cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lung cancer: Significance of place of diagnosis.

60Background: Patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer through emergency department tend to do poorly. We conducted a retrospective study to examine the effect of place of diagnosis on various cancer outcomes including survival, health care cost, and end-of-life (EOL) care. Methods: Patients who died from lung cancer between January 2015 and July 2017 were reviewed. Initial place of diagnosis was determined (Emergency Department/Urgent clinic (ED/UC) or Outpatient). Descriptive statistics, exact Pearson chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier method, and multivariable Cox regression model were used to compare the two groups. Results: 227 patients were included in the analysis. Median age at diagnosis was 65 years. 52% were male; 85% were white. 57% of patients were diagnosed through ED/UC, whereas 43% were diagnosed as part of an outpatient workup. Age, gender, race, and histology (small cell vs. non-small cell) did not vary significantly between the two groups. Rates of palliative care intervention and advance ...
Active-learning and materials design: the example of high glass transition temperature polymers

Machine-learning (ML) approaches have proven to be of great utility in modern materials innovation pipelines. Generally, ML models are trained on predetermined past data and then used to make predictions for new test cases. Active-learning, however, is a paradigm in which ML models can direct the learning process itself through providing dynamic suggestions/queries for the “next-best experiment.” In this work, the authors demonstrate how an active-learning framework can aid in the discovery of polymers possessing high glass transition temperatures (Tg). Starting from an initial small dataset of polymer Tg measurements, the authors use Gaussian process regression in conjunction with an active-learning framework to iteratively add Tg measurements of candidate polymers to the training dataset. The active-learning framework employs one of three decision making strategies (exploitation, exploration, or balanced exploitation/exploration) for selection of the “next-best experiment.” The active-learning workflow terminates once 10 polymers possessing a Tg greater than a certain threshold temperature are selected. The authors statistically benchmark the performance of the aforementioned three strategies (against a random selection approach) with respect to the discovery of high-Tg polymers for this particular demonstrative materials design challenge.
Disparities in access to cancer surgery after Medicaid expansion.

Abstract Introduction The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded Medicaid eligibility to persons with income up to 138% of the federal poverty line. We investigated how Medicaid expansion (ME) impacted the access to cancer-specific surgical care in the US. Methods We used a nationwide population-based database (SEER) to identify patients with the 8 most prevalent cancers between 2007 and 2015. Adjusted difference-in-differences (DiD) and multivariate regression were used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 1,008,074 patients were included. Patients post-ME were diagnosed at an earlier stage (pre-ME, 27.6%; post-ME, 31.1%; P Conclusion After ME, the population without insurance coverage decreased. This was associated with earlier cancer diagnosis and improved access to surgery in patients from economically disadvantaged communities.
A Fault Tolerant Control Design for Actuator Fault Mitigation in Quadrotor UAVs

This paper proposes a fault tolerant control (FTC) design for quadrotor UAVs subject to actuator faults. Its main objective is to ensures fixed time estimation and finite time accommodation of actuator faults. Timely fault estimation is achieved using a disturbance observer, and fault tolerance is attained using a Backstepping Integral Nonsingular Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Controller (BINFT-SMC). This latter is designed to ensure fast and global finite time stability of the states even when faults occur. Stability analysis of the system is carried over using the Lyapunov theory. The proposed approach was implemented to the AscTec Pelican quadrotor and assessed under partial actuator Loss of Effectiveness (LOE) faults and disturbances. The obtained results showed that the proposed approach was able to quickly accommodate faults without suffering performance degradation.
The Longevity of Sustainable Vineyard Practices

Joelle Ainsley (name disguised at her request), a vineyard manager in California’s Central Coast, was concerned with the environmental impact of the conventional farming techniques used at her vineyards. She wondered if she could make her vineyards sustainable and leverage the increase in consumer demand for organic products. Considering that sustainability might be more expensive and time consuming to execute than conventional farming, Ainsley brought on a research team to examine the effects of sustainable practices. The team attempted to quantify the environmental and wine quality benefits. With data in hand, Ainsley must decide how to balance her desire to farm sustainably with the increased costs and unknown benefits of doing so. This case examines sustainable farming practices, looks at the cost and quality of sustainably grown grapes compared with conventional farming, and explores consumer attitudes toward organically produced wine. The case includes preliminary data that indicates increased soil health but no discernable increase in quality to the fruit or wine chemistry.
Role of renal doppler spectral study in detecting allograft dysfunction in early post-transplant period

Doppler sonography is routinely used to assess global and segmental perfusion abnormalities in renal allograft. However, its utility in distinguishing between the causes of allograft dysfunction is unclear, and information is lacking on the outcomes of allografts with abnormal findings. In this single center study, we retrospectively reviewed the records of pediatric allograft recipients who underwent Doppler spectral study within 3 weeks of transplantation. Resistive index (RI) of >0.7 was considered abnormal. Serum creatinine at the time of Doppler and at 3-month follow-up was documented. Among 34 children transplanted over 5 years, delayed graft function (DGF) was observed in 36% of allografts. RI was significantly higher for allografts with DGF than those without DGF (0.85 ± 0.17 vs. 0.69 ± 0.10; P = 0.004). Serum creatinine was significantly higher for allografts with abnormal than normal Doppler. However, there was no significant association between RI and the underlying histopathology. RI at the level of segmental (r = 0.62) and arcuate arteries (r = 0.55) correlated well with serum creatinine. Allografts with high and normal RI had comparable serum creatinine at 3-month follow-up (median [interquartile range] 0.65 [0.6, 0.9] vs. 0.7 [0.65, 0.8]; P = 0.98).
Multi-class semantic segmentation of pediatric chest radiographs

Chest radiographs are a common diagnostic tool in pediatric care, and several computer-augmented decision tasks for radiographs would benefit from knowledge of the anatomic locations within the thorax. For example, a pre-segmented chest radiograph could provide context for algorithms designed for automatic grading of catheters and tubes. This work develops a deep learning approach to automatically segment chest radiographs into multiple regions to provide anatomic context for future automatic methods. This type of segmentation offers challenging aspects in its goal of multi-class segmentation with extreme class imbalance between regions. In an IRB-approved study, pediatric chest radiographs were collected and annotated with custom software in which users drew boundaries around seven regions of the chest: left and right lung, left and right subdiaphragm, spine, mediastinum, and carina. We trained a U-Net-style architecture on 328 annotated radiographs, comparing model performance with various combinations of loss functions, weighting schemes, and data augmentation. On a test set of 70 radiographs, our best-performing model achieved 93.8% mean pixel accuracy and a mean Dice coefficient of 0.83. We find that (1) cross-entropy consistently outperforms generalized Dice loss, (2) light augmentation, including random rotations, improves overall performance, and (3) pre-computed pixel weights that account for class frequency provide small performance boosts. Overall, our approach produces realistic eight-class chest segmentations that can provide anatomic context for line placement and potentially other medical applications.
Fusion-induced fission measurements with the MUSIC active target detector

The rapid neutron capture process (r-process ) is believed to be responsible for about half of the production of the elements heavier than iron and it may also contribute to abundances of some lighter nuclides. Great excitement was recently generated by evidence for r-process nucleosynthesis in binary neutron star mergers via multi-wavelength observations of kilonova emission and gravitational waves. In order to interpret the observations and validate theoretical predictions, an understanding of the fission process, in particular of the evolution of fission barrier heights, is needed. An experimental study of fusioninduced fission cross sections using active-target detectors is a promising idea since the fission excitation function can be studied with a single beam energy. The Multi-Sampling Ionization Chamber (MUSIC ) is an active-target detector in which a gas serves as both, counting gas and target nuclei. A proof-of principle experiment to explore the ability to identify fission events with MUSIC was recently performed at Argonne National Laboratory. In this work, ideas, results and perspectives will be discussed.
The Pursuit of Being: Reflections on Blackness

The Black Register calls for the uprooting of a world structured by the systems of oppression imposed by whiteness throughout the centuries. Colonialism, imperialism, and racism have long been weaponized against black-skinned peoples, denying them life and voice. In this book review, the author analyzes Tendayi Sithole’s propositions to establish a new world system where blackness will not be lifeless or voiceless anymore.
Anger, Lamentation, and Common Ground:

This essay argues that the Catholic Common Ground Initiative, founded twenty-five years ago, needs to shift focus to deal with the pervasiveness of anger among American Catholics. Instead of strivi...
Association of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion with the diagnosis and treatment of clinically localized melanoma: A National Cancer Database study

Background The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion is associated with earlier diagnosis and improved care among lower socioeconomic status populations with cancer, but its impact on melanoma is undefined. Objective To determine the association of Medicaid expansion with stage of diagnosis and use of sentinel lymph node biopsy in nonelderly adult patients with newly diagnosed clinically localized melanoma. Methods Quasi-experimental, difference-in-differences retrospective cohort analysis using data from the National Cancer Database from 2010 to 2017. Patients from expansion versus nonexpansion states and diagnosed before (2010-2013) versus after (2014-2017) expansion were identified. Results Of 83,322 patients, 46.6% were female, and the median age was 55 years (interquartile range, 49-60). After risk adjustment, Medicaid expansion was associated with a decrease in the diagnosis of T1b stage or higher melanoma (odds ratio [OR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88-0.98; P = .011) and decrease in uninsured status (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.52-0.72; P Limitations Retrospective study using a national database. Conclusion In this study of patients with clinically localized melanoma, Medicaid expansion was associated with a decrease in the diagnosis of later T-stage tumors.
Reverse inequalities

There are reverse inequalities for square functions of differences arising in ergodic theory and differentiation of functions. For example, it is shown that if An is the usual average in ergodic theory, and (nk∶k=1,2,3,...) is an increasing lacunary sequence with no non-trivial common divisor, then one has for any p, 1<p<∞, there is a constant Cp such that for all f∃ Lp(X), $$\left\| f \right\|_p \leqslant C_p \left\| {\left( {\sum\limits_{k = 1}^\infty {\left| {A_{n_k } f - A_{n_{k + 1} } f} \right|^2 } } \right)^{1/2} } \right\|_p $$ .
A Review of Selected Corporate Tax Privileges

The term tax expenditure is commonly used to describe both tax privileges granted to politically favored special interests and also patches to the income tax system that address economic inefficiencies. This paper focuses on the difference between tax provisions that should be labeled as tax expenditures (i.e., tax privileges) and those, if properly accounted for, that should not be counted as tax expenditures at all (i.e., those that address economic inefficiencies). The distinction is illuminated through a review of selected corporate tax expenditures, which shows that almost 65 percent of corporate tax expenditures privilege certain activities or industries while excluding others. Cataloging tax expenditures by using a consumption baseline would allow policymakers to properly contextualize these expenditures as a form of privilege, economically indistinguishable from any other government subsidy.
High Breakdown Voltage MESFETs Integrated with SOI CMOS Technologies

The high-voltage, high-current, and RF applications of SOI MESFETs are reviewed. Seamless integration of the MESFETs with highly scaled CMOS technologies enables a variety of RF and mixed-signal applications that can be simulated using industry standard device models.
Coagulation changes following vasectomy: A study in primates * †

Thirty vasectomized rhesus monkeys were tested for changes in coagulation factors that might reflect an increased incidence of thrombosis. The results of tests on these monkeys were compared with results of tests on 18 control rhesus monkeys; there were no significant differences between control and vasectomized animals for any of the parameters tested. One vasectomized animal had increased levels of fibrin monomer in his plasma on repeated samples, but no evidence of thrombosis on postmortem examination.
Feasibility of Automatically Bootstrapping a Persian WordNet

In this paper we describe a proof-of-concept for the bootstrapping of a Persian WordNet. This effort was motivated by previous work done at Stanford University on bootstrapping an Arabic WordNet using a parallel corpus and an English WordNet. The principle of that work is based on the premise that paradigmatic relations are by nature deeply semantic, and as such, are likely to remain intact between languages. We performed our task on a Persian-English bilingual corpus of George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four. The corpus was neither aligned nor sense tagged, so it was necessary that these were undertaken first. A combination of manual and semiautomated methods were used to tag and sentence align the corpus. Actual mapping of English word senses onto Persian was done using automated techniques. Although Persian is written in Arabic script, it is an Indo-European language, while Arabic is a Central Semitic language. Despite their linguistic differences, we endeavor to test the applicability of the Stanford strategy to our task.
Whole mount electron microscopy of metaphase: I. Chromosomes and microtubules from mouse oocytes

Abstract A microtechnique of whole mount electron microscopy has been used to examine the chromosomes and microtubules at metaphase I in mouse oocytes. This study has yielded the following information: 1. 1. Regions of chiasmata or areas of terminalization in metaphase I chromosomes were characterized by an apparent interdigitation of chromatin fibres between non-sister chromatids. 2. 2. No remnants of the axial filaments or synaptonemal complexes were found in association with metaphase I chromosomes. They are completely discarded from the chromosomes by this stage of meiosis and presumably play no functional role at this time. 3. 3. Microtubules were 240 A in diameter and up to 12 μm or more in length. Bridges between microtubules were sometimes seen. 4. 4. Peculiar tree-like projections, observed on some microtubules, may represent either material of the spindle matrix attached to microtubules through sidearm bridges, or sites where subunits could be inserted into the microtubule. 5. 5. Individual microtubules have an inherent flexibility. The apparent rigidity of microtubules within the intact spindle may be a restraint forced upon them by microtubule bridges or intracellular conditions. 6. 6. Microtubules sometimes appeared to insert into a metaphase chromosome and at the point of penetration, chromatin fibres intermingled with the microtubules. The fine structure of the kinetochore is apparently lost during preparation. 7. 7. Microtubules have also been found in mitotic Chinese hamster fibroblasts prepared by a modification of the regular whole mount technique. These mitotic microtubules are morphologically similar to the meiotic microtubules from mouse oocytes. 8. 8. Centrioles were often present in the whole mount preparations of mitotic cells but they were not found in the meiotic cells.
Timing and size of blooms of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in relation to temperature in Narragansett Bay, RI

The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi is at the northern extreme of its geographic range in Narragansett Bay, an estuary on the northeast coast of the United States. Blooms have typically been observed in late summer and fall according to records from 1950 to 1979. We document an expansion of the seasonal range of this important planktonic predator to include springtime blooms during the 1980s and 1990s. This shift to an earlier seasonal maximum is associated with increasing water temperature in Narragansett Bay. Temperatures in spring have risen, on average, 2 °C from 1950 to 1999 with warm years being associated with the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. During 1999, M. leidyi appeared earlier in spring and was more abundant than during any previous year for which records are available. Changes in the seasonal pattern and abundance of this predator are likely to have important effects on planktonic ecosystem dynamics of Narragansett Bay. These include reduction of zooplankton abundance in spring followed by increases in size and frequency of summer phytoplankton blooms. Earlier blooms of M. leidyi may also reduce survival of eggs and larvae of fish because, as in 1999, they coincide with the period of peak spawning.
Security trumps efficiency: putting it into the curriculum

Security issues are becoming increasingly important due to market forces and recent legislation. Traditional techniques of teaching beginning programming leave students with dangerous habits, viewing security as an optional, add-on requirement. Incorporating a suite of security principles into first year textbooks would improve overall code security and prepare students better for their careers.
Growth of crystalline LaAlO3 by atomic layer deposition

Crystalline lanthanum aluminate (LAO) films were grown epitaxially on SrTiO 3 (001) and on Si(001) with a buffer layer of four unit cells of SrTiO 3 by atomic layer deposition. The SrTiO 3 buffer layer was grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Tris(N,N’-diisopropylformamidinate)-lanthanum, trimethylaluminum, and water as co-reactants were employed at 250 °C for atomic layer deposition. Films were characterized using ex-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction and in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-deposited LAO films were amorphous. Different annealing conditions were necessary to realize crystalline films because of different degrees of tensile strain between crystalline LAO and the SrTiO 3 or the Si(001) substrate. When grown on SrTiO 3 (001), with a lattice mismatch of 2.9%, annealing temperatures of 750 °C for 2 h were necessary. Crystalline films were realized at 600 °C under vacuum at 2 h for SrTiO 3 -buffered Si(001), with a lattice mismatch of 1.3%. By keeping the annealing temperature relatively low (2 h at 600 °C under vacuum), the interfacial amorphous layer at the STO/Si interface was minimized to about one monolayer and an abrupt interface between SrTiO 3 and LAO was maintained.
Quasi-Periodic Oscillations as a Probe of Galactic-Bulge X-Ray Sources

Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) with frquencies in the range 5–50 Hz have recently been discovered in X-rays from two bright galactic-bulge sources and from Sco X-1. A shot-noise model that provides a mathematical framework for analyzing the constraints imposed on physical models by the observed power density spectra is described. A variety of physical models are then examined briefly. One of the most promising, the beat-frequency-modulated accretion model, is adopted as a working hypothesis to consider the clues it may provide concerning the galactic-bulge sources. Finally, some key observations are noted.
Enhanced recovery of Salmonella from apple cider and apple juice with universal preenrichment broth

A comparison was made of the relative efficiencies of Universal Preenrichment (UP) broth and lactose broth for the recovery of a variety of Salmonella serovars from pasteurized and unpasteurized apple cider and pasteurized apple juice. Bulk portions of juice were contaminated with single Salmonella serovars at high and low levels of 0.4 and 0.04 CFU/mL, respectively. The juice was aged for a minimum of 5 days at 2-5 degrees C. On the day analysis was initiated, each of 20 test portions (25 mL) of the contaminated juice was preenriched in UP broth and in lactose broth. The Bacteriological Analytical Manual Salmonella culture method was followed thereafter. For pasteurized apple cider, UP broth recovered significantly (p < 0.05) more Salmonella-positive test portions than did lactose broth (112 and 75, respectively). For unpasteurized apple cider, UP broth recovered significantly more Salmonella-positive test portions than did lactose broth (326 and 221, respectively). For pasteurized apple juice, UP broth recovered more Salmonella-positive test portions than did lactose broth (93 and 81, respectively). However, this difference was not statistically significant. These results indicate that UP broth should replace lactose broth for the analysis of pasteurized and unpasteurized apple cider and pasteurized apple juice.
Factors influencing the diameter of human anterior and posterior intercostal arteries.

At present, there have not been any detailed studies examining the size relationships of the intercostal arteries. This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between the vessel lumenal diameter of ipsilateral, paired anterior and posterior IC arteries, as well as with the length of the IC space supplied by each artery. Samples were collected from the second-sixth anterior and posterior IC arteries near their site of origin, and the lengths of the corresponding IC spaces were measured in 42 cadavers. Lumenal diameters of both the anterior and posterior IC arteries at consecutive IC space closely followed second degree polynomial regression models (R2 = 0.9655, and R2 = 0.9741, respectively), and reached maximum size at the fifth IC space, which was found to be the longest of the IC spaces. No direct relationship was observed between diameters of the paired anterior and posterior IC arteries, although there was a trend for the larger anterior IC arteries to be paired with the larger posterior IC arteries. The calculated rate of blood flow at each IC artery was approximately two-fold greater in males than in females. These results suggest that the length of the IC space, and hence the extent of the thoracic wall supplied, is a major factor in determining the diameter of both anterior and posterior IC arteries. Since COPD is such a prevalent disease, this study also examined its influence on the IC arteries, and found that the posterior IC arteries are significantly larger among afflicted subjects. Clin. Anat. 28:219–226, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multitemporal ALSM change detection, sediment delivery, and process mapping at an active earthflow

Remote mapping and measurement of surface processes at high spatial resolution is among the frontiers in Earth surface process research. Remote measurements that allow meter-scale mapping of landforms and quantification of landscape change can revolutionize the study of landscape evolution on human timescales. At Mill Gulch in northern California, USA, an active earthflow was surveyed in 2003 and 2007 by airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM), enabling meter-scale quantification of landscape change. We calculate four-year volumetric flux from the earthflow and compare it to long-term catchment average erosion rates from cosmogenic radionuclide inventories from adjacent watersheds. We also present detailed maps of changing features on the earthflow, from which we can derive velocity estimates and infer dominant process. These measurements rely on proper digital elevation model (DEM) generation and a simple surface-matching technique to align the multitemporal data in a manner that eliminates systematic error in either dataset. The mean surface elevation of the earthflow and an opposite slope that was directly influenced by the earthflow decreased 14 ± 1 mm/yr from 2003 to 2007. By making the conservative assumption that these features were the dominant contributor of sediment flux from the entire Mill Gulch drainage basin during this time interval, we calculate a minimum catchment-averaged erosion rate of 0·30 ± 0·02 mm/yr. Analysis of beryllium-10 (10Be) concentrations in fluvial sand from nearby Russian Gulch and the South Fork Gualala River provide catchment averaged erosion rates of 0·21 ± 0·04 and 0·23 ± 0·03 mm/yr respectively. From translated landscape features, we can infer surface velocities ranging from 0·5 m/yr in the wide upper ‘source’ portion of the flow to 5 m/yr in the narrow middle ‘transport’ portion of the flow. This study re-affirms the importance of mass wasting processes in the sediment budgets of uplifting weak lithologies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Primary small bowel carcinoid tumor with bilateral breast metastases: report of 2 cases with different clinical presentations.

Abstract Context.—Carcinoid tumor metastatic to the breast is uncommon and can closely mimic a mammary carcinoma. The differentiation of metastatic carcinoid tumor from primary breast tumor is important, however, owing to different clinical management and prognosis. Objective.—The purpose of this study was to describe 2 patients with bilateral metastatic carcinoid tumors to the breast with different clinical manifestations. Design.—We examined the radiological, clinical, cytologic, histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features of these 2 cases. Results.—In case 1, the tumor presented initially as a stellate mass on mammogram and was diagnosed as grade II infiltrating ductal carcinoma. It was only after the discovery of small intestinal, liver, ovarian, and contralateral breast masses, as well as careful morphologic and immunohistochemical evaluations, that the true nature of the tumor was realized. In case 2, the tumor initially presented as a small intestinal tumor with liver metastases a...
Immersion in a Digital Pool: Training Prospective Online Instructors in Online Environments

This article argues that the online environment is optimal for teaching prospective instructors how to develop and implement online courses. To support this claim, the author draws on hypertext theories to define the online course archive as a constructive hypertext and to describe the work the course archive is able to do when used to instruct prospective online instructors. The claim is further supported through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of a course archive.
Transdermal Patch Drug Delivery Interactions with Exercise

Transdermal drug delivery systems, such as the transdermal patch, continue to be a popular and convenient way to administer medications. There are currently several medications that use a transdermal patch drug delivery system. This article describes the potential untoward side effects of increased drug absorption through the use of a transdermal patch in individuals who exercise or participate in sporting events. Four studies have been reported that demonstrate a significant increase in the plasma concentration of nitroglycerin when individuals exercise compared with rest. Likewise, several case reports and two studies have been conducted that demonstrate nicotine toxicity and increased plasma nicotine while wearing a nicotine patch in individuals who exercise or participate in sporting events compared with rest. Healthcare providers, trainers and coaches should be aware of proper transdermal patch use, especially while exercising, in order to provide needed information to their respective patients and athletes to avoid potential untoward side effects. Particular caution should be given to individuals who participate in an extreme sporting event of long duration. Further research that includes more medications is needed in this area.
Diurnal differences and adrenal involvement in calmodulin stimulation of hippocampal adenylate cyclase activity.

Abstract Calciam/calmodulin-dependent processes are altered by manipulations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and are associated with changes in synaptic efficacy in the hippocampus, such as long-term potentiation. Recent evidence indicates that there are diurnal variations in the threshold for long-term potentiation, as well as diverse effects of the adrenals and of adrenal steroids on electrical activity related to long-term potentiation. In order to probe possible mechanisms underlying these observations, we investigated the effects of the diurnal cycle, as well as adrenalectomy (ADX) and adrenal demedullation on adenylate cyclase activity. In hippocampal, but not cortical, membranes the adenylate cyclase response to calmodulin was higher during the beginning of the dark phase of the cycle, when endogenous corticosterone levels are high. Basal and forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity did not exhibit diurnal variation in either brain region. ADX (6 and 14 days) depressed the adenylate cyclase response to calmodulin in hippocampal membranes, and abolished the diurnal difference. ADX had smaller effects on this response in cortical membranes. ADX also attenuated basal and forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, but these changes were less striking than effects on calmodulin-stimulated activity. Demedullation (14 days), generating corticosterone levels in the low physiological range, mirrored the effects of ADX on hippocampal adenylate cyclase activity. Corticosterone (20 to 25 mug/ml in the drinking water) did not consistently prevent ADX effects on adenylate cyclase activity. These results demonstrate that adrenal effects on adenylate case activity are regionally specific within the brain, and they suggest that other adrenal secretions besides glucocorticoids may be involved in the feedback of the diurnal rhythm on the hippocampus. Taken together with our recent finding that chronic stress or corticosterone injection selectively attenuated the adenylate cyclase response to calmodulin in cortical, but not hippocampal membranes our findings provide further support for a role of the pituitary-adrenal axis in modulating neural calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase activity.
Interfraction displacement of primary tumor and involved lymph nodes relative to anatomic landmarks in image guided radiation therapy of locally advanced lung cancer.

Purpose To analyze primary tumor (PT) and lymph node (LN) position changes relative to each other and relative to anatomic landmarks during conventionally fractionated radiation therapy for patients with locally advanced lung cancer. Methods and Materials In 12 patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer PT, LN, carina, and 1 thoracic vertebra were manually contoured on weekly 4-dimensional fan-beam CT scans. Systematic and random interfraction displacements of all contoured structures were identified in the 3 cardinal directions, and resulting setup margins were calculated. Time trends and the effect of volume changes on displacements were analyzed. Results Three-dimensional displacement vectors and systematic/random interfraction displacements were smaller for carina than for vertebra both for PT and LN. For PT, mean (SD) 3-dimensional displacement vectors with carina-based alignment were 7 (4) mm versus 9 (5) mm with bony anatomy ( P P P= .002) alignment compared with using PT for setup (8 [5] mm). Primary tumor and LN displacements relative to bone and carina were independent ( P> .05). Displacements between PT and bone ( P =.04) and between PT and LN ( P =.01) were significantly correlated with PT volume regression. Displacements between LN and carina were correlated with LN volume change ( P =.03). Conclusions Carina-based setup results in a more reproducible PT and LN alignment than bony anatomy setup. Considering the independence of PT and LN displacement and the impact of volume regression on displacements over time, repeated CT imaging even with PT-based alignment is recommended in locally advanced disease.
Pharmacological studies with some new antihypertensive aminoquinazolines.

4 neue Aminoquinazolin-Derivate, die den Blutdruck von Hunden und Katzen herabsetzen, werden beschrieben. Ihre wirksamen Dosen liegen im Bereiche von 20 bis 300µg/kg peroral. Diese Substanzen setzen den peripheren Widerstand herab und reduzieren die blutdrucksteigernde Wirkung von Adrenalin, unterscheiden sich aber von den typischenα-Sympatholytika.
Mutual control of goal attainment: A “new” look at feedback in human communication

The writer argues that the concepts of human communication feedback that are prominent in empirical research are inconsistent with the leading theoretical concepts and do not advance our understanding of communication. After briefly describing and comparing empirical and theoretical treatments of feedback, the concept of mutual control of goal attainment is discussed and illustrated as an alternate way of conceiving feedback. If communication is seen as a feedback process, the conceptual barrenness that has accompanied much feedback research could be avoided.
Surface Area and Anchorage‐Dependent Growth of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

Cell growth can be affected by many factors. For study of the cell responses under various environmental changes, the traditional method using batch cultures may not provide precise answers. It sometimes even leads to misapprehension. A flow system was therefore designed to eliminate the variations in chemical environment during the cell growth. An anchorage Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line was chosen for study under this system. With the help of time-lapse video recording and image analysis, it was found that the exposed surface area (Ae) of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was significantly affected by the serum concentration (S) in the medium. Cells appeared to be larger when cultivated in medium of low serum content. Comparing the growth rates of cells on different substrata, we have found that, although they were different at a given serum concentration, the growth curves could be correlated to a Monod type equation by replacing the substrate term with AeS. Furthermore, when we studied the effect of density-dependent inhibition of cell growth, we found that there exists a minimum value of AeS required for stimulating cell proliferation. Once AeS falls below this value, cell proliferation stops. These observations seemed to indicate that the interaction between serum factors and cell surface, i.e., AeS, is an important parameter of the growth of CHO cells.
Rhabdomyosarcoma presenting as an anterior neck mass and possible thyroid malignancy in a seven-month-old

A seven-month-old male presented with a one month history of an enlarging left neck mass and worsening inspiratory stridor. Upon excision of the mass, pathologic examination was consistent with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Preoperative imaging and intraoperative exploration were consistent with tumor replacing the left lobe of the thyroid. No cases of either anterior neck rhabdomyosarcoma or thyroid rhabdomyosarcoma have been explicitly described in the literature. The distinction between the two malignancies becomes important when considering prognosis and treatment protocols.
Mechanism for Control of HydroxymethylglutaryL Coenzyme A Reductase and Cytochrome P-450 Side Chain Cleavage Message and Enzyme in the Corpus Luteum

The present study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism for control of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase and cytochrome P-450 side chain cleavage (P-450scc), enzymes involved in the synthesis and processing of cholesterol in the corpus luteum of pregnant rats. The role of sterol and estradiol were investigated by administering 4-aminopyrazolo-[3,4d]pyrimidine (4-APP), aminoglutethimide and/or estradiol to day 12 hypophysectomized-hysterectomized pregnant rats. Estradiol treatment markedly increased mRNA levels of HMG-CoA reductase in the corpus luteum. This stimulatory effect of estradiol was specific for the reductase since the mRNA for luteal P-450scc did not increase following estradiol treatment. To determine whether estradiol's action on HMGCoA reductase mRNA was mediated by changes in cellular free cholesterol, the separate and combined action of estradiol and either 4-APP or aminoglutethimide on both sterol content and HMG-CoA reductase expression was examined. The estradio...
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA AND PROTEIN DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN HYBRIDIZING CYTOTYPES OF THE WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE, PEROMYSCUS LEUCOPUS.

Restriction-enzyme analysis of mitochondrial DNA and protein electrophoresis were used to document patterns of gene flow across a hybrid zone between chromosomal races of Peromyscus leucopus. Chromosomal markers (three inversions) are such that individuals can be classified as potential F,'s, backcrosses, or parental types. Allozymic characterization of the hybrid zone is congruent with the chromosomal data (Stangl, 1986) and indicates an assymetrical distri- bution of markers, with the northeastern markers being distributed at a higher frequency into southwestern populations. Restriction patterns of mtDNA suggest that the two cytotypes may have had different evolutionary histories, and the distribution of haplotypes is concordant with other genetic markers used to identify the hybrid zone. Concordant changes in chromosomes, allozymes, and mtDNA suggest that the most viable hypothesis for the origin of the zone is secondary contact. A unique aspect of this study is that the same individuals were used for protein electrophoresis, mtDNA analysis, and chromosomal analysis. Thus, patterns of genetic variation can be interpreted free of any historical bias associated with samples collected at different times.
A natural history of melanoma: serial gene expression analysis

Abstract Ena Wang and Francesco Marincola propose a novel strategy whereby tumor–host interactions are studied within the melanoma microenvironment by serial gene expression analysis. Methodological constraints and ways to circumvent them are discussed. This approach might improve our understanding of the molecular basis of tumor regression in response to immune manipulation.
The natural occurrence of insulin receptors in groups on adipocyte plasma membranes as demonstrated with monomeric ferritin-insulin.

This study was designed to document whether the reported distribution of insulin receptors in small groups of receptor sites randomly distributed in the glycocalyx of adipocytes and isolated adipocyte plasma membranes was a naturally occurring phenomena or due to artifacts. Possible artifacts include: (1) oligomeric forms of ferritin in the ferritin-insulin preparation, (2) an uneven distribution of the glycocalyx on the plasma membrane, or (3) ligand-induced aggregation of occupied receptor complexes. Biogel A 1.5m chromatography of the ferritin-insulin conjugate revealed the ferritin in the ferritin-insulin complex to consist of 55% monomers, 15% dimers, and 30% oligomers. The monomer peak was purified (> 95%) for use in these studies. Cationic ferritin, a glycocalyx marker, when incubated with paraformaldehyde-fixed plasma membranes, was found to be uniformly distributed on the surface of the plasma membrane indicative of uniformly distributed glycocalyx. The ability to demonstrate and inhibit ligand-induced aggregation on the isolated plasma membrane was established with a multivalent ligand, ferritin-concanavalin A. More than 66% of the ferritin-concanavalin A receptors were found in large clusters of 5 or more and 34% as singletons or clusters of up to 4 when incubated at 24°C with fresh membranes. Only 38% of the ferritin-concanavalin A receptors were in large clusters; 62% were singletons or clusters up to 4 on membranes prefixed with paraformaldehyde before incubation. The distribution of the monomeric ferritin-insulin was similar on both adipocytes and purified adipocyte plasma membranes and was consistent with earlier reports with ferritin-insulin. The quantitative distribution of the monomeric ferritin-insulin as singletons or in groups of 2–6 was comparable between the intact cells and isolated membranes incubated at 24°C. The binding of 500 μUnits monomeric ferritin-insulin per ml to the isolated plasma membranes was studied under incubation conditions similar to those used with ferritin-concanavalin A. Under all three conditions, fresh membranes at 24°C and 0–4°C and prefixed membranes at 24°C, the pattern of distribution of the monomeric ferritin-insulin as singletons or groups of 2–6 was identical, indicating that the ligand was not causing aggregation into clusters as did the concanavalin A. Thus, the occurrence of insulin receptors in small groups appears to be a natural phenomenon in the plasma membrane structure of adipocytes.
Ab initio studies of the cubic boron nitride (1 1 0) surface

Abstract The surface structure, surface energy, and work function of the cubic boron nitride (1 1 0) surface were determined using density functional theory calculations. The surface energy calculated using the LDA (GGA) is 3.41 (2.81) J/m 2 and the work function is 7.75 (8.9) eV. The surface energy values correspond well to published measured and calculated values of other binary compound ceramics, whereas the work function values are higher than that seen in other binary compound ceramics. The density of states of the surface was analyzed to determine the electron transitions involved in the work function. Geometry minimization of the stoichiometric BN (1 1 0) surface results in a simple reconstruction where pairs of adjacent boron and nitrogen atoms reduce their bond length by ∼0.12 A, compared to the perfect crystal. Relaxations occur as small oscillations in the (1 1 0) inter-planar spacings that decay to zero after five atomic layers. Oscillations are more pronounced for the boron atoms than the nitrogen atoms, and the final surface has the nitrogen atoms about 0.2 A higher than the boron atoms. These reconstructions and relaxations are similar to that found in other III–V zincblende materials. Adjacent boron and nitrogen atoms at the surface are more covalently bonded than in the bulk.
Intrapleural bupivacaine ν saline after thoracotomy—effects on pain and lung function—a double-blind study

The effects of intrapleural (IP) bupivacaine on pain, morphine requirement, and pulmonary function were evaluated in 15 patients for 24 hours after thoracotomy. An IP catheter was placed during surgery. Patients were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive 1.5 mg/kg of 0.5% bupivacaine IP or saline on two occasions, eight hours apart. A standard anesthetic with thiopental, oxygen, isoflurane, and nondepolarizing muscle relaxant was given. Pain was evaluated with a visual analog pain score every hour, and forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PF), and forced expiratory flow 25% to 75% (FEF) were measured 1, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours postoperatively as well as before and 30 minutes after each IP injection. Arterial blood gases were sampled 1, 2, 8, and 24 hours postoperatively. Plasma bupivacaine concentrations were measured in 10 patients 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after IP injection. With each IP bupivacaine injection, the pain score and morphine requirement decreased. There was a significant improvement in all pulmonary function tests in the patients receiving bupivacaine, but no change in the saline controls. The analgesic effect was shortlived (two to five hours), possibly because of loss of bupivacaine in the chest drains. No differences were seen between the two groups after the effect of IP bupivacaine had worn off. Plasma bupivacaine levels had a Cmax of 0.44 to 1.50 micrograms/mL, with a Tmax at 5 to 30 minutes with levels well below 2 to 4 micrograms/mL where increasing toxicity is seen.
Calcium-binding proteins in the chick Edinger Westphal nucleus

Abstract It has been suggested that the calcium-binding proteins, parvalbumin and calbindin-D28K, are involved in the control of intracellular calcium levels but their exact functions are unknown. Immunoreactivity for parvalbumin has been associated with rapidly firing cells, while calbindin has been implicated in protecting neurons from excitotoxicity. Since the chick Edinger Westphal nucleus contains two populations of neurons with different firing patterns5, parvalbumin and calbindin immunoreactivities were examined in the Edinger Westphal nuclei of posthatch chicks to determine wheter a particular subpopulation of neurons is associated with either protein. Moderate levels of parvalbumin immunoreactivity were found consistently associated with repetitively firing neurons in the lateral Edinger Westphal nucleus. In contrast, medial neurons expressed much lower levels of parvalbumin immunoreactivity. Many medial neurons were negative for parvalbumin although occasionally a few medial neurons stained as strongly as lateral neurons. Definitive calbindin immunoreactivity was absent from Edinger Westphal nuclei despite robust staining of cells in other parts of the brainstem and in control sections of cerebellum.
The relative roles of physical education teachers and parents in adolescents' leisure-time physical activity motivation and behavior

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the relative contributions of perceived parent and physical education teacher autonomy support, involvement, and modeling to adolescent leisure-time physical activity motivation and behavior within the framework of self-determination theory. Design Cross-sectional survey. Method 161 Middle school students completed a paper survey which assessed the study variables. Results Three sets of models were tested that examined the relationships of autonomy support, involvement, and modeling from mothers, fathers, and physical education teachers to adolescent leisure-time physical activity self-determined motivation and behavior. In the models, each social support variable had a significant, positive, direct relationship to motivation, and a significant, positive, indirect relationship to physical activity behavior mediated by motivation. Further, the relationships between social support from each significant other and motivation were of similar magnitude. Conclusions Mothers and fathers both play modest, yet significant roles in their adolescent’s leisure-time physical activity motivation. Additionally, physical education teachers, although not present in the leisure-time physical activity context, serve an equally important role in supporting adolescents’ leisure-time physical activity. Lastly, adolescent self-determined motivation for leisure-time physical activity is a strong determinant of self-reported leisure-time physical activity behavior.