cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strengthening the foundation of kidney cancer treatment and research: revising the AJCC staging system.

For decades, the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification system has served as a standard for cancer staging. Developed by the American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the TNM staging system has been essential for cancer classification, prognostication, management, data registration, and clinical research. TNM subgroups have been clustered to create a prognostic staging classification system, which portends overall survival (OS) and disease severity. In 2016, the AJCC published the 8 th edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual (8E AJCC) in order to: (I) update staging definitions based on contemporary pathology terminology; (II) clarify tumor histology classifications; (III) present predictive factors in a methodical fashion.
Plasticity-led evolution: evaluating the key prediction of frequency-dependent adaptation

Plasticity-led evolution occurs when a change in the environment triggers a change in phenotype via phenotypic plasticity, and this pre-existing plasticity is subsequently refined by selection into...
Mass drug administration can be a valuable addition to the malaria elimination toolbox

The Global Technical Strategy 2016–2030 of the World Health Organization (WHO) has the ambitious goal of malaria being eliminated from at least 35 countries by 2030. However, in areas with once-stable malaria transmission, the reservoir of human infection may be intermittently symptomatic or fully silent yet still lead to transmission, posing a serious challenge to elimination. Mass drug administration (MDA), defined as the provision of a therapeutic dose of an effective anti-malarial drug to the entire target population, irrespective of infection status or symptoms, is one strategy to combat the silent human reservoir of infection. MDA is currently recommended by the WHO as a potential strategy for the elimination of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in areas approaching interruption of transmission, given the prerequisites of good access to case management, effective vector control and surveillance, and limited potential for reintroduction. Recent community randomized controlled trials of MDA with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine, implemented as part of a comprehensive package of interventions, have shown this strategy to be safe and effective in significantly lowering the malaria burden in pre-elimination settings. Here it is argued that effectively implemented MDA should be kept in the elimination toolbox as a potential strategy for P. falciparum elimination in a variety of settings, including islands, appropriate low transmission settings, and in epidemics and complex emergencies. Effectively implemented MDA using an ACT has been shown to be safe, unrelated to the emergence of drug resistance, and may play an important role in sufficiently lowering the malaria burden to allow malaria transmission foci to be more easily identified, and to allow elimination programmes to more feasibly implement case-based surveillance and follow-up activities. To be most impactful and guard against drug resistance, MDA should use an ACT, achieve high programmatic coverage and adherence, be implemented when transmission is lowest in areas of limited risk of immediate parasite reintroduction, and must always be implemented only once good access to case management, high coverage of effective vector control, and strong surveillance have been achieved. If these considerations are taken into account, MDA should prove to be a valuable tool for the malaria elimination toolbox.
Defining Métis: Catholic Missionaries and the Idea of Civilization in Northwestern Saskatchewan 1845-1898

Anyone who has dipped a toe into the world of Metis Studies knows that there is a sizeable and growing literature on Metis ethnogenesis and identity. In his addition to this literature, Timothy For...
Disciples of the State? Religion and State-Building in the Former Ottoman World

In Disciples of the State, Kristin Fabbe presents an explanation of how two alternative types of power arrangements between state and religion developed in the footprint of the Ottoman Empire. The ...
Surgical treatment of migraine headaches

The senior author (BG) introduced the modern concept of migraine surgery in 2000. Since then, over 40 articles have been published by eight centers across the US, Europe, and Asia, describing positive outcomes after surgery in 68-95% of cases. Surgeons, neurologists, and patients are increasingly interested in this new treatment method. However, the majority of publications on this topic are found in surgical literature, with few articles presented in neurology journals. This review is an introduction to migraine surgery for neurologists from a surgeons view. It discusses the surgical treatment of migraine headaches based on the discoveries made and articles published by the senior author. It outlines the current history of migraine surgery, presents evidence supporting its effectiveness, and tries to dispel claims that what we are seeing is a placebo effect. It further describes detection of trigger sites and outlines surgical techniques of peripheral nerve decompression. We hope that this review will generate a positive discussion between surgeons and neurologists and lead to more interdisciplinary collaboration for the benefit of the patients in the future.
Noninvasive Vascular Testing

The goal of vascular testing is to characterize vessel structure and function. In many cases, a comprehensive history and physical examination are sufficient to make a dignosis (McDermott, Circ Res 116(9):1540–1550, 2015). However, in instances when more information is necessary, the history and physical will direct appropriate diagnostic testing. The modality is chosen according to the needs of a particular patient as well as availability and local expertise. Modalities include physiologic testing, ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (Table 1.1). Specific uses of these methods are discussed further in the disease specific sections of this text. These noninvasive methods are distinct from invasive angiography, where intervention can be performed at the time of diagnosis.
Improving Outcomes for Patients With Epidermal Necrolysis.

Epidermal necrolysis (EN), encompassing the spectrum of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic EN, is a rare, severe cutaneous drug reaction with an estimated mortality in modern cohorts of 15% to 23%.1-3 The rarity of the disease makes rigorous prospective clinical research difficult, highlighting the need for multicenter, multinational collaborations as well as iterative efforts to validate and build on prior work.
A Comprehensive Multicomponent Neurosurgical Course with use of Virtual Reality: Modernizing the Medical Classroom

OBJECTIVE Surgical education has constantly evolved and has been recently severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While virtual reality (VR) has been utilized for resident training and neuroanatomy education, application of VR has been limited for neurosurgical education in medical school. This is the first report of a comprehensive, multicomponent teaching model with VR as a primary component to neurosurgical and neuroanatomy education for pre-clerkship medical students. DESIGN Twelve second-year medical students were included in this prospective survey study that was conducted to evaluate a year-long neurosurgery elective course with an interactive VR platform as a primary teaching tool for neuroanatomy and neurosurgical procedures. The course had 4 components: (1) didactic/lecture-based learning, (2) problem-based learning, (3) hands-on skills lab, and (4) VR-based learning through Surgical Theater's Precision VR visualization platform. Outcome measures were based on confidence levels measured on pre- and post-course competency confidence surveys in students’ ability to identify neuroanatomical structures, interpret neuroradiological imaging, and analyze neurosurgical cases, and student feedback on their experience with VR on a postcourse survey. SETTING The survey study was conducted in the neurosurgery library and conference room at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. PARTICIPANTS All 12 second-year medical students who enrolled in the neurosurgery zero-credit hour course completed the course. RESULTS At course conclusion, 100% of students reported significantly higher competency confidence levels on all topics, and 100% agreed utilizing VR helped them gain a deeper understanding of neuroanatomy/neurosurgery. 92% agreed that using VR helped them better retain the anatomical/functional details of the brain/spine, and 69% better understand neurosurgical skills taught, respectively. 100% of students found the course to be a valuable learning experience and VR a useful learning tool. CONCLUSION A comprehensive multi-component neurosurgery elective course using VR as a primary teaching tool may improve neurosurgical education in medical school.
Recovery of singularities for the weighted cone transform appearing in Compton camera imaging

We study the weighted cone transform $I_\kappa$ of distributions with compact support in a domain $M $ of $\mathbb{R}^3$, over cone surfaces whose vertexes are located on a smooth surface away from $M$ and opening angles are limited to an open interval of $(0,\pi/2)$.a#13; This transform models data obtained by a Compton camera with attenuation and a realistic angle of view.a#13; We show that when the weight function has compact support and satisfies certain nonvanishing assumptions, the normal operator $I^*_\kappa I_\kappa$ is an elliptic $\Psi$DO at the accessible singularities. a#13; Then the accessible singularities are stably recoverable from local data.a#13; We prove a microlocal stability estimate for $I_\kappa$.a#13; Moreover, we show the same analysis can be applied to the cone transform with vertexes of cones restricted on a smooth curve and fixed opening angles.
Expected income and labor market choices of US married couples: A locally weighted regression approach

Abstract This paper applies a locally weighted scatterplot smoothing ( loess ) method to estimate the spatially heterogeneous wages of demographic groups of workers across precisely defined US labor markets. We estimate a location choice model using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) using these estimates of labor market specific wages for men and women as determinants of their place of residence. We compare estimates of this model to a model using more aggregated measures of wages and locations from CPS. We show that potential wages based on these more refined definitions of labor markets and demographic groups provide more explanatory power in a simple migration model than do those based upon less detailed definitions of labor markets and demographic groups.
Pyrazoloadenine Inhibitors of the RET Lung Cancer Oncoprotein Discovered by a Fragment Optimization Approach.

A fragment-based drug-discovery approach was used on a pyrazoloadenine fragment library to uncover new molecules that target the RET (REarranged during Transfection) oncoprotein, which is a driver oncoprotein in ∼2 % of non-small-cell lung cancers. The fragment library was screened against the RET kinase and LC-2/ad (RET-driven), KM-12 (TRKA-driven matched control) and A549 (cytotoxic control) cells to identify selective scaffolds that could inhibit RET-driven growth. An unsubstituted pyrazoloadenine fragment was found to be active on RET in a biochemical assay, but reduced cell viability in non-RET-driven cell lines (EC50 =1 and 3 μM, respectively). To increase selectivity for RET, the pyrazoloadenine was modeled in the RET active site, and two domains were identified that were probed with pyrazoloadenine fragment derivatives to improve RET affinity. Scaffolds at each domain were merged to generate a novel lead compound, 8 p, which exhibited improved activity and selectivity for the RET oncoprotein (A549 EC50 =5.92 μM, LC-2/ad EC50 =0.016 μM, RET IC50 =0.000326 μM).
Learning Adaptive Control for SE(3) Hamiltonian Dynamics.

Fast adaptive control is a critical component for reliable robot autonomy in rapidly changing operational conditions. While a robot dynamics model may be obtained from first principles or learned from data, updating its parameters is often too slow for online adaptation to environment changes. This motivates the use of machine learning techniques to learn disturbance descriptors from trajectory data offline as well as the design of adaptive control to estimate and compensate the disturbances online. This paper develops adaptive geometric control for rigid-body systems, such as ground, aerial, and underwater vehicles, that satisfy Hamilton's equations of motion over the SE(3) manifold. Our design consists of an offline system identification stage, followed by an online adaptive control stage. In the first stage, we learn a Hamiltonian model of the system dynamics using a neural ordinary differential equation (ODE) network trained from state-control trajectory data with different disturbance realizations. The disturbances are modeled as a linear combination of nonlinear descriptors. In the second stage, we design a trajectory tracking controller with disturbance compensation from an energy-based perspective. An adaptive control law is employed to adjust the disturbance model online proportional to the geometric tracking errors on the SE(3) manifold. We verify our adaptive geometric controller for trajectory tracking on a fully-actuated pendulum and an under-actuated quadrotor.
Study of 18O through 14C+α reactions

Abstract The reaction 14 C(α, α) 14 C has been studied over the bombarding energy range 3.5 to 16.5 MeV. Yield curves at eight angles were measured over the entire energy range; angular distributions were measured on resonances in the energy region below 8 MeV. Measurement was made of the relative yield from the reaction 14 C(α, n) 17 O from 4.9 to 8.5 MeV. Seventeen new levels have been observed and spin and parity assignments made for a majority of these. Evidence for the existence of rotational bands in 18 O is discussed.
Characterization of NAD:arginine ADP-ribosyltransferases.

NAD:arginine mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases catalyze the transfer of ADP-ribose from NAD to the guanidino group of arginine on a target protein. Deduced amino acid sequences of one family (ART1) of mammalian ADP-ribosyltransferases, cloned from muscle and lymphocytes, show hydrophobic amino and carboxyl termini consistent with glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins. The proteins, overexpressed in mammalian cells transfected with the transferase cDNAs, are released from the cell surface with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), and display immunological and biochemical characteristics consistent with a cell surface, GPI-anchored protein. In contrast, the deduced amino acid sequence of a second family (ART5) of transferases, cloned from murine lymphoma cells and expressed in high abundance in testis, displays a hydrophobic amino terminus, consistent with a signal sequence, but lacks a hydrophobic signal sequence at its carboxyl terminus, suggesting that the protein is destined for export. Consistent with the surface localization of the GPI-linked transferases, multiple surface substrates have been identified in myotubes and activated lymphocytes, and, notably, include integrin α subunits. Similar to the bacterial toxin ADP-ribosyltransferases, the mammalian transferases contain the characteristic domains involved in NAD binding and ADP-ribose transfer, including a highly acidic region near the carboxy terminus, which, when disrupted by in vitro mutagenesis, results in a loss of enzymatic activity. The carboxyl half of the protein, synthesized as a fusion protein in E. coli, possessed NADase, but not ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. These findings are consistent with the existence at the carboxyl terminus of ART1 of a catalytically active domain, capable of hydrolyzing NAD, but not of transferring ADP-ribose to a guanidino acceptor.
Intrauterine growth in length and head circumference as estimated from live births at gestational ages from 26 to 42 weeks.

Charts of intrauterine growth in length, weight-length ratio and head circumference as estimated from liveborn measurements are presented. These, in conjunction with intrauterine weight charts, permit the identification of infants with unusual intrauterine growth patterns.
Cyborg insects, neural interfaces and other things: building interfaces between the synthetic and the multicellular

As the computation and communication circuits we build radically miniaturize (i.e. become so low power that 1 pJ is sufficient to bang out a bit of information over a wireless transceiver; become so small that 500 μm2 of thinned CMOS can hold a reasonable sensor front-end and digital engine), the barrier to introducing all sorts of interfaces and control loops into organisms will lower radically. Put another way, the rapid pace of computation and communication miniaturization is swiftly blurring the line between the technological base that created us and the technological based we've created. This talk will provide an overview of recent work in the Maharbiz lab that touches on this concern. Some of this will cover our ongoing exploration of the remote control of insects in free flight via implantable radio-equipped miniature neural stimulating systems and more recent work in next generation mammalian neural interfaces for brain machine interface (BMI) applications.
A Structural Strategy for Generating Rapid Electron-Transfer Kinetics in Copper(II/I) Systems

Electron-transfer in low molecular weight copper(II/I) systems is generally accompanied by a large reorganization of the inner-coordination sphere. On the basis of recent kinetic studies involving Cu(II/I)-macrocyclic polythiaether complexes, it was hypothesized that forcing Cu(II) out of the macrocyclic cavity (i) decreases the changes in bond angles upon reduction and (ii) obviates any need for donor atom inversion. This should diminish the reorganizational barrier and, thereby, increase the electron self-exchange rate. This hypothesis has now been tested utilizing a somewhat soluble 12-membered macrocyclic tetrathiaether, oxathiane[12]aneS4 (L). Crystal structures of the CuIIL and CuIL complexes confirm that, whereas one Cu−S bond dissociates upon reduction, the remaining bond lengths and angles change only minimally. The free ligand, oxathiane[12]aneS4, C10H18OS4, crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca with Z = 8, a = 15.211(2) A, b = 8.5113(9) A, c = 20.548(3) A. The CuIIL complex crystall...
Monitoring the Performance of Soviet Cotton-Refining Enterprises: Sensitivity of Findings to Estimation Techniques

If planners and policymakers are to raise the overall level of performance in an industry by bringing the performance of the least productive enterprises up to that of the most productive enterprises, then obviously both subgroups of enterprises must first be identified. Scholars at TsEMI in Moscow have been using a single technique to measure and rank enterprise productive efficiency, that technique being the estimation of a stochastic CES production frontier. Their technique is not very discriminating about the most efficient enterprises and generates a non-unique ranking of enterprises by productive efficiency scores. Confidence in their analysis could be increased if additional analytical approaches generated similar rankings with, perhaps, greater discriminatory power among the most efficient enterprises. The purpose of this paper has been to compare the Afanas"ev-Skokov results, obtained by estimating a stochastic CES production frontier, with analogous results obtained by estimating a semi-stochastic ray-homothetic production frontier and by using linear programming techniques to calculate a deterministic nonparametric production possibilities set. The rankings and the identities of the most efficient and least efficient enterprises are very similar across the three techniques. This inspires confidence in subsequent efforts to bring the performance of poor performers up toward the level of performance of the good performers.
Changes in the inorganic element concentration spectrum of mesquite foliage during operational and non-operational periods of a copper smelter

Leaves of honey mesquite (Prosopis julifora) were collected along distance and elevation gradients from an Arizona copper smelter during a year of smelter operations and during a year of a smelter shut-down. An inorganic leaf element concentration spectrum for elements Zn, Cu, Fe, Ti, Mn, Al, Mg, Cs, Sm, U, Yb, As, La, Hf, Sb, Sc, V. In, W, Ba, Br, K, Na and Cl was derived for both sampling periods. Sources of element origin were identified through factor analysis and correlation matrices. Elements Cu, As, Sb, W and In, which are emitted in significant quantities during the smelting process and are good smelter pollution trace elements, were reduce up to 95% in mesquite leaves collected after the smelter shut-down. Leaves grown in the smelter vicinity during smelter operations showed visible leaflet deformation while no leaf damage was observed on the same trees during the non-operational period. The seasonal change in mesquite leaf element concentrations could be directly related to the seasonal change in atmospheric smelter pollution.
From critical design to critical infrastructure: lessons from turkopticon

Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) demonstrates how infrastructure projects can be designed and undertaken smoothly. AMT is a Web-based labor market that draws workers from all over the world to perform small bits of digital labor for pay. AMT organizes workers for the pleasure of programmers and the productivity of companies and researchers. Turkopticon is one such concept that has been initiated by AMT from 2008 after engagements with Turkers. AMT brings stopgap, short-term jobs to those with limited employment options, due to geography, mobility limitations, or economic conditions. Turkopticon is a application and browser add-on that augments the AMT interface with reviews written by Turkers. Turkopticon, along with crucial worker communities such as Turker Nation, mTurk Forum, CloudMeBaby, mTurk Grind, and the mturk and HITsWorthTurkingFor 'subreddits' on reddit.com, helps in bridging the worlds of workers and employers.
The repetitive C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II: multiple conformational states drive the transcription cycle.

RNA polymerase (RNAP) II is a complex multisubunit enzyme responsible for the synthesis of mRNA in eukaryotic cells. The largest subunit contains at its C-terminus a unique domain, designated the CTD, comprised of tandem repeats of the consensus sequence Tyr1Ser2Pro3Thr4Ser5Pro6Ser7. This repeat occurs 52 times in mammalian RNAP II. The CTD is subject to extensive phosphorylation at specific points in the transcription cycle by distinct CTD kinases that phosphorylate certain positions within the consensus repeat. The level and pattern of phosphorylation is determined by the concerted action of CTD kinases and CTD phosphatases. The highly dynamic modification by multiple CTD kinases and phosphatases generate distinct conformations of the CTD that facilitate the recruitment of specific macromolecular assemblies to RNAP II. These CTD interacting proteins influence formation of a preinitiation complex at the promoter and couple processing of the primary transcript to the elongation complex. © 2003 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 3: 235–245; 2003: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.10063
Spectroscopy of aromatic molecules in clathrates

Abstract Aromatic clathrates of M 2+ (γ-picoline) 4 (SCN) - ) 2 with M=Mn and Ni are examined for their suitability for spectroscopic studies of aromatic molecules. Results are presented from Raman phonon, vibrational spectra and singlet→triplet transition which reveal large disorder and inhomogeneous broadening, significant guest-guest and guest-host coupling and a rapid phosphorescence quenching.
Re-evaluation of Evans Blue dye as a marker of albumin clearance in murine models of acute lung injury

Quantifying the amount of albumin conjugated to Evans Blue dye (EBA) fluxing across organ-specific vascular barriers is a popular technique to measure endothelial monolayer integrity in rodent and murine models of human diseases. We have re-evaluated this technique with a specific focus of assessing the commonly used turbidity correction factors. These factors, originally developed and required in a spectrophotometric assay to quantify Evans Blue (EB) in human infant or dog serum, produced negative numbers when applied to murine models of acute lung injury. We next sought to determine tissue-specific correction factors for murine tissues and experimentally derived such factors, which allow estimation of the amount of EB in formamide extracts of murine tissues as positive numbers. Utilization of a best fit correction factor in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine model of acute lung injury resulted in significantly increased sensitivity and repeatability of the EB dye tissue extravasation assay. This factor may be of significant utility in animal models of inflammatory injury.
Solvability for differential equations on fractals

We show that nonlinear differential equations based on the Laplacian have local solutions on pcf self-similar fractals. However, even linear equations may fail to have global solutions. The equation Δu =f may be solved on an arbitrary proper open set for any functionf continuous there.
Is a night better than a day: Empirical evidence

AbstractIn this study, we analyze the portfolio allocation based on time asymmetry of stock characteristics. In particular, we analyzed the empirical data of changes in financial stock prices during the day period and during the night period and have found that characteristics such as mean and variance are different for changes during the day and changes during the night. Also, the portfolio characteristics, such as covariance between stocks, differ on whether we take into account day changes or night changes in prices. That greatly affects the allocation of fund to the portfolio for an investor who trades frequently. The portfolio should be re-balanced every day in order to achieve optimality and much higher return. At the same level of risk the returns on this new portfolio may by several times larger than the returns on a portfolio without everyday re-balancing. We computed numerically the allocation of funds for the stocks from the finance industry and showed that the increase in returns is substantial.
Trends in the Catalytic Activity of Transition Metals for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction by Lithium.

Periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the intrinsic activity of Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Ir, and Ru for the oxygen reduction reaction by Li (Li-ORR) forms a volcano-like trend with respect to the adsorption energy of oxygen, with Pt and Pd being the most active. The trend is based on two mechanisms: the reduction of molecular O2 on Au and Ag and of atomic O on the remaining metals. Step edges are found to be more active for catalyzing the Li-ORR than close-packed surfaces. Our findings identify important considerations in the design of catalyst-promoted air cathodes for nonaqueous Li–air batteries.
Normalization of periictal bihemispheric cerebral perfusion in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Abstract Under normal circumstances, cerebral blood flow (CBF), between the two hemispheres is coupled in a direct (i.e. positive slope), linear fashion. However, in temporal lobe epilepsy, the relationship between the two temporal cortices, during the interictal and postictal periods, is the inverse of normal (i.e. correlation is with negative slope and linear). Long-term combined temporal lobe thermal diffusion flowmetry (TDF) subdural regional cerebral blood flow and electroencephalographic (EEG) recording was performed to test the hypothesis that, during the 10min periictal period (i.e. 5min before and 5min following clinical seizure onset), the cerebral perfusion relationship between epileptic and nonepileptic cortex returns to normal (i.e. becomes direct, with positive slope, and linear). A consecutive series of 13 patients with complex partial epilepsy was studied. During continuous monitoring of clinical phenomenology in time sequence with subdural CBF/EEG, the 10min periictal period was characterized by a direct, linear correlation between epileptic and nonepileptic temporal cortical blood flow ( r =0.302, d.f.=85, t =2.921, P
A Structural Equations Approach to Modeling Consumptive Recreation Demand

Abstract In this analysis we develop a two equation structural model of a count travel cost model of recreational angling demand and angling success. By modeling the two equations jointly we avoid the difficulties associated with the usual approach which estimates the demand for recreational fishing sites assuming the existence of an exogenous measure of fishing quality. Our analysis explicitly develops the joint log likelihood function that combines the two processes. We estimate our model using full information maximum likelihood methods.
Dissociation and chain reaction in the pyrolysis of pyraine

Experiments on pyrazine decomposition in shock waves that use both the laser-schlieren technique (1680–2300 K, 2 and 4% pyrazine in Kr) providing time-resolved density gradient, and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (1460–2267 K, 2% pyrazine in 2% Ar/Ne and in 2% Ar/5%H2/Ne) giving time-dependent major-product concentrations are reported. The gradient measurements resolve the induction period of this extremely fst chain, allowing an unambiguous determination of the C-H fission initiation rate. Derived rate constants are in the fall-off regime; RRKM analysis of these suggests a barrier of 105±2 kcal/mol, below the 112 of benzene but above the 99±2 also derived here for pyrimidine. A revised chain mechanisms is presented incorporating new ab initio thermochemistry, which is then used in, RRKM calculations of key radical dissociations rates. Another departure is a path to cyanoacetylene (CHCCN) beginning with is consistent with theory and observed strong maxima in CHCCN concentration that the greatly reduced by added H2.
A parallel algorithm for global states enumeration in concurrent systems

Verifying the correctness of the executions of a concurrent program is difficult because of its nondeterministic behavior. One of the verification methods is predicate detection, which predicts whether the user specified condition (predicate) could become true in any global states of the program. The method is predictive because it generates inferred execution paths from the observed execution path and then checks the predicate on the global states of inferred paths. One important part of predicate detection is global states enumeration, which generates the global states on inferred paths. Cooper and Marzullo gave the first enumeration algorithm based on a breadth first strategy (BFS). Later, many algorithms have been proposed to improve space and time complexity. None of them, however, takes parallelism into consideration. In this paper, we present the first parallel and online algorithm, named ParaMount, for global state enumeration. Our experimental results show that ParaMount speeds up the existing sequential algorithms by a factor of 6 with 8 threads. We have implemented an online predicate detector using ParaMount. For predicate detection, our detector based on ParaMount is 10 to 50 times faster than RV runtime (a verification tool that uses Cooper and Marzullo’s BFS enumeration algorithm).
Spliceozymes: Ribozymes that remove introns from pre-mRNAs in trans

Group I introns are pre-mRNA introns that do not require the spliceosome for their removal. Instead, they fold into complex three-dimensional structures and catalyze two transesterification reactions, thereby excising themselves and joining the flanking exons. These catalytic RNAs (ribozymes) have been modified previously to work in trans, whereby the ribozymes can recognize a splice site on a substrate RNA and replace the 5′- or 3′-portion of the substrate. Here we describe a new variant of the group I intron ribozyme from Tetrahymena that recognizes two splice sites on a substrate RNA, removes the intron sequences between the splice sites, and joins the flanking exons, analogous to the action of the spliceosome. This ‘group I spliceozyme’ functions in vitro and in vivo, and it is able to mediate a growth phenotype in E. coli cells. The intron sequences of the target pre-mRNAs are constrained near the splice sites but can carry a wide range of sequences in their interior. Because the splice site recognition sequences can be adjusted to different splice sites, the spliceozyme may have the potential for wide applications as tool in research and therapy.
Good and Evil in Indian Buddhism : The Five Sins of Immediate Retribution

Indian Buddhist sources speak of five sins of immediate retribution: murder of mother, father, an arhat, drawing the blood of a buddha, and creating a schism in the monastic community. This category provides the paradigm for sinfulness in Buddhism. Yet even these sins can and will, be expiated in the long run, demonstrating the overwhelmingly positive nature of Buddhist ethics
The Effect of Fundamental Frequency on the Intelligibility of Speech with Flattened Intonation Contours.

Purpose To examine the effect of fundamental frequency (F0) on the intelligibility of speech with flattened F0 contours in noise. Method Participants listened to sentences produced by 2 female talkers in white noise. The listening conditions included the unmodified original sentences and sentences with resynthesized F0 that reflected the average low F0, the median F0, and the average high F0 of each talker’s productions. Results The sentences with flattened F0 contours yielded poorer intelligibility than the unmodified ones, but the sentences with flattened F0 did not produce equivalent performance. The sentences with F0 contours flattened at the average low F0 yielded better performance than sentences at the median F0. The sentences with F0 flattened at the average high F0 yielded poorer performance than the sentences flattened at the median F0. Conclusions F0 height accounted for only a small amount of the drop in speech understanding in speech with a flattened F0 in healthy talkers. Although this study...
Is thrombin activation predictive of subsequent preterm delivery

Objective To determine the relation between thrombin generation (measured by thrombin-antithrombin [TAT] complexes) early in pregnancy and subsequent preterm delivery. Study Design Select cohort of 731 women undergoing indicated second trimester amniocentesis prospectively followed to delivery. Primary outcome was preterm delivery. TAT levels were examined continuously and categorized by quartiles. Multivariable techniques were applied to adjust for potential confounders. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine a discriminatory cutoff level for TAT complexes. Results TAT concentration was significantly higher in women who delivered preterm (median, 98.9 mcg/L) than in those who did not (median, 66.3 mcg/L; P P = .04 and P P = .004) and 2.31 (95% CI, 1.18–4.65; P = .017), respectively. Despite these distinct differences, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was only 0.62 (95% CI, 0.56−0.69), indicating poor performance of TAT concentration as a risk discriminator. Conclusion Amniotic fluid levels of TAT complexes in the second trimester are elevated in women who subsequently deliver preterm, suggesting that thrombin generation may be involved in the various etiopathogenic mechanisms leading to preterm delivery.
An Association Between Anxiety and Neurocardiogenic Syncope During Head‐Up Tilt Table Testing

To study the association between anxiety and neurocardiogenic syncope as determined by head-up tilt table testing (HUT) in men and women with presyncope or syncope, patients with unexplained syncope or presyncope undergoing HUT were asked to complete the Burns Anxiety Inventory (BAI), a validated inventory of 33 questions with responses graded from 0 to 3. HUT consisted of a 30-minute tilt to 60 degrees, which if negative, was repeated with an isoproterenol infusion. A positive HUT was defined as symptomatic hypotension and/or bradycardia. Of the 66 patients who completed the BAI and underwent HUT, 33 were men and 33 were women. The mean age was 57 +/- 18 years (17-91 years). Patients with a positive HUT had a higher BAI score than those with a negative HUT (22 +/- 12 vs 14 +/- 13, P = 0.017). This association was stronger in women with a BAI score of 24 +/- 11 in those with a positive HUT versus 13 +/- 8 in those with a negative HUT (P = 0.005). In contrast, the mean BAI score for men with a positive HUT was 19 +/- 13, as compared to 15 +/- 16 for a negative HUT (P = 0.5). In conclusion, the present study demonstrates a statistical association between anxiety (as determined by BAI) and HUT result. Gender-based analysis revealed a more statistically significant relationship between anxiety and HUT outcome for women as compared to men.
Hemodynamic effects of isovolemic hemodilution during descending thoracic aortic cross clamping and lower torso reperfusion

Abstract Background. Isovolemic hemodilution has been suggested for blood conservation and to improve hemodynamic tolerance to abdominal aortic cross clamping. However, the hemodynamic effects of hemodilution during descending thoracic aortic cross clamping (DAC) have not been established. We evaluated them in anesthetized swine. Methods. Hemodilution (n = 7) was produced by the isovolemic exchange of blood for 6% hetastarch to a target hematocrit of 20%. Hematocrit in control pigs (n = 7) remained at 30%. DAC was performed at the T9 level for 45 minutes. During a 60-minute reperfusion period, control pigs were infused with lactated Ringer's solution; shed blood was returned to hemodilution pigs, followed by lactated Ringer's. If hypotension occurred despite left atrial pressure of 10 mm Hg or greater, boluses of phenylephrine were given to keep mean arterial pressure above 60 mm Hg. Results. Hemodilution caused a marked reduction in hematocrit and in global oxygen delivery (DO2). DAC produced a significant increase in proximal arterial pressure, cardiac index, and DO2, and oxygen consumption (VO2) was markedly reduced in both groups. A significant increase in systemic vascular resistance during DAC occurred only in control pigs. After reperfusion, vascular resistance was significantly lower than baseline in hemodilution pigs, requiring a sixfold greater dose of phenylephrine to avoid hypotension. A lower global DO2 and supply-limited VO2 were also observed in hemodilution pigs. Conclusions. Isovolemic hemodilution maintains hemodynamic stability during DAC. During lower torso reperfusion, however, hemodilution caused hemodynamic instability, decreased global DO2, and limited VO2, which may offset its potential benefits.
Emotional use of music by African American adolescents.

The music industry and the media have painted a biased, monolithic, negative picture of African American adolescents, their music choices, and emotional uses of music. To further investigate this media bias and understand this relationship, African American adolescents (n = 176) were surveyed as to their emotions associated with music and their mood management uses of music, especially their favorite types of music—rap, R&B/soul, and jazz. Positive emotions, rather than negative emotions, were associated with overall music preference. Rap evoked emotions of happiness and excitement. It was used to “get pumped up.” R&B/soul was most related to grief, anger, and pride. Jazz evoked similar emotions with the addition of pride, hope, and confidence. Jazz was also used to strengthen moods and was related to age. A model of music use for mood management is suggested.
Mitigating effects of L‑selenomethionine on low‑dose iron ion radiation‑induced changes in gene expression associated with cellular stress

Ionizing radiation associated with highly energetic and charged heavy (HZE) particles poses a danger to astronauts during space travel. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the patterns of gene expression associated with cellular exposure to low-dose iron ion irradiation, in the presence and absence of L-selenomethionine (SeM). Human thyroid epithelial cells (HTori-3) were exposed to low-dose iron ion (1 GeV/n) irradiation at 10 or 20 cGy with or without SeM pretreatment. The cells were harvested 6 and 16 h post-irradiation and analyzed by the Affymetrix U133Av2 gene chip arrays. Genes exhibiting a 1.5-fold expression cut-off and 5% false discovery rate (FDR) were considered statistically significant and subsequently analyzed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) for pathway analysis. Representative genes were further validated by real-time RT-PCR. Even at low doses of radiation from iron ions, global genome profiling of the irradiated cells revealed the upregulation of genes associated with the activation of stress-related signaling pathways (ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, p53 signaling, cell cycle and apoptosis), which occurred in a dose-dependent manner. A 24-h pretreatment with SeM was shown to reduce the radiation effects by mitigating stress-related signaling pathways and downregulating certain genes associated with cell adhesion. The mechanism by which SeM prevents radiation-induced transformation in vitro may involve the suppression of the expression of genes associated with stress-related signaling and certain cell adhesion events.
Solid-state chemistry of organic polyvalent iodine compounds. V. The crystal structures of 3-oxo-3H-2,1-benzoxiodol-1-yl o-bromobenzoate (two polymorphs) and 3-oxo-3H-2,1-benzoxiodol-1-yl o-chlorobenzoate

Single-crystal transformations of 2-iodo-2′-bromo-, and 2-iodo-2′-chlorodibenzoyl peroxides (IIa and IIb) yield topotactically aligned crystal structures of their respective isomers: 3-oxo-3H-2,1-benzoxiodol-1-yl o-bromobenzoate (Ia) and its o-chlorobenzoate analog (Ib). Two of the polymorphic forms of Ia (C14H8IBrO4) which are formed in crystalline IIa can also be obtained by crystallizing Ia from various solvents: (Ia-β), a = 7.474, b = 13.994, c = 13.152 A, β = 102.4°, Z = 4, P21a, and a disordered acicular form (Ia-α) which appears to be orthorhombic, a = 3.99, b = 26.553, c = 26.008, Z = 8, (Pbc21?). The only form of Ib (C14H8IClO4) obtained by crystallizations from solvents is also formed in crystalline IIb. The crystal structures of the isostructural Ia-β and Ib have been determined but only the latter has been refined (R = 0.059 for 2085 “observed” intensities). The derivative crystal structure of Ia-α has been determined only in (100) projection (R = 0.08 for 156 “observed” intensities). The three structures contain similar chains of bimolecular units or “dimers.” The “dimers” are analogous to those found in crystal structures of the benzoate, m-chlorobenzoate, o-iodobenzoate, and o-fluorobenzoate analogs of I. Novel polymorphs (Xa and Xb) of Ia and Ib are formed during the solid state peroxide isomerizations. The isostructural Xa and Xb consist of chains of “dimers” which are similar to those in Ia and Ib.
Determinants of the decertification process: Evidence from employer-initiated elections

There have been relatively few studies on why workers choose to decertify a union as their bargaining unit and virtually no empirical studies on the outcomes of employer-initiated representation elections. Using data from the NLRB monthly election reports (1977–1981), we attempt to analyze the factors that seem to influence the outcomes of employer-initiated representation elections with an incumbent union. Variables in our analysis include size of the election unit, region, industrial classification, type of incumbent union, and the state of the local economy. While the data show a concentration of elections on the West Coast, there is no significant difference in the ability of unions there to “win” decertification elections.
Neutron study of magnetic moment distribution in Ni-Pt alloys

The average moments and the moment disturbances of ferromagnetic Ni-Pt alloys with concentrations of 20, 30, 40, 50, 55, and 57 at.% Pt have been measured by the magnetic diffuse scattering of neutrons. The data have been analyzed with the linear superposition model of Marshall including short-range order. The data have also been discussed in terms of Medina's chemical-magnetic environment model which assumes that the moment on an Ni atom is a function of the magnetic moments of the surrounding atoms and of its nearest chemical environment. The results show that the average Ni moment decreases with increasing Pt concentration, while Pt has an average moment of about half that of Ni. The moment disturbance functions, corrected for short-range order, show peaks in the forward direction corresponding to inhomogeneous-moment distributions which may be described as ferromagnetic clusters. The analysis of the data with the chemical-magnetic environment model shows that most of the moment disturbances are caused by the magnetic environment in accordance with other Ni-based alloys. An apparent difference in the macroscopic magnetization of these systems is attributed to differences in chemical short-range order rather than to a different mechanism for the onset of ferromagnetism.
Guidelines for conservative hysterectomy after irradiation

Abstract From September 1, 1954, through December 31, 1969, 155 patients with barrel-shaped endocervical carcinoma were treated with radiation followed by conservative extrafascial hysterectomy 6 weeks later. Thirteen patients developed fistulas involving the vagina and 5 patients developed bowel obstruction with an overall complication rate of a 11.6%. From January 1, 1970 through October 31, 1976, 102 patients were treated in a similar fashion. Only 4 patients developed severe complications. A critical review of the treatment features of the 15 patients who developed vaginal fistulas in both series identified pelvic inflammatory disease, blunt dissection, and excessive vaginal apex doses as contributing factors. The prerequisites for successful therapy without significant complications are absence of pelvic inflammatory changes before initiation of therapy, a conservative external radiation dose with cautious application and loading of the intracavitary system, meticulous surgical technique utilizing sharp dissection, and precautionary measures to avoid infection in the irradiated-operated pelvis during recuperation. Conservative extrafascial hysterectomy is adequate to encompass the disease if the patient has a true expanding endocervical barrel-shaped lesion, providing good protection against central failure.
Outrageous Fortune: The Risk of Suicide in Genetic Testing for Huntington Disease

Why do people kill themselves? In many cases we never know for certain, but it must usually mean that life has become unbearable. The “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” can no longer be tolerated, and suicide becomes a means to “take arms against a sea of troubles and, by opposing, end them” (Shakespeare's Hamlet, act III, scene I). For some persons, Huntington disease (HD) becomes one of those unbearable burdens. In his original description of the disease, George Huntington (1872) himself referred to HD as “that form of insanity that leads to suicide” (p.