cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LGBTQ-Parent Families and Health

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people report worse physical and mental health than their heterosexual peers. We review the literature on physical and mental health outcomes among parents and children in LGBTQ-parent families through a family resilience framework. In doing so, we describe research on mechanisms of vulnerability and resilience in families. We found few studies specifically focused on LGBTQ parents and physical health outcomes. Experiences of stigma and peer victimization among LGBTQ parents and children are stressful and associated with psychological distress. However, stressful experiences do not appear to result in significant mental health disparities between children of same-sex and children of different-sex parents. Instability and the ability to mitigate instability appear to be more strongly related to mental health outcomes than family status, parent gender, and family formation method. Clinicians can help mitigate potential negative mental and physical health outcomes by identifying and providing support to families for coping with stress related to stigma, discrimination, and family transitions. School policies and personnel can do more to intervene in bullying based on family status. Additional research on health outcomes, particularly physical health, is needed, including among LGBTQ-parent families of color, bisexual and transgender parent families, and second-generation LGBTQ youth. Overall, there is more to learn about how best to support the health and well-being of these often marginalized families.
Combined Surgical Resection and Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Glioblastoma: Technical Note.

Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive intracranial malignancy that confers a poor prognosis despite maximum surgical resection and chemoradiotherapy. Survival decreases further with deep-seated lesions. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is an emerging minimally invasive technique for tumor ablation shown to reduce tumor burden effectively, particularly in deep-seated locations less amenable to gross total resection. We describe our initial technical experience of using the combination of LITT followed by surgical resection in patients with GBMs that exhibit both an easily accessible and deep-seated component. Materials and Methods Patients with GBM who received concurrent LITT and surgical resection at our institution were identified. Patient demographic and clinical information was procured from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center electronic medical record along with preoperative, postoperative, and 1-month follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results Four patients (n = 2 male, n = 2 female) with IDH-wild type GBM who received combined LITT and surgical resection were identified and analyzed retrospectively. All patients received chemoradiotherapy before presentation. All but one patient (75%) received resection before presentation. Median age was 54 years (range: 44–56 years). Median length of hospital stay was 6.5 days (range: 2–47 days). Median extent of combined ablation/resection was 90.4%. One of the four patients experienced complications in the perioperative or immediate follow-up periods. Local recurrence was observed in one patient during the follow-up period. Conclusion Malignant gliomas in deep-seated locations or in close proximity to white matter structures are challenging to manage. LITT followed by surgical resection may provide an alternative for tumor debulking that minimizes potential morbidities and extent of residual tumor. Further studies comparing this approach with standard resection techniques are warranted.
Social Functioning in Individuals With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can lead to multiple deleterious outcomes and has negative, sometimes debilitating, impacts on general functioning of those affected. This systematic review of 26 articles evaluates the existing literature on social functioning outcomes used in PTSD research, the association between PTSD and social functioning, and the impact of interventions for PTSD on social functioning. A review of 26 articles using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for systematic reviews showed that PTSD was associated with significant impairment in global social functioning. This review also reveals the need for both standardized definitions and better assessment methods to operationalize social functioning and improve our ability to compare findings across studies. The literature also suggests that some evidence-based treatments for PTSD improve social functioning despite not explicitly targeting social functioning in the treatment. The findings of this review suggest that there are ample opportunities for improving both research and interventions to improve global social functioning in PTSD.
Emotion Regulation in eSports Gaming: A Qualitative Study of League of Legends

Today eSports gaming is enjoying growing popularity in the world and much attention from various research areas, including CSCW. eSports gaming is a highly competitive environment commonly associated with negative emotions such as anxiety and stress. However, little attention has been paid to emotion regulation in eSports gaming. In this study, we empirically investigated how players experience emotion and regulate emotions in League of Legends, one of the largest eSports games today. We identify four emotive factors, as well as emotion regulation strategies that players deploy to manage the emotions of their selves, teammates, and opponents. We further report on how they use emotion regulation in emotional self-care and emotional leadership. Building upon this set of findings, we discuss how the competitive eSports gaming context conditions emotion regulation in League of Legends, foreground emotion regulation expertise in competitive gaming, and derive implications for designing emotion regulation technologies.
Heat-driven direct reverse osmosis for high-performance and robust ad hoc seawater desalination

Abstract This work presents an approach to using a low-grade thermal energy source to power seawater desalination at high performance ratios and with minimal complexity - important requirements for a system that can generate potable water off the grid. In the proposed process - called heat-driven direct reverse osmosis (HDRO) - heat is transferred to a piston containing a saturated working fluid, which in turn directly applies pressure to a feed water reservoir connected in series with a standard reverse osmosis membrane assembly. Presented here are the underlying operating principles and thermodynamics for a generalized HDRO device, including criteria for selecting a working fluid and the definition of several key performance metrics. An idealized HDRO device is analyzed and a theoretical upper bound on performance is computed. At low recovery ratios, a lossless device using ethanol as a working fluid can achieve a performance ratio of up to 49, with a first-law efficiency 5.7%, indicating the significant potential for using this approach for small-scale, thermally driven desalination.
Global Activity Search Uncovers Reaction Induced Concomitant Catalyst Restructuring for Alkane Dissociation on Model Pt Catalysts

Although there is evidence that catalytic active sites can restructure under reaction conditions, their optimal reconstruction to provide the lowest activation barrier is still unclear. Here, we sh...
P100 Stakeholders’ Views on Mobile Applications to Deliver Infant and Toddler Feeding Education to Underserved Hispanic Mothers

Background Dietary behaviors, which impact chronic disease risk, are established early, making infant- and toddler-feeding education (ITE) critical to health. Using mobile applications (apps) for ITE shows promise: most Hispanics own smartphones (79%) and health-related apps are accepted among mothers. However, the viability of ITE apps for low-income Hispanic mothers remains unclear. Health professionals, who have insight into Hispanic mothers’ needs, can help clarify ITE apps’ potential. Objective To characterizing health professionals’ views on low-income Hispanic mothers’ capability, motivation, and barriers to using ITE apps. Study Design, Settings, Participants New York City-based health professionals with >3 years’ experience and >1 encounter/week with low-income Hispanic mothers of infants and toddlers (6-24 months) completed a demographic survey and an in-depth, semi-structured virtual interview. Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior (COM-B), a well-accepted Dissemination and Implementation framework, informed the interview guide. Measurable Outcome/Analysis A directed content analysis approach was used to identify themes using COM-B theoretical codes and subcodes. Transcripts were coded independently by 2 researchers using NVivo 12. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Participants included pediatricians, dietitians, WIC practitioners, and Cooperative Extension educators (n = 13); 100% owned a smartphone and 85% used popular apps “several times a week” or more often. The following themes were identified: 1) Mothers are tech-savvy (ie, high capability and use of smartphones and apps); 2) Potential limits to using apps exist (eg, home Internet access, literacy barriers, and multiple Spanish dialects); and 3) Easily accessible information motivates app use but capturing and maintaining interest is challenging (eg, abundance of app options overwhelming; apps are potentially burdensome). Conclusion ITE apps are a viable option as skills and use appear high among low-income Hispanic mothers. Important considerations for app development include availability of features with limited Internet access; strategies for low literacy and multiple dialects (eg, more visuals, less text); targeted app promotion; and careful consideration of user engagement.
Appropriate analyses of bimodal substance use frequency outcomes: a mixture model approach.

Background: In addiction research, outcome measures are often characterized by bimodal distributions. One mode can be for individuals with low substance use and the other mode for individuals with ...
A Novel Imputation Approach for Sharing Protected Public Health Data.

Objectives. To develop an imputation method to produce estimates for suppressed values within a shared government administrative data set to facilitate accurate data sharing and statistical and spa...
Viscous effects and complex local flow behaviors dominate hemolymph circulation in the living wings of locusts

An insects′ living systems — circulation, respiration, and a branching nervous system — extend from the body into the wing.(1,2) Hemolypmh circulation in the wing is critical for hydrating tissues, such as the highly elastic resilin (3) that enhances wing flexibility, and for supplying nutrients to living systems, including sensory organs such as scent producing patches, sound–receiving tympana, and wind-sensing sensilla distributed across the wing.(4–7) During flight, the presence of hemolymph in the wings reduces aerodynamic instabilities like flutter (8,9), and faster hemolymph flows are induced by flapping (10) Despite the critical role of hemolymph circulation in maintaining healthy wing function, wings are often considered ″lifeless″ cuticle, and most measurements remain qualitative or employ coarse, bulk–flow techniques. While pioneering work in the 1960s mapped hemolymph flow direction in 100 insect species, (11) half a century later we still only have quantitative measurements of flow within the wings of a few insects. Here, we focused on the North American locust Schistocerca americana, a well–studied agricultural pest species, and performed a detailed, quantitative study of global and local hemolymph flows in the densely venated fore and hind wings, along with key regions in the body and pumping organs. Through high–speed fluorescent microscopy, we measured 800 individual trajectories of neutrally buoyant fluorescent particles that move in sync with hemolymph, in the wings and body of 8 live, resting locusts. Our data show that overall flow within the wings is circuitous, but local flow behavior is highly complex, with three distinct types of flow (pulsatile, continuous, and ″leaky″) occurring in various combinations in different areas of the wing. We provide the first quantitative measurements of leaky flow into wing regions that act as sinuses, where hemolymph flows out of tubular veins and pools within thin membranous regions. We also calculate Peclet, Reynolds, and Womersley numbers, and find that viscous effects dominate flow regimes throughout the wing. Pumping organs and wing regions closest to the body display significantly faster flows and higher Reynolds numbers, but remain within the viscous flow regime. Given the central role of wings in sustaining ecologically important insect behaviors such as pollination, migration, and mating, along with the vast diversity of insect wings seen in nature, this first detailed, quantitative map of hemolymph flows across a wing provides a template for future studies investigating the dynamics of hemolymph flows critical to sustaining wing health among insects.
Gangliosides and neuronal-astrocytic interactions.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes: (1) the content and composition of gangliosides in astrocytes; (2) the developmental expression of gangliosides in the cells; (3) quantitative and qualitative changes of gangliosides in pathological conditions affecting astrocytes; and (4) possible functions of gangliosides in astrocyte. Gangliosides are a family of sialic acid-containing glycosphingo lipids found primarily in the plasma membrane of virtually all vertebrate tissues and are particularly abundant in the nervous system. They are localized mainly in the outer surface of the plasma membranes and constitute part of theglycocalyx network surrounding the cell surface. Thus, they are assumed to be crucial in determining the properties and functions of cells. The occurrence of these molecules is cell-specific and is known to undergo developmentally regulated changes. These changes correlate well with their putative functions in cell to cell recognition, interaction and adhesion. Hence, they serve as excellent markers for monitoring cellular events in normal and pathological conditions.
1.2. Production of Radioisotopes

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the production of radioisotopes. At present, radioisotopes of almost every element can be produced, and approximately 200 radioisotopes are commercially available. For most uses, purchase from a commercial supplier is the easiest and most economical way of obtaining radioisotopes; special production should be considered only when the desired characteristics (e.g., short half-life, nonstandard chemical form, exceptional radiochemical purity, or very high specific activity) demand it. The most important characteristics to consider while deciding which radioisotope to use are (1) specific activity, (2) radiochemical purity, (3) chemical and physical form, and (4) chemical purity. Artificial radioisotopes are produced by nuclear reactions. The probability that a nuclear reaction will occur is usually expressed in terms of a cross section σ , which has the dimension of an area. The increase of the concentration of a particular radioisotope under irradiation depends on (1) flux Ф , (2) number of target nuclei n d present at the start of the irradiation, (3) cross section σ 1 , of the target nuclei for the desired reaction, (4) reaction cross section σ 2 , of the product nuclei, which may be destroyed by the capture of further bombarding particles, (5) decay constant λ 1 , of the product nuclei, and (6) irradiation time t. The majority of useful radioisotopes are produced by thermal-neutron capture in a nuclear reactor because the cross sections for these reactions and the availability and cost of thermal neutrons are favorable.
New Strategies to Enhance Stem Cell Homing for Tissue Repair

Tissue repair is an essential mechanism to maintain the integrity and function of the body in response to a variety of both acute and chronic injuries and disease states. One of the major challenges to achieve clinically meaningful tissue regeneration and repair is a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in both native or endogenous, as well as exogenous stem cell homing of transplanted cells. Both approaches involve a complex network of factors and sequence of events that drive the trafficking and homing of stem cells to the area of injury to optimize repair. This chapter will review the major factors that orchestrate stem cell homing, and discuss a number of new cell and tissue-based strategies to improve the homing, engraftment, and efficacy of cell therapy.
An Evaluation of Partitioners for Parallel SAMR Applications

This paper presents an experimental evaluation of a suite of dynamic partitioning/load-balancing techniques for adaptive grid hierarchies that underlie parallel structured adaptive mesh refinement applications. Partitioners evaluated include those included in popular software libraries such as GrACE, Vampire, and ParMetis. The overall goal of the research presented in the paper is an application-centric characterization of the partitioners as a function of the number of processors, problem size, and partitioning granularity.
Wild Dynamical Systems, and the Role of Two or More Small Divisors

Numerical results are presented describing conditions in two dynamical systems on the borderline of wildness. The first refers to motion in the field of an oblate planet, and the second to a system due to Walker and Ford in which the role of resonance can be recognized more specifically. In particular, a wild asymptotic surface is investigated in some detail. The work and the observations on it are intended to be clinical in nature, referring to systems having certain parameters much larger than those that can be covered under existing mathematical theories.
A validation methodology for neural network based flight control systems

A significant problem associated the inclusion of a neural network in an avionics system is validating that system to the required reliability level. To accomplish this, it is necessary to associate a "probability of failure" with the neural network and, ultimately, with the operational flight program. It would be more correct to say that the probability of excitation of the network in an unvalidated portion of its input space is required. In this sense, estimation errors associated with neural networks are like latent hardware faults, and techniques that were previously used to measure the probability of failure of hardware due to fault latency can be used to measure the probability of failure of the network. A methodology was developed and applied to a flight controller designed to operate in a well defined environment. The controller incorporated a network to estimate nonlinear portions of plant performance. The results of the study indicates that the technique could be used to provide a final validation of the network and the controller to a specified reliability level and to evaluate the role of flight test in network validation. >
Impact of 3D copper TSV integration on 32SOI FEOL and BEOL reliability

We integrated a copper TSV (Through Silicon Via) cell in a qualified 32SOI CMOS logic technology with high-K/metal gate and DT (Deep Trench) capacitors. Extensive wafer level characterization and reliability stressing were performed to evaluate the impact of the TSVs and 3D (3-Dimensional) integration processing on device and back end of line reliability performance. This included bias temperature instability stress, hot carrier injection, thermal cycling, wiring electromigration testing, and time-dependent dielectric breakdown studies. The integration of the TSV and process shows an equivalent reliability performance with respect to the 2D baseline for FEOL (Front End of Line) and BEOL (Back End of Line) structures within the assigned 3D design rules. In particular it is demonstrated that this TSV design allows BEOL structures at zero proximity to the KOZ (Keep Out Zone). Further, device and functional data indicate that there is no change in end of life reliability targets from TSV processing and/or proximity.
International Symposium for Music History Pedagogy, São Paulo, August 4–7, 2010

A summary of Il simposio internacional para a pedagogia da historia da musica (International Symposium for Music History Pedagogy) held at Universidade de Sao Paulo, August 4–7, 2010 including a list of paper sessions, roundtables, and presenters. As the first international conference on music history pedagogy, the symposium featured speakers from South America and the United States. Highlights of the symposium included discussion of the role of socio-political theory (particularly Marxism) in music history teaching, music history teaching practices at various institutions, and the development of a Brazilian Association for Teachers of Music History.
Sampling gay men: Random Digit Dialing versus sources in the Gay Community.

Abstract Objectives: To assess the feasibility of obtaining a probability sample of gay/bisexual men using Random Digit Dialing (RDD), assess its validity, and describe differences between such a sample and a sample recruited from sources in the gay community. Methods: Two samples, one of men participating in an event at the Gay Community Center (N = 26) and one of randomly selected men (N = 52), were recruited by telephone in targeted New York City neighborhoods. A five-minute questionnaire for identifying gay/bisexual men was administered. Respondents who identified themselves as gay/bisexual were also asked about their gay identity and level of affiliation with the gay community. Results: The screen questionnaire had excellent sensitivity (.96) in identifying gay/bisexual men. RDD sampling identified a high percent of gay/bisexual-identified men (29%). Gay/bisexual men identified through the RDD technique were qualitatively different from gay/bisexual men contacted through the gay community: they were ...
Tax Consequences of Active Portfolio Management: A Simulation Approach

Using a simulation analysis based on historical U.S. stock market returns, we assess the total tax burden (federal plus state) of active portfolio management. Our results show that taxes can erode a large portion of the profits, even for moderately intense trading strategies where the capital gains qualify for long-term treatment. Additionally, we describe an intuitive method of obtaining a tax-related benchmark alpha against which active investment strategies can be evaluated. We find that under average market conditions, active portfolio management erodes up to 14.5% of profits for high-income individuals, depending on the tax code and assumptions about realized losses. Active strategies must generate an alpha of up to 1.04% per year just to overcome the tax obligations arising form realized gains. The consequences of active management are substantially milder for low-income individuals due to the lower tax rates on dividends and capital gains.
Concomitant infusional paclitaxel and fluorouracil, oral hydroxyurea, and hyperfractionated radiation for locally advanced squamous head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: To improve local disease control and survival with organ preservation, we conducted a phase II multi-institutional trial with a concomitant taxane-based chemotherapy and hyperfractionated radiation regimen. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-four patients with locally advanced squamous cancers (stage IV, 98%; N2/3, 81%) were treated on an intensive regimen consisting of 5-day (120-hour) infusions of paclitaxel (20 mg/m2/d) and fluorouracil (600 mg/m2/d), oral hydroxyurea 500 mg every 12 hours for 11 doses, and radiation 1.5 Gy bid (T-FH2X). Chemoradiation was administered concomitantly on days 1 to 5 of each 14-day cycle. A full treatment course consisted of five cycles during a 10-week period to a total radiation dose of 72 to 75 Gy. RESULTS: The median follow-up for the group is 34 months. At 3 years, progression-free survival is 63%, locoregional control is 86%, and systemic control is 79%; overall survival is 60%. Seventeen patients died of recurrent cancer, two died of second primary cancers, and f...
Investigation of the ABC transporter MRP1 in selected patients with presumed defects in vitamin B12 absorption.

To the editor: Recently, Beedholm-Ebsen and colleagues reported that the ABCC1 gene is involved in the efflux of cobalamin (Cbl; vitamin B12) from the enterocytes and other cells to the plasma.[1][1] ABCC1 encodes the multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC
Cardiovascular Lesions in Bovine Marfan Syndrome

Bovine Marfan syndrome is a genetic disease with many of the clinical and pathologic manifestations of human Marfan syndrome. Major manifestations include ectopia lentis and aortic dilatation, aneurysm, and rupture. Affected cattle have a defect in fibrillin metabolism similar to that in human patients. Ten cattle were followed and their disease progression and lesions documented. Ages ranged from a term fetus (No. 9) to a 4-year-old cow (No. 4); three animals were male (Nos. 1–3) and seven were female (Nos. 4–10). Of eight animals (80%) that died or were euthanatized (Nos. 1–3, 5–9), six (75%) had severe cardiovascular lesions identified at necropsy. Gross cardiovascular lesions of bovine Marfan syndrome included cardiac tamponade secondary to aortic rupture (animal Nos. 3, 6, 8), dissecting aneurysms of the aorta and pulmonary artery (animal No. 5), and intrauterine cardiac tamponade secondary to rupture of the pulmonary artery (animal No. 9). Microscopically, Verhoeff Van Gieson-stained sections of aor...
Pictures and the bottom line: The television epistemology of U.S. annual reports☆

Abstract In this analysis, we argue that the striking visual design that has characterized U.S. annual reports since the 1960s, including brilliant color pictures, gloss, and novelty formats, is a manifestation of the television epistemology that informs wide ranges of contemporary public discourse in America. Correspondingly, we contend that visual design in U.S. annual reports constitutes a form of rhetoric asserting the “truth claims” of the reports. Such truth claims relate not only to the values expounded in the text or projected in the pictures, but to those residing in the accounts themselves.
Discovering the complexity of the metazoan transcriptome

Recent studies harnessing deep RNA sequencing coupled with other complementary data have revealed the complex nature of metazoan transcriptomes.
Somatic Cell Plasticity and Niemann-Pick Type C2 Protein FIBROBLAST ACTIVATION

A growing body of evidence points toward activated fibroblasts, also known as myofibroblasts, as one of the leading mediators in several major human pathologies including proliferative fibrotic disorders, invasive tumor growth, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis. Niemann-Pick Type C2 (NPC2) protein has been recently identified as a product of the second gene in NPC disease. It encodes ubiquitous, highly conserved, secretory protein with the poorly defined function. Here we show that NPC2 deficiency in human fibroblasts confers their activation. The activation phenomenon was not limited to fibroblasts as it was also observed in aortic smooth muscle cells upon silencing NPC2 gene by siRNA. More importantly, activated synovial fibroblasts isolated from patients with rheumatoid arthritis were also identified as NPC2-deficient at both the NPC2 mRNA and protein levels. The molecular mechanism responsible for activation of NPC2-null cells was shown to be a sustained phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which fulfills both the sufficient and necessary fibroblast activation criteria. All of these findings highlight a novel mechanism where NPC2 by negatively regulating ERK 1/2 MAPK phosphorylation may efficiently suppress development of maladaptive tissue remodeling and inflammation.
Computationally efficient suboptimum ARMA spectral estimation

There is a great deal of interest in data-adaptive spectral estimation. The general appeal of these methods stems from the fact that their resolution is not determined by a spectral window bandwidth (which depends on the data length) as in the traditional Blackman and Tukey estimators. The method most commonly used, is the autoregressive (AR) or the maximum entropy spectral estimator.
The exotic dimension of foreignizing strategies: Burton's translation of the Arabian Nights

AbstractThe purpose of this study of Richard F. Burton’s translation of the Arabian Nights and its reception in Victorian England is to examine one of the most prominent and widely debated theories of translation in recent years – Lawrence Venuti’s advocacy of ‘foreignizing’ or ‘estranging’ translation .According to Venuti, this proposed practice, which does not try to minimize the difference of the foreign text, advances tolerance of the Other and attests to the courage to accept beliefs and cultural values different from one’s own as they are, without ‘domestication’ or naturalization. This paper, however, argues that while Burton’s translation was an example of all that Venuti recommends, it was not subversive, nor did it challenge ethnocentric or racist ideas. Indeed, its ‘estrangement’ of the Arabic text and culture only confirmed the stereotypes and Orientalist images that its readers had of the source culture, thereby acquiescing (often consciously) in the discourse of colonialism. It is suggested ...
Comparative performance of exponential, implicit, and explicit integrators for stiff systems of ODEs

Exponential integrators have enjoyed a resurgence of interest in recent years, but there is still limited understanding of how their performance compares with that of state-of-the-art integrators, most notably the commonly used Newton-Krylov implicit methods. In this paper we present comparative performance analysis of Krylov-based exponential, implicit and explicit integrators on a suite of stiff test problems and demonstrate that exponential integrators have computational advantages compared to the other methods, particularly as problems become larger and more stiff. We argue that the faster convergence of the Krylov iteration within exponential integrators accounts for the main proportion of the computational savings that they provide and illustrate how the structure of these methods ensures such efficiency. In addition, we demonstrate the computational advantages of the newly introduced Tokman and Loffeld (2010) [17] exponential propagation Runge-Kutta (EpiRK) fifth-order methods. The detailed analysis of the performance of the methods that is presented provides guidelines for the construction and implementation of efficient exponential methods and the quantitative comparisons inform the selection of appropriate schemes for other problems.
The avengers, public pedagogy, and the development of British women's consciousness

This chapter discusses the long-term impact on British women of the popular 1960s television show The Avengers and explores strategies for utilizing popular culture to facilitate learning in the classroom.
The role of transcervical thymectomy in patients with hyperparathyroidism.

Abstract Background The most common location for supernumerary or ectopic parathyroid glands is the thymus. Methods A review of patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism from 1990 to 2010 was completed to determine indications for thymectomy, the yield of parathyroid tissue, and outcome of therapy. Results Seventy of 379 patients with hyperparathyroidism underwent parathyroidectomy and transcervical thymectomy. Intrathymic parathyroid tissue was present in 23 (33%) patients, including supernumerary glands in 8 patients (11%). Indications for thymectomy were renal hyperparathyroidism in 35 patients (50%) and primary hyperparathyroidism with a missing inferior gland in 20 patients (29%), an ectopic adenoma in 9 patients (13%), hyperplasia in 5 patients (7%), and carcinoma in 1 patient (1%). Cure rates were similar (96% and 98%; P = not significant) and only transient hypocalcemia was higher (51% vs 24%, P Conclusions Transcervical thymectomy results in a high yield of parathyroid tissue and is essential for cure of selected patients with hyperparathyroidism.
Insulin receptor characterization and function in bovine aorta endothelial cells: insulin degradation by a plasma membrane, protease-resistant insulin receptor

The functional significance of the insulin receptor on bovine aorta endothelial (BAE) cells is not well defined. The insulin receptor expressed on BAE cells does not mediate insulin hormonal effects and does not mediate the transcytosis of insulin from the apical to the basolateral domain of the cell monolayer. To assess the role of the insulin receptor on BAE cells, the physical characteristics of the BAE cell receptor were investigated, and the time-dependent interaction of insulin and insulin degradation products with BAE cell monolayers was quantitated. The BAE cell insulin receptor was found to be highly resistant to the proteolytic action of trypsin, pronase, and proteinase K at either 4 degrees C or 37 degrees C. This resistance may permit the receptor to maintain insulin binding capabilities in spite of the high concentrations of proteases which are normally present in blood. Scatchard analysis of cell-surface and total cellular insulin receptor demonstrated dissociation constants similar to values obtained with other cells and tissues. However, whereas other cells and tissues contain an intracellular pool of receptor that ranges from 20-40% of the total cellular receptor content, no intracellular population of insulin receptors was detected in BAE cells. Upon incubation of intact BAE cell monolayers with insulin, no endocytosis of cell-surface insulin receptor could be demonstrated. However, insulin degradation by the BAE cells was readily quantitated, at a rate of 16.3 fmol/10(6) cells/h at an insulin concentration of 2 nM. This rate of degradation was not inhibited by chloroquine, which inhibits insulin degradation in fibroblasts, hepatocytes, and adipocytes, nor by phenylarsine oxide, which inhibits endocytosis. Bacitracin inhibited insulin binding to the cell monolayers and inhibited insulin degradation with identical IC50 values (80 microM). These data suggest that in BAE cells, insulin degradation occurs in the absence of receptor-mediated endocytosis and is mediated by binding of insulin to its receptor. Therefore, it is concluded that the functional role of the insulin receptor expressed in BAE cells is to bind blood-borne insulin at the plasma membrane of the cell and thereby facilitate the degradation of insulin at the BAE cell plasma membrane.
A Loon on Every Lake: A Hedonic Analysis of Lake Quality in the Adirondacks

The Adirondack Park contains over 6 million acres and over 3,000 lakes. Approximately 43% of the Park is publicly owned and protected to remain “forever wild”. Despite regulatory measures aimed at protecting the natural resources of the Adirondacks, surface water quality is threatened by acid and mercury deposition. This paper uses data on 12,001 property transactions over 9 years in the 12 counties that comprise the Adirondack Park to explore how property owners value lake water quality using fixed effects hedonic analysis. We find that multiple measures of water quality have significant effects on property values including lake acidity, the presence of water milfoil, an invasive species, and the presence of loons, an indicator species. This research provides valuable insight into how water quality and associated ecosystem health are capitalized into property values. Moreover, this research helps partially quantify air pollution impacts on Adirondack property values and could be used to justify additional regulations to further restrict sulfur and mercury emissions which are negatively impacting the Park.
Detection of Water Vapor in Halley's Comet

Gaseous, neutral H2O was detected in the coma of comet Halley on 22.1 and 24.1 December 1985 Universal Time. Nine spectral lines of the nus band (2.65 micrometers) were found by means of a Fourier transform spectrometer on the NASA-Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The water production rate was about 6 x 10 to the 28th molecules per second on 22.1 December and 1.7 x 10 to the 29th molecules per second on 24.1 December UT. The numbers of spectral lines and their intensities are in accord with nonthermal-equilibrium cometary models. Rotational populations are derived from the observed spectral line intensities and excitation conditions are discussed. The ortho-para ratio was found to be 2.66 + or - 0.13, corresponding to a nuclear-spin temperature of 32 K (+5 K, -2 K), possibly indicating that the observed water vapor originated from a low-temperature ice.
Posttraumatic stress disorder in hospitalized adolescents: psychiatric comorbidity and clinical correlates.

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the diagnostic comorbidity and clinical correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Method Seventy-four adolescent inpatients were given a structured diagnostic interview, the revised version of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, and a battery of standard self-report measures to assess general trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress symptoms, suicidal behavior, dissociation, and depression. Results Ninety-three percent of subjects reported exposure to at least one traumatic event such as being a witness/victim of community violence, witnessing family violence, or being the victim of physical/sexual abuse. Thirty-two percent of subjects met diagnostic criteria for current PTSD, with sexual abuse cited as the most common traumatic stressor in 69% of PTSD cases. Girls were significantly more likely to develop PTSD than boys, although the total number of types of trauma did not differ by gender. Compared with psychiatric controls, male youngsters with PTSD were significantly more likely to have comorbid diagnoses of eating disorders, other anxiety disorders, and somatization disorder. Furthermore, male and female youngsters with PTSD were significantly more likely to have attempted suicide and report greater depressive and dissociative symptoms. Conclusion In clinical populations of hospitalized adolescents exposed to multiple forms of trauma, PTSD is a common, but highly comorbid disorder. Specific multimodal assessments and treatments targeted to both PTSD and its comorbidity profile are warranted. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 1999, 38(4):385–392.
Millennial-scale storminess variability in the northeastern United States during the Holocene epoch

For the purpose of detecting the effects of human activities on climate change, it is important to document natural change in past climate1. In this context, it has proved particularly difficult to study the variability in the occurrence of extreme climate events, such as storms with exceptional rainfall1. Previous investigations have established storm chronologies using sediment cores from single lakes2,3,4,5,6,7,8, but such studies can be susceptible to local environmental bias. Here we date terrigenous inwash layers in cores from 13 lakes, which show that the frequency of storm-related floods in the northeastern United States has varied in regular cycles during the past 13,000 years (13 kyr), with a characteristic period of about 3 kyr. Our data show four peaks in storminess during the past 14 kyr, approximately 2.6, 5.8, 9.1 and 11.9 kyr ago. This pattern is consistent with long-term changes in the average sign of the Arctic Oscillation9, suggesting that modulation of this dominant atmospheric mode may account for a significant fraction of Holocene climate variability in North America and Europe.
Fine-needle aspiration cytology of bone: accuracy and pitfalls of cytodiagnosis.

BACKGROUND Fine-needle aspiration cytology has proved to be an accurate, cost-effective, and safe technique for diagnosing inflammatory and neoplastic lesions at different body sites. Its applicability in bone pathology, however, has been controversial due to a high percentage of inadequate samples and nonspecific results in the diagnosis of primary bone lesions. In this study, the diagnostic accuracy of the technique and its capacity for diagnosing primary bone lesions were assessed. In addition, the authors analyzed the diagnostic limitations with focus on specimen adequacy. METHODS The authors reviewed 314 consecutive fine-needle aspirations of bone from 308 patients. Direct or cytospin smears from aspirated material were fixed in 95% alcohol and stained by a modified Papanicolaou technique. Ninety-seven smears (31%) initially were considered unsatisfactory and excluded from the study. A diagnosis was rendered in 217 cases (69%), which were classified into 4 categories: primary bone lesions (benign and malignant) (42%), metastatic bone tumors (37%), suspicious for malignancy (5%), and negative (16%). RESULTS The overall accuracy was 95%. Seventy-eight percent of primary bone lesions were correctly diagnosed by cytology. All cases diagnosed as metastatic by cytology were correct. The authors encountered difficulties diagnosing fibro-osseous lesions. Thirteen percent of cases were erroneously diagnosed as “negative” or “inflammatory conditions.” On review, the absence of adequate cytologic material was noted in all of them. This sampling error could have been avoided by the presence of an on-site cytopathologist. CONCLUSIONS Fine-needle aspiration of bone is a simple, reliable, and accurate diagnostic technique that can facilitate patient management and preoperative decision-making and/or avoid unnecessary invasive procedures for patients with primary or metastatic bone lesions. However, the radiologist, cytopathologist, and orthopedic surgeon should work together for optimal results. Moreover, a definitive pathologic diagnosis should not be issued if diagnostic material is not adequate and/or clinicoradiologic information is incompatible. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2000;90:47–54. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
City Manager and City Administrator Role Similarities and Differences: Perceptions Among Persons Who Have Served as Both

The hiring of chief administrative officers, also known as city administrators, in municipalities with the mayor?council form of government has contributed to the professionalization of these city governments. Although some observers suggest that the role of city administrator is the functional equivalent of city manager, survey responses from 276 persons who have held both jobs note similarities and important differences.
Spectroscopy of AuO: Identification of the [10.7] Π3/2 to X2Π3/2 Transition

The near-infrared electronic spectrum of AuO has been recorded in emission using the Fourier transform spectrometer associated with the National Solar Observatory at Kitt Peak, AZ. The gas-phase AuO molecules were produced in a neon-based electric discharge using a gold-lined hollow cathode with a trace amount of oxygen. Two bands observed in the spectrum, with red-degraded bandheads located at 10665 and 10726 cm-1, are assigned as the (1,1) and (0,0) bands of the Π3/2 to X2Π3/2 transition, respectively. Results of the analysis are presented. This work and the accompanying paper1 on the photoelectron spectrum of AuO and AuO- represent the first spectral observations of gas-phase AuO.
Ceramide inhibition of phospholipase D and its relationship to RhoA and ARF1 translocation in GTPγS-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Phospholipase D (PLD) regulates the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functions of phagocytosis, degranulation, and oxidant production. Ceramide inhibition of PLD suppresses PMN function. In streptolysin O-permeabilized PMNs, PLD was directly activated by guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP gamma S) stimulation of adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation factor (ARF) and Rho, stimulating release of lactoferrin from specific granules of permeabilized PMNs; PLD activation and degranulation were inhibited by C2-ceramide but not dihydro-C2-ceramide. To investigate the mechanism of ceramide's inhibitory effect on PLD, we used a cell-free system to examine PLD activity and translocation from cytosol to plasma membrane of ARF, protein kinase C (PKC)alpha and beta, and RhoA, all of which can activate PLD. GTP gamma S-activated cytosol stimulated PLD activity and translocation of ARF, PKC alpha and beta, and RhoA when recombined with cell membranes. Prior incubation of PMNs with 10 microM C2-ceramide inhibited PLD activity and RhoA translocation, but not ARF1, ARF6, PKC alpha, or PKC beta translocation. However, in intact PMNs stimulated with N-formyl-1-methionyl-1-leucyl-1-phenylalamine (FMLP) or permeabilized PMNs stimulated with GTP gamma S, C2-ceramide did not inhibit RhoA translocation. Exogenous RhoA did not restore ceramide-inhibited PLD activity but bound to membranes despite ceramide treatment. These observations suggest that, although ceramide may affect RhoA in some systems, ceramide inhibits PLD through another mechanism, perhaps related to the ability of ceramide to inhibit phosphatidylinositol-bisphosphate (PIP2) interaction with PLD.
Serological relationships of frogs (Ranidae) and toads (Bufonidae).

Das Ergebnis der immunoelektrophoretischen Untersuchungen zeigt einen gewaltigen Unterschied in den serologischen Mustern der Frosche (Ranidae) und Kroten (Bufonidae). Die amerikanischen Vertreter der Ranidae und der Bufonidae haben sehr wenig gemeinsame Serumantigene. Der Mangel an gemeinsamen antigenischen Bestandteilen in ihren Serumproteinen weist sowohl auf eine fruhe Evolutionstrennung des Frosches und der Krote wie auch auf ein merkliches genetisches Auseinandergehen der zwei Stamme wahrend der langen Zeitspanne isolierter Existenz hin.
Isolation, fractionation, and RNA polymerase activity in a sample enriched with oligodendroglia nuclei

Abstract A procedure using a selective biological sample and different centrifugation for the isolation of a sample enriched with oligodendroglia nuclei is described. The nuclear yield averaged 36%. The RNA/DNA ratio of these nuclei was 0.2. Further fractionation by sucrose density gradient of the glial nuclei into two morphologically different groups has been carried out. These glial cell nuclei were also metabolically active and the conditions which favored maximum RNA polymerase activity were determined. The uridylic/guanylic acid ratio was studied in different nuclear preparations containing neuronal, glial and liver nuclei. The U/G ratio of the RNA synthesized showed no significant difference.