cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adverse obstetric outcomes associated with sonographically identified large uterine fibroids

Study Objective To determine the impact of sonographically identified large uterine fibroids (>5 cm in diameter) on obstetric outcomes. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting University teaching hospital. Patient(s) Women with singleton gestations (n = 95) noted to have uterine fibroids on obstetric ultrasonography from September 2009 through April 2010 and age-matched controls (n = 95). Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Obstetric outcomes including short cervix, preterm premature rupture of membranes, and preterm delivery. Result(s) Compared to women with no fibroids or small fibroids (≤5 cm), women with large fibroids (>5 cm) delivered at a significantly earlier gestational age (38.6 vs. 38.4 vs. 36.5 weeks). Short cervix, preterm premature rupture of membranes, and preterm delivery were also significantly more frequent in the large fibroid group, and were associated with number of fibroids >5 cm in diameter. Blood loss at delivery was significantly higher in the large fibroid group (486.8 vs. 535.6 vs. 645.1 mL), as was need for postpartum blood transfusion (1.1 vs. 0.0 vs. 12.2%). Conclusion(s) Women with large uterine fibroids in pregnancy are at significantly increased risk for delivery at an earlier gestational age compared to women with small or no fibroids, as well as obstetric complications including excess blood loss and increased frequency of postpartum blood transfusion.
Ordered Short-Term Memory Differs in Signers and Speakers: Implications for Models of Short-Term Memory.

Capacity limits in linguistic short-term memory (STM) are typically measured with forward span tasks in which participants are asked to recall lists of words in the order presented. Using such tasks, native signers of American Sign Language (ASL) exhibit smaller spans than native speakers ([Boutla, M., Supalla, T., Newport, E. L., & Bavelier, D. (2004). Short-term memory span: Insights from sign language. Nature Neuroscience, 7(9), 997-1002]). Here, we test the hypothesis that this population difference reflects differences in the way speakers and signers maintain temporal order information in short-term memory. We show that native signers differ from speakers on measures of short-term memory that require maintenance of temporal order of the tested materials, but not on those in which temporal order is not required. In addition, we show that, in a recall task with free order, bilingual subjects are more likely to recall in temporal order when using English than ASL. We conclude that speakers and signers do share common short-term memory processes. However, whereas short-term memory for spoken English is predominantly organized in terms of temporal order, we argue that this dimension does not play as great a role in signers' short-term memory. Other factors that may affect STM processes in signers are discussed.
The Subjectivity of Habitus

Departing from Bourdieu's collective habitus, this essay develops a theory of the subjectivity of habitus, meaning the social-psychological processes comprising the agent and fueling deliberation. By incorporating George Ainslie's theory of the will and deliberation as the intertemporal bargaining of a population of interests, I theorize the “saturated agent” composed of an economy of interests, analogous to Bourdieu's “economy of practices” invested and saturated with cultural capital. Here culturally saturated interests negotiate strategically within the agent, with the ending balance constituting the habitus. Additionally, reflexivity becomes amenable to habitus as “desaturation” or suspending the commitment to a set of culturally saturated interests as a result of a crisis, followed by “resaturation”, the restructuring of the economy of interests.
Disclosing Sexual Assault to Parents The Influence of Parental Messages About Sex

Without frank discussion of what sex is, women may not learn what sex is not and what experiences constitute sexual assault. This qualitative study explores the relation between parental discussion and messages about sex and women's decisions of whether to disclose sexual assault to parents. Participants were 18 women from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Findings indicate that women more often disclosed sexual assault to parents who discussed sex with them in a frank and positive manner. In addition to the role of disclosure in recovery, implications for sex and parent education are discussed.
Exploiting predictor domain information in sufficient dimension reduction

Analysis of high-dimensional data is becoming the norm in a variety of scientific studies and dimension reduction methods are widely employed. As the predictor domain knowledge is often available, it is useful to incorporate such domain information into dimension reduction and subsequent model formulation. Existing solutions such as simple average, principal components analysis and partial least squares cannot assure preservation of full regression information when reducing the dimension. In this article we investigate sufficient dimension reduction strategies that can retain full regression information meanwhile utilizing prior domain knowledge. Both simulations and a real data analysis demonstrate that the new methods are effective and often superior than the existing solutions.
A simple mode-locked Yb:KGW laser pumped by polarization-coupled diode bars

Direct-diode-pumped crystalline Yb lasers are simple and efficient but low powered. We use reshaped diode bars and a polarization-coupled scheme to produce as much as 6.3 W in 100 to 225 fs pulses.
Detecting range shifts from historical species occurrences: new perspectives on old data

The difficulty of making valid comparisons between historical and contemporary data is an obstacle to documenting range change in relation to environmental modifications. Recent statistical advances use occupancy modeling to estimate simultaneously the probability of detection and the probability of occupancy, and enable unbiased comparisons between historical and modern data; however, they require repeated surveys at the same locations within a time period. We present two models for explicitly comparing occupancy between historical and modern eras, and discuss methods to measure range change. We suggest that keepers of historical data have crucial roles in curating and aiding accessibility to data, and we recommend that collectors of contemporary specimen data organize their sampling efforts to include repeated surveys to estimate detection probabilities.
Scenarios for future wildfire risk in California: Links between changing demography, land use, climate, and wildfire

Over21,000futureCaliforniaresidentialwildfireriskscenariosweredevelopedonamonthly1/8°grid,usingstatisticalwildfire models. We explore interactions between two global emissions scenarios, three climate models, six spatially explicit population growth scenarios derived from two growth models, and a range of parameters defining properties’vulnerability to loss. Scenarios are evaluated over two future time periods relative to historic baselines. We also explore effects of spatial resolutions for calculating household exposure to wildfire on changes in estimated future property losses. Our goal was not to produce one authoritative set of future risk scenarios but rather to understand what parameters are important for robustly characterizing effects of climate and growth on future residential property risks. By end of century, variation across development scenarios accounts for far more variability in statewide residential wildfire risks than does variation across climate scenarios. However, the most extreme increases in residentialfire risks result from combining high-growth/high-sprawl scenarios with the most extreme climates considered here. Case studies for the Bay Area and the Sierra foothills demonstrate that, while land use decisions profoundly influence future residential wildfire risks, effects of diverse growth and land use strategies vary greatly around the state. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Additional supporting information may be found in the online version of this article at the publisher’s web site.
Tradeoff between threshold voltage and breakdown in high-voltage double-diffused MOS transistors

The design of junction isolated DMOS transistors suitable for monolithic integration has been studied. The purpose of this correspondence is to describe one of the key tradeoffs when designing these devices for high breakdown voltages (200 V for our example). It is a tradeoff primarily between threshold voltage and the punchthrough voltage of the channel diffusion, however, the avalanche breakdown voltage, on-resistance, and source-to-substrate punchthrough voltage are also affected. As an example, the design of a device for 200-V operation is described. The discussion is, however, general and can be applied to other DMOS designs as well.
Early Neoproterozoic scale microfossils in the Lower Tindir Group of Alaska and the Yukon Territory

The Tindir Group is a <4-km-thick Neoproterozoic succession exposed in the Tatonduk inlier of east-central Alaska and the western Yukon Territory. The Tindir Group is informally divided into the Lower Tindir Group, which consists of <2 km of mixed carbonate and clastic rocks, and the overlying Upper Tindir Group, which contains two Cryogenian glacial deposits and an additional Ediacaran succession of mixed carbonate and clastic strata. Unique mineralized scale microfossils have been recovered from sections previously correlated with the Upper Tindir Group, and interpreted variously as Cryogenian to early Cambrian in age. Our remapping of the area indicates that these sections are stratigraphically below an early Cryogenian glacial diamictite, unit 2 of the Upper Tindir Group, and are actually part of the Lower Tindir Group. Carbon and strontium isotope correlations further suggest that the fossiliferous Lower Tindir Group is correlative with early Neoproterozoic strata of the northwestern Canadian Cordillera. This new age model is consistent with the accompanying microfossil assemblage and indicates that the diverse microfossils in the Lower Tindir Group can be added to the early Neoproterozoic record of eukaryotic evolution.
Estimation of oxygen saturation from erythrocytes by high-resolution spectroscopic optical coherence tomography

We demonstrate the feasibility of estimating hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO(2)) from erythrocytes over a visible wavelength band using high-resolution spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (SOCT). We take SOCT spectra from individual cells on in vitro human blood phantoms and calculate SaO(2) by fitting the spectra to an analytical model. We also use diffusive spectroscopy (DS) measurements, which is validated by direct measurement of oxygen partial pressure, as a comparison. The result shows a reliable linear association between the SaO(2) derived from SOCT and the DS measurement, indicating this methodology has potential on in vivo applications to evaluate blood oxygenation.
Planetary science: a perfect match?

The 'S-complex' asteroids are not easily identified as the source of the most common meteorites reaching Earth. Their relationship might be disguised, however, by the effects of space weathering.
A modelling study of hyporheic exchange pattern and the sequence, size, and spacing of stream bedforms in mountain stream networks, Oregon, USA

Studies of hyporheic exchange flows have identified physical features of channels that control exchange flow at the channel unit scale, namely slope breaks in the longitudinal profile of streams that generate subsurface head distributions. We recently completed a field study that suggested channel unit spacing in stream longitudinal profiles can be used to predict the spacing between zones of upwelling (flux of hyporheic water into the stream) and downwelling (flux of stream water into the hyporheic zone) in the beds of mountain streams. Here, we use two-dimensional groundwater flow and particle tracking models to simulate vertical and longitudinal hyporheic exchange along the longitudinal axis of stream flow in second-, third-, and fourth-order mountain stream reaches. Modelling allowed us to (1) represent visually the effect that the shape of the longitudinal profile has on the flow net beneath streambeds; (2) isolate channel unit sequence and spacing as individual factors controlling the depth that stream water penetrates the hyporheic zone and the length of upwelling and downwelling zones; (3) evaluate the degree to which the effects of regular patterns in bedform size and sequence are masked by irregularities in real streams. We simulated hyporheic exchange in two sets of idealized stream reaches and one set of observed stream reaches. Idealized profiles were constructed using regression equations relating channel form to basin area. The size and length of channel units (step size, pool length, etc.) increased with increasing stream order. Simulations of hyporheic exchange flows in these reaches suggested that upwelling lengths increased (from 2Ð 7mt o 7 Ð6 m), and downwelling lengths increased (from 2Ð 9mt o 6 Ð0 m) with increase in stream order from second to fourth order. Step spacing in the idealized reaches increased from 5Ð 3mt o 13Ð7 m as stream size increased from second to fourth order. Simulated downwelling lengths increased from 4Ð 3m in second-order streams to 9Ð7 m in fourth-order streams with a POOL–RIFFLE–STEP channel unit sequence, and increased from 2Ð 5m to 6 Ð1 m from second- to fourth-order streams with a POOL–STEP–RIFFLE channel unit sequence. Upwelling lengths also increased with stream order in these idealized channels. Our results suggest that channel unit spacing, size, and sequence are all important in determining hyporheic exchange patterns of upwelling and downwelling. Though irregularities in the size and spacing of bedforms caused flow nets to be much more complex in surveyed stream reaches than in idealized stream reaches, similar trends emerged relating the average geomorphic wavelength to the average hyporheic wavelength in both surveyed and idealized reaches. This article replaces a previously published version (Hydrological Processes, 19(17), 2915–2929 (2005) [DOI:10.1002/hyp.5790]. Copyright  2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The blood volumes of the primary and secondary circulatory system in the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L., using plasma bound Evans Blue and compartmental analysis

The volume of the primary (PCS) and secondary (SCS) circulatory system in the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua was determined using a modified dye dilution technique. Cod (N=10) were chronically cannulated in the second afferent branchial artery with PE-50 tubing. Evans Blue dye was bound to harvested fish plasma at a concentration of 1 mg dye ml(-1) plasma, and injected at a concentration of 1 mg kg(-1) body mass. Serial sampling from the cannula produced a dye dilution curve, which could be described by a double exponential decay equation. Curve analysis enabled the calculation of the primary circulatory and total distribution volume. The difference between these volumes is assumed to be the volume of the SCS. From the dilution curve, it was also possible to calculate flow rates between and within the systems. The results of these experiments suggest a plasma volume in the PCS of 3.42+/-0.89 ml 100 g(-1) body mass, and in the SCS of 1.68+/-0.35 ml 100 g(-1) body mass (mean +/- S.D.) or approximately 50% that of the PCS. Flow rates to the SCS were calculated as 2.7% of the resting cardiac output. There was an allometric relationship between body mass and blood volumes. Increasing condition factor showed a tendency towards smaller blood volumes of the PCS, expressed as percentage body mass, but this was not evident for the volume of the SCS.
Ultraviolet resonance Raman enhancements in the detection of explosives

Abstract : Raman-based spectroscopy is potentially militarily useful for standoff detection of high explosives. Normal (nonresonance) and resonance Raman spectroscopies are both light scattering techniques that use a laser to measure the vibrational spectrum of a sample. In resonance Raman, the laser is tuned to match the wavelength of a strong electronic absorbance in the molecule of interest, whereas, in normal Raman the laser is not tuned to any strong electronic absorbance bands. The selection of appropriate excitation wavelengths in resonance Raman can result in a dramatic increase in the Raman scattering efficiency of select band(s) associated with the electronic transition. Other than the excitation wavelength, resonance Raman is performed experimentally the same as normal Raman. In these studies, normal and resonance Raman spectral signatures of select solid high explosive (HE) samples and explosive precursors were collected at 785 nm, 244 nm and 229 nm. Solutions of PETN, TNT, and explosive precursors (DNT & PNT) in acetonitrile solvent as an internal Raman standard were quantitatively evaluated using ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) microscopy and normal Raman spectroscopy as a function of power and select excitation wavelengths. Use of an internal standard allowed resonance enhancements to be estimated at 229 nm and 244 nm. Investigations demonstrated that UVRR provided ~2000-fold enhancement at 244 nm and ~800-fold improvement at 229 nm while PETN showed a maximum of ~25-fold at 244 nm and ~190-fold enhancement at 229 nm solely from resonance effects when compared to normal Raman measurements. In addition to the observed resonance enhancements, additional Raman signal enhancements are obtained with ultraviolet excitation (i.e., Raman scattering scales as v4 for measurements based on scattered photons). A model, based partly on the resonance Raman enhancement results for HE solutions, is presented for estimating Raman enhancements for solid HE samples.
Fertilization and development without membrane formation in the egg of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

1. The unfertilized egg of the sea urchin may be rendered incapable of forming either fertilization or hyaline membrane by treatment with a solution of non-electrolyte, specifically urea. This reaction is not reversible. 2. Eggs fertilized after treatment with a solution of non-electrolyte segment and form irregular clusters of cells—never blastulae. A membrane is therefore necessary to the formation of the blastula. 3. Eggs which develop without the formation of either membrane are yet held together by protoplasmic bridges which may be readily seen as clear hyaline structures in the 2 and 4-cell stages. 4. The ions of the alkaline earth metals, if added to the solution of non-electrolyte in sufficient amount, protect the egg against the loss of capacity to form a membrane. 5. The ions, Ca and Mg are equipotential in their protective action. It is therefore concluded that the reaction is a valence effect.
Immunological relationships between cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin

The antigenic relationships between heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) produced by a human strain of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (strain 286C2) and cholera toxin (CT) were examined by using antisera raised against LT and CT and specific antisera prepared against each subunit of both enterotoxins. Double immunodiffusion analysis revealed reactions of partial identity between the A subunits of LT and CT, as well as between the B subunits. Rabbit antisera raised against LT subunit A reacted with only subunit A, whereas rabbits immunized with LT subunit B produced antibodies which reacted with only subunit B. A high degree of CT neutralization was observed with antisera raised against LT. Data from neutralization assays with specific antisera to each enterotoxin showed that LT was more effectively neutralized by homologous anti-LT than CT (3.7-fold); however, anti-CT was only slightly more effective in neutralization of homologous CT compared with LT (1.9-fold). In contrast, antisera raised against the B subunit of CT (choleragenoid) exhibited significantly higher neutralization activity against CT than LT (5.8-fold); however, the amount of CT neutralized by anticholeragenoid was less (4.1-fold) than anti-CT. These results suggested that anti-CT serum contained neutralizing antibodies reactive with a shared determinant formed by interaction of the A and B subunits, whereas anti-LT and anti-choleragenoid sera did not. Sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassays were developed to examine the affinity and degree of specificity involved in homologous and heterologous antigen-antibody interactions between LT, CT, their subunits, and specific antibodies. Only unlabeled LT competed with radiolabeled LT in polystyrene tubes coated with anti-LT, and only unlabeled CT competed with radiolabeled CT in tubes coated with anti-CT. However, when radiolabeled CT was incubated in tubes coated with anti-LT, competitive inhibition responses were observed with both unlabeled toxins. When radiolabeled LT was incubated with tubes coated with anti-CT, competitive inhibition responses were observed with both unlabeled toxins. Similar competitive inhibition responses were observed with the A subunits of LT and CT and with the B subunits using antisera specific for the subunits of each enterotoxin. Double immunodiffusion analysis and radioimmunoassay data supported the presence of unique and shared immunodeterminants in each subunit.
Social and personal bases of individuation.

Abstract : Male and female subjects participated in a group experiment which provided them with opportunities (both verbal and nonverbal) to either individuate or deindividuate themselves. When the subjects anticipated the possibility of positive rewards, they made many more attempts to individuate themselves than when they expected that negative consequences were forthcoming. The pattern of individuating behavior was also affected by the subject's sex and prior level of experienced uniqueness. These findings have important implications for theoretical models of individuation and also provide a conceptual link between the phenomena of conformity, deviancy, and personal identity. (Author)
A decentralized algorithm for robust constrained model predictive control

A decentralized formulation is presented for model predictive control of systems with coupled constraints. The single large planning optimization is divided into small subproblems, each planning only for the states of a particular subsystem. Relevant plan data is exchanged between subsystems to ensure that all decisions are consistent with satisfaction of the coupled constraints. A typical application would be autonomous guidance of a fleet of UAVs, in which the systems are coupled by the need to avoid collisions, but each vehicle plans only its own path. The key property of the algorithm in this paper is that if an initial feasible plan can be found, then all subsequent optimizations are guaranteed to be feasible, and hence the constraints will be satisfied, despite the action of unknown but bounded disturbances. This is demonstrated in simulated examples, also showing the associated benefit in computation time.
“I know it shouldn’t but it still hurts” Bullying and Adults: Implications and Interventions for Practice

Bullying problems among children and adolescents are well documented but there is scant literature that examines this phenomenon among adults. This article contends that nurses must begin to assess adult patients for this type of violence. Direct questions about being bullied at work or in cyberspace should be added to assessments. Questioning will help bullying victims recognize that what they are going through is not acceptable and not their fault. It will also help identify patients who may need interventions beyond the treatment of the physically traumatic effects of bullying. Language: en
Determination of sodium in blood serum by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Owing to its importance as a serum electrolyte, sodium is determined routinely in clinical laboratories. In the United States, the accuracy of these measurements is assessed through a number of proficiency testing programs. Clinical measurements are supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology through the production of serum matrix Standard Reference Materials® (909 and 956 series). For reference material certification, a gravimetric primary method has traditionally been used, but this method is time consuming. In this work, an alternative method has been developed in which sodium is determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using a procedure, which is a cross between internal standardization and isotope dilution analysis. Diluted serum is spiked with 26Mg enriched isotope and the isotope ratio 23Na/26Mg measured in analog detection mode. The ratios are standardized by measuring a sodium primary standard (SRM 919a) spiked with 26Mg. As a relatively high concentration of sodium is measured, the sodium background from the ICP-MS instrument is comparatively small. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of sodium in SRM 909b (Human Serum), SRM 956a (Electrolytes in Frozen Human Serum) and serum pools from the College of American Pathologists.
The Ultimate Tax Reform: Public Revenue from Land Rent

An ideal public revenue policy respects a person's right to privacy, does not discourage work or savings, and does not induce dishonesty. While income, sales, and value-added taxes fall woefully short of this ideal, land value taxation meets each requirement.
Two-dimensional finite-difference seismic modeling of an open fluid-filled fracture: Comparison of thin-layer and linear-slip models

Within the context of seismic wave propagation, fractures can be described as thin layers or linear-slip interfaces. In this paper, numerical simulations of elastic wave propagation in a medium with a single fracture represented by these two models are performed by 2D finite-difference codes: a variable-grid isotropic code for the thin-layer model and a regular-grid anisotropic code for the linear-slip model. Numerical results show excellent agreement between the two models for wavefields away from the fracture; the only discrepancy between the two is the presence of a slow wave traveling primarily within the fracture fluid of the thin-layer model. The comparison of the computational cost shows that modeling of the linear-slip model is more efficient than that of the thin-layer model. This study demonstrates that the linear-slip model is an efficient and accurate modeling approach for the remote seismic characterization of fractures.
A symmetric analogue demodulator for optical fiber interferometric sensors

Describes a form of passive homodyne demodulation for recovering a signal of interest from a Mach-Zender optical fiber interferometric sensor. The interferometer uses a 2*2 optical fiber coupler at the input, a push-pull arrangement to stretch the fibers comprising the two legs of the interferometer in a different manner, and a 3*3 optical fiber coupler at the output, generating three phase-modulated outputs. The demodulator uses all three outputs in a symmetric manner to reconstruct the signal of interest. A dynamic range of 115 dB in a 1-Hz bandwidth has been measured for a circuit implementing this scheme. The minimum detectable signal at a frequency of 600 Hz is 220 mu rad/ square root Hz. The maximum acceptable signal at 600 Hz is 140 rad, increasing linearly with decreasing frequency. A schematic diagram of an implementation of the symmetric demodulation technique in analog electronics is presented. >
On supporting power-efficient streaming applications in wireless environments

Reducing the power consumption of the wireless network interface (WNl) is an effective way to prolong the battery lifetime of the mobile terminal. It takes some time for the WNI to transit from the power-saving mode to the active mode. This transition delay and the error-prone wireless link bring many challenges for designing power-aware and QoS-aware service models. In this paper, we present a novel power-conserving service model for streaming applications over wireless networks. At the base station side, a new scheduling algorithm, called rate-based bulk scheduling (RBS), is designed to decide which flow should be served at which time. The mobile terminal relies on a proxy to buffer data so that the WNI can sleep for a long time period to save power. To deal with channel errors, a novel adaptive technique is presented to adjust the sleep time of the WNI according to the channel condition. Through analysis, we prove that RBS can provide delay guarantee and it is more power efficient than other rate-based fair queuing algorithms. We use audio-on-demand as a case study to evaluate the performance of RBS. Experimental results show that RBS achieves excellent QoS provision for each flow and significantly reduces the power consumption.
Location privacy: going beyond K-anonymity, cloaking and anonymizers

With many location-based services, it is implicitly assumed that the location server receives actual users locations to respond to their spatial queries. Consequently, information customized to their locations, such as nearest points of interest can be provided. However, there is a major privacy concern over sharing such sensitive information with potentially malicious servers, jeopardizing users’ private information. The anonymity- and cloaking-based approaches proposed to address this problem cannot provide stringent privacy guarantees without incurring costly computation and communication overhead. Furthermore, they require a trusted intermediate anonymizer to protect user locations during query processing. This paper proposes a fundamental approach based on private information retrieval to process range and K-nearest neighbor queries, the prevalent queries used in many location-based services, with stronger privacy guarantees compared to those of the cloaking and anonymity approaches. We performed extensive experiments on both real-world and synthetic datasets to confirm the effectiveness of our approaches.
Improving Oral Reading Fluency with a Peer-Mediated Intervention.

This study examined the effects of an experimentally derived, peer-delivered reading intervention on the oral reading fluency of a first-grade student who had been referred for poor reading fluency. Same-grade peers were trained to lead the target student through a structured intervention protocol based on the results of a brief experimental analysis. Results indicated that reading improvements were obtained and are discussed in terms of selecting efficient interventions for use by peers.
Polymorphic variation in the G-protein beta-3 subunit gene and response to BiDil in A-HeFT: Basis for an African-American pharmacogenetic advantage to nitric oxide donor therapy?

Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins, or G-proteins, typically provide the major signal transducing step between agonist occupancy of a 7-transmembrane receptor and effector mechanisms. G-proteins consist of 3 subunits (α, β, and γ); the β and γ subunits are tightly bound and typically function
USE OF IRRADIATED PUPAE TO MASS CULTURE THE MICROHYMENOPTEROUS PUPAL PARASITOID SPALANGIA ENDIUS WALKER (HYMENOPTERA: PTEROMALIDAE). I. MUSCA DOMESTICA L. (DEPTERA: MUSCIDAE)

A technique using 50 kR gamma irradiation on 2-day-old Musca domestica L. pupae was developed to allow for up to 8 weeks of storage at 4.4 ± 0.5°C and 70 ± 5% RH. These pupae can be used to supplem...
Translational bioinformatics embraces big data.

We review the latest trends and major developments in translational bioinformatics in the year 2011-2012. Our emphasis is on highlighting the key events in the field and pointing at promising research areas for the future. The key take-home points are: • Translational informatics is ready to revolutionize human health and healthcare using large-scale measurements on individuals. • Data–centric approaches that compute on massive amounts of data (often called “Big Data”) to discover patterns and to make clinically relevant predictions will gain adoption. • Research that bridges the latest multimodal measurement technologies with large amounts of electronic healthcare data is increasing; and is where new breakthroughs will occur.
Adjuvant treatment for uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Abstract The aims of this study were to evaluate outcomes in women diagnosed with uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS). A retrospective chart review was conducted. Fifty-eight women with LMS were identified. Of the evaluable 52 patients (six patients were excluded), 73% had Stage I/II disease, and 27% had Stage III/IV disease. Sixty-three percent of patients received chemotherapy (97% doxorubicin-based therapy), eight percent received radiation alone, and 29% received no therapy. For patients with Stage I/II disease, no improvement in OS was demonstrated when adjuvant therapy was administered. There was a significant difference in OS (p = 0.0005) for patients with advanced Stage (III/IV) disease that received adjuvant chemotherapy. OS of the entire group, when adjusted for stage, failed to reveal a significant survival advantage for those receiving chemotherapy-based (p = 0.22). The present findings suggest further research into the role of chemotherapy in early stage disease is needed to better refine optimal treatment.
A New Discomycete from the Olympic National Forest

Pseudociboria gen. nov. Apothecia parva, brevissime stipitata, sine stromate, ceracco-coriacea, brunnea aut nigra, plane expansa, minute crenulato margine, extrinsecus striata; hypothecia prosenchymatica, nongelatinosa, asci cylindracei, 8 sporis; ascosporae hyalinae, ellipsoideae, unicellulares; aliae paraphyses hyalinae, nonseptatae, 1 IA diam., aliae paraphyses atro-brunnea, nonseptatae 4 1 diam.
Progresses in studies on pharmacologic effects of ginsenosides

Ginsenosides are major active ingredients of ginseng. The Pharmacologic effects of ginsenosides are various. The pharmacologic effects of individual ginsenoside have been studied deeply now, especially focusing on regulation of metabolism. In this article, we reviewed progresses in studies on pharmacologic effects of ginsenosides in recent years in the world, referring to nervous system, small intestinal transit, endocrine system,immune system, signal transduction, anti-aging, hemolysis, burn wound healing, synergy of anti-tumor, human sperm motility, drug metabolism enzyme and lowering plasma glucose. Furthermore, protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides were compared with protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides on the pharmacologic effects briefly.
Current Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma With Xenogeneic Immune Ribonucleic Acid

AbstractIn 1979 we reported a phase I trial involving 6 patients treated with immune ribonucleic acid for renal cell carcinoma. Since that report 27 patients with stage III or IV renal cell carcinoma have been assessed in a phase II trial. All patients have undergone excision of the primary tumor or superficial metastases, injection of tumor into guinea pigs and harvesting of immune ribonucleic acid. Autologous lymphocytes, obtained by plasmapheresis on an outpatient basis, have been incubated with immune ribonucleic acid and reinfused into the host.Results indicate complete response in 1 patient for more than 61 months, partial response in 5 patients for 6 to 10 months and stabilization in 10 patients for 2 to 8 months, all of whom had progressive disease before the institution of therapy. Six patients with continued progressive disease died at a median of 2 months after therapy. Of 5 patients treated in an adjuvant fashion only 1 has had a relapse from 9 to 18 months after therapy.Patients with pulmonar...
Genetic Implications in Coxa Plana

The familial tendency of Legg-Perthes disease has been well documented by the family incidence and even more strongly by an extensive study of family pedigrees. The twins studied by Giannestras and by Dunn and this report of the disease which is present in mirror fashion in identical twins illustrate even more vividly the genetic interaction in the disease. Therefore, those who are aware that coxa plana has appeared in a family should keep in mind the probability of the disease developing in another member.
Seismic Fragility Analysis of the Smithsonian Institute Museum Support Center

This paper presents the seismic fragility assessment of the Smithsonian Institute Museum Support Center (MSC), which sustained appreciable damage during the 2011 Virginia earthquake. A three-dimens...
An Inexpensive Programmable Dual-Syringe Pump for the Chemistry Laboratory

A programmable dual-syringe pump was constructed from inexpensive materials. The syringe pump can accommodate two syringes of the same or different size without any modification of the platform. Unlike other reported open-source syringe pumps, the syringes can be dispensed independently of one another without modification. The total cost of the syringe pump is roughly $100 including the microcontroller and roughly $60 without.
Economic Development Issues: Latin America

(1968). Economic Development Issues: Latin America. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 233-235.
Guideline of guidelines: non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) represents the vast majority of bladder cancer diagnoses, but this definition represents a spectrum of disease with a variable clinical course, notable for significant risk of recurrence and potential for progression. Management involves risk-adapted strategies of cystoscopic surveillance and intravesical therapy with the goal of bladder preservation when safe to do so. Multiple organizational guidelines exist to help practitioners manage this complicated disease process, but adherence to management principles among practising urologists is reportedly low. We review four major organizational guidelines on NMIBC: the American Urological Association (AUA)/Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO), European Association of Urology (EAU), National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
Abiraterone-induced rhabdomyolysis resulting in acute kidney injury: A case report and review of the literature

Abiraterone, a CYP17 inhibitor, blocks androgen biosynthesis in multiple tissue types. In combination with prednisone, it is approved as a first-line treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We present a case of rhabdomyolysis associated with abiraterone therapy resulting in acute on chronic kidney injury in a patient with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Strict monitoring should be employed in patients started on abiraterone who have additional risk factors for developing rhabdomyolysis.
The Role of Nerve Graft Substitutes in Motor and Mixed Motor/Sensory Peripheral Nerve Injuries

Alternatives to nerve autograft have been invented and approved for clinical use. The reported outcomes of these alternatives in mixed motor nerve repair in humans are scarce and marked by wide variabilities. The purpose of our Current Concepts review is to provide an evidence-based overview of the effectiveness of nerve conduits and allografts in motor and mixed sensory/motor nerve reconstruction. Nerve graft substitutes have good outcomes in mixed/motor nerves in gaps less than 6 mm and internal diameters between 3 and 7 mm. There is insufficient evidence for their use in larger-gap and -diameter nerves; the evidence remains that major segmental motor or mixed nerve injury is optimally treated with a cabled nerve autograft.
Law and Literature: A Review of 'A Clockwork Orange'

This paper will examine the connections of law and literature with reference to the novella ‘A Clockwork Orange’ by Anthony Burgess. ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is a futuristic novel published in 1962, which juxtaposes the concepts of free will and the ends sought by law. The novel is written from the point of view of the story’s anti-hero – Alex, a teenage delinquent providing the dystopic setting for the book. In a radical attempt to permanently deter Alex from committing crime, he is subjected to an experimental medical procedure whereby he is medically conditioned to be non-violent, i.e. like clockwork despite his natural disposition towards violence. Can the state force a person to be ‘good’ manner at the cost of their moral choice? The paper will examine to what extent the government can hinder free will amidst the aims of the criminal justice system. What kind of reformation is being sought here? Is this a form of moral trespassing by the state? The paper will also examine how Burgess uses a fictional language (Nadsat) and a first-person point of view to manipulate the reader’s thinking. The use of a fictional language diminishes the intensity of the violent acts committed by Alex. Burgess manages to pass off the brutal violence extremely casually. These narrative techniques further reels you into sympathizing with the character’s fate at the hands of the government, despite the character’s despicable personality. In the absence of these techniques it is certainly doubtful whether Alex would have won the compassion of the reader.
Nonadiabatic Eigenfunctions Can Have Amplitude, Signed Conical Nodes, or Signed Higher Order Nodes at a Conical Intersection with Circular Symmetry

Numerically exact nonadiabatic eigenfunctions are computed for a two-dimensional conical intersection with circular symmetry, for which a pseudorotation quantum number is conserved and all eigenstates are doubly degenerate. In the calculations reported here, the conical intersection is submerged, with energy below the zero point level. The complete real-valued vibrational-electronic eigenfunctions are visualized using Hunter’s exact factorization for the total vibrational amplitude factor and color for the electronic factor. The zero-point levels have nonzero amplitude at the conical intersection. Nodes in the degenerate nonadiabatic eigenfunctions are classified as accidental if they can be moved or removed by a change in degenerate basis and as essential if they cannot. An integer electronic index defines the order of the nodes for nonadiabatic eigenfunctions by simple closed counterclockwise line integrals. Higher eigenstates can have accidental conical nodes around the conical intersection and essenti...
Terminal Pleistocene Depositional Patterns and Their Relationship to the Paleoindian Occupation of Drainage Basins in the Middle Atlantic Region, USA

The impact of the Younger Dryas (12,850–11,700 cal yr BP) on Paleoindian populations has been widely debated in the literature. In the Middle Atlantic region of the United States, fluctuations in a...
Problems with Using Biomarkers as Surrogate End Points for Cancer: A Cautionary Tale

Investigations employing surrogate cancer end points are especially attractive because they may be smaller, shorter, and cheaper than comparable studies with explicit cancer outcomes. For many potential surrogate end points—epithelial cell proliferation will be taken as an example—inferences are problematic because of the existence of alternative causal pathways to cancer that bypass the surrogate end point. Evaluating potential surrogates requires information on the following three questions: (1) What is the relation of the surrogate end point to cancer? (2) What is the relation of the intervention (or exposure) to the surrogate? (3) To what extent does the surrogate end point mediate the relation between intervention (exposure) and cancer? Data for these questions may derive from animal experiments, human metabolic studies, observational epidemiologic investigations (including ecologic studies), and randomized trials. Inferences to cancer from such downstream markers as colorectal adenomatous polyps and persistent human papillomavirus infection of the cervix are strong, though not absolutely unassailable. For all but these very-close-to-cancer markers, considerable caution is warranted in extrapolating from surrogate effects or associations to cancer.
Spirituality, Religion, and Mutual Support Programs

This chapter debunks the common myth about 12-step programs and discusses the research findings on them. It provides practical tips for facilitating involvement in 12-step programs. It also covers the role of religion and spirituality in addiction treatment and recovery. Practical tools about integrating religion and spirituality in recovery are presented.
An Approach to Construct Weighted Minimum Spanning Tree in Wireless Sensor Networks

Topology control is critical to extend the lifetime of energy constrained Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Topology control mechanism can be divided into two processes: topology construction and topology maintenance. During topology construction one creates a reduced topology to ensure network connectivity and coverage. In topology maintenance, one recreates or changes the reduced topology when the network is no longer optimal. In this research the authors concentrate on Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) which is a commonly seen problem during the design of a topology construction protocol for WSNs. As the amount of running time and messages successfully delivered are important metrics to measure the efficacy of distributed algorithms, much research to create simple, local and energy efficient algorithms for WSNs thereby creating sub optimal MSTs has been studied. In this research, two popular approaches are discussed to create a Spanning Tree in the WSNs- Random Nearest Neighbor Tree (Random NNT) and Euclidian Minimum Spanning Tree (Euclidian MST). Next, the authors propose a method which has the goals to balance the network load evenly among all of the nodes and increase the number of successful message deliveries to the sink. Finally a comparison between the three algorithms is conducted in the Matlab environment. Simulation results demonstrate significant improvement for both load balancing and number of message deliveries after implementation of the proposed algorithm.
Utilization of macrophage extracellular trap nucleotides by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the causative agent of enzootic pneumonia in swine, an important disease worldwide. It has finite biosynthetic capabilities, including a deficit in de novo nucleotide synthesis. The source(s) for nucleotides in vivo are unknown, but mycoplasmas are known to carry membrane-bound nucleases thought to participate in the acquisition of nucleotides from host genomic DNA. Recent research has demonstrated that neutrophils can produce extracellular traps (NETs), chromatin NETs decorated with granular proteins to interact with and eliminate pathogens. We hypothesized that M. hyopneumoniae could utilize its membrane nuclease to obtain nucleotides from extracellular traps to construct its own DNA. Using the human monocytic cell line THP-1, we induced macrophage extracellular traps (METs), which are structurally similar to NETs. The thymidine analogue ethynyl deoxyuridine (EdU) was incorporated into THP-1 DNA and METs were induced. When incubated with M. hyopneumoniae, METs were degraded and the modified nucleotide label could be co-localized within M. hyopneumoniae DNA. When the nucleases were inhibited, MET degradation and nucleotide transfer were also inhibited. Controls confirmed that the EdU originated directly from the METs and not from free nucleotides arising from intracellular pools released during extrusion of the chromosomal DNA. M. hyopneumoniae incorporated labelled nucleotides more efficiently when ‘fed’ on METs than from free nucleotides in the medium, suggesting a tight linkage between nuclease degradation of DNA and nucleotide transport. These results strongly suggest that M. hyopneumoniae could degrade extracellular traps formed in vivo during infection and incorporate those host nucleotides into its own DNA.