cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patients' Use and Evaluation of an Online System to Annotate Radiology Reports with Lay Language Definitions

Rationale and Objectives The increasing availability of personal health portals has made it easier for patients to obtain their imaging results online. However, the radiology report typically is designed to communicate findings and recommendations to the referring clinician, and may contain many terms unfamiliar to lay readers. We sought to evaluate a web-based interface that presented reports of knee MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) examinations with annotations that included patient-oriented definitions, anatomic illustrations, and hyperlinks to additional information. Materials and Methods During a 7-month observational trial, a statement added to all knee MRI reports invited patients to view their annotated report online. We tracked the number of patients who opened their reports, the terms they hovered over to view definitions, and the time hovering over each term. Patients who accessed their annotated reports were invited to complete a survey. Results Of 1138 knee MRI examinations during the trial period, 185 patients (16.3%) opened their report in the viewing portal. Of those, 141 (76%) hovered over at least one term to view its definition, and 121 patients (65%) viewed a mean of 27.5 terms per examination and spent an average of 3.5 minutes viewing those terms. Of the 22 patients who completed the survey, 77% agreed that the definitions helped them understand the report and 91% stated that the illustrations were helpful. Conclusions A system that provided definitions and illustrations of the medical and technical terms in radiology reports has potential to improve patients' understanding of their reports and their diagnoses.
The Importance of Intergenerational Communication in Advance Care Planning: Generational Relationships among Perceptions and Beliefs

This study explores triadic intergenerational perceptions of family members' beliefs and behaviors that often impact an individual's willingness to engage in advance care planning. Using data from 189 triads of young adults, their parents, and their grandparents, we examined generational relationships among individuals' openness about death, death anxiety, knowledge of surrogate decision-making, and advance care planning self-efficacy. Results of this study found significant relationships between grandparents and parents, as well as between parents and children for all variables except self-efficacy. Additionally, results of this study found indirect relationships between grandparents and their grandchildren for three variables. These findings underscore the need to treat advance care planning as a family communication issue. Implications for how advance care planning should be approached in conversations with healthcare providers and within the family are discussed.
ETHANOL INDUCED CHANGES IN THE PROPERTIES OF BRAIN RIBOSOMES

Inhibition of brain protein synthesis in vivo and in vitro with alterations in ribosomal function was observed in chronic ethanol ingesting rodents. In the present study brain ribosomes from control and ethanol ingesting rats were successfully dissociated into 60S and 40S subunits by NH4CI, GTP, puromycin and high salt treatment at 10°C. The A260 Profile analysis of both subunits showed no significant differences between the two groups. Fractionation of [3H] labeled ribosomes on sucrose gradient showed correspondence of radioactive RNA profile with the absorbance profile following resolution into 60S and 40S subunits. Furthermore, active re-association of subunits occurred at 37°C as demonstrated by the poly (U)-dependent incorporation of [14C] phenylalanine. A substantial inhibition in the synthesis of [14C] polyphenylalanine occurred when subunits from the ethanol group were used and no incorporation occurred in the absence of one or the other subunit in either group. Data show that brain ribosomes are very resistant to dissociation into subunits and chronic ethanol ingestion produces functional alteration in the properties of one or both 40S and 60S subunits resulting in the reduction of ribosomal biological activity.
Identification of Sex in Mammalian Embryos

One of the uncertainties in reproduction of farm animals, regardless of whether one considers natural reproduction or reproduction assisted by artificial insemination or embryo transfer, is sex of the resulting off spring. This uncertainty can be of significant consequence when the economic value of one sex is considerably greater than that of the other. Little progress has been made despite long-term interest in controlling the sex ratio, or at least in exerting a measure of control. Recorded in folklore, the popular press, and to some extent in the scientific literature are time-honored but unsubstantiated procedures for affecting the sex ratio in animals and humans (see Ref. 2 and 17 for historical reviews). Perhaps the ideal method of controlling the sex ratio is by separation of X-bearing and Y-bearing spermatozoa. Although some progress has been reported in conjunction with human artificial insemination, these procedures have not been successfully extended to agriculturally important animals. Despite the existence of procedures that are commercially available for sexing of semen, researchers have generally concluded from results of controlled studies that no such procedures can be used to consistently control the sex ratio (1).
Letter by Madsen and Chaturvedi Regarding Article, "Migraine and Cerebrovascular Atherosclerosis in Patients With Ischemic Stroke"

Given the known association between migraines and risk of ischemic stroke (IS)1–3 along with a lack of understanding of the mechanism by which migraine leads to increased IS risk, we read with great interest the recent article by van Os et al,4 investigating the association between migraine and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis. Using data from over 600 patients with IS (53 with migraine) from the Dutch Acute Stroke Study, authors compared cerebrovascular atherosclerotic burden measured with computed tomographic angiography between patients with and without a history of migraine. The primary findings of the study do not indicate an association between migraine and excess large-vessel atherosclerosis. This article is an important addition to the current body of …
Addressing the Workplace Effects of Intimate Partner Violence

This chapter begins by discussing the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and how it impacts workplaces. It identifies best practices for employers in addressing IPV. The chapter explains laws that impose specific requirements on employers and provides additional resources. Many discussions of the workplace effects of IPV begin with a horrifying story of an individual whose partner comes to her workplace, brandishing a weapon, and murders her. It is important to recognize that violent attacks at work by an intimate partner of an employee are relatively uncommon. By providing support such as reasonable time off and referrals to domestic violence services in the community, and taking basic security precautions, employers can play an important role in helping address IPV and dramatically decreasing the likelihood of workplace violence. While most physical violence against intimate partners occurs in the home, IPV may affect the workplace in several ways.
Atmospheric Processing and Iron Mobilization of Ilmenite: Iron-Containing Ternary Oxide in Mineral Dust Aerosol

Over the last several decades, iron has been identified as a limiting nutrient in about half of the world’s oceans. Its most significant source is identified as deposited iron-containing mineral dust that has been processed during atmospheric transportation. The current work focuses on chemical and photochemical processing of iron-containing mineral dust particles in the presence of nitric acid, and an organic pollutant dimethyl sulfide under atmospherically relevant conditions. More importantly, ilmenite (FeTiO3) is evaluated as a proxy for the iron-containing mineral dust. The presence of titanium in its lattice structure provides higher complexity to mimic mineral dust, yet it is simple enough to study reaction pathways and mechanisms. Here, spectroscopic methods are combined with dissolution measurements to investigate atmospheric processing of iron in mineral dust, with specific focus on particle mineralogy, particle size, and their environmental conditions (i.e., pH and solar flux). Our results indi...
Fast Fractionation of Technical Lignins by Organic Cosolvents

A simple and fast fractionation method was developed to obtain carbohydrate-free lignin with well-defined characteristics, such as narrowly distributed molecular weights and a tunable chemical structure for specific applications. In this study, an industrial softwood kraft lignin and a hardwood CELF lignin (coproduct lignin obtained from cosolvent enhanced lignocellulosic fractionation pretreatment) were dissolved in acetone–methanol and tetrahydrofuran–methanol cosolvents, respectively. Hexane was applied as the antisolvent for sequential precipitation of both lignin preparations. A thorough characterization including various NMR techniques (31P, quantitative 13C, and 2D-HSQC), GPC, DSC and TGA was conducted to correlate the molecular weight of obtained lignin fractions with their structural features including distributions of aliphatic and phenolic hydroxyl groups and relative abundance of interunit linkages. It was found that approximately 10% of the softwood kraft lignin was lignin carbohydrate comple...
Skin-Friction and Surface-Pressure Structures in Near-Wall Flows

Skin-friction τ and surface-pressure p in a viscous flow constitute a pair of the intrinsically coupled physical quantities denoted by the notation (τ, p), which determines the near-wall flow struc...
FURTHER STUDIES ON THE ANALGESIC ACTIVITY OF D-PHENYLALANINE (DPA) IN MICE AND HUMANS

Summary We have reported that DPA, an inhibitor of carboxypeptidase A, produces naloxone-reversible analgesia in mice. DPA also proved to be analgesic in a limited number of human subjects. The following are newer findings with this compound: DPA is more potent as an analgesic in young (3-4 week) mice than in older (8 week) mice (hot plate method). Multiple doses of DPA did not produce a greater degree of analgesia than a single dose. 350mg/kg DPA appears to be the dose giving the highest degree of analgesia. DPA is highly effective in the phenylquinone writhing test and shows excellent anti-inflammatory activity by the rat carageenan paw test. 43 patients with chronic pain of various etiologies were given DPA orally. By the 4th week significant pain relief was achieved in over 75% of the patients. Side effects were either absent or minimal. These results provide further support for the efficacy of DPA as an analgesic
Characterizing pelvic floor muscles activities using magnetomyography.

Aims To characterize levator ani muscle (LAM) activity in nulligravidas using magnetomyography (MMG) and define MMG characteristics associated with LAM activity with and without accessory muscle contributions. Methods MMG data were collected from eight nulligravidas during rest and voluntary LAM contractions (Kegels) of varying intensity. We utilized simultaneous vaginal manometry and surface electromyography (sEMG) to evaluate for accessory muscle recruitment. Moderate Kegel (MK) MMG trials were sub-selected based on the presence or absence of accessory muscle interaction. Amplitude and spectral-related indicators were calculated across MK epochs: root-mean square (RMS) amplitude, percentage amplitude relative to rest, and relative power spectrum density (rPSD) in three frequency bands (low, middle, high). Ternary diagram characterized rPSD from selected Kegels and ROC analysis was performed to identify cut-points to differentiate MKs from interacting MKs. Results Nineteen MMG recordings were obtained. Amplitude and spectral parameters were significantly different between isolated and interacting MK epochs. Mean RMS and power values of the isolated MK were, respectively, 120.66 ± 43.8 fT and 1.72 ± 1.44 (T2 /Hz)*10-28 . Amplitudes of MK were 64% and 117 higher than baseline activities for the isolated and interacting epochs, respectively. ROC curves reveled cut-off points on low and middle frequency bands that achieved perfect separation (ROC-AUC = 1.0) between isolated and interacting MK. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that MMG, a novel biomagnetic technique, allows precise detection and characterization of normal female pelvic floor function. Results show that isolated moderate voluntary contraction of the LAMs produces distinct MMG amplitude and spectral characteristics compared with Kegels involving co-activation of other muscle groups.
High-Performance Single-Stage Isolated 48V-to-1.8V Point-of-Load Converter Utilizing Impedance Control Network and Distributed Transformer

This paper introduces a high-efficiency high-power-density single-stage isolated 48V-to-1.8V point-of-load (PoL) converter. This converter achieves large step-down with high efficiency using a distributed transformer and a resonant immittance network. The high efficiency is maintained across variations in input voltage and output power using an impedance control network (ICN) based high-frequency inverter structure, which enables zero-voltage and near-zero-current switching across wide operating ranges. High power density is achieved by utilizing rectifier phase-shift control that eliminates the need for bulky electrolytic capacitors, and by implementing the converter's inductors and transformer as planar integrated magnetic structures. The design of the magnetic structures is optimized using 3D finite-element analysis. A prototype 90-W 1-MHz PoL converter utilizing PCB-integrated planar magnetics, designed to operate over an input voltage range of 36 V to 60 V and an output voltage of 1.8 V is built and tested. The prototyped converter achieves a peak efficiency of 92.6%, maintains full-power efficiencies above 88.9% across its nearly 2:1 input voltage range, and achieves a power density of 314 W/in3.
Normal state electronic structure and the superconducting energy gap in HTSC's as determined from photoemission spectroscopy

Photoemission spectroscopy is utilized to determine the electronic structure of high-Tc materials. The observation of dispersive bands at EF suggests a Fermi surface similar to that obtained from a band calculation. These results, together with a BCS-like energy gap, are not inconsistent with the notion of a Fermi liquid consisting of hybridized p-d bands.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease does not predict worse perioperative outcomes in bariatric surgery.

Abstract Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs in 84–95% of obese individuals. Bariatric surgery (BS) is an effective treatment of obesity, with a potential sustained weight loss of 21–45%. The safety and efficacy of BS among NAFLD patients is not well established. The aim of this study was to determine outcomes for patients with NAFLD undergoing BS compared to patients without. Methods All adults undergoing BS were identified from the National Inpatient Sample 2012–2015 and stratified based on the presence of NAFLD using ICD-9/CPT codes. Primary outcomes included inpatient mortality, length of stay (LOS), and total hospital charges (THC). Secondary outcomes included infection, bleeding, improper wound healing and surgical revision. Results 302,306 patients underwent BS, of which 15,607 had NAFLD and 286,699 did not (non-NAFLD). NAFLD patients had 35% lower inpatient mortality and shorter LOS, but slightly greater THC. NAFLD patients had smaller risk of improper wound healing and post-operative infection. There was no difference in bleeding, or incidence of surgical revision between groups. Conclusion NAFLD patients had lower mortality and complication rates following BS. A significant postsurgical weight loss should attenuate liver inflammation and fibrosis, and therefore has the potential to stop or even reverse progression of liver disease.
The effect of nozzle internal flow on spray atomization

The effect of nozzle surface features on the overall atomization behavior of a liquid jet is analyzed in the present computational work by adopting three representative geometries, namely a single ...
How Radical Is Embodied Creativity? Implications of 4E Approaches for Creativity Research and Teaching

Modern ideas of embodiment have been influential in cognitive science for the past several decades, yet there is minimal evidence of embodied cognition approaches in creativity research or pedagogical practices for teaching creativity skills. With creativity research in crisis due to conceptual, methodological, and theoretical issues, radical embodied cognitive science (RECS) may offer a framework to move the field forward. This conceptual analysis examines the current state of creativity research from the 4E (embodied, embedded, enactive, and extended) cognition and RECS perspectives. Two streams are critiqued for their potential to further knowledge about the development of creative expertise and inform educational practices. Promising directions for future research is discussed, including ways dynamical systems approaches, such as those used in improvisational and musical creativity, might yield new insights about how people develop creative expertise and help address the "higher order thinking" criticisms of RECS.
Forest Ecology Beyond the Growing Season: Surveys of Fallen Leaves & Learning about Ecological Interactions

Forests are excellent “outdoor classrooms” for active learning in ecology and evolution; however, in many areas trees have no leaves or visible animal activity for much of the year. Fallen leaves may preserve evidence of interactions such as herbivory and infectious diseases, although these can be difficult to differentiate from mechanical damage and decomposition in older fallen leaves. I developed an exercise in which students collect fallen leaves and observe several different types of damage to the leaves. I provide images and descriptions of different types of damage and practices to differentiate them. In addition, I provide a list of questions that can be answered by collecting fallen leaves and observations of damage. My students gained valuable quantitative literacy skills by entering data into an online worksheet and performing various calculations and data analysis techniques. This exercise provides many benefits and can be an engaging addition to a high school's or college's outdoor curriculum outside of the growing season.
Determining the true burden of kidney stone disease

The incidence and prevalence of kidney stones have increased over the past four decades. However, the diagnosis of 'kidney stone' can range from an incidental asymptomatic finding of limited clinical significance to multiple painful episodes of ureteral obstruction with eventual kidney failure. Some general strategies may be useful to prevent the recurrence of kidney stones. In particular, greater attention to kidney stone classification, approaches to assessing the risk of recurrence and individualized prevention strategies may improve the clinical care of stone formers. Although there have been some advances in approaches to predicting the recurrence of kidney stones, notable challenges remain. Studies of kidney stone prevalence, incidence and recurrence have reported inconsistent findings, in part because of the lack of a standardized stone classification system. A kidney stone classification system based on practical and clinically useful measures of stone disease may help to improve both the study and clinical care of stone formers. Any future kidney stone classification system should be aimed at distinguishing asymptomatic from symptomatic stones, clinically diagnosed symptomatic stone episodes from self-reported symptomatic stone episodes, symptomatic stone episodes that are confirmed from those that are suspected, symptomatic recurrence from radiographic recurrence (that is, with radiographic evidence of a new stone, stone growth or stone disappearance from presumed passage) and determine stone composition based on mutually exclusive categories.
U.S. fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards: What have they achieved and what have we learned?

Abstract Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards are among the longest-running energy regulations in the United States, enduring several decades of changing political winds. First implemented in 1978, they have been adapted over time, responding to lessons learned and changing circumstances. In combination with the more recent vehicle greenhouse gas emission (GHG) standards, they have achieved enormous fuel savings and emission reductions. Until the 2018 proposed rollback, the quality of research and analysis in support of rulemakings improved dramatically with advances in analytical methods, computing power and the resources dedicated to the task. Despite the abundance of fuel economy and related data, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the standards from 1975 to the present. This paper analyzes historical data to assess the real-world impact of the standards, as well as draw lessons about energy and environmental policy design. Cumulatively, fuel economy improvements due to the standards have reduced fuel consumption by well over one and a half trillion gallons, saved consumers trillions of dollars and avoided 14 billion tons of GHG emissions. Our analysis indicates that fuel savings have exceeded the cost of improving fuel economy, traffic safety has improved and the impact on vehicle travel has been small.
Mortality risk among patients undergoing exercise versus pharmacologic myocardial perfusion imaging: A propensity-based comparison.

The increased risk associated with pharmacologic versus exercise testing is obscured by the higher prevalence of clinical risk factors among pharmacologic patients. Thus, we assessed comparative mortality in a large risk factor-matched group of exercise versus pharmacologic patients undergoing stress/rest SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). 39,179 patients undergoing stress/rest SPECT-MPI were followed for 13.3 ± 5.0 years for all-cause mortality (ACM). We applied propensity-matching to create pharmacologic and exercise groups with similar risk profiles. In comparison to exercise patients, pharmacologic patients had an increased risk-adjusted hazard ratio for ACM for each level of ischemia: increased by 3.8-fold (95%CI 3.5-4.1) among nonischemic patients, 2.5-fold (95%CI 2.0-3.2) among mildly ischemic patients, and 2.6-fold (95%CI 2.1-3.3) among moderate/severe ischemic patients. Similar findings were observed among a propensity-matched cohort of 10,113 exercise and 10,113 pharmacologic patients as well as in an additional cohort that also excluded patients with noncardiac co-morbidities. Patients requiring pharmacologic stress testing manifest substantially heightened clinical risk at each level of myocardial ischemia and even when myocardial ischemia is absent. These findings suggest the need to study the pathophysiological drivers of increased risk in association with pharmacologic testing and to convey this risk in clinical reports.
The Routledge companion to nonprofit management: edited by Helmut K. Anheier and Stefan Toepler, Abingdon, UK & New York, NY, Routledge, 2020, 560 pp., US$250.00 (hardcover), ISBN 978-1138744462

Nonprofit management has been one of the most fast-growing and widely-expanding fields in scholarly research and practices. While it is a common phenomenon across the globe that the nonprofit, volu...
Effective simulation and debugging for a high-level hardware language using software compilers

Rule-based hardware-design languages (RHDLs) promise to enhance developer productivity by offering convenient abstractions. Advanced compiler technology keeps the cost of these abstractions low, generating circuits with excellent area and timing properties. Unfortunately, comparatively little effort has been spent on building simulators and debuggers for these languages, so users often simulate and debug their designs at the RTL level. This is problematic because generated circuits typically suffer from poor readability, as compiler optimizations can break high-level abstractions. Worse, optimizations that operate under the assumption that concurrency is essentially free yield faster circuits but often actively hurt simulation performance on platforms with limited concurrency, like desktop computers or servers. This paper demonstrates the benefits of completely separating the simulation and synthesis pipelines. We propose a new approach, yielding the first compiler designed for effective simulation and debugging of a language in the Bluespec family. We generate cycle-accurate C++ models that are readable, compatible with a wide range of traditional software-debugging tools, and fast (often two to three times faster than circuit-level simulation). We achieve these results by optimizing for sequential performance and using static analysis to minimize redundant work. The result is a vastly improved hardware-design experience, which we demonstrate on embedded processor designs and DSP building blocks using performance benchmarks and debugging case studies.
Using psychological science to support social distancing: Tradeoffs between affiliation and disease‐avoidance motivations

Humans are an intensely social species with a pervasive need for affiliation and social interaction However, satisfying this fundamental motive comes with risk, including increased exposure to others' communicable pathogens Consequently, disease mitigation strategies may require humans to downregulate their interest in socialization when pathogenic threat is elevated Subsequent unsatisfactorily met affiliation needs can result in downregulation of disease avoidance goals in the service of social inclusion, albeit at the cost of putting individuals at greater risk for pathogen exposure The current review summarizes past work in social and evolutionary psychology demonstrating affiliation and disease‐avoidance motivation tradeoffs We then apply this research by articulating strategies to support and maintain social distancing behaviors in the face of loneliness, which is of particular importance during pandemic outbreaks such as COVID‐19 Finally, we propose novel and integrative research questions related to affiliation/pathogen‐avoidance tradeoffs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Social & Personality Psychology Compass is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
Perinatal health care access, childbirth concerns, and birthing decision-making among pregnant people in California during COVID-19.

Background During public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, access to adequate healthcare is crucial for providing for the health and wellbeing of families. Pregnant and postpartum people are a particularly vulnerable subgroup to consider when studying healthcare access. Not only are perinatal people likely at higher risk for illness, mortality, and morbidity from COVID-19 infection, they are also at higher risk for negative outcomes due to delayed or inadequate access to routine care. Methods We surveyed 820 pregnant people in California over two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) a 'non-surge' wave (June 2020, n = 433), and (2) during a 'surge' in cases (December 2020, n = 387) to describe current access to perinatal healthcare, as well as concerns and decision-making regarding childbirth, over time. We also examined whether existing structural vulnerabilities - including acute financial insecurity and racial/ethnic minoritization - are associated with access, concerns, and decision-making over these two waves. Results Pregnant Californians generally enjoyed more access to, and fewer concerns about, perinatal healthcare during the winter of 2020-2021, despite surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, as compared to those surveyed during the COVID-19 'lull' in the summer of 2020. However, across 'surge' and 'non-surge' pandemic circumstances, marginalized pregnant people continued to fare worse - especially those facing acute financial difficulty, and racially minoritized individuals identifying as Black or Indigenous. Conclusions It is important for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to understand whether and how shifting community transmission and infection rates may impact access to perinatal healthcare. Targeting minoritized and financially insecure communities for increased upstream perinatal healthcare supports are promising avenues to blunt the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant people in California.
Factors Related to Serious Safety Events in a Children's Hospital Patient Safety Collaborative

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Serious safety events (SSEs) occur infrequently at individual hospitals, making it difficult to establish trends to improve patient care. Patient safety organizations, such as the Child Health Patient Safety Organization (CHILDPSO), can identify trends and support learning across children’s hospitals. We aim to describe longitudinal trends in SSE rates among CHILDPSO member hospitals and describe their sources of harm. METHODS SSEs from 44 children’s hospitals were assigned severity and reported to CHILDPSO from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018. SSEs were classified into groups and subgroups based on analysis. Events were then tagged with up to 3 contributing factors. Subgroups with RESULTS There were 22.5 million adjusted patient days included. The 12-month rolling average SSE rate per 10 000 adjusted patient days decreased from 0.71 to 0.41 (P CONCLUSIONS Hospitals sharing SSE data through CHILDPSO have seen a decrease in SSEs. Patient care management was the most frequently seen. Future work should focus on investigation of contributing factors and risk mitigation strategies.
Endocrine disruptors in boiled drinking water carried in plastic containers: a pilot study in Thrissur, Kerala, India

Boiled drinking water is carried by students to schools and colleges in plastic containers. However, the risk associated with drinking water stored in plastic containers is very real especially the question of leachates finding their way into the water stored in these containers. In this pilot study, we identified the most common plastic container used by students to carry water and the factors that govern their choice. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was identified as the most favored plastic used to carry water. PET bottles were then subject to treatments that mimic conditions representative of normal consumer usage. The water sample collected was tested for the presence of phthalates, antimony & titanium, and their content estimated by gas chromatography and atomic absorption spectra. Although phthalates and antimony leach into water from PET bottles their concentration was not high enough to pose a threat to human life. However, the trend of increasing antimony concentration with temperature and time is a cause of concern because of its role as endocrine disruptors. Prolonged and repeated use of PET bottles to carry water, especially warm water may lead to health problems in the community.
ABC: an academic industrial-strength verification tool

ABC is a public-domain system for logic synthesis and formal verification of binary logic circuits appearing in synchronous hardware designs ABC combines scalable logic transformations based on And-Inverter Graphs (AIGs), with a variety of innovative algorithms A focus on the synergy of sequential synthesis and sequential verification leads to improvements in both domains This paper introduces ABC, motivates its development, and illustrates its use in formal verification.
Cytokines and serum cause alpha 2 beta 1 integrin-mediated contraction of collagen gels by cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE Integrins, heterodimeric cell surface glycoproteins, are involved in cell-substratum and cell-cell interactions. The role of these molecules in cytokine-mediated contraction of extracellular matrix by retinal pigment epithelial cells has been investigated in a model system that may mimic epiretinal membrane contraction during retinal detachment in proliferative vitreoretinopathy. METHODS Retinal pigment epithelial cells were cultured on three-dimensional collagen gels that they cause to contract. The involvement of new protein synthesis and C-kinase-mediated signal transduction were studied using specific inhibitors. Cell surface integrins synthesized by pigment epithelial cells were identified using immunofluorescence, and the same antibodies were used in gel contraction assays to identify the integrin species responsible for force transduction. RESULTS Contraction of collagen type I gels was small without cytokines but was greatly enhanced in the presence of serum or IL1 plus TGF beta. It was dependent on new protein synthesis. Contraction induced by the combination of cytokines was dependent on active protein kinases, whereas that induced by serum was not because only the former was inhibited by staurosporine, a C-kinase inhibitor. Pigment epithelial cells were found to produce beta 1, alpha 2, and alpha 5 integrins, but only alpha 2 and beta 1 appeared to participate in the contraction process because only antibodies against these integrins inhibited contraction. CONCLUSIONS Retinal pigment epithelial cells contract an extracellular matrix in vitro in a manner similar to epiretinal membrane contraction in vivo. This contraction is mediated via cell surface glycoproteins of the integrin family that bind directly to extracellular matrix molecules.
Rough sets methods in feature reduction and classification

The paper presents an application of rough sets and statistical methods to feature reduction and pattern recognition. The presented description of rough sets theory emphasizes the role of rough sets reducts in feature selection and data reduction in pattern recognition. The overview of methods of feature selection emphasizes feature selection criteria, including rough set-based methods. The paper also contains a description of the algorithm for feature selection and reduction based on the rough sets method proposed jointly with Principal Component Analysis. Finally, the paper presents numerical results of face recognition experiments using the learning vector quantization neural network, with feature selection based on the proposed principal components analysis and rough sets methods.
Investigation of the Impact of Forrest Fires on the Chemistry and Water Quality of Ground Water in Yellowstone National Park

The objective of this research is to provide a detailed analysis and assessment of the impact of the 1988 forest fires on the chemistry and water quality of shallow ground water in Yellowstone National Park. Specific objectives for the first five months of this study (August through December, 1989) included: (1) review of existing data on the chemistry of ground water at selected sites in Yellowstone National Park, (2) selection of suitable sampling sites and initial rounds of sample collection and analysis, (3) continued literature search for comparable or complimentary studies, (4) establishment of professional contacts within the park, other universities, and within the U.S. Geological Survey.
Fundamental studies of a simple helical magnetic flux compression generator

Summary form only given, as follows. The design of a helical flux compression generator, driven by 150 g of high explosives, for basic studies is presented and experimental results are discussed in comparison to numerical simulations. Simulation of the electric current output with the commercial circuit simulator PSPICE shows that this generator conserves the magnetic flux ideally in the low current mode, <30 kA. At current amplitudes in excess of 100 kA heating and melting of the single wound helix wire, AWG 12, limit the current flow. The volume between armature and stator is spectroscopically probed with fiber optics and valuable insight into the state of the shocked and compressed gas is gained. The same fiber optic probes are used to measure the velocity of the armature-stator contact along the generator axis. This contact velocity is largely affected by armature end effects, mainly due to the pressure loss at the detonator end. Both gas temperature and contact velocity have been successfully simulated with LS-DYNA3D, a three dimensional finite element hydrodynamic code. The generator's magnetic field structure is briefly discussed and magnetic field probe measurements are presented.
Tetsuo Nozoe's Autograph Books: Poems, Puzzles and Playfulness

The Nozoe Autograph Books contain entries from, literally, around the world of organic chemistry. Many of the inscriptions showed the poetic or even musical side of their signees. This Essay presents a diverse selection of the poetic entries of the autograph books, starting with a musical puzzle. This Essay and the interactive website that accompanies the Nozoe Autograph Book project are available free-access for at least a three-year period at http://www.tcr.wiley-vch.de/nozoe.
Contractions of the squid stellate ganglion

Optical recording methods were used to characterize the intrinsic movements of squid stellate ganglia. Ganglionic contractions were rhythmic and occurred at a mean frequency of 8 min-1. Contractions were eliminated when Na+ in the external saline were replaced by Tris, but were only slowed when Na+ was replaced by sucrose. This suggests that Na+ plays some role in generating the contractions, but the complete abolition produced by Tris-containing saline may be due to a secondary pharmacological action of this ion. The Na+ channel blocker, tetrodotoxin, had no effect on contractions. Contractions were eliminated by removal of external Ca2+, by treatment with the inorganic Ca2+ channel blockers Mn2+ and Cd2+, or by treatment with the organic dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blockers nitrendipine and nimodipine. Thus, extracellular Ca2+ plays an important role in generating the contractions. Because dihydropyridines eliminate contractions, but not synaptic transmission, they offer a means of studying transmission at the giant synapse of the stellate ganglion without having to contend with ganglionic movement. Electron microscopy of stellate ganglia revealed the presence of two types of cell that contained the organized arrays of cytoskeletal elements usually associated with contractile cells. One type was a pericyte that surrounded blood vessels within the stellate ganglion. The second type was distributed throughout the ganglion and resembled a smooth muscle cell. Either of these cell types might generate ganglionic contractions.
Discovery of novel modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype-5

A series of potent and selective mGluR5 antagonists were synthesized and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. It was found that a pyridyl functionality is a potential replacement for acetonitrile in the lead structure, with 2-pyridyl being most favored. Additionally, the benzoxazole moiety could also be replaced by other heterobicyclic rings such as imidazothiazole.
Effect on diagnostic efficiency of analgesia for undifferentiated abdominal pain.

Background The question of whether it is safe to provide analgesia for patients with undifferentiated acute abdominal pain is marked by longstanding controversy over the possible masking of physical findings. The goal of this review is to assess the pertinent studies. Method A Medline search was performed in April 2002, using the terms ‘analgesia’, ‘abdominal pain’, ‘acute abdomen’ and ‘morphine’. Other articles were identified using the bibliographies of papers found through Medline. All articles reporting clinical trials of analgesia and its effects on diagnosis or physical examination were reviewed. Results A total of eight trials (one reported only as an abstract) were identified. Because of significant disparity in trial design, no formal analysis such as meta-analysis was performed. However, detailed review of the trials revealed a striking consistency in results. In no study was there an association between analgesia and diagnostic impairment or dangerous masking of the findings of physical examination. Conclusion The literature addressing early pain relief for abdominal pain is characterized by weaknesses, but there is a common theme suggesting that analgesia is safe. Pending further research, which should address some of the shortcomings of extant studies, a practice of judicious provision of analgesia appears safe, reasonable and in the best interests of patients in pain. Copyright © 2002 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Growth and fermentation responses of Selenomonas ruminantium to limiting and non-limiting concentrations of ammonium chloride

The objective of this study was to assess fermentation product, growth rate and growth yield responses of Selenomonas ruminantium HD4 to limiting and non-limiting ammonia concentrations. The ammonia half-inhibition constant for S. ruminantium in batch culture was 296 mM. Cells were grown in continuous culture with a defined ascorbate-reduced basal medium containing either 0.5, 5, 25, 50, 100 or 200 mM NH4Cl and dilution rates were 0.07, 0.14, 0.24 or 0.40 h-1. Ammonia was the growth-limiting nutrient when 0.5 mM NH4Cl was provided and the half-saturation constant was 72 μM. Specific rates of glucose utilization and fermentation acid carbon formation were highest for 0.5 mM NH4Cl. Lactate production (moles per mole of glucose disappearing) increased at the fastest dilution rate (0.40 h-1) for 5.0 mM NH4Cl while acetate and propionate decreased when compared to slower dilutions (0.07 and 0.14 h-1). Lactate production remained low while acetate and propionate remained high for all dilution rates when NH4Cl concentrations were 25 mM or greater. Yield (YGlc and YATP) were nearly doubled when NH4Cl was increased from 0.5 mM (25.1 g cells/mol glucose used and 13.9 g cells/mol ATP produced respectively) to the higher concentrations. YGlc was highest at 25 mM and 50 mM NH4Cl (48.2 cells/mol and 43.1 cells/mol respectively) as was YATP (23.2 cells/mol and 20.8 cells/mol respectively). YNH3 was highest at the lowest NH4Cl concentration. The maximal fermentation product formation rate occurred at a growth-limiting ammonia concentration, while maximal glucose and ATP bacterial yields occurred at non-growth-limiting ammonia concentrations. Given the growth response of this ruminal bacterium, it is possible that maximization of ruminal bacterial yield may necessitate sacrificing the substrate degradation rate and vice versa.
Laser-Driven Growth of Silver Nanoplates on p-Type GaAs Substrates and Their Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Activity

Contact between aqueous solutions of silver nitrate (AgNO3) and pristine surfaces of p-type gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers results in essentially no reaction at room temperature and in the dark. The galvanic reactions between the GaAs wafers and AgNO3 can be triggered under illumination of laser beams with power densities higher than a critical value (∼15 mW/cm2 for a 630 nm laser), resulting in the growth of silver (Ag) nanoplates on the GaAs surface. The density and dimensions (including both thickness and edge length) of the resulting nanoplates can be readily tuned by controlling the growth time and laser power density. The as-grown Ag nanoplates on the substrates significantly enhance Raman signals of interesting molecules and serve as a new class of promising surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates for sensitive chemical detection.
Substance P antagonist-induced spinal cord vasoconstriction: effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone and substance P agonists.

Abstract Local spinal cord vasomotor effects of 3 substance P (SP) antagonists were studied in the rat following intrathecal (IT) administration. Each SP antagonist (3.3 nmol) increased spinal cord vascular resistance and reduced blood flow. A LH-RH antagonist analog (10 nmol) of similar molecular weight and which also contained multiple D-Trp residues did not cause spinal cord vasoconstriction. The vasoconstrictor action of the SP antagonist, [D-Arg 1 , D-Pro 2 , D-Trp 7,9 , Leu 11 ]-SP ([D-Arg]-SP) was unaffected by pretreatment with a stable SP receptor agonist (5 nmol IT). Given evidence for a cerebral vasodilator action of TRH agonists, the effects of TRH (IV) and a stable TRH analog (MK-771, IT) on [D-Arg]-SP-induced vasoconstriction were also assessed. Neither TRH nor MK-771 prevented the [D-Arg]-SP-induced vasoconstriction. However, TRH (IV) but not MK-771 (IT) partially opposed [D-Arg]-SP-induced reduction in thoracic spinal cord blood flow. Thus, SP antagonists cause spinal cord vasoconstriction by a non-SP receptor mediated phenomenon. In addition, the attenuation of SP-antagonist-induced neuropathological changes previously reported with IV. TRH administration is likely due to less severe consequences of vasoconstriction in the presence of a higher initial baseline blood flow rather than direct prevention of the vasoconstriction.
Aberrant Activation of Androgen Receptor in a New Neuropeptide-Autocrine Model of Androgen-Insensitive Prostate Cancer

Treatment of advanced prostate cancer with androgen deprivation therapy inevitably renders the tumors castration-resistant and incurable. Under these conditions, neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer (CaP) cells is often detected and neuropeptides released by these cells may facilitate the development of androgen independence. Exemplified by gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), these neuropeptides transmit their signals through G protein–coupled receptors, which are often overexpressed in prostate cancer, and aberrantly activate androgen receptor (AR) in the absence of androgen. We developed an autocrine neuropeptide model by overexpressing GRP in LNCaP cells and the resultant cell line, LNCaP-GRP, exhibited androgen-independent growth with enhanced motility in vitro . When orthotopically implanted in castrated nude mice, LNCaP-GRP produced aggressive tumors, which express GRP, prostate-specific antigen, and nuclear-localized AR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies of LNCaP-GRP clones suggest that GRP activates and recruits AR to the cognate promoter in the absence of androgen. A Src family kinase (SFK) inhibitor, AZD0530, inhibits androgen-independent growth and migration of the GRP-expressing cell lines, and blocks the nuclear translocation of AR, indicating the involvement of SFK in the aberrant activation of AR and demonstrating the potential use of SFK inhibitor in the treatment of castration-resistant CaP. In vivo studies have shown that AZD0530 profoundly inhibits tumor metastasis in severe combined immunodeficient mice implanted with GRP-autocrine LNCaP cells. This xenograft model shows autocrine, neuropeptide- and Src kinase–mediated progression of androgen-independent CaP postcastration, and is potentially useful for testing novel therapeutic agents. [Cancer Res 2009;69(1):151–60]
Further thoughts on future directions for regional science: A response to Fujita's remarks on the general theory of location and space-economy

Improvements for an extended General Theory of Location and Space-Economy are suggested involving dropping Samuelson's iceberg assumption, the introduction of still more imperfect competition beyond monopolistic competition, noise and a diffusion model, and relative utility with pairwise comparisons for conflict management.
A new player SETs in myeloid malignancy

Recent studies have identified recurrent mutations in SETBP1, the gene that encodes SET-binding protein 1, in several types of myeloid malignancies, including chronic myeloid and acute myeloid leukemias. The identified mutations frequently target the SKI-homologous domain, although the exact pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown.