cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complications After TKA in Patients With Hemophilia or Von Willebrand's Disease

Little is known about perioperative complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with bleeding disorders. This study utilized a national database to evaluate postoperative complication rates and up to 8-year revision rates after TKA in patients with hemophilia (n=3396) and von Willebrand's disease (n=1379) compared to a matched cohort of patients without a bleeding disorder (n=427,132 and n=394,657 respectively). Hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease were associated with significantly higher rates of infection, transfusion of blood products, medical complications, and revision after TKA compared to matched controls. Hemophilia was associated with significantly higher rates of venous thromboembolism and transfusion compared to patients with von Willebrand's disease and matched controls after TKA.
Courthouses vs. Statehouses

Just over twenty years ago, the Kentucky Supreme Court declared the commonwealth's primary and secondary public-education finance system indeed, the entire system of primary and secondary public education in Kentucky unconstitutional under the "common schools" clause of the education article in Kentucky's constitution.1 That case has been widely cited as having ushered in the "adequacy" movement in school-finance litigation and reform, in which those challenging state school-funding schemes argue that the state has failed to ensure that students are provided an adequate education guaranteed by their state constitutions.2 Since the Rose decision in Kentucky, some thirty-three school-finance lawsuits have reached final decisions in thirty-one states.3 For plaintiffs, the campaign has been relatively successful in court, as school-funding schemes in twenty-two
Ode to the Chemical Element Carbon

If an element deserves praise, then this element is carbon. Its nucleus, along with N and O, catalyzes the fusion of H into He in the sun and sun-like stars. Its minor stable isotope allows chemical structure to be elucidated by 13C-NMR, along with 1H-NMR. Its long-lived radioisotope 14C allows radiocarbon dating, and reaction mechanisms or bioactivities of medicines to be understood by isotopic labeling. Its short-lived radioisotope 11C is used for PET scans. The 16th part of its atomic weight serves as unified atomic mass unit, also called “dalton”. Its allotropes (diamond, graphite, fullerenes) have extremely useful properties. And this above all: it is the element that life is based upon, the central element of organic chemistry, and the element that is present in most of the 7 × 107 substances registered till now. Due to this fact and to the multiple uses of carbon compounds, although it is now known that they do not differ from inorganic compounds, Organic Chemistry is still a distinct part of chemistry. Because carbon atoms form molecules with covalent bonds that can be represented by hydrogen-depleted molecular graphs, this makes molecular structure search the best scientific documentation among all sciences. Substantial consideration is dedicated to carbon allotropes and to derived hydrocarbon fragments such as diamondoids and benzenoids, emphasizing the author’s theoretical contributions to these research fields.
Two phase Stefan-type problem: Regularization near initial data by phase dynamics

We investigate the regularizing behavior of two-phase Stefan problem near initial data. The main step in the analysis is to establish that in any given scale, the scaled solution is very close to a Lipschitz profile in space-time. We introduce a new decomposition argument to generalize the preceding ones by Choi, Jerion and Kim([CJK1], [CJK2]) and by Choi and Kim([CK]) on one-phase problems.
Traditional Therapies with Children

This chapter summarizes the major psychotherapy modalities for children who manifest emotional problems. Rather than define reasons for including some approaches and for excluding others on the basis of some organizing principle, such as that they are “dynamic,” I have chosen to consider only those methods that have been popularly used in the United States throughout the history of child psychotherapy and those that are not behavioral, as a consideration of behavioral approaches follows in Chapter 23. The approaches discussed here include individual psychotherapy with children (i.e., psychoanalytic, psychoanalytically oriented, relationship, structured, and client-centered therapies). Major philosophical theories of psychotherapy with children will be outlined, with a focus on the differences and commonalities of the differing viewpoints. The most accepted technical considerations are then developed for the purpose of indicating major trends in present psychotherapeutic practice. The present status of individual therapy with children is then assessed through an analysis of research.
Momentum Mappings And Reduction of Poisson Actions

An action σ: G × P→P of a Poisson Lie group G on a Poisson manifold P is called a Poisson action if σ is a Poisson map. It is believed that Poisson actions should be used to understand the “hidden symmetries” of certain integrable systems [STS2]. If the Poisson Lie group G has the zero Poisson structure, then σ being a Poisson action is equivalent to each transformation σ g : P→ P for g ∈ G preserving the Poisson structure on P. In this case, if the orbit space G \ P is a smooth manifold, it has a reduced Poisson structure such that the projection map P→G \ P is a Poisson map. If P is symplectic and if the action σ is generated by an equivariant momentum mapping J: P→ g*, the reduction procedure of Meyer [Me] and Marsden and Weinstein [Ms-We] gives a way of describing the symplectic leaves of G \ P as the quotients P µ := G µ \J −1 (µ), where µ∈ g* and G µ ⊂ G is the coadjoint isotropy subgroup of µ.
On Hyperbolic Cascaded Reed-Solomon Codes

This paper describes a class of two-dimensional codes called cascaded Reed-Solomon (CRS) codes and an algorithm for decoding these codes up to their minimum distance. CRS codes are cascade (or generalized concatenated) codes in which Reed-Solomon codes are used for both the inner and outer codes. We introduce hyperbolic cascaded Reed-Solomon (HCRS) codes, which have maximal rate among CRS codes of a given minimum distance. Our algorithm decodes any CRS code to its minimum distance by calculating a Grobner basis for an ideal which identifies the error locations. This error location algorithm is based on Sakata's algorithm, but with two significant modifications. First of all, the iterations and terms of polynomials are ordered according to the lexicographic ordering. Secondly, unknown syndromes are calculated as needed, by a simple threshold rule. Once the error locations are known, the error values can be calculated by solving an analog of the key equation for Reed-Solomon codes.
Melting of the Earth's lithospheric mantle inferred from protactinium-thorium-uranium isotopic data

The processes responsible for the generation of partial melt in the Earth's lithospheric mantle and the movement of this melt to the Earth's surface remain enigmatic, owing to the perceived difficulties in generating large-degree partial melts at depth and in transporting small-degree melts through a static lithosphere1. Here we present a method of placing constraints on melting in the lithospheric mantle using 231Pa–235U data obtained from continental basalts in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Combined with 230Th–238U data2,3, the 231Pa–235U data allow us to constrain the source mineralogy and thus the depth of melting of these basalts. Our analysis indicates that it is possible to transport small melt fractions—of the order of 0.1%—through the lithosphere, as might result from the coalescence of melt by compaction4 owing to melting-induced deformation5. The large observed 231Pa excesses require that the timescale of melt generation and transport within the lithosphere is small compared to the half-life of 231Pa (∼32.7 kyr). The 231Pa–230Th data also constrain the thorium and uranium distribution coefficients for clinopyroxene in the source regions of these basalts to be within 2% of one another, indicating that in this setting 230Th excesses are not expected during melting at depths shallower than 85 km.
Using an 8-BIT risc microcontroller in an assembly language programming course

A microcontroller is a computer on a chip commonly used in embedded applications. Microcontrollers account for the majority of processors produced today, yet their capabilities are seldom explored in modern computer science curriculum. A popular microcontroller can be chosen as the focus of an assembly language programming course to facilitate the study of computer architecture and fundamental programming topics. By working directly with such a device, students can appreciate the relevance of assembly language as a tool to develop applications for embedded systems. This paper presents a revision of an existing assembly language programming course to incorporate the use of a development platform featuring a microcontroller.
Finding the Way

Douglas E. Foley. The Heartland Chronicles. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995. + 228 pp.
Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Activity of an Oligocationic Compound Mediated via gp120 V3 Interactions

An oligocationic peptide compound (ALX40-4C) was developed for consideration in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. This compound was designed to mimic the basic domain of the HIV-1 transactivation protein, Tat, and will competitively inhibit Tat binding to its specific RNA hairpin target (TAR [transactivation region]), found at the 5' end of all HIV-1 transcripts. Blocking Tat-TAR interactions can abrogate HIV-1 replication. ALX40-4C was shown to inhibit replication of HIV-1NL4-3 in a range of cell types, including primary cells and transformed cell lines, by as much as 10(4)-fold. In some experiments, virus rescue was not possible even after removal of ALX40-4C from the cultures. Strain-dependent resistance has been demonstrated for all antiretroviral agents tested; therefore, we tested for variable sensitivity to ALX40-4C. The cloned primary strains, HIV-JR-CSF and HIV-JR-FL, were less sensitive to ALX40-4C inhibition. Unexpectedly, determinants for efficient ALX40-4C inhibition were mapped by using recombinant virus strains to the V3 region of gpl20 and were shown to act at early events in viral replication, which include viral entry. If entry and reverse transcription are bypassed by transfection, a more modest, virus strain-independent inhibition is shown; this inhibition is likely due to blocking of Tat-TAR interaction. Thus, the highly basic oligocationic Tat inhibitor ALX40-4C appears to interfere with initial virus-target cell interactions which involve HIV-1 gp120 V3 determinants, most efficiently for T-cell line-adapted strains.
Grafting of Preformed Polystyrene onto Cotton Cellulose

Grafting of preformed polystyrene onto cotton cellulose has been investigated. Low molecular-weight, carboxyl-terminated polystyrene was synthesized by anionic poly merization techniques and polymers with DPn ranging between 9 and 120 were obtained. Grafting was achieved by reaction of the acyl chloride derivatives of the carboxyl- terminated polystyrene with cotton yarns and fabrics. Graft copolymers with low molecular-weight side chains and relatively high degrees of suiostitution were obtained. The grafting degree of substitution was mainly dependent on the molecular size of the reacting preformed polymer, whereby high molecular-weight preformed polymers lead to low degrees of substitution. Wrinkle recovery and water of imbibition of the modified fabrics and yarns were determined.
Developing expertise in expert system development by developing prototypes for actual commercial applications

We designed and executed a course to develop expert system expertise in a classroom environment. It taught both the theory and practice of knowledge-based systems. Teams consisted of knowledge domain experts and computer experienced people. The interest was training people in knowledge-base tasks and having them develop commercially significant projects. The focust of this paper is on what was done in the classroom to provide a significant expert system development experience.
Judgment of contingency: Contrast and assimilation, displacement of judgments, and self-efficacy

College students who judged extreme contingency problems (100% or 0%) and then midscale problems (50%) produced a contrast effect, whereas students who judged more moderate contingency problems (67% or 33%) and then the same midscale problems, did not. In addition, students in the 100%-50% and 67%-50% experimental conditions showed greater judgmental displacement from their anchoring judgments than participants in the 0%-50% and 33%-50% conditions. We attribute this finding to the psychological function of the judgment of contingency which indicates that a 50% contingency problem is typically judged to be less than it's objective contingency. In general, people show less judgmental sensitivity among contingencies below about .5 than among those above this value. This reduced sensitivity indicates that judgments among low levels of contingency are more difficult than judgments among high levels of contingency. Some self-efficacy may be related to performance on difficult tasks but not easy tasks. In our experiment, self-efficacy was related to judgmental displacement for students in the more difficult 0%-50% and 33%-50% conditions, and was not related to judgmental displacement for students in the more easy 100%-50% and 67%-50% conditions.
The band 3-rich membrane of llama erythrocytes: studies on cell shape and the organization of membrane proteins.

The erythrocyte membrane of the llama was characterized in comparison to that of the human. The llama erythrocyte was an elliptical disk that resisted shape alterations in hyperosmotic buffers and following metabolic depletion, both of which induce spiculation of the human red cell. Lysophosphatidylcholine incorporation produced minor serrations of the edge of the llama disk but no spicules, whereas human red cells became sphero-echinocytes. The polypeptide profiles in the membranes of the two species were similar, except for several noteworthy differences: a marked elevation in the relative content of band 3; the absence of membrane-bound band 6; and simpler glycoprotein pattern in the llama. The concentration of band 3 in llama was about two and a half to three times that in the human and intramembrane particles in the protoplasmic leaflet of freeze-fractured llama membrane were correspondingly increased. The selective solubilization of bands 1, 2 and 5 in low ionic strength buffer, and all of the peripheral proteins in high alkaline buffer were similar except for increased retention of ankyrin by the llama membrane. These data suggest a similar disposition of membrane proteins. The llama membrane was markedly resistant to the solubilization of integral proteins by the nonionic detergent, Triton X-100. This property and the general resistance to shape changes may be related to the high concentration of band 3.
Prevalence of coronary artery disease, atherothrombotic brain infarction, and peripheral arterial disease: associated risk factors in older Hispanics in an academic hospital-based geriatrics practice.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), atherothrombotic brain infarction (ABI), and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in older Hispanics and the association with risk factors in this population. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of charts from all Hispanics seen during January 1996 through July 1997 at an academic hospital-based geriatrics practice. SETTING: An academic, hospital-based, primary care geriatrics practice staffed by fellows in a geriatrics training program and by full-time faculty geriatricians. PATIENTS: One hundred sixty women and 53 men, mean age 80 ± 8 years (range 64 to 100), were included in the study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 213 Hispanics in the study, 59 (28%) had documented CAD, 43 (20%) had ABI, 34 (16%) had PAD, and 90 (42%) had either CAD, ABI, or PAD. Serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were measured in 202 of 213 subjects (95%). Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was measured in 137 of 213 patients (64%). Other risk factor data were documented in all patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis performed in 202 patients using the variables age, gender, cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, serum total cholesterol, and serum triglycerides showed statistically significant associations between prevalent CAD, ABI, or PAD and age (P = .002, odds ratio (OR) = 1.083), cigarette smoking (P = .002, (OR) = 3.865), hypertension (P = .007, (OR) = 2.749), diabetes mellitus (P = .028, (OR) = 2.386), obesity (P = .014, (OR) = 2.608), serum total cholesterol (P < 0.001, (OR) = 1.025), and serum triglycerides (P = .017, (OR) = .993). CONCLUSIONS: Either CAD, ABI, or PAD was present in 42% of 213 older Hispanics. There were statistically significant associations between prevalent CAD, ABI, or PAD in older Hispanics and risk factors, including age, cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and serum total cholesterol.
Fluoride Ion Induced Reactions of Silicon−Oxygen and Silicon−Sulfur Bonds with Hexafluorocyclotriphosphazenes: Synthesis, Reactivity, and X-ray Structural Analyses of Sulfur/Oxygen-Containing Monospirofluorophosphazenes⊥,†

Bifunctional trimethylsilyl ethers/thioethers/dithioethers react readily with N3P3F6 in the presence of a catalytic amount of CsF in THF to yield spirofluorophosphazenes or dangling or bridged fluo...
An Economic Dispatch Model Incorporating Wind Power

In solving the electrical power systems economic dispatch (ED) problem, the goal is to find the optimal allocation of output power among the various generators available to serve the system load. With the continuing search for alternatives to conventional energy sources, it is necessary to include wind energy conversion system (WECS) generators in the ED problem. This paper develops a model to include the WECS in the ED problem, and in addition to the classic economic dispatch factors, factors to account for both overestimation and underestimation of available wind power are included. With the stochastic wind speed characterization based on the Weibull probability density function, the optimization problem is numerically solved for a scenario involving two conventional and two wind-powered generators. Optimal solutions are presented for various values of the input parameters, and these solutions demonstrate that the allocation of system generation capacity may be influenced by multipliers related to the risk of overestimation and to the cost of underestimation of available wind power.
Incidence of Salmonella in Samples of Poultry Feed and Drinking Water Collected at Site of Ingestion

Abstract Domesticated animals have been considered a major reservior of salmonella organisms that can be maintained by the animals ingesting contaminated feeds. Edwards (1958) noted that any effort to eradicate salmonellosis from domestic animals must consider infected feedstuffs. Several have reported surveys for Salmonella in poultry feeds between processing and feeding (Erwin, 1955; Boyer et al., 1958; Allred et al., 1967; and Zindel and Bennett, 1968) but none was found that considered contamination in feeds at point of ingestion. Recontamination of feeds between processing and ingestion may contribute to Salmonella infections. Reported here are the results of a survey for Salmonella in feed and water samples from Kansas poultry units. EXPERIMENTAL Samples of poultry feed and drinking water were tested for presence of Salmonella: after being collected from feed from bulk-holding or automatic-feeder bins (fresh), areas of feeder troughs accessible to the birds (used), areas in feeder troughs where feed was…
Management of brain metastasis: Past lessons, modern management, and future considerations

Brain metastasis is a major challenge for patients, physicians, and the broader health care system, with approximately 170,000 new cases per year. After a diagnosis of brain metastasis, patients have a poor prognosis, but modern management has made significant advances in the past two decades to improve palliative efficacy and patient survival through a multidisciplinary approach. A number of factors must be taken into consideration in the treatment approach, including the number of intracranial lesions, the control of extracranial disease, and the patient’s overall health, while weighing the benefits of treatment against the toxicities, both acute and chronic. With quality of life as an emphasis, emerging concepts for modern management of brain metastasis have sought to minimize long-term toxicities. The economic impact of such strategies for patients and the health care system has been demonstrated in some studies, but has not been a consistent area of focus. Each of these strategies, as well as novel therapeutics, has embraced the concept of personalized treatment. This review will discuss the current knowledge of modern multidisciplinary management of brain metastasis and look forward to emerging concepts.
Effect of antibodies to sperm-specific recombinant contraceptive vaccinogen (rCV) on murine fertilization: search for an animal model to examine its contraceptive potential.

Recently, we cloned and sequenced a sperm-specific antigen, designated as Contraceptive Vaccinogen (rCV), from human testis (Naz et al., 2001). The present study was conducted to examine its proteomic homologue and function in murine sperm, in order to find out whether or not the mouse can provide a suitable model for examining its immunocontraceptive effects. This was examined by using purified antibodies (Ab) raised against the recombinant (r) human CV antigen of approximately 44 kD. In the Western blot procedure, rCV antibodies recognized a specific protein band of approximately 64 +/- 5 kD in murine testis and murine sperm extracts, the band similar to that found in human testis and human sperm. In the immunoprecipitation procedure, rCV Ab immunoprecipitated a protein band of similar size from murine sperm and murine testis extracts. The immunocytochemical (ICT), immunoscanning electronmicroscopic (ISEM) and the immunobead binding technique (IBT) revealed the subcellular localization of CV antigen on the surface of acrosome and tail regions of the noncapacitated and capacitated murine sperm cell. In functional bioassays, rCV Ab inhibited the acrosome reaction as well as sperm-egg binding in vitro. These data indicate that the CV antigen is expressed in murine sperm and has a biological role in sperm function and sperm-egg binding. In vitro inhibition of capacitation/acrosome reaction and sperm-zona binding suggest that the mouse can provide a suitable model to examine the immunocontraceptive effects of CV antigen in actively-immunized animals.
Traveling solitary waves for doubly-resonant media: Computation via simulated annealing

Abstract Traveling wave solutions of the Maxwell–Duffing model of doubly-resonant media are studied numerically. The corresponding nonlinear eigenvalue problem is solved via simulated annealing. The model is shown to possess a discrete spectrum of velocities for solitary waves.
Abstract 5134: G-Quadruplex structure formation in the proximal promoter region of the human vascular endothelial growth factor gene

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL The human vascular endothelial growth factor gene, VEGF, is a key regulator of angiogenesis. It plays an important role in tumor survival, growth and metastasis. It is over-expressed in many types of human cancers including glioma and renal cell carcinoma, ovarian and pancreatic cell carcinomas. The VEGF proximal promoter region contains a poly G/poly C rich tract that is essential for basal and inducible VEGF expression. The guanine-rich (G-rich) strand on this tract is shown to form a specific secondary structure, the G-quadruplex. Here we have elucidated the solution structure of the major intramolecular G-quadruplex formed on the G-rich strand of this region in K+ solution by proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy followed by the structural calculation of the G-quadruplex using Distance Geometry Simulated Annealing (DGSA) module of XPLOR-NIH software. It is inferred that this strand adopts a well-defined parallel-stranded G-quadruplex structure, which contains three G-tetrads stabilized by Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding, as well as three double-chain reversal loops containing 1:4:1 bases, a feature important for the formation of the most thermodynamically stable conformation. The size of the 4-base loop plays a critical role in determining the most favored folded pattern of a G-quadruplex. These 4-base loop residues interact with the residues of the 3’ flanking region of VEGF sequence; also, the 1-base double-chain reversal loop on two edges of the tetrad are very stable, which overall contribute in stabilizing the 1:4:1 conformer. We have found that the two cytosines in this central 4-base loop are involved in hydrogen bonding with the 3’ terminal end residues of VEGF, which is a salient feature as this interaction is sequence-specific and differs from that in other parallel-stranded structures, e.g. c-myc, significantly. These results are also supported by the DMS footprinting results by Guo et al. (2008) which show that the guanines involved in the tetrad formation in this major G-quadruplex loop isomer 1:4:1 are well-protected against DMS methylation. Therefore, the knowledge about the secondary structure of this non B-DNA conformation of the VEGF promoter region is essential for using the G- quadruplex as a target for anticancer drugs, which could be a novel approach to anti-angiogenesis drug discovery in cancer therapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5134. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5134
Augmented reality telementoring (ART) platform: a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of a new surgical education technology

Laparoscopic skills training has evolved over recent years. However, conveying a mentor’s directions using conventional methods, without realistic on-screen visual cues, can be difficult and confusing. To facilitate laparoscopic skill transference, an augmented reality telementoring (ART) platform was designed to overlay the instruments of a mentor onto the trainee’s laparoscopic monitor. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of this new teaching modality to traditional methods in novices performing an intracorporeal suturing task. Nineteen pre-medical and medical students were randomized into traditional mentoring (n = 9) and ART (n = 10) groups for a laparoscopic suturing and knot-tying task. Subjects received either traditional mentoring or ART for 1 h on the validated fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery intracorporeal suturing task. Tasks for suturing were recorded and scored for time and errors. Results were analyzed using means, standard deviation, power regression analysis, correlation coefficient, analysis of variance, and student’s t test. Using Wright’s cumulative average model (Y = aX b) the learning curve slope was significantly steeper, demonstrating faster skill acquisition, for the ART group (b = −0.567, r 2 = 0.92) than the control group (b = −0.453, r 2 = 0.74). At the end of 10 repetitions or 1 h of practice, the ART group was faster versus traditional (mean 167.4 vs. 242.4 s, p = 0.014). The ART group also had fewer fails (8) than the traditional group (13). The ART Platform may be a more effective training technique in teaching laparoscopic skills to novices compared to traditional methods. ART conferred a shorter learning curve, which was more pronounced in the first 4 trials. ART reduced the number of failed attempts and resulted in faster suture times by the end of the training session. ART may be a more effective training tool in laparoscopic surgical training for complex tasks than traditional methods.
Effect of race on vincristine-associated neurotoxicity in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.

Background This report examines the association between race and vincristine-associated neurotoxicity in pediatric patients with precursor B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (preB ALL). Given that in vitro vincristine is metabolized more efficiently by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A5 than by CYP3A4 and that 70% African-Americans (vs. 20% of Caucasians) express CYP3A5, one may hypothesize that African-Americans metabolize vincristine more efficiently resulting in lower vincristine exposure and associated-toxicity. Procedure A retrospective analysis of vincristine-related side effects in pediatric patients treated for preB ALL was performed. Data were compared between Caucasians (n = 92) and African-Americans (n = 21) to examine the relationship between race and vincristine-associated neurotoxicity thus using race as a surrogate for CYP3A5 genotype. Race, age, gender, disease subtype, highest grade of vincristine-associated neurotoxicity (per NIH Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0), number of omitted and reduced vincristine doses, cumulative vincristine dose, and disease outcome were captured. Results 34.8% of Caucasians experienced symptoms consistent with vincristine-related neurotoxicity compared to 4.8% of African-Americans (P = 0.007). The average grade of neurotoxicity for Caucasians was 2.72 versus grade 1 neurotoxicity in the African-American (P < 0.0001). Four percent of total doses administered to Caucasian patients were reduced due to vincristine-related neurotoxicity compared to 0.1% given to African-Americans (P < 0.0001). 1.2% of all protocol-indicated doses for Caucasians were held due to severe vincristine-associated toxicity compared to 0.1% of doses for African-Americans (P < 0.01). Conclusions The data support the hypothesis pharmacogenetic polymorphisms in CYP3A5 expression contribute to variability in vincristine metabolism and neurotoxicity. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:769–771. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Appropriateness of breast-conserving treatment of breast carcinoma in women with germline mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2: a clinic-based series.

BACKGROUND Although BRCA1 and BRCA2 were identified in 1994 and 1995, respectively, to the authors' knowledge the optimal management of women with BRCA-associated breast carcinoma remains incompletely defined. The current study evaluates the appropriateness of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) in women with BRCA mutations. METHODS Between May 1992 and October 2003, 87 female participants in genetic testing protocols were identified who 1) were found to have deleterious germline BRCA mutations and 2) reported a history of invasive breast carcinoma that was treated with wide local excision and radiation therapy. Clinical records were reviewed and follow-up was updated. RESULTS The 87 subjects underwent BCT for 95 invasive breast tumors (8 women received BCT for metachronous bilateral tumors). In all 95 treated breasts, the 5-year and 10-year probabilities of metachronous ipsilateral breast carcinoma (MIBC) were 11.2% and 13.6%, respectively. Among the 87 subjects, the 5-year and 10-year probabilities of metachronous contralateral breast carcinoma (CBC) after treatment of the index tumor were 11.9% and 37.6%. No clinical factors were identified that were associated with either MIBC or CBC, including the use of tamoxifen or chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Women with BRCA-associated breast carcinoma who undergo BCT appear to have risks of MIBC that are similar to those reported for young women without known mutations. The indications for unilateral mastectomy in this group of women should be the same as those for women with nonhereditary carcinoma. However, significant risks of CBC and possibly late MIBC may prompt the serious consideration of bilateral mastectomy as a preventive measure. Cancer 2005. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Consequences of the affordable care act for sick newborns

* Abbreviations: ACA — : Affordable Care Act ACO — : Accountable Care Organization In the United States, half a million infants annually require care in a NICU, which is often complex and prolonged. To achieve the best possible clinical outcomes, the needs and resources for these fragile infants must be matched appropriately. Few arenas of modern medicine have been more efficacious than regionalized perinatal and neonatal intensive care. Regionalized health care has been described as a coordinated system of care “to improve patient outcomes by directing patients to facilities with optimal capabilities for a given type of illness or injury.”1 The most complex infants are ideally born and cared for at regional high-risk perinatal centers, and large-scale regional referral networks have been successful in ensuring access to these facilities for all women and infants in need.2,3 However, driven by lucrative reimbursement for high-risk obstetric and neonatal care, the last 2 decades have witnessed an erosion of regionalized referral systems.4 In 2013, major parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect. The goals of the ACA mirror the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Aim of better care experience, lower cost, and improved population health.5 The changes in provider incentives and regulations will provide concrete benefits to women and infants, including better access to health insurance through Medicaid expansion and health exchanges, more comprehensive insurance coverage for pregnant women and newborns, and potentially less fragmented, better coordinated, and higher value care through Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and other capitated arrangements. The ACA will exert some of its influence on perinatal care delivery by realigning financial incentives, which could destabilize perinatal regional referral systems, unless carefully monitored and managed. The ACA is not primarily concerned with high-risk infants but several of its provisions could have potentially adverse effects … Address correspondence to Jochen Profit, MD, MPH, Perinatal Epidemiology and Health Outcomes Research Unit, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, MSOB Room x115, 1265 Welch Rd, Stanford, CA 94305. E-mail: profit{at}stanford.edu
The effect of the ingestion of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) on the pharmacokinetics of metformin in non-diabetic and type 2 diabetic subjects--a double blind placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Summary Background & aims Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) has been shown to ameliorate some defects associated with the insulin resistance syndrome and so patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may be inclined to co-ingest the herb with their medications, such as metformin. This study was designed to determine if the co-ingestion of EGb 761 and metformin would alter the pharmacokinetic properties of metformin in T2DM patients and persons without diabetes, who may ingest it for other purposes. Method Normal glucose tolerance (NGT) subjects ( n = 10 ; age, 39.2±14.0 years; fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 90±7mg/dl; body mass index (BMI), 24.1±3.7kg/m 2 ) and 10 T2DM patients ( n = 10 ; age, 51.7±8.9 years; FPG, 150±7mg/dl; BMI, 33.7±5.7kg/m 2 ) completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. They ingested either EGb 761 (120mg/day as a single dose) or a vegetable-based placebo during each arm for 3 months. At the end of each arm, the NGT subject ingested a single 500mg dose of metformin (non-diabetics) and the T2DM subject took his/her prescribed metformin dose (250–850mg) with 120mg EGb 761. Blood and urine samples were collected over an 8-h period, and in the case of T2DM subjects, additionally over the first 2h of the subsequent 3 days. Results Ingestion of EGb 761 produced no significant changes in diagnostic laboratory tests in either group, except reducing glycosylated hemoglobin A 1c levels (from 7.7±1.2 to 7.2±0.9%, P 0.05 ) in T2DM the subjects. The pharmacokinetic parameters of metformin were all significantly different ( P 0.05 ) between the NGT (500mg) and 8 out of 10 of the T2DM subjects who were prescribed 500mg of metformin during the placebo cycles. During the EGb 761 cycles, only the elimination half-life in the T2DM subjects was significantly increased (0.117±0.085 to 0.141±0.100, P 0.05 ). Conclusion The co-ingestion of 120mg of EGb 761 and 500mg of metformin did not significantly affect the pharmacokinetic properties of metformin. Further studies are required to verify this observation for smaller and larger dose of metformin with other doses of EGb 761, since T2DM patients on medication constitute a very heterogeneous group.
Trait-mediated indirect effects, predators, and disease: test of a size-based model

Increasing prevalence of wildlife disease accentuates the need to uncover drivers of epidemics. Predators can directly influence disease prevalence via density-mediated effects (e.g., culling infected hosts lead- ing to reduced disease prevalence). However, trait-medi- ated indirect effects (TMIEs) of predators can also strongly influence disease—but predicting a priori whether TMIEs should increase or decrease disease prevalence can be challenging, especially since a single predator may elicit responses that have opposing effects on disease prevalence. Here, we pair laboratory experiments with a mechanistic, size-based model of TMIEs in a zooplankton host, fungal parasite, multiple predator system. Kairomones can either increase or decrease body size of the host Daphnia, depending on the predator. These changes in size could influence key traits of fungal disease, since infection risk and spore yield increase with body size. For six host genotypes, we measured five traits that determine an index of disease spread (R0). Although host size and disease traits did not respond to kairomones produced by the invertebrate predator Chaoborus, cues from fish reduced body size and birth rate of uninfected hosts and spore yield from infected hosts. These results support the size model for fish; the birth and spore yield responses should depress disease spread. However, infection risk did not decrease with fish kairomones, thus contradicting predictions of the size model. Exposure to kairomones increased per spore sus- ceptibility of hosts, countering size-driven decreases in exposure to spores. Consequently, synthesizing among the relevant traits, there was no net effect of fish kairomones on the R0 metric. This result accentuates the need to inte- grate the TMIE-based response to predators among all key traits involved in disease spread.
Comparison of ‘Model-Free’ and ‘Model-Based’ Linkage Statistics in the Presence of Locus Heterogeneity: Single Data Set and Multiple Data Set Applications

Earlier work [Knapp et al.: Hum Hered 1994;44:44–51] focusing on affected sib pair (ASP) data established the equivalence between the mean test and a test based on a simple recessive lod score, as wel
Rawls’s Principle of Justice as Fairness and Its Application to the Issue of Same-Sex Marriage

This essay applies the principle of justice as fairness to the issue of same-sex marriage. I will outline Rawls’s theory of justice, including the original position and the veil of ignorance as the...
Right-side and left-side colon cancer follow different pathways to relapse†

There is growing evidence that cancer of the ascending (right-side) colon is different from cancer of the descending (left-side) colon at the molecular level. Using microarray data from 102 right-side colon carcinomas and 95 left-side colon carcinomas we show that different pathways dominate progression to relapse in right-side and left-side colon cancer. Right-side tumors at a high risk for relapse exhibit elevated expression of cell cycle control genes and elevated Wnt signaling. On the other hand, relapse-prone left-side tumors show elevated expression of genes that promote stromal expansion and reduced expression of tumor suppressor genes that initiate Wnt signaling. Single gene prognostic biomarkers are found separately for right-side and left-side disease. In left-side tumors with low expression levels of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) the 5-yr relapse-free survival probability is 0.89 95% CI (0.80-0.99), and in tumors with elevated NOX4 expression the probability is 0.51 95% CI (0.37-0.70). Right-side tumors with elevated expression levels of caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) have a 5-yr relapse-free survival probability of 0.88 95% CI (0.80-0.96), and those with low CDX2 expression have a corresponding probability of 0.39 95% CI (0.15-0.78). Both NOX4 and CDX2 are much less prognostic on the opposite sides. This newly identified role of NOX4 in colon cancer is further investigated using the SW620 lymph node metastasis colon adenocarcinoma cell line and RNA interference. We show that NOX4 is expressed in the SW620 cell line and that application of NOX4 siRNA causes a significant reduction in reactive oxidative species production.
Satellite and hydrographic observations of the Bering Sea 'Green Belt'

Abstract Green Belt is the aptly named region of high productivity occurring principally along and above the shelf-slope boundary in the Bering Sea. TOPEX altimeter measurements of sea-surface topography, SeaWiFS imagery of chlorophyll a concentration, and shipboard measurements of salinity and fluorescence are used to describe the surface structure of the Green Belt and its relationship to the Bering Slope Current eddy field during the 2000, 2001, and 2002 spring blooms. During spring 2000, high surface chlorophyll a concentrations (>10 mg m −3 ) were observed within a ∼200-km wide band adjacent to and seaward of the shelf break in the northwest Bering Sea. This high concentration chlorophyll band was associated with an anticyclonic eddy group that propagated along isobaths above the continental slope and entrained chlorophyll from the shelf-slope front. During spring 2001, anticyclonic eddies in the northwest Bering Sea had propagated off-slope prior to the onset of the spring bloom and were too far from the shelf-slope front to entrain frontal chlorophyll during the bloom. A second chlorophyll front associated with the leading edge of the off-slope eddies was observed. Between these two fronts was a region of relatively low chlorophyll a concentration (∼1 mg m −3 ). The eddy field during the 2002 spring bloom was observed to propagate northwestward adjacent to the shelf-break and entrain chlorophyll from the shelf-slope region in a manner similar to what was observed during the 2000 spring bloom. These observations suggest that eddies are important, if not the principal, agents that cause variability in the distribution of chlorophyll during the spring bloom in the central Bering Sea.
Social Cognition and Social Competence in Childhood through Adolescence

This article reviews theory and research as well as conceptual and methodological problems regarding the nature and development of social cognition, the nature and assessment of social competence, ...
Primate parturition and the role of the maternal circadian system

Several 24-h rhythms have been observed in the mother and in the fetus during primate gestation. In the mother, 24-h rhythms occur in biophysical variables, pregnancy-associated plasma hormones and preparturient myometrial activity. In addition, both pregnant non-human primates and pregnant women deliver preferentially during the night and early morning hours. A crucial question pertaining circadian rhythms is whether 24-h rhythms that may be observed during pregnancy are endogenous in nature and entrained by the light-dark cycle or whether the daily photoperiod is a causal stimulus. Our work has addressed the role of the maternal and fetal circadian system for 24-h rhythms in pregnancy-associated maternal plasma hormones, preparturient myometrial activity and parturition in human and non-human primate pregnancy. In the present review, the results of some of our studies are being discussed in combination with data available from the literature. It is apparent that 24-h rhythms that may be observed during primate pregnancy are determined by the maternal circadian system, suggesting that the developing fetus receives information about the ambient time of the day via the mother. Fetal entrainment by the mother may ensure fetal cooperation so that parturition occurs at the most favorable time of the day. We conclude that the functioning of the maternal circadian system is integral to the pregnant state. Thus, proper care and management of pregnant women and the ultimate outcome of obstetrics may benefit from more timely methodologies. A chronopharmacological attitude towards the prevention of premature labor and the induction and augmentation of labor at term may yield new therapeutic strategies. Such an approach will enable delivery to take place under optimal conditions for mother and child.
Experimental Obstructive Jaundice. Effect on Fibrinogen and Coagulation of the Blood

ConclusionsFibrinogen content of plasma is not decreased but actually increased in acute experimental obstructive jaundice, probably due to irritative effect of bile on liver. Coagulation time remained above normal limits, but did not parallel the fibrinogen content of the plasma. Coagulation time is not a satisfactory index of a hemorrhagic tendency in the presence of jaundice. Diminution of fibrinogen content does not parallel the degree of liver destruction. The Wu method for determination of fibrinogen is not satisfactory when exact quantitative analysis of blood proteins is done. The Tyrosine equivalent for dogs was found to vary from 12.5 to 19.7. This was learned after determinations were made from 24 samples of blood. For comparative analysis as herein used, the Wu method serves the desired purpose.
Interprofessional Leadership Training in MCH Social Work

The need to train health social workers to practice interprofessionally is an essential goal of social work education. Although most health social workers have exposure to multidisciplinary practice within their field work, few social work education programs incorporate interprofessional learning as an integrated component of both course work and field experiences (McPherson, Headrick, & Moss, 2001; Reeves, Lewin, Espin, & Zwaranstein, 2010; Weinstein, Whittington, & Leiba, 2003). In addition, little is written about the kinds of curricula that would effectively promote interdisciplinary training for social work students. These findings are particularly puzzling since there is increasing and compelling evidence that interdisciplinary training improves health outcomes (IOM, 2001). This article describes a social work education program that incorporates an Interprofessional education and leadership curriculum for Maternal and Child Health Social Work (MCHSW) at the University of Maryland's School of Social Work. The University of Maryland's Interprofesisonal Training Model is described along with the components needed to formulate an interdisciplinary learning experience. Various outcomes and lessons learned are discussed.
P04.35. Sustained effects of a mindfulness-based classroom intervention on behavior in urban, underserved children

Methods MIL was implemented in a low income, urban neighborhood with 3rd grade students (n=41) in a school under academic emergency with many behavior problems. A pre to post test single group design with a 2 month follow up measure was used to investigate the behavioral changes in the children. The MIL program utilized a standardized protocol consisting of mindfulness meditation, yoga movement/breathing in harmony with music, and appreciative inquiry (AI) exercises that required students to express themselves in the written and visual arts. Students were evaluated by their classroom teacher pre/post MIL intervention using the Connors Behavior Rating Scale, identifying problem behaviors that had occurred in the month prior to the assessments.