cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract A72: Bilateral oophorectomy and cancer mortality in African American women.

Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in the U.S., and many women also undergo bilateral oophorectomy at the time of hysterectomy. African American women are more likely than white women to undergo gynecologic surgery, particularly at younger ages. The effect of premature loss of ovarian hormones on long-term health is not well understood. Based on limited epidemiologic data, bilateral oophorectomy has been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer but an increased risk of colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and total cancer mortality. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relation of bilateral oophorectomy to cancer mortality among African American women. We used data from the Black Women's Health Study, a follow-up of women aged 21-69 years at enrollment in 1995. The analysis was restricted to 11,745 women who had had a hysterectomy, either with bilateral oophorectomy (47%) or with retention of both ovaries (53%). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cancer mortality in relation to bilateral oophorectomy compared with hysterectomy alone. Multivariable models were adjusted for age, age at surgery, female hormone use, and other lifestyle factors. During 14 years of follow-up from 1995 to 2009, 241 cancer deaths occurred in the study group. The multivariable HRs were 1.05 (95% CI 0.79-1.39) for bilateral oophorectomy overall, 1.05 (95% CI 0.77-1.44) for bilateral oophorectomy at age <45 years, and 1.18 (95% CI 0.76-1.83) for bilateral oophorectomy among nonusers of female hormones. For breast cancer mortality, the HRs were 0.70 (95% CI 0.33-1.49) for all bilateral oophorectomies, 0.57 (95% CI 0.23-1.42) for bilateral oophorectomy before age 45, and 0.58 (95% CI 0.14-2.52) among nonusers of female hormones. The corresponding HRs for mortality from other (non-reproductive) cancers were 1.19 (95% CI 0.87-1.63), 1.23 (95% CI 0.88-1.73), and 1.34 (95% CI 0.83-2.17), respectively. Our results suggest that women who undergo surgical removal of their ovaries and do not take female hormone supplements may have a reduction in mortality from breast cancer but an increased mortality from other cancers. Further work is needed to establish the magnitude of these risks and benefits. Citation Format: Deborah A. Boggs, Julie R. Palmer, Lynn Rosenberg. Bilateral oophorectomy and cancer mortality in African American women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A72.
Use of a compact intraoperative low-field magnetic imager in pediatric neurosurgery

Object The majority of investigations on the utility of and indications for intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) have been in adult patients. We report our initial experience utilizing low-field iMRI in pediatric patients.
Echocardiographic Assessment of Ebstein's Anomaly

Ebstein's anomaly is a complex congenital lesion which primarily involves the tricuspid valve. The tricuspid leaflets are tethered to varying degrees to the right ventricular free wall and the ventricular septum often resulting in significant tricuspid regurgitation and a small functioning right ventricular chamber. Although the septal leaflet originates normally at the right atrioventricular junction, the proximal portion is often completely tethered to the ventricular septum resulting in a misconception and erroneous statements in many publications that its attachment is apically displaced. Although two-dimensional echocardiography represents the primary modality for the diagnosis of this anomaly, three-dimensional echocardiography provides incremental value in characterizing the extent and severity of tethering of individual tricuspid valve leaflets. This information is useful in surgical decision making whether to repair or replace the tricuspid valve.
Acetylcholinesterase activity in neurons of crayfish abdominal ganglia.

Acetylcholine is known to be a neurotransmitter in crustacean central nervous systems, but the numbers and distribution of cholinergic neurons in the segmental ganglia have not been described. To begin a census of cholinergic neurons in these ganglia, we used a histochemical assay for acetylcholinesterase to map neurons that contained this enzyme in the six abdominal ganglia of crayfish. In each abdominal ganglion, about 47 cell bodies were stained. The distributions of these stained cells in individual ganglia were similar, and the numbers were not significantly different. None of these stained cell bodies could be identified from their structures or locations as previously identified motor neurons or sensory neurons with central cell bodies. The process of one unpaired midline neuron that occurred only in the first three abdominal ganglia divided to send a pair of axons anteriorly into both halves of the connective. The central projections of afferent axons from many peripheral sensory neurons stained clearly as they entered each ganglion. Terminals of these axons were heavily stained in the horseshoe neuropil and the lateral neuropils. We labeled both γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholinesterase in individual ganglia. Only a few neurons in each ganglion were double-labeled. The unpaired midline neurons in the three anterior ganglia that stained for acetylcholinesterase did not show GABA-like immunoreactivity, but cells with similar shapes did label with the GABA antiserum. Acetylcholinesterase is not a definitive marker of cholinergic neurons, but its presence is often associated with the cholinergic phenotype. These stained cells should be considered as putative cholinergic neurons. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An attempt at a systematic analysis of the notion of freezing rates and at an evaluation of the main contributory factors.

Summary 1. In addition to the true freezing curve in which the amount of ice (I) is plotted as a function of time (t), I = f ( t ) three types of curves contain information on the various aspects of freezing rates. They are: the cooling curves which relate temperature T to time, T = f ( t ) the composition freezing curves which give the proportion of ice formed at different temperatures, I = f ( T ) and the pseudofreezing curves which correlate the cooling and the freezing processes, T F = f ( t ) 2. An examination of the successive stages of the freezing process in which the freezing rates vary led to a distinction of four stages: a) nucleation and growth of crystallization units to microscopically visible size, b) invasion by ice of nonoccupied territory, c) retardation of the invasion caused by the slow dissipation of latent heat acting as a limiting factor, d) further retardation and cessation of freezing as a result of the action of two other limiting factors, competition for space by neighbor crystallization units and depletion of water supply. 3. The cooling curves at three points along the radius of a cylinder of aqueous solution, during freezing, indicate a very complex interdependence of a) the rate of advancing of the freezing front, b) the rate of heat removal by the refrigerant, and c) the rate of liberation of latent heat. An adequate evaluation of freezing rates should take into account the resulting differences in different parts of the specimen. 4. Whereas in some cases one may have to be satisfied with rudimentary information on freezing rates, thorough investigations of a number of contributory factors and processes (enumerated in the body of the paper) are advised as the only means of systematically advancing our knowledge of the subject.
Pre‐service Teachers and their Students: early views of race, gender and class

ABSTRACT Whereas much teacher education continues to engage in a limited and mechanized version of the learning to teach process, many teacher educators view their work as critically important to fostering societal equality and justice, conditions that remain uncommon in many US schools. By helping pre‐service teachers to view race, class, and gender as issues central to their concern as educators, teacher educators typically and systematically introduce their students to these issues with little regard for their students’ initial thoughts on these dimensions. This study examined 235 pre‐service teachers’ early views on students’ race, class, and gender by asking them to rate their respect for students who varied on the dimensions of race (black/white), gender, and class (lower/upper middle). The results of this investigation suggest that pre‐service teachers show patterns of greater respect for black, female students of low social‐economic status, independent of the type of student described (a leader, a...
IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN

Through the use of immunohistochemical techniques, human chorionic gonadotropin has been localized to syncytiotrophoblastic cells of immature placenta, hydatidiform mole, chorioadenoma destruens, and choriocarcinoma. No gonadotropin has been detected in cytotrophoblast. Evidence is discussed which suggests that syncytiotrophoblast is the cell of origin of human chorionic gonadotropin. The observation that formalin fixation did not alter the ability of human chorionic gonadotropin to react with its specific antibody permitted the study of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues stored in the tissue collection. In addition, the excellence of histologic preparations following formalin fixation facilitated cytologic identification.
Optical frequency self stabilization in a coupled optoelectronic oscillator

The technique of incorporating a high finesse Fabry-Perot etalon (FPE) for optical frequency stabilization and supermode suppression of an actively, harmonically mode-locked laser has been combined with the basic coupled optoelectronic oscillator (COEO) design to produce a completely self contained optical frequency stabilized COEO. In this way the nominal COEO frequency, the stability of the optical frequencies, and the long term stability of the COEO signal are all referenced to a single intracavity high finesse FPE.
Cryptococcus neoformans Biofilm Formation Depends on Surface Support and Carbon Source and Reduces Fungal Cell Susceptibility to Heat, Cold, and UV Light

The fungus Cryptococcus neoformans possesses a polysaccharide capsule and can form biofilms on medical devices. We describe the characteristics of C. neoformans biofilm development using a microtiter plate model, microscopic examinations, and a colorimetric 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino) carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium-hydroxide (XTT) reduction assay to observe the metabolic activity of cryptococci within a biofilm. A strong correlation between XTT and CFU assays was demonstrated. Chemical analysis of the exopolymeric material revealed sugar composition consisting predominantly of xylose, mannose, and glucose, indicating the presence of other polysaccharides in addition to glucurunoxylomannan. Biofilm formation was affected by surface support differences, conditioning films on the surface, characteristics of the medium, and properties of the microbial cell. A specific antibody to the capsular polysaccharide of this fungus was used to stain the extracellular polysaccharide matrix of the fungal biofilms using light and confocal microscopy. Additionally, the susceptibility of C. neoformans biofilms and planktonic cells to environmental stress was investigated using XTT reduction and CFU assays. Biofilms were less susceptible to heat, cold, and UV light exposition than their planktonic counterparts. Our findings demonstrate that fungal biofilm formation is dependent on support surface characteristics and that growth in the biofilm state makes fungal cells less susceptible to potential environmental stresses.
Compelling evidence linking sugary drinks with diabetes

It’s not just about obesity any more Global estimates of diabetes prevalence continue to outpace previous projections, as virtually all regions of the world continue to see a large and growing prevalence.1 Proposals by diabetes prevention experts for how to change these trends have included both structured programmes for adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes (the “high risk approach”) and environmental and food policies to help change risk factors in the whole population (the “population approach”).1 Promising programmes for those at high risk are already underway and need to be expanded,2 but complementary shifts in underlying risk factors in the broader population are also needed. The list of risk factors for type 2 diabetes is long, with dozens of demographic, behavioural, and genetic risk factors now identified.3 Unfortunately the list of simple, consensus based levers to change population risk factors and substantially influence the risk for type 2 diabetes remains short. In a linked paper (doi:10.1136/bmj.h3576) Imamura and colleagues present a compelling case that beverages sweetened with sugar should be a major target for policies aimed at reducing the risk of diabetes.4 A systematic review of 17 prospective studies reported three findings; a higher intake of sugar sweetened …
Multiphoton‐Excited Visible Emission by Serotonin Solutions

Nonlinear excitation of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5HT) in aqueous solution is shown to generate a blue-green-emitting photoproduct in addition to UV fluorescence characteristic of native 5HT. The visible emission rate in diffusional steady-state measurements scales as the sixth power of excitation intensity, demonstrating that absorption of six near-IR photons is required to generate emission of one visible photon. Transient measurements reveal that this process is composed of two sequential nonlinear steps, the first excited by four photons and the second by two photons. These results, in combination with measurements of multiphoton-excited serotonin UV fluorescence, support a model in which 5HT is photochemically transformed as a consequence of four-photon absorption (Etot approximately 6 eV) to a photoproduct that then emits in the visible region via two-photon excitation. A minimum bound of approximately 10(-51) cm4 s photon-1 is observed for the two-photon emission action cross section at 830 nm. Photoionization, rather than reaction with a dissolved oxygen species, appears to be the primary mechanism for generation of the blue-green-emitting photoproduct. The peak intensities required to generate significant blue-green emission (approximately 5 x 10(11) W cm-2 from 80 MHz 150 fs titanium: sapphire laser pulses) are approximately five-fold higher than are typically used in two-photon laser scanning microscopy but are still substantially lower than the estimated intensity needed to induce dielectric breakdown of water.
Research Advances in Heart Failure A Compendium

Without question, the past half century has witnessed spectacular advances in cardiovascular medicine and surgery. In the United States, a full two thirds of the 6-year prolongation of life that has occurred has been a direct consequence of these advances1 that did not spring forth simply from the heads of brilliant, insightful clinicians. Instead, most advances were based on preclinical research that were then translated into improvements in clinical care.2 For instance, the microbiologists who connected streptococcal infection to acute rheumatic fever and, subsequently, the discovery of penicillin by a microbiologist, an experimental pathologist, and a biochemist led to the virtual elimination of acute rheumatic fever, which in turn was responsible for the marked reduction of chronic rheumatic valvular heart disease in large portions of the world. Almost all residual cases of the latter can now be corrected by open heart surgery or catheter-based techniques, which were made possible by the efforts of bioengineers, pharmacologists, and physiologists collaborating with surgeons and cardiologists. The striking reduction in mortality of acute myocardial infarction that has occurred since 19603 would not have been possible had physicists not previously developed the cathode ray oscilloscope, which enabled the continuous monitoring of the ECG, and if engineers had not developed the capacitors that store the electric charge required for ventricular defibrillation. Without pharmacologists and cell biologists, statins, which are enormously useful in preventing the development and progression of atherosclerosis, would not have been developed. These are just a few examples of the seminal scientific efforts that have provided the underpinnings of modern cardiology. However, despite the spectacular advances of the past half century, cardiovascular disease is still the most common cause of death and disability in industrialized nations,4 and its prevalence is rising rapidly in developing nations. Almost one half of all …
Geochemical control of microbial Fe(III) reduction potential in wetlands: comparison of the rhizosphere to non-rhizosphere soil

We compared the reactivity and microbial reduction potential of Fe(III) minerals in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil to test the hypothesis that rapid Fe(III) reduction rates in wetland soils are explained by rhizosphere processes. The rhizosphere was defined as the area immediately adjacent to a root encrusted with Fe(III)-oxides or Fe plaque, and non-rhizosphere soil was >0.5 cm from the root surface. The rhizosphere had a significantly higher percentage of poorly crystalline Fe (66+/-7%) than non-rhizosphere soil (23+/-7%); conversely, non-rhizosphere soil had a significantly higher proportion of crystalline Fe (50+/-7%) than the rhizosphere (18+/-7%, P<0.05 in all cases). The percentage of poorly crystalline Fe(III) was significantly correlated with the percentage of FeRB (r=0.76), reflecting the fact that poorly crystalline Fe(III) minerals are labile with respect to microbial reduction. Abiotic reductive dissolution consumed about 75% of the rhizosphere Fe(III)-oxide pool in 4 h compared to 23% of the soil Fe(III)-oxide pool. Similarly, microbial reduction consumed 75-80% of the rhizosphere pool in 10 days compared to 30-40% of the non-rhizosphere soil pool. Differences between the two pools persisted when samples were amended with an electron-shuttling compound (AQDS), an Fe(III)-reducing bacterium (Geobacter metallireducens), and organic carbon. Thus, Fe(III)-oxide mineralogy contributed strongly to differences in the Fe(III) reduction potential of the two pools. Higher amounts of poorly crystalline Fe(III) and possibly humic substances, and a higher Fe(III) reduction potential in the rhizosphere compared to the non-rhizosphere soil, suggested the rhizosphere is a site of unusually active microbial Fe cycling. The results were consistent with previous speculation that rapid Fe cycling in wetlands is due to the activity of wetland plant roots.
Fisher information matrix for the Feller–Pareto distribution

Abstract In this paper, the exact form of Fisher information matrix for the Feller–Pareto (FP) distribution is determined. The FP family is a very general unimodal distribution which includes a variety of distributions as special cases. For example: • A hierarchy of Pareto models: Pareto (I), Pareto (II), Pareto (III), and Pareto (IV) (see Arnold (Pareto Distributions, International Cooperative Publishing House, Fairland, MD, 1983)); and • Transformed beta family which in turn includes such general families as Burr, Generalized Pareto, and Inverse Burr (see Klugman et al. (Loss Models: From Data to Decisions, Wiley, New York, 1998)). Application of these distributions covers a wide spectrum of areas ranging from actuarial science, economics, finance to biosciences, telecommunications, and extreme value theory.
Salinity effects on activity and expression of glutathione S-transferases in white sturgeon and Chinook salmon.

Abstract This study evaluated the activity and expression of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) detoxification isoenzymes in juvenile white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) during acclimation from freshwater (2‰) to estuarine (15‰) salinity conditions. In white sturgeon, GST activity toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) increased significantly ( P = 0.005 ; n = 5 ) with elevated salinity, but not for the Chinook salmon ( P = 0.174 ; n = 10 ). GST activity of both sturgeon and salmon toward ethacrynic acid (ETHA) did not significantly change with elevated salinity ( P = 0.516 with n = 3 , and P = 0.125 with n = 3 , respectively). Expression of the GST classes, and hepatic glutathione (GSH) concentration, as determined by HPLC, also did not significantly change with increased salinity. In conclusion, overall GST activity in white sturgeon, but not Chinook salmon, is stimulated by elevated water salinity, thus electrophilic chemicals such as pesticides may be more effectively detoxified by sturgeon as they undergo seaward migration.
The pathogenesis of chorioamnionitis.

The pathogenesis of chorioamnionitis must be understood to discover how to diagnose the problem in its earliest stage and how to treat or prevent it. To do so, one must delve into the complexity of inflammation that encompasses not only the cellular aspects, but also the intertwined molecular processes that recruit, activate, modulate, and terminate cellular inflammatory responses. Perhaps it is appropriate that 2 articles about the predisposition to chorioamnionitis appear in this issue of The Journal, 1,2 at the cusp of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the award of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine shared by Ilya Metchnikoff 3 and Paul Ehrlich 4 for their fundamental discoveries in cellular and humoral immunology, respectively. It is more germane to this discussion that Metchnikoff discovered that highly mobile leukocytes (neutrophils) from the blood were induced to pass through the walls of small blood vessels (diapidesis), migrate in a directed fashion to the eliciting agent in the tissue (chemotaxis), engulf it (phagocytosis), and destroy it by intracellular digestion. 5,6 These observations still form the basis of our thoughts on inflammation and cellular immunology. In the case of chorioamnionitis, a lesion characterized by an intense infiltration of maternal neutrophils in the chorioamniotic tissues, 7 questions are being asked about the genetic and molecular controls over this pathology. The questions are very important because chorioamnionitis commonly causes premature labor and delivery and sepsis in premature infants. A few decades ago, the emphasis about the prevention or amelioration of chorioamnionitis was limited to an identification of bacterial pathogens and a selection of the most appropriate antibiotics to eliminate the infections. Those measures are still appropriate, but not always sufficient. Indeed, the need to control the inflammation was recently evidenced in an experimentally induced group B streptococcal amnionitis in which therapeutic intervention with an antibiotic was compared with treatment with the same antibiotic and 2 anti-inflammatory agents. 8 The combined therapy was superior to antibiotics per se in suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and in prolonging the gestational period. In that respect, there is considerable evidence that pro-inflammatory cytokines are important in the pathogenesis of human chorioamnionitis. Intra-amniotic levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-18, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and MCP-3 are significantly higher in cases of
Effects of mutations in Aedes aegypti sterol carrier protein-2 on the biological function of the protein.

Sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) is a nonspecific intracellular lipid carrier protein. However, the molecular mechanism of ligand selectivity and the in vivo function of SCP-2 remain unclear. In this study, we used site-directed mutagenesis to investigate the ligand selectivity and in vivo function of the yellow fever mosquito sterol carrier protein-2 protein (AeSCP-2). Mutations to amino acids in AeSCP-2 known to interact with bound ligand also weakened NBD-cholesterol binding. Substitution of amino acids in the ligand cavity changed the ligand specificity of mutant AeSCP-2. Overexpressing wild-type AeSCP-2 in the Aedes aegypti cultured Aag-2 cells resulted in an increase in the level of incorporation of [3H]cholesterol. However, overexpressing mutants that were deleterious to the binding of NBD-cholesterol in AeSCP-2 showed a loss of ability to enhance uptake of [3H]cholesterol in cultured cells. Interestingly, when [3H]palmitic acid was used as the substrate for incorporation in vivo, there was no chan...
Global patterns of maritime piracy, 2000–09 Introducing a new dataset

This article introduces the Maritime Piracy Data (MPD), a dataset dedicated to understanding the nature, dynamics, and causes of contemporary piracy and armed robbery against ships. Data on maritim...
Archean Microbial Mat Communities

Much of the Archean record of microbial communities consists of fossil mats and stromatolites. Critical physical emergent properties governing the evolution of large-scale (centimeters to meters) topographic relief on the mat landscape are (a) mat surface roughness relative to the laminar sublayer and (b) cohesion. These properties can be estimated for fossil samples under many circumstances. A preliminary analysis of Archean mat cohesion suggests that mats growing in shallow marine environments from throughout this time had cohesions similar to those of modern shallow marine mats. There may have been a significant increase in mat strength at the end of the Archean.
Mixed-Integer Models for Nonseparable Piecewise-Linear Optimization: Unifying Framework and Extensions

We study the modeling of nonconvex piecewise-linear functions as mixed-integer programming (MIP) problems. We review several new and existing MIP formulations for continuous piecewise-linear functions with special attention paid to multivariate nonseparable functions. We compare these formulations with respect to their theoretical properties and their relative computational performance. In addition, we study the extension of these formulations to lower semicontinuous piecewise-linear functions.
Fractal dynamics of fluorescence energy transfer in biomembranes

Fluorescence energy transfer can be used to investigate spatial distributions of acceptor molecules on surfaces or in membranes. In these applications energy transfer is observed from multiple donors to multiple acceptors. The fluorescence decay in such instances is non- exponential and is described by a 'stretched' exponential. This behavior is sometimes referred to as being fractal in time. A theoretical analysis of these decays is presented. Using this analysis the time-resolved fluorescence of the donor can be used to determine the fractal dimension of the surface distribution as well as the size of the acceptor domains. Application of these theoretical results to experimental data on the structure of membrane protein aggregates is described. A key problem is to determine the functional unit of membrane proteins. Two different proteins, bacteriorhodopsin and the calcium ATPase, have been investigated in model reconstituted vesicle systems. Energy transfer experiments can be devised that will measure two different fractal dimensions characterizing these aggregates. They are the fractal dimension associated with the density distribution and the one associated with the length of the 'coastline'. This information can be interpreted in terms of the number of proteins in the unit structure. In bacteriorhodopsin both hexagonal-packed and monomeric units are stable and the monomer is functional. The calcium ATPase results are consistent with a tetrameric functional unit.
ASN Presidential Address 2012: Time to Cure Kidney Disease

Forty years ago on October 30, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the Social Security Amendments of 1972 that included Public Law 92–603 authorizing the End Stage Renal Disease Program under Medicare.[1][1] The document on which that legislation was passed[2][2] was written in 1967 by the late
PORES IN THE INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE OF THE HUMAN RETINA.

Pores can be demonstrated in the internal limiting membrane of the normal human retina. These pores are located along the branches of retinal blood vessels and allow for the migration of phagocytes between retina and vitreous space. In the periphery of the normal retina of eyes of virtually all persons over 40 years of age strands extend from the vitreous through the pores into the retina and surround blood vessels. The internal limiting membrane of the human retina is a basement membrane formed and supported in a mosaic-like pattern by the inner ends of Muller’s radial fibers. A definite area of thinning of the internal limiting membrane is known to exist along the larger branches of retinal blood vessels. This thinning is believed to be due to the separation of the inner ends of Muller’s fibers caused by the blood vessels which results in the absence of these processes on top of retinal blood vessels. Wolff (1) stated that “the internal limiting membrane will be absent where a large vessel comes close to the hyaloid.”
The Rules Governing the Conduct of Hostilities in Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949: A Review of Relevant United States References

There is no single authoritative reference detailing those provisions of AP I the US accepts as an accurate restatement of customary international law or other legal obligations, or that it follows as a matter of policy during armed conflict. In this paper, the author seeks to partially address that lacuna through a systematic review of official US policies, directives, publications, treaty obligations, laws, and proclamations pertinent to those provisions of AP I governing the conduct of hostilities.
The ras-related gene rhoB is an immediate-early gene inducible by v-Fps, epidermal growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor in rat fibroblasts.

Abstract A set of genes is rapidly inducible when quiescent fibroblasts are stimulated by growth factors or by the activation of temperature-sensitive retroviral protein-tyrosine kinases. Most of these so-called immediate-early genes were cloned by differential cDNA hybridization. DNA sequence analysis identified many of them as putative members of the growth factor or of the transcription factor gene family, suggesting a role in signal transmission during the G0-to-G1 transition. In this study, we identified one of the genes that are rapidly inducible by the retroviral protein-tyrosine kinases v-Src and v-Fps of Rous sarcoma virus and Fujinami sarcoma virus, respectively, as the rhoB gene, a member of the ras gene superfamily whose products are GTP-binding proteins, rhoB is transiently activated at the transcriptional level by v-Fps and by epidermal growth factor. Its labile RNA is inducible in the presence of cycloheximide but not of actinomycin D. rhoB is strongly induced by epidermal growth factor and by platelet-derived growth factor both in subconfluent, serum-starved and in density-arrested Rat-2 fibroblasts. Fetal calf serum is a poor inducer, particularly in density-arrested cells, and phorbol esters do not increase rhoB expression at all. These data suggest that rhoB is inducible by protein-tyrosine kinases through a pathway not involving the activation of protein kinase C. Neither the closely related rhoC and rhoA genes nor the distantly related c-H-ras gene is rapidly inducible by mitogens. Thus, rhoB is the first known member of the small GTP-binding proteins among the immediate-early genes.
Authority and Reality

This essay addresses both the pervasiveness of authority in the secular world and the shape and structure of the phenomenon of authority. It argues that what religious thought and Catholic thought in particular acknowledges as realities in the world, but conventional secular thought does not, are elements of the phenomenon of authority and in fact essential to social, economic, political, and scientific enterprise under the conditions of modernity. The various contributions Catholic thought can make today to jurisprudence and to legal and judicial practice will have their source in this acknowledgment, which can help the secular world move toward a more conscious apprehension of what is implicit in its practices and necessary to its aspirations.
Building Bridges: Examining Lesbians' and Heterosexual Women's Close Friendships with Each Other

Friendships between lesbians and heterosexual women were explored using a sample of 47 mostly White women (23 lesbians and 24 heterosexual women), ages 18 to 25, that reported at least one close lesbian-heterosexual woman friendship. A majority of participants indicated that friendships between lesbians and heterosexual women had both uniquely positive and negative aspects that could be attributed to the difference in sexual identity. Positive aspects included socio-emo-tional benefits, opportunities for learning, and societal benefits. Negative aspects included anxiety about sexuality, doubts regarding mutual understanding, clashes of perspectives and experience, and societal stressors. Implications of the findings for challenging current social inequities associated with sexual identities were explored.
Wave-equation Migration Velocity Analysis With Extended Common-image-point Gathers

Wave-equation migration velocity analysis (WEMVA) is an image-domain velocity model building technique based on band-limited wave propagation and designed especially for complex subsurface environments. It exploits the coherency of reflection events measured in extended images produced by a cross-correlation imaging condition with non-zero lags. Conventional approaches use either space-lags or time-lag common image gathers, in which only partial information of the extended images is used for velocity updates. We propose an WEMVA approach using the complete information from both space-lags and time-lags of extended images. With this approach, the velocity model building benefits both from the robustness of using the time-lag information and from the high resolution of using the space-lags information. Such an implementation is facilitated by using extended common-image-point gathers (CIPs) constructed sparsely along reflections and defined jointly for spaceand time-lags. These CIPs avoid the bias towards nearly-horizontal reflectors so that steeply dipping events are well preserved in the gathers and the corresponding information related to velocity can be used. Also, the computation of the extended images can be avoided in areas where the velocity is known, e.g., inside salt bodies, or areas where the signal-to-noise ratio is too low, e.g., in shadow zones. Using CIPs for WEMVA can reduce the cost of constructing extended images and offer flexibility for the velocity model building.
Properties and Drug-likeness of Compounds That Inhibit Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

DOI: 10.9734/IJTDH/2016/25021 Editor(s): (1) Ken-ichiro Inoue, Center for Medical Science, International University of Health and Welfare, Japan. Reviewers: (1) Molobe Ikenna Daniel, International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), Nigeria. (2) Sanjay Mishra, IFTM University, UP, India. (3) Triveni Krishnan, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, India. Complete Peer review History: http://sciencedomain.org/review-history/13746
Finding nonequivalent classifiers in boolean space to reduce tcam usage

Packet classification is one of the major challenges today in designing high-speed routers and firewalls, as it involves sophisticated multi-dimensional searching. Ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) has been widely used to implement packet classification, thanks to its parallel search capability and constant processing speed. However, TCAMs have limitations of high cost and high power consumption, which ignite the desire to reduce TCAM usage. Recently, many works have been presented on this subject due to two opportunities. One is the well-known range expansion problem for packet classifiers to be stored in TCAM entries. The other is that there often exists redundancy among rules. In this paper, we propose a novel technique called Block Permutation (BP) to compress the packet classification rules stored in TCAMs. Unlike previous schemes that compress classifiers by converting the original classifiers to semantically equivalent classifiers, the BP technique innovatively finds semantically nonequivalent classifiers to achieve compression by performing block-based permutations on the rules represented in Boolean Space. We have developed an efficient heuristic approach to find permutations for compression and have designed its hardware implementation by using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to preprocess incoming packets. Our experiments with ClassBench classifiers and Internet Service Provider (ISP) real-life classifiers show that the proposed BP technique can significantly reduce 31.88% TCAM entries on average, in addition to the reduction contributed by other state-of-the-art schemes.
Species Composition and Phenology of Leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) and Planthoppers (Homoptera: Delphacidae) in Bermudagrass Forage

A survey of the leafhopper and planthopper fauna of bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.), was conducted in Georgia during 1985 and 1986. Four species of delphacid planthoppers and 28 species of leafhoppers were collected. Leafhopper species accounting for at least 1% of the total number of adult leafhoppers in both years were Endria inimica (Say), Exitianus exitiosus (Uhler), Graminella nigrifrons (Forbes), G. sonora (Ball), Polyamia weedi (Van Duzee), Planicephalus flavocostatus (Van Duzee), Psammotettix lividellus (Zetterstedt), and Stirellus bicolor (Van Duzee). These species collectively represented 92.3 and 95.1% of all specimens collected in 1985 and 1986, respectively. Liburniella ornate (Stal) was the most abundant planthopper in 1985, whereas Delphacodes propinqua (Fieber) was the predominant planthopper in 1986. E. exitiosus, E. inimica , G. nigrifrons, P. lividellus, P. weedi , and D. propinqua occurred during the period of greatest reported damage, or in sufficient densities to be suspected of causing economic damage to bermudagrass.
The nuts and bolts of organizing and initiating a pediatric transport team. The Sutter Memorial experience.

Specialized interfacility transport teams deliver critical care medicine to the patient and provide that level of care throughout the transport to the tertiary care center. Goals, benefits, and prerequisites for establishing a transport team are explored. Requirements include adequate financial and human resources, planning for and management of equipment and supplies, and a high level of commitment of all involved, from the hospital administrator and medical director to the transport coordinator and team members.
Detection of occult lymph node metastases in esophageal cancer by minimally invasive staging combined with molecular diagnostic techniques.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Lymph node metastases are the most important prognostic factor in patients with esophageal cancer. Histologic examination misses micrometastases in up to 20% of lymph nodes evaluated. In addition, non-invasive imaging modalities are not sensitive enough to detect small lymph nodes metastases. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of messenger RNA (mRNA) for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) to increase the detection of micrometastases in lymph nodes from patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS RT-PCR of CEA mRNA was performed in lymph nodes from patients with malignant and benign esophageal disease. Each specimen was examined histopathologically and by RT-PCR and the results were compared. RESULTS Metastases were present in 29 of 60 (48%) lymph nodes sample by minimally invasive staging from 13 patients with esophageal cancer when examined histopathologically. RT-PCR identified nodal metastases in 46 of these 60 (77%) samples. RT-PCR detected CEA mRNA in all 29 histologically positive samples and in 17 histologically negative lymph nodes. All lymph nodes from patients with benign disease (n = 15) were negative both histopathologically and by RT-PCR. The stage of two patients was reclassified based on the RT-PCR results, which identified lymph node spread undetected histopathologically. Both of these patients developed recurrent disease after resection of the primary tumor. CONCLUSIONS RT-PCR is more sensitive than histologic examination in the detection of lymph node metastases in esophageal cancer and can lead to diagnosis of a more advanced stage in some patients. The combination of minimally invasive surgical techniques in combination with new molecular diagnostic techniques may improve our ability to stage cancer patients.
Physical and Occupational Therapy for the Handicapped Child

Physical and occupational therapists who have specialized in pediatrics can provide more services for the physically and the mentally handicapped child than are generally realized. For example, infants functioning at the 0 to 6 month level can be helped with feeding as well as head control and rolling over. Such problems and possible therapies at this and other age levels are discussed.
Use of new and established antidotes

Antidotes to poisonings commonly encountered by the emergency physician are emphasized in this article. Indications for use, expected therapeutic actions, side effect, and limitations are discussed. New and controversial antidotal treatments are also considered.
Reply: Era of Change in Sites of Service for Peripheral Vascular Intervention Requires New Ways to Look at Costs.

We appreciate the opportunity to respond to a letter written by Dr. Carr regarding our article published in the Journal in March 2015 [(1)][1]. We believe our methods, results, and interpretation were a balanced, descriptive report of current trends and the landscape of peripheral vascular
Dynamical Model of the Σ

In the spirit of the bootstrap hypothesis, a dynamical model is developed for the $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ hyperon, taking into account the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ channels. Born amplitudes for the exchange of $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$, $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$, ${{Y}_{1}}^{*} (1385 \mathrm{MeV})$, ${{Y}_{0}}^{*} (1405 \mathrm{MeV})$, and $\ensuremath{\rho}$ form the inputs to dynamical calculations that are based on the matrix $N{D}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ method and are intended partly as a practical study of this technique. It is shown that the $N{D}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ formalism can be trivially extended to handle the situation where an input force cut overlaps the unitarity cut below physical threshold.In the dynamical calculations, the properties of all particles other than the $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ are taken from experiment, or, where they are experimentally uncertain, estimated on the basis of current theoretical ideas and then varied. The cutoff which governs the damping of the input amplitudes at high energies is also varied. It is found that quite a few combinations of the experimental unknowns and the cutoff do lead to a self-consistent ${\mathrm{\textonehalf{}}}^{+}$, $I=1$, $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ bound state, identified as the $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$, with reasonable values for the mass ${M}_{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}$ and couplings $\frac{{g}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}\ensuremath{\Lambda}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{2}}{4\ensuremath{\pi}}$ and $\frac{{g}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}\ensuremath{\Sigma}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{2}}{4\ensuremath{\pi}}$. These results favor the conjecture that the $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ is a composite particle.
Pediatric Liver Transplantation

Excellent outcomes over the last 3 decades have made liver transplantation the treatment of choice for many advanced liver disorders. This success also opened liver transplantation to new indications such as liver tumors and metabolic disorders. The emergence of such new indications for liver transplantation is bringing a new stream of patients along with disease-specific challenges. The cumulative number of liver transplant recipients is peaking, requiring novel systems of health care delivery that meet the needs of this special patient population. This article reviews updates and new development in pediatric liver transplantation.
Interobserver variability in tumor contouring affects the use of radiomics to predict mutational status

Radiomic features characterize tumor imaging phenotype. Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors are known for their complexity in shape and wide range in density. We explored the effects of variable tumor contouring on the prediction of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status by radiomics in NSCLC patients treated with a targeted therapy (Gefitinib). Forty-six early stage NSCLC patients (EGFR mutant:wildtype = 20:26) were included. Three experienced radiologists independently delineated the tumors using a semiautomated segmentation software on a noncontrast-enhanced baseline and three-week post-therapy CT scan images that were reconstructed using 1.25-mm slice thickness and lung kernel. Eighty-nine radiomic features were computed on both scans and their changes (radiomic delta-features) were calculated. The highest area under the curves (AUCs) were 0.87, 0.85, and 0.80 for the three radiologists and the number of significant features ([Formula: see text]) was 3, 5, and 0, respectively. The AUCs of a single feature significantly varied among radiologists (e.g., 0.88, 0.75, and 0.73 for run-length primitive length uniformity). We conclude that a three-week change in tumor imaging phenotype allows identifying the EGFR mutational status of NSCLC. However, interobserver variability in tumor contouring translates into a significant variability in radiomic metrics accuracy.
Culturally Informed Treatment of Suicidality with Diverse Youth: General Principles

The growing number of culturally diverse youth in the USA implies a social and professional responsibility to provide culturally informed mental healthcare to address their common and diverse needs. Suicidality in diverse youth requires a culturally informed clinical approach both in the immediate aftermath of a suicidal crisis and also in the treatment of underlying psychopathology, precipitating conflict, or perpetuating dynamics. This chapter outlines principles for culturally informed treatment associated with suicidality and useful tools and guides that can assist in such treatment.
Effects of extreme changes in precipitation on the physiology of C4 grasses

Climatic patterns are expected to become more extreme, with changes in precipitation characterized by heavier rainfall and prolonged dry periods. Yet, most studies focus on persistent moderate changes in precipitation, limiting our understanding of how ecosystems will function in the future. We examined the effects of extreme changes in precipitation on leaf-level and ecosystem CO2 and H2O exchange of three native C4 bunchgrasses (Andropogon gerardii, Panicum virgatum, and Sorghastrum nutans) over 3 years. Grasses were grown in three precipitation treatments: extreme dry, mean, and extreme wet based on historical rainfall records. After 3 years, plants were 45% smaller in the extreme dry treatment relative to the mean and extreme high treatment, which did not differ. We also found that an extreme decrease in precipitation caused reductions of 55, 40, and 40% in leaf-level photosynthesis (Anet), stomatal conductance (gs), and water use efficiency (WUE), respectively. Extreme increases in precipitation inhibited leaf-level WUE, with a 44% reduction relative to the mean treatment. At the ecosystem level, both an extreme increase and decrease in precipitation reduced net CO2 and water fluxes relative to plants grown with mean levels of precipitation. Net water fluxes (ET) were reduced by an average of 74% in the extreme dry and extreme wet treatment relative to mean treatment; net carbon fluxes followed a similar trend, with average reductions of 68% (NEE) and 100% (Re). Unlike moderate climate change, extreme increases in precipitation may be just as detrimental as extreme decreases in precipitation in shifting grassland physiology.