cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two Cases of Oculofaciocardiodental (OFCD) Syndrome due to X-Linked BCOR Mutations Presenting with Infantile Hemangiomas: Phenotypic Overlap with PHACE Syndrome.

Background. Oculofaciocardiodental (OFCD) syndrome is due to mutations in BCOR (BCL-6 corepressor). OFCD has phenotypic overlaps with PHACE syndrome (Posterior fossa anomalies, Hemangioma, Arterial anomalies, Cardiac defects, Eye anomalies). Infantile hemangiomas are a key diagnostic criterion for PHACE, but not for OFCD. A previous study reported two cases of infantile hemangiomas in OFCD, but the authors could not exclude chance association. Case Presentation. We describe two novel cases of female patients (one initially diagnosed with PHACE syndrome), both of whom had infantile hemangiomas. Ophthalmological findings were consistent with oculofaciocardiodental (OFCD) syndrome. Upon genetic testing, these two females were determined to have X-linked BCOR mutations confirming OFCD syndrome diagnoses. Conclusion. These case reports add support to the hypothesis that infantile hemangiomas may be a feature of OFCD. BCOR may potentially be within a pathway of genes involved in PHACE syndrome and/or in infantile hemangioma formation.
Dynamic Modeling of Pulsed Alternators Using Ltspice

We are reporting on the formulation and performance of dynamic models for Pulsed Alternators for LTspice. The models are modular and hierarchical and cover both the electrical and mechanical aspects of the electric machine including the mechanical torque, speed and inertia. The models also include the effects of the damper cage and the excitation winding to accurately represent the sub-transient and transient behavior. The models can also be used to represent synchronous generators in steady state operation. LTspice is a powerful, widely available software package that can be used to model Pulsed Power circuits. We are presenting the detailed models as well as results of the simulations.
Endocrine surgery in the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Surgical Triage Guidelines.

BACKGROUND: In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer care has had to adapt rapidly given the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) issuing recommendations to postpone nonurgent surgeries. METHODS: An institutional multidisciplinary group of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, Surgical Endocrinology, and Medical Endocrinology devised Surgical Triaging Guidelines for Endocrine Surgery during COVID-19, aligned with phases of care published by the ACS. RESULTS: Phases of care with examples of corresponding endocrine cases are outlined. Most cases can be safely postponed with active surveillance, including most differentiated and medullary thyroid cancers. During the most acute phase, all endocrine surgeries are deferred, except thyroid tumors requiring acute airway management. CONCLUSIONS: These guidelines provide context for endocrine surgery within the spectrum of surgical oncology, with the goal of optimal individualized multidisciplinary patient care and the expectation of significant resource diversion to care for patients with COVID-19.
Preoperative Transfusion for Anemia in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery for Malignancy

Transfusion guidelines have been established for severe anemia, but limited data is available regarding the utility of preoperative transfusion. This study evaluates the predictive factors and relative value of preoperative transfusion in oncologic patients with moderate anemia undergoing abdominal surgery. Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, adult patients with moderate anemia (hematocrit 21–27%) who underwent non-emergent abdominal oncologic resection from 2005 to 2017 were identified. Preoperative transfusion and non-transfused patients were propensity score matched based on baseline covariates. Outcomes were compared using univariate and Poisson regression analysis. Of 6222 patients, preoperative transfused (N = 1000, 16.1%) patients were more likely to have bleeding disorders (12.1% vs 6.7%, p < 0.0001) and baseline thrombocytopenia (12% vs 7.3%, p < 0.0001) and had shorter operative length (< 180 min: 69.4% vs 59.8%, p < 0.0001). After matching (N = 987/group), preoperative transfusion was associated with higher rates of intraoperative/postoperative transfusion (odds ratio 1.24, p 0.017) and surgical site infections (odds ratio 1.67, p 0.004) and longer length of stay (incidence rate ratio 1.06, p < 0.0001). Preoperative transfusion is associated with increased surgical site infections and longer hospital stay and should be carefully considered in oncologic patients given the absence of improvement in outcomes.
The Tipping Point In Social Networks: Investigating the Mechanism Behind Viral Information Spreading

A social network represents ties between people. Modeling social interactions to understand the underlying mechanism of herd behavior has been a topic of interest for the past several decades. Our focus in this work is to investigate the phenomenon of extreme, unexpected growth and gain in a social network, and how different diffusion models can be used to identify the "key players" in such a process. In social network analysis, it is a tedious task to find the most influential entities, and how ideas or news spread through the network. A popular method to solve this task is to represent the social network as a graph. In a dynamic or an ever-growing social graph, discovering when an idea starts spreading, and not when it started first, reflects the real nature of how viral ideas catch-on in society. Also, instead of locating the root of an idea, it is crucial to see who propelled the idea to the surface, and triggered the spread. In this paper, we develop a method to identify the set of nodes who are responsible for extraordinary change in graph growth. We propose a methodology that allows us to identify the phenomenon called "tipping point", both in terms of the the role of a node or a community in graph growth, but also with respect to the time frame it occurred. Our framework is employing different influence propagation approaches, to locate critical nodes or communities and indicate their role in the early stages of the sudden graph growth. We demonstrate how the methodology is applied using a real-life social network. We aspire that the proposed framework will help researchers better understand this phenomenon and be able to identify agents responsible for spreading trends, beliefs, opinions, etc. in society.
Optical rogue waves in multifractal photonic arrays

Optical rogue waves are demonstrated in the far-field scattered radiation from photonic arrays designed according to the aperiodic distributions of prime elements in complex quadratic fields. Specifically, by studying light diffraction from Eisenstein and Gaussian prime arrays, we establish a connection between the formation of optical rogue waves and multifractality in the visible single-scattering regime. We link strong multifractality with the heavy-tail probability distributions that describe the fluctuations of scattered radiation from the fabricated arrays. Our findings pave the way to control high-intensity rogue waves using deterministic arrays of dielectric nanostructures for enhanced sensing and lithographic applications.
Sterben zuhause und die Frage nach Privatheit

Nachdem in Kapitel 3 mit der analytischen Aufarbeitung des Forschungsstandes aktuelle privatheitsrelevante Bereiche, Phanomene und Prozesse in den Blick genommen wurden, anhand derer bereits deutlich wurde, dass Privatheit an sich sowie im Verhaltnis zum Offentlichen in ganz unterschiedlicher Weise und Hinsicht individualisiert, entgrenzt und neu geordnet wird, indem das Private in seiner erstmodernen Funktion als abgegrenzte Individual- und Intimsphare weiterhin normativ bedeutsam ist, in seinen Formen jedoch immer weniger institutionell vorgegeben und abgesichert, sondern von inter-/subjektiven Aus- und Verhandlungen von Grenzoffnungen und Grenzschliesungen abhangig ist, soll nun in einem ganzlich anderen Praxisfeld jener Wandel des Privaten noch einmal unter einer anderen Perspektive genauer in den Blick genommen und damit die bisherigen Befunde erweitert und differenziert werden. Dafur wird das institutionell begleitete Sterben zuhause gewahlt und anhand eigener empirischer Analysen zur Praxis der ambulanten Hospiz- und Palliativarbeit das Private in seiner Bedeutung und alltaglichen Wirklichkeit rekonstruiert. Dabei wird unterstellt, dass in der existenziellen Krisensituation des Sterbens das Private nicht nur in dieser Ausnahmesituation, sondern daruber hinaus in seiner generellen Bedeutung und Konstitutionslogik aufscheint.
Surface Passivation of Triple-Cation Perovskite via Organic Halide-Saturated Antisolvent for Inverted Planar Solar Cells

Cesium formadinium methylammonium triple-cation (CsFAMA) lead mixed-halide perovskites have been reported to promote unique photovoltaic properties with high efficiency and minimal hysteresis effec...
Understanding opioid overdose risk and response preparedness among people who use cocaine and other drugs: Mixed-methods findings from a large, multi-city study.

BACKGROUND Fatal overdoses involving cocaine (powdered or crack) and fentanyl have increased nationally and in Massachusetts. It is unclear how overdose risk and preparedness to respond to an overdose differs by patterns of cocaine and opioid use. Methods: From 2017 to 2019, we conducted a nine-community mixed-methods study of Massachusetts residents who use drugs. Using survey data from 465 participants with past-month cocaine and/or opioid use, we examined global differences (p < 0.05) in overdose risk and response preparedness by patterns of cocaine and opioid use. Qualitative interviews (n = 172) contextualized survey findings. Results: The majority of the sample (66%) used cocaine and opioids in the past month; 18.9% used opioids alone; 9.2% used cocaine and had no opioid use history; and 6.2% used cocaine and had an opioid use history. Relative to those with a current/past history of opioid use, significantly fewer of those with no opioid use history were aware of fentanyl in the drug supply, carried naloxone, and had received naloxone training. Qualitative interviews documented how people who use cocaine and have no history of opioid use are largely unprepared to recognize and respond to an overdose. Conclusions: Public health efforts are needed to increase fentanyl awareness and overdose prevention preparedness among people primarily using cocaine.
Prediction of Diabetics Using Chemical Reaction Optimization

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is ordinarily conversant like diabetes that is a group of metabolic diseases. It has become a common disease and its degree and prevalence are becoming greater in degree in most inhabitants. Physicians want a reliable system for diagnosing diabetes. Many researchers have used many techniques to diagnose Diabetes. One of the recently established population-based metaheuristic algorithms is Chemical Reaction Optimization (CRO) for problem optimization, which generates from the concept of the nature of chemical reactions. In our study, the main goal of our paper is to find out the best result whether the patient has diabetes or not, using Chemical Reaction Optimization (CRO) with minimum features. We use five different classifiers such as Decision Tree, XGboost, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine as our objective functions of CRO. We achieved the highest accuracy to predict diabetics compared to the existing methods with optimized features.
Stimulus-Response Compatibilitiy Effects for Warning Signals and Steering Responses

Stimulus-response compatibility is relevant to the way a collision avoidance system signals a hazard. Using the location of a warning tone as the signal, standard spatial compatibility effects predict that it would be most beneficial to have the tone correspond to the desired response direction. However, because drivers typically turn away from sounds created by hazards, they may adopt a frame of reference where turning away from the warning tone is more compatible than responding toward it. This issue was examined in an experiment in which subjects responded to tones in the left or right ear by turning a steering wheel clockwise or counterclockwise, with the meaning of the tones manipulated to simulate warning signals. Two groups received typical compatibility instructions (tone instructions), and two received instructions specifying that the tone was a warning signal (warning instructions) indicating either the location of the danger (from which they were to turn away) or the escape direction (toward which they were to turn). The compatibility effect was in the same direction and of the same magnitude for both the warning instructions and the tone instructions. This outcome implies that instructions to turn away from danger did not cause subjects to adopt an avoidance frame of reference and that spatial correspondence was the overriding factor. The results suggest that collision avoidance systems should signal the escape direction, but these results need to be verified in simulated and actual driving conditions.
Change at Empoli

You have no passion, only lust. No spirit, only appetite. Why have you come to Italy as students of art? You do not give a damn for art. Or, perhaps I should point to what one of you has so generously deposited on the hall floor of these offices, point to that and say: That is what you give for art, for Italy, for love, for life. That. You are welcome to that. But I am leaving. Oh yes, that's what she should have said. Dignified, but its underlying tone unmistakable. She pulled her hat down a bit tighter and pressed her coat against her throat with a kind of dramatic savor, as though these words had actually traversed her lips in front of their intended audience. She was a woman best described as handsome, a face dominated by a firm jaw and wide green eyes, pale skin and dark hair. She checked her own wristwatch against that of the man across from her. He was deeply ensconced behind a newspaper, but his watch testified silently with hers, 9:34. The 9:20 should have left fourteen minutes ago. She pushed the train window down and scanned the platform, fearfully scouting for Giorgio. Perhaps Giorgio had called and told them to hold the 9:20 till he could get there. Silly. People like Giorgio could not command trains. Giorgio could not command his own cat, unless he could flatter and court and smarm. That's the way Giorgio dealt with everyone, except his wife, whom he bullied. Disgusting. Nonetheless, Corinne chided herself for having phoned him from the station. She should have waited, called from Empoli. She would not feel safe until the train pulled out and she kept a careful watch on the platform, prepared to vanish into the women's toilet if she saw Giorgio Carruthers running towards the 9:20, coat flying, terrified at the thought that he was about to cease being her assistant and now would become Director of the university's Institute for Italian Art. Giorgio would be sweating like a pig, implore her, beg her not to leave the Insti tute and the filthy students. He would say they were young and thought it a mere harmless prank. Corinne would fix her green-eyed gaze on him, curl her lip in utter contempt and ask: They are adults are they not? Adult American students in a university program, guests in a foreign country? Giorgio would sputter here and she would continue mercilessly: I am ?I
A basal ganglia pacemaker formed by the subthalamic nucleus and external globus pallidus

The subthalamic nucleus of the basal ganglia (STN) is important for normal movement1,2 as well as in movement disorders3,4,5. Lesioning6 or deep-brain stimulation7,8 of the STN can alleviate resting tremor in Parkinson's disease. The STN5 and its target nuclei9,10 display synchronized oscillatory burst discharge at low frequencies, some of which correlate with tremor, but the mechanism underlying this synchronized bursting is unknown. Here we show that the excitatory STN and inhibitory, external globus pallidus (GPe) form a feedback system that engages in synchronized bursting. In mature organotypic cortex–striatum–STN–GPe cultures, neurons in the STN and GPe spontaneously produce synchronized oscillating bursts at 0.4, 0.8 and 1.8 Hz. Pallidal lesion abolishes this bursting, whereas cortical lesion favours bursting at 0.8 Hz. Pallidal bursts, although weaker than STN bursts, were required for synchronized oscillatory burst generation by recruitment of subthalmic rebound excitation. We propose that the STN and GPe constitute a central pacemaker modulated by striatal inhibition of GPe neurons. This pacemaker could be responsible for synchronized oscillatory activity in the normal and pathological basal ganglia.
VEGF Receptor Inhibitor Directly Suppresses Proliferation and Migration of Breast Cancer Cells

Recent studies show that certain tyrosine kinase inhibitors target both tumor vasculature and tumor cell. We determine whether the mouse breast cancer cells (E0771) express VEGF receptor-1 and 2, a...
Power and responsibility: why human rights should address corporate environmental wrongs

This essay attempts to construct a normative justification for the imposition of human rights duties on transnational corporations (TNCs) that commit environmental wrongs in the developing world. Under the now near-hegemonic worldview of welfare economics, TNCs are analogised to individuals competing in the marketplace and thus placed squarely on the private side of the public/private divide. If we step outside of the economic worldview, however, and recognise the extent to which the normative justifications for civil and political human rights have traditionally been rooted in a perceived need to counteract the imbalance of power between the individual and the state, it becomes clear that it is frequently far more appropriate to treat TNCs as like states than like individuals. Many TNCs, after all, wield more power and resources than many states. Accordingly, at least where one of two sets of factual circumstances exist, human rights duties should be imposed directly on TNCs for environmental harms: 1) where the state has become so weak and/or corrupt as to be non-functional, or 2) where the TNC has so much power and influence within the domestic government that it essentially controls state decision-making.
Using nash implementation to achieve better frugality ratios

Most of the recent works on algorithmic mechanism design exploit the solution concept of dominant strategy equilibria. Such work designs a proper payment scheme so that selfish agents maximize their utility by truthfully revealing their types. It has been pointed out that these truthful mechanisms, the famous among them being the VCG mechanisms, often incur high payments and fruglity ratios. In this work, we exploit the solution concept of Nash implementation to overcome this problem. Our mechanisms induce a set of Nash equilibria so that selfish agents have incentive to act based on a Nash equilibrium. We prove that our mechanisms enjoy substantial advantages over the truthful mechanisms in terms of payment and frugality.
IFN-γ-Primed Macrophages Exhibit Increased CCR2-Dependent Migration and Altered IFN-γ Responses Mediated by Stat1

Priming of macrophages with IFN-gamma increases cellular responsiveness to inflammatory stimuli, including IFN-gamma itself. We described previously that priming with subactivating concentrations of IFN-gamma increased Stat1 expression and resulted in enhanced activation of Stat1 and of a subset of IFN-gamma-responsive genes when primed macrophages were restimulated with low doses of IFN-gamma. In this study, we determined the effects of IFN-gamma priming on the macrophage transcriptome and on transcriptional responses to high saturating concentrations of IFN-gamma. At baseline, primed macrophages expressed a small subset of IFN-gamma-inducible genes, including CCR2, and exhibited increased migration in response to CCL2. Activation of gene expression by high concentrations of IFN-gamma was altered in primed macrophages, such that activation of a subset of IFN-gamma-inducible genes was attenuated. A majority of genes in this "less induced" category corresponded to genes that are induced by IFN-gamma via Stat1-independent but Stat3-dependent pathways and have been implicated in inflammatory tissue destruction. One mechanism of attenuation of gene expression was down-regulation of Stat3 function by increased levels of Stat1. These results reveal that priming enhances migration to inflammatory chemokines and identify IFN-gamma-inducible genes whose expression is attenuated by high levels of Stat1. The increase in Stat1 expression during priming provides a mechanism by which physiological regulation of the relative abundance of Stat1 and Stat3 impacts on gene expression. Our results also suggest that, in addition to inducing hypersensitivity to inflammatory stimuli, IFN priming delivers a homeostatic signal by attenuating IFN-gamma induction of certain tissue-destructive genes.
Effects of blood or meconium on the determination of the amniotic fluid lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio

Increasing quantities of maternal and fetal serum were added to amniotic fluids with orignal high or low lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratios. It was found that serum contains an L/S ratio of approximately 1.31 to 1.46 and therefore its addition lowered high L/S ratios and raised low L/S ratios. The addition of meconium to amniotic fluid decreased the L/S ratio.
A hierarchical controller for optimal load cycling of steam turbines

The availability of inexpensive base load power from independent power producers and nuclear plants has caused electric utilities to cycle their large steam turbines in an effort to reduce overall generation cost. In this paper, the authors present a hierarchical optimal strategy for controlling a turbine during load cycling. The approach uses heuristic turbine control rules to implement the higher level long term cost minimization strategy. At the second level a model based optimal controller is used to calculate the optimal actuator positions needed to track the desired power demand at minimum cost. >
Can nonprivate channels transmit quantum information

We study the power of quantum channels with little or no capacity for private communication. Because privacy is a necessary condition for quantum communication, one might expect that such channels would be of little use for transmitting quantum states. Nevertheless, we find strong evidence that there are pairs of such channels that, when used together, can transmit far more quantum information than the sum of their individual private capacities. Because quantum transmissions are necessarily private, this would imply a large violation of additivity for the private capacity. Specifically, we present channels which display either (1) a large joint quantum capacity but very small individual private capacities or (2) a severe violation of additivity for the Holevo information.
Optimal control of a production process subject to AOQL constraint

A production process which exhibits a decreasing pattern in the mean quality during the course of production is considered. A lower limit is specified for the quality characteristic of interest, and an item is classified as defective if its quality characteristic is below this lower limit. The major concern of the manufacturer is the average outgoing quality (AOQ). Hence, the process has to be adjusted after a time to avoid producing a large proportion of defective items due to deteriorating quality. To meet consumer specifications, an average outgoing quality limit (AOQL) is specified. A process-control scheme is developed in which decisions as to the upper and lower limit of the process mean are made based upon the choice of an AOQL. We discuss the decision problem of selecting the starting level of the process mean, and the level at which the process mean should be adjusted back to the starting level, so that the AOQ is not larger than AOQL. We consider a cost model which includes a fixed cost for adjustment, and a production cost which is assumed to be a function of the quality level. Due to the complexity of the model, a search procedure is used to find the optimal solution. In addition, an approximate solution which requires only simple calculations is developed, and is shown to be very effective in finding near-optimal solutions.
Inhibition of SV40 replication by 5-azacytidine: Effect on DNA synthesis and conformation☆

Abstract SV40 DNA synthesis was inhibited by approximately 50% following a 3-hr treatment with 100 μg/ml 5-azacytidine (5-AzaCR). Cesium chloride-ethidium bromide analysis of SV40 DNA from drug-treated infected cultures demonstrated that SV40 DNA I banded at a higher buoyant density and therefore had a decreased ability to bind ethidium bromide. Sedimentation analysis in sucrose gradients containing various concentrations of ethidium bromide indicated that these molecules were deficient in superhelical terms. Treatment of infected cultures with 5-AzaCR was shown to inhibit protein synthesis which preceeded the inhibition of DNA synthesis. It is concluded that inhibition of SV40 DNA synthesis and the conformational alterations in DNA I result from the inhibition of protein synthesis.
Imaging electron emission from diamond film surfaces: N-doped diamond vs. nanostructured diamond

Abstract This study reports direct imaging of electron emission from two different classes of diamond containing films that were prepared by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. These are N-doped, and nanostructured diamond containing films. The electron emission is excited by UV light (photoemission) or by an applied field (field emission). The photo electron emission microscopy (PEEM) of the N-doped films exhibited uniform emission, and upon heating to ∼700°C, field electron emission microscopy (FEEM) of the films showed similar uniform emission. In contrast, FEEM of the nanostructured films showed high brightness, localized emission sites at room temperature. The results indicate different processes for electron emission from nanostructured and N-doped diamond films.
Living Kidney Donation in Racial and Ethnic Minorities: Balancing Acuity of the Organ Shortage with Uncertainties for Long-Term Donor Risk

The overwhelmingly positive impact of kidney transplantation on recipient survival and quality of life makes it the treatment of choice for those requiring renal replacement therapy. Live kidney donation provides additional benefit of shorter wait time for receiving a transplant and improved graft survival. There are numerous studies demonstrating short- and long-term medical safety of live kidney donation, albeit with data dominantly derived from studies with Caucasian donors. Racial and ethnic minorities form a third of the general population but constitute over half of the dialysis population. The absolute rates of live donor kidney transplants in minorities remain low due to lack of knowledge about its benefits and reluctance to share this information with families and friends due to concerns regarding the potential donor’s health after surgery. While attempts are being made to overcome these barriers, it is imperative we support these efforts with evidence-based knowledge regarding medical and psychosocial risks associated with this procedure. This review summarizes findings of studies addressing these issues in African American and Hispanic donors.
Electronic‐circuit analogue of a two‐level homogeneous medium

Simple electronic circuits have been developed to give both the transient and steady‐state response of a homogeneous resonant medium for various input waveforms. The circuits represent an analogue approach to obtaining solutions to the polarization equations for the saturable medium, and there are obvious equivalences between parameters of the medium and various voltages, currents, etc., of the circuit. The circuit analogue has obvious value for instructional purposes in spectroscopy, lasers, etc., but also offers promise of providing solutions for such difficult problems as pulse propagation in an inhomogeneous laser gain medium.
Theoretical consideration of cross-fiber pattern coding in the neural signalling of phreomones and other chemical stimuli

Abstract (1)Coding of sensory information by distributing inputs across large sets of neurons could represent chemical stimuli in an efficient way. (2) This explains how sexually-relevant olfactory stimuli could be represented effectively in the nervous system, even though no specific ‘pheromone receptors’ have yet been found.
EPR and magnetization of GdGa2

Paramagnetic resonance and magnetic measurements were performed on powdered samples of GdGa2. The magnetic data indicated ferrimagnetic behavior with Tc ⋍ 181° K. Above 250° K the susceptibility obeys the Curie-Weiss law χg = 2.662 × 10−2(T − 27.6) emu/g-Oe which corresponds to an effective moment of 7.95 Bohr magnetons. Over the range from 190 to 300°K the data obey a Neel type law, χg−1 = 35.95 (T − 12.5) − 2.20 × 104(T − 177), which is indicative of ferrimagnetic order. The resonance measurements were performed at 9.013 gHz at 247, 296, and 349°K. The spectra were analyzed with a computerized curve-fitting technique that involves a linear combination of Lorentzian absorption and dispersion susceptibility components. Following demagnetization corrections, the g-factor was found to be 1.9832 while the half-power, half-linewidth was 592.7 Oersteds.
Evaluation of the contributions of ADAMs 9, 12, 15, 17, and 19 to heart development and ectodomain shedding of neuregulins β1 and β2

Abstract Defects in heart development are the most common congenital abnormalities in humans, providing a strong incentive to learn more about the underlying causes. Previous studies have implicated the metalloprotease-disintegrins ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) 17 and 19 as well as heparin binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) and neuregulins in heart development in mice. Here, we show that mice lacking both ADAMs 17 and 19 have exacerbated defects in heart development compared to mice lacking either ADAM, providing the first evidence for redundant or compensatory functions of ADAMs in development. Moreover, we identified additional compensatory or redundant roles of ADAMs 9 and 19 in morphogenesis of the mitral valve and cardiac outflow tract. Cell biological studies designed to address the functions of these ADAMs in shedding of HB-EGF uncovered a contribution of ADAM19 to this process, but this was only evident in the absence of the major HB-EGF sheddase, ADAM17. In addition, ADAM17 emerged as the major sheddase for neuregulins β1 and β2 in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These results raise the possibility that ADAMs 9, 17, and 19 contribute to heart development in humans and have implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying congenital heart disease.
Responsibilities and Competencies: Implications for Health Education Professional Preparation Programs

Abstract The current certification of entry level health education specialist (CHES) process is predicated upon the assumption of a core of responsibilities and competencies required of practitioners in all health education settings. However, many health education professional preparation programs continue to structure training by practice setting. This article suggests the need for a collaborative, competency based approach to health education professional preparation that uses the Role Delineation Project Areas of Responsibility as a foundation. Emerging trends in health education illustrate the need for this approach. Suggestions for addressing these trends through a collaborative, competency based professional preparation program structure are provided.
Congenital malformations and background radiation in northern New England

Abstract An epidemiological study of the relationship between exposure to background radiation and the rate of congenital malformations was conducted in selected minor civil divisions in Vermont and New Hampshire. Towns were classified into areas of potentially high and potentially low exposure on the basis of radiogeological criteria. Personnel monitoring field studies and analysis of teeth specimens for natural radioisotopes revealed an inter-areal difference of approximately 10 per cent (13 mr/year) in the mean population dose rates from background external gamma emitters, but no significant variation in the dose rates from internal alpha emitters (Ra226 and Po210). The rates of 32 categories of congenital malformations within seven major systems in 87,184 births occurring during 1952–1961 to residents of these areas was determined. Live births, fetal deaths and infant deaths were included. Rates were based on data obtained from hospital, clinical and autopsy records supplemented by birth and death certificates. No evidence of consistently elevated rates for all malformations or of a consistent increase in risk with respect to any individual category of malformations was found in births to residents of the high bedrock radioactivity area.
Interconnections for Parallel Memories to Unscramble p-Ordered Vectors

Several methods have been considered for storing arrays in a parallel memory system so that various useful partitions of an array can be fetched from the memory with a single access. Some of these methods fetch vectors in an order scrambled from that required for a computation. This paper considers the problem of unscrambling such vectors when the vectors belong to a class called p-ordered vectors. This class of vectors is defined in such a way that elements that should be adjacent in an unscrambled vector are p elements apart in the p-ordered vector.
The interaction of genotype and exogenous neonatal androgen: agonistic behavior in female mice.

In two tests of agonistic behavior, aggression in neonatally androgen treated mice was substantially increased in females from an inbred strain wherein the males are aggressive, but there was little change in females from strains wherein the males are passive. Such genotype × environment interaction suggests that genotype is a potentially important variable in the study of the effects of early sex hormones. The interaction may be due to strain differences in relevant genes activated during the period of maximum organizational effect of sex hormone.
Moderate-to-large increases in perioperative serum sodium concentration associated with adverse neurologic events after continuous flow left ventricular assist device implantation.

Objective It was hypothesized that preoperative hyponatremia is associated with increased 30-day mortality after left ventricular assist device placement, and that large increases in sodium concentration are associated with adverse neurologic events and 30-day mortality. Design Data were collected retrospectively on all patients having continuous flow left ventricular assist device implantation between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2013. Preoperative variables, operative variables, and perioperative sodium concentrations were recorded. Both 30-day mortality and 72-hour adverse neurologic events (stroke or seizure) were recorded as primary outcome variables. Preoperative sodium and Δ sodium (postoperative sodium-preoperative sodium) were analyzed as tests for 30-day mortality and adverse neurologic events using receiver operating characteristic curves. Both crude and adjusted logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios for the outcome variables. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Participants Patients having durable continuous flow left ventricular assist device placement. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Among 88 patients, 30-day mortality was 14% (12 of 88) and the rate of perioperative stroke or seizure was 9% (8 of 88). There were 3 strokes and 5 tonic-clonic seizures. Preoperative sodium was a poor discriminative test for 30-day mortality and stroke or seizure (AUC = 0.47 and 0.57, respectively). Δ sodium was a poor discriminative test for 30-day mortality, but a fair discriminative test for stroke or seizure (AUC = 0.55 and 0.78, respectively). Δ sodium was a good discriminative test for seizure alone (AUC = 0.82) and a fair discriminative test for stroke alone (AUC = 0.70). It also increased the odds of stroke or seizure significantly, even when adjusting for possible confounders. Conclusions Moderate-to-large increases in sodium concentration during left ventricular assist device placement appear to be associated with adverse postoperative neurologic events. Preoperative hyponatremia has no relationship with 30-day mortality or adverse perioperative neurologic events.
The role of α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease: insights from animal models

The abnormal accumulations of fibrillar α-synuclein in Lewy bodies and the mutations in the gene for α-synuclein in familial forms of Parkinson's disease have led to the belief that this protein has a central role in a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as the synucleinopathies. Our understanding of the biology of α-synuclein has increased significantly since its discovery in 1997, and recently developed animal models of the synucleinopathies have contributed to this understanding. The information gleaned from animal models has the potential to provide a framework for continuing the development of rational therapeutic strategies.
Adaptive filtering and target detection for ultrasonic backscattered signal

In radar, sonar, medical ultrasound, and ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation, environmental noise makes target detection challenging. Therefore, clutter rejection and noise cancellation are necessary for the system to correctly identify targets. In this study, an adaptive filtering algorithm is used to reject clutter and detect small targets in noisy ultrasonic backscattered signals. Simulation and experimental results show that adaptive filter can efficiently reduce the clutter and improve the detection capability.
Mechanism of percutaneous absorption. IV. Penetration of nonelectrolytes (alcohols) from aqueous solutions and from pure liquids.

Most quantitative permeability data on human skin are based on studies in which water was used as the vehicle. Very little is known of the permeability of normal stratum corneum as it exists in vivo where it is considerably less hydrated. Similarly very little is known of the effect of nonaqueous solvents on the skin although they are common vehicles in topical therapy. In this study the permeation rates of a homologous series of primary alcohols (C 1 -C 10 ) through skin were measured. The alcohols were applied from aqueous solutions and also as the pure liquids. The permeation behavior in the two cases is compared in terms of (1) the transport rates of the alcohols, (2) the distribution equilibrium between the tissue and vehicle, and (3) the damage to the tissue produced by the vehicle. Fick's law was found to hold as an approximation for both the aqueous and the liquid alcohol systems. Using the measured data, which include permeability and diffusion constants and tissue:vehicle partition coefficients, the diffusional resistance offered by epidermis and dermis is accurately apportioned. The overwhelming role of the stratum corneum in both the aqueous and the pure liquid systems is quantitatively confirmed. The effect of the solubility characteristics of different vehicles on skin permeability is discussed. It is shown that with the aid of a few simple principles and a knowledge of the solubility character of the vehicle, the permeation of different substances can be qualitatively predicted.
Electron microscopy of ordered domains in lead scandium tantalate Pb(Sc0.5Ta0.5)O3

Abstract In single crystal lead scandium tantalate micro-domains with an ordered arrangement of Sc: Ta have been observed directly in transmission electron microscopy. The scale of the ordered structures in the size range 35 to 120 nm agrees well with earlier indirect measurements from X-ray superlattice line broadening.
Donor eye contamination.

In eyes from 50 cadavers, aqueous humor cultures exhibited no growth. Additionally, positive blood cultures from 18 cadavers demonstrated no correlation between concurrent bacteremia and aqueous contamination.
Asymmetric synthesis: Relay catalysis at a boron centre

A boron complex catalyses the addition of allyl groups — hydrocarbon motifs — to 'activated imines' in a relay-like process, generating synthetically useful compounds as single mirror-image isomers. See Letter p.216 A team from the chemistry department of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, has designed and synthesized a series of related small organic molecules capable of catalysing enantioselective transformations. Specifically, the molecules — derived from the abundant amino acid valine in a simple four-step process that uses inexpensive reagents — catalyse reactions of unsaturated organoboron reagents with imines and carbonyls. The products of the reactions are enantiomerically pure amines and alcohols that can be used to synthesize more complex, biologically active molecules for applications in chemistry, biology and medicine.
Competitive antibody binding to soluble CD16B antigen and CD16B antigen on neutrophils in whole blood by flow cytometry.

Background Shed receptors from the surface of white blood cells in whole blood have been quantitated using the long and tedious enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. A simple rapid flow cytometric method of analysis for shed antigen in the presence of cell-bound antigen can be advantageous. Methods Magnetic bead depletion of neutrophils in whole blood with CD16b antibody-conjugated beads as measured by flow cytometric analysis of the remaining cell suspension was inhibited by the presence of soluble CD16b antigen in the blood plasma of normal donors. We describe a competitive binding assay between labeled and unlabeled CD16b antibody for receptors shed from the surface of formed bodies (cells) into solution. Also presented is a new method of obtaining the amount of soluble antigen in a sample. We determine the total unlabeled and labeled ligand concentration at which the fluorescence intensity of the labeled ligand matches the fluorescence intensity in a control run with only the labeled ligand. Results Normal blood donors showed serum concentration levels of shed CD16b antigen in the range of 1–50 nM as determined by a flow cytometric competitive binding assay. These figures compared favorably with parallel determinations using magnetic bead depletion of targeted neutrophils for washed and unwashed whole blood samples to evaluate the concentration of shed CD16b antigen. Conclusions The competitive antibody binding assay for shed and cell-bound CD16b antigen can be applied to similar GPI-linked antigens, for which purified antibody and fluorescent antibody against the same antigenic receptor are available. Cytometry 44:30–37, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analytical studies of the vertical array-Differential Target Antenna Coupling (DTAC) method for rapid sensing and imaging of subsurface targets

Abstract In this paper we extend the Differential Target Antenna Coupling (DTAC) method to a moving vertical transmitter (TX)/receiver (RX) array. We first develop the theoretical basis for the vertical array-DTAC method and then we employ this analysis along with numerical examples to explain the physical phenomenology behind the DTAC method. In order to account for the precise orientations of the TX and RXs in the vertical DTAC array, the DTAC method uses the components of the measured magnetic field to numerically determine the null direction at a reference frequency. The measured fields are then also used to calculate the fields that exist in the reference null orientation at one or more additional frequencies. When no target is present within a layered earth, the induced conduction currents flow in simple circular patterns that are centered below the transmitter. Since the magnetic field patterns that are produced by these currents will be frequency-independent, no change in the null direction will occur and the vertical array-DTAC method effectively nulls out the combined primary and layered-earth fields. On the other hand, if either a conductive or resistive subsurface target is present that alters the flow patterns for the conduction currents in a manner that produces a frequency-dependent scattered magnetic field pattern, then the null orientation will change with frequency, and the DTAC method will pick up the small magnetic-field response associated with the buried target. In essence, the DTAC method removes the effects of the large primary field and layered-earth responses, even with misaligned RXs, thereby allowing for the accurate measurement of the much smaller target response. In addition, the vertical array-DTAC method also suppresses the responses of conductive surface clutter since the eddy currents that flow in such clutter lead to magnetic field patterns, and null directions, that are predominately frequency independent. In fact, we find that the DTAC magnitude response is reduced by 60 dB for a plate target with 10 kS conductance when it is in air compared with when the same plate is in a 10 Ω-m halfspace. Thus, the vertical-DTAC system allows for the discrimination between false targets (conductive surface clutter) and buried targets of interest.
Contamination of nebulizers with environmental allergens

Abstract Rationale A previous report described detectable cockroach allergen in the nebulizer reservoir of a cockroach sensitive asthmatic patient who experienced an acute life-threatening exacerbation after use of his nebulizer. In this study, we examined whether common indoor allergens could be measured in nebulizer reservoirs from the homes of children with asthma. Methods As part of a large study examining nebulizer use in inner city children with asthma, visiting nurses replaced nebulizer delivery equipment in subjects' homes as part of an intervention. Twenty reservoirs were randomly selected from the study group. The nebulizer sets were not linked to any clinical or environmental data from the subject's home. The nebulizer reservoirs were extracted with 2 ml of PBS-1%, BSA-0.05% Tween 20, after overnight rotation. Extraction buffer and unused albuterol nebulizer medication were used as negative controls. The solutions were tested for cockroach-(Bla g-1 and 2), cat-(Fel d-1), dog-(Can f-1) and mouse-(Mus m-1) allergens using a standard ELISA (Indoor Biotechnologies). Results Of the 17 reservoirs where adequate specimen was available for allergen detection, 29.4% had measurable allergen levels for at least one of the 5 allergen specificities tested. One had measurable Can f 1 (7.3 ng/ml), 2 had Bla g 1 and 2 (range 0.15-0.99 U/ml), 3 had Mus m 1 (range 0.45-2.6 ng/ml) and none had measurable Fel d 1. Conclusions Measurable levels of common indoor allergens can be found in nebulizer equipment of children with asthma with the potential for adverse consequences.
A thermomechanical model for a 1-D shape memory alloy wire with propagating instabilities

A thermomechanical boundary value problem and constitutive model are presented for a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire under uniaxial loading. The intent is to develop a one-dimensional continuum model of an SMA element that includes all the relevant thermomechanical couplings and is suitable for inclusion in finite element analyses. Thermodynamic relations are derived from phenomenological considerations consistent with recent experimental observations and are calibrated to a typical commercially available NiTi wire material. The model includes both temperature-induced and stress-induced transformations that are necessary to exhibit the shape memory effect and pseudoelastic behaviors. The model accommodates possible unstable mechanical behavior during stress-induced transformations by allowing softening transformation paths and including strain gradient effects. This should provide a tool to study propagating transformation fronts and localized latent heat transfer with the surroundings and a variety of interesting future structural applications, such as composites with embedded SMA elements.