cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Broadband antireflective light-blocking layer using nanoparticle suspension in photoresist with high-resolution patterning

Background: Many MEMS and optical sensor devices can benefit from layers that block transmission and suppress reflection of light across the visible spectrum. Because these devices can include complicated topography, many existing methods for depositing antireflective layers are difficult, impractical, or unusable. Aim: To create a light-blocking antireflective layer that works well with complicated MEMS and sensor devices, a layer should be made that is cheap, simple, and can be deposited and patterned with high resolution at low temperatures. Approach: Light blocking is achieved using an aluminum layer. Suppressing reflection is achieved by mixing aluminum oxide nanoparticles in photoresist to create a layer that partially absorbs and partially scatters light. Results: The combination of a layer of metal and a layer of nanoparticles and photoresist completely blocks transmission of light and significantly reduces reflections across the visible spectrum, particularly for shorter wavelengths. The layer is also patternable to sizes as small as a few microns with high resolution. Conclusion: By combining a metal layer and a layer of nanoparticles in photoresist, a simple, cheap, and effective light-blocking antireflective layer can be created that is compatible with planar devices with complex topography.
Abstract 3652: USP7 heterozygous loss-of-function affects T-cell differentiation in pediatric T-ALL

Ubiquitin-specific-processing protease 7 (USP7), a protein deubiquitinase, is one of the most frequently mutated genes (33%) in the TAL1 subtype of pediatric T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). However, the functional effect of USP7 haploinsufficiency on T-ALL pathogenesis remains elusive. To understand USP7 haploinsufficiency’s impact on T-ALL, we performed gene expression analysis on 42 non-early T-cell precursor T-ALL RNAseq samples downloaded from phs000218. The gene expression analysis suggested that USP7 haploinsufficiency (USP7-mut N = 12; USP7-wt N = 30) down-regulated the expression of T-cell maturation markers (e.g. RAG1, RAG2, and CD1B), which were negatively regulated by TAL1 [1]. RNAseq on a T-ALL cell line with USP7 knocked down by shRNA also found the same TAL1 negatively regulated gene set, further supporting an increase of TAL1 activity in the USP7 mutated T-ALLs. To examine whether the T-cell maturation was affected by USP7 heterozygous knockout, we generated a conditional knockout (cKO) mouse model by cross-breeding the transgenic vav1-cre mice with the USP7fl/fl mice to obtain heterozygous USP7fl/wt-vav1-cre. Thymocytes isolated from cKO mice were co-cultured with the OP9-Δ1 cells in the medium supplied with cytokines. The cell surface differentiation markers, CD4 and CD8 were stained for flow cytometry detection, and we observed an increase of double-negative cells and a decrease of double-positive cells in USP7-het-KO mice versus control (N = 4 in each group; p-value Citation Format: Timothy I. Shaw, Li Dong, Anthony High, Yu Liu, Bensheng Ju, Kanisha Kavdia, Vishwajeeth Pagala, Bridget Shaner, John Easton, Chenxi Qian, Jiyang Yu, Janke Janke, John Kim Choi, Junmin Peng, Wei Gu, James R. Downing, Jinghui Zhang. USP7 heterozygous loss-of-function affects T-cell differentiation in pediatric T-ALL [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3652.
Thermal variability drives synchronicity of an aquatic insect resource pulse

Spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions can prolong food availability by desynchronizing the timing of ephemeral, high‐magnitude resource pulses. Spatial patterns of water temperature are highly variable among rivers as determined by both natural and anthropogenic features, but the influence of this variability on freshwater resource pulse phenology is poorly documented. We quantified water temperature and emergence phenology of an aquatic insect (salmonfly, Pteronarcys californica) resource pulse in two rivers characterized by differing catchment topography and human impact. Along both rivers, salmonfly emergence occurred earlier where spring temperatures were warmer. Emergence events were brief (4–8 d) at sites in the more human‐impacted river, but occurred asynchronously along the entire river, lasting 27 d in total. In contrast, emergence events were more prolonged (6–11 d) at sites on the more natural and topographically complex river, but occurred synchronously along the entire river, lasting 13 d in total. These scale‐specific differences in subsidy duration could have opposing consequences for salmonfly consumers depending on their mobility and foraging habits. Asynchronous emergence at a large scale is potentially most important for mobile consumers like birds and fish that can migrate to feed on aquatic insects and track resource waves across a landscape, whereas prolonged emergence duration at a smaller scale may be most important for immobile or opportunistic consumers like spiders and ants. Relating environmental heterogeneity and resource pulse phenology across a gradient of human impact and at multiple spatial scales is needed for a better understanding of how food availability, aquatic–terrestrial linkages, and consumer–resource dynamics may change with climate variability and increasing human activity in the future.
Sleep apnea and the heart

The normal sleep-wake cycle is characterized by diurnal variations in blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac events. Sleep apnea disrupts the normal sleep-heart interaction, and the pathophysiology varies for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA). Associations exist between sleep-disordered breathing (which encompasses both OSA and CSA) and heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality. Treatment options include positive airway pressure as well as adaptive servo-ventilation and phrenic nerve stimulation for CSA. Treatment improves blood pressure, quality of life, and sleepiness, the last particularly in those at risk for cardiovascular disease. Results from clinical trials are not definitive in terms of hard cardiovascular outcomes.
Chronic Pain and Cognition

Chronic pain is a common clinical condition that has a high lifetime prevalence, with significant morbidity and medical cost. An often overlooked aspect of chronic pain is the cognitive consequences. Findings on chronic pain and cognitive function reveal several important factors. First, patients with chronic pain appear to have worse cognitive functioning than do healthy controls, particularly in the areas of attention, processing speed, and executive functioning. Second, the duration and intensity of chronic pain appear to be negatively correlated with cognitive function. Third, chronic pain appears to affect cognitive functioning in a multifactorial fashion. That is, there appears to be a strong overlap between neural networks devoted to attention and areas of the brain associated with pain processing. There also seem to be both general and etiology-specific focal and regional brain-volume loss associated with pain and some evidence of a reversal of these morphological changes with the cessation of pain. Finally, long-term opioid medication use may have an effect on cognition, but the actual effect is difficult to elucidate given confounding factors such as interaction effects with other medications, the type of opioid, dosage, time of dose, and length of dose.
Differential myocardial strain in the early postoperative period in patients receiving arterial vs venous bypass grafts: A hypothesis-generating study.

Objective Revascularization via coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains a common therapy for coronary artery disease. CABG-based revascularization is most commonly performed via either single arterial graft (SAG) or multiple arterial grafting (MAG) strategies. Echo-derived global and regional longitudinal strain was used to test where SAG or MAG results in immediate differences in left ventricular (LV) function after CABG. Materials and methods Pre- and postprocedural intraoperative transesophageal echos were prospectively collected. Two-dimensional LV images were analyzed for global and regional longitudinal strain (GLS), LV ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and stroke volume (SV). Results Twenty patients underwent open, on-pump CABG (63.9 ± 10 years old, 85% male; 10 with SAG and 10 with MAG. Preprocedural GLS significantly differed between patients with SAG and MAG, with patients with MAG having greater GLS (mean [standard deviation, SD], 20.41 [5.54]) than patients with SAG (16.28 [3.48]). After CABG, in patients with MAG, LV strain decreased both globally (-1.13 [3.15]) and regionally in the anterior-lateral (-1.22 [3.84]) and inferior-lateral regions (-1.32 [5.69]), along with LVEF. In patients with SAG, LV strain increased after CABG globally (1.34 [2.73]) and regionally in the anterior-lateral (1.20 [6.49]) and inferior-lateral regions (0.39 [7.26]), as did LVEF and SV. Postprocedure, more patients with MAG were given vasopressor (100% vs 60%) and inotrope infusions (70% vs 40%) than patients with SAG. Conclusions After CABG, LV function quantified through GLS changes both globally and regionally increased after SAG and decreased after MAG. This finding may have important clinical implications in terms of optimizing intraoperative management for patients with CABG and have the potential to guide the improvement of clinical outcomes.
The democratic limits of political experiments

Since field experiments in democratic politics influence citizens and the relationships among citizens, they are freighted with normative significance. Yet the distinctively democratic concerns tha...
Comparison of portable and conventional laboratory analyzers for biochemical tests in chickens.

Antemortem blood biochemical and blood gas analyses are routinely used in health screening and diagnosis of disease in domestic veterinary species. These testing modalities are not routinely performed in poultry, in part, due to the distance from the diagnostic laboratory. Portable blood analyzers such as the i-STAT and VetScan (VS2) can be used to obtain results on the farm without delay, potentially offering a more practical option for poultry practitioners. We investigated the time effect on blood chemistry values and compared the results obtained using the i-STAT and VS2 with those obtained using conventional laboratory analyzers (GEM Premier 3000 and Cobas c501, respectively). We tested blood from 60 healthy chickens. Each sample was tested in triplicate using each of the portable analyzers and once using conventional analyzers. All samples were analyzed within 60 minutes of collection. The concentrations of some analytes were outside the limit of detection of the portable analyzers (i.e., bile acids). Although statistically significant differences were found for some biochemical analytes over time, the actual mean or median differences were too small to be considered of clinical importance. As observed in mammals, significant time-dependent changes in blood gas analytes were observed in whole blood samples exposed to ambient air. Correlation coefficients between portable and conventional analyzers were moderate to high for most of the analytes. For the most part, there was an agreement between the portable and conventional analyzers. We identified constant and proportional biases in the measurement of multiple analytes by both the i-STAT and VS2. Future studies are warranted to establish analyzer-specific reference intervals for poultry.
Risk Stratification Algorithm for Orthopedic Trauma Patients at Risk for Fat Embolism Syndrome.

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is commonly reported in the setting of long bone and pelvic fractures, but the etiology and pathogenesis are unclear. The aim of this study was to identify clinical characteristics and laboratory findings that may place orthopedic trauma patients at a higher risk of developing FES. Electronic medical records were reviewed of all patients aged 18–89 years from 2015 to 2020 with a mention of FES in the patient chart who met Gurd and Wilson’s criteria for diagnosis after experiencing orthopedic trauma. A 3:1 matched pair analysis was performed between FES patients and those with similar age, gender, and FES-associated fracture (femur, tibia, humerus, or pelvis fracture). 18 patients with FES who met inclusion criteria were identified. Hypomagnesemia (OR = 7.43), hyperphosphatemia (OR = 6.24), hypoalbuminemia (OR = 3.78), blunt traumatic mechanism of injury (OR = 7.16) and a greater number of bones fractured (Avg/SD = 2.89/1.53) were seen more often in FES patients (all p-values < 0.05). Findings of this study suggest that patients with hypomagnesemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypoalbuminemia, a blunt trauma mechanism of injury, and an increased number of bones fractured are at increased risk for the development of FES. This may be related to their roles in physiologic oncotic pressure and inflammatory response, and thus further investigation of these variables is necessary for the evaluation of FES prevention. Level 3.
Ultrahigh mid-infrared electric field enhancement via nanoantenna plasmonic resonance coupled to a novel hyperbolic metalens

Concentrating optical energy to areas much smaller than the diffraction limit, with high field enhancement in mid-infrared (MIR) using noble metals such as gold (Au) or silver (Ag), is not feasible...
Cerebral visual impairment in CDKL5 deficiency disorder: vision as an outcome measure.

AIM To characterize the neuro-ophthalmological phenotype of cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder (CDD) and assess visual acuity as a reproducible, quantitative outcome measure. METHOD We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from patients with CDD. Complete neuro-ophthalmological assessments, including visual acuity, were evaluated. RESULTS Of 26 patients (22 females, four males; median age 4y, interquartile range 2y 1mo-7y 10mo), cerebral visual impairment (CVI), defined as visual dysfunction in the absence of ocular or anterior visual pathway abnormalities, was diagnosed in all those over 2 years of age. Ophthalmological examinations revealed nystagmus in 10 patients and strabismus in 24 patients. Visual acuity was measured in 24 patients, by preferential looking in all and by sweep visual evoked potential in 13. Visual acuities were lower than age expectations and demonstrated improvement in the first 3 years. Adjusting for age and sex, average preferential looking visual acuity after 2 years of age was higher in patients with intact mobility than in those who were non-mobile. INTERPRETATION CVI was observed in patients with CDD. Visual acuity improved over time and correlated with mobility. Visual acuity, as a quantifiable measure of visual function, should be considered as an outcome measure in pre-clinical and clinical studies for CDD. What this paper adds Cerebral visual impairment is highly prevalent in cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 deficiency disorder (CDD). Visual acuity is a measurable quantitative outcome measure in CDD. Visual acuity in CDD correlates with gross motor ability.
Women are underrepresented in prestigious recognition awards in the American Urological Association

Abstract Objectives To determine the proportion of women who received awards from the American Urological Association (AUA) and evaluate whether this has changed over time as the proportion of practicing female urologists has increased. Methods A retrospective review of award recipients from the AUA website was performed. Gender of award recipient, type of award and year received were collected and the trend over time was compared with the AUA census. Results Of the 622 award recipients, 43 (6.9%) were women. There was a larger proportion of women who received early career awards (15/65; 23.1%) compared to women who received more prestigious mid (1/44; 2.3%) or senior (27/513; 5.3%) career awards. Additionally, 17/43 (39.5%) of female award recipients were not clinical urologists, compared to only 33/579 (5.7%) of male award recipients. Conclusions Despite increased representation by women in the field of urology, women remain underrepresented in awards given by the AUA. Although the proportion of women receiving awards over time has increased, it remains less than expected given the increased proportion of practicing female urologists. Strategic initiatives should be employed to help advance women in academic urology.
Fundamentals of OA. An initiative of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Chapter 9: Obesity and metabolic factors in OA

Summary Objective Obesity was once considered a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis (OA) primarily for biomechanical reasons. Here we provide an additional perspective by discussing how obesity also increases OA risk by altering metabolism and inflammation. Design This narrative review is presented in four sections: 1) metabolic syndrome and OA, 2) metabolic biomarkers of OA, 3) evidence for dysregulated chondrocyte metabolism in OA, and 4) metabolic inflammation: joint tissue mediators and mechanisms. Results Metabolic syndrome and its components are strongly associated with OA. However, evidence for a causal relationship is context dependent, varying by joint, gender, diagnostic criteria, and demographics, with additional environmental and genetic interactions yet to be fully defined. Importantly, some aspects of the etiology of obesity-induced OA appear to be distinct between men and women, especially regarding the role of adipose tissue. Metabolomic analyses of serum and synovial fluid have identified potential diagnostic biomarkers of knee OA and prognostic biomarkers of disease progression. Connecting these biomarkers to cellular pathophysiology will require future in vivo studies of joint tissue metabolism. Such studies will help reveal when a metabolic process or a metabolite itself is a causal factor in disease progression. Current evidence points towards impaired chondrocyte metabolic homeostasis and metabolic-immune dysregulation as likely factors connecting obesity to the increased risk of OA. Conclusions A deeper understanding of how obesity alters metabolic and inflammatory pathways in synovial joint tissues is expected to provide new therapeutic targets and an improved definition of “metabolic” and “obesity” OA phenotypes.
In war's wake : international conflict and the fate of liberal democracy

1. Introduction: war and democracy in comparative perspective Elizabeth Kier and Ronald Krebs Part I. War and Democratic Transitions: New and Durable Democracies?: 2. Does war influence democratization? Edward Mansfield and Jack Snyder 3. Dodging a bullet: democracy's gains in modern war Paul Starr 4. Armed conflict and the durability of electoral democracy Nancy Bermeo Part II. War and Democratic Publics: Reshaping Political Participation?: 5. The effects of war on civil society: cross-national evidence from World War II Rieko Kage 6. Veterans, human rights, and the tranformation of European democracy Jay Winter 7. War and reform: gaining labor's compliance on the homefront Elizabeth Kier 8. Spinning Mars: democracy in Britain and the United States and the economic lessons of war Mark Wilson Part III. War and Democratic States: Government by the People or over the People?: 9. International conflict and the constitutional balance: executive authority after war Ronald R. Krebs 10. Claims and capacity: war, national policing institutions, and democracy Daniel Kryder 11. War, recruitment systems, and democracy Deborah Avant Concluding reflections: 12. What wars do Miguel Angel Centeno.
Theoretical Mean Activity Coefficients of Strong Electrolytes in Aqueous Solutions from 0 to 100 C

Tabulated activity coefficients of electrolytes in aqueous solutions from freezing point to boiling point of solvent
Dendritic cell maturation is required for the cross-tolerization of CD8+ T cells

In vivo models have shown that tissue-restricted antigen may be captured by bone marrow-derived cells and cross-presented for the tolerization of CD8+ T cells. Although these studies have shown peripheral tolerization of CD8+ T cells, the mechanism of antigen transfer and the nature of the antigen-presenting cell (APC) remain undefined. We report here the establishment of an in vitro system for the study of cross-tolerance and show that dendritic cells (DCs) phagocytose apoptotic cells and tolerize antigen-specific CD8+ T cells when cognate CD4+ T helper cells are absent. Using this system, we directly tested the "two-signal" hypothesis for the regulation of priming versus tolerance. We found that the same CD83+ myeloid-derived DCs were required for both cross-priming and cross-tolerance. These data suggested that the current model for peripheral T cell tolerance, "signal 1 in the absence of signal 2", requires refinement: the critical checkpoint is not DC maturation, but instead the presence of a third signal, which is active at the DC-CD4+ T cell interface.
Melphalan and Other Anticancer Modalities Up-Regulate B7-1 Gene Expression in Tumor Cells

In this study, we show that administration of low-dose melphalan (l-PAM, l-phenylalanine mustard) to mice bearing a large MOPC-315 plasmacytoma led to a rapid up-regulation of B7-1 (CD80), but not B7-2 (CD86), expression on the surface of MOPC-315 tumor cells. This l-PAM-induced preferential up-regulation of B7-1 surface expression was due, at least in part, to a direct effect of l-PAM on the tumor cells, as in vitro exposure of MOPC-315 tumor cells to l-PAM led to the preferential up-regulation of B7-1 surface expression. Moreover, in vitro exposure of MOPC-315 tumor cells to two other anticancer modalities, γ-irradiation and mitomycin C, resulted in the preferential up-regulation of B7-1 surface expression. This effect was not restricted to MOPC-315 tumor cells, as preferential up-regulation of B7-1 surface expression was observed also following in vitro exposure of the P815 mastocytoma (that is negative for both B7-1 and B7-2 surface expression) to any of the three anticancer modalities. The up-regulation of B7-1 surface expression following in vitro exposure of tumor cells to l-PAM, γ-irradiation, or mitomycin C required de novo protein and RNA synthesis, and was associated with the accumulation of mRNA for B7-1 within 4–8 h, indicating that the regulation of B7-1 expression is at the RNA transcriptional level. These results have important implications for an additional immune-potentiating mechanism of these anticancer modalities in clinical setting.
Preface: The 5th International Workshop on X-ray Mirror Design, Fabrication, and Metrology

Recent developments in synchrotron storage rings and free-electron laser-based x-ray sources with ever-increasing brightness and coherent flux have pushed x-ray optics requirements to new frontiers. This Special Topic gathers a set of articles derived from a subset of the key presentations of the International Workshop on X-ray Mirrors Fabrication (IWXM-2015) and Metrology held at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA, July 14–16, 2015. The workshop objective was to report on recent progress in x-ray synchrotron radiation mirrors fabrication as well as on new developments in related metrology tools and methods.
Taking causality seriously: propensity score methodology applied to estimate the effects of marketing interventions

Propensity score methods were proposed by Rosenbaum and Rubin (1983, Biometrika) as central tools to help assess the causal effects of interventions. Since their introduction two decades ago, they have found wide application in a variety of areas, including medical research, economics, epidemiology, and education, especially in those situations where randomized experiments are either difficult to perform, or raise ethical questions, or would require extensive delays before answers could be obtained. Rubin (1997, Annals of Internal Medicine) provides an introduction to some of the essential ideas. In the past few years, the number of published applications using propensity score methods to evaluate medical and epidemiological interventions has increased dramatically. Rubin (2003, Erlbaum) provides a summary, which is already out of date.
Peptidylglycine α‐Hydroxylating Monooxygenase (PHM)

Numerous peptides function as hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors. Enzymatic α-amidation is a biologically important posttranslational modification of the C-terminus of many of these peptides. This modification alters the biological properties and enhances the stability of the peptides toward digestion by carboxypeptidases. Peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) is an ascorbate and copper-dependent catalytic domain of an α-amidating enzyme (peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase, PAM) that catalyzes the stereospecific hydroxylation of an α-carbon of a terminal glycine residue, the first step in the amidation reaction. This reaction is followed by cleavage of the glycine N Cα bond, which is carried out by the second PAM catalytic domain, peptidyl-α-hydroxyglycine α-amidating lyase (PAL). Detailed structural studies of PHM revealed that its catalytic core binds two copper ions that support the oxygenation reaction by cycling through Cu(II)/Cu(I) oxidation states. These two Cu ions (CuH and CuM) are located 11 A apart and are separated by a solvent-accessible cleft. The monooxygenation reaction requires the two-electron activation of molecular oxygen, which is achieved by the binding of O2 to a single Cu(I) center (CuM). Formation of this complex is dependent upon the presence of a peptidylglycine substrate and a reducing agent (ascorbate). Since the resting state of the enzyme contains two Cu(II) ions, the catalytic reaction requires transfer of two electrons from the reducing agent to the metal centers, and from the reduced copper ions to dioxygen. The reduced oxygen species then carries out the stereospecific hydroxylation of glycine after abstraction of the pro-S hydrogen from Cα. Although, the structure and function of PHM have been broadly studied, the pathway of its electron transfer, the nature of the metal-oxygen species, and details of the mechanism are still being investigated. 3D Structure Keywords: peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM); peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM); amidation of peptides; copper proteins
Some Recent Advances in Nonlinear Aeroelasticity

This brings the discussion of nonlinear aeroelasticity up to date. See the earlier discussion in Chap. 11. Much of the recent advances are based on newunderstanding of such subjects as limit cycle oscillations due to structural nonlinearities, including freeplay, and fluid nonlinearities associated with unsteadyseparated flow including self excited flow oscillations variously called buffet or non-synchronous vibration.
Treatment of Hyperlipidemic Pancreatitis in Pregnancy With Total Parenteral Nutrition

A 29-yr-old pregnant woman presented in her third trimester with severe pancreatitis, hyperlipidemia, and a small-for-dates fetus. Studies suggested that her pancreatitis was caused by profound hypertriglyceridemia, which was the result of an underlying lipoprotein disorder exacerbated by pregnancy. Throughout the first 7 wk of hospitalization, attempts to re f eed the patient with solid food and various elemental diets resulted in the induction of hypertriglyceridemia and relapses of pancreatitis. Concern for the nutritional status of the mother and the possibility of further growth retardation of the fetus prompted the use of total parenteral nutrition for the last 2 wk of gestation. This treatment was well tolerated by the mother, promptly reversed maternal weight loss, caused a rapid resolution of her pancreatitis, and did not induce further hypertriglyceridemia. This report documents that total parenteral nutrition may be safely and effectively used in the management of hyperlipidemic pancreatitis in pregnancy.
On Minimum-Point Second-Order Designs

In this note, we discuss k-factor, second order designs with minimum number of points ½(k + l)(k + 2), in particular, those which are extensions of designs that give minimum generalized variance for k = 2 and 3. The experimental region is the unit cuboid. Minimum point designs of this type are unknown for k ≥ 4, and these designs are the best found to date except for k = 4, where a better design is known. Kiefer has shown that these designs cannot be the best for k ≥ 7, via an existence result but, even here, specific better designs are not known and appear difficult to obtain. We also discuss some difficulties of using, in practice, designs that, are D-optimal (that is give minimum generalized variance when the number of points is not restricted).
The outcome of liver grafts procured from hepatitis C-positive donors.

Background. The growing prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population has resulted in an increased frequency of potential organ donors that carry the virus. The survival of grafts from HCV+ donors has not been studied in detail. Methods. Two study populations were examined retrospectively to assess the survival of liver grafts procured from HCV+ donors. First, we evaluated the survival of all 13 HCV+ and 103 HCV− grafts that were transplanted at our institution to HCV+ recipients from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1999. In parallel, we analyzed a subset of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) liver transplant database from the same 5-year time period that was comprised of 14,195 adult patients for whom donor and recipient HCV serologies were known. Kaplan-Meier graft survival for both patient populations was calculated based on donor and recipient HCV serologic status. A Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed on UNOS data to identify variables independently predicting graft survival. Results. For transplants performed at our institution, we found no statistically significant difference in the Kaplan-Meier graft survival of HCV+ and HCV− grafts transplanted to HCV+ recipients (P =0.68). The incidence of biopsy-proven, recurrent HCV posttransplant was similar in recipients receiving either HCV+ or HCV− grafts (4/13 vs. 18/103, chi-square P =0.211). Analysis of UNOS data revealed that the survival of HCV+ grafts in HCV+ recipients was equivalent to the survival of HCV− grafts in HCV+ recipients. Unexpectedly, the survival of grafts in HCV+ recipients in general was significantly inferior to that of grafts in HCV− recipients. Multivariate analysis of all patients found recipient but not donor HCV status to be independently predictive of graft survival. Conclusions. Analysis of data from a single center and the national UNOS database suggests that transplantation of liver allografts from HCV+ donors to HCV+ recipients results in graft survival comparable to HCV− grafts transplanted to HCV+ recipients. In contrast, recipient HCV positivity is an independent predictor of graft failure compared with patients transplanted for other causes of liver disease.
Neighborhood Composition and Incidence of Cancer among Hispanics in the United States

BACKGROUND Hispanics in the United States have a 33% lower age-adjusted incidence of cancer and a 38% lower cancer mortality rate compared with non-Hispanic whites. This may be secondary to health behaviors that vary with residential and economic assimilation. The authors investigated whether cancer incidence among Hispanics increased with residential and economic assimilation into mainstream culture. METHODS Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER) and the U.S. Census Bureau were used to compare cancer incidence rates and rate ratios as a function of percentage of Hispanics and income of Hispanics in a census tract. Type of cancer was identified with a site recode variable in the SEER data set. Cases with in situ prostate and cervical carcinoma were excluded. Hispanic ethnicity in SEER was identified by medical record review and Hispanic surname lists. The study also used income of Hispanics living in the census tract, age at diagnosis, and stratification by gender. RESULTS The incidence of breast, colorectal, and lung carcinoma among Hispanics increased as the percentage of Hispanics in the census tract decreased and as tract Hispanic income increased. For example, there was a 39% reduction in breast carcinoma and a 38% reduction in male colorectal carcinoma when the Hispanic population in high-density Hispanic neighborhoods in the lowest income quartile was contrasted to Hispanics living in tracts with the lowest total percentage of Hispanics in the highest income quartile. CONCLUSIONS The lower cancer rates among Hispanics relative to non-Hispanic whites in the United States may dissipate as Hispanics become more assimilated into the mainstream society. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Variation of Gas Content in Coalbed Methane Development

Abstract At present, the variation of gas content resulted from the surface coalbed methane (CBM) development has not been reported at home. It is introduced that adopting the CBM-SIM software and combining with the key oil and gas special research task, the productivity prediction and reservoir simulation analysis of the impact and variation of the CBM in the surface CBM development process are conducted respectively in the Sihe north block and Chengzhuang block of the Jincheng mining area. Combined with the measured results of the gas content in the inspect well on the drainage effect after 5 years on the surface CBM development in the Sihe north block, the variation rules of the CBM in the surface coalbed methane development process are discussed and researched.
Allergy to Unna boots in four patients

We report the cases of four patients seen in our department since 1967 with allergic reactions to preservatives in Unna boots. The first three patients had reactions to parabens and the last had a photoallergic reaction to hexachlorophene. Preservative-free Unna boots were successfully applied to patients with allergy to parabens. A table of some currently available Unna boots, detailing their ingredients, is also presented.
A High-Gain D-C Amplifier for Bio-electric Recording

This paper describes a d-c amplifier for use with the cathode-ray oscillograph whose maximum voltage amplification is 6 × 106. This amplification is attained with a noise level referred to the input of less than two microvolts over a 5,000-cycle-per-second band, and without the drift due to variations in battery voltages and circuit constants characteristic of such amplifiers. The amplifier is push-pull throughout and provides a choice of two input circuits. Voltage sources in which both terminals are at a high impedance to ground are connected grid-to-grid, symmetrically to ground, while sources in which one terminal is at ground potential are connected to either grid and ground, the first stage, in this case, acting as a phase inverter. Stability and phase inversion are obtained by means of a circuit that makes the output relatively independent of battery voltage and tube-constant variation. The amplifier is simple and rugged, uses ordinary radio-type tubes which do not have to be carefully matched, is constructed of ordinary radio-type components, and has reasonable battery requirements.
Multidrug resistance protein (MRP) 4 attenuates benzo[a]pyrene-mediated DNA-adduct formation in human bronchoalveolar H358 cells.

Abstract Multi-drug resistance protein (MRP) 4, an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, has broad substrate specificity. It facilitates the transport of bile salt conjugates, conjugated steroids, nucleoside analogs, eicosanoids, and cardiovascular drugs. Recent studies in liver carcinoma cells and hepatocytes showed that MRP4 expression is regulated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). The AhR has particular importance in the lung and is most commonly associated with the up-regulation of cytochrome P-450 (CYP)-mediated metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) to reactive intermediates. Treatment of H358, human bronchoalveolar, cells with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) or (−)-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydro-7,8-diol (B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol), the proximate carcinogen of B[a]P, revealed that MRP4 expression was increased compared to control. This suggested that MRP4 expression might contribute to the paradoxical decrease in (+)-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene-2′-deoxyguanosine ((+)-anti-trans-B[a]PDE-dGuo) DNA-adducts observed in TCDD-treated H358 cells. We have now found that decreased MRP4 expression induced by a short hairpin RNA (shRNA), or chemical inhibition with probenecid, increased (+)-anti-trans-B[a]PDE-dGuo formation in cells treated with (−)-B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol, but not the ultimate carcinogen (+)-anti-trans-B[a]PDE. Thus, up-regulation of MRP4 increased cellular efflux of (−)-B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol, which attenuated DNA-adduct formation. This is the first report identifying a specific MRP efflux transporter that decreases DNA damage arising from an environmental carcinogen.
Disentangling the effects of genetic, prenatal and parenting influences on children's cortisol variability.

AbstractDevelopmental plasticity models hypothesize the role of genetic and prenatal environmental influences on the development of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and highlight that genes and the prenatal environment may moderate early postnatal environmental influences on HPA functioning. This article examines the interplay of genetic, prenatal and parenting influences across the first 4.5 years of life on a novel index of children’s cortisol variability. Repeated measures data were obtained from 134 adoption-linked families, adopted children and both their adoptive parents and birth mothers, who participated in a longitudinal, prospective US domestic adoption study. Genetic and prenatal influences moderated associations between inconsistency in overreactive parenting from child age 9 months to 4.5 years and children’s cortisol variability at 4.5 years differently for mothers and fathers. Among children whose birth mothers had high morning cortisol, adoptive fathers’ inconsistent overreact...
Real-time spinning-disk interferometric immunoassays

We describe real-time detection of antigen/antibody binding using a high-speed label-free interferometric detection technique. The sensor, called the BioCD, consists of microfabricated gold interferometric structures on 2” dielectric laser mirror substrates that spin at rates up to 6000 rpm. The interferometric microdiffraction elements operate in the linear sensitivity regime of the interferometer. Antibodies or proteins are immobilized on the gold interferometric structures through an intermediate thiol layer. The molecules are immobilized by application of reagents or samples to the disk while it is spinning. The centrifugal force distributes the sample over the sensor surface, causing a change in the optical phase of the interferometric element, which is detected in real-time using lock-in detection with small detection bandwidth. The thiolated BioCD is spun at 1500 rpm and anti-mouse IgG, rabbit IgG and mouse IgG are delivered in succession to the sensor surface with potash buffered saline (PBS) wash cycles interspersed between each exposure to remove excess unbound proteins. The layer of anti-mouse IgG binds to the thiolated gold sensor elements which later bind specific mouse IgG. We have observed a 10% change in the interferometric signal when mouse IgG binds to an immobilized layer of anti-mouse IgG. No significant non-specific binding of rabbit IgG was detected. The sensitivity and throughput of this sensor will be discussed. An advantage of this new approach, relative to previous work in which the disk was incubated with antigen off-line, is the real-time detection of antigen binding, which could be valuable for simultaneous high-speed screening of a large number of protein interactions.
Mid-IR lasing of iron–cobalt co-doped ZnS(Se) crystals via Co–Fe energy transfer

Abstract We report a spectroscopic characterization of iron–cobalt co-doped ZnS and ZnSe laser crystals over 14–300 K temperature range. Mid-IR Fe 2+ lasing via Co–Fe energy transfer was demonstrated under cobalt excitation at 4 A 2 – 4 T 1 transition by 1.56 μm radiation.
Postpartum depression: an original survey of screening practices within a healthcare system

Objective. This study evaluated the strategies for postpartum depression (PPD) screening by surveying healthcare providers at a US academic medical centre.Methods. A 10-question survey was administered to 251 Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Paediatrics, and Family Practice physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals in April–June 2007. It explored PPD screening methods and familiarity with selected screening instruments (EPDS, PDSS and PHQ-9). Familiarity scores were assigned based on Likert scale ratings, from 1 (not familiar at all) to 5 (using it all the time). Score mean values and standard deviations were calculated for each screening tool, overall and across specialty and training status. Pearson chi-square analyses with discrete and categorical variables and ANOVA with continuous variables were conducted, followed by Tukey post hoc analyses to identify significant mean differences.Results. There were 131 completed surveys. Respondents were largely unfamiliar with PPD screening instruments, althou...
Synthesis, Spectroscopy, and Structure of a Family of Iridabenzenes Generated by the Reaction of Vaska-Type Complexes with a Nucleophilic 3-Vinyl-1-cyclopropene†

Seven new iridabenzenes were prepared by the addition of (Z)-1,2-diphenyl-3-(2-lithioethenyl)-1-cyclopropene to the Vaska-type complexes [IrCl(CO)(PR3)2], containing differing phosphine ligands. The iridabenzenes could be isolated from the reaction mixture either by direct means or after heating of the crude solution. In the case of the reactions using PMe3 and PEt3, a σ-vinyl/η2-cyclopropene Ir(I) complex, best described as an iridabenzvalene, could be isolated and fully characterized. The metallabenzvalene intermediate could be cleanly converted to the corresponding iridabenzene by heating in solution. The PEt3-substituted iridabenzene and iridabenzvalene were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Plausible mechanisms for the formation of both iridacycles from the lithiated vinylcyclopropene as well as the isomerization of the benzvalene into the benzene are postulated.
An unusual oxidative addition-ligand elimination reaction. Preparation and structure of RhCl2(PMe2Ph)2(C3Ph3)

Abstract The sym -triphenylcyclopropenium cation (C 3 Ph 3 + ) stabilized as the Cl − or PF 6 − salt, undergoes facile reactions at room temperature with trans -Rh(CO)Cl(PMe 2 Ph) 2 to produce complexes which result from the oxidative cleavage of the ring and decarbonylation of the organometallic reactant. The product of the C 3 Ph 3 + Cl − reaction has been fully characterized by X-ray analysis and is shown to be RhCl 2 (PMe 2 Ph) 2 (C 3 Ph 3 ).
Controls on pit lake water quality at sixteen open-pit mines in Nevada

Thirty-five mines in Nevada currently have, or will likely have, a pit lake. The large bulk mineable deposits in Nevada mined below the water table are of several types, including Carlin-type Au, quartz-adularia precious metal, quartz-alunite precious metal and porphyry-Cu (-Mo) deposits. Of the 16 past or existing pit lakes at 12 different Nevada mines, most had near neutral pH and low metal concentrations, yet most had at least one constituent (e.g., SO4) which exceeded drinking water standards for at least one sampling event. Water quality data indicate that, in general, poor water quality will not develop in Carlin-type Au deposits. Wall rocks in the geologic environment typical of these deposits, and in the specific pits sampled, contain substantial amounts of carbonate, which buffers the pH at slightly basic conditions and thereby limits the solubility of most metals. Similarly, the quartz-adularia precious metal deposits generally have geologic conditions that buffer pH and naturally prevent the development of poor water quality. In both of these deposit types, certain elements such as As and Se that are mobile in neutral to basic waters may accumulate to levels near or exceeding drinking water standards. Pit lakes forming in quartz-alunite precious metal deposits hosted in volcanic rocks or in porphyry-Cu (-Mo) deposits in plutonic rocks are of greatest environmental concern in Nevada, as both deposit types have relatively high acid-generating potential and low buffering capacity. However, the sampled Nevada pits in these deposit types indicate that the water may not be of poor quality. In addition, water quality in some pits may actually improve with time due to the increased water-rock ratio as the pit fills with water, as suggested by pit waters at one mine in a Carlin-type deposit (Getchell) that improved between 1968 and 1982. Although water quality in pits in each deposit type is generally good, local, site specific conditions (e.g., surface water inflow) and variations (e.g., evaporation rates) result in some pit lakes (e.g., Boss) in the quartz-adularia deposit type being of substantially poorer water quality than other lakes (e.g., Tuscarora) in the same deposit type. Despite underlying geologic controls based on deposit type, site specific variations in hydrogeologic conditions and surface geologic features can result in differing water quality in pit lakes in the same deposit types, and these factors may, in some cases, provide an overriding control on the geochemical evolution of specific pit lakes.
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF PULSATING INSTABILITY IN NEAR-LIMIT LAMINAR NONPREMIXED FLAMES

Pulsating instability of near-limit C3H8, CH4, and H2 nonpremixed flames was experimentally investigated. The criterion of an effective Lewis number (Le eff) (Chen, R.-H., Mitchell, G.B., and Ronney, P.D., Proc. Combust. Instit., vol. 24, pp. 213–221, 1992) based on the premixed burning regime described by Linan (Linan, A., Acta Astronaut., vol. 1, pp. 1007–1039, 1974), which successfully explained the cellular instability of near-limit nonpremixed flames with Le eff < 1, is extended for pulsating instability in this study. In this criterion, near-extinction diffusion flames exhibit fuel-lean or-rich burning and the Lewis number of the deficient species is Le eff. Pulsating instability of nonpremixed flames was found to occur near extinction limits and for Le eff sufficiently greater than 1. Pulsating modes were observed near both the heat-loss and blowout limits. Present experimental results suggest that Le eff ≥ 2.6 for pulsating instability to occur in near-limit flames. Flames with Le eff as large as ...
Three-dimensional morphology based on Ξ-filters

(Xi) -filters were introduced in the mid-1980s by the author and have been used in many applications, including industrial inspection, remote sensing, and medicine. This paper reviews some new developments in each of these areas. The (Xi) -filter is based on high- speed LUT (lookup table) operations wherein small-kernel, nonlinear convolutions are performed on three-dimensional data. In order to execute 3D transforms by LUT, it is necessary to utilize as compact a kernel as possible. This has led to the FCC (face-centered- cubic) tessellation where the kernel comprises only 13 binary data elements or voxels. (This is in contradistinction to the Cartesian tessellation where the kernel comprises 27 voxels.) Since each LUT contains at each of 8192 locations the transformed value of the voxel, the program word that defines a single (Xi) -filter transform is 8192 bits in length. There are, therefore, an essentially infinite number of program words and therefore an infinite number of transforms. In order to delimit the number of transforms to a set that are both useful and manageable, program works limited to the various ranking filters have been generated. In a kernel of 13 elements, there are, of course, only 13 ranks. By iterating (Xi) -filters based on these ranking transforms many interesting operations are possible as illustrated in this paper.