cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxyhalogen−Sulfur Chemistry: Kinetics and Mechanism of Oxidation of Guanylthiourea by Acidified Bromate1

This article reports on the kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of the biologically active molecule guanylthiourea (GTU) by acidic bromate. This was a follow-up of a previous study in which mild oxidizing agents acidic iodate and molecular iodine oxidized GTU to a ring-cyclized product: 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-thiadiazole. In contrast, acidic bromate and molecular bromine, as stronger oxidizing agents, were able to oxidize GTU all the way to a complete desulfurization to yield guanylurea. No N-bromination was observed on any of the amino groups on guanylurea. The stoichiometry of the reaction was deduced to be 4BrO3- + 3H2N(NH)CNH(CS)NH2 + 3H2O → 4Br- + 3H2N(NH)CNH(CO)NH2 + 3SO42- + 6H+. In excess bromate conditions in which the ratio of oxidant to reductant R = [BrO3-]0/[GTU]0 > 1.6, the stoichiometry of the reaction was 8BrO3- + 5H2N(NH)CNH(CS)NH2 + H2O → 4Br2(aq) + 5H2N(NH)CNH(CO)NH2 + 5SO42- + 2H+. The direct reaction of aqueous bromine with GTU was extremely fast with an estimated lower limit bimolecular ...
Thermotropic chiral nematic side-chain polymers and cyclic oligomers

Abstract For all the theoretical, experimental and computational research on chiral nematic systems over the last four decades, understanding of cholesteric mesomorphism from the molecular perspective is still rather limited at the present time. Nevertheless, the unique property of selective wavelength reflection accompanied by circular polarization has presented tremendous potential for various optical applications. Theories governing optical birefringence and selective reflection bandwidth are outlined to serve as a foundation for molecular design. Both polymeric and low molar mass glass-forming chiral nematics are surveyed in terms of chemical structure, thermotropic and optical properties. Characterized by relative ease of processing, the low molar mass approach is illustrated with our recent results in terms of design concept, materials synthesis and characterization. We also highlight outstanding issues that need to be addressed to help advance chiral nematics as a class of advanced optical materials.
Gamma-vinyl GABA attenuates cocaine-induced lowering of brain stimulation reward thresholds.

Gamma-vinyl GABA (GVG, also referred to as vigabatrin), an irreversible inhibitor of GABA transaminase (GABA-T), raises levels of GABA in nerve terminals, inhibits striatal dopamine release, and attenuates cocaine-induced increases in extracellular dopamine in the striatum and nucleus accumbens. In order to determine the action of GVG on dopamine-mediated reward, we examined its effects on the threshold for rewarding brain stimulation in male F-344 rats. GVG dose-dependently raised brain stimulation reward (BSR) thresholds at doses of 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg without significant effects on motor performance as measured by response latencies. In order to determine if GVG had similar modulatory effects on cocaine-induced lowering of BSR thresholds, the effective doses of GVG were co-administered with 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg cocaine, doses that significantly lower BSR thresholds. The 400 mg/kg dose of GVG significantly blocked the lowering of thresholds seen at each dose of cocaine. Cocaine in combination with 200 or 300 mg/kg GVG, doses of GVG that significantly raise BSR thresholds, resulted in thresholds not significantly different from those obtained with cocaine alone. These data demonstrate that, at the doses tested, GVG is more effective at modulating basal reward thresholds than at modulating thresholds lowered by cocaine, implying that as dopaminergic activity increases, GABAergic activity must also increase in order to exert its inhibitory influence on dopaminergic activity.
Modeling of system of systems via data analytics — Case for “Big Data” in SoS

Large data has been accumulating in all aspects of our lives for quite some time. Advances in sensor technology, the Internet, wireless communication, and inexpensive memory have all contributed to an explosion of “Big Data”. System of Systems (SoS) integrate independently operating, non-homogeneous systems to achieve a higher goal than the sum of the parts. Today's SoS are also contributing to the existence of unmanageable “Big Data”. Recent efforts have developed a promising approach, called “Data Analytics”, which uses statistical and computational intelligence (CI) tools such as principal component analysis (PCA), clustering, fuzzy logic, neuro-computing, evolutionary computation, Bayesian networks, etc. to reduce the size of “Big Data” to a manageable size and apply these tools to a) extract information, b) build a knowledge base using the derived data, and c) eventually develop a non-parametric model for the “Big Data”. This paper attempts to construct a bridge between SoS and Data Analytics to develop reliable models for such systems. A photovoltaic energy forecasting problem of a micro grid SoS will be offered here for a case study of this modeling relation.
Hardware Accelerated Interactive Vector Field Visualization: A level of detail approach

This paper presents an interactive global visualization technique for dense vector fields using levels of detail. We introduce a novel scheme which combines an error-controlled hierarchical approach and hardware acceleration to produce high resolution visualizations at interactive rates. Users can control the trade-off between computation time and image quality, producing visualizations amenable for situations ranging from high frame-rate previewing to accurate analysis. Use of hardware texture mapping allows the user to interactively zoom in and explore the data, and also to configure various texture parameters to change the look and feel of the visualization. We are able to achieve sub-second rates for dense LIC-like visualizations with resolutions in the order of a million pixels for data of similar dimensions.
Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3beta activity regulates proliferation of cultured cerebellar granule cells

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is mitogenic for several types of neuronal progenitors including cerebellar granule neuron progenitors. The present study confirms that IGF-I can function as a mitogen in purified cultures of cerebellar granule cells and identifies intracellular signal transduction molecules that mediate this mitogenesis. In cultured granule cells, IGF-I inhibits GSK-3 activity and leads to phosphorylation of serine9 an inhibitory site on GSK-3beta. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K) activation by IGF-I can lead to phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK-3. A PI3-K inhibitor, LY294002, completely inhibited IGF-I-induced proliferation with half-maximal inhibition occurring at a concentration (1.5 micrograms) close to its reported IC50 value for inhibition of PI3-K. Lithium chloride (LiCl), a direct inhibitor of GSK-3beta, can alone stimulate granule cell proliferation and enhance proliferation induced by IGF-I. LiCl can reverse the inhibitory effect of LY294002 on granule cell proliferation suggesting that GSK-3 inhibition may be downstream of PI3-K activation in IGF-I's mitogenic pathway. Experiments further show that the expression of a dominant active form of GSK-3beta antagonizes IGF-I-induced mitogenesis. These studies support a role for inhibition of GSK-3beta activity in the signal transduction pathway by which IGF-I regulates granule neuron progenitor proliferation.
Neonatal phenotype in Kabuki syndrome

The Kabuki syndrome is a well-established pattern of human malformation with readily recognizable features, however the diagnosis is rarely made in the newborn period. The purpose of this study was to determine if there exists a neonatal phenotype for this disorder. We ascertained 16 infants evaluated in the first 28 days of life by a dysmorphologist who subsequently received the diagnosis of Kabuki syndrome. The average age of initial evaluation was 8 days and the average age of diagnosis was 2 years 6 months. Based on these findings, it is suggested that the distinctive clinical phenotype seen in older patients is also evident in the newborn period.
Dimer statistics on the Möbius strip and the Klein bottle

Abstract Closed-form expressions are obtained for the generating function of close-packed dimers on a 2 M ×2 N simple quartic lattice embedded on a Mobius strip and a Klein bottle. Finite-size corrections are also analyzed and compared with those under cylindrical and free boundary conditions. Particularly, it is found that, for large lattices of the same size and with a square symmetry, the number of dimer configurations on a Mobius strip is 70.2% of that on a cylinder. We also establish two identities relating dimer generating functions for Mobius strips and cylinders.
Paleoclimatological analysis of late quaternary cores from the northeastern gulf of Mexico

Oxygen isotopic, radiocarbon, and micropaleontological analysis of deep-sea cores from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico identify an episode of rapid ice melting and sea-level rise at about 9600 years B.C. This age coincides, within the limits of all errors, with the age of the Valders ice readvance and with the age assigned by Plato to the flood he describes.
Characteristics of Children and Adolescents Admitted to a Residential Treatment Center

Studies of youths in residential treatment that utilize systematic assessments and validated measures are rare. We examined psychopathology, family characteristics, occurrence of physical or sexual abuse, types of aggressive behavior, hyperactive/impulsive behavior, medical and neurological problems, and self-reported drug and alcohol use in 397 youth who were assessed using reliable measures and consecutively treated in a residential treatment center. Results indicate high rates of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, aggressive behavior, and consistent gender differences, with girls having higher levels of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology and aggressive behavior. The sample was characterized by high rates of medical problems including asthma, seizures, and obesity, as well as evidence of extensive family dysfunction, including high rates of parental alcohol use, violence, and physical or sexual abuse. Residential treatment needs to progress beyond the one size fits all approach and develop more specific and empirically proven treatments for the specific needs of this population.
Structure of Finite Nuclei in the Local-Density Approximation

A new theory is presented for calculating the structure of finite nuclei from the nucleon-nucleon interaction. The essential features of the reaction matrix in finite nuclei are obtained from nuclear-matter theory through the local-density approximation. The resulting density- and energy-dependent effective interaction is justified in detail, and it is shown that the tensor force plays an important role in saturation. The effective interaction is cast into two different forms, one convenient for use in calculating matrix elements and the other specialized for a Hartree-Fock calculation in position space. The density-dependent Hartree-Fock equations are derived by variation of the ground-state expectation value of the energy, and in addition to the usual Hartree-Fock terms, one obtains rearrangement terms arising from the variation of the density appearing in the density-dependent interaction. The appropriate angular-momentum reduction for closed $j$-shell nuclei is performed. The need for modifying the effective interaction to account for higher-order corrections is discussed, and the constraints imposed on this modification by the properties of nuclear matter are examined. The results of this theory for ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$, ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{40}$, ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{48}$, ${\mathrm{Zr}}^{90}$, and ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{208}$ are shown to yield very satisfactory agreement with experimental binding energies, single-particle energies, and electron scattering cross sections. The rearrangement terms in the density-dependent theory are demonstrated to have two essential effects on nuclear structure: a significant reduction in the central density of the nucleus, and a modification of the usual Hartree-Fock relation between single-particle energies and the binding energy. Equivalent local single-particle potentials are calculated and are shown to have significant state dependence.
Tribochemical Lubrication of Ceramics by Carbonaceous Vapors

Friction coefficients of less than 0.02 and negligible wear have been attained and continuously maintained in a pin-on-disc apparatus between a sapphire pin and discs of Sialon, silicon carbide, zirconia or zirconialalumina as long as a carbonaceous gas or vapor, such as ethylene, propane, benzene, or 1-propanol, was supplied to the conjunction region. Mean contact pressures were around 300 MPa and bulk temperatures were varied between ambient and 700°C. For every ceramic and vapor combination some temperature ranges exhibited high friction and wear, others very low friction and wear. Raman and Auger spectroscopies of the carbonaceous deposits formed in the wear tracks show significant differences depending on the temperature range and the feed gases or vapors supplied. In general, friction and wear reduction occurred in two steps at different rates. The tribochemistry involved is likely to comprise hydrocarbon acid-catalytic cracking at low temperatures and pyrolysis at high temperatures. Presented as a ...
Structure of wild-type and mutant mouse β2-microglobulin genes

Abstract β 2 -Microglobulin is encoded by a single gene per haploid genome in the mouse. This gene was cloned and sequenced and was shown to consist of four coding regions separated by three intervening sequences. Most of the protein (amino acids 3–95) is encoded in a single uninterrupted unit flanked by intervening sequences. In this respect, the genetic organization is similar to that of the evolutionarily related H-2 and immunoglobulin domains. A mutant cell line selected for loss of cell-surface expression of the thymus leukemic antigen and failing to express surface β 2 -microglobulin and H-2 was found to contain no detectable cytoplasmic β 2 -microglobulin. The genetic defect in this mutant was analyzed by Southern blots, which indicated that there are defects in both copies of the β 2 -microglobulin gene present in this cell. The concomitant loss of three cell-surface antigens was thereby linked to genetic defects in the β 2 -microglobulin locus.
‘If You Leave Us Here, We Will Die’: How Genocide Was Stopped in East Timor

‘If You Leave Us Here, We Will Die’: How Genocide Was Stopped in East Timor Geoffrey Robinson Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010 311 pp, $45 (hbk) On 30 August 1999, the people of East...
Esophageal strictures following endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy: clinical course and response to dilation therapy

The authors evaluated the clinical course and management of 10 sclerotherapy patients with obliterated varices and symptomatic esophageal strictures. Strictures developed after 29 injections of 51ml of sodium tetradecyl sulfate on an average of three sessions. Although the severity of dysphagia was variable, all patients were successfully managed with bougienage. To evaluate risk factors related to stricture formation a comparison was made with 14 nonstricture patients with obliterated varices. Multiple parameters of sclerotherapy were evaluated including total volume of sclerosant, number of injections, number of EVS sessions, volume of sclerosant, number of injections per session, number of esophageal ulcerations, and frequency of EVS treatments. No aspects of therapy clearly predicted the development of esophageal stricture.
Metchnikoff's policemen: macrophages in development, homeostasis and regeneration

Over the past decade, modern genetic tools have permitted scientists to study the function of myeloid lineage cells, including macrophages, as never before. Macrophages were first detected more than a century ago as cells that ingested bacteria and other microbes, but it is now known that their functional roles are far more numerous. In this review, we focus on the prevailing functions of macrophages beyond their role in innate immunity. We highlight examples of macrophages acting as regulators of development, tissue homoeostasis, remodeling (the reorganization or renovation of existing tissues) and repair. We also detail how modern genetic tools have facilitated new insights into these mysterious cells.
Evaluation of residency training in the delivery of culturally effective care.

Objective To augment resident training in the delivery of culturally effective care in order to improve clinician capacity to effectively care for patients from diverse backgrounds. Methods Residents from the Naval Medical Center San Diego and the University of California San Diego participated in experiential learning and service activities. Programme evaluation assessed aspects of the delivery of culturally effective care in community settings. A community-based participatory approach to engaging residents in the delivery of culturally effective care and evaluation of the effectiveness of this approach are described. Results A significant pre−post rotation increase was noted in residents' self-perceived ability to identify culture-related issues that may impact on the patient's view of illness (P < 0.001) and ability to address a culture-related issue (P < 0.001). Community evaluations rated residents positively on behaviours that reflected communication skills and professionalism, but less positively on knowledge about communities. Conclusions The authors conclude that resident exposure to the block rotation curriculum contributes to improved knowledge of the skills necessary to provide culturally effective care in diverse community settings.
Design of a prosthetic hand with remote actuation

One of the main issues of prosthetic hands is to be able to fulfill all the specifications about speed, torque, weight and inertia while placing all the components within the prosthetic hand. This is especially true when full dexterity is required in the prosthesis. In this paper, a new design for a prosthetic hand is presented, which uses remote actuation in order to satisfy most of those requirements. The actuators are to be located in the back of the subject and the transmission is implemented via cables. Other characteristics of this new prosthetic hand include torque limitation and the possibility of switching between underactuated and fully actuated functions.
Raman spectrum of the right‐handed α‐helix of poly‐L‐alanine

The laser-excited Raman vibrational spectrum of poly-L-alanine has been obtained. The Raman spectrum is compared with the infrared spectrum and vibrational frequencies calculated from normal coordinate analysis. The symmetric modes of the α-helix appear with strong intensity in the Raman spectrum. A large number of skeletal modes are obtained in this Raman spectrum for the first time.
Unique Properties of Halide Perovskites as Possible Origins of the Superior Solar Cell Performance

Halide perovskites solar cells have the potential to exhibit higher energy conversion efficiencies with ultrathin films than conventional thin-film solar cells based on CdTe, CuInSe2 , and Cu2 ZnSnSe4 . The superior solar-cell performance of halide perovskites may originate from its high optical absorption, comparable electron and hole effective mass, and electrically clean defect properties, including point defects and grain boundaries.
Needed: A Ban on the Significance Test

The significance test as currently used is a disaster Whereas most researchers falsely believe that the significance test has an error rate of 5%, empirical studies show the average error rate across psychology is 60%–12 times higher than researchers think it to be The error rate for inference using the significance test is greater than the error rate using a coin toss to replace the empirical study The significance test has devastated the research review process Comprehensive reviews cite conflicting results on almost every issue Yet quantitatively accurate review of the same results shows that the apparent conflicts stem almost entirely from the high error rate for the significance test If 60% of studies falsely interpret their primary results, then reviewers who base their reviews on the interpreted study “findings” will have a 100% error rate in concluding that there is conflict between study results
Commuting, Job Clusters, and Travel Burdens: Analysis of Spatially and Socioeconomically Disaggregated Longitudinal Employer–Household Dynamics Data

The concept of sustainability has grown to include concerns about social equity, as well as economic and environmental issues. Under this framework, this study investigated commuting through a jobs-housing balance and excess commuting approach. Excess commuting has been widely researched for more than 30 years. However, a set of data from the Bureau of the Census offers new opportunities, as the set is highly spatially disaggregated and available annually for the years 2002 to 2011. Taking Leon County, Florida, as a case study, this research analyzed local jobs-housing balance measures to determine whether commuters with different incomes experienced divergent outcomes during the recent U.S. recession (2006 to 2011). Regional job clusters were identified, and levels of commuting into these areas were compared with broader averages. Last, a relative commuting burden metric was introduced to contextualize monetarily what these commuting patterns mean for different income groups. The results showed that comm...
Inhibition of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene-induced multi-organ carcinogenesis by dietary chlorophyllin in rainbow trout

Cancer chemoprevention by dietary chlorophyllin (CHL) was investigated in a rainbow trout multi-organ tumor model. In study 1, duplicate groups of 130 juvenile trout were treated for 2 weeks with control diet, 500 p.p.m. dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) or 500 p.p.m. DB[a,l]P + 2052 p.p.m. CHL, then returned to control diet. DB[a,l]P alone proved somewhat toxic but induced high tumor incidences in liver (61%), stomach (91%) and swimbladder (53%) 11 months after initiation. CHL co-feeding abrogated DB[a,l]P acute toxicity and reduced tumor incidences to 18% in liver, 34% in stomach and 3% in swimbladder (P </= 0.01). A second tumor and DNA adduct study using a non-toxic initiation protocol (200 p.p.m. DB[a,l]P +/- 4000 p.p.m. CHL for 4 weeks) confirmed these results. Potential CHL inhibitory mechanisms were investigated. Dietary CHL inhibited hepatic DB[a, l]P-DNA adducts in the two tumor studies by 89 and 76%, respectively. CHL was shown to complex strongly with DB[a,l]P (K(d1,2) = 1.59 +/- 0.01 microM, stoichiometry 2CHL:DB[a,l]P) and strongly inhibited DB[a,l]P mutagenesis in the Salmonella assay. Significant inhibition occurred at CHL concentrations substantially less than stoichiometric with DB[a,l]P and thus not reflecting simple DB[a,l]P sequestration via complexation. These initial findings suggest that CHL chemoprevention reflects complexation that might limit DB[a,l]P uptake in vivo, antimutagenic mechanisms such as catalytic degradation of the proximate electrophile in target cells, or both. These results demonstrate that dietary CHL is a reproducibly effective chemopreventive agent for DB[a,l]P multi-organ tumorigenesis in trout and suggest that reduced DB[a,l]P-DNA adducts may be predictive biomarkers of CHL reduction of DB[a,l]P-initiated hepatic tumors.
Photocrosslinked alginate gels for analysis of stromal cell behavior in tumors

The stromal compartment of the normal breast microenvironment is abundant in adipose progenitor cells. These cells experience differential mechanical cues during mammary tumorigenesis; however, it is largely unknown whether tumor-mediated reduction in extracellular matrix (ECM) compliance alters the behavior of adipose progenitor cells. To investigate this possible relationship we have developed an artificial ECM whose elastic moduli may be readily adjusted to mimic the compliance of normal and cancerous breast tissue. More specifically, alginate hydrogels were covalently modified with RGD-adhesion peptides and photocrosslinkable side chains to allow for control over cellular interactions and compliance of these materials, respectively. We have utilized these materials to encapsulate 3T3-L1 mouse preadipocytes and analyze their proliferation and differentiation behavior as a function of tumor-mediated microenvironmental stiffness. Results obtained by these studies may help to elucidate the role of physical cues in modulating stromal cell behavior in the mammary tumor microenvironment and may ultimately lead to a better understanding of breast tumorigenesis.
Causation by Concentration

This essay is concerned with concentrations of entities, which play an important|albeit often overlooked|role in scientic explanation. First, I discuss an example from molecular biology to show that concentrations can play an irreducible causal role. Second, I provide a preliminary philosophical analysis of this causal role, suggesting some implications for extant theories of causation. I conclude by introducing the concept of causation by concentration, a form of statistical causation whose widespread presence throughout the sciences has been unduly neglected and which deserves to be studied in more depth.
Video composition methods and their semantics

A comparison is made of four modular composition methods suitable for pipeline architectures, including object-based and pel-based composition methods with absolute or relative ordering. For each composition method, it is shown what it does, what it means physically, and thus what limitation it imposes. The conclusion is that the object-based methods, although more efficient to describe video composition, are not completely general. A method is proposed to extend the generality of object-based composition while also retaining its efficiency in describing video composition. >
Diagnosis of diabetes. The size and nature of carbohydrate load.

The blood sugar (eighteen subjects) and serum insulin levels (sixteen subjects) following the administration of 30 gm. glucose and 45 gm. glucose per square meter of body surface area were compared. In the patients studied, the larger glucose load resulted in significantly greater blood glucose responses (area under the curve, two-hour blood glucose, three-hour blood glucose) and increased sensitivity of the test. The areas under the glucose and insulin curves with the two different glucose loads had a linear relationship, thereby providing some basis for the comparison of data obtained by the use of different amounts of glucose administered on the basis of the body surface area. The blood glucose levels following the administration of seven ounces of Glucola (75 gm. carbohydrate solution) were compared with those following the administration of (1) 100 gm. glucose in twenty-seven subjects and (2) 1.75gm. glucose/kg, of ideal body weight in twelve subjects. Although the interpretation of the individual glucose tolerance tests changed in twelve subjects, the areas under the glucose tolerance curves and summed glucose values were not significantly different whether Glucola or the two glucose loads were used thus demonstrating similarity of the Glucola and the glucose loads.
THE A-POLYNOMIAL n-TUPLE OF A LINK AND HYPERBOLIC 3-MANIFOLDS WITH NON-INTEGRAL TRACES

We define A-polynomial n-tuple for a link of n-components and apply them to construct hyperbolic link manifolds with non-integral traces.
The Complex Relationship between Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) is occasionally observed in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA). Although these women with HA/PCOM meet two of the Rotterdam criteria, they are excluded from the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by having HA. We explored the coexistence of these two disorders in women with HA/PCOM by analyzing their androgen response to gonadotropins and by following their clinical characteristics over time. Methods: Baseline and dynamic endocrine profiles during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for women with HA/PCOM [n = 6, median (interquartile range) age 30 yr (28–31), body mass index (BMI) 19.2 kg/m2 (18.0–19.2)] were retrospectively compared with those of women with PCOS [n = 10, age 33 (31–34), BMI 24.8 (23.2–27.6)] and normoovulatory controls [n = 20, age 33 (31–35), BMI 21.5(20.3–23.1)]. Long-term outcomes for five women with HA/PCOM were followed during their spontaneous recovery from HA. Results: With the exception of decreased LH [0.7 (0.3–0....
Precordial Vibrations Clinical Clues from Palpation

The low-frequency precordial vibrations originating at the point of the apex beat, and especially those in the subaudible range, seem to offer considerable clinical usefulness. In this paper I have briefly outlined some of the physiologic, pathologic, and pharmacologic evidence to support this impression. The instrumentation we have used is crude and undoubtedly we have been misled on occasion by artifacts. However, there is sufficient validity in the technic, reproducibility of result, and correlation with intracardiac events to warrant intensive study.
Long-term outcome of medical and surgical therapies for gastroesophageal reflux disease: follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.

ContextSevere gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a lifelong problem that can be complicated by peptic esophageal stricture and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.ObjectiveTo determine the long-term outcome of medical and surgical therapies for GERD.Design and SettingFollow-up study conducted from October 1997 through October 1999 of a prospective randomized trial of medical and surgical antireflux treatments in patients with complicated GERD. Mean (median) duration of follow-up was 10.6 years (7.3 years) for medical patients and 9.1 years (6.3 years) for surgical patients.ParticipantsTwo hundred thirty-nine (97%) of the original 247 study patients were found (79 were confirmed dead). Among the 160 survivors (157 men and 3 women; mean [SD] age, 67 [12] years), 129 (91 in the medical treatment group and 38 in the surgical treatment group) participated in the follow-up.Main Outcome MeasuresUse of antireflux medication, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Activity Index (GRACI) scores, grade of esophagitis, frequency of treatment of esophageal stricture, frequency of subsequent antireflux operations, 36-item Short Form health survey (SF-36) scores, satisfaction with antireflux therapy, survival, and incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma, compared between the medical antireflux therapy group and the fundoplication surgery group. Information on cause of death was obtained from autopsy results, hospital records, and death certificates.ResultsEighty-three (92%) of 90 medical patients and 23 (62%) of 37 surgical patients reported that they used antireflux medications regularly (P<.001). During a 1-week period after discontinuation of medication, mean (SD) GRACI symptom scores were significantly lower in the surgical treatment group (82.6 [17.5] vs 96.7 [21.4] in the medical treatment group; P = .003). However, no significant differences between the groups were found in grade of esophagitis, frequency of treatment of esophageal stricture and subsequent antireflux operations, SF-36 standardized physical and mental component scale scores, and overall satisfaction with antireflux therapy. Survival during a period of 140 months was decreased significantly in the surgical vs the medical treatment group (relative risk of death in the medical group, 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.46; P = .047), largely because of excess deaths from heart disease. Patients with Barrett esophagus at baseline developed esophageal adenocarcinomas at an annual rate of 0.4%, whereas these cancers developed in patients without Barrett esophagus at an annual rate of only 0.07%. There was no significant difference between groups in incidence of esophageal cancer.ConclusionThis study suggests that antireflux surgery should not be advised with the expectation that patients with GERD will no longer need to take antisecretory medications or that the procedure will prevent esophageal cancer among those with GERD and Barrett esophagus.
Effectiveness of Probabilistic Attacks on Anonymity of Users Communicating via Multiple Messages

A major objective of any system-wide attack on an anonymity system is to uncover the extent to which each user of the system communicated with each other user. A probabilistic attack attempts to achieve this objective by arriving at some probability values for each of the system's possible input–output message pairs of reflecting actual communication. We show that these values lead to a probability distribution on the set of all possible system-wide communication patterns between users, and develop a combinatorial technique to determine this distribution. We give a method to measure from this distribution the effectiveness of any such attack or, alternatively, the level of anonymity remaining in the system in the aftermath of the attack. We also compare our metric with three earlier attempts in the literature to solve a similar problem, and demonstrate that the scope of our metric is far wider than those of all earlier ones.
Interactome-transcriptome analysis reveals the high centrality of genes differentially expressed in lung cancer tissues

Motivation: Global protein interaction network (interactome) analysis provides an effective way to understand the relationships between genes. Through this approach, it was demonstrated that the essential genes in yeast tend to be highly connected as well as connected to other highly connected genes. This is in contrast to the genes that are not essential, which share neither of these properties. Using a similar interactome-transcriptome approach, the topological features in the interactome of differentially expressed genes in lung squamous cancer tissues are assessed. Results: This analysis reveals that the genes that are differentially elevated, as obtained from the microarray gene profiling data, in cancer are well connected, whereas the suppressed genes and randomly selected ones are less so. These results support the notion that a topological analysis of cancer genes using protein interaction data will allow the placement of the list of genes, often of the disparate nature, into the global, systematic context of the cell. The result of this type of analysis may provide the rationale for therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. Contact: swachi@ucdavis.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data for this paper are available on Bioinformatics online.
Prostate cancer quality of life: beyond initial treatment and the patient.

The clinical course of cancer produces the illusion of discontinuity, and the distortion can harm treatment decision making. Most cancers grow for years to achieve a size sufficient for symptoms, screening, or serendipitous test results to draw attention to it. However long in coming, a cancer diagnosis arrives as a thunderbolt, kicking off a disorienting frenzy of testing, consultation, and treatment. The aftermath depends on the cancer’s response. Progressive cancer is a batterer, provoking treatment counterpunches on behalf of the patient, with the family’s support. 1,2 But they must come to an accommodation with it, their eventual acquiescence variably admixed with grace and peace, but at great emotional cost, 3 and too often disastrously late to benefit from hospice and other palliative care. 4 For the fortunate patient with a complete remission, usually with surgery as part of treatment, the reverberations of treatment eventually die down. Fear of cancer gives way to thanks for its departure, and hope that it will not return seeps in, with cure becoming conviction in time. Biologically, recurrent cancer simply extends the primary tumor’s relentless, occult growth, albeit displaced. Too often, it clinically reprises the initial surprise attack, triggering a new, urgent round of tests and consultations that echoes the first. It needn’t be
Worlds remade: inclusion through engagement with disability art

This paper revisits the 2007 Disability Studies in Education Conference plenary session, ‘Using Disability Art in Teaching About Disability: Riva Lehrer, David Mitchell, Sharon Snyder and Linda War...
Images of Savages: Ancient Roots of Modern Prejudice in Western Culture

Images of Savages: Ancient Roots of Modern Prejudice in Western Culture. Gustav Jahoda. New York: Routledge, 1999. 298 pp.
Peripheral Atherectomy: A Critical Review

Atherectomy is experiencing increased interest from endovascular specialists as a therapeutic treatment in the peripheral arteries. Long studied in the coronary vasculature, atherectomy has several theoretical advantages that make it uniquely suited for the peripheral circulation. In particular, infra-inguinal peripheral arterial disease experiences physiologic stresses and forces that have made traditional percutaneous coronary treatments such as angioplasty and stenting not as successful. Restenosis has been a major problem for angioplasty and stenting alone. The SilverHawk atherectomy device has favorable short-term data but important longer-term data are limited and need further study. Laser atherectomy also has favorable applications in niche patients but the number of studies is limited. Unfortunately, athero-ablative technologies for peripheral arterial disease require more definitive objective data regarding 12-month and longer-term outcomes in order to obtain widespread scientific acceptance.
Lysozyme-Protease-Inorganic Monovalent Anion Lysis of Oral Bacterial Strains in Buffers and Stimulated Whole Saliva

Similar to Streptococcus mutans, buffer suspensions of Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Fusobacterium nucleatum all undergo cell lysis when treated with the lysozyme-protease-inorganic monovalent anion antibacterial system. For Lactobacillus species treated with lysozyme and proteases at pHs of 4 and 5.3, lysis resulted when a lytic activating concentration of bicarbonate anion followed enzyme treatment. Furthermore, synergistic lysis of these bacteria was noted when lysozyme-protease treatment was followed by bicarbonate anion used in combination with chloride or fluoride anions. Noteworthy, the halides were not active in promoting lysis when used by themselves in the absence of bicarbonate. For F. nucleatum suspended at pH 6.9, lysis was dependent upon the ionic strength of the buffer and resulted when lysozyme-protease treatment of the organism was followed by 100 mmol/L bicarbonate activation. When lysozyme and proteases were omitted from the incubation mixtures and replaced by stimulated whole saliva, pH 5.3, lysis was observed only with L. plantarum and S. mutans, but not with L. casei. The latter could be lysed, however, if suspended in saliva which was diluted several-fold with distilled water. In experiments where lysozyme was selectively depleted from whole saliva by immunoadsorption affinity chromatography, the great majority of the lysis capability of the saliva for L. plantarum was lost, although a significant degree of lysis appeared to be due to salivary factors other than lysozyme. F. nucleatum was also found to lyse in saliva at neutral pH, suggesting that both Gram-positive and Gram-negative oral bacteria may be susceptible to this antibacterial system in vivo.
The differences among three-, four-, and five-option-item formats in the context of a high-stakes English-language listening test

We adapted three practice College Scholastic Ability Tests (CSAT) of English listening, each with five-option items, to create four- and three-option versions by asking 73 Korean speakers or learners of English to eliminate the least plausible options in two rounds. Two hundred and sixty-four Korean high school English-language learners formed three groups. Each took three of the nine tests, one with five-option items, one with four-, and one with three-, with administrations counterbalanced to control for order and practice effects. Mean test scores of the three-option tests were significantly higher than those of four- and five-option tests. While no difference was found in mean item discriminations across the three different test formats, reliability coefficients showed inconsistent patterns depending on the number of options and test versions. One possible interpretation of the low correlations among the scores of three test formats is that items with different numbers of options tap into skills other...
MORPHOLOGIC CHANGES IN THE DEVELOPING RAT PLACENTA FOLLOWING PREDNISOLONE ADMINISTRATION.

Summary The administration of a relatively high dose of delta-1 hydrocortisone to pregnant rats results in severe morphologic changes in virtually all of the placental tissues. As early as the fifteenth day of pregnancy, there is a marked inhibition of decidua formation and a severe decrease in decidual and “junctional zone” glycogen. In addition, delta-1 hydrocortisone inhibits trophoblastic proliferation and induces morphologic changes in the syncytial trophoblast which resemble “premature aging.” The over-all effect of these changes leads to a failure in placental growth during the eighteenth day of gestation and thereafter. The yolk sac epithelium becomes depleted of glycogen as early as the fifteenth day whereas the apical P.A.S.-positive granulations continue to increase in number until term, a process which leads to marked “clubbing” of the individual epithelial cells. These processes undoubtedly alter placental function severely and are reflected by a significant increase in intrauterine fetal death.
Classification of rational holomorphic maps from \( \mathbb{B}^2 \) into \( \mathbb{B}^\mathbb{N} \) with degree 2

Rational proper holomorphic maps from the unit ball in ℂ2 into the unit ball ℂN with degree 2 are classified, up to automorphisms of balls.
Disease Severity and Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results from the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists Autoimmune Diseases in Pregnancy Project.

Objective. To determine the effect of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease severity on pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with and without autoimmune diseases. Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted using the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists Autoimmune Diseases in Pregnancy Project. Pregnant women with RA enrolled between 2005 and 2013 were selected if they (1) delivered a live-born singleton infant; and (2) completed 3 telephone-based measures of RA disease severity prior to 20 weeks’ gestation, including the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), pain score, and patient’s global scale. Associations between RA disease severity and preterm delivery, small for gestational age (SGA), or cesarean delivery were tested in unadjusted and multivariate analyses using modified Poisson regression models. Results. The sample consisted of 440 women with RA. Several unadjusted comparisons yielded significant associations. After adjustment for covariates, increasing disease severity was associated with risk for preterm delivery and SGA. For each unit increase in HAQ-DI (0–1), the adjusted relative risk (aRR) for preterm delivery increased by 58% (aRR 1.58, 95% CI 1.17–2.15). Among those with HAQ-DI > 0.5, the aRR for SGA was 1.81 (95% CI 1.01–3.33). Conclusion. RA disease severity in early pregnancy, as measured in this study, was predictive of preterm delivery and SGA. These findings suggest that the risk of preterm delivery and SGA in women with RA might be lowered if RA is well controlled early in pregnancy.
Effect of delaying therapy in newly diagnosed AML

7020 Background: Given CR rates < 50% in pts with chromosome 5 and/or 7 abnnormalities given standard therapies, such pts might be offered investigational treatments at diagnosis. However the delay...
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and the Prevention of Depressive Relapse: Measures, Mechanisms, and Mediators

portant meta-analysis of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in the prevention of depression relapse. This meta-analysis was conducted at the individual patient level and included 9 randomized clinical trials, with data available for 1258 patients who participated in studies in which MBCT was compared with at least 1 non-MBCT treatment. The findings indicate that MBCT produced a reduced risk of depressive relapse within a 60-week follow-up period compared with other active treatments. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was most effective for patients with greater depressive severity before treatment.
Use of Liquid Biopsies in Clinical Oncology: Pilot Experience in 168 Patients.

There is a growing interest in using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing in patients with cancer.A total of 168 patients with diverse cancers were analyzed. Patients had digital next-generation sequencing (54 cancer-related gene panel including amplifications in ERBB2, EGFR, and MET) performed on their plasma. Type of genomic alterations, potential actionability, concordance with tissue testing, and patient outcome were examined.Fifty-eight percent of patients (98/168) had ≥1 ctDNA alteration(s). Of the 98 patients with alterations, 71.4% had ≥ 1 alteration potentially actionable by an FDA-approved drug. The median time interval between the tissue biopsy and the blood draw was 2.7 months for patients with ≥ 1 alteration in common compared with 14.4 months (P = 0.006) for the patients in whom no common alterations were identified in the tissue and plasma. Overall concordance rates for tissue and ctDNA were 70.3% for TP53 and EGFR, 88.1% for PIK3CA, and 93.1% for ERBB2 alterations. There was a significant correlation between the cases with ≥ 1 alteration with ctDNA ≥ 5% and shorter survival (median = 4.03 months vs. not reached at median follow-up of 6.1 months; P < 0.001). Finally, 5 of the 12 evaluable patients (42%) matched to a treatment targeting an alteration(s) detected in their ctDNA test achieved stable disease ≥ 6 months/partial remission compared with 2 of 28 patients (7.1%) for the unmatched patients, P = 0.02.Our initial study demonstrates that ctDNA tests provide information complementary to that in tissue biopsies and may be useful in determining prognosis and treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 22(22); 5497-505. ©2016 AACR.
Pyramids, Squares, and Prisms: Severity of Harm, Public Awareness and Perceptions of Severity of Harm, Power Relations, and Society’s Response

Roger Matthews (2009:344–5), a key figure in Left Realism, has observed:As Matthews suggests—and as noted in Chap. 1 of this book—criminologists frequently disagree about what constitutes crime. A number of different approaches have been offered to help negotiate this stumbling block within criminology (Young and Matthews 1992a:17): John Hagan’s pyramid of crime, Left Realists’ square of crime, and Henry and Lanier’s prism of crime.
The medical civic action program in Vietnam: success or failure?

Medical services have long been an integral part of the military and warfare. Civilians, however, are also caught up in wars. This article discusses the care of the indigenous civilians by U.S. military medical personnel during the Vietnam War. Civilian medical care is rendered both for altruistic purposes and to satisfy the policy aims of the U.S. government. Evaluation of these two aspects of the programs does not lead to the same conclusions. Doctors doubted the value of the programs, whereas the command structure was enthusiastic. For a program to be of sustained value to the people, it must persist over time and train those who will remain after U.S. forces are withdrawn. This did not occur in Vietnam. Furthermore, I doubt that medical care rendered by U.S. troops in uniform can serve to build up loyalty to another organization, such as the host government.