cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cause of kidney disease and cardiovascular events in a national cohort of US patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis: a retrospective analysis

Aims End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a strong cardiovascular risk factor. We aimed to determine the extent to which cause of kidney disease independently contributes to this risk. Methods and results Using a national US ESRD registry, we selected patients with eight different causes of ESRD who initiated dialysis 1997-2014. We used proportional sub-distribution hazard models, with non-cardiovascular death or kidney transplantation as competing risks, to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for a first composite cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, or cardiovascular or cerebrovascular death), by cause of ESRD. The population was restricted to those using Medicare insurance at Day 91 after dialysis initiation (when most patients become Medicare eligible). Outcomes were ascertained from Medicare claims or Death Notifications. Among the 658 168 patients identified, composite event rates ranged from 3.5/100 person-years in IgA nephropathy to 14.6/100 person-years in diabetic nephropathy (DN). After adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic factors, comorbidities, dialysis modality, and laboratory values, cardiovascular event HRs differed significantly by cause of ESRD. Comparing to IgA nephropathy, the adjusted HR was highest for DN [aHR = 2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.77-3.20], next highest for lupus nephritis (aHR = 1.86, 95% CI 1.71-2.03), and thereafter ranged from 1.29 (95% CI 1.19-1.39) in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease to 1.67 (95% CI 1.52-1.83) in membranous nephropathy. Conclusion High cardiovascular event rates in dialysis patients vary considerably by cause of ESRD. Determining underlying reasons for these differences might provide new insights in to cardiovascular disease mechanisms as well as inform future drug development and clinical trial design.
Analysis of Accredited Gastroenterology Fellowship Internet-Available Content: Twenty-Nine Steps Toward a Better Program Website

To assess publicly available content derived from official websites of accredited gastroenterology fellowship programs, specifically evaluating data pertinent to prospective applicants. The Internet provides access to key information for applicants applying to gastroenterology fellowship, particularly as competition drives applicants to apply to a large number of programs. Thus, it is important for fellowship program websites to be up to date and contain accurate and pertinent information. Twenty-nine variables, determined as important website content on the basis of prior published website analyses and from surveys of preferences, were extracted from the relevant websites of all accredited gastroenterology fellowships in the USA. Results were binary—i.e., a website either contained or did not contain each item. A total of 178 websites were evaluated. The mean number of online content items was 14.1(± 3.2 SD) out of a possible 29 (47.1%). Program coordinator contact information, application information, and the number of current fellows were accessible on > 80% of websites. In contrast, the typical number and types of procedures performed by fellows and number of hospitals covered by fellows on call were found on < 10% of websites. Analysis revealed that 23.2% of lifestyle, 48.3% of training, and 59.6% of program variables were met. Gastroenterology fellowship websites lacked important content. Websites had a lower mean percentage of lifestyle content compared to training and program-related items. An organized website containing relevant information may not only attract qualified applicants but also avert unnecessary email inquiries and inappropriate applications. This study may provide guidance to gastroenterology fellowship programs seeking to improve their websites for applicants.
Frost characteristics and heat transfer on a flat plate under freezer operating conditions: Part I, Experimentation and correlations

An experimental investigation of frost growth on a flat, cold surface supplied by subfreezing, turbulent, humid, parallel flow of air is presented. The operating conditions are typical of many commercial freezers. A test loop was constructed to perform the tests, and the frost height, frost mass concentration, and cold surface heat flux were measured using specially designed and calibrated instrumentation. Twenty tests were done for steady operating conditions, each starting with no initial frost accumulation, and were run for two to six hours giving 480 data samples. Measured results show that the frost characteristics differ significantly with frost growth data taken previously for room temperature airflow. Depending on the temperature of the cold plate and the relative humidity of the subfreezing supply air, the frost could appear to be either smooth or rough. Smooth frost, which occurred at warmer plate temperatures and lower supply air relative humidities, gave rise to frost growth that was much thinner and denser than that for the rough, thick, low-density frost. Frost growth characteristics are correlated as a function of five independent variables (time, distance from the leading edge, cold plate temperature ratio, humidity ratio, and Reynolds number). These correlations are presented separately for themore » full data set, the rough frost data, and the smooth frost data.« less
Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Individuals' Preferences for Wearable and Mobile Sound Awareness Technologies

To investigate preferences for mobile and wearable sound awareness systems, we conducted an online survey with 201 DHH participants. The survey explores how demographic factors affect perceptions of sound awareness technologies, gauges interest in specific sounds and sound characteristics, solicits reactions to three design scenarios (smartphone, smartwatch, head-mounted display) and two output modalities (visual, haptic), and probes issues related to social context of use. While most participants were highly interested in being aware of sounds, this interest was modulated by communication preference--that is, for sign or oral communication or both. Almost all participants wanted both visual and haptic feedback and 75% preferred to have that feedback on separate devices (e.g., haptic on smartwatch, visual on head-mounted display). Other findings related to sound type, full captions vs. keywords, sound filtering, notification styles, and social context provide direct guidance for the design of future mobile and wearable sound awareness systems.
Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography As a Non-Invasive Tool for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome.

Background and purpose Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is a vascular headache disorder characterized by severe headaches with vasospasm of cerebral arteries. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) has been widely applied and validated in studying vasospasm of intracranial vessels, but the role of TCD in the diagnosis and monitoring of RCVS is less well established. We sought to determine the reliability of TCD for diagnosis and monitoring of RCVS. Methods Patients admitted to an inpatient neurology service between 2011 and 2014 with a discharge diagnosis of RCVS were retrospectively analyzed for demographics, neuroimaging, and functional outcomes. Baseline and follow-up TCD flow velocities in the middle cerebral artery (Vmca) were compared relative to the final diagnosis. Results The cohort consisted of fifteen patients (93% females; mean age 46.7 +/- 12.4 years); initial TCD evaluation was performed 10.9 +/- 6.6 (range 1-24) days after headache onset. Fourteen patients (93.3%) had increased flow velocities by initial TCD in at least one major cerebral blood vessel (MCA, ACA, PCA, vertebral, basilar). TCD flow velocities in the middle cerebral artery (Vmca) reached a mean peak of 163 cm/s three to four weeks after the onset of thunderclap headache. Conclusion TCD is a non-invasive neuroimaging modality that may have potential for the initial diagnosis and subsequent monitoring of patients with suspected RCVS. Larger studies will be needed to establish its utility. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2016-09.asp, free with no login].
From novel to relational: An approach to care for relational landscapes

AbstractNovel landscapes, landscapes altered by humans but not actively managed by humans, have come to represent the resiliency of nature to thrive in the context of otherwise overwhelming losses ...
Regulation of amyloid processing in neurons by astrocyte-derived cholesterol

ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), a common and burdensome neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the presence of β-Amyloid (Aβ) plaques, inflammation, and loss of cognitive function. A cholesteroldependent process sorts Aβ-producing enzymes into nanoscale lipid compartments (also called lipid rafts). Genetic variation in a cholesterol transport protein, apolipoprotein E (apoE), is the most common genetic marker for sporadic AD. Evidence suggests apoE links to Aβ production through lipid rafts, but so far there has been little scientific validation of this link in vivo. Here we use super-resolution imaging to show apoE utilizes astrocyte-derived cholesterol to specifically traffic amyloid precursor protein (APP) into lipid rafts where it interacts with β- and γ-secretases to generate Aβ-peptide. We find that targeted deletion of astrocyte cholesterol synthesis robustly reduces amyloid burden in a mouse model of AD. Treatment with cholesterol-free apoE or knockdown of cholesterol synthesis in astrocytes decreases cholesterol levels in cultured neurons and causes APP to traffic out of lipid rafts where it interacts with α-secretase and gives rise to soluble APPα (sAPPα), a neuronal protective product of APP. Changes in cellular cholesterol have no effect on α-, β-, and γ-secretase trafficking, suggesting the ratio of Aβ to sAPPα is regulated by the trafficking of the substrate, not the enzymes. Treatment of astrocytes with inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α upregulates the synthesis of cholesterol in the astrocytes. We conclude that cholesterol is a signaling molecule kept low in neurons to inhibit raft function, decrease Aβ formation, and enable astrocyte regulation of APP by cholesterol control of substrate presentation. Highlights ApoE regulates amyloid precursor protein localization to rafts and its exposure to α-vs. β-secretase. α-, β-, and γ-Secretases are activated by substrate presentation. ApoE specifically transports astrocyte cholesterol to neurons. Astrocyte cholesterol synthesis disruption prevents Alzheimer’s-associated amyloid pathology in mice.
Same Old, Same Old: Law School Rankings and the Affirmation of Hierarchy

This is one of the first law review articles to critique the U.S. News & World Report rankings of American law schools, as well as several other law school ranking schemes that were in vogue during the mid to late 1990s. Although some of the information contained in the article is out of date, the commentary anticipates the emerging influence of the U.S. News rankings on legal education.
Abstract PO-075: Kinotype to phenotype: Perturbed phosphoproteomic state predicts cancer cell growth rates in vitro

Numerous aspects of cellular signaling are regulated by the kinome - the network of over 500 protein kinases that guides and modulates information transfer throughout the cell. The key role played by both individual kinases and assemblies of kinases organized into functional subnetworks leads to kinome dysregulation being a key driver of many diseases, particularly cancer. Linked with their role in disease, the druggability of kinases has led to increased interest in the development of kinase inhibitors, with over fifty now having achieved FDA approval. These and other yet to be approved compounds have been used in a variety of contexts, including in screens to test their efficacy as potential therapeutics. Recent proteomics techniques including Kinobeads and multiplexed inhibitor beads linked with mass spectroscopy (MIB/MS) are a relatively new mechanism which affords the ability to assess the state of the protein kinome en masse. When combined with perturbation with targeted kinase inhibitors, the quantification of the dynamic response of the kinome provides a novel platform for the study of cell signaling and potential design of drug therapies. Here, we describe an approach that links the state of the kinome, or kinotype, with a downstream cancer cell phenotype, in this case, cellular growth. Integrating independent perturbation and growth response data sets, we find that the kinotype of a cell has a significant and predictive relationship with cell growth. More specifically, we characterize kinome response to perturbation via Kinobeads within models aimed at predicting cellular growth inhibition rates. Integrating 82 drugs, 237 kinases, and 380 cell lines (both malignant and nonmalignant) into a sparse GLM predicts growth rate inhibition at multiple doses of an unseen small molecule with an r^2 value of 0.624 (Bonferroni corrected p-value of 5.7 × 10^−69), even with an unmatched dataset. We further explore the use of higher-level kinase relationships, i.e., kinome subnetworks, along with manifold learning approaches as a component of these models to better ascertain the potential impact of kinome architecture in cellular response. Together, this systems view of the kinome presents potential opportunities for improved cancer disease classification, the identification of new drug targets, as well as impacting on the broader design of combination therapies for cancer treatment. Citation Format: Isaac S. Robson, Matthew E. Berginski, Shawn M. Gomez. Kinotype to phenotype: Perturbed phosphoproteomic state predicts cancer cell growth rates in vitro [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Diagnosis, and Imaging; 2021 Jan 13-14. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(5_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-075.
Dueling Malignancies: A Rare Instance of Both Kaposi Sarcoma and Cardiac Plasmacytoma in a Patient Post OHT

Introduction Judicious immunosuppressive therapy is important to balance immune tolerance of the donor organ, while minimizing the risk of infection and malignancy. This case highlights the development of two unusual malignancies post orthotopic heart transplant (OHT). Case Report A 69 year old male, with a history of ischemic cardiomyopathy and no prior history of hematological malignancies underwent OHT. His post-transplant course was complicated by multiple infectious complications, leading to discontinuation of mycophenalate mofetil and he was maintained on an immunosuppressive regimen of tacrolimus and low-dose prednisone. Two years post OHT he noticed the development of a nodule on his 2nd right toe. Biopsy revealed Kaposi Sarcoma (KS). The patient underwent a total body PET scan and was found to have bilateral hypermetabolic inguinal lymph node involvement confirmed as KS by biopsy. His tacrolimus goal was lowered and he was treated with 8 cycles of paclitaxel, which resulted in complete PET resolution. One year later as part of a routine endomyocardial biopsy the patient was found to have a population of plasma cells with kappa restriction that were EBV negative. A TTE showed a structurally normal heart without evidence of mass/tumor. Magnetic resonance imaging showed late gadolinium enhancement in the inferior, basal inferolateral and anterolateral segments. Workup for MGUS/Multiple Myeloma was unrevealing. The diagnosis was thought to be a solitary cardiac plasmacytoma. The decision was made to further minimize immunosuppression to single agent tacrolimus with a goal tac level of 4-6. Summary Kaposi Sarcoma and cardiac plasmacyotoma are infrequent to rare tumors encountered in the transplant population. The literature on treatment for patients who develop malignancy post transplantation is sparse, with the majority of anecdotal evidence suggesting that reducing the level of baseline transplant immunosuppression is adequate for resolution of the underlying malignancy.
Spheres of Influence: Host Tree Proximity and Soil Chemistry Shape rRNA, but Not DNA, Communities of Symbiotic and Free-Living Soil Fungi in a Mixed Hardwood-Conifer Forest

Host and symbiont diversity are inextricably linked across partnerships and ecosystems, with degree of partner reliance governing the strength of this correlation. In many forest soils, symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungi coexist and compete with free-living saprotrophic fungi, with the outcomes of these interactions shaping resource availability and competitive outcomes for the trees aboveground. Traditional approaches to characterizing these communities rely on DNA sequencing of a ribosomal precursor RNA gene (the internal transcribed spacer region), but directly sequencing the precursor rRNA may provide a more functionally relevant perspective on the potentially active fungal communities. Here, we map ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic soil fungal communities through a mixed hardwood-conifer forest to assess how above- and belowground diversity linkages compare across these differently adapted guilds. Using highly spatially resolved transects (sampled every two meters) and well-mapped stands of varying host tree diversity, we sought to understand the relative influence of symbiosis versus environment in predicting fungal diversity measures. Canopy species in this forest included two oaks (Quercus agrifolia and Q. douglasii) and one pine (Pinus sabiniana). At the scale of our study, spatial turnover in rRNA-based communities was much more predictable from measurable environmental attributes than DNA-based communities. And while turnover of ectomycorrhizal fungi and saprotrophs were predictable by the presence and abundance of different canopy species, they both responded strongly to soil nutrient characteristics, namely pH and nitrogen availability, highlighting the niche overlap of these coexisting guilds and the strong influence of aboveground plants on belowground fungal communities.
Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: Indications and Technique

Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) remains the gold standard treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). In the present chapter, we discuss indications and preparation for surgery, including the use and timing of both systemic and intravesical chemotherapy. We discuss our operative technique in performing RNU, which has largely shifted to a minimally invasive approach at our institution. Based on contemporary evidence concerning the perioperative use of intravesical chemotherapy, we routinely instill intravesical mitomycin C intraoperatively at the time of RNU and excise the bladder cuff to decrease intravesical recurrence. We also typically approach lymph node dissection in a templated fashion, particularly in high-risk patients. Finally, we provide tips to avoid and manage common complications that may arise during or following RNU.
Short-term prediction of precipitation associated with landfalling hurricanes through deep learning

Nowcasting of precipitation associated with landfalling hurricanes refers to the hurricane intensity analysis and forecast for the next few hours. It plays an important role in early weather warning system and real-time decision making for disaster management and risk reduction. However, the skill of traditional nowcasting techniques decreases rapidly in the first hour. In addition, numerical weather prediction (NWP) models have deficiency to provide accurate warning of heavy precipitation on the scale needed for hurricane nowcasting. Therefore, this paper proposes a deep learning-based system for precipitation nowcasting for landfalling hurricanes using multi-radar observations near the coast. The reflectivity imageries from previous 1-hr observations are used as input to the deep learning-based nowcasting model and the actual observations from “future” sequences are used as targets in the training stage. The performance and evaluation results of the nowcasting products with lead time up to 3 hours show that this deep learning system performs well in hurricane nowcasting.
GaN Epitaxy on Melt Grown Thermally Prepared Bulk ZnO Substrates

GAN EPITAXY ON MELT GROWN THERMALLY PREPARED BULK ZNO SUBSTRATES By Xing GU, Master of Science A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2004 Major Director: Dr. Hadis Morkoc, Founders Professor in Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics Department Different methods were developed for the preparation of bulk ZnO substrates. Remarkable improvement on the surface, optical and crystalline quality of the bulk ZnO substrate was achieved. ZnO substrates with an atomically flat surface exhibiting terracelike features were used as a substrate for GaN grown by MBE. High-resolution x-ray diffraction and low temperature PL results show that similar high quality GaN layers can vi be achieved on both annealed O-face and Zn-face ZnO substrates. The prospect of the device applications of GaN epitaxy on ZnO, including AlGaN/GaN MODFET structure on ZnO and GAN/ZnO based p-n junction were discussed.
Lagrange Multipliers and Quasi-Steady Flight Mechanics

A general method is presented for investigating optimum conditions of the quasi-steady mechanics of flight. For motion in a vertical plane the problem of extremizing an arbitrarily specified function of altitude, Mach Number, lift, path inclination, engine control parameter, and thrust inclination is considered for an aircraft which has to satisfy the equations of motion and 3 additional arbitrary constraints. A generalized solution is obtained in a determinantal form. The characteristic of this solution is that it unifies into a single equation the results of a large segment of the previous contributions to the quasi-steady mechanics of flight. Particular problems such as maximum speed, maximum range, maximum endurance, ceiling, steepest ascent, best rate of climb, flattest descent, etc., are thus all covered by the same determinantal equation. The optimum ratio (R) of induced drag to zero-lift drag is evaluated for arbitrary relationships between zero-lift drag coefficient, induced drag coefficient, thrust, specific fuel consumption, and Mach Number. Design problems are also investigated, such as those associated with the selection of the best wing surface or the best aspect ratio for a given performance to be optimized. Finally, the paper is completed with the study of the optimum flight conditions for curvilinear motion in a horizontal plane. Another general determinantal equation is derived, from which, as a particular case, the turning flight with maximum angle of bank, maximum angular velocity, or minimum radius of curvature is investigated.
Resolution of grass canopy biomass classes

Analysis of variance methods has been applied to in situ grassland spectral reflectance data in order to determine the classes or levels of total wet biomass that can be resolved spectrally by a single narrow band measurement. Ground-truth clipping of blue grama grass plots was performed immediately following spectral reflectance measurements at 91 wavelength intervals which were 0.005 microns apart over the spectral range from 0.350 to 0.800 microns. It was found that the photographic infrared region of 0.750 to 0.800 microns could be used to distinguish three classes or levels of total wet biomass. Four or five classes, particularly at higher biomass levels, could not be distinguished by this technique.
Technology Enabled Life Integrated Learning Environments (TELILE)

The author dreams of a future, one in which learning is integrated with people's lives. Technology of the future in the form of a "Technology Enabled Life Integrated Learning Environments" (TELILE) makes such integration possible. The TELILE is itself a subsystem of the "Worldwide Information, Transactions, and Communications System" (WITCS). In the paper the author provides some examples of how the TELILE tailors education and learning to fit the lives of people.
Ecotactics; the critical link

A critical impasse in implementing present know‐how regarding environmental rehabilitation is sociological rather than technological. The established habits and values of practically everyone in the advanced cultures are destructive of the biosphere; this is especially true of those of the more affluent classes and nations. This paper consists (1) of an analysis of this impasse and (2) of a discussion of some strategies and tactics for breaking and/or circumscribing it. The discussion is cast in terms of an established analytical scheme for investigation of other social problems, but gives primary attention to its application to environmental conservation and rehabilitation.
A Non‐Place Identity and a Fixed (Sacred) Text: Literacy Practices Shaping Identity/ies of a Slavic Baptist Congregation from the Former Soviet Union to the United States

Based on an interdisciplinary linguistic ethnography, I apply the term ‘non-place’ to the collective identity of a Slavic migrant congregation in the United States. Those members socialised into their faith before migration had already been marginalised in their resistance to the former national Soviet identity. The New Literacy Studies in particular help to describe their historic Protestant literacy practices regarding a sacred, and thus fixed, text. A fixed sacred text provided the freedom to interpret the group's context, a perceived narrative to join, and authority for leadership to dictate a way of life. Events around text were warm and welcoming, utilising Western texts for legitimatised scripture interpretation, and accessible to both Russian speakers and second-generation English speakers. With the assumed permanence of a sacred text, new believers retold their own narratives as part of the scriptural one, and had a ‘home land’ they had never stepped foot in.
Antennas in plasmas - The problem of boundaries

This paper discusses some of the difficulties associated with definition of appropriate boundary conditions for use in analyses of antennas and other structures immersed in plasmas. Distinctions may be made according to whether cold plasma, microscopic, or macroscopic theory is to be employed; whether the plasma is to be considered uniform or inhomogeneous, and whether or not there is a static magnetic field. The properties and limitations of these models, and the commonly-used boundary conditions of specular reflection and velocity diffusion (for opaque boundaries), and transparency (for grids or wires) are discussed. As a specific illustrative example, a series of approximations to the impedance of a magnetoplasma capacitor are reviewed.
Pharmacological properties of sodium channels in cultured rat heart cells.

The action of specific neurotoxins on sodium channels in cultured rat heart cells has been studied using ion flux methods under conditions where 22Na+ influx is proportional to sodium permeability. Myocardial sodium channels are activated by batrachotoxin and veratridine. Batrachotoxin is a full agonist in this respect, whereas veratridine is a partial agonist. Aconitine and veratridine block the activation of sodium channels by batrachotoxin, consistent with their action as partial agonists at a common receptor site with batrachotoxin. The polypeptides scorpion toxin and sea anemone toxin II enhance persistent activation of sodium channels by alkaloid toxins. The concentration dependence of enhancement by scorpion toxin is hyperbolic with K0.5 = 130 nM. In contrast, the enhancement of veratridine action by sea anemone toxin II is biphasic with K0.5 values of 4 nM and 38 nM. Sea anemone toxin II increases the fraction of sodium channels activated by the partial agonists veratridine and aconitine and reduces K0.5 for sodium channel activation by all three alkaloid toxins. Activation of sodium channels by batrachotoxin is not voltage-dependent, but enhancement of batrachotoxin activation of sodium channels by the polypeptide toxins is highly voltage-dependent. K0.5 for sea anemone toxin II is increased 40-fold by depolarization of the cells in 135 mM K+. Sodium channels activated by alkaloid and polypeptide neurotoxins are inhibited by saxitoxin with K0.5 = 50 nM and tetrodotoxin with K0.5 = 1 µM. The results show that, relative to neuronal sodium channels, myocardial sodium channels have greatly reduced toxin-binding affinity at the tetrodotoxin/saxitoxin receptor site and altered binding specificity at the polypeptide toxin receptor site. The pharmacological profile of myocardial sodium channels is essentially identical with that of the tetrodotoxin-insensitive sodium channels in denervated and uninnervated rat skeletal muscle. A pharmacological classification of sodium channel subtypes in the rat is proposed.
The Origin of the Spermatophoric Mass of the Sand Crab, Hippa pacifica

1. In Hippa pacifica , mitotic division of germinal epithelial cells produces primary spermatocytes which, as sustentacular-like cells appear, divide meiotically to form spermatids. 2. Concurrently as spermatids metamorphose into spermatozoa, germinal epithelial cells renew their activity and again produce primary spermatocytes which, as they fill the sacculus, expel the spermatozoa. 3. A continuous spermatogenic mass enters the vas deferens, where an enveloping secretion from the epithelial cells bounding the lumen forms a thin sheath to the sperm mass. 4. The lumen (viewed in cross-section) becomes keyhole-shaped and a secretion from a wedge-shaped group of cells bounded by two deep crypts both surrounds the sheathed sperm mass and forms a ribbon-like supporting stalk and a broad, basal foot. 5. As the lumen again becomes circular (in cross-section), a secretion from the epithelial cells surrounds the completed spermatophore and forms the homogeneous matrix. 6. The spermatophore of H. pacifica is both macruran-like, because of its continuous, highly convoluted sperm mass, and anomuran-like, because of its raised spermatophore and broad foot. 7. Neither the anomuran-like spermatophore of a macruran, Parrabicus antarcticus , nor the macruran-like spermatophore of an anomuran, Hippa pacifica , justifies the inference that these two animals occupy a systematic position intermediate between the Macrura and the Anomura, but rather illustrates the need for consideration of many characters before postulating relationships.
Simulation and modeling of mode conversion at vias in multilayer interconnections

The process of signal flow at vias in multilayer interconnections is discussed as a general phenomenon involving partial conversion of signal-line waveguide mode energy into parallel-plate waveguide mode energy. This partial conversion of linearly propagating mode into a cylindrically propagating parallel-plate waveguide mode at vias is discussed and illustrated with the graphic results of a 3D, full-wave propagation analysis. Based on these observations, equivalent circuits of vias which incorporate the mode conversion phenomenon are proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated as a comparison between the 3D, full-wave simulation and SPICE circuit simulation.
Comparison of methods for measuring sarcomere length in beef semitendinosus muscle.

The objective of the study was to compare the precision of the laser method for measuring sarcomere length with the precision of two oil-immersion microscope methods. Eighteen semitendinosus muscles were assigned to one of three post-mortem treatments to provide a wide range in sarcomere length. Two 5·0cm sections were removed from the centre of each muscle. Each section was subdivided into six equal-size pieces and randomly allotted to each of three participating institutions. Analysis of variance revealed that sarcomere length measurement was not significantly affected by the method of measurement or by the technician. For 99% precision, the laser method required 34 measurements, whereas the two microscope methods required 45 and 66 measurements, respectively.
The ATP‐sensitive potassium channel in pancreatic B‐cells is inhibited in physiological bicarbonate buffer

Abstract The effects of bicarbonate buffer (HCO − 3 /CO 2 ) on the activity of the two K + channels proposed by some to control the pancreatic B-cell membrane response to glucose were studied. Single K + -channel records from membrane patches of cultured B-cells dissociated from adult rat islets exposed to a glucose- and bicarbonate-free medium (Na-Hepes in place of bicarbonate) exhibit the activity of both the ATP-sensitive as well as the [Ca 2+ ] i -activated K + channels. However, in the presence of bicarbonate-buffered Krebs solution, the activity of the ATP-sensitive K + channel is inhibited leaving the activity of the K + channel activated by intracellular [Ca 2+ ] i unaffected. In the absence of bicarbonate (Hepes/NaOH in place of bicarbonate), lowering the external pH from 7.4 to 7.0 also has differential effects on the two K + channels. While the K + channel sensitive to ATP is inhibited, the K + channel activated by a rise in [Ca 2+ ] i is not affected. To determine whether the response of the B-cell in culture to bicarbonate is also present when the B-cell is functioning within the islet syncytium, the effects of bicarbonate removal on membrane potential of B-cells from intact mouse islets were compared. These studies showed that glucose-evoked electrical activity is also blocked in bicarbonate-free Krebs solution. Furthermore, in the absence of bicarbonate and presence of glucose (11 mM), electrical activity was recovered by lowering the pH o from 7.4 to 7.0. The ATP-sensitive K + -channel activity is greatly reduced by physiologically buffered solutions in pancreatic B-cells in culture. The most likely explanation for the bicarbonate effects is that they are mediated by cytosolic pH changes. Removal of bicarbonate (keeping the external pH at 7.4 with Hepes/NaOH as buffer) would increase the pH i . Since the activity of the [Ca 2+ ] i -dependent K + channels is not affected by the removal of the bicarbonate buffer, our patch-clamp data in cultured B-cells indicate an involment of [Ca 2+ ]i-activated K + channels in the control of the membrane potential. For the B-cell in the islet, we propose that the burst pattern of electrical activity (Ca 2+ entry) is controlled, at least in part, by the [Ca 2+ ]i-activated K + channel.
Accuracy of optimized branched algorithms to assess activity-specific physical activity energy expenditure.

Purpose: To assess the activity-specific accuracy achievable by branched algorithm (BA) analysis of simulated daily living physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) within a sedentary population. Methods: Sedentary men (n = 8) and women (n = 8) first performed a treadmill calibration protocol, during which HR, accelerometry (ACC), and PAEE were measured in 1-min epochs. From these data, HR-PAEE and ACC-PAEE regressions were constructed and used in each of six analytic models to predict PAEE from ACC and HR data collected during a subsequent simulated daily living protocol. Criterion PAEE was measured during both protocols via indirect calorimetry. The accuracy achieved by each model was assessed by the root mean square of the difference between model-predicted daily living PAEE and the criterion daily living PAEE (expressed here as percent of mean daily living PAEE). Results: Across the range of activities, an unconstrained post hoc-optimized BA best predicted criterion PAEE. Estimates using individual calibration were generally more accurate than those using group calibration (14% vs 16% error, respectively). These analyses also performed well within each of the six daily living activities, but systematic errors appeared for several of those activities, which may be explained by an inability of the algorithm to simultaneously accommodate a heterogeneous range of activities. Analyses between mean square error by subject and activity suggest that optimization involving minimization of root mean square for total daily living PAEE is associated with decreased error between subjects but increased error between activities. Conclusions: The performance of post hoc-optimized BA may be limited by heterogeneity in the daily living activities being performed.
When urokinase was gone: commentary on another year of thrombolysis without urokinase.

A shortage of urokinase developed in the United States in 1999 as a result of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) intervention. Although not banned by the FDA, the manufacturers stopped production and marketing of urokinase in the United States. This was the result of concerns raised by a routine, 1998 inspection of Abbott Laboratories, the only provider of recombinant urokinase (Abbokinase; Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) in the United States, and BioWhittaker, the only source of the human neonatal kidney cells used by Abbott (1,2). Consequently, new approaches to peripheral vascular thrombolysis were developed, most notably using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (Alteplase; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA) based regimens. Most practitioners quickly exhausted their urokinase supplies and altered their practice of pharmacologic peripheral vascular thrombolysis (3). Shortly after the withdrawal of urokinase from the U.S. market, we conducted a pilot e-mail survey of the practice of peripheral vascular thrombolysis (3). The findings of this survey suggested that there were substantial problems in making the transition from the use of urokinase to rt-PA, although expert opinion at the time stated that the two agents should have similar efficacy and safety (4) and the FDA encouraged “physicians to consider the appropriateness of other treatment options” while listing the alternative agents (1). Most respondents to the pilot survey reported a reduction in efficacy and an increase in hemorrhagic complications. This was reflected in several reports and numerous anecdotes of an increased risk of bleeding complications, leading to a need to reduce the dose of rt-PA and the level of heparin anticoagulation (5–7). Some of these initial problems seem to have been related to incorrect dosing and the use of full anticoagulation with heparin, which had been the usual practice when using urokinase (6). Over time, the recommended dose of rt-PA for peripheral vascular thrombolysis was reduced. The use of heparin infusion was either discontinued or continued at a subtherapeutic level (5–8). Others recommended the use of r-PA (reteplase; Centocor, Malvern, PA), which was reported to cause fewer bleeding complications (8). To assess the effects of the withdrawal of urokinase on the practice of peripheral vascular thrombolysis after this initial period of adjustment, we conducted a larger survey just more than 1 year after the cessation of production and marketing of urokinase in the United States. This provides some insight into the way in which the practice of pharmacologic thrombolysis has changed and the effect of these changes on outcomes.
Characterization and application of a chlorine microelectrode for measuring monochloramine within a biofilm

Abstract Chlorine microelectrodes with tip sizes of 5–15 μm were fabricated, fully characterized and evaluated under various environmental conditions, and used to measure high spatial resolution monochloramine profiles in biofilm. The chlorine microelectrode showed response to total chlorine, including free chlorine, monochloramine, and dichloramine under various conditions. Where monochloramine dominates the system at pH 8.0 and 4:1 Cl2:N, the chlorine microelectrode had sensitivity toward monochloramine concentrations (0.1–30.0 mg Cl2/L) at an applied potential of +550 mV (Ag/AgCl reference electrode) and 23 °C, and it was independent of pH ranges typical of drinking water (pH 6–9). Even though the electrode response shifted with DO changes, a linear relationship existed with monochloramine concentration for a given DO concentration. As a result, a 3D (response vs. DO vs. monochloramine concentration) calibration curve was required with DO present. Ultimately, this research will lead to the in situ application of chlorine microelectrodes for measurement of monochloramine within chloraminated drinking water system biofilm and, along with other microelectrodes (e.g. ammonia, pH, DO), will aid in elucidating nitrification phenomena occurring in the biofilm.
Donor and recipient pretransplant conditioning with nonlethal radiation and antilymphocyte serum improves the graft survival in a rat small bowel transplant model.

Background. Lymphoid tissue within the intestinal graft require immunomodulatory strategies to prevent graft versus host disease (GVHD) after transplant. Herein, we evaluate the potential advantage of donor-specific bone marrow infusions in donor and or recipient preconditioned with total body irradiation and or antilymphocyte serum (ALS) on the incidence of GVHD and rejection after small bowel transplantation. Methods. Heterotopic SBTx was performed from DA to Lewis rats and distributed in nine groups: control group GO (n=4) and G1 (n=6) without irradiation; recipients in G2 (n=4) were given 400 rd although in groups 3 (n=5), G4 (n=6), G6 (n=5), G7 (n=5), and G8 (n=6) with 250 rd. Donors in G5 (n=4) and G6 were given 250 rd of total body irradiation 2 hours before intestinal retrieval. Donors and recipients in G7 and donors in G8 additionally received ALS (day -5). G1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 were infused with UDBM and G4 with the same amount of TCDBM. Animals received tacrolimus for 15 days and accessed for rejection, GVHD and for chimerism analysis. Results. High mortality due to GVHD was observed in G2, 3, and 4, and correlated with high levels of donor T cells in recipients blood. GO and G1 showed early acute rejection with progression toward chronic rejection, in contrast to the preconditioned groups. High and low doses of total body irradiation resulted in allogeneic and in a mixed chimerism, respectively. Decrease in donor chimeric cells after 11 weeks in preconditioned groups was correlated with severe allograft rejection. Conclusion. Donor preconditioning with 250 rd and or ALS combined with recipient preconditioning and donor-specific bone marrow infusions prevented GVHD and resulted in a transient mixed chimerism with inhibition of allograft rejection after small bowel transplantation.
Charge-transfer effects in graphite intercalates: Ab initio calculations and neutron-diffraction experiment.

First-principles, total-energy electronic structure calculations have been used to study the effects of charge transfer in graphite intercalation compounds. Together with an in situ diffraction study on graphite undergoing intercalation with sulphuric acid, the results strongly support the idea of a universal relationship between charge transfer and the C---C bond length.
Cognitive Research in GIScience: Recent Achievements and Future Prospects

In this article, recent achievements of cognitive research in geographic information science (GIScience) are reviewed and prospects for future directions discussed. Cognitive research in GIScience concerns human knowledge and knowing involving geographic information and geographic information systems (GIS). It includes both internal mental and external symbolic structures and processes, and is practically motivated by the desire to improve the usability, efficiency, equity, and profitability of geographic information and GIS. Taking 1992 as the start of modern GIScience, recent cognitive research falls into six areas: human factors of GIS, geovisualization, navigation systems, cognitive geo-ontologies, geographic and environmental spatial thinking and memory, and cognitive aspects of geographic education. Future prospects for cognitive GIScience research include recommendations for methods, including eye-movement recordings and fMRI; theoretical approaches, including situated cognition, evolutionary cognition, and cognitive neuroscience; and specific problems, including how users incorporate uncertainty metadata in reasoning and decision making, the role of GIS in teaching K-12 students to think spatially, and the potential detrimental effects of over-reliance on digital navigation systems.
The effect of inadvertent intraoperative perforation on survival and recurrence in colorectal cancer.

Inadvertent perforation of the bowel during curative resection for colorectal cancer has serious consequences. In 174 curative resections with spillage, five-year survival was 29 per cent. In 67 patients where the cancer itself was disrupted during dissection, five-year surival fell to 14 per cent in the colon and to 9.3 per cent in the rectum. Local recurrence developed in 65 per cent of spillage cases. In Dukes' C tumors that were perforated during surgery, local recurrence occurred in 87 per cent. As surgeons, our efforts must be directed toward preventing injury to the bowel during definitive resection of colorectal cancers. The instillation of tumoricidal solutions within the bowel lumen and the application of bowel ligatures prior to dissection may help toward preventing recurrence, should inadvertent perforation and spillage occur.
Evolution of insect mushroom bodies: old clues, new insights

Abstract The mushroom bodies are a morphologically diverse sensory integration and learning and memory center in the brains of various invertebrate species, of which those of insects are the best described. Insect mushroom bodies are composed of numerous tiny intrinsic neurons (Kenyon cells) that form calyces with their dendrites and a pedunculus and lobes with their axons. The identities of conserved Kenyon cell subpopulations and the correlations between morphological and functional specializations of the mushroom bodies are just beginning to be elucidated, providing insight into mechanisms of mushroom body evolution. Comparisons of mushroom body organization in different insect lineages reveal trends in the evolution of subcompartments correlated with the elaboration, reduction, acquisition or loss of Kenyon cell subpopulations. Furthermore, these changes often appear correlated with variation in type and strength of afferent input and in behavioral ecology. These and other features of mushroom body organization suggest a striking convergence with mammalian cortex, with Kenyon cell subpopulations displaying evolutionary modularity in a manner reminiscent of cortical areas.
Distinct prestimulus and poststimulus activation of VTA neurons correlates with stimulus detection

Dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) signal the occurrence of a reward-predicting conditioned stimulus (CS) with a subsecond duration increase in post-CS firing rate. Important theories about reward-prediction error and reward expectancy have been informed by the substantial number of studies that have examined post-CS phasic VTA neuron activity. On the other hand, the role of VTA neurons in anticipation of a reward-predicting CS and analysis of prestimulus spike rate rarely has been studied. We recorded from the VTA in rats during the 3-choice reaction time task, which has a fixed-duration prestimulus period and a difficult-to-detect stimulus. Use of a stimulus that was difficult to detect led to behavioral errors, which allowed us to compare VTA activity between trials with correct and incorrect stimulus-guided choices. We found a sustained increase in firing rate of both putative dopamine and GABA neurons during the pre-CS period of correct and incorrect trials. The poststimulus phasic response, however, was absent on incorrect trials, suggesting that the stimulus-evoked phasic response of dopamine neurons may relate to stimulus detection. The prestimulus activation of VTA neurons may modulate cortical systems that represent internal states of stimulus expectation and provide a mechanism for dopamine neurotransmission to influence preparatory attention to an expected stimulus.