cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of craniotomy for brain tumor case volume on patient safety indicators and in-hospital mortality

Abstract Objectives The relationship between outcomes, patient safety indicators and volume has been well established in patient’s undergoing craniotomy for brain tumor. However, the determination of “high” and “low” volume centers have been subjectively derived. We present a paper with a novel method of objectively determining “high” volume centers for craniotomy for brain tumor. Methods Patients from 2002 to 2011 were identified in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database using ICD-9 codes related to craniotomy for brain tumor. Primary endpoints of interest were hospital PSI event rate, in-hospital mortality rate, observed-to-expected PSI event ratio, and O/E in-hospital mortality ratio. Using a zero-inflated gamma model analysis and a cutpoint analysis we determined the volume threshold between and “high” and “low” volume hospitals. We then completed an analysis using this determined threshold to look at PSI events and mortality as they relate to “high” volume and “low” volume hospitals. Results 12.4 % of hospitals were categorized as good performers using O/E ratios. Regarding in-hospital mortality, 16.8 % were good performers. Using the above statistical analysis the threshold to define high vs. low volume centers was determined to be 27 craniotomies. High volume centers had significantly lower O/E ratios for both PSI and mortality events. The PSI O/E ratio was reduced 55 % and mortality O/E ratio reduced 73 % at high volume centers as defined by our analysis. Conclusions Patients treated at institutions performing >27 craniotomies per year for brain tumors have a lower likelihood of PSI events and decreased in-hospital morbidity and mortality.
Brain-wide quantification of the supraspinal connectome

Summary The supraspinal connectome is essential for normal behavior and homeostasis and consists of a wide range of sensory, motor, and autonomic projections from brain to spinal cord. Extensive work spanning a century has largely mapped the cell bodies of origin, yet their broad distribution and complex spatial relationships present significant challenges to the dissemination and application of this knowledge. Fields that study disruptions of supraspinal projections, for example spinal cord injury, have focused mostly on a handful of major populations that carry motor commands, with only limited consideration of dozens more that provide autonomic or crucial motor modulation. More comprehensive information is essential to understand the functional consequences of different injuries and to better evaluate the efficacy of treatments. Using viral retrograde labeling, 3D imaging, and registration to standard neuro-anatomical atlases we now provide a platform to profile the entire supraspinal connectome by rapidly visualizing and quantifying tens of thousands of supraspinal neurons, each assigned to more than 60 identified regions and nuclei throughout the brains of adult mice. We then use this tool to compare the lumbar versus cervically-projecting connectomes, to profile brain-wide the sensitivity of supraspinal populations to graded spinal injuries, and to correlate locomotor recovery with connectome measurements. To share these insights in an intuitive manner, we present an interactive web-based resource, which aims to spur progress by broadening understanding and analyses of essential but understudied supraspinal populations.
Gemeinwohl und berufliche Vereinigungen in der Medizin des 21. Jahrhunderts

Die starke Entwicklung der Wissenschaft in der 2. Halfte des 20. Jahrhunderts und die Entstehung machtiger beruflicher Vereinigungen zur Steuerung dieser Wissenschaft bilden ein grundsatzliches Hindernis fur eine breite Nutzung gewonnener Forschungsergebnisse. Mit jeder neuen Erkenntnis werden Berufe und Institutionen im Gesundheitssektor in neue, noch starker spezialisierte Fachgebiete unterteilt. Die Vereinigten Staaten geben ungefahr doppelt soviel wie andere Lander fur medizinische Leistungen aus. Trotzdem liegen die USA, was die Lebenserwartung betrifft, im Weltvergleich nur auf dem 24. Platz, und ein immer groβerer Teil der Bevolkerung kann keine Krankenversicherung aufweisen. Die Leistungen von Arzten und anderen Berufsvertretern im medizinischen Bereich stellen nur einen Teil der Suche des Menschen nach Gesundheit dar. Die Lander versuchen, den Zugang zu und die Kosten medizinischer Versorgung sowie die beruflichen Vereinigungen, die die medizinische Versorgung kontrollieren, in Ubereinstimmung mit den herrschenden Wirtschaftsideologien zu regulieren. Wirtschaftstheorien uberschatten die Realitat der medizinischen Versorgung. Der Patient ist der Verbraucher medizinischer Leistungen und nicht der Kaufer. Der Arzt ist Kaufer fast der gesamten medizinischen Leistungen. Er hat groβes finanzielles Interesse an den angebotenen Diensten, und er leistet einen Beitrag zu der starken Zergliederung dieser Dienste.
N-acetyldopamine quinone methide/1,2-dehydro-N-acetyl dopamine tautomerase: A new enzyme involved in sclerotization of insect cuticle

The enzyme system causing the side chain desaturation of the sclerotizing precursor, N-acetyldopamine (NADA), was solubilized from the larval cuticle of Sarcophaga bullata and resolved into three components. The first enzyme, phenoloxidase, catalyzed conversion of NADA to NADA quinone and provided it for the second enzyme (NADA quinone isomerase), which makes the highly unstable NADA quinone methide. Quinone methide was hydrated rapidly and nonenzymatically to form N-acetylnorepinephrine. In addition, it also served as the substrate for the last enzyme, quinone methide tautomerase, which converted it to 1,2-dehydro-NADA. Reconstitution of NADA side chain desaturase activity was achieved by mixing the last enzyme fraction with NADA quinone isomerase, obtained from the hemolymph of the same organism, and mushroom tyrosinase. Therefore, NADA side chain desaturation observed in insects is caused by the combined action of three enzymes rather than the action of a single specific NADA desaturase, as previously thought.
Segall, Marshall H

Marshall H. Segall, arguably one of the most influential American contributors to cross-cultural psychology as a discipline, was born in Bridgeport, CT in 1930. While attending Northwestern University, he was introduced to psychology as the science of human behavior. Even as a young undergraduate, he admittedly did not understand how any science of human behavior could be complete without “attending to the cultural context in which all humans behave“. After completing his undergraduate degree, Segall visited the experimental laboratories at the University of Iowa, where he discovered that a strict behaviorist approach was not the kind of psychology that interested him. He instead went to Europe to study at the University of Geneva for one year, an experience that solidified his growing belief that culture was an integral determinant of behavior. Upon returning to the United States, he completed a master's degree at Yale University. Although the psychology department there was largely laboratory-oriented, it was housed within the Institute of Human Relations, which included anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists, and many projects conducted there had a cultural bent. Keywords: cross-cultural psychology; race; senses; perception
Treatment and outcomes of chronic rhinosinusitis in children with primary ciliary dyskinesia: where is the evidence? A qualitative systematic review

Background Consensus on treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in children with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is limited. We sought to synthesize the best available evidence pertaining to treatment and outcomes of CRS in children with PCD. Methods This work is a systematic review of PubMed and EMBASE for studies pertaining to treatment and outcomes of CRS in children with PCD in a 20-year period. Two reviewers independently extracted information on study design, setting, medical or surgical therapy for CRS, and treatment outcomes. Results Twelve studies from 8 countries were included for analysis: (3 retrospective cohorts, 2 prospective cohorts, 2 cross-sectional, 1 case series, and 4 case reports). The number of patients with PCD ranged from 1 to 78. Medical treatment included oral antibiotics, intranasal steroids, and oral steroids. Surgical treatment was mentioned in 8 studies, with endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) described in 3 of 8. Outcome measures were rarely defined but included the 20-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20) questionnaire (1/12), symptom questionnaire (1/12), decreased recurrent pneumonia (1/12), and subjective report of CRS symptoms. No randomized, controlled, or long-term prospective cohort studies were identified, and no study employed a disease-specific, pediatric-validated instrument to measure outcomes of therapy. Conclusion There is a paucity of evidence pertaining to CRS treatment or outcomes in children with PCD. Given the rare prevalence of PCD and the insufficient evidence pertaining to treatment effectiveness for CRS, we propose an international, multicenter database to prospectively track data pertaining to diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of CRS for children with PCD. This effort would encourage implementation of validated and standardized outcome measures.
A Study of the Transmission Spectra of Certain Substances in the Infra-Red

Este material fue digitalizado en el marco del Proyecto subvencionado por la Fundacion Antorchas y se encuentra disponible en la Biblioteca del Departamento de Fisica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
Differential expression of N-myc in phenotypically distinct subclones of a human neuroblastoma cell line.

Abstract Neuroblastomas are malignant childhood neoplasms that arise from derivatives of the neural crest. We report the characterization of a new neuroblastoma cell line, designated NBL-W, derived from the primary tumor of a patient with stage IVS disease (S. L. Cohn, C. V. Herst, H. S. Maurer, and S. T. Rosen, J. Clin. Oncol., 5: 1441–1444, 1987) according to the criteria of Evans [A. E. Evans, G. J. D9Angio, and J. Randolf, Cancer (Phila.), 27: 374–378, 1971]. Neurite-bearing (N) and substrate-adherent (S) cell lines have been subcloned from the parent line. N and S cells can interconvert, and both cell types label with the neural crest cell surface marker antibody, HNK-1. Cells in the subcloned lines and in the parent line have been shown by Southern blot analysis to contain ∼100 copies of the N- myc gene. Cytogenetic analysis shows a homogeneously staining region present on chromosome 19. Although these subclones are of identical genotype, the S cells express lower amounts of N- myc mRNA and protein as compared to the N cells. N cells express several neuronal proteins including the neurotransmitter-processing enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine β-hydroxylase, the neuronal intermediate filament proteins peripherin and NF66/α-internexin, and the neural cell adhesion molecule. S cells generally lack neuronal markers but express the mesenchymal intermediate filament protein vimentin, and a small subset of the S cells express glial fibrillary acidic protein. Some S cells were labeled weakly with neural cell adhesion molecule antibody; others were negative. S cells did not express the glial marker S-100 or a melanocyte marker, tyrosinase. Thus, S cells express the neural crest marker HNK-1 but do not express a set of antigens characteristic of any known cell type derived from the neural crest. These results are consistent with the suggestion that differential N- myc expression may be involved in the interconversion of N and S cells but indicate that the S cell phenotype need not represent a highly differentiated neural crest derivative.
Smoothing the information seeking path : removing representational obstacles in the middle school digital library environment

Middle school student's interaction within a digital library is explored. Issues of interface features used, obstacles encountered, search strategies and search techniques used, and representation obstacles are examined. A mechanism for evaluating user's descriptors is tested and effects of augmenting the system's resource descriptions with these descriptors on retrieval is explored. Transaction log data analysis (TLA) was used, with external corroborating achievement data provided by teachers. Analysis was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods. Coding schemes for the failure analysis, search strategies and techniques analysis, as well as extent of match analysis between terms in student's questions and their search terms, and extent of match analysis between search terms and controlled vocabulary were developed. There are five chapters with twelve supporting appendixes. Chapter One presents an introduction to the problem and reviews the pilot study. Chapter Two presents the literature review and theoretical basis for the study. Chapter Three describes the research questions, hypotheses and methods. Chapter Four presents findings. Chapter Five presents a summary of the findings and their support of the hypotheses. Unanticipated findings, limitations, speculations, and areas of further research are indicated. Findings indicate that middle school users interact with the system in various sequences of patterns. User groups' interactions and scaffold use are influenced by the teacher's objectives for using the ADL. Users preferred to use single word searches over Boolean, phrase or natural language searches. Users tended to use a strategy of repeating the same exact search, instead of using the advanced scaffolds. A high percent of users attempted at least one search that included spelling or typographical errors, punctuation, or sequentially repeated searches. Search terms matched the DQ's in some instantiation 54% of all searches. Terms used by the system to represent the resources do not adequately represent the user groups' information needs, however, using student generated keywords to augment resource descriptions can have a positive effect on retrieval.
Access traffic control implementations for frame relay

Various aspects of the implementation of access traffic control mechanisms for frame relay networks are considered. Emphasis is placed on the distinction between two related rate control mechanisms, i.e., access policing by the network and traffic shaping by the user. Frame discarding performance (policer strictness) is compared for two alternative policing techniques, i.e., leaky bucket and quantized moving window. Hardware and software implementations are compared for these two policers. It is estimated that between 15 and 150 policers could be implemented on a single 10 mm by 10 mm chip with frame throughputs per policer of a few million frames per second. Processor sharing would be possible for large-scale systems, with correspondingly lower frame throughputs. Design requirements of a leaky bucket shaper that will achieve zero policing loss and minimum delay when operating in conjunction with a leaky bucket policer are discussed. The loss/delay tradeoff for the shaping function is quantified. >
Equine placenta – A clinician's perspective. Part 1: Normal placenta – Physiology and evaluation

Summary A complex organ, the equine placenta is responsible for fetal nourishment, protection from external and internal insults, and the production and/or metabolisation of various hormones. The endometrial cups are unique structures of the equine placenta that are responsible for producing an essential hormone for equine pregnancy, equine chorionic gonadotropin. Since mares have epitheliochorial placentae, with 6 layers of tissue separating maternal from fetal circulation, almost the entire surface of the chorioallantois must be attached to the maternal endometrium in order to support a developing fetus adequately. The only avillous areas of the normal chorioallantois are: the cervical star, sites of the endometrial cups, areas facing oviductal papillae, folds overlying major allantoic vessels, and fetal foot PADs (placental areas of degeneration). There are characteristic differences between the gravid and the nongravid horn of the chorioallantois. Allantoic vesicles, allantoic pouches, hippomanes, amniotic plaques and yolk sac remnants are normal features of the equine placenta. The clinician should thoroughly examine the entire placenta immediately after its expulsion. The most important aspect of this evaluation is to check for completeness of the chorioallantois, along with identifying any pathological lesions on the fetal membranes or the umbilical cord.
Compact All-Pass Filters in Photonic Crystals as the Building Block for High-Capacity Optical Delay Lines

Optical all-pass filters, which generate strong on-resonance optical delay while maintaining a unity transmission coefficient throughout the entire resonant bandwidth, are of great importance for constructing delay lines in optical buffer applications. We provide an analysis of optical delay lines based upon cascading multiple stages of all-pass filter structures. We show that the maximum capacity of such delay lines is determined primarily by the dimensions of each stage. Motivated by this analysis, we describe compact optical all-pass filters in two-dimensional photonic crystals. The accidental degeneracy of the cavity modes introduces a strong group delay and dispersion while maintaining total transmission.
Colorectal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and transvaginal/transrectal specimen extraction

Advancements in minimally invasive surgery have both revolutionized laparoscopy and set the stage for the advancement of endoscopic surgery to the forefront of modern medicine. Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) has now become a subject of great interest to surgeons worldwide who wish to reduce the morbidity associated with abdominal operations. However, the application of NOTES to colorectal surgery has thus far been limited due to the complex dissection, anastomosis and specimen extraction typically required when operating on the large bowel. For this reason, laparoscopic-assisted natural orifice surgery has been the means by which most surgeons have begun to incorporate natural orifice surgery into their established practices. Transanal endoscopic surgery, transvaginal-assisted laparoscopy and transrectal specimen extraction are all emerging techniques that may be currently employed, in a hybrid manner, with traditionally accepted laparoscopic operations in order to transition toward less invasive surgery and even pure NOTES. To this end, the vagina appears to be the most practical and widely used site of specimen extraction and adjunct access site for laparoscopic hybrid operations. An accompanying video demonstrates the authors’ preferred technique for transvaginal and transrectal specimen extraction.
Observing the advection of sea ice in the Weddell Sea using buoy and satellite passive microwave data

Data from four buoys tracked by Nimbus 6 and concurrent ice concentrations retrieved from Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer data are used to investigate the progress and behavior of an area of sea ice as it drifts from the southwestern Weddell Sea. The overall drift characteristics and their relationship to ice edge displacement are examined within the framework of four zones. Three phases are identified in the large-scale behavior of the Weddell Sea ice cover, namely, a rapid equatorward and eastward advance, a quasi-equilibrium phase, and a period of rapid recession. Outbreaks of cold continental air alternate with incursions of relatively warm air from the north; warm conditions are recorded as far as 1200 km in from the ice edge in winter. Closed loops in the buoy trajectories, which are clockwise to the south of 63 deg S, reverse to become anticlockwise to the north. A coherence is observed in the response of the buoys to the passage of storms, even though the buoys separated by a distance of over 100 km.
Values, Creativity, and Imagination in Generalizability

Creativity and inspiration are not usually thought of as aspects of generalizability. The quality of our theories about communication is the key to our ability to generalize from the specific to the particular. Imagination and inspiration are critical at every level of theory building, making them also critical to generalizability. In part, our ability to generalize depends on how well we negotiate complex relationships between inspiration and dedication to data. This article will explore some of what we know about creativity in science and about the role of some of those imaginative leaps in developing theory in communication related social research.
Influence of beta-adrenergic blockade defined by time series analysis on circadian variation of heart rate and ambulatory myocardial ischemia.

Abstract Extended (72-hour) ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring was used to enable time series analysis of heart rate and asymptomatic ST-segment depression in 9 patients with severe coronary artery disease. The effects of β 1 -adrenergic blockade with optimal dose metoprolol were then assessed. Data were analyzed using Fourier transformation, autocorrelation and cross-correlation to examine possible coupling between heart rate and ischemic electrocardiographic changes. A marked circadian pattern was observed for both heart rate and ambulatory myocardial ischemia, with a period of approximately 24 hours by both Fourier and autocorrelation methods. Cross-correlation revealed heart rate and ischemia to be tightly coupled with a lag of 0 hours during placebo. During β 1 adrenergic blockade the marked circadian variation in heart rate was diminished, although some periodicity in the 24-hour region remained. Ambulatory ischemia was also markedly diminished during β 1 -adrenergic blockade; however, some residual ischemia remained that was characterized by a peak spectral activity shifted to a period of 5 to 7 hours. Heart rate and ischemia were not coupled during β 1 -adrenergic blockade, as evidenced by lack of significant cross-correlation. Thus, time series analysis suggests close coupling between the variation in heart rate and ambulatory ischemia in patients with severe coronary artery disease. Beta 1 -adrenergic blockade can markedly alter the periodic characteristics of and coupling between heart rate and ischemia. Ischemia remaining during β 1 -adrenergic blockade may have different spectral characteristics than that predominating during placebo administration. These differences may be manifestations of the heterogenous pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for ambulatory ischemia and may have therapeutic implications.
Changes in Hepatic Iodothyronine Metabolism during Ontogeny of the Chick Embryo

As a model of the changes in peripheral iodothyronine metabolism that occur during ontogeny, we have studied the metabolism of l25I-labeled T4 and several of its partially deiodinated derivatives by the liver of the chick embryo. Homogenates of livers obtained from chicks varying in embryonic age from 8 days to the time of hatching (20–21 days) were incubated with various iodothyronines, all labeled with 125I in their outer or phenolic ring. Rates and products of the reactions were analyzed by paper chromatography of whole homogenates. In livers from embryos of all ages studied, the addition of dithiothreitol (DTT; 2 mM) enhanced the rate of metabolism of the iodothyronines T4, T3, and rT3. Marked age-related changes in the metabolism of the iodothyronines were apparent; these were evident in the absence of DTT, but were most clearly seen in specimens to which DTT had been added. rT3 was degraded very rapidly, even in livers from 8-day-old embryos, but its rate of degradation increased progressively with ...
Temperature Effects on Interspecific Interference among Two Native Wetland Grasses and Tall Fescue

Successful reintroduction of native species into landscapes requires an understanding of how introduced species invaded and became established. This study was conducted to determine the effect of temperature on interspecific seedling interference of two wetland grasses [sloughgrass (Beckmannia syzigachne Steud.) and tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa L.)] native to the Pacific Northwest and tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Schreb. cv. Titan), a non-native grass species. The relationships of species interference to the thermal response of Photosystem II (PS II) fluorescence reappearance ratio (FRR) and glutathione reductase (GR) thermal stability were also investigated using the Mantel product moment correlation (r m ). Three combinations of two-species replacement series experiments (sloughgrass-hairgrass mixture, sloughgrass-tall fescue mixture, and hairgrass-tall fescue mixture) were conduced in growth chambers, planted in five proportions (0.0:1.0, 0.25:0.75, 0.5:0.5, 0.75:0.25, and 1.0:0.0), and grown at four temperatures (5, 10, 20, and 30°C). The FRR and GR were measured at eight temperatures ranging from 5 to 40°C. Tall fescue aggressiveness, relative to sloughgrass and hairgrass, increased with increasing temperature. Sloughgrass and hairgrass ranked second and third, respectively, and were only more aggressive than tall fescue at 5°C. Peak FRR occurred at 15, 20, and 22.5°C for sloughgrass, hairgrass, and tall fescue, respectively. Seedling dry mass of species was correlated with the stability of GR and the average efficiency of the PS II apparatus over the range of growing temperatures (r m = -1.00 and 0.96, respectively). Tall fescue had greater PS II efficiency and GR stability under elevated temperatures than sloughgrass and hairgrass, which may explain why tall fescue has been able to dominate some wetland landscapes of the temperate Pacific Northwest.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Race/Ethnicity, and Coronary Artery Disease Among Older Patients with Depression

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are both associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in older adults. It is unclear whether PTSD is associated with CAD among older patients with depression, particularly ethnic/racial minority patients. We examined how PTSD relates to CAD in older depressed patients and how this relationship differed by race/ethnicity. Medical records were used to identify White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian/Alaskan Native patients (n = 24,719; ages 60–96 years) with chronic depression. Adjusted logistic regressions were conducted to assess the cross-sectional association between PTSD and CAD in each racial/ethnic group. Among depressed Black patients, PTSD was associated with a 29 % increase in odds for CAD [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.29; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.01, 1.66]. Conversely, PTSD was associated with decreased odds for CAD among Whites (AOR = 0.90; 95 % CI: 0.84, 0.98) and Hispanics (AOR = 0.65; 95 % CI: 0.44, 0.94). PTSD was not significantly associated with CAD in Asian or American Indian/Alaskan Native patients. The relationship between PTSD and CAD varied among depressed patients according to race/ethnicity. Older Black adults with depression may be at increased risk for CAD if they have comorbid PTSD.
The myth of the medical breakthrough: smallpox, vaccination, and Jenner reconsidered.

Abstract A discussion of the particulars leading to the eradication of smallpox is pertinent to both investigators and the public as the clamor for more "breakthroughs" intensifies. The rational allocation of biomedical research funds is increasingly threatened by disease-advocacy groups and congressional earmarking. An overly simplistic view of how advances truly occur promises only to stunt the growth of researchers and research areas not capable of immediate great breakthroughs. The authors review the contributions of Jenner and his countless predecessors to give a more accurate account of how "overnight medical breakthroughs" truly occur—through years of work conducted by many people, often across several continents. In the public eye, few achievements are regarded with such excitement and awe as the medical breakthrough. Developments such as the discovery of penicillin and the eradication of polio and smallpox have each become a great story built around a singular hero. Edward Jenner, for example, is credited with discovering a means of safely conferring immunity to smallpox. The success of vaccination and subsequent eradication of this disease elevated Jenner to a status in medical history that is rivaled by few. However, the story of the eradication of smallpox does not start or end with the work of Jenner. Men such as Benjamin Jesty and Reverend Cotton Mather as well as unnamed physicians from tenth century China to eighteenth century Turkey also made critical contributions to the crowning achievement. Inoculation to prevent smallpox was commonplace in Europe for generations prior to Jenner's work. Jenner himself was inoculated as a child. In fact, vaccination with cowpox matter was documented in England over 20 years prior to Jenner's work. The authors' review of primary and secondary sources indicates that although Jenner's contribution was significant, it was only one of many. It is extremely rare that a single individual or experiment generates a quantum leap in understanding; this "lone genius" paradigm is potentially injurious to the research process. Wildly unrealistic expectations can only yield unsuccessful scientific investigation, but small steps by investigators supported by an informed public can build toward a giant leap, as the story of smallpox eradication clearly demonstrates.
Role of community risk factors and resources on breast carcinoma stage at diagnosis

BACKGROUND The current study investigated the individual and community determinants of breast carcinoma stage at diagnosis (BCSAD) using multiple data sources merged with cancer registry data. The literature review yielded 5 studies that analyzed cancer registry data merged with community-level variables (1995–2004). METHODS Community variables constructed for the current study reflected social and economic risk factors, physician supply, and health maintenance organization penetration. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the significant predictors of increasingly progressive BCSAD. RESULTS Disparities remained for black and Hispanic females in California, who were least likely to be diagnosed early compared with their white counterparts. Younger (< 40 years) and middle-aged (40–64 years) females were less likely to be diagnosed with early BCSAD, compared with older females (≥ 65 years). Utilizing services at hospitals serving a lower volume of patients with breast carcinoma was associated with later BCSAD. After controlling for individual-level factors, community-level variables constructed at the census block group and county level were tested. If a woman resided in a neighborhood with greater percentages of female-headed households, persons living below the poverty level, less educated people, and more recent immigrants, then her chances of being diagnosed at an earlier stage were diminished. If, conversely, she resided in a neighborhood with greater percentages of females ≥ 65 years (a proxy for Medicare coverage), her access to medical care and the probability of earlier BCSAD increased. County-level insurance rates and residing in counties where greater percentages of women ever had a mammogram were associated with in situ and early-stage diagnosis. Similarly, the supply of primary care physicians and radiologists was associated positively with earlier BCSAD. CONCLUSIONS Results confirmed community-level predictors of socioeconomic and delivery system context matter, although the individual-level predictors showed a stronger effect. Nevertheless, analysis of community variables is promising for guiding and evaluating the effects of health policy and developing community and delivery system interventions for earlier detection and treatment of breast carcinoma. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Role of Genetic Control and Random Association in Production of Bovine Transferrin Phenotypes

Abstract Stained bovine transferrin density patterns on polyacrylamide gels were examined, to determine whether the multiple bands might result from random pairing of two types of events differing in their effects upon the electrophoretic mobility of the transferrin molecule. Event X was proposed to confer upon the molecule one more net negative charge than Event Y , resulting in three classes of molecules: Tf-XX, Tf-XY(or Tf-TX), and Tf-YY. The proportions of molecules in each of these classes was proposed to be x 2 , 2 xy , and y 2 , respectively, where x and y represented the frequency of occurrence of the two events. The hypothesis that the multiple transferrin bands might represent these molecular classes was tested by comparing observed relative band densities with expected class proportions. When both events were assumed to occur with equal frequency, a band-for-band comparison by means of a paired "t" test indicated the hypothesis should be rejected (p x and y were calculated, the hypothesis was upheld (.20 No more variation in relative band density was seen in samples from different animals than among samples from the same animal.
Multi-scenario buffer insertion in multi-core processor designs

Recently, microprocessor industry is headed in the direction of multi-core designs in order to continue the chip performance growth. We investigate buffer insertion, which is a critical timing optimization technique, in the context of an industrial multi-core processor design methodology. Different from the conventional formulation, buffer insertion in this case requires a single solution to accommodate different scenarios. If the conventional buffer insertion is performed for each scenario separately, there may be different solutions corresponding to these scenarios. A naive approach is to select one scenario's solution that is most critical among all scenarios and apply it to all the scenarios. However, a good solution for one scenario maybe a poor one for another scenario. We propose algorithmic techniques for solving these multi-scenario buffer insertion problems. Compared to the naive approach, our algorithm can improve slack by 102ps on average for maxslack solutions. For min-cost solutions, our algorithm causes no timing violation while the naive approach results in 35% timing violations. Moreover, the computation speed of our algorithm is faster
Nucleophile-Induced Intramolecular Dipole 1,5-Transfer and 1,6-Cyclization: Experimental and ab Initio Studies of Formation, Thermolysis, and Molecular and Electronic Structures of 3,6-Diphenyl-1-propanesulfenimido-1,2,4,5-tetrazine

Reaction of dichlorobenzaldazine (2) with sodium azide followed by 1-propanethiol/Et3N furnished tetrazine ylide 1 as the main product. The structure of this unprecedented ylide was confirmed with single-crystal X-ray analysis [C17H17N5S, monoclinic P21/n a = 6.8294(4) A, b = 13.6781(9) A, c = 17.5898(12) A, β = 90.666(1)°, Z = 4] and favorably compared with the results of ab initio calculations. The mechanisms of formation of the ylide and its thermal decomposition to 2,5-diphenyltetrazine (5) were investigated using ab initio methods and correlated with the experimental observations. The results suggest that formation of 1 involves intramolecular cyclization of a nitrile imine and thermolysis of 1 might generate a sulfenylnitrene. The formation of 1 is considered to be the first example of a potentially more general reaction.
The space group of AgTaS3

Abstract The crystal structure of AgTaS 3 , recently described in space group Cmc 2 1 , is properly described in Cmcm . The revised space group evidences the centrosymmetric nature of the structure.
Techniques for software quality analysis of binaries: applied to Windows and Linux

In this paper we present our efforts to measure different quality aspects of large-scale, binary software. We apply four well established metrics to binary versions of Windows and Debian Linux, analyze our results and discuss our observations. It is surprising to see that our metrics, which search for well known bad coding habits, result with so many violations. It appears that although bad and insecure software development practices are well understood and documented, in practice, recommended coding styles are not followed. Our work evaluates binary versions of software, allowing us to inspect software quality without the need of source code. We believe that this approach, if successful, could lead in the future to better priced software. This is because the quality of software bought today is not transparent to its users.
Engineering bacteria to recognize and follow small molecules

The ability to recognize and react to specific environmental cues allows bacteria to localize to environments favorable to their survival and growth. Synthetic biologists have begun to exploit the chemosensory pathways that control cell motility to reprogram how bacteria move in response to novel signals. Reprograming is often accomplished by designing novel protein or RNA parts that respond to specific small molecules not normally recognized by the natural chemosensory pathways. Additionally, cell motility and localization can be coupled to bacterial quorum sensing, potentially allowing consortia of cells to perform complex tasks.
Goals to change personality traits: Concurrent links between personality traits, daily behavior, and goals to change oneself.

Abstract Across four studies, we developed and validated a measure of people’s goals to change their personality traits. In doing so, we explored the prevalence and correlates of such change goals. We found that the vast majority of people want to change aspects of their personalities, and that these desires are organized around the big-five personality dimensions. Change goals were related to theoretically relevant predictors, including life satisfaction and current personality traits. In three subsequent daily–diary studies, we found that change goals were discriminant from more generalized trait-relevant motives, and that change goals were negatively correlated with daily behavior, to the extent that traits and behavior covaried. Implications for studying people’s goals and attempts to change their personality traits are discussed.
Electrostatic Analysis of Nuclear Reaction Energies. II

Electrostatic analysis of incident and product particle energies has been used to measure the following ground state $Q$-values: ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}(d,\ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{N}}^{14}$ (3.113\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0035 Mev), ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}(p{\mathrm{He}}^{3}){\mathrm{Be}}^{8}$ (-0.0536\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.003 Mev), and ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}(p,\ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$ (1.147\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0025 Mev). The energy of the lowest level in ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}$ has been determined to be 719\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.6 kev; that of ${\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$ to be 429\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3 kev. Approximate cross sections are given for the above reactions and upper limits for ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}(d,\ensuremath{\alpha}){\mathrm{N}}^{14*}$ (2.3-Mev level), and for ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}(p,{p}^{\ensuremath{'}}){\mathrm{B}}^{10*}$ (2.1- and 1.7-Mev levels).
Changing input costs in competitive markets with variable quality

Abstract This article analyzes the impact of changing input prices on quantity, quality and price in a competitive market. Quality is represented by means of a utility-bearing characteristic for which the household technology is linear. The impact of a change in input prices depends, in ways elucidated in the article, on demand and on firms' profit- maximizing tradeoffs between quantity and quality. Conditions are presented under which an increase in input prices leads to a decrease in output price and an increase in quantity (this with or without inferior inputs), an increase in price and quality and a decrease in quantity, and other outcomes.
The Theory of Universal Human Rights: A Comment on Talbott

In this analysis of William Talbott’s important book, I note with appreciation his defense of universal moral principles and of moral justification as a “social project,” his focus on the critique of oppression, and his emphasis on empathic understanding in the account of human rights. I go on to develop some criticisms regarding: 1) Talbott’s traditional understanding of human rights as holding against governments and not also applying to nonstate actors; 2) his account of the interrelations among well-being, autonomy, claims for first person authority in moral judgment, and human rights; 3) his strongly rationalist and liberal individualist interpretation of moral judgment and autonomy; and 4) the lack of a role for intercultural dialogue about human rights, which nonetheless are held to apply to all human beings across cultures. In each case, I briefly consider what an alternative approach would look like.
CATENOPHLYCTIS, A NEW GENUS OF THE CATENARIACEAE

Catenophlyctis gen. nov. is established in the family Catenariaceae to include the fungus previously known as Phlyctorhiza variabilis Karling. This ubiquitous saprophyte was formerly included in the genus Phlyctorhiza Hanson of the Chytridiales on the grounds that its eucarpic thallus is predominantly monocentric and because it develops usually from an enlargement of the germ tube. Additional studies on this species in India have confirmed the previous observations that the thallus of some strains frequently becomes extensively polycentric and Catenaria-like. Also, its zoospores have been found to be similar in structure to those of species of the Catenariaceae. Accordingly, this species cannot be retained in Phlyctorhiza as Hanson defined the genus, and it is transferred from the Chytridiales to a new genus of the family Catenariaceae in the order Blastocladiales.
The Relationship Between Measures of Nutritional Status and Masticatory Function in Untreated Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Purpose Nearly 40% of newly diagnosed patients with head and neck cancer are malnourished before treatment begins with many researchers ascribing the malnutrition to a paucity of teeth. We attempted to determine if inadequate numbers of occluding pairs of teeth, rather than mere numbers of teeth, in newly hospitalized, untreated head and neck cancer patients correlates with nutritional status parameters used to identify those at heightened risk for malnutrition-related complications. Patients and Methods Patients and cancer-free, matched controls were evaluated for malnutrition (body mass index ≤20 [weight (kg)/height (m 2 )]), serum albumin ≤2.7 g/dL, hemoglobin ≤11.9 g/dL, and total lymphocyte count ≤1,449/μL), and inadequate numbers of occluding pairs of teeth variably defined as less than 5 “posterior pairs” of occluding teeth or less than 6 or 7 “total pairs” of occluding teeth. Results Head and neck cancer patients had significantly lower body mass index ( P = .005) and total lymphocyte count ( P = .019) than controls, but there were no significant correlations between the nutritional and dental variables in either group. Conclusions Untreated head and neck cancer patients frequently have nutritional status parameters indicating heightened risk for malnutrition-related complications but inadequate masticatory function is not a causative factor.
Hemolytic activity of Trichomonas gallinae isolates does not correspond with clinical virulence.

The hemolytic activity of 22 Trichomonas gallinae isolates was investigated using an 18 h erythrocyte hemolysis assay which has been shown to correlate with the clinical virulence of T. vaginalis. Absorbance of the assay supernatants was measured at 540 nm and expressed as percentage of complete hemolysis. Mean hemolytic activity of the T. gallinae isolates ranged from 3.5% to 53.4% and did not correspond with clinical virulence. The results of this investigation suggest hemolytic activity is not a useful in vitro virulence assay for T. gallinae.
When differentiation goes viral.

In this issue of Blood , Vrzalikova et al present evidence that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection leads to the down-regulation of BLIMP1α in primary germinal center (GC) B cells.[1][1] BLIMP1 is a transcription factor encoded by the PRDM1 gene. It stops cell cycling and leads to terminal
Amniotic fluid embolism: An overview and case report

This article gives an overview of amniotic fluid embolism, which still carries a fatality rate of approximately 86% and which accounts for 9% of all maternal deaths. A case report is presented which ended with a fatal outcome. Photomicrographs show fetal squames and lanugo hairs in the pulmonary capillaries as well as ones aspirated from the right atrium. The treatment is discussed in terms of acute primary and acute secondary care. Acute primary care centers around the prompt recognition and treatment of pulmonary edema. This is apparently due to the mechanical blockade of the pulmonary vasculature and particulate matter from the amniotic fluid and also to an anaphylactoid reaction adding to the pulmonary arteriolar spasm. The acute secondary treatment deals with combating the almost inevitable disseminated intravascular coagulation and uterine atony. Being always alert to the possible occurrence of this condition and being able to institute appropriate therapy rapidly are necessary for a successful outcome.
In Vivo Function of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament During Weightbearing Knee Flexion

BackgroundCurrent knowledge of posterior cruciate ligament function is mainly based on in vitro cadaveric studies. There are few studies on the in vivo function of the posterior cruciate ligament. The objective of the study was to quantify the multidimensional deformation of the posterior cruciate ligament.HypothesisDuring in vivo weightbearing flexion, the posterior cruciate ligament undergoes complex 3-dimensional deformations, including elongation, twist, and changes in orientation.Study DesignIn vivo biomechanical study.MethodsMagnetic resonance images of 5 human knees were used to create 3-dimensional computer models of each subject's knee, including the insertion areas of the posterior cruciate ligament. Orthogonal fluoroscopic images of each subject's knee were acquired as a quasi-static lunge was performed. The images and computer models were used to reproduce the in vivo motion of the knee. The relative motion of the femoral and tibial insertions was described in terms of elongation, twist, eleva...
Measurements of flamelet orientations in premixed flames with positive and negative Markstein numbers

Measurements of instantaneous flamelet surface orientation of preferential diffusion stable, ethylene/air and unstable, methane/air flames are presented for three different values of normalized turbulence intensity, u′/S L o , where S L o is the unstretched laminar flame speed. Instantaneous flamelet orientations were measured in three dimensions via crossed-plane imaging. Repeated measurements were used to estimate probability density functions (PDFs) of flamelet orientation. A one parameter fit of the PDF of flamelet orientations was applied that has been applied previously to data from V-flames and from spark ignition engine flames. The fits of the PDF were in good agreement with measurements. The fit parameter, Ξ, which describes the breadth of the distribution of flamelet orientations, was found to be systematically larger for stable flames than for unstable flames at similar values of u′/S L o . The degree of wrinkling of the flamelet isdescribed quantitatively by the flamelet surface density, Σ, averaged across the flame brush, and did not vary for stable and unstable flames, contrary to expectation. Ξ data from the current work are in good agreement with data from previous experiments. A c > constant contour image is presented to give an indication of the shape and width of the turbulent flame brush. Normals to c > constant surfaces, N c > , were measured for the first time in V-flames and were found to be colinear with the mean of the flamelet normals, N >.