cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Silencing Mutations in NOTCH1 Activate Calcium Signaling in B Cells

Abstract The NOTCH1 pathway is known to be up-regulated in many cancer types including non Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs), colorectal, breast and pancreatic cancers. The precise downstream effects of NOTCH1 mutations in lymphoma are not known. We applied high throughput sequencing in three different non Hodgkin lymphomas including diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL, N=94), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL, N=58) and Burkitt lymphoma (BL, N=59). We also sequenced mutations from 208 patients with immune deficiency. In all, we identified 31 mutations in NOTCH1. Five of these mutations were either nonsense or frameshift mutations. Silencing mutations in the PEST domain have been reported in MCLs, and many other silencing mutations were observed in the other lymphoma cohorts as well as immune deficiency cases. The finding of silencing mutations was unexpected, given that in most cancers, NOTCH1 and its pathway are often constitutively active. Calcium signaling is an important mechanism for activating B cells. Given the shared mutations between NHLs and immune deficiencies, we investigated the role of silencing NOTCH1 mutations in altering calcium signaling by engineering lymphoma cells with a deletion of the transmembrane region resulting in silencing of NOTCH1 using the CRISPR system. We designed guide RNAs that spanned a 57 base pair region from exon 28 that encodes the transmembrane domain of the NOTCH1 gene. Each guide RNA was ligated into a pX458 Cas9 GFP expressing plasmid. Namalwa NHL cells were transfected, FACS-sorted for GFP positivity and subcloned. Successful deletion of the target region in Cas9 NOTCH1 cells was confirmed by Sanger sequencing and Western blotting. Cells that were wild type, Cas9 control, or Cas9 NOTCH1 were incubated in a calcium free buffer containing Fluo-4 for detection of intracellular free calcium. Cells were washed and subjected to flow sorting where baseline calcium was recorded. The cells were stimulated with anti-IgM (Fab’)2 and recorded again for response. To test extracellular calcium influx, 4mM CaCl2 was added to the calcium free buffer containing cells and recorded again for response.Upon stimulation with anti-IgM (Fab’)2, we observed a significant increase (p These findings indicate that silencing of NOTCH1 has an activating role in calcium signaling that could contribute to B cell survival and function in NHLs and immune deficiencies. Similar roles have been reported for activating mutations in PIK3CD and STAT3 that contribute to both immune deficiency and cancer. Our study is the first to identify the role of silencing mutations of NOTCH1 in NHLs and immune deficiencies. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Secondary electron emission from plasma-generated nanostructured tungsten fuzz

Recently, several researchers [e.g., Yang et al., Sci. Rep. 5, 10959 (2015)] have shown that tungsten fuzz can grow on a hot tungsten surface under bombardment by energetic helium ions in different plasma discharges and applications, including magnetic fusion devices with plasma facing tungsten components. This work reports the direct measurements of the total effective secondary electron emission (SEE) from tungsten fuzz. Using dedicated material surface diagnostics and in-situ characterization, we find two important results: (1) SEE values for tungsten fuzz are 40%–63% lower than for smooth tungsten and (2) the SEE values for tungsten fuzz are independent of the angle of the incident electron. The reduction in SEE from tungsten fuzz is most pronounced at high incident angles, which has important implications for many plasma devices since in a negative-going sheath the potential structure leads to relatively high incident angles for the electrons at the plasma confining walls. Overall, low SEE will creat...
Evaluating Youth Programs: An Overview of Practitioner Led Evaluations

Youth programs are prime contexts for the intentional facilitation of positive development. However, not all youth programs achieve positive outcomes equally. In order to promote the identification and dissemination of the characteristics and processes of effective youth programs, increased focus needs to be given to program evaluation. This article briefly reviews the main tenets of evaluation science in order to provide practitioners a roadmap for conducting their own evaluations. This includes an overview of different types of evaluations and key issues to consider when constructing an evaluation strategy such as targeting outcomes and developing program logic models.
Forecasting Production in an Oil Reservoir Simulation and Its Challenges

A Bayesian approach for uncertainty quantification of oil reservoir parameters in forecasting the production is straightforward in principle. However, the complexity of flow simulators and the nature of the inverse problem at hand present an ongoing practical challenges to addressing uncertainty in all subsurface parameters. In this paper, we focus on two important subsurface parameters, permeability and porosity, and discuss quantifying uncertainty in those parameters.
Cities Help Us Hack Formal Power Systems

Two features of cities organize this essay. One is that the global city is a strategic frontier zone that enables those who lack power, those who are disadvantaged, outsiders, and discriminated minorities. They can gain presence in such cities in a way they cannot in many other settings. Becoming present to power and to each other can enable them to hack power and hack the differences of origin, religion, phenotype among diverse disadvantaged groups, whether immigrants or locals. The second feature is the strategic importance of the city today for shaping new orders. The city can bring together multiple very diverse struggles and engender a larger, more encompassing push for a new normative order.
Improving operating room and surgical instrumentation efficiency, safety, and communication via the implementation of emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendectomy conversion case carts

Abstract In the perioperative environment, communication, safety, and efficiency are paramount to ensure the effective delivery of patient care. Often overlooked, however, is the role that surgical instrumentation plays in these aspects of perioperative care. Through an analysis of the sterile processing environment at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), we identified a large amount of instrumentation being cycled unnecessarily throughout the system. This pattern was particularly notable for laparotomic equipment that is sent to almost all laparoscopic cases so that it is available in the event of conversion to laparotomy. Prompted by this analysis along with the high case volume and low conversion rate of laparoscopic cholecystectomies and appendectomies, we redesigned the laparotomic instrument supply chain for these procedures by placing all laparotomic conversion instruments on dedicated emergency case carts. In one month following implementation we avoided cycling nearly 15,000 pounds of unused instrumentation through the perioperative environment and have increased staff safety and communication among perioperative leadership. Objective to reduce the amount of unnecessary surgical instrumentation that is cycled through the perioperative environment.
Teaching as Coaching

Coaching is a learned skill, and it is an acceptable practice to be coached in many realms including sports and professional development. However, coaching in medicine is neither taught nor encouraged. It has not been traditionally embraced by surgeons, probably owing to the popularity of traditional methods of teaching, which use the instructor-teacher and apprenticeship methods. The advantage of one-on-one coaching is that it is individualized and focused on the needs of the student. Coaching is relevant and beneficial for anyone learning orthopaedics. We discuss benefits, general guidelines, and concise examples of coaching in medicine.
Vestibular Schwannoma Complicated by Facial Paralysis: Considerations of Techniques and Timing for Facial Reanimation

To understand the risk factors for facial paralysis following vestibular schwannoma removal and determine the appropriate conditions for and timing of surgical intervention. Intraoperative facial nerve response to stimulation helps identify patients likely to have good facial function ( 0.1 mA). Patients with severe postoperative paralysis (HB V–VI) who fail to improve in the first 7–10 months are unlikely to develop good long-term facial function and surgical intervention may be considered as early as 6–7 months. Hypoglossal nerve transfer improves facial tone and motion; techniques preserving part of the hypoglossal nerve are preferred. Masseter nerve transfer is supplanting the hypoglossal nerve at many centers due to quicker reinnervation, easier activation, and lower morbidity. Facial reanimation with early nerve transfer should be considered for patients with severe paralysis failing to improve over the first 6 months following vestibular schwannoma removal.
Complications of implanted central venous catheters in neutropenic children.

Although neutropenia is recognized as a risk factor for infection and compromised wound healing, there are little data regarding the specific impact of neutropenia on morbidity and mortality after placement of implanted central venous catheters (CVC). We conducted a retrospective review of children with a diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia or aplastic anemia who received a CVC over a 5-year period. The absolute neutrophil count immediately before catheter placement was recorded. Three hundred eight catheters were placed in 195 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia and 15 with aplastic anemia. Absolute neutrophil count was less than 0.5 x 10 9 /L in 105 cases (Group 1). The incidence of CVC removal for all causes and for infection within 100 days in Group 1 was 17.1 per cent and 11.4 per cent, respectively, compared with 7.9 per cent (P = 0.01) and 1.5 per cent (P < 0.0001) with absolute neutrophil count 0.5 x 10 9 /L or greater (Group 2). Infections included two cases of mucormycosis with one death. Ports were more likely than Hickman catheters (C. R. Bard Inc., Murray Hill, NJ) to be removed for all causes (P = 0.01) and for infection (P = 0.04). The placement of implanted central venous catheters in neutropenic children was associated with substantial infectious morbidity and one death. When possible, CVC, particularly ports, should be avoided in the presence of neutropenia.
Nonradial g-Mode Instabilities in Planetary Nebula Nuclei

We report preliminary results of fully nonadiabatic gravity mode pulsation calculations for evolutionary models of planetary nebula nuclei (PNNs) with active nuclear burning shells. For hot PNNs at luminosities below ~2000 L⊙, we find instabilities driven by the nuclear burning shell(s) via the very potent e-mechanism. The periods of these unstable modes range from 68 s to 212 s. We suggest that if PNNs contain active nuclear burning shells, then they should show such pulsations.
Consumer Income and Beliefs Affecting Happiness

Recent syntheses of empirical studies have clearly demonstrated a consistently positive relationship between income and happiness. Research is needed to reduce uncertainty and disentangle such relationships, which have been found to be quite modest, but significant in the aggregate. The present study contributes to this end, in that it investigates the moderating effect of income on the relationship between beliefs that serve as internal buffers and happiness. We go beyond simple associations of income and happiness to examine relationships between income and self-esteem and between income and optimism. Finally, causal modeling is employed to demonstrate that, under varying income levels, these beliefs affect happiness by the same process — with distinct yet predictable outcomes.
The VLSI Design of a Reed-Solomon Encoder Using Berlekamp’s Bit-Serial Multiplier Algorithm

E.R. Berlekamp has developed for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory a bit-serial multiplication algorithm for the encoding of Reed-Solomon (RS) codes, using a dual basis over a Galois field. The conventional RS-encoder for long codes often requires look-up tables to perform the multiplication of two field elements. Berlekamp’s algorithm requires only shifting and exclusive-OR operations. It is shown in this paper that the new dual-basis (255, 223) RS-encoder can be realized readily on a single VLSI chip with NMOS technology.
Comparison of Outcomes Between Total Abdominal and Partial Colectomy for the Management of Severe, Complicated Clostridium Difficile Infection

Background Patients with severe, complicated Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) may ultimately require a colectomy. Although associated with high morbidity and mortality, a total colectomy has been the mainstay of surgical treatment. However, small studies have suggested partial colectomy may provide equivalent outcomes. We compared the outcomes of partial and total colectomy for CDI in a nationwide database. Study Design We performed a retrospective study using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP). Patients with a primary diagnosis of Clostridium difficile colitis from 2007 to 2015, who underwent a total abdominal or partial colectomy, were analyzed. Postoperative mortality rate, complications, and length of stay were evaluated. Logistic regression controlling for patient and clinical factors evaluated the impact of type of operation performed. Results There were 733 colectomies for CDI, of which 151 (20.6%) were partial colectomies. Patients with a partial colectomy had a slightly higher 30-day mortality rate (37.1%) compared with total abdominal colectomy patients (34.7%, p = 0.58). However, logistic regression controlling for patient factors demonstrated no statistically significant difference for partial colectomy in 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.21, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.96) or complication rate (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.62) compared with total colectomy. There was no difference in days to surgery (4.6 partial vs 5.0 total, p = 0.70). Total abdominal colectomy trended toward a longer postoperative stay (18.0 vs 15.1 days for partial, p = 0.08). Conclusions In a national database, a significant percentage of operations for CDI are partial colectomies. There were no significant differences found in mortality or complications between partial and total colectomy for severe complicated CDI.
Nucleate pool boiling of R-245fa at low saturation temperatures for hydrogen precooling applications

Abstract Experiments were conducted to measure the pool boiling performance of saturated R-245fa at low saturation temperatures (−30 °C, −40 °C, and −50 °C). Horizontally oriented cylindrical heat sources were used as the test samples and were intended to simulate a small section of a hydrogen-filled tube. Measurements evaluated the effects of saturation temperature and two microporous coatings on heat transfer coefficients (HTC), critical heat flux (CHF), and boiling incipient superheat. Results show that boiling performance decreases as the saturation temperature reduces—a result of less active nucleation sites and higher vapor coverage of the heated surface at lower temperatures. Microporous coatings increased HTCs and CHF values, but did not have a significant effect on reducing the boiling incipient superheat. The experimental results were used to develop correlations for nucleate pool boiling on plain and microporous surfaces that can be used to predict HTCs and CHF values at low saturation temperature conditions (down to −50 °C).
#ciaonetflix: Suburra. La serie as “International Patrimony”

This chapter offers an introduction to the Internet entertainment service Netflix, which premiered in Italy in 2015, focusing on Netflix’s promotional strategy, personalized platforms, and transnational drawing power. It puts forward that, to hook and retain Italian clients, Netflix turned toward a local-content model that has worked well for Sky, i.e., producing a factually based criminal sagas told principally from the perspective of attractive and alluring antiheroes, for example in the first-ever Netflix original series Suburra. La serie (2017–) which has both a local and a global appeal. It also investigates fascinations surrounding glamorized criminals by looking at how recent Italian history and queer bodies are represented, negotiated, and received in Italy’s first made-for-Netflix series Suburra. La serie (2017–). It positions the series as both a distinctly Italian production and a transnational production, paying attention to the series’ interesting marketing strategy that draws attention to fictional/historical consistencies, before addressing the physical allure and charisma of criminal antiheroes. Suburra. La serie’s singularity as a transnational co-production allows for a unique representation of gender and sexuality on small screens, as it tells stories from the perspective of a non-normative sexual orientation. Suburra. La serie engages in a representation of queer masculinity that is distinctive in relation to Italian serial drama.
Presence of two mandibular canals and distinction of the inferior alveolar and mental nerves proximal to the mandible: A case study

Abstract Background The occurrence of bifid mandibular canals is unusual but not rare. Previous reviews and case studies have described numerous types of bifid canals based on location, anatomy, and contents. Developmentally, ossification of the mandible begins at the region of the mental foramen and continues posteriorly, forming the mandibular canal around the neurovascular bundle within. This process explains the creation of multiple mandibular canals and the diversity of canal types previously recorded in the literature. However, the presence of two distinct mandibular canals, each originating from its own mandibular foramen, is even more unusual. Materials and methods This case report describes a unilateral variant discovered during the dissection of a 92-year-old African American female. Results On the left side, the cadaver presents two distinct mandibular canals, each containing a branch of the inferior alveolar artery and mandibular nerve, the third division of the trigeminal. The nerves within the two canals were distinct from each other at the level of the posterior division of the mandibular nerve, within 1 cm of foramen ovale. Conclusion This is the first description of such an occurrence and emphasizes the need for identification of the contents of a bifid or accessory mandibular canal prior to invasive procedures.
Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) in Adult Long-Term Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Survivors: A Report from the Bone Marrow Transplant Survivor Study.

Abstract We describe HRQL reported by adult survivors of autologous and allogeneic HCT and the risk factors associated with poor HRQL. Eligible subjects were individuals undergoing HCT at either City of Hope or the University of Minnesota between 1974 and 1998, and surviving two or more years after HCT. We analyzed the data from 1003 HCT survivors older than 21 years enrolled in a retrospective cohort study who had completed a validated City of Hope HCT-QOL tool. Of these, 54.5% were males, 80.2% were Caucasians, and 55% had received allogeneic HCT. The primary diagnoses included CML (n=233), AML (n=241), NHL (n=200), ALL (n=99), HD (n=88), and other (n=142). The median age at HCT was 35.4, median age at study participation: 43.4 years, and the median length of follow-up: 9.4 (2 to 28 years). Survivors' responses were compared with those of the population norms in Physical, Psychological, Social and Spiritual domains, and overall quality of life (QOL). Poor QOL was defined as QOL scores less than two standard deviations below that reported for the tool norms. Using this definition, 9.2% of this cohort was identified to have poor overall QOL; 13.7% with poor Physical; 10% with poor Psychological; 6.7% with poor Social; and 4.3% with poor Spiritual well-being. Table below shows the results of the risk factors identified for poor QOL by multivariate analysis. Age, sex, type of HCT, and time since HCT were not associated with poor QOL. Thus, overall 9% of the long-term HCT survivors report poor overall QOL. Certain vulnerable sub-populations exist, specifically, low household income, difficulty in obtaining health insurance, inability to return to work, and the presence of pain and anxiety that impact upon the HRQL of this population, and require additional attention and possible intervention. Predictors of Poor Risk Factors for Poor QOL Overall QOL Physical Psychological Social Spiritual Relative Risk (p-value) Relative Risk (p-value) Relative Risk (p-value) Relative Risk (p-value) Relative Risk (p-value) Non-white race 2.1 (0.06) 2.4 (0.005) 1.6 (0.1) 2.0 (0.06) 0.5 (0.2) Inability to return to work 3.4 (0.003) 4.9 ( 3.6 ( 3.6 (0.002) 0.8 (0.7) Inability to return to school 2.4 (0.2) 4.6 (0.005) 5.2 (0.002) 1.1 (0.8) 0.9 (0.9) Difficulty in obtaining health insurance 1.7 (0.1) 1.9 (0.04) 0.9 (0.9) 3.6 ( 2.2 (0.05) Absence of health insurance 2.6 (0.05) 1.3 (0.6) 0.7 (0.5) 1.6 (0.4) 4.2 (0.005) Household income 3.0 (0.04) 0.9 (0.9) 4.4 (0.006) 2.2 (0.1) 3.1 (0.05) CGVHD 2.1 (0.02) 1.8 (0.02) 1.9 (0.04) 1.4 (0.3) 1.5 (0.3) Severe pain 8.8 ( 12.6 ( 2.4 (0.07) 5.4 (0.001) 2.8 (0.07) Severe anxiety 240.2 ( 5.3 (0.001) 60.2 ( 7.8 ( 19.7 (
Food web response to foundation species change in a coastal ecosystem

Abstract In the Northern Gulf of Mexico, black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) are expanding their range and replacing smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) as the dominant foundation species in estuarine systems. The impact this habitat transition has on the sources of primary production that contribute to the food webs of these areas is as of yet unclear. Here, we used stable isotopes and Bayesian mixing models to determine the contributions of primary production sources to the food webs in Louisiana saltmarshes currently experiencing rapid mangrove encroachment. In addition, we determined how these contributions are altered as a function of foundation species cover, particularly for white shrimp (Litopeneaus setiferus). Species primarily rely on algae-derived and water-column derived production, not on production derived from the foundational macrophytes themselves. White shrimp trophic position increased in areas with higher mangrove cover at some locations; shrimp used more water column-derived production and less algae-derived production. Transition from Spartina to mangrove-dominated estuarine areas has little effect on the overall pattern of primary producer contribution to food webs in these areas. However, differences in the structural and substrate properties of these foundational species could be altering the way energy moves through food webs.
Effect of Structure on Sensor Properties of Oxygen-Deficient Perovskites, A 2 BB'O 5 (A = Ca, Sr; B = Fe; B' = Fe, Mn) for Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide Sensing

The remarkable sensor properties of a series of oxygen-deficient perovskites, Ca2Fe2O5, Sr2Fe2O5, Ca2FeMnO5 and Sr2FeMnO5, and the impact of structural order on gas sensing response have been investigated. The sensor behavior of defect-ordered oxygen-deficient perovskites have not been studied before. Among the four materials investigated in this work, the ordered compound, Ca2Fe2O5, shows remarkably versatile sensing properties for all three gases, oxygen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. This material is a semiconductor, and its electrical charge-transport increases systematically as a function of oxygen partial pressure, and decreases as a function of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide concentrations. The recovery of charge-transport upon completion of gas sensing cycles for all gases is nearly perfect, and its crystal structure remains intact, as confirmed by Rietveld refinements with powder x-ray diffraction data. The variation of gas sensing properties as a function of structure and composition is interesting. Most remarkable is the versatility of Ca2Fe2O5, and its sensitivity to O2, CO2 and CO.
Loving Being: Erich Przywara’s Engagement with Max Scheler

Max Scheler was among Erich Przywara’s most important interlocutors, especially in Przywara’s early phase. Scheler pushes Przywara to make a number of judgments about early phenomenology, about the relationship between love and knowledge, value and being, person-as-spirit and person-as-body, intuitive knowledge and abstractive knowledge, immediate and mediated experience of God, scholastic thought and modern philosophy, the deification of the creature and the humble nothingness of the creature. This chapter traces some of these many judgments provoked by Scheler, and it does so by tracing Przywara’s critique of Scheler’s ‘primacy of love’—his notion of phenomenology as a reduction to a being-less horizon of the person, who is a kind of pre- or extra-ontological love-act. Przywara’s main response is that Scheler’s talk of the love-act ‘before’ or ‘without’ being is really only speaking of being by other means; rather than a metaphysics of being as being, Scheler holds a metaphysics of being as love-act. And this metaphysics has troubling consequences for Przywara. If the ‘love-act’ comes to mean something like ‘(primordial or authentic or personal) being’, then it stands in a dark, Manichaean suspicion over-against matter and knowledge as forms of thingly and servile ‘being’. If the person is a ‘being-less’ love-act which is an ‘immediate co-enactment of the divine love-act’ (as Scheler says), then intentional consciousness seems to become a kind of self-deifying affective enclosure—or else, as in Scheler’s late anthropology, the love- and feeling-acts of the person become the site of God’s progressive self-deification in history. Against a Manichaeism of personal-being versus thing-being, Przywara holds to the unity of being and value, and of loving and knowing. Against the religious posture of human affectivity as God’s self-realization, Przywara insists on loving and knowing as the creature’s humble and endless becoming into God, in an attitude of service.
Baseline Karnofsky performance status is independently predictive of death within 30 days of intracranial radiation therapy completion for metastatic disease.

Abstract Introduction For patients with brain metastases, palliative radiation therapy (RT) has long been a standard of care for improving quality of life and optimizing intracranial disease control. The duration of time between completion of palliative RT and patient death has rarely been evaluated. Methods A compilation of two prospective institutional databases encompassing April 2015 through December 2018 was used to identify patients who received palliative intracranial radiation therapy. A multivariate logistic regression model characterized patients adjusting for age, sex, admission status (inpatient versus outpatient), Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), and radiation therapy indication. Results 136 consecutive patients received intracranial palliative radiation therapy. Patients with baseline KPS Conclusions Our findings indicate that baseline KPS
Draft Genome Sequence of Yokenella regensburgei Strain WCD67, Isolated from the Boxelder Bug.

We report here the draft genome sequence of Yokenella regensburgei strain WCD67, isolated from the boxelder bug (Boisea trivittata). The genome is 5,277,883 bp in size, has a GC content of 54.12%, and has 5,416 genes. A total of 17 mobile elements were discovered, 6 of which were predicted to be phages.
Carbon gas flux to and from inland waters: support for a global observation network

Research on carbon gas flux to and from inland waters has increased over the past two decades, driven mainly by the need to understand (1) the global carbon budget in regard to stabilizing earth’s climate, and (2) how aquatic ecosystems and the services they provide change in response to anthropogenic pressures like climate and land use change. This paper reviews carbon flux research in support of a proposed global carbon monitoring network to inform public policy. It begins with an overview of the physical–chemical processes and quantification tools for carbon gas flux, and then highlights their application to streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and estuaries. Research outcomes to date point to spatiotemporal coverage gaps owing to the complexity of the aquatic ecosystems and land–water interactions, suggesting that long-term monitoring is needed to better understand their signals in response to changes in climate and land management. While better monitoring of gas flux is an important piece of the global carbon budget resolution problem, new information will need to be developed and integrated to adequately inform carbon policymaking. This information can stem from developments in large-scale carbon status and flux assessment tools, such as via remote sensing platforms, and from improved integrated watershed-to-water body modeling efforts.
Social Capital, Gender Competition, and the Resurgence of Childlessness

As fertility in much of the developed world remains far below replacement level, it is appropriate to look closely at trends and patterns in childlessness. The rationale for doing so is reinforced by a multidimensional scaling analysis of 80 countries, which finds that contemporary fertility patterns are largely determined by two factors: the overall level and the proportion childless. Parity status life tables for 24 low fertility nations for periods since 2000 show that 15 of them have period parity progression rates implying that over 20% of women will never have any children. Commonly used figures on proportions at parity zero in cohorts completing their reproductive years have understated the level of childlessness inherent in recent data by ignoring the behavior of younger cohorts. Still, even those cohort data reveal an upward trend in childlessness. The likelihood of a resurgence in childlessness is bolstered by steady increases in the mean ages at first birth observed in all 24 study populations. Looking ahead, high proportions childless can be consistent with stable, egalitarian unions, as children now bring few resources to parents while making great demands upon them.
A RACETRACK MAGNET CONSTRUCTED USING FILAMENTARY Nb3Sn

A 0.2 m-wide, 0.5 m-long racetrack model magnet was constructed by winding un-reacted cable, followed by reaction and epoxy-impregnation. The unstabilised eleven-strand flattened cable using the 1.5 mm diameter wire and fiberglass insulation was chosen for the magnet. Each half of the magnet has one racetrack coil which was reacted and vacuum impregnated after soldering copper leads to the Nb3Sn conductors. No iron was used for the magnet. In the tests the maximum field of 7.7 T was reached at 4.2 K. The strain measurings indicate that premature quenching limited the field intensity.
TAM receptors in pregnancy

Abstract Inflammation is an important part of human response to pathogen to recruit immune cells and remove infected or damaged cells from the system. However, immune response should be fine tuned as uncontrolled proinflammatory response leads to extensive tissue damage and organ failure. Immune homeostasis at the maternal-fetal interface is crucial in the maintenance of healthy pregnancy. TAM receptor tyrosine kinase is known to be present in immune, nervous, and reproductive systems and has been reported to have biological function in the immunological aspect including cell debris clearance, cytokine secretion modulation, and regulation of innate immunity. The presence of TAM receptors at the maternal-fetal interface has been reported and its role in pregnancy has been in question. In the present review, functional aspects of TAM receptors, clinical implications in other diseases in an immunological context, and what is known about association of TAM receptors in complicated pregnancy are discussed with suggestion of potential area of future research.
Non-operative Management (NOM) of Rectal Cancer: Literature Review and Translation of Evidence into Practice

Despite mounting interest in the non-operative management (NOM, also known as watchful waiting) of rectal adenocarcinoma, limited guidance exists regarding appropriate patient selection and procedures. In this literature review targeting patients with operable adenocarcinoma of the rectum, we sought to evaluate NOM in terms of patient selection, management approaches, and outcomes with regard to both quality of life (QoL) and oncologic outcomes. Despite a lack of randomized evidence comparing NOM (performed via active surveillance following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation) to neoadjuvant therapy followed by planned surgery, given that the vast majority of local, regional, and distant recurrences occur early in follow-up, the available evidence points to similar oncologic outcomes and possible QoL improvement. Due to the high chance of surgical salvage in the case of locoregional recurrence, close multidisciplinary follow-up is essential. Under the care of an experienced multidisciplinary lower gastrointestinal team, NOM is feasible, is safe, and has the potential for improved QoL. A potential algorithm for clinically implementing NOM is described within this review.
Volatile Organic Compounds Produced by Human Pathogenic Fungi Are Toxic to Drosophila melanogaster

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are low molecular mass organic compounds that easily evaporate at room temperature. Fungi produce diverse mixtures of VOCs some of which may contribute to “sick building syndrome” and which have been shown to be toxigenic in a variety of laboratory bioassays. We hypothesized that VOCs from medically important fungi might be similarly toxigenic and tested strains of Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Cryptococcus gattii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a Drosophila melanogaster eclosion bioassay. Fungi were grown in a shared microhabitat with third instar larvae of D. melanogaster such that there was no physical contact between flies and fungi. As the flies went through metamorphosis, the numbers of larvae, pupae, and adults were counted daily for 15 days. After 8 days, approximately 80% of controls had eclosed into adults and after 15 days the controls yielded 96-97% eclosion. In contrast, eclosion rates at 8 days were below 70% for flies exposed to VOCs from six different A. fumigatus strains; the eclosion rate at 15 days was only 58% for flies exposed to VOCs from A. fumigatus strain SRRC 1607. When flies were grown in a shared atmosphere with VOCs from S. cerevisiae, after 15 days, 82% of flies had eclosed into adults. Exposure to the VOCs from Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Cryptococcus gattii caused significant delays in metamorphosis with eclosion rates of 58% for Candida albicans, 44% for Cryptococcus neoformans, and 56% for Cryptococcus gattii. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the VOCs from the most toxic and least toxic strains of A. fumigatus were assayed. The two most common VOCs produced by both strains were 1-octen-3-ol and isopentyl alcohol; however, these compounds were produced in ten-fold higher concentrations by the more toxic strain. Our research demonstrates the gas phase compounds emitted by fungal pathogens may have been overlooked as contributing to the pathogenicity of medically important fungi and therefore deserve more scrutiny by the medical mycology research community.
Addressing the Challenges of Software Growth and Rapidly Evolving Software Technologies

The growth, complexity, and reliance on software as part of the Department of Defense and Navy (DoD/Navy) warfare systems is continuing to increase. This increase in software complexity and reliance has been accompanied by an increase in software intensive system acquisition cost, schedule, and technical performance failures. The DoD/Navy is not performing as a smart partner with industry to successfully apply the latest software methodologies and technologies to achieve the goal of Open Architecture-based reusable software components, and thereby improve quality and reliability while also reducing cost and schedule overruns. A key enabler for improving software intensive system acquisition is the reconstitution and utilization of government in-house software subject matter experts that can lead and work with industry software engineers as part of an integrated software development team.
Bond fixation in annulenes. 7. Direct resolution of chiral cyclooctatetraenes

Abstract Cycloaddition of an optically pure triazolinedione to a racemic cyclooctatetraene, followed by separation of the resulting diastereomers and hydrolysis-oxidation, deliveers the polyolefin in high enantiomeric purity.
Simple optical sensor for amine vapors based on dyed silica microspheres

Abstract A new optical sensing method for sensitive detection of amine vapors down to ppb levels is described. The sensor is based on the pH indicator Bromocresol green, adsorbed onto a silica sphere matrix. When the amines adsorb onto the matrix, the color changes from orange to blue. The color change is detected with a fiber optic spectrometer. Sensor performance is demonstrated for the aliphatic amines tert-butylamine, diethylamine and triethylamine and also for pyridine and aniline. The response for the aliphatic amines is linear with concentration up to 2 ppm with a detection limit of approximately 1.4 ppb for tert-butylamine. The microsphere sensor is more sensitive than other optical amine sensor designs described in the literature. The sensor response varies with temperature, with lower sensitivity and faster response at higher temperatures allowing for adjustment to prioritize sensitivity or speed. At 80 °C the response time is 2–20 s, with maximum signal after approximately 2 min and a recovery time of 2–10 min depending on concentration of amine vapor. Sensor response is highly reproducible and fully reversible.
HELLP SYNDROME ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

This 19-year-old black female was transferred from an outlying hospital following delivery of a single, term, male baby by cesarean section. There was a pertinent history of preeclampsia and unstable vital signs following delivery. Because of anuria an excretory urogram (IVP) had been perform to check for ureteral injury. The findings apparently had been inconclusive. At the time of hospital admission 2 days later laboratory data were hematocrit 28%, hemoglobin 10.2 gm%, blood urea nitrogen 62, creatinine 6.2 and increased liver enzymes. Following administration of only oral contrast material computerized tomograms through the abdomen and pelvis were obtained generating 10 mm thick slices. The pertinent observations were moderate opacification of the gallbladder and dense enhancement of renal cortex yet barely any enhancement of medulla and no evidence of contrast excretion. Lack of opacification of the aorta, inferior vena cava or large vessels and enhancement of the liver or spleen were other significant observations. The imaging findings and clinical history established the diagnosis of the HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme levels and low platelet count) syndrome. Opacification of the gallbladderwas the result of vicarious excretion of contrastmedium from the prior IVP. The dense opacification of renal cortex reflected acute renal failure with contrast medium pooled in the cortex from the IVP attempted 2 days previously. Contrast medium reaction can sometimes produce a similar picture. However, the time sequence, contrast reaction occurring immediately after administration of contrast medium, allows differentiation. Moreover, in the latter condition opacification of a contracted aorta and inferior vena cava indicates the presence of circulating contrast medium. Shock likewise produces a similar picture, again readily differentiable on bases of an opacified, although contracted, aorta indicating circulating contrast medium. Imaging findings, increased liver enzymes, low epigastric and right upper quadrant pain as well as tender hepatomegaly and anuria caused by acute renal failure readily established a diagnosis of the HELLP syndrome.
The group IV di-transition metal sulfides and selenides

Abstract The compounds Ti2Se, Zr2S and Zr2Se have been prepared and have been shown to be isostructural with Ti2S and Ta2P. The compound Hf2Se has been prepared and has been shown to be isostructural with Hf2S. A discussion is presented which points out that the structural dissimilarity between the Ti2S and Hf2S structure types is correlated with the promotion energies of the gaseous atoms to the states containing only one s electron.
PROMPTER: a knowledge based support tool for code understanding

As an experiment for the application of knowledge-based techniques to large-scale software maintenance, a program called PROMPTER which produces annotations for programs written in an assembly language is being developed. PROMPTER adopts object-oriented approach and represents both hardware and programming knowledge as class/instance definitions. Object-oriented representation helps decompose the knowledge and organize it in a hierarchical way. It is shown that most of conventions such as data definitions which are the major obstacles to understanding system programs can be well formalized in this framework.
Influence of potassium sorbate and selected antioxidants on growth of Salmonella senftenberg.

The effect of potassium sorbate alone and in combination with butyl hydroxyanisole (BHA), tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), or propyl gallate (PG) on the growth of Salmonella senftenberg was studied. Growth studies were first made using trypticase soy broth (pH5.5) at 37°C. Certain combinations of sorbate with BHA, TBHQ and PG resulted in synergistic inhibition of growth of the test microorganisms. Concentrations of 0.2% potassium sorbate and 200 ppm BHA was the most effective in inhibition of growth of S. senftenberg. The concentrations of potassium sorbate, combined with BHA, TBHQ or PG, that were the most effective in synergistic inhibition of growth of S. senftenberg in media were used to study the effectiveness of sorbate/antioxident combinations in a food system. Fresh ground beef was employed as the food system and held at elevated abuse temperature (30°C). All the sorbate/antioxidant combinations tested resulted in destruction or suppressed final growth of S. senftenberg. The antimicrobial effectiveness of sorbate/antioxidant combinations in fresh ground beef was markedly diminished, compared to media studies. The diminished effectiveness can probably be attributed to autoxidation of the ground beef lipid content and the antioxidant being used up to prevent the autoxidation. Potassium sorbate alone in ground beef was found to be effective in the limitations of S. senftenberg growth. All potassium sorbate/antioxidant and potassium sorbate alone treatments in ground beef were found to significantly inhibit (P>0.05) growth of the test organism when compared to control samples.
Oxygen inhibition of CO oxidation on polycrystalline Rh

Abstract The oxidation of CO on polycrystalline Rh has been investigated at low pressures and relatively high oxygen coverages using in situ mass spectrometry. Both transient and steady-state results clearly indicate that oxygen inhibits CO oxidation at temperatures greater than 550 K. The transient data also demonstrate that the reactivity of adsorbed oxygen depends upon the temperature at which it is formed and upon its surface organization. The observations are attributable in part to the formation of a surface oxide species which inhibits carbon monoxide adsorption.
Creating Direct Incentives for Wildlife Conservation in Community-Based Natural Resource Management Programmes in Botswana

Abstract Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programmes in Botswana were intended to create a wildlife conservation incentive by providing rural communities with tourism rights to wildlife—with limited effect. The 2007 CBNRM policy, increasing central control of CBNRM, is likely to further undermine communities' incentive to conserve wildlife. A complementary conservation corps is needed to create direct incentives to conserve wildlife and to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Responses to contingent behaviour questions indicate broad community support for such a programme and the availability of a suitable labour force willing to work at costs that can be financed from existing CBNRM revenues.
The Z isomer of 2,4-diaminofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine antifolate promotes unusual crystal packing in a human dihydrofolate reductase ternary complex.

The crystal structure of the ternary complex of human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) with NADPH and the Z isomer of 2,4-diamino-5-[2-(2′-methoxy­phenyl)propenyl]-furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (Z1) shows that the Z isomer binds in the normal antifolate orientation in which the furo oxygen occupies the 8-amino position observed in the binding of 2,4-diaminopteridine antifolates such as methotrexate and with the methoxyphenyl moiety cis to and coplanar with the furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine ring. The hDHFR ternary complex crystallized in the ortho­rhombic space group P212121 and its structure was refined to 1.7 A resolution. Although other hDHFR complexes crystallize in this space group, these data provide only the second example of an unusual packing arrangement in which the conserved active-site Arg70 forms a salt bridge to the side chain of Glu44 from a symmetry-related molecule. As a result, the conformations of Phe31 and Gln35 shift with respect to those observed in the structure of mouse DHFR bound to Z1, which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21 and shows that Gln35 interacts with Arg70.
Bermudagrass–White Clover–Bluegrass Sward Production and Botanical Dynamics

Cool-season forages dominate pastures in the Appalachian region where midsummer weather conditions often depress productivity. Warm-season forages can buffer variation in available herbage, but land resources may limit the area dedicated to special-use crops. A replicated field plot experiment was conducted for 3 yr (1995-1997) in a bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) stand oversown with Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) to determine the influence of defoliation on productivity, nutritive value, and botanical dynamics of the mixture. Botanical composition changed with defoliation and varied among years. Bermudagrass comprised as much as 55% of the sward in mid- and late-season 1995. By 1997, the proportion was similar to other grasses and rarely exceeded 20%. Maximum instantaneous growth rates occurred later in the growing season in 1995 when bermudagrass was a dominant sward component compared with subsequent years when bermudagrass was <10% of the sward. Rates in 1995 were greatest for swards clipped at 6-wk intervals (70 kg ha -1 d -1 ) or when 20-cm tall and least when clipped at 2-wk intervals (33 kg ha -1 d -1 ) and at 10-cm height (45 kg ha -1 d -1 ). The trend was reversed by 1997 when sward composition shifted away from bermudagrass to cool-season grasses and white clover. Yields were greatest when cool-season species dominated the sward. Creating a self-regulating mixture of warm- and cool-season perennial forages may be a means of achieving some stability in sward productivity and might be useful where wide fluctuations in growing conditions occur among years.
ACUTE LIFE-THREATENING TOXICITY OF CANCER TREATMENT

The treatment of cancer has evolved over the past 4 decades producing many new therapies that have improved survival and quality of life for patients. Nevertheless, many of these treatments, be they cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs, biologic agents, or radiation, are associated with acute toxicities that can affect a wide range of organ systems and are frequently life threatening. It is a challenge for the intensivist to support patients with cancer through these periods of acute toxicity so that they may benefit from treatment of their underlying disease. Many specific toxicities, such as tumor lysis syndrome, infection, and complications of blood and marrow transplantation are discussed in great depth elsewhere and are therefore beyond the scope of this article.