cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 in individuals with sickle cell disease/trait compared with other Black individuals.

In the United States, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Black persons. Sickle cell disease (SCD) and sickle cell trait (SCT) are genetic conditions that occur predominantly among Black individuals. It is unknown if individuals with SCD/SCT are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness compared with Black individuals who do not have SCD/SCT. The objective of our study was to compare COVID-19 outcomes, including the disease manifestations, hospitalization, and death, among individuals with SCD/SCT vs Black individuals who do not have SCD/SCT. We leveraged electronic health record data from a multisite research network to identify Black patients with COVID-19 who have SCD/SCT and those who do not have SCD/SCT. During the study period of 20 January 2020 to 20 September 2020, there were 312 patients with COVID-19 and SCD and 449 patients with COVID-19 and SCT. There were 45 517 Black persons who were diagnosed with COVID-19 but who did not have SCD/SCT. After 1:1 propensity score matching (based on age, sex, and other preexisting comorbidities), patients with COVID-19 and SCD remained at a higher risk of hospitalization (relative risk [RR], 2.0; 95% CI, 1.5-2.7) and development of pneumonia (RR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.6-3.4) and pain (RR, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.5-4.8) compared with Black persons without SCD/SCT. The case fatality rates for those with SCD compared with Black persons without SCD/SCT were not significantly different. There also were no significant differences in COVID-19 outcomes between individuals with SCT and Black persons without SCD/SCT within the matched cohorts.
Introduction to the special issue of ROSE

This special issue of the Review of Social Economics is intended to demonstrate, and to partially survey, the state of Marxian theory in the social sciences. As such, the articles have been selecte...
Effect of Positioning on Coelomic Radiography with and without Contrast in the Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)

A prospective study was performed in 12 green iguanas (Iguana iguana) to compare the radiographic appearance of coelomic viscera. Five radiographic projections (views) of the coelom were obtained: dorsoventral, right lateral vertical beam, left lateral vertical beam, right lateral horizontal beam, and left lateral horizontal beam. One week later, the same radiographic projections were obtained after oral administration of barium. In 4 of the 12 green iguanas, an additional vertical beam ventrodorsal view was obtained. In comparing lateral projections, lung, liver, and gonads were best imaged in horizontal beam lateral projections, before distention of the stomach with barium, whereas the gastrointestinal tract including the colon was best visualized in vertical beam lateral projections. The shape and size of the cardiac silhouette was considered equivalent between analogous lateral projections in most green iguanas (10 [83%] of 12). In comparing ventrodorsal and dorsoventral projections, the ventrodorsal projections improved visibility of the cardiac silhouette and lung in 4 (100%) of 4 green iguanas, while reducing cardiac length. Dorsoventral projections were preferred for the evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract. This study demonstrates that radiographic beam orientation and patient position result in obvious radiographic differences of the iguanid coelom and that projections are not interchangeable.
Anselm, Intuition and God’s Existence

Consider three widely shared claims that have not been discussed vis-a-vis one another. (i) In his Proslogion, Saint Anselm argued that the claim “God exists” is true. (ii) If an intuition that a claim c is a useful a-priori justificatory resource, this can only be because such an intuition is a justification that c is true. And (iii) if an intuition that c is a justification that c is true, c can stand, not only for mathematical or logical claims, but also for controversial philosophical ones, e.g., “God exists”. This essay addresses (i) to (iii) while dialoguing with the literature on Anselm and intuition and articulating an alternative reading of the Proslogion. The alternative reading is that regardless of whether the Proslogion backs up or aims to back up the claim that “God exists” is true, it implicitly articulates the Meaning Argument whose conclusion is that all persons of faith are able to understand that the claim “God exists” is meaningful. This argument, it is argued, is evidence that an intuition that c may be a useful a-priori justificatory resource even if such intuition does not track truth, but merely meaning in being a justification for taking c to be meaningful. It is also supported that an intuition that “God exists” is not a justification that this claim is true. This is an indication that there may be reasons for thinking that the same applies to other controversial philosophical claims.
Among the Cannibals : A Review

Paul Raffaele has written a particularly absorbing book about his ethnographic studies to discover the last remaining participants in the enigmatic and disconcerting practice of cannibalism. His research takes him across the globe living with societies from New Guinea to Mexico.
Real and Complex Inner Product Spaces

We now turn to a discussion of real or complex vector apaces that have an additional function defined on them, called an inner product, as described in the upcoming definition. Thus in this chapter, F will denote either the real or complex field.
Adsorption of surfactants on mineral oxide surfaces from aqueous solutions

Abstract Adsorption isotherms for three isomerically pure alkylbenzene sulfonates were measured on alumina and kaolinite from aqueous solutions. A patchwise adsorption model, which incorporates bilayer adsorption, lateral interactions, and two-dimensional phase transitions, is developed and shown to describe the observed isotherms below the CMC. As expected, Henry's Law describes the adsorption at sufficiently low surfactant concentrations. In this region, only unassociated, first-layer, surfactant molecules are present on the surface and at least the terminal 10th through the 12th carbons in the alkyl chain interact strongly with the surface, in addition to the charged head-surface electrostatic attraction. The adsorption increases rapidly beyond a certain concentration. At this concentration, hemimicelles resulting from lateral interaction between adsorbed surfactants first appear on the most energetic surface patches. At still higher concentrations, successively less energetic patches are sites for two-dimensional phase transitions forming hemimicelles. The environment for methylene groups in the hemimicelle is more favorable than that in a micelle. Above the CMC, adsorption is independent of concentration. This indicates that micelles do not adsorb significantly and that the pseudo-phase separation model is a good approximation for these systems.
Photographic cloud climatology from ESSA III and V computer produced mosaics.

A simple photographic averaging technique using multiple exposures is applied to ESSA III and V computer produced mosaics. Several examples, showing the distribution of clouds, snow, ice and vegetation cover for typical half month periods are presented and discussed. Large scale cloud bands about equatorial dry regions as well as preferred storm tracks are revealed.
Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair

With an advent of minimally invasive surgery, the use of laparoscopy for ventral hernia repairs has become standard. Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair is associated with decreased perioperative pain, reduced hospital stay, and faster recovery. The mesh is placed as an intra-peritoneal underlay with wide coverage of the hernia defect. Minimal wound morbidity appears to be its biggest advantage over most open repairs. Numerous studies demonstrate that laparoscopic ventral hernia repair is an effective and safe approach to the abdominal wall hernia. Appropriate patient selection, safe abdominal access, adhesiolysis, precise mesh positioning, and fixation are key factors that ensure a safe and effective laparoscopic repair of most ventral defects. In this chapter, we will describe our perioperative patient selection and management, detail our operative techniques, and address potential pitfalls, contraindications, and complications of the traditional laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.
Oil import fees with exemptions: An empirical examination

Abstract This paper reviews and quantifies arguments for and against oil import fees. It concludes that expected exemptions from the fee imply that net economic costs to the U.S. of a fee would exceed economic benefits. In addition, welfare losses from a large fee would greatly exceed losses normally associated with instruments designed to raise tax revenues. Coupled with the noneconomic assessment, the economic analysis suggests that the adoption of an oil import fee would be poor public policy.
Age-dependent decline in density of human nerve and spinal ganglia neurons expressing the α3 isoform of Na/K-ATPase

Ambulatory instability and falls are a major source of morbidity in the elderly. Age-related loss of tendon reflexes is a major contributing factor to this morbidity, and deterioration of the afferent limb of the stretch reflex is a potential contributing factor to such age-dependent loss of tendon reflexes. To evaluate this, we assessed the number and distribution of muscle spindle afferent fibers in human sacral spinal ganglia (S1) and tibial nerve samples obtained at autopsy, using immunohistochemical staining for the α3 isoform of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase (α3NKA), a marker of muscle spindle afferents. Across all age groups, an average of 26 ± 4% of myelinated fibers of tibial nerve and 17 ± 2% of ganglion neuronal profiles were α3NKA-positive (n = 8 per group). Subject age explained 85% of the variability in these counts. The relative frequency of α3NKA-labeled fibers/neurons starts to decline during the 5th decade of life, approaching half that of young adult values in 65-year-old subjects. At all ages, α3NKA-positive neurons were among the largest of spinal ganglia neurons. However, as compared to younger subjects, the population of α3NKA-positive neurons from advanced-age subjects showed diminished numbers of large (both moderately and strongly labeled), and medium-sized (strongly labeled) profiles. Considering the critical significance of ion transport by NKA for neuronal activity, our data suggest that functional impairment and, also, most likely atrophy and/or degeneration of muscle spindle afferents, are mechanisms underlying loss of tendon reflexes with age. The larger and more strongly α3NKA-expressing spindle afferents appear to be proportionally more vulnerable.
Forest Structure Within Barred Owl (Strix varia) Home Ranges in the Eastern Cascade Range, Washington

Competitive interactions with Barred Owls (Strix varia) are an important factor contributing to the decline of the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) population. Understanding the degree of similarity in fine-scale habitat associations for Spotted Owls and Barred Owls will help land managers evaluate whether there are specific vegetation conditions that could favor Spotted Owls over Barred Owls. From March 2004 to September 2006, I tracked 14 radio-tagged Barred Owls in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in the eastern Cascade Range, Washington. I analyzed forest structure characteristics from 170 plots sampled within areas used by the radio-tagged owls. I identified three forest types present within the Barred Owl home ranges, including: (1) open ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), (2) simple-structure Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and (3) complex-structure grand fir (Abies grandis). I compared individual forest structure characteristics and the three forest types to the intensity of Barred Owl use based on repeated measures of seasonal utilization distribution values at each plot using hierarchical mixed-effects models. Intensity of Barred Owl use during the breeding season was higher in areas with greater abundance of grand fir trees, taller and more diverse tree heights, more total trees per ha, more trees 12.7–22.9 cm dbh, more tree canopy >4.9 m, and less ground-cover vegetation <0.6 m. During the nonbreeding season, intensity of Barred Owl use was higher in areas with more trees 12.7–22.9 cm dbh, more total trees per ha, gentle slopes, and increased tree species diversity. Barred Owls used the structurally diverse grand fir forest type more intensively than the other two types during the breeding season. Intensity of use did not differ across the types during the nonbreeding season. Forest structure characteristics used by Barred Owls in this study were within the range of conditions reported to be used by Spotted Owls in the eastern Cascade Range.
Histologic findings following use of hydrophilic polymer with potassium ferrate for hemostasis

Hydrophilic polymer with potassium salt is a hemostatic agent marketed for use by healthcare professionals and as an over-the-counter product available to healthcare consumers. In particular, dermatologic surgeons may use hydrophilic polymer for hemostasis in wounds left to heal by secondary intention. Foreign body reaction to hydrophilic polymer was recently reported. The microscopic findings in four additional patients treated with hydrophilic polymer are presented. The wounds of three patients were treated with hydrophilic polymer following a dermatologic surgical procedure while one patient used over-the-counter hydrophilic polymer on an abrasion. Three patients developed a foreign body reaction. Histopathologic examination revealed angulated fragments of deep purple material representing hydrophilic polymer admixed with round orange-red bodies and yellow-brown granules representing potassium ferrate. The components were found both free in the dermis and within multinucleated giant cells. Hydrophilic polymer must be differentiated from other materials observed in re-excision specimens, including ferric subsulfate, aluminum chloride and Gelfoam(®) (Pharmacia and Upjohn Co., New York, NY, USA).
EFFECTS OF NEUTRON AND ULTRAVIOLET IRRADIATION ON THE CATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF MAGNESIUM OXIDE

A technique was developed for changing the electronic and defect structure of magnesium oxide catalysts. Relatively small doses of ultraviolet and neutron irradiation were found to enhance the catalytic activity of MgO for the reaction H/sub 2/ + D/sub 2/ in equilibrium 2HD. The enhancement by radiation depends on the extent of degassing of the catalyst prior to irradiation; the less active samples are more sensitive to irradiation. For samples activated at 291 deg , ultravioletirradiated MgO reaches a precise saturation value of catalytic activity, while neutron-irradiated samples continue to increase in activity upon further irradiation. Both types of irradiation produce a large initial increase in activity. Changes in activation energy depend on the thermal activation and type of irradiation. The activation energy either increases or remains unchanged for neutron irradiation, while ultraviolet irradiation does not cause a change. For this system, a simple model based upon Fe/sup 3+/ as the irradiation-induced site was developed. Other possibilities are discussed. It was shown that most of the activity change must be attributed to changes in the electronic structure of the crystal rather than in the number of lattice imperfections.
A genome-wide screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals pathways affected by arsenic toxicity.

Abstract We have used Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify toxicologically important proteins and pathways involved in arsenic-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity in humans. We performed a systemic screen of the complete set of 4733 haploid S. cerevisiae single-gene-deletion mutants to identify those that have decreased or increased growth, relative to wild type, after exposure to sodium arsenite (NaAsO2). IC50 values for all mutants were determined to further validate our results. Ultimately we identified 248 mutants sensitive to arsenite and 5 mutants resistant to arsenite exposure. We analyzed the proteins corresponding to arsenite-sensitive mutants and determined that they belonged to functional categories that include protein binding, phosphate metabolism, vacuolar/lysosomal transport, protein targeting, sorting, and translocation, cell growth/morphogenesis, cell polarity and filament formation. Furthermore, these data were mapped onto a protein interactome to identify arsenite-toxicity-modulating networks. These networks are associated with the cytoskeleton, ubiquitination, histone acetylation and the MAPK signaling pathway. Our studies have potential implications for understanding toxicity and carcinogenesis in arsenic-induced human conditions, such as cancer and aging.
An Alternative to Aggregated Base Tables in Input‐Output Table Regionalization

Analysts faced with the challenge of constructing a regional input-output table from partial or nonsurvey-based data typically adapt a national input-output table to reflect the regional economic structure. Detailed benchmark input-output tables with more than 500 industry sectors are compiled for years at five-year intervals, but are many years out of date by the time they are released. Annual updates are compiled for intervening years, but detail only 85 industry sectors. Analysts therefore must choose between the currency of the data and its detail in the national table that serves as the reference. This paper presents a table disaggregation and adjustment (TDA) method for combining the information from the detailed benchmark tables with the more current but aggregated data. Empirical tests demonstrate that the TDA method generates base data that analytically outperform the aggregated annual update data.
An Austrian Foundation for Microeconomic Principles

Teaching Microeconomic Principles well, a blend of good pedagogy and good economics, is the professional obligation of many economists. Since such courses are conventionally grounded in neoclassical theory, professors who embrace the theoretical perspective of the Austrian School may seem to confront a dilemma unfamiliar to other teachers: Teach the course well, or teach good economics? The thesis of this paper is, simply, that there is no such conflict. Incorporating properly chosen attributes of Austrian theory makes one’s Microeconomic Principles course better. This conclusion would be rejected by those who identify Austrian economics as adding complex disequilibrium propositions to an equilibrium analysis indistinguishable from that of neoclassical theory, or who think it dismisses equilibrium entirely, but both positions misunderstand the School’s nature. Among Austrian theoretical attributes that enrich a Microeconomic Principles course are methodological individualism, ordinal subjective utility and cost, future orientation, entrepreneurship, a process view of competition, and consideration for market participants’ knowledge. In this paper these characteristics—many ostensibly shared, but not consistently respected, by neoclassical theory—are applied by developing conventional smooth supply and demand curves, and their interaction in markets, from individuals’ value comparisons of discrete units. The paper concludes that an Austrian foundation is simultaneously more theoretically accurate and closer to the student’s everyday life, a combination that means a better Principles course.
Breast reconstruction options following mastectomy

Breast reconstruction can help to address the disfigurement and sense of loss that often follow mastectomy. The decision whether to pursue reconstruction and the choice of reconstructive strategy are individualized decisions that must take into account the patient's body characteristics, overall health, breast cancer treatment plan, and personal preferences. Options for reconstruction broadly include placement of breast implants or use of the patient's own tissue (autologous reconstruction). Both saline-filled and silicone gel-filled implants are safe and effective options for implant-based reconstruction. Autologous reconstruction usually involves transfer of tissue from the abdomen, with recent advances allowing preservation of the abdominal muscles. Both implant-based and autologous procedures have advantages and drawbacks, and both types of reconstruction may be compromised by subsequent radiation therapy. For this and other reasons, consultation with a plastic surgeon early in treatment planning is important for women considering postmastectomy reconstruction.
Summaries of the sixth annual poster session of the american psychoanalytic association: part 3. Longitudinal study of psychoanalysis: the mid-phase begins.

Several years ago, Shedler and Westen began to report on their develop -ment of the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure–200 (SWAP-200; Westen and Shedler 1999), a dynamically informed Q-sort measure in which the clinician rank orders statements about a patient on a scale rang-ing from “very descriptive” to “inapplicable or not descriptive.” After completing preliminary studies with the SWAP-200, we began a longitudi-nal study. Participating analysts describe the index patient as analysis begins and every six months until the analysis ends. As analysis progressed, scores on a sexual conflict scale increased dramatically for some patients, perhaps showing the intensification of conflicts characteristic of the mid-phase of psychoanalysis as core conflicts are more exposed and become accessible to psychoanalytic work with hysteria related to sexual conflicts and obsessiveness related to hostile conflicts (see, e.g., Freud 1926).We are concerned here with the SWAP-200 scores for histrionic and obsessive personality disorder in the first month or two of psychoanalysis and scores for sexual conflicts (e.g., “Appears to associate sexual activity with danger [e.g., injury, punishment, contamination, etc.], whether con-sciously or unconsciously”) and hostility (e.g., “Tends to be critical of others”) at the beginning of analysis and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months into it.We correlated the scores of 7 male and 8 female patients on histrionic and obsessive personality disorder scales at the beginning of analysis Downloaded from apa.sagepub.com
Role of leukotrienes in antimicrobial defense of the lung

Abbreviations: AM = alveolar macrophage; FLAP = 5-1ipoxygenase activating protein; G-CSF = granulocyte colony-stimulati ng factor; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; IL-8 = interteukin-8; KO = knockout; 5-1_O = 5-1ipoxygenase; LT = leukotriene; PMN = polymorphonuclea r leukocyte (neutrophil) n industrialized nations, pneumonia is responsible for greater cumulative morbidity, mortality, and economic cost than any other infection. Increases in antibiotic-resistant microbial isolates and in the number of highly susceptible (elderly or immunosuppressed) hosts have engendered concern that advances in antibiotic development will not be sufficient to cope with the magnitude of this problem. An alternate strategy involves gaining a greater level of understanding of the innate antimicrobial defense mechanisms of the lung, with the hope that these mechanisms can be augmented to therapeutic advantage. In this regard, the role of polypeptide mediators such as cytokines has received considerable attention and has been the subject of recent reviews. 1 By contrast, LTs, a group of potent lipid mediators of inflammation, have received far less attention as mediators of antimicrobial host defense. This review will discuss the actions of LTs relevant to host defense, evidence that they participate in the host immune response to pneumonia, and possible therapeu
Injector pulse counter for a linear accelerator

A pulse counter has been added to the control circuits of a linear accelerator to measure and display the number of radiation-producing pulses per second. This information has proved to be essential in monitoring the performance of the accelerator and in diagnosing the cause of operational problems.
Presumptive benefits and political obligation

In a number of recent publications, George Klosko has sought to resurrect a version of Herbert Hart's famous and influential mutuality of restrictions' defence of political obligation. Hart's approach had been abandoned principally because a major weakness in any argument relying on the acceptance of benefits is that, while many appear to receive various benefits from the state, it is not clear that they accept them. Klosko's strategy rests upon the presupposition that there are certain benefits which states provide that can be presumed to be so beneficial that all would accept them. The present article challenges whether what states provide can simply be presumed to be beneficial, all things considered.
Sectoral analysis of foreign direct investment and growth in the developed countries

Abstract Empirical studies on foreign direct investment (FDI) and growth in developed countries have yielded conflicting results using cross-country regressions. We use sectoral data for a group of six country members of the OECD. Our paper is the first to identify the sector-specific impact of FDI on growth in the developed countries. Our results show that FDI has positive, or no statistically discernible, effect on economic growth directly and through its interaction with labor. Moreover, we find the effects seem to be very different across countries and economic sectors.
“Advanced” ESL reading: Language competence revisited

Abstract Generally considered to be communicatively competent, many university-bound ESL students in “advanced” ESL reading classes are often found to experience difficulty in comprehending detail in unedited English texts. In this study the investigator adduces evidence that “advanced” ESL students may indeed lack imputed English language competence in the context of reading and, as essentially bottom-up processors, are unable to utilize effective reading strategies of native language readers and linguistically more mature non-native readers of English prose. The investigator discusses pedagogical implications of his findings and suggests ways to help ESL students overcome their limited control of syntactic devices typically employed by professional writers.
Methanol oxidation on hybrid catalysts: PtRu/C nanostructures promoted with cerium and titanium oxides

Abstract Hybrid catalysts comprising of ceramic, metal, and carbon phase were synthesized by incorporating titanium and cerium oxides into PtRu/C commercial catalyst using an in-situ combustion followed by heat treatment at 600 °C. The structure dependent electrochemical behavior of as-synthesized and heat-treated materials towards methanol oxidation, carbon dioxide (CO) tolerance and chemical stability was studied by XRD, HRTEM, BET, EDS, cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and CO-stripping method. As a result of heat treatment, amorphous phase of metal oxides was transformed into a crystalline phase with particle size of about 3–7 nm. Improved methanol oxidation activity of the hybrid catalysts was compared to PtRu/C catalyst as a baseline and explained by the changes in Pt electronic behavior and excess adsorption of OH-ions. When heat-treated at 600 °C, CeO 2 -PtRu/C demonstrated the highest mass activity of 580 mA/mg (∼3× that of PtRu/C) compared to TiO 2 -PtRu/C (394 mA/mg). Heat-treated hybrid catalysts exhibited higher methanol oxidation activity at higher peak potentials than the corresponding as-synthesized materials. However, as-synthesized hybrid catalysts display higher CO-tolerance, lower CO-oxidation onset potentials, and better chemical stability in comparison to corresponding heat-treated catalysts. To explain the difference, a mechanism for ceramic oxide structure dependent electrochemical behavior of the hybrid catalysts is proposed and discussed.
High-Affinity and Cooperative Binding of Oxidized Calmodulin by Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase†

Methionines play an important role in modulating protein-protein interactions associated with intracellular signaling, and their reversible oxidation to form methionine sulfoxides [Met(O)] in calmodulin (CaM) and other signaling proteins has been suggested to couple cellular redox changes to protein function changes through the action of methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msr). Prior measurements indicate the full recovery of target protein activation upon the stereospecific reduction of oxidized CaM by MsrA, where the formation of the S-stereoisomer of Met(O) selectively inhibits the CaM-dependent activation of the Ca-ATPase. However, the physiological substrates of MsrA remain unclear, as neither the binding specificities nor affinities of protein targets have been measured. To assess the specificity of binding and its possible importance in the maintenance of CaM function, we have measured the kinetics of repair and the binding affinity between oxidized CaM and MsrA. Reduction of Met(O) in fully oxidized CaM by MsrA is sensitive to protein folding, as repair of the intact protein is incomplete, with > 6 Met(O) remaining in each CaM following MsrA reduction. In contrast, following proteolytic digestion, MsrA is able to fully reduce one-half of the oxidized methionines, indicating that Met(O) within folded proteins are not substrates for MsrA repair. Further, inmore » comparison to free Met(O), the turnover number and Km for oxidized CaM (CaMox) are substantially smaller, indicating that the binding interaction retards Msr recycling to reduce steady-state enzyme activity. Mutation of the active site (i.e., C72S) in MsrA permitted equilibrium-binding measurements using both ensemble and single-molecule measurements obtained by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). Multiple MsrA bind tightly to CaMox (Kd = 70 +- 10 nM) with an affinity that is three orders of magnitude greater than the Michaelis constant (KM = 71 +- 8 micromolar). These results indicate that MsrA selectively reduces surface-exposed Met(O) within unstructured sequences and suggest that only a small subset of oxidized proteins are substrates for MsrA, which may selectively modulate the function of key signaling proteins as part of an adaptive response to oxidative stress.« less
T2/3 Vulva Cancer: A Case-Control Study of Triple Incision versus en Bloc Radical Vulvectomy and Inguinal Lymphadenectomy

The purpose of this case-control study was to compare outcome in T2/3 vulvar cancer patients treated with radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy using either a triple incision or en bloc technique. All T2/3 vulvar cancer patients treated by the triple incision technique were identified and compared to a control group consisting of similar T2/3 patients treated with an en bloc procedure at the same institution. Survival by surgical stage, lesion diameter, nodal status, and margin status was analyzed and compared between the two groups. Twenty-seven vulvar cancer patients with a T2/3 lesion underwent radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy using the triple incision technique; the control group consisted of 20 T2/3 vulvar cancer patients treated by en bloc resection. The two groups were matched for age, surgical stage, grade, lesion diameter, margin status, nodal status, and adjuvant treatment. The recurrence rate in the triple incision group was 37% compared to 35% in the en bloc group. (OR, 1.092, 95% CI, [0.327, 3.649], P = 0.9). There was no difference in the local recurrence rate between the two groups (80% in the triple incision group and 72% in the en bloc group) (P = 0.5). Five-year survival for the triple incision and the en bloc groups was similar, 64 and 82%, respectively (P = 0.15). Survival between the groups was not statistically different when analyzed according to surgical stage, lesion diameter, nodal status, and negative margin status. These data indicate that the triple incision technique provides survival outcomes similar to the standard en bloc radical vulvectomy in patients with T2/3 vulva cancer. Due to the significant morbidity that has been associated with the en bloc radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy, the triple incision technique should be considered as the preferred method of treatment for most vulvar cancer patients.
Ventricular fibrillation in a conscious canine model - Its prevention by UM-272

Abstract The antifibrillatory properties of UM-272 (dimethylpropranolol; Pranolium) were evaluated in a conscious canine model of sudden coronary death. The initial preparation of the animal model was carried out under surgical anesthesia and involved the intraluminal implantation of a Teflon-coated silver wire into the circumflex coronary artery so that 3 mm of the bared electrode was in contact with the endothelial surface. The left anterior descending coronary artery then was occluded for a period of 90 min and reperfused in the presence of a critical stenosis. Three days after myocardial infarction, they were randomized into two groups. One group (n = 10) served as controls and received saline. The second group (n = 10) received UM-272 in a dose of 5 mg/kg every 6 h. On day 4, a 150 μA current was applied to the intimal surface of the left circumflex coronary artery, resulting in transient or permanent alterations in circumflex coronary blood flow accompanied by electrocardiographic evidence of regional myocardial ischemia. The time to onset of ST-segment changes in the saline control group was 99 ± 34 min and was followed by the appearance of premature ventricular complexes (111 ± 34 min) and subsequent ventricular tachycardia (131 ± 37 min) which terminated in ventricular fibrillation in each of the 10 dogs. Animals treated with UM-272 likewise developed ST-segment changes (156 ± 28 min) and premature ventricular complexes (168 ± 29 min), but 4 of 10 animals failed to develop ventricular fibrillation (P
PEP Lattice Design

Details of the current lattice design for PEP, the proton-electron-positron colliding beam system will be described. This system allows collisions of protons up to 150 GeV with electrons or positrons up to 15 GeV, by storing the proton beams in a superconducting storage ring and the electrons or positrons in a concentric conventional ring, and allows collisions between electrons and positrons in the same ring up to 15 GeV.
Effect of a juvenile hormone analogue on phosphatase activity in pupae of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans.

Abstract The alkaline phosphatase activity of stable fly pharate pupae treated with 10 ng of an insect juvenile hormone analogue (JHA), Stauffer R-20458, or untreated pupae was rhythmic and peaked 48 and 96 hr after larval-pupal apolysis. Those treated with 10 μg were not rhythmic and peaked at 48 and 120 hr. Acid phosphatase activity showed a general increase throughout pupal-adult transformation and was three- to four-fold higher than alkaline phosphatase activity. At 24 and 48 hr after larval-pupal apolysis, acid phosphatase was lower in the treated animals, but at 72 and 120 hr, it was higher. Neither inhibition nor enhancement of acid and alkaline phosphatase activity or by three other JHAs could be demonstrated in vitro .
The extraction, estimation and persistence of benodanil fungicide in tobacco tissues

The results of determinations of benodanil, extracted with acetone from freeze-dried tobacco leaves and estimated by thin-layer chromatography and bioautography, correlated well with those obtained by Soxhlet-extraction with acetone-light petroleum and determined by gas-liquid chromatography. A greater percentage of the amounts applied was usually recovered from leaves than from stems and more was always recovered 10 days after application than after 1 day. Similar changes in extractability with time were found in field samples; less was extracted from roots, stems and leaves at transplanting (2 days after treatment) than several days later. Comparatively large amounts of benodanil were present in roots, stems and leaves, 4 weeks after transplanting, and stem damage from Rhizoctonia solani was restricted.
Ab initio calculation of the carbon isotope signatures of amino acids

Abstract Carbon isotope compositions for the 20 standard amino acids are calculated using high-level molecular orbital and density functional theory methods. In agreement with measurements of the isotopic compositions of amino acids in a cyanobacterium [Macko, S.A., Fogel, M.L., Hare, P.E., Hoering, T.C., 1987. Isotope fractionation of nitrogen and carbon in the synthesis of amino acids by microorganisms. Chemical Geology 65, 79–92] the calculations give heavy signatures for aspartic acid + asparagine, serine, glutamine + glutamic acid and light signatures for leucine and isoleucine. The relative intramolecular enrichment of 13 C in carboxyl groups is often much less than measured [Abelson, P.H., Hoering, T.C., 1961. Carbon isotope fractionation in formation of amino acids by photosynthetic organisms. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 47, 623–632]. Fractionations predicted from density functional calculations often differ by several per mil from those predicted from molecular orbital calculations.
Peripubertal anxiety profile can predict predisposition to spatial memory impairments following chronic stress.

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that peripubertal anxiety levels are predictive of the detrimental effects of chronic stress on hippocampal-dependent spatial memory. The anxiety levels of peripubertal male Sprague–Dawley rats (43 days old) were characterized using open field and elevated plus mazes, followed by chronic restraint stress for 6 h/day/21 days beginning in young adulthood (75 days). Following chronic stress treatment, rats were tested on the spatial Y-maze using two inter-trial interval levels of difficulty (4 h: 1 day post-chronic stress; 1 min: 2 days post-chronic stress). As expected, all groups displayed intact spatial memory in the less difficult 1 min version of the Y-maze. However, in the 4 h version of the Y-maze, chronically stressed high anxiety rats showed impaired spatial memory, while chronically stressed low anxiety and control (low and high anxiety) rats displayed intact spatial memory. Moreover, a month after chronic stress ended, high anxiety rats had significantly higher basal corticosterone levels than low anxiety rats (control and stress). These results indicate that peripubertal anxiety and chronic stress interact to influence hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in adulthood.
Precision measurement of Fe concentration in dolomites using radioisotope X-ray fluorescence

A series of dolomite bore hole samples have been analyzed for their iron content using radioisotope X-ray fluorescence. A precision of ±0.1%, as specified for oil and gas exploration, has been met using a non-destructive sample preparation technique, energy dispersive detector,109Cd source and a micro-computer based data acquisition and reduction system. Sample and standard preparation procedures are discussed.
Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy for intractable tremor: A systematic review of the literature

Tremor markedly reduces quality of life and causes a significant psychological burden for patients who are severely affected by this movement disorder. Pharmacologic and surgical treatments for tremor exist, but for patients who have failed medical therapy and are not surgical candidates, stereotactic radiosurgery is the only available treatment option. Of available stereotactic radiosurgical techniques for intractable tremor, the authors chose to evaluate the safety and efficacy of gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgical thalamotomy. In order to qualitatively synthesize available data a systematic review was conducted by searching MEDLINE (OvidSP 1946-January Week 1 2014) and Embase (OvidSP 1974-2014 January). The search strategy was not limited by study design or language of publication. All searches were conducted on January 7, 2014. Treatment efficacy, adverse outcomes, and patient deaths were reviewed and tabulated. Complications appeared months to years post procedure and most commonly consisted of mild contralateral numbness and transient hemiparesis. Rarely, more severe complications were reported, including dysphagia and death. Though no data from randomized controlled trials are available, our analysis of the literature indicates that unilateral gamma knife thalamotomy using doses from 130 to 150Gy appears safe and well tolerated.
Incremental Value‐Relevance of SFAS 106

This study investigates the incremental value‐relevance of non‐pension postretirement benefit obligations and expenses (disclosed by firms pursuant to SFAS 106). Our study is motivated by previously published evidences that investors value the SFAS 106 measure of postretirement benefit obligations. However, prior research does not address incremental value‐relevance of the SFAS 106. We address two related questions. First, “do the SFAS 106 measures of non‐pension postretirement benefit obligations and expenses provide incremental value relevance (after controlling for information available from non‐SFAS 106 sources).” Second, “under what circumstances are the SFAS‐106 measures more likely to provide incremental value relevance.” The key findings of this paper are: (i) on average, SFAS 106 measures of postretirement benefit obligations and expenses have no significant incremental value‐relevance after controlling for non‐SFAS 106 information; and (ii) labor intensity and the magnitude of postretirement benefit obligation increases the incremental value‐relevance of SFAS 106 measures.
Study of diffraction dissociation in 19- and 28-GeV/ c pd interactions

The reaction $pd\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{p}_{\mathrm{spec}}p{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$ is studied at 19 and 28 GeV/c with data from the Brookhaven National Laboratory 80-in. deuterium-filled bubble chamber. In addition, a separate study is made of the low-momentum pion spectra in selected low-multiplicity events presumed to be associated with either of two isospin-conjugate modes of deuteron fragmentation by a 28-GeV/c beam proton. Our results from these complementary studies are that low-multiplicity channels are dominantly of a diffractive nature; however, significant differences seen in the mass spectra and angular correlations in the slow $p\ensuremath{\pi}$ between the 19- and 28-GeV/c data indicate that asymptotic behavior has not been reached, as least at 19 GeV/c. Neither $s$- nor $t$-channel helicity conservation is seen in the excitation of the target neutron into a low-mass $p{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ system. The ${N}^{*}(1.4)$ of missing-mass experiments is shown to be a superposition of nucleon-pion and nucleon-two-pion states.
Editorial: More Answers About Prophylactic Mastectomy

Heemskerk-Gerritsen et al.1 continue to add to our understanding of the surgical management of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. In their fine article, they contribute to our knowledge of control, evaluation, staging, and reconstruction.
Hamiltonian dynamics of coupled potential vorticity and internal wave motion: I. linear modes

Abstract A Hamiltonian representation for the interaction between vortical and internal wave motion in an inviscid, stratified fluid in a rotating frame is formulated. A Lagrangian and compressible representation of the flow is used in order to avoid difficulties associated with non-canonical coordinates and constrained systems. A quadratic Hamiltonian for the linearized motion around a state of no flow is derived. Canonical transformations are then employed in order to isolate normal mode coordinates and write the Hamiltonian as a sum of independent harmonic oscillators. The three possible modes of linearized motion are the acoustic, internal wave and potential vorticity carrying motions. The acoustic modes are of little interest in the problem at hand and are retained in order to avoid difficulties associated with the incompressibility constraint. We discuss ways in which these modes may be eliminated or rendered harmless. The coordinate corresponding to the potential vorticity carrying mode is absent f...
Effects of dopamine and amphetamine on mouse caudate neurons recorded in vitro

Mouse caudate neurons recorded from brain slices in vitro displayed one of three different types of electrophysiological activity. These were: (a) a regular, pacemaker-like firing pattern; (b) an irregular discharge pattern, and (c) a bursting pattern. Both dopamine and D-amphetamine produced a dose-dependent increase in the activity of the regularly and irregularly firing caudate neurons when placed in the incubation bath, but had no effect on the bursting neurons. These studies demonstrate that the excitatory effect of amphetamine on caudate neurons is due to a direct action on these cells.
Teaching Planning, Constructing Theory

This essay looks at how teaching an introductory planning course can develop theoretical approaches to the subject. Particular attention is given to presenting planning as an activity shaped by location, understood as encompassing more than geography. The individual planner's history and culture, their membership of the profession, their embeddedness in place, and their understanding of themselves as belonging to a particular “community-of-practice” or professional sub-culture all play a role. Focusing on these communities-of-practice and work locations allows us to link work, practice, learning, and the generation of planning knowledge in useful ways. It also provides insights into gaps between theory and practice, and between process and the objects of planning.
Improving the student academic experience through lean engineering principles

Higher education institutions often describe goals for the student experience as a whole as well as define and guide the academic requirements to earn a degree. This paper seeks to ignite discussions on how lean engineering principles can improve the collegiate student's academic or educational experience. We explain how the principles that drive lean engineering can be operationalized in the context of engineering student success centers (ESSC) to obtain data driven evidence on aspects of its program, improve retention focused initiatives of the center, and reduce waste which allows for a more efficient use of resources. In this paper, the term ‘engineering student success centers’ includes both minority and women in engineering programs as well as similar programs that provide academic services to undergraduate students, often underrepresented, in engineering. Recognizing that each of these programs offer a diverse and unique set of services, the conceptual approach described in this paper can be applied either directly or with minor modifications to their operations. We consider the student as the customer of these programs who seeks true value from his/her college experience. Therefore, lean engineering principles are advocated with the goals of improving student (customer) value, minimizing waste, and promoting efficiency and productivity.
Performance of ultrathin alternative diffusion barrier metals for next - Generation BEOL technologies, and their effects on reliability

In order to maximize Cu volume and reduce via resistance, barrier thickness reduction is a strong option. Alternative barriers for next-generation BEOL were evaluated in terms of barrier performance to O 2 and Cu diffusion, and effects on reliability. A clear correlation of O 2 barrier performance to electromigration was observed, suggesting that the key role of the barrier layer is to prevent oxidation of Cu or the Cu/barrier interface. Long-throw PVD-TaN showed superior O 2 barrier performance to alternative metals such as PEALD-TaN, thermal ALD-TaN, -TaN(Mn) and - MnN and MnSiO3 self-forming barrier.