cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Burn injury increases myocardial uptake of FDG and BFPET but not CardioPET in mice

1096 Objectives Previously we have demonstrated that burn injury increases uptake of FDG by the heart. In this investigation, we extended these studies to examine the effect of burn injury on cardiac uptake of CardioPET (trans-9-[18F]fluoro-3,4-methyleneheptadecanoic acid), a 18F labeled fatty acid, BFPET (4-[18F]fluorophenyltriphenylphosphonium), a marker of blood flow and FDG. Methods The dorsums of male CD-1 mice (28-30 grams, n = 8) were subjected to a 30% full thickness scald burn (9 seconds, 90°C) followed by saline resuscitation (2 ml/kg). Shams control animals received the same treatment but without the burn. Each animal was fasted for 24 h followed by injection with 50 µCi of CardioPET, BFPET of FDG. Sixty-min, after tracer injection the animals were sacrificed and biodistribution of FDG, CardioPET or BFPET was determined. The organs of interest were excised and radioactivity was measured with a well-type gamma counter. All results were expressed as percent injected dose per gram (%ID/g, mean ± sem). Results The results of these studies are summarized in the table. Clearly FDG and BFPET uptake by the myocardium were significantly (p Conclusions Burn injury to mice increases BFPET uptake suggesting increased blood flow. However, myocardial uptake of CardioPET in burned mice was not significantly different from sham-treated controls, and might actually be less when the flow component is considered. The increased cardiac uptake of FDG following burn injury to mice may be related, in part, to the stress response which reduces the uptake of fatty acid, the preferred fuel for the heart. Research Support Shriners Hospitals for Childre
Improved dose homogeneity using electronic compensation technique for total body irradiation.

In total body irradiation (TBI) utilizing large parallel-opposed fields, the manual placement of lead compensators has conventionally been used to compensate for the varying thickness throughout the body. The goal of this study is to pursue utilizing the modern electronic compensation (E-comp) technique to more accurately deliver dose to TBI patients. Bilateral parallel-opposed TBI treatment plans were created using E-comp for 15 patients for whom CT data had been previously acquired. A desirable fluence pattern was manually painted within each field to yield a uniform dose distribution. The conventional compensation technique was simulated within the treatment planning system (TPS) using a field-in-field (FIF) method. This allows for a meaningful evaluation of the E-comp technique in comparison to the conventional method. Dose-volume histograms (DVH) were computed for all treatment plans. The mean total body dose using E-comp deviates from the prescribed dose (4 Gy) by an average of 2.4%. The mean total body dose using the conventional compensation deviates from the prescribed dose by an average of 4.5%. In all cases, the mean body dose calculated using E-comp technique deviates less than 10% from that of conventional compensation. The average reduction in maximum dose using E-comp compared to that of the conventional method was 30.3% ± 6.6% (standard deviation). In all cases, the s-index for the E-comp technique was lower (10.5% ± 0.7%) than that of the conventional method (15.8% ± 4.4%), indicating a more homogenous dose distribution. In conclusion, a large reduction in maximum body dose can be seen using the proposed E-comp technique while still producing a mean body dose that accurately complies with the prescription dose. Dose homogeneity was quantified using s-index which demonstrated a reduction in hotspots with E-comp technique. Electronic compensation technique is capable of more accurately delivering a total body dose compared to conventional methods.
Update on Fiber and Mineral Availability

Due to the binding capabilities of fiber, there has been much concern about the effect of high-fiber diets on nutrient availability, particularly of minerals. Studies on effects of fiber on mineral and vitamin bioavailability were reviewed previously (Kelsay, 1981, 1982). Although there were some reports that high-fiber diets adversely affected mineral balances, the subject remains controversial. This chapter will deal with recent studies on fiber and mineral availability, with particular emphasis on other factors that may complicate the interpretation of results.
Quantum transport in graphene p-n junctions with moiré superlattice modulation.

We present simulations of quantum transport in graphene p-n junctions (pnJs) in which moire superlattice potentials are incorporated to demonstrate the interplay between pnJs and moire superlattice potentials. It is shown that the longitudinal and Hall resistivity maps can be strongly modulated by the pnJ profile, junction height, and moire potentials. Device resistance measurements are subsequently performed on graphene/hexagonal- boron-nitride heterostructure samples with accurate alignment of crystallographic orientations to complement and support the simulation results.
Alternative Approaches to Inference

In this final chapter we consider some inferential methods that are different in important ways from those considered earlier. Recall that many of the confidence intervals and test procedures developed in Chapters 9–12 were based on some sort of a normality assumption. As long as such an assumption is at least approximately satisfied, the actual confidence and significance levels will be at least approximately equal to the “nominal” levels, those prescribed by the experimenter through the choice of particular t or F critical values. However, if there is a substantial violation of the normality assumption, the actual levels may differ considerably from the nominal levels (e.g., the use of t.025 in a confidence interval formula may actually result in a confidence level of only 88% rather than the nominal 95%). In the first three sections of this chapter, we develop distribution-free or nonparametric procedures that are valid for a wide variety of underlying distributions rather than being tied to normality. We have actually already introduced several such methods: the bootstrap intervals and permutation tests are valid without restrictive assumptions on the underlying distribution(s).
Private Equity Monitoring Fees as Disguised Dividends: Collateral Impact

In an earlier article (The Untold Story of Sun Capital: Disguised Dividends, 142 Tax Notes 556 (2014)), I argued that in many cases monitoring fees paid by private-equity controlled companies should be recharacterized as nondeductible dividends. This recharacterization would increase the tax liability of portfolio companies because they deduct monitoring fees as compensation. In response, some have argued that the recharacterization of monitoring fees as dividends would also reduce the tax liability of private equity managers. This article argues that there would in fact be no tax benefit to the manager or to the vast majority of private equity fund investors. The recharacterization could in some cases provide a tax advantage to the small minority of private equity investors who are U.S. individuals but the advantage would be constrained by the overall limitation on miscellaneous itemized deductions and, in any event, would typically pale in comparison to the additional taxes due from the portfolio company.
Additional Topics in Bending

A composite beam is defined analogously to a composite bar as in Sect. 6.3.3 (page 278) and a composite shaft as in Sect. 7.1.5 (page 328): it is assumed to be made up of two or more materials, so that the Young’s modulus E varies over the cross-section \(\mathscr {A}\). We express this variation as E(y, z), although, in fact, \(\mathscr {A}\) comprises subregions (say \(\mathscr {A}_1, \mathscr {A}_2, \ldots \)) within which E has a constant value (E1, E2, …).
Generation of Lie Incidence Geometries: A Survey

A subspace of a point-line geometry \((\mathcal{P}, \mathcal{L})\) is a subset \(S\) of the point set \(\mathcal{P}\) with the property that whenever a line \(L\) meets \(S\) in at least two points then \(L\) is contained in \(S\). For an arbitrary subset \(X\) of \(\mathcal{P}\) the subspace generated by \(X\), denoted by \(\langle X \rangle _\varGamma \), is the intersection of all subspaces which contain \(X\). A subset \(X\) is said to generate \(\varGamma \) if \(\langle X \rangle _\varGamma = \mathcal{P}\). The generating rank of \(\varGamma \) is the minimal cardinality of a generating set. In this paper we survey what is currently know about the generating rank of the Lie incidence geometries arising as the shadow of a spherical building.
Coronary CTA in Acute Chest Pain

It has been estimated that over 5 million patients present to emergency departments (EDs) in the United States with acute chest pain each year [1], Although rapid triage of these patients is crucial for optimizing treatment and improving prognosis, an effective strategy for diagnosis remains elusive in a majority of these patients. The current strategies for triage of the large subset of patients who present with acute chest pain but have normal or unchanged electrocardiograms (ECG) and negative initial cardiac enzymes provide inadequate risk stratification. This stems from the fact that the predictive value of symptom history [2] as well single variables such as patient age, sex, cardiac risk factors, and biochemical markers for adverse outcomes is limited [3, 4]. Moreover, symptoms of chest pain from cardiac etiologies are often similar to those from non-cardiac etiologies, further complicating accurate diagnosis [5].
Ramp It Up: A Call for More Research in Introductory Psychology

The introductory psychology (Intro Psych) course is the bedrock of the psychology major and the front face of our discipline. The class not only provides a foundation for students in the major but ...
BACTERIOLOGICAL COMPARISONS OF HOT PROCESSED AND NORMALLY PROCESSED HAMS1

Summary A preliminary study of the bacteriological comparisons of hot processed and normally processed hams was made in cured unsmoked and cured smoked hams. Higher bacterial counts were found in the hot processed hams. Staphylococci were isolated from both hot processed and normally processed hams. Coagulase-positive staphylococci were isolated from one hot processed ham.
Automatically Detecting Arrhythmia-related Irregular Patterns using the Temporal and Spectro-Temporal Textures of ECG Signals

Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm that occurs due to the improper operation of the electrical impulses that coordinate the heartbeats. It is one of the most well-known heart conditions (including coronary artery disease, heart failure etc.) that is experienced by millions of people around the world. While there are several types of arrhythmias, not all of them are dangerous or harmful. However, there are arrhythmias that can often lead to death in minutes (e.g, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia) even in young people. Thus, the detection of arrhythmia is critical for stopping and reversing its progression and for increasing longevity and life quality. While a doctor can perform different heart-monitoring tests specific to arrhythmias, the electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most common ones used either independently or in combination with other tests (to only detect, e.g. echocardiogram, or trigger arrhythmia and, then, detect, e.g. stress test). We propose a machine learning approach that augments the traditional arrhythmia detection approaches via our automatic arrhythmia classification system. It utilizes the texture of the ECG signal in both the temporal and spectro-temporal domains to detect and classify four types of heartbeats. The original ECG signal is first preprocessed, and then, the R-peaks associated with heartbeat estimation are identified. Next, 1D local binary patterns (LBP) in the temporal domain are utilized, while 2D LBPs and texture-based features extracted by a grayscale co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) are utilized in the spectro-temporal domain using the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and Morse wavelets. Finally, different classifiers, as well as different ECG lead configurations are examined before we determine our proposed time-frequency SVM model, which obtains a maximum accuracy of 99.81%, sensitivity of 98.17%, and specificity of 99.98% when using a 10 cross-validation on the MIT-BIH database. Our approach yields competitive accuracy when compared to other methods discussed in the literature.
Effect of hot carcass weight on the rate of temperature decline of pork hams and loins in a blast-chilled commercial abattoir123.

Adequate carcass chilling is required to optimize pork quality and food safety. The rate at which carcasses chill is dependent on their mass. Hot carcass weight has increased steadily over the years, certainly affecting the chilling rate of the average carcass in contemporary abattoirs. Therefore, the objective was to model the effect of HCW on temperature decline of a contemporary population of pork carcasses slaughtered at a commercial abattoir that used a blast-chilling method. In addition, carcasses were sorted into HCW classes, and the effect of HCW group was tested on the rate of temperature decline of the longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus. Hot carcass weight, internal temperature of the loin muscle (at the 10th rib) and ham, as well as ambient temperature, were recorded from 40 to 1,320 min postmortem (45 time points) on 754 pork carcasses. An exponential decay model based on Newton's law of cooling, T(t)=Ta+(T0-Ta)e-kt, was fit to temperature decline of the ham and loin of the whole population using PROC MODEL of SAS. The initial models for the decline of both ham and loin temperature displayed significant autocorrelation of errors based on evaluation of the autocorrelation function plots and Durbin-Watson test (P < 0.0001). Therefore, second- and third-order autocorrelation parameters were tested. Based on Durbin-Watson test, the use of second-order autocorrelation model with lags of 1 and 2 was deemed adequate and was therefore included in all subsequent models. This base model and its respective parameter estimates were all significant (P < 0.01) for the whole population. Carcasses approximating 85, 90, 95, 100, and 105 kg (± 1 kg) were selected and binned into their respective weight classes. Dummy variables were used to compare the effect of HCW class on parameter estimate of ham and loin models. The developed model significantly fit all weight classes (P < 0.01) for both ham and loin temperature decline. For both loin and ham models, estimates of the rate constant (k) generally decreased as HCW increased. For loin temperature, k estimate for 105-kg carcasses was 0.00124 less (P = 0.02) than 85-kg carcasses, with the intermediate HCW classes not differing from the 85-kg class. For ham temperature, estimates of k for 90, 95, 100, and 105 kg HCW were all significantly and successively less than the k estimate for 85 kg class. For perspective, loins of 95-kg carcasses were estimated to reach 2 °C in 17 h, whereas loins from 105-kg carcasses would not reach 2 °C until 27 h. For hams, 95-kg carcasses were projected to reach 2 °C in 21 h, whereas those from 105-kg carcasses would take 28 h. Overall, HCW significantly affects the rate of temperature decline of pork hams, but not loins from pork carcasses weighing between 85 and 100 kg.
A Three-dimensional and Dynamic (3DD) Cell Culture System for Evaluation of Pharmacokinetics, Safety and Efficacy of Anti-cancer Drugs

In this work, we will describe a scalable and versatile three-dimensional and dynamic (3DD) cell culture system used in our laboratory as an in vitro tool for pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD), and toxicodynamic (TD) evaluation of anti-cancer agents in mono and combination therapy. Certain attributes of the 3DD cell culture system such as its ability to sustain high-density cell growth, simulation of clinically relevant PK profiles, and sampling of PK, PD, and TD endpoints make it suitable for long-term in vitro studies. Here, we highlight two case examples from our laboratory using this system. First, we have successfully evaluated the PK and PD of a novel combination regimen against human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)–positive breast cancer refractory to HER2 therapy. The resulting PK/PD relationships allowed optimization of drug dosing of the agents in the combination. Second, our laboratory is currently examining the clinical PK determinants controlling doxorubicin (DOX)–induced cardiotoxicity, linking them with TD endpoints and evaluating optimal dosing regimens of DOX for alleviating cardiotoxicity. Our promising state-of-the-art in vitro 3DD cell culture system holds several advantages over traditional tissue culture systems. The in vitro simulation of human PK profiles in combination with serial sampling over several weeks allows to more accurately study and predict tumor killing, resistance, and toxicities of anti-cancer agents and combinations for future rationally designed studies in patients.
Chapter 21 – Alzheimer Disease

Significant progress has been made since the 1980s in understanding the neurobiology of Alzheimer disease (AD). The clinical syndrome of AD results from synaptic dysfunction and death of neurons in specific brain regions and circuits, particularly populations of nerve cells subserving memory and cognition. The pathological hallmarks are the extracellular deposition of β-pleated assemblies of Aβ-peptide (amyloid plaques) and intracellular aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein (neurofibrillary tangles). Utilization of transgenic models of AD has advanced understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease and resulted in the discovery of therapeutic targets. The first attempts to implement novel antiamyloid treatments in mild to moderate AD had disappointing results, suggesting that therapy should be given much earlier in the course of the disease. Recognition that pathophysiological processes of AD begin decades before clinical symptoms appear calls for the development of tools for early diagnosis (imaging and biomarkers) and early treatment.
2D Gradient Composition Alloys: Excitonic and Dielectric Properties

We map the optical properties with Raman, PL and SHG methods of a single gradient 2D alloy flake with spatially varying composition of CVD grown WSe2-WS2 monolayers that can be used in novel opto-electronics devices.
Approach to Fever in the Hospitalized Patient

Fever occurs frequently in hospitalized patients. This teaching script enables the teacher to guide learners through evaluating a patient with fever and developing a differential diagnosis for common infectious and non-infectious causes of fever in the hospital setting. It outlines the diagnostic approach to identifying the most likely etiology in this patient population and suggests initial management steps.
Pancreas-specific deletion of protein kinase D attenuates inflammation, necrosis, and severity of acute pancreatitis.

Abstract Background Protein kinase D (PKD) family, which includes PKD/PKD1, PKD2, and PKD3, has been increasingly implicated in the regulation of multiple cellular functions and human diseases. We recently reported that pharmacologic inhibition of PKD ameliorated the pathologic responses and severity of pancreatitis. However, to further investigate the importance of PKD family members in pancreatitis, it is necessary to explore the effects of pancreas-specific genetic inhibition of PKD isoform on pathology of pancreatitis. Methods We generated a mouse model (referred as PKD3Δpanc mice) with pancreas-specific deletion of PKD3, the predominant PKD isoform in mouse pancreatic acinar cells, by crossing Pkd3flox/flox mice with Pdx1-Cre transgenic mice which express Cre recombinase under the control of the mouse Pdx1 promoter. Pancreas-specific deletion of the PKD3 gene and PKD3 protein was confirmed by PCR and Western blot analysis. Experimental pancreatitis was induced in PKD3Δpanc and Pkd3flox/flox (control mice) littermates by intraperitoneal injections of cerulein or L-arginine. Results Compared to the control mice, PKD3Δpanc mice displayed significant attenuation in inflammation, necrosis, and severity of pancreatitis in both experimental models. PKD3Δpanc mice had markedly decreased NF-κB and trypsinogen activation, pancreatic mRNA expression of multiple inflammatory molecules, and the receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1) activation in pancreatitis. PKD3Δpanc mice also had less pancreatic ATP depletion, increased pro-survival Bcl-2 family protein expression, and autophagy promotion. Conclusion With PKD3Δpanc mouse model, we further demonstrated that PKD plays a critical role in pathobiological process of pancreatitis and PKD constitutes a novel therapeutic target to treat this disorder.
The bidirectional relationship between physical health and memory

Individuals typically experience changes in physical health and cognitive ability across the life span. Although these constructs dynamically relate to one another, the temporal ordering of dynamic changes in physical health and cognitive ability is not well-established. Therefore, we examined the temporal ordering of the dynamic, bidirectional relationship between physical health and memory across ages 50-87 with Bivariate Dual Change Score Models (BDCSM). Employing a model-comparison approach, we tested whether inclusion of specific directional coupling parameters resulted in a meaningful improvement in model fit, controlling for education, gender, and race. The current sample included 9,103 individuals who participated in Waves 4-11 (1998-2012) of the Health and Retirement Study. Results indicated that both memory and physical health declined across ages 50-87. Furthermore, level of memory at a given time point was positively associated with subsequent change in physical health, meaning higher memory was linked to less decline in physical health by the subsequent time point. The opposite effect, namely physical health predicting memory, was much weaker. Age differences were also evident in the bidirectional coupling model, indicating that old-old individuals (i.e., ages 75-87) exhibited a much stronger coupling effect from memory to change in physical health than younger individuals (i.e., ages 50-74). In conclusion, memory buffers decline in physical health across mid-to-later life, and this effect is especially strong at older ages. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Toward a Thoughtful Assessment Practice: Using Reflection to Guide Library Instruction Assessment

The need to demonstrate the impact of academic libraries has fueled a culture of assessment within libraries, with librarians seeking to evaluate and improve a range of library services. This study...
Internet Governance: The New Frontier of Global Institutions

Introduction 1. What is the Internet and what is governance? 2. Before the Internet: communications and its regulation through history 3. The non-state actors: engineers, entrepreneurs and netizens 4. Solving the domain name problem: Internet governance is born 5. Regulatory imperatives for Internet governance: downloading music, free speech, You-tube, porn, and crime and terrorism 6. The ICANN experiment 7. Multi-stakeholderism emerges from the World Summit on the Information Society 8. The IGF experiment begins 9. What does the frontier look like?
On the discrete bicycle transformation

We study the dynamics of the discrete bicycle (Darboux, Backlund) transformation of polygons in n-dimensional Euclidean space. This transformation is a discretization of the continuous bicycle transformation, recently studied by Foote, Levi, and Tabachnikov. We prove that the respective monodromy is a Moebius transformation. Working toward establishing complete integrability of the discrete bicycle transformation, we describe the monodromy integrals and prove the Bianchi permutability property. We show that the discrete bicycle transformation commutes with the recutting of polygons, a discrete dynamical system, previously studied by V. Adler. We show that a certain center associated with a polygon and discovered by Adler, is preserved under the discrete bicycle transformation. As a case study, we give a complete description of the dynamics of the discrete bicycle transformation on plane quadrilaterals.
Increased severity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infection in strains of mice designated as Th1 versus Th2 responsive

Purpose Mice favoring Th1 (C57BL/6, C57BL/10, and B10.D2/nSn) versus Th2 (BALB/c, BALB/cBy, BALB.B, and BALB.K) response development were evaluated for their response to infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study addresses the question of whether Th1 versus Th2 response propensity affects the pathogenesis of bacterial keratitis in mice. Methods Ocular disease was determined by mean clinical score, slit lamp, plate counts, and histopathology, and antigen-specific cellular responses were assessed by immunostaining and measurement of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH). Results Strains of mice favoring Th1 (B6, BL10, and B10.D2) versus Th2 (BALB/c, BALB/cBy, BALB.B, and BALB.K) responsiveness were infected with P. aeruginosa. Mice favoring Th1 response development exhibited a similar course of disease and the infected eyes of all mice perforated by 7 days postinfection (p.i.). Strains (BALB/c, BALB/cBy, BALB.B, and BALB.K) favoring Th2 response development exhibited a milder course of disease, and none of the infected corneas perforated at 7 days p.i. In a Th1-responsive strain (B10.D2), positive immunostaining for CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was observed in the cornea by 3 days p.i. and by 5 days p.i., respectively, some cells stained positively for IL2-R, indicating that the cells were activated. In contrast, in a Th2 responder strain (BALB/c), there was no detectable positive immunostaining in cornea for any of the T-cell markers tested and DTH was significantly elevated in B10.D2 versus BALB/c mice. Conclusions These studies are the first to provide evidence that in P. aeruginosa ocular infection, mouse strains favoring development of a Th1-type response are susceptible (cornea perforates), whereas strains favoring Th2 response development are resistant (no corneal perforation).
Geochemistry: Rise of the continents

The continents are archives of Earth's evolution. Analysis of the isotopic signature of continental crust globally suggests that buoyant, silicic continents began to form 3 billion years ago, possibly linked to the onset of plate tectonics.
Higher Plant Lignans

Plant species of the Berberidaceae family, particularly from the Berberis and Epimedium genera, have been used in the treatment of warts and various solid tumors in China and India from at least the second century A.D.145 Another member of this family, Podophyllum peltatum L., commonly known as the may apple or mandrake, has been used for similar purposes in the United States from at least the 18th century. Perhaps the earliest use of this plant was by the Penobscot Indians of Maine. The alcohol-soluble portion from the dried roots and rhizomes is known as podophyllum, a material that appeared in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1942.301
Targeting Artificial Tumor Stromal Targets for Molecular Imaging of Tumor Vascular Hypoxia.

Developed and tested for many years, a variety of tumor hypoxia detection methods have been inconsistent in their ability to predict treatment outcomes or monitor treatment efficacy, limiting their present prognostic capability. These variable results might stem from the fact that these approaches are based on inherently wide-ranging global tumor oxygenation levels based on uncertain influences of necrotic regions present in most solid tumors. Here, we have developed a novel non-invasive and specific method for tumor vessel hypoxia detection, as hypoxemia (vascular hypoxia) has been implicated as a key driver of malignant progression, therapy resistance and metastasis. This method is based on high-frequency ultrasound imaging of α-pimonidazole targeted-microbubbles to the exogenously administered hypoxia marker pimonidazole. The degree of tumor vessel hypoxia was assessed in three mouse models of mammary gland carcinoma (4T1, SCK and MMTV-Wnt-1) and amassed up to 20% of the tumor vasculature. In the 4T1 mammary gland carcinoma model, the signal strength of α-pimonidazole targeted-microbubbles was on average 8-fold fold higher in tumors of pimonidazole-injected mice than in non-pimonidazole injected tumor bearing mice or non-targeted microbubbles in pimonidazole-injected tumor bearing mice. Overall, this provides proof of principle for generating and targeting artificial antigens able to be ‘created’ on-demand under tumor specific microenvironmental conditions, providing translational diagnostic, therapeutic and treatment planning potential in cancer and other hypoxia-associated diseases or conditions.
Elimination of False Negative Results with the FPN Forrest Test for Phenothiazine Derivatives in Urine

With the FPN Forrest test for urinary phenothiazine derivatives, omission of drug intake was found to be the most frequent cause of negative color reactions; accordingly, these negative reactions are true negatives. Excessive dilution of urine specimens occasionally yielded "apparent false negatives" by producing traces of drug metabolites, which cannot be detected without modification of the test. When measures to eliminate these conditions are taken, the previously specified reading time (10 sec. after mixing urine and reagent) is reliable. Unspecific color development due to reaction between endogenous urinary constituents and reagent appeared with a delay of 30 sec. or more, and hence recent recommendations of delaying reading times for the test were found to be unsuitable and productive of false positives.
A Formalization and Extension of the Priest-Klein Hypothesis

This paper provides a formal model of the Priest-Klein trial selection hypothesis, and extends the hypothesis as well. We derive the conditions under which the hypothesis is valid, and examine implications for the relationship between trial outcome uncertainty and litigation.
A time to stop, a time to start: high-dose chemotherapy in overweight and obese patients.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in US adults exceeds 70%.1 Their sometimes co-occurrence as well as their potential promoting association with malignancy has caused significant concern and controversy among research scientists and clinical oncologists, especially those responsible for treating patients with chemotherapy. Cancer chemotherapy is most commonly administered on a weight basis, calculated either directly per unit weight (pound or kg) or indirectly relative to body surface area (BSA; m2), which is determined on the basis of height and weight. These practices have evolved from observations such as that in vitro tumor cell killing is dose dependent, higher doses reduce emergence of resistant tumor cell clones and the use of weight and/or BSA-based dosing provides an approach to translate to humans effective doses determined in animals.2, 3 Moreover, the success associated with high dose, compared with conventional, chemotherapy in hematolymphocytic malignancies provides strong support for the antitumor and the survival benefits of exposing tumors to high concentrations of chemotherapy.4
Creating a Holistic Environment for Practicing Nurses

Until nurse administrators and nurse educators focus on improving the nursing practice environments in which we lead and teach others, it is likely to be extremely difficult for nurses to succeed in providing holistic care to clients. To promote a holistic practice environment for nurses, we need to find creative ways to apply newer leadership theories in practice and education. A heightened self-awareness of our own emotions and how we influence others can promote more positive relationships, and thus a more nurturing practice environment, for nurses of all ages, cultures, and levels of experience.
A prospective study of total gastrectomy for CDH1-positive hereditary diffuse gastric cancer.

Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is an autosomal dominant cancer syndrome. Up to 30% of families with HDGC have mutations in the E-cadherin gene, CDH1. The role of prophylactic versus therapeutic gastrectomy for HDGC was studied prospectively. Eighteen consecutive patients with CDH1 mutations and positive family history were studied prospectively, including 13 without and 5 with symptoms. Proportions were compared by Fisher’s exact test, and survival by the Breslow modification of the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Each patient underwent total gastrectomy (TG), and 17 (94%) were found to have signet ring cell adenocarcinoma. Twelve of 13 asymptomatic patients had T1, N0 cancer, and only 2/12 (16%) had it diagnosed preoperatively despite state-of-the-art screening methods. Each asymptomatic patient did well postoperatively, and no patient has recurred. For five symptomatic patients, each (100%) was found to have signet ring cell adenocarcinoma (P = 0.002 versus asymptomatic) by preoperative endoscopy; three (60%) had lymph node involvement and two (40%) had distant metastases at time of operation. Two-year survival was 100% for asymptomatic and 40% for symptomatic patients (P < 0.01). The data show that asymptomatic patients with family history of HDGC and CDH1 mutation have high probability of having signet ring cell adenocarcinoma of the stomach that is not able to be diagnosed on endoscopy; when symptoms arise, the diagnosis can be made by endoscopy, but they have metastases and decreased survival. Surveillance endoscopy is of limited value, and prophylactic gastrectomy (PG) is recommended for patients with family history of HDGC and CDH1 mutations.
Fast restoring gigabit wireless networks using a directional mesh architecture

Fourth Generation (4G) wireless networking may involve gigabit per second transmission based on a mesh network architecture. These networks may use Extremely High frequency or optical bands. The network is formed in an ad hoc manner. For this directional mesh network, we present a new restoration algorithm for broadband wireless optical networks. A special restoration strategy, called local recovery for local failure is applied in the proposed algorithm. Specifically, each node initializes the recovery process independently of other nodes in the network when the failed link is local to the node. This algorithm is a hybrid restoration scheme, consisting of a route pre-planning phase and a real-time rerouting phase. Transient link/node failure, lasting only a short duration is typical in wireless communications and specially handled in our algorithm. We explore the response times of the proposed restoration algorithm. Simulation results over typical network structures show that we could achieve a full recovery of single-link failure, nearly 100% recovery of single-node failure, as well as around 99.5% recovery of double-link failure.
Angular-dependent upper critical field of overdoped Ba(Fe 1 − x Ni x ) 2 As 2

In-plane resistivity measurements as a function of temperature, magnetic field, and its orientation with respect to the crystallographic $ab$ plane were used to study the upper critical field, ${H}_{c2}$, of two overdoped compositions of the iron-based superconductor Ba(Fe${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ni${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$As${}_{2}$, $x=0.054$ and $x=0.072$. Measurements were performed using precise alignment (with accuracy less than 0.1${}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$) of magnetic field with respect to the Fe-As plane. The dependence of the ${H}_{c2}$ on angle $\ensuremath{\theta}$ between the field and the $ab$ plane was measured in isothermal conditions in a broad temperature range. We found that the shape of ${H}_{c2}(\ensuremath{\theta})$ clearly deviates from the Ginzburg-Landau functional form.
The phosphorylase kinase reaction on a peptide derived from glycogen phosphorylase.

Abstract The phosphorylation of the peptide, Ser Asp Gln Glu Lys Arg Lys Gln-Ile Ser Val Arg Gly Leu, at the seryl residue between isoleucine and valine by phosphorylase kinase is described. No phosphorylation occurs at the seryl residue at the amino terminus. With this peptide as a substrate, EGTA was found to inhibit enzyme activity and activity was restored by Ca++. The ratio of activities at pH's ( 6.8 8.2 ) was higher than with phosphorylase b . The Km was found to be 4 × 10−4 M and the catalytic efficiency is reduced from that observed with phosphorylase b . Arginine methyl ester was found to be a competitive inhibitor with respect to phosphorylase b suggesting that an arginyl residue in the sequence is important for substrate binding.
Needle sharing: a longitudinal study of female injection drug users.

The objective of this study was to examine the psychosocial risk and protective factors related to needle-sharing behavior among female intravenous drug users (IDUs) positive (N = 96) and negative ...
Effects of Cocaine on Human Platelet Aggregation In Vitro

Background: A temporal relationship has been established between cocaine ingestion and myocardial infarction, and a cocaine-induced increase in platelet aggregation has been suggested as a possible explanation. However, the mechanisms of cocaine associated coronary thrombosis have yet to be completely elucidated. For this reason, we examined the in vitro effect of cocaine and its metabolites on platelet aggregation. Methods: Platelet aggregation was tested by obtaining platelet rich plasma from 42 healthy volunteers and incubating the platelet rich plasma in six concentrations of cocaine (ranging from 1.47 to 2940 nmol)for 10 minutes prior to aggregation with ADP 1 μM. The same procedure was used to test the effect of two cocaine metabolites, benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester, on platelet aggregation. Abnormal results were confirmed by inducing aggregation with ADP at higher concentrations (2.4 and 10 μM) and with arachidonic acid (624 μM). Results: At increasing concentrations, cocaine progressiv...
Signals of CP Violation Beyond the MSSM in Higgs and Flavor Physics

We study an extension of the Higgs sector of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), considering the effects of new degrees of freedom at the TeV scale and allowing for sources of $CP$ violation beyond the MSSM. We analyze the impact of the beyond-the-MSSM sources of $CP$ violation on the Higgs collider phenomenology and on low energy flavor and $CP$-violating observables. We identify distinct Higgs collider signatures that cannot be realized, either in the case without $CP$-violating phases or in the $CP$-violating MSSM, and investigate the prospects to probe them at the Tevatron and the LHC. The most striking benchmark scenario has three neutral Higgs bosons that all decay dominantly into $W$ boson pairs and that are well within the reach of the 7 TeV LHC run. On the other hand, we also present scenarios with three Higgs bosons that have masses ${M}_{{H}_{i}}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}150\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ and decay dominantly into $b\overline{b}$. Such scenarios are much more challenging to probe and can even lie completely outside the reach of the 7 TeV LHC run. We explore complementary scenarios with standard MSSM Higgs signals that allow us to accommodate a nonstandard ${B}_{s}$ mixing phase as indicated by D0, as well as the excess in ${B}_{s}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ candidates recently reported by CDF. We find that, in contrast to the MSSM, a minimal flavor-violating soft sector is sufficient to generate significant corrections to $CP$-violating observables in meson mixing, compatible with Electric Dipole Moment constraints. In particular, a ${B}_{s}$ mixing phase ${S}_{\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{\phi}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.15$ can be achieved for specific regions of parameter space, compatible with all the presently available experimental constraints on flavor observables. Such a nonstandard ${B}_{s}$ mixing phase would unambiguously imply a sizable suppression of ${S}_{\ensuremath{\psi}{K}_{S}}$ with respect to the standard model prediction and a $\mathrm{BR}({B}_{s}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}})$ close to its 95% C.L. upper bound of $1.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$.
Focusing on Education Rather Than Clinical Ethics

Goold and Stern (2006) did a very nice job in surveying residents and faculty to determine the major ethics and professionalism topics that internal medicine house staff should be taught. Although ...
Polydisperse flakes in barrier films

Abstract Polymer films with aligned impermeable flakes can have permeabilities 10–100 times smaller than films of the same dimensions but without flakes. However, if the flakes have a distribution of sizes, this reduced permeability could be compromised by the shorter diffusion paths in any region containing smaller flakes. This work shows theoretically and experimentally that this is not the case. For example, a film with 3 vol.% of 5 μm and 3 vol.% of 50 μm flakes has a diffusional resistance 20% higher than a film with 6 vol.% of only 5 μm flakes and only 1% less than a film with 6 vol.% 50 μm flakes.
Feature perturbations are no guessing strategy artifact

Abstract Supporting evidence has been reported for a model in which identification errors on briefly presented character arrays are attributed to feature perturbations that tend to proceed in a foveal direction. Nevertheless, assuming that subjects guess the most foveal feasible location when they have only a rough idea about where a feature is seemingly could account for the results of these localization tasks. A detection task was thus currently used, with the results subjected to signal detection analysis or correction for response bias. The position of a small parafoveally presented target feature was flanked to the foveal or peripheral side by a strip composed of features that were similar or dissimilar to the target. Detection was poorer in each of three experiments when the strip was nearer the fovea, but only if it contained features similar to the target, indicating that the target feature underwent perturbation to become mixed with features in the strip. A possible explanation involving differential lateral masking rather than feature perturbations was not supported. It was concluded that feature perturbations are not an artifact of guessing biases and tend to proceed in a foveal direction.
A tax-based motive for the underpricing of initial public offerings

This paper presents a model of entrepreneurial wealth maximization for the pricing of initial public offerings (IPOs). It is an extension of one previously presented in the literature. The model shows that personal tax rates on ordinary income and capital gains may, in part, determine IPO pricing: an increase in the capital gains tax rate should lower the degree of underpricing. An empirical analysis of the effect of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which raised the capital gains tax rate, shows that the average degree of underpricing did decrease as predicted, and that this occurs after controlling for other possible influences.
Crystal structure of a dual activity IMPase/FBPase (AF2372) from Archaeoglobus fulgidus. The story of a mobile loop.

Several hyperthermophilic organisms contain an unusual phosphatase that has dual activity toward inositol monophosphates and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. The structure of the second member of this family, an FBPase/IMPase fromArchaeoglobus fulgidus (AF2372), has been solved. This enzyme shares many kinetic and structural similarities with that of a previously solved enzyme from Methanococcus jannaschii(MJ0109). It also shows some kinetic differences in divalent metal ion binding as well as structural variations at the dimer interface that correlate with decreased thermal stability. The availability of different crystal forms allowed us to investigate the effect of the presence of ligands on the conformation of a mobile catalytic loop independently of the crystal packing. This conformational variability in AF2372 is compared with that observed in other members of this structural family that are sensitive or insensitive to submillimolar concentrations of Li+. This analysis provides support for the previously proposed mechanism of catalysis involving three metal ions. A direct correlation of the loop conformation with strength of Li+ inhibition provides a useful system of classification for this extended family of enzymes.
Guest Editors' Introduction: Hardware Acceleration in Computational Biology

The articles in this special section focus on hardware acceleration in the field of computational biology.
Changes in Predicted Difference Milk with Increased Repeatability

Abstract All sire evaluations for 3,733 Holstein bulls initially sampled through artificial insemination were studied for changes in Predicted Difference milk as evaluations increased in Repeatability. Individual bulls contributed from 2 to 15 pairs of earlier and later evaluations. Average change in Predicted Difference milk was 5kg. Change in Predicted Difference was correlated positively with change in records per daughter. Predicted Difference increased by 5kg of milk for each .1 increase in numbers of records per daughter. Thus, Predicted Difference tended to increase with later records of daughters but to decrease when added records were for new daughters. Predicted Differences tended to increase as Repeatability increased to 70 to 79% and then to decrease as Repeatability continued to increase. Minor misevaluation may be from genetic bases for first and later lactations not being comparable. Average absolute changes in Predicted Difference were larger for larger changes in Repeatability. Variability of pairs of sire proofs generally agreed with changes expected from a part-whole formula.
Particles and air pollution

Abstract There is a need for a general picture of aerosol behavior to introduce the newcomer to the field of particles and particle measurement. Any over-simplified treatment is likely to be as unsatisfactory to those with a knowledge of the field as it is to the author, but it should be attempted. The measurements to be made in the air pollution field are a potentially rich source of information and, for selfish reasons alone, groups such as this should encourage the collection of data using methods that will make it most useful.
Some Generalizations of the Notion of Bounded Variation

1. DEFINITIONS AND HISTORY. Functions of bounded variation were first in troduced in 1881 by Camille Jordan, who was seeking a sufficient condition for a function / to have a Fourier series that sums to / [5]. We assume that we are working with a real-valued function Jona closed interval [a,b]. For a subinterval I = [c,d] of [a, b], we denote the difference f(d) ? f(c) by /(/). There are several equivalent definitions of bounded variation. We use the following:
Development of a New Type of Protease Inhibitors, Efficacious against FIV and HIV Variants

Based on the structural analysis of FIV protease and drug-resistant HIV proteases and molecular modeling, a new type of inhibitors with a small P3 residue has been developed. These inhibitors are effective against HIV and its drug-resistant mutants, as well as SIV and FIV. Modification of existing HIV protease inhibitors by reducing the size of the P3 residue has the same effect. This finding provides a new strategy for the development of HIV protease inhibitors effective against the wild-type and drug-resistant mutants. It further supports the use of FIV protease as a useful model for drug-resistant HIV proteases, which often have a more constricted binding region for the P3 group or the combined P3 and P1 groups.