cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Delayed complications from expanded endonasal surgery for intracranial tumors.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Delayed complications after endoscopic endonasal approaches to the skull base, defined as complications greater than 1 month postoperatively, are uncommon. These complications are divided into categories including sinonasal, neuroanatomic, endocrine and vascular. This review highlights the most up-to-date advancements and reviews the management of delayed complications for skull base patients. RECENT FINDINGS Over the last 10 years, the field of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery has expanded with new data highlighting the long-term patient outcomes. The majority of patients experience increased quality of life (QOL) after these interventions. However, delayed complications including alterations to sinonasal function, delayed encephaloceles from the bony skull base defect and resulting endocrinopathies can significantly impact patient's QOL. Awareness of these complications and their current management is valuable for endoscopic surgeons. SUMMARY Endonasal approaches to the skull base are safe and well tolerated in properly selected patients. This article highlights the delayed complications that require recognition and management by skull base surgeons to ensure the best possible care for patients.
A Method for Cross-Species Visualization and Analysis of RNA-Sequence Data

In this methods article, I describe a computational workflow for cross-species visualization and comparison of mRNA-seq transcriptome profiling data. The workflow is based on gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and is illustrated using commands in the R programming language. I provide a complete step-by-step procedure for the workflow using mRNA-seq data sets from dog and human bladder cancer as an example.
Calculating the Equilibrium Moisture Content for Wood Based on Humidity Measurements

If given enough time, the moisture content of wood will reach an equilibrium with its surrounding environment. The temperature and relative humidity (RH) of the surrounding air will establish equilibrium moisture content (EMC) conditions, and the moisture content of the wood in that environment will approach a value determined by the RH. This article introduces an Excel spreadsheet that will calculate an estimate of the EMC based on any one of the following three pairs of data: RH and dry-bulb temperature, wet-bulb temperature and dry-bulb temperature, or dew-point temperature and dry-bulb temperature.
Danazol inhibits steroidogenesis by the human ovary in vivo

Gonadotropins, estradiol (E 2 ), and the steroid precursors of ovarian estrogen secretion were examined in women on danazol to clarify actions of the medication on hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function. Follicle-stimulating hormone was not altered acutely after a single maximal dose or chronically during therapy, whereas a slight but significant increase in luteinizing hormone was noted during the 6months of treatment. During danazol treatment, there was a blunted response of E 2 to injections of human menopausal gonadotropins. The progestin and androgen precursors of E 2 were reduced, with the exception of 17-hydroxypregnenolone, which was significantly increased. This 17-hydroxylase enzyme block persisted in spite of dexamethasone suppression of adrenal function. Therefore, the reduced ovarian secretion of E 2 in women receiving danazol is due in part to reductions of ovarian precursor steroids for E 2 synthesis, consequent to a direct ovarian action of the medication.
Incidence of 'Never Events' and Common Complications

The incidence of ‘never events’ is challenging to quantify due to the remaining confusion that lies between the NQF and the CMS definitions. The former defines patient - centered events that must never occur, most being at least potentially preventable. The later is more financially driven and penalizes hospitals in which these events, in most part non preventable, occur. It is crucial that the general public understands the differences so as to avoid future law suits for non preventable never events occurrences. Physicians must drive the universal implementation of a culture of patient safety. This process should focus on positive behaviors with an emphasis on ‘always events’. These events should be standardized and validated.
An Evolutionary Perspective on Infant Intelligence: Species Patterns and Individual Variations

Any attempt to construct an evolutionary view of infant intelligence should raise a certain skepticism in the reader’s mind. What, after all, is the nature of intelligence in infancy? And how shall the validity of an evolutionary account be judged? Not, certainly, by its predictive power for the future evolution of infant behavior! On the first question I shall defer largely to Piaget (1952), whose descriptions and explanations of infant intelligence I find consistent with an evolutionary view. On the second question, a few words about evolutionary theory may be helpful.
Phosphorylation of Lysine-rich Histone in the Isolated Perfused Rat Liver EFFECTS OF GLUCAGON, CYCLIC ADENOSINE 3':5'-MONOPHOSPHATE, AND INSULIN

Abstract The phosphorylation of lysine-rich (f1) histone at a specific serine residue was studied in the isolated, perfused rat liver. Glucagon and adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate stimulated phosphorylation at this site, confirming that the previously demonstrated stimulatory effect of these agents in intact rats was an effect directly on the liver. Insulin did not alter the phosphorylation of f1 histone in the perfused liver. The stimulation by insulin previously observed in the whole animal, therefore, was an indirect effect, probably due to glucagon or catecholamines released in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia.
Human- and mouse-inducible nitric oxide synthase promoters require activation of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C and NF-kappa B.

The production of nitric oxide by type II inducible nitric oxide synthase (type II NOS) gene is controlled at least in part by transcriptional activation. Although the murine and human type II NOS genes share significant sequence homology, they differ in the induction stimuli required for activation. The A549 human and murine RAW 264.7 cell lines were cultured in the presence of inducers of the type II NOS gene and exposed to specific inhibitors of phosphatidyl choline-specific phospholipase C, NF-κB, and endocytosis, as well as to reagents that deplete stores of ATP or prevent the acidification of endosomes. The effect of these reagents on the induction of the type II NOS gene transcription, translation, and NO expression was studied using electromobility shift assays. Western blotting, and the detection of NO as nitrates, as appropriate. Additionally, the ability of the native human type II NOS NF-κB recognition sequence to bind NF-κB was compared with a concensus sequence and with a mutated oligomer. Type II NOS production by both human and mouse cells could be prevented by the addition of the specific inhibitor of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C, D609, and of agents that interfere with the activation of NF-κB. Both mouse and human cells also required acidic endosome formation and the production of 1,2-diacylglycerol for type II NOS expression. Additionally, the native human type II NOS NF-κB recognition sequence bound NF-κB with significantly less affinity than did the recognition sequence derived from the human immunoglobulin light-chain gene promoter. These experiments show that whereas mouse cells can be activated by lipopolysaccharide to produce nitric oxide, and human cells require activation by a mixture of cytokines to produce nitric oxide, the intracellular activation pathway following receptor binding of these heterologous stimuli is shared. Additionally, NF-κB activation is necessary but not sufficient for inducible nitric oxide synthase production in human cells, in contrast to murine cells in which it serves as a complete inducer.
Formal Design of Cloud Computing Systems in Maude

Cloud computing systems are complex distributed systems whose design is challenging for two main reasons: (1) since they are distributed systems, a correct design is very hard to achieve by testing alone; and (2) cloud computing applications have high availability and performance requirements; but these are hard to measure before implementation and hard to compare between different implementations. This paper summarizes our experience in using formal specification in Maude and model checking analysis to quickly explore the design space of a cloud computing system to achieve a high quality design that: (1) has verified correctness guarantees; (2) has better performance properties than other design alternatives so explored; (3) can be achieved before an actual implementation; and (4) can be used for both rapid prototyping and for automatic code generation.
Speckle-Based BPSK/QPSK Demodulator

BPSK and QPSK RF signals are demodulated without carrier frequency knowledge. The demodulator employs compressive sensing recovery methods and uses speckle within a multimode fiber to perform the requisite random signal projections.
Subacute Osteomyelitis of the Pediatric Talus: A First Report of Brodie's Abscess from Morganella morganii.

Brodie’s abscess is a subacute form of osteomyelitis which generally occurs in the metaphysis of the femur and tibia in the pediatric population. Pathogens are most commonly Gram-positive bacteria, notably Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. In this article, we describe a young pediatric patient presenting with subacute ankle pain with a subsequent diagnosis of Brodie’s abscess of the talus secondary to Morganella morganii. We review the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this unique patient. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Morganella morganii as a cause of Brodie’s abscess.
Atg14 protects the intestinal epithelium from TNF-triggered villus atrophy

Regulation of intestinal epithelial turnover is a key component of villus maintenance in the intestine. The balance of cell turnover can be perturbed by various extrinsic factors including the cytokine TNF, a cell signaling protein that mediates both proliferative and cytotoxic outcomes. Under conditions of infection and damage, defects in autophagy are associated with TNF-mediated cell death and tissue damage in the intestinal epithelium. However, a direct role of autophagy within the context of enterocyte cell death during homeostasis is lacking. Here, we generated mice lacking ATG14 (autophagy related 14) within the intestinal epithelium [Atg14f/f Vil1-Cre (VC)+]. These mice developed spontaneous villus loss and intestinal epithelial cell death within the small intestine. Based on marker studies, the increased cell death in these mice was due to apoptosis. Atg14f/f VC+ intestinal epithelial cells demonstrated sensitivity to TNF-triggered apoptosis. Correspondingly, both TNF blocking antibody and genetic deletion of Tnfrsf1a/Tnfr1 rescued villus loss and cell death phenotype in Atg14f/f VC+ mice. Lastly, we identified a similar pattern of spontaneous villus atrophy and cell death when Rb1cc1/Fip200 was conditionally deleted from the intestinal epithelium (Rb1cc1f/f VC+). Overall, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that factors that control entry into the autophagy pathway are also required during homeostasis to prevent TNF triggered death in the intestine. Abbreviations: ANOVA: analysis of variance; Atg14: autophagy related 14; Atg16l1: autophagy related 16-like 1 (S. cerevisiae); Atg5: autophagy related 5; cCASP3: cleaved CASP3/caspase-3; cCASP8: cleaved CASP8/caspase-8; CHX: cycloheximide; EdU: 5-ethynyl-2´-deoxyuridine thymidine; f/f: flox/flox; HE MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; Nec-1: necrostatin-1; Rb1cc1/Fip200: RB1-inducible coiled-coil 1; Ripk1: receptor (TNFRSF)-interacting serine-threonine kinase 1; Ripk3: receptor (TNFRSF)-interacting serine-threonine kinase 3; Tnfrsf1a/Tnfr1: tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 1a; Tnf/ Tnfsf1a: tumor necrosis factor; VC: Vil1/villin 1-Cre.
Complex Signaling Within Tripartite Synapses

Abstract Glial cells were originally thought to be fairly passive players in the nervous system, mainly involved in supporting neurons by regulating ion concentrations and other substances in the extracellular fluid. However, it is now clear that glial cells also have a much more direct, integral role in regulating synaptic transmission. In particular, a subset of glial cells called astrocytes often surround synapses and are able to affect synaptic transmission by removing released neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft, maintaining appropriate ion concentrations in the extracellular fluid, and releasing neurotransmitters themselves in a manner similar to synaptic vesicular release from neurons. Additionally, astrocytes are connected to one another by gap junctions, which allows coordinated modulation of neighboring astrocytes by waves of calcium that propagate via these gap junctions, and, by extension, coordinate the activity of local neurons.
A Simple and Intuitive Algorithm for Preventing Directory Traversal Attacks.

With web applications becoming a preferred method of presenting graphical user interfaces to users, software vulnerabilities affecting web applications are becoming more and more prevalent and devastating. Some of these vulnerabilities, such as directory traversal attacks, have varying defense mechanisms and mitigations that can be difficult to understand, analyze, and test. Gaps in the testing of these directory traversal defense mechanisms can lead to vulnerabilities that allow attackers to read sensitive data from files or even execute malicious code. This paper presents an analysis of some currently used directory traversal attack defenses and presents a new, stack-based algorithm to help prevent these attacks by safely canonicalizing user-supplied path strings. The goal of this algorithm is to be small, easy to test, cross-platform compatible, and above all, intuitive. We provide a proof of correctness and verification strategies using symbolic execution for the algorithm. We hope that the algorithm is simple and effective enough to help move developers towards a unified defense against directory traversal attacks.
The Piano Keyboard as Task Constraint: Timing Patterns of Pianists’ Scales Persist Across Instruments:

Variation in one form or another is an inevitable aspect of human motor performance as the body negotiates the degrees of freedom problem while also adapting to ever-changing task constraints. The ...
Application of forgiveness in rehabilitation psychology: a positive option for change

Throughout the past 25 years, forgiveness has been a part of psychology and studied within many populations. However, forgiveness has not been considered nor promoted as a helpful skill or approach when counseling persons with disabilities or in the rehabilitation counseling/psychology profession at large. In an effort to change this trend by educating the profession on the importance and relevance of forgiveness to the practice of rehabilitation psychology, readers are afforded the opportunity to learn about forgiveness, its application and relevance to persons with disabilities, and to further their understanding of how forgiveness can be conceptualized and explored. Provided in this article is a proposed forgiveness model which can be used to assist professionals in the exploration of forgiveness among the people they serve. Following this model is an applied case study and professional implications.
Making Campus-Based LGBTQ Climate Assessments Matter.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals experience stigma and discrimination on college campuses. This may translate into negative mental health and poor academic outcomes. Cam...
Disaggregated Hispanic Groups and Cancer: Importance, Methodology, and Current Knowledge

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Latinos/Hispanics, the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States. Their cancer burden has nearly doubled in 15 years, with 129,000 new cancer cases nationwide in 2014. As this relatively young Hispanic population ages, this burden will inevitably increase; thus, accurate characterization of the Hispanic cancer experience is critical. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge on cancer in Hispanics, with a focus on the imperative of disaggregating by specific Hispanic group (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Central Americans, South Americans, and Dominicans) and nativity. We also describe for the first time some major methodological challenges in determining accurate cancer indicators for specific Hispanic groups and suggest approaches to overcome these hurdles. Our research shows that cancer patterns by specific Hispanic group can be quite distinct according to country of origin, particularly among the first-generation immigrants. For the second-generation Latinos and beyond, patterns for obesity-related cancers, poverty-related cancers, and particularly liver cancer are intriguing, and often parallel patterns are seen among other disadvantaged US minority groups. Unsurprisingly, birthplace (US- vs. foreign-born) used as a proxy measure of acculturation is a strong confounder in epidemiological analyses, dramatically influencing cancer indicators. Disaggregation of Hispanic groups should frame efforts to formulate cancer prevention and control strategies to address the needs of the burgeoning US Latino population.
Improved Delivery Through Biological Membranes. LVI. Pharmacological Evaluation of Alprenoxime—A New Potential Antiglaucoma Agent

A new site-specific chemical delivery system (CDS) for alprenolol was designed and investigated as a potential novel antiglaucoma agent. The effect of this compound, alprenoxime (AO), on the intraocular pressure (IOP) of rabbits was evaluated after its uni- and bilateral administration. AO produced significant reduction of the IOP starting at 30 min and lasting for more than 6 hr after its topical administration. Both in rats and in rabbits the i.v. bolus injection of AO (6 mg/kg) led to insignificant transient bradycardia, while no activity was found after oral or topical administration. Alprenolol (ALP) in a similar dose produced a sustained and significant bradycardia for more than 30 min. When the beta-adrenergic blocking activity was assessed against isoprenaline-tachycardia, the same results were obtained, i.e., AO led to a transient brief activity, whereas ALP produced a significant long-lasting beta blockade. These results support the potent ocular hypotensive action and the weak systemic beta-adrenergic blocking and cardiovascular activity of AO: a significant improvement in the therapeutic index. This finding recommends alprenoxime as a potent site-specific antiglaucoma agent with minimal systemic side effects.
Graphene oxide and graphene oxide functionalized with silver nanoparticles as adsorbents of phosphates in waters. A comparative study.

Abstract Phosphate removal is an important factor that must be taken into account in eutrophized waters. For this reason, many studies on different ways of removing phosphates from water have been published nowadays. In this work, a comparative study between the use of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene oxide functionalized with silver nanoparticles (GO@AgNPs) as adsorbents to remove phosphates from water samples has been carried out. Experimental conditions, including the pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and temperature, have been analyzed to achieve the highest adsorption efficiency. Although both adsorbents can be considered suitable for removing phosphates from aqueous solutions, GO@AgNPs provided a maximum removal efficiency of 100%, reaching the equilibrium conditions instantaneously under straightforward experimental conditions. Moreover, a much lower adsorbent dose was necessary than with graphene oxide. When GO was used, the maximum removal efficiency was 75%, 9 min were necessary to reach the equilibrium conditions and 20 mg of adsorbent were needed. Both adsorbents can be regenerated in an acid medium, giving recovery percentages of 98% and 80% for GO and GO@AgNPs respectively, which allows them to be recycled and used again.
How to Establish Industrial AI Technology and Capability

A guide to assessment and training methods for the intelligent transformation of industrial enterprises including data sets from open data challenges.
Single crystal structure and photocatalytic behavior of grafted uranyl on the Zr-node of a pyrene-based metal–organic framework

Accurately characterizing actinide oxides bound to metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is important for designing MOFs as radioactive waste sorbents and catalytic supports. In this work, the zirconium MOF NU-1000 was post-synthetically modified through solvothermal deposition to include the uranyl (UO22+) ion and characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Bond lengths derived from the diffraction pattern and Raman spectroscopy indicate that UO22+ maintains its chemical properties upon deposition, while alcohol oxidation photocatalysis reveals photo-interactions between the pyrene linkers and the UO22+ ion.
Chapter 8 – Introduction to the Laplace Transform

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the Laplace transform. It presents a list of Laplace transforms of frequently used functions. The Laplace transform has many operational properties. Apart from these operational properties, the chapter highlights additional frequently used properties of the Laplace transform as well. The chapter discusses the theorem and corollary that show that the Laplace transform of the derivative of a given function can be obtained from the Laplace transform of the function. It also reviews a theorem that states that the Laplace transform of the integral of a given function can also be obtained from the Laplace transform of the function. It shows how to find out inverse Laplace transform of equations with several examples. Laplace transforms can be used to solve certain differential equations. Typically, when Laplace transforms is used to solve a differential equation for a function y, the Laplace transform of each term in the equation will be computed, the resulting equation for L {y} will be solved, and y will be determined by computing the inverse Laplace transform of L{y}. Laplace transforms can also be used to solve certain equations with nonconstant coefficients, although Laplace transforms do not provide a general method for solving such equations and delay equations.
Dynamic Online Learning Applied to Fast Switched-Stub Impedance Tuner for Frequency and Load Impedance Agility in Radar Applications

Switched-stub tuner topologies show promise for use in real-time tuning of high-power amplifiers in radar transmitter arrays. High-power switches can be used to expose or remove different tuning stubs from a series line in real time to adjust power-amplifier load impedance following changes in operating frequency or array scan angle. Dynamic online learning can be applied to enhance optimization of the amplifiers by updating models for tuner performance in realtime. This minimizes experimental queries needed to reoptimize on the fly as the system adjusts its operating frequency or scan angle. Measurement results are presented to optimize a six-stub tuner in a 2–4 GHz window with varying antenna impedances from a software-defined radio platform. Results show significant time savings can be achieved by applying dynamic learning.
Successful Endoscopic Removal of Toothpick Perforating Gastric Antrum With Over-the-Scope Padlock Clip Closure.

Our unique case demonstrates the use of an over-the-scope Padlock clip for closure of a sharp foreign body induced gastric perforation, avoiding the need for surgical intervention. A 47-year old female presented with a two-day history of abdominal pain with nausea. Abdominal CT scan revealed a linear density in the distal body of the stomach extending outside the lumen. Endoscopic evaluation revealed a toothpick perforating through the wall of the gastric antrum. Endoscopic removal was performed, and closure of the full-thickness defect was achieved with an over-the-scope Padlock clip. The patient subsequently made an uneventful recovery, with no reported complications at two-year follow-up. Early endoscopic removal and closure of gastric luminal perforations by over-the-scope Padlock clips are viable alternative treatments for defects previously considered only amenable to surgical repair. Endoscopic treatment of gastrointestinal perforations has shown to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with more invasive surgical procedures.
Generalized λ-deformations of AdSp × Sp

Abstract We study analytical properties of the generalized λ -deformation, which modifies string theories while preserving integrability, and construct the explicit backgrounds corresponding to AdS p × S p , including the Ramond–Ramond fluxes. For an arbitrary coset, we find the general form of the R-matrix underlying the deformation, and prove that the dilaton is not modified by the deformation, while the frames are multiplied by a constant matrix. Our explicit solutions describe families of integrable string theories depending on several continuous parameters.
Daniel Sennert, Chymistry, and Theological Debates.

Daniel Sennert (1572–1637) of Wittenberg is known as one of the earliest university professors of medicine, who advanced the study of “chymistry” (alchemy/chemistry) through his influential writing...
Turbulent Helical Flow in an Annulus

Turbulent flow of an incompressible fluid in the annular space between concentric rotating cylinders with an axial pressure gradient is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The concept of a tensor eddy viscosity is used to develop the theory which predicts mean velocity distributions and resistance characteristics of fully developed turbulent flow in an annulus with either rough or smooth boundaries. Resistance characteristics and transition phenomena are observed in an annulus with the inner cylinder rotating. For a given axial flow, the axial resistance increases with increasing speed of rotation, in agreement with theoretical predictions. The transition from purely turbulent flow to turbulent flow with vortices, as inferred from changes in axial pressure gradient, is found to occur at a constant value of the ratio of average axial velocity to tangential velocity. For a given angular velocity, the tangential resistance is found to be reduced by the introduction of axial flow.
Natively probabilistic computation

I introduce a new set of natively probabilistic computing abstractions, including probabilistic generalizations of Boolean circuits, backtracking search and pure Lisp. I show how these tools let one compactly specify probabilistic generative models, generalize and parallelize widely used sampling algorithms like rejection sampling and Markov chain Monte Carlo, and solve difficult Bayesian inference problems. I first introduce Church, a probabilistic programming language for describing probabilistic generative processes that induce distributions, which generalizes Lisp, a language for describing deterministic procedures that induce functions. I highlight the ways randomness meshes with the reflectiveness of Lisp to support the representation of structured, uncertain knowledge, including nonparametric Bayesian models from the current literature, programs for decision making under uncertainty, and programs that learn very simple programs from data. I then introduce systematic stochastic search, a recursive algorithm for exact and approximate sampling that generalizes a popular form of backtracking search to the broader setting of stochastic simulation and recovers widely used particle filters as a special case. I use it to solve probabilistic reasoning problems from statistical physics, causal reasoning and stereo vision. Finally, I introduce stochastic digital circuits that model the probability algebra just as traditional Boolean circuits model the Boolean algebra. I show how these circuits can be used to build massively parallel, fault-tolerant machines for sampling and allow one to efficiently run Markov chain Monte Carlo methods on models with hundreds of thousands of variables in real time. I emphasize the ways in which these ideas fit together into a coherent software and hardware stack for natively probabilistic computing, organized around distributions and samplers rather than deterministic functions. I argue that by building uncertainty and randomness into the foundations of our programming languages and computing machines, we may arrive at ones that are more powerful, flexible and efficient than deterministic designs, and are in better alignment with the needs of computational science, statistics and artificial intelligence. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Leukaemia stem cells and the evolution of cancer-stem-cell research

Many cancers seem to depend on a small population of 'cancer stem cells' for their continued growth and propagation. The leukaemia stem cell (LSC) was the first such cell to be described. The origins of these cells are controversial, and their biology - like that of their normal-tissue counterpart, the haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) - is still not fully elucidated. However, the LSC is likely to be the most crucial target in the treatment of leukaemias, and a thorough understanding of its biology - particularly of how the LSC differs from the HSC - might allow it to be selectively targeted, improving therapeutic outcome.
Sub‐Saharan Africa: Jihads, Slave Trade and Early Colonialism in the Long Eighteenth Century

This study explores the meaning of the eighteenth century for sub-Saharan African historiography. The period is understood as an extension of changes initiated with the collapse in 1591 of the West African Songhay empire and the presence of the Portuguese on the coast of West Central Africa at the end of the fifteenth century. The end of the long eighteenth century is delimited by the British occupation of Cape Colony, the end of the British slave trade and the jihads in central Sudan. This long eighteenth century is marked by the transatlantic slave trade and its effects on African societies.
Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of arterial – antecubital vein concentration difference

Modeling of pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamic actions requires knowledge of the arterial blood concentration. In most cases, experimental measurements are only available for a peripheral vein (usually antecubital) whose concentration may differ significantly from both arterial and central vein concentration. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for the tissues drained by the antecubital vein (referred to as "arm") is developed. It is assumed that the "arm" is composed of tissues with identical properties (partition coefficient, blood flow/gm) as the whole body tissues plus a new "tissue" representing skin arteriovenous shunts. The antecubital vein concentration depends on the following parameters: the fraction of "arm" blood flow contributed by muscle, skin, adipose, connective tissue and arteriovenous shunts, and the flow per gram of the arteriovenous shunt. The value of these parameters was investigated using simultaneous experimental measurements of arterial and antecubital concentrations for eight solutes: ethanol, thiopental, 99Tcm-diethylene triamine pentaacetate (DTPA), ketamine, D2O, acetone, methylene chloride and toluene. A new procedure is described that can be used to determine the arterial concentration for an arbitrary solute by deconvolution of the antecubital concentration. These procedures are implemented in PKQuest, a general PBPK program that is freely distributed http://www.pkquest.com . One set of "standard arm" parameters provides an adequate description of the arterial/antecubital vein concentration for ethanol, DTPA, thiopental and ketamine. A significantly different set of "arm" parameters was required to describe the data for D2O, acetone, methylene chloride and toluene – probably because the "arm" is in a different physiological state. Using the set of "standard arm" parameters, the antecubital vein concentration can be used to determine the whole body PBPK model parameters for an arbitrary solute without any additional adjustable parameters. Also, the antecubital vein concentration can be used to estimate the arterial concentration for an arbitrary input for solutes for which no arterial concentration data is available.
Choosing Ethnicity, Negotiating Race: Korean Adoptees in America. By Mia Tuan and Jiannbin Lee Shiao. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation, 2011. 213 pp., $35.00.

A review of the book "Choosing Ethnicity, Negotiating Race: Korean Adoptees in America," by Mia Tuan and Jiannbin Lee Shiao, is presented.
Inter-Carrier Interference Cancellation for OFDM Systems with Macrodiversity and Multiple Frequency Offsets

Macrodiversity provides improved coverage in wireless communications. It is used in single frequency networks (SFN), and in some cellular systems, when a mobile is in a soft handoff. The combination of OFDM and macrodiversity is very attractive for the ability of OFDM to cope with delay spread resulting from macrodiversity. However, such system is very sensitive to poor frequency synchronization among transmitters, which results in multiple frequency offsets. These cause inter-carrier interference (ICI), which severely degrades performance. In this paper we quantify the degradation, providing expressions for the receiver SINR, and find the optimum receiver frequency synchronization. Furthermore, we propose to mitigate ICI degradation using linear and decision feedback interference cancellation. In each case, we provide a solution using both the decorrelating and the MMSE criteria. Simulation results show that, for macrodiversity OFDM, our approach results in significantly improved performance and robustness to frequency offsets.
Presence of suicidality as a prognostic indicator.

Background: Suicidal symptoms in depression are often thought to predict a higher severity of illness and a worse prognosis. Aims: To determine if suicidal ideation at the time of treatment for major depression can predict response to antidepressant medication in primary care. Settings and Design: A retrospective analysis of subjects receiving anti-depressant drugs in a primary care setting Methods and Material: Nine depressed patients (14%) who acknowledged suicidality on the PHQ-9 depression scale were followed up for and compared to a group of 54 (86%) depressed patients (controls) who did not have suicidal thoughts for four months. All were given treatment with antidepressants and followed with a disease management protocol where the PHQ-9 was used as a systematic outcome measure. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive measures and t-tests were utilized to show statistical significance. Results: There were no statistical differences in remission from depressive symptoms based on the PHQ-9 scale after antidepressant treatment, between patients with suicidal thoughts (56%) and those without (44%). Conclusion: The presence of suicidality as a depressive symptom did not predict poorer clinical outcome when treating depression in the primary care setting in the patients studied.
Chapter 1 Förster resonance energy transfer—FRET what is it, why do it, and how it's done

Publisher Summary The chapter examines some general salient features of resonance energy transfer by stressing the kinetic competition of the Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) pathway with all other pathways of de-excitation. This approach emphasizes many of the biotechnological and biophysical uses of FRET, along with emphasizing the important competing processes and biological functions of FRET in photosynthesis. The chapter focuses on a few critical essentials concerning the fundamentals of energy transfer and the methods of measurement. These basic aspects of FRET are helpful for understanding the important features and interpretations of energy transfer measurements. As various macromolecular systems are ideally suited for FRET applications, FRET has received so much interest in biotechnology and medicine as well as in biophysics. Applications for FRET extend from more traditional cuvette spectroscopic measurements on larger volumes to FRET imaging experiments in the fluorescence microscope and single molecule experiments. The recent applications of FRET in the optical microscope have become very popular because of its interpretive power on the molecular scale with regard to statically and dynamically associating molecular systems in cellular biology.
Response of Cutaneous Metastases from Breast Cancer to Capecitabine

Excluding malignant melanoma, breast cancer has the highest incidence of cutaneous metastasis compared to any other solid malignancy. Up to 24% of patients with metastatic breast cancer are expected to have metastasis to the skin. Clinical trials testing various chemotherapeutic regiments for metastatic breast cancer generally do not report the success or failure rates of their regiments in relation to patients with metastasis to the skin. We report here 2 patients with cutaneous metastatic breast cancer who experiences dramatic and durable responses to single agent oral capecitabine. In addition we provide a brief review of the literature regarding the presentation, prognosis and treatment of cutaneous metastatic breast cancer with particular attention to local treatment modalities available.
Neural plasticity in hypocretin neurons: the basis of hypocretinergic regulation of physiological and behavioral functions in animals

The neuronal system that resides in the perifornical and lateral hypothalamus (Pf/LH) and synthesizes the neuropeptide hypocretin/orexin participates in critical brain functions across species from fish to human. The hypocretin system regulates neural activity responsible for daily functions (such as sleep/wake homeostasis, energy balance, appetite, etc.) and long-term behavioral changes (such as reward seeking and addiction, stress response, etc.) in animals. The most recent evidence suggests that the hypocretin system undergoes substantial plastic changes in response to both daily fluctuations (such as food intake and sleep-wake regulation) and long-term changes (such as cocaine seeking) in neuronal activity in the brain. The understanding of these changes in the hypocretin system is essential in addressing the role of the hypocretin system in normal physiological functions and pathological conditions in animals and humans. In this review, the evidence demonstrating that neural plasticity occurs in hypocretin-containing neurons in the Pf/LH will be presented and possible physiological, behavioral, and mental health implications of these findings will be discussed.
Three Phases of Mobile Learning State of the Art and Case of Mobile Help Seeking Tool for the Health Care Sector

The Internet mobile device enabled social networks of today stand accused of being so-called ‘weapons of mass distraction’ or worse. However, we point out that modern fears about the dangers of social networking are overdone. The paper goes on to present three phases of mobile learning state of the art that articulate what is possible now and in the near future for mobile learning. The Learning Layers project is used to provide a case of barriers and possibilities for mobile learning; we report on extensive initial co-design work and significant barriers with respect to the design of a mobile Help Seeking tool for the Healthcare sector (UK). We then provide an account of how the Help Seeking tool is being linked to a Social Semantic Server and report on a follow-up empirical co-design study.
What went wrong? Therapists’ reflections on their role in premature termination

The present study used Consensual Qualitative Research methodology to explore how experienced therapists understand and learn from impactful cases of premature termination. Eleven board certified psychologists were interviewed regarding a former client who left treatment prematurely. Participants were asked to reflect on client and therapist factors that may have contributed to premature termination, and on how the termination affected their work and professional development. Results indicated that therapist reactions and mistakes may contribute to the risk of premature termination, and that therapists may experience complex and lasting personal reactions to such outcomes. While they may face considerable uncertainty, therapists can learn valuable lessons by reflecting on departed clients. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
New health conditions identified at a regional childhood cancer survivor clinic visit.

Background Specialty childhood cancer survivorship clinics have been established to screen for potential treatment-related effects. Given the limited empirical data regarding the merit of survivorship clinics, we assessed the frequencies of newly identified, therapy-related effects in survivors who attended Health, Education, Research, Outcomes for Survivors (HEROS) clinic at Yale during 2003–2009. Procedure A total of 213 survivors in remission, who were diagnosed with cancer at an age ≤21 years and were ≥3 years after cancer diagnosis, underwent screening based on cancer treatment exposures according to the children's oncology group long-term follow-up guidelines. The frequencies and associated factors of newly identified health conditions were determined. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals were estimated using multivariate regression models with stepwise selection. Results Prior to the HEROS clinic visit, 49% of patients had at least one previously known late complication of therapy. After the visit, a total of 98 new health conditions were identified in 73 patients (34%). Newly identified complications in screened patients included pulmonary dysfunction (23%), endocrinopathy (19%), osteoporosis (17%), dyslipidemia (8%), neurologic impairment (4%), cardiovascular deficit (3%) and subsequent cancer (3%). Age at cancer diagnosis (OR = 1.06 [1.00–1.11]), chest irradiation (OR = 2.92 [1.58–5.40]), and history of ≥1 other treatment-related complication(s) (OR = 2.20 [1.18–4.07]) were associated with a higher likelihood of having new conditions identified. Conclusion Risk-based screening at a specialty childhood cancer survivor clinic detected a substantial number of previously unrecognized, treatment-related health complications in a group of survivors already receiving regular medical care elsewhere. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 682–687. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Heterogeneously integrated long-wavelength VCSEL using silicon high contrast grating on an SOI substrate

We report an electrically pumped hybrid cavity AlGaInAs-silicon long-wavelength VCSEL using a high contrast grating (HCG) reflector on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The VCSEL operates at silicon transparent wavelengths ~1.57 μm with >1 mW CW power outcoupled from the semiconductor DBR, and single-mode operation up to 65 °C. The thermal resistance of our device is measured to be 1.46 K/mW. We demonstrate >2.5 GHz 3-dB direct modulation bandwidth, and show error-free transmission over 2.5 km single mode fiber under 5 Gb/s direct modulation. We show a theoretical design of SOI-HCG serving both as a VCSEL reflector as well as waveguide coupler for an in-plane SOI waveguide, facilitating integration of VCSEL with in-plane silicon photonic circuits. The novel HCG-VCSEL design, which employs scalable flip-chip eutectic bonding, may enable low cost light sources for integrated optical links.
A polarographic method for the rapid determination of glucose with glucose oxidase

A rapid polarographic technique for the determination of glucose with a Clark-type O2 electrode and glucose oxidase is described. The method is sensitive and accommodates a greater range of glucose concentrations than the conventional spectrophotometric glucose oxidase procedure. The simplicity and advantages of the polarographic method are discussed. The new technique was tested in the determination of residual glucose in premelanoidin preparations.
Dopamine in Hypophysial Portal Plasma and Prolactin in Systemic Plasma of Rats Treated with 5-Hy droxytryptamine

Intracerebroventricularly administered 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) altered the release of dopamine into pituitary stalk blood and of PRL into the systemic circulation of male rats. The concentration of dopamine in pituitary stalk plasma of rats given 0.5 or 5.0 μg 5HT was 0.32 ± 0.06 (mean ± SE) or 0.18 ± 0.04 ng/ml, respectively, and was significantly less than that in vehicle-treated animals (0.80 ± 0.04 ng/ml). Relative to the mean level of PRL in animals injected with the solvent vehicle, the mean concentration of PRL in central venous plasma of rats given 0.5 or 5.0 μg 5HT was increased 4-fold or 13-fold, respectively. Other rats were infused iv with dopamine formin. After 15 min of infusion, the mean concentration of dopamine in arterial plasma was several times that of dopamine in pituitary stalk plasma of rats not infused with dopamine. Even so, this high concentration of dopamine did not prevent the 5HT-induced release of PRL. We conclude that 5HT modulates the secretion of PRL through a stimulator...
II—Control Variables and Mental Causation

I introduce the notion of a ‘control variable’ which gives us a way of seeing how mental causation could be an unproblematic case of causation in general, rather than being some sui generis form of causation. Psychological variables may be the control variables for a system for which there are no physical control variables, even in a deterministic physical world. That explains how there can be psychological causation without physical causation, even in a deterministic physical world.
A predictive model to guide management of the overlap region between target volume and organs at risk in prostate cancer volumetric modulated arc therapy

PURPOSE The goal of this study is to determine whether the magnitude of overlap between planning target volume (PTV) and rectum (Rectumoverlap) or PTV and bladder (Bladderoverlap) in prostate cancer volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is predictive of the dose-volume relationships achieved after optimization, and to identify predictive equations and cutoff values using these overlap volumes beyond which the Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC) dose-volume constraints are unlikely to be met. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-seven patients with prostate cancer underwent VMAT planning using identical optimization conditions and normalization. The PTV (for the 50.4 Gy primary plan and 30.6 Gy boost plan) included 5 to 10 mm margins around the prostate and seminal vesicles. Pearson correlations, linear regression analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to correlate the percentage overlap with dose-volume parameters. RESULTS The percentage Rectumoverlap and Bladderoverlap correlated with sparing of that organ but minimally impacted other dose-volume parameters, predicted the primary plan rectum V45 and bladder V50 with R(2) = 0.78 and R(2) = 0.83, respectively, and predicted the boost plan rectum V30 and bladder V30 with R(2) = 0.53 and R(2) = 0.81, respectively. The optimal cutoff value of boost Rectumoverlap to predict rectum V75 >15% was 3.5% (sensitivity 100%, specificity 94%, p 10% was 5.0% (sensitivity 83%, specificity 100%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION The degree of overlap between PTV and bladder or rectum can be used to accurately guide physicians on the use of interventions to limit the extent of the overlap region prior to optimization.