cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A real time study on drying and the mechano-optical behavior of polyvinyl alcohol films in solid and swollen state

Abstract In this paper, we investigate film drying followed by mechano-optical behavior of PVA films in solid and swollen state, respectively. During drying the real time evolution of thickness, weight, and birefringence (both in and out of plane) are captured using a highly instrumented measurement system. During drying, initially isotropic solution rapidly loses water and beyond a critical stage it develops optical anisotropy in the thickness direction as reflected in rapid development of out of plane birefringence while in-plane isotropy is maintained. Stretching the dried films in the solid state yields three regimes of non-linear stress and strain-optical behavior. The temperature shows a positive effect on the birefringence value at given true strain levels. Swelling the PVA films with water, facilitate room temperature stretchability, hence providing a route of stretching that avoids decomposition and discoloration that occurs at elevated temperatures. The effects of moisture content on mechano-optical properties of PVA films are mapped and opposite dependences of photolelastic and strain optical constants on moisture content are observed.
The deficiency in nuclear localization signal of Neodiprion lecontei nucleopolyhedrovirus DNA polymerase prevents rescue of viral DNA replication and virus production in dnapol-null Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Abstract DNA polymerase (DNApol) is highly conserved in baculovirus and is required for viral DNA replication. However, little is known about gammabaculovirus DNApol. Here DNApol of the gammabaculovirus Neodiprion lecontei nucleopolyhedrovirus (NeleNPV) was cloned into a dnapol-null alphabaculovirus AcMNPV bacmid, creating Bac-GFP-AcΔPol-NlPol. The resulting recombinant bacmid did not spread to neighboring cells, virus growth curve and real-time PCR revealed that NeleNPV dnapol substitution did not rescue AcMNPV DNA replication and virus production. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that NeleNPV DNApol was expressed but could not localize to the nucleus. Subsequently NeleNPV DNApol was fused to SpltNPV DNApol nuclear localization signal (NLS) and the fused DNApol could import into nucleus. The NLS-fusing NeleNPV DNApol was further transposed into the dnapol-null AcMNPV bacmid, creating Bac-GFP-AcΔPol-HA:NlPolNLS. The recombinant virus could replicate and produce infectious virus in Sf9 cells, albeit at reduced levels compared to wild type AcMNPV. Taken together, our results suggested that the NLS deficiency of NeleNPV DNApol blocked viral DNA replication and production of infectious virus in dnapol-null AcMNPV bacmid.
Using Census Data to Understand County-Level Differences in Overall Drug Mortality and Opioid-Related Mortality by Opioid Type.

Objectives. To examine associations of county-level demographic, socioeconomic, and labor market characteristics on overall drug mortality rates and specific classes of opioid mortality.Methods. We...
Management challenges in the passing-through technique using a fogarty catheter to remove an endobronchial foreign body from an infant.

Background Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a potentially life-threatening condition in children, and removal of an aspirated bead can be difficult. Case Report An 11-month-old male infant presented with a history of choking 6 days prior to admission. FBA was suspected, and initial examination revealed a bead occluding the left main bronchus. The surgeon tried to retrieve the foreign body, but the patient developed coughing episodes with desaturation. The patient was intubated and a bronchoscopy was performed with a flexible bronchoscope. A Fogarty catheter was passed through the bronchoscope and then advanced through the bead opening. The distal balloon was inflated, and the bead was removed as the Fogarty catheter was withdrawn. Conclusion We successfully removed an aspirated bead from an infant using the passing-through technique with a Fogarty catheter. Maintaining spontaneous ventilation for as long as possible and good coordination between the anesthesiologist and surgeon are crucial in such cases.
Construction of discrete descriptions of biological shapes through curvilinear image meshing

Mesh generation is a useful tool for obtaining discrete descriptors of biological objects represented by images. The generation of meshes with straight sided elements has been fairly well understood. However, in order to match curved shapes that are ubiquitous in nature, meshes with curved (high-order) elements are required. Moreover, for the processing of large data sets, automatic meshing procedures are needed. In this work, we present a new technique that allows for the automatic construction of high-order curvilinear meshes. This technique allows for a transformation of straight-sided meshes to curvilinear meshes with C1 or C2 smooth boundaries while keeping all elements valid and with good quality as measured by their Jacobians. The technique is illustrated with examples. Experimental results show that the mesh boundaries naturally represent the objects shapes, and the accuracy of the representation is improved compared to the corresponding linear mesh.
Growth and Uncertainty: The Impact of 9/11 on Intelligence and National Security Studies

It can be argued that few academic disciplines have been affected by the dramatic events of 9/11 as directly as Intelligence and National Security Studies (INSS). The latter used to be a strictly graduate endeavor, with much of the relevant instruction hidden under thick layers of classification. However, the insecurity fears resulting from the 9/11 attacks prompted an unprecedented growth in the field and accelerated its development in the undergraduate domain. Ironically, the remarkable academic vibrancy of INSS in our century has been overshadowed by the marginalization of the field in the realm of government. There is mounting evidence that the role of intelligence in national decision-making has reached unprecedented lows. At the same time, the intense post-9/11 scholarly preoccupation with Islamic-inspired extremism appears to have developed at the expense of other notable threats to the homeland. There are reasons to believe that the tacit association of terrorism with foreigners, and Muslims in particular, may be distracting American INSS scholars from studying the growth of domestic far-right militancy. Also ignored are security threats posed by the increasingly unregulated domestic gun market, which are statistically far more dangerous than the phenomenon of Islamic extremism in the domestic field. Finally, this chapter argues that INSS scholars were caught unprepared by the post-9/11 emergence of a wholesale model of mass surveillance—both domestic and international—that is slowly changing the relationship between state and civil society in America and is affecting America’s relations with its foreign allies.
An Extension of Pl\"ucker Relations with Applications to Subdeterminant Maximization

Given a matrix $A$ and $k\geq 0$, we study the problem of finding the $k\times k$ submatrix of $A$ with the maximum determinant in absolute value. This problem is motivated by the question of computing the determinant-based lower bound of [LSV86] on hereditary discrepancy, which was later shown to be an approximate upper bound as well [Mat13]. The special case where $k$ coincides with one of the dimensions of $A$ has been extensively studied. [Nik15] gave a $2^{O(k)}$-approximation algorithm for this special case, matching known lower bounds; he also raised as an open problem the question of designing approximation algorithms for the general case. We make progress towards answering this question by giving the first efficient approximation algorithm for general $k\times k$ subdeterminant maximization with an approximation ratio that depends only on $k$. Our algorithm finds a $k^{O(k)}$-approximate solution by performing a simple local search. Our main technical contribution, enabling the analysis of the approximation ratio, is an extension of Plucker relations for the Grassmannian, which may be of independent interest; Plucker relations are quadratic polynomial equations involving the set of $k\times k$ subdeterminants of a $k\times n$ matrix. We find an extension of these relations to $k\times k$ subdeterminants of general $m\times n$ matrices.
Novel Therapies in the Treatment of Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare hematologic malignancy. Advances in multi-agent chemotherapy have resulted in dramatic improvements in the number of pediatric cases that result in a cure; however, until recently, treatment options for older adults or patients with relapsed and refractory disease were extremely limited. This review seeks to describe in greater detail a number of emerging novel treatment modalities recently approved for this cancer. In this review, we discuss a number of recently approved novel therapies for ALL, including new approaches with targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, novel immune-based therapies including the bispecific antibody blinatumomab and the antibody-drug conjugate inotuzumab ozogamicin, and the role of cellular therapeutics such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. We also discuss the impact that advances in diagnostics and disease classification and monitoring have had on treatment. A number of advances in ALL have resulted in dramatic changes to the treatment landscape and therapeutic options both at the time of diagnosis and in salvage. These findings are reshaping our treatment paradigms throughout the course of disease.
Abstract 6024: An integrin αvβ3+ stem-like tumor cell subset promotes breast cancer progression via c-Jun/AXL signaling

Breast cancer cells bearing similarities to normal mammary stem cells play a key role in tumor progression. Here, we characterize a unique stem-like tumor cell population that expresses the integrin αvβ3 and is associated with aggressive patient disease. We now show that αvβ3+ cells that also express EpCAMLow represent a functionally and transcriptomically distinct breast cancer cell type. Rare αvβ3+ cells enrich for stemness properties such as anchorage-independent colony formation, self-renewal, differentiation and tumor initiation at limiting dilution. Unbiased whole transcriptome analysis by RNA-Seq identified several genes specifically upregulated in αvβ3+ cells that are also enriched in normal adult mammary stem cells. Phospho-array profiling of major signaling pathways revealed increased activation of the proto-oncogene c-Jun in αvβ3+ stem-like cells. Inhibition of JNK/c-Jun signaling further identified the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL as a critical downstream target gene necessary for tumorsphere formation. Our findings reveal a c-Jun/AXL signaling pathway required for stemness properties in αvβ3+ tumor cells important for breast cancer progression. Citation Format: Qi Sun, Yufen Wang, Adam Officer, Olivier Harismendy, Jay S. Desgrosellier. An integrin αvβ3+ stem-like tumor cell subset promotes breast cancer progression via c-Jun/AXL signaling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6024.
Ventilating farm buildings for animal health

Fundamental to maintaining a healthy animal environment in a warm confinement building is continuous air exchange at the rate of 4 changes per hour for removal of aerosol contaminants and moisture. Maximum summer rate should be 30 changes or more. A correctly designed fresh air intake system is mandatory. Proper insulation is essential; walls R=15, flat ceiling R=23. Supplemental heat is necessary in calf barns to maintain desired temperature at minimum exhaust rate.
Control of B Cell Activation by Helper T Cells

The activation of B cells to secrete antibody by helper T cells (Th) was one of the first cell interactions to be characterized in the immune response.1 The process has been extensively characterized since its initial description twenty years ago. Two features of this cellular interaction have attracted particular attention, the requirement for physical linkage of the determinant recognized by the B cell to the determinant recognized by the helper T cell2 and the requirement for identity in the I region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC).3 These two features suggested that intimate contact between the helper T cell and the B cell were required for efficient B cell activation. The stringency of these requirements, and the failure to activate ‘bystander’ B cells in in vivo systems, further suggested that a signal might be transmitted to the B cell directly via cell:cell contact, for instance by aggregation of the B cell’s Ia glycoproteins.
Activation of GABAA receptors causes presynaptic and postsynaptic inhibition at synapses between muscle spindle afferents and motoneurons in the spinal cord of bullfrogs

The functional role of GABAA receptors in inhibition of synaptic transmission between muscle spindle afferents and spinal motoneurons was studied in the isolated spinal cord of bullfrogs. Extracellular recording from the ventral root showed that activation of GABAA receptors by muscimol (primarily a GABAA receptor agonist) at 50 microM produced a 38% reduction in the amplitude of the excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) evoked by stimulation of triceps muscle sensory afferents and a 66% reduction in the EPSP half-width, suggesting a large increase in the conductance of the motoneuronal membrane. Quantal analysis of unitary triceps EPSPs recorded intracellularly from motoneurons showed that muscimol reduced the quantal content of release (presynaptic inhibition). In addition, muscimol decreased the quantal size (postsynaptic inhibition) when the postsynaptic conductance change was large. Because the effects of muscimol were completely and reversibly blocked by 100 microM bicuculline (a specific GABAA receptor antagonist), both the pre- and the postsynaptic inhibition caused by muscimol were due to activation of GABAA receptors. Activation of GABAA receptors thus causes both pre- and postsynaptic inhibition of synaptic transmission between muscle afferents and spinal cord motoneurons in the frog.
A Review of: “Handbook of Psychology: Volume 11. Forensic Psychology.”

The Handbook of Psychology is a 12-volume series that attempts to provide a broad coverage of the field. The topics range from the history of psychology (Volume 1) to Industrial and Organizational ...
Role of livestock and black-tailed jackrabbits in changing abundance of Kochia americana

Historical accounts and matched photographs indicate sharp decline of once-abundant Kochia americana in eastern Great Basin vegetation since the early 1900s, most of the decline by the late 1950s. Exclosure data show further decline from 1957 to 1973, then some increase between 1970 and 1973 and 1976 and 1981. Utah sheep numbers, at maximum from 1925 to 1940 and declining steadily to the 1970s, may have induced the long-term changes. Black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus), could not have induced vegetation decline, but could have added to livestock pressure and abetted the trend. In 1972, rabbits near a cyclic high were indirectly estimated to completely utilize K. americana in Curlew Valley, northwestern Utah. In 1976-1977 at rabbit low, direct measurements show 4%-18% of plants browsed by late summer, about 30%-50% of herbage removed from browsed plants. The latter rose to 45%-82% by end of winter. Late-summer percent browsed may have risen slightly (11%-21%) in 1980-1981 at next rabbit high. Increase in K. americana density from 1973 to 1976, then a slight decrease from 1976 to 1980, suggests fluctuating K. americana abundance induced by rabbit browsing, superimposed on long-term K. americana decline and recovery. 41 references, 3 figures, 5 tables.
Multi-agent system based voltage regulation in a low-voltage distribution network

Due to the high feed of regenerative power in many low-voltage distribution networks, it is possible that in some nodes inadmissible voltages appear. This paper presents a way to comply with the prescribed voltage band. It is realized by a multiagent system, which executes a three-stage algorithm to adjust the voltage at the nodes of the grid. A possible configuration is presented with a voltage regulated distribution transformer. It regulates the secondary voltage in several steps. The multi-agent system measures the voltages in different points in a network. The three-step algorithm controls the voltage, reactive and real power to comply with the prescribed voltage band. The paper shows a flexible communication structure, which is used by the agents to exchange data. An example network is presented. This displays the effectiveness of the communication cycle. Furthermore, the influence of the three-step algorithm is shown in a test system.
SU‐FF‐T‐630: Characterizing the Enhance Dynamic Wedge Parameters in the Eclipse Treatment Planning System and Assessing Its Accuracy in Beam Modeling

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of Eclipse treatment planning system in modeling Clinac EDW beams and to evaluate the effect of the three EDW parameters on its outcome. Method and Materials: The wedge factors(WFs) were measured in symmetric fields from 4×4 cm2 to 20×20cm2 and asymmetric fields to the maximum of 30×(20,10). Point of measurement was in solid phantom at 10cm depth and 100cm SSD setup using a PR06 ion chamber. Measured and calculated data for the standard set of wedge angles with 6, 10 and 23 MV photon beams by comparing the WFs. Effects of the three parameters were monitored by the MU changes. Results: The calculated WFs have more discrepancies on large wedge angles and field sizes and tend to be lower than the measured value. All parameters had minimal to no effect on 4×4cm2 fields. For field size ⩾10×10cm2, the deviations were less than 2% after the adjustment. Increasing the secondary source size will increase the MU and is more sensitive on the medium field sizes. It will take a minimum of 2mm change before any effect can be observed. Increasing the relative intensity will decrease the MU and the effect is more sensitive on 60° wedges. Increasing the mean energy increases the MU and the effect is greater for larger field size and wedge angle. Conclusions: There are limitations in utilizing the EDW parameters for modeling all field sizes and wedge angles to within 2% deviation from measured value. User has to compromise between the smallest field size and largest wedge angle. Best is to start with relative intensity to minimize deviation among wedge angles and field sizes before adjusting the second source size parameter to fine‐tune the MU between wedge angles.
Thyroid stunning: fact or fiction?

Stunning of thyroid tissue by diagnostic activities of 131 I has been described by some investigators and refuted by others. The support both for and against stunning has at times been enthusiastic and vigorous. We present the data from both sides of the debate in an attempt to highlight the strengths and deficiencies in the investigations cited. Clinical, animal, and in vitro studies are included. There are considerable differences in clinical practice, such as the administered activity for diagnostic whole-body scan, delay between diagnostic scan and treatment, time between treatment and posttherapy scanning, and timing of follow-up studies, that have to be analyzed with care. Other factors that often cannot be judged, such as levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone and serum iodine at time of diagnostic testing versus treatment could have an influence on stunning. Larger diagnostic doses and longer delays to therapy appear to increase the likelihood of stunning. The stunning effect of early-absorbed radiation from the therapy should also be considered.
Arthroscopic visualization of the posterior subtalar joint in the prone position: a cadaver study.

Purpose: Subtalar arthroscopy in the prone position is thought to allow broader access to the posterior aspect of the joint than in the standard supine or lateral position. This study is aimed to assess if using the posteromedial (PM) portal in the prone position can increase the working area available through the dorsal and ventral posterolateral (PL) portals commonly used in the standard techniques. Type of Study: In vitro cadaver study. Methods: Six below-knee cadaver specimens were subjected to experimental arthroscopy on the posterior subtalar joint in a simulated prone position. On both the talar and calcaneal surfaces, the working areas (the maximal extent available to a working instrument while preserving surrounding cartilage) for the PL portals and the PM portal were identified. The combined area was compared with the area available from the PL portals alone, to assess the area extended with the PM portal. Results: The talar working areas provided by the PL portals and PM portal were 31% ± 13% and 26% ± 8% of the total articular surface, respectively. The combined working area (43% ± 13%) was greater than the PL working area alone; use of the PM portal increased the working area by a factor of 1.45. The calcaneal working areas from the PL and PM portals were 25% ± 11% and 20 ± 7%, respectively. The combined working area (35% ± 14%) was similarly increased by a factor of 1.46 using the PM portal compared with PL portals alone ( P Conclusions: In prone subtalar arthroscopy, significant extension of the working area was found by adding the PM portal to the standard PL portals, on both the talar and calcaneal surfaces. Clinical Relevance: The PM portal that can be used in the prone position has a potential to increase the arthroscopic working area in the posterior subtalar joint.
Tri­carbonyl(η6‐fluoro­benzene)­chromium

The title compound, [Cr(C6H5F)(CO)3], exhibits the three-legged piano stool structure expected for a metal tri­carbonyl complex with a η6-coordinated arene. The fluoro functional group is tipped away from the Cr(CO)3 center.
Habitat selection by juvenile lemon sharks,Negaprion brevirostris

We surgically implanted ultrasonic transmitters in 38 lemon sharks,Negaprion brevirostris, and manually tracked the sharks for 1–153 days. This yielded 2281 positional fixes recorded at 15-min intervals. We used these positional data with availability data of four environmental variables (water depth, temperature, salinity, and bottom type), sampled at 213 stations along 15 transects, to examine usage of habitat. All sharks used contours of water depth, water temperature, and bottom type disproportionately to the availability of these variables in the study site. Specifically, juvenile lemon sharks selected shallower, warmer water with an underlying rocky or sandy substrate, perhaps for predator avoidance. This is the first report on habitat selection by any elasmobranch.
Speech Tasks and Interrater Reliability in Perceptual Voice Evaluation

Summary Objective/Hypothesis The optimal selection of speech task is essential for more reliable perceptual ratings and a better understanding of the perceptual qualities of pathologic voices. Nevertheless, researchers have rarely explored this issue using the GRBAS scale. This study investigates the effect of speech task selection on interrater reliability during perceptual voice assessment. Study Design Experimental study. Methods Sixty subjects, 39 dysphonic subjects and 21 normal controls, performed 13 speech tasks including three 5-second sustained vowel sounds (/ɑ/, /i/, and /u/) each at three pitch levels (high, habitual, and low), maximum phonation of the vowel /ɑ/, pitch glide, counting from 1 to 10, and oral reading of the Rainbow Passage. A group of 18 graduate students in speech-language pathology served as perceptual judges and rated the dysphonic severity for the speech samples based on three parameters in the GRBAS scale—Grade, Roughness, and Breathiness. The formalism of the AC 1 statistic proposed by Gwet was applied to determine relative reliability between the speech tasks and the raters. Results The counting task and sustained vowel /ɑ/ in high, habitual, and low registers exhibited the most reproducibility and consequently the highest reliability statistic. Conclusions The counting task and sustained /ɑ/ phonation are the optimal tasks for perceptual voice judgment in regard to interrater reliability. Future perceptional studies may benefit from this finding to determine the relationship between speech task selection and the validity of any given perceptual rating system in terms of sensitivity and specificity.
Congressional rationality and spatial voting

It is very difficult to demonstrate that representatives employ sophisticated cost-benefit calculations in evaluating constituent benefits when making many legislative decisions. This is because most modern American legislation is ambiguous about which constituencies will receive particularized benefits. This paper examines a series of locational rollcall votes in which the benefits going to constituents were obvious. In such cases representatives balance increases in voter support within their congressional districts and potential increases in their political power within Congress to be gained by vote trading. If constituency benefits are great, representatives overwhelmingly support legislation to provide such benefits. As the benefits decline, vote trading increases.
Structure and dynamics of surface crystallization of liquid n-alkanes.

Formation of a crystalline monolayer at the surface of an absorbed liquid n-heptadecane film above the bulk solidification temperature, with the molecules in the layer hexagonally packed and their axes tilted by \ensuremath{\sim}25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} from the surface normal, is found using molecular-dynamics simulations, corroborating recent observations. A crystallized adsorbed thin film (\ensuremath{\sim}40 \AA{}) of hexadecane is found to consist of four layers of molecules oriented parallel to the substrate and a topmost hexagonally packed layer with molecules oriented toward the normal.
Prior expectancy and behavioral extremity as determinants of attitude attribution

Abstract In an experiment on attitude attribution, subjects were instructed to estimate the “true attitude” of a target person after reading an essay in which he took one or the other side of a controversial issue (legalization of marijuana). Four independent variables were manipulated: the direction of the essay (pro- versus anti-legalization), its extremity (strong versus weak), freedom to choose position versus assignment to position (choice versus no choice), and prior expectancy (expect pro versus expect anti). All experimental predictions were confirmed by the results. When the essay was strong: (1) attitudes were attributed more in line with behavior under choice than under no choice conditions; (2) even under no choice conditions, the target person was seen as believing to some extent in the arguments of his essay; (3) the role of choice was especially prominent when the position of the essay was unexpected. In both strong and weak essay conditions, (4) the behavior was ignored in favor of prior expectancy in no choice conditions, but a contrast effect was observed in the choice conditions. When the essay was weak: (5) subjects attributed the opposite attitude under no choice conditions; under choice conditions, the weak essay was construed as moderate endorsement. As in previous experiments, there was considerable variability in those conditions in which the target person wrote an essay under no choice instructions endorsing the position he presumably opposed. In a second experiment, attempting to determine what produced this variability, it was found that subjects with generalized expectancies of internal control ( Rotter, 1966 ) were more sensitive to variations in choice than were subjects whose expectancies were externalized. Under no choice conditions, “internals” were more inclined to ignore the essay and go by their prior expectancies in attributing attitude; “externals” seemed more impressed by the essay itself.
Use of oral uridine as a substitute for parenteral uridine rescue of 5-fluorouracil therapy, with and without the uridine phosphorylase inhibitor 5-benzylacyclouridine.

Initial clinical trials have demonstrated that uridine (Urd) rescue given i.v. over at least 3 days can ameliorate 5-fluorouracil (FUra) toxicity; to avoid Urd-induced phlebitis in the peripheral veins of patients, a central vein is used. The latter necessity, along with the need for 3 days of i.v. administration, makes Urd rescue by parenteral means a cumbersome and complicated clinical procedure. It would appear preferable to use oral Urd; however, the oral Urd dose in the clinic is limited, as high doses cause diarrhea. Therefore, using a tumor-bearing murine model we investigated as to whether low doses of oral Urd coupled with a Urd phosphorylase inhibitor benzylacyclouridine (BAU), would effect safe rescue of FUra toxicity with preservation of antitumor activity. A high-dose FUra-containing drug combination that included parenteral Urd rescue was used as a control; other groups of tumor-bearing mice received the same drug combination, except that p.o. Urd was substituted for i.p. Urd. In the absence of BAU, p.o. Urd could effect rescue while maintaining an antitumor effect comparable to that obtained with i.p. Urd. When given concomitantly with BAU, a 50% reduction in the oral Urd dose (i.e., from 4,000 to 2,000 mg/kg) enabled the achievement of a comparable therapeutic index. Intraperitoneal Urd produces very high (6–8 mM) plasma and tissue Urd levels, which remain above 100 μM for at least 6 h. In contrast, neither oral Urd nor oral BAU alone raised plasma Urd concentrations above about 50 μM. However, the combination of oral Urd plus oral BAU gave a peak plasma Urd level of about 300 μM, and the level was maintained above 100 μM for 6 h. Following oral Urd administration, gut tissue levels of Urd were in the mM range and those of BAU were in the range of 10–20 μg/g tissue, a level sufficient to result in substantial inhibition of Urd phosphorylase. Oral Urd plus oral BAU appears to be a promising clinical alternative to parenteral administration of Urd for selective rescue of FUra toxicity.
Coding and noncoding: the CLL mix.

In this issue of Blood , Palamarchuk and colleagues present interesting evidence that deletions in chromosome 13q result in a loss of expression of both the protein coding gene, dleu7 as well as the noncoding RNA cluster miR-15a-16-1 . dleu7 and miR15a-16-1 may both have a role in the pathogenesis of CLL.
Using magic to throw light on tricky healthcare systems: Patient safety problem solving

The illusions that occur in healthcare are inadvertent, certainly unintended, and unfortunately accepted as an aspect of practice with which clinicians have to cope. There are inadvertent illusions and unintended magic in medical devices, software, and in the healthcare environment generally. The engineer, programmer, manufacturer, or architect may not recognize the unintended magic in his or her own designs. Yet the clinician is seen as responsible when the illusion results in unexpected harm to a patient. By being unwilling to suspend disbelief in the face of illusion when it isn't clear what's real, clinicians can end the magic. It is possible to use magic and illusion to show the value of human factors engineering and ergonomics (HFE) in identifying and solving patient safety issues. HFE experts with this ability are equipped to unmask illusion and reveal magic at work in healthcare. Clinicians may see unmasking illusion as equivalent to accurate diagnosis of system ills and the first step in being able to treat system illness. In considering the state of healthcare culture, the use of simple magic tricks brings heightened awareness of tricky medical systems in need of repair and the need for tool-based problem solving native to HFE. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Asymptomatic Thickened Endometrium in Postmenopausal Women: Malignancy Risk

Abstract Study Objective To assess the diagnostic findings and determine the frequency of malignancy in postmenopausal women evaluated by office hysteroscopy for a thickened endometrium without bleeding. Design Retrospective cohort (Canadian Task Force classification II-B). Setting Academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. Patients Over 3600 women underwent an office hysteroscopy between January 1, 2007, and October 20, 2011, for abnormal uterine bleeding or an abnormal ultrasound. Of these, 154 postmenopausal women had a thickened endometrium (>4 mm) and no bleeding. Interventions Flexible office hysteroscopy using a 3.1-mm scope with saline as the distending media was performed for clinical reasons, and results were captured within a research database. Measurements and Main Results For the 154 women, the range of endometrial measurements was 4.2 to 28 mm (mean = 10.0 mm). Hysteroscopy diagnoses included 93 patients with polyps, 19 with myomas or uterine synechiae, and 34 with benign-appearing endometrium. Nine hysteroscopies were inadequate because of poor visualization (n = 1), cervical stenosis (n = 6), or patient discomfort (n = 2). Endometrial biopsies (EMBs) were performed in 109 patients, and none were found to have cancer or an atypical endometrium. Six had simple hyperplasia without atypia, and their endometrial measurements were within the range of the patients in our study who had a benign endometrium (5–15 mm, mean = 10.3). Of the women with a polyp, 73 (78.4%) subsequently underwent polypectomy. On final pathology, 1 had cancer (endometrial measurement = 24 mm), and 1 had complex hyperplasia with atypia (endometrial measurement = 17 mm). EMBs performed in the office for these 2 patients showed an insufficient endometrium and inactive endometrium, respectively. Conclusion Cancer and atypia can occur in asymptomatic women. Endometrial thickness was 17 mm or greater in 2 cases, and EMBs performed in the office were inconsistent with the final diagnosis. Hysteroscopy is important when ultrasound and EMB do not agree. Polypectomy may be indicated even in asymptomatic women, but further studies regarding an endometrial measurement threshold or polyp size are warranted.
Independent components of relations

In a multiattribute relation or, equivalently, a multicolumn table a certain collection of the projections can be shown to be independent in much the same way as the factors in a Cartesian product or orthogonal components of a vector. A precise notion of independence for relations is defined and studied. The main result states that the operator which reconstructs the original relation from its independent components is the natural join, and that independent components split the full family of functional dependencies into corresponding component families. These give an easy-to-check criterion for independence.
Regular and periodic peaks in device current, capacitance, and intersubband photocurrent from a multiple double-well structure

Special electronic transport properties in superlattices (SLs) and quantum wells (QWs) give rise to both new physical phenomena and useful devices. Studies of carrier transport in superlattice and multiple quantum well (MQW) structures therefore have practical implications. There are different regimes for SL and MQW carrier transport. In this paper, we report on our experimental study of current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V), and intersubband photocurrent vs. voltage (Ip-V) characteristics in a MQW structure having a coupled double-well period. Extremely regular periodic peaks in I-V, C-V, and Ip-V are observed in the coupled double well MQW. Hysteresis is displayed in all the measurements with respect to the voltage scan direction. A phenomenological model is used to explain the observed results.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparative perspectives on higher education for the twenty-first century

Abstract It is commonplace to note that we are moving toward a global economy. The world is increasingly interdependent in terms of trade, culture and communication. There is one institution that has always been global and that continues to be a powerful force in the world after a half-millennium. This institution is the university. With its roots in medieval Europe, the modern university is at the center of an international knowledge system that encompasses technology, communications and culture. The university remains the primary center of learning and the main repository of accumulated wisdom. While it may be the case that the university has reached the end of a period of unprecedented growth and expansion, it remains a powerful institution. In the knowledge-based society of the twenty-first century, the university will remain at the very center of economic and cultural development. The contemporary university suffers from a lack of self-confidence and has lost some of the support from society it enjoyed in the past half-century or so. However, it is not, as many critics, within and outside of the academy would have us believe, suffering from a deep malaise that will cause either collapse or necessitate major structural and intellectual renovation. The present and very likely the near-term future, will not be a period of great expansion or of great prosperity for higher education. The coming period will also not see the demise of the university. The university is not flourishing as it did in the golden age of the middle decades of the twentieth century in North America and Europe. Yet, the university is far from collapse. It continues to play a necessary role in modern society—as an institution that educates, performs research, provides opportunities for social mobility and certifies expertise and professional competence. Universities have been transformed in less than a century from small, elitist institutions fulfilling a limited educational mission to one of the main engines of the knowledge-based society.
Anchor Structure of Staphylococcal Surface Proteins A BRANCHED PEPTIDE THAT LINKS THE CARBOXYL TERMINUS OF PROTEINS TO THE CELL WALL

Surface proteins of Staphylococcus aureus are anchored to the cell wall by a mechanism requiring a COOH-terminal sorting signal. Previous work demonstrated that the sorting signal is cleaved at the conserved LPXTG motif and that the carboxyl of threonine (T) is linked to the staphylococcal cell wall. By employing different cell wall lytic enzymes, surface proteins were released from the staphylococcal peptidoglycan and their COOH-terminal anchor structure was revealed by a combination of mass spectrometry and chemical analysis. The results demonstrate that surface proteins are linked to a branched peptide (NH2-Ala-γ-Gln-Lys-(NH2-Gly5)-Ala-COOH) by an amide bond between the carboxyl of threonine and the amino of the pentaglycine cross-bridge that is attached to the e-amino of lysyl. This branched anchor peptide is amide-linked to the carboxyl ofN-acetylmuramic acid, thereby tethering the COOH-terminal end of surface proteins to the staphylococcal peptidoglycan.
Weed control using allelopathic sunflowers and herbicide

Field studies were conducted to determine if season long weed control could be achieved by combining the use of an herbicide with the natural allelochemicals produced by cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The weed biomass was reduced equally in plots planted with sunflowers, whether or not the herbicide was applied in each of 4 years. Weed control diminished the second year in all plots that received the same treatments as had been applied the previous year. This diminished efficacy was attributed to reduced emergence of sunflower (13.5 to 45.2 percent) in second-year plots, as a result of autotoxicity from sunflower crop residues remaining after the first-year harvest.
A method of calculating total respiratory system compliance from resonant frequency: validity in a rabbit model.

ABSTRACT: Ten anesthetized, tracheotomized, adult rabbits were used to test the validity of a method for calculation of total respiratory system compliance from resonant frequency (Cr). Reference values were obtained during constant flow inflation of the relaxed respiratory system by dividing the volume gain by the related difference in pressure at the airway opening (inflation method compliance, Ci). The animals were connected to a new type of servo-controlled infant ventilator. Besides volume-controlled mechanical ventilation at constant inspiratory flow rate and intermittent mandatory ventilation, there is a negative ventilator resistance mode integrated in this device for resistive unloading (Schulze A, Schaller P, Gehrhardt B, Madler H-J, Gmyrek D: Pediatr Res 28:79-82,1990). To measure resonant frequency (fr), the respiratory system was totally unloaded for a short period by a negative ventilator resistance exceeding the combined resistances of the endotracheal tube and airways. This evoked a continuous oscillation at fr. By analogy with electrical circuit theory, Cr was calculated according to C=l/(4π2· I · fr 2) where C is compliance and I is inertance. The inertance of the endotracheal tube is given and that of the bronchial tree was ignored assuming a much greater total cross-sectional area and therefore much lower inertance when compared with the endotracheal tube. Three pairs of Ci – Cr values were obtained from each animal: 1) during intact respiratory muscle activity; 2) after pancuronium relaxation, and 3) after surfactant depletion by saline washout. There was a significant linear correlation between Ci and Cr values with the regression line lying close to the identity line (Cr=1.1 Ci – 0.74; r=0.97; p<0.0001). Ci increased from 45.3 ± 9.4 to 47 ± 7.1 mL/kPa after pancuronium relaxation and dropped to 25.5 ± 5.2 after surfactant depletion. The corresponding Cr values were 49.5 ± 11, 51 ± 8.2, and 27 ± 5.9 mL/kPa, respectively. The fr value decreased from 274 ± 33.2 min-1 before to 267 ± 21.4 after relaxation, and was 371 ± 39.5 min-1 after injury.
CONFORMITY TO MASCULINITY-FEMININITY STEREOTYPES AND EGO IDENTITY IN ADOLESCENTS

Summary.-Erikson's theory of ego identity was explored by relating a masculinity-femininity mrasure to perceived social role consistency (RC), one criterion of identity. Male adolescents whose behaviors tended to conform to cultural stereotypes of masculinity showed higher RC than less masculine males. This was consistent with the hypothesis that social reward for conformity should tend to strengthen interpersonal habits, whereas social punishment for nonconformity should have a weakening effect. Females who were either high or low feminine were more consistent than girls who were only moderately feminine. Combining elements of both the traditional feminine and "modern" masculine roles was considered contributory to lower RC for the latter group. Erikson's (1950) theory of child development suggests that the adolescent experiences the critical problem of modifying his behavioral roles as he moves from the period of childhood toward adulthood. "Ego identity'' is the term used to indicate successfu1 modification, whereas "ego diffusion" refers to failure in this regard. Erikson als~ proposes that the adjustment of the adolescent is a positive function of the degree to which an ego identiry is established. The three criteria of ego identiry according to Erikson are: (1) the adolescent's perception of himself as essentially the same person over time and interpersonal siruations, (2) others' perception of the adolescent as essentially the same over time and situations, and (3) an accrued confidence on the part of the adolescent that his perception of himself corresponds to others' perception of him. This paper will be concerned with his first criterion of ego identiry-selfperceived consistency of interpersonal behaviors. Self-perceived role consistency (RC), Erikson's first requisite for ego identity, has been empirically related to level of adjustmenc in several studies. Carrwrighc (1957, 1961) has found RC to increase with successful psychotherapy, and studies by Block ( 1961 ) and Meltzer ( 1957 ) also indicated a positive relationship between RC and adjustment. In a yet i~npublished study Heilbrim and Lair extended RC measurement to a geriatric population and found lower RC in elderly psychiatric patients relative to that of nonpsychiacric controls. They f~~rther obtained a positive relationship between RC and ward adjustment ratings within the psychiatric group. There is, accordingly, substantial support for the contention that ego diffusion (lower RC) is associated with psychological disrurba3ce.
Dolomites and Early Mississippian Bioherms, Leadville Formation, Molas Lake, Colorado: ABSTRACT

Two dolomite facies that exhibit little petrographic evidence of their original textures are interpreted to be integral parts of two bioherms. A core facies of rugose corals (Vesiculophylum), pelmatozoans, cephalopods, and brachiopods in a peloid wackestone-packstone matrix forms two mounds 50 × 40 m and 110 × 75 m in diameter and 7 and 20 m high, resting on a basal unit of foraminiferal (endothyrid) ooid, coated-grain grainstone. These mounds are surrounded and onlapped by a bedded flank facies with relic cross-bedding that forms a halo 15-40 m wide around each mound. The facies consists of very coarsely to coarsely crystalline dolomite, but field evidence shows that it was originally detrital and is coeval with the core facies. It grades laterally away from th core into a distal flank-intermound facies of dolomudstone interbedded with millimeter-thick laminae of dolomite peloid packstone. This facies occurs up to 100 m from the mounds. Corals in the core facies have been replaced and cemented by nonferroan, nonluminescent sparry calcite at temperatures of at least 200°C. The matrix of micrite and skeletal grains is composed of nonferroan, red-orange luminescent calcite. Diagenetic changes have been modest. In contrast, the two flank facies show obliteration of original textures and replacement by inclusion-rich, nonferroan, red-luminescent, anhedral to subhedral dolomite at temperatures of a least 165°C. Other than appealing to differences in original porosity and susceptibility to subsurface fluids, it is difficult to explain why these closely associated facies have followed such divergent diagenetic paths. End_of_Article - Last_Page 318------------
Blood pressure and self-assessment of female sexual maturation

The relationship of sexual maturation to blood pressure was investigated in a sample ( n = 361) of white, non-Hispanic females, aged 7–18 years. Sexual maturation was determined by self-assessment, Systolic and fourth- and fifth-phase diastolic blood pressures increased significantly with increasing maturation. Body mass index, breast development, and pubic hair growth explained 29% of the systolic blood pressure variance and 23% of the fourth- and fifth-phase diastolic blood pressure variances. The interpretation of a child's or adolescent's blood pressure should take into account his or her stage of sexual maturation and body size. A consideration of growth and maturation may contribute to studies of the natural history of blood pressure.
The role of TRIM24 during prostate cancer progression

The steroid hormone androgen mediates a wide range of developmental, physiological and malignant responses by acting as a ligand for the androgen receptor (AR). AR in turn functions as a nuclear receptor transcription factor and executes specific gene expression programs in an androgen-dependent manner. Since the growth of prostate cancer cells initially depends on androgen, cancer therapy uses hormone-deprivation approaches to reduce the levels of serum androgen. While prostate cancer (PC) initially responds to androgen-ablation, most tumors progress to a castration resistant (CR) state insensitive to treatment. Both the androgen-dependent and the CRPC state depend on AR, which is probably activated by alternative molecular pathways in CRPC in response to low androgen levels.