cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 23 – Family Orthomyxoviridae

The family Orthomyxoviridae contains significant pathogens of humans and animals. Virions are spherical to filamentous, about 100 nm in diameter. Genomes are segmented, single-stranded negative-strand RNA. Influenza A virus infects a wide variety of mammals and birds, replicating in the respiratory and/or gastrointestinal tracts. But in birds, highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) cause severe systemic infections. Transmission of HPAIV to humans is rare, but can result in severe disease with high mortality. Influenza A virus is genetically diverse, a consequence of accumulating and tolerating point mutations, a process called antigenic drift. Influenza viruses can also reassort their segmented genomes to generate novel viruses with altered host range and virulence, a process called antigenic shift. In the early 20th century (1918–19) a particularly lethal strain of influenza A virus infected approximately one-third of the world’s population and caused an estimated 40 million deaths. Although a pandemic of that magnitude has not occurred since, influenza viruses are continuously monitored. In humans, influenza is a mild to severe respiratory tract disease characterized by rapid onset of fever, muscle aches, and fatigue. Severe disease can result from primary viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial infections. Vaccines are manufactured on a yearly cycle to account for the processes of antigenic drift and shift. The ability to manufacture the correct vaccines depends on a robust global tracking system.
The Predicted Indirectly Recognizable HLA Epitopes (PIRCHE) Score for HLA Class I Graft-versus-Host Disparity Is Associated with Increased Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease in Haploidentical Transplantation with Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide.

ABSTRACT The Predicted Indirectly Recognizable HLA Epitopes (PIRCHE) score quantifies the number of PIRCHEs in patient-donor pairs and represents an in silico measure of indirect alloreactivity. This biologic process is defined as T cell recognition of epitopes derived from mismatched, allogeneic HLA peptides that are subsequently presented by shared HLA molecules. Its association with clinical outcome has not been examined in haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) with post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy). We hypothesized that the PIRCHE score (PS) would correlate with indirect alloreactivity and predict graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) risk and the incidence of relapse after haplo-HCT with PTCy. We retrospectively analyzed 148 patients who underwent peripheral blood stem cell T cell-replete haplo-HCT with PTCy at a single center between 2009 and 2016. For each patient-donor pair, the PS was calculated using the PIRCHE online matching tool. PSs were categorized by class and vector. The median class I graft-versus-host (GVH) PS was 11 (range, 0 to 56), and the median class I host-versus-graft (HVG) PS was 10 (range, 0 to 51). Class I GVH PS was associated with increased risk of grade II-IV acute GVHD (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.03 per PS unit increase; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.05; P= .008) but not of chronic GVHD or relapse. Our data show that use of the PS is a novel strategy for predicting clinical outcome in haplo-HCT; further studies using registry data and prospective cohorts are warranted to validate these findings.
Early Paracentesis in High-Risk Hospitalized Patients: Time for a New Quality Indicator

INTRODUCTION:Symptomatic ascites is the most common indication for hospitalization in patients with cirrhosis. Although guidelines recommend paracentesis for all inpatients with ascites, the timing of paracentesis is likely to be crucial. Performance of an early paracentesis and its relationship to
Unconventional Path to Healing: Diagnostic Value of CMR in a Patient With Incessant VT

AbstractA 58-year-old male patient with incessant ventricular tachycardia was referred to cardiac magnetic resonance for scar assessment. He was found to have metastatic amelanotic melanoma of the ...
Cancer Stem Cell Chemotherapeutics Assay for Prospective Treatment of Recurrent Glioblastoma and Progressive Anaplastic Glioma: A Single-Institution Case Series

Abstract BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-resistant cancer stem cells (CSC) may lead to tumor recurrence in glioblastoma (GBM). The poor prognosis of this disease emphasizes the critical need for developing a treatment stratification system to improve outcomes through personalized medicine. METHODS: We present a case series of 12 GBM and 2 progressive anaplastic glioma cases from a single Institution prospectively treated utilizing a CSC chemotherapeutics assay (ChemoID) guided report. All patients were eligible to receive a stereotactic biopsy and thus undergo ChemoID testing. We selected one of the most effective treatments based on the ChemoID assay report from a panel of FDA approved chemotherapy as monotherapy or their combinations for our patients. Patients were evaluated by MRI scans and response was assessed according to RANO 1.1 criteria. RESULTS: Of the 14 cases reviewed, the median age of our patient cohort was 49 years (21–63). We observed 6 complete responses (CR) 43%, 6 partial responses (PR) 43%, and 2 progressive diseases (PD) 14%. Patients treated with ChemoID assay-directed therapy, in combination with other modality of treatment (RT, LITT), had a longer median overall survival (OS) of 13.3 months (5.4-NA), compared to the historical median OS of 9.0 months (8.0–10.8 months) previously reported. Notably, patients with recurrent GBM or progressive high-grade glioma treated with assay-guided therapy had a 57% probability to survive at 12 months, compared to the 27% historical probability of survival observed in previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: The results presented here suggest that the ChemoID Assay has the potential to stratify individualized chemotherapy choices to improve recurrent and progressive high-grade glioma patient survival. Importance of the Study Glioblastoma (GBM) and progressive anaplastic glioma are the most aggressive brain tumor in adults and their prognosis is very poor even if treated with the standard of care chemoradiation Stupp's protocol. Recent knowledge pointed out that current treatments often fail to successfully target cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are responsible for therapy resistance and recurrence of these malignant tumors. ChemoID is the first and only CLIA (clinical laboratory improvements amendment) -certified and CAP (College of American Pathologists) -accredited chemotherapeutic assay currently available in oncology clinics that examines patient's derived CSCs susceptibility to conventional FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) -approved drugs. In this study we observed that although the majority of our patients (71.5%) presented with unfavorable prognostic predictors (wild type IDH-1/2 and unmethylated MGMT promoter), patients treated with ChemoID assay-directed therapy had an overall response rate of 86% and increased median OS of 13.3 months compared to the historical median OS of 9.1 months (8.1–10.1 months) previously reported [ 1 ] suggesting that the ChemoID assay may be beneficial in personalizing treatment strategies.
Long-Term Outcomes of Laser Incision and Triamcinolone Injection for the Management of Ureteroenteric Anastomotic Strictures.

Purpose: Benign ureteroenteric anastomotic stricture (UEAS) is a common postoperative complication after urinary diversion with an incidence of 3%–10%. Our objective is to report long-term follow-u...
From scenarios to code: An air traffic control case study

There has been much recent interest in synthesis algorithms that generate finite state machines from scenarios of intended system behavior. One of the uses of such algorithms is in the transition from requirements scenarios to design. Despite much theoretical work on the nature of these algorithms, there has been very little work on applying the algorithms to practical applications. In this paper, we apply the Whittle & Schumann synthesis algorithm [32] to a component of an air traffic advisory system under development at NASA Ames Research Center. We not only apply the algorithm to generate state machine designs from scenarios but also show how to generate code from the generated state machines using existing commercial code generation tools. The results demonstrate the possibility of generating application code directly from scenarios of system behavior.
From Substantial Burden on Religious to Diminished Spiritual Fulfillment: The San Francisco Peaks Case and the Misrecognition of Native American Religion

In Navajo Nation v. U.S. Forest Service, 535 F.3d 1058 (9th Cir. 2008), cert. denied, 129 S. Ct. 2763 (2009), the Ninth Circuit seated en banc found that federal approval of a plan by a ski resort to make artificial snow with treated sewage effluent on Arizona’s San Francisco Peaks, a mountain massif held sacred by the Navajo, Hopi, and four other claimant tribes, did not violate their religious liberty under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The court accepted numerous factual findings about sincere religious exercise, but found federal approval of the scheme did not constitute a “substantial burden” on religion; rather, it only “decreased spiritual fulfillment” of tribal members. Despite a spirited dissent, the Ninth Circuit narrowly interpreted RFRA’s language of “substantial burden” by making reference to the Supreme Court’s 1988 holding in Lyng v. Northwest Cemetery Protective Association, 485 U.S. 439 (1988). This article shows how conventional wisdom about individualistic, subjective, and protean “spirituality” and in particular about “Native American spirituality” equips the court to denature highly specific and collective religious claims about the mountain by plaintiff tribes, and in turn to naturalize those claims as merely spiritual. Misrecognition of Native religions as Native spirituality then troubles the substantial burden analysis. While Navajo Nation suggests courts may never fully understand Native claims to sacred sites, the Supreme Court’s 2014 holding in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 2751, 2759 (2014), opens the door to revisiting the interpretive posture spelled out in Navajo Nation, and the Ninth Circuit’s interpretive approach to “substantial burden” bears revisiting.
Synthesizing external aggregated information in the presence of population heterogeneity: A penalized empirical likelihood approach.

With the increasing availability of data in the public domain, there has been a growing interest in exploiting information from external sources to improve the analysis of smaller scale studies. An emerging challenge in the era of big data is that the subject-level data are high dimensional, but the external information is at an aggregate level and of a lower dimension. Moreover, heterogeneity and uncertainty in the auxiliary information are often not accounted for in information synthesis. In this paper, we propose a unified framework to summarize various forms of aggregated information via estimating equations and develop a penalized empirical likelihood approach to incorporate such information in logistic regression. When the homogeneity assumption is violated, we extend the method to account for population heterogeneity among different sources of information. When the uncertainty in the external information is not negligible, we propose a variance estimator adjusting for the uncertainty. The proposed estimators are asymptotically more efficient than the conventional penalized maximum likelihood estimator and enjoy the oracle property even with a diverging number of predictors. Simulation studies show that the proposed approaches yield higher accuracy in variable selection compared with competitors. We illustrate the proposed methodologies with a pediatric kidney transplant study.
Role of Flexural Phonons in Carrier Mobility of Two-Dimensional Semiconductors: Free Standing vs On Substrate

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor is a promising material for future electronics. It is believed that the flexural phonon (FP) induced scattering plays an important role in the room-temperature carrier mobility, and the substrate can significantly affect such scattering. Here we develop an 'implicit' substrate model, which allows us to effectively quantify different effects of the substrate on the FP scattering. In conjunction with the first-principles calculations, we study the intrinsic mobilities of the holes in Sb and electrons in MoS2as representative examples for 2D semiconductors. We find that the FP scattering is not dominant and is weaker than other scatterings such as that induced by longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonon. This is due to the significantly smaller electron-phonon-coupling (EPC) matrix elements for the FP compared with that for the LA phonon in the free-standing case; although the substrate enhances the FP EPC, it suppresses the FP population, making the FP scattering still weaker than the LA scattering. Our work improves the fundamental understanding of the role of FP and its interaction with the substrate in carrier mobility, and provides a computational model to study the substrate effects.
Umbilical Fascial Defects are Common and Predict Trocar Site Hernias After Laparoscopic Appendectomy.

IntroductionInvestigations have demonstrated that trocar site hernia (TSH) is an under-appreciated complication of laparoscopic surgery, occurring in as many as 31%. We determined the incidence of ...
Digital Technologies and the Future of Public Space

This concluding chapter synthesizes the main themes of the book in a summary of the implications of digital technologies for the future of public space. Digital technologies are a central factor in the constitution of the current stage of evolution of public space. They bring affordances that support the social co-creation of a physical public realm, occupying a negotiated middle ground on the spectrum of the potential and actual uses of technologies in mediating between people, and between people and the world. These technologies are, at present, prominent tools brought to bear on the constant project of public space.
In vitro evaluation of enteral tube administration of lansoprazole orally disintegrating tablets.

Lansoprazole orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) can be administered orally or through a nasogastric (NG) tube for patients who are unable to swallow. In addition, off-label administration through...
Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering Studies of Muscular Contraction

For the past quarter of a century studies of the molecular mechanism of muscular contraction have been guided by the sliding filament model of striated muscle. According to this model myosin cross-bridges projecting from the myosin thick filaments interact with the actin thin filaments of the muscle cell in such a way that each cross-bridge produces an impulsive contractile force between the interdigitating thick and thin filaments. Each thick filament contains a few hundred cross-bridges which attach to the thin filament independently and asynchronously so that collectively they produce an average contractile force that depends linearly on the extent to which the thick and thin filaments overlap. Much of what is known about the molecular dynamics of the cross-bridge cycle is derived from low angle x-ray diffraction studies of contracting muscle and is subject to the limitations inherent in space-time average measurements on a dynamic process. There is currently an active search for more direct evidence to corroborate the independent cycling of cross-bridges.1,2 We have been using quasi-elastic light scattering to obtain evidence for cross-bridge cycling.3,4 Our most recent results obtained on single muscle fibers, are free of many of the complicating factors present in our early work on whole muscle and it is these new results that are presented here.
LearningAssistant: A novel learning resource recommendation system

Reading online content for educational, learning, training or recreational purposes has become a very popular activity. While reading, people may have difficulty understanding a passage or wish to learn more about the topics covered by it, hence they may naturally seek additional or supplementary resources for the particular passage. These resources should be close to the passage both in terms of the subject matter and the reading level. However, using a search engine to find such resources interrupts the reading flow. It is also an inefficient, trial-and-error process because existing web search and recommendation systems do not support large queries, they do not understand semantic topics, and they do not take into account the reading level of the original document a person is reading. In this demo, we present LearningAssistant, a novel system that enables online reading material to be smoothly enriched with additional resources that can supplement or explain any passage from the original material for a reader on demand. The system facilitates the learning process by recommending learning resources (documents, videos, etc) for selected text passages of any length. The recommended resources are ranked based on two criteria (a) how they match the different topics covered within the selected passage, and (b) the reading level of the original text where the selected passage comes from. User feedback from students who use our system in two real pilots, one with a high school and one with a university, for their courses suggest that our system is promising and effective.
Comparing Web-Based and Classroom-Based Learning: A Quantitative Study

AbstractThis study compares the achievement of students enrolled in two sections of a course on teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL), one taught in a classroom setting and the other offered online. Participants included 29 students enrolled in the online section and 31 students in the classroom section. Students in the online section of the course scored significantly lower than students in the classroom-based course on a pretest. A t-test of student achievement on a posttest showed no significant difference in achievement among students enrolled in the two sections of the course. Numerically speaking, however, students in the classroom-based section as a group scored 13.19 points higher on the posttest than they did on the pretest. For the online group, the improvement in average score from pretest to posttest was 15.21 points. This finding suggests that students in the online section of the course achieved more than their classroom-based counterparts.
QCD EFFECTS ON $B^0 -\bar{B}^0$ MIXINGS FOR VARIOUS VALUES OF THE TOP MASS

We consider QCD effects on systems when and , where and mw are the masses of the top quark and the charged W bosons, respectively. They are markedly different from naive extrapolations of formulae valid for . We then apply our results to the ARGUS mixing and obtain a lower bound .
Quantitative ADC in bilirubin encephalopathy

It was with great interest that we read the paper by Cece and colleagues [1] entitled ‘Diffusion-weighted imaging of patients with neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy.’ The authors conclude that quantitative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurement could be a promising marker of neonatal bilirubin encephalopathy. The article, however, raises several questions that merit clarification. First, there is little doubt that several in this cohort of infants with peak bilirubin levels in the range of 25–58 mg/dl developed permanent bilirubin-induced neuronal injury and adverse long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae of chronic bilirubin encephalopathy (CBE). Indeed, most demonstrated overt signs of intermediate to advanced stages of acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE) and/or peak TSB levels [35 mg/dl, a threshold in the US Pilot Kernicterus registry that was more often than not associated with moderate to severe chronic neurodevelopmental impairment [2, 3]. Some, however, may have had reversible ABE and escaped their hazardous bilirubin exposures unscathed given the timely use of exchange transfusion [4]. Neurological findings at the time of hospitalization discharge and long-term neurodevelopmental evaluations, however, are not reported. Similarly, auditory brainstem evoked responses are not detailed. It is important to distinguish infants who developed CBE from those who did not and compare ADC values between these two groups to ascertain whether ADC is a potential marker of CBE or a marker of ABE alone and not its progression to CBE. Follow-up MRI studies to confirm neuroradiographic evidence of CBE would be of interest in this regard but were not reported. Second, although quantitative ADC values were statistically increased relative to controls, the numeric difference was modest and its clinical relevance uncertain, particularly since ADC is sensitive to multiple technical and pathologic factors. In addition, the region of interest (ROI) depicted in Figure 1 does not selectively localize to the globus pallidus, but also includes a portion of the posterior limb of the internal capsule. There is no inter-rater/intra-rater reliability measurement given for the manual drawing of the ROI, which is prone to error. The subthalamic area is also known to be involved in kernicterus, and this region was not measured in the report. More details about the controls would be of interest as well, as there are very few neonatal cases that have a spinal disorder and a normal brain MRI. Third, Figure 3 demonstrates a statistically significant relationship between total bilirubin levels and ADC values. However, the reported r value of 0.41 indicates that only 16 % (r = 0.16) of the variability in ADC can be accounted for by total bilirubin, i.e., 86 % is accounted for by other factors. This comment refers to the article available at doi:10.1007/s11604-012-0166-4.
Effects of progesterone implants in the habenula and midbrain on proceptive and receptive behavior in the female rat

Abstract Two brain areas behaviorally responsive to progesterone (P) were examined to determine their possible involvement in the control of rat preceptive behavior, i.e., solicitation behavior directed at the male. Progesterone implants were placed in the habenular nuclei and the interpeduncular nucleus-ventral tegmental area of the midbrain reticular formation (MRF). Different testing procedures and levels of priming with estradiol benzoate (EB) were used in order to distinguish the effects of P in either region on proceptive and receptive behavior during exposure to 10 mounts by stimulus males. To test for receptivity, sexually experienced 60-day-old ovariectomized (ovx) rats bearing stereotaxically placed guide cannulas extending to the habenula or MRF were given 10 μg EB subcutaneously. Forty-eight hours later, lordosis quotient (LQ) was determined. Immediately following this test, each animal was implanted with cholesterol (C) or P and was retested 2 hr later. Treatments for the proceptivity test were similar except that the animals received 2.5 μg EB/100 g body wt sc for 7 days before testing on the eighth day; LQ as well as hopping, darting, and ear wiggling were scored. In the receptivity test, P implantation in both the medial portions of the habenula and the MRF significantly increased lordosis above the levels found both in their preimplantation tests and following control implantation of C. Little proceptivity was observed. In the proceptivity test, P implants in both regions also significantly increased proceptive behavior above both types of control tests. All animals were highly receptive, and there was no difference in LQ among the groups. There was no increase of plasma P levels in similarly implanted animals during a 24-hr monitoring period, indicating that systemic leakage of the hormone was not responsible for the observed behavior. The data indicate that both the habenula and MRF are P-sensitive regions. Progesterone's action on the two areas facilitates expression of both proceptive and receptive components of female sexual behavior, indicating that the neural regulation of the two kinds of behavior is integrated at these levels.
Aberrant Folding of a Mutant Stat5b Causes Growth Hormone Insensitivity and Proteasomal Dysfunction

A predicted alanine to proline substitution in Stat5b that results in profound short stature, growth hormone insensitivity, and immunodeficiency represents the first natural mutation of this transcription factor in a human. To understand the mechanisms responsible for these pathophysiological abnormalities, we have studied the biochemical and biophysical properties of the mutant Stat5b molecule. In a cellular reconstitution model growth hormone robustly stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation and transcriptional activity of wild-type Stat5b while Stat5bA630P was minimally modified and did not promote reporter gene expression. Steady state levels of Stat5bWT were approximately 3-fold higher than Stat5bA630P in cell extracts prepared with nonionic detergents. Although initial rates of biosynthesis of both proteins were similar, pulse-chase experiments established that the apparent half-life of newly synthesized soluble Stat5bA630P was 24 h). Stat5bA630P accumulated in cells primarily in cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Structural analysis of the isolated SH2 domain containing the A630P mutation showed that it resembled the wild-type SH2 segment but that it exhibited reduced thermodynamic stability and slower folding kinetics, displayed an increased hydrophobic surface, and was prone to aggregation in solution. Our results are compatible with a model in which Stat5bA630P is an inactive transcription factor by virtue of its aberrant folding and diminished solubility triggered by a misfolded SH2 domain. The potential for aggregation and formation of cytoplasmic inclusions raises the possibility that Stat5bA630P could produce additional defects through inhibition of proteasome function.
The XYY karyotype and criminality: A review

CRIMINALITY was once thought to be the result of demonic or supernatural forces. Beginning with the eighteenth century, attempts were made to attribute criminal behavior to certain physical characteristics of the individual. Gall and Spurzheim, for example, attempted to associate various bumps on the head with specific personality traits. In Italy, Cesare Lombroso, and in the United States Ernest Hooton, argued that criminal behavior reflected an ativistic level of biological organization which had its concomitants in certain physical stigmata or anthropometric ‘marks of inferiority’.1 More recently, SHELDON,~ S. and E. GLUECK,~ and others4 have reported a relationship between criminality and bodily physique. The contribution of genetic factors to the production of criminal behavior is expressed in the concept of ‘bad seed’ and is explicit in the studies of SIR FRANCIS GALTON~ and of the Jukes and Kallikak families by DUGDALE~ and GODDARD’ respectively. Attempts at estimating the hereditary contribution to criminal behavior have been made by means of twin studies.8 But, the confounding of common genotypic and experiential factors among twin pairs make these studies difficult to interpret. In recent years fresh interest in possible genotypic contributions to criminal behavior has arisen due to the finding of a relatively large number of individuals with various chromosomal abnormalities in maximum security institutions for the mentally ill, the mentally subnormal, and among prison populations. Several recent crimes of violence perpetrated by individuals who subsequently were shown to have an abnormal chromosomal constitution have also received wide notoriety. Two specific cases stand out. In. both, the grounds for the defense rested heavily on arguments of legal irresponsibility resulting from the fact that the defendant carried a 47,XYY* karyotype. In France, Daniel Hugon was convicted of murdering a prostitute. During the course of his trial a special commission was appointed by the court to testify on the possible contribution of the chromosomal abnormality to the crime. The jury, apparently allowing for extenuating circumstances, decided on a somewhat lesser penalty than usual for this type of crime. In Australia, Lawrence E. Hammell was acquitted of murder on the grounds that he was legally insane at the time of the crime. According to newspaper accounts,10 the * The nomenclature is that established at the Chicago Conference, 1966.9 In further citations, we will refer to this karyotype only as XYY.
Mechanisms of rubber abrasion

Rates of wear have been determined for several elastomer materials, using a razor-blade abrading apparatus based on one described by Champ, Southern, and Thomas. Measurements have been carried out at different levels of frictional power input, corresponding to different severities of wear, at both ambient temperature and at 100°C, and both in air and in an inert atmosphere. It is concluded that wear occurs as a result of two processes: local mechanical rupture (tearing) and general decomposition of the molecular network to a low-molecular-weight material (smearing). Marked differences were shown by different elastomers. Carbon-black-filled natural rubber, SBR (styrene–butadiene copolymer) and EPR (ethylene–propylene copolymer) were particularly susceptible to decomposition and smearing, but for natural rubber and SBR the decomposition process was not observed in an inert atmosphere. It is attributed to molecular rupture under frictional forces followed by stabilization of the newly formed polymeric radicals by reaction with oxygen, if present, or with other polymer molecules, or with other macroradicals. Cis-polybutadiene and trans-polypentenamer did not appear to undergo smearing to a significant degree. The reactive radicals formed in these materials by molecular rupture are assumed to undergo rapid addition to other molecules so that the network structure is maintained. Rates of wear have been found to increase with the applied frictional force raised to a power n. The value of n was between 2.5 and 3.5 for unfilled materials at ambient temperature, in agreement with Champ, Southern, and Thomas, who pointed out a general correlation with mechanical fatigue. Filled materials were found to be less sensitive to the frictional force, whether wear took place by tearing or by smearing, having values of the index n of 1.5–1.8. Several observations suggest that wear, even in the absence of smearing, is not fully correlated with mechanical fatigue: the markedly lower wear rates for carbon-black-filled materials, the anomalous rankings of unfilled materials, and the relatively small effects of raising the test temperature to 100°C. It is concluded that abrasive wear by small-scale tearing is not accounted for solely by the crack growth properties of the material but involves other failure processes as well.
Osteological evidence for the evolution of activity pattern and visual acuity in primates

Examination of orbit size and optic foramen size in living primates reveals two adaptive phenomena. First, as noted by many authors, orbit size is strongly correlated with activity pattern. Comparisons of large samples of extant primates consistently reveal that nocturnal species exhibit proportionately larger orbits than diurnal species. Furthermore, nocturnal haplorhines (Tarsius and Aotus) have considerably larger orbits than similar-sized nocturnal strepsirrhines. Orbital hypertrophy in Tarsius and Aotus accommodates the enormously enlarged eyes of these taxa. This extreme ocular hypertrophy seen in extant nocturnal haplorhines is an adaptation for both enhanced visual acuity and sensitivity in conditions of low light intensity. Second, the relative size of the optic foramen is highly correlated with the degree of retinal summation and inferred visual acuity. Diurnal haplorhines exhibit proportionately larger optic foramina, less central retinal summation, and much higher visual acuity than do all other primates. Diurnal strepsirrhines exhibit a more subtle but significant parallel enlargement of the optic foramen and a decrease in retinal summation relative to the condition seen in nocturnal primates. These twin osteological variables of orbit size and optic foramen size may be used to draw inferences regarding the activity pattern, retinal anatomy, and visual acuity of fossil primates. Our measurements demonstrate that the omomyiforms Microchoerus, Necrolemur, Shoshonius, and Tetonius, adapiform Pronycticebus, and the possible lorisiform Plesiopithecus were likely nocturnal on the basis of orbit diameter. The adapiforms Leptadapis, Adapis, and Notharctus, the phylogenetically enigmatic Rooneyia, the early anthropoids Proteopithecus, Catopithecus, and Aegyptopithecus, and early platyrrhine Dolichocebus were likely diurnal. The activity pattern of the platyrrhine Tremacebus is obscure. Plesiopithecus, Pronycticebus, Microchoerus, and Necrolemur probably had eyes that were very similar to those of extant nocturnal primates, with a high degree of retinal summation and rod-dominated retinae. Leptadapis and Rooneyia likely had eyes similar to those of extant diurnal strepsirrhines, with moderate degrees of retinal summation, a larger cone:rod ratio than in nocturnal primates, and, more speculatively, well-developed areae centrales similar to those of diurnal strepsirrhines. Adapis exhibited uncharacteristically high degrees of retinal summation for a small-eyed (likely diurnal) primate. None of the adapiform or omomyiform taxa for which we were able to obtain optic foramen dimensions exhibited the extremely high visual acuity characteristic of extant diurnal haplorhines.
Observation and identification of zonal flows in a basic physics experiment

The role of self-generated zonal flows (ZF) in transport regulation in magnetic confinement devices via its shear is a potent concept and a physics issue. However, as the experimental evidence of its existence in tokamaks is meagre, a basic physics experimental study of ZF associated with ion temperature gradient (ITG) drift modes has been performed in the Columbia Linear Machine. The difficult problem of detection of ZF has been solved via a novel diagnostic using the paradigm of frequency modulation (FM) in radio transmission. Using this and discrete short time Fourier transform, we find a power spectrum peak at ITG ('carrier') frequency of ~120 kHz and FM sidebands at frequency of ~2 kHz, which is identified as a ZF. It has all the signatures of a ZF: a potential at near zero frequency and poloidal symmetry (m = 0), toroidal symmetry (k|| = 0) and radial variations only. The results roughly agree with theoretical estimates given here.
Reliability of eccentric isokinetic knee flexion and extension measurements

This study assessed the test-retest reliability of knee isokinetic eccentric muscle performance in subjects with and without a history of tibio-femoral pathology. Nineteen adults were tested at 60 degrees/sec and 180 degrees/sec on three occasions using a standardized protocol that incorporates a same-session learning phase. Results revealed moderate to excellent reliability for average peak torque test-retest ICC (2,1) = .58 to .96, total work ICC = .63 to .93, and power ICC = .67 to .93. Joint angle at peak torque was unreliable (ICC = .01 to .69) for both muscle groups at both angular velocities. Knee flexion reliability was higher than extension reliability at both 60 degrees/sec and 180 degrees/sec. Subjects with tibio-femoral pathologies had ICC values lower than the healthy subjects. Reliable eccentric isokinetic measurements can be obtained for average peak torque, total work, and power. Clinicians should not assume the same degree of reliability in testing patients as in testing healthy subjects.
Atriopeptin: potent hormone and potential neuromediator

Abstract Atriopeptin, or atrial natriuretic peptide, plays an important role in the regulation of fluid and electrolyte balance. Recently, it has been shown that this peptide is present in central nervous system neurons and pathways which are believed to be involved in cardiovascular and fluid and electrolyte regulation. Atriopeptin may represent another example of a peptide acting at multiple levels to regulate the same or related homeostatic functions.
Personality characteristics and environmental attitudes

The relationship between attitudes toward environmental issues and certain personality characteristics were investigated. The personality characteristics related to locus of control, openness of belief system, and perceptions about self. The subjects in the study were 74 female college students in a teacher preparation program. Results of the study indicate that 1. self-controlled, well-organized and goal oriented persons will be more likely to display favorable environmental behaviors and 2. persons who view themselves as having more control over events in their environment are less likely to favor laws or restrictive measures designed to preserve or improve environmental quality.
Questions on public health forms: the metadata required to describe standard data elements deployed in dynamic contexts

The desire for standardised, reusable questions has been expressed in a variety of domains, including Public Health and Emergency Preparedness and Response. Reusable questions will enable the collection of interoperable data and facilitate efficient aggregation and timely analysis. The metadata required to describe such reusable objects is multi-layered, including attributes that describe the question existing independent of any data collection context, plus metadata elements that describe its relationships to the form and its elements, the deployment of the form for data collection, and finally the context in which the question was answered. Contrary to common standard interpretation, this building and variable set of metadata does not cause the question or its underlying data element to become a different object, but rather it becomes a more refined version of the same object whose full description must be made available when the answer data is analysed.
Recent advances in scleroderma-associated pulmonary hypertension.

Purpose of reviewThis review summarizes recent advances in pulmonary hypertension, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in scleroderma (SSc).Recent findingsAlthough WHO Group I pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is the most common cause of pulmonary hypertension, all WHO Groups can occur. P
Spatiality and Growth Discourse: The Restructuring of America’s Rust Belt Cities

ABSTRACT:This article examines the prominent growth discourse that today characterizes Midwest rust belt cities. We extend present work on this topic by investigating how these Midwest coalitions construct their two central themes: an accelerated city competition in new global times and the need for leadership by entrepreneurial-minded developers. Our study of St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Cleveland looks at the key ingredients found in these discourses, and show how they are used to legitimate the urban redevelopment plans promoted by growth coalitions.
Development of a Rayleigh scattering measurement system for hypersonic wind-tunnel applications

Experiments performed in a Mach 6 high Reynolds number facility were at a lower stagnation temperature of 556 K and higher stagnation prressures of 2.01 and 4.83 MPa. Density profiles, for a select location on a 8-deg half-angle blunt nose cone, obtained by Rayleigh scatter measurements were compared to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results.
Tuberculous abscess of the testicle in AIDS: sonographic demonstration.

A patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) who presented with right testicular swelling is described. Sonography demonstrated diffuse enlargement and inhomogeneity of the testicle with central hypoechoic areas. Testicular abscesses were seen at surgery andMycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured from the surgical specimen. Tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of testicular enlargement or abscess formation in AIDS.
Making Sense Of Superconducting Infrared Sensors

Superconducting films have been shown to be very sensitive, broadband, low noise infrared sensors. Granular, low dimensional superconducting films of Nb, NbN, Nbn/BN as well as the high transition temperature cuprates have been studied over the last decade and shown to have unusual physical properties that make them especially suitable for use as mm-wave and infrared detectors. In this paper, this work will be reviewed with an eye toward projecting the ultimate utility of superconducting sensors
The influence of assisted mandibular movement on the incidence of nonworking tooth contact

Abstract A total of 147 subjects were examined for nonworking tooth contacts. The subjects were instructed to voluntarily move their mandibles 2 mm laterally and surveyed for tooth contacts on the nonworking side. If no contact was present, moderate forces were applied to the angle of the mandible and the subjects were again surveyed for the same tooth contacts. This procedure was repeated on the opposite side to collect two units of data from each subject. Three significant findings were revealed in the study. 1.A significant number of sides (29.9%) and patients (43.5%) had nonworking contacts during voluntary movement. 2.The incidence of nonworking contact increased significantly (87.8% of the sides and 94.5% of the patients) when force was applied to the mandible. 3.With assisted movement, women exhibited a more significant increase (91.1% of the sides) in nonworking contact than did men (79.3% of the sides).
Effects of vacancies and impurities on the relative stability of rocksalt and zincblende structures for MnN

Using density functional calculations, it is shown that pure MnN is stable in zincblende rather than in the experimentally reported distorted rocksalt structure. However, about 4% N vacancies are found to stabilize the rocksalt structure. It is found that C and O substitutions on N and Ga on Mn also favor rocksalt but ${\mathrm{N}}_{i}$, ${\mathrm{S}}_{\mathrm{N}}$, ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{\mathrm{Mn}}$, and ${\mathrm{Co}}_{\mathrm{Mn}}$ stabilize zincblende. This suggests that zincblende MnN can possibly be grown under N-rich condition with controlled doping of S, Fe, and Co.
High-resolution imaging of progressive articular cartilage degeneration.

The objective of this study was to develop and verify a new technique for monitoring the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) by combining a rat model with the imaging modality optical coherence tomography (OCT). Time-sequential, in vivo, OCT imaging was performed on the left femoral condyles of 12 Wistar rats following sodium–iodoacetic acid-induced OA progression. The right femoral condyles (untreated) were also imaged and served as controls. Imaging was performed on days 0, 10, 20, 30, and 60 with an OCT system capable of acquiring images at four frames per second and an axial resolution of 5 µm. Progressive changes were analyzed using an OA scoring system. OCT successfully identified progressive cartilage degeneration as well as alteration of the cartilage/bone interface. Significant changes to both of these structures were observed in the sodium–iodoacetic acid-injected condyles. Structural changes detected with OCT were confirmed histologically. OCT in combination with a well-known model used in arthritis research represents a powerful tool for following degenerative joint disease progression in a given animal by detecting changes to the cartilage/bone interface and articular cartilage. © 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res
Dental Caries Prevalence in Secondary School Students in Iraq

Caries data from 952 secondary school students in Iraq representing three geographic regions were obtained and analyzed on the basis of sex, geographic, and urban-rural differences. A DMFT of 5.47 and a DFS of 6.17 were recorded for the total sample. Greater caries experience was noted in urban residents, females, and those from the Central region.
The importance of leptin in mice and man

Background/Aims: Profound impairment of liver regeneration in rodents with dysfunctional leptin signaling has been attributed to non-alcohol-induced fatty liver disorders (NAFLD). Our aim was to establish whether defective liver regeneration in ob/ob mice is a direct consequence of leptin-dependent, intracellular signaling mechanisms controlling cell-cycle regulation in hepatocytes. Methods: After exposure to a single hepatotoxic dose of (CCl(4)), the regenerative response to hepatic injury was studied in leptin-deficient ob/ob and control mice. The effects of leptin supplementation (100 mg kg per day) were examined. We assessed entry into and progression through the cell cycle and activation of key signaling intermediates and transcriptional regulators. Results: CCl(4)-induced liver injury was equally severe in ob/ob and control mice. In leptindeficient mice, it was associated with exaggerated activation of NF-k B and STAT3 during the priming phase, abrogation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-6 release at the time of G1/S transition, and failure of hepatocyte induction of cyclin D1 and cellcycle entry. Leptin replacement corrected these defects in ob/ob mice by restoring TNF and IL-6 release and inducing cyclin D1. Hepatocytes entered S phase and progressed, as in wild-type mice, to vigorous mitosis and normal hepatic regenerative response. In ob/ob mice, low doses of TNF before CCl(4) also were associated with restitution of TNF release and proliferative capabilities. Conclusions: Impaired liver regeneration in ob/ob mice is caused by leptin deficiency. We propose that altered cytokine production in ob/ob mice is part of the mechanisms responsible for impaired proliferation in response to hepatic injury. [Abstract reproduced by permission of Gastroenterology 2003;124:1451–1464]
Phase separation in sputtered amorphous metal-germanium alloys

Anomalous small-angle x-ray scattering has been used to observe and characterize phase separation in sputtered amorphous Fe{sub {ital c}}Ge{sub 1{minus}{ital c}} and Mo{sub {ital c}}Ge{sub 1{minus}{ital c}} thin films. Significant chemical inhomogeneity and anisotropy is observed on a very fine size scale. At low metal concentrations ({ital c}{lt}0.25), no films are homogeneous nor isotropic through the metal-insulator transition composition region (0.10{le}{ital c}{le}0.25). Measurements performed with the scattering vector both in and oblique to the film surface plane indicate that the chemical inhomogeneities are quite anisotropic. The cylindrical correlation functions, which have been calculated from the oblique scattering with a spherical harmonics approach, suggest a physical picture in which well-correlated inhomogeneities are formed at the surface during film growth, with little correlation between those formed in one layer and those formed after 2 nm of material have been deposited. These results suggest that fluctuations in the growth direction play a pivotal role in preventing simple columnar structure growth or structures that evolve systematically as the film grows. In addition, the anomalous scattering measurements confirm that the metal atoms (Fe or Mo) are the source of the inhomogeneity, with the Ge atoms distributed homogeneously. A method for using these measurements to determinemore » the compositions of the phase-separating species has been developed. The results indicate phase separation into end-point compositions of amorphous Ge and an intermetallic phase of composition close to FeGe{sub 2} or MoGe{sub 3}. Finally, by manipulating the deposition parameters, Fe{sub {ital c}}Ge{sub 1{minus}{ital c}} films that have the same Fe composition can be grown to different states of phase separation. These results may help explain the difficulty workers have had in isolating the metal-insulator transition for these and other vapor-deposited amorphous alloys.« less