cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes according to channel type for continent catheterizable channels in patients undergoing simultaneous urinary and fecal reconstruction.

Abstract Introduction When creating a continent catheterizable channel (CCC) the choice of bowel segment used as the conduit should be tempered with the morbidity associated with it. The split-appendix technique allows the creation of both a urinary and fecal CCC without the need for a bowel anastomosis. However, there is concern that by splitting the appendix there is compromise to its blood supply and may affect outcomes. We aim to compare what affect the bowel segment used for urinary and fecal CCCs has on perioperative and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing simultaneous urinary and fecal reconstruction. Methods A retrospective review was performed analyzing all patients that underwent simultaneous continent catheterizable urinary and fecal CCC between the years 2010–2016. Patient demographics, channel characteristics, perioperative complications and clinical success rate were analyzed. Results A total of 106 patients were identified that had simultaneous fecal and urinary CCC created at time of reconstruction. For urinary CCC, there were 64 patients (60.4%) that underwent a split-appendix technique, 27 patients (25.4%) underwent a Monti, and 15 patients (14.2%) had the appendix used only for the urinary channel. Those patients undergoing a split-appendix technique had median operative time of 447 min compared to 619 min when a Monti channel was created. The median length of hospital stay was 9 days for the split-appendix technique compared to 12 and 13 day median hospital stay when the appendix was used only for the urinary channel or a Monti was created, respectively. There was no difference seen in revision free survival of the channel following surgery of any of the channels with median follow-up of 44.5 months. However, there were more subfascial revisions of urinary CCC in those that underwent a Monti (5 patients, 18.5%) compared to other bowel segments (0 patients). Conclusions Utilizing a split-appendix approach for creation of urinary and fecal CCCs does not affect 30-day complications or long-term revision rates compared to other established techniques. This technique minimizes the potential surgical morbidity of a bowel anastomosis and provide shorter operative times, when feasible, at time of simultaneous creation of fecal and urinary CCC.
The Directionality Function Defect of Performance Evaluation Method in Regression Neural Network for Stock Price Prediction

The most important financial attribute of stock time series is the directionality of its price movement. This study found that the prediction error of neural network can only reflect the closeness between model predicted price and actual market price, but not the important financial attribute, the direction of stock price's ups and downs. Taking Chinese stock 600275 and American stock AMZN as examples, the former's prediction error is 0.0353, and its stock return rate is negative 59.49%, while the latter's prediction error is 0.0201, and its stock return rate is positive 26.49%, while the difference between the predictions of the two stocks is only 0.0152. It shows that under the same scale, absolute value constraint is the source of the problem that the prediction error has no stock up and down attributes. Therefore, in the absence of condition variable of trend direction state, it is unreliable to make the conclusion by judging the performance of regression neural network for stock price prediction based only on the value size of prediction error.
Preliminary evaluation of hypochlorous acid spray for treatment of experimentally induced infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis

Thirty dairy bull calves with normal ophthalmic examinations and culture-negative for Moraxella bovis were randomly assigned to 3 groups for a single eye block, randomized, blinded challenge study. Calves were housed in an accredited isolation facility. In calves assigned to Groups 1 and 2, a 0.6 cm corneal lesion was made on the left central cornea utilizing n-heptanol, and immediately inoculated topically with 1.0 x 107 of M. bovis (strain Epp63-300; origin: NADC). The left eye of calves in Group 3 was inoculated topically with M. bovis, but nothing further. In Group 1,2 mL of 0.009% hypochlorous acid (Vetericyn Plus™ Pinkeye Spray) was sprayed topically onto each calf's cornea twice daily for 10 days. In Group 2, 2 mL of 0.9% saline was administered topically to each calf’s cornea twice daily for 10 days. Each animal was scored for ocular pain twice daily. Samples from all eyes were collected for culture on days -7, 0,1,4, and 10. Eyes of all calves were stained daily with fluorescein, and digital photographs were taken of the lesion to assess healing of the cornea. Additionally, serum and plasma samples were collected from all calves on days 0,1,10,11, and 17, and changes in sodium and chloride levels were evaluated. Urine samples and liver, muscle, and fat biopsies were collected from all calves on days 0,11, and 17 and evaluated for chlorine utilizing the N,N-diethyl- p-phenylenediamine (DPD) colorimetric method. Only calves in Group 2 were culture-positive for M. bovis during the study period. The average pain score and days to cure for Group 1 was lower than Group 2 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.02, respectively). Corneal lesion circumference of calves in Groups 1 and Group 2 differed (P < 0.04), and the difference between days was significantly different (P < 0.0001). There was no difference in Na or Cl levels in the plasma and serum samples among the 3 treatment groups at any sampling time points (P< 0.0001), and no difference between pre- (day 0) and post-treatment (day 11 and 17) in chlorine levels in muscle, liver, fat, and urine at any time point. Results of this study suggest that hypochlorous acid spray can be utilized as alternative therapy to reduce pain, infection, and healing time of corneal lesions in calves experimentally infected with M. bovis.
Interference drag and flow structure around cylinder-sphere junction

Abstract Wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations have been conducted on composite bodies consisting of a sphere connected atop a cylinder as well as the individual component shapes. Drag forces were measured in order to determine the interference drag caused by the junction between the two shapes at varying diameter ratios and Reynolds numbers. Increasing the sphere/cylinder diameter ratio was found to increase the interference drag. A dimensional analysis of these results allows the data to collapse to a single trend line useful for calculating interference drag or, in combination with historical sphere and cylinder data, total drag on such composite shapes. Simulation results reveal that the drag on the sphere component of the composite body increases substantially in comparison to the drag on an individual sphere, largely due to decreases in the pressure on the downstream side. For the composite body, in comparison to the individual shapes, an increasing sphere diameter results in wake modifications including increased vorticity, turbulence intensity and regions of low velocity downstream of the cylinder/sphere junction.
Phase 1 Combination Study of the CHK1 Inhibitor Prexasertib and the PARP Inhibitor Olaparib in High-grade Serous Ovarian Cancer and Other Solid Tumors.

Purpose: Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) plays a central role in the response to replication stress through modulation of cell-cycle checkpoints and homologous recombination (HR) repair. In BRCA-deficient cancers with de novo or acquired PARP inhibitor resistance, the addition of the CHK1 inhibitor prexasertib to the PARP inhibitor olaparib compromises replication fork stability, as well as HR proficiency, allowing for sensitization to PARP inhibition. Experimental Design: This study followed a 3+3 design with a 7-day lead-in of olaparib alone, followed by 28-day cycles with prexasertib administered on days 1 and 15 in combination with an attenuated dose of olaparib on days 1–5 and 15–19. Pharmacokinetic blood samples were collected after olaparib alone and following combination therapy. Patients enrolled to the expansion phase of the study underwent paired tumor biopsies for pharmacodynamic (PD) assessments. Results: Twenty-nine patients were treated. DLTs included grade 3 neutropenia and grade 3 febrile neutropenia. The MTD/recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) was prexasertib at 70 mg/m2 i.v. with olaparib at 100 mg by mouth twice daily. Most common treatment-related adverse events included leukopenia (83%), neutropenia (86%), thrombocytopenia (66%), and anemia (72%). Four of 18 patients with BRCA1-mutant, PARP inhibitor–resistant, high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) achieved partial responses. Paired tumor biopsies demonstrated reduction in RAD51 foci and increased expression of γ-H2AX, pKAP1, and pRPA after combination exposure. Conclusions: Prexasertib combined with olaparib has preliminary clinical activity in BRCA-mutant patients with HGSOC who have previously progressed on a PARP inhibitor. PD analyses show that prexasertib compromises HR with evidence of induction of DNA damage and replication stress.
Understanding the Situation on the Ground: Symposium on Brunei’s New Islamic Criminal Law Code

Mansurah Izzul Mohamed comments on the implementation of Syariah Penal Code Order 2013—Brunei’s new Islamic criminal code. Phase One, covering small crimes and misdemeanors, took effect in May 2014. Phases Two and Three, specifying more serious crimes and more severe punishments, recently took effect in April 2019. This post outlines the history and procedural components of the law with respect to national and international law. Her basic argument is that Codification + Procedure = Just Implementation.
Lived Experience of Religion: Hindu Americans in Southern California

How and where do Hindu Americans of Southern California conduct their religious lives? Using Naturalistic Field Research as a method we examine some of the locales for religious practices. We document the ways in which religion and the sacred can be fixed, permanent, and formal (as with temples), and also informal (as in homes, businesses, and ethnic enclaves), temporary (as in home events), transportable and mobile (carried by an individual in a vehicle and on the body). We point to the importance of “ordinary” spaces, such as homes, businesses, and gardens as settings where the common and periodic practices of lived religion occur. Everyday activities such as food preparation and consumption can take on religious significance and sacredness especially when religion influences food choices, establishes boundaries through taboos, and promotes discipline through fasting. The symbolic significance of food and the need to grow the food to be offered emerge as an important sub-theme. We also show that religion can be closely linked to the arts through music, ritualized drawing and painting, cooking, and home aesthetics. Hinduism is practiced and experienced using all five senses, requiring eating, hearing sacred music, singing, chanting, bells and other instruments, seeing the manifestations of the divine in the form of images and sculptures, touching these sacred artifacts, and becoming aware of the smells of the offerings of flowers and incense. Emphasis is on experience of, and individual communion with, the divine. The geography of religion could gain from expanding into examining the various ordinary settings of religion, and the ways religion is practiced and experienced.
Final Disposition of Three Mile Island Unit 2 Accident-Generated Water

The March 1979 accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2 and the subsequent 10-yr cleanup generated ∼8706 m3 (∼2300000 gal) of radioactively contaminated water, herein referred to as accident-generated ...
Natural Experiments in the Social Sciences: Building strong designs through multi-method research

This book has sought to provide a comprehensive—though far from exhaustive—discussion of the discovery, analysis, and evaluation of natural experiments. I have emphasized that the strongest natural experiments contribute markedly to causal inference. In the best case, natural experiments allow us to learn about the effects of causes that are difficult to manipulate experimentally, while obviating the substantial problems of confounding associated with conventional observational studies. At the same time, I have underscored the potential limitations of this approach and identified three dimensions on which specific natural experiments may fall short: plausibility of as-if random, credibility of models, and relevance of interventions. Using natural experiments is not easy terrain. As with other methods, there is no single algorithm for success, even if some types of natural experiments are increasingly replicated across contexts. Natural experiments that are persuasive on one evaluative dimension might well fall short on another; sources of natural experiments that are compelling in one substantive setting or for one research question might elsewhere raise difficult issues of interpretation. In each application, researchers are therefore challenged to provide evidence that can bolster the credibility of the underlying assumptions and enhance the persuasiveness of their findings. This evidence comes in disparate forms, including both quantitative and qualitative data, and deep knowledge of substance and context is often essential. Data collection can also be costly and time-consuming.
X-Ray Selected EUV Galaxies: A Quest for the Faintest Extragalactic EUV Sources

Using data from the public archive of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) all-sky survey, we have systematically searched for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission (58-174 A, 0.07-0.21 keV) around approximately 2500 distinct positions in the sky corresponding to known X-ray emitting extragalactic sources. We find that 20 X-ray galaxies are EUV bright and were detected with significance above 4 σ during the EUVE survey: 8 are reported here for the first time (MS 0037.7-0156, Mrk 142, M 65, EXO 1128.1+6908, M 87, Mrk 507, PKS 2005-489 and 1H 2351–315.A). 68 additional galaxies are detected with a lower significance (3 < σ < 4), but the list is affected by a high percentage of spurious sources.
Prioritization of copper for the use in photosynthetic electron transport in developing leaves of hybrid poplar

Plastocyanin (PC) is an essential and abundant copper (Cu) protein required for photosynthesis in higher plants. Severe copper deprivation has the potential to cause a defect in photosynthetic electron transport due to a lack in PC. The Cu-microRNAs, which are up-regulated under Cu deficiency, down-regulate the expression of target Cu proteins other than PC, cytochrome-c oxidase and the ethylene receptors. It has been proposed that this mechanism saves Cu for PC maturation. We aimed to test how hybrid poplar, a species that has capacity to rapidly expand its photosynthetically active tissue, responds to variations in Cu availability over time. Measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence after Cu depletion revealed a drastic effect on photosynthesis in hybrid poplar. The decrease in photosynthetic capacity was correlated with a reduction in PC protein levels. Compared to older leaves, PC decreased more strongly in developing leaves, which also lost more photosynthetic electron transport capacity. The effect of Cu depletion on older and more developed leaves was minor and these leaves maintained much of their photosynthetic capacity. Interestingly, upon resupply of Cu to the medium a very rapid recovery of Cu levels was seen in the younger leaves with a concomitant rise in the expression and activity of PC. In contrast, the expression of those Cu proteins, which are targets of microRNAs was under the same circumstances delayed. At the same time, Cu resupply had only minor effects on the older leaves. The data suggest a model where rapid recovery of photosynthetic capacity in younger leaves is made possible by a preferred allocation of Cu to PC in younger leaves, which is supported by Cu-microRNA expression.
The conversion of biomass to ethanol using geothermal energy derived from hot dry rock to supply both the thermal and electrical power requirements

The potential synergism between a hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal energy source and the power requirements for the conversion of biomass to fuel ethanol is considerable. In addition, combining these two renewable energy resources to produce transportation fuel has very positive environmental implications. One of the distinct advantages of wedding an HDR geothermal power source to a biomass conversion process is flexibility, both in plant location and in operating conditions. The latter obtains since an HDR system is an engineered system, where the surface fluid production and injection conditions of flow rate, pressure, temperature, and water chemistry are under the control of the operator. The former obtains since, unlike a naturally occurring geothermal resource, the HDR resource is very widespread, particularly in the western US, and can be developed near transportation and plentiful supplies of biomass.
4 Why mental models must be embodied

Publisher Summary Mental models are related to the concept of meaning and language comprehension; in other words, comprehending a linguistic message means that an appropriate mental model has been formed. The manipulation of mental models corresponds to thinking, and it is the manipulation that generates emergent ideas. The chapter discusses the importance of considering the ways ideas combine and presents the data from two experiments that illustrate the combination of ideas. The chapter illustrates the major implications for the theories of mental models. The first implication is that the computational theories cannot account for the data. The second implication is that something like embodiment is needed, and the chapter outlines one account of embodied mental models. The third implication is the most important and most controversial. It is that the human cognition is not a computational phenomenon.
CD4 T Cell-autonomous TNF receptor type 2 promotes interleukin-2 transcription (IRM6P.723)

Interleukin (IL)-2 plays a key role in adjusting the dynamic state of equilibrium between effector T cells (Teffs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) as well as channeling the outcome of immune responses. IL-2 is mainly produced by activated CD4 T cells and the absence of IL-2 signaling results in lethal autoimmunity. In this study we investigated the role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) receptors type 1 (TNFR1) and type 2 (TNFR2) on the regulation of IL-2 at the level of transcription during the primary activation of CD4 T cells. We generated TNFR1- and/or TNFR2-deficient-IL-2-GFF knock-in reporter mice to examine Il2 promoter activity at the single cell level. We found that the deficiency of TNFR2, but not TNFR1, markedly diminished the number of CD4 T cells that produced IL-2. We further correlated decreased Il2 transcription with impaired intracellular c-Rel expression in TNFR2 KO CD4 T cells. IL-2 production was augmented in response to the addition of soluble TNF implicating a role for transmembrane TNF (tmTNF). Collectively, these data suggest that CD4 T cell autonomous tmTNF/TNFR2 signaling contributes to the number of IL-2 producers by providing a critical third signal necessary for threshold Il2 promoter activity. These results have important implications for understanding the contribution of IL-2 signaling on the dynamic equilibrium between Teff cells and Treg cells and the outcome of inflammatory immune responses.
Radiation effects on insulators for superconducting magnets

A power-producing thermonuclear plasma produces large amounts of gamma and neutron radiation. Materials for fusion reactors must be chosen with this radiation in mind, taking into account the fact that materials in different components experience different fluxes. Magnetic-confinement fusion devices are expected to use large superconducting magnets. Although these are protected from the plasma radiation by both the power-absorption blanket and a shield whose principal purpose is magnet protection, radiation at the magnets must still be addressed during design. There are a number of limitations on radiation tolerance, depending on the particular design. Most of the potential problems relate to changes in material properties.
A comparison of multi-objective optimizers using a microstrip patch antenna test problem

This study compares the convergence efficiency of three different multi-objective optimizers in the analysis of microstrip patch antennas. Each function evaluation is computationally expensive, making the convergence rate a critical factor in whether these algorithms are feasible for real-world antenna design and other electromagnetic applications. Each optimizer has a unique design philosophy to solve the problem. The optimizers chosen include a genetic algorithm (BORG), an evolutionary strategy (MOCMA-ES) and a scalarization algorithm (MOEAD). Tradeoffs between S11 and axial ratio bandwidth, front-to-back ratio and overall size are studied for a series of designs with increasing complexity.
Graft-versus-Leukemia Antigen CML66 Elicits Coordinated B-Cell and T-Cell Immunity after Donor Lymphocyte Infusion

Purpose: The target antigens of graft-versus-leukemia that are tumor associated are incompletely characterized. Experimental Design: We examined responses developing against CML66, an immunogenic antigen preferentially expressed in myeloid progenitor cells identified from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia who attained long-lived remission following CD4+ donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI). Results: From this patient, CML66-reactive CD8+ T-cell clones were detected against an endogenously presented HLA-B*4403–restricted epitope (HDVDALLW). Neither CML66-specific antibody nor T-cell responses were detectable in peripheral blood before DLI. However, by 1 month after DLI, CD8+ T cells were present in peripheral blood and at 10-fold higher frequency in marrow. Subsequently, plasma antibody to CML66 developed in association with disease remission. Donor-derived CML66-reactive T cells were detected at low levels in vivo in marrow before DLI by ELISpot and by a nested PCR-based assay to detect clonotypic T-cell receptor sequences but not in blood of the patient pre-DLI nor of the graft donor. Conclusions: CD4+ DLI results in rapid expansion of preexisting marrow-resident leukemia-specific donor CD8+ T cells, followed by a cascade of antigen-specific immune responses detectable in blood. Our single-antigen analysis thus shows that durable posttransplant tumor immunity is directed in part against nonpolymorphic overexpressed leukemia antigens that elicit coordinated cellular and humoral immunity. Clin Cancer Res; 16(10); 2729–39. ©2010 AACR.
Controlling morphology and phase of pyrite FeS2 hierarchical particles via the combination of structure-direction and chelating agents

Pyrite FeS2 hierarchical microparticles consisting of cubic-like crystals with well defined {100} faceted cubic textures were successfully synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method with the presence of ethylenediamine (en) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The roles of PVP and en in the synthesis process were elucidated by the investigation of morphology and crystalline phases of the products under different reaction conditions and by the analysis of atomic structures of the pyrite (100) and (111) surfaces with different termination layers. While en chelates with Fe2+ and reacts with S8 of the reaction agents to help with dispersion and nucleation as well as the role of reducing agent, PVP acts as both a phase regulator due to its reducing ability and a surface capping agent to bind the iron atoms at the FeS2 (111) surface and direct the formation of {100} facets. It was found that the oxidation state of iron ions and the species of anions in the iron reagents also played important roles in the formation of crystalline phase and morphology of the products. The pyrite hierarchical microparticles could be utilized as a new semiconductor ink for solution processing of photovoltaic devices and photodetectors as well as cathode materials for lithium batteries.
PEGylated Nanographene Oxide for Delivery of Water-Insoluble Cancer Drugs

It is known that many potent, often aromatic drugs are water insoluble, which has hampered their use for disease treatment. In this work, we functionalized nanographene oxide (NGO), a novel graphitic material, with branched polyethylene glycol (PEG) to obtain a biocompatible NGO−PEG conjugate stable in various biological solutions, and used them for attaching hydrophobic aromatic molecules including a camptothecin (CPT) analogue, SN38, noncovalently via π−π stacking. The resulting NGO−PEG−SN38 complex exhibited excellent water solubility while maintaining its high cancer cell killing potency similar to that of the free SN38 molecules in organic solvents. The efficacy of NGO−PEG−SN38 was far higher than that of irinotecan (CPT-11), a FDA-approved water soluble SN38 prodrug used for the treatment of colon cancer. Our results showed that graphene is a novel class of material promising for biological applications including future in vivo cancer treatment with various aromatic, low-solubility drugs.
A1c Gear: Laboratory quality HbA1c measurement at the point of care

Abstract Introduction HbA1c is an important part of assessing the diabetic control and since the use of point-of-care devices for monitoring HbA1c is increasing, it is important to determine how these devices compare to the central laboratory. Methods One hundred and twenty patient samples were analyzed on the Bio-Rad Variant™II and one POC analyzer (Sakae A1c Gear). Three patient sample pools containing ~ 5%, ~ 7%, and ~ 10% HbA1c levels were run over 20 days. Three reagent lots and three instruments were evaluated for the A1c Gear. Results The 120 patient samples showed strong correlation (R2 > 0.989) when compared to the Variant™II with means = 8.06% and 7.81%, for Variant IIand A1c Gear, respectively. Changing reagent lots or instruments had no impact for the A1c Gear. The ~ 5%, ~ 7%, and ~ 10% pools within-run and between-run imprecision was between 0.87–1.33% and 1.03–1.32%, and 1.41–2.35% and 1.24–1.89% with total imprecision of 1.67–2.35% and 1.61–2.31% for the A1c Gear and Variant II, respectively. The A1c Gear showed a small negative bias (0.25% HbA1c) across HbA1c measurement ranges of Conclusions The A1c Gear meets the criteria of total CV
Central Bank Preferences and Macroeconomic Equilibrium

Abstract We investigate the behavior of an optimizing monetary authority in an economy described by a simple AS/AD model. We develop a simple methodology for deriving the optimal policy, and the associated model solution, for various forms of the authority's objectives. In our empirical work, we focus on one of these specifications, in which the authority cares about both the rate of inflation and the level of price innovations (which boost real output in our model), along the lines of Barro and Gordon (1983b). Estimating the model on post-war US data, we find that the revealed weight on price surprises is significant, but only around a third of that on inflation. The estimated elasticity of output with respect to price surprises is around one-quarter, but statistically insignificant.
Survival of the older patient compared with the younger patient with hodgkin's disease. Influence of histologic type, staging, and treatment

Age as an independent risk factor for survival of Hodgkin's disease (HD) was investigated using data for the 6345 patients in the American College of Surgeons, Patterns of Care Study. Patients were divided into those 15 to 34 years of age, and those older than 50 years. Older patients had higher rates of advanced stage and B symptoms (e.g., Stage IVB, 19.7% compared with 7.7%) and significantly higher rates of poor prognosis histologic types, odds ratio (OR) = 3.7. The older population with clinical stage (CS) I and II disease was also less likely to have received any of the selected staging procedures, bone marrow biopsy, lymphogram, or laparotomy (OR = 4.48). The two populations were equivalently understaged when CS was compared with pathologic stage (PS). In each category the older patients were more likely to have received no therapy; for PS I and II disease the OR for older patients compared with the younger patient was 2.14. When stratified by PS, B symptom status, histologic type, and treatment the older patients continued to show poorer 5-year survival by the life-table method. The authors' hypothesis--that older patients equivalently staged and treated would have no significant difference in long-term survival--was not substantiated by the data. However, in the analyses in which corrections for the known risk factors were made, the difference in survival was not as great as that in the crude, unstratified data. This study, as well as other recent studies utilizing smaller numbers of patients, finds age an independent predictor of poorer survival in HD patients.
Resiliency for many-core system on a chip

Resilient techniques are commonly employed for dynamic and static variation tolerance. In this paper, we present an adaptive clocking technique that achieves 31% throughput increase with 15% energy reduction, and an adaptive interconnect fabric technique that increases bandwidth by 63% with 14.6% energy reduction. We also discuss variations in many-core microprocessors and some techniques to enable a resilient many-core system on a chip.
Radiology of urinary undiversion.

Many patients with urinary diversions are now considered candidates for “undiversion”. Radiographic evaluation prior to undiversion of the urinary tract includes cystography to determine bladder capacity and sensation, urinary continence, and the presence of reflux. Urography, loopography, and/or ureterography (antegrade and/or retrograde) are necessary to completely visualize the remaining urinary structures.
Guided Thinking: A Strategy for Encouraging Excellence at the Middle Level

Middle level teachers can avoid passive seatwork and encourage students to think using a "guided thinking" approach. The au thor describes the strategy, designed to help adolescents develop more sophisticated thinking and reasoning skills.
Comparison of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction in rural and urban settings

Abstract In this study, a tertiary care hospital served as a registry and information source to rural hospitals in northwestern Ohio where thrombolytic therapy had not previously been used. The study was designed to compare the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction in the two settings. Fifty-five patients in eight rural hospitals and 36 patients in the urban tertiary care center received intravenous streptokinase. Of the 87 patients whose symptoms first occurred out of the hospital, 63 percent were treated within three hours. There were no significant differences in rates of clinically determined coronary artery recanalization (63 percent versus 69 percent for rural and tertiary hospitals, respectively), in-hospital mortality (5.4 percent versus 11 percent), bleeding complications (3.6 percent versus 5.5 percent), or time from the onset of pain to infusion of streptokinase (3.4 hours versus 2.9 hours). There were also no differences in the completeness of collection of serial coagulation data and cardiac enzyme values, or in the documentation of chest pain onset and cessation. Major differences between rural centers and the tertiary care center involved the use of serial electrocardiography (58 percent versus 89 percent, respectively), subsequent cardiac catheterization (49 percent versus 86 percent), and the timing of catheterization, when performed (30.4 days versus 4.6 days) (p
The efficacy of laundering Captan and Guthion® contaminated fabrics

An evaluation was made of the launder-ability of fabrics contaminated with pesticides. The variables examined were pesticide composition, fabric type, and laundry conditions. Fabric selection enabled the comparison of fabrics commonly worn by the agriculture worker, 100% cotton denim and 100% cotton chambray, and alternate fabrics Gore Tex® and Tyvek®, that have been shown to provide greater protection against pesticide penetration. Pesticide selection enabled a comparison between a dicarboximide fungicide and a organophosphorous insecticide.
Understanding Kink Propagation in Spiroplasma

Spiroplasma are helical bacteria of the class Mollicutes, that lack cell walls and swim by propagating a kink of handedness-change along their helical shaped body. Recent microscopy studies indicate that the major structural component of the cell is a multistranded protein ribbon, bound to the inner cell membrane. The ribbon runs along the whole cell body, following the shortest helical path on the membrane inner surface. Kink propagation is believed to be driven by conformational changes in the ribbon subunits (itself possibly driven by unidentified motor proteins), but the microscopic mechanism is largely unknown.We use simple mechanical models to understand kink propagation in Spiroplasma. Our conclusions differ from earlier work based on purely geometrical considerations in several important ways. This leads us to propose new microscopic mechanisms for the handedness change, and a new interpretation of the observed bend angle in kinked cells.We further model the mechanochemistry of kink propagation, and find that the kink speed might be limited either by protein friction or a chemical event in the mechanochemical cycle of a ribbon subunit. The two mechanisms might be distinguished based on the randomness of the kink propagation.Our results offer a qualitatively new understanding of existing observations, and several useful suggestions for future experiments.
Persistent placenta increta: A complication of conservative management of presumed placenta accreta

Background Recent reports have advocated conservative management rather than hysterectomy for placenta increta and its related conditions, placenta accreta and percreta. We report an unusual case of placenta increta in which initial conservative therapy for a presumed placenta accreta failed and hysterectomy was performed 6 months postpartum. Case A 32-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 2, was referred 5 months after a repeat cesarean delivery and bilateral tubal interruption for evaluation of an intrauterine mass. A presumed placenta accreta noted at delivery had been managed conservatively. Hysterectomy was performed, and pathologic evaluation was consistent with a retained placenta increta. Conclusion Persistent placental tissue is a potential complication of conservative management of an abnormally adherent placenta.
Adenylate cyclase activity in rat submandibular gland during postnatal development

Abstract Adenylate cyclase activity was measured in homogenates of submandibular glands of 1 to 42 day old rats. During this period of time the gland reached its final stage of differentiation. Adenylate cyclase activity was higher in the glands of one day old rats than in those of 7 and 14 day old animals. Between 14 and 28 days of age the enzyme activity more than doubled and approached the level that characterized the glands of adult animals. Fluoride (10mM) stimulated the enzyme activity in all age groups but the stimulation was less in the case of one day old rats as compared to older animals. Isoproterenol (10 −4 M) stimulated adenylate cyclase by 50–60% in the gland of adult rats but had no effect on the enzyme activity in 7 to 28 day old animals. Administration of isoproterenol for 5 days to 9 day old rats increased the weight of the submandibular gland by 70 per cent. Total adenylate cyclase activity increased parallel with the weight of the gland but the specific activity of the enzyme remained unchanged. It is concluded that during the postnatal development of the submandibular gland the rapid increase in adenylate cyclase activity occurs after weaning and it coincides with an accelerated rate of functional differentiation of the acinar cells.
An Experimental Study of Accounting Majors' Academic Achievement Using Cooperative Learning Groups

This study replicates the work of Hite (1996) by examining the exam re‐take cooperative learning strategy. During one semester of an Intermediate Accounting II course, 68 accounting majors took exams in two‐and‐one‐half hour night testing sessions. Students in the treatment groups took group exams immediately after individual exams, while students in the control groups left the testing site after individual exams. The results show that neither the comprehensive final nor the cumulative individual exam scores were significantly different between the treatment and control groups. Contrary to Hite's (1996) findings, this study refutes the assertion that the exam re‐take cooperative learning strategy promotes accounting majors' academic achievement.
Learning topical transition probabilities in click through data with regression models

The transition of search engine users' intents has been studied for a long time. The knowledge of intent transition, once discovered, can yield a better understanding of how different topics are related and be used in many applications, such as building recommender systems, ranking and etc. In this paper, we study the problem of finding the transition probabilities of digital library users' intents among different topics. We use the click-through data from CiteSeerX and extract the click chains. Each document in the click chain is represented by a topical vector generated by LDA models. We then model the task of finding the topical transition probabilities as a multiple output linear regression problem, in which the input and output are two consecutive topical vectors in the click chain and the elements in the weight matrix correspond to the transition probabilities. Given the constraints of our task, we propose a new algorithm based on the exponentiated gradient. Our algorithm provides a good interpretability as well as a small sum-of-squares error comparable to existing regression methods. We are particular interested in the off-diagonal elements of the learned weight matrix since they represent the transition probabilities of different topics. The authors' interpretation of these transitions are given at the end of the paper.
Use of fabric and compost mulches for vegetable production in a low tillage, permanent bed system: effects on crop yield and labor.

We tested the usefulness of mulching with polypropylene landscape fabric and compost as alternatives to bare soil for growing red cabbage and watermelon. Polypropylene landscape fabric has features similar to the polyethylene film that is popular for commercial vegetable production, but its durability permits multi-year use, which would reduce excessive waste produced from the typical single-season use of polyethylene film. On the other hand, compost used as mulch enhances soil development while providing weed suppression and water retention, among other benefits. Yields of red cabbage and watermelon were measured for 3 years in plots receiving either 10 cm compost, landscape fabric, or no mulch. Labor associated with crop production and weed suppression was measured as time spent on each task. Cabbage yields over 3 years followed the treatment order of compost > no mulch > fabric, while for melon yields it was compost > fabric > no mulch. Total labor required over 3 years for both crops, according to treatments, was fabric > compost > no mulch. However, labor for the fabric-treated plots dropped sharply after the first year, because fabric was left in place after initial placement. Labor for unmulched cabbage plots increased over time due to weeding and transplanting; labor for unmulched and compost-mulched melon plots increased for the same reasons. Compost provided the highest crop yields with a moderate labor investment. Surface-applied compost substantially increased underlying soil nutrient levels. The study indicates that polypropylene landscape fabric may be a potential alternative to the more traditional polyethylene film for permanent beds in vegetable production.
Velocity measurements in the microvasculature of the cat omentum by on-line method

Abstract A system for on-line measurement of red blood cell velocity in vivo , in microvessels up to 100 μ in diameter, was developed. The system is based on the dual-slit photometric method and computes on line the time to maximum crosscorrelation between the photodetectors' output. Amplitude and phase relations with respect to the systemic circulation are educed from the on-line computed output. Results show that pulsatile components persist throughout the microvasculature of the cat omentum. The peak amplitude in the arteriolar circulation is shifted by 60–80° with respect to the peak amplitude in the systemic circulation. Phase shifts in 100–130° range were found in venules. The small arteriolar-venular phase shift suggests a comparatively rigid microvasculature characterized by a low resistance-compliance product.
Enhanced EGFR expression and function in calreticulin deficient cells

Abstract Introduction: Calreticulin is a multi-functioning protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum. Several functions have been attributed to calreticulin including lectin-like chaperoning, regulation of gene expression, cell adhesion, auto-immunity and calcium homeostasis. As an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone calreticulin regulates the maturation and folding of several trans-membrane proteins. We hypothesized that as an endoplasmic reticular protein it regulates the expression folding and maturation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). To date no information is available about the role of calreticulin in EGFR expression and folding. Methods: Wild type calreticulin deficient (crt -/-) and mouse lung cancer cells isolated from transgenic mice over expressing calreticulin was used to examine the expression, localization and function of EGFR. Western blot analysis was used to determine the protein expression. Immunocytochemical staining of cells was utilized to determine localization of EGFR and AKT phosphorylation was used to determine changes in EGFR function. Results: Loss of calreticulin function resulted in a significant increase in the expression of EGFR as was determined by western blot analysis with anti-EGFR antibody. Similarly, lung tumor cell lines isolated from calreticulin over expressing cells expressed high levels of EGFR. Immunocytochemical staining of these cells did not show any significant change in the localization of EGFR in either calreticulin deficient or over expressing cells. Our data also demonstrated an increase in the level of tyrosine phosphorylation in calreticulin deficient cells accompanied by a significant increase in the AKT phosphorylation in these cell lines suggesting an increase in EGFR activity. Conclusions: Altered calreticulin expression does not affect EGFR receptor folding but rather increases its expression and function. Next we will examine whether changes in the EGFR is due to calreticulin's role as a regulator of intracellular calcium thus affecting transcription of EGFR (using quantitative RT-PCR technique).
Antarctic geology and mineral resources

The geology of Antarctica is similar in many respects to that of the other southern continents that once formed the larger continent of Gondwana. Because of this former union with other land masses, mineral resources in Antarctica are probable, but none of any significance have been found, perhaps because of the widespread cover (97%) of ice over the continent. Offshore oil and gas are presently unknown, but would seem to hold the best prospect for any development in the near future, but perhaps not until questions of sovereignty and ownership of potential resources are resolved.
Continuous pH Monitoring Using the Paratrend® 7 Inserted into a Peripheral Vein in a Patient with Shock and Congenital Lactic Acidosis

The authors present a 25-year-old woman who was admitted to the ICU for treatment of shock, respiratory failure, and acidosis related to congenital lactic acidosis from pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency. To aid in ongoing management of the metabolic acidosis, the Paratrend® blood gas monitoring sensor was inserted through a peripheral venous site to provide a continuous measurement of pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco2). With the venous insertion of the Paratrend®, a clinically useful correlation with arterial blood gas values was noted. Linear regression analysis of the pH values from the venous blood gas analyses and the Paratrend® monitor revealed r2 = 0.71 with p = 0.001 and r2 = 0.78 with a p = 0.0003 for the Pco2 values. Our preliminary experience suggests that venous placement of the Paratrend® monitor can be used to provide clinically useful, continuous measurement of pH and Pco2.
Law and American Political Development

This essay reviews the recent volume edited by Ronald Kahn and Ken I. Kersch, The Supreme Court and American Political Development (2006), as well as the broader literature by law scholars interested in American Political Development (APD). The Law and APD literature has advanced our knowledge about courts by placing attention on the importance of executive and legislative actors, and by providing political context to our understanding of judicial decision making. But this knowledge would be more powerful if it would embrace the broader APD field's orientation toward the importance of state and institutional autonomy for understanding politics and political change. Law and APD scholars could go further in examining the ways in which courts and judges act institutionally, and how the legal branch as an institution impacts American politics and state-building. In doing so, Law and APD scholars would contribute not only to our understanding of judicial decision making but also to our understanding of the place and importance of courts in American politics.
Controlling the troll: management of cytomegalovirus infection after transplantation.

Because of better antiviral drugs and sensitive viral assays, cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is becoming less threatening to post-transplantation patients. However, proponents of universal antiviral...
Compared with cyclosporine, ISATX247 significantly prolongs renal-allograft survival in a nonhuman primate model

Background ISATX247 is a novel calcineurin inhibitor that has shown more potency than cyclosporine in vitro. This is the first study to compare the survival times of renal allografts in nonhuman primates treated with either ISATX247 or cyclosporine. Methods Adult, male cynomolgus monkeys were divided into blood-group compatible and mixed-lymphocyte, stimulation-mismatched, donor-recipient pairs. Heterotopic renal transplantation and bilateral native nephrectomies were performed. The monkeys were placed into either an ISATX247 or cyclosporine treatment group. Both groups were dosed twice daily to maintain a 12-hour drug-trough level of 150 ng/mL. Whole-blood concentrations of ISATX247 and cyclosporine, complete blood counts, and serum chemistry profiles were performed three times a week. Euthanasia was performed if the serum creatinine concentration became 7 or more mg/dL or a serious complication developed. Results The group receiving ISATX247 (n=8) survived significantly (P=0.0036) longer than the group receiving cyclosporine (n=7). The mean trough blood concentration of ISATX247 was 120 +/- 32 ng/mL and cyclosporine was 189 +/- 130 ng/mL. The average area under the curve 0-12 for ISATX247 was 6045 +/- 1679 ng/mL/hr and for cyclosporine was 4919 +/- 823 ng/mL/hr. The average calcineurin inhibition at trough blood concentrations was 80 +/- 11% for ISATX247 and 48 +/- 12% for cyclosporine. Conclusions Allografts in monkeys treated with ISATX247 survived significantly longer than those treated with cyclosporine. On the basis of survival times and degree of calcineurin inhibition, ISATX247 is a more potent immunosuppressive agent than cyclosporine in this nonhuman primate model of renal-allograft transplantation.