cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of Neonatal Palliative Care: Similarities and Differences between Medical and Nursing Staff in a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Background: A significant number of newborns are affected by life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Despite this prevalence, there are inconsistencies in attitudes toward, and delivery of, neonatal palliative care. Implementing neonatal palliative care practice requires a multidisciplinary, collaborative effort. Objective: To examine institutional and individual barriers to and facilitators of neonatal palliative care from both medical and nursing perspectives. Design/Setting/Subjects: A prospective cross-sectional study design was used to collect data using the Neonatal Palliative Care Attitude Scale (NiPCAS) survey from medical providers and nurses in a 64-bed level IV neonatal intensive care unit in the United States. The response rate was 67%. Measurements: The NiPCAS survey included 26 attitudinal questions on a Likert scale. The instrument included three subscales: organization, resources, and clinician, in addition to other questions. Results: Six facilitators to neonatal palliative care were identified: (1) support of palliative care by the health care team, (2) support of palliative care by medical and nursing practice, (3) agreement that palliative care is as important as curative care, (4) parental involvement in decision making, (5) recognition of the importance of palliative care education, and (6) prioritizing pain relief. Three barriers to neonatal palliative care were highlighted: (1) a physical environment that is not conducive to providing palliative care, (2) technological obligations and parental demands, and (3) the societal belief that babies should not die. In addition, there were differences between medical and nursing staffs' attitudes on several topics. Conclusions: Several facilitators and barriers of neonatal palliative care were identified. There were similarities and differences in perceptions of neonatal palliative care between medical and nursing staff. Future work should be done to strengthen facilitators and to mitigate barriers.
Breast lobular carcinoma in situ associated podocytopathy

Paraneoplastic glomerular diseases are rare. While membranous nephropathy has been classically associated with solid malignancies, minimal change disease has been commonly described with hematologi...
Snow-Proof Roadways Using Steel Fiber–Reinforced Fly Ash Geopolymer Mortar–Concrete

AbstractGeopolymer composite is an innovative and ecofriendly construction material and an alternative to portland cement. Geopolymer concrete is a multifunction material that can be used for diffe...
COVID-19 and child abuse: A child advocacy center experience at an epicenter

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shutdown of regular activities has resulted in an unprecedented and abrupt rise in stressors for families, including lost support systems and financial hardships Previous studies have shown that caregiver stress elevates the risks associated with an increase in child abuse and neglect Hypothesis: The COVID-19-induced shutdown of regular activity will result in an increase in child abuse cases Objective: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of child abuse cases presenting to a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Methods: A data review of the CAC client tracking database done to determine the volume of new child abuse cases presenting to the CAC during an eight-week period in 2020 (3/3 - 4/25) and compared with data derived during the same time frame in 2019 (historical controls) The busiest CAC (Census in 2019=3424) in the state provides comprehensive multidisciplinary services to children and families in the county with reported allegations of severe physical abuse (ages 10 years and younger) and sexual abuse (ages 12 years and younger) Statistical analysis was done using SPSS for Windows version 26 Results: The total number of cases for the 8-week study period in 2019 was 573, compared to 297 in 2020, indicating a 48% (p=0 009) decline in volume The weekly trend (with associated events) is illustrated in the figure On-site child abuse medical evaluations were 156 in 2019, and 52 exams in 2020, a decline of 66% (p=0 003) There were 89 (F=61, M=28) sexual abuse examinations in 2019, and only 33 (F=21, M=12) in 2020, a 63% decline Similarly, the number of physical abuse examinations declined from 67 (F=30, M=37) in 2019 to 19 (F=7, M=12) in 2020, a 72% decline No significant associations were detected between the two time periods in terms of the type of abuse or the sex or age of the child Discussion: There were significantly fewer reports of child abuse during this COVID pandemic time belying expectations Usually, the highest percentage of reports are from schools (20%) and with school closures and shelter at home orders, access to mandated reporters is limited It is critical that mechanisms for surveillance, reporting, and intervention are in place, particularly related to domestic violence and child abuse It is speculated that when Covid-19 related measures are lifted, there may be an enormous spike in referrals Conclusion: Despite the concurrent elevation in multiple risk factors, there was a significant decline in the number of child abuse cases and medical evaluations at our child advocacy center during the COVID-19 pandemic This may be a result of under reporting due to school closures and shelter at home orders
When Religion Hurts: Structural Sexism and Health in Religious Congregations:

An emerging line of research has begun to document the relationship between structural sexism and health. This work shows that structural sexism—defined as systematic gender inequality in power and...
Gatekeeping The Profession

This article critically examines the structure of U.S. legal education and reveals how the structure of U.S. legal education serves as a racial gatekeeper that prevents black students from entering the legal profession in the United States. In addition, this article also reveals how the exportation of U.S. legal education to India resulted in a similar process, one in which legal education serves as a caste based gatekeeper that prevents dalit students from entering the legal profession in India. This connection is made by introducing and characterizing the model of U.S. legal education as an adaptive prejudice model whereby the model adapts and reproduces the prejudices of the society in which it is situated in. This article is consistent with scholarship that critiques prejudice inherent in U.S. legal education and legal education in India but adds to this body by situating black and dalit students experiences together instead of in isolation. Drawing on both stratification data based on race, caste, and class as well as legal education data in both India and the United States I draw parallels between the black and dalit student experience which creates new opportunities for solidarity and solutions to combatting the lack of diversity in legal education and the profession.
National Trends and Correlates of Dysphagia After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Surgery.

Objective Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the most common performed surgery in the cervical spine. Dysphagia is one of the most frequent complications following ACDF. Several studies have identified certain demographic and perioperative risk factors associated with increased dysphagia rates, but few have reported recent trends. Our study aims to report current trends and factors associated with the development of inpatient postoperative dysphagia after ACDF. Methods The National Inpatient Sample was evaluated from 2004 to 2014 and discharges with International Classification of Diseases procedure codes indicating ACDF were selected. Time trend series plots were created for the yearly treatment trends for each fusion level by dysphagia outcome. Separate univariable followed by multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate predictors of dysphagia. Results A total of 1,212,475 ACDFs were identified in which 3.3% experienced postoperative dysphagia. A significant increase in annual dysphagia rates was observed from 2004-2014. Frailty, intraoperative neuromonitoring, 4 or more level fusions, African American race, fluid/electrolyte disorders, blood loss, and coagulopathy were all identified as significant independent risk factors for the development of postoperative dysphagia following ACDF. Conclusion Postoperative dysphagia is a well-known postsurgical complication associated with ACDF. Our cohort showed a significant increase in the annual dysphagia rates independent of levels fused. We identified several risk factors associated with the development of postoperative dysphagia after ACDF.
Colonization of The Murine Gastrointestinal Tract by Salmonella typhimurium

Salmonella infection of animal hosts results, in general, from oral consumption of contaminated foods. It is therefore important to understand the series of events necessary for Salmonella to exist both outside and inside the host. We have set out to define biochemically and genetically the gene products necessary for S. typhimurium to traffic through the animal host and also to determine how S. typhimurium regulates the expression of these genes in response to the changing environmental niches occupied during transit through this infection pathway. Ultimately, information from such studies should be useful in the design and construction of attenuated Salmonella derivatives to use for immunization to prevent infection.
Preventing Child and Adolescent Problem Behavior: Evidence-Based Strategies in Schools, Families, and Communities

Acknowledgments Introduction: The Challenge and Promise of Prevention 1. Childhood, Adolescence, and the Evolution of Prevention 2. Risk and Protection: A Public Health Approach to Prevention 3. Effective School-Based Prevention Approaches 4. Effective Family-Based Prevention Approaches 5. Effective Community-Based Programs and Prevention Systems 6. Program Implementation and Fidelity 7. Program Adaptation 8. Advancing Prevention in Schools and Communities References Index
A Record of Bermudrilus peniatus (Oligochaeta: Tubificidae) from the Gulf of Mexico

The marine tubificid Bermudriluspeniatus Ersdus, 19?9 (subfamily Phallodrilinae) is reported fromoff the west coast ofcentral Florida, at about 75 m depth. The species was previously known only from coral reefs at Bermuda. Bermudrilus penfutus is known only from medium to coarse sand in a depth of 10 to 15 meters in coral reefs at Bermuda (Ers6us 1979). Recently when examining a collection of offshore oligochaetes from the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, I found a single specimen that extends considerably the known distribution of the species. Consequently, it is reported here. The specimen originated from a Bureau of Land Management baseline study by personnel at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabama. It was mounted whole in Canada balsam before examination and is deposited in the National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. B ermudilus p e nia tus Ers6w, 19 7 9 Bermudrilus peniatus Ers6us, 1979 , pp. 425-426 , fig. 4. Type material USNM 56314-56316, five specimens, all from the type locality. Type locality Southeast of Charles' Island, Bermuda, 15 m, medium to coarse sand. Additional specimens in original material (author's collection) Eight specimens; seven from the type locality and one from east side of Castle Roads, Bermuda, l0 m, coarse sand with gravel and pebbles. New moterial examined USNM 97379, one specimen from about 155 km west of Sarasota, west coast of Florida, USA, about 75 m, sediment unknown (collected 23 August 1977). Remarks The individual is 4.1 mm long and has 39 segments. It fits the original description except for some minor differences. There are 6 penial setae,16-22 pm long, per bundle located ventrally in segment XI (Fig. 1). The funnel-straped, cuticularized penes (Fig. 1) arc 24-30 pm long with a base 10-11 pm wide and a midsection about 5 prm wide. As in the original material, the prostate glands are large and located anteriorly, with no posterior prostate glands present.
Clinical Significance of Isolated Proteinuria

Diagnostic and prognostic uncertainty often surrounds the qualitative detection of proteinuria in asymptomatic individuals who seem otherwise healthy. Such uncertainty can be most pronounced when proteinuria is modest in amount and unaccompanied by any other clinical or laboratory abnormality. The unsuspected finding of isolated proteinuria on routine urinalysis can give rise to two important questions: (1) does proteinuria reflect the underlying presence of some form of kidney disease, and if so, (2) will the disease eventually cause morbidity or death? Unfortunately, it is not always possible to answer either question with confidence, at least on first examination of an individual patient.
Preliminary Characterization of Some Ectopic Hormones

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the current knowledge on the clinical manifestations of ectopic hormones and summarizes what has been done so far to characterize the hormones. An impressive feature of ectopic hormones is their physiological lawlessness. Almost invariably, they seem to be totally uncontrolled by the regulatory mechanisms that operate in normal endocrine physiology. Even though tumors producing ectopic hormones are relatively inefficient when compared with normal endocrine glands, such tumors often become very large and their total daily production of a hormone often far exceeds that observed in any other physiological or pathological state. An abnormal production of hormones occurs not only in the neoplasms of endocrine glands but, occasionally, in neoplasms of other tissues as well. A hormone is considered to be “ectopic” when it is produced by an organ other than the one normally engaged in its production. The following ectopic hormones have been found in tumors removed from patients suffering from an apparent excess of the agents in question; adrenocorticotropic hormone, melanocyte-stimulating hormone, parathyroid hormone, antidiuretic hormone, gastrin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, gonadotropic hormone, and erythropoietin.
Differences in seed rain composition in small and large fragments in the northeast Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Tropical forests are seriously threatened by fragmentation and habitat loss. The impact of fragment size and forest configuration on the composition of seed rain is insufficiently studied. For the present study, seed rain composition of small and large forest fragments (8-388 ha) was assessed in order to identify variations in seed abundance, species richness, seed size and dispersal mode. Seed rain was documented during a 1-year period in three large and four small Atlantic Forest fragments that are isolated by a sugarcane matrix. Total seed rain included 20,518 seeds of 149 species of trees, shrubs, palms, lianas and herbs. Most species and seeds were animal-dispersed. A significant difference in the proportion of seeds and species within different categories of seed size was found between small and large fragments. Small fragments received significantly more very small-sized seeds ( 1.5 cm) that were generally very rare, with only one species in small and eight in large fragments. We found a negative correlation between the inflow of small-sized seeds and the percentage of forest cover. Species richness was lower in small than in large fragments, but the difference was not very pronounced. Given our results, we propose changing plant species pools through logging, tree mortality and a high inflow of pioneer species and lianas, especially in small forest fragments and areas with low forest cover. Connecting forest fragments through corridors and reforestation with local large-seeded tree species may facilitate the maintenance of species diversity.
They're Not Just Little Adults: Special Considerations in Pediatric Clinical Ethics Consultation.

Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” (Thomas 1952) captures the goal of the investigators and families of patients at St. Jude’s. Theirs—like Thomas’s exaltation to his dying father—represents a noble cause. It is, however, not a good template for determining the scope of ethics consults in pediatrics. Such consults, particularly regarding neonates (Paris, Schreiber, and Moreland 2011), are more varied and more challenging than those reported at St. Jude Hospital. &
Characteristics of thein VitroVasoactivity of β-Amyloid Peptides

The β-amyloid (Aβ1–40) peptide has previously been shown to enhance phenylephrine contraction of aortic ringsin vitro.We have employed a novel observation, that Aβ peptides enhance endothelin-1 (ET-1) contraction, to examine the relationship between vasoactivity and potential amyloidogenicity of Aβ peptides, the role played by free radicals and calcium in the vasoactive mechanism, and the requirement of an intact endothelial layer for enhancement of vasoactivity. Rings of rat aortae were constricted with ET-1 before and after addition of amyloid peptide and/or other compounds, and a comparison was made between post- and pretreatment contractions. In this system, vessel constriction is consistently dramatically enhanced by Aβ1–40, is enhanced less so by Aβ1–42, and is not enhanced by Aβ25–35. The endothelium isnotrequired for Aβ vasoactivity, and calcium channel blockers have a greater effect than antioxidants in blocking enhancement of vasoconstriction by Aβ peptides. In contrast to Aβ-induced cytotoxicity, Aβ-induced vasoactivity is immediate, occurs in response to low doses of freshly solubilized peptide, and appears to be inversely related to the amyloidogenic potential of the Aβ peptides. We conclude that the mechanism of Aβ vasoactivity is distinct from that of Aβ cytotoxicity. Although free radicals appear to modulate the vasoactive effects, the lack of requirement for endothelium suggests that loss of the free radical balance (between NO and O−2) may be a secondary influence on Aβ enhancement of vasoconstriction. These effects of Aβ on isolated vessels, and reported effects of Aβ in cells of the vasculature, suggest that Aβ-induced disruption of vascular tone may be a factor in the pathogenesis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy and Alzheimer's disease. Although the mechanism of enhanced vasoconstriction is unknown, it is reasonable to propose thatin vivocontact of Aβ peptides with small cerebral vessels may increase their tendency to constrict and oppose their tendency to relax. The subclinical ischemia resulting from this would be expected to up-regulate βAPP production in and around the vasculature with further increase in Aβ formation and deposition. The disruptive and degenerative effects of such a cycle would lead to the complete destruction of cerebral vessels and consequently neuronal degeneration in the affected areas.
Effect of Unburned Methyl Esters on the NO x Conversion of Fe-Zeolite SCR Catalyst

Engine and flow reactor experiments were conducted to determine the impact of biodiesel relative to ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) on inhibition of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction over an Fe-zeolite catalyst. Fe-zeolite SCR catalysts have the ability to adsorb and store unburned hydrocarbons (HC) at temperatures below 300 C. These stored HCs inhibit or block NO{sub x}-ammonia reaction sites at low temperatures. Although biodiesel is not a hydrocarbon, similar effects are anticipated for unburned biodiesel and its organic combustion products. Flow reactor experiments indicate that in the absence of exposure to HC or B100, NO{sub x} conversion begins at between 100 and 200 C. When exposure to unburned fuel occurs at higher temperatures (250-400 C), the catalyst is able to adsorb a greater mass of biodiesel than of ULSD. Experiments show that when the catalyst is masked with ULSD, NO{sub x} conversion is inhibited until it is heated to 400 C. However, when masked with biodiesel, NO{sub x} conversion is observed to begin at temperatures as low as 200 C. Engine test results also show low-temperature recovery from HC storage. Engine tests indicate that, overall, the SCR system has a faster recovery from HC masking with biodiesel. This is atmore » least partially due to a reduction in exhaust HCs, and thus total HC exposure with biodiesel.« less
Haplotype Inference and Its Application in Linkage Disequilibrium Mapping

Haplotypes, defined as a set of DNA polymorphism markers physically located on a single chromosome, have gained exploding magnitude of interest owing to its potential value in disease gene identification and in pharmacogenomics. Because molecular haplotyping methods remain too costly to be used on a regular basis, statistical techniques for haplotype inference have emerged as the most time- and cost-efficient approach. This chapter explains the statistical theory and algorithms behind several in silico haplotype phasing strategies; reviews the partition-ligation idea for dealing with a large number of linked SNP marker loci; and proposes new methods for handling genotype uncertainty in the genotyping machine output as well as the pooled marker data. We also discuss the application of haplotype information in disease mutation detection in case-control designs and the impact of haplotype information on locus estimation accuracy. As an illustration, we applied the haplotyping tool PL-EM jointly with the LD mapping algorithm BLADE to a case-control study of the SNP markers surrounding the Alzheimer disease susceptible gene APOE.
Genetic inactivation of PERK signaling in mouse oligodendrocytes: Normal developmental myelination with increased susceptibility to inflammatory demyelination

The immune-mediated central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disorder multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease in young adults. One important goal of MS research is to identify strategies that will preserve oligodendrocytes (OLs) in MS lesions. During active myelination and remyelination, OLs synthesize large quantities of membrane proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which may result in ER stress. During ER stress, pancreatic ER kinase (PERK) phosphorylates eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (elF2α), which activates the integrated stress response (ISR), resulting in a stress-resistant state. Previous studies have shown that PERK activity is increased in OLs within the demyelinating lesions of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of MS. Moreover, our laboratory has shown that PERK protects OLs from the adverse effects of interferon-γ, a key mediator of the CNS inflammatory response. Here, we have examined the role of PERK signaling in OLs during development and in response to EAE. We generated OL-specific PERK knockout (OL-PERKko/ko) mice that exhibited a lower level of phosphorylated elF2α in the CNS, indicating that the ISR is impaired in the OLs of these mice. Unexpectedly, OL-PERKko/ko mice develop normally and show no myelination defects. Nevertheless, EAE is exacerbated in these mice, which is correlated with increased OL loss, demyelination, and axonal degeneration. These data indicate that although not needed for developmental myelination, PERK signaling provides protection to OLs against inflammatory demyelination and suggest that the ISR in OLs could be a valuable target for future MS therapeutics. GLIA GLIA 2014;62:680–691
Energy at the Surface of the Earth: An Introduction to the Energetics of Ecosystems

This book contains 23 chapters dealing with various aspects of the surface energy balance. The author presents data and discussion of the data rather than theoretical derivation and mathematical formulas. The work represents a fairly exhaustive literature review with many references from foreign journals. The author synthesizes the literature, discussing details that are often omitted from other publications.
Catalase, esterase and peroxidase enzymes in seeds and leaves of Malus×domestica Borkh

Abstract Seed and leaf tissue derived from controlled crosses in the apple were analyzed for catalase, esterase and peroxidase isozymes. Catalase seed isozymes showed similarities to those detected in the leaves, whereas distinct differences in the banding patterns were observed for esterase and peroxidase.
Sex, race, class, and other demographics as explanations for children's ability and adjustment: A national appraisal

The study explores the extent to which important demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, social class, national region, community size, and their interactions) are able to account for variation in children's cognitive ability, academic achievement, and social adjustment. For a representative national sample (N = 1,200) of children 5–17 years old, ability constructs (verbal, nonverbal, and spatial ability, and reading and numerical achievement) were assessed through the individually administered Differential Ability Scales. Adjustment constructs (attention-deficit hyperactive, solitary aggressive-provocative, solitary aggressive-impulsive, oppositional defiant, diffident, and avoidant) were assessed through teacher ratings with the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents. Partialled canonical redundancy and regression analyses revealed that 18.9% of ability variation (assuming control for chronological age and social adjustment) could be accounted for by demographics, particularly social class and ethnicity. Only 5.5% of the variability in adjustment (with control for varied ability) related to demographic factors, mainly gender and age. The results are discussed in the context of recent trends to advocate the use of separate norms and comparative assessments for distinct demographic groups.
The immunological contribution of NF-κB within the tumor microenvironment: A potential protective role of zinc as an anti-tumor agent

Over decades, cancer treatment has been mainly focused on targeting cancer cells and not much attention to host tumor microenvironment. Recent advances suggest that the tumor microenvironment requires in-depth investigation for understanding the interactions between tumor cell biology and immunobiology in order to optimize therapeutic approaches. Tumor microenvironment consists of cancer cells and tumor associated reactive fibroblasts, infiltrating non-cancer cells, secreted soluble factors or molecules, and non-cellular support materials. Tumor associated host immune cells such as Th1, Th2, Th17, regulatory cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells are major components of the tumor microenvironment. Accumulating evidence suggests that these tumor associated immune cells may play important roles in cancer development and progression. However, the exact functions of these cells in the tumor microenvironment are poorly understood. In the tumor microenvironment, NF-κB plays an important role in cancer development and progression because this is a major transcription factor which regulates immune functions within the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we will focus our discussion on the immunological contribution of NF-κB in tumor associated host immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. We will also discuss the potential protective role of zinc, a well-known immune response mediator, in the regulation of these immune cells and cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment especially because zinc could be useful for conditioning the tumor microenvironment toward innovative cancer therapy.
Laboratory Testing of a Modified Electroshocking System Designed for Deepwater Juvenile Lamprey Sampling

Abstract A submersible sled with the ability to electroshock and detect larval lampreys via an optical camera was developed to sample deepwater rearing habitats (>1 m). Three trials, each with 10 juvenile western brook lampreys Lampetra richardsoni (70–150 mm), were conducted in a laboratory setting to determine the effective shocking area and detection efficiency of the device. Electroshock was delivered for 30 s, and lamprey responses were observed. The detection efficiency ranged from 40% to 70% for the three trials (mean detection efficiency = 60%). Mean postshock emergence time was 4.4 s, and the maximum was 13 s. The device detected juvenile western brook lampreys without the need to transport them to the surface, thereby increasing sampling volume per unit time and reducing the potential for injury caused by handling. The system was developed to determine juvenile lamprey presence in regions where backpack electrofishers are unable to survey due to water depth. Received July 18, 2011; accepted Dece...
Comparison of the allergenicity and antigenicity of yellow jacket and hornet venoms

The immunologic properties of yellow jacket and hornet venoms were compared by measuring their reaction with rabbit antisera and human IgE and IgG antibodies. Anti-hornet venom rabbit serum showed precipitin bands unique to hornet venom and several bands crossreacting with yellow jacket venom. Anti-yellow jacket venom rabbit serum, reacted with yellow jacket venom but failed to react with the hornet venoms. Most sera from patients who had had allergic reactions after vespid stings reacted with yellow jacket and hornet venoms in RAST analysis. A few sera reacted with only one of the venoms. RAST inhibition studies confirmed the crossreactivity of these IgE antibodies. The IgG antibody response of 14 patients was measured after yellow jacket venom immunotherapy. All had rising titers of yellow jacket venom-specific IgG. There was also an increase in the IgG antibody response measured with hornet venom in the majority of patients. The rise was significant with yellow hornet venom (p
IDENTIFICATION OF TRANSPOSITION PROTEINS ENCODED BY THE BACTERIAL TRANSPOSON TN7

Abstract The bacterial transposon, Tn7, encodes an elaborate array of transposition genes, tnsABCDE. We report here the direct identification of the TnsA, TnsB, TnsC and TnsD polypeptides by immunoblotting. Our results demonstrate that the complexity of the protein information devoted to Tn7 transposition is considerable: the aggregate molecular size of the five Tns polypeptides is about 300 kDa. We also report the sequence of the tnsA gene and of the 5′ ends of tnsB and tnsD. This analysis reveals that all five tns genes are oriented in the same direction within Tn7.
Negotiation Support for Environmental Disaster Management: Drama Theory II and the Survival of Louisiana's Indigenous Gulf Coast Tribes

Abstract A formal group decision and negotiation framework known as Drama Theory II (DT II) is put forth in order to systematically model environmental disasters and to examine ways to improve the resilience of Louisiana's indigenous Gulf Coast tribes that have lived on the bayous of the Mississippi delta for centuries. A mathematical treatment of key drama theoretic concepts (i.e. positions, intentions, doubts, and dilemmas) is provided, the dynamics of the drama theoretic process are discussed and theoretical results are applied to the ongoing oil spill disaster in the US Gulf Coast. While game theoretic tools have been widely applied to disaster management issues, traditional decision analysis assumes that decision-makers, options, and preferences are fixed. On the other hand, DT II, a theory of mutual interactive game design, allows for the redefinition of the conflict and emphasizes that decision-makers engage in a rational-emotional process of redefining both the game and their ‘positions’ in it unt...
Neurosurgical Trauma Call: Use of a Mathematical Simulation Program to Define Manpower Needs

Resource criteria for trauma centers (TC) mandate a first plus backup neurosurgeon (NS) coverage, an unnecessary expense for TC treating few neurosurgery patients. This report uses a mathematical modeling system to define optimal NS trauma coverage. Random data from 749 patients treated with emergency neurosurgery operations (OR) within 24 hours of admission at 97 TC were used to create a 1-year profile of admission by month, day, and hour, operation times, and operation duration. These data were entered into a simulation program to define the frequency that a patient needing a NS consult would wait beyond 30 minutes because the NS was in the operating room at a trauma center with one, two, or three neurosurgeons on-call. One thousand iterations were done for each sample size of 25 to 300 patients in 25-patient increments. The probability that a patient could not be seen promptly by one NS in a trauma center operating on 25, 50, 75, or 100 patients per year is 0.23, 0.9, 1.6, and 3.66 patients per year. Fewer than one patient (0.75) per year will wait more than 30 min in a trauma center doing 225 emergency ORs when two neurosurgeons are on-call. One patient in 10 years would wait more than 30 min in a trauma center doing 300 ORs with a third NS on-call. Mathematical modeling of patient data helps define optimal hospital resources. Mandatory NS backup for TC performing fewer than 25 neurosurgery procedures is unneeded.
A kinetic mechanism for predicting secondary aerosol formation from the reactions of d-limonene in the presence of oxides of nitrogen and natural sunlight

Abstract Among the monoterpenes, d-limonene is one of the most reactive, and has one of the highest particle formation potentials. Chamber experiments with d-limonene, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and diurnal natural sunlight are compared with simulation results from a first generation semi-explicit d-limonene daytime mechanism. The d-limonene model adequately predicts the timing of NO−NO2 crossover, d-limonene decay, and the general trend of ozone formation, and particle mass accumulation. When experimental secondary organic aerosol (SOA) masses were greater than 1 mg m−3 the simulations tended to agree closely with the measured aerosol maxima. At lower SOA concentrations, the simulations tended to overpredict measured aerosol maxima by 25–50%. FTIR analysis and GC-ECD measurements indicate particle phase nitrates and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) formation in the system. In the afternoon when temperatures are highest in the outdoor chambers, the slow rise of continuous ozone measurements suggests that PAN type compounds were decomposing to “bleed” NO2 into the gas phase. Partitioning calculations also suggest that these types of compounds are off-gassing from the particle phase later in the afternoon as well, and provide an additional source of NO2. Predicted aerosol yields with a commonly used two-parameter aerosol yield model are compared with experimental aerosol yields. The parameritized aerosol yield model had difficulty predicting most of the UNC chamber data. The explicit d-limonene mechanism developed in this study could reasonably simulate the aerosol formation trend in the Caltech chambers, but tended to overpredict SOA maxima.
Standard or Extended Lymphadenectomy in Radical Cystectomy: What Metric of Surgical Quality for Lymph Node Dissections Matters in Improving Patient Outcomes?

In patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) for muscleinvasive urothelial carcinoma, there is widespread agreement that lymph node dissection (LND) is an integral part of the surgical paradigm. LND has been advocated because of the improved accuracy of pathologic staging in identifying patients at high risk for regional or distant recurrence who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy and possible resection of micrometastatic nodal lesions [1]. Previous studies have suggested that higher lymph node counts are also associated with improved survival [2,3]. Despite this evidence, we have yet to develop a universally accepted metric of surgical quality for LND that reliably predicts survival in all bladder cancer (BCa) patients undergoing RC. Because of the marked variation in the performance and quality of LNDs, efforts to standardize this aspect of the surgery have focused primarily on improving the yield in lymph node counts, increasing attention to a meticulous anatomical dissection, or extending the standard template proximally to include the para-aortic and paracaval nodal regions [2–5]. Perhaps our difficulties in defining surgical quality for LND in BCa patients who undergo RC are the result of the ongoing debate on its anatomical borders and extent and determining whether lymph node count or the extent of dissection has greater significance in improving the most important patient outcome: BCa survival. In this issue of European Urology, Dorin and colleagues report the incidence of nodal metastasis in patients who underwent a uniform extended lymphadenectomy from two academic medical institutions for muscle-invasive tumors [6]. The authors provide a detailed lymph node map from their extended template, dividing the map into three
Structure-activity relationship studied on the isolated single electroplax.

Due to recent improvements of recording techniques the isolated single-electroplax preparation offers a most sensitive and favorable material for studies of structure-activity relationships. Modifications of the nitrogen group of acetylcholine have been analyzed in terms of their effects on the various electrical characteristics. 1. 1. The blocking effect of acetylcholine on the electrical activity is inseparable from its depolarizing action: within 30 sec both resting and action potential, by low concentrations (5·10−6M), are quite markedly reduced. 2. 2. Removal of one methyl group from the nitrogen decreases the potency by a factor of 200, but in all other respects the action is the same as that of acetylcholine. The strong difference in potency can hardly be explained in terms of binding of the methyl group to the protein; it supports the assumption of a change of the protein during the interaction. Removal of the second methyl group decreases the potency by another factor of 25. The effect is, moreover, qualitatively different: depolarization is either small or absent. 3. 3. Replacement of the N by S reduces the potency by a factor of 10, but qualitatively the action seems to be comparable to that of acetylcholine. The As-analogue is still less potent, only 1/25 of that of acetylcholine. Again, there seems no qualitative difference. Substitution of the three methyl groups on the nitrogen by three ethyl groups reduces the potency by a factor of more than 2000. 4. 4. The similarity of the mode of action of acetylcholine and its tertiary analogue is further supported by the similarity of the competitive effects of curare and tetracaine and the noncompetitive effects of clam poison: these effects parallel those obtained previously with acetylcholine and carbamyl choline, except that higher concentrations of the tertiary analogue are required. Both curare and tetracaine which are receptor inhibitors, repolarize the cell. On addition of curare the direct response reappears, but as expected not on the addition of tetracaine.
Response to Letter by Ryan et al Regarding Article, “Do Hemochromatosis Mutations Protect Against Iron-Mediated Atherogenesis?”

Ryan et al1 propose another factor that may protect patients with hemochromatosis from atherosclerosis, namely, suppression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). To know how much of the antiatherogenic effects of hemochromatosis mutations is due to this suppression will require additional investigation. Lawless et al2 report that MCP-1 is low with the C282Y variant but increased with H63D. This appears consistent with the hypothesis, …
Abstract ED01-01: Somatic alterations in human cancer genomes.

The advent of high-throughput genome sequence analysis has enabled systematic discovery of somatic genome alterations through genome, exome, and transcriptome sequencing of paired human cancer and germline nucleic acids. These discoveries have led to the identification of somatic genome alterations in new pathways including epigenetic regulators, RNA splicing factors, and immune response regulators, in addition to previously known signal transduction, cell cycle, and transcriptional pathways. I will discuss alterations in these pathways by copy number disruption, mutation, and re-arrangement, especially as seen through the lens of recent and ongoing large-scale studies of lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell lung carcinoma genomes, from The Cancer Genome Atlas and beyond– and will discuss the implications for the understanding of cancer pathogenesis and for the development of targeted and immunomodulatory therapies. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):ED01-01. Citation Format: Matthew L. Meyerson. Somatic alterations in human cancer genomes. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr ED01-01.
EvoMiner: frequent subtree mining in phylogenetic databases

The problem of mining collections of trees to identify common patterns, called frequent subtrees (FSTs), arises often when trying to interpret the results of phylogenetic analysis. FST mining generalizes the well-known maximum agreement subtree problem. Here we present EvoMiner, a new algorithm for mining frequent subtrees in collections of phylogenetic trees. EvoMiner is an Apriori-like levelwise method, which uses a novel phylogeny-specific constant-time candidate generation scheme, an efficient fingerprinting-based technique for downward closure, and a lowest-common-ancestor-based support counting step that requires neither costly subtree operations nor database traversal. Our algorithm achieves speedups of up to 100 times or more over Phylominer, the current state-of-the-art algorithm for mining phylogenetic trees. EvoMiner can also work in depth-first enumeration mode to use less memory at the expense of speed. We demonstrate the utility of FST mining as a way to extract meaningful phylogenetic information from collections of trees when compared to maximum agreement subtrees and majority-rule trees--two commonly used approaches in phylogenetic analysis for extracting consensus information from a collection of trees over a common leaf set.
Broadband Membrane Reflectors on Glass

We report here high-performance broadband membrane reflectors based on crystalline silicon nanomembrane photonic crystals. A modified polydimethylsiloxane stamp transfer technique is developed for transferring large-area silicon membranes to glass substrates. Polarization-independent broad reflectivity at 1550-nm wavelength band was obtained from Si membrane reflectors, on both silicon and glass substrates. The experimental results also agree well with simulation results.
Molecular basis of the little mouse phenotype and Implications for cell type-specific growth

The molecular basis for the little (lit) mouse phenotype, characterized by a hypoplastic anterior pituitary gland, is the mutation of a single nucleotide that alters Asp 60 to Gly in the growth hormone releasing factor receptor. Detailed analysis of the lit mouse anterior pituitary reveals spatially distinct proliferative zones of growth hormone-producing stem cells and mature somatotrophs, each regulated by a different trophic factor. This sequential growth factor requirement for a specific cell type may exemplify a common strategy for regulating cellular proliferation in other mammalian organs.
Introducing chat into business organizations: toward an instant messaging maturity model

We provide the first study of instant messaging (IM) based on large samples of users' self reports. Previous studies have relied on ethnographic methods or analysis of server logs. Our self-report approach has its own strengths (large-sample; focus on attitudes, beliefs, and value attributions), as well as weaknesses (self-selection by respondents). We describe the introduction of Lotus Sametime™, an IM product, into three business organizations. Across the three organizations, we found substantially similar patterns in savings (reduced use of other communications channels), attitudes, and social networks. In one organization, we made a detailed study of the maturation of IM over a 24-month period, showing early and stable savings accompanied by much more gradual developments in chat behaviors, control of visibility and awareness, social networks, and attitudes. We conclude with a methodological self-critique, and an outline of an Instant Messaging Maturity Model.
Combined H2O/CO2 Solid Oxide Electrolysis for Mars In Situ Resource Utilization

Mars sample return missions and eventual human missions will both benefit from using Martian resources to produce Earth-return propellant and life support consumables. A new architecture for an in situ propellant production plant is introduced that utilizes solid oxide electrolysis to perform the combined electrolysis of both water and carbon dioxide. The proposed system produces methane via a Sabatier reactor and oxygen via electrolysis in the optimal oxidizer-to-fuel mixture ratio with the capability to produce extra oxygen for life support needs. Each major component of the combined electrolysis/Sabatier architecture is modeled to assess the feasibility and size of such a propellant production plant. Sample return and human missions are analyzed with the models. Results demonstrate that combined electrolysis enables a competitive system for in situ resource utilization as well as an ease of scaling for sample return vs human missions. When compared to published data of other oxygen/methane-producing architectures, the proposed system is shown to be less massive while comparable in power. Other advantages of implementing combined electrolysis in a propellant production plant are discussed.
The effect of d2o on glycolysis by rat hepatocytes

Abstract 1. 1. The effect of incorporating D 2 O into the incubation medium on glycolysis and gluconeogenesis by hepatocytes from fasted rats was examined. 2. 2. The substitution by heavy water, D 2 O, at concentrations from 10 to 40%, stimulated glucose uptake, lactate production and CO 2 yields from glucose. At 10 mM glucose, 40% D 2 O doubled glucose uptake, increased CO 2 production by 40%, and increased lactate production by 350%. 3. 3. The stimulation of lactate production decreased at higher glucose concentrations, but was still substantial even at 80 mM glucose. 4. 4. There was no effect on CO 2 production above glucose concentrations of 30 mM. 5. 5. Ten percent D 2 O showed little inhibition of lactate uptake, its oxidation and gluconeogenesis. At 40% D 2 O the inhibition ranged from 10 to 20%. 6. 6. No effect of D 2 O on the rate of glucokinase or glucose-6-phosphatase was observed. 7. 7. The concentration of fructose, 2,6-P was not affected by D 2 O
Source reconciliation of atmospheric hydrocarbons

Abstract Source reconciliation is a procedure for determining the source composition of complex hydrocarbon mixtures such as occur in the atmosphere. Source profiles were determined for the major sources of atmospheric hydrocarbons in the Los Angeles area including automotive exhaust, gasoline, commercial natural gas and geogenic natural gas. Atmospheric hydrocarbon profiles were determined at three sites during the summer of 1973. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the optimum source configuration for each atmospheric sample. By this method, the average distribution of nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions from the major sources was found to be: automotive exhaust 47%; gasoline, 31%; commercial natural gas, 8%; and geogenic natural gas, 14%.
Non-linear analysis of the gyro-BWO in three dimensions

The non-linear evolution of the gyrotron backward wave oscillator (gyro-BWO) is investigated numerically in the presence of a weakly non-uniform axial guide magnetic field. The set of coupled non-linear differential equations which govern the self-consistent evolution of the TE modes and the trajectories of an ensemble of electrons in a gyrotron are solved subject to boundary conditions for both the usual BWO (power extracted at the input end) and the reflection-type BWO (power extracted in the forward direction) configurations. Space charge effects are neglected in the analysis. Numerical simulations are carried out to model gyro-BWOs operating in the Ka -band with rectangular TE10 modes and near 104GHz with TE11 cylindrical modes. For a cold beam, calculations show that the efficiency of the device has a modest value of 10–15% in a uniform magnetic field but can be significantly enhanced to 25–30% by tapering the magnetic field. The frequency of the oscillator can be magnetically tuned over a 15% bandwi...