cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Update on the Accessibility and Quality of Online Information for Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowships.

Introduction The internet is an important tool for applicants seeking information on pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship programs. Previous analysis of pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship websites demonstrated they were often inaccessible and incomplete. As such, the purpose of this study was to (1) perform an updated assessment of the accessibility and content of pediatric orthopaedic fellowship program websites and (2) compare the results to the previous study to discern temporal trends in website accessibility and quality. Methods A list of pediatric orthopaedic fellowship programs was compiled from the San Francisco Match (SF Match) and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) online databases. All identified websites were evaluated for (1) accessibility and (2) the presence of 12 education and 12 recruitment criteria. These criteria were determined by prior fellowship website analyses and the needs of current fellowship applicants. Website accessibility and quality were compared with previously reported metrics. Results Approximately 91% of pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship programs had a functioning website. While the SF Match and POSNA databases listed nearly identical programs, there were discrepancies in the information provided by the two databases, and individual program website links provided on both databases were often nonfunctional. Fellowship program websites contained an average of 15.1 ± 3.9 total education and recruitment criteria (range: 3 - 21). The most common education criteria featured on program websites included information about research, affiliated hospital information, and rotations. The most common recruitment criteria featured on program websites included program descriptions, contact information, and social media links. There was an increased frequency in nearly all education and recruitment criteria evaluated when compared with 2014 metrics. Discussion Although website accessibility and content have improved since 2014, information on pediatric orthopaedic fellowship program websites remains incomplete, with many websites failing to provide information on criteria deemed important by fellowship applicants. In addition, many discrepancies exist between the SF Match and POSNA databases, the two primary sources of information for pediatric orthopaedic fellowship applicants. Increased consistency on pediatric orthopaedic fellowship websites and both the SF Match and POSNA databases may help applicants to better assess which programs to apply to and which programs to rank highly on their match list.
Random survival forests for dynamic predictions of a time-to-event outcome using a longitudinal biomarker.

BACKGROUND Risk prediction models for time-to-event outcomes play a vital role in personalized decision-making. A patient's biomarker values, such as medical lab results, are often measured over time but traditional prediction models ignore their longitudinal nature, using only baseline information. Dynamic prediction incorporates longitudinal information to produce updated survival predictions during follow-up. Existing methods for dynamic prediction include joint modeling, which often suffers from computational complexity and poor performance under misspecification, and landmarking, which has a straightforward implementation but typically relies on a proportional hazards model. Random survival forests (RSF), a machine learning algorithm for time-to-event outcomes, can capture complex relationships between the predictors and survival without requiring prior specification and has been shown to have superior predictive performance. METHODS We propose an alternative approach for dynamic prediction using random survival forests in a landmarking framework. With a simulation study, we compared the predictive performance of our proposed method with Cox landmarking and joint modeling in situations where the proportional hazards assumption does not hold and the longitudinal marker(s) have a complex relationship with the survival outcome. We illustrated the use of the RSF landmark approach in two clinical applications to assess the performance of various RSF model building decisions and to demonstrate its use in obtaining dynamic predictions. RESULTS In simulation studies, RSF landmarking outperformed joint modeling and Cox landmarking when a complex relationship between the survival and longitudinal marker processes was present. It was also useful in application when there were several predictors for which the clinical relevance was unknown and multiple longitudinal biomarkers were present. Individualized dynamic predictions can be obtained from this method and the variable importance metric is useful for examining the changing predictive power of variables over time. In addition, RSF landmarking is easily implementable in standard software and using suggested specifications requires less computation time than joint modeling. CONCLUSIONS RSF landmarking is a nonparametric, machine learning alternative to current methods for obtaining dynamic predictions when there are complex or unknown relationships present. It requires little upfront decision-making and has comparable predictive performance and has preferable computational speed.
TRANSCRIPTIONAL PROFILE AND CHROMATIN ACCESSIBILITY IN ZEBRAFISH MELANOCYTES AND MELANOMA TUMORS.

Transcriptional and epigenetic characterization of melanocytes and melanoma cells isolated from their in vivo context promises to unveil key differences between these developmentally related normal and cancer cell populations. We therefore engineered an enhanced Danio rerio (zebrafish) melanoma model with fluorescently labeled melanocytes to allow for isolation of normal (wild type) and premalignant (BRAFV600E-mutant) populations for comparison to fully transformed BRAFV600E-mutant, p53 loss-of-function melanoma cells. Using fluorescence activated cell sorting to isolate these populations, we performed high-quality RNA-seq and ATAC-seq on sorted zebrafish melanocytes vs. melanoma cells, which we provide as a resource here. Melanocytes had consistent transcriptional and accessibility profiles, as did melanoma cells. Comparing melanocytes and melanoma, we note 4,128 differentially expressed genes and 56,936 differentially accessible regions with overall gene expression profiles analogous to human melanocytes and the pigmentation melanoma subtype. Combining the RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data surprisingly revealed that increased chromatin accessibility did not always correspond with increased gene expression, suggesting that though there is widespread dysregulation in chromatin accessibility in melanoma, there is a potentially more refined gene expression program driving cancerous melanoma. This data serves as a resource to identify candidate regulators of the normal vs. diseased states in a genetically controlled in vivo context.
Mechanisms of boron removal from hydraulic fracturing wastewater by aluminum electrocoagulation

Abstract Hypotheses Boron uptake from highly saline hydraulic fracturing wastewater by freshly precipitated amorphous Al(OH)3 precipitates is due to ligand exchange and complexation with surface hydroxyl groups. Consequently, aluminum electrocoagulation can be a feasible approach to remove boron from flowback/produced water. Experiments Actual hydraulic fracturing wastewater containing ∼120 mg/L boron from the Eagle Ford shale play was employed. Electrocoagulation was performed over a range of aluminum dosages (0–1350 mg/L), pH 6.4 and 8, and high current densities (20–80 mA/cm2) using a cylindrical aluminum anode encompassed by a porous cylindrical 316-stainless steel cathode. Direct measurements of boron uptake along with its chemical state and coordination were made using Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Findings Boron removal increased monotonically with aluminum dosage and was higher at pH 8, but remained relatively constant at ⩾20 mA/cm2. Chloride ions induced anodic pitting and super-Faradaic (131% efficiency) aluminum dissolution and their electrooxidation produced free chlorine. ATR-FTIR suggested outer-sphere and inner-sphere complexation of trigonal B(OH)3 with Al(OH)3, which was confirmed by the B O bond shifting toward lower binding energies in XPS. Severe Al O interferences precluded evidence for tetrahedral B(OH)4− complexation. No evidence for co-precipitation was obtained.
Enhanced production and dendritic growth of new dentate granule cells in the middle-aged hippocampus following intracerebroventricular FGF-2 infusions

Declined production and diminished dendritic growth of new dentate granule cells in the middle-aged and aged hippocampus are correlated with diminished concentration of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). This study examined whether increased FGF-2 concentration in the milieu boosts both production and dendritic growth of new dentate granule cells in the middle-aged hippocampus. The FGF-2 or vehicle was infused into the posterior lateral ventricle of middle-aged Fischer (F)344 rats for 2 weeks using osmotic minipumps. New cells born during the first 12 days of infusions were labeled via daily intraperitoneal injections of 5'-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and analysed at 10 days after the last BrdU injection. Measurement of BrdU(+) cells revealed a considerably enhanced number of new cells in the subgranular zone (SGZ) and granule cell layer (GCL) of the dentate gyrus (DG) ipsilateral to FGF-2 infusions. Characterization of beta-III tubulin(+) neurons among newly born cells suggested an increased addition of new neurons to the SGZ/GCL ipsilateral to FGF-2 infusions. Quantification of DG neurogenesis at 8 days post-infusions via doublecortin (DCX) immunostaining also revealed the presence of an enhanced DG neurogenesis ipsilateral to FGF-2 infusions. Furthermore, DCX(+) neurons in FGF-2-infused rats exhibited enhanced dendritic growth compared with their counterparts in vehicle-infused rats. Thus, subchronic infusion of FGF-2 is efficacious for stimulating an enhanced DG neurogenesis from neural stem/progenitor cells in the middle-aged hippocampus. As dentate neurogenesis is important for hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and DG long-term potentiation, strategies that maintain increased FGF-2 concentration during ageing may be beneficial for thwarting some of the age-related cognitive impairments.
What Did They Expect? Lessons for Europe from a Retrospective Ex-Ante Evaluation of the First Greek Bail-Out Programme

The original Greek adjustment programme, as spelled out in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2010, contained, from the outset, the seeds of its own failure. This is the conclusion of the authors of the present Working paper which assesses, on its own premises, the original adjustment programme that was agreed for the Greek bail-out. More specifically, the authors ask how realistic were the assumptions about the potential effect of fiscal adjustment on output, given Greece’s euro-area membership and the structures of the Greek economy. What is more, they believe that Greece is also a critical case for evaluating the broader strategy adopted by the EU for dealing with the sovereign debt crisis, and that the ‘retrospective ex-ante approach’ adopted here is appropriate to that end. This analysis provides valuable lessons for the adjustment programmes of other bailed out member states (Ireland or Portugal) or those currently in ‘the shadow of a bail-out’ (Spain or Italy).
Data and information requirement trends in remote sensing

Two characteristics of remote sensing - data volume and information volatility - are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the NASA Applications Data Service and Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) television. It is noted that the data volume and information volatility in a given remote sensing system require a careful choice of the point in the end-to-end system at which data compression and/or information extraction take place.
School‐Based Mental Health and Behavioral Programs for Low‐Income, Urban Youth: A Systematic and Meta‐Analytic Review

[Clin Psychol Sci Prac 18: 372–390, 2011] A systematic and meta-analytic review was conducted of the effectiveness of school-based mental health and behavioral programs for low-income, urban youth. Applying criteria from an earlier systematic review (Rones & Hoagwood, 2000) of such programs for all populations indicated substantially fewer effective programs for low-income, urban youth. The meta-analysis similarly failed to indicate effects of the typical program on primary outcomes. Effectiveness was evident, however, for programs that targeted internalizing problems or had a broader socio-emotional focus and those delivered to all youth (i.e., universal). In contrast, negative effects were apparent for programs that targeted externalizing problems and were delivered selectively to youth with existing problems. Distinctive characteristics of low-income, urban schools and nonschool environments are emphasized as potential explanations for the findings.
High reliability SW laser for optical data links

A reliability enhanced version of a compact disc (CD) laser is being used in the optical data links developed for computer applications. Originating from the high volume CD laser products, this 780 nm short wavelength (SW) laser has virtually the same mechanical and electro-optic properties as those used in the CD players. However, significant improvements in reliability have been made such that this laser meets the more stringent lifetime requirements of the computer data link applications than those of consumer products. Results of accelerated aging tests for more than 33 khrs at elevated temperatures show that this SW laser is indeed highly reliable. >
SERCA2a gene therapy in heart failure: an anti‐arrhythmic positive inotrope

Therapeutic options that directly enhance cardiomyocyte contractility in chronic heart failure (HF) therapy are currently limited and do not improve prognosis. In fact, most positive inotropic agents, such as β-adrenoreceptor agonists and PDE inhibitors, which have been assessed in HF patients, cause increased mortality as a result of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase2a (SERCA2a) is a key protein involved in sequestration of Ca2+ into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) during diastole. There is a reduction of SERCA2a protein level and function in HF, which has been successfully targeted via viral transfection of the SERCA2a gene into cardiac tissue in vivo. This has enhanced cardiac contractility and reduced mortality in several preclinical models of HF. Theoretical concerns have been raised regarding the possibility of arrhythmogenic adverse effects of SERCA2a gene therapy due to enhanced SR Ca2+ load and induction of SR Ca2+ leak as a result. Contrary to these concerns, SERCA2a gene therapy in a wide variety of preclinical models, including acute ischaemia/reperfusion, chronic pressure overload and chronic myocardial infarction, has resulted in a reduction in ventricular arrhythmias. The potential mechanisms for this unexpected beneficial effect, as well as mechanisms of enhancement of cardiac contractile function, are reviewed in this article.
Effect of pH of Medium and Size of Inoculum on Activity of Antibiotics Against Group D Streptococcus (Enterococcus)

Seventy-one clinical isolates of 5 species of group D Streptococcus (Enterococcus) were tested for susceptibility to 15 antibiotics at pH 5.0, 7.4, and 8.5. Penicillin G, ampicillin, cephalothin, cephaloridine, and novobiocin were considerably more active against all strains at pH 5.0 than in the more alkaline media. On the other hand, lincomycin, clindimycin, erythromycin, and gentamicin were moderately to markedly more active at pH 8.5. No important differences were noted in the susceptibility of the strains to kanamycin and streptomycin, at the pH levels tested, but the organisms were quite resistant to them in these tests. The various species differed quantitatively in their susceptibility to the individual drugs and in the effects of pH. The size of the inoculum also had a variable effect on susceptibility, depending on the species of Enterococcus, the antibiotics, and the pH of the test medium. The data suggest that, in the antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infections caused by Enterococcus, attempts should be made to achieve the optimum pH in the urine, particularly in view of the fact that organisms of this group are often resistant to several antibiotics in the usual tests.
Smartphone-based data collection from wireless sensor networks in an urban environment

Using smartphones as mobile basestations and leveraging human mobility is a promising approach for urban data collection from Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). In this paper, we evaluate the feasibility of this approach applying analyses on a city-wide mobility dataset. Our spatial analysis shows that popular locations cluster close to each other and sensor nodes located in rarely visited locations can transmit their data in a few hops to smartphones visiting these popular locations. Our energy-efficiency analysis indicates the feasibility of employing energy-conserving approaches on both smartphones and WSN nodes based on mobility behavior of smartphone users. We evaluated and compared on-demand and continuous data collection protocols on several WSN islands with different size and connectivity regarding to data collection efficiency. Our simulation results show that continuous data collection protocols surpass on-demand data collection protocols in terms of data delivery ratio and latency. We found that data collection protocols run more efficiently in many-connected small islands compared to fewer connected large islands. HighlightsAccording to the GPS readings falling in each cell, hot cells are found to be close enough to cold cells for cold cell nodes to transmit data in multi-hop manner to a visiting smartphone user traveling in a hot cell.We grouped nearby frozen cells and call it an island. Since islands occur adjacent to city roads, multi-hop data collection is feasible from island nodes by smartphone users traveling on city roads.If island nodes run a WSN data collection protocol, continuous data collection is a better choice than on-demand data collection regarding to data delivery ratio and latency.For data collection by smartphones, to achieve energy-efficiency at the smartphone side, smartphone radio can only be turned on when its user is mobile.For conserving energy at islands, island nodes can run various duty cycling algorithms based on smartphone user visits.
Search for Multi-Component Objects in Large Spatial Databases

Many queries to spatial database systems concern spatial objects that may be conceptually modeled in terms of multiple components satisfying constraints on both attributes and spatial relationships. We investigate the performance of a new algorithm called Forward Constraint Propagation (FCP) that dynamically assembles the spatial locations of a multi-component object from a spatial database given a description of its components and their spatial relationships. The database stores the spatial locations of individual components in either object-based or location-based form. FCP embeds spatial constraint propagation within a heuristic tree search algorithm developed for the general constraint satisfaction problem. An experimental investigation based on a quadtree-structured database of “real-world” objects indicates that FCP outperforms eight alternative procedures in terms of time complexity.
Education and equal opportunities among Liberian children

This paper expands the analysis of equal opportunities by connecting traditional benefit incidence analysis of public spending with the human opportunity index, a distribution sensitive measure of access to public services. It also develops ex-ante micro-simulations to determine the cost of equalizing educational opportunities. This technique is applied to Liberia, a country devastated by civil war with serious educational enrollment gaps and policies highly dependent on international aid. Results from simulated increases in teachers’ salaries, elimination of fee and non-fee costs and targeted public educational spending on rural schools all point to very modest redistributive effects but distinctive patterns of winners and losers among Liberian children.
Finding common ground among experts' opinions on data clustering: With applications in malware analysis

Data clustering is a basic technique for knowledge discovery and data mining. As the volume of data grows significantly, data clustering becomes computationally prohibitive and resource demanding, and sometimes it is necessary to outsource these tasks to third party experts who specialize in data clustering. The goal of this work is to develop techniques that find common ground among experts' opinions on data clustering, which may be biased due to the features or algorithms used in clustering. Our work differs from the large body of existing approaches to consensus clustering, as we do not require all data objects be grouped into clusters. Rather, our work is motivated by real-world applications that demand high confidence in how data objects - if they are selected - are grouped together.We formulate the problem rigorously and show that it is NP-complete. We further develop a lightweight technique based on finding a maximum independent set in a 3-uniform hypergraph to select data objects that do not form conflicts among experts' opinions. We apply our proposed method to a real-world malware dataset with hundreds of thousands of instances to find malware clusters based on how multiple major AV (Anti-Virus) software classify these samples. Our work offers a new direction for consensus clustering by striking a balance between the clustering quality and the amount of data objects chosen to be clustered.
This is the real me: a community informatics researcher joins the barrio arts, culture, and communication academy in a health information campaign

In this paper, we describe the ongoing collaboration in community informatics (CI) between the University of Illinois and Paseo Boricua, a neighborhood in Chicago. We illustrate the nature of the partnership by presenting an early set of findings from one specific study that grew from the partnership: a qualitative CI study that investigated the community-based health campaign led by youth on Paseo Boricua. Study findings deal with knowledge that sits at the intersection of youth development, community health promotion, and digital media literacy, and how that knowledge was discovered, created, and disseminated. In addition, we discuss study issues significant for the field of CI research. This paper is especially relevant for those whose research, teaching, and professional practice involves engagement with marginalized communities, that is, those who are often excluded from scholarly endeavors and meaningful social interaction in academia.
Left ventricular dimensions and mass using magnetic resonance imaging in female endurance athletes.

Few published studies of left ventricular (LV) mass in female endurance athletes have been performed with M-mode echocardiography, which involves assumptions of LV geometry. Therefore, magnetic resonance imaging, a 3-dimensional technique, was used to examine LV mass, LV end-diastolic volume and mean wall thickness in female long distance runners (n = 13; mean age 29 years), cyclists (n = 12; mean age 26 years) and cross-country skiers (n = 11; mean age 24 years), and the findings were compared with sedentary control subjects (n = 10; mean age 27 years) matched for height and body weight. The physical characteristics for all subjects included height (mean 166 cm, and body weight (mean 56 kg). The percent body fat (mean 11.7) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, mean 63 ml.kg-1.min-1) were similar (p greater than 0.05) among all athletic groups, but significantly different from the control group (body fat, mean 22.5%; VO2max, mean 35 ml.kg-1.min-1). LV mass (mean 159 kg), LV end-diastolic volume (mean 122 ml), and mean wall thickness (mean 11.5 mm) were also similar among the athletic groups and significantly larger than the following control values: LV mass (mean 115 g), LV end-diastolic volume (mean 93 ml) and mean wall thickness (mean 9.8 mm). Ratios of LV mass to lean body weight were similar among all athletic groups, although athletic groups had larger ratios (p less than 0.05) than the sedentary control subjects. LV mass/LV end-diastolic volume ratio was similar (p greater than 0.05) among all groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS).
Concentration Gradient Detector in Capillary Separation Technology

Abstract The physical principle and properties of the concentration gradient method based on Schlieren optics are described and discussed. Simple, low volume and inexpensive sensors can be designed based on this principle. This technique is applied as a detection scheme in high efficiency capillary separation technology. The advantages of frontal analysis compared to the elution method in high efficiency separations are discussed.
Analysis of Native H/D Exchange Dynamics in EX1/EX2 Conditions using Structure Based Model Simulations

The analysis of kinetic and thermodynamic data measured at single residue level, and the perturbation produced by mutagenesis or denaturant agents, may be useful for tuning simulation parameters, and provide a precise description of proteins structural dynamics. Phi value and hydrogen exchange are some of the experimental techniques that provide this type of information at different depths on the folding funnel. The development of methods to quantitatively compare these experimental parameters with simulation is required. We recently developed a method for the quantitative analysis of native HX protection factors in EX2 conditions using coarse grain structure based model simulations, which allow a fast and thorough analysis of both local and global unfolding transitions. This analysis applied to ubiquitin, chymotrypsin inhibitor, and Staphylococcal nuclease, allowed us to establish optimum structural definitions for the exchange competent and incompetent states. In this work, we extend the method to study the exchange dynamics of ubiquitin in the EX1 limit, which provides information about the rate of the opening reactions. A variety of simulation models with homogeneous, heterogeneous, additive as well as non additive contact potentials were evaluated for their agreement with experiment.Acknowledgments: Financial support NIH.
Identifying and Measuring Horizontal Curves and Related Effects on Highway Safety

Although crash rates on U.S. highways have decreased in recent years, nearly 34,000 fatalities were reported for 2009. Many of these deaths occur on high-speed rural roads, where crashes at curves are particularly likely. To analyze and systematically mitigate risk on highway curves, the curves must first be located and measured. This article presents a hybrid manual-computer method that uses a geographic information system (GIS)-based procedure, global positioning system (GPS) road data, circular regression, chord equations, and line simplification to identify and measure curves. Measures are validated with “as-built” design plans, and predicted safety-performance sensitivity to measurement errors is tested using Highway Safety Manual functions. Results indicate predicted performance is more sensitive to curve parameter errors for short tight curves and to errors in length than to errors in radius. The length measurement–induced errors may be reduced by analyzing tangents and curves as a whole. The impac...
A New A-C Network Analyzer

WHEN POWER systems were relatively small and simple, frequently comprising only one generating station with a radial distribution system, there was little need to study the effect of a proposed addition or change on an existing system. The growth and in recent years the interconnection of power systems have brought with them an increased quality of electric service and divers new devices for maintaining that service. In a power system of the size and complexity of many of those now in operation, many of the component parts inherently have the ability to profoundly affect the successful operation of the system. Consequently, it has become necessary for engineers to study their systems much more critically and to know a great deal more about them than heretofore. Fortunately, the technical background for such critical studies has kept pace with the increase in size and complexity of power systems. However, the calculations which constitute a large part of the work of making such a critical study, when carried out by long hand methods are generally laborious — frequently, sufficiently laborious to greatly curtail the scope of the study and at times to prevent the study being made altogether.
Shedding of human neuroblastoma gangliosides

Abstract Gangliosides shed by tumor cells are implicated in modulating tumor formation. For example, rapid progression of human neuroblastoma tumors is associated with high circulating levels of shed GD2 ganglioside. To elucidate the kinetic and qualitative characteristics of tumor cell ganglioside shedding, which is difficult to accomplish in vivo, we examined this process in LAN-5 human neuroblastoma cells in vitro. Three major gangliosides, GD2, GM2 and GT1b, comprise 82% of the mean total of 38 nmol LBSA/108 cells. These molecules are shed very rapidly (1–3 pmol/106 cells per h. or approx. 0.5% of the total cell gangliosides per h). Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of ganglioside shedding are remarkably constant over a 40-fold range of cell density. Not only GD2, but every major carbohydrate species is shed, in proportion to its concentration in the cell, with slightly greater shedding of ceramide subspecies containing shorter chain fatty acids. These findings were confirmed in three other neuroblastoma cell lines. LAN-1, IMR and KCNR. We suggest that the high expression and rapid generalized shedding of human neuroblastoma tumor gangliosides results in significant in vivo accumulation of these biologically active molecules during tumor growth.
The Prognostic Value of a Reduced Maximum Breathing Capacity in Tuberculosis

Summary At least 10 per cent of 143 patients hospitalized with tuberculosis had an MBC less than 40 per cent of the predicted normal value. Reductions of the MBC of this degree were generally associated with severe obstructive disease and far advanced tuberculosis. The fatalities in 177 patients with an MBC less than 40 per cent of normal was three times as great as in 185 patients with a normal MBC. In the abnormally low MBC group, mortality was greater in every category of severity of pulmonary tuberculosis than in the normal MBC group. The relationship between obstructive lung disease and pulmonary tuberculosis is discussed. The results indicate that severe obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with tuberculosis considerably worsens their prognosis.
Benefits of external beam irradiation for peripheral arterial bypass: preliminary report on a phase I study.

Abstract Purpose: To perform a Phase I study to determine the safety and feasibility of using external beam radiotherapy to prevent neointimal hyperplasia in patients after surgical bypass of occluded infrainguinal arteries. Methods and Materials: All patients undergoing operative infrainguinal bypass for chronic ischemia were eligible for enrollment, although those requiring a prosthetic graft were preferentially considered. Immediately after bypass, the distal anastomosis was marked with clips, and the baseline anatomy of the anastomosis was documented with an intraoperative angiogram. The distal anastomotic site and 2 cm of surrounding tissues were irradiated to a total dose of 30 Gy, delivered in 10 fractions. The first dose was given within 48 h of surgery. Results: Twenty-one patients were enrolled in this study. No anastomotic or wound problems or any other short-term complications of the treatment developed. However, at a mean follow-up of 10 months (range 3–18), 12 (57%) of the 21 grafts had occluded. Angiography was performed in 2 patients after successful thrombolysis and demonstrated normal anastomoses without residual stenosis. Evidence of stenosis at the irradiated anastomosis was seen in only 1 of the 21 patients by ongoing ultrasound surveillance. Conclusion: Fractionated external irradiation to a total dose of 30 Gy delivered to the distal surgical anastomosis immediately after operative bypass has no short-term complications and was associated with an apparently low rate of intimal hyperplasia. However, any possible gains made by reducing the neointimal hyperplasia at the site of anastomosis were significantly diminished by the high frequency of thrombotic events.
Antagonism of the hypnotic effect of ethanol in mice by an alpha-1 adrenoceptor agonist.

Abstract A lipid soluble α 1 -adrenoceptor agonist 2-(2-chloro-5-trifluoromethylphenylimino) imidazolidine (St 587) antagonized the hypnotic effect of ethanol in C57B1/6 and CD-1 mice. In Swiss-Webster mice the effect of St 587 was weak and in BALB/c mice this drug potentiated ethanol hypnosis. St 587 did not enhance the elimination of ethanol. Cirazoline, an α 1 -adrenoceptor agonist which is more potent than St 587, was relatively more effective in antagonizing the ethanol-induced hypnosis. Though it appears that St 587 exerted its ethanol antagonism by virtue of its α 1 -adrenoceptor agonistic effect, other contributing factors may also have to be considered. St 587 may prove to be of value in understanding the mechanism of action of ethanol and in the treatment of acute ethanol intoxication.
Detection of changes in rat spinal cord due to peripheral stimulation using NIR reflectance spectroscopy

Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy showed significant changes in light scattering and hemoglobin oxygen saturation on the ipsilateral side of the rat spinal cord during electrical stimulation of the plantar surface on the hind paw.
The Immune System as a Sensory System Implications for Psychology

The brain and immune system form a bidirectional communication network in which the immune system operates as a sense organ to provide the brain with information about infection and injury, thereby allowing the brain to coordinate a defense. Activated immune cells release proteins called cytokines, which signal the brain by both blood and neural routes. Information that reaches the brain across this sensory channel produces large changes in neural activity, behavior, mood, and cognitive functioning. Appreciation of the functioning of this network may illuminate poorly understood aspects of stress, depression, and intraindividual variability in behavior, mood, and cognition.
3DVIEWNIX: an open, transportable, multidimensional, multimodality, multiparametric imaging software system

Three-dimensional-VIEWNIX is a data-, machine-, and application-independent software system, developed and maintained on an ongoing basis by the Medical Imaging Processing Group. It is aimed at serving the needs of biomedical visualization researchers as well as biomedical end users. Three-dimensional-VIEWNIX is not designed around a fixed methodology or a set of methods packaged in a fixed fashion for a fixed application. Instead, we have identified and incorporated in 3DVIEWNIX a set of basic imaging transforms that are required in most visualization, manipulation, and analysis methods. In addition to visualization, it incorporates a variety of multidimensional structure manipulation and analysis methods. We have tried to make its design as much as possible image-dimensionality- independent to make it just as convenient to process 2D and 3D data as it is to process 4D data. It is distributed with source code in an open fashion. A single source code version is installed on a variety of computing platforms. It is currently in use worldwide.
Pollution prevention as corporate entrepreneurship

Environmental entrepreneurship is usually thought of as the creation of new products or services to meet environmental market opportunities. Pollution prevention is a new concept of the idea of environmental entrepreneurship as it is process based and focused on reducing costs rather than increasing revenues. As such, it is consistent both with the notion of entrepreneurship as a new venture and as a self‐renewal of the whole organization. The central research question this study seeks to answer is: why have firms done so little pollution prevention given its many benefits? Using the entrepreneurship literature as a framework, this study examines threats and opportunities of pollution prevention, the marshaling of combinations of resources to pursue it, and barriers to achieving it. The data for this study are collected through content analysis of environmental information contained in voluntary environmental reports issued by companies. The study finds that corporations do not widely view pollution prevention as an opportunity ‐ either as new venture or as self‐renewal. Furthermore, the potential benefits of pollution prevention are not frequently recognized. Finally, corporations do not identify the factors that prevent or allow the marshaling of resources to exploit this potential opportunity. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Words of disclosure

![Figure][1] Image courtesy of © 2012 Thinkstock > You said it was bad > > News you had > > For me, words to help > > Explain my brother’s > > “Adverse event,” > Said swiftly, to avoid > > The heaviness that chased > > Those words, to blunt > > The news of his > > “
A back-scattered electron microscopy (BSEM) study of the tight apposition between bone and hydroxyapatite coating

We performed a back-scattered electron microscopy analysis of the interface between newly formed bone and hydroxyapatite coating, in an experimental rabbit model. Twenty cylinders made of Ti6A14V and coated with hydroxyapatite at different crystallinity were implanted in the distal femural canal and retrieved at 4, 8, 26 an 34 weeks. Crystallinity of the coating varied from 90% to 60% and thickness varied between 50 and 100 μm. Osteocytes were detectable a few micrometers in proximity of the coating. They produced new bone which was so tightly apposed to the coating that high magnification BSEM did not resolve any discontinuity at the interface. This was not observed in uncoated implants. Degradation of the hydroxyapatite coating is not a simple hydrolytic process because newly formed bone is remodelled in areas were a tight apposition with hydroxyapatite is present. The coatint itself is likely to be attacked by the resorptive action of multinucleated giant cells and osteoclasts. In conclusion, response to coated samples is morphologically characterized by tight apposition with bone. The substitution of areas of the coating by newly formed bone is possible.
Community attachment among leaders in five rural communities

The relationship between the different ways leaders may relate to rural communities and their ability to relate to extracommunity individuals and organizations is examined. Drawing from the insights of Merton (1957) into local and cosmopolitan influentials and a newer literature on community attachment, two dimensions of attachment to the local community are identified. A survey of 75 leaders in five midwestern rural communities provides evidence that sociodemographic and social-network characteristics of leaders have different relationships to the two dimensions. Implications of the findings for understanding the effectiveness of leadership in rural communities are discussed.
Modeling tumor onset and multiplicity using transition models with latent variables.

Summary. We describe a method for modeling carcinogenicity from animal studies where the data consist of counts of the number of tumors present over time. The research is motivated by applications to transgenic rodent studies, which have emerged as an alternative to chronic bioassays for screening possible carcinogens. In transgenic mouse studies, the endpoint of interest is frequently skin papilloma, with weekly examinations determining how many papillomas each animal has at a particular point in time. It is assumed that each animal has two unobservable latent variables at each time point. The first indicates whether or not the tumors are in a multiplying state and the second is the potential number of additional tumors if the tumors are in a multiplying state. The product of these variables follows a zero-inflated Poisson distribution, and the EM algorithm can be used to maximize the observed-data pseudo-likelihood, based on the latent variables. A generalized estimating equations robust variance estimator adjusts for dependency among outcomes within individual animals. The method is applied to testing for a dose-related trend in both tumor incidence and multiplicity in carcinogenicity studies.
Protein Phosphorylation and Prevention of Cytochrome Oxidase Inhibition by ATP: Coupled Mechanisms of Energy Metabolism Regulation

Rapid regulation of oxidative phosphorylation is crucial for mitochondrial adaptation to swift changes in fuels availability and energy demands. An intramitochondrial signaling pathway regulates cytochrome oxidase (COX), the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain, through reversible phosphorylation. We find that PKA-mediated phosphorylation of a COX subunit dictates mammalian mitochondrial energy fluxes and identify the specific residue (S58) of COX subunit IV-1 (COXIV-1) that is involved in this mechanism of metabolic regulation. Using protein mutagenesis, molecular dynamics simulations, and induced fit docking, we show that mitochondrial energy metabolism regulation by phosphorylation of COXIV-1 is coupled with prevention of COX allosteric inhibition by ATP. This regulatory mechanism is essential for efficient oxidative metabolism and cell survival. We propose that S58 COXIV-1 phosphorylation has evolved as a metabolic switch that allows mammalian mitochondria to rapidly toggle between energy utilization and energy storage.
Effects of Monomer Organization On the Photopolymerization Kinetics of Acrylamide in Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Phases

The synthesis of nanostructured polymer gels via polymerization of hydrophilic monomers in lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) phases has recently been of great interest. This work describes the effects of monomer organization on the photopolymerization kinetics of acrylamide in various LLC phases of surfactant/water systems. Resulting polymer morphology is reported as well. The polymerization rate of acrylamide is significantly enhanced when performed in the presence of various LLC phases. An unprecedented 10-fold increase in polymerization rate is observed in bicontinuous cubic and hexagonal phases as compared to polymerizations in water. This significant increase in polymerization rate is a result of diffusional limitations on the propagating polymer as well as segregation and ordering phenomena induced by the LLC phase. 13C T1 relaxation times and 14N NMR spectra show that the monomer strongly associates with the interface of the surfactant/water assemblies and assumes the orientational order of the LLC ph...
Mobility and tax competition when wages are endogenously determined

Abstract We study a model of tax competition where both skilled and unskilled workers are mobile and wages of workers are endogenously determined. When the demand for skilled labor is sufficiently elastic, the equilibrium tax rate is decreasing in the degree of mobility of unskilled workers; otherwise the former is increasing in the latter.
Cultivation of Influenza A Virus in Roller Tubes

SummaryDuring a period of 30 days' continuous cultivation of the Melbourne strain of influenza A virus in roller tubes, the respective titers of virus in the chick embryo tissue and fluid components after initial increases remained almost constant, provided the fluid contained serum and embryonic extract. When Tyrode solution or physiological saline was substituted, the amount of virus declined gradually after one week. The virus grew well in cultures of various organs from 14-day chick embryos except in the case of brain, heart and skeletal muscle.
Ocean fertilization and other climate change mitigation strategies: an overview

In order to evaluate ocean fertilization in the larger context of other proposed strategies for reducing the threat of the global warming, a wide range of different climate change mitigation approaches are compared in terms of their long-term potential, stage of development, relative costs and potential risks, as well as public acceptance. This broad comparative analysis is carried out for the following climate change mitigation strategies: supply-side and end-use efficiency improve- ments, terrestrial and geological carbon sequestration, CO2 ocean disposal and iron fertilization, nuclear power, and renewable energy generation from biomass, passive solar, solar thermal, photo- voltaics, hydroelectric and wind. In addition, because of the inherent problems of conducting an objective comparative cost-benefit analysis, 2 non-technological solutions to global warming are also discussed: curbing population growth and transitioning to a steady-state economy.
Nonverbal and Verbal Cognitive Discrepancy Profiles in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Influence of Age and Gender

Research suggests that discrepant cognitive abilities are more common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and may indicate an important ASD endophenotype. The current study examined the frequency of IQ discrepancy profiles (nonverbal IQ > verbal IQ [NVIQ > VIQ], verbal IQ > nonverbal IQ [VIQ > NVIQ], and no split) and the relationship of gender, age, and ASD symptomatology to IQ discrepancy profile in a large sample of children with ASD. The NVIQ > VIQ profile occurred at a higher frequency than expected, had more young males, and showed more autism symptoms than the other groups. Results suggest that the NVIQ > VIQ profile may be less likely to represent a subtype of ASD, but rather a common developmental pathway for children with ASD and other disorders.
On the size of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Abstract A model predicted transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) through Drake Passage compares favorably with measured transport through the passage. The model incorporates the width of the ACC, the strong eddy presence in the region, and the deep penetration of an unstable baroclinic velocity field, all of which are characteristic features of the current. The model involves a downward transfer of wind-imparted zonal momentum by eddy form drag to a depth at which it can be removed by bottom pressure drag. The eddy form drag results from a poleward transport of heat by eddies originating from the baroclinically unstable current.
Parathyroid Hormone and Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein Inhibit Phasic Contraction of Pig Duodenal Smooth Muscle

AbstractParathyroid hormone (PTH) and a newly discovered PTH-related protein (PTHrP), which has amino-terminal homology with PTH, are potent relaxants of rat gastrointestinal tissues. Since their gastrointestinal relaxant effects have been described only in the rat, we examined their actions in another mammalian species in order to evaluate whether the relaxant property was more generally applicable. Longitudinal smooth muscle strips were obtained from the pig duodenum. The mucosa was removed, the strips were mounted in a tissue chamber, and changes in phasic contraction were detected with a force-displacement transducer and recorded using a polygraph. Acetylcholine-induced phasic contraction was inhibited rapidly in a dose-related manner by [Nle8, 18, Tyr34]-bPTH-(1–34)-amide, or hPTHrP-(1–34). The IC50 values for these peptides were 2.6 nM and 6.1 nM, respectively. The maximal effect of both peptides was observed at 60 nM with an 84% decrease of the acetylcholine-induced contraction. At 400 nM, the PTH ...