cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation and evaluation of an advisement program focused on academic and career development.

Abstract Introduction This research evaluated a formal academic and career advisement program implemented in a doctor of pharmacy program, which included a “Meet Your Advisor” luncheon and required faculty advisement sessions with an assigned faculty member. Methods The advising experience of students from two cohorts of first-year pharmacy students who received the formal advisement program (referred to as advisement cohort 1 and advisement cohort 2) were compared to the experience of a cohort of second-year students who entered prior to the formal advisement program (referred to as the pre-advisement cohort). All students completed a survey with both quantitative and qualitative questions regarding the advisement program. Results Our research demonstrates that the formal advisement program was successful at ensuring that nearly all students receive personalized advisement. In the pre-advisement cohort 65% of students reported receiving individual advisement, while 94% of students in advisement cohort 1 reported individual advisement and 95% in advisement cohort 2. Advisement cohort 2 responded similarly to the pre-advisement cohort on many of the advisement scales, especially the developing understanding scales, which provided evidence that two years after making the advisement program mandatory, students were having similar experiences to the smaller group of students who self-selected to receive advisement. Conclusions A formal advisement program can be developed to include all students. Our research provides evidence that it may take time for the changes to be impactful and suggests the importance of faculty development.
Promyelocytic Blast Crisis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in a Patient Undergoing Therapy with a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor.

A 58-year-old male with the chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), bosutinib, since the past two years, presented with bright red bleeding per rectum and disseminated intravascular coagulation. A bone marrow biopsy reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed a promyelocytic blast crisis, with leukemic cells displaying both BCR/ABL and PML/RARα chimeric genes. Cytogenetic studies revealed translocations of both t(15;17) and t(9;22). With the initiation of all-trans retinoic acid, arsenic trioxide and gemtuzumab, the patient achieved remission, with absent PML/RARα by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. This case highlights the importance of long-term monitoring of patients with CML, especially those on TKIs, for the development of secondary leukemias in the future.
Disparities in Genetic Testing and Care Among Black Women with Hereditary Breast Cancer

Despite a steady improvement in breast cancer survival rates over the past several decades, mortality disparities remain among Black women, who have a 42% higher death rate compared to non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. Hereditary breast cancer (HBC) accounts for 5–10% of all breast cancer cases, the majority of which are due to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA) genes. Despite the availability of BRCA testing for over 25 years, there remain disproportionately lower rates of genetic testing among Blacks compared to NHW due to a multitude of factors. The intent of this review is to discuss racial disparities focused on HBC across diverse populations and review the existing gaps to be addressed when delivering gene-based care. The factors contributing to the racial survival disparity are undoubtedly complex and likely an interplay between tumor biology, genomics, patterns of care, and socioeconomic factors. Advances in genomic technologies that now allow for full characterization of germline DNA sequencing are integral in defining the complex and multifactorial cause of breast cancer and may help to explain the existing racial survival disparities. Identification of inherited cancer risk may lead to cancer prevention, early cancer detection, treatment guidance, and ultimately has great potential to improve outcomes. Consequently, advances in HBC diagnosis and treatment without widespread implementation have the potential to further widen the existing breast cancer mortality gap between Black and NHW women.
Smartphone Control for People with Tetraplegia by Decoding Wearable Electromyography with an On-Device Convolutional Neural Network

People with high-level cervical spinal cord injury can have significant impairments in their ability to control their environment, including challenges operating a smartphone or navigating a power wheelchair. Smartphones are often controlled using a mouth stick and mobility is controlled using either a head array or sip-and-puff control system. A wearable system that allows continuous, multi-dimensional control of both smartphones and mobility based on the intuitive movement of cervically-innervated muscles with intact volitional activation could provide an improvement in quality of life for this population. Here I present a number of steps towards this including 1) a Bluetooth connected 8-channel, wearable electromyography sensor, 2) a neural network running on a smartphone that allows continuous two-dimensional control, and 3) rapid training of the neural network by calibrating to self-selected movements. This system was validated on two participants with a cervical spinal cord injury.
LIFTING THE VEIL OF DUST FROM NGC 0959: THE IMPORTANCE OF A PIXEL-BASED TWO-DIMENSIONAL EXTINCTION CORRECTION

ABSTRACTWe present the results of a study of the late-type spiral galaxy NGC 0959, before and after application of thepixel-based dust extinction correction described in Tamura et al. (Paper I). Galaxy Evolution Explorer far-UV,and near-UV, ground-based Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, UBVR , and Spitzer/ Infrared Array Camera3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μ m images are studied through pixel color–magnitude diagrams and pixel color–colordiagrams (pCCDs). We deﬁne groups of pixels based on their distribution in a pCCD of ( B − 3.6 μ m)versus (FUV − U ) colors after extinction correction. In the same pCCD, we trace their locations beforethe extinction correction was applied. This shows that selecting pixel groups is not meaningful when usingcolors uncorrected for dust. We also trace the distribution of the pixel groups on a pixel coordinate map ofthe galaxy. We ﬁnd that the pixel-based (two-dimensional) extinction correction is crucial for revealing thespatial variations in the dominant stellar population, averaged over each resolution element. Different types andmixtures of stellar populations, and galaxy structures such as a previously unrecognized bar, become readilydiscernible in the extinction-corrected pCCD and as coherent spatial structures in the pixel coordinate map.
An Efficient Accelerated Learning Algorithm For Tracking Of Unknown, Spatially Correlated Signals In Ad-Hoc Wireless Sensor Networks

An efficient accelerated learning algorithm is proposed and discussed for tracking of spatially correlated signals in ad-hoc wireless sensor networks. The proposed algorithm is low-cost and computationally efficient. It models an unknown, spatially correlated signal using a number of its contour lines at equally spaced levels. In the proposed algorithm, each sensor is modeled as one neuron in a neural network. The accelerated learning’s agent is implemented at the fusion center (FC). The algorithm is performed in two phases of spatial modeling and spatial tracking. In spatial modeling phase that accelerated learning is implemented, the algorithm discovers the model parameters. In spatial tracking phase, the model parameters are updated to track the varying, unknown spatial signal. Those sensors (neurons) that their observation are in a given margin of at least one of the contour levels, report their filtered observations to the FC. The FC updates the model parameters based on the reported observations and returns the model features to the sensor network for the next iteration step. The performance evaluation results show that the proposed accelerated learning is low cost and converges faster than single layer machine learning approach. The modeling performance, convergence speed and the cost of the proposed algorithm are compared with those of single layer machine learning algorithm. The algorithm is proposed for environmental monitoring.
The Curcumin Analog EF24 is Highly Active Against Chemotherapy- Resistant Melanoma Cells.

Background Malignant melanoma (MM) is an aggressive type of skin cancer with a poor prognosis, because MM cells are characterized by unresponsiveness to chemotherapy. Objective In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of several curcumin analogs on four MM cell lines (SK-MEL-28, MeWo, A-375, and CHL-1), and explored their underlying mechanisms of action. Methods Cell viability was measured by a Tetrazolium-based MTS assay. Cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and cell cycle were assayed by flow cytometry. Protein levels were assayed by western blotting. Results MM cells are quite resistant to the conventional chemotherapeutics cisplatin and dacarbazine, and the targeted therapy drug vemurafinib. Among the curcumin analogs, EF24 is the most potent compound against the resistant MM cells. EF24 dose- and time-dependently reduced the viability of MM cells by inducing apoptosis. Although EF24 did not increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), it upregulated the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress marker BiP, but downregulated the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling. Moreover, treatment of MM cells with EF24 downregulated the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, as well as the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) XIAP, cIAP1, and Birc7, which are known to protect MM cells from apoptosis. The downregulation of Bcl-2 and IAP expression by EF24 was associated with the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that EF24 is a potent anti-MM agent. The anti-MM effect is likely mediated by the suppression of UPR and the NF-κB pathway.
New Horizons -Addressing Healthcare Disparities in Endocrine Disease: Bias, Science, and Patient Care.

Unacceptable healthcare disparities in endocrine disease have persisted for decades, and 2021 presents a difficult evolving environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the gross structural inequities that drive health disparities, and anti-racism demonstrations remind us that the struggle for human rights continues. Increased public awareness and discussion of disparities present an urgent opportunity to advance health equity. However, it is more complicated to change the behavior of individuals and reform systems because societies are polarized into different factions that increasingly believe, accept, and live different realities.
FRET Sensors Reveal the Retinal Entry Pathway in the G Protein-Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin

The visual photoreceptor rhodopsin (Rho) represents a curious case among G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) because its primary ligand 11-cis-retinal (11CR) is an inverse agonist, which partitions into the bilayer and enters through an intermembranous pathway. Light activates Rho by converting 11CR to all-trans-retinal (ATR), which serves as an agonist ligand. We used genetic code expansion and bioorthogonal labeling to engineer Rho mutants that serve as FRET sensors for measuring 11CR binding kinetics and energetics. We found mutations that alter a channel between transmembrane helices 5 and 6 (TM5/6) dramatically affect 11CR binding kinetics, but not ATR release kinetics. Our data provide direct experimental evidence for 11CR entry between TM5/6 in Rho that involves dynamic allosteric control of the ligand entry channel. Our findings can be extended to other visual pigments and a wide range of GPCRs with hydrophobic ligands that are hypothesized to enter their binding pockets through transmembrane pores.
Interactive Simulation of Disease Contagion in Dynamic Crowds

We propose an agent-to-agent contagion-immunity formulation that can simulate detailed COVID-19 spreading within moving crowds. Specifically, we develop a diffusion-based disease contagion model for discrete systems that considers the effect of health interventions, such as social distancing, immunity, and vaccination. We integrate our contagion-immunity formulation with the governing equations of motion for crowd dynamics for investigating the distribution of disease in crowds with different numbers of people. For the same crowd simulation, our model can interactively simulate virus spread for different initial distributions of infected people. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first to simulate the disease contagion within moving crowds in computer graphics. Our numerical results for the number of infected people in unprotected dense crowds agree with the SIS model, while our model provides richer information for disease spread and shows that vaccination is the best health intervention to prevent infection.
Trust and Automation: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis

With the development of machine learning, high-level automation in many aspects is promising or even fledgling. However, a challenge that appears at this moment is that how people trust in automation. This study is a systematic literature review of this topic using bibliometric analysis. Tools like Scopus, VOSviewer, AuthorMapper, MAXQDA, Vicinitas, Harzing's Publish or Perish, and Web of Science are used to conduct bibliometric analyses and content analyses. The results identify the most influential publications and trends of research topics. In addition, topics related to automated vehicles are found to be high-profile applications in the area.
NGO Proposals for an Asia-Pacific Human Rights System

¶1 The Asia-Pacific region is the only area of the world without a human rights regime. This piece evaluates current NGO proposals. ¶2 Since 1982, regional workshops have been held between AsiaPacific state representatives under the aegis of the United Nations. The most recent was held in Tehran from February 28 to March 2 1998. At that meeting it was agreed that the first building block for a regional regime would be a technical cooperation program to further develop national human rights structures and education programs. This approach would help to foster local human rights protection, and explore the possibilities of regional co-operation by identifying the issues of concern common to the countries involved. ¶3 NGOs are skeptical of these developments. They agree on the importance of promoting a local culture of human rights, but find no inconsistency between this local development and a robust regional human rights regime. In addition, states were very reluctant to allow full NGO participation in the workshops. Despite these obstacles, a series of activist meetings developed in tandem, and, as is the zeitgeist, this was a highly participatory process involving NGOs and human rights activists from across the region. A Human Rights Charter ("The Charter") was agreed
Structure-Sensitive Properties of Materials Disclosed by a Combination of X-Ray Topography X-Ray Diffraction Analysis, and Electron Microscopy Methods

To establish a significant correlation between lattice detects and structure-sensitive properties it is frequently desirable to combine various methods of structural analysis which provide supplementary information and have a synergistic effect on the course of study. Such combination methods have been developed in this laboratory. They comprise: (a) selected area X-ray topography, (b) X-ray line profile analysis, (c) anomalous X-ray transmission topography, (d) X-ray double-crystal diffractometry, (e) analysis of plastic and elastic strain distribution by disturbance of X-ray pendellosung fringes (PF), (f) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of dislocation structure in selected areas of the specimen, and (g) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the specimen. Examples of the application of these combination methods are presented that include the tensile and compressive deformation of beryllium crystals, the deformation and fracture of germanium and silicon crystals, and the elucidation of the distribution of microplastic and elastic strains in crack propagation.
What if Brown v. Board of Education was a Hate-Speech Case? Book Review of Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word by Randall Kennedy

Reviews a book by Randall Kennedy by the above title. Disputes the author's contention that nothing is inherently wrong with the word nigger and accuses the book of ignoring the term's odious history as well as the power of hate speech in general. Shows how ignoring these features can play into the hands of racists, both of the colorblind and the old-fashioned variety, while compounding the marginalization of its victims. Urges that courts pay more, not less, attention to the harms of hate speech.
Translation and Teaching: the Dangers of Representing Latin America for Students in the United States

The purpose of this article is to stimulate discussion on theproblematic issue of how Latin America is represented to English-speaking university students in the United States. I will focus onfour areas: the availability of works by Latin American author stranslated into English, the questionable paradigm of the "smooth" translation, how academics tend to teach Latin America to English-speaking students (especially in interdisciplinary programs) and, finally, the ways "first world" students often read "third world" literature in translation.
When Can You Have Particle Oscillations

At this year’s Summer Institute, someone asked why we consider the phenomenon of neutrino oscillation, yet never consider the possibility of oscillations between the electron, muon, and tau leptons themselves. To answer this question, we must reexamine under what conditions the concept of particle oscillation is meaningful. It is helpful to begin by considering the analogous problem of the double well potential.
Incarcerated appendix in a Spigelian hernia

Spigelian hernias are rare, making up only 1-2% of all hernias. Like other hernias, they may contain abdominal contents but are more likely to be incarcerated due to the small size of the fascial defect.(1) We describe here the case of a 71-year-old female with a 10-year history of right lower quadrant pain that remained undiagnosed despite multiple imaging studies. Prior to presentation the patient developed a new bulge and increasing pain at this site; an ultrasound revealed the presence of a bowel-containing hernia. The patient was taken urgently to the operating room for a laparoscopic Spigelian hernia repair, and was found to have an incarcerated appendix in the hernia. After the hernia was reduced, an appendectomy was performed and the hernia was repaired with biological mesh. Postoperatively, the patient did well, and her pain resolved.
Electron microscopy of the tissue phase formation of Blastomyces dermatitidis in vitro and in naturally infected canine lung.

Summary: The ultrastructure of the tissue form of Blastomyces dermatitidis in naturally infected lung of the canine species was described. In addition, a new simple technique for the study of the conversion process from the infective stage of the fungus to the tissue phase has been introduced. The new procedure seems effective, more encouraging for the study, identification and diagnostic approaches. Zusammenfassung: Die Ultrastruktur der Gewebsform von Blastomyces dermatitidis in naturlich infizierten Hundelungen wurde beschrieben. Dazu wurde ein einfaches Verfahren fur die Konvertierung von der ansteckenden Myzelphase des Pilzes in die Gewebsphase eingefuhrt. Die neue Technik ist wirksam, ermutigend fur weitere Studien und nutzlich fur Zwecke der Identifizierung und Diagnostik.
Testosterone synthesis by the two-day-old chick testis in vitro☆

The effect of interstitial cell-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin, and pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin on the incorporation of acetate-1-14C into testosterone-14C by the 2-day-old chick testis in vitro has been investigated. All gonadotrophins tested stimulated this incorporation. Incubations at various temperatures indicate that 41°C is the optimal temperature for this conversion. The isolation and identification of testosterone-14C, biosynthesized from acetate-1-14C by the normal 2-day-old chick testis in vitro, clearly shows that birds of this young age can synthesize this androgen. In addition, the presence of dehydroepiandrosterone in a nonmammalian testis has been demonstrated.
Importance and impotence? Learning, outcomes and research in further education

One of the defining features of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme is that it ‘aims to improve outcomes for learners of all ages in teaching and learning contexts across the UK’. This article argues that, although it is possible to use the terms outcomes for learners and learning outcomes interchangeably, they have an important difference in connotation. Particular meanings of the latter term are dominant within the Further Education sector. Some insight from analysis in the TLRP project Transforming Learning Cultures in Further Education is presented to illustrate this difference and to underline the necessity for educational research to engage critically with both outcomes for learners and learning outcomes if it is to provide knowledge with a practical application.
Libraries with a Future: How Are Academic Library Usage and Green Demands Changing Building Designs?.

Support for the modular system of building construction, touted in the second half of the 20th century as the best basis for academic library building design, appears to be waning. A study of “green” libraries in 2008 revealed that not only has energy conservation become important, but that spaces designed for users rather than books have become paramount. The modular system worked particularly well for housing ever-expanding book collections, but collection growth is no longer a practical goal. Users want and need a greater variety of spaces, which purpose-built rooms are better at meeting.
In Search of the Effects of Academic Achievement in Postgraduation Earnings.

The relationship between academic achievement and the financial success of baccalaureate recipients in the workplace is the focal point of an investigation that covers the first 3 years following graduation. Employment activity and quarterly earnings of university baccalaureate recipients were tracked in a comprehensive study that merged state unemployment insurance records with student data files. Quarterly earnings were regressed on grade point averages while controlling for age, registration type (native vs. transfer), major, gender, race, and industry. Patterns were discovered over the 3 years following graduation. Grade point average had little impact on earnings, as did registration type. Age, major, and industry were found to be significant. Gender and race held no significance. In an attempt to further explore the relationship between academic achievement and workplace success, a two-way ANOVA, repeated measures design was used to examine differences in the individual earnings of high academic achievers and low academic achievers over a 3-year period. No significant between-group effects were found.
Sequential tests for hypotheses concerning the product of poisson parameters with applications to problems in reliability and biometry

Abstract : Sequential tests for the product of Poisson parameters based on the generalized incomplete modified Bessel distributions are given. Applications to reliability and biometry are indicated. (Author)
The Distribution of Relative Clauses in Chinese Discourse

Abstract The particular forms of relative clauses (RCs) in Mandarin Chinese lead to particular cognitive, semantic, pragmatic, and discourse constraints on speakers and writers. In this study, analyses of oral and written Mandarin Chinese narratives demonstrate that SS structures (subject head noun phrase [NP] modified by a subject RC) are produced more frequently than OS (object head NP modified by subject RC) and OO structures (object head NP modified by object RC), which are more frequent than the rare SO (subject head NP modified by an object RC) structure. These patterns can be explained by the interaction of cognitive strategies of closure and the semantic and discourse functions of RC constructions. In particular, the center-embeddedness of Mandarin Chinese RCs likely leads to greater cognitive load for speakers than writers, and the fact that head NPs are more likely to refer to humans helps predict the predominance of the SS pattern.
Surface Features in Langmuir−Blodgett Monolayers of Predominantly Hydrophobic Poly(styrene)−Poly(ethylene oxide) Diblock Copolymer

Monolayers of a predominantly hydrophobic poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer (7% PEO by mass) were transferred to a silicon substrate using the Langmuir−Blodgett method. The films were imaged using atomic force microscopy, and three types of features were observed in various proportions: dots (circular aggregates), spaghetti (rodlike aggregates), and continents (planar aggregates). The concentration of the spreading solution on the air−water interface had the most significant effect on the types of features observed. Variations in surface pressure and compression speed had little effect on the distribution and predominance of the different types of aggregates. Single-drop experiments show that feature formation depends on a competition between film spreading and polymer entanglement resulting from solvent evaporation. Aggregates thus formed upon spreading on the air−water interface are kinetically trapped and quite stable upon transfer to the solid substrate.
Impact of Foley Catheter Placement by Medical Students on Rates of Postoperative Urinary Tract Infection.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of medical student placement of Foley catheters on rates of postoperative catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). Study Design We included adult surgical patients in our institutional National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, and defined CAUTI according to NSQIP criteria. A multivariable model risk-adjusting for patient and operative variables associated with CAUTI in univariate analysis (exploratory p Results There were 891 patients who had a Foley catheter placed by a surgical resident (61%; n = 547), operating room nurse (25%; n = 227), or medical student (13%; n = 117). After risk-adjustment, patients with Foleys placed by medical students were at a more than 4-fold increased risk of CAUTI (odds ratio [OR] 4.09, p = 0.02) compared with patients with catheters placed by nurses. Patients with catheters placed by residents did not have an increased risk-adjusted odds of CAUTI (OR 2.16, p = 0.15). Other significant predictors of postoperative CAUTI included female sex (OR 2.61, p = 0.01), partial/total functional dependence (OR 4.81, p = 0.008), blood transfusion (OR 34.7, p = 0.02), and increased length of Foley stay (OR 1.06, p Conclusions Surgical patients with Foley catheters placed by medical students are at increased risk-adjusted odds of postoperative CAUTI. More intense supervision of medical students during urinary catheter insertion in the operating room and improved education regarding sterile technique may be important factors in reducing rates of postoperative CAUTI in academic institutions.
Simulated diffusion of oxide ions in YO1.5–ZrO2 at high temperature

Diffusion of oxide ions in yttria-stabilized zirconia at high temperature was investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulation. Variation of the diffusion coefficient was examined in wide ranges of composition and temperature. The activation energy of the oxide ion diffusion was found to increase with increasing yttria content. The value of the activation energy was consistent with the experimental result using carefully prepared single-phase specimens. Temperature and compositional variations of the diffusion coefficient were interpreted by both the activation energy and the amount of oxygen vacancies.
Effect of canopy removal on snowpack quantity and quality, Fraser experimental forest, Colorado

Abstract Snowpack peak water equivalent (PWE), ion concentration, content, and spatial distribution of ion load data from spring 1987–1996 in a 1 ha clearcut and adjacent forested plots vegetated by mature Picea engelmannii and Abies lasiocarpa in the Fraser experimental forest (FEF), Colorado are presented. Our objectives were: (1) to see if a forest opening might redistribute snowfall, snowpack moisture, and snowpack chemical content, and (2) to examine the importance of canopy interception on snowpack quantity and chemistry. On an average, the canopy intercepted 36% of snowfall. Interception was correlated with snowfall amount, snowpack PWE beneath the canopy, and air temperature. Canopy removal increased snowpack PWE to >90% cumulative snowfall inputs. Snowpack K+, H+, and NH4+ concentrations on the clearcut were lower and NO3− higher than in the snowpack beneath the forested plots. Cumulative snowfall K+ input was less than in the clearcut snowpack; H+ inputs were greater in snowfall than in the snowpack of any plot; and inorganic N (NO3− and NH4+) inputs from snowfall to the clearcut were greater than to the forested plots. Processes accounting for the differences between snowfall inputs and snowpack ion content were leaching of organic debris in the snowpack, differential elution of the snowpack, and canopy retention. There were significant trends by year in snowpack ion content at PWE without similar trends in snowfall inputs. This finding coupled with snowpack ion elution bring into question the use of snowpack chemistry as an indicator of winter atmospheric inputs in short-term studies.
Hormonal Control of Sex Attractant Production in the Cuban Cockroach

Virgin females of Byrsotria fumigata (Guerin) and several other species of Blattidae produce volatile substances which attract males and release in them characteristic precopulatory behavior. The removal of the corpora allata from females shortly after the imaginal molt results in a failure of production of sex attractant, as assayed by male behavior. Implantation of corpora allata can effect recovery.
Triplet-state intersystem crossing rates from optically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract Optical detection of zero-field magnetic resonance in the photoexcited triplet states of organic molecules requires a microwave-induced change in population among the triplet-state spin sublevels. The description of the dynamics of such triplet-state population changes in the presence of a microwave field is presented. This description provides a framework for obtaining intersystem crossing rate constants, and the results are discussed for fluorescence-, triplet absorption-, and singlet absorption-detected zero-field magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Tubular cell-enriched subpopulation of primary renal cells improves survival and augments kidney function in rodent model of chronic kidney disease

Established chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be identified by severely impaired renal filtration that ultimately leads to the need for dialysis or kidney transplant. Dialysis addresses only some of...
Scarring following herpes simplex infection of postsurgical cutaneous sites.

. Herpes simplex type 1 produces a perilabial vesicular eruption that normally resolves without scarring. Three cases of herpetic infection associated with different dermatologic surgical procedures are presented. Those procedures involving reduction of cutaneous macrovascular blood supply via undermining or flap creation were followed by clinical scarring. None of the recognized etiologies of tissue compromise (bacterial infection, tension, host vascular disease, excessive inflammation, or edema) could be identified. It is speculated that in the immunocompetent host, small vessel injury secondary to herpes simplex may eventuate in scarring if the subdermal vascular network is significantly compromised. Prophylactic oral acyclovir may be useful in select instances where tissue blood supply is judged clinically tenuous and the frequency of herpetic infection at the surgical site judged worrisome.
Low tip damage AFM technique development for nano structures characterization

Ambient dynamic mode (tapping mode or intermittent-contact mode) AFM imaging has been used extensively for the characterization of the topography of nano structures. However, the results are beset with artifacts, because hard tapping of the AFM tip on sample surface usually causes premature tip damage. Through careful study of the cantilever amplitude and phase signals as functions of tip-to-sample distance, principle of non-contact AFM operation was discovered to enable high resolution and low tip damage AFM image acquisition [1, 2]. However, current study discovers that the conventional way of acquiring amplitude and phase versus distance curves gives erroneous non-contact operating range, because the tip gets damaged during the data acquisition process. A new technique is developed to reliably map the operating parameters of an intact tip that ensures the AFM be operated with the correct non-contact settings. Two examples are given to illustrate the successful applications of this new technique. The first example involves the size characterization of polystyrene latex (PSL) nano particles used for light scattering tool calibration. The second example is the development of robust recipes for the measurement of the depth of phase-shift mask trenches.
The conformation of polyriboadenylic acid at low temperature and neutral pH. A single-stranded rodlike structure.

The conformation of single-stranded polyrA in aqueous solution has been measured at temperatures down to −12°C. The radius of gyration of low-molecular-weight polyrA varies very little with temperature in this range. By studying the dependence of radius of gyration on temperature for several polyrA fractions, we show that the dependence of the radius upon chain length is consistent with formation of a single-stranded rodlike structure at low temperature. The structure has an approximate length of 3.2 A/nucleotide.
Insulin and β-adrenergic Receptors Inhibit Retinal Endothelial Cell Apoptosis Through Independent Pathways

Diabetic retinopathy results from altered insulin receptor signaling. Based on previous studies demonstrating an interaction between β-adrenergic receptors and insulin signaling in hyperglycemic conditions, we hypothesized that β-adrenergic receptor stimulation and insulin stimulation would act synergistically to inhibit one of the hallmarks of diabetic retinopathy, namely retinal endothelial cell apoptosis. To test this hypothesis, human retinal endothelial cells were grown in high glucose (25 mM) medium and treated with a β-1-adrenergic receptor agonist (xamoterol, 10 μM) alone, insulin alone (10 nM) or xamoterol + insulin. We then assessed changes in the levels of insulin receptor, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) receptor, and Akt phosphorylation, as well as cleaved caspase 3. Xamoterol alone significantly decreased insulin receptor, IGF-1 receptor and Akt phosphorylation, whereas insulin alone increased insulin receptor, IGF-1 receptor, and Akt phosphorylation. Xamoterol significantly decreased apoptosis of retinal endothelial cells. This data suggests that both β-adrenergic receptors and insulin can inhibit retinal endothelial cell apoptosis in hyperglycemic conditions, but inhibition occurs through independent pathways. These findings have implications for treatments of diabetic retinopathy.
DNA-binding properties of the yeast transcriptional activator, Gcr1p.

In Succharomyces cerevisiae the GCRl gene product is required for high-level expression of genes encoding glycolytic enzymes. In this communication, we extend our analysis of the DNA binding properties of Gcrlp. The DNA-binding domain of Gcrlp binds DNA with high affinity. The apparent dissociation constant of the Gcrlp DNA-binding domain for one of its specific binding sites (TTTCAGCTTCCTCTAT) is 2.9 x 10- lo M. However, competition experiments showed that Gcrlp binds this site in vitro with a low degree of specificity. We measured a 33-fold difference between the ability of specific competitor and DNA of random sequence to inhibit the formation of nucleoprotein complexes between Gcrlp and a radiolabeled DNA probe containing its binding site. DNA band-shift experiments, utilizing probes of constant length in which the positions of Gcrlp-binding sites are varied relative to the ends, indicated that Gcrlp-DNA nucleoprotein complexes contain bent DNA. The implications of these findings in terms of the combinatorial interactions that occur at the upstream activating sequence elements of genes encoding glycolytic enzymes are discussed. ~ bent DNA; Raplp; glycolytic enzyme gene-regulator
Prognostic Impact of Comorbidity in Patients with Bladder Cancer

Abstract Objective To determine the impact of comorbidity on survival of bladder cancer patients. Methods The population included 675 patients with newly diagnosed bladder cancer whose medical information was abstracted from a hospital cancer registry. Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27, a validated instrument, was used to prospectively categorize comorbidity. Independent variables assessed include comorbidity, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, grade, age, gender, and race. Outcome measure was overall survival. We analyzed the entire cohort, patients with noninvasive disease, and patients requiring cystectomy. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to assess impact of independent variables on survival. Results Median age at diagnosis for the entire cohort was 71 yr and median follow-up was 45 mo. Of 675 patients, 446 had at least one comorbid condition and 301 died during follow-up. On multivariable analysis for the entire cohort, comorbidity ( p =0.0001), AJCC stage ( p =0.0001), age ( p =0.0001), and race ( p =0.0045) significantly predicted overall survival. On subset analysis of noninvasive bladder cancer patients, comorbidity ( p =0.0001) and age ( p =0.0001) independently predicted overall survival, whereas stage, grade, race, and gender did not. On subset analysis of cystectomy patients, comorbidity ( p =0.0053), stage ( p =0.0001), and race ( p =0.0449) significantly predicted overall survival. Conclusions Comorbidity is an independent predictor of overall survival in the entire cohort of bladder cancer patients, the subset with noninvasive disease, and the subset treated with cystectomy.
Factors associated with coercion in entering treatment for alcohol problems

Although the importance of coercion in entry to treatment for alcohol problems is recognized, few studies have focused on different types and levels of coercion among heterogeneous groups of clients entering treatment agencies. This paper describes demographic and problem characteristics associated with various sources and levels of coercion. More than 40% (n = 377) of individuals entering a representative sample of a county's HMO, public, and private indemnity-based non-DUI alcohol treatment services (n = 927) indicated they received an ultimatum to enter treatment from at least one person. The most common source of an ultimatum to enter treatment was from family members (n = 222), followed by the legal system (n = 78), and healthcare professionals (n = 55). Respondents experiencing pressure to enter treatment reported that ultimatums from more than one source were common. Individuals entering treatment who were most likely to report being coerced were white, young adults (age 18-39), and married or living with a partner. When controlling for demographic characteristics and problem severity, family problem severity and legal problem severity predicted having received an ultimatum to enter treatment. Alcohol and drug problem severity were not related to receiving a treatment ultimatum.
Mammalian muscle cells bear a cell-autonomous, heritable memory of their rostrocaudal position.

Abstract We previously documented a >100-fold rostrocaudal gradient of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expression in the muscles of adult mice that bear a myosin light chain-CAT transgene: successively more caudal muscles express successively higher levels of CAT. Here we studied the development and maintenance of this positional information in vitro. CAT levels reflect the rostrocaudal positions of the muscles from which the cells are derived in cultures established from adult muscles, in clones derived from individual adult myogenic (satellite) cells, in cultures prepared from embryonic myoblasts, and in cell lines derived by retrovirus-mediated transfer of an oncogene to satellite cells. Our results suggest that myoblasts bear a positional memory that is established in embryos, retained in adults, cell autonomous, heritable, stable to transformation, and accessible to study in clonal cell lines.
Food consumption and utilization responses to dietary dilution with cellulose and water by velvetbean caterpillars, Anticarsia gemmatalis

Dilution of an artificial diet with water or cellulose to nutrient levels of 32% (undiluted), 19% and 10% fresh weight (fw) resulted in increased fw and dry weight (dw) food consumption (both absolute amounts and weight-relative rates) by velvetbean caterpillars, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner. Despite these increases, the absolute amount and relative rate of nutrient intake by the caterpillars declined with dilution, as did their dw gain and dw (% fw) and lipid (% dw) contents. The proportion of consumed food (dw, including cellulose) that was digested and absorbed declined with increased dietary cellulose; however, the proportion of consumed nutrients (dw, excluding cellulose) that was digested and absorbed was not affected by the presence of cellulose, although it increased slightly (but significantly) with dietary water. The efficiency with which the absorbed nutrients were converted to biomass energy showed a negative relationship with the various measures of food consumption and thus a positive relationship with dietary nutrient level. The compensatory increases in feeding mitigated the deleterious impact of dietary dilution on growth, which would have declined further without the increased feeding. These data suggest that food consumption is regulated primarily through an evaluation of food nutrient level, and that the metabolic costs associated with the increased consumption and processing of food may be substantial, especially on the most diluted diets. Another hypothesized cost of increased feeding, reduced efficiency of digestion and absorption as food presumably passes more rapidly through the gut, was not detected.
Nuclear pore complexes: dynamics in unexpected places

In vivo studies on the dynamics of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) in yeast suggested that NPCs are highly mobile in the nuclear envelope. However, new evidence indicates that in mammalian cells NPCs are stably attached to a flexible lamina framework, but a peripheral component can exchange rapidly with an intranuclear pool.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in a spontaneous pregnancy with a complete hydatidiform mole.

Objective To present a case of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome occurring after evacuation of a spontaneously conceived hydatidiform molar pregnancy. Design Case report. Setting University-affiliated teaching hospital. Patient(s) A 19-year-old nulliparous woman who underwent vacuum curettage for a complete hydatidiform molar pregnancy was admitted to our hospital with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and large bilateral pleural effusions. Intervention(s) Intravenous fluid, deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis, placement of bilateral chest tubes. Main Outcome Measure(s) Management of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Result(s) Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed large multicystic ovaries, marked ascites, and large pleural effusions that required placement of bilateral chest tubes. She had recovered by hospital day 14. Conclusion(s) Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome may develop in women who have undergone treatment for a hydatidiform mole, and serious complications may develop rapidly.
Changes in membrane potential during mouse egg development

Abstract The electrical membrane potential (Em) was measured in the developing mouse egg with intracellular microelectrodes. The oocyte had a low negative Em of −8.3 ± 0.8 mV (mean ± SE) when immature, which decreased and reversed polarity to a small positive value (+1.9 ± 0.2 mV) in the mature ovulated oocyte. After fertilization Em returned to a negative value (−9.2 ± 0.5 mV) similar in magnitude to that observed in immature oocytes and then increased significantly (P
Vision and Cognition in Picture Perception

In recent papers [1997, in press] I have explored how two seemingly conflicting paradigms inform the conception and study of picture perception. The dominant paradigm, one especially favored by vision theorists, claims that seeing a pictorial representation of an object is, with qualifications, like seeing the object itself. The picture, being a geometrically sanctioned projection of its object, resembles it, or otherwise serves as a mimetic surrogate, "re-presenting" what it depicts [Danto, 1982]. Accordingly, pictorial representation is at its best when, as in trompe l'oeil paintings, viewers can not tell the picture, the stand in or substitute, from the real thing.' An alternative paradigm, the symbolic model, championed most forcefully by Nelson Goodman [1968], focuses attention on syntactic and semantic features of pictures. On this account, pictures are importantly allied with other forms of representation, including languages, maps, and music notation, and picture perception is to be understood in this context. In my earlier work, I attempted to show how adopting the symbolic approach could provide a framework for explaining several persistent problems in the study of picture perception-a topic I will return to later. I also maintained that vision theorists' reluctance to embrace this approach often rests on a misunderstanding. Although the symbolic paradigm does stress that pictures, as representations, function like languages, it does not claim they are linguistic symbols. The model, in fact, insists there are significant syntactic and semantic distinctions between linguistic and pictorial systems.
Breaking Up Just Got Easier to Do

The SLX4 protein functions as a platform for catalytic subunits of structure-specific endonucleases. Findings reported in Cell (Fekairi et al., 2009; Svendsen et al., 2009) and in Molecular Cell (Andersen et al., 2009; Munoz et al., 2009) now identify the human SLX4 and show that in association with the SLX1 endonuclease it directs the symmetric cleavage and resolution of Holliday junctions.
Novel use of da Vinci Robotic Surgical System: Removal of seminal vesicle cyst in previously dissected pelvis

We report a novel use of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System to remove a seminal vesicle cyst in a previously dissected pelvis.