cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
History of Surgery of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Four salient points can be made in any discussion of the history of gastrointestinal surgery. First, major contributions in surgical technique have been made by individual surgeons who were giants in their times. These individuals had the insight to translate scientific observations and knowledge of pathophysiology into advances in patient care. Second and equally important, the evolution of the field has been furthered by advances in allied fields, including anesthesia and critical care, radiology, gastroenterology, and bioengineering. Indeed, complex care in gastrointestinal surgery is increasingly delivered by teams of experts from all these fields. Third, the field of gastrointestinal surgery has evolved without the benefit of organized, structured training programs. The need for specialized training in complex gastrointestinal surgery is becoming increasingly appreciated, and such training is likely to be demanded by better-informed consumers if we fail to provide it. Fourth, advances in pharmacology and microbiology have had a profound effect on both the incidence and safety of surgical procedures. A poignant example is the virtual disappearance of elective surgery for peptic ulcer because of the discovery of powerful acid-suppressing pharmaceutical agents as well as recognition of the etiological significance of Helicobacter pylori eradication.
Comparison of in Vivo Activation of Triamcinolone Acetonide- and RU 38486-Receptor Complexes in the CEM-C7 and IM-9 Human Leukemic Cell Lines

RU 38486 functions as a pure antiglucocorticoid in the human leukemic cell lines CEM-C7 and IM-9. Despite the fact that RU 38486 has been reported to promote considerable in vitro receptor activation to a DNA-binding form, this steroid may be relatively incapable of promoting this physiologically relevant conformational change in vivo. In the experiments reported here the potential ability of RU 38486 to promote in vivo activation has been compared with that of a potent agonist, triamcinolone acetonide. In vivo activation was evaluated by DEAE-cellulose chromatographic analyses of cytosolic extracts prepared from lysed cells which had previously been labeled with either 30 nM [3H]triamcinolone acetonide or [3H]RU 38486 and subsequently incubated at 37 degrees C. Using this anion-exchange procedure, in vivo activation of the agonist-receptor complexes was shown to occur in both a time- and temperature-dependent fashion in both cell lines. This in vivo activation was reflected by progressive decreases in the bound [3H]triamcinolone acetonide associated with the unactivated (high salt-eluting) peaks eluted from DEAE-cellulose, small yet detectable increases in the bound radioactivity eluted in the activated (low-salt eluting) peaks, and a significant increase in the ability of the cytoplasmic [3H]triamcinolone acetonide-receptor complexes to bind to DNA-cellulose. Additional experiments employing DEAE-cellulose chromatography demonstrated that after incubation at 37 degrees C for 1 h, at least some in vivo activation of cytosolic [3H]RU 38486-receptor complexes could be detected in CEM-C7 cells, although the antagonist was less effective than the agonist in facilitating this conformational change. In IM-9 lymphocytes essentially no in vivo activation could be detected using this same protocol. Nuclear translocation assays were also independently performed to evaluate in vivo receptor activation. Incubation of intact cells with 30 nM [3H]triamcinolone acetonide or [3H]RU 38486 for 1 h at 37 degrees C (but not at 0-4 degrees C) revealed that both steroids facilitated translocation in CEM-C7 as well as IM-9 cells, although again the antagonist was less effective than the agonist in this regard. Taken collectively these data indicate that the antagonist RU 38486 is capable of mediating detectable in vivo activation of CEM-C7 cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptors. These data suggest that complete in vivo stabilization of unactivated receptors by RU 38486 in this cell line may not be sufficient to explain the lack of any agonist activity associated with this synthetic antagonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Kleinberg Navigation on Anisotropic Lattices

We study the Kleinberg problem of navigation in small-world networks when the underlying lattice is stretched along a preferred direction. Extensive simulations confirm that maximally efficient navigation is attained when the length 𝑟 of long-range links is taken from the distribution 𝑃 ( 𝐫 ) ∼ 𝑟 − 𝛼 , when the exponent 𝛼 is equal to 2, the dimension of the underlying lattice, regardless of the amount of anisotropy, but only in the limit of infinite lattice size, 𝐿 → ∞ . For finite size lattices we find an optimal 𝛼 ( 𝐿 ) that depends strongly on 𝐿 . The convergence to 𝛼 = 2 as 𝐿 → ∞ shows interesting power-law dependence on the anisotropy strength.
Common genetic variants differentially influence the transition from clinically defined states of fasting glucose metabolism.

Aims/hypothesis Common genetic variants have been associated with type 2 diabetes. We hypothesised that a subset of these variants may have different effects on the transition from normal fasting glucose (NFG) to impaired fasting glucose (IFG) than on that from IFG to diabetes.
Characterization of pulsatile secretion and clearance of plasma cortisol in premature and term neonates using deconvolution analysis.

Pulsatile secretion of cortisol (F) has not been documented in the newborn infant. Using repeated blood sampling and deconvolution analysis, we investigated F secretion and elimination dynamics in a group of five premature (gestational age, 24-34 weeks) and five term neonates. These infants had required placement of an umbilical arterial cannula for monitoring respiratory status, but were otherwise clinically stable. Blood samples were obtained at 15-min intervals for a 6-h period. All plasma F determinations were 58 nmol/L (2.1 micrograms/dL) or more, and pulsatile F secretion was observed in all infants. No significant differences were noted between the two groups with regard to 6-h mean plasma F concentration [350 +/- 129 (premature) vs. 277 +/- 54 nmol/L (term)], plasma corticosteroid-binding globulin (14 +/- 0 vs. 13 +/- 1 mg/L), F secretory burst frequency (4 +/- 0 vs. 5 +/- 1 bursts/6 h), mass of F secreted per burst [760 +/- 480 vs. 310 +/- 100 nmol/Lv [Lv, liter of F distribution volume)], F production rate (FPR; 2.7 +/- 1.4 vs. 1.1 +/- 0.2 mumol/Lv.6 h), or plasma F half-life (45 +/- 6 vs. 56 +/- 4 min). However, the premature infants had a significantly longer F secretory burst half-duration (63 +/- 18 vs. 6.7 +/- 4.0 min; P < 0.01) and a significantly lower maximal F secretory rate (9.4 +/- 3.4 vs. 100 +/- 26 nmol/Lv.min; P < 0.02) than the term infants. Body surface area and body weight were inversely correlated with F secretory burst half-duration (r = -0.74 and -0.75, respectively); both were also positively correlated with the maximal F secretory rate (r = 0.66 and 0.72). The two most premature infants had significantly greater mean plasma F and FPR than the other three premature and all of the term infants. Extrapolating to 24 h and correcting for the distribution volume of F and body surface area, we estimate FPR to be approximately 17-24 mumol/m2.24 h (6.6-8.8 mg/m2.24 h) for newborn infants of 34 weeks or more gestational age. These values are consistent with newer estimates of FPR in older children and adults determined using either deconvolution analysis or stable isotope dilution methods.
Immunosuppression induction with rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin with or without rituximab in 1000 liver transplant patients with long-term follow-up†

Rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG)-based immunosuppression induction is being increasingly used in liver transplantation (LT) in conjunction with steroid-free protocols to delay the initiation of calcineurin inhibitors. This study reports a single-center comparison of transplant outcomes and complications in 3 immunosuppression eras. Data were obtained retrospectively from a center research database, and the analysis included LT patients from 2001 to 2008. The immunosuppression consisted of rATG induction in 3 doses (6 mg/kg in all): (1) the first dose was administered perioperatively [the rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin in the operating room (rATG-OR) era]; (2) the first dose was delayed until 48 hours after transplantation [the rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin after a delay (rATG-D) era]; or (3) the first dose was delayed until 48 hours after transplantation, and a single dose of rituximab was added 72 hours after transplantation [the rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin after a delay plus rituximab (rATG-D-Ritux) era]. The initial maintenance immunosuppression was tacrolimus monotherapy, which was started on postoperative day 2. There were 166 patients (16%) in the rATG-OR era, 259 patients (26%) in the rATG-D era, and 588 patients (58%) in the rATG-D-Ritux era (1013 patients in all). Demographically, the latter eras were characterized by higher recipient and donor ages; greater percentages of liver-kidney transplants, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), donation after cardiac death (DCD), and imported organs; and shorter graft ischemia times. There were no significant differences between the 3 immunosuppression groups in unadjusted patient survival 3 and 5 years after transplantation (80% and 75% for the rATG-OR era, 75% and 67% for the rATG-D era, and 79% and 71% for the rATG-D-Ritux era, P = 0.15). The 5-year survival rates for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HCC were 65% and 68%, respectively. The factors included in the Cox regression model for patient death included the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.03, P = 0.001], HCV (HR = 1.28, P = 0.04), donor age (HR = 1.01, P = 0.001), recipient age (HR = 1.01, P = 0.05), and DCD (HR = 1.55, P = 0.11). rATG-based induction immunosuppression can be safely used in adult LT recipients with excellent survival and low rejection rates and without increases in immunosuppression-related side effects.
Trends in neonatal morbidity and mortality for very low birthweight infants

Objective To document the mortality and morbidity of infants weighing 501-1500 g at birth according to gestational age, birthweight, and sex. Study design Prospective collection of perinatal events and neonatal course to 120 days of life, discharge, or death from January 1990 through December 2002 for infants born at 16 participating centers of the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Results Compared with 1995-1996, for 1997-2002 the survival of infants with birthweight of 501-1500 g increased by 1 percentage point (from 84% to 85%). Survival without major neonatal morbidity remained static, at 70%; this includes bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Survival increased for multiple births (26%, up from 22%), antenatal corticosteroid use (79%, up from 71%), and maternal antibiotics (70%, up from 62%) ( P Conclusion There have been no significant increases in survival without neonatal and long-term morbidity among VLBW infants between 1997 and 2002. We speculate that to improve survival without morbidity requires determining, disseminating, and applying best practices using therapies currently available, and also identifying new strategies and interventions.
Formulating the Data-Flow Perspective for Business Process Management

Workflow technology has become a standard solution for managing increasingly complex business processes. Successful business process management depends on effective workflow modeling and analysis. One of the important aspects of workflow analysis is the data-flow perspective because, given a syntactically correct process sequence, errors can still occur during workflow execution due to incorrect data-flow specifications. However, there have been only scant treatments of the data-flow perspective in the literature and no formal methodologies are available for systematically discovering data-flow errors in a workflow model. As an indication of this research gap, existing commercial workflow management systems do not provide tools for data-flow analysis at design time. In this paper, we provide a data-flow perspective for detecting data-flow anomalies such as missing data, redundant data, and potential data conflicts. Our data-flow framework includes two basic components: data-flow specification and data-flow analysis; these components add more analytical rigor to business process management.
Modeling people's place naming preferences in location sharing

Most location sharing applications display people's locations on a map. However, people use a rich variety of terms to refer to their locations, such as "home," "Starbucks," or "the bus stop near my house." Our long-term goal is to create a system that can automatically generate appropriate place names based on real-time context and user preferences. As a first step, we analyze data from a two-week study involving 26 participants in two different cities, focusing on how people refer to places in location sharing. We derive a taxonomy of different place naming methods, and show that factors such as a person's perceived familiarity with a place and the entropy of that place (i.e. the variety of people who visit it) strongly influence the way people refer to it when interacting with others. We also present a machine learning model for predicting how people name places. Using our data, this model is able to predict the place naming method people choose with an average accuracy higher than 85%.
Organ Weight: Body Weight Ratios in the Mongolian Gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus'

The following were recorded for 17 Mongolian gerbils,Meriones unguiculatus, which varied in weight between weanling size and almost 100 grams: body lengths, body weights, organ weights of the thyroid, kidney, adrenal, brain, pituitary, lung, testis, spleen, heart, eye, and liver. Results were analyzed graphically and statistically. The thyroid, kidney, adrenal, brain, pituitary, lung, and eye weights vary with respect to body weight in an allometric fashion. The heart, spleen, and body length vary with respect to body weight in a linear manner, following the ordinary equationy=a+bx, wherey is the organ weight in milligrams or the body length in millimeters andx is the body weight in grams. The prediction equation which best expresses the relationship of the testis, and the liver to body weight is logy=a+x logb, wherey is the organ weight andx is the body weight, It is suggested that the use of organ weight: body weight ratios may be valuable in evaluating the relationship between certain experimental situations and the biological response of a test organism.
Anomalous crustal structure beneath the Bay of Bengal and passive oceanic sedimentary basins

Recently Brune and Singh (1986) reported evidence for anomalous continent-like crustal structure beneath the Bay of Bengal, possibly caused by perturbation in the temperature-pressure regime and consequent phase chage, partial melting, or mass transport (e.g. convection or underplating). Recent refraction results indicate the existence of an anomalous lower crustal or subcrustal layer ofP-wave velocity about 7·3 km per second along the eastern North America passive margin, possibly a result of underplating of the oceanic crust just after initial rifting. We have searched for other evidence of anomalous crustal structure. The data suggest some mechanism may cause a general increase in the anomalous thickness of the crust with increasing thickness of the accumulated sediments, up to a thickness of about 6–7 km. On the other hand, anamolous crustal structure may in fact be transitional between oceanic and continental, or may have been modified by aseismic ridges, thus requiring no sediment related structure modification mechanism. The explanation for all the data may require more than one mechanism, all probably involving severe temperature perturbations. The general tendency is for perturbations of normal oceanic crust to make it more continent-like, suggesting that normal oceanic crust is an unstable end-member in crustal states.
Emerging and vector-borne diseases: Role of high spatial resolution and hyperspectral images in analyses and forecasts

Many infectious diseases that are emerging or transmitted by arthropod vectors have a strong link to landscape features. Depending on the source of infection or ecology of the transmitting vector, micro-habitat characteristics at the spatial scale of square meters or less may be important. Recently, satellite images have been used to classify habitats in an attempt to understand associations with infectious diseases. Whether high spatial resolution and hyperspectral (HSRH) images can be useful in studies of such infectious diseases is addressed. The nature of questions that such studies address and the desired accuracy and precision of answers will determine the utility of HSRH data. Need for such data should be based on the goals of the effort. Examples of kinds of questions and applications are discussed. The research implications and public health applications may depend on available analytic tools as well as epidemiological observations.
Transphosphorylation and G protein activation.

Des etudes ayant emis la possibilite que le GTP pouvait agir comme regulateur des proteines de fixation du GTP, l'auteur a examine cette proposition dans le cas specifique des proteines G membranaires et discute la possibilite que le GTP puisse moduler leurs fonctions
Effects of chlordiazepoxide on discriminative fear conditioning and shuttle avoidance performance in the rabbit.

Previously acquired shuttle avoidance performance in rabbits was reduced by chlordiazepoxide. Other animals were given chlordiazepoxide during differential tone-shock pairings. The effects of this differential Pavlovian fear conditioning were tested during extinction, when the tonal CSs were imposed upon the signal for the previously acquired shuttle avoidance response. Comparison with saline controls showed that chlordiazepoxide did not disrupt fear conditioning. It is also suggested that the decrement produced by chlordiazepoxide was not due to a sensory or motor impairment.
Total polyphenol content and minimum inhibitory concentration of pomegranate (Punica granatum Linn) extracts against oral microorganisms

Introduction. The prevalence of dental diseases in India is increasing. Antibiotic resistance exhibited by microbes has paved way for alternative therapy such as phytotherapy. Pomegranate (Punica granatum Linn) has been used as an alternative therapy in the treatment of many infections. The aim of this study was to assess polyphenol content and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of different parts of pomegranate against oral bacteria. Materials and Methods. Methanolic and aqueous extracts of seed, pith, rind and crude extract of pomegranate were prepared. Total polyphenol content was estimated by Folin-Ciocalciteu reagent using gallic acid as standard. MIC was assessed for four bacterial species and one fungal species. Results. Methanolic and aqueous extract of pomegranate pith showed high polyphenol content (805.6 g/meq of gallic acid) compared to other pomegranate part extracts. Methanolic and ethanolic seed extracts were effective against Staphylococcus aureus, crude extract of pomegranate was effective against Staphylococcus epidermis whereas methanolic and ethanolic rind extracts of pomegranate were effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Conclusion. All parts of pomegranate contain high polyphenol content and have antibacterial and antifungal activity. Pomegranate can be potential substitute for synthetic antibiotics against oral microorganisms.
Altered Cell-Type Proportioning in Dictyostelium Lacking Adenosine Monophosphate Deaminase

Abstract The proportions of prespore and prestalk cells in Dictyostelium discoideum are regulated so that they are size invariant and can adjust when the ratio is perturbed. We have found that disruption of the gene amdA that encodes AMP deaminase results in a significantly increased proportion of prestalk cells. Strains lacking AMP deaminase form short, thick stalks and glassy sori with less than 5% the normal number of spores. The levels of prestalk-specific mRNAs in amdA − cells are more than twice as high as those in wild-type strains and prespore-specific mRNAs are reduced. Using an ecmA::lacZ construct to mark prestalk cells, we found that amdA − null slugs have twice the normal number of prestalk cells. The number of cells expressing an ecmO::lacZ construct was not affected by loss of AmdA, indicating that the mutation results in an increase in PST-A prestalk cells rather than PST-O cells. This alteration in cell-type proportioning is a cell-autonomous consequence of the loss of AMP deaminase since mutant cells developed together with wild-type cells still produced excess prestalk cells and wild-type cells carrying the ecmA::lacZ construct formed normal numbers of prestalk cells when developed together with an equal number of amdA − mutant cells.
On the phase propagation and relationship of interannual variability in the tropical Pacific climate system

—Upper ocean thermal data and surface marine observations are used to describe the three-dimensional, basinwide co-evolution of interannual variability in the tropical Pacific climate system. The phase propagation behavior differs greatly from atmosphere to ocean, and from equatorial to off-equatorial and from sea surface to subsurface depths in the ocean. Variations in surface zonal winds and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) exhibit a standing pattern without obvious zonal phase propagation. A nonequilibrium ocean response at subsurface depths is evident, characterized by coherent zonal and meridional propagating anomalies around the tropical North Pacific: eastward on the equator but westward off the equator. Depending on geographic location, there are clear phase relations among various anomaly fields. Surface zonal winds and SSTs in the equatorial region fluctuate approximately in-phase in time, but have phase differences in space. Along the equator, zonal mean thermocline depth (or heat content) anomalies are in nonequilibrium with the zonal wind stress forcing. Variations in SSTs are not in equilibrium either with subsurface thermocline changes in the central and western equatorial Pacific, with the former lagging the latter and displaced to the east. Due to its phase relations to SST and winds, the basinwide temperature anomaly evolution at thermocline depths on an interannual time scale may determine the slow physics of ENSO, and play a central role in initiating and terminating coupled air-sea interaction. This observed basinwide phase propagation of subsurface anomaly patterns can be understood partially as water discharge processes from the western Pacific to the east and further to high latitudes, and partially by the modified delayed oscillator physics.
Some effects of the iscs program: A meta analysis

Many studies have been conducted to assess the effects of the ISCS program on student performance. On the basis of the conflicting findings, the task of arriving at a general conclusion about the effects of ISCS has been difficult indeed. This study was designed to integrate quantitatively the collective research dealing with the effects of ISCS on student performance and attitude. The weighted mean effect size was found to be 0.09, indicating that the performance of the ISCS students was 0.09 standard deviations above the performance of students in traditional science courses. The design of the study accounted for a significant proportion of variation in the effect size, whereas the type of instrumentation and reliability of the instrument did not.
Laplace-resonant triple-cyclers for missions to Jupiter

Abstract Cyclers are space trajectories that repeatedly encounter the same set of bodies indefinitely. Typically, cyclers are designed to encounter two bodies periodically, with only an occasional encounter with a third body. Because of the dynamics of the Laplace resonance in the Jupiter system, cycler trajectories that periodically return to three bodies are possible for Jupiter missions. Several cycler trajectories are proposed for purposes such as reducing mission length and increasing the number of flybys in a Jupiter system tour.
Weak evidence for a strong case against modularity in developmental disorders

Thomas & Karmiloff-Smith (T&K-S) provide evidence from computational modeling against modular assumptions of “Residual Normality” (RN) in developmental disorders. Even though I agree with their criticism, I find their choice of empirical evidence disappointing. Cognitive neuroscience cannot as yet provide a complete understanding of most developmental disorders, but what is known is more than enough to debunk the idea of RN.
Specific gene expression and therapy for pancreatic cancer using the cytosine deaminase gene directed by the rat insulin promoter.

Suicide gene therapy has been shown to be an effective means of destroying pancreatic cancer cells, but cell-specific delivery of the gene is required to limit host toxicity. The objective of this study is to determine whether the rat insulin promoter (RIP) will permit cell-specific gene delivery and subsequent cell death in human pancreatic cancer cells. The RIP DNA was amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the purified fragment was inserted into pCR-Blunt II-TOPO plasmid at the SpeI site, which contains the coding sequence of yeast cytosine deaminase (CD). Transfection assays were carried out using both RIP-lacZ and RIP-CD DNA constructs in two human pancreatic cancer cell lines, PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2. Reporter assays using X-gal staining were performed, and the in vitro cytotoxicity was examined in RIP-CD-transfected cells treated with 5-.ucytosine for 5 days. The expression levels of CD protein in the transfected cells were determined 2 days after transfection by Western blot analysis. The expression levels of insulin promoter factor (IPF-1/PDX-1) in these human pancreatic cell lines, as well as in freshly isolated human pancreatic cancer specimens, were determined using in situ immunohistochemistry analysis. After transfection with RIP-lacZ, only PANC-1 cells, but not MIA PaCa-2 cells, were positive for RIP-lacZ expression, indicating that RIP-directed reporter gene expression occurred only in PANC-1 cells. After transfection with RIP-CD and treatment with 5-flucytosine, PANC-1 cells had a significantly increased cell death rate compared with that of MIA PaCa-2 cells, suggesting that RIP-directed suicide gene expression occurred only in PANC-1 cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that only PANC-1 cells were able to express the CD protein and that significantly increased levels of PDX-1 were found in PANC-1 but not in Mia PaCa-2 cells. In situ immunohistochemical analysis of both cell lines showed that PDX-1 was only expressed in the nuclei of PANC-1 cells and not in MIA PaCa-2 cells. Furthermore, two freshly isolated human pancreatic cancer specimens had significantly increased levels of PDX-1. The RIP is activated in PANC-1 cells, but not in Mia PaCa-2 cells, and the mechanism of activation is via PDX-1. Pancreatic cancer-specific cytotoxicity can be achieved with the use of RIP-CD and 5-flucytosine treatment in vitro. Significantly increased levels of PDX-1 have been found in human pancreatic cancer specimens. These results suggest that RIP could be used for cell-specific suicide gene therapy to target human pancreatic tumors.
Interacting with peers through conversation turntaking with a communication book adaptation

Three elementary-age students with severe disabilities were taught to initiate and maintain a conversation independently using pictures in a communication book to augment their speech. Instruction occurred across a variety of school settings with several age-appropriate regular education students serving as communication partners. An analysis of the extent to which newly acquired conversation skills generalized to settings and partners not included in instructional sessions revealed that generalization was limited until training of nondisabled peer participants was implemented. Nondisabled peers who served as generalization partners were taught a specific cueing strategy that promoted turntaking by the students with disabilities.
Drug users’ involvement in the drug economy: Implications for harm reduction and HIV prevention programs

The purpose of this article is to explore individual and social characteristics associated with drug user’s involvement in the drug economy among a sample of lowincome heroin and cocaine users (n=1,288) in Baltimore, Maryland. The study sample had participated in a network-oriented intervention study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors among drug users. Of the sample, 44% (n=569) held at least one role in the drug econonry, performing an average of 1.17 roles. A significantly higher percentage of those involved in the drug economy reported being daily drug users (60.6% vs. 40.2%), injecting heroin daily (36.0% vs. 21.8%), injecting speed daily (23.6% vs. 14.7%), and snorting heroin daily (18.3% vs. 13.4%). In terms of social networks, those involved in the drug economy reproted a significantly larger social network (9.98 vs. 8.97), greater percentage of active drug users in their social network (47% vs. 44%), greater percentage of daily drug users in their social network (40% vs. 33%), and larger drug support networks (6.7 vs. 5.6). The study indicates the far-reaching influence of drug use on many aspects of their lives, including their involvement with the drug economy. Reducing drug users’ frequency of use could have the consequence of decreasing this involvement. Being a part of the drug economy exposes drug users to many risks, but also places them in a position to influence others. Examining drug users’ social networks could provide insight into the composition of their immediate social environment and could inform HIV prevention programs.
Doppler Shift Ion Mobility Measurements Of ArH+ In A He DC Glow Discharge By Diode Laser Spectroscopy

Doppler Shift Ion Mobility Measurements of ArH+ in a He DC Glow Discharge by Diode Laser SpectroscopyNathan N. Haese and Takeshi OkaDepartment of Chemistry and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago5735 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, IllinoisAbstractA method is described to measure the mobility of ions in DC glow discharge plasmas using tunable infrareddiode laser spectroscopy.
Efficacy and safety of angiotensin receptor blockers: a review of losartan in essential hypertension

Abstract Background: Current guidelines and results from recent clinical trials have refocused attention on the treatment of hypertension. Emphasis has been placed on identifying patients at high risk and treating to lower levels of blood pressure, particularly in patients with diabetes or target organ damage. Due to their proven benefits, diuretics and beta-blockers continue to be suggested as initial therapy for patients with essential hypertension. However, many acknowledge that antihypertensive therapy needs to be individualized, taking into account patient demographic characteristics, concomitant diseases that may be affected beneficially or adversely by the antihypertensive agent chosen, quality of life, cost, and use of other drugs that may lead to drug interactions. Most patients will require combination therapy to achieve adequate blood pressure control. Therefore, a number of antihypertensive agents may be appropriate for first-line or add-on therapy. Objective: The objective of this article was to review current treatment options for hypertension, with particular emphasis on the angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Losartan, the most widely studied agent of this class, is also discussed. Methods: Selected references were sought from MEDLINE® (1990–2000) describing the pharmacology, antihypertensive efficacy, and tolerability of ARBs. Results: In hypertensive patients, losartan has been compared with other antihypertensive agents, including enalapril, amlodipine, and nifedipine gastro-intestinal therapeutic system. In each case, an antihypertensive regimen of losartan once daily with or without hydrochlorothiazide showed comparable blood pressure-lowering effects. Losartan has also consistently demonstrated an excellent tolerability profile, with an overall incidence of adverse effects similar to that of placebo. Subtle pharmacologic differences exist among the agents of the ARB class. However, a recent meta-analysis suggested that no clinically or statistically significant difference in antihypertensive efficacy exists among them. Conclusions: ARBs such as losartan are effective with once-daily dosing and have an excellent safety profile. These agents are clearly a useful first-line or add-on treatment option in patients with hypertension.
Adiabatic theorems for dense point spectra

We prove adiabatic theorems in situations where the Hamiltonian has dense point spectrum. The gap condition of the standard adiabatic theorems is replaced by an appropriate condition on the ineffectiveness of resonances.
HIV testing among youth in a high-risk city: prevalence, predictors, and gender differences

While HIV is prevalent among adolescents and young adults, testing levels remain low and little is known about gender differences in HIV testing. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of past-year HIV testing and evaluate associations between HIV testing and individual- and partner-level factors by gender among heterosexually experienced youth (15-24 years) in Baltimore, Maryland (N = 352). Past-year HIV testing was prevalent (60.1%) and differed by gender (69.4% among women vs. 49.6% among men, p = 0.005). For women, African-American race (AOR 3.09) and recent older partner by ≤2 years (AOR 4.04) were significantly associated with testing. Among men, only African-American race was associated with testing (OR 4.23), with no patterns identified based on risk behavior or perceived partner risk. HIV testing among adolescent and young adults was prevalent in this highly affected urban area. Findings emphasize the value of a gender lens, and provide direction for optimizing engagement in HIV testing.
An artificial meteor on Titan

Ralph D Lorenz contemplates the astronomical observability of the entry of the Huygens Probe into the atmosphere of Titan – sound forensic astronomy and very good for public interest. Abstract The combination of ever-improving astronomical instrumentation and the peculiar aerothermochemistry of Titan's methane-rich nitrogen atmosphere may be such as to make it possible to detect directly from Earth the “meteor trail” created by the entry of the ESA Huygens probe into Titan in 2005. Such observations will be of enormous public interest, confirming the arrival of Huygens at its destination.
Power monitoring with PAPI for extreme scale architectures and dataflow-based programming models

For more than a decade, the PAPI performance-monitoring library has provided a clear, portable interface to the hardware performance counters available on all modern CPUs and other components of interest (e.g., GPUs, network, and I/O systems). Most major end-user tools that application developers use to analyze the performance of their applications rely on PAPI to gain access to these performance counters.
On the occurrence of magnetic enhancements caused by solar wind interaction with lunar crustal fields

[1] We use Lunar Prospector data to identify 990 magnetic enhancements, previously termed “limb shocks” or “limb compressions”, external to the lunar wake. We find that they are clearly associated with lunar crustal sources, and sometimes occur far upstream from the limb at altitudes of ∼100 km. This is inconsistent with compressional disturbances convecting downstream with the solar wind, and implies that crustal fields are sometimes strong and coherent enough to produce a fluid-like interaction where compressional waves steepen to form a shock extending upstream from their source. The likelihood of observing enhancements partly depends on upstream solar wind conditions, with low proton gyroradius and low β particularly favored. Low Mach numbers, implying a larger shock standoff distance, are also favored for observations which suggest shock-like behavior.
Poster sessions, promotion, and publishing: is there a connection?

Academic librarians comprise the majority of poster session presenters at ALA annual conferences. They regard the experience as positive and indicate that their institutions generally view such sessions as a form of publishing or creative work, and as helpful in meeting promotion and tenure requirements.
Lorentz local-field effects on spontaneous emission in dielectric media

The recent first-principles derivation of Langevin-Bloch equations of motion for near-resonant atoms embedded in a linear dielectric host leads to a clear, direct physical reinterpretation of fundamental physical principles as applied to one of the most basic problems of quantum mechanics: the renormalization of the spontaneous emission rate of an atom in a dielectric host. Here we show the role of the Lorentz local field, the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, the wave number and wave vector, the density of states, Fermi's golden rule, the electromagnetic energy density, canonical quantization, and the classical constitutive relations in this context.
Les équipements de la chaudière EPR

L'EPR est un reacteur a eau sous pression de nouvelle generation, de la classe des 1600 MWe, qui a ete developpe dans un cadre franco-allemand. Il apporte des progres significatifs par rapport aux reacteurs de la generation precedente, dans le domaine de la surete (reduction d'un facteur 10 du risque de fusion du coeur, mise en place de dispositifs permettant de gerer la fusion du coeur avec un minimum de consequences pour l'environnement). Il permet egalement d'abaisser de 10 % le cout de l'electricite produite. Son developpement est le resultat d'une approche evolutionnaire, qui s'est appuyee sur le large retour d'experience des reacteurs a eau pressurisee existants, notamment les N4 et KONVOI, qui sont les reacteurs francais et allemands les plus recents. Cet article presente la maniere dont cette approche evolutionnaire a ete appliquee a la conception des equipements de la chaudiere.
Transfer learning for activity recognition: a survey

Many intelligent systems that focus on the needs of a human require information about the activities being performed by the human. At the core of this capability is activity recognition, which is a challenging and well-researched problem. Activity recognition algorithms require substantial amounts of labeled training data yet need to perform well under very diverse circumstances. As a result, researchers have been designing methods to identify and utilize subtle connections between activity recognition datasets, or to perform transfer-based activity recognition. In this paper, we survey the literature to highlight recent advances in transfer learning for activity recognition. We characterize existing approaches to transfer-based activity recognition by sensor modality, by differences between source and target environments, by data availability, and by type of information that is transferred. Finally, we present some grand challenges for the community to consider as this field is further developed.
Cation exchange in a glacial till drumlin at a road salt storage facility.

Abstract We use laboratory and field data to calibrate existing geochemical and transport models of cation exchange induced by contamination of an unconfined aquifer at a road salt storage facility built upon a glacial till drumlin in eastern Massachusetts. A Gaines and Thomas selectivity coefficient K models the equilibrium sodium and divalent cation distribution in the groundwater and solid matrix, while an existing method of characteristics model describes the advective transport of total dissolved cations and sorbed sodium. Laboratory isotherms of split spoon soil samples from the drumlin calibrate K with an average value of 0.0048 (L/g) 1/2 for a measured cation exchange capacity of 0.057 meq/g dry soil. Ten years of monitoring well data document groundwater flow and the advection of conservative chloride due to outdoor storage and handling of road salt at the site. The monitoring well cation data and retarded transport model offer an independent K calibration of 0.0040 to 0.0047 (L/g) 1/2 : the consistency of the field and laboratory selectivity coefficient calibrations endorse this application of the Gaines and Thomas and method of characteristics models. The advancing deicing agent plume releases divalent cations from the till into the groundwater, so that monitoring well samples do not reflect the chemical composition of the road salt. In this regard, dissolved divalent cation milliequivalent concentrations are as high as 80% of the total dissolved cationic concentrations in the salt contaminated monitoring well samples, far greater than their 2.5% level in the road salt stored at the site. Cation exchange can thus obscure attempts to hindcast stored road salt sodium water table concentration from monitoring well sample stoichiometry, or to predict sodium impacts on groundwater or receiving stream quality downgradient of the well.
Shear Stress Activates eNOS at the Endothelial Apical Surface Through β1 Containing Integrins and Caveolae

There is now a large body of evidence demonstrating that fluid mechanical forces generated by blood flowing through the vasculature play a direct role in regulating endothelial cell structure and function. Integrin receptors that localize to the basal surface of the endothelium participate in both outside-in and inside-out signaling events that influence endothelial gene expression and morphology in response to flow. Our analyses of apical plasma membranes derived from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells revealed that integrins are also expressed on this cell surface. Here, we tested whether these integrins participate in mechanotransduction events that are known to occur on the endothelial cell luminal/apical membrane. We found that apically expressed β1 integrins are rapidly activated in response to acute shear stress. Blockade of β1 integrin activation attenuated a shear-induced signaling cascade involving Src-family kinase, PI3-kinase, Akt and eNOS on this cell surface. In addition, β1 integrin activation and associated signaling events were dependent on the structural integrity of caveolae but not the actin cytoskeleton. Taken together, these data indicate that endothelial responses to shear stress are mediated by spatially distinct pools of integrins.
The transient diffusion in semi-infinite plates of hydrogen in metals containing trapping sites

Abstract Finite difference methods have been used to calculate penetration profiles for the transient diffusion of interstitial (H) atoms from a surface of constant solute concentrations into solid films. The solid contains trapping sites which modify the transient diffusion behavior. Dislocation-related sites of fixed concentration and vacancy-related sites, whose concentration is dependent on temperature, have been considered. Numerical evaluations using input parameters for the Al–H system have been carried out.
An investigation of the physical characteristics of 66Ga as an isotope for PET imaging and quantification.

Isotopes commonly used for PET imaging and quantification have a straightforward decay scheme involving "pure" positron (beta +) emission, i.e., 95%-100% beta + abundance, with no additional gamma rays. 66Ga (Emax = 4.2 MeV, T1/2 = 9.5 h) is a member of a category of isotopes with a lower abundance of beta +'s (57%) and a more complicated spectrum involving combinations of gamma rays that are emitted in cascade. These additional gamma rays tend to cause a higher singles rate, resulting in more random coincidence events. The most abundant positron (51.5%) in the spectrum has one of the highest energies considered for PET imaging. For the purpose of monoclonal antibody dosimetry using 66Ga, it is important to verify the quantification in phantoms prior to initiating human studies. A series of quantitative phantom measurements were performed on the PC4600, a head-optimized BGO based scanner with multiple detector rings. Count rate linearity was verified over concentrations ranging from 4.0 kBq/cc to 37 kBq/cc (0.11-1.0 microCi/cc); resolution averaged 16 mm full width half-maximum in the x and y directions in both the direct and cross planes. Axial resolution was 14 mm. The range of the energetic positrons (up to 4.153 MeV, range 7.6 mm in tissue) was verified as a primary source of resolution degradation. Within the limits outlined above, 66Ga is a suitable isotope for use as 66Ga citrate or with monoclonal antibodies in the detection and staging of tumors and other lesions. In addition, the energetic positrons have possible therapeutic applications when used as a monoclonal antibody label.
INFRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES IN BERLIN

Political decisions divided postwar Berlin and isolated West Berlin politically from its immediate environment of East Germany and spatially from West Germany. These political circumstances have had a permanent impact upon the city's locational infrastructure. The growing peripherality of West Berlin to West German life has reduced the scope of activity in the city's public and private sectors. In Berlin itself the separation of east from west required the construction of new municipal facilities in both. The split, together with wartime damage and postwar dismantling, sharply reduced the functions of its old core area, located in what is now East Berlin near the West Berlin border. In its place have emerged separate core areas in West and East Berlin, as revealed by patterns of construction, land use, traffic, and population movement. Planners in the two Berlins are no longer able to coordinate their activities to work toward a reunified city.
Differing Von Hippel Lindau Genotype in Paired Primary and Metastatic Tumors in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

In sporadic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), the von Hippel Lindau (VHL) gene is inactivated by mutation or methylation in the majority of primary (P) tumors. Due to differing effects of wild-type (WT) and mutant (MT) VHL gene on downstream signaling pathways regulating angiogenesis, VHL gene status could impact clinical outcome. In CCRCC, comparative genomic hybridization analysis studies have reported genetic differences between paired P and metastatic (M) tumors. We thus sequenced the VHL gene in paired tumor specimens from 10 patients to determine a possible clonal relationship between the P tumor and M lesion(s) in patients with CCRCC. Using paraffin-embedded specimens, genomic DNA from microdissected samples (>80% tumor) of paired P tumor and M lesions from all 10 patients, as well as in normal tissue from 6 of these cases, was analyzed. The DNA was used for PCR-based amplification of each of the 3 exons of the VHL gene. Sequences derived from amplified samples were compared to the wild-type VHL gene sequence (GenBank Accession No. AF010238). Methylation status of the VHL gene was determined using VHL methylation-specific PCR primers after DNA bisulfite modification. In 4/10 (40%) patients the VHL gene status differed between the P tumor and the M lesion. As expected, when the VHL gene was mutated in both the P tumor and M lesion, the mutation was identical. Further, while the VHL genotype differed between the primary tumor in different kidneys or multiple metastatic lesions in the same patient, the VHL germline genotype in the normal adjacent tissue was always wild-type irrespective of the VHL gene status in the P tumor. These results demonstrate for the first time that the VHL gene status can be different between paired primary and metastatic tissue in patients with CCRCC.