cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging of acute changes in pancreatic cancer following targeted hyaluronan treatment

The purpose of this study was to monitor acute changes in pancreatic tumor perfusion with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging following targeted hyaluronan (HA) treatment. Intratumoral accumulation of HA is one of contributing factors that can lead to an increased tumor interstitial pressure (TIP). These elevated TIP levels can hinder delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and cause treatment failure. For this study, pancreatic cancer-bearing mice were imaged at baseline and again at 2 h after intravenous administration of physiological saline (control group) or PEGPH20, which targets HA (therapy group). CEUS data were collected for 5 min and the temporal sequence was first analyzed using a singular value filter (SVF) to remove any background clutter signal. Given the time history of contrast agent flow, a tumor perfusion parametric analysis was performed. A series of morphological image operations was applied to quantify structural features of the tumor angiogenic network including vessel count, density, length, diameter, tortuosity, and branching points. After imaging, animals were euthanized, and tumors excised for histological processing. Acute microvascular changes were found at 2 h after drug administration as confirmed by CEUS imaging. Further, histologic analysis of tumor sections revealed lower HA accumulation in the therapy group animals. Overall, these findings suggest that CEUS imaging of acute changes in tumor perfusion may help identify an optimal window whereby follow-up chemotherapeutic drug dosing would be more effective.
Exploring religious and/or spiritual identities: part 1 – assessing relationships with health

ABSTRACTThere is considerable debate about the distinction between being religious and being spiritual. It is time to move beyond this issue to an examination of the health-related implications of ...
Overview of Flywheel Systems for Renewable Energy Storage with a Design Study for High-speed Axial-flux Permanent-magnet Machines

Flywheel energy storage is considered in this paper for grid integration of renewable energy sources due to its inherent advantages of fast response, long cycle life and flexibility in providing ancillary services to the grid, such as frequency regulation, voltage support, etc. The fundamentals of the technology and recent developments are reviewed, firstly with an emphasis on the design considerations and performance metrics. Then the progress and development trends in electric motor/generators employed in flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) are summarized, showing the potential of axial-flux permanent-magnet (AFPM) machines in such applications. Design examples of high-speed AFPM machines are provided and evaluated in terms of specific power, efficiency, and open-circuit losses in order to validate their suitability in FESS.
National opioid prescription patterns and patient usage after routine vasectomy

Routine prescription of opioids after outpatient surgery is common. The main objective of this study was to determine urologist opioid prescribing patterns and patients' pain control medication regimens (opioid and anti-inflammatory) after vasectomy. We designed an anonymous seven-question electronic survey of urologists to assess vasectomy practice and post-vasectomy opioid prescriptions using the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile database. We then performed a retrospective internal telephone survey of men who had undergone vasectomy by a single surgeon (MKS). This telephone survey queried men about opioid prescription filling, opioid use and ibuprofen use. We received 136 (4.5%) electronic survey responses. 51.5% of urologists routinely prescribed opioids for post-vasectomy analgesia, despite 50.4% having 'no idea' how many patients actually used these. On internal telephone survey, 52.6% of patients who used opioids reported using ibuprofen as their primary pain medication, versus 92.6% of patients who did not use opioids (p = .004). Ibuprofen use was associated with using fewer opioid tablets (p = .003). Using ≥1 opioid tab was associated with increased odds of not using ibuprofen as the primary pain medication (OR 11.2, 95% CI 2.39-83.0, p = .005). In conclusion, integration of practice guidelines may help standardise and minimise potentially unnecessary post-vasectomy opioid prescriptions.
Riparian vegetation as an indicator of stream channel presence and connectivity in arid environments

Abstract Stream channels in the American Southwest are misunderstood because they have been understudied and overgeneralized. This misunderstanding has serious consequences for environmental policy, particularly in defining the scope of jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. While the current status of regulations defining the scope of jurisdictional waters is in flux, the currently-codified regulations require that jurisdictional tributaries must have a physical, chemical, or biological connection to downstream traditional navigable waters. The lack of consistent flow in arid stream channels causes misinterpretations of physio-chemical indicators that are commonly used in perennial streams of humid environments. Here we overview the use of riparian vegetation as a biological indicator of stream channel presence and connectivity in arid environments. Based on a thorough literature review and synthesis of arid region studies, we found key spatiotemporal patterns of arid riparian vegetation that could potentially be used to determine hydrologic connectivity. Much of the vegetation along arid stream channels is well-adapted to water scarcity and varies in response to differences in geomorphology, hydrology, and land use across multiple scales. Riparian vegetation in arid environments ranges from hydroriparian to xeroriparian and can include, or be made up exclusively, of upland species. Regardless of species type, plants near stream channels tend to be denser and larger than upland plants. Access to reliable water results in denser, larger plants and more water-dependent species. To demonstrate the potential of riparian vegetation as an indicator of connectivity, we conclude with a case study of Little Sycamore Wash in northern Arizona. We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index to (1) distinguish between riparian and upland vegetation, and (2) assess connectivity of patches of riparian vegetation. By understanding the spatiotemporal variability of riparian vegetation along arid stream channels, we can make better decisions on their regulation and management.
Design cues for tobacco communication: Heuristic interpretations and usability of online health information about harmful chemicals.

Abstract Objective Many people have a poor understanding of the numerous chemicals in tobacco products that cause severe health harms. The US government must display a list of these harmful chemicals for the public. Online disclosures are one promising solution, but evidence is needed for effective design strategies to encourage interpretation and use of information as intended. Method To examine the impact of website designs for the activation of heuristics and usability perceptions, a national probability sample of US adolescents and adults (n = 1441) was randomized in a 3 (chemical format) × 2 (webpage layout) between-subjects online experiment. Chemicals were displayed as names only, with a visual risk indicator, or with numerical ranges. Layouts displayed health harms at the top of the webpage separate from chemicals or the chemicals grouped by associated health harms. Participants viewed a webpage and reported activated heuristics, usability (perceived ease of use and usefulness), and intentions to use the website. Results Displaying risk indicators increased website usability by encouraging users to rely on colors to interpret the risk of the chemicals (all p Conclusion Assessing heuristics gives insights for how US adolescents and adults interpret chemical information and the impact of design strategies on usability. Public disclosures of chemicals in tobacco products could be optimized with color-coded risk indicators and layouts placing chemicals near the harms they cause.
MRI appearance of jogger’s foot

To characterize the MRI findings present in patients with clinically proven or suspected jogger’s foot. Ten years of medical charts in patients clinically suspected of having jogger’s foot and who had MRI studies completed were identified utilizing a computer database search. Six study cases were identified. The MRI examinations of the study cases and an age- and gender-matched control group were reviewed in a blinded fashion by two musculoskeletal radiologists. Size and signal intensity of the medial plantar nerve were measured and characterized. The medial foot musculature was assessed for acute or chronic denervation changes. The medial plantar nerve was found to have moderately increased T2 signal compared with normal skeletal muscle in 3/6 study group cases and markedly increased T2 signal in the remaining 3/6 cases. In all control cases, the nerve was reported to have T2 signal equal or minimally higher than normal skeletal muscle. The mean total size of the medial plantar nerve was significantly larger in the study group when compared with that in the control group at all measured locations (p < 0.04). Abnormal thickness and T2 hyperintensity of the medial plantar nerve centered at the master knot of Henry are characteristic MRI findings in patients with jogger’s foot when compared with control subjects. Muscular denervation changes may also be seen, most commonly in the flexor hallucis brevis muscle.
Understanding food truck customers: Selection attributes and customer segmentation

Abstract Given the steadily increasing popularity of food trucks among consumers, this study investigated customer selection attributes and dining intention toward food trucks and compared the importance of the selection attributes by customer segments based on respondents’ food-related lifestyle. The results of an online survey from 421 food truck customers indicated that out of the six food truck selection attributes identified (i.e., marketing/setting, food quality/value, service quality, dietary considerations, reputation, and experience), food quality/value ranked the highest among general food truck customers who were classified into four groups: health-conscious, price-oriented, taste-oriented, and convenience-oriented. Among them, two groups—health-conscious and taste-oriented—had a higher dining intention at a food truck than other types of customers, and the importance of all six attributes differed significantly across customer segments. The findings of this study provide meaningful theoretical and practical implications.
When Unruly Women Authors Make Students Uncomfortable: The Bondwoman’s Narrative and Hagar’s Daughter in Contemporary Classrooms

In October 2017, the school board vice president in Biloxi, Mississippi made headlines for banning texts such as To Kill a Mockingbird because “There is some language that makes people uncomfortabl...
The importance of information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB): Healthcare provider perspectives on improving adherence to cervical cancer screening among at-risk women

Abstract Objective To understand the theoretical framework of how information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB) independently and collectively affect cervical cancer screening and testing adherence. Study design Qualitative study. Methods Data collected from three focus groups and seven individual interviews, with 33 healthcare providers, ranging from community health navigators, Ob-Gyn MD’s, nurses, care coordinators, medical assistants, and outpatient managers, representing a grassroots community health agency, a large cancer center, and a public sector health clinic. We recruited providers over a five-month period in the summer to fall of 2019. Provider interviews and focus groups were structured with four to eleven participants per group and were audio-recorded. This study was rooted in grounded theory, analyzing data using the iterative process of Coding, Consensus, Co-occurrence, and Comparison to identify common themes. Results Emerging qualitative findings include the relevance of information, the interaction between information and motivation, the role of behavioral skills, and the symbiotic relationship between information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB). Most notable is this interdependency between IMB components, with the core of this relationship being the critical link of coordinating adherence. Conclusion This knowledge will help advance and expand IMB intervention components to improve time to cervical cancer screening and follow-up adherence among at-risk communities. Particularly given COVID-19 barriers, which disproportionately affect at-risk women, this study has practice implications that inform the development of cervical cancer screening practice interventions and strategies to improve adherence, while ensuring safety for both patients and providers.
Transcendence of infinite series over lattices

In this paper, we study the arithmetic nature of series of the form $$\begin{aligned} \sum _{\omega \in \Lambda } \frac{A(\omega )}{B(\omega )}, \end{aligned}$$ where $$\Lambda $$ is a two-dimensional lattice in $${\mathbb {C}}$$ , A(X) and B(X) are suitable polynomials over $${\mathbb {C}}$$ , with $$\deg A$$ $$\le $$ $$\deg B - 3$$ . In particular, we focus on the cases when the roots of the polynomial B(X) are either algebraic numbers or rational multiples of a non-zero period of $$\Lambda $$ .
Cross-Institutional Evaluation of the Abbott ARCHITECT SARS-CoV-2 IgG Immunoassay

OBJECTIVE: To describe a cross-institutional approach to verify the Abbott ARCHITECT SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay and to document the kinetics of the serological response. METHODS: We conducted analytical performance evaluation studies using the Abbott ARCHITECT SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay on 5 Abbott ARCHITECT i2000 automated analyzers at 2 academic medical centers. RESULTS: Within-run and between-run coefficients of variance (CVs) for the antibody assay did not exceed 5.6% and 8.6%, respectively, for each institution. Quantitative and qualitative results agreed for lithium heparin plasma, EDTA-plasma and serum specimen types. Results for all SARS-CoV-2 IgG-positive and -negative specimens were concordant among analyzers except for 1 specimen at 1 institution. Qualitative and quantitative agreement was observed for specimens exchanged between institutions. All patients had detectable antibodies by day 10 from symptom onset and maintained seropositivity throughout specimen procurement. CONCLUSIONS: The analytical performance characteristics of the Abbott ARCHITECT SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay within and between 2 academic medical center clinical laboratories were acceptable for widespread clinical-laboratory use.
Auditor Communication Provisions in Private Loan Agreements: Do They Matter?

We examine auditor communication provisions (ACPs) in private loan agreements, which are private contracting mechanisms between external auditors and audit clients which establish communication between lenders and their borrowers' auditors. We provide evidence that lenders value privately-contracted auditor communication and often specify multiple ACPs that facilitate lender monitoring. In terms of debt contracting outcomes, we find ACPs are associated with a lower ex ante likelihood of loan covenant violation. We also examine audit fee implications for the borrower and find that ACPs are associated with higher audit fees, which is consistent with auditors responding to the litigation risk these provisions impose. We corroborate this by providing evidence that this relationship is concentrated in samples where the risk of third-party litigation is greater. Finally, we find evidence that ACPs lead auditors to become more conservative as their clients exhibit lower signed discretionary accruals when the risk of third-party litigation is greater.
Event-Based Consensus Control to Multi-Agent System By Using Model Free Adaptive Control

This paper considers event-based consensus tracking problem for nonlinear MAS. First, distributed control algorithm is developed. Second, a novel observer-based event-triggering mechanism with dead-zone for each agent are designed. Then, pseudo-partial derivative (PPD) parameters and distributed adaptive controllers are designed, whose information is updated under the violation of the pre-defined event-triggering mechanism, such that the consensus tracking errors of MAS converge to a small residual set around the origin. Last, a simulation example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed method.
Intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas and biliary tract: The black swan of hepatobiliary surgery

Intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasms (ITPNs) of the pancreas and biliary tract are rare pre-malignant entities of the biliary tract and pancreas that are difficult to diagnose preoperatively. While there are imaging characteristics that can differentiate these lesions from more common entities like adenocarcinoma or intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN), ITPNs are not always distinctive. Herein we present two cases of ITPN, one of biliary and the other of pancreatic origin, which had a preoperative diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma and IPMN, respectively. We discuss our findings in these cases, patient presentation and course, review the radiographic and pathologic findings, and propose a more effective approach to the preoperative workup and diagnosis of ITPN based on our review of the contemporary literature.
Monovalent cation transport in myotonic dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy is a dominantly-inherited disorder which affects skeletal muscle in combination with several other systems. Because of abnormalities in red blood cells, a universal membrane defect has been proposed as the primary disturbance. Erythrocyte cation pump ratios have also been reported to be abnormal. Hyperinsulinemia and glucose intolerance are present in a large number of patients. Since dramatic effects of insulin on membrane cation transport have been shown in several tissues, notably skeletal muscle, we wished first to confirm reports of altered pump ratio in these patients and then to evaluate the effects of insulin on cation fluxes. However, in our experiments myotonic dystrophy patients had normal pump ratios when compared with disease controls.
Influenza A Virus Coinfection through Transmission Can Support High Levels of Reassortment.

UNLABELLED The reassortment of gene segments between influenza viruses increases genomic diversity and plays an important role in viral evolution. We have shown previously that this process is highly efficient within a coinfected cell and, given synchronous coinfection at moderate or high doses, can give rise to ~60 to 70% of progeny shed from an animal host. Conversely, reassortment in vivo can be rendered undetectable by lowering viral doses or extending the time between infections. One might also predict that seeding of transmitted viruses into different sites within the target tissue could limit subsequent reassortment. Given the potential for stochastic factors to restrict reassortment during natural infection, we sought to determine its efficiency in a host coinfected through transmission. Two scenarios were tested in a guinea pig model, using influenza A/Panama/2007/99 (H3N2) virus (wt) and a silently mutated variant (var) thereof as parental virus strains. In the first, coinfection was achieved by exposing a naive guinea pig to two cagemates, one infected with wt and the other with var virus. When such exposure led to coinfection, robust reassortment was typically seen, with 50 to 100% of isolates carrying reassortant genomes at one or more time points. In the second scenario, naive guinea pigs were exposed to a cagemate that had been coinoculated with wt and var viruses. Here, reassortment occurred in the coinoculated donor host, multiple variants were transmitted, and reassortants were prevalent in the recipient host. Together, these results demonstrate the immense potential for reassortment to generate viral diversity in nature. IMPORTANCE Influenza viruses evolve rapidly under selection due to the generation of viral diversity through two mechanisms. The first is the introduction of random errors into the genome by the viral polymerase, which occurs with a frequency of approximately 10(-5) errors/nucleotide replicated. The second is reassortment, or the exchange of gene segments between viruses. Reassortment is known to occur readily under well-controlled laboratory conditions, but its frequency in nature is not clear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that reassortment efficiency following coinfection through transmission would be reduced compared to that seen with coinoculation. Contrary to this hypothesis, our results indicate that coinfection achieved through transmission supports high levels of reassortment. These results suggest that reassortment is not exquisitely sensitive to stochastic effects associated with transmission and likely occurs in nature whenever a host is infected productively with more than one influenza A virus.
Pretrial detention and guilty pleas: if they cannot afford bail they must be guilty

Many researchers have examined the factors that affect guilty pleas, but have typically utilized a dichotomous dependent variable, measuring either a guilty plea or trial. However, the majority of cases are resolved though a guilty plea, making the inevitable question one of timing. The current study investigates the factors that affect disposition timing and, in particular, considers the impact of pretrial detention on guilty pleas. Using a sample of (n = 975) cases from New Jersey's Criminal Disposition Commission, tracked from inception through disposition, to assess the factors that influence the timing of guilty pleas, our research finds that defendants held in pretrial detention will plead guilty faster than those defendants released into the community prior to trial
Molecular cloning and analysis of the rat kallikrein-binding protein gene

The gene encoding rat kallikrein-binding protein (RKBP), a serine protease inhibitor, has been isolated and analyzed with the aid of the polymerase chain reaction. The gene is approximately 10 kilobases in length with four introns of approximately 2.2, 1.8, 0.9, and 0.84 kilobases. This gene is composed of five exons and encodes a polypeptide of 416 amino acid residues. The reactive center region of RKBP is encoded by the fifth exon with the putative P1-P1' residues being Lys-Ser. The organization of the RKBP gene is homologous to those of human alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in size and arrangement of exons and introns, suggesting that they belong to the same subgroup of serpins. In the 5'-flanking region of the RKBP gene, a variant TATA box sequence, ATAAATA, is found 20 base pairs upstream from the transcription initiation site. The 5'-flanking region of the RKBP gene was able to direct transcription of the reporter gene chloramphenicol acetyltransferase when transfected into a rat hepatoma cell line. An internal promoter-like region was found in the first intron of the RKBP gene, downstream from the transcription initiation site and upstream from the translation initiation codon, however, it was unable to direct expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in our experiments. The expression of RKBP in rat liver was induced by sex hormone treatment as indicated by dot-blot analysis. A genomic Southern blot using an RKBP cDNA probe revealed multiple bands suggesting that the RKBP gene belongs to a family of highly conserved genes.
Some Closing Thoughts on Crime Prevention and the Future

This chapter overviews the evidence on crime prevention, identifies problems of evaluation that need to be addressed in future analyses, and also reviews the book, offering a variety of perspectives on crime prevention. Crime prevention encompasses a wide diversity of ideas and approaches that are among the many possible prevention approaches that are not only being used, but are also beginning to address the persistent problems of crime and fear in society. Such efforts will continue to grow. The effectiveness of these ideas rests on quality evaluation and a willingness to adapt and change. Only through research and modifications can the programs evolve into effective interventions. Evaluation of crime prevention techniques will remain a pivotal issue in dealing with crime and the fear of crime throughout the future.
Minimally Invasive Tutoring of Complex Physics Problem Solving

Solving complex physics problems requires some kind of knowledge for selecting appropriate applications of physics principles. This knowledge is tacit, in that it is not explicitly taught in textbooks, existing tutoring systems or anywhere else. Experts seem to have acquired it via implicit learning and may not be aware of it. Andes is a coach for physics problem solving that has had good evaluations, but still does not teach complex problem solving as well as we would like. The conventional ITS approach to increasing its effectiveness requires teaching the tacit knowledge explicitly, and yet this would cause Andes to be more invasive. In particular, the textbooks and instructors would have to make space in an already packed curriculum for teaching the tacit knowledge. This paper discusses our attempts to teach the tacit knowledge without making Andes more invasive.
Correlation of KIT and PDGFRA mutation status with sunitinib activity in imatinib-resistant GIST

B56 Imatinib mesylate, an inhibitor of KIT and PDGFRA, currently represents first-line therapy for advanced GIST. However resistance to imatinib presents a major clinical problem. Sunitinib malate (SU11248) is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor with antitumor and antiangiogenic activities related to KIT, PDGFRs, VEGFRs, RET and FLT3 inhibition. Sunitinib has demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials of patients (pts) with imatinib-resistant GIST and was recently approved by the US FDA for treatment of these pts. This study examined the relationship between tumor kinase genotypes and sunitinib clinical activity in 97 pts with metastatic imatinib-resistant GIST treated as part of a phase I/II trial. Tumors were imaged by CT or MRI for RECIST-defined response assessment. Tumor specimens were obtained prior to (n=76) and following (n=60) imatinib therapy and analyzed for primary or secondary KIT and PDGFRA mutations, respectively. Sunitinib was associated with clinical benefit (CB; defined as partial response [PR] or stable disease >6 months) in pts with all major molecular GIST subtypes: KIT exon 11 (42 pts, CB 36%), KIT exon 9 (19 pts, CB 42%), PDGFRA (4 pts, CB 25%), no KIT or PDGFRA mutation (wild-type [WT]; 9 pts, CB 56%). Notably, the PR rate for GISTs with primary KIT exon 9 mutations was 37%, vs 5% for KIT exon 11 mutations (P=0.003). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly longer for pts with either a primary KIT exon 9 mutation or WT KIT/PDGFRA compared with pts with a KIT exon 11 mutation (exon 9 vs 11: PFS P=0.0005, OS P=0.0149; WT vs exon 11: PFS P=0.0356, OS P=0.0186). Secondary KIT mutations (in exons 13, 14, 17 or 18) were found in 62% of GISTs with a primary KIT exon 11 mutation, but only in 16% with a primary KIT exon 9 mutation (P=0.002). Secondary mutations were not detected in GISTs lacking a primary KIT/PDGFRA mutation. Biochemical profiling of secondary kinase mutations revealed in-vitro sensitivity of KIT exon 13 and 14 mutants to sunitinib, while secondary KIT exon 17 and 18 mutants were resistant to sunitinib. In addition, the imatinib-resistant PDGFRA D842V mutation was also resistant to sunitinib in vitro . These in-vitro results were consistent with clinical results, as CB was observed in 65% of pts with secondary KIT mutations in exon 13 or 14 and in only 9% with secondary KIT exon 17 or 18 mutations (P=0.006). Likewise, PFS was significantly longer for GISTs with secondary KIT mutations in exon 13/14 when compared with GISTs with secondary mutations in exons 17/18 (P=0.0121). Consistent with earlier imatinib results, our findings suggest that sunitinib-related CB following failure of imatinib treatment is significantly influenced by both primary and secondary mutations in the kinases (KIT or PDGFRA) that play a critical oncogenic role in GIST.
Processing Biological Sequences with MATLAB

matlab incorporates a number of bioinformatics function packaged together in its Bioinformatics Toolbox. The Bioinformatics Toolbox provides functions for creating objects such as biograph, the gene ontology and trees for phylogenetic analysis. In addition, this toolbox provides a number of functions for downloading sequences from DNA, protein and structure databases. Sequence analysis functions are provided for performing statistical analysis on the sequence data as well as for comparing DNA and protein sequences using the standard alignment methods (Needleman-Wunsch and Smith-Waterman) for global and local alignments. Capabilities for finding multiple sequence alignments, physlogenetic analysis, visualization and modeling sequence profiles using Hidden Markov methods are included within in the Bioinformatics Toolbox. The toolbox provides extensive functionality for retrieving, writing and and analyzing microarray data. The richness of tools included makes it possible to apply the concepts covered in the subsequent chapters within the framework of the same application. This provides an overview of the basic functions that enable reading, writing and display of biological sequence data.
Lighting for the 21st century with laser diodes based on non-basal plane orientations of GaN

More than two decades of III-N materials research has led to the production of visible spectrum commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs). Commercial c-plane LEDs are currently limited by efficiency droop which describes the decline in efficiency with increasing input current density. Laser-based sources, however, provide peak efficiencies at much higher current densities and may circumvent efficiency droop limitations. The potential benefits of non-basal plane (NBP) orientations could accelerate the evolution of solid-state lighting from LED to LD sources. Here, we review the progress in long-wavelength (440-590 nm) NBP quantum well LD research and discuss applications in solid-state lighting, visible light communication and smart lighting.
Self-stabilization of an Intracavity Pumped fs Optical Parametric Oscillator

It is shown that auto-stabilization of an intracavity pumped Optical Parametric Oscillator can be achieved by exploiting the cascaded nonlinearities that are at the root of phase instabilities of this system.
Mono- and dimethylation of arsenic in rat liver cytosol in vitro

Production of methylarsonate and dimethylarsinate from radiolabelled [73 As]arsenite and [73 As]arsenate was examined in an assay system that contained cytosol prepared from a 20% homogenate (w/v) of livers from 8- 10-week-old male Fischer 344 rats. After a 60-min incubation at 37 degrees C with added S-adenosylmethionine and glutathione, up to 50% of carrier-free [73As]arsenite and about 15% of carrier-free [73As]arsenate were methylated. Incubation of cytosol at 100% degrees C for 1 min before addition to the assay system completely abolished methylation of arsenite. Production of methylarsonate increased in proportion to the arsenite concentration in the assay system; however, 50 microM arsenite inhibited production of dimethylarsinate. Methylarsonate production from carrier-free [73-As]arsenite was not dependent on addition of exogenous S-adenosylmethionine to the assay system. Addition of 0.1 mM S-adenosylmethionine maximized dimethylarsinate production. Addition of 0.1 or 1.0 mM S-adenosylhomocysteine decreased methylation of arsenite, especially dimethylarsinate production. Omission of glutathione from the assay system nearly abolished the methylation of arsenite. Addition of exogenous glutathione to the assay system (up to 20 mM) decreased protein binding of arsenic and increased the production of methylarsonate and dimethylarsinate. The effects of sodium selenite, mercuric chloride, EDTA, p-anisic acid and 2,3-dichloro-alpha-methylbenzylamine on the methylation of arsenite were determined. Addition of 10 microM selenite to the assay system nearly abolished the formation of either methylated species. Addition of 1 or 10 microM mercuric chloride inhibited dimethylarsinate production in a concentration-dependent manner but had little effect on methylarsonate yield. Addition of 10 mM EDTA to the assay system inhibited formation of both methylated metabolites, suggesting that an endogenous divalent cation might be involved in enzymatic methylation of arsenic. Neither p-anisic acid, an inhibitor of cytosolic methyltransferases, nor 2,3-dichloro-alpha-methylbenzylamine, an inhibitor of microsomal methyltransferases, inhibited the conversion of inorganic arsenic to mono- or dimethylated metabolites.
Community hospital characteristics associated with RN and LPN vacancy rates

Abstract Vacancy rates for RNs and for LPNs reported in a universe survey of U.S. community hospitals were examined for relationships to a number of characteristics of the institutional makeup, environment and setting, staff organization and composition of these hospitals. RN vacancy rates were found to have a statistically significant positive relationship to the number of beds in the hospitals, the number of hospital beds in the states in which the hospitals were located, and the government control. Significant negative relationships were found with the number of RN graduates from nursing programs in the state, occupancy rate, and the ratio of RNs to total inpatient days. LPN vacancy rates showed a significant positive relationship to government control, southern locations, restriction of admissions to children and the ratio of RNs to LPNs. LPN vacancy rates showed a significant negative relationship to the number of hospital beds, occupancy rate, the ratio of LPNs to total inpatient days and the ratio of other nursing service personnel to LPNs.
Four-dimensional organization of protein kinase signaling cascades: the roles of diffusion, endocytosis and molecular motors.

Extracellular signals received by membrane receptors are processed, encoded and transferred to the nucleus via phosphorylation and spatial relocation of protein members of multiple component pathways, such as mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades. The receptor-induced membrane recruitment of the cytoplasmic protein SOS results in the activation of the Ras/MAPK cascade. It has been suggested that the membrane recruitment of signaling proteins causes an increase in the diffusion-limited rates. We have recently shown that this increase is too small to be responsible for enhanced signal transduction. Instead we demonstrate that the function of membrane localization is to increase the number (or average lifetime) of complexes between signaling partners. A hallmark of signaling pathways is the spatial separation of activation and deactivation mechanisms; e.g. a protein can be phosphorylated at the cell surface by a membrane-bound kinase and dephosphorylated in the cytosol by a cytosolic phosphatase. Given the measured values of protein diffusion coefficients and of phosphatase and kinase activities, the spatial separation is shown to result in precipitous phospho-protein gradients. When information transfer is hampered by slow protein diffusion and rapid dephosphorylation, phospho-protein trafficking within endocytic vesicles may be an efficient way to deliver messages to physiologically relevant locations. The proposed mechanism explains recent observations that various inhibitors of endocytosis can inhibit MAPK activation. Additional mechanisms facilitating the relay of signals from cell-surface receptors to the nucleus can involve the assembly of protein kinases on a scaffolding protein and active transport of signaling complexes by molecular motors. We also discuss long-range signaling within a cell, such as survival signaling in neurons. We hypothesize that ligand-independent waves of receptor activation or/and traveling waves of phosphorylated kinases emerge to spread the signals over long distances.
Properties and behavior of purified human plasma cholinesterase. IV. Enzymatic destruction of the inhibitors prostigmine and physostigmine.

Summary The cholinesterase inhibitors, physostigmine and prostigmine, are destroyed enzymatically by human serum, by a human plasma fraction (IV-6-3) highly purified with respect to cholinesterase, and by the same purified fraction partially denatured by heat. The rate of inhibitor destruction parallels the uninhibited activity toward acetylcholine in all three preparations. This is taken to indicate the probability that these inhibitors are destroyed by the same enzyme that hydrolyzes acetylcholine—i.e., the human plasma cholinesterase. The ratios of inhibitor turnover number to that of acetylcholine have been determined. They are 5.5×10 −7 for physostigmine and 1.2×10 −7 for prostigmine. These findings support the conclusion, arrived at on other grounds (5), that cholinesterase inhibitors of the urethan group are really competitive substrates with exceedingly low turnover numbers.
History and development of trauma care in the United States

Until recently the development of systems for trauma care in the United States has been inextricably linked to wars. During the Revolutionary War trauma care was based on European trauma principles particularly those espoused by the Hunter brothers. Surgical procedures were limited mostly to soft tissue injuries and amputations. The American Civil War was remarkable because of the contributions that were made to the development of systems for trauma care. The shear magnitude of casualties required extensive infrastructure to support the surgeons at the battlefield and to care for the wounded. For the first time in an armed conflict, anaesthetics were used on a routine basis. Despite these major contributions, hospital gangrene was a terrible problem and was the cause of many mortalities. World War I and World War II were noteworthy because of the contributions made by surgeons in the use of blood. One of the major lessons of World War II was the reemphasis of how frequently lessons have to be relearned regarding the treatment and care of wounds. Between the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War the discovery was made of the tremendous fluid shifts into the cell after severe hemorrhagic shock. As a consequence, the treatment of patients with shock was altered during the Vietnam Conflict, which resulted in better outcomes and less renal failure. The first trauma centers for civilians were started in the United States in 1966. Since 1988 the number of states with mature trauma systems has expanded from two to 35. During the same period, many studies have documented the efficacy of trauma systems in reducing unnecessary mortality and disability.
Stimulatory effect of 8-Epi-PGF2α, an F2-isoprostane, on endothelin-1 release

8-Epi-prostaglandin F2 alpha (8-epi-PGF2 alpha) is an F2-isoprostane produced in vivo by a cyclooxygenase-independent, free radical-catalyzed lipid peroxidation mechanism. It exhibits renal vasoconstrictor effects by binding to a receptor related to, but distinct from, that of thromboxane A2 (TxA2). In cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs), competitive binding assays using [3H]-8-epi-PGF2 alpha indicated the existence of two distinct binding sites. The Kd values were similar to those of cultured rat aortic smooth-muscle cells, suggesting that the high- and the low-affinity binding sites represent isoprostane and TxA2 receptors, respectively. 8-Epi-PGF2 alpha dose-dependently stimulated endothelin-1 (ET-1) secretion from BAECs. These increases were partially inhibited by a TxA2 receptor antagonist, consistent with the premise that isoprostanes and TxA2 recognize closely related receptors. The presence of specific binding sites for F2-isoprostanes on endothelial cells widens the scope of the possible pathophysiologic significance of these eicosanoids, released during oxidant injury, to include alteration of endothelial cell biology. The release of ET-1 by 8-epi-PGF2 alpha may help to explain the large increases in plasma and urinary concentrations for both ET-1 and 8-epi-PGF2 alpha in patients with hepatorenal syndrome.
Teacher-parent work in the home: an aspect of child guidance clinic services.

In a bleak, wood-shingled urban tenement, a teacher works at the kitchen table with a mother and two children-a girl , age six, and a boy, age five. They are learning to bake cookies. Mother's education stopped at sixth grade; she had never considered that she could read instructions, measure ingredients, or teach her children these skills. This island of family activity interrupts a monotonous day during which personal interaction is minimal. Both children are slow learners and withdrawn; the boy has been diagnosed psychotic. They have been attending special preschool classes at a community mental health clinic. Part of the treatment plan includes regular teacher home visits with the family to enable parents to help their children learn to learn and to interact appropriately with others. By actively searching for con tributions mother can make, the teacher builds an alliance with her, using activities as well as words for a medium exchange. Such a role for the early-childhood educator is evolving with the
Surface-active properties of β-lactoglobulin: Adsorption and rearrangement of glycosylated derivatives in surface films

Abstract Modification of β-lactoglobulin (βLG) with maltosyl and β-cyclodextrinyl residues via their activated cyclic carbonates altered the kinetics of surface adsorption of βLG. Modification of 7 and 11 amino acid residues of βLG with maltose and 4 amino acid residues with β-cyclodextrin progressively reduced the rate of surface pressure (π) development of 0.10% protein solutions. Glycosylation of βLG increased its polar, nonionic character and decreased the effect of pH on π during interfacial film formation. Equilibrium π values for all proteins progressively decreased (from about 27 to 23 m N/M ) as pH increased from 3 to 8. The first-order rate constants for adsorption and rearrangement processes varied with pH, with lower rates observed for glycosylated derivatives. The average value of surface area cleared per protein molecule during adsorption of all proteins increased from 3 to 7 nm 2 as pH was adjusted from 3 to 8.
Behavioral Analysis of Decisions in Choice of Commercial Vehicular Mode in Urban Areas

The decisions of vehicular mode choice by businesses and commercial sectors in urban areas are addressed with attention to the unique trip-chaining behavior of commercial vehicles. Travel diary data from a collection of large-scale commercial vehicles in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area were used for analysis. Four types of travel activities were surveyed: business meetings, pickup and drop-off of people, pickup and delivery of cargo, and service calls. The survey results indicated that automobiles, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, single-unit trucks, and combination trucks were the main vehicular modes for travel with commercial purposes. The original survey data were sorted into trip-based and tour-based data sets for measuring commercial vehicle travel activities. A "trip" is defined as travel from one stop to another, and a "tour" is an entire travel journey starting from and ending at the home base of a vehicle with visits to various locations of interest. Discrete choice modeling techni...
In vitro bioadhesion of carbohydrate-containing N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide copolymers to the GI tract of guinea pigs

Abstract N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers with different content of pendant saccharide moieties (galactosamine, fucosylamine, glucosamine, mannosamine) were synthesized and their bioadhesive properties to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of female adult guinea pigs have been studied in vitro. Radioiodinated HPMA copolymers were incubated with everted sacs or enterocytes isolated from guinea pig small intestine and colon. The results obtained with everted sacs clearly indicated preferential binding of fucosylamine containing HPMA copolymers to the colonic mucus. The extent of binding increased with increasing fucosylamine content in the copolymers and with the time of incubation, and decreased with increasing molecular weight of the copolymers. The binding was partially inhibited by the presence of free fucose or glucose in the incubation medium. Fucosylamine containing HPMA copolymers also bind to isolated enterocytes and the extent of binding increases with increased fucosylamine content of HPMA copolymers. Contrary to the results obtained on everted sacs, there was no difference in binding to enterocytes isolated either from the small intestine or colon. The results obtained indicate the presence of lectine-like structures in the guinea pig GI tract.
Deformations for Function Fields

Abstract We consider a question of describing the one-dimensional P -adic representations that lift a given representation over a finite field of the absolute Galois group of a function field. In this case, the characterization of abelian p -power extensions of fields of characteristic p can be extended to abelian pro- p -extensions, and refined to allow only restricted ramification at the places of K , and can be a tool for analyzing one-dimension P -adic representations. We then turn to the problem of classifying those representations which can be realized as the action of the Galois group on the division points of a rank one Drinfeld module, discussing both results and a conjecture about the form of the representations that arise in this manner.
Directly observed antiretroviral therapy improves adherence and viral load in drug users attending methadone maintenance clinics: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective To determine if directly observed antiretroviral therapy (DOT) is more efficacious than self-administered therapy for improving adherence and reducing HIV viral load (VL) among methadone-maintained opioid users.
Optical Trapping and Fundamental Studies of Atomic Fermi Gases

Optical traps provide tight confinement and very long storage times for atomic gases. Using a single focused beam from a CO 2 laser, we confine a mixture of spin-up and spin-down fermionic 6 Li atoms, achieving storage times of ten minutes, and evaporative cooling to quantum degeneracy in seconds. A bias magnetic field tunes the gas to a collisional (Feshbach) resonance, producing extremely strong spin-pairing. This system now tests current many-body predictions for high-temperature superconductors, universal interactions in neutron stars, and hydrodynamic flow of quark-gluon plasmas, a state of matter that existed microseconds after the Big Bang.
Surface chemistry effects on vacancy and interstitial annihilation on Si(001)

Using density functional theory slab calculations we have investigated the effect of surface passivation on vacancy and interstitial annihilation on the Si(001) surface. We find that interstitials and vacancies are both stabilized at the clean and H-/Cl-terminated surfaces, with an energy gain of about 2-3 eV relative to those at the fifth subsurface layer where the surface effect becomes insignificant. This suggests that the Si surface is an effective sink for vacancies and interstitials, irrespective of surface passivation. However, our calculations show that the stability of vacancies and interstitials within the topmost three subsurface layers is greatly influenced by surface passivation, due to (i) strong interaction with surface Si dangling orbitals and (ii) rearrangement of surface atoms in the clean surface case. The chemical effect of adsorbates itself appears to be unimportant in the defect surface annihilation.