cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary caregiver perceptions of intake cessation in patients who are terminally Ill.

Purpose/objectives To explore the meaning of nutrition cessation in adult in-home hospice patients with cancer as described by women primary caregivers during the first year of bereavement. Setting In-home hospice in the northeastern region of the United States. Sample Twelve English-speaking adult women who had cared for patients who were terminally III with cancer who ceased oral intake. Design Qualitative phenomenologic inquiry. Method Verbatim written transcripts of semistructured interviews were studied line by line to identify themes. Shared themes emerged through ongoing comparison across cases. Findings Within the framework of transition, seven essential themes emerged: The Meaning of Food, Caregiver as Sustainer, Concurrent Losses, Personal Responses, Ceasing to Be--"Starved to Death," Being Bereaved--The Meaning Now, and Paradox. Patient changes in intake patterns and caregiver actions to encourage intake were described. Decreasing intake led to ongoing and spiraling losses. Caregiver intake patterns also changed. Conclusions Caregivers believed that patient-nutrition cessation was naturally occurring and not physically painful. Implications for nursing practice Sensitized nurses can look for the presence of the phenomenon in cancer caregiving families and open dialogue. Anticipatory guidance can serve to normalize the situation and ease the transition. Future research should focus on what nurses know and what they share with families regarding intake cessation. Research with caregivers could address values clarification, decision making, knowledge needed for caregiving, the perceptions of caregiving men, and caregivers of diverse cultures. More research conducted with patients ceasing intake is needed to determine whether and to what degree patients suffer.
Covering the Empire in Print

Today’s world is dominated by news constantly streaming across the Internet. Newspapers, the source of Everyman’s information for the better part of 300 years, do not carry the same influence they did even 60 years ago. The first intruder was television, supplemented by cable networks in the 1980s. The mid-1990s then brought the Internet, where news stories are just a Google search away, to the masses. In the early- to mid-1950s, however, newspapers remained the ready source of information on world events for the Scottish populace.
Engineering Economics and Economic Design for Process Engineers

Engineers often find themselves tasked with the difficult challenge of developing a design that is both technically and economically feasible. A sharply focused, how-to book, Engineering Economics and Economic Design for Process Engineers provides the tools and methods to resolve design and economic issues. It helps you integrate technical a
Obituary of Thomas E. Starzl, MD, PhD.

Thomas E. Starzl was born in LeMars, Iowa, where his father, Roman Starzl, owned and edited the town's newspaper. Young “Tommie” worked at every job on the paper, from printer's devil to reporter. His mother had been a nurse earlier in life. Her encouragement and her long fight with breast cancer inspired Starzl to pursue a medical career. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Elemental quantitation of carbon via production of polyatomic anions in gas chromatography-plasma assisted reaction chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

Elemental mass spectrometry offers quantitation and isotopic analysis without the need for compound-specific standards. We have recently introduced plasma assisted reaction chemical ionization (PARCI) as an efficient elemental ionization method for halogens. Here, we report a new ionization chemistry in PARCI for facile quantitation of elemental carbon in gas chromatography eluates. We demonstrate that in-plasma reactions of organic compounds followed by afterglow ionization lead to formation of polyatomic anions (CN−, OCN−, and CO3 −), among which CN− offers the best analytical sensitivity with a detection limit of ~25 pg (21 pg/s) carbon on column. Using a mixture of pesticides with wide variations in structures and heteroatom content, we demonstrate that CN− ion response is quantitatively correlated with the carbon concentration over two orders of magnitude (r 2 = 0.985). We show that the novel GC-PARCI-MS method provides recoveries within 80–120% using a single standard for all analytes, highlighting the strength of elemental quantitation. Further, the ability of GC-PARCI-MS to identify 13C-tagged molecules without a priori knowledge of chemical formulas of analytes is demonstrated.
In-situ simultaneous measurement of temperature and thin film thickness with ultrasonic techniques

We describe a novel technique to measure in situ, simultaneously, temperature and thin film thickness during semiconductor processing. The measurement is based on the principle that the velocity of an ultrasonic Lamb wave propagating in a silicon wafer is a function of both the wafer temperature and the thin film coating on the wafer surface. Because sensitivities of Lamb wave velocity to temperature and film thickness change differently with frequency, with a simple linear inversion method, we are able to obtain both the processing temperature an film thickness simultaneously with two sets of sensors operating at two distinct frequencies, 0.5MHz and 1.5MHz. This technique is demonstrated in an aluminum sputtering system. We have achieved a temperature measurement accuracy of +/- 0.15 degree C and an aluminum film thickness resolution of +/- 170 angstrom. The measurement does not depend on the optical or the electrical properties of either the wafer or the film materials, and is insensitive to the processing environment. With its high measurement accuracy and setup simplicity, this sensor system carries great potential in semiconductor process monitoring and control.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Antibiotic-Impregnated Central Venous Catheters Do Not Change Antibiotic Resistance Patterns

Abstract Background: Antibiotic-impregnated central venous catheters (CVCs) decrease the incidence of infection in high-risk patients. However, use of these catheters carries the hypothetical risk of inducing antibiotic resistance. We hypothesized that routine use of minocycline and rifampin-impregnated catheters (MR-CVC) in a single intensive care unit (ICU) would change the resistance profile for Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: We reviewed antibiotic susceptibilities of S. aureus isolates obtained from blood cultures in a large urban teaching hospital from 2002–2015. Resistance patterns were compared before and after implementation of MR-CVC use in the surgical ICU (SICU) in August 2006. We also compared resistance patterns of S. aureus obtained in other ICUs and in non-ICU patients, in whom MR-CVCs were not used. Results: Data for rifampin, oxacillin, and clindamycin were available for 9,703 cultures; tetracycline resistance data were available for 4,627 cultures. After implementation of MR-CVC use in ...
AN EXAMINATION OF VETERAN HEALTH ACCESS AROUND THE MEDICARE ELIGIBILITY AGE

Recent news reports suggest that veterans' health care may be inadequate. We use Health and Retirement Study data to compare utilization rates for preventative care by male veterans and nonveterans before and after the near-universal health coverage at Medicare eligibility. Larger increases in utilization rates for preventative services upon reaching Medicare eligibility at age 65 are associated with less health care adequacy before Medicare eligibility. Results suggest that health care adequacy for male veterans between the ages of 56 and 64 is at least as good as that of nonveterans and may be better. (JEL I14, J14)
Correction to: The transcriptome landscape of early maize meiosis.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported that the number of genes overlaying the bar graph in Fig. 3A were incorrectly counted and inserted (i.e. including a title tile, and in inverse order). The corrected numbers are below and match with the listed genes supplied in Additional File: Table S2.
CRT-700.04 Impact of Discharge Home without Home Services on 30-Day Outcomes Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with Contemporary Valves

Medicare's Post-Acute Transfer (PACT) policy costs hospitals nationwide penalties following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. While discharging home without home services avoids PACT policy activation, its impact on 30-day outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is not
A Multiphysics Model for Radiofrequency Activation of Soft Hydrated Tissues.

Abstract A multi-physics model has been developed to investigate the effects of cellular level mechanisms on the electro-thermo-mechanical response of hydrated soft tissues with radiofrequency (RF) activation. A micromechanical model generates an equation of state (EOS) that provides the additional pressure arising from evaporation of intra- and extracellular water as well as temperature to the continuum level thermo-mechanical model. A level set method is used to capture the interfacial evolution of tissue damage with the level set evolution equation derived from the second law of thermodynamics, which is consistent with Griffith’s fracture evolution criterion. The discretized equations are solved simultaneously using a Krylov subspace based iterative solver (GMRES) with block preconditioning that effectively deflates the spectrum of the system matrix, resulting in exponential convergence of the Arnoldi iterations. Example problems, including experimental validation, illustrate the computational accuracy and efficiency of the technique.
Electric-Field Inputs for Molecular Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata Circuits

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is a low-power, non-von-Neumann, general-purpose paradigm for classical computing using transistor-free logic. An elementary QCA device called a “cell” is made from a system of coupled quantum dots with a few mobile charges. The cell's charge configuration encodes a bit, and quantum charge tunneling within a cell enables device switching. Arrays of cells networked locally via the electrostatic field form QCA circuits, which mix logic, memory and device interconnections. A molecular QCA implementation promises ultra-high device densities, high switching speeds, and room-temperature operation. We propose a novel approach to the technical challenge of transducing bits from larger conventional devices to nanoscale QCA molecules. This signal transduction begins with lithographically formed electrodes placed on the device plane. A voltage applied across these electrodes establishes an in-plane electric field, which selects a bit packet on a large QCA input circuit. A typical QCA binary wire may be used to transmit a smaller bit packet of size more suitable for processing from this input to other QCA circuitry. In contrast to previous concepts for bit inputs to molecular QCA, this approach requires neither special QCA cells with fixed states nor nanoelectrodes that establish fields with single-electron specificity. A brief overview of the QCA paradigm is given. Proof-of-principle simulation results are shown, demonstrating the input concept in circuits made from two-dot QCA cells. Importantly, this concept for bit inputs to molecular QCA may enable solutions to or provide insights into other challenges to the realization of molecular QCA, such as the demonstration of molecular device switching, the read-out of molecular QCA states, and the layout of molecular QCA circuits.
Effectiveness of biomarker surveillance after treatment in locoregional breast cancer.

e12608Background: Utilization of the biomarkers CA 15-3 and CA 27.29 to monitor recurrence or metastases does not improve outcomes after treatment in locoregional breast cancer. We sought to determ...
The Neuropsychologist in Neurological and Psychiatric Populations

The majority of neuropsychologists currently in practice works with either psychiatric or neurological populations. This is done in a wide variety of settings: private practice, university-based medical centers, psychiatric hospitals, general community hospitals, mental health centers, university psychology departments, prisons, and many other similar settings. This is of course not surprising: neuropsychology has generally developed within neurological settings, and its major use in the United States for many years was answering the question of whether psychiatric patients were suffering from “organic” or “functional” (emotional) disorders. Recently, neuropsychologists have become more involved in specifying the nature of brain-related disorders and applying this information to rehabilitation and education.
From Formal Requirements to Highly Assured Software for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Operational requirements of safety-critical systems are often written in restricted specification logics. These restricted logics are amenable to automated analysis techniques such as model-checking, but are not rich enough to express complex requirements of unmanned systems. This short paper advocates for the use of expressive logics, such as higher-order logic, to specify the complex operational requirements and safety properties of unmanned systems. These rich logics are less amenable to automation and, hence, require the use of interactive theorem proving techniques. However, these logics support the formal verification of complex requirements such as those involving the physical environment. Moreover, these logics enable validation techniques that increase confidence in the correctness of numerically intensive software. These features result in highly-assured software that may be easier to certify. The feasibility of this approach is illustrated with examples drawn for NASA’s unmanned aircraft systems.
Constructing a Public Comparative Theology: Examining Ernst Troeltsch through a Critical Hermeneutic Lens

This article explores Ernst Troeltsch’s potential contribution to a Christian public theology. It does so by way of a case being made for a public comparative theology. For this purpose I reconsider investigating Troeltsch’s sociological method through a critical hermeneutic lens provided by Hans G. Gadamer’s hermeneutics and Jurgen Habermas’ sociology of a lifeworld. Through this hermeneutical mediation I propose a more comprehensive understanding of Troeltsch’s project, and how it can bring relevancy to a public theology that takes into account the comparative study of religions in our pluralist context. Troeltsch’s work will thus be hermeneutically refined in a socially responsible manner in keeping with the reality of multiple modernities and the religious humanism in our contemporary context.
Two controversies in the early history of the telegraph

Two related questions emerge from these controversies over the invention and early commercialization of the telegraph. First, how could Morse, a man with little scientific training or mechanical skill, invent the telegraph? Second, how should we apportion credit for the telegraph among Morse, Henry, and Vail?The author's conclusion is clear: Morse was the one who succeeded in reducing the invention of telegraphy in the United States to practice, but he relied on the substantialcontributions to the then-new science of electricity by Henry and the mechanical ingenuity of Vail. Without the help of either one, the Morse telegraph would not have been successful as a commercial system. As another interesting note, the author points out that the Morse code was developed by Morse himself, despite frequent comments that Vail was the one who developed the code.
Towards Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson'S Disease: Lfp-Based Feature Analysis and Classification

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent studies have applied the closed-loop control (adaptive DBS or aDBS) using feedback from local field potential (LFP) signals. However, current aDBS practices focus on simple feedback like beta band power and thresholding, without optimized control or classification algorithms. In this work, we study the capacity of several classifiers including automatic shrinkage linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to predict motor impairment. We use 20 features extracted from both monopolar and bipolar LFPs in 12 PD patients. In our best setting, we achieve a median accuracy of 70.2%, sensitivity of 81.2% and prediction lead time of 0.1 s across patients. By including relevant features other than beta power, a 13.6% improvement in accuracy is achieved. Moreover, the Hjorth parameters and high-frequency oscillation (HFO) features perform best according to the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) p-value and classifier weights. These results suggest a great potential to improve current aDBS system for PD, by implementing a classifier with multiple features.
An Expert Derived Feedforward Histology Module Improves Pattern Recognition Efficiency in Novice Students.

Histology is a visually oriented, foundational anatomical sciences subject in professional health curricula that has seen a dramatic reduction in educational contact hours and an increase in content migration to a digital platform. While the digital migration of histology laboratories has transformed histology education, few studies have shown the impact of this change on visual literacy development, a critical competency in histology. The objective of this study was to assess whether providing a video clip of an expert's gaze while completing leukocyte identification tasks would increase the efficiency and performance of novices completing similar identification tasks. In a randomized study, one group of novices (n = 9) was provided with training materials that included expert eye gaze, while the other group (n = 12) was provided training materials with identical content, but without the expert eye gaze. Eye movement parameters including fixation rate and total scan path distance, and performance measures including time-to-task-completion and accuracy, were collected during an identification task assessment. Compared to the control group, the average fixation duration was 13.2% higher (P < 0.02) and scan path distance was 35.0% shorter in the experimental group (P = 0.14). Analysis of task performance measures revealed no significant difference between the groups. These preliminary results suggest a more efficient search performed by the experimental group, indicating the potential efficacy of training using an expert's gaze to enhance visual literacy development. With further investigation, such feedforward enhanced training methods could be utilized for histology and other visually oriented subjects.
Ratios of matter radii for isotones of light nuclei

I have compared matter radii for nuclei having the same neutron number but differing by one or two in proton number. The ratios reveal features that are less apparent in the actual matter radii.
Long term effects of intensive biomass harvesting and compaction on the forest soil ecosystem

Abstract Forest soil ecosystems can be negatively affected by intensive biomass harvesting due to losses of organic inputs and soil compaction, ultimately leading to reduced forest productivity. In this research, we revisited a site from the North American Long-Term Soil Productivity study located on a sandy Spodosol within the Huron National Forest in Michigan, USA, to measure the effects of aboveground organic matter removal of different intensities (three levels: bole only; whole tree harvest; or whole tree harvest and forest floor removal) and soil compaction (2 levels: no or moderate compaction) nearly 20 years following the initial treatments. The effects of harvesting on the soil microbial community in surface and subsurface soils and on soil nutrient availability in surface soils were evaluated. Additionally, patterns of carbon and nitrogen distribution among soil organic matter pools in surface and subsurface soils were compared using a physical fractionation approach to isolate a free – light fraction of particulate organic matter external to aggregates, an occluded – light fraction, which represents particulate organic matter released from the disruption of soil aggregates, and a heavy or mineral-associated fraction. Whole-tree harvests had significantly different microbial community compositions than bole-only harvests (P = 0.02), a result driven by significantly lower abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizae and greater gram positive bacterial abundance in the whole-tree harvest relative to bole-only harvest conditions. Few differences in soil nutrient availability were apparent 20 years after organic matter manipulations, with the exception of reduced calcium availability where organic matter was removed. Soil compaction resulted in greater microbial biomass (0.19 versus 0.14 μmol g−1 soil), which may have also led to a reduced C:N ratio in the heaviest and oldest soil component and increased P availability as well. Nitrogen concentrations and stocks were greatest at the surface (0–10 cm depth) for the free and light soil fractions in bole-only removal treatments, in contrast to whole-tree harvest treatments where C and N concentrations and C stocks were greater in the subsurface soil (free - light fraction at 20–30 cm depth). The soil microbial community, soil fraction size, and soil C and N stocks differed between surface and subsurface soils, highlighting the soil forming processes at work in this Spodosol, and the importance of sampling multiple depths to address research questions. These results demonstrate the long-term effects of forest management on soil biological, physical, and chemical properties and are useful in evaluating sustainable biomass harvesting practices for comparable forests.
Does Preterm Birth Affect Psychosexual Development? A Preliminary Exploration

Infants born prematurely may lack full term exposure to the prenatal milieu responsible for late-term sexual differentiation, with possible consequences on psychosexual development. This study asse...
Illuminating seafloor faults and ocean dynamics with dark fiber distributed acoustic sensing

Distributed fiber-optic sensing technology coupled to existing subsea cables (dark fiber) allows observation of ocean and solid earth phenomena. We used an optical fiber from the cable supporting the Monterey Accelerated Research System during a 4-day maintenance period with a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) instrument operating onshore, creating a ~10,000-component, 20-kilometer-long seismic array. Recordings of a minor earthquake wavefield identified multiple submarine fault zones. Ambient noise was dominated by shoaling ocean surface waves but also contained observations of in situ secondary microseism generation, post-low-tide bores, storm-induced sediment transport, infragravity waves, and breaking internal waves. DAS amplitudes in the microseism band tracked sea-state dynamics during a storm cycle in the northern Pacific. These observations highlight this method's potential for marine geophysics.
Archaeological climate proxies and the complexities of reconstructing Holocene El Niño in coastal Peru

Archaeological evidence plays a key role in longitudinal studies of humans and climate. Climate proxy data from Peruvian archaeological sites provide a case study through insight into the history of the "flavors" or varieties of El Nino (EN) events after ∼11 ka: eastern Pacific EN, La Nina, coastal EN (COA), and central Pacific or Modoki EN (CP). Archaeological proxies are important to the coastal Peruvian case because more commonly used paleoclimate proxies are unavailable or equivocal. Previously, multiproxy evidence from the Peruvian coast and elsewhere suggested that EN frequency varied over the Holocene: 1) present in the Early Holocene; 2) absent or very low frequency during the Middle Holocene (∼9 to 6 ka); 3) low after ∼6 ka; and 4) rapidly increasing frequency after 3 ka. Despite skepticism about the reliability of archaeological proxies, nonarchaeological proxies seemed to confirm this archaeological EN reconstruction. Although there is consensus that EN frequency varied over this period, some nonarchaeological and archaeological proxies call parts of this reconstruction into question. Here we review Holocene EN frequency reconstructions for the Peruvian coast, point to complexities introduced by apparent contradictions in a range of proxy records, consider the impact of CP and COA phenomena, and assess the merits of archaeological proxies in EN reconstructions. Reconciling Peruvian coastal paleoclimate data is critical for testing models of future EN behavior under climate variability.
Lower knee extensor and flexor strength is associated with varus thrust in people with knee osteoarthritis.

Abstract Varus thrust during walking is common in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and can increase the risk of disease progression. Lower limb muscle strength, particularly isokinetic strength, may play a role in varus thrust. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between varus thrust and isokinetic strength knee extensors and flexors in people with and without knee OA . Data from participants with (n = 28) and without (n = 68) knee OA were used. All participants underwent gait analysis during walking at a self-selected pace. Isokinetic knee extensor and flexor strength were measured at 60°/s and 120°/s. Varus thrust was measured using peak knee adduction velocity and knee adduction excursion during the first half of stance. Multiple linear regression was used to examine relationships between strength and varus thrust in the two groups separately while adjusting for age, sex, walking speed, and static alignment. In those with knee OA, knee extensor (Model R2 = 27.0%) and flexor torque (Model R2 = 28.5%) at 60°/s were negatively associated with peak adduction velocity. No other associations were seen between strength and varus thrust measures in the OA group. No associations were seen in the control group. Lower isokinetic knee extensor and flexor muscle at 60°/s strength is related to greater magnitude of varus thrust in individuals with knee OA but not in those without OA. Isokinetic strength deficits may be involved in varus thrust.
High Operating Temperature Type-II Superlattice Mid-Infrared Detectors

We will discuss a development of high operating temperature type-II superlattices detectors. Our goal is to elevate the operating temperature of the sensor to reduce the size, weight, and power of the remote sensing instruments.
Simulation of New Healthcare Delivery to Evaluate Impacts on Patient Access to Care: a Telehealth Supply and Demand use Case

We propose a framework, Modeling HealthCARE: Capacity, Access, and Resource Evaluation, that uses hybrid simulation to help healthcare organizations evaluate supply and demand as they implement alternative healthcare services. The focus of this tool is on patients and their access to care. We integrate agent-based and discrete event simulation to model the patient as an agent adopting and requesting new services, following a discrete-event-driven process based on the existing and new healthcare journey. We model a use case in which a regional Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare organization is expanding its telehealth capabilities to meet growing demand for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment and is using telehealth to deliver services to Veterans, which saves them from traveling long distances. Results of our proof of concept model show that as adoption of telehealth increases, wait times and travel distances decrease, as service capacity and resources are configured to meet demand.
Ethics as an outcome of out-of-class engagement across diverse groups of engineering students

Engineers need to prioritise public welfare and understand how their decisions affect social and environmental systems. These responsibilities require engineers to uphold high ethical standards and...
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin 's beneficial impact on glucose metabolism: evidence for broad based applications.

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccinations improve glycemic control in juvenile-onset Type I diabetes (T1D), an effect driven by restored sugar transport through aerobic glycolysis. In a pilot clinical trial, T1D, but not latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA), exhibited lower blood sugars after multidose BCG. Using a glucose transport assay, monocytes from T1D subjects showed a large stimulation index with BCG exposures; LADA subjects showed minimal BCG-induced sugar responsiveness. Monocytes from T1D, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and non-diabetic controls (NDC) were all responsive in vitro to BCG by augmented sugar utilization. Adults with prior neonatal BCG vaccination show accelerated glucose transport decades later. Finally, in vivo experiments with the NOD mouse (a T1D model) and obese db/db mice (a T2D model) confirm BCG's blood-sugar-lowering and accelerated glucose metabolism with sufficient dosing. Our results suggest that BCG's benefits for glucose metabolism may be broadly applicable to T1D and T2D, but less to LADA.
The Theorem of the Primitive Element

The theorem of the primitive element is one of the basic results of Galois theory. We present a proof, different from the standard one, that is undoubtedly not new, but which in our opinion deserve...
Aspects of Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Control in Conscious Rats During Central Infusions of Angiotensin and Vasopressin

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) system has been described as a moderately distensible compartment, wherein pressure is maintained within relatively narrow limits.1 The principal components regulating CSF dynamics are synthesis rate, compliance, and drainage (mainly at arachnoid villa). Angiotensin2 and vasopressin3 have been associated with choroid tissue, although a role for the peptides has not emerged; both peptides are endogenous to CSF.4 Vasopressin, in anesthetized rabbits, reduced CSF pressure most likely by facilitating CSF transport to venous blood.5 This peptide may also alter intracranial water movement.6 Angiotensin has been reported to cause cerebral vasoconstriction by a central mechanism.7 Thus, the peptides may affect intracranial pressure.
Limiting the Mortgage Interest Deduction by Size of Home: Effects on the User Cost and Price of Housing Across Metropolitan Areas

In this paper, I examine the user cost and home price implications of limiting the federal mortgage interest deduction (MID) based on the square footage of a home. I extend the standard user cost m...
Identification of the pH-dependent membrane anchor of carboxypeptidase E (EC 3.4.17.10)

Carboxypeptidase E (CPE), a peptide hormone-processing enzyme, is present within secretory granules in both a soluble form and a form which is membrane-bound at pH 5.5 but soluble at neutral pH. Antisera raised against a peptide corresponding to the predicted COOH-terminus of CPE bind to the membrane-associated form of CPE but not to the soluble form. This COOH-terminal region is predicted to form an amphiphilic alpha-helix, containing several pairs of hydrophobic residues separated by hydrophilic residues. Synthetic COOH-terminal peptides 11-24 residues in length are able to bind to bovine pituitary membranes and can be extracted by conditions that extract the membrane-bound form of CPE. The influence of pH on the membrane binding of a 21-residue COOH-terminal peptide is similar to the membrane binding of CPE: at pH values less than 6 the majority of the peptide is membrane-bound, while at pH values above 8 less than 20% is membrane-bound. Both the 21-residue COOH-terminal peptide and the purified membrane form of CPE, but not the soluble form, partition into Triton X-114 only at low pH (pH less than 6). Combined polar and hydrophobic interactions of the COOH-terminal peptide appear to be responsible for the reversible, pH-dependent association of CPE with membranes.
Intestinal herniation following uterine perforation.

T HE occurrence of uterine perforation accompanying criminal or therapeutic abortion is not uncommon and seldom presents a major surgical problem. However, the presence of such perforation accompanied by trauma to extrauterine organs or by extrauterine infection is best managed by radical surgery as well as extensive antibiotic therapy.1 Only three cases similar to the following were found in a review of American literature for the last thirteen years.2, 3, 4 Case Report
New Potentials for Conventional Aircraft When Powered by Hydrogen-Enriched Gasoline

Hydrogen enrichment for aircraft piston engines is studied. The feasibility is examined of inflight injection of hydrogen in general aviation aircraft engines to reduce fuel consumption and to lower emission levels. Results are summarized.
Abstract 1645: Discovery of AMG 232, an inhibitor of the MDM2-p53 interaction: From lead to a clinical candidate

The p53 tumor suppressor is controlled by MDM2, which binds p53 and negatively regulates its transcriptional activity and stability. Many tumors overproduce MDM2 to impair p53 function. Therefore, restoration of p53 activity by inhibiting the p53-MDM2 binding represents an attractive novel approach to cancer therapy. We previously reported the discovery AM-8553, a potent and selective piperidinone inhibitor of the MDM2-p53 interaction (Rew et al. J. Med. Chem. 2012, 55, 4936). We report here continued research on the N-alkyl substituent of this series, focused in particular on a previously underutilized interaction in a shallow cleft on the MDM2 surface that led to the discovery of variety of sulfonamides and sulfones which gave rise to substantial improvements in biochemical and cellular potency. Further work led to discovery of AMG 232, which is currently being evaluated in human clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. AMG 232 is an extremely potent MDM2 inhibitor (SPR K D = 0.045 nM, SJSA-1 EdU IC 50 = 9.1 nM), with remarkable pharmacokinetic properties. The compound interacts specifically with the p53-binding pocket of MDM2 and releases the p53 protein from negative control. Treatment of cancer cells expressing wild-type p53 with AMG 232, stabilizes p53 and activates the p53 pathway, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The compound showed excellent efficacy in a number of mouse tumor xenograft models and was well tolerated in preclinical toxicology studies at therapeutically relevant dosages. Citation Format: Zhihong Li. Discovery of AMG 232, an inhibitor of the MDM2-p53 interaction: From lead to a clinical candidate. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1645. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1645
Perinatal evaluation and prognosis of the premature fetus and newborn infant through phase-contrast microscopy of the placenta

Abstract 1. 1. Forty-six placentas of premature infants were studied with a phase-contrast microscope. 2. 2. Placentas were divided into three types: normal as per gestational age, termlike, and pathologic. The infant outcome was related to these three groups. 3. 3. The pathology of the placenta appears to be a more reliable approach when judging a premature prognosis, since 100 per cent of the perinatal mortality was reflected in some pathologic finding in the placenta, while there was no mortality in the first two placental types, regardless of gestational age or birth weight. 4. 4. A different concept of “fetal maturity” is suggested, which does not rely on weight at birth or gestational age. 5. 5. Placental biopsy offers an excellent and innocuous method of evaluating the premature fetus in utero.
Transformation of Escherichia coli K-12 with a high-copy plasmid encoding the green fluorescent protein reduces growth: implications for predictive microbiology.

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) of the jellyfish Aequorea victoria has been widely used as a biomarker and has potential for use in developing predictive models for growth of pathogens on naturally contaminated food. However, constitutive production of GFP can reduce growth of transformed strains. Consequently, a high-copy plasmid with gfp under the control of a tetracycline-inducible promoter (pTGP) was constructed. The plasmid was first introduced into a tetracycline-resistant strain of Escherichia coli K-12 to propagate it for subsequent transformation of tetracycline-resistant strains of Salmonella. In contrast to transformed E. coli K-12, which only fluoresced in response to tetracycline, transformed Salmonella fluoresced maximally without tetracycline induction of gfp. Although pTGP did not function as intended in Salmonella, growth of parent and GFP E. coli K-12 was compared to test the hypothesis that induction of GFP production reduced growth. Although GFP production was not induced during gr...
Nature of the Clearance of Exogenous Testosterone and Progesterone in Ejaculated Bovine Semen

Plasma and semen concentrations of androgens and progestins were not influenced by repetitive ejaculation in bulls. Within 20 minutes after the injection of testosterone (100 mg Intravenously), plasma concentration of androgen (mean ± SEM) was 698 ± 240 ng/ml (92% testosterone) and semen concentration of androgen was 27.7 ng/ml (76% testosterone). Within 20 minutes after the injection of progesterone (100 mg intravenously), plasma concentration of progestin was 2226 ± 635 ng/ml (96% progesterone) and semen concentration of progestin was 68.2 ± 2.2 ng/ml (68% progesterone). Thereafter, the concentrations of androgens and progestins in both plasma and semen steadily declined. Semen/blood concentration ratio values for progestins and androgens were similar to each other during the experimental period. It was concluded that testosterone and progesterone were readily transferred to the ejaculate from the blood.
PET/CT in head and neck oncology: State-of-the-art 2013.

Objectives/Hypothesis Combined positron emission tomography with simultaneous computed tomography (PET/CT performed using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose [FDG] as a radiopharmaceutical) results in improvement in anatomic localization of tumor. This review explores the contemporary application of PET/CT to pretreatment assessment, posttreatment monitoring, and subsequent treatment planning for patients with squamous carcinoma of the head and neck. Data Sources Contemporary publications on the use of PET/CT in head and neck oncology are reviewed and synthesized. Review Method This review presents selected literature interpreted by expert opinion. Results PET/CT is highly sensitive in staging of patients with squamous cancer of the head and neck. The sensitivity is limited by tumor size, and PET/CT cannot currently replace the information obtained from elective neck dissection in the assessment of cervical metastases. In the setting of posttreatment monitoring, PET/CT allows for identification of persistent carcinoma prior to clinical observation in approximately two-thirds of cases. However, contemporary reports do not allow assessment of cost effectiveness, and they do not allow determination if the application of PET/CT in this setting results in improved treatment outcomes. PET/CT is insensitive to evaluation of patients with glandular tumors, and those with low volume tumors and cystic metastases. Conclusions PET/CT requires further evaluation before recommendations can be made regarding comparative effectiveness when compared to CT or MRI for posttreatment monitoring. The improved sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT during treatment planning justifies its use in this setting for patients with advanced stage squamous cancer of the head and neck. Laryngoscope, 124:913–915, 2014
Similarity of relaxation in supercooled liquids and interacting arrays of oscillators.

Dielectric relaxation and dynamic light scattering of small molecule glass-forming liquids invariably show that the fractional exponent ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ of the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts correlation function, $\mathrm{exp}[\ensuremath{-}(t/{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}{)}^{{\ensuremath{\beta}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}],$ used to fit the \ensuremath{\alpha}-relaxation data is temperature dependent, increasing towards the value of unity as temperature is raised and the relaxation time \ensuremath{\tau} decreased. Comparing different glass formers, another property is the existence of a correlation between the value of $(1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\beta}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}})$ at the glass temperature, ${T}_{g},$ and the ${T}_{g}$-scaled temperature dependence of ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}.$ We analyze a system of interacting arrays of globally coupled nonlinear oscillators. Each array has its oscillators coupled among themselves with a coupling strength K. The coupling between arrays is characterized by the interarray coupling strength ${K}^{\ensuremath{'}}.$ The decay of the phase coherence r for each array is slowed down by the interarray coupling and its time dependence is well approximated at sufficiently long times by $\mathrm{exp}[\ensuremath{-}(t/\ensuremath{\tau}{)}^{\ensuremath{\beta}}].$ For a fixed ${K}^{\ensuremath{'}},$ on increasing K the results exhibit a decrease of \ensuremath{\tau} and a concomitant increase of \ensuremath{\beta}, similar to the properties of dielectric relaxation and dynamic light scattering of glass-forming liquids on increasing temperature. For each ${K}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ we define ${K}_{g}$ to be the value of K at which \ensuremath{\tau} is equal to an arbitrarily chosen long time. We find that $\ensuremath{\beta}{(K}_{g})$ is correlated with the ${K}_{g}$-scaled K dependence of \ensuremath{\tau}. The results obtained in this manner at various fixed values of ${K}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ reproduce the relaxation properties and temperature dependencies of strong, intermediate, and fragile glass-forming liquids.
State-space and singular-value decomposition-based approximation methods for the harmonic retrieval problem

We present new high-resolution methods for the problem of retrieving sinusoidal processes from noisy measurements. The approach taken is by use of the so-called principal-components method, which is a singular-value-decomposition-based approximate modeling method. The low-rank property and the algebraic structure of both the data matrix and the covariance matrix (under noise-free conditions) form the basis of exact modeling methods. In a noisy environment, however, the rank property is often perturbed, and singular-value decomposition is used to obtain a low-rank approximant in factored form. The underlying algebraic structure of these factors leads naturally to least-squares estimates of the state-space parameters of the sinusoidal process. This forms the basis of the Toeplitz approximation method, which offers a robust Pisarenko-like spectral estimate from the covariance sequence. Furthermore, the principle of Pisarenko’s method is extended to harmonic retrieval directly from time-series data, which leads to a direct-data approximation method. Our simulation results indicate that favorable resolution capability (compared with existing methods) can be achieved by the above methods. The application of these principles to two-dimensional signals is also discussed.
Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand increases a lung DC subset with regulatory properties in allergic airway inflammation

Background Dendritic cell (DC) subsets display different functional roles in regulating immune responses and lead to various outcomes, including T H 1 versus T H 2 or regulatory versus immunologic responses. Administration of Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (Flt3) ligand prevents and reverses allergic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Objective We characterized and examined the role of lung DC subsets in the therapeutic effect of Flt3 ligand. Methods DCs were isolated from the lungs of ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized and OVA-challenged mice treated with recombinant human Flt3 ligand. Two populations of CD11c + cells labeled with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies were sorted. The ability of the purified cells to stimulate T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion patterns by different DC subsets was examined. Also, DCs were adoptively transferred in mice to examine their effect on pulmonary function. Results Two DC populations, CD11c high CD11b low and CD11c low CD11b high , were identified in the lungs of naive and OVA-sensitized and OVA-challenged mice with and without treatment with Flt3 ligand. The expression levels of CD8α, B220, CD19, F4/80, MHC II, CCR7, CD40, programmed death ligand 1, programmed death ligand 2, CD80, and CD86 were distinctly different between the 2 DC populations, which supports the notion that CD11c high CD11b low and CD11c low CD11b high DCs potentially have regulatory and immunogenic properties, respectively. Administration of Flt3 ligand increased the DCs with regulatory potential in the lungs of antigen-sensitized mice, and CD11c high CD11b low DCs acquired a maximum degree of regulatory capacity after Flt3 ligand treatment. Conclusion These data suggest that Flt3 ligand reverses airway hyperresponsiveness by regulating the function of lung DCs in a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation.
Cytological Observations on Two Planktonic Foraminifera, Globigerina bulloides d'Orbigny, 1826, and Globigerinoides ruber (d'Orbigny, 1839) Cushman, 1927*†‡

SYNOPSIS. Globigerina bulloides and Globigerinoides ruber, two pelagic foraminifera from the North Atlantic, were fixed in modified Zenker or Bouin solutions directly after collection and studied cytochemically. They have two unusual organelles: a vesicular system and an organelle provisionally named a “cryptosome.” The vesicular system occurs chiefly in the newest formed chambers and consists of a pair of intertwined tubules with helical fine structure which terminate in a bouquet of approximately 20 vesicles or loops. The function of this system is unknown. The detailed morphology of the vesicular system is different in each species. The cryptosome is a structure which varies greatly in its morphology. It is better developed in G. bulloides than it is in G. ruber. At times a cryptosome may occupy up to 2/3 of the protoplasm of a chamber. In Himes-Moriber-stained preparations crypto-somes stain with naphthol yellow S and contain within them an azure A-Schiff staining spongy reticulum. Both of the pelagic foraminifera studied are heterokaryotic. Agamonts of G. ruber may have a graded series of nuclear sizes but those of G. bulloides typically have a single somatic nucleus. The zooxanthellae of G. ruber are similar to Symbiodinium microadriaticum and may collectively occupy almost 4/5 the volume of a chamber.
Perceptions of Urban Trade and Industrial Students in the South-eastern USA: School and Career-Related Issues.

Abstract Technological change and increased international competition continue to create shortages of workers in the USA who are ready to meet the demands of a high-performance workplace. Demographic trends suggest that in the next 20 years employers will depend on a workforce drawn from urban communities. However, youth exiting schools in urban districts are a segment of the American population often considered ill-prepared to meet the demands of today's workforce. Urban students are often described as potential high school drop-outs or non-college bound and have experienced employment difficulties. Since urban youth are at-risk for unemployment after completing high school, research is needed to establish an empirical basis for instructional design and strategies. Perceptions of urban students enrolled in trade and industrial education courses in a large urban city in the south-eastern USA were examined to explore work and career-related issues. Findings suggest students form perceptions toward work and...