cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survey of Radon Testing and Mitigation by Wisconsin Residents, Landlords, and School Districts.

Introduction Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, and is estimated to cause 21,000 deaths every year. Radon is especially prevalent in the upper Midwest. This study aimed to assess radon testing and mitigation practices among residential homeowners, landlords, and school districts in Wisconsin. Methods Two survey sample datasets were used to assess radon testing and mitigation in residential homes: the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW) and Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. Wisconsin landlords and school administrators were surveyed to assess radon testing and mitigation in rental properties and schools, respectively. Results Approximately 30% of Wisconsin homeowners (22.1% from SHOW and 39.9% from BRFSS) have tested their properties for radon. Similarly, 31.0% of Wisconsin landlords (40/129) and 35.1% of Wisconsin school districts (78/222) have tested their schools for radon. Of homeowners with elevated radon, about 60% mitigated. School districts whose radon levels tested high most commonly did not mitigate, with costs and/or lack of funding cited as the most common barrier. Discussion/conclusion Radon testing and mitigation practices are inadequate in Wisconsin, and future work will seek to determine the best methods to increase testing and mitigation and reduce radon-induced lung cancer deaths in Wisconsin.
Multilevel perspectives on leadership in the African context

Despite the depth of research on leaders and leadership in the Western and Asian contexts, the study of leadership in the African context remains at a nascent stage. In this special issue, we take ...
Risperidone- and paliperidone-induced hepatotoxicity: Case report and review of literature

Purpose A case of hepatotoxicity likely due to use of risperidone and paliperidone is reported. Summary A 23-year-old man with schizophrenia was admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit after an exacerbation of mental illness secondary to medication nonadherence. During 13 days of treatment with risperidone, the patient's liver enzyme levels rose sharply, so antipsychotic therapy was switched to oral paliperidone. After a 5-day downward trend in liver enzyme levels, a dose of intramuscular paliperidone was administered to augment oral paliperidone therapy. After 10 days of paliperidone use, abnormally high liver enzyme levels were again noted; both oral and intramuscular paliperidone therapy were discontinued and haloperidol was initiated, with complete resolution of liver enzyme abnormalities within approximately 4 weeks. Scoring of this case using the algorithm of Naranjo et al indicated probable associations between risperidone use and hepatotoxicity (a score of 7) and paliperidone use and hepatotoxicity (a score of 8). To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing a patient who developed hepatotoxicity during risperidone use that did not remit with a switch to paliperidone therapy. Conclusion Findings of this case suggest that patients who develop hepatotoxicity with use of risperidone may also do so with paliperidone use; this, in turn, suggests that both risperidone and its metabolite are capable of causing hepatotoxicity. Patients who develop hepatotoxicity in response to risperidone or paliperidone therapy may benefit from treatment with an alternative antipsychotic with a different chemical structure.
Abstract 2221: Combining irreversible electroporation with TLR7 and CD40 agonists confers systemic anti-tumor immunity in a murine pancreatic cancer model

Introduction: Pancreatic Cancer (PC) has a highly immunosuppressive microenvironment with a low mutational burden and has so far been resistant to immunotherapy. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a non-thermal method of inducing tumor cell death, without damage to adjacent blood vessels, that is being used clinically for selected patients with locally advanced PC. Despite local control rates greater than 90%, most IRE patients develop distant recurrence, emphasizing the need for better methods to treat micrometastatic disease. Using an immunocompetent mouse model of PC, we have previously shown that IRE induces complete regression in 25-33% of subcutaneous tumors, and complete responders are protected from a tumor rechallenge. However, IRE alone did not produce significant therapeutic immunity (abscopal effects) against concomitant distant tumors. We hypothesized that combination of IRE with innate immune stimulators would also enhance the adaptive immune response. Methods: We used a cell line generated from a genetically engineered (KPC) mouse establish bilateral flank tumors. The “primary” tumor was treated with IRE alone or in combination with local delivery of a toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist (1V270) and CD40 agonistic antibody (CD40Ab). 15 parameter procartaplex (Thermo) was used for cytokine analysis and RNA-Seq was performed using an Illumina MiSeq 1000 platform with total RNA from excised tumor all on day 7 post procedure. Results: We observed complete regression in 8/10 tumors treated with the combination (Combo) of IRE, 1V270 and CD40Ab compared to 3/10 in IRE alone. However, the combo was much more effective than IRE alone at inducing regression of the untreated secondary flank tumor, including complete regression of 7/10 untreated tumors. CD40Ab alone had minimal effect on local or secondary tumor growth. Analysis of systemic cytokines using multiplex analysis showed 112 fold increase in IFNy levels in plasma with the Combo compared to untreated mice (P Conclusion: These data suggest that local delivery of CD40Ab and TLR7 agonists augment the systemic immune effects of IRE and have the potential to improve the overall survival of patients undergoing IRE for locally advanced PC by reducing distant recurrence. Citation Format: Jayanth Surya Narayanan Shankara Narayanan, Diego Vicente, Partha Ray, Thomas Whisenant, Rebekah White. Combining irreversible electroporation with TLR7 and CD40 agonists confers systemic anti-tumor immunity in a murine pancreatic cancer model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2221.
Comment on Eaton et al.’s Reconceptualization of Economic Dependence in “Trouble with Sense of Place in Working Landscapes”

This commentary expands upon Eaton et al.’s research note about the challenges of measuring sense of place (SOP). Our body of work includes qualitative and quantitative research that supports their...
Geospatial Distribution of Neurosurgeons Age 60 and Older Relative to the Spread of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To perform an ecological study to analyze the geospatial distribution of neurosurgeons ≥60 years old and compare these data with the spread of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across the United States. METHODS: Data regarding distribution of COVID-19 cases were collected from the Environmental Systems Research Institute, and demographic statistics were collected from the American Association of Medical Colleges 2019 State Workforce Reports. These figures were analyzed using geospatial mapping software. RESULTS: As of July 5, 2020, the 10 states with the highest number of COVID-19 cases showed older neurosurgical workforce proportions (the proportion of active surgeons ≥60 years old) of 20.6%-38.9%. Among states with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths, the older workforce proportions were 25.0%-43.4%. Connecticut demonstrated the highest with 43.4% of neurosurgeons ≥60 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Regional COVID-19 hotspots may coincide with areas where a substantial proportion of the neurosurgical workforce is ≥60 years old. Continuous evaluation and adjustment of local and national clinical practice guidelines are warranted throughout the pandemic era.
Putting Rationality Back into the Rational Basis Test: Saving Substantive Due Process and Redeeming the Promise of the Ninth Amendment

Substantive due process as currently practiced is broken. This doctrine, which provides that the Due Process Clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments contain substantive limits on the power of federal and state governments, has been an important protector of rights since its beginnings in English law. However, as currently practiced by the Supreme Court of the United States, the tiered scrutiny formulation of substantive due process is illusory. While the Supreme Court professes to follow the tiered scrutiny doctrine set out in cases such as Washington v. Glucksberg, where fundamental rights are subjected to strict scrutiny and all other claimed liberty interests to a rational basis test, this formulation is illusory. Because a finding that a right is fundamental almost always leads to the conclusion that the law infringing it is invalid, courts are understandably cautious in recognizing new rights. However, the only alternative available is the rational basis test. This test, under its current interpretation, is too weak to protect important rights. By allowing any plausible reason for the legislation to suffice, whether or not it was a true reason for the legislation, and by asking only whether lawmakers could have thought that it was reasonably related to the subject it purported to advance, the current doctrine makes the rational basis test the equivalent to no test at all. This leads the Court to abandon the Glucksberg test in hard cases, thus diminishing the legitimacy of the entire doctrine. The legitimacy problems with substantive due process as it is currently practiced have prompted many legal scholars to urge the abandonment of due process altogether in favor of other mechanisms of protecting unenumerated rights. As well-thought out as these proposed solutions are, however, they all share a fundamental problem as a practical manner: they would all require a substantial overhaul of the entire body of case law that has evolved around the due process doctrine in the last century and a half. Because of the practical problems involved with such an overhaul, these solutions are unlikely to be adopted. There is, however, another way in which substantive due process can be revitalized to better protect rights and provide a more consistent doctrine. Further, this revitalization can be achieved without significantly changing the doctrine itself. The answer lies in strengthening the rational basis test. The article examines the development of substantive due process from its English roots to its practice today. It concludes that, while substantive due process is currently broken, it can be revived through strengthening the rational basis test to allow courts to inquire into the purpose behind the legislation and to look at the link between the ends and means. Strengthening the rational basis test will provide a more consistent test and allow for better protection of important rights.
High-Power Ultraviolet Vortex Beams Generated from a Relativistic Laser Interacting with an Ultrathin Foil

Ultrathin foils irradiated by relativistic circularly polarized lasers emit harmonics in both the transmitted and reflected directions that contain orbital angular momentum. We demonstrate this scheme using ab-initio three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations.
The Effectiveness of Ancient Mesopotamian Medical Practices: The Example of šūšu-Licorice

Although its roots go back into hoary antiquity, Ancient Mesopotamian medicine is best known from the Neo-Assyrian period (934–609 BCE). The language of common speech was Akkadian a Semitic language akin to Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic, the latter of which eventually supplanted it. Texts were written on clay tablets in cuneiform script, a syllabic (not alphabetic) script borrowed from a much earlier culture with a completely different language. This language, Sumerian, had mostly one-syllable words which made it convenient to use as a sort of scientific shorthand, like our Latin with a similar cachet of hoary antiquity about it.
Data Acquisition for Scanning Tomographic Acoustic Microscopy

Acoustic microscopes are valuable in non-destructive evaluation because of their ability to provide high-resolution images of microscopic structure in small objects. When such a microscope operates in the transmission mode, the micrographs are simply two-dimensional shadowgraphs of three-dimensional objects and the resultant images are frequently difficult to comprehend because of diffraction and overlapping. This is especially true in the case of objects of substantial thickness with complex structures. We have developed a scanning tomographic acoustic microscope (STAM) to overcome these problems.
Sports Television Reporters and the Negotiation of Fragmented Professional Identities

This research examines the professional identities of sports television reporters at a regional sports network (RSN) in a major East Coast market. The ethnographic techniques of participant observation and interviews with these sports television news gatherers provide an in-depth look at the increasingly complex work facing sports journalists in this specific area of the sports–media complex. The study's findings reveal that women and African American sports television reporters working at this RSN said they are treated differently—even to an advantage—because of their gender and race. Such issues and developments reveal the sports television workplace as increasingly complicated and problematic for those working in it.
Distributed Hydrologic Modeling in the Suburban Landscape: Assessing Parameter Transferability from Gauged Reference Catchments1

Mittman, Tamara, Lawrence E. Band, Taehee Hwang, and Monica Lipscomb Smith, 2012. Distributed Hydrologic Modeling in the Suburban Landscape: Assessing Parameter Transferability from Gauged Reference Catchments. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 546-557. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00636.x Abstract: Distributed, process-based models of catchment hydrologic response are potentially useful tools for the assessment of Low Impact Development (LID) techniques in urbanized catchments. Their application is often limited, however, by the lack of continuous streamflow records to calibrate poorly constrained parameters. This article examines the transferability of soil and groundwater parameters from a forested reference catchment to a nearby suburban catchment. We use the Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHESSys) to develop hydrologic models of one gauged forested and one ungauged suburban catchment within the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) study area. We use a parameter uncertainty framework to calibrate soil and groundwater parameters for the forested catchment, and discrete measurements of streamflow from the suburban catchment to assess parameter transferability. Results indicate that the transfer of soil and groundwater parameters from forested reference to nearby suburban catchments is viable, with performance measures for the suburban catchment often exceeding those for the forested catchment. We propose that the simplification of hydrologic processes in urbanized catchments may account for the increase in model performance in the suburban catchment.
Predicting Bias in National House of Representatives Generic Ballot Questions

For reasons of cost, logistics, or the ability to compare vote choice across multiple congressional districts, survey researchers often make use of generic ballot questions when polling races for the U.S. House of Representatives. However, it isn’t clear that generic ballot questions give results that are fully comparable to questions that use the names of candidates. Given the prevalence of generic ballot questions in analyses of House elections, understanding the source and extent of this bias is vital. We explore the source and extent of this bias through a series of survey experiments carried out during 2010 Congressional elections and a historical analysis of bias in House elections.
THE LIMITS OF ADAPTATION: HUMANS AND THE PREDATOR–PREY ARMS RACE

In the history of life, species have adapted to their consumers by evolving a wide variety of defenses. By contrast, animal species harvested in the wild by humans have not adapted structurally. Nonhuman predators have high failure rates at one or more stages of an attack, indicating that victim species have spatial refuges or phenotypic defenses that permit further functional improvement. A new compilation confirms that species in the wild cannot achieve immunity from human predation with structural defenses. The only remaining options are to become undesirable or to live in or escape to places where harvesting by people is curtailed. Escalation between prey defenses and predators' weapons may be restricted under human dominance to interactions involving those low-level predators that have benefited from human overexploitation of top consumers.
Comparison of the corneal response to laser in situ keratomileusis with flap creation using the FS15 and FS30 femtosecond lasers : Clinical and confocal microscopy findings

Purpose To compare the response of the cornea to laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with flap creation using the IntraLase FS15 or FS30 femtosecond laser (IntraLase Corp.). Setting Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. Methods Twenty-three patients (31 eyes) who had LASIK with flap creation using the FS15 or FS30 laser were assessed by clinical examination and confocal microscopy in a nonrandomized parallel treatment group comparative trial. Eight FS15 patients (15 eyes) were examined preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively, and 14 FS30 patients (15 eyes) were examined 3 months postoperatively. Results No patient in either group had clinically significant flap interface haze. One FS15 eye and 1 FS30 eye had significant keratocyte activation at the flap interface. The mean difference between the actual flap thickness and intended flap thickness was 16.8 μm ± 11.1 (SD) and 13.9 ± 7.1 μm in the FS15 group and FS30 group, respectively ( P = .49). The mean measured interface reflectivity was 156.4 ± 88.6 confocal backscatter units (CBU) and 104.8 ± 91.2 CBU, respectively ( P = .15). The mean density of interface particles was 21.4 ± 14.8 particles/mm 2 in the FS15 group and 11.0 ± 7.1 particles/mm 2 in the FS30 group ( P Conclusions Both the FS15 and FS30 lasers provided more reproducible flap thickness and fewer interface particles than previously observed using microkeratomes. The response of corneal keratocytes to intra-LASIK was reduced compared with previous results in which higher raster energies were used. Compared with the FS15, there was an apparent reduction in overall interface reflectivity and fewer interface particles with the FS30 laser.
A new assay for invasion of HeLa 229 cells by Bordetella pertussis: effects of inhibitors, phenotypic modulation, and genetic alterations.

Abstract Invasion and intracellular survival of Bordetella pertussis in HeLa 229 cells was studied by a new assay that utilizes polymyxin B instead of gentamicin to rapidly kill extracellular organisms. Invasion measured by this assay was time and temperature dependent and was inhibited by the microfilament drug cytochalasin D. The invasion process was also dependent on a functional vir locus (also known as bvg), the positive regulator of virulence gene expression in B. pertussis. Four spontaneous Vir- phase variants of B. pertussis and a mutant with a transposon insertion mutation in the vir locus did not invade. Cells that were environmentally modulated and thus did not express virulence determinants also did not invade. Two Vir- mutants, a vir-directed plasmid insertion mutant and a UV-light-induced mutant, were capable of invasion, although they did not produce other known virulence factors such as pertussis toxin and hemolysin but did produce small amounts of filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and the 69-kilodalton outer membrane protein. None of 70 Tn5 IS50L::phoA (TnphoA) insertion mutants of strain Bp18323 (including three mutants defective in FHA) tested showed any reproducible defect in invasion. A mutant carrying a site-directed deletion mutation in FHA was also capable of invasion in our assay. These data suggest that there is redundancy in the invasion functions of B. pertussis and that one or more of these are coordinately regulated with FHA and the 69-kilodalton outer membrane protein more tightly than with other vir-activated gene products.
Rehabilitating Aristotle: A Virtue Ethics Approach to Disability and Human Flourishing

Aristotle would hardly be the first person one would think of when looking for an enlightened understanding of disability. The ancient Greek world in general did not have what we today would consider a progressive attitude towards disability, of course, but it is likely that Aristotle’s thought set the standard for conceptualizing disability for more than a millennium to follow. He explicitly endorsed, in the Politics,1 the common Greek practice of leaving “deformed” babies to die of exposure and is reputed to have claimed that those “born deaf become senseless and incapable of reason.”2 Given Aristotle’s view of women and “natural slaves,” it hardly comes as a shock that he held a less than estimable view of persons with disabilities.
Criteria and an objective approach to selecting commercial real-time operating systems based on published information

Matching a commercial real-time operating system to a particular application is a problem for which there is no obvious solution strategy. Factors such as estimated production volume, likely processor involved, mission criticality, cost, reliability, software support, ease-of-use, and maintainability need to be considered, yet often the selection is based merely on the preferences of the design team or management, or the intensity of vendor marketing. This article examines the selection of real-time operating systems. A set of criteria and an associated metric are presented that rely only on published marketing information. To demonstrate the application of this metric, information from several existing commercial real-time operating systems is collected and analyzed. Five hypothetical applications are then matched with the most appropriate real-time operating system, using the criteria and metric. The contribution of this research is a set of criteria, a metric, and a methodology for matching real-time operating systems to applications based on marketing information, without the need for intensive performance testing.
Predation of green peach aphids by generalist predators in the presence of alternative, Colorado potato beetle egg prey

Abstract In Washington State two insect herbivores commonly co-occur on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), the green peach aphid (“GPA,” Myzus persicae Sulzer) and the Colorado potato beetle (“CPB,” Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say). Locally, generalist predators dominate the community of natural enemies in potato fields. The presence of multiple prey species might distract generalists from feeding on any single target pest. In the laboratory, we examined whether consumption rates of several predator species on focal (GPA) prey was reduced in the presence of alternative (CPB egg) prey. In initial measurements of predation rates we found that two predator species, Nabis spp. and Geocoris spp. bugs, had the highest consumption rates on aphids, potato beetle eggs and small potato beetle larvae. So, we focused on Nabis spp. and Geocoris spp. in later experiments. In Petri dish arenas Nabis ate significantly more GPA per capita than did Geocoris; both predators exhibited weakly suppressed aphid consumption rates when CPB eggs were also present. However, in experiments in larger greenhouse microcosms including potato plants, this weak disruptive effect of CPB eggs disappeared. Geocoris ate nearly identical numbers of aphids across a 4-fold range of CPB egg density. Nabis, in contrast, ate significantly more aphids when 40 CPB eggs were included in microcosms, compared to microcosms with no alternative prey present. Thus, we would not expect any strong disruption of M. persicae control by Nabis spp. or Geocoris spp. when L. decemlineata eggs are also present in the field.
Development of a combined ultrasound and photoacoustic endoscopic probe

For in vivo medical applications, endoscopy shows great potential for its minimally invasive manner, flexibility and close-up imaging characteristic. A miniaturized imaging probe combining ultrasound and photoacoustic endoscopy has been developed. The output of a 532-nm pulse laser was coupled into and delivered to the probe by a 200-micron-core multimode fiber. A 40 MHz ring shape ultrasound transducer was fabricated to receive pulse echo ultrasound and photoacoustic signals as well. The light-guiding optical fiber, the ring ultrasound transducer, and a mirror-based reflective material for the coaxial laser beam and ultrasound signal were integrated into the probe with a final packaged diameter of 2.5 mm. The performance of the probe was tested by imaging a graphite rod. The imaging ability of this dual-modality system was demonstrated by imaging the cross section of a rabbit aorta.
Optimization of a Reverse Phase Ion-Pair Chromatographic Separation for Drugs of Forensic Interest Part II - Factors Effecting Selectivity

Abstract Variables effecting selectivity for a reverse phase ion-pair chromatographic separation are examined for various drugs of forensic interest. Factors studied include type of stationary phase, ratio of water to methanol, size and concentration of counter-ion anc basicity of drug chromatographed. Most of the selectivity effects can be explained by Horvath's solvophobic theory.
Preclinical Models of Lymphatic Disease

The human disease states that are characterized by functional lymphatic insufficiency currently lack a cure. Molecular approaches may ultimately provide a therapeutic window to reverse the stigmata of both primary and secondary lymphatic insufficiency. To harness the potential therapeutic power of lymphangiogenesis, testing the safety and efficacy of the treatment response will be necessary. This, in turn, necessitates the availability of suitable preclinical animal models of the disease processes in question, along with suitable research tools to permit an assessment of the response to applied therapies. An ideal model would reproducibly and inexpensively replicate the untreated disease of human lymphedema. It would closely simulate the biology, as we understand it, of the human disease, and would replicate both the pathogenesis of the disease, including its natural history and the temporal patterns of its clinical expression. In this way, one might aspire to make valid predictions about the human applicability of therapy by extrapolation from observations in animal models. In addition to the availability of suitable animal models, the required investigative tools must also be available. In the context of lymphangiogenesis, to assess the therapeutic response, one must certainly possess the ability to recognize newly developed lymphatic vasculature. Sophisticated immunohistochemical and imaging techniques make this increasingly feasible. Initial experimental observations indicate that growth factor and gene therapy with VEGF-C holds promise for the treatment of both primary and secondary forms of lymphedema.
ODRIC — A one-dimensional linear resistive MHD code in cylindrical geometry

The primitive resistive MHD equations in cylindrical geometry are time-advanced. Fourier analysis in the poloidal and toroidal directions and subsequent linerization are performed, resulting in a 1-D (radial) system for the perturbed quantities. Separate equations for the electron and ion temperature perturbations are solved. Hall terms and the thermal force vector are included in Ohm's law. Anisotropic thermal conductivity and viscosity are included in the model.
Analysis of reciprocals for life test data

[This abstract is based on the author's abstract.] The analysis of reciprocals is analyzed with the goal of providing a little-known but useful tool, ANORE, to practicing quality and reliability engineers. ANORE examines the reciprocals of original..
Studies on the electronic structure and chemical bond of urea–nitrate

It is well known that urea-nitrate (UN) is a white solid complex prepared by urea with nitric acid, which is thus usually written as U {lg_bullet} HNO{sub 3}, (U- -area). Now it has widely been applied to fertilizer manufacture, chemical washing, petroleum opening and some- fields in industry because of its dissoluabe in water into the original materials, i.e. urea and nitric acid. But the knowledge about the electronic structure and chemical bond of UN is very little, therefore in this paper the electronic structure of UN has been calculated by SCC-DV{sub a} method and its vibrational, ultraviolet absorption bands and XPS binding energy investigated. On the basis of these, the Chemical bond of UN has been discussed and the formula for UN, [UH]{sup +}NO{sub 3}{sup -}, to be named uranium nitrate, proposed.
Methotrexate and folic reductase in human cancer.

Resume 1. 1. La reductase de l'acide folique existe dans les tissus des animaux, a des niveaux et des concentrations qui ne refletent pas l'acivite mitotique de ces tissus. 2. 2. Chez le Singe et chez l'Homme, le niveau d'activite de l'enzyme est beaucoup plus bas que chez les Rongeurs et n'est pas parallele a la sensibilite au methotrexate, comme le montre l'etude de la tumeur de Wilms. 3. 3. La captation du methotrexate marque au tritium, par les globules blancs humains, se fait selon un processus de facilitation de la diffusion. 4. 4. Les niveaux d'activite de l'enzyme ne permettent pas, a eux seuls, de predire la sensibilite ou la resistance au medicament, dans les leucemies des Rongeurs et de l'Homme. On peut predire la resistance de l'etude combinee du transport de la drogue et des niveaux d'activite de l'enzyme. 5. 5. Des methodes qui augmentent la captation du methotrexate, y compris des schemas posologiques qui amenent de fortes concentrations dans le milieu extracellulaire et l'utilisation de substances qui facilitent le transport, peuvent augmenter l'activite antimorale du methotrexate.
Reversal of Nicotine-Induced Alveolar Lipofibroblast-to-Myofibroblast Transdifferentiation by Stimulants of Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein Signaling

Nicotine exposure disrupts the parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP)-driven alveolar epithelial-mesenchymal paracrine-signaling pathway, resulting in the transdifferentiation of pulmonary lipofibroblasts (LIFs) to myofibroblasts (MYFs), which seems to be central to altered pulmonary development and function in infants born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy. Modulation of PTHrP-driven signaling can almost completely prevent nicotine-induced LIF-to-MYF transdifferentiation. However, once this process has occurred, whether it can be reversed is not known. Our objective was to determine if nicotine-induced LIF-to-MYF transdifferentiation could be reversed by specifically targeting the PTHrP-mediated alveolar epithelial-mesenchymal paracrine signaling. WI38 cells, a human embryonic pulmonary fibroblast cell line, were initially treated with nicotine for 7 days and LIF-to-MYF transdifferentiation was confirmed by determining the downregulation of the key lipogenic marker, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and upregulation of the key myogenic marker, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA). Because downregulation of the PPARgamma signaling pathway is the key determinant of LIF-to-MYF transdifferentiation, cells were treated with three agonists of this pathway, PTHrP, dibutryl cAMP (DBcAMP), or rosiglitazone (RGZ) for 7 days, and the expression of the PTHrP receptor, PPARgamma, alphaSMA, and calponin was determined by Western analysis and immunohistochemistry. Simultaneously, fibroblast function was characterized by measuring their capacity to take up triglycerides. Nicotine-induced LIF-to-MYF transdifferentiation was almost completely reversed by treatment with RGZ, PTHrP, or DBcAMP, as determined by protein and functional assays. Using a specific molecular approach and targeting specific molecular intermediates in the PTHrP signaling pathway, to our knowledge, this for the first time, demonstrates the reversibility of nicotine-induced LIF-to-MYF transdifferentiation, suggesting not only the possibility of prevention but also the potential for reversal of nicotine-induced lung injury.
Suppurative phlebitis of an arm vein from a "scalp-vein needle".

CANNULA-related sepsis is acknowledged to be a major complication of intravenous therapy1; the risk appears highest with plastic catheters. Catheter-associated sepsis usually responds rapidly to re...
Using laptops in engineering courses for real‐time data collection and analysis

Teaching first-year engineering students in a laptop environment requires carefully choosing and then adapting teaching methods. This chapter describes how laptops were used, how the students responded, and what the group of participating faculty learned in the process.
Average circulatory motion of particles in fluidized beds

Abstract Average circulatory motion of solid particles in fluidized bed affects the processes of heat and mass transfer in the bed. The primary circulatory motion is described by a solution of the averaged dynamic equations of multiphase flow as applied to a cylindrical bed in the absence of bubbles. Either of the cases of particles AWDC (ascending near the wall and descending at the center) and ACDW may arise, depending on the parameters of phase interactions. The direction of circulation is not necessarily affected by the depth of the bed but is influenced by the sign of (average terminal velocity of particles in the dense phase — average interstitial velocity): > O for ACDW,
Visual perception in cats after environmental surgery

This report describes a series of experiments testing the behavioral significance of orientation sensitive cells in the cat's visual cortex. Cats used for this purpose were raised with one eye (VE) viewing a field of vertical lines and the other eye (HE) viewing a field of horizontal lines. This experience simplified their cortical physiology, and is thus called “environmental surgery”. Cells with elongated fields were found to be activated monocularly: those driven by the VE had vertically oriented receptive fields, while those activated by the HE had horizontally oriented fields. These animals were tested, using one eye at a time, on a series of visual discriminations: a) flux discrimination, b) tests for selective response to vertical and horizontal lines, c) discrimination between two lines differing only in orientation, d) discrimination between mirror image stimuli, and e) evaluation of inter-ocular transfer on these discriminations. The threshold tests for orientation discrimination gave the clearest results: there were small but consistent differences in performance between the VE and HE which depended on the orientation of the lines being discriminated. There was also evidence that the animals responded to different parts of a stimulus with the VE and HE. As a group, the experimental cats showed less interocular transfer of visual discriminations than the normal controls. However, surprisingly, there was also evidence for much functional equivalence between the two eyes. Possible explanations for this are considered and it is suggested that an animal's ability to make pattern discriminations is not rigidly determined by the shape and orientation of its receptive fields.
Ex Post Evaluation of Calibrated Simulation Models of Significantly Different Future Systems

The calibration and validation of traffic simulation models are critical procedures in ensuring that developed models accurately represent real-world conditions. When planned future systems are simulated, validation is not possible because field data cannot be collected for a system that has not yet been built. Instead, modelers have no choice but to follow standard calibration procedures and, in the absence of validating data, accept a model that appears to function correctly. Ex post evaluation of traffic simulation models is a neglected, yet valuable, area of research because it offers modelers a chance to validate their future system simulations with field data. The calibration assumptions used by modelers of future systems are investigated by checking whether improvised calibrations hold up to ex post evaluation. A case study directed at measuring the changes to user behavior in an existing and a reconstructed traffic system is presented. In addition, the benefits of ex post evaluation and methods to improve the calibration and validation of future models are discussed.
Wind Variability in the Large Magellanic Cloud B[e] Supergiant HD 34664

We present optical linear spectropolarimetry of the B(e) supergiant HD 34664. The polarization and position angle display significant spectral features which correspond to the H-alpha and H-beta emission lines. We use the line polarizations to separate the interstellar foreground polarization from the intrinsic polarization of HD 34664. The intrinsic polarization is consistent with electron scattering in a circumstellar disk seen at high inclination and provides further and independent evidence for the two-component wind model of the B(e) supergiants. We compare the polarization and spectrum of HD 34664 to observations published in the literature. In our data the continuum polarization is by a factor of two larger and the H-alpha line-to-continuum ratio is by a factor of at least four increased over previous observations. Since both the polarization and the line intensity are measures of the electron density in the stellar wind, we suggest that the observed variations can be attributed to a rise in the stellar mass-loss rate.
The activity and stability of alkaline phosphatase in solutions of water and the fused salt ethylammonium nitrate

The fused salt ethylamonium nitrate has several properties which resemble those of the biologically important solvent water. In order to shed light on the role of solvent in determining protein structure we have examined the influence of ethylammonium nitrate on the activity and stability of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase. Significantly, although reduced enzymatic activity was observed in ethylammonium nitrate solutions up to 60% (v/v) in water, the enzyme was stable to brief exposure to solutions as high as 80% (v/v) in the fused salt.
Crosstalk between Mitochondrial and Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Cycling Modulates Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Automaticity

Background Mitochondria dynamically buffer cytosolic Ca2+ in cardiac ventricular cells and this affects the Ca2+ load of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In sinoatrial-node cells (SANC) the SR generates periodic local, subsarcolemmal Ca2+ releases (LCRs) that depend upon the SR load and are involved in SANC automaticity: LCRs activate an inward Na+-Ca2+ exchange current to accelerate the diastolic depolarization, prompting the ensemble of surface membrane ion channels to generate the next action potential (AP).
Rate coefficients for the OH + pinonaldehyde (C10H16O2) reaction between 297 and 374 K.

The rate coefficient for the reaction of OH with pinonaldehyde (C10H16O2, 3-acetyl-2,2-dimethyl-cyclobutyl-ethanal), a product of the atmospheric oxidation of α-pinene, was measured under pseudo-fi...
Angiosarcoma of the Head and Neck

Introduction Angiosarcoma of the head and neck is a rare vascular sarcoma associated with high rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis and a poor prognosis. Objective We describe our experience treating patients with angiosarcoma of the head and neck to evaluate the outcomes, patterns of failure, and current treatments. Methods We identified six patients with angiosarcoma of the head and neck and treated at our institution between 2000 and 2013. We compared our results to the literature from 1979 to 2013. Results Mean follow-up was 42 months. Local recurrence rate was 50% with disease-specific survival and 2-year disease-free survival rates of 33.3 and 20%, respectively. Prognostic factors included tumor size > 5 cm and surgical margin status, with no correlation between histologic grade and survival. Combined-modality therapy was only used for aggressive tumors with positive surgical margins but is suggested to improve local control and overall survival. Conclusions Our data series supports that angiosarcoma of the head and neck has a high rate of recurrence and is associated with a poor prognosis, despite current combined-modality therapy. The study highlights the importance of attaining negative margins during surgical resection, the utility of adjuvant therapies, as well as the need for continued research in developing new management strategies.
Capillary electrophoresis and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry : Status report

This report focuses on the status, requirements, and potentials of CE-ICP-MS. The ultimate goal of a viable CE-ICP-MS system is to obtain quantitative elemental speciation information and isotopic ratio data for practical biological and environmental metal containing compounds. To make use of the CE separation features, the CE analyte must be introduced efficiently into the ICP. For practical samples, pre- and post-separation enrichment techniques probably are required. The features of electrospray ion sources that can be incorporated in CE-ICP-MS and the potential for microfabricated CE are discussed.
Vibration matters: collective blue morph effect

Once an artist takes on the challenge of making the invisible visible, or the inaudible audible, he/she is almost immediately thrown into the realm of energy at the edge of art and science. The established art world based on visual culture finds it difficult to place this kind of work. The scientific community, used to working in this realm in a reductionist way, finds it hard to comprehend. Yet, the public seems to be drawn to artwork residing “in between,” and there seems to be a universal need for a connection to the spiritual realm beyond what established religions offer. As many speculative ideas in the West circulate around ideas of energetic approach to matter in general, particularly the body and mind, alternative medicine and other Eastern philosophies are thriving. This essay will show how, in collaboration with nanoscientist James Gimzewski, we have investigated these ideas from the sounds of cells to the concept and realization of the Blue Morph installation at the Integratron [the Integratron is the creation of George Van Tassel and is based on the design of Moses’ Tabernacle, the writings of Nikola Tesla and telepathic directions from extraterrestrials. This one-of-a-kind building is a 38-foot-high, 55-foot-diameter, nonmetallic structure originally designed by Van Tassel as a rejuvenation and time machine (The Integratron 2009)].
The effects of predicting a person's behavior on subsequent trait judgments

Abstract An experiment investigated the effects of (a) initial trait adjective descriptions of a person, and (b) predictions of the person's behavior on subsequent judgments of this person. Subjects received adjectives describing a particular trait of a person, and then estimated the likelihood that the person would manifest behaviors that exemplified both this and a second trait. Their subsequent judgments of the person with respect to the second trait were biased toward the descriptive implications of the behaviors they had predicted, and also toward the evaluative implications of the original stimulus adjectives. These and other results suggested that a cognitive representation of the target person is formed in the course of making initial judgments and predictions, and that features of this representation, rather than the information that led to its construction, are used as bases for later judgments. Other implications of the results for the influence of trait and behavioral information on judgments are considered.
One's reborn every minute: Carter's religious appeal in 1976

An analysis of Jimmy Carter's handling of religion in the 1976 presidential campaign demonstrates that Carter was aware of the potential advantage of emphasizing his religion. In fact, once he became aware of the advantage, he escalated his references to his religion while also attempting to mollify those turned off by his religiosity. The author concludes that Carter's decision to stress his religion was a conscious political decision and that that decision helped Carter win the presidency.
Plastic constraint as a mechanism for film strengthening

Abstract An investigation of the influence of 1 μ chromium plated films on the development of dislocation structures in high purity copper crystals revealed that film strengthening could be attributed to a shortrange film-substrate interaction, plus a significant long-range perturbation causing secondary slip activity throughout the bulk. The short-range interaction was found to be constant throughout stage I and ≈125 g/mm 2 for platings of this thickness. The long-range interaction increased with strain in stage I from ≈30 per cent of the excess hardening at resolved shear strains of 10 −3 to ≈90 per cent of the hardening at the end of easy glide. A model is described which considered that the intact portions of the film, which comprised virtually 99 per cent of the plated surface even at strains up to ≈0.06, set-up a plastic constraint which created long-range shear stresses on secondary slip systems. It was found that this mechanism could account for a number of the physical features of film strengthening, such as, enhanced forest dislocation production throughout the bulk of the sample, residual hardening or “memory effect” and the anisotropy of hardening behavior for edge and screw dislocation interactions with the surface film.
Inspection of aggressive OPC using aerial image-based mask inspection

Inspection of aggressive OPC represents one of the major challenges for today's mask inspection methodologies. Systems are phased with high-density layouts, containing OPC features far below the resolution limit of conventional inspection systems. This causes large amounts of false and nuisance defects, especially on production applications. The paper presents the use of Aera193, a new inspection system using aerial imaging as inspection methodology.
NMR study of solid cholesterol

Anhydrous polycrystalline cholesterol C27H46O has been investigated by pulsed proton magnetic resonance methods between 77K and the melting point (421·7K). In the low-temperature phase, measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation time T 1 at 7, 14 and 28 MHz together with T 1D and second moment are ascribed to reorientation of the five methyl groups, one of which has significantly less hindrance. Values of the relaxation constants, activation energies and time factors that best characterize the motions are tabulated. Above the phase transition at 311K, reorientation of the alkyl chain about C-C bonds with activation energy 34·3 kJ mol-1 is evident from the measured values of T 1D and second moment.
Characterization of Nitro Arachidonic Acid and Nitro Linoleic Acid by Mass Spectrometry

Nitration of arachidonic and linoleic acids was performed with nitronium tetrafluroborate, nitrogen dioxide, and dinitrogen trioxide. The nitro compounds were separated on HPLC and characterized further on mass spectrometry. Formation of nitro arachidonic acid m/z 348 and nitro linoleic acid m/z 324 were observed with all the reagents. Interestingly, MS/MS of nitro AA and nitro LA showed specific ions m/z 142, m/z 193, and m/z 206 for nitro arachidonic and m/z 156 and m/z 196 for linoleic acid that were common in all three reactions.
The epidemiology of osteoporosis. Practical implications for patient care.

The new definition of osteoporosis moves this disorder from a disease of fractures to a disease of fracture risks. Like blood lipids and blood pressure, bone mineral density is now viewed as a predictor of possible problems. Through careful history taking and physical examination, primary care physicians can identify patients in whom intervention is likely to prevent the anguish of broken bones and lost mobility. In this article, Drs Goddard and Kleerekoper discuss the new diagnostic criteria and what they mean for your patients. Language: en