cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer using antimicrotubule agents docetaxel and estramustine in combination: an experimental study.

BACKGROUND. Estramustine in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents has demonstrated synergy in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Docetaxel has demonstrated antineoplastic activity in a variety of chemotherapeutic-unresponsive tumors. We evaluated the effects of estramustine and docetaxel in preclinical models of prostate cancer. METHODS. Cell viability of PC-3 and MAT-LyLu (MLL) cells were assessed 48 hr after drug treatment. For in vivo studies, each flank of five animals in six groups was injected with 1 ◊ 10 6 MLL cells: control, estramustine, docetaxel (low- and high-dose), and low- and high-dose docetaxel with estramustine. Animals were treated on days 4 and 11, and sacrificed on day 14. RESULTS. The IC50 value for docetaxel was 2 nM in the PC-3 cells and 40 nM in the MLL cells. The addition of 100 nM of estramustine did not alter the IC50 value for PC-3 cells. In the MLL cells, however, the IC50 value was lowered to 15 nM. In vivo, low-dose docetaxel with estramustine demonstrated antineoplastic activity similar to that of high-dose docetaxel alone, suggesting additive activity between the drugs. CONCLUSIONS. These results demonstrate that when used in combination, docetaxel and estramustine can be more effective at lower dosages than when the individual drugs are used alone. Prostate 44:275‐278, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Antiviral activity of merocyanine 540.

Simultaneous exposure to the lipophilic dye merocyanine 540 (MC 540) and white light inactivates several enveloped viruses. The same treatment appears to have little or no effect on pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells, mature red cells, and mature leukocytes. At least some components of the clotting system are spared, too. The molecular basis of the virucidal effect of MC 540 and light is not yet completely understood. Based on what is known about the interactions of MC 540 with cells and artificial membranes, it seems likely that MC 540 binds to and damages the viral envelope. MC 540-mediated photosensitization may have implications for the sterilization of bone marrow and blood products, the preparation of vaccines, and selected areas of antiviral therapy.
Eradication of Cryptosporidium parvum Infection by Mice with Ovalbumin-Specific T Cells

CD154 is necessary for mice to clear a Cryptosporidium parvum infection, but whether this ligand has to be expressed on T cells with specificity for C. parvum has not been determined. We infected DO11.10 (ovalbumin specific) T-cell receptor transgenic mice that had been bred to a RAG−/− background with C. parvum and found that the infection was cleared within 6 weeks, while RAG−/− controls were unable to clear C. parvum infection. Recovery was accompanied by an increase in the number of splenic T cells with the CD44high phenotype that characterizes memory cells. To determine whether a C. parvum-infected environment sufficed to activate transgenic T cells, we reconstituted C. parvum-infected BALB/c SCID mice with DO11.10 RAG−/− splenocytes. Fecal excretion of C. parvum antigen ceased in the 12 weeks following the adoptive transfer, unless the mice were also injected with tolerizing doses of ovalbumin. DO11.10 T cells were found in the submucosa of C. parvum-infected, but not uninfected, BALB/c SCID hosts within 48 h of injection. The transferred DO11.10 T cells divided and acquired a CD44high memory phenotype in C. parvum-infected, but not uninfected, recipients. DO11.10 splenocytes from CD154 knockout donors failed to clear a C. parvum infection, confirming a requirement for CD154 in recovery. In vitro, the DO11.10 cells did not proliferate in response to C. parvum antigen, and a tBlast GenBank search revealed no matches between the ovalbumin peptide and C. parvum DNA sequences. C. parvum-infected SCID mice given RAG−/− CD8+ T cells with a Listeria-specific transgene did not recover from C. parvum infection. Our data suggest that antigen-nonspecific CD4+ T-cell effector mechanisms in combination with the innate arm of the immune system are sufficient for the eradication of C. parvum infection.
Connexins in the Mammalian Retina

Gap junctions are particularly numerous in the retina and found in every major retinal cell type. They provide the primary connections in certain retinal pathways and form the substrate for signal averaging in others. At least four neuronal connexins are found in the mammalian retina, and different cell types express specific connexins with distinct properties. Cones are coupled via Cx36 gap junctions, which are thought to improve the cone signal-to-noise ratio. In contrast, rod-cone coupling, perhaps via heterotypic gap junctions, forms the basis for an alternate processing pathway that is active at intermediate light intensities. Horizontal cells are extensively coupled to provide spatial averaging over a wide area. Modulation of these junctions changes the spatial profile of horizontal cell feedback to photoreceptors. In rabbit and cat retina, A-type horizontal cells are coupled via massive Cx50 gap junctions, whereas the axon-bearing or B-type horizontal cells of the mouse and rabbit retina have different coupling properties and may express Cx57. In the inner retina, the primary output of the rod bipolar cell is to AII amacrine cells, which form a well-coupled network via Cx36 gap junctions. The AII network is prominent in all mammalian retinas and seems to provide for signal averaging in the noisy high-gain rod pathway. In addition, the signaling pathway from AII amacrine cells to ON cone bipolar cells passes via gap junctions, some of which may be heterotypic Cx36–Cx45 gap junctions. Many other types of amacrine cells and ganglion cells are also coupled via Cx36 or Cx45 gap junctions. Ganglion cell coupling produces synchronized spike activity between neighboring cells of the same type. The prevalence of gap junctions in the retina may occur because signal averaging and noise reduction are important strategies in the early stages of visual processing. Finally, while several retinal connexins have now been described, the connexins expressed in some coupled cells have not yet been identified. This suggests there are additional neuronal connexins (or perhaps pannexins) still to be identified in the mammalian retina.
La implicación emocional en asalariados del sector no lucrativo

Nonproﬁt entities not only comprise the major part of volunteer work, but also represent a signiﬁcant proportion of paid work in some speciﬁc sectors. Knowing the factors that determine the involvement of these employees is of great importance in nonproﬁt organizations, given their inability to compete with respect to the working conditions in public institutions and private companies. This study, conducted using a sample of employees in the nonproﬁt sector, shows, by means of a logistic regression mode, that it is employees with a higher level of training and a permanent contract who are more likely to be employed in these entities, as base employees who are not in positions of managerial responsibility and who are used to working in a team in an activity that generates feelings of stress.
The forging of Finnish-American communism, 1917-1924: A study in ethnic radicalism

Acknowledgments INTRODUCTION 1. Research Problems and Sources 2. General Setting for the Study I THE FINNISH-AMERICAN WORKERS' MOVEMENT BEFORE 1917 1. The Rising Tide of Socialism in the Finnish-American Community 2. Toward the Radical Split of 1914 II THE IMPACT OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, 1917–1919 1. The Initial Reaction to Events in Russia 2. The Influence of Developments in Finland: Independence and Civil War 3. The Disputes over Tactics Come out into the Open III THE BREAK WITH THE SOCIALIST PARTY, 1919–1921 1. Left Wing Gains in the Finnish Socialist Federation 2. The Growing Influence of International Communism 3. Withdrawal from the Socialist Party and Its Aftermath IV FINNISH-AMERICANS AS AN ORGANIZED PART OF THE COMMUNIST MOVEMENT, 1920–1924 1. The Period of Underground Activity 2. The Finns and the Founding of the Workers Party 3. New Blood from Finnish-American IWW Ranks 4. The Finnish Federation: an Organ of the Workers Party 5. Links to Finland and Soviet Russia V COMMUNIST INFORMATION AND PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY ABBREVIATIONS APPENDICES.
River Water Intrusion to the Unconfined Floridan Aquifer

Rapid infiltration of river water into unconfined parts of the Floridan aquifer represents a significant component of subsequent ground-water discharge in regions where the aquifer is dissected by surface streams. A two-year investigation of the Devil9s Ear cave system, an extensive saturated conduit network in the Floridan aquifer which underlies a 1.5-km reach of the Santa Fe River in north-central Florida, revealed that there is an appreciable and rapid exchange of water between the river and the underlying Floridan aquifer. Natural tracers Radon-222 ( 222 Rn) and δ 18 O were used to quantify these exchanges. Cave diving was employed to collect 50 water samples which were analyzed for tracer content and to observe water clarity conditions within the saturated karst conduits as far as 1.2 km from the cave entrance. 222 Rn concentrations measured in the cave system revealed three distinct zones where river water is rapidly intruded into the Floridan aquifer. A two-component mixing model was used to quantify the intruded river water that was found to account for as much as 62 percent of the discharge at Devil9s Ear spring. Observations of diminished water clarity in the cave system following large precipitation events in the highland provinces of the Santa Fe River basin indicate that river water intrusion to the aquifer can occur in as little as one or two days. The results of this investigation imply that, in regions such as the western Santa Fe River basin, there can be no clear distinction between ground and surface waters and intruded river water provides a significant vehicle for contamination of the unconfined Floridan aquifer.
Lessons from (S)-6-(1-(6-(1-Methyl-1H-Pyrazol-4-Yl)-[1,2, 4]Triazolo[4,3-B]Pyridazin-3-Yl)Ethyl)Quinoline (Pf-04254644), an Inhibitor of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase C-met with High Protein Kinase Selectivity But Broad Phosphodiesterase Family Inhibition Leading to Myocardial Degeneration in Rats.

The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met signaling axis is deregulated in many cancers and plays important roles in tumor invasive growth and metastasis. An exclusively selective c-Met inhibitor (S)-6-(1-(6-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-b]pyridazin-3-yl)ethyl)quinoline (8) was discovered from a highly selective high-throughput screening hit via structure-based drug design and medicinal chemistry lead optimization. Compound 8 had many attractive properties meriting preclinical evaluation. Broad off-target screens identified 8 as a pan-phosphodiesterase (PDE) family inhibitor, which was implicated in a sustained increase in heart rate, increased cardiac output, and decreased contractility indices, as well as myocardial degeneration in in vivo safety evaluations in rats. Compound 8 was terminated as a preclinical candidate because of a narrow therapeutic window in cardio-related safety. The learning from multiparameter lead optimization and strategies to avoid the toxicity attrition at the late stage of drug discovery are discussed.
Solidification of Two-Phase Alloys—Micro-Scale Solidification

The two-phase alloys types discussed in this chapter include eutectics, peritectics, and monotectics. Some of the most important casting alloys in terms of tonnage as well as applications, such as cast iron and aluminum–silicon alloys, are essentially eutectic two-phase alloys.
Cyanotoxins in inland lakes of the United States: Occurrence and potential recreational health risks in the EPA National Lakes Assessment 2007

A large nation-wide survey of cyanotoxins (1161 lakes) in the United States (U.S.) was conducted during the EPA National Lakes Assessment 2007. Cyanotoxin data were compared with cyanobacteria abundance- and chlorophyll-based World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds and mouse toxicity data to evaluate potential recreational risks. Cylindrospermopsins, microcystins, and saxitoxins were detected (ELISA) in 4.0, 32, and 7.7% of samples with mean concentrations of 0.56, 3.0, and 0.061μg/L, respectively (detections only). Co-occurrence of the three cyanotoxin classes was rare (0.32%) when at least one toxin was detected. Cyanobacteria were present and dominant in 98 and 76% of samples, respectively. Potential anatoxin-, cylindrospermopsin-, microcystin-, and saxitoxin-producing cyanobacteria occurred in 81, 67, 95, and 79% of samples, respectively. Anatoxin-a and nodularin-R were detected (LC/MS/MS) in 15 and 3.7% samples (n=27). The WHO moderate and high risk thresholds for microcystins, cyanobacteria abundance, and total chlorophyll were exceeded in 1.1, 27, and 44% of samples, respectively. Complete agreement by all three WHO microcystin metrics occurred in 27% of samples. This suggests that WHO microcystin metrics based on total chlorophyll and cyanobacterial abundance can overestimate microcystin risk when compared to WHO microcystin thresholds. The lack of parity among the WHO thresholds was expected since chlorophyll is common amongst all phytoplankton and not all cyanobacteria produce microcystins.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF THE HUMPBACK SCAPHOID : THE TECHNIQUE AND A MATHEMATICAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Surgical treatment of scaphoid nonunion and malunion with excessive intrascaphoid angulation (humpback deformity) usually involves a bone graft that is intended to correct the deformity. The volar bone graft length determines the degree of angular correction and scaphoid elongation. It is recommended that the length of the graft be determined by careful preoperative measurement of the deformity. Previous imaging techniques are inherently limited. The present paper describes a technique using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging. Scaphoid fracture angulation is calculated from measurements of comparable sagittal slices of the patient's fractured and normal scaphoid. Optimal bone graft length is determined by using simple trigonometric principles. Magnetic resonance imaging provides additional important information regarding vascularity of the proximal pole and the status of the periscaphoid ligaments and hyaline cartilage. Mathematical performance evaluation indicates that this technique is a promising method for planning reconstructive surgery of the scaphoid.
Bilateral Below-the-knee Amputation in Patients Over Fifty Years of Age: Results In Thirty-one Patients

1. Thirty-one patients with bilateral below-the-knee amputations who were fifty years of age or older at the time of their second amputation were studied. All had been ambulatory either as a unilateral amputee prior to the second amputation or as a non-amputee just prior to the simultaneous loss of both limbs. The average age at the time of the second or bilateral amputation was 58.1 years. 2. Of the twenty-seven patients who had been unilateral amputees secondary to vascular disease, twenty had lost their second limb within two years and seven had lost their second limb by six years after amputation of the first one. 3. Thirty of the thirty-one bilateral below-the-knee amputees became functionally ambulatory on their prostheses. The average follow-up period was three and one-half years, and the average age at follow-up was sixty-one years. 4. The high degree of successful rehabilitation which can be achieved in the older patient with bilateral below-the-knee amputations is a compelling reason for making every effort to amputate below the knee in the dysvascular patient.
Perspectives on Chinese Foreign Policy Behaviour

This chapter discusses some of the contemporary approaches to Chinese diplomatic behaviour. The first section deals with certain epistemological questions regarding foreign policy studies. Existing perspectives on Chinese foreign policy behaviour are dealt with in the second section. The last section suggests a research direction which emphasises the co-ordination among the existing theoretical perspectives. The model building in Chapter 3 responds to this designated direction.
Time-Temperature Survey of Hawaiian-Style Foods.

Time-temperature exposures of each stage of the preparation of kalua pig, laulau , pipikaulua beef, and taro leaves in coconut milk were evaluated at two Hawaiian-style restaurants. The temperatures attained at the geometric center of these foods during cooking were such that vegetative pathogenic foodborne bacteria (but not spores) would have been killed, had such organisms been present. Hot-holding and reheating procedures included no obvious hazards, Leftovers refrigerated in one establishment, cooled slowly; leftovers in the other establishment were kept at room temperature overnight. Procedures are recommended to minimize the chances of the foods becoming contaminated after cooking, to cool the foods more rapidly and to reheat leftovers thoroughly.
Role of Cardiac Imaging in Cardiovascular Diseases in Females

In this review, we discuss the role of using different cardiac imaging modalities in diagnosing cardiovascular disease in women. We discuss the different disease processes with a focus on coronary artery disease (including both stable ischemic heart disease and acute coronary syndrome), cardiomyopathy, heart disease during pregnancy, cardio-oncology, and connective tissue diseases. We appraise the advantages and disadvantages of various imaging methods as it pertains to these disease entities.
Analysis of soil management and water conservation practices adoption among crop and pasture farmers in humid-south of the United States

Abstract Nutrient management, water quality protection, and irrigation efficiency top the list of on-farm resource concerns indicating a need to address them through conservation strategies. A suite of Best Management Practices (BMPs) has been identified and recommended, through several outlets, to farmers to ameliorate these concerns. This research examines the adoption of strategies that ameliorate the resource concerns as a joint decision, using a bivariate model. Data from the 2016 Nutrient Management Survey, conducted by the Louisiana Master Farmer Program, are used to examine the factors affecting adoption of these conservation practices. A bivariate probit regression found significant results for explanatory variables and emphasize the effect of perception regarding the role of on-farm practices, ownership of land, participation in conservation programs in the past, and producers educational attainment on the likelihood of adopting the conservation practices. Implications for policy development and educational programs are discussed.
Improving soil seed bank management

Problems associated with simplified weed management motivate efforts for diversification. Integrated weed management uses the fundamentals of weed biology and applied ecology to provide a framework for diversified weed management programs; the soil seed bank comprises a necessary part of this framework. By targeting seeds, growers can inhibit the propagule pressure on which annual weeds depend for agricultural invasion. Some current management practices affect weed seed banks, such as crop rotation and tillage, but these tools are often used without specific intention to manage weed seeds. Difficulties quantifying the weed seed bank, understanding seed bank phenology, and linking seed banks to emerged weed communities challenge existing soil seed bank management practices. Improved seed bank quantification methods could include DNA profiling of the soil seed bank, mark and recapture, or 3D LIDAR mapping. Successful and sustainable soil seed bank management must constrain functionally diverse and changing weed communities. Harvest weed seed controls represent a step forward, but over-reliance on this singular technique could make it short-lived. Researchers must explore tools inspired by other pest management disciplines, such as gene drives or habitat modification for predatory organisms. Future weed seed bank management will combine multiple complementary practices that enhance diverse agroecosystems. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
A comprehensive review and meta-analysis of risk factors for statin-induced myopathy

To aid prescribers in assessing a patient’s risk for statin-induced myopathy (SIM), we performed a comprehensive review of currently known risk factors and calculated aggregated odds ratios for each risk factor through a meta-analysis. This meta-analysis was done through four phases: (1) Identification of the relevant primary literature; (2) abstract screening using inclusion and exclusion criteria; (3) detailed review and data extraction; and (4) synthesis and statistical analysis. Out of 44 papers analyzed from 836 papers searched from MEDLINE, 18 different potential risk factors were collected, divided into three categories: three demographics (11 papers), ten clinical factors (31 papers), and five pharmacogenetics/biomarkers (12 papers). Risk factors significant for myopathy and/or rhabdomyolysis included age, gender, diabetes, renal impairment, cardiovascular disease, certain interacting drugs, and mutations of the SLCO1B1 gene, which encodes a transporter protein in the liver. Several factors, such as gender, race, cardiovascular disease, and the GATM gene, which encodes a protein for creatine synthesis, appeared to be protective in terms of the outcomes of interest. This comprehensive assessment of risk factors can help support clinicians in reducing the incidence of SIM in their patient population on statins.
Selective Extraction Chemistry of Toxic Metal Sulfides from Sediments

Experimental evidence suggests that formation of metal sulfides in anoxic sediments limits the bioavailability of several toxic elements. Our ability to quantify the processes by which these metal sulfides form is dependent upon our ability to determine the speciation of solid phase metals in sediments. Our work indicates that an entire suite of Cu-Fe and Ni-Fe sulfide minerals can form upon the exposure of mackinawite to aqueous Cu and Ni. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the solubility of pure metal sulfide minerals and their iron-metal derivatives in HCl directly correlates with the observed trends in the ''Degree of Trace Metal Pyritization'' in natural sediments. Current extraction schemes cannot distinguish discrete trace metal sulfides from trace metals associated with pyrite.
Unsteady Aerodynamics of Wortmann FX63-137 Airfoil at Low Reynolds Numbers

Unsteady pressure data are discussed for a 2-D Wortmann FX63-137 airfoil at Reynolds numbers 125,000 and 400,000, α = 0°, and over a range of reduced frequencies, k = ωc/2U ∞ from 0.15 to 6.4. Unsteady boundary layer data near the region of laminar separation are also presented for Re = 125,000, k = 0.15 and 2.0. Surface pressure data show that the unsteady excitation imposed interacts most actively in the transition region with large amplitude and higher harmonics. Unsteady boundary layer results in the region of laminar separation reveal that the time mean unsteady velocity profile for both reduced frequencies tested are quite similar. The ensemble averaged profiles for k = 0.15 suggest that the unsteady boundary layer tends to be more attached when the free stream velocity is minimum. Data show that this effect is less pronounced at k = 2.0.
Visually-guided saccades attenuate postural sway under non-fatigued, fatigued, and stretched states

Muscular fatigue, which reduces force output and position sense, often leads to increased sway and potential balance impairments. In contrast, visually-guided saccadic eye movements (saccades) can attenuate sway more than fixating gaze on an external target. The goals of this study were to determine whether the use of saccades could reduce the increased postural sway in a fatigued state and to better understand the contributions to fatigue-induced increased sway. We compared the effects of gazing at a fixation point (FP) and performing saccades (SAC) on various spatial and temporal measures of the center of pressure (CoP) while participants stood as still as possible on a force plate. Participants used either a narrow or wide base of support and performed three trials for each eye movement condition (SAC, FP) in three states (non-fatigued-NF, stretched-S, and fatigued-F). Calf raises to exhaustion induced ankle fatigue. Extreme plantar- and dorsi-flexion induced stretch. SAC significantly decreased sway and increased time-series complexity (sample entropy) compared to FP. F increased sway and decreased time-series complexity compared to NF and S states, which were similar. Reduced force production, which accompanies muscle fatigue and stretching, did not account for increased sway associated with acute bouts of ankle muscle fatigue. Increased position sense often associated with muscle stretching likely compensated for any reduced force output for S, while the decreased position sense associated with F probably explained the increased sway in this state. Performing saccadic eye movements during quiet stance can help reduce sway under various states.
Varieties Related to the Problem of Lifting \(G_r\)-Modules to G

Let G be a simple simply connected algebraic group over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic p, with rth Frobenius kernel \(G_r\). Let M be a \(G_r\)-module and V a rational G-module. We put a variety structure on the set of all \(G_r\)-summands of V that are isomorphic to M, and study basic properties of these varieties. This is primarily to set the stage for later work that will bring techniques from geometric invariant theory to bear on the problem of lifting \(G_r\)-modules to G. However, we do give a few applications of the work in this paper to the representation theory of G, in particular noting that the truth of Donkin’s tilting module conjecture is equivalent to the linearizability of G-actions on certain affine spaces.
Trial of intrathecal rituximab in progressive multiple sclerosis patients with evidence of leptomeningeal contrast enhancement.

Abstract Background Leptomeningeal inflammation is associated with increased cortical damage and worse clinical outcomes in MS. It may be detected on contrast-enhanced T2-FLAIR imaging as focal leptomeningeal contrast-enhancement (LME). Objective To assess the safety of intrathecal (IT) rituximab in progressive MS (PMS) and to assess its effects on LME and CSF biomarkers. Methods PMS patients had a screening MRI to detect LME. Participants satisfying eligibility criteria underwent two IT administrations of 25 mg rituximab 2 weeks apart. Follow-up lumbar puncture and MRI were performed at 8 and 24 weeks after the first treatment. Results Of 36 patients screened 15 had LME, 11 consented, and 8 received study treatment. Mean age was 56.7 years and number of LME lesions ranged from 1 to 3. No serious adverse effects occurred. We noted profound reductions in peripheral B cells from baseline to week 2 and 8 with some return at week 24. We also observed transient reductions in CSF B cells and CXCL-13 levels with an increase in BAFF levels. However, the number of LME did not change following treatment. Conclusions IT rituximab was well tolerated in PMS patients and had transient effects on CSF biomarkers but did not change LME.
The Evolution of Inclusive Practice in Two Elementary Schools: Reforming Teacher Purpose, Instructional Capacity, and Data-Informed Practice:

This qualitative case study focuses on the evolution of inclusive school reform in two elementary schools in a large metropolitan district. Four central themes that emerged during data analysis are...
Approaching the Study of Business and Management as a Profession

Professions have been characterized as “exclusive occupational groups applying somewhat abstract knowledge to particular cases.” This definition implies three key criteria. First, professions are successful in asserting exclusive jurisdiction over a specific body of knowledge. Second, a portion of the body of knowledge over which the profession asserts exclusivity is abstract. Third, professions provide their unique abstract knowledge to specific cases. This chapter discusses each of these three criteria and considers the degree to which business management meets these criteria.
Pelvic Hematoma Following UroLift procedure for BPH.

Abstract We present an interesting complication following the UroLift procedure: the development of a pelvic hematoma. This patient presented to the emergency department with pelvic pain, penile ecchymosis, and edema on postoperative day 4 following his UroLift procedure. A computed tomography scan revealed that his symptoms were due to the formation of a large pelvic hematoma. To our knowledge, pelvic hematoma formation following UroLift is a unique complication not previously described in the literature.
The presence of bla1, bla-SHV and bla-TEM in ampicillin-resistant bacteria from agricultural soil samples

Antibiotic resistance in the environment occurs naturally in bacteria, and is a growing problem due to the use of antibiotics both in human and animal medicine. β-lactamases are the most studied group of antibiotic resistant genes, as these enzymes hydrolyze penicillin, ampicillin, and other β-lactam antibiotics. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between numbers of copies of β-lactamase genes (bla1, bla-TEM, bla-SHV) from ampicillin-resistant bacteria in soil samples from a horse pasture and a crop field. Colony counts suggested there was a significant difference (p 0.05) in bacteria from each soil sample, but there was a significant difference in the presence of bla-SHV (p = 0.0061). A significant difference in ampicillin-resistant colonies and bacteria with bla-SHV suggests that ampicillin used in the horses may be selecting for ampicillin resistance in the soil bacteria. There may also be high concentrations of other ampicillin-resistant genes present in agricultural rich soils, particularly in animal pastures. Future studies need to be undertaken to document the level of antibiotic resistance found in animal pastures to understand the impact this may have on animal and human health.
Non-clinical Drivers of Variation in Preoperative MRI Utilization for Breast Cancer

Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utilization in breast cancer treatment has increased significantly over the past 2 decades, but its use continues to have interprovider variability and disputed clinical indications. The aim of this study was to evaluate non-clinical factors associated with preoperative breast MRI utilization. This study utilized TRICARE claims data from 2006 to 2015. TRICARE provides health benefits for active duty service members, retirees, and their dependents at both military (direct care with salaried physicians) and civilian (purchased care under fee-for-service structure) facilities. We studied patients aged 25–64 years with a breast cancer diagnosis who had undergone mammogram/ultrasound (MMG/US) alone or with subsequent breast MRI prior to surgery. Facility characteristics included urban–rural location according to the National Center for Health Statistics classification. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression tests were used to identify independent factors associated with preoperative breast MRI utilization. Of the 25,392 identified patients, 64.7% (n = 16,428) received preoperative MMG/US alone, while 35.3% (n = 8964) underwent additional MRI. Younger age, Charlson Comorbidity Index score ≥ 2, active duty or retired beneficiary category, officer rank (surrogate for socioeconomic status), Air Force service branch, metropolitan location, and purchased care were associated with an increased likelihood of preoperative MRI utilization. Non-metropolitan location and Navy service branch were associated with decreased MRI use. After controlling for expected clinical risk factors, patients were more likely to receive additional MRI when treated at metropolitan facilities or through the fee-for-service system. Both associations may point toward non-clinical incentives to perform MRI in the treatment of breast cancer.
Patterns of heterogeneity in kindergarten children's executive function: Profile associations with third grade achievement

Abstract In the current study, we utilized latent profile analysis to investigate patterns of heterogeneity within children's executive function (EF) skills – as measured through direct assessments and as rated by teachers – that emerged within a large, national sample of kindergarten children (N = 10,770; Mage = 66.48 months, SD = 4.15). We then investigated whether these profiles predicted children's reading and mathematics achievement in third grade. Five unique profiles emerged from the data – representing groups with high, average, and low EF performance – as well as two groups with discordant performance across the direct assessments and teacher ratings. When predicting third grade achievement from latent class membership, performance on reading and math for both discordant groups was below that of the average-EF group. Findings demonstrate the importance of improving methods for identifying children who may be in need of extra support and may be overlooked when using solely linear-based analytic techniques.
The Student with a Physical Disability: Tammy Thomas, a Clinical Year Medical Student with Quadriplegia

Medical students with quadriplegia can participate in clinical rotations once barriers to access are identified and appropriate accommodations are implemented. Since most students have not experienced the clinical learning environment, they may be unsure of the barriers to access they will encounter. Disability resource professionals (DRPs) are the staff persons with whom students work to identify accommodation needs. It is not uncommon for a DRP who is highly competent in identifying standard accommodations in didactic settings to be less familiar with the clinical requirements of medical rotations. Therefore, DRPs must glean knowledge from a multitude of sources prior to engaging the student in the interactive process of identifying appropriate clinical accommodations. First, such DRPs must be familiar with their institutional technical standards. Next, to gain an understanding of clinical requirements, they should consult with others, including clerkship directors, faculty, occupational therapists, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, physicians with similar disabilities, and Deans of Students/Student Affairs. Also helpful are direct observation of the clinical setting and seeking advice from professional associations and other DRPs who are more experienced working with students in clinical settings.
Nuclear cogeneration for cleaner desalination and power generation – A feasibility study

Abstract Population growth, economic development, groundwater impairment due to salt water intrusion and local vulnerabilities caused by rising sea levels prompt immediate necessity for customized adaptation strategies for the cities of Homestead and Miami in Florida. This paper presents a feasibility study of nuclear energy driven cogeneration plant for water and power production in Homestead, FL. Miami-Dade and Homestead, Florida is home to the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Facility. The focus of this study is to investigate the economic feasibility of a seawater desalination facility on the site of an existing nuclear generating plant. While the cost of seawater desalination is often too great to overcome, it is hypothesized that sharing the infrastructure and processes with a power generating facility will lower the cost of producing freshwater. The analysis was completed with the aid of the desalination modeling software, DEEP. First, we estimate the population growth and water demands for Homestead, FL and then identify a suitable water desalination plant configuration based on freshwater and power production costs. We then compare cogeneration (water and power) schemes based on different energy sources and desalination technologies. The energy sources considered are nuclear energy, oil and natural gas for steam turbine and combined cycle power plants. In addition, we evaluate the water and power production costs for hybrid desalination configurations. Finally, the freshwater costs through nuclear desalination were assessed with other options and conventional ground water system costs. Environmental emissions saved through nuclear desalination and the need for considering this option despite the high costs are discussed in detail. The study concluded that reverse osmosis desalination plant powered by nuclear energy produced water at the lowest cost which is still three times the cost of current water rates in Homestead, Florida.
A quantitative model of a cooperative two-state equilibrium in DNA: experimental tests, insights, and predictions - CORRIGENDUM.

Quantitative parameters for a two-state cooperative transition in duplex DNAs were finally obtained during the last 5 years. After a brief discussion of observations pertaining to the existence of the two-state equilibrium per se, the lengths, torsion, and bending elastic constants of the two states involved and the cooperativity parameter of the model are simply stated. Experimental tests of model predictions for the responses of DNA to small applied stretching, twisting, and bending stresses, and changes in temperature, ionic conditions, and sequence are described. The mechanism and significance of the large cooperativity, which enables significant DNA responses to such small perturbations, are also noted. The capacity of the model to resolve a number of long-standing and sometimes interconnected puzzles in the extant literature, including the origin of the broad pre-melting transition studied by numerous workers in the 1960s and 1970s, is demonstrated. Under certain conditions, the model predicts significant long-range attractive or repulsive interactions between hypothetical proteins with strong preferences for one or the other state that are bound to well-separated sites on the same DNA. A scenario is proposed for the activation of the ilvPG promoter on a supercoiled DNA by integration host factor.
Computer Applications in Music Composition and Research

Publisher Summary The chapter describes activities in three areas of computing applications in music: music score input and output, sound generation and manipulation, and research on musical structure and performance. The chapter focuses on ways of representing music scores for computer storage, retrieval, and manipulation, and includes a discussion of two representative music codes, encoding devices and software, and music printing. The chapter discusses computer applications in music composition and includes information about the Musical Instrument Digital Interface(MIDI) standard, digital sound synthesis, and computer-aided composition. The chapter presents a survey of computer applications in music research and includes discussions of database developments, data structures for music analysis, adaptations of artificial intelligence techniques and concepts from cognitive science, and research into expressive musical performance. This chapter describes efforts arising from Algorithmic composition (Al) research whose goal is the composition of music in stylistic imitation of earlier composers. The most promising approaches are those using grammatical approaches and connectionist networks. In conclusion, the chapter presents comments on the current situation in each of these areas and then address briefly three philosophical issues attending the use of computers by musicians.
Stress-Dose Steroids

Patients are treated with glucocorticoids for a multitude of conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), organ transplantation, autoimmune diseases, and other inflammatory conditions. This chapter addresses supplemental steroid dosing (commonly called “stress-dose steroids”) for patients with tertiary (iatrogenic) adrenal insufficiency as a result of glucocorticoid use. Note that all patients with primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease) or ACTH deficiency (i.e., pituitary surgery) require stress-dose steroids [1].
Treatment of interstitial cystitis with the neodymium-YAG laser.

Abstract Five patients with severe interstitial cystitis that had not responded to conventional means of therapy were treated with the neodymium-YAG laser» Of the 5 patients 4 demonstrated cessation of severe bladder pain and frequency of urination within several days after therapy. These patients also were studied objectively by measuring bladder capacity, which was found to be increased overall Complication rates from this modality of therapy were extremely low. The patients have been followed for 3 to 15 months after treatment and to date have had no recurrent symptoms of severe interstitial cystitis, although some have had mild recurrent voiding symptoms.
An improved approximate theory for the bending of laminated plates

Summary The theory of bending of laminated plates is extended to include shearing deformation in each layer. The shear strain is constant in each layer of the laminate but differs from layer to layer. Transverse displacements are assumed to be constant through the entire plate thickness. Equations of equilibrium and constitutive relations for each layer are developed. The final equations of the theory are expressed compactly in terms of the transverse displacement and the tangential displacements at the top and bottom of each layer. Thus, for a plate with N layers there are 2N – 3 equations and associated boundary conditions to be solved. The theory is applied to the problem of cylindrical bending of a three-layer laminated plate for which an exact three-dimensional elasticity solution is known. Agreement between exact and approximate results for displacement and stresses is good.
Sequential Analysis ‐ Recent Advances

This article gives an overview of sequential analysis and its applications to data and safety monitoring of clinical trials, determination of median effective dose and maximum tolerated dose, fixed-width confidence intervals, and adaptive design of biomedical studies. Keywords: group sequential tests; sequential design; stochastic approximation; fixed-width confidence intervals; backward induction
Volatility and Job Creation in the Knowledge Economy

Sectors with increasing returns to scale have been shown to amplify business cycles exhibiting more volatility than others [13]. Our hypothesis is that this volatility could be a cause of the “jobless recovery” suggesting policies for employment generation. To test this hypothesis we introduce a general equilibrium model with involuntary unemployment. The economy has two sectors: one with increasing returns that are external to the firm and endogenously determined — the knowledge sector — and the other with constant returns to scale. We define a measure of employment volatility, a ‘labor beta’ that is a relative of the ‘beta’ used in finance. A ‘resolving’ equation is derived from which it is proved that increasing return sectors exhibit more employment volatility then other sectors. The theoretical results are validated on US macro economic data of employment by industry (2–3 digits SIC codes) of the 1947–2001 period, showing that the highest ‘labor betas’ are in the service sectors with increasing returns to scale. Policy conclusions are provided to solve the puzzle of the ‘jobless recovery’, where small firms in the services industry play a key role. We conclude with policy recommendations on how to create jobs in the knowledge economy.
Quantifying perceptual distortion in scalably compressed MPEG audio

A scalably compressed bitstream is one which can be streamed and decoded at a wide variety of bitrates, and it is therefore compatible with communications channels of varying capacity. The audio coding portions of the MPEG 2 and 4 standards support fine-grained scalability through the use of bit slice arithmetic coding (BSAC). Human subjective analysis of BSAC, however, has shown that it performs poorly at low bitrates; seemingly random tonal patterns are superimposed on the actual audio. Here, we develop a new approach for objectively characterizing such distortion and validate it with human subjective trials. Unlike most other objective performance metrics, the proposed approach does not require sample-accurate sequence synchronization. As a comparison, we also apply the ITU-R BS.1387-1 objective testing recommendation to the same audio sequences and quantify how well it predicts the observed subjective quality.
A design rationale for safer terrain park jumps that limit equivalent fall height

Ski jump landing surface shapes can be created to cushion jumper landing by specifying a value of equivalent fall height (EFH) but, because the shape is calculated by integrating a differential equation, an infinite number of solutions results from the arbitrary boundary conditions. This paper provides a natural rationale for selection of the least expensive (minimum snow budget) one of these that nevertheless satisfies other design constraints, mainly limited normal acceleration and jerk during approach and landing transitions. Choosing the maximum allowable normal acceleration during the approach transition brings the entire infinite family of landing surfaces as close as possible to the parent slope. Limiting the rate of change of normal acceleration (jerk) decreases the likelihood of loss of balance at takeoff and consequent catastrophic spinal cord injuries on landing. An analogous choice, satisfying limited normal acceleration during the landing transition, selects the single member of the infinite family (providing the desired EFH) that lies closest to the parent slope and is therefore least costly to build. Software in the form of a graphical user interface is described that implements these algorithms and is appropriate for inexperienced users to calculate design details before actual fabrication of landing surfaces at a specific jump site.