cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of L‐asparaginase: Polyethylene Glycol Conjugate Versus Native L‐asparaginase Combined with Chemotherapy: A Randomized Double‐blind Study in Canine Lymphoma

L-asparaginase is an enzyme that inhibits protein synthesis by the depletion of sources of L-asparagine, which is necessary for transformed lymphoid cells to proliferate. L-asparaginase is used in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A problem with L-asparaginase therapy is the immunogenicity of the enzyme and the development of anaphylactic reactions. Canine lymphoma is a predominantly B-cell tumor with widespread disease; without treatment, dogs with lymphoma usually survive 1-2 months. Canine lymphoma will respond to L-asparaginase therapy. A randomized double-blind study evaluated a polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugate L-asparaginase combined with chemotherapy (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone). Thirty-five dogs were randomized to the PEG L-asparaginase group, and 34 dogs were randomized to the native L-asparaginase group. Thirty dogs (85.7%) achieved a complete remission (CR) with a median time to relapse of 217 days, and 32 (94.1%) dogs in the native L-asparaginase group achieved a CR with a median time to relapse of 214 days (P greater than 0.05). The asparaginase was well tolerated in both groups. Two dogs in the native L-asparaginase group had severe allergic reactions, and one dog in the PEG asparaginase group had a generalized urticarial reaction after repeated injections. This study indicates that PEG L-asparaginase has equal therapeutic efficacy to native L-asparaginase.
Diagnostic imaging of choroid plexus disease.

Abstract Disorders of the choroid plexus, a central nervous system structure, are rare, but can pose diagnostic difficulties. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings of a wide spectrum of lesions that affect the choroid plexus. The areas covered include (1) neoplasms (papilloma, leukaemia, meningioma, lymphoma and metastases); (2) infections (bacterial, fungal and viral); (3) cysts; (4) haemorrhage; (5) congenital abnormalities (Sturge-Weber syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome and vascular malformations); and (6) non-infectious inflammatory disorders (xanthogranulomas, inflammatory pseudotumour, neurosarcoidosis, rheumatoid nodule and villous hypertrophy). Few of the patterns of choroid plexus involvement are specific for a particular pathological process.Guermazi, A. (2000) Clinical Radiology 55, 503–516.
Rethinking Antibiotic Research and Development: World War II and the Penicillin Collaborative

Policy leaders and public health experts may be overlooking effective ways to stimulate innovative antibiotic research and development. I analyzed archival resources concerning the US government’s efforts to produce penicillin during World War II, which demonstrate how much science policy can differ from present approaches. By contrast to current attempts to invigorate commercial participation in antibiotic development, the effort to develop the first commercially produced antibiotic did not rely on economic enticements or the further privatization of scientific resources. Rather, this extremely successful scientific and, ultimately, commercial endeavor was rooted in government stewardship, intraindustry cooperation, and the open exchange of scientific information. For policymakers facing the problem of stimulating antibiotic research and development, the origins of the antibiotic era offer a template for effective policy solutions that concentrate primarily on scientific rather than commercial goals.
Use of Permanent Magnets in Accelerator Technology: Present and Future

Permanent magnet systems have some generic properties that, under some circumstances, make them not only mildly preferable over electromagnets, but make it possible to do things that can not be done with any other technology. After a general discussion of these generic advantages, some specific permanent magnet systems will be described. Special emphasis will be placed on systems that have now, or are likely to have in the future, a significant impact on how some materials research is conducted.
Effect of Hypoxia on DNA Polymerase |[beta]| Activity in Cortical Nuclei of the Guinea Pig Fetus at Term

Effect of Hypoxia on DNA Polymerase β Activity in Cortical Nuclei of the Guinea Pig Fetus at Term
MVA Processing of Speech Features

In this paper, we investigate a technique consisting of mean subtraction, variance normalization and time sequence filtering. Unlike other techniques, it applies auto-regression moving-average (ARMA) filtering directly in the cepstral domain. We call this technique mean subtraction, variance normalization, and ARMA filtering (MVA) post-processing, and speech features with MVA post-processing are called MVA features. Overall, compared to raw features without post-processing, MVA features achieve an error rate reduction of 45% on matched tasks and 65% on mismatched tasks on the Aurora 2.0 noisy speech database, and an average 57% error reduction on the Aurora 3.0 database. These improvements are comparable to the results of much more complicated techniques even though MVA is relatively simple and requires practically no additional computational cost. In this paper, in addition to describing MVA processing, we also present a novel analysis of the distortion of mel-frequency cepstral coefficients and the log energy in the presence of different types of noise. The effectiveness of MVA is extensively investigated with respect to several variations: the configurations used to extract and the type of raw features, the domains where MVA is applied, the filters that are used, the ARMA filter orders, and the causality of the normalization process. Specifically, it is argued and demonstrated that MVA works better when applied to the zeroth-order cepstral coefficient than to log energy, that MVA works better in the cepstral domain, that an ARMA filter is better than either a designed finite impulse response filter or a data-driven filter, and that a five-tap ARMA filter is sufficient to achieve good performance in a variety of settings. We also investigate and evaluate a multi-domain MVA generalization
Characterizing a surface imaging process in a high-volume DRAM manufacturing production line

The manufacturing of the next generation of DRAMs will require microlithographic capability in the 0.5 micrometers range. Our goal is to develop this capability using g-line optical microlithography; and i- line when g-line fails. To determine if surface-imaging is a viable alternative to extend the practical resolution limit of g-line lithography in a manufacturing environment, we have set up and characterized DESIRE, a surface-imaging process, in a high-volume DRAM manufacturing production line. This characterization study includes: (a) determination of basic lithographic data, (b) measurement of linewidth as the criterion to determine the stability of the process over time, (c) pattern transfer and stability of the resist to dry-etch processes, (d) measurement of any radiation-induced damage taking place during dry- development.
Delayed treatment with enalapril halts tubulointerstitial fibrosis in rats with obstructive nephropathy

Delayed treatment with enalapril halts tubulointerstitial fibrosis in rats with obstructive nephropathy. Tubulointerstitial fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is driven by increased levels of angiotensin II (Ang II). In this study, we examined the time course of the fibrotic process in rats with UUO and explored the effect of delayed administration of an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, enalapril, on the tubulointerstitial fibrosis of obstructive uropathy. Rats were sacrificed at 3, 5, 8, or 10 days after UUO was initiated. Some rats did not receive treatment, whereas others were treated with enalapril from day 4 to day 8 or from day 6 to day 10 after the onset of UUO. The levels of mRNA for transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF-β1), collagen type IV (collagen IV), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1) were measured at each time point by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The relative volume of the tubulointerstitium (Vv) was measured by a point-counting method. Monocyte/macrophage infiltration and collagen IV protein deposition were examined histologically using specific antibodies. There were significant increases in TGF-β1, TIMP-1, and collagen IV mRNAs in the obstructed kidney. Treatment with enalapril on day 4 through day 8 or on day 6 through day 10 significantly reduced the elevated mRNA levels of these compounds in the obstructed kidney. Histological studies showed augmented Vv, monocyte/macrophage infiltration, interstitial α-smooth muscle actin expression, and collagen IV protein deposition on days 3, 5, 8, or 10 of UUO; enalapril treatment from day 4 to 8 or from day 6 to 10 halted and to an extent reversed these increases. These data suggest that enalapril administration after several days of UUO is an effective means of preventing the progression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis of obstructive uropathy.
Intensive combined modality therapy including low-dose TBI in high-risk ewing's sarcoma patients

Abstract Twenty-four higb-risk Ewing's sarcoma patients were treated on an intensive combined modality protocol including low-dose fractionated total body irradiation (TBI) and autologous bone marrow infusion (ABMI). Twenty patients (83%) achieved a complete clinical response to the primary and/or metastatic sites following induction therapy. The median disease-free interval was 18 months, and nine patients remain disease-free with a follow-up of 22 to 72 months. Local failure as a manifestation of initial relapse occurred in only three patients (15%), each having synchronous distant failure. Eight patients failed initially with only distant metastases, usually within 1–2 years following a complete clinical response. Two patients with a single metastasis were again rendered disease-free and remain free from second relapse with 18 and 30 months of follow-up. No other relapsed patient was able to be rendered disease-free, and most died of progressive disease within 6 to 12 months of relapse. Two patterns of granulocyte recovery following consolidative therapy (including TBI) and ABMI were recognized. Seventeen patients reached a total granulocyte count of >500 cells/mm 3 within 4 weeks of ABMI (early granulocyte recovery), while 7 patients required >4 weeks from ABMI (late granulocyte recovery). The time to platelet recovery (>50,000/mm 3 ) was different for the groups with early and late granulocyte recovery (25 days vs. 54 days, p > .001). Six of seven patients with late granulocyte recovery received local high-dose irradiation to >12 pelvis prior to bone marrow storage. Patients with) late recovery did not tolerate maintenance chemotherapy. However, there was no difference in disease-free and overall survival, when comparing the groups with early and late granulocyte recovery. We conclude that these high-risk Ewing's sarcoma patients remain a poor-prognosis group in spite of intensive combined modality therapy including low-dose TBI. The control of microscopic systemic disease remains the major challenge to improving the cure rate. A new combined modality protocol with high-dose `therapeutic' TBI (800 rad/2 fractions) is being used and the protocol design is outlined.
Pollen Sequence at Kirchner Marsh, Minnesota

A pollen diagram from Kirchner Marsh, southeastern Minnesota, records a continuous vegetation sequence from the time of Late Wisconsin ice retreat from the region. The late-glacial and early postglacial portions of the diagram are correlated with a radiocarbon-dated diagram from Madelia, Minnesota. Both diagrams show a series of maxima of pollen types in the early postglacial that suggest a significant climatic change at that time. The Kirchner diagram, in addition, shows high percentages of nonarboreal pollen later in the postglacial that indicate an advance of prairie elements into the area between 7200 and 5000 years ago.
Robust balance control of a one-legged, pneumatically-actuated, Acrobot-like hopping robot

We investigate approaches to balance control of an under-actuated robot. The robot is similar in structure to the Acrobot, but it is actuated with a pneumatic cylinder rather than an electric motor, and it is capable of hopping. Regions of attraction of the control system are studied, and two methods are presented that increase the size of this region. One is a different mechanical design, and the other is a more robust control approach based on H/sub /spl infin// methods. The result is a much improved balance controller for a hopping robot.
P-nitrophenyl phosphatases of a membrane fraction from bovine cerebral cortex.

— Three different types of p-nitrophenyl phosphatases (NPPases) were solubilized by deoxycholate treatment from a membrane fraction of bovine cerebral cortex, and their characteristics were determined. Of these three NPPases (acid, Mg2+-activated, and K+, Mg2+-activated), only K-Mg NPPase was stimulated about two-fold by phospholipid and was inhibited by unsaturated neutral lipids and fatty acids. Unlike Na+-K+-Mga+-activated ATPase, the enzyme did not absolutely require phospholipid for its activity, but was similarly thermolabile and was protected by phospholipid from thermal inactivation. Acid NPPase was separable from the other two NPPases by ammonium sulphate fractionation, and partly solubilized by dialysis against ATP-mercaptoethanol solution. Hg2+ inhibited equally all three NPPases, but Ca2+ inhibited only Mg and K-Mg NPPases. Ouabain was effective on K-Mg NPPase alone.
Label-free immunodetection with CMOS-compatible semiconducting nanowires

Semiconducting nanowires have the potential to act as highly sensitive sensors for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms, without the need for a label on the pathogen. Practical miniature sensors would have applications in diagnostics, homeland security and basic research. Current technologies have not been widely adopted for various reasons, including the difficulty of integrating nanoscale devices into practical sensors. Now a team spanning five departments at Yale has developed a new approach to the problem. In a state-of-the-art (CMOS-compatible) system they create miniature, ultra-sensitive sensors that can detect specific unlabelled antibodies at concentrations below 100 femtomolar and are able to monitor the cellular immune response in 'real-time'. A new approach that uses complementary metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor compatible technology is reported, and demonstrates the specific label-free detection of below 100 femtomolar concentrations of antibodies as well as real-time monitoring of the cellular immune response. Semiconducting nanowires have the potential to function as highly sensitive and selective sensors for the label-free detection of low concentrations of pathogenic microorganisms1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. Successful solution-phase nanowire sensing has been demonstrated for ions3, small molecules4, proteins5,6, DNA7 and viruses8; however, ‘bottom-up’ nanowires (or similarly configured carbon nanotubes11) used for these demonstrations require hybrid fabrication schemes12,13, which result in severe integration issues that have hindered widespread application. Alternative ‘top-down’ fabrication methods of nanowire-like devices9,10,14,15,16,17 produce disappointing performance because of process-induced material and device degradation. Here we report an approach that uses complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistor compatible technology and hence demonstrate the specific label-free detection of below 100 femtomolar concentrations of antibodies as well as real-time monitoring of the cellular immune response. This approach eliminates the need for hybrid methods and enables system-scale integration of these sensors with signal processing and information systems. Additionally, the ability to monitor antibody binding and sense the cellular immune response in real time with readily available technology should facilitate widespread diagnostic applications.
Determination of tocopherols and sterols by capillary gas chromatography

A method is described for simultaneously determining tocopherols and sterols in fats and oils by quantitative capillary gas chromatography. Samples containing ca. 100 mg of lipid were saponified in capped tubes with aqueous KOH by heating for 8 min at 80 C; the unsaponifiable fraction was extracted with cyclohexane, freed of solvent, derivatized to form the trimethylsilyl ethers of both tocopherols and sterols, and chromatographed on a 50 m×0.25 mm glass capillary column coated with Dexsil 400. Most of the individual tocopherols and common sterols were well separated, although interfering peaks were seen in some samples, which for better specificity should be subjected to an initial purification. For most samples, however, the simplified sample preparation, without preliminary purification, was adequate when combined with capillary gas chromatography. Recovery, method and gas liquid chromatographic precision, and applications are discussed.
Institutional experience of endoscopic suprasellar arachnoid cyst fenestration

Introduction Suprasellar arachnoid cysts can differ from other arachnoid cysts in several ways, making a separate analysis of these cysts worthwhile. Herein, we present the outcome and perform volumetric analysis of six children with suprasellar arachnoid cysts treated with endoscopic ventriculocystocisternostomy in order to evaluate the long-term outcomes.
Cooperating Over Food and Firefighting: Organizational Benefits of Commensality

We investigate the organizational benefits that firms might obtain through various supports for co-workers to engage in commensality (i.e., eating together). Motivated by the facts that (1) firms a...
The Effect of Micro Dent Arrays Fabricated by Laser Shock Peening on Tribology

Surface micro dents may act as lubricant reservoirs to reduce friction and wear in sliding and rolling contact applications. Surface patterning has become a valuable technique for fabricating micro dents. Alternative methods such as micromachining present obvious limitations in comparison with laser shock peening (LSP). In this paper, the use of LSP along with an automatic X-Y table proves to be an attractive and reliable method for producing micro dent arrays with enhanced surface integrity and free of cracks. Surface topography, residual stress, and microhardness of the fabricated micro dent arrays on polished Ti-6Al-4V have been characterized. It was found that a 10% density of micro dent array reduces coefficient of friction compared with a smooth surface. However, a higher dent density not necessarily reduces coefficient of friction.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Clinical Implications of Mutations of Neutrophil Elastase in Congenital and Cyclic Neutropenia

Clinical implications of mutations of neutrophil elastase in congenital and cyclic neutropenia
Efficient delays in a stochastic model of bargaining

We consider a k-player sequential bargaining model in which both the cake size and the identity of the proposer are determined by a stochastic process. For the case where the cake is a simplex (of random size) and the players share a common discount factor, we establish the existence of a unique stationary subgame perfect payoff which is efficient and characterize the conditions under which agreement is delayed. We also investigate how the equilibrium payoffs depend on the order in which the players move and on the correlation between the identity of the proposer and the cake size.
AMYLOIDOSIS OF THE URINARY BLADDER

SUMMARY A clinicopathological appraisal of 42 cases of amyloidosis of the urinary bladder, including 9 cases from this institution (5 previously reported), is presented. Good follow-up information indicates a benign course for the localised lesions confined to the bladder, for which transurethral biopsy with resection and fulguration is the treatment of choice. Diffuse bladder involvement is more serious, and subsequent urinary diversion may be required. One case was unusual in that lower urinary tract symptoms occurred in a patient with systemic amyloidosis who subsequently succumbed to the disease. In another case, a year later a highly malignant urothelial vesical carcinoma developed soon after recurrent amyloid lesions had been successfully treated elsewhere. Patients with frequent recurrences should be screened carefully for possible malignant change.
The Vagueness of “Tradition” and the Pain and Suffering of Children

The argument presented by Jeffrey Bishop that "tradition " justfies female circumcision is grounded on the assumption that reason is always situated within traditions and that traditions are the foundational source of values. I argue that the concept of tradition is inherently vague and, as such, cannot support the weight of the argument that makes it the final arbiter of moral values. The concept especially does not justify intense pain and suffering inflicted on children.
Exploring male-female communication: three lessons on gender.

Providing strategies for engaging youth in a discussion of gender differences in communication can help students develop healthy and effective relational communication skills. While such a conversation is useful, it can also perpetuate gender stereotypes. This technique describes 3 gender lessons to help create a balanced discussion of male–female differences. These lessons are derived from communication research and provide a framework for accurate dialogue about gender-based communication.
Influence of cultural practices on edaphic factors related to root disease in Pinus nursery seedlings

Conifer seedlings grown in bare-root nurseries are frequently damaged and destroyed by soil-borne pathogenic fungi that cause root rot. Relationships between nursery cultural practices, soils characteristics, and populations of potential pathogens in the soil were examined in three bare-root tree nurseries in the midwestern USA. Soil-borne populations of Fusarium spp. and Pythium spp. were enumerated as a function of soil depth in the upper 42 cm; red and white pine seedling root systems were assessed visually for signs of root rot. Soil organic carbon and resistance to cone penetration (as a function of depth) were augmented by saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), water retention characteristic, texture and pH at selected depths. Cone index (CI) provided accurate 'fingerprints' of cultural practices in each nursery. A tillage pan due to rotary tillage was detected by CI in the Minnesota and Wisconsin nurseries, but no such tillage pan was indicated in the Michigan nursery, which did not use rotary tillage. Curves of CI also indicated differing maximum depth of tillage disturbance between nurseries; maximum rooting depth based on 3 MPa CI were different among nurseries. Vertical distribution of soil-borne Fusarium spp. reflected the vertical incorporation pattern associated with the type of tillage implement used to incorporate cover crop residue prior to Pinus seedling establishment. Peak numbers of Fusarium spp., from 250 to 950 colony forming units (cfu g-1 dry soil) were recorded between 12 - 14 cm depth in two nurseries using a moldboard plow for incorporation while steadily decreasing populations, from 1800 to 250 cfu g-1 dry soil, were found from 0 to 15 cm in the third nursery using a disc. Vertical distribution of the Fusarium spp. also correlated with organic carbon levels, which suggested that cover-crop incorporation and conifer rooting had determined the location of soil-borne Fusarium spp. propagules. Ksat suggest that tillage pans caused by rotary tillage may impede drainage during nearly daily irrigation enough to cause physiological stress to the seedlings and predispose them to disease. Low levels of mortality (from
Impact of repeated health behavior counseling on women portraying an overweight standardized patient.

Abstract Objective To investigate the influence of participation in a health behavior counseling (HBC) case by examining standardized patients' real-life attitudes and behaviors toward nutrition and physical activity habits. Methods Focus group sessions were held with 10 standardized patients who regularly participated in the HBC case. Emergent themes were identified using grounded theory data analysis. Results Standardized patients reported how participation with role playing in the HBC case prompted personal lifestyle changes. Changes occurred through increased awareness and motivation to make adjustments to health habits, such as exercise and improved food choices. Conclusions and Implications The HBC model can be an effective method for helping patients to recognize the need to take action and implement positive lifestyle changes.
Frequency of Reexposure to Vibrio cholerae O1 Evaluated by Subsequent Vibriocidal Titer Rise after an Episode of Severe Cholera in a Highly Endemic Area in Bangladesh

Vibriocidal antibody is a marker of recent exposure to Vibrio cholerae O1 infection. We examined vibriocidal titers for 1 year after an episode of severe cholera in patients in Dhaka, Bangladesh; 16 of 53 (30%) patients had a fourfold or greater increase in vibriocidal titer between 6 and 12 months after an episode of severe cholera, suggesting reexposure to the organism. Among patients with rises in titers during follow-up, the patients initially infected with serotype Ogawa had earlier rises in titer than the patients initially infected with serotype Inaba. These data and others suggest that an episode of severe cholera protects against symptomatic disease for several years, but reexposure to the organism occurs frequently in an endemic area, with immunological boosts beginning as early as 6 months after severe disease. Repeated exposures to V. cholerae in endemic areas may be a necessary component for long-lasting protection against severe disease.
Region-based value iteration for partially observable Markov decision processes

An approximate region-based value iteration (RBVI) algorithm is proposed to find the optimal policy for a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP). The proposed RBVI approximates the true polyhedral partition of the belief simplex with an ellipsoidal partition, such that the optimal value function is linear in each of the ellipsoidal regions. The position and shape of each region, as well as the gradient (alpha-vector) of the optimal value function in the region, are parameterized explicitly, and are estimated via efficient expectation maximization (EM) and variational Bayesian EM (VBEM), based on a set of selected sample belief points. The RBVI maintains a much smaller number of alpha-vectors than point-based methods and yields a more parsimonious representation that approximates the true value function in the maximum likelihood (ML) sense. The results on benchmark problems show that the proposed RBVI is comparable in performance to state-of-the-art algorithms, despite of the small number of alpha-vectors that are used.
On the spectral stability of solitary wave solutions of the vector nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We consider a system of coupled cubic nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equations where the interaction coefficients αjk are real. The spectral stability of solitary wave solutions (both bright and dark) is examined both analytically and numerically. Our results build on preceding work by Nguyen et al and others. Specifically, we present closed-form solitary wave solutions with trivial and nontrivial-phase profiles. Their spectral stability is examined analytically by determining the locus of their essential spectrum. Their full stability spectrum is computed numerically using a large-period limit of Hill’s method. We find that all nontrivial-phase solutions are unstable while some trivial-phase solutions are spectrally stable. To our knowledge, this paper presents the first investigation of the stability of the solitary waves of the coupled cubic NLS equation without the restriction that all components ψj are proportional to sech.
Vitamin D and the regulation of placental inflammation.

The vitamin D-activating enzyme 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) support anti-inflammatory responses to vitamin D in many tissues. Given the high basal expression of CYP27B1 and VDR in trophoblastic cells from the placenta, we hypothesized that anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D may be particularly important in this organ. Pregnant wild type (WT) mice i.p. injected with LPS showed elevated expression of mouse Cyp27b1 (4-fold) and VDR (6-fold). Similar results were also obtained after ex vivo treatment of WT placentas with LPS. To assess the functional impact of this, we carried out ex vivo studies using placentas −/− for fetal (trophoblastic) Cyp27b1 or VDR. Vehicle-treated −/− placentas showed increased expression of IFN-γ and decreased expression of IL-10 relative to +/+ placentas. LPS-treated −/− placentas showed increased expression of TLR2, IFN-γ, and IL-6. Array analyses identified other inflammatory factors that are dysregulated in Cyp27b1−/− versus Cyp27b1+/+ placentas after LPS challenge. Data highlighted enhanced expression of IL-4, IL-15, and IL-18, as well as several chemokines and their receptors, in Cyp27b1−/− placentas. Similar results for IL-6 expression were observed with placentas −/− for trophoblastic VDR. Finally, ex vivo treatment of WT placentas with the substrate for Cyp27b1, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, suppressed LPS-induced expression of IL-6 and the chemokine Ccl11. These data indicate that fetal (trophoblastic) vitamin D plays a pivotal role in controlling placental inflammation. In humans, this may be a key factor in placental responses to infection and associated adverse outcomes of pregnancy.
Normative Ethics in Planning

Normative ethics provide guidelines for deciding what makes right acts right. Planners who have written explicitly about ethics have taken a wide variety of approaches-descriptive, analytical, and normative. Normative approaches in planning have been shaped by the dispute in philosophy between two major approaches to ethics. Utilitarianism focuses on the goodness of consequences in deciding what is right. Deontological approaches focus on rules, rights, and actions that are right in themselves. Because neither of these approaches is fully satisfactory by itself; others have been developed that attempt to deal with particular weaknesses. Rule-utilitarianism and intuitionism are discussed here. Either could be thought of as the approach that underlies professional codes of ethics.
Functional status of elderly adults before and after interventions for critical limb ischemia

Objective The impact of interventions for critical limb ischemia (CLI) on functional status in the elderly remains unclear. Open and endovascular procedures were evaluated. Methods Medicare inpatient claims were linked with nursing home assessment data to identify elective admissions for lower extremity procedures for CLI. A functional impairment score (0-28; higher scores indicating greater impairment) based on residents' need for assistance with self-care activities, walking, and locomotion was calculated before and after interventions. Hierarchical modeling determined the effect of the surgery on residents' function, controlling for comorbidity, cognition, and prehospital function. Results Three hundred fifty-two and 350 patients underwent open and endovascular procedures, respectively (rest pain, 84; ulceration, 351; gangrene, 267). Hospitalization was associated with a significant worsening in function following both procedures. Disease severity was associated with the amount of initial decline but not with the rate of recovery ( P > .35). Residents who received open surgery improved more quickly following hospital discharge ( P = .011). Conclusions In the frail elderly, open and endovascular procedures for CLI were associated with similar initial declines in functional status, suggesting that compared with open procedures, less invasive endovascular procedures were not associated with maintaining baseline function. In this select population, endovascular procedures for CLI were not associated with improved functional status over time compared with open. Six months posthospital, patients who received traditional open bypass had significantly better functional status than those who received endovascular procedures for all CLI diagnoses. Further analysis is required to assist stakeholders in performing procedures most likely to preserve functional status in the frail elderly and nursing home population.
Comparison of antibodies to HBME-1 and calretinin for the detection of mesothelial cells in effusion cytology.

The distinction of mesothelial cells in cytologic samples is often a diagnostic challenge. This is particularly true in potentially malignant effusions in which reactive mesothelial cells may simulate adenocarcinoma (ACA) cells, and in the differentiation of ACA vs. mesothelioma. We sought to determine the superior antibody for the positive identification of mesothelial cells in these circumstances. Cell block sections of 25 reactive and 8 malignant mesothelioma effusions were immunostained with an avidin-biotin procedure, using antibodies to HBME-1 and calretinin. No pretreatment of samples was necessary for the HBME-1-stained slides; microwave antigen retrieval was performed on all slides stained for calretinin. A negative control was performed on each sample. The staining intensity of tumor cells was scored on a scale of 0–3+, with the proportion of immunoreactive cells categorized as 75%. The predominant staining pattern for HBME-1 was surface, with rare samples also exhibiting cytoplasmic staining as well. The calretinin-staining pattern was cytoplasmic, with peripheral condensation/prominence and accompanying nuclear staining. All samples were immunoreactive with both antibodies. Fifty-five percent (18/33) of samples showed significantly stronger immunoreactivity with calretinin than with HBME-1; 45% (15/33) of samples showed equivalent staining with the two markers. None of the samples in this study showed stronger immunoreactivity with HBME-1 than with calretinin. Sixty-one percent (20/33) of samples stained with HBME-1 at a moderate (2+) intensity. Fifty-five percent (18/33) of samples stained with calretinin at a strong (3+) intensity. While only 12% of samples showed >75% immunoreactivity for HBME-1, 58% of samples showed >75% of cells immunoreactive for calretinin. Calretinin is the preferred marker in identifying mesothelial cells in cytologic samples, showing the highest sensitivity for mesothelial cells, as evidenced by a more intense staining reaction in a higher percentage of cells than with HBME-1. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2001;25:158–161. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ARBAC07: A Role-based Administration Model for RBAC with Hybrid Hierarchy

Recently, administration of RBAC systems using role-based approach has become very appealing because of the benefits that a role-based approach typically brings. This approach uses RBAC itself to manage RBAC policies so that the administration functions can be decentralized and made more efficient. ARBAC97, ARBAC99, and ARBAC02 are series of well-known solutions for decentralized RBAC administration. However, none of these can be used for RBAC systems that support hybrid hierarchies, which have been shown to be necessary to specify fine-grained RBAC policies. In this paper, we propose the ARBAC07 model based on the ARBAC97, ARBAC99 and ARBAC02 models for an RBAC system with hybrid hierarchy. We show that our model keeps all the advantages of the original model and can further deal with more fine-grained RBAC policies where hybrid hierarchy is needed.
Use of a Spectrophotometric Hemoglobin Assay to Objectively Quantify Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Mice

Background and Purpose There is great interest in developing novel anticoagulant or thrombolytic strategies to treat ischemic stroke. However, at present there are limited means to accurately assess the hemorrhagic potential of these agents. The present studies were designed to develop and validate a method to accurately quantify the degree of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in murine models. Methods In a murine model, ICH was induced by stereotaxic intraparenchymal infusion of collagenase B alone (6×10−6 U; n=5) or collagenase B followed by intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (0.1 mg/kg; n=6). Controls consisted of either sham surgery with stereotaxic infusion of saline (n=5) or untreated animals (n=5). ICH was (1) graded by a scale based on maximal hemorrhage diameter on coronal sections and (2) quantified by a spectrophotometric assay measuring cyanomethemoglobin in chemically reduced extracts of homogenized murine brain. This spectrophotometric assay was validated with the use ...
Fast parameters extraction of multilayer and multiconductor interconnects using geometry independent measured equation of invariance

Measured Equation of Invariance (MEI) is a new concept in computational electromagnetics. It has been demonstrated that the MEI is such an efficient boundary truncation technique that the meshes can be terminated very close to the object and still strictly preserves the sparsity of the FD equations. Therefore, the final system matrix encountered by MEI is a sparse matrix with size similar to that of integral equation methods. However, complicated Green's function and disagreeable Sommerfeld integrals make the traditional MEI very difficult, if not impossible, to be applied to analyze multilayer and multiconductor interconnects. In this paper, we propose the Geometry Independent MEI (GIMEI) which substantially improved the original MEI method. We use GIMEI for capacitance extraction of general two-dimension VLSI multilayer and multiconductor interconnect. Numerical results are in good agreement with various published data. We also include a simple three-dimensional example and compared GIMEI with FASTCAP from MIT. The accuracy is maintained while GIMEI care generally an order of magnitude faster than FASTCAP with much less memory usage.
The federal rail transit policy: Rhetoric or reality?

Almost two years ago the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a formal statement of policy on rail transit. The aim of the policy was to articulate more clearly some of the basic principles and philosophy which would guide Federal participation in urban rail transit investment. The paper examines the principal tenets of the policy and assesses its influence on local rail transit development.
Evidence That the Intracellular Domain of FGF Receptor 2IIIb Affects Contact of the Ectodomain with Two FGF7 Ligands

Abstract Models of the oligomeric FGF signaling complex, including those derived from crystal structures, vary in stoichiometry and arrangement of the three subunits comprised of heparin/heparan sulfate chains, FGFR tyrosine kinase and activating FGF. Here, using covalent affinity crosslinking of radiolabeled FGF7 to binary complexes of FGFR2IIIb and heparin, we show that two molecules of FGF7 contact each FGFR2IIIb. This supports models that propose a dimeric complex of two units with stoichiometry 1 FGF:1 FGFR in which each FGF contacts both FGFR. The bivalent FGF7 contact was dependent on the full-length amino terminus of FGF7α and the intracellular domain of FGFR2IIIb extending through the juxtamembrane domain and the β1 and β2 strands of the kinase which is required for ATP binding. We propose that the differences in crosslinking report differences in relationships among subunits in the ectodomain of the complex that are affected by the amino terminus of FGF and the FGFR intracellular domain. From this, we suggest the corollary that conformational relationships among subunits in the ectodomain are transmitted to the intracellular and ATP binding domains during activation of the complex.
Eastern Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum) Larvae Recognize Cannibalistic Conspecifics

Larval eastern long-toed salamanders, Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum, exhibit trophic polymorphism whereby some individuals (referred to as cannibal morphs) possess a cannibalistic morphology and others (referred to as typical morphs) do not. In a series of laboratory experiments, we documented that typical morphs show an antipredator response when exposed to cannibal morphs but not when exposed to other typical morphs. The antipredator response of the typicals was not dependent on the cannibals being fed conspecifics, as has been shown in other predator-prey systems. In our experiments, the typicals responded regardless of whether the cannibals had been fed a diet of conspecifics or live Tubifex. Further experiments also showed that in the absence of visual cues, typicals still responded with an antipredator response. However, when only visual cues were available, typicals failed to exhibit a response. This suggests that chemical and/or mechanical cues are of prime importance in cannibal recognition by long-toed salamander larvae.
SensLoc: sensing everyday places and paths using less energy

Continuously understanding a user's location context in colloquial terms and the paths that connect the locations unlocks many opportunities for emerging applications. While extensive research effort has been made on efficiently tracking a user's raw coordinates, few attempts have been made to efficiently provide everyday contextual information about these locations as places and paths. We introduce SensLoc, a practical location service to provide such contextual information, abstracting location as place visits and path travels from sensor signals. SensLoc comprises of a robust place detection algorithm, a sensitive movement detector, and an on-demand path tracker. Based on a user's mobility, SensLoc proactively controls active cycle of a GPS receiver, a WiFi scanner, and an accelerometer. Pilot studies show that SensLoc can correctly detect 94% of the place visits, track 95% of the total travel distance, and still only consume 13% of energy than algorithms that periodically collect coordinates to provide the same information.
Understanding Patient Safety Culture: Part I

DISCUSSIONS OF THE term ‘‘patient safety’’ occurs frequently in health care. These discussions started with the 2000 Institute of Medicine’s seminal report, To Err is Human. Over the years, various programs and resources have emerged on the topic. Patients and their families are being encouraged to become active partners toward the goal of patient safety. Because nurses are involved in patient care during the entire patient’s stay in the health care setting, and in the high-paced world of perianesthesia nursing, the impact on patient safety by nurses is evident. Preop-holding nurses are frequently involved in identifying the correct site for surgery. It was estimated that more than 90% of potential medication errors were caught by nurses before administration. Medication safety is a part of every perianesthesia nurse’s daily job. Nurses know the importance of patient safety, but what other factors are influencing patient safety? Evidence is increasing about the influence of work environment and culture on patient safety.
CCC: crossbar connected caches for reducing energy consumption of on-chip multiprocessors

With shrinking feature size of silicon fabrication technology, architects are putting more and more logic into a single die. While one might opt to use these transistors for building complex single processor based architectures, recent trends indicate a shift towards on-chip multiprocessor systems since they are simpler to implement and can provide better performance. An important problem in on-chip multiprocessors is energy consumption. In particular, on-chip cache structures can be major energy consumers. In this work, we study energy behavior of different cache architectures, and propose a new architecture, where processors share a single, banked cache using crossbar interconnects. Our detailed cycle-accurate simulations show that this cache architecture brings energy benefits ranging from 9% to 26% (over an architecture where each processor has a private cache).
Efficacy of pyridoxal treatment in controlling the growth of melanomas in cell culture and an animal pilot study.

We have demonstrated, using confocal laser scanning microscopy, that pyridoxal treatment of B16C3 murine melanoma cells inhibits triamcinolone acetonide induced translocation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to the nucleus. Further investigations extended our work with murine cell cultures, demonstrating that pyridoxal also kills WM9-83A human melanoma cells in culture. In studies with glucocorticoid antagonists, cortexolone functions to inhibit cell proliferation. This mechanism, however, appears to initiate in the GR signal transducing cascade at a point prior to the impact of pyridoxal treatment alone. RU486 alone has no detrimental effect on melanoma cell viability. However, in combination with pyridoxal, RU486 extends cell viability.
What are infants fed in the United States

Estimates of calorie intake from various sources during infancy are presented in relation to age. The estimates, based on published reports and personal communications to the author, concern total calorie intake and its distribution between milk or formula and beikost (i.e., foods other than milk or formula fed to infants), relative prevalence of breast, formula- and milk-feedings, relative popularity of specific commercially prepared formulas, and percentage of calories consumed in the form of commercially prepared strained and junior foods and "table" foods.
Geometry of blood-tissue exchange in bat flight muscle compared with bat hindlimb and rat soleus muscle.

We investigated the relationship between capillary-to-fiber geometry and muscle aerobic capacity by comparing the bat flight muscle (pectoralis muscle), i.e., an ultimate case of extreme O2 demand in a mammalian skeletal muscle, with bat hindlimb and rat soleus muscles. At a given sarcomere length (2.1 microns), fiber cross-sectional area was considerably smaller in bat muscles (pectoralis 318 +/- 10 microns 2, hindlimb 447 +/- 35 microns 2) than in rat soleus muscle (2,027 +/- 125 microns 2). Capillary number per fiber cross-sectional area was much greater in bat pectoralis (6,394 +/- 380/mm2) than in bat hindlimb and rat soleus muscle (2,865 +/- 238 and 1,301 +/- 129/mm2, respectively; all values normalized to 2.1-microns sarcomere length). At the same sarcomere length (2.1 microns), the degree of tortuosity and branching of capillaries were significantly greater in bat pectoralis than in bat hindlimb and rat soleus muscle. In bat flight muscle, capillary length per fiber volume was very high (9,025 +/- 342/mm2). It was 2.2- and 5.4-fold larger than in bat hindlimb and rat soleus, respectively. Mitochondria occupied 35.3 +/- 1.2, 16.5 +/- 1.3, and 6.1 +/- 0.9% of the muscle fiber volume in bat pectoralis, hindlimb, and rat soleus muscles, respectively. There was a strong correlation between capillary length (as well as capillary surface) per fiber volume and mitochondrial volume density in all muscles. Considering capillary supply and mitochondrial volume on an individual fiber basis, we found that 1) the number of capillaries around a fiber was linearly related to mitochondrial volume per micron length of fiber in the muscles but that 2) capillary surface per fiber surface, at given mitochondrial volume per micron length of fiber, was about twice as large in bat pectoralis as in rat soleus muscle, whereas in bat hindlimb it was intermediate between that in bat pectoralis and that in rat soleus muscle. This was due to the differences in fiber size (rat soleus greater than bat muscles) and capillary-to-fiber ratio (bat pectoralis greater than hindlimb) between the muscles. It is notable that in the bat, the substantially greater O2 transfer capacity of the flight muscle compared with hindlimb was achieved by increasing the size of the capillary-to-fiber interface, i.e., capillary-to-fiber surface, via an increase in capillary number rather than by substantially reducing fiber size.