cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma ADAMTS13 Activity Associates with Injury Severity in Pediatric Trauma Patients

Abstract Background: Acute traumatic coagulopathy occurs in both pediatric and adult trauma patients and is associated with an increased risk of mortality. Trauma patients not only have increased risk for hemorrhagic complications, but also are at increased risk for thrombosis due to multiple factors including local tissue injury, inflammation, and immobility. The complex underlying pathophysiology of coagulation abnormalities associated with traumatic injury have yet to be fully elucidated. Additionally, there are significant differences in the hemostatic system of pediatric patients compared to adults. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of coagulation parameters including von Willebrand factor (VWF) antigen and ADAMTS13 activity in pediatric trauma patients and evaluate for possible association with injury severity and/or mortality. Methods: This study utilized plasma specimens collected from pediatric trauma patients that presented to our institution over a 2-year time period. The specimens were collected at initial presentation and 24 hours later. The injury severity was estimated using both the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Injury Severity Score (ISS). A cohort of control samples was obtained from pediatric patients for elective surgical procedures over the same time period. Plasma VWF antigen was determined by a sandwich ELISA; plasma ADAMTS13 activity was determined by FRETS-VWF73. The results were determined by nonparametric tests for the differences in median values. Results: A total of 106 trauma patient samples at initial time point, 78 trauma samples at 24 hour time point, and 54 control samples were obtained and utilized for study. There were statistically significant differences (p Conclusions: This study demonstrates significant differences in plasma ADAMTS13 activity and VWF antigen in pediatric trauma patients compared to controls. In patients with more severe injuries as estimated by GCS and ISS, there was also a significant association with decreased levels of ADAMTS13 activity. These finding may underlie part of the prothrombotic propensity in microcirculation that occurs in patients post-trauma. Further investigation is warranted to better understand the mechanisms of acute traumatic coagulopathy and potential prognostic factors, and to determine the most effective interventions for acute traumatic coagulopathy in the pediatric population. Download : Download high-res image (151KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Zheng: Ablynx: Consultancy; Alexion: Research Funding.
Obama Dreams of Brazil: A Mulatto in the Land of Racial Democracy

This chapter examines the publication and reception of Obama’s Dreams from My Father in Brazil, released before the 2008 U.S. elections. The autobiography quickly became a best-seller in Brazil, receiving laudatory reviews from both the mainstream media and Internet blogs. This chapter focuses on how the Brazilian translation of the autobiography tried to highlight Brazil as a positive site of race relations by changing key words in important passages (e.g. the title Dreams from My Father became The Origin of My Dreams in Portuguese, erasing the father figure related to Africa to focus on the personal achievements of the individual mulatto). This chapter also investigates Obama and Brazilian president Luis Inacio da Silva’s relationship, highlighting the country’s economic and political rise on the world stage.
Patient Selection and Counseling for Urinary Diversion

Patient selection and preoperative counseling are critical aspects of determining which urinary diversion to perform and should be emphasized at each stage of preoperative planning. The surgeon must have a thorough understanding of the patient's disease process, functional and psycho-emotional status, and social support network so that they can set appropriate expectations. It is also crucial to have a multidisciplinary team of individuals who are experienced with all aspects of urinary diversion care, including ostomy nurses, nurse navigators, and urologic surgeons skilled at teaching and trouble-shooting self-catheterization for continent cutaneous diversion and orthotopic diversion in the setting of hypercontinence.
Image-Guided Evaluation and Monitoring of Treatment Response in Patients with Ocular Surface Disease

Cutting-edge image capture and analysis promises to be a new frontier for both diagnosing disease and monitoring treatment response in patients with ocular surface disease. IVCM and AS-OCT both provide important data that allow clinicians to make a pinpoint diagnosis and to prescribe a patient-specific treatment. Through the use of IVCM, it is possible to distinguish a patient with dry eye from one with corneal neuropathy, to know the degree of inflammation present in each condition, to watch nerve regeneration over time, and to note the efficacy of the treatment prescribed at the cellular level. IVCM also provides objective parameters for evaluating and monitoring meibomian gland dysfunction. This instrument is able to detect the density of meibomian gland distribution, gland morphology, the size of their ducts, and the amount of associated inflammation. Along the same lines as IVCM, AS-OCT is a new technology that can be very useful in assessing DED patients, especially those with possible meibomian gland disease. AS-OCT images of glands can assist a clinician by easily visualizing gland engorgement, morphology, prevalence, and length (along with the weight of the tear meniscus). Other dedicated meibomian gland imaging systems such as LipiView™ or Keratograph 5M™ can provide similar information about glands that are of higher quality compared to current AS-OCT images; however, many practices already have AS-OCT and may not have yet invested in a dedicated imaging system for meibomian glands. Together, these pieces of equipment can influence the decision on what form of therapy will be most effective.
Perceptions of overuse, underuse, and change of use of a social media site: definition, measurement instrument, and their managerial impacts

Drawing on the person-environment fit model, this study investigates a user’s perceptions towards his/her online contacts’ overuse, underuse, and change of use of a social media site (SMS). A new i...
Current and future challenges in vocational rehabilitation

We are pleased to add our commentary to those of our distinguished colleagues. Indeed, the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation has come a long way in the past 20 years. Subscribers and contributors come from every discipline in healthcare and human services and from many countries and cultures. We know from experience that subscribers read this journal and endeavor to translate the findings and innovations contained therein. Between us we have published 19 manuscripts in JVR, and have reviewed scores of manuscripts as members of the Editorial Board. We have always been impressed with the range of ideas, the quality of submissions, and the potential for knowledge translation that each article promises. This is a journal for working professionals who labor in the vineyard of vocational rehabilitation (VR) in every conceivable service delivery system: community based rehabilitation programs, the state-federal vocational rehabilitation program, veterans rehabilitation, industry based disability management, employee assistance programs, case management settings, school-to-work
INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE, SALINITY SHOCK AND CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO NO. 2 FUEL OIL ON SURVIVAL, DEVELOPMENT RATE AND RESPIRATION OF THE HORSESHOE CRAB, LIMULUSPOLYPHEMUS

Abstract Eggs and the first three instars of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus were exposed to 0, 5, 10, 25 and 50% water-soluble fractions (WSF) of No. 2 fuel oil. Rearing salinity and temperatures were 32 ppt and 20°, 25°, and 30°C, respectively. Hatching success was generally good at all temperatures and WSF concentrations, except 50% WSF, 25°C. Survival of larvae decreased with decreasing temperature and increasing WSF concentration. The significance of differences in growth and development rates were difficult to determine because of high variability in these traits. These appear to be the least sensitive indicators of petroleum hydrocarbon stress in L . polyphemus . Respiration rates for control and WSF-exposed first-tailed staged animals from each temperature were measured at salinities of 32, 20 and 10 ppt. The respiration rates of controls decreased with decreasing salinity and temperature. The respiration rate of oil-exposed animals was significantly higher than that of controls at nearly all salinity/temperature combinations. The interaction of salinity and WSF exposure on respiratory rate was highly significant. The data suggest that the ability to adapt to new environmental conditions rather than maintenance of any given equilibrium metabolic state is an important parameter to consider when evaluating the impact of petroleum on estuarine organisms.
Motor amplitudes may predict electromyography-confirmed radiculopathy in patients referred for radiating limb pain.

INTRODUCTION Radiculopathy is diagnosed by needle electromyography, with nerve conduction studies excluding alternative diagnoses. METHODS In patients referred for electrodiagnostic evaluation of radiating limb pain, we compared ulnar motor amplitudes between those with and without electromyographically confirmed C8 radiculopathy, as well as fibular motor amplitudes between those with and without electromyographically confirmed L5 radiculopathy. RESULTS Patients with electromyographically confirmed C8 or L5 radiculopathy demonstrated decreased ulnar or fibular motor amplitudes, respectively, as compared to patients without radiculopathy. Receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy, with areas under the curve of 0.85 and 0.82, respectively. Optimal cut-offs for electromyographically confirmed C8 and L5 radiculopathies were 10.2 mV and 3.6 mV, respectively, with associated sensitivities/specificities of 0.86/0.74 and 0.92/0.60. DISCUSSION Ulnar and fibular motor amplitudes may have clinical utility in assessing the likelihood of patients demonstrating electromyographically confirmed C8 and L5 radiculopathies with active denervation. The findings may be particularly useful in patients intolerant of needle electromyography. Muscle Nerve 59:561-561, 2019.
Highly sensitive chemical microscopy by sensing the thermal effect of infrared absorption (Conference Presentation)

Multiphoton vibrational microscopy is opening a new window to elucidating the rules of life at molecular level. CARS and SRS microscopy has enabled high-speed vibrational imaging of living cells till video rate. However, the ultimate speed and imaging sensitivity are limited by the ultralow cross section of Raman scattering. We report a highly sensitive, high-speed chemical imaging platform based on visible beam sensing of the thermo-refractive effect of infrared absorption. A lab-built resonant circuit is used to extract the photothermal signal at the IR modulation frequency. A virtual lock-in camera is further developed to enable superfast IR-based wide-field chemical imaging at 1250 frames per second. Structural illumination is deployed to further break the diffraction limit of the visible probing beam. With molecular fingerprint information, micro-molar sensitivity and nanoscale spatial resolution, this platform is able to map drug distribution in a pharmaceutical formulation, metabolic activities inside a living cell and further brings IR spectroscopy to in vivo settings.
Earnings Forecast-Based Returns Predictions: Risk Proxies in Disguise?

This paper develops a novel approach to evaluate the likelihood that omitted risk factors or market mispricing underlies the anomalous security returns to analyst earnings forecast-based attributes, reported in Frankel and Lee (1998) and Elgers, Lo and Pfeiffer (2001). My approach is to incorporate predictable errors in analyst earnings forecasts and use the adjusted forecasts to evaluate the underlying phenomenon. The results show that the adjustments of analyst forecasts improve both the predictive accuracy of the forecasts and the ability of the forecasts to represent investor earnings expectations. These adjusted forecasts, however, do not enable improvements in the abnormal security returns resulting from the trading strategies in the two studies. The inability to show improvements is consistent with the interpretation that the predictable security returns documented are more likely due to omitted risk factors rather than to security mis-pricing.
Epidural Meperidine for Phantom Limb Pain

Two cases are presented to demonstrate the use and efficacy of epidural meperidine for relief of phantom limb pain. Possible mechanisms for this relief are also discussed.
Relationships in early practicum experiences: positive and negative aspects and associations with practicum students’ characteristics and teaching efficacy

Teaching is a complex process which includes multiple aspects; similarly learning to teach requires a system of multiple components interacting to support pre-service teachers to become effective t...
Abstract 3414: Brd4 inhibition enhances checkpoint therapy by inducing MDSC apoptosis

Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) antagonize antitumor immune responses, and limit the efficacy of immune based therapies for cancer. As a result, MDSCs have garnered attention as therapeutic targets. Unfortunately, there has been limited success in translating agents targeting MDSCs to the clinic. Brd4 is an epigenetic reader and is itself a therapeutic target in oncology due to its ability to regulate the expression of oncogenes such as Myc. In addition, Brd4 is known to regulate inflammatory cytokine production and innate immune responses including myeloid cell function. As a result, it was hypothesized that inhibition of Brd4 would impact MDSC function or expansion. In multiple tumor models (EMT6, 4T1, LLC, and C26) Brd4 inhibitors, both experimental (JQ1) and those in clinical development (PLX51107 and PLX2853) significantly reduced the abundance of total, PMN, and M-MDSC subsets within the tumor and spleen as measured by flow cytometry and IHC (p Citation Format: Andrew Stiff, Himanshu Savardekar, Robert Wesolowski, Megan Duggan, Luke Scarberry, Brooke Benner, Darren Wethington, Gabby Lapurga, Steven Sun, Jack Hedberg, Logan Good, William E. Carson. Brd4 inhibition enhances checkpoint therapy by inducing MDSC apoptosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3414.
The Atherogenic Index of Plasma is Independently Associated with Symptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis

Abstract Introduction Small, dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) is strongly associated with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, but is not routinely evaluated in ischemic stroke patients. A method using the logarithmic transformation of the ratio of the plasma concentration of triglycerides (TGY) to HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C)[(Log[TGY/HDL-C])] has been described as a surrogate marker for sdLDL termed the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP). Objective To determine if the AIP is independently associated with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Methods We conducted a single center case-controlled study using a sample of ischemic stroke patients and compared risk factors of patients with and without symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine if the AIP divided into four quartiles was independently associated with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. This model was compared to three other lipid models. Associations between non-lipid variables and the AIP were also identified. Results 31 cases of ischemic stroke due to symptomatic carotid artery stenosis and 236 controls of ischemic stroke not due to carotid artery stenosis were identified. Of the four lipid models assessed, only the model including the AIP (model 4) was found to be significantly associated with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. The odd's ratio (OR) for quartile 3 was 3.82 (95% CI 1.03–14.17) and the OR for quartile 4 was 4.13 (95% CI 1.09–15.54) using quartile 1 as a reference. Metabolic syndrome was the only variable associated with the AIP (OR 5.06 95% CI 2.6–9.7). Conclusion At our single center, the AIP was the only lipid parameter independently associated with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis; and metabolic syndrome was independently associated with the AIP. The AIP may serve as a useful surrogate of sdLDL in patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.
IMS 2020 Guest Editorial

This Special Issue of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES (TMTT) is comprised of expanded articles from the 2020 IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IEEE IMS) held virtually on August 4–6, 2020, in response to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. We thank the hard work of the IMS2020 executive and technical committees that helped to rapidly pivot from plans to hold a physical conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center to the first virtual IEEE IMS conference.
Impact of working conditions on faculty teaching:: Analysis of full-time tenure track and part time non-tenure track faculty

The following exploration examined the impact of working conditions on faculty teaching for full-time faculty and non-tenure track faculty within an academic department at a large Midwestern university to determine whether employment status and working conditions potentially impacted student learning outcomes. Questions asked of participating faculty focused on factors related to, or influencing, teaching that may improve or hinder student learning. Factors such as available resources, interaction with department administrators and other faculty, job satisfaction, work-life integration, and mentorship were explored through written surveys and one-on-one interviews. Twelve faculty, out of a target population of 33, provided insight as to concerns or issues they felt impeded or supported teaching efforts. Although the exploration contained a small sample size, department administrators implemented changes to address faculty concerns to reduce “disconnects” and issues mentioned by faculty members. Primary changes occurred around part time faculty input on curriculum development and interactions with department administrators and full time faculty. While still ongoing, initial feedback is positive and indicates faculty are adapting to the changes. Further work is necessary to examine individual feelings of worth and value, as well as exploring actual student learning outcomes across courses.
The cold-insoluble globulin of human plasma. I. Purification, primary characterization, and relationship to fibrinogen and other cold-insoluble fraction components.

Abstract The cold-insoluble globulin (CI-globulin) of human plasma has been highly purified. Starting with Fraction I-1, or plasma cryoprecipitate, 2.1 m glycine fractionation (15°) precipitated mainly fibrinogen; concentration of supernatant CI-globulin-enriched material (16% ethanol, -4°) was carried out prior to final purification by chromatography on di-ethylaminoethylcellulose. Chromatographically purified CI-globulin contained no detectable fibrinogen and was homogeneous upon ultracentrifugation (s20,w0 = 12.3 S); only trace amounts of NH2-terminal amino acids were detectable. CI-globulin migrated as a fast β-globulin in agarose gel or cellulose acetate strip electrophoresis. In immunoelectrophoretic experiments, CI-globulin formed a single precipitin arc against an anti-CI-globulin serum. There was no detectable lipid, fibrin-stabilizing factor (Factor XIII), anti-hemophilic Factor B (Factor IX), plasminogen, plasmin, or thrombin inhibitory activity; low levels of anti-hemophilic factor A (Factor VIII) activity were present. There was no evidence of any alteration of the electrophoretic, ultracentrifugal, or NH2-terminal characteristics of CI-globulin following thrombin treatment or heating to 56° for 5 min. The plasma CI-globulin level, estimated by antigen-antibody crossed electrophoresis, was 0.33 g per liter (range = 0.26 to 0.38, n = 12). The level in serum, 0.20 g per liter (range = 0.14 to 0.30, n = 11), was consistently lower (19 to 52%), presumably attributable to CI-globulin incorporation or occlusion in the fibrin clot. After removal of plasma cryoprecipitate and Cohn Fraction I, supernatant CI-globulin levels were reduced by 59 and 79%, respectively.
Alveolar Surface Tension and Lung Surfactant

The sections in this article are: 1 Background 1.1 Early Contributors 1.2 Relevance of Alveolar Surface Film 1.3 Current Model of Lung Surfactant Action 2 Definition and Measurement of Surface Tension 2.1 Generation of Interfacial Tension 2.2 Methods 3 Adsorption and Spreading of Surfactant Films 3.1 Form of Surfactant 3.2 Factors Affecting Adsorption and Spreading 4 Properties of Films Related to Lung Surfactant 4.1 Low Surface Tension and Other Quasi-Static Film Properties 4.2 Dynamic Film Properties 5 Influence of Surface Tension on Lung Pressure-Volume Behavior 5.1 Static Properties 5.2 Dynamic Properties 6 Turnover and Recycling of Surfactant Components 6.1 Possible Recycling Paths 6.2 Local Monolayer Recycling 6.3 Extramonolayer Recycling Pathways 7 Summary of Lung Surfactant Properties 7.1 Rapid Adsorption and Spreading 7.2 Low Surface Tension When Film is Compressed 7.3 Stable Low Surface Tension 8 Future Considerations
International law and policy on marine environmental protection and management: Trends and prospects

Abstract International law relevant to the protection and preservation of the marine environment is well-developed. An appendix to this paper provides summary information on its main components. The basic rules on States' rights and obligations have been established and are generally accepted, and special regimes specific to certain sources of pollution, with the notable exception of land-based sources—the main source of marine degradation—have been operational for some time. Some future developments will be specific to the marine environment, where the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provides the necessary framework; others reside with the progressive development of international environmental law generally; yet others will depend on a reorientation of international policies, particularly in the economic domain.
The role of emotion regulation in the defensive processing of fear-arousing health-risk information

Individuals often respond defensively to emotive “fear appeals” that target people‟s unhealthy behaviors and aim to instill motivation for behavioral change. Both classic and contemporary models of defensiveness assume that these defensive reactions allow people to down-regulate the negative emotional experience resulting from the fear appeals (i.e., to feel better about their unhealthy behavior). However, no study to date has directly examined emotional regulatory processes, such as cognitive reappraisal, that may occur during fear appeals. In the present study, female participants‟ caffeine use and self-rated cancer risk were measured before they viewed a health message about a link between caffeine and ovarian cancer. Implicit state affect was measured during and after the message, and then participants rated their acceptance of the message and their own cancer risk again. Trait reappraisal interacted with reported caffeine use to predict less message acceptance. Evidence for the role of affect in defensiveness was not found.
Annual cancer incidence rates for Hispanics in the United States: surveillance, epidemiology, and end results, 1992-1996.

BACKGROUND The expansion of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and the determination of annual population estimates by county level for different racial/ethnic groups since 1990 allow the calculation of annual cancer incidence rates for Hispanics. METHODS Incidence rates were calculated for 11 SEER areas representing 25% of the Hispanic population. Standard regression analyses of log-transformed rates were used to determine the trends of the rates. RESULTS An important measure of the cancer burden among Hispanics is the rank order of their cancers. For Hispanic males, the five major cancers (in declining order) are prostate, lung and bronchus, colon/rectum, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and stomach cancers. For Hispanic females, the top five cancers are breast, colon/rectum, lung and bronchus, cervix, and endometrial cancers. Another measure of cancer burden is their rates relative to white non-Hispanics. Hispanic males have rates greater than white non-Hispanic males for stomach (1.6 times greater) and liver and IBD cancers (2.2), whereas Hispanic females have greater rates for cervix (2.2 times greater), liver and IBD (2.0), stomach (2.1), and gallbladder cancers (3.3). Other measures of cancer burden include the trends in Hispanic rates. Hispanic males have significant declining trends for all sites, prostate cancer, and urinary bladder cancer, and an increasing trend for liver and IBD cancers. Hispanic females have significant declining trends for cervix and urinary bladder cancers. CONCLUSIONS The SEER cancer incidence rates and trends provide a general overview of the cancer burden among Hispanics residing in the SEER sites. This type of information is critical for determining interventions to reduce the cancer burden among Hispanics in the United States. Cancer 2000;88:2642–52. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Reply To The Reviews

The authors greatly appreciate the review comments and constructive criticism by T. Vrouwenvelder, A. B. Huseby and A. W. Kraak. It has been a privilege to have these prominent engineers and researchers read the paper so carefully and prepare detailed comments that have indeed helped us improve our method and extend its scope of application. We have learned that a method that was originally developed for application to earthquake engineering problems is potentially useful in assessing the reliability of flood defense systems. New formulations in this regard are presented at the end of this response.
Prox1 Facilitates Transfected CHO Cell Proliferation through Activation of the AKT Signaling Pathway

The homeobox transcription factor Prox1 plays an important role in the development of many embryonic organs. Previous studies indicated that Prox1 facilitates hepatic progenitor-cells proliferation. However, the underlying mechanism of Prox1 in tumor genesis, formation, and progression are poorly understood and need to be exploited. Herein, Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells were transfected and over-expressed human recombinant Prox1 gene, and developed several stable cell lines of Prox1-CHO after screening. The results indicated that over expression of Prox1 increased CHO cell proliferation in comparison to GFP-CHO and parental CHO cells, and Prox1 increased AKT phosphorylation and up-regulated PI3 Kinase expression. An AKT specific inhibitor-AKTi—X (5 μM) and a PI3 K inhibitor—LY294002 (5 μM) were able to reverse AKT phosphorylation and PI3 K expression induced by Prox1, respectively. Furthermore, AKTi-X but LY-294002 decreased Prox1-CHO cell proliferations at 48 and 72 h. Our results suggest that over expression of Prox1 facilitates CHO cell proliferation via activation of the AKT signaling pathway. This finding provides new insights into the mechanism of Prox1 mediated tumor growth and metastasis where Prox1 is rich.
Randomized Trial of Combined Modality Therapy with and without Thymosin Fraction V in the Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer

A randomized trial of thymosin fraction V (60 mg/m2 s.c. twice weekly) given during induction chemotherapy and radiation therapy was performed in 91 patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung. Induction chemotherapy consisted of four cycles of an alternating combination of drugs (cyclophosphamide/Adriamycin/vincristine and cisplatin/etoposide). Radiation to the primary complex was given to patients with limited disease. All patients received prophylactic cranial irradiation. There were 35 patients with limited disease (18 randomized to thymosin and 17 to no thymosin) and 56 with extensive disease (28 thymosin and 28 no thymosin). Pretreatment immunological parameters were comparable between the two groups. For limited disease patients the overall response rate was 100%, including 66% (21 of 32) complete responders. The median duration of response was 19 mo (range, 5-57 mo) and survival 21 mo (range, 4 days to 57 mo). The 3-yr survival was 32%. For ED patients the overall response rate was 95% with 29% (13 of 48) complete. The median duration of response was 10 mo and the median duration of survival 12 mo with 13% alive at 2 yr. A comparison of the thymosin-versus no thymosin-treated patients revealed no difference in response rate, response duration, or survival whether analyzed as a whole or by extent of disease. An analysis based on pretreatment immune function and total white blood cell and absolute lymphocyte count revealed no difference in the survival distributions. No differences in the pattern of toxicity were observed between the thymosin- versus no thymosin-treated patients. The addition of thymosin fraction V during induction chemotherapy and consolidation radiotherapy did not alter outcome.
Dispase, a neutral protease from Bacillus polymyxa, is a powerful fibronectinase and type IV collagenase

Dispase, a neutral protease isolated from culture filtrates of Bacillus polymyxa, has proven to be a rapid, effective, but gentle agent for separating intact epidermis from the dermis and intact epithelial sheets in culture from the substratum. In both cases it effects separation by cleaving the basement membrane zone region while preserving the viability of the epithelial cells. Because it is not known what or where in the basement membrane zone Dispase cleaves, we set up studies to define its substrate specificity. Using purified basement membrane components and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis we show that Dispase cleaves fibronectin and type IV collagen, but not laminin, type V collagen, serum albumin, or transferrin. The action of Dispase on collagen appears to be selective for type IV collagen in that several stable degradation products are formed, whereas the enzyme degrades type I collagen only minimally. In newborn human skin, as seen by electron microscopy, Dispase removes the lamina densa, rich in type IV collagen, but preserves the anchoring fibrils (structures known to contain type VII collagen) and the epidermal cells. Because its action is so selective, it suggests that Dispase can serve as a powerful tool for dissecting epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.
CMOS-compatible gate-all-around silicon nanowire detector

In this paper, we demonstrate gate-all-around (GAA) single crystalline nanowires (SiNWs) that are fabricated using top-down standard CMOS front-end processes. The GAA silicon nanowires are fabricated in well-defined locations with high-quality electrical contacts, and controlled geometry and alignment. These SiNW FETs fabricated in this process have demonstrated repeatable electrical performance with threshold voltages of ∼0.2V and subthreshold slopes of ∼80mV/dec. The p-i-n silicon nanowires are highly sensitive to the intensity and polarization of the incident light. The results in this work demonstrate that individual SiNWs are good candidates for high resolution optical sensing and allow for tuning of the optical properties of the nanoscale devices by precise control of the nanowire geometry and orientation of the incident light. These top-down fabricated SiNWs can be easily integrated in high density arrays for enhanced light absorption, resulting in imaging sensors with nanoscale spatial resolution.
Proteinase in Pacific Whiting Surimi Wash Water: Identification and Characterization

A proteinase in Pacific whiting surimi wash water (SWW) was characterized to be cathepsin L based on molecular mass (M r ), substrate specificity, and SDS-substrate gel electrophoresis. The proteinase was highly active on Z-Phe-Arg-NMec, and the native M r was 27,400 based on size exclusion (SEC)-HPLC. Acidification of the SEC-HPLC fractions showed a two-fold increase in activity on Z-Phe-Arg-NMec. SWW proteolytic activity was found at M r 54,200 on SDS-substrate gel. However, acidification shifted the activity zone to M r 39,500 corresponding to cathepsin L. No evidence of activity by calpain or cathepsin B or H was found in Pacific whiting SWW.
Reply to J. Hornberger et al

We thank Hornberger et al for their letter, and especially for their interesting updated economic analyses based on our study results. They demonstrate that use of the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) assay for estrogen receptor (ER) –positive, lymph node–negative breast cancer results in gains of quality-adjusted years of life and total direct medical savings, even when cost of the assay is included. We agree that their economic analysis may in fact underestimate gains and savings, given the intermediate and late effects of chemotherapy and the costs of treating these events (unmeasured in our study), which could not be factored into their model, as well as work productivity and other issues they mention in their letter. We are now in the early stages of a similar prospective study of treatment decisions in lymph node–positive, ER-positive breast cancer, based on the findings of the Southwest Oncology Group study which showed, like the lymph node–negative data, that patients with very low RS do not appear to benefit from chemotherapy. We would be interested in the findings from a similar economic analysis utilizing the 21-gene RS assay in node-positive, ER-positive breast cancer.
Dual-column chromatography for peak identification in ion moderated partition HPLC

La detection sur colonne permet de confirmer l'identification des pics, mais il faut tenir compte du vieillissement
Management of Hypertension and Cerebrovascular Disease in the Elderly

Cardiovascular disease and stroke disproportionately affect the elderly. The risk for stroke and transient ischemic attack increases exponentially with age. Blood pressure is a potent modifiable target for reducing the risk for stroke in the elderly. In elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension and those with intracranial atherosclerotic disease, blood pressure lowering has consistently been shown to be well tolerated and effective in reducing the risk for stroke and its complications. Evidence suggests that ambulatory blood pressure monitoring may provide a more sensitive means of detecting patients at risk and monitoring therapeutic effect. Agents that modify the renin-angiotensin system, particularly angiotensin receptor blockers, may confer additional benefit in stroke protection beyond blood pressure lowering. Several clinical trials currently in progress promise to provide guidance regarding the optimal choice of agent and degree of blood pressure lowering for prevention of stroke and cognitive decline in elderly patients.
Alternative Interpretations of Water Sorption Values of Composite Resins

Water sorption values for direct filling resins and an unfilled resin were much more similar at 30 days when expressed as mg/g organic matrix than as mg/cm2 or weight percent. This interpretation is indicative of the water sorption characteristics of resin matrices. The values are even more indicative when solubility or leaching is taken into consideration. With the specimen sizes used in this study, the effect of the kinetics of water sorption could be minimized by using values obtained after immersion in water for 30 days.
Lymphomas in C3H mice perinatally inoculated with (C3H × T6) F1 or C3H spleen cells

Abstract Acute fatal Host vs Graft (HVG) reactions may be induced in several strains of inbred mice by the perinatal inoculations of related, histoincompatible F 1 hybrid spleen cells. Susceptible recipients die young with T-cell deficiency and hyperplasia of the B-cell system. It seemed likely that mice which survived or avoided acute HVG reactions would be predisposed to lymphoid malignancies. A doubling of the natural incidence of lymphomas was observed in long term studies of C3Hf/Bi (C 3 H) mice perinatally inoculated with (C 3 H × T 6 )F 1 spleen cells. However, an increased incidence and earlier onset of lymphomas was also seen in the C 3 H recipients of isogenic C 3 H spleen cells. Virological studies revealed the presence of ecotropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV) in both (C 3 H × T 6 )F 1 , and C 3 H donor cell inocula, the earlier expression of MuLV in the recipients of such inocula, and the production of infectious virions by the lymphomas in all C3H/(C3H × T 6 )F 1 mice tested. It is suggested that the inoculation of C-type virus producing cells into hosts which are immunologically or genetically incapable of rejecting them may be a factor favoring the association of ecotropic MuLV and lymphomas in HVG and some Graft vs Host systems.
Impaired response of biliary lipid secretion to a lithogenic diet in phosphatidylcholine transfer protein-deficient mice

Phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PC-TP) is a cytosolic lipid transfer protein that is highly expressed in liver and catalyzes intermembrane transfer of phosphatidylcholines in vitro. To explore a role for PC-TP in the hepatocellular trafficking of biliary phosphatidylcholines, we characterized biliary lipid secretion using Pctp−/− and wild-type littermate control mice with C57BL/6J and FVB/NJ genetic backgrounds, which express PC-TP at relatively high and low levels in liver, respectively. Eight-week-old male Pctp−/− and wild-type mice were fed a chow diet or a lithogenic diet, which served to upregulate biliary lipid secretion. In chow-fed mice, the absence of PC-TP did not reduce biliary phospholipid secretion or alter the phospholipid composition of biles. However, the responses in secretion of biliary phospholipids, cholesterol, and bile salts to the lithogenic diet were impaired in Pctp−/− mice from both genetic backgrounds. Alterations in biliary lipid secretion could not be attributed to transcriptional regulation of the expression of canalicular membrane lipid transporters, but possibly to a defect in their trafficking to the canalicular membrane. These findings support a role for PC-TP in the response of biliary lipid secretion to a lithogenic diet, but not specifically in the hepatocellular transport and secretion of phosphatidylcholines.
Transient velocity sedimentation of cells at unit gravity.

Abstract A new kinetic method (TRANS-VELS) is described which allows for the first time the accurate determination of the sedimentation velocity of cells at unit gravity. This is accomplished by repetitive optical scanning of the cell distribution as a function of time and during transport through a shallow density gradient. Computer analysis of the statistical moments of the distribution is utilized for the measurement of the sedimentation velocity, its dispersion and the expected resolution. The latter two parameters being strongly time dependent have been estimated for the first time from kinetic data and bear important implications in the widely practiced preparative separation of cells by velocity sedimentation at unit gravity.
Blood Flow: Metalloproteases Cut Loose in Primitive Erythrocytes

Little is known about how blood begins to flow during development. A new study shows that release of primitive blood cells in the zebrafish embryo is synchronized and mediated by a metalloprotease.
Rotational and Vibrational Constants of the HCl 35 and DCl 35 Molecules

The 1–0, 2–0, 3–0, 4–0, and 5–0 bands of HCl35 and the 1–0 and 2–0 bands of DCl35 have been measured with high precision. A critical analysis has been made to determine the rotational and vibrational constants of these molecules. It is necessary to use a polynomial in m of the sixth degree to satisfactorily represent the frequencies of the band lines in the case of the most precisely measured bands. B0 for HCl35 has been found to have a value of 10.440254±0.000010 cm−1. B0 for DCl35 was found to be 5.392261±0.000010 cm−1. When the B0 obtained for DCl35 is combined with the microwave measurement of B0 by Cowan and Gordy the value obtained for the velocity of light c=299 793.1±0.65 km/sec. The observed rotational and vibrational constants (Ylj) have been used to calculate the potential constants of HCl35 by making use of Dunham’s theory of a rotating vibrator. It is shown that HCl35 is not a pure rotating vibrator since the observed and calculated values of Y02~De are in disagreement by about 1 part in 1000 which is approximately 10 times the experimental error. By making use of the molecular constants for HCl35 and DCl35 and the accurately known atomic masses it is deduced that the ground level Be is perturbed by the upper electronic levels by 1 part in 8000. The sign of the perturbation is to increase Be over its unperturbed value. The sign of the perturbation is such that it may be presumed the HCl molecule has a positive magnetic moment. It was calculated that μJ=+0.2 and +0.1 nuclear magnetons, respectively, for HCl35 and DCl35.
Seasonal activity and morphological changes in martian gullies

Abstract Recent studies of martian dune and non-dune gullies have suggested a seasonal control on present-day gully activity. The timing of current gully activity, especially activity involving the formation or modification of channels (which commonly have been taken as evidence of fluvial processes), has important implications regarding likely gully formation processes and necessary environmental conditions. In this study, we describe the results of frequent meter-scale monitoring of several active gully sites by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The aim is to better assess the scope and nature of current morphological changes and to provide improved constraints on timing of gully activity on both dune and non-dune slopes. Our observations indicate that (1) gully formation on Mars is ongoing today and (2) the most significant morphological changes are strongly associated with seasonal frost and defrosting activity. Observed changes include formation of all major components of typical gully landforms, although we have not observed alcove formation in coherent bedrock. These results reduce the need to invoke recent climate change or present-day groundwater seepage to explain the many martian gullies with pristine appearance.
Exploring Factors Associated with Nonchange in Condom Use Behavior following Participation in an STI/HIV Prevention Intervention for African-American Adolescent Females.

To enhance future STI/HIV prevention efforts, this study examined factors associated with adolescents’ failure to improve their condom use behaviors after participating in an STI/HIV prevention intervention. African-American adolescent females ( 𝑁 = 2 0 5 ; M age = 17.9) in an STI/HIV prevention intervention trial completed ACASI interviews and provided self-collected vaginal swabs to assess two prevalent STIs at baseline and 6 months after intervention. Analyses compared those who increased condom use after intervention (change group) to those whose condom use did not increase (nonchange group). 43.4% did not increase their condom use after the intervention and were more likely to have an STI at followup ( 𝜒 2 = 4 . 6 4 , 𝑃 = . 0 3 ). In a multivariate logistic regression model, the nonchange group was more likely to have (a) higher sensation seeking (AOR = .91, 𝑃 = . 0 2 3 ), (b) a boyfriend (AOR = .32, 𝑃 = . 0 4 6 ), and/or (c) a physical abuse history (AOR = .56, 𝑃 = . 0 5 7 ). There were also differences in the extent to which psychosocial mediators changed between the two groups. Findings highlight the need to tailor STI/HIV interventions to adolescents with a greater degree of sensation seeking and address key relationship characteristics and trauma histories to bolster intervention efficacy.
Basin scale water management and forecasting using artificial neural networks

: Water scarcity in the Sevier River Basin in south-central Utah has led water managers to seek advanced techniques for identifying optimal forecasting and management measures. To more efficiently use the limited quantity of water in the basin, better methods for control and forecasting are imperative. Basin scale management requires advanced forecasts of the availability of water. Information about long term water availability is important for decision making in terms of how much land to plant and what crops to grow; advanced daily predictions of streamflows and hydraulic characteristics of irrigation canals are of importance for managing water delivery and reservoir releases; and hourly forecasts of flows in tributary streams to account for diurnal fluctuations are vital to more precisely meet the day-to-day expectations of downstream farmers. A priori streamflow information and exogenous climate data have been used to predict future streamflows and required reservoir releases at different timescales. Data on snow water equivalent, sea surface temperatures, temperature, total solar radiation, and precipitation are fused by applying artificial neural networks to enhance long term and real time basin scale water management information. This approach has not previously been used in water resources management at the basin-scale and could be valuable to water users in semi-arid areas to more efficiently utilize and manage scarce water resources.
A note on t-EC/d-UED codes

Recently D.J. Lin and B. Bose, (1988) proposed a class of t error correcting and d unidirectional error detecting codes (t-EC/d-UED codes) where d>t. The authors refine the codes in such a way that the error detecting capability of the resulting codes is considerably better than the existing codes in many cases. The decoding algorithm is described. The proposed codes are compared to the Lin-Bose codes. >
A Genus-3 Riemann-Hilbert Problem and Diffraction of a Wave by Two Orthogonal Resistive Half-Planes

Diffraction of a plane electromagnetic wave (E-polarization) by two orthogonal electrically resistive half-planes is analyzed. The physical problem reduces to a Riemann-Hilbert problem in the real axis for four pairs of analytic functions \(\Phi^+_j(\eta)(\eta\ \in\ \rm C^+)$$ and $$\Phi^-_j(\eta) = \Phi^+_j (-\eta)(\eta\ \in\ {\rm C}^-),j = 1,2,3,4,\) where ℂ+ and ℂ are the upper and lower half-planes. It is shown that the problem is equivalent to two scalar Riemann-Hilbert problems on a plane and a Riemann-Hilbert problem on a genus-3 hyperelliptic surface subject to a certain symmetry condition. A closed-form solution is derived in terms of singular integrals and the genus-3 Riemann Theta function.
Neural network approach to segmentation of magnetic resonance head images

A novel image segmentation scheme based on a neural network has been implemented to segment magnetic resonance head images. A three-layer perceptron-type neural network, trained with backward error propagation algorithm was used. The scheme utilizes first-echo intensity and computed T2 values to construct a two-parameter space for classification. After training on a selected slice, the method successfully segments all slices for a given subject without any further human interaction.
Polymorphous Prejudice: Liberating the Measurement of Heterosexuals' Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men

A multidimensional measure of sexual prejudice was developed to assess the increasing complexity of heterosexuals' attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a valid and reliable 7-factor measure that assessed: 1) traditional heterosexism; 2) tendency to deny anti-gay discrimination continues; 3) aversion toward gay men; 4) aversion to lesbians; 5) judgments regarding the value of the gay and lesbian movement; 6) resistance to heteronormative expectations; and 7) endorsement of positive beliefs about gay people. A modern heterosexism theory was supported and queer/liberationist notions of anti-heteronormativity and positive beliefs were found to be related to pro-homosexual attitudes.