic mechanism. In this report we present a case of a 57-year-old, otherwise healthy, woman who presented with chest pain and nausea and was found to have an inferior wall ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the setting of an active COVID-19 infection. Angiography revealed tortuous coronary arteries with a 100% right coronary artery occlusion with high thrombus burden and normal left coronary system. In light of the available literature regarding the pro-thrombotic effects of this novel corona virus, we continued full dose anticoagulation with Enoxaparin after the cardiac catheterization and transitioned to rivaroxaban and we also continued the patient on dual antiplatelet therapy prior to discharge.
Deliberative framing: opening up discussions for local-level public engagement on climate change

Impacts from climate change will significantly affect local governance, and efforts to develop adaptation and mitigation policies will require widespread public support. However, public engagement, and discussions of climate change, remains limited. A new approach to public engagement titled, deliberative framing, can help bridge political divides and provide opportunities to discover innovative policy options. This paper reviews deliberative democracy and framing where they have been applied to examine public engagement on climate change. Integrating insights from these fields can help develop a practice of deliberative framing for managing climate change mitigation and adaptation actions at local scales, to complement national and international efforts. This could assist with community-based agenda setting toward greater justice and the public good. Challenges include building capacity for reflexivity, communication, and public engagement among government actors, recognizing there are different ways to frame climate change and designing deliberative forums that are more inclusive of disparate groups and often underrepresented minorities.
Migraine treatment and the risk of postoperative, pain-related hospital readmissions in migraine patients:

BackgroundMigraine treatment may mitigate migraine and associated pain in the perioperative period.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to estimate the effect of perioperative acute and prophylactic m...
Evaluation of the Role and Impact of Ambulatory Clinical Pharmacists in an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Center

Introduction In recent years, there has been significant growth of ambulatory oncology pharmacy, yet there is a paucity of published studies on the clinical activities and impact of ambulatory oncology clinical pharmacists. At Duke Cancer Center, dedicated pharmacist services are embedded in specialized outpatient oncology areas. Pharmacists document their clinical and administrative activities in the electronic health record. The primary objective of this study is to quantify and assess ambulatory oncology pharmacist interventions in clinics in a large academic comprehensive cancer center. Methods For the purposes of this single-center, retrospective, descriptive study, pharmacist interventions were collected, quantified, and described over a 6-month period from July 1 to December 31, 2015. The study evaluated the perceived contribution and impact of a pharmacist on patient care in ambulatory oncology clinics via a survey that was distributed to providers and nurses. Results In the 6-month time period, there were 5,091 interventions spanning 3,967 patient encounters between nine ambulatory oncology clinic pharmacists. The average time per encounter in the 6-month time frame was 22.4 minutes. There were 92 respondents to the survey (61.7% response rate). Overall, responses showed that the clinical pharmacists add value to patient care and are integral members of the team. Conclusions Although previous studies have described pharmacist activities in outpatient oncology clinics, this study showed a larger number and variety of clinical pharmacist activities in outpatient cancer clinics to improve patient care. Future directions include conducting prospective, controlled studies to link pharmacist activities to tangible outcomes.
Estimation of sex based on postcranial elements in European American and Latin American populations.

Abstract This study assesses the use of postcranial elements for sex estimation taking population variability into account. European American and Latin American populations are independently analyzed. Nine measurements from postcranial elements were collected from 72 European American individuals, and 59 Latin American individuals. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 15. Statistical analyses were conducted to corroborate that there were no intra- or interobserver errors. In both populations, significant differences were found on all measured traits between males and females, except Scapular Breadth in Latin Americans. According to Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) in the European American population the Ulna Minimum Breadth of the Olecranon (UMBO) correctly classified 91.3% of individuals. When this parameter was combined with the Diameter of Humeral Head (HHD), the two correctly classified 98% of individuals. In Latin Americans, the UMBO correctly classified 82.4% of the individuals. When combined with HHD, the measurements correctly classified 79.4% individuals. UMBO is the most useful trait to correctly assign the sex of the remains in both populations. Including the HHD improved accuracy rates in the European American sample. These results are in agreement with previous studies, which named the humerus as one of the potentially useful bones to consider for sex estimation based on its accuracy. Thus, these two anatomical regions could be used alone or in combination with other methodologies for sex estimation, which is particularly important in situations of fragmentary remains and incomplete skeletons.
Efficacy of Magnetic Sphincter Augmentation Across the Spectrum of GERD Disease Severity.

Background The performance and durability of various types of fundoplication are variable when stratified by disease severity. To date, magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) has not been evaluated in this context. We designed this study to determine the efficacy of MSA in the treatment of severe GERD. Study design Guided by previous studies, a DeMeester score (DMS) ≥ 50 was used as a cutoff point to define severe reflux disease. Subjects were divided into 2 groups using this cutoff, and outcomes of severe cases were compared with those with less severe disease (DMS Results A total of 334 patients underwent MSA. Patients with severe disease had a higher mean preoperative DMS compared with those with mild to moderate GERD (79.2 [53.2] vs 22.8 [13.7], p Conclusions MSA is an effective treatment in patients with severe GERD and leads to significant clinical improvement across the spectrum of disease severity, with few objective outcomes being superior in patients with mild-to-moderate reflux disease.
Extracellular vesicle mediated feto-maternal HMGB1 signaling induces preterm birth

Preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks of gestation) impacts ∼11% of all pregnancies and contributes to 1 million neonatal deaths worldwide annually. An understanding of the feto-maternal (F-M) signals that initiate birthing (parturition) at term is critical to design strategies to prevent their premature activation, resulting in PTB. Although endocrine and immune cell signaling are well-reported, fetal-derived paracrine signals capable of transitioning quiescent uterus to an active state of labor are poorly studied. Recent reports have suggested that senescence of the fetal amnion membrane coinciding with fetal growth and maturation generates inflammatory signals capable of triggering parturition. This is by increasing the inflammatory load at the feto-maternal interface (FMi) tissues (i.e., amniochorion-decidua). High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), an alarmin, is one of the inflammatory signals released by senescent amnion cells via extracellular vesicles (exosomes; 40-160 nm). Increased levels of HMGB1 in the amniotic fluid, cord and maternal blood are associated with term and PTB. This study tested the hypothesis that senescent amnion cells release HMGB1, which is fetal signaling capable of increasing FMi inflammation, predisposing them to parturition. To test this hypothesis, exosomes from amnion epithelial cells (AECs) grown under normal conditions were engineered to contain HMGB1 by electroporation (eHMGB1). eHMGB1 was characterized (quantity, size, shape, markers and loading efficiency), and its propagation through FMi was tested using a four-chamber microfluidic organ-on-a-chip device (FMi-OOC) that contained four distinct cell types (amnion and chorion mesenchymal, chorion trophoblast and decidual cells) connected through microchannels. eHMGB1 propagated through the fetal cells and matrix to the maternal decidua and increased inflammation (receptor expression [RAGE and TLR4] and cytokines). Furthermore, intra-amniotic injection of eHMGB1 (containing 10 ng) into pregnant CD-1 mice on embryonic day 17 led to PTB. Injecting carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE)-labeled eHMGB1, we determined in vivo kinetics and report that eHMGB1 trafficking resulting in PTB was associated with increased FMi inflammation. This study determined that fetal exosome mediated paracrine signaling can generate inflammation and induce parturition. Besides, in vivo functional validation of FMi-OOC experiments strengthens the reliability of such devices to test physiologic and pathologic systems.
A Propeller Perforator Flap in the Distal Lower Extremity: An Alternative to Free Flap Coverage Near the Ankle.

As perfusion assessment technologies and microsurgical techniques have evolved, plastic surgeons have become increasingly aggressive and creative in offering reconstructive solutions to limb salvage problems. In the distal lower extremity, pedicled perforator flap transfer has grown in popularity as compared to the historically reliable option of free tissue transfer. Pedicled perforator flaps typically avoid muscle harvest and restore the thin, supple soft tissue in the distal extremity, where there is a relative lack of redundancy of soft tissues. They also allow for a shorter operative time and recovery in otherwise complex wounds of the foot and ankle. This case report highlights the indications, nuance, and post-operative course of a patient who underwent peroneal perforator flap for coverage of a complex ankle wound in the setting of a calcaneal fracture.
Why We Eat Too Much, Have an Easier Time Gaining Than Losing Weight, and Expend Too Little Energy: Suggestions for Counteracting or Mitigating These Problems

The intent of this review is to survey physiological, psychological, and societal obstacles to the control of eating and body weight maintenance and offer some evidence-based solutions. Physiological obstacles are genetic and therefore not amenable to direct abatement. They include an absence of feedback control against gaining weight; a non-homeostatic relationship between motivations to be physically active and weight gain; dependence of hunger and satiation on the volume of food ingested by mouth and processed by the gastrointestinal tract and not on circulating metabolites and putative hunger or satiation hormones. Further, stomach size increases from overeating and binging, and there is difficulty in maintaining weight reductions due to a decline in resting metabolism, increased hunger, and enhanced efficiency of energy storage. Finally, we bear the evolutionary burden of extraordinary human capacity to store body fat. Of the psychological barriers, human craving for palatable food, tendency to overeat in company of others, and gullibility to overeat when offered large portions, can be overcome consciously. The tendency to eat an unnecessary number of meals during the wakeful period can be mitigated by time-restricted feeding to a 6-10 hour period. Social barriers of replacing individual physical work by labor-saving appliances, designing built environments more suitable for car than active transportation; government food macronutrient advice that increases insulin resistance; overabundance of inexpensive food; and profit-driven efforts by the food industry to market energy-dense and nutritionally compromised food are best overcome by informed individual macronutrient choices and appropriate timing of exercise with respect to meals, both of which can decrease insulin resistance. The best defense against overeating, weight gain, and inactivity is the understanding of factors eliciting them and of strategies that can avoid and mitigate them.
Particle capture on fibers in strong electric fields: II. An experimental test of a theory for the capture of uncharged particles on charged fibers

The electric charge on a cylindrical fiber induced either by a potential applied directly to the fiber or by a uniform external field is calculated using simple mathematical models and, on the basis of the models, the rate of deposition of uncharged aerosol particles determined. To confirm the theory, monodisperse polystyrene particles were collected on single metal wires or polymer fibers and capture efficiencies measured. The agreement between experimental results and the theoretical calculations is good. Finally, the theory was used to correlate experimental data from the literature on fiber arrays.
WE ARE FAMILY:: Outreach to African-American Seniors

The San Fransisco Consortium for Elder Abuse Prevention initiated a project to explore the scope and nature of elder abuse in the African-American community. Under the banner of "WE ARE FAMILY," an alliance of African-American service providers, seniors, and churches has redefined elder abuse in the African-American community and has developed strategies for disseminating information and improving access to services. The group has produced culturally specific outreach materials and planned events designed to raise consciousness about seniors' needs and provide opportunities for African-American seniors to learn about services and benefits. The project also encourages churches to develop special programs and services for seniors.
Student Transition - Critical Thinking and the Use of a Review Sheet

The Intermediate Accounting sequence is one that creates obstacles for both the instructor and the students. In order to assist in the student transition, a tool is used that assists them in identifying the significant topics they must have a mastery of from their Accounting Principles course(s) as well as to identify the terms and topics that will be stressed throughout the term. This tool is referred to as the 'Review Sheet'. The accompanying report summarizes the development of this tool over a period of time, and its expansion into other upper level accounting courses. Students were also informally surveyed for their input into the usefulness of the Review Sheet. In addition, a sample of the review sheet is provided for the reader's evaluation and use.
Quasi-optical phase modulators

Three X-band quasi-optical transmission type phase modulators are presented: a varactor loaded grid with 25/spl deg/ continuous phase shift; a p-i-n diode loaded grid with digital phase shifts of 0/spl deg/ and 90/spl deg/; and a transistor antenna array with 0/spl deg/ and 180/spl deg/ phase states. All of the modulators operate in transmission mode and are suitable for cascading with other quasi-optical components. Relative amplitude and phase change of the transmission coefficient as a function of frequency is presented for the two digital modulators. Antenna patterns for the BPSK active antenna array modulator are also presented.
X-ray spectra of clusters of galaxies

X-ray line observations of clusters of galaxies have shown that the X-ray emission in clusters is mainly thermal emission from hot diffuse gas, and that much of this gas has come out of stars, probably having been ejected from galaxies in the cluster. Future high resolution observations should allow us to determine the physical state of the gas. X-ray line measurements and abundance determinations can lead to strong constraints on the origin of the intracluster gas, and on the chemical evolution and history of galaxies. Some of the stronger resonant X-ray lines may be observable as absorption lines against a background quasar. Such X-ray absorption line measurement can be used to directly derive distances to clusters, using a technique similar to (and possibly complementary to) that the well-known method using the Zel’dovich-Syunyaev effect.
A simulation study of fast neutron interrogation for standoff detection of improvised explosive devices

Abstract The signature-based radiation-scanning technique utilizes radiation detector responses, called “signatures,” and compares these to “templates” in order to differentiate targets that contain certain materials, such as explosives or drugs, from those that do not. Our investigations are aimed at the detection of nitrogen-rich explosives contained in improvised explosive devices. We use the term “clutter” to refer to any non-explosive materials with which the interrogating radiation may interact between source and detector. To deal with the many target types and clutter configurations that may be encountered in the field, the use of “artificial templates” is proposed. The MCNP code was used to simulate 14.1 MeV neutron source beams incident on one type of target containing various clutter and sample materials. Signatures due to inelastic-scatter and prompt-capture gamma rays from hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen and two scattered neutron signatures were considered. Targets containing explosive materials in the presence of clutter were able to be identified from targets that contained only non-explosive (“inert”) materials. This study demonstrates that a finite number of artificial templates is sufficient for IED detection with fairly good sensitivity and specificity.
Awareness and error detection: New theories and research paradigms

Abstract This paper examines the relation between errors and awareness in two recent theories of error detection in speech: Perceptual Loop theory and Node Structure theory. New data and predictions are discussed, together with some nonobvious limitations of these theories. New paradigms for studying speech error detection are also discussed, together with implications for current theories of the large body of work on error detection in related skills such as reading, typing, and handwriting.
Chronic toxicity of dichloroacetate: Possible relation to thiamine deficiency in rats

The chronic use of dichloroacetate (DCA) for diabetes mellitus or hyperlipoproteinemias has been compromised by neurologic and other forms of toxicity. DCA is metabolized to glyoxylate, which is converted to oxalate and, in the presence of adequate thiamine levels, to other metabolites. DCA stimulates the thiamine-dependent enzymes pyruvate dehydrogenase and alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase. We postulated that the neurotoxicity from chronic DCA administration could result from depletion of body thiamine stores and abnormal metabolism of oxalate, a known neurotoxin. For 7 weeks, rats were fed ad lib. Purina chow and water or chow plus sodium DCA (50 mg/kg or 1.1 g/kg) in water. A portion of the DCA-treated animals also received intraperitoneal injections of 600 micrograms thiamine three times weekly or 600 micrograms thiamine daily by mouth. Thiamine status was assessed by determining red cell transketolase activity and, in a blinded manner, by recording the development of clinical signs known to be associated with thiamine deficiency. At the 50 mg/kg dose, chronic administration of DCA showed no clinical toxicity or effect on transketolase activity. At the 1.1 g/kg dose, however, DCA markedly increased the frequency and severity of toxicity and decreased transketolase activity 25%, compared to controls. Coadministration of thiamine substantially reduced evidence of thiamine deficiency and normalized transketolase activity. Inhibition of transketolase by DCA in vivo was not due to a direct action on the enzyme, however, since DCA, glyoxylate, or oxalate had no appreciable effects on transketolase activity in vitro. After 7 weeks, plasma DCA concentrations were similar in rats receiving DCA alone or DCA plus thiamine, while urinary oxalate was 86% above control in DCA-treated rats but only 28% above control in DCA plus thiamine-treated animals. No light microscopic changes were seen in peripheral nerve, lens, testis, or kidney morphology in either DCA-treated group, nor was there disruption of normal sperm production in the DCA-treated group. We conclude that stimulation by DCA of thiamine-requiring enzymes may lead to depletion of total body thiamine stores and to both a fall in transketolase activity and an increase in oxalate accumulation in vivo. DCA neurotoxicity may thus be due, at least in part, to thiamine deficiency and may be preventable with thiamine treatment.
Identification of a Xenopus cDNA that prevents mitotic catastrophe in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Abstract A Xenopus total ovary cDNA library was constructed in a fission yeast expression vector. Using a genetic functional complementation method, we have identified a Xenopus cDNA clone that can rescue several different yeast mitotic catastrophe mutants defective in Weel kinase function at the restrictive temperature. The 3.0-kb cDNA clone contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 2226 nucleotides, encoding a predicted 82-kDa protein. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence shows seven almost identical 30-aa tandem repeats, each of which contains a phosphorylation site meeting the consensus for both Cdc2 kinase and MAP kinase.
Inflammatory processes and antiinflammatory drugs in Alzheimer's disease: a current appraisal.

The study of risk factors and protective influences can yield clues to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Intervention on such factors can effect disease prevention or treatment while etiology remains unknown. Most known AD risk factors offer no prospect of prevention, but 14 of 15 relevant publications since 1987 suggest that the symptoms of AD are prevented or attenuated by antiinflammatory treatments. These findings are supported by numerous circumstantial findings suggesting a role for cytokines and acute phase reactants in the pathogenesis of AD. In particular, activated microglia and/or reactive astrocytes, found within or near all AD lesions, are thought to kill target cells by using either free radicals or the classical complement pathway. These mechanisms should be suppressed by glucocorticoids, but the available data suggest that nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) exert a stronger protective influence than steroids. NSAIDs (but not steroids) suppress the action of cyclooxygenases (COX), which catalyze synthesis of prostaglandins. The latter are intermediaries in the postsynaptic signal transduction cascade of cells with NMDA-type glutamate receptors. They may also potentiate glutamatergic transmission by inhibiting astrocytic reuptake of glutamate. Both mechanisms can potentiate excitotoxic cell death. Further work is needed to clarify whether steroids, NSAIDs, or both prevent or attenuate the symptoms of AD.