cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
School Racial/Ethnic Diversity and Disparities in Mental Health and Academic Outcomes

Contemporary health disparities research has at least three common themes. First, the focus tends to be on disparate health outcomes for different racial/ethnic groups, with people of color often faring more poorly than their White counterparts (see, for example, Sue & Dhindsa, 2006). Second, the concern has been with disparate outcomes associated with serious physical health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and HIV/AIDS, or serious mental illness such as depression or anxiety. Third, much of the discourse around these race-linked health disparities focuses on ways to alleviate disparities through, for example, access to quality health care and changes in life style.
PATENet: Pairwise Alignment of Time Evolving Networks

Networks that change over time, e.g. functional brain networks that change their structure due to processes such as development or aging, are naturally modeled by time-evolving networks. In this paper we present PATENet, a novel method for aligning time-evolving networks. PATENet offers a mathematically-sound approach to aligning time evolving networks. PATENet leverages existing similarity measures for networks with fixed topologies to define well-behaved similarity measures for time evolving networks. We empirically explore the behavior of PATENet through synthetic time evolving networks under a variety of conditions.
The Nature of Diffraction

If we observe a monochromatic beam of electromagnetic radiation sufficiently far from its source, the electric and magnetic fields associated with this beam travel as transverse plane waves.1 By transverse waves we mean that the field oscillates perpendicular. to its direction of propagation with maxima and minima, or crests, confined to planes perpendicular to the direction of propagation. Thus waves traveling in the x direction can be expressed as $$A = {A_0}\cos \left( {2\pi /\lambda } \right)\left( {x - vt} \right).$$ (2.1)
Assessing Driving Simulator Validity: A Comparison of Multi-Modal Smartphone Interactions across Simulated and Field Environments

The use of a driving simulator as a tool to evaluate secondary task performance elicits the question of simulator validity. After upgrading an existing driving simulator from a medium-fidelity to a...
Perceptions and Prevalence of Alcohol and Cigarette Use Among American Indian Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

IN BRIEF This study examined community perceptions and prevalence of alcohol use and cigarette smoking among American Indian adults with type 2 diabetes. Results revealed normative rates and perceptions of smoking and negative views and low rates of alcohol use. Participants reported high levels of household indoor smoking and comorbid high-risk drinking and smoking. The high smoking rate among the adult American Indians in this study is especially problematic given the increased risk of cardiovascular problems related to both smoking and type 2 diabetes. The results underscore the importance of considering substance use behaviors and beliefs as a component of overall health and well-being for people with diabetes.
The effect of adhesive tape versus endotracheal tube fastener in critically ill adults: the endotracheal tube securement (ETTS) randomized controlled trial

The optimal securement method of endotracheal tubes is unknown but should prevent dislodgement while minimizing complications. The use of an endotracheal tube fastener might reduce complications among critically ill adults undergoing endotracheal intubation. In this pragmatic, single-center, randomized trial, critically ill adults admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and expected to require invasive mechanical ventilation for greater than 24 h were randomized to adhesive tape or endotracheal tube fastener at the time of intubation. The primary endpoint was a composite of any of the following: presence of lip ulcer, endotracheal tube dislodgement (defined as moving at least 2 cm), ventilator-associated pneumonia, or facial skin tears anytime between randomization and the earlier of death or 48 h after extubation. Secondary endpoints included duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU and in-hospital mortality. Of 500 patients randomized over a 12-month period, 162 had a duration of mechanical ventilation less than 24 h and 40 had missing outcome data, leaving 153 evaluable patients randomized to tube fastener and 145 evaluable patients randomized to adhesive tape. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. The primary endpoint occurred 13 times in 12 (7.8%) patients in the tube fastener group and 30 times in 25 (17.2%) patients in the adhesive tape group (p = 0.014) for an overall incidence of 22.0 versus 52.6 per 1000 ventilator days, respectively (p = 0.020). Lip ulcers occurred in 4 (2.6%) versus 11 (7.3%) patients, or an incidence rate of 6.5 versus 19.5 per 1000 patient ventilator days (p = 0.053) in the fastener and tape groups, respectively. The endotracheal tube was dislodged 7 times in 6 (3.9%) patients in the tube fastener group and 16 times in 15 (10.3%) patients in the tape group (p = 0.03), reflecting incidences of 11.9 and 28.1 per 1000 ventilator days, respectively. Facial skin tears were similar between the groups. Mechanical ventilation duration and ICU and hospital mortality did not differ. The use of the endotracheal tube fastener to secure the endotracheal tubes reduces the rate of a composite outcome that included lip ulcers, facial skin tears, or endotracheal tube dislodgement compared to adhesive tape. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03760510. Retrospectively registered on November 30, 2018
Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma in an immunocompromised male

Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma (EHT) is a rare benign neoplasm classically occurring in the lower neck of adult males. Here we present a case of EHT occurring in a 43-year-old immunocompromised male and a brief review of existing literature. The patient presented with a palpable mass overlying the left clavicle which, on imaging, showed a solitary nodule possibly eroding the cortical bone. A biopsy predominantly showed spindle cells that were immunopositive for keratin AE1/AE3 as well as weakly positive for CD99, SMA, and CD34. A diagnosis of synovial sarcoma was favored; at which point surgical resection was performed. The resected mass was well-demarcated with a tan-yellow cut surface. Microscopically, the lesion was composed of a mixture of spindle cells, glands, and mature adipose tissue. The spindle cells were plump with bland nuclei, and the epithelial component showed morphology similar to glands of salivary or breast tissue with a bilayered appearance (luminal and basal). No pleomorphism, mitotic figures, or necrosis was present. Immunohistochemical stains were performed and showed the spindle cells to express a myoepithelial phenotype (cytokeratin AE1/AE3, p63, calponin positive). The glands showed SMA and p63 positivity in the basal cells (similar to salivary gland and breast). Overall, given the clinical context, histomorphologic, and immunohistochemical profile, a diagnosis of EHT was made. At 12 months of follow-up there was no evidence of recurrence.
Thermal studies of nanoporous thin films with added periodic nanopores—a new approach to evaluate the importance of phononic effects

Abstract Phonon transport within periodic nanoporous materials has been intensively studied for its potential applications in thermoelectrics, heat waveguides, thermal diodes, and heat imaging. It is now acknowledged that wave effects of lattice vibrations, i.e., phononic effects, are only important for ultrafine nanoporous structures and/or at cryogenic temperatures. Experimental evidence is usually found by comparing the thermal conductivities of periodic and aperiodic nanoporous Si films, or by measuring the specific heat to check the phonon dispersion variation. In this work, a new approach is used to evaluate the impact of possible wave effects, simply by comparing the thermal conductivity of the same Si thin film with increased rows of nanopores as drilled with a focused ion beam. In the temperature range of 85–300 K, it is found that the total thermal resistance of the thin film increases almost linearly with the number of rows, indicating dominant incoherent phonon transport or negligible wave effects. For nanopores with small spacing, the amorphous regions around pore edges can largely overlap so that the whole region can be treated as a homogeneous amorphous material with nanoporosity. When the pore spacing is larger, the amorphous pore edges expand the effective pore diameter that is used in the data analysis based on frequency-dependent phonon Monte Carlo simulations. A better understanding of these nanoporous films can benefit their applications in thermoelectrics and thermal management of thin-film-based electronic devices.
The microbiome in autoimmune rheumatic disease.

Abstract Microbial contributions to the immunopathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases have been studied since the advent of germ theory in the 19th century. With the exception of Group A Streptococcus in rheumatic fever, early studies failed to establish causal relationships between specific pathobionts and rheumatic disease. Today, systemic autoimmune diseases are thought to result from a complex interplay of environmental factors, individual genetic risk, and stochastic events. Interactions of microbiota and the immune system have been shown to promote and sustain chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. In mechanistic studies, microbe-immune cell interactions have been implicated in the initiation of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, e.g., through the posttranslational modification of autoantigens in rheumatoid arthritis or through neutrophil cell death and cross-reactivity with commensal orthologs in systemic lupus erythematosus. In parallel, modern molecular techniques have catalyzed the study of the microbiome in systemic autoimmune diseases. Here, I review current insights gained into the skin, oral, gut, lung, and vascular microbiome in connective tissue diseases and vasculitis. Mechanism relevant to the development and propagation of autoimmunity will be discussed whenever explored. While studies on autoimmune rheumatic disease have almost invariably shown abnormal microbiome structure (dysbiosis), substantial variability in microbial composition between studies makes generalization difficult. Moreover, an etiopathogenic role of specific pathobionts cannot be inferred by association alone. Integrating descriptive studies of microbial communities with hypothesis-driven research informed by immunopathogenesis will be important in elucidating targetable mechanisms in preclinical and established rheumatic disease.
Keep the days: reading the civil war diaries of Southern women

Articulate and skilled in the written word, women of the aristocratic southern planter class wrote passionately and unapologetically during the Civil War. In Keep the Days: Reading the Civil War Di...
Nonpharmacological Interventions for Managing Breathlessness in Patients With Advanced Cancer: A Systematic Review

Importance Breathlessness is a frequent and debilitating symptom in patients with advanced cancer. Often, in the context of breathlessness, aggressive cancer treatment is not beneficial, feasible, or aligned with goals of care. Targeted symptom-focused interventions may be helpful in this scenario. Objective To evaluate the advantages and harms of nonpharmacological interventions for managing breathlessness in adults with advanced cancer. Evidence review PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception through May 2020 for published randomized clinical trials (RCTs), nonrandomized controlled trials, and observational studies of the advantages and/or harms of nonpharmacological interventions on alleviating breathlessness in adults with advanced cancer. Only English-language studies were screened for eligibility, titles, abstracts, and full text. Risk of bias and strength of evidence (SOE) were independently assessed. The key outcomes reported in studies were breathlessness, anxiety, exercise capacity, health-related quality of life, and harms. Data were analyzed from October 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. Findings A total of 29 RCTs (2423 participants) were included. These RCTs evaluated various types of interventions, such as respiratory (9 RCTs), activity and rehabilitation (7 RCTs), behavioral and psychoeducational (3 RCTs), integrative medicine (4 RCTs), and multicomponent (6 RCTs). Several nonpharmacological interventions were associated with improved breathlessness, including fan therapy (standardized mean difference [SMD], -2.09; 95% CI, -3.81 to -0.37; I2 = 94.3%; P for heterogeneity = .02; moderate SOE) and bilevel ventilation (estimated slope difference, -0.58; 95% CI, -0.92 to -0.23; low SOE), lasting for a few minutes to hours, in the inpatient setting. In the outpatient setting, nonpharmacological interventions associated with improved breathlessness were acupressure and reflexology (integrative medicine) (low SOE) and multicomponent interventions (combined activity and rehabilitation, behavioral and psychoeducational, and integrative medicine) (low SOE) lasting for a few weeks to months. Five of the 29 RCTs (17%) reported adverse events, although adverse events and study dropouts were uncommon. Conclusions and relevance Findings of this review include the safety and association with improved breathlessness of several nonpharmacological interventions for adults with advanced cancer. Guidelines and clinical practice should evolve to incorporate nonpharmacological interventions as first-line treatment for adults with advanced cancer and breathlessness.
Paris in the Dark: Going to the Movies in the City of Light, 1930–1950 ERIC SMOODIN, 2020: Durham, NC, Duke University Press p.p. ix + 203, illus., index, bibliography, $25.95 (paper)

The relationship between the motion picture industry and the city of Paris has a long and fascinating dynamic that is as old as cinema itself. From the first public commercial film exhibition hoste...
Predictors and risk factors of short-term readmission of acute pericarditis.

Background: The 30-day readmission risk factors for acute pericarditis are not well known. We investigated the risk factors and predictors of pericarditis from a national cohort. Methods: Readmissi...
The mortgage meltdown as normal accidental wrongdoing

greed and fraudulent behavior of mortgage industry participants. Our analysis suggests that the mortgage industry's complex and tightly coupled technology made it vulnerable to failure and that the greed and fraudulent behavior of mortgage industry participants, however reprehensible, played a minor role in the meltdown. The dominant discourse on the mortgage meltdown also attributes the meltdown to insufficient regulatory control. Our normal accident analysis also suggests that insufficient regulatory oversight contributed to the debacle. But our analysis implies that simply increasing the amount of regulation over the mortgage industry is unlikely to reduce its susceptibil ity to failure in the future. Indeed, if additional regulation increases the system's complexity and coupling, it could increase the system's susceptibility to failure.
A Review of the Year in Family Law: 'Same-Sex' Marriage Issues Dominate Headlines

This article provides a brief review of pertinent cases in family law for reporting year 2003-2004, which may be remembered as the year in which one state officially recognized same-sex marriage. Two other state courts found there to be no violation of constitutional rights by laws denying same-sex marriage. A federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman passed Congress, and thirteen states passed constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage. More than forty states have enacted the Defense of Marriage Act, which passed it's first "federal" test this year.
Digital Biomarkers of Cognitive Frailty: The Value of Detailed Gait Assessment Beyond Gait Speed

BACKGROUND Cognitive frailty (CF), defined as the simultaneous presence of cognitive impairment and physical frailty, is a clinical symptom in early-stage dementia with promise in assessing the risk of dementia. The purpose of this study was to use wearables to determine the most sensitive digital gait biomarkers to identify CF. METHODS Of 121 older adults (age = 78.9 ± 8.2 years, body mass index = 26.6 ± 5.5 kg/m2) who were evaluated with a comprehensive neurological exam and the Fried frailty criteria, 41 participants (34%) were identified with CF and 80 participants (66%) were identified without CF. Gait performance of participants was assessed under single task (walking without cognitive distraction) and dual task (walking while counting backward from a random number) using a validated wearable platform. Participants walked at habitual speed over a distance of 10 m. A validated algorithm was used to determine steady-state walking. Gait parameters of interest include steady-state gait speed, stride length, gait cycle time, double support, and gait unsteadiness. In addition, speed and stride length were normalized by height. RESULTS Our results suggest that compared to the group without CF, the CF group had deteriorated gait performances in both single-task and dual-task walking (Cohen's effect size d = 0.42-0.97, p < 0.050). The largest effect size was observed in normalized dual-task gait speed (d = 0.97, p < 0.001). The use of dual-task gait speed improved the area under the curve (AUC) to distinguish CF cases to 0.76 from 0.73 observed for the single-task gait speed. Adding both single-task and dual-task gait speeds did not noticeably change AUC. However, when additional gait parameters such as gait unsteadiness, stride length, and double support were included in the model, AUC was improved to 0.87. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that gait performances measured by wearable sensors are potential digital biomarkers of CF among older adults. Dual-task gait and other detailed gait metrics provide value for identifying CF above gait speed alone. Future studies need to examine the potential benefits of gait performances for early diagnosis of CF and/or tracking its severity over time.
Loss of MeCP2 increases GABA uptake by astrocytes to suppress tonic inhibition of CA1 pyramidal neurons.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized a spectrum of phenotypes affecting neuronal and glial populations. Recent work by Dong et al. (Dong Q, Kim J, Nguyen L, Bu Q, Chan...
Non-Ketotic Hyperglycemic Hemichorea-Hemiballismus in the Setting of Antipsychotics and Methamphetamine.

The management of common chronic conditions presenting in uncommon ways is an important facet of medical education and patient care. We report a 54-year-old patient who developed left arm dystonia precipitated by several potential factors. These include laboratory findings notable for significant hyperglycemia, methamphetamine positive on urine drug testing and patient history consistent with bipolar II managed with Lurasidone, a second-generation antipsychotic medication. The potential etiology of this uncommon presentation is discussed below.
Colorado tick fever in the United States, 2002-2012.

Abstract Background: Colorado tick fever (CTF) is an acute systemic febrile illness caused by the CTF virus (CTFV). The last national summary of CTF cases in the United States included cases reported through 2001. This study summarizes national surveillance data for CTF from 2002 through 2012 and examines trends in the epidemiology and testing of identified CTF cases. Methods: Because CTF is not nationally notifiable, we identified CTF cases through solicited reports from state health departments and diagnostic laboratory records. For all cases, we collected data on age, sex, county of residence, travel history, symptom onset date, laboratory testing, and clinical outcome. Poisson regression was used to examine trends over time in case counts, and simple linear regression and logistic regression were used to examine trends in case characteristics. Results: From 2002 through 2012, 75 CTF cases were identified with a median of five cases per year (range 3–14). Forty-seven (63%) cases occurred in males and 4...
Differential Expression of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins in the Developing Vestibular and Auditory Sensory Organs

The genes responsible for the formation of various sensory organs in the inner ear are not known. There are eight sensory organs in the chick inner ear, and our previous study showed that all presumptive sensory organs initially express bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), a member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta gene family. To address the potential role of BMPs in the patterning of different sensory organ structures, we investigated the expression of BMP4, BMP5, and BMP7 during sensory organ differentiation in the chick inner ear. The gene expression pattern of BMP5, although similar to that of BMP4, was transient and disappeared by embryonic day 3.5 (E3.5). In contrast, BMP7 gene expression was quite extensive, starting in the otic placode. By E5, gene expression patterns of BMP4 and BMP7 differed among vestibular and auditory sensory organs. In the vestibular sensory organs, BMP7 gene expression segregated from the main sensory tissue areas at the onset of differentiation, whereas BMP4 expression concentrated in supporting cells. In the cochlea, however, BMP7 gene expression became restricted to sensory tissue over time and eventually concentrated in supporting cells, whereas BMP4 gene expression was localized to hair cells. The different BMP expression patterns in developing auditory and vestibular sensory organs may help to shape each respective sensory structure. Furthermore, the expression of BMP4 in the cochlea also revealed an interesting pattern of sensory cell differentiation: the distal portion of the cochlea differentiates first, and the tall hair cells develop before the short hair cells.
Adhesion of two solid surfaces in water: Effect of rotational mismatch of surface lattices

Abstract The adhesion force needed to separate two molecularly smooth mica surfaces in water has been directly measured as a function of the rotational angle θ between the two surface lattices (relative crystallographic orientation). The results give the variation of the surface energy with θ, which shows sharp peaks (adhesion maxima) at θ=0 and 180°. Preliminary results also indicate effects at other angles, and that the whole interaction potential (oscillatory potential of mean force) between the surfaces in liquids may depend on the relative orientation of their surface lattices.
Functional expression in Escherichia coli of the tyrosine-inducible tyrosine ammonia-lyase enzyme from yeast Trichosporon cutaneum for production of p-hydroxycinnamic acid

Abstract Deamination of aromatic amino acids phenylalanine or tyrosine is accomplished by the phenylalanine/tyrosine ammonia-lyase (PAL/TAL) enzyme. TAL enzyme is of interest since deamination of tyrosine produces p-hydroxycinnamic acid (pHCA), which has potential for a variety of applications. Among nine microorganisms tested for their ability to produce tyrosine-inducible TAL activity, the yeast, Trichosporon cutaneum showed the highest TAL catalytic activity and the lowest PAL/TAL catalytic efficiency ratio (0.8). The enzyme was purified to near homogeneity and its kinetics studied. The native enzyme appears to be a homo-tetramer with a calculated MW of 294 kDa, subunit MW of 73.5 kDa, and a pI of 5.8. When phenylalanine was used as substrate, the Vmax, Kcat and Km were ∼4.0 ± 0.2 μg/min/mg purified enzyme), 588 ± 29 per min and 4.9 ± 0.9 mM, respectively. However, when tyrosine served as the substrate the Vmax and Kcat were 0.59 ± 0.02 μg/min/mg purified enzyme), and 86.7 ± 29 per min, and substrate binding was apparently cooperative (nH ∼ 2.6 ± 0.4), with S0.5 ∼ 0.6 mM. This is the first reported positive cooperativity for a TAL enzyme. Based on the NH2-terminal and partial internal peptide sequences, the cDNA encoding the enzyme was cloned. Sequence analysis of TcTAL showed 56–62% similarity to other fungal PAL/TAL enzymes. High-level expression (∼30% of total soluble protein, based on SDS-PAGE analysis) of the cDNA in Escherichia coli was achieved using the arabinose inducible araB promoter. The recombinant enzyme possessed both PAL and TAL activities, as evident from the presence of both pHCA and CA in the culture medium.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy in 300 patients with coronary artery disease presenting exclusively with ventricular fibrillation

Abstract To determine outcomes of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in a aniform population of survivors of sudden cardiac death, we used epicardial defibrillation lead systems to study 300 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) presenting exclusively with ventricular fibrillation (VF) unassociated with acute myocardial infarction. Operative (30-day) mortality, 2.7% overall, was lower (0.6%) in patients with ejection fractions (EF) ≥0.30. Over a median follow-up of 1.9 years, cumulative actuarial shock incidence was similar in patients who underwent concomitant coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery (38%) and in those who did not. The 2-year cumulative actuarial incidences of any or appropriate shocks were 65% and 38%, respectively. Sudden death survival at 2 years was 92.5% and 99.3% for patients with EFs ≤0.30 and >0.30, respectively. The total mortality rate was similar in shocked and in unshocked patients. Multivariate analysis identified EF and female gender as significant predictors of any and appropriate shock occurrence (all p values ≤0.05) and EF as a significant predictor of sudden, cardiac, and total mortality (all p values
Comparison of Ammo Acid Content and Availability of Different Soybean Varieties in the Broiler Chick

Abstract The Technicon Auto-Analyzer was used to determine the amino acid content of thirteen soybean varieties grown in the same geographical area and which received similar agronomical treatment. All samples were autoclaved for 20 minutes at 121° C. and 16–17 p.s.i., and triplicates were used in determining the amino acid content. Amino acid availability was determined by measuring actual amino acid disappearance from the intestinal tract of mixed sex, four-week-old chicks. No direct relationship was found between the moisture and protein content of the samples. Marked genetic differences were found in both the protein and amino acid content of the different soybean varieties. A direct relationship was found between the percent of protein and amino acid content as well as amino acid content and its respective availability. Amino acid availability for all samples was somewhat lower than expected and more variable, which fact suggested that individual soybean hybrids may require different processing as well as some type of mechanical cell disruption in addition to the heat treatment to obtain maximum availability.
Bomb chlorine-36 analysis in the characterization of unsaturated flow at a proposed radioactive waste disposal facility, Chihuahuan Desert, Texas

The distribution of anthropogenic chlorine-36 in the unsaturated zone is used to estimate the moisture flux at a study site in the Chihuahuan Desert, Texas, for a potential low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. The unsaturated zone at the study site is approximately 150 m thick; the uppermost section consists of 15 m of coarse-grained sediment that overlies 140 m of clay. The 36ClCl depth profile includes a well-defined peak ratio of 6.6×10−12 at a depth of 0.5 m. A background 36ClCl ratio of 0.46 × 10−12 below a depth of 1.25 m agrees with the predicted natural fallout of 0.50×10−12 for this latitude. The measured total inventory of bomb 36Cl is 2.5 × 10−12 atoms m−2, which is 73% of the predicted fallout at this latitude. The specific moisture flux based on the 36ClCl peak depth is 1.4 mm a−1, or 0.5% of the mean annual precipitation rate in the region. Because the bomb pulse is restricted to the root zone, it is not possible to determine if this infiltrating water will recharge the deep water table. The movement of liquid and vapor phases of water in the shallow, unsaturated zone is complex and includes both downward- and upward-directed flux components controlled by infiltration and evapotranspiration; therefore, Cl data that delineate the net movement of water over a long time period are critical in evaluation of the potential for radionuchde transport from disposal facilities.
Kinetics of hydrolysis of fetindomide (NSC-373965), bis-N,N′-phenylalanyloxymethyl prodrug of mitindomide (NSC-284356); an unexpected catalytic effect of generated formaldehyde

Abstract The degradation kinetics of fetindomide, a potential prodrug of mitindomide, was studied in aqueous solution at 25°C. The hydrolysis of dilute fetindomide solutions maintained between pH 2.5 and 4.5 followed apparent first-order kinetics over several half-lives. At higher pH values (5.0–8.5) the kinetics of degradation were more complex even in dilute solutions. Above pH 8.5, the degradation of fetindomide was too rapid to measure by HPLC without quenching. In addition to these observations, it was found that various buffers showed general base catalysis. The degradation of fetindomide results in the production of formaldehyde which was found to accelerate the degradation of fetindomide. Analysis of the kinetic data obtained from experiments in which formaldehyde was added to aqueous fetindomide solutions, indicated that fetindomide reacts with formaldehyde to form an unstable intermediate, possible a carbinolamine. It is proposed that the intermediate degrades more rapidly than fetindomide which would account for the non-first-order kinetics seen at pH values greater than 4.5 HPLC chromatograms indicated that the degradation products of fetindomide, irrespective of whether formaldehyde was added, were the same under all conditions.
Limiting factors involved in CO2 production by starved and x-irradiated starved yeast cells.

Studies of reduced CO2 production by starved yeast cells were carried out to localize the site limiting this process and responsible for a greater production by irradiated cells. Cell-free extracts prepared before and after starvation of cells, and from irradiated and unirradiated cells, showed similar hexokinase activity and produced similar amounts of CO2. These results demonstrated that rate limiting glycolytic enzymes did not decay during starvation, were not induced during a lag period in CO2 production which could be overcome by glucose incubation, and were not responsible for differences in CO2 production between irradiated and unirradiated cells. Possible limiting factors involved in these differences include glucose transport as a consequence of differential decay during starvation, restricted cofactor synthesis and an enzymic binding or compartmentalization.
Efficacy Endpoints Conference on Acute Rejection in Kidney Transplantation: Summary report of the database

Abstract An international database of rejection episodes and their characteristics with regard to definition and follow-up parameters was developed to improve the approach to protocol development for clinical trials. Nineteen North American, European, and Australian centers uniformly reported on 50 consecutive transplant rejection episodes. Data collected included patient demographic parameters, induction and maintenance immunosuppression therapies, rejection agents (drug, dose, duration), clinical signs (50% decrease in urine, fever), serum creatinine (nadir, at rejection, daily during antirejection therapy to 15 days, and days 30, 90, 180, and 365 after rejection date), histopathological findings, morbidity, recurrence of rejection, and function at 1 year. The centers contributed a total of 953 presumed rejection episodes, of which 842 were confirmed as acute rejection episodes. The majority of cases were first rejections (81%), and rejection occurred 119 +/- 345 days following transplantation. The Banff Schema of histological grading was used in 38% of biopsy-proven rejection episodes (2% Borderline, 42% Grade I, 38% Grade II, 18% Grade III). Only 30% of all rejections showed clinical signs that were most likely to occur in Grade III rejection episodes (P
Modeling Network Travel Time Impact of Freeway Ramp Metering

Whether freeway ramp metering can reduce total travel time in a corridor of several alternative routes depends on changes in route volumes and travel times. Ramp metering effectiveness and ramp metering algorithms have been evaluated mainly on the basis of improved freeway operations. Most studies have not evaluated the impact on alternative routes because of the complexity of the problem (e.g., which routes and what lengths of routes should be studied). An analysis of ramp metering impact in a network corridor is presented, first for simple steady-state cases and then for more complex cases involving time-varying demand, upstream and downstream queueing on freeway and alternative routes, and variable ramp metering rates based on freeway conditions. Time-varying examples are solved with a dynamic traffic assignment model called DYMOD. The analysis shows that ramp metering yields total travel time savings if (a) downstream freeway capacities are sufficiently restrictive, and (b) competitive alternative routes exist to accommodate the diverted traffic. The conditions under which ramp metering can be effective is illustrated by an examination of these simplified cases, and a useful modeling approach to analyzing systemwide impact in a larger corridor is demonstrated.
Thermodynamics of black holes and cosmic strings.

Using the Euclidean action with constraints eliminated, we study the thermodynamics of the simplest spacetime that models a cosmic string threading a black hole. A comparison with ordinary black holes under equivalent boundary conditions, either canonical or microcanonical, shows that the merging of a black hole and a string is not thermodynamically forbidden. If such a system exists, then according to the model studied here it will not spontaneously decay to a black hole without a cosmic string.
Isolation and specificity of the intracellular ribonuclease from Tetrahymena pyriformis

Abstract Ribonuclease was isolated from Tetrahymena pyriformis and found to be heterogeneous, consisting of three enzymatically active components (I, II, III). Following acid extraction, the components were separated by elution from SE-Sephadex buffered in 0.1 M sodium acetate (pH 4.5) and using a linear NaCl gradient. Rechromatography of these components in the same system resulted in a purification of 400-, 215-, and 140-fold for I, II, and III, respectively. These three components did not hydrolyze DNA, p-nitrophenyl phosphate or bis-p-nitrophenyl phosphate in the presence or absence of EDTA. All three components exhibited maximum activity at pH 5.0. Both EDTA and sodium citrate at 0.0088 M brought about a stimulation of ribonuclease activity. Urea, at 4.0 M, increased the activity of each component approx. 30 %, while at 8.0 M the components were differentially inhibited, i.e., 14 %, 51 % and greater than 99 % for I, II, and III, respectively. The three components degrade synthetic polyribonucleotides with different initial velocities. Polyadenylic acid (poly (A)) and polyinosinic acid (poly (I)) are hydrolyzed readily in the following order: Component III > II ⪢ I. Polycytidylic acid (poly(C)) however, is hydrolyzed most rapidly by Component I, to a lesser degree by Component II and not at all by Component III, unless urea (4.0 M) is added to the reaction mixture. All three components degrade polyuridylic acid (poly(U)) at the same initial rate, but quantitative differences in mononucleotides are found at equilibrium. Each polymer is hydrolyzed to 3′-nucleotides via a 2′,3′-cyclic intermediate.
A method for the isolation of luteoskyrin from Penicillium islandicum Sopp.

Luteoskyrin, a toxic metabolite ofPenicillium islandicum can be isolated by an acetone-Silica Gel chromatography column. A preliminary procedure separates the luteoskyrin and 2 other similar metabolites from the mycelial mat. The column used has the advantage of eluting the luteoskyrin as the first band from the source. A thin layer system utilizing CaHPO4 as stationary phase is also available to separate the components of the column and to verify isolation of luteoskyrin.
Cine CT for Attenuation Correction in Cardiac PET/CT

In dual-modality PET/CT systems, the CT scan provides the attenuation map for PET attenuation correction. The current clinical practice of obtaining a single helical CT scan provides only a snapshot of the respiratory cycle, whereas PET occurs over multiple respiratory cycles. Misalignment of the attenuation map and emission image because of respiratory motion causes errors in the attenuation correction factors and artifacts in the attenuation-corrected PET image. To rectify this problem, we evaluated the use of cine CT, which acquires multiple low-dose CT images during a respiratory cycle. We evaluated the average and the intensity-maximum image of cine CT for cardiac PET attenuation correction. Methods: Cine CT data and cardiac PET data were acquired from a cardiac phantom and from multiple patient studies. The conventional helical CT, cine CT, and PET data of an axially translating phantom were evaluated with and without respiratory motion. For the patient studies, we acquired 2 cine CT studies for each PET acquisition in a rest–stress 13N-ammonia protocol. Three readers visually evaluated the alignment of 74 attenuation image sets versus the corresponding emission image and determined whether the alignment provided acceptable or unacceptable attenuation-corrected PET images. Results: In the phantom study, the attenuation correction from helical CT caused a major artifactual defect in the lateral wall on the PET image. The attenuation correction from the average and from the intensity-maximum cine CT images reduced the defect by 20% and 60%, respectively. In the patient studies, 77% of the cases using the average of the cine CT images had acceptable alignment and 88% of the cases using the intensity maximum of the cine CT images had acceptable alignment. Conclusion: Cine CT offers an alternative to helical CT for compensating for respiratory motion in the attenuation correction of cardiac PET studies. Phantom studies suggest that the average and the intensity maximum of the cine CT images can reduce potential respiration-induced misalignment errors in attenuation correction. Patient studies reveal that cine CT provides acceptable alignment in most cases and suggest that the intensity-maximum cine image offers a more robust alternative to the average cine image.
Hydrazine‐hydrazone tautomerism in phenylhydrazinopyrimidones

4-Phenylhydrazino-2-pyrimidone and its 1-methyl analog have been shown by 1H nmr to exist in intercon-verting hydrazine and hydrazone tautomers in deuteriodimethylsulfoxide solution. Solvent effects indicate that increasing solvent polarity favors the hydrazine forms. In contrast, the 3-methyl analog occurs exclusively as the hydrazone. The hydrazone forms of the parent and 1-methyl derivatives appear to adopt the syn rotamers as a result of intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Variable temperature studies showed relatively high free energy barriers to tautomerization in these compounds, resulting both from solvation and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The 1H nmr spectra of 1-methyl-4-hydrazino-2-pyrimidone suggest that it exists predominately as the hydrazone in deuteriodimethylsulfoxiderdeuteriochloroform solution, although the barrier to tautomerization is similar to those for the phenylhydrazino compounds.
A note on Löwdin orthogonalization and the square root of a positive self-adjoint matrix

A quadratically convergent process using a continued fraction method for finding the square root of the overlap matrix used in Lowdin orthogonalization is presented. The continued fraction method is compared to several other methods for finding the square root of a matrix. The method is found to be more efficient than the other methods when high accuracy is desired.
Intelligent design in cultural evolution

Intelligent design, though unnecessary in the study of biological evolution, is essential to the study of cultural evolution. However, the intelligent designers in question are not deities or aliens but rather humans going about their lives. The role of intentionality in cultural evolution can be elucidated through the addition of signaling theory to the framework outlined in the target article.
Modeling and Design of a Linkage-Based Suspension for Tracked-Type Climbing Mobile Robotic Systems

Skid steer tracked-based robots are popular due to their mechanical simplicity, zero-turning radius and greater traction. This architecture also has several advantages when employed by mobile platforms designed to climb and navigate ferrous surfaces, such as increased magnet density and low profile (center of gravity). However, the suspension design plays a critical and unique role in track-based climbing systems relative to their traditional counterparts. In particular, the suspension must both accommodate irregularities in the climbing surface as well as transfer forces to the robot chassis required to maintain equilibrium. Furthermore, when properly designed, the suspension will distribute the climbing forces in a prescribed manner over the tractive elements. This paper will present a model for analysis and design of a linkage-type suspension for track-based climbing robot systems. The paper will further propose a set of requirements termed “conditions of climbing” that must be met to ensure stable (no falling) climbing for a given robot design over a range of climbing surface geometries. A recursive strategy is proposed to implement these conditions and yield a factor of safety in the current climbing state. This model will be compared through empirical testing with several prototype climbing robot systems. A method will also be demonstrated to use this model in the design of a preferred suspension system.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Chiral symmetry and chiral anomaly in an incommensurate charge-density-wave system.

It is shown that chiral symmetry and chiral anomaly are inherent to the incommensurability of a quasi one-dimensional charge-density-wave system. The chiral anomaly induced by the applied electric field is interpreted as an acceleration mechanism of the sliding charge-density wave and is connected with the Thomas-Fermi screening effect. The explicit breaking of chiral symmetry due to the external potential is proved to have sinusoidal dependence on the phase order parameter. Possible observable effects are also discussed.
Tumor suppressor genes and their roles in breast cancer.

Tumor suppressor genes have been identified by the occurrence of mutations in many families with hereditary forms of cancer, exposed during development of the tumor by loss of heterozygosity. They have a number of diverse functions. For example, both theRB gene of retinoblastoma and thep53 gene, which is commonly mutated in breast and colon cancer among others, produce proteins involved in distinct steps of cell cycle control, while thenm23 product prevents metastasis. Here we review the data developed until now on the possible presence and role of mutations in these and other tumor suppressor genes in breast cancer. A more complete understanding of the tumor suppressor genes could not only provide diagnostic information, but could lead to specific gene therapy to replace suppressor functions lost in individual tumors.
Preparation and properties of highly branched poly(urethane-imide)-epoxy cross-linked copolymer

Highly branched poly(urethane-imide)-epoxy (AHBPUI-EP) cross-linked copolymer was prepared by the reaction of epoxy resin (EP) with amino-terminated highly branched poly(urethane-imide) via A2 + B3 approach. The structure and properties of the AHBPUI-EP cross-linked copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, tensile tests, and X-ray diffraction, respectively. It has been found that the increasing of the Tg of the cross-linked copolymer was resulted from the high density of cross-linking. The thermal stability was enhanced after introducing both imide and epoxy. The initial degradation temperature was up to 332.68 °C. Moreover, the mechanical properties changed with changing the content of EP, imide and the ratio of [A2]/[B3].
Documenting a Learning Curve and Test-Retest Reliability of Two Tasks on a Virtual Reality Training Simulator in Laparoscopic Surgery

Background Virtual reality simulators are a component of the armamentarium for training surgical residents. No one knows exactly how to incorporate virtual reality simulators into a curriculum. The purpose of this study was to document and show the learning curve and test–retest reliability of 2 tasks on a virtual reality-training simulator (LapSim; Surgical Science, Goteborg, Sweden) in laparoscopic surgery. Methods Twenty-nine medical students participated in 8 iterations of 7 virtual reality tasks (“camera navigation” (CN), “instrument navigation,” “coordination,” “grasping,” “lifting and grasping” (LG), “cutting,” and “clip applying”) Learning curves for each outcome variable of the CN and LG tasks were generated. Using ANOVA, we evaluated the differences between each score from attempt number 7 to attempt number 8 to document test–retest reliability. Results A plateau in the learning curve occurred within 8 sessions for CN misses, CN tissue damage, CN maximum damage, and LG maximum damage. Over the course of 8 sessions, a plateau in the learning curve was nearly reached for CN time, CN drift, CN path, CN angular path, and LG left and right path. The following variables had a downward trend to the mean learning curve over 8 sessions, but they did not reach a plateau: LG time, LG left and right miss, LG left and right angular path, and LG tissue damage. Conclusion Using the LapSim virtual reality simulator, we documented a learning curve and test–retest reliability for each outcome variable for CN and LG for rank novices. The modeling of the general learning curve is useful in designing training program. These results may be important in developing standards for technical evaluation in a surgical training curriculum.
Benchmark Efforts to Support Studies of Advanced VHTRs

The Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is the leading candidate for the reactor component of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). This is because the VHTR demonstrates great potential in improving safety characteristics, being economically competitive, providing a high degree of proliferation resistance, and producing high outlet temperatures for efficient electricity generation and/or other high temperature applications, most notably hydrogen production. In addition, different fuel types can be utilized by VHTRs, depending on operational goals. In this case, the recovery and utilization of the valuable energy left in LWR fuel in order to create ultra long life single batch cores by taking advantage of the properties of TRU fuels. This paper documents the initial process in the study of TRU fueled VHTRs, which concentrates on the verification and validation of the developed whole-core 3D VHTR models. Many of the codes used for VHTR analysis were developed without a full appreciation of the importance of randomness in particle distribution. With this in mind, the SCALE code system was chosen as the computational tool for the study. It provides the opportunity of utilizing SCALE versions 5.0 and 5.1, making it possible to compare and analyze different techniques accounting for the double heterogeneity effects associated with VHTRs. Startup physics results for Japan’s High Temperature Test Reactor (HTTR) were used for experiment-to-code benchmarking. MCNP calculations were employed for code-to-code benchmarking. Results and analysis are included in this paper.Copyright © 2008 by ASME