cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mesenchymal and Lymphoid Lesions in the Breast

This chapter consists of two categories of the less common yet important groups of breast lesions. Mesenchymal lesions consist of all types of benign and malignant mesenchymal lesions that can occur anywhere in the body, but the most common ones in the breast are often benign, including nodular fasciitis, benign vascular lesions, pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH), myofibroblastoma, lipoma, etc. Lymphoma may arise in the breast as a primary tumor or present as breast involvement of a systemic lymphoma. One entity that needs to be mentioned here is breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), as it is a specific breast lesion and was provisionally classified as a novel lymphoma by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016.
Latent Dirichlet Allocation in predicting clinical trial terminations

This study used natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) techniques to identify reliable patterns from within research narrative documents to distinguish studies that complete successfully, from the ones that terminate. Recent research findings have reported that at least 10 % of all studies that are funded by major research funding agencies terminate without yielding useful results. Since it is well-known that scientific studies that receive funding from major funding agencies are carefully planned, and rigorously vetted through the peer-review process, it was somewhat daunting to us that study-terminations are this prevalent. Moreover, our review of the literature about study terminations suggested that the reasons for study terminations are not well understood. We therefore aimed to address that knowledge gap, by seeking to identify the factors that contribute to study failures. We used data from the clinicialTrials.gov repository, from which we extracted both structured data (study characteristics), and unstructured data (the narrative description of the studies). We applied natural language processing techniques to the unstructured data to quantify the risk of termination by identifying distinctive topics that are more frequently associated with trials that are terminated and trials that are completed. We used the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) technique to derive 25 “topics” with corresponding sets of probabilities, which we then used to predict study-termination by utilizing random forest modeling. We fit two distinct models – one using only structured data as predictors and another model with both structured data and the 25 text topics derived from the unstructured data. In this paper, we demonstrate the interpretive and predictive value of LDA as it relates to predicting clinical trial failure. The results also demonstrate that the combined modeling approach yields robust predictive probabilities in terms of both sensitivity and specificity, relative to a model that utilizes the structured data alone. Our study demonstrated that the use of topic modeling using LDA significantly raises the utility of unstructured data in better predicating the completion vs. termination of studies. This study sets the direction for future research to evaluate the viability of the designs of health studies.
Character strengths and performance outcomes among military brat and non-brat cadets

Although many studies have compared military vs. civilian samples on a wide variety of characteristics, few have examined these differences within the context of those who commit a portion of their...
Canonic-Like HER Activity of Cr1–xMoxB2 Solid Solution: Overpowering Pt/C at High Current Density

Abundant transition metal borides are emerging as substitute electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts for noble metals. Herein, an unusual canonic-like behavior of the c lattice parameter in the AlB2 -type solid solution Cr1-x Mox B2 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.75, 1) and its direct correlation to the HER activity in 0.5 M H2 SO4 solution are reported. The activity increases with increasing x, reaching its maximum at x = 0.6 before decreasing again. At high current densities, Cr0.4 Mo0.6 B2 outperforms Pt/C, as it needs 180 mV less overpotential to drive an 800 mA cm-2 current density. Cr0.4 Mo0.6 B2 has excellent long-term stability and durability showing no significant activity loss after 5000 cycles and 25 h of operation in acid. First-principles calculations have correctly reproduced the nonlinear dependence of the c lattice parameter and have shown that the mixed metal/B layers, such as (110), promote hydrogen evolution more efficiently for x = 0.6, supporting the experimental results.
Germline Genetic Mutations in a Multi-center Contemporary Cohort of 550 Phyllodes Tumors: An Opportunity for Expanded Multi-gene Panel Testing

A paucity of data exists regarding inherited mutations associated with phyllodes tumors (PT); however, some are reported (TP53, BRCA1, and RB1). A PT diagnosis does not meet NCCN criteria for testing, including within Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (TP53). We sought to determine the prevalence of mutations associated with PT. We performed an 11-institution review of contemporary (2007–2017) PT practice. We recorded multigenerational family history and personal history of genetic testing. We identified patients meeting NCCN criteria for genetic evaluation. Logistic regression estimated the association of select covariates with likelihood of undergoing genetic testing. Of 550 PT patients, 59.8% (n = 329) had a close family history of cancer, and 34.0% (n = 112) had ≥ 3 family members affected. Only 6.2% (n = 34) underwent genetic testing, 38.2% (n = 13) of whom had only BRCA1/BRCA2 tested. Of 34 patients tested, 8.8% had a deleterious mutation (1 BRCA1, 2 TP53), and 5.9% had a BRCA2 VUS. Of women who had TP53 testing (N = 21), 9.5% had a mutation. Selection for testing was not associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 1.01, p = 0.55) or PT size (p = 0.12) but was associated with grade (malignant vs. benign: OR 9.17, 95% CI 3.97–21.18) and meeting NCCN criteria (OR 3.43, 95% confidence interval 1.70–6.94). Notably, an additional 86 (15.6%) patients met NCCN criteria but had no genetic testing. Very few women with PT undergo germline testing; however, in those selected for testing, a deleterious mutation was identified in ~ 10%. Multigene testing of a PT cohort would present an opportunity to discover the true incidence of germline mutations in PT patients.
Preliminary Tests of the Consumer Normalcy Scale: An Abstract

This study develops a scale based on the concept of “consumer normalcy,” which is composed of four dimensions: (1) ability to participate in the marketplace, (2) demonstrating competence and control, (3) achieving distinction, and (4) being perceived as an equal. This important new construct can be used as a tool to more fully understand the experience of an individual who feels he or she has been discriminated against in the marketplace based on demographic characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation/preference, or disability. The scale is tested in two large random samples using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, where one sample shows how consumer normalcy is directly connected to avoidance of the offending retailer and how this effect along with the scale’s measurement capabilities are stronger in the demographic-based service failure condition. The Consumer Normalcy Scale may provide a valuable tool for other scholars who may be interested in conducting research in areas of marketplace diversity and discrimination as well. The diversity of the marketplace requires investigation of differential treatment of consumers, along with the ramifications for firms who do not implement appropriate policies to prevent the occurrence of such service failures. This scale provides a view into the psychological mechanisms of how and why consumers feel as though they have been discriminated against along with a prediction of subsequent anti-firm behaviors. Following the proven processes for scale development has led to the achievement of favorable results in both validity and reliability considerations. This scale measures what it purports to measure and should be relied on to provide valid and consistent results. These were preliminary tests, and further exploration into the scale’s behavior in different populations is anticipated.
Implanting Synthetic Lesions for Improving Liver Lesion Segmentation in CT Exams

The success of supervised lesion segmentation algorithms using Computed Tomography (CT) exams depends significantly on the quantity and variability of samples available for training. While annotating such data constitutes a challenge itself, the variability of lesions in the dataset also depends on the prevalence of different types of lesions. This phenomenon adds an inherent bias to lesion segmentation algorithms that can be diminished, among different possibilities, using aggressive data augmentation methods. In this paper, we present a method for implanting realistic lesions in CT slices to provide a rich and controllable set of training samples and ultimately improving semantic segmentation network performances for delineating lesions in CT exams. Our results show that implanting synthetic lesions not only improves (up to around 12\%) the segmentation performance considering different architectures but also that this improvement is consistent among different image synthesis networks. We conclude that increasing the variability of lesions synthetically in terms of size, density, shape, and position seems to improve the performance of segmentation models for liver lesion segmentation in CT slices.
Corrigendum: p90RSK-MAGI1 Module Controls Endothelial Permeability by Post-translational Modifications of MAGI1 and Hippo Pathway.

Previously, we reported that post-translational modifications (PTMs) of MAGI1, including S741 phosphorylation and K931 de-SUMOylation, both of which are regulated by p90RSK activation, lead to endothelial cell (EC) activation. However, roles for p90RSK and MAGI1-PTMs in regulating EC permeability remain unclear despite MAGI1 being a junctional molecule. Here, we show that thrombin (Thb)-induced EC permeability, detected by the electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) based system, was decreased by overexpression of dominant negative p90RSK or a MAGI1-S741A phosphorylation mutant, but was accelerated by overexpression of p90RSK, siRNA-mediated knockdown of magi1, or the MAGI1-K931R SUMOylation mutant. MAGI1 depletion also increased the mRNA and protein expression of the large tumor suppressor kinases 1 and 2 (LATS1/2), which inhibited YAP/TAZ activity and increased EC permeability. Because the endothelial barrier is a critical mediator of tumor hypoxia, we also evaluated the role of p90RSK activation in tumor vessel leakiness by using a relatively low dose of the p90RSK specific inhibitor, FMK-MEA. FMK-MEA significantly inhibited tumor vessel leakiness at a dose that does not affect morphology and growth of tumor vessels in vivo. These results provide novel insights into crucial roles for p90RSK-mediated MAGI1 PTMs and the Hippo pathway in EC permeability, as well as p90RSK activation in tumor vessel leakiness.
Cyproheptadine and atrioventricular block in a patient with congenital heart disease

Abstract Cyproheptadine is frequently used for functional gastrointestinal disorders and appetite stimulation, having effects on multiple receptor types, including calcium channels, histamine, and serotonin receptors. In this report, we present a case of variable atrioventricular block in a child with congenital heart disease temporally associated with cyproheptadine use. This case exemplifies the increased risk of adverse drug effects in patients on multiple medications and suggests a relationship between cyproheptadine and heart block. Clinicians should be aware of this potential effect of cyproheptadine when initiating this medication.
The Ubiquitin Ligase SIAH2 Negatively Regulates Glucocorticoid Receptor Activity and Abundance

Glucocorticoids are clinically essential drugs used routinely to control inflammation. However, a host of metabolic side effects manifests upon usage beyond a few days. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that seven-in-absentia mammalian homolog-2 (SIAH2), a ubiquitin ligase that regulates adipogenesis, is important for controlling adipocyte size, inflammation, and the ability of adipose tissue to expand in response to a glucocorticoid challenge. Using mice with global deletion of SIAH2 exposed or not to corticosterone, we found that adipocytes are larger in response to glucocorticoids in the absence of SIAH2. In addition, SIAH2 regulates glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transcriptional activity and total GR protein abundance. Moreover, these studies reveal that there is an increased expression of genes involved in fibrosis and inflammatory signaling pathways found in white adipose tissue in response to glucocorticoids in the absence of SIAH2. In summary, this is the first study to identify a role for SIAH2 to regulate transcriptional activity and abundance of the GR, which leads to alterations in adipose tissue size and gene expression during in vivo exposure to glucocorticoids.
Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate in the Management of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Prostate Cancer Patients on Active Surveillance.

ABSTRACT Objective To demonstrate the safety and efficacy of photoselective vaporization of the prostate in alleviating refractory lower urinary tract symptoms in prostate cancer patients who are managed with active surveillance and to explore the association of this procedure with prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and cancer progression rates. Methods Between 2008-2018, active surveillance patients who had refractory symptoms and needed surgery were studied. Perioperative functional variables were collected and analyzed. Disease progression was defined as an upgrade or upstage on surveillance biopsies or multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging. Mean postop scores were estimated using locally-weighted methods. The risk of progression was reported using Kaplan-Meier's method. Results Seventy-one patients were included in the study. The median age was 68 years and the median surveillance time before surgery was 4 years. At 12 months, there were substantial improvements in the mean International Prostate Symptom Score (18-5.9), maximum flow rate (6.8-14 mL/s), postvoid residual (240-73mL), PSA (8.1-5.2 ng/mL), and prostate volume (85-57mL). At 30-days, only 2 patients with grade-III complications. Late consequences included tissue regrowth in 4 and urethral stricture (requiring a single dilation) in 3 patients. PSA levels decreased by 36% at 12 months postoperatively. With a median follow-up of 3.7 years, 7 men progressed and received radical treatment. At 3 years, the probability of remaining on surveillance was 93% (95% CI 87%- 100%). Conclusion Photoselective vaporization of the prostate offers substantial relief of symptoms in active surveillance patients with refractory symptoms, without adverse effects on disease progression rates.
Implementing a mandate to plan for sea level rise: top-down, bottom-up, and middle-out actions in the Tampa Bay region

The 2015 Peril of Flood Act mandates that municipalities in Florida, USA consider sea level rise (SLR) in the coastal element of the comprehensive plan. Because the mandate lacks specificity, plann...
Blended and Online Learning for Global Citizenship: New Technologies and Opportunities for Intercultural Education

It is a privilege to present this review of Blended and Online Learning for Global Citizenship: New Technologies and Opportunities for Intercultural Education by William J. Hunter and Roger Austin ...
Abstract 16995: Anti-Inflammatory and Immuno-Modulatory Properties of Neonatal MSC

Background: Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties are prerequisites for the success of cell therapy as shown by adult Mesenchymal Stem cells (MSC) by reducing both B- and T-lymphocyte p...
Increased ACE2 Levels and Mortality Risk of Patients With COVID-19 on Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy

INTRODUCTION: Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use was recently reported to be associated with increased severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and worse clinical outcomes The underlying mechanism(s) for this association are unclear METHODS: We performed a prospective study of hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and COVID-negative controls to understand how PPI use may affect angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression and stool SARS-CoV-2 RNA Analysis of a retrospective cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 from March 15, 2020 to August 15, 2020 in 6 hospitals was performed to evaluate the association of PPI use and mortality Covariates with clinical relevance to COVID-19 outcomes were included to determine predictors of in-hospital mortality RESULTS: Control PPI users had higher salivary ACE2 mRNA levels than nonusers, 2 39 +/- 1 15 vs 1 22 +/- 0 92 (P = 0 02), respectively Salivary ACE2 levels and stool SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection rates were comparable between users and nonusers of PPI In 694 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (age = 58 years, 46% men, and 65% black), mortality rate in PPI users and nonusers was 30% (68/227) vs 12 1% (53/439), respectively Predictors of mortality by logistic regression were PPI use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2 72, P < 0 001), age (aOR = 1 66 per decade, P < 0 001), race (aOR = 3 03, P = 0 002), cancer (aOR = 2 22, P = 0 008), and diabetes (aOR = 1 95, P = 0 003) The PPI-associated mortality risk was higher in black patients (aOR = 4 16, 95% confidence interval: 2 28-7 59) than others (aOR = 1 62, 95% confidence interval: 0 82-3 19, P = 0 04 for interaction) DISCUSSION: COVID-negative PPI users had higher salivary ACE2 expression PPI use was associated with increased mortality risk in patients with COVID-19, particularly African Americans
Genetic Approaches to the Synthesis and Physiological Significance of B12 in Salmonella typhimurium

In the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium the biosynthetic genes for cobalamin are located in three separated regions of the genetic map. Most synthetic genes (approximately 20 of 25) are located in a single large operon whose expression is stimulated by cAMP and by a reduced cell interior; this operon is repressed by adenosyl-B12. Nutritional requirements of mutants suggest that an early intermediate in corrinoid biosynthesis (prior to cobyric acid in the pathway) is adenosylated and that adenosyl cobinamide is an obligatory precursor to completion of cobalamin synthesis (addition of dimethyl benzimidazole). Only one gene has been associated with the ability to perform adenosylation in the de novoe pathway; this gene is one of several alternatives needed to adenosylate exogenouse corrinoids. One gene has been associated with ability to synthesize aminopropanol.
Life science research on the Space Station

The requirements for studying the mechanisms of response and adaptation to the microgravity environment are examined. The necessary facilities, equipments, and technologies for the use of animals in space research are discussed. The application of a centrifuge to the analysis of the effects of microgravity on physiological adaptation is described.
Pathogen-Host Interactions: Chemical Biology Approach

Microbes are continuously coevolving with their eukaryotic hosts. This process can result in a stable relationship of mutual benefit or an unstable relationship with pathologic consequences to the host. The latter relationship, which is known as the pathogen–host interaction, represents an ideal research area in which chemical biology can be applied to study the disease-causing mechanisms of many bacterial pathogens. Chemical interference of pathogenicity can target specific virulence mechanisms of the pathogen or functions of the host organism involved in generating pathology. Small-molecule modulators and their targets are extremely useful tools for studying specific mechanisms of disease and can help reveal novel cell biological processes. Promising compounds could also lead to the generation of novel paradigms for therapeutics. Here, we present examples of specific pathogen–host interactions and the chemical biological approaches that can be taken to both study and fight such pathogens.
Impact of negative bias temperature instability on product parametric drift

A systematic test methodology is presented that comprehends the impact of negative bias temperature instability on product parametric drift. In specific NBTI degradation mechanisms in digital CMOS circuits and transistors are presented. A test guard-banding technique to estimate parameter drift under BI and customer use conditions is also given.
Optically active amines—X

Abstract ORD and CD measurements are reported for the N-salicylidene derivatives of a number of α and β-phenylalkylamines. The strong positive Cotton effects near 255 and 315 nm shown by the derivatives of(S)-1-indanamine and (1S,2S)-2,3-diphenyl-1-methylpropylamine are in accord with a planar sector rule for the prediction of the sign of the Cotton effects associated with a particular enantiomer of the N-salicylidene derivative of an α-or β-phenylalkylamine. Application of this sector rule to the interpretation of ORD and CD of the N-salicylidene derivatives of (+) exo-3-phenyl-endo-2-norbornanamine hydrochloride and (—)-endo-3-phenyl-endo-2-norbornanamine hydrochloride fixes their absolute configurations as (2S) and (2R), respectively. A tentative reassignment of the (S) configuration is made to (+)-1,2,2-triphenylethylaminehydrochloride on
Implementing a Layered Analytic Approach For Real-Time Modeling of Students' Scientific Understanding

We have developed layered analytic models of how high school and university students construct, modify and retain problem solving strategies as they learn to solve science problems online. First, item response theory modeling is used to provide continually refined estimates of problem solving ability as students solve a series of simulations. In parallel, the strategies students apply are modeled by self-organizing artificial neural network analysis, using the actions that students take during problem solving as the classifying inputs. This results in strategy maps detailing the qualitative and quantitative differences among problem solving approaches. Learning trajectories across sequences of student performances are developed by applying Hidden Markov Modeling to stochastically model problem solving progress through the strategic stages in the learning process. Using this layered analytical approach we have found that students quickly adopt preferential problem solving strategies, and continue to use them up to four months later. Furthermore, the approach has shown that students working in groups solve a higher percentage of the problems, stabilize their strategic approaches quicker, and use a more limited repertoire of strategies than students working alone. In this paper, we also describe our ongoing and future work in developing an online collaborative learning environment that both models the group interaction and identifies which individual student contributions might contribute to increased achievement.
Enhanced fixed-size parallel speedup with the Muskingum method using a trans-boundary approach and a large subbasins approximation

This study presents a new algorithm for parallel computation of river flow that builds on recent work demonstrating the relative independence of distant river reaches in the update step of the Muskingum method. The algorithm is designed to achieve enhanced fixed-size parallel speedup and uses a mathematical approximation applied at the boundaries of large subbasins. In order to use such an algorithm, a balanced domain decomposition method that differs from the traditional classifications of river reaches and subbasins and based on network topology is developed. An application of the algorithm and domain decomposition method to the Mississippi River Basin results in an eightfold decrease in computing time with 16 computing cores which is unprecedented for Muskingum-type algorithms applied in classic parallel-computing paradigms having a one-to-one relationship between cores and subbasins. An estimated 300 km between upstream and downstream reaches of subbasins guarantees the applicability of the algorithm in our study and motivates further investigation of domain decomposition methods.
Home Bodies and Wanderers: Sympatric Lineages of the Deep-Sea Black Coral Leiopathes glaberrima

Colonial corals occur in a wide range of marine benthic habitats from the shallows to the deep ocean, often defining the structure of their local community. The black coral Leiopathes glaberrima is a long-lived foundation species occurring on carbonate outcrops in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Multiple color morphs of L. glaberrima grow sympatrically in the region. Morphological, mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal markers supported the hypothesis that color morphs constituted a single biological species and that colonies, regardless of color, were somewhat genetically differentiated east and west of the Mississippi Canyon. Ten microsatellite loci were used to determine finer-scale population genetic structure and reproductive characteristics. Gene flow was disrupted between and within two nearby (distance = 36.4 km) hardground sites and two sympatric microsatellite lineages, which might constitute cryptic species, were recovered. Lineage one was outbred and found in all sampled locations (N = 5) across 765.6 km in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Lineage two was inbred, reproducing predominantly by fragmentation, and restricted to sites around Viosca Knoll. In these sites the lineages and the color phenotypes occurred in different microhabitats, and models of maximum entropy suggested that depth and slope influence the distribution of the color phenotypes within the Vioska Knolls. We conclude that L. glaberrima is phenotypically plastic with a mixed reproductive strategy in the Northern GoM. Such strategy might enable this long-lived species to balance local recruitment with occasional long-distance dispersal to colonize new sites in an environment where habitat is limited.
On the Theory of Partially Inbreeding Finite Populations. I. Partial Selfing

It is assumed that a population has M males in every generation, each of which is permanently mated with c-1 females, and that a proportion beta of matings are between males and their full sisters or half-sisters. Recurrence equations are derived for the inbreeding coefficient of one random individual, coefficients of kinship of random pairs of mates and probabilities of allelic identity when the infinite alleles model holds. If Ft is the inbreeding coefficient at time t and M is large, (1-Ft)/(1-Ft-1)----1-1/(2Ne) as t increases. The effective population number Ne = aM/[1 + (2a-1)FIS], where FIS is the inbreeding coefficient at equilibrium when M is infinite and the constant a depends upon the conditional probabilities of matings between full sibs and the two possible types of half-sibs. When there are M permanent couples, an approximation to the probability that an allele A survives if it is originally present in one AA heterozygote is proportional to FISs1 + (1-FIS)s2, where s1 and s2 are the selective advantages of AA and AA in comparison with AA. The paper concludes with a comparison between the results when there is partial selfing, partial full sib mating (c = 2) and partial sib mating when c is large.
A New Approach to Evaluating the Extent of Michael Adduct Formation to PAH Quinones: Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide (TMAH) Thermochemolysis with GC/MS

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants that are converted to cytotoxic and carcinogenic metabolites, quinones, by detoxifying enzyme systems in animals. PAH metabolites such as the quinones can form Michael adducts with biological macromolecules containing reactive nucleophiles, making detection of exposure to PAHs difficult using conventional techniques. A technique has been developed for detecting exposure to PAHs. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysis coupled with GC/MS is proposed as an assay method for PAH quinones that have formed Michael adducts with biological molecules. Three PAH quinones (1,4-naphthoquinone, 1,2-naphthoquinone, and 1,4-anthraquinone) and 1,4-benzoquinone were reacted with cysteine, and the TMAH thermochemolysis method was used to assay for both thiol and amine adduction between the quinones and the cysteine. Additional studies with 1,4-naphthoquinone adducts to glutathione and bovine serum albumin showed the same thiol and amine TMAH thermochemolysis products with larger peptides as was observed with cysteine adducts. The TMAH GC/MS method clearly shows great promise for detecting PAH quinones, produced by enzymatic conversion of PAHs in biological systems, that have been converted to respective Michael adducts.
Combined 3D rotational fluoroscopic-MRI cloacagram procedure defines luminal and extraluminal pelvic anatomy prior to surgical reconstruction of cloacal and other complex pelvic malformations

Cloacal anomalies represent one of the greatest surgical challenges in pediatric surgery. A recent advancement in the imaging of these anomalies is 3D rotational fluoroscopic cloacagram. However, a disadvantage is that obstructed lumens and extraluminal soft tissue structures are poorly delineated. We describe the development of a novel imaging technique whereby 3D rotational fluoroscopy is combined with high-resolution 3D pelvic MR imaging. 3D rotational fluoroscopic cloacagram was initially performed. Catheters were directed into the urinary bladder, colon, and vagina. Low-osmolality iodinated contrast material mixed with a small amount of gadolinium contrast material was used to distend the catheterized cavities. After securing the catheters in place, patients underwent high-resolution 3D MRI of the pelvis. 3D MRI reconstructions were created. 3D rotational fluoroscopic cloacagram provided excellent luminal definition and accurate measurements of channel/fistula lengths, using intraoperative findings as the reference standard. 3D pelvic MRI measurements were easily and accurately made (using intraoperative and 3D rotational fluoroscopic cloacagram as reference standards), and soft tissue structures outside the lumens of the bladder, vagina, and rectum were well-defined. 3D pelvic MRI was able to identify a small vesicovaginal fistula that was not seen at 3D rotational fluoroscopy. This novel form of preoperative imaging results in excellent delineation channel/fistula lengths, luminal anatomy, and extra-luminal soft tissue structures to aid in operative planning.
Plasmonics and photovolatics on the cheap

Plasmonic nanostructures can increase photon capture and lead to enhancement of photocurrent in photovoltaic (PV) cells. This has special implications for Si absorber layers much thinner than 10 µm, when optical absorption of near-bandgap light is reduced and current light trapping schemes, such as surface texturing, may be a poor candidate. There has been an increasing amount of work in the field over the past few years [1,2]. Here, we discuss how plasmonics can help reduce the material requirements in PV and report on plasmon enhanced absorption in thin films and PV cells using Ag nanoparticle arrays. The design represents a fully optimized condition where the amount of light incident on the cell, absorbed by the nanoparticles, and reradiated into the c-Si absorber layer, is maximized. As a result of increased photon capture in the cell, we observe an increase in photocurrent density and solar conversion efficiency. This talk will examine various aspects of absorption and scattering with isolated metallic nanoparticles and with coupled nanoparticles. Fabrication and economic considerations will also be presented.
An algorithm for conducting exact Smirnov tests

Abstract We describe an algorithm for the performing exact Smirnov tests in continuous or categorical data with balanced or unbalanced samples. We use the algorithm to evaluate the size of the asymptotic and exact tests based on the classical Smirnov statistic and the exact test based on a modified Smirnov statistic. The asymptotic test is very conservative even in large samples from continuous distributions, while the exact test based on the modified Smirnov statistic is uniformly least conservative for all distributions and all samples sizes studied. In categorical data the sizes of the two exact tests are similar, but in continuous data the modified test is significantly less conservative. Our estimator of size exploits properties of the algorithm, making it highly efficient relative to the Monte Carlo estimator usually used in similation studies.
Efficient computation of micro-particle dynamics including wall effects

Abstract This study describes an effective method for one-way coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian simulations of spherical micro-size particles, including particle–wall interactions and the quantification of near-wall stasis at possibly elevated concentrations. The focus is on particle-hemodynamics simulations where particle suspensions are composed of critical blood cells, such as monocytes, and the carrier fluid is non-Newtonian. Issues regarding adaptive time-step integration of the particle motion equation, relevant point-force model terms, and adaptation of surface-induced particle forces to arbitrary three-dimensional geometries are outlined. By comparison to available experimental trajectories, it is shown that fluid-element pathlines may be used to simulate non-interacting blood particles removed from wall boundaries under dilute transient conditions. However, when particle–wall interactions are significant, an extended form of the particle trajectory equation is required which includes terms for Stokes drag, near-wall drag modifications, or lubrication forces, pressure gradients, and near-wall particle lift. Still, additional physical and/or biochemical wall forces in the nano-meter range cannot be readily calculated; hence the near-wall residence time (NWRT) model indicating the probability of blood particle deposition is presented. The theory is applied to a virtual model of a femoral bypass end-to-side anastomosis, where profiles of the Lagrangian-based NWRT parameter are illustrated and convergence is verified. In order to effectively compute the large number of particle trajectories required to resolve regions of particle stasis, the proposed particle tracking algorithm stores all transient velocity field solution data on a shared memory architecture (SGI Origin 2400) and computes particle trajectories using an adaptive parallel approach. Compared to commercially available particle tracking packages, the algorithm presented is capable of reducing computational time by an order of magnitude for typical transient one-way coupled blood particle simulations in complex cyclical flow domains.
MICELLAR ELECTROKINETIC CHROMATOGRAPHY OF BILIRUBIN AND RELATED COMPOUNDS IN UNCONJUGATED AND GLYCO-CONJUGATED BILE SALT SOLUTIONS

The interactions of bilirubin, biliverdin, xanthobilirubin, biliverdin dimethyl ester, and xanthobilirubin methyl ester with unconjugated and glyco-conjugated bile salt solutions were investigated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The capacity factors were measured in solutions of the different bile salts over the pH range of 6.5 to 8.5. The bile salts investigated were deoxycholic, chenodeoxycholic, glycocholic, glycodeoxycholic, and glycochenodeoxycholic acid. These results were compared to previous results in cholic, taurocholic, taurodeoxycholic, and taurochenodeoxycholic acids. Typically, the nature of the bile salt, trihydroxy versus dihydroxy, has a greater effect on the resulting capacity factors than does the nature of the conjugation. The influence on capacity factor of such features as molecular size, shape, and charge are revealed with this group of analytes.
Stapedectomy with malleus homograft in the fenestration ear: A Method for Restoration of Hearing in the Fenestration Ear†‡

A method for restoration of hearing in the fenestration ear is presented which consists of implanting a tailored malleus homograft between the manubrium in the drum and a vein grafted oval window following total stapedectomy. Twelve out of 14 cases followed from six months to four years closed the bone-air gap within 20 db. Two cases were failures, with one of these a dead ear. None of the cases extruded the homograft malleus. Hearing has been maintained at the serviceable level in 70 percent of the cases for a period up to four years. Results have been promising enough to continue the use of this technique.
Effects of Sodium Trimetaphosphate Supplementation of a High Sucrose Diet on the Microbial and Biochemical Composition of Four-Day Plaque and on Urine Calcium and Phosphorus Levels

Daily supplementation of a high sucrose diet with 5 gm TMP resulted in significant alterations in certain human plaque components. Veillonella and Neisseria population (as percent total viable microorganisms), S sanguis (as percent streptococci), and levan hydrolase activity per milligram of plaque increased, whereas total viable microorganisms per milligram of plaque, streptococci per milligram of plaque, and specific fructosyltransferase activity decreased during the TMP-containing diet regimen.
9p Trisomy Identified by Giemsa-11

The Giemsa-11 technique specifically stains the secondary constriction region of chromosome 9. We report cytologic evidence for 9p trisomy in a 4\(4{\raise0.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-0.1em/\kern-0.15em\lower0.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$}}\)-year-old girl with moderate retardation and multiple anomalies, using the Giemsa-11 technique.
Spatial heterogeneity of the restitution portrait correlates with alternans in paced cardiac tissue

the rotors. In controls, 12/21 (57%) VTs with visible rotors terminated spontaneously in 3.7 0.4 s. The mode of termination was in most cases (11/12) mutual annihilation of counter-rotating wave-fronts (type-I). In the presence of NF (0.1 0.5 M), 21/24 (88%) VTs with rotors terminated spontaneously in 1.4 0.1 s. In 13/21 VTs, the rotors were annihilated after large meandering by collision with atrioventricular groove (type II). In the remaining 8 VTs, the rotors terminated by trapping of the spiral tip in a region entirely surrounded by refractory tissue (type III). Conclusions: NF promotes the spontaneous termination of rotors underlying VTs. The early termination is the result of repolarization delay causing a reduction of tissue proportion available for excitation. The results will provide new insights into pharmacological regulation of spiral-reentry.
Qal'eh Hasan Ali maars, central Iran.

A group of craters 120 km southeast of Kerman, the largest 1200 m across and 300 m deep, are typical maars, excavated depression with rims of bedded pyroclastic debris. Most of the crater rims are composed entirely of country rock clasts, but the largest crater yields tephrite, composed of phenocrysts of phlogopite, clinopyroxene, and olivine in a groundmass of anorthoclase, analcime, hauyne, clinopyroxene and magnetite, and a cumulate of phlogopite and clinopyroxene with highly potassic glass. The occurrence of hauyne as a ground mass mineral is a rare or unique feature. The maar field lies in the projection to the south of the Nayband fault and, with some flows near that fault, represents a province of Quaternary alkali basalt volcanism.
Did the Middlesboro, Kentucky, bolide impact event influence coal rank?

Abstract The Middlesboro Basin, southeastern Kentucky, occurs on the Cumberland Overthrust Sheet and includes a ca. 5.5-km diameter impact structure. The Lower and Middle Pennsylvanian coal-bearing strata are faulted, with some evidence for shock metamorphism. The event post-dated the latest-Pennsylvanian–early-Permian thrusting and was likely prior to late-Mesozoic entrenchment of drainages. The impact of a 0.5-km meteor traveling at ca. 60,000 km/h would release about 1 EJ, the approximate equivalent of the instantaneous combustion of 30 Mt of coal. The coal rank, while increased slightly above the regional level, still is within the upper portion of the high volatile A bituminous rank range. This helps to constrain the depth of burial at the time of the impact. The coal would have had to have been at a depth of a few kilometers to have avoided a more substantial rank increase. In addition, it is possible that some of the coal rank increase might be attributable to movements along the cross-cutting Rocky Face fault, unrelated to the impact.
Flight test of an imaging O2(X-b) monocular passive ranging instrument

An instrument for monocular passive ranging based on atmospheric oxygen absorption near 762 nm has been designed, built and deployed to track emissive targets. An intensified CCD array is coupled to variable band pass liquid crystal filter and 3.5 - 8.8 degree field of view optics. The system was first deployed for a ground test viewing a static jet engine in afterburner at ranges of 0.35 - 4.8 km, establishing a range error of 15%. The instrument was also flight tested in a C-12 imaging an the exhaust plume of another aircraft afterburner at ranges up to 11 km.
Modification of semiconductor device characteristics by lasers

The paper discusses an emerging area of laser-semiconductor processing: the effect of laser irradiation on the electrical parameters of diffused-junction devices. Shallow dcyusions of 0.2- to 0.5-µm depths have been achieved. Transistor current gains have been modified and the results agree with the theoretical analysis.
Assessing a decade of phosphorus management in the Lake Mendota, Wisconsin watershed and scenarios for enhanced phosphorus management

A phosphorus (P) budget was estimated for the watershed of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, to assess the effects of nutrient management on P accumulation in the watershed soils. We estimated how nutrient management programs and legislation have affected the budget by comparing the budget for 2007 to a budget calculated for 1995, prior to implementation of the programs. Since 1995, inputs decreased from 1,310,000 to 853,000 kg P/yr (35% reduction) and accumulation decreased from 575,000 to 279,000 kg P/yr (51% reduction). Changes in P input and accumulation were attributed primarily to enhanced agricultural nutrient management, reduction in dairy cattle feed supplements and an urban P fertilizer ban. Four scenarios were investigated to determine potential impacts of additional nutrient management tactics on the watershed P budget and P loading to Lake Mendota. Elimination of chemical P fertilizer input has the greatest potential to reduce watershed P accumulation and establishment of riparian buffers has the greatest potential to prevent P loading to Lake Mendota.
A comparison of methods for measuring water-stable aggregates: implications for determining environmental effects on soil structure

Abstract This paper describes the effects of different pretreatment conditions and wet-sieving procedures on water-stable aggregate distributions of sandy and clayey textured soils (Cecil, Pacolet, and Hiwassee Series) from the Piedmont of the southern Appalachian mountains of Georgia, USA. Four soil pretreatment procedures were compared: (1) air-dried, capillary wetted (AD-CW), (2) air-dried, tension wetted (AD-TW), (3) air-dried, slaked (AD-SL), and (4) field-moist, capillary wetted (FM-CW). Air-drying soils resulted in a greater quantity of aggregates in the coarser fractions (> 250 μm), as compared to field-moist soils, with a consequent reduction in the finer fractions (> 250 μm). Differences between methods of wetting air-dried soils were more pronounced for the clayey soils where both AD-CW and AD-SL resulted in a greater proportion (22–24%) of the soil mass in the finer fractions (> 250 μm), as compared with AD-TW (4.5%). The FM-CW procedure had the lowest coefficients of variation (2–8%) for repeated measurements. The AD-CW and FM-CW procedures were also used to compare the effects of cropping systems [conventional tillage (CT) (soybean/fallow), CT (sorghum/fallow), and no-tillage (NT) (sorghum/clover)], erosion classes (slight, moderate, and severe) and irrigation (drip-irrigated or nonirrigated) on water-stable aggregates (> 250 μm). In general, water-stable aggregates increased with decreasing intensity of cultivation, increasing severity of erosion and irrigation. Air-drying soils resulted in less differences in water-stable aggregates between treatments, but provided more detailed information on the interactive effects of cropping system and irrigation as compared with the field-moist condition. Similar differences were observed in aggregate disruption rates that were calculated from the aggregates recovered after wet-sieving for intervals of 1–32 min. Although water-stable aggregates were lower by FM-CW, this procedure showed greater separation of treatment means (e.g. erosion classes) than the AD-CW procedure. We also compared single versus multiple-sieve techniques for describing the effects of pretreatment conditions on aggregate distributions. For the clayey Pacolet soil, a fine fractionation into eleven aggregate size classes revealed the greatest differences (P > 0.05) between the FM-CW and AD-CW procedures, while a coarse fractionation into macro- (> 250 μm) and micro- (> 250 μm) aggregates showed no differences. However, for the sandy Hiwassee soil differences in aggregate distributions between the FM-CW and AD-CW procedures were found at most levels of fractionation, but were not detected by comparing the calculated mean weighted diameters. In general, our findings emphasize the value of comparing soil specific responses to different pretreatment conditions, particularly those that compare the distributions of aggregates among size classes, as a means for describing environmental influences on soil structure.
The Role of Character Assessments in Presidential Approval

Existing models of presidential approval fail to fully explain the psychology of presidential evaluation. Research on political candidates strongly suggests that character trait assessments should affect citizens' approval of the sitting president, but macro-level, longitudinal analyses generally lack appropriate measures of presidential character. A series of logistic regression models of individual-level presidential approval are estimated using National Election Studies (NES) data to address the impact or character assessments on presidential approval while controlling for economic evaluations and policy assessments. Presidential character trait assessments prove to be a significant and robust predictor of an individual's approval of the president. A final model, using a panel design, demonstrates that character assessments are causally prior to approval.
Kinematics of the Neutral Hydrogen Toward the Core of NGC 3894

We present results of high-resolution VLBA observations at 1.4 GHz of the nuclear region of the nearby elliptical galaxy NGC 3894. An angular resolution of 9 mas (1.4 h-1 pc) was obtained, with a velocity resolution of 7 km s-1 and an rms noise of 1.5 mJy beam-1 per channel. The 21 cm atomic hydrogen line is seen in absorption slightly redshifted with respect to the systemic velocity toward the core, jet, and counterjet of this source. There are four components in the gas that are spatially and/or spectrally distinct, two of which appear to be part of a single larger structure, possibly a circumnuclear torus.