cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase-contrast cerebrospinal fluid flow magnetic resonance imaging in qualitative evaluation of patency of CSF flow pathways prior to infusion of chemotherapeutic and other agents into the fourth ventricle

Nuclear medicine studies have previously been utilized to assess for blockage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow prior to intraventricular chemotherapy infusions. To assess CSF flow without nuclear medicine studies, we obtained cine phase-contrast MRI sequences that assess CSF flow from the fourth ventricle down to the sacrum. In three clinical trials, 18 patients with recurrent malignant posterior fossa tumors underwent implantation of a ventricular access device (VAD) into the fourth ventricle, either with or without simultaneous tumor resection. Prior to infusing therapeutic agents into the VAD, cine MRI phase-contrast CSF flow sequences of the brain and total spine were performed. Velocity encoding (VENC) of 5 and 10 cm/s was used to confirm CSF flow from the fourth ventricular outlets to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Qualitative CSF flow was characterized by neuroradiologists as present or absent. All 18 patients demonstrated CSF flow from the outlets of the fourth ventricle down to the sacrum with no evidence of obstruction. One of these patients, after disease progression, subsequently showed obstruction of CSF flow. No patient required a nuclear medicine study to assess CSF flow prior to initiation of infusions. Fourteen patients have received infusions to date, and none has had neurological toxicity. CSF flow including the fourth ventricle and the total spine can be assessed noninvasively with phase-contrast MRI sequences. Advantages over nuclear medicine studies include avoiding both an invasive procedure and radiation exposure.
The Evolutionary Biology of the Hawaiian Drosophilidae

Grimshaw (1901, 1902) and Perkins (1910) first focused the attention of dipterists on the aberrant characteristics and abundance of the Hawaiian Drosophilidae. They described 47 species; additionally, Perkins’ extensive descriptions (1913) of the biotic habitat in which the insects live alerted biologists to the unique but unknown ecology of the flies.
Mental Health Management in Vocational Rehabilitation and Disability Evaluation: Applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Conceptual Framework

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)’s conceptual framework and its classification components apply to mental health management in vocational rehabilitation and related services. Mental health management refers to all aspects of the scope of practice of rehabilitation counseling and related rehabilitation service provision to people who have psychiatric diagnoses and/or developing mental health needs.
Partielle Agonisten nikotinerger Acetylcholin-Rezeptoren zur Rauchentwöhnung — ein Update

Zigarettenrauchen und in der Folge Nikotinabhangigkeit/-sucht gehoren zu den fuhrenden, aber vermeidbaren Ursachen von Tod und schweren Krankheiten weltweit (West et al. 2007). Kurz- und Langzeitwirkungen des Rauchens sind gut dokumentiert und mit hohen gesundheitsokonomischen Aufwendungen verbunden (Ruff et al. 2000; Welte et al. 2000).
Spiral Serpentine Polygonization of a Planar Point Set

We introduce a simple algorithm for constructing a spiral serpentine polygonization of a set S of n ≥ 3 points in the plane. Our algorithm simultaneously gives a triangulation of the constructed polygon at no extra cost, runs in O(n logn) time, and uses O(n) space.
Smith-Magenis Syndrome Deletion, Reciprocal Duplication dup(17)(p11.2p11.2), and Other Proximal 17p Rearrangements

An approx 4-Mb genomic segment on chromosome 17p1 1.2 commonly deleted in 70-80% of patients with the Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is flanked by large, complex, highly identical (approx 98.7%), and directly oriented, proximal (approx 256 kb) and distal (approx 176 kb) low-copy repeats (LCRs), termed SMS-REPs. These LCR copies mediate nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR), resulting in both SMS deletion and the reciprocal duplication dup(17)(p1 1.2p1 1.2). A third copy, the middle SMS-REP (approx 241 kb) is inverted and located between them. Several additional large LCR17ps have been identified fomented by breakpoint mapping in patients with deletions ascertained because of an SMS phenotype. LCRs in proximal 17p constitute more than 23% of the analyzed genome sequence, approx fourfold higher than predictions based on virtual analysis of the entire human genome. LCRs appear to play a significant role not only in common recurrent deletions and duplications, but also in other rearrangements including unusual sized (i.e., uncommon, recurrent and nonrecurrent) chromosomal deletions, reciprocal translocations, and marker chromosomes. DNA sequence analysis from both common and unusual sized recurrent SMS deletions and common dup(17)(p1 1.2p1 1.2) reveals ′recombination hotspots′ or a remarkable positional preference for strand exchange in NAHR events. Large palindromic LCRs, mapping between proximal and middle SMS-REPs, are responsible for the origin of a recurrent somatic isochromosome i(17q), one of the most common recurrent structural abnormalities observed in human neoplasms, suggesting genome architecture may play arole in mitotic as well as meiotic rearrangements. LCRs in proximal 17p are also prominent features in the genome evolution of this region whereby several serial segmental duplications have played an important role in chromosome evolution accompanying primate speciation.
Impact of the Community Eligibility Provision on meal counts and participation in Pennsylvania and Maryland National School Lunch Programs.

Objective To determine whether school-level participation in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides free school lunch to all students, is associated with school meal participation rates. Participation in school meals is important for decreasing food insecurity and improving child health and well-being. Design Quasi-experimental evaluation using negative binomial regression to predict meal count rates per student-year overall and by reimbursement level adjusted for proportion eligible for free and reduced-price lunch (FR eligibility) and operating days. Setting Schools (grades kindergarten to 12th) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in Maryland and Pennsylvania, USA, from the 2013-2015 (n 1762) and 2016-2017 (n 2379) school years. Participants Administrative, school-level data on school lunch counts and student enrolment. Results CEP was associated with a non-significant 6 % higher total NSLP meal count adjusting for FR eligibility, enrolment and operating days (rate ratio = 1·06, 95 % CI 0·98, 1·14). After controlling for participation rates in the year prior to CEP implementation, the programme was associated with a significant 8 % increase in meal counts (rate ratio = 1·08, 95 % CI 1·03, 1·12). In both analyses, CEP was associated with lower FR meal participation and substantial increases in paid meal participation. Conclusions School-level implementation of CEP is associated with increases in total school meal participation. Current funding structures may prevent broader adoption of the programme by schools with fewer students eligible for FR meals.
Protocol to Create Chronic Wounds in Diabetic Mice

Chronic wounds develop as a result of defective regulation in one or more complex cellular and molecular processes involved in proper healing. They impact ~6.5M people and cost ~$40B/year in the US alone. Although a significant effort has been invested in understanding how chronic wounds develop in humans, fundamental questions remain unanswered. Recently, we developed a novel mouse model for diabetic chronic wounds that have many characteristics of human chronic wounds. Using db/db-/- mice, we can generate chronic wounds by inducing high levels of oxidative stress (OS) in the wound tissue immediately after wounding, using a one-time treatment with inhibitors specific to the antioxidant enzymes catalase and glutathione peroxidase. These wounds have high levels of OS, develop biofilm naturally, become fully chronic within 20 days after treatment and can remain open more for more than 60 days. This novel model has many features of diabetic chronic wounds in humans and therefore can contribute significantly to advancing fundamental understanding of how wounds become chronic. This is a major breakthrough because chronic wounds in humans cause significant pain and distress to patients and result in amputation if unresolved. Moreover, these wounds are very expensive and time-consuming to treat, and lead to significant loss of personal income to patients. Advancements in this field of study through the use of our chronic wound model can significantly improve health care for millions who suffer under this debilitating condition. In this protocol, we describe in great detail the procedure to cause acute wounds to become chronic, which has not been done before.
Effective Identification of Lynch Syndrome in Gastroenterology Practice

Identification of Lynch syndrome is important from an individual patient and public health standpoint. As paradigms for Lynch syndrome diagnosis have shifted in recent years, this review will discuss rationale and limitations for current strategies as well as provide an overview of future directions in the field. In recent years, the use of clinical criteria and risk scores for identification of Lynch syndrome has been augmented by universal testing of all newly diagnosed colorectal cancers with molecular methods to screen for mismatch repair deficiency with high sensitivity and specificity. Studies of implementation and outcomes of universal testing in clinical practice have demonstrated significant heterogeneity that results in suboptimal uptake and contributes to disparities in diagnosis. Emerging technologies, such as next-generation sequencing, hold significant promise as a screening strategy for Lynch syndrome. Universal testing for Lynch syndrome is being performed with increasing frequency, although real-world outcomes have demonstrated room for improvement. Future directions in Lynch syndrome diagnosis will involve optimization of universal testing workflow and application of new genetics technologies.
Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia: A Rare Complication of Daptomycin Therapy.

Daptomycin is a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic with great efficacy targeting gram-positive cocci, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus. Acute eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare complication of daptomycin therapy, with a poorly understood etiology thought to involve the accumulation of the drug in pulmonary surfactant inducing inflammation. We present a 56-year-old male with a history of spinal epidural abscess being treated with intravenous daptomycin, who presented to the emergency department with fever, developed worsening shortness of breath, and was subsequently discovered to have eosinophilia of pulmonary secretions via bronchoalveolar lavage. Daptomycin was discontinued, and he underwent treatment with corticosteroids, resulting in full resolution of symptoms. Diagnosis of acute eosinophilic pneumonia requires a high degree of clinical suspicion. Identification may be further complicated by the fact that symptoms can present anywhere from days to weeks after starting the therapy. This complication is very responsive to treatment with corticosteroids and cessation of daptomycin, but recognition is essential. With an increasing use of daptomycin subsequent to continued emergence of antibiotic resistance, it is essential that physicians are aware of this rare complication of daptomycin therapy.
Thermally formed inflatable reflectors for space telescopes

Imaging distant objects with increasing spatial resolution is instrumental towards furthering space exploration abilities. Telescopic imaging of exoplanets and other objects requires mirrors with large surfaces which when used at terahertz frequencies can further capture object chemistry, mass structure and dynamics. Membrane mirrors could lead to a dramatic scale up in size of telescope mirrors deployed on orbit. Large membrane reflectors built in the past have had a primary challenge of uncontrolled inflation dynamics and surface shape. A major contribution to such inaccuracies has been attributed to manufacturing techniques employed. The surface shape attained by a tensioned membrane has been described as an oblate spheroid or Hencky surface. Traditionally built out of smaller gore units, membrane mirrors tend to attain faceted final shapes that deviate from the intended. They have unreliable and unrepeatable final surface shapes. This makes the design of corrective optics difficult. Further, complex assembly jigs are required for the precise manufacture of such membrane units. A repeatable and scalable manufacturing method is required to harness the advantages offered by membrane reflectors. Our present work is focused on thermally formed membrane reflectors. This involves heating a whole flat membrane close to its glass-transition region followed by pressurization at a constant fixed temperature. The intent is to induce plastic deformation of the membrane causing a retention of induced curvature when cooled down. This method eliminates breaking down the membrane structure into smaller gore units and can be scaled over to vast membrane sizes. An experimental set-up has been designed and built to thermally form a 1-meter diameter Mylar membrane reflector and conduct shape measurement on its surface. We present development efforts in the design, manufacture and surface shape measurement of thermally formed reflectors. The results are being used to validate thermo-structural simulations conducted on the expected membrane surface behavior. Further analysis is underway to understand optimal circumferential stress distributions to improve the reliability of obtained membrane shapes. Our work contributes towards an understanding of key design variables in the development of tensioned thermally formed membrane reflectors that can provide a potential pathway towards dramatic scale up in size of such mirrors.
Amelioration of sleep-disordered breathing with supplemental oxygen in older adults

This study demonstrates for the first time in elderly adults without heart disease that intervention with supplemental oxygen in the clinical range will ameliorate central apneas and hypopneas by d...
Immune-Based Approaches in AML

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer therapy. Several immunotherapeutic approaches to harness the immune system and reinstate immunosurveillance have been established, including naked and conjugated monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific T-cell engager antibodies, and adoptive cellular therapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T and NK cells. A number of these approaches have been successfully used in clinical practice for several solid and hematological malignancies. In AML, a number of these immunotherapeutic approaches are currently in different stages of preclinical and clinical development. In this chapter, we discuss the preclinical rationale, current clinical development status, emerging efficacy and safety signals, and future directions including combinatorial approaches and optimal settings for the application of such immunotherapies in the treatment landscape of AML. We focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific T-cell engager antibodies, and adoptive cellular therapy with CAR T-cells for patients with AML. The ongoing preclinical and clinical trials with in-depth analysis of biomarkers should improve our understanding of the immunobiology of AML.
Is Routine Chest Radiography Necessary After Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Fine Needle Aspiration?

Background Chest radiography is routinely performed after endobronchial ultrasound–guided fine needle aspiration (EBUS-FNA) to detect clinically occult pneumothorax. Because the established rate of postprocedure pneumothorax is low, this study sought to determine whether routine chest radiography can be safely eliminated and to ascertain the potential cost reduction with its omission. Methods Patients who underwent EBUS-FNA between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY) were retrospectively identified. Patient-related factors were summarized using descriptive statistics. Outcomes were compared using the χ2, Fisher exact, and analysis of variance tests. Univariate regression analysis was used to identify factors predictive of postprocedure pneumothorax. Results A total of 757 patients were included in the study: 72.4% (548 of 757) underwent routine chest radiography in the postanesthesia care unit. Clinically relevant or radiographically evident pneumothorax developed in 1.5% of patients (11 of 757). Of the patients who underwent chest radiography, 0.5% (3 of 548) required unplanned admission for postprocedure pneumothorax, and 0.2% (1 of 548) required tube thoracostomy. Of the 209 patients who did not undergo chest radiography, none experienced a clinically evident pneumothorax. In total, only 1 patient (0.1%) had symptomatic pneumothorax. The pneumothorax event rate was so low that no association with demographic or clinical factors and no predictive factors could be identified. The number of patients needed to be screened by chest radiography to identify 1 patient requiring deviation from routine management is 183. The potential total cost reduction if routine chest radiography had been eliminated was $33,950. Conclusions The extremely low rate of postprocedure pneumothorax precluded informative statistical analysis. Routine chest radiography after EBUS-FNA may not be necessary, and its omission may confer a cost savings.
Decentering Egyptian Historiography: Provincializing Geographies, Methodologies, and Sources

“They say the city never sleeps, they say it bursts at the seams. The city rotates and revolves. The city branches out. The city beats, the city bleeds.” This unnamed city is Cairo, Umm al-Dunya or “mother of the world,” at once a vibrant character and the pulsating backdrop of Ahmed Naji's scandal-rousing Istikhdam al-Hayat (Using Life) and countless other works in Egyptian literature. Cairo, Amitav Ghosh has argued in his autobiographical chronicle of historical research and anthropological fieldwork in the Egyptian Delta in 1980 and beyond, is “Egypt's own metaphor for itself.” If that is the case, what does this sprawling and pervasive synecdoche reveal and what does it obscure?
An Ultrasound Screening Exam During Medicare Wellness Visits May Be Beneficial.

OBJECTIVES The physical exam component of a periodic health visit in the elderly has not been considered useful. Standard Medicare Wellness visits require no physical exam beyond blood pressure and most physicians perform limited exams during these visits. The objective of this study was to test the feasibility, potential benefit, and costs of performing a screening ultrasound (US) exam during Medicare Wellness visits. METHODS A physician examiner at an academic internal medicine primary care clinic performed a screening US exam targeting important abnormalities of patients 65-85 years old during a Medicare Wellness visit. The primary care physician (PCP) recorded the follow-up items for each abnormality identified by the US examiner and assessed the benefit of each abnormality for the participant. Abnormality benefit, net exam benefit per participant, follow-up items and costs, participant survey results, and exam duration were assessed. RESULTS Participants numbered 108. Total abnormalities numbered 283 and new diagnoses were 172. Positive benefit scores were assigned to 38.8%, neutral (zero) scores to 59.4%, and negative benefit scores to 1.8% of abnormalities. Net benefit scores per participant were positive in 63.9%, 0 in 34.3%, and negative in 1.8%. Follow-up items were infrequent resulting in 76% of participants without follow-up cost. Participant survey showed excellent acceptance of the exam. CONCLUSIONS The US screening exam identified frequent abnormalities in Medicare Wellness patients. The assessed benefits were rarely negative and often mild to moderately positive, with important new chronic conditions identified. Follow-up costs were low when the PCPs were also US experts.
Timing of adjuvant chemotherapy after laparotomy for Wilms tumor and neuroblastoma.

To describe the timing of chemotherapy initiation after surgery for Wilms tumor (WT) and neuroblastoma within a dedicated children’s cancer center. A single-institution retrospective cohort study identified patients that underwent resection of unilateral WT or high-risk neuroblastoma and received adjuvant chemotherapy treatment. Adjuvant chemotherapy initiation and postoperative complications were recorded. Among 47 WT patients, the median time to chemotherapy initiation was 11 days [interquartile range IQR 7–14]. 3 WT patients had post-operative complications, but all preceded chemotherapy. Among 83 patients treated for high-risk neuroblastoma, the median time to chemotherapy was 11 days [IQR 9–14]. High-risk neuroblastoma patients with 30-day postoperative complications had a significantly longer time to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy (odds ratio 1.13; p = 0.008). Many of these complications preceded and delayed the initiation of post-operative chemotherapy. No complications occurred in the group of 12 (25%) WT patients or 16 (19.3%) neuroblastoma patients who started chemotherapy ≤ 7 days after surgery. There is no association between early initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy and post-operative complications including wound healing. Early initiation of chemotherapy (≤ 7 days) is feasible in unilateral WT or high-risk neuroblastoma patients who are otherwise doing well without resulting in a preponderance of wound healing complications.
On the Copy Complexity of Width 3 Horn Constraint Systems

In this paper, we analyze the copy complexity of unsatisfiable width 3 Horn constraint systems, under the ADD refutation system. Recall that a linear constraint of the form \(\sum _{i=1}^{n} a_{i}\cdot x_{i} \ge b\), is said to be a Horn constraint if all the \(a_{i} \in \{0,1,-1\}\) and at most one of the \(a_{i}\)s is positive. A conjunction of such constraints is called a Horn constraint system (HCS). An HCS is said to have width 3, if there are at most 3 variables with non-zero coefficients per constraint. Horn constraints arise in a number of domains including but not limited to program verification, power systems, econometrics, and operations research. The ADD refutation system is both sound and complete. Additionally, it is the simplest and most natural refutation system for refuting the feasibility of a system of linear constraints. The copy complexity of an infeasible linear constraint system (not necessarily Horn) in a refutation system is the minimum number of times each constraint needs to be replicated, in order to obtain a read-once refutation. In this paper, we analyze width 3 HCSs from the perspective of copy complexity.
Infectious Gastroenteritis as a Risk Factor for Tropical Sprue and Malabsorption: A Case–Control Study

Previous studies have linked an increase in functional and pathological gastrointestinal (GI) disorders following antecedent infectious gastroenteritis (IGE), yet studies of other chronic GI disorders such as tropical sprue (TS) and intestinal malabsorption (IM) are lacking. This study was performed to evaluate the association between documented IGE and the risk of TS and IM using a matched case–control study. The odds of IGE (exposure) among subjects with TS and IM were compared to the odds of exposure in matched controls. Data were obtained from the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Incidence was estimated based on the number of active duty military personnel, and conditional logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between IGE and TS/IM while adjusting for potential confounders. The overall incidence of TS and IM was 0.24 and 1.98 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. After adjusting for important covariates, prior IGE was associated with an increase in the odds of TS (odds ratio (OR) 36.64) and IM (OR 3.93) (p < 0.001). Other covariates demonstrating an increased risk were being of Caucasian race, having greater than high school education, and service in military branches other than the Army. Overall, this study demonstrates the first significant estimates that a case of antecedent IGE is associated with an increased risk of TS and IM in an active duty military population. Ultimately, acquisition of TS or IM has the potential to decrease operational efficiency, which may have a significant impact on deployed military missions.
A Priori Estimates for Singular Integral Operators

In this paper we develop the theory of singular integral operators with finitely differentiable symbols and apply it to the derivation of a priori inequalities for these and pseudo-differential operators. In section 1 we treat singular integral operators and introduce the pseudo-differential operators as was done before they were given their name, namely as compositions of singular integral operators with powers of the operator ∧.
Development of an ozone forecasting model for non-attainment areas in the state of Ohio.

Ground level ozone is responsible for the formation ofsmog, and for a variety of adverse effects on bothhuman and plant life. High concentrations of groundlevel ozone occur during the summer months. This paperdescribes the development of a model to forecast themaximum daily concentration of ozone as a function ofthe maximum surface temperature, for ozonenon-attainment regions in Ohio. The model wasdeveloped by statistical analysis of existing data.Site-specific models were developed initially. Theverification and evaluation of the performancecriteria of the model at each site were explored bycomparing the model with an independent datasetcollected from that site. A generalized statewidemodel was developed from the site-specific models. Theperformance criteria of this model were verified andevaluated by employing the same independent datasetsemployed for the site-specific models. An exceedencemodel to predict the occurrence of ozone exceedencesover 100 ppb has also been presented.
How Gödel‘s Theorem Supports the Possibility of Machine Intelligence

Godel‘s Theorem is often used in arguments against machine intelligence, suggesting humans are not bound by the rules of any formal system. However, Godelian arguments can be used to support AI, provided we extend our notion of computation to include devices incorporating random number generators. A complete description scheme can be given for integer functions, by which nonalgorithmic functions are shown to be partly random. Not being restricted to algorithms can be accounted for by the availability of an arbitrary random function. Humans, then, might not be rule-bound, but Godelian arguments also suggest how the relevant sort of nonalgorithmicity may be trivially made available to machines.
Charpy Impact Fracture Energy and Ductile-Brittle Transition Temperature of Dual-Phase 590 Steel

Advanced High strength steels (AHSS) have been introduced and gradually adopted in vehicle structures as lightweight materials in the past years. Engineering performance of AHSS in many areas have shown that they are superior to the conventional steels such as mild steel, IF (interstitial-free) steel or even HSLA (high strength, low alloy) steel. In this paper, we present the results from Charpy V-Notch impact tests on Dual Phase 590 (DP590) steel, which belongs to the family of AHSS. Tests were conducted at temperatures ranging from -120 °C (-184 °F) to 90 °C (194 °F). Specimens oriented in both L-T and T-L directions were tested. Due to its reduced thickness relative to the ASTM testing standards, specimens from a medium low carbon steel AISI-1018, having both standard and reduced thicknesses, were tested as well to justify the correction method for the DP590 data. It is shown that the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) based on 20.4 J (15 ft-lb) absorbed energy is about -95 °C (-139 °F) for DP590 which is far below the 5 °C (41 °F) of the AISI-1018 steel.
Cold rydberg atoms

Abstract We employ ensembles of cold Rydberg-atom gases produced via photo-excitation of laser-cooled atom clouds in order to investigate collision-induced dynamics, excitation blockades, and Rydberg-atom trapping. After a general description of typical experimental methods used in this research, we review state-mixing and ionizing collision processes that have been observed in dense, cold Rydberg atom ensembles excited with broad-band (bandwidth 15 GHz) laser pulses. We then discuss how inter-atomic forces lead to Penning-ionizing collisions between Rydberg atoms and to the partial conversion of internal energy to center-of-mass energy. By exciting Rydberg-atom samples using narrow-band laser pulses (bandwidth 5 MHz), we create many-body states in which Rydberg excitations are coherently shared among several atoms. In this domain, van der Waals and electric–dipole interactions between Rydberg atoms give rise to an excitation blockade. We describe the implications of the blockade on the probability distribution of the number of Rydberg excitations that can be created in small atom ensembles. As a signature of the blockade, sub-Poissonian distributions of the Rydberg-atom number are presented. We further review possible methods of Rydberg-atom trapping in static electric and magnetic fields and in optical fields. A recent experimental demonstration of Rydberg-atom trapping in a Ioffe–Pritchard trap with a central magnetic field of 2.9 Tesla is discussed. The strongly magnetized Rydberg atoms we have trapped using this apparatus are atoms in long-lived, high-angular momentum states which are populated via Rydberg-atom collisions. We also present results on the photo-, electric-field-, and auto-ionization of cold, strongly magnetized Rydberg atoms.
In vitro analysis of novel inhibitors for Escherichia coli MurA (582.4)

The widespread of use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infection has selected for antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Fosfomycin is an example of a broad spectrum antibiotic that has become ...
An update on TroVax ® for the treatment of progressive castration-resistant prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a common human malignancy with few effective therapeutic options for treating advanced castration-resistant disease. The potential therapeutic effectiveness of immunotherapy and vaccines, in particular, has gained popularity based on the identification of prostate-associated antigens, potent expression vectors for vaccination, and data from recent clinical trials. A modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus expressing 5T4, a tumor-associated glycoprotein, has shown promise in preclinical studies and clinical trials in patients with col- orectal and renal cell carcinoma. This review will discuss the rationale for immunotherapy in prostate cancer and describe preclinical and limited clinical data in prostate cancer for the MVA-5T4 (TroVax ® ) vaccine.
Cluster-based SNP calling on large-scale genome sequencing data

The available genetic data is increasing rapidly, with new high-throughput and low-cost technologies. While this data has enormous potential to impact scientific and medical advances, such data volumes cannot be processed without the use of parallelism. Most of the existing work on analysis of this data has focused on the accuracy of the analyses, and not performance, i.e. either the algorithms are serial and/or very simple and non-scalable parallelization techniques have been used.In this paper, we address the problem of identification of variants in large-scale genome sequencing data. After examining different possible approaches, we identify one which does not require any communication. However, achieving load-balance is non-trivial, because of the data-dependent nature of the processing. We develop three scheduling schemes including a dynamic scheme, which reduces scheduling overheads by using two different chunk sizes, a static scheme, which uses a pre-processing step to estimate workloads, and a combined scheme.In evaluating our schemes, we find that use of a pre-processing step (histogram computation) to estimate workloads is very effective, and thus, our combined scheme gives the best results. With a 32x increase in the number of cores, approximately a 24x performance improvement is seen, establishing that scalable processing of genomic data is possible. We also perform a comparison against an implementation based on Hadoop, and show that with our combined scheme, our implementation outperforms the one using Hadoop.
Fatty acid compositions of phospholipids and triacylglycerols of selected tissues, and fatty acid biosynthesis in adult periodical cicadas, Magicicada septendecim

Abstract Fatty acid compositions of phospholipids and triacylglycerols prepared from selected body segments (head/thorax and abdomen) and tissues (fat body, alimentary canal, gonads, head and thoracic muscles) of adults of the periodical cicada, Magicicada septendecim, were determined. Adult males and females yielded similar fatty acid profiles. Saturated and unsaturated C16 and C18 fatty acids were the predominant components, which varied slightly among tissues. The eicosanoid-precursor polyunsaturated fatty acid, 20:4 n -6, was present in very low quantities, which varied among tissue sources. Adult periodical cicadas were competent to biosynthesize fatty acids from radioactive acetate. Compared to males, females incorporated just over five times more radioactivity into fatty acids. The radioactive components were incorporated into complex lipids in the fat body and gonads. In the fat body and ovaries, most radioactivity was incorporated into neutral lipid fractions, while in testes most radioactivity was incorporated into phospholipids. These data indicate that even though periodical cicadas have evolved very unusual life history patterns, fatty acid metabolism and composition in adults is similar to patterns seen in many terrestrial insect species.
On the subsequent yielding of an aluminum alloy following cyclic prestraining

Thin-walled tubular samples of 6061 aluminum alloy are cycled in the axial direction between reversed stress limits until a steady-state condition is achieved. Following cyclic loading, the samples are subjected to internal pressure to determine the subsequent hoop tensile yield strength. A small-offset definition of yield is employed to relate the onset of plastic flow to dislocation processes. Samples in the -T651 and -0 tempers are studied, and, it is found that the subsequent yield strength determined in this way may be greater than, less than, or nearly equal to the initial hoop tensile yield strength depending on the interaction of three factors: i) the relationship between the Bauschinger effect and the cross effect under plane, biaxial stress loading, ii) the initial state of the material (i.e., degree of initial anisotropy), and iii) the final state of the material after axial cyclic loading (i.e., dislocation structure and deformation history).
How and What Do Pregnant Adolescents Want to Learn about Nutrition

Abstract Few nutrition education materials exist that are designed specifically for pregnant adolescents. Adolescents are considered a high-risk population during pregnancy, and they differ from adult mothers emotionally, socially, and cognitively. We used qualitative methodology in a needs assessment study with pregnant and postpartum adolescents to determine how and what they wanted to learn about nutrition. Ninety-two girls, ages 13 to 19, participated in 1 of 16 focus group sessions held across the state of Tennessee. Discussion focused on (1) what media and (2) what messages they perceived would be effective in reaching other pregnant adolescents and influencing their dietary behaviors. Results of the needs assessment suggest that a videotape format is more appealing than written materials, possibly because a variety of print materials that appeal to all age groups already exist and/or some pregnant adolescents have limited interest in reading. A “talking baby” and teen actresses presenting information were preferred by the adolescents rather than adult characters or authority figures. Participants in the study expressed the need for messages related to eating for the baby's health, eating for the mother's health and physical comfort, and messages emphasizing food rather than nutrients. Nutrition educators can use this information when developing educational materials for pregnant adolescents.
The Neurotoxicity of Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Insecticides: Past and Present Evidence Demonstrating Persistent Effects

AbstractIt is assumed that the primary mechanism of action of carbamate and organophosphate insecticides is the inhibition of an enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.7). This enzyme normally maintains the proper level of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous systems. When AChE activity is depressed due to exposure to cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticides, the ordinarily rapid breakdown of acetylcholine is retarded, causing overstimulation of target cells, which, under extreme conditions, is termed a “cholinergic crisis.” At the present time, these indicators of acute intoxication, that is, cholinesterase inhibition and/or clinical signs of cholinergic overstimulation, are used in the risk assessment process to regulate cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticides. There is, however, accumulating evidence both from epidemiological studies and from experimental laboratory studies that short-term exposure to some cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticides may precipitate lon...
Use of a sympathetic-cholinergic system in the analysis of sympatho-inhibition produced by clonidine and some congeneric derivatives of clonidine

Abstract The effects of clonidine and five analogs of clonidine were tested with regard to their ability to depress centrally and peripherally evoked electrodermal responses (EDR) in control cats, as well as in animals pretreated with yohimbine hydrochloride. With the exception of St-91, all of the clonidine-like substances selectively reduced the amplitude of centrally (hypothalamic) evoked responses in a dose-dependent fashion. Clonidine was found to have no significant inhibitory effect at the level of the sympathetic ganglion. The order of central nervous system sympatho-inhibitory potency of these compounds was clonidine ( St -155) > St -375 > St -606 > St -600 > St -608 ⋙ St -91 . Prior treatment with yohimbine hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) antagonized the depressant effect of all of these drugs. These results indicate that clonidine and the clonidine congeners tested (with the exception of St-91) all produce sympatho-inhibition by an action on a CNS α-adrenergic mechanism and demonstrate the usefulness of this electrodermal model system for the analysis of drugs affecting central sympathetic reactivity.
Process equipment modeling: resident-entity based simulation of batch chamber tools in 300mm semiconductor manufacturing

This paper describes a resident-entity based pilot simulation study of a class of tools used in 300mm semiconductor manufacturing known as the wets tools or the wet benches. These are batch chamber tools - they have several chambers or tanks, each of which can accommodate a batch of wafers, usually more than one lot size. We develop a simulation model for the wets processing area that is based on the resident-entity paradigm, but makes use of transient-entity-type modeling when more information needs to be tracked. Resident-entity models tend to be much faster than transientity simulation models that are common in semiconductor manufacturing. The model developed captures most of the internal workings of a wets tool and at the same time, models different types of tools. We used the model to evaluate the effects of scheduling policies and batching parameters on the performance of the wets process area.
GENDER AND THE POLITICS OF MUSIC IN THE EARLY ISLAMIC COURTS

Until the ninth century, the role of the professional musician in pre-Islamic Arabia and Mesopotamia was primarily fulfilled by women. Men were socially prohibited from working as musicians, though some transgressed gender and social boundaries by adopting feminine dress and playing ‘women's’ instruments. With the advent of Islam, patronage of qiyān (singing girls), mukhannathūn (effeminates) and later, male musicians, did not substantially change. During the early Abbasid era (750–950 ce), however, their collective visibility in court entertainments was among several factors leading to debates regarding the legal position of music in Islam. The arguments for and against took place in the realm of politics and interpretation of religious law yet the influence of traditional expectations for gendered musical performance that had existed on the cultural landscape for millennia also contributed to the formation of a musical semiotics used by both sides.In this article, I examine the representation of musicians in the early Islamic court in Baghdad from the perspective of select ninth-century Arabic texts. First, I begin with a summary of the gender roles and performance expectations for pre-Islamic court musicians and point to their continuation into the early Islamic courts. Then, I suggest how the figure of the musician became a key referent in the development of a musical semiotics used in medieval Islamic music discourse.
Connections Between Internet Use and Political Efficacy, Knowledge, and Participation

Using data from the 2000 National Annenberg Election Survey, this study looks at the relationships between Internet access and online exposure to information about the presidential campaign and political efficacy, knowledge, and participation. Results show that Internet access and online exposure to information about the presidential campaign are significantly associated with these important political variables. Several of the associations between Internet access and exposure with political efficacy, knowledge, and participation are detectable even when taking sociodemographic variables, party identification, partisan strength, political interest, and other media exposures variables into account. Although statistically significant, these associations are quite small.
INTENTIONAL RESECTION OF THE DIAPHRAGM DURING CYTOREDUCTIVE LAPAROSCOPIC RADICAL NEPHRECTOMY

Purpose: Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is being performed more commonly. To our knowledge intentional resection of the diaphragm during laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for large renal tumors has not yet been described. We detail the laparoscopic management of diaphragmatic resection.Materials and Methods: From March 1996 to February 2001, 36 patients underwent cytoreductive laparoscopic radical nephrectomy at our institution in preparation for systemic immunotherapy. Charts and operative tapes were reviewed and cases were identified in which diaphragmatic resection was performed for locally invasive tumors.Results: In 3 patients a portion of the diaphragm was dissected via laparoscopy during debulking nephrectomy. All patients had renal cell carcinoma with documented metastatic disease. The diaphragm was repaired laparoscopically using intracorporeal suturing techniques in 2 of the 3 patients and a chest tube was placed in all 3. Transient systolic hypotension and hypercarbia in 1 case resolved with m...
THE GENERATION OF SPIRAL CHARACTERISTICS

When the Lagrangian points L4, L5 in a rotating dynamical system become unstable (at a critical perturbation e = el) the characteristics of some families of orbits bifurcating from the short and long period orbits (SPO and LPO) become spiral. For a given e, slightly larger than et, an infinity of families of multiplicities n, n + 1, n + 2 .... do not bifurcate any more from SPO or LPO but join each other into a spiral. As e increases this spiral is joined by lower multiplicity families, until the SPO-LPO family itself joins the spiral. Further spirals with the same or different focuses are formed by joining other sequences of families of order n, n + 1, n + 2,..., or n, n + 2, n + 4,.... Other spirals are generated at particular values of E, starting and terminating at the same focus or two different focuses. As the perturbation e increases such spiral characteristics join other families, away from the focus. The orbits along the spiral characteristics have an increasing number of loops (either n, n + 1, n + 2 ..... or n, n + 2, n + 4... ) around, or close to L 4. In the first case the loops are along the symmetry axis, passing through L4. In the second case the loops appear in pairs outside the symmetry axis. The focuses correspond to homoclinic, or heteroclinic orbits, spiralling around/-,4 and/or L 5.
Parametric models for accelerated and long-term survival: a comment on proportional hazards.

The Cox proportional hazards model (CPH) is routinely used in clinical trials, but it may encounter serious difficulties with departures from the proportional hazards assumption, even when the departures are not readily detected by commonly used diagnostics. We consider the Gamel-Boag (GB) model, a log-normal model for accelerated failure in which a proportion of subjects are long-term survivors. When the CPH model is fit to simulated data generated from this model, the results can range from gross overstatement of the effect size, to a situation where increasing follow-up may cause a decline in power. We implement a fitting algorithm for the GB model that permits separate covariate effects on the rapidity of early failure and the fraction of long-term survivors. When effects are detected by both the CPH and GB methods, the attribution of the effect to long-term or short-term survival may change the interpretation of the data. We believe these examples motivate more frequent use of parametric survival models in conjunction with the semi-parametric Cox proportional hazards model.
Health, Physical Activity, and Academic Achievement: The Role of Teachers, Schools, and Communities

Studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between school health and physical education and students' academic success within and outside of school. This article describes three key points that should be considered concerning health, physical activity, and academic success: (1) the teacher's role in prevention, (2) the schools' role in promotion, and (3) the communities within schools' role in protection.
Preferred Body Type of Fitness Instructors among University Students in Exercise Classes

This study examined the relationship between participants' physique anxiety, eating behaviors, somatotype, and the preferred qualifications and body type of a fitness instructor. Subjects were 171 students attending fitness classes at a university. Analysis indicated that the women preferred a thinner fitness instructor than men and that enthusiasm, motivation, and being physically fit were considered the most important characteristics overall. No significant racial differences in key variables were found.
Simultaneous phase-lock of five Co2 lasers to a primary Cs frequency standard

The output of a CO2 laser, operating on theP I(18) transition of13C16O2 at 26941 GHz (11.128 μm) was phase-locked to a 5 MHz signal from a primary Cs frequency standard by means of a frequency chain having only CO2 lasers as infrared sources. Simultaneously, four other CO2 lasers in the chain were phase-locked to the 26941 GHz output. This provided CO2 laser frequencies at 26 450 305, 26 940 815, 28 694 625, 29 442 480, and 33 185 715 MHz having zero long-term-average frequency error relative to the Cs standard, and the ±10−13 (≃3 Hz) long-term absolute uncertainty of the standard.