cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolated vaginal cuff recurrence following therapy of endometrial adenocarcinoma

Abstract A group of 155 patients with Stage I and Stage II adenocarcinoma of the endometrium was treated with preoperative intrauterine, endocervical, and upper vaginal radiation, followed by total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy. Complications of the therapy were minimal. There were 3 recurrences involving the vagina (1.9 per cent) but none was an isolated vaginal cuff recurrence. On the basis of this experience, as well as that of others, the authors favor preoperative intracavitary radiation, designed to include the vaginal apex, in the therapy of endometrial carcinoma.
Dietary lutein inhibits DSS-induced colitis and associated colorectal carcinoma development in mice

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 3815 Background: Ulcerative colitis, characterized by chronic, relapsing, and remitting inflammation, is an established risk factor for colon cancer. High intake of dietary lutein has been consistently associated with a reduced risk for colon cancer in epidemiologic studies. However, it is unknown whether dietary lutein supplementation protects against colon carcinogenesis through the inhibition of colonic inflammation. Using an established dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and associated colonic carcinoma mouse model, we evaluated the effects of dietary lutein supplementation at various doses on the DSS-induced inflammation, ulceration, hyperplasia, dysplasia, and cancers in the colon and rectum. Methods: One hundred fifty female 8-week old Swiss-Webster mice (FER-Taconic) were assigned to one of ten groups (n = 15 in each group) for 18 weeks as follows: 1) 0.002% of lutein in the diet plus DSS; 2) 0.01% of lutein plus DSS; 3) 0.02% of lutein plus DSS; 4) 0.1% of lutein plus DSS; 5) DSS only; 6) 0.002% of lutein; 7) 0.01% of lutein; 8) 0.02% of lutein; 9) 0.1% of lutein; and 10) control without treatment. At week 4, the mice in groups 1-5 were provided with DSS for 4 cycles (1 cycle = 1 week 3% of DSS in drinking water followed by 2-week water) to initiate colitis and colorectal carcinoma. Results: Dietary lutein supplementation increased plasma and colonic lutein concentrations in mice in a dose-dependent fashion. Plasma and colonic lutein concentrations in the groups that were provided with both dietary lutein and DSS were slightly lower than the corresponding groups that were supplemented with dietary lutein only. All four doses of dietary lutein (0.002%, 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.1%) were found to reduce significantly the DSS-induced hemocult, loose stool, and severe colorectal hyperplasia. Dietary lutein at all four doses also decreased the DSS-induced severe colorectal inflammation and dysplasia, but only the doses of 0.002% and 0.01% were significant. In addition, all four doses of dietary lutein nonsignficantly lowered the DSS-induced colorectal cancer. Dietary lutein had no effect on the DSS-induced colorectal ulceration, except for the 0.1% of lutein group, which had significantly reduced numbers of ulceration as compared with the DSS only group. There were no detectable colorectal ulceration, inflammation, hyperplasia, dysplasia, and cancers in the groups administrated with dietary lutein only and the control (groups 6-10). Conclusions: These data suggest that dietary lutein may provide a beneficial effect against the DSS-induced colorectal inflammation and associated cancer development in mice.
Intelligent non-visual navigation of complex HTML structures

This paper provides an overview of a project aimed at using knowledge-based technology to improve accessibility of the Web for visually impaired users. The focus is on the multi-dimensional components of Web pages (tables and frames); our cognitive studies demonstrate that spatial information is essential in comprehending tabular data, and this aspect has been largely overlooked in the existing literature. Our approach addresses these issues by using explicit representations of the navigational semantics of the documents and using a domain-specific language to query the semantic representation and derive navigation strategies. Navigational knowledge is explicitly generated and associated to the tabular and multi-dimensional HTML structures of documents. This semantic representation provides to the blind user an abstract representation of the layout of the document; the user is then allowed to issue commands from the domain-specific language to access and traverse the document according to its abstract layout.
Digital Wills: Has the Time Come for Wills to Join the Digital Revolution?

We are certainly in an electronic age. Society has made a definite transition from the use of paper to an overwhelming reliance on electronic transactions. This development has not escaped notice by the estate planning community, especially in the matters of advanced directives. This article examines whether the time has come to bring wills into the digital age, particularly in light of the necessity to preserve the physical representation of the testator's desires. The article outlines the historical development of the writing requirement beginning with the ancients to modern day. The authors then address the policies supporting the writing requirement, the expansion of what may constitute a "writing," and the barriers which must be surmounted before electronic wills are viable. The article concludes with an analysis of the question posed, whether, upon examination of the history and policies of the writing requirement, as well as the challenges faced by electronic wills, now really is the time for digital wills.
Conceptualizing STEM Workforce Migration in the Modern World Polity

Focusing on highly-skilled labor populations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, we offer a conceptual schema and approach to capture the complex dimensions and dynamics of labor migration and mobility relative to processes of brain drain, brain gain, brain circulation, and brain waste in the world today. Combining insights from sociology and applied mathematics, we invoke a conception of the modern world polity that incorporates a predator-prey logic in a robust and flexible analytical framework that can be adapted as a tool for model development. Aimed at providing a better understanding of STEM workforce migration across and within different levels of analysis, the primary purpose of this approach is to enable policy analysts and decision-makers to simulate and explore various mechanisms and factors affecting the processes in question and to identify pivotal areas for further research.
Variable chlordane residues in soil surrounding house foundations in Louisiana.

Etude de la persistence et controle de la teneur en chlordane dans des echantillons de sol preleves autour de 30 maisons situees a la Nouvelle Orleans (Etats-Unis). Discussionde la variabilite des teneurs mesurees
Genetic Differentiation Among Matrilines in Social Groups of Rhesus Monkeys

In rhesus monkey populations, animals related by descent to some female comprise a matriline or genealogy. Data on blood protein polymorphisms in the Cayo Santiago rhesus colony indicate that allele frequency variations among matrilines in social groups are large. These variations occur despite high levels of outbreeding. Computer simulation analyses indicate that pedigree or linear effect account for much of the observed genetic differentiation among genealogies. A sampling with correlation model in which genealogy sizes and average kinship levels are parameters predicts among matriline genetic differentiation. This study indicates that substantial genetic substructure is present within rhesus social groups. Our analyses also predict that large variances in allele frequencies should be common among social or trait groups based on kinship relationships.
Ethical challenges of decision making with pregnant patients who have schizophrenia.

Abstract Objective: Because there is a dearth of literature, we developed an ethical framework to guide decision making about the management of pregnancy of patients with schizophrenia. Study Design: We review pertinent literature on schizophrenia and pregnancy, including information on maternal and fetal risks and outcomes, and relate this information to ethical concepts. Results: The ethical framework has five components: the concept of chronically and variably impaired autonomy, assisted decision making, surrogate decision making, strategies for dealing with the physician's feelings in response to these patients, and the concept of the fetus as a patient. We apply this ethical framework to clinical challenges of decision making during pregnancy with this patient population. Conclusions: The preventive ethics strategies of assisted and surrogate decision making can be used to prevent ethical conflicts in decision making about the management of pregnancy of patients with schizophrenia. These preventive ethics strategies should contribute significantly to reducing the vulnerability of these patients and therefore to enhancing their autonomy in the physician-patient relationship. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:696-702.)
Superconducting oxide formation in the YbBaCuO system

Abstract Conditions for forming YbBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 , Yb 2 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ and YbBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ were determined in oxygen at 1.0 atm pressure by experiments with oxidized YbBaCuAg alloys. YbBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ formed in less than 10 s when oxidized alloy ribbons were baked in the 805°C–890°C range. Large amounts of Ba 2 Cu 3 O 5 formed below 870°C. Yb 2 Ba 4 Cu 7 O 15−δ and YbBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 then formed in the 10 2 s–10 3 s range at temperatures in the 840°C–870°C and 2 Cu 3 O 5 decomposition supplied Cu 2+ and O 2− for the rapid transformation of YbBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ grains into Yb 2 Ba 4 Cu 7 O 15−δ grains by intercalation. Intercalation was much slower in the absence of Ba 2 Cu 3 O 5 . All of these transformation products underwent coarsening with increasing bake time. Rapid YbBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 and Yb 2 Ba 4 Cu 7 O 15−δ formation, compared to the slow formation of these phase types when Yb was substituted by Y, Is due to the differing effects of Y and Yb on formation kinetics. Superconducting oxide-silver composite ribbons containing mainly YbBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ , Yb 2 Ba 4 Cu 7 O 15−δ or YbBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 can be prepared from YbBa BaCuAg alloys.
Influence of staging celiotomy in localized presentations of Hodgkin's disease.

Staging celiotomy was performed in 139 previously untreated patients with lymphogram negative Stage I and I1 Hodgkin's disease. Sixteen additional patients received definitive radiotherapy for symptomatic relief of upper torso disease prior to abdominal exploration. The overall incidence of positive abdominal findings for these two groups was 34.5% and 31.2%, respectively. Further analysis of the 139 previously untreated cases revealed notable differences in incidence of positive abdominal findings for stage, presentation, and specific histology. Stage I patients with upper cervical or inguinal presentations o r a lymphocytic predominance classification had negative celiotomies, as contrasted with a 43% incidence of positive abdominal findings in patients with supraclavicular presentations. In Stage I1 disease, the incidence of positive findings was related to the status of the mediastinum. For mediastinal presentations, the incidence was 33.3%, as compared to 48% for nonmediastinal presentations. To date, the number of relapses in celiotomy Stage I and I1 patients has been low regardless of whether or not prophylactic irradiation was administered to the major lymph-node-bearing regions of the upper and lower torso. Of 9 patients with progression, extranodal spread occurred as the first evidence of new disease in 4 patients. The implication of this finding is considered in a discussion on the influence of staging celiotomy in the management of Stage I and II patients with Hodgkin's disease.
Patterns of deforestation and reforestation in different landscape types in central New York.

Abstract In landscapes of the eastern U.S.A., deforestation and reforestation are continuing processes. To better understand these processes, we documented the change in density and size of forest islands within individual landscape types of central New York. Thirty-one-30-km2 sample landscapes were subdivided into 1-ha cells, and the cells were classified according to five and uses — forest, other natural vegetation, agriculture, urban, and water. Sample periods were 1938, 1959, and 1978. Using a cluster analysis, sample landscapes were grouped according to seven landscape types - urban, sub-urban, agricultural-urban, agriculture, transitional-urban, transitional-agriculture, and forest. The intensity of landscape use determined the frequency of fragmentation, elimination, consolidation and emergence of forest islands. The suburban landscape type had the highest rates of fragmentation, elimination, and emergence. In contrast, the forest landscape type had the lowest rate for thos processes but had the highest rate of consolidation. By conducting such spatial and temporal analyses, regional managers can gain insight into how the individual attributes of landscapes might change through time under different management regimes.
Abstract 3099: Radiation-induced angiogenesis is associated with MMP-9-miR-494-Syndecan-1 regulatory loop in medulloblastoma cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is one of the most prominent proteins associated with tumorigenesis and is a modulator of the tumor microenvironment during angiogenesis. Recently, it has been speculated that Syndecan-1, a transmembrane heparan sulfate-bearing proteoglycan, has a critical role in contributing to angiogenesis when associated with MMP-9. However, the mechanism behind their synergistic regulation is not fully understood. In the current study, we report that ionizing radiation (IR)-induced MMP-9 enhances Syndecan-1 shedding and tube-inducing ability of medulloblastoma cells. Furthermore, tumor angiogenesis is associated with higher MMP-9-Syndecan-1 interactions on both the cell surface and extracellular medium. Our results also revealed the existence of a novel regulatory mechanism where MMP-9 drives the suppression of miR-494, thereby resulting in enhanced Syndecan-1 shedding and angiogenesis. By employing bioinformatics and functional luciferase experiments, we demonstrated that 3’-UTR of Syndecan-1 mRNA is a direct target of miR-494. Moreover, from the in situ hybridization analysis, we found that MMP-9-specific shRNA (pM) treatment of mouse intracranial tumors resulted in elevated expression of miR-494. This negative correlation between MMP-9 and miR-494 levels was found to be dependent on the methylation status of the miR-494 promoter-associated CpG island region (-186 to -20), which was confirmed by bisulfite-sequencing and methylation-specific-PCR (MSP) analysis. Overall, our results demonstrate a previously unrecognized mechanism of angiogenesis regulation in medulloblastoma through which miR-494 modulates the transcription of radiation-induced angiogenesis promoting molecules and that MMP-9-Syndecan-1 activity creates a negative feedback loop by regulating the expression of miR-494. Citation Format: Swapna Asuthkar, Kiran Kumar Velpula, Christopher Gondi, Arun Kumar Nalla, Venkateswara Rao Gogineni, Jasti S. Rao. Radiation-induced angiogenesis is associated with MMP-9-miR-494-Syndecan-1 regulatory loop in medulloblastoma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3099. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3099
A Current Look at the Rationale of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences

THE INSTITUTE of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was born 18 years ago. Now that the organization is of sufficient importance to command the attention of all physicians, it merits a look at its history. This brief article is restricted to the fully documented inception of the IOM; its development is for its present members to describe and appraise. Without doubt, many people have thought of the possibility of a National Academy of Medicine (NAM), either freestanding or as part of the NAS, comparable with the National Academy of Engineers. The representation of practicing or research physicians as members of the NAS was pitifully small and scarcely representative. To test the waters for the need for an NAM, especially in view of the explosive growth of government participation in both medical practice and research, an editorial entitled "Needed: National Academy of Medicine" was published in Modern
Fundamental considerations of power dissipation limits in some bistable transistor pulse circuits

The problem of determining the minimum power that has to be dissipated by a transistor flip-flop covering a set of given specifications is one of general interest. Among the various significant considerations which determine the power level are: output power requirements, stability, temperature variations, and required speed of operation. The following considerations deal mainly with the problems of speed limitations at various power dissipation levels. The investigated circuits employ silicon devices to insure good temperature stability and are based upon a design which offers good stability and a constant output voltage. The required increase in power level which is necessary for a desired increase in output voltage is also discussed.
Susceptibility of Macacus Rhesus Monkeys to Botulinum Toxin Type B, C and D.

Thus far no cases of botulism due to Cl. botulinum Type C have been reported and nothing definite concerning the susceptibility of man to this toxin is known. On the other hand since the great susceptibility of monkeys to Cl. parabotulinum Type A toxin is now established through the studies of Dack and Wood1 it appeared not unlikely that comparative tests on these animals with non-ovolytic and non-sarcolytic strains might permit of certain deductions concerning the liability of man to botulism poisoning by the ingestion of Type C and D toxins.Such tests became imperative since Bengtson2 considers the monkey very susceptible to the toxin of Cl. Botulinum Type C and the reports of Theiler and Robinson3 contain no information concerning the effect of Type D toxin on apes. A series of monkeys was therefore injected or fed by stomach tube with varying doses of different toxins.The tests confirm the early observations of van Ermengem4 and Romer and Stein5 that monkeys are very susceptible to Cl. botulinum Type ...
Mechanistic Insights into the Aerobic Copper(I)-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of S-Acyl Thiosalicylamide Thiol Esters and Boronic Acids

The density functional theory method is used to elucidate the nature of the active species and the mechanism of the aerobic CuI-catalyzed cross-coupling of S-acyl thiosalicylamide thiol esters and boronic acids reported previously (J. Am. Chem. Soc.2007, 129, 15734–15735; Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.2009, 48, 1417–1421). The energetically lowest isomer of the proposed active species [LC(O)R1]Cu-(O2)-Cu[LC(O)R1]2+, 2a (where L = thiolatosalicylamide), is found to be I1(OO,OO), with a μ-η2:η2-peroxo Cu2O2 core, while its isomers I2(OO,OO), with a bis(μ-O) Cu2O2 core, and I3(OO,OO), with a (μ-η1:η1) Cu2O2 core, lie only a few kcal/mol higher and are separated by 4–7 kcal/mol energy barriers. In all these isomers, the thiol ester is coordinated to the Cu centers via its two O ends. Isomers with (SO,OO) and (SO,SO) coordination modes of the thiol esters lie slightly higher and are separated with moderate energy barriers. We found the latter isomers to be vital for the reported CuI-templated cross-coupling of S-acyl ...
Role of glutamate and GABA in the pathophysiology of epilepsy

Epilepsy, a paroxysmal disorder characterized by abnormal neuronal discharges, is common in children. While the causes of epilepsy are many, the fundamental disorder is secondary to abnormal synchronous discharges of a network of neurons. Whether or not a seizure occurs in a child depends upon the balance between excitability and inhibition. Central nervous system neurotransmitters have significant effects on neuronal excitability and play a pivotal role in brain excitability. The most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, glutamate, has been implicated in both the initiation and propagation of seizures as well as brain damage that can occur following prolonged or repeated seizures. Gammaaminobutyric acid, the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter, usually suppresses seizure activity, although in absence seizure drugs that enhance GABA may exacerbate seizures. Experience with GABA indicates that certain neurotransmitters may have either anticonvulsant or proconvulsant effects depending on the neuronal networks involved. While other neurotransmitters also have effects on neuronal excitability, their function in epilepsy remains to be defined. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Age progressive volcanism in the Comores Archipelago, western Indian Ocean and implications for Somali plate tectonics

Abstract The Comores Islands together with the Tertiary volcanic province of northern Madagascar form a sublinear trend of alkali olivine basalt shield volcanoes across the northern entrance of the Mozambique Channel. Potassium-argon dating of shield-building lavas confirms an eastward increase in age of volcanism along the chain, consistent with a hotspot origin for the lineament. The velocity of the Somali plate over the mantle magma source is 50 mm/yr. We use the distribution of ages along the Comores-Madagascar chain in conjunction with existing age data for the Reunion-Mascarene Plateau hotspot track to model the absolute motion of the Somali plate for the last 10 m.y. We calculate the relative motion across the East African Rift by subtracting the Somali plate absolute motion from African plate absolute motion during this period. The model predicts 320 km of total separation across the East African Rift during the past 10 m.y. which is greater than has been estimated from surface geological evidence The geometry of older portions of the Comores and Reunion trends indicates that there was no significant relative motion between the African and Somali plates prior to about 10 m.y. ago.
Accounting for Company‐Owned Life Insurance

This paper examines the alternative methods of accounting for investments in company‐owned life insurance (COLI) and the resulting effects on reported net cash flow from operating activities (NCFO). Examples from annual financial reports suggest that these alternative methods potentially result in substantial differences in reported NCFO. Additionally, financial report disclosures do not make transparent the efects of these alternative methods on reported NCFO. This lack of transparency potentially impairs the reliability of investment decisions and the findings of empirical studies that take reported NCFO directly from financial reports without adjustment. Suggestions are offered to make annual financial reports more transparent with respect to COLI transactions.
Elevated first-trimester uric acid concentrations are associated with the development of gestational diabetes.

Objective We sought to demonstrate that elevated first-trimester uric acid is associated with development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Study Design Uric acid was measured in 1570 plasma samples collected at mean gestational age of 8.9 ± 2.5 weeks. The primary outcome was GDM, diagnosed by 3-hour glucose tolerance test using Carpenter and Coustan criteria or by a 1-hour value of ≥200 mg/dL. Logistic regression was performed, adjusting for relevant covariates. Results Almost half (46.6%) of the women with GDM had first-trimester uric acid concentrations in the highest quartile (>3.57-8.30 mg/dL). Women with uric acid in the highest quartile had a 3.25-fold increased risk (95% confidence interval, 1.35–7.83) of developing GDM after adjustment for body mass index and age. This effect was concentration dependent as risk increased with increasing uric acid quartiles ( P = .003). Conclusion First-trimester hyperuricemia is associated with an increased risk of developing GDM, independent of body mass index.
A dynamic binary instrumentation engine for the ARM architecture

Dynamic binary instrumentation (DBI) is a powerful technique for analyzing the runtime behavior of software. While numerous DBI frameworks have been developed for general-purpose architectures, work on DBI frameworks for embedded architectures has been fairly limited. In this paper, we describe the design, implementation, and applications of the ARM version of Pin, a dynamic instrumentation system from Intel. In particular, we highlight the design decisions that are geared toward the space and processing limitations of embedded systems. Pin for ARM is publicly available and is shipped with dozens of sample plug-in instrumentation tools. It has been downloaded over 500 times since its release.
Vocatio: The importance of exploring an ancient concept for community college students

This chapter describes the role of vocation in career exploration and first-year orientation courses.
Neoglycopeptides as inhibitors of oligosaccharyl transferase: insight into negotiating product inhibition.

Linear hexapeptides featuring the asparagine mimetics alanine-β-hydrazide, alanine-β-hydroxylamine, and 1,3-diaminobutanoic acid have been synthesized as oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) substrate mimetics and chemoselectively N-glycosylated to obtain the corresponding neoglycopeptides as OT product mimetics. The effect of glycosylation on the binding of these asparagine surrogates is in stark contrast with the effect of modification of native asparagine. In native N-linked glycosylation, product inhibition is minimal and glycopeptides show very low affinity for OT. In contrast, glycosylation of the substrate mimetics maintains or even improves affinity of the corresponding product mimetic for OT. Conformational considerations suggest that the flexibility of the N-glycosyl linkage in these neoglycopeptides allows them to be accommodated in the OT binding site while the native trans glycosyl amide linkage is rejected. These results provide insight into how OT minimizes product inhibition, thereby ensuring effective substrate turnover.
Technology gaps, economic growth and convergence across US states

This paper re-examines the empirical regularity of convergence in gross state product (GSP) per capita across US states. Patent data for the 48 continental United States and the District of Columbia, from the US Patent and Trademark Office, is used to account for innovation and technology differences across states. It is found that patents are an important variable in explaining state to state differences in growth. This implies technology gaps exist across states. Knowledge and technology appear to display some characteristics of private goods. Furthermore, the estimated time it takes for convergence to occur is reduced by 25% when differences in innovative activity are accounted for.
p53 protein expression and gene analysis in clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix

Abstract Objective: p53 is the most commonly mutated gene in human cancers. The objective of this study was to determine if clear cell adenocarcinomas (CCAs) of the vagina and cervix are associated with p53 gene mutations or alterations in p53 tumor-suppressor protein expression. Methods: Paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 21 women (median age 22 years) with clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina or cervix were studied. Fifteen women had a prior history of in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol. p53 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis with monoclonal antibody DO-7 (Dako Corp.) which recognizes both wild-type and mutant p53 proteins. For p53 gene analysis, genomic DNA from malignant tissue was isolated and exons 4–10 were amplified by PCR and subjected to mutation screening by single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Results: p53 protein was detected by IHC in tumors from 14 of 21 cases (67%). The observed p53 staining patterns were heterogeneous in both the proportion and intensity of tumor cells stained but were clearly overexpressed relative to the surrounding benign stroma. Metastatic tumors from 3 women with metastatic disease were also positive for p53 staining. SSCP analysis did not identify p53 mutations in any of the cases and strongly suggests that the tumors contained only wild-type p53 alleles. Conclusions: Recent studies have demonstrated that wild-type p53 may accumulate in response to DNA damage which normally leads to growth arrest or programmed cell death. Our observations are consistent with the hypothesis that p53 overexpression in CCAs of the vagina and cervix is a response to generalized DNA damage, rather than a result of p53 protein half-life prolongation resulting from mutational inactivation of p53. Overexpression of wild-type p53 protein in vaginal and cervical CCA may relate to the more favorable prognosis of this subset of tumors in comparison to other gynecologic tumors containing mutated p53 genes.
Assessment of cancer clusters using limited cohort data with spreadsheets : application to a leukemia cluster among rubber workers

This paper presents methods for initial investigation of occupational cancer clusters using limited data. Phase 1 of the methods developed uses basic data from the cluster of cases, but with cohort data limited to the size of the workforce at the plant. Phase 2 of the methods requires knowledge of the number of workers entering and leaving the workforce in each year. In the absence of data concerning age, the spreadsheet programs explore a variety of worker age distributions in synthetic cohort analyses. The methods were used to assess a cluster of six cases of leukemia with an average duration of work of 11 years in a tire manufacturing plant. It was concluded that the relative risk for the age range 30-50 was at least 7, providing further evidence for the association of leukemia with work in tire manufacture. The use of spreadsheet programs can provide a valuable first step assessment of apparent workplace cancer clusters.
Recombination in SV40-infected cells: Nucleotide sequences at viral-viral recombinant joints in naturally arising variants

Abstract Nucleotide sequence analysis of recombinant joints in variants of SV40 is one important means of gaining insight into the mechanisms of recombination in eucaryotic cells. Earlier studies ( M. W. Gutai and D. Nathans, 1978 , J. Mol. Biol. 126 , 275–288) of the viral-host recombinant joints in a cloned, host-substituted evolutionary variant of SV40 and the present studies of viral-viral recombinant joints in naturally arising variants of SV40 suggest that the same factors play a role in recombination between viral and host DNA molecules as between circular viral DNA molecules. Recombination is not limited to a single specific nucleotide sequence, does not require extensive homology, and may in some instances involve regions of patchy homology between recombining molecules as well as regions rich in A · T base pairs. In the case of viral-viral recombination, the comparison of parental viral recombining sequences reveals that an extraneous base of unknown source is sometimes inserted at the recombinant joint and one viral-viral joint has formed at a tetranucleotide occurring at the point of recombination in both recombining parents. The recombination events that generate additional viral origins of DNA replication do not appear to depend on regions of A · T richness or patchy homology in the recombining molecules.
The application of computers to generate organic syntheses

A major task of organic chemistry is the synthesis of compounds of interest (“targets”) from available starting compounds. We address here the generation by computer of the best synthesis routes, or sequences of reactions, to such compounds. The number of possible routes in the search space is enormous and so the reasoning is examined in some detail, leading to a protocol for the operation of our program, SYNGEN, which has been under development for some years. It requires a new representation of the data – molecular structures and their reactions – which is digital in format and quite unlike the usual graphical depictions of organic chemistry. This is presented as a problem in artificial intelligence, and every effort has been made to present it with a minimum background of organic chemistry required of the reader.
A cooperative fuzzy game theoretic approach to multiple objective design optimization

Abstract The utility and applicability of cooperative game theory in an engineering design process is examined. It is shown how game theory may be used as a tool for solving multiple objective optimization (MOO) problems. The concepts in cooperative game theory and fuzzy set theory are combined to yield a new optimization method referred to herein as cooperative fuzzy games. The concept of cooperative fuzzy games can be applied to solve not only well- and ill-structured single and MOO problems, but also preliminary decision making and design problems where only a feasible solution is sought and no objective functions are specified. A completely general formulation capable of solving decision making problems with partly crisp and partly fuzzy objective functions, as well as partly crisp and partly fuzzy constraints is presented. It is shown that existing techniques for solving crisp and fuzzy mathematical programming problems are special cases of this general formulation. The computational procedure is illustrated via an application to a MOO problem dealing with the design of high speed mechanisms.
Regulation of sodium chloride intake by normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Abstract Physiologic regulation of sodium intake has been observed in rats. The level of regulation of sodium intake by hypertensive rats is below that of controls if the salt load is in the food and choice is allowed between water and 0.15 M. NaCl solution to drink. Under these conditions fluid sodium intake is not influenced by the sodium content of the diet. This suggests that the rats are able to detect only the sodium in solution.
The “American Century” Implemented: Stettinius and the Liberian Flag of Convenience

Students of the efforts of western maritime nations to improve conditions aboard their merchant ships, and to tighten regulations in general, are aware that one result was the emergence of the “flag of convenience,” whereunder a nation exploits the need of operators for a haven from high standards. One such nation was Panama, but by the end of World War II its officials had come to demand such private tribute that a new flag of convenience was needed. Providing such a registry under the flag of Liberia became a major service of the development company formed by former U. S. Secretary of State Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., in the late 1940s.
Collaborative Filtering Using a Regression-Based Approach

The task of collaborative filtering is to predict the preferences of an active user for unseen items given preferences of other users. These preferences are typically expressed as numerical ratings. In this paper, we propose a novel regression-based approach that first learns a number of experts describing relationships in ratings between pairs of items. Based on ratings provided by an active user for some of the items, the experts are combined by using statistical methods to predict the user’s preferences for the remaining items. The approach was designed to efficiently address the problem of data sparsity and prediction latency that characterise collaborative filtering. Extensive experiments on Eachmovie and Jester benchmark collaborative filtering data show that the proposed regression-based approach achieves improved accuracy and is orders of magnitude faster than the popular neighbour-based alternative. The difference in accuracy was more evident when the number of ratings provided by an active user was small, as is common for real-life recommendation systems. Additional benefits were observed in predicting items with large rating variability. To provide a more detailed characterisation of the proposed algorithm, additional experiments were performed on synthetic data with second-order statistics similar to that of the Eachmovie data. Strong experimental evidence was obtained that the proposed approach can be applied to data over a large range of sparsity scenarios and is superior to non-personalised predictors even when ratings data are very sparse.
Numerical modelling of geodesic acoustic mode relaxation in a tokamak edge

Geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) are an important phenomenon in a tokamak edge plasma. They regulate turbulence in a low confinement (L-mode) regime and can play an important role in the low to high (L–H) mode transition. It is therefore of considerable importance to develop a detailed theoretical understanding of their dynamics and relaxation processes. The present work reports on the numerical modelling of collisionless GAM relaxation, including the effects of a strong radial electric field characteristic of a tokamak pedestal in a high confinement (H-mode) regime. The simulations demonstrate that the presence of a strong radial electric field enhances the GAM decay rate, and heuristic arguments elucidating this finding are provided. The numerical modelling is performed by making use of the continuum gyrokinetic code COGENT.
Accessory optic projections upon oculomotor nuclei and vestibulocerebellum

Displaced retinal ganglion cells in birds are the sole source of the retinal projection onto the nucleus of the basal optic root, the main component of the accessory optic system. This nucleus has direct bilateral axonal projections onto the oculomotor nuclear complex, the trochlear nucleus- and folia IXc,d and paraflocculus of the vestibulocerebellum. The cerebellar projection terminates within a superficial band of the granule cell layer adjacent to the Purkinje cell layer as a mossy fiber system. This bisynaptic projection onto oculomotor neurons and the cerebellum may play a functionally distinct and specific role in oculomotor reflexes.
Lower Urinary Tract Reconstruction for Duplicated Renal Units With Ureterocele. Is Excision of the Ureterocele With Reconstruction of the Bladder Base Necessary

ABSTRACTPurpose: Current practice in reconstruction of the lower urinary tract for duplicated renal systems with an associated ureterocele is excision of the ureterocele with reconstruction of the bladder and a common sheath ureteroneocystostomy. For a nonfunctioning upper pole treatment is partial nephroureterectomy. We postulate that lower urinary tract reconstruction can be performed successfully through an extravesical approach without excision of the ureterocele or reconstruction of the bladder base. We present our experience with that approach.Materials and Methods: Between 1996 and 2001, 60 patients presented with the diagnosis of ureterocele and obstruction of the upper pole ureter. Partial nephrectomy was performed in 12 cases of which 4 had reflux to the lower pole moiety. Upper pole only dismembered ureteroneocystostomy was performed in 7 of 15 cases reconstructed using the extravesical approach.Results: Average postoperative stay was 3.7 days. The Foley catheter was removed within 24 to 48 hou...
Soil microbial responses to winter legume cover crop management during organic transition

Legume cover cropping has been widely used as an efficient strategy to improve soil fertility. Although this management practice is important to resolve N deficiency for the transition from conventional to organic production systems, optimization is necessary to determine legume cover crop species and termination methods. This study used soil microbial properties and processes to evaluate the suitability of several legume cover crops and termination methods for organic transition in southeastern USA. Soil samples were taken from two newly-established study sites, each containing 12 treatments of three termination methods (disk, flail, and spray) and four cover types (no cover crop, Austrian winter pea, hairy vetch, and crimson clover). Compared to disking and spraying, flail mowing significantly increased soil microbial biomass C by ∼17%, C mineralization by ∼25%, N mineralization by ∼16%, and nitrification potential by ∼36%, 12 weeks after cover crop termination. However, cover cropping only stimulated nitrification potential, but not C and N mineralization. Furthermore, the activities of soil enzymes (exoglucanase, β-glucosidase, and β-glucosaminidase) appeared to be more responsive to cover types than to termination methods. Among three cover crops, Austrian winter pea showed the greatest positive effects on nitrification potential, β-glucosidase, and β-glucosaminidase. The ratio of C mineralization to microbial biomass C also differed with cover types, being lowest in Austrian winter pea. Our results indicated that legume species even with small differences in C-to-N ratio and lignin and cellulose contents could have varied effects on soil microbial properties and processes. Nitrification potential, representing the function of a small group of soil microbial community, was proved to be sensitive to both legume species and termination methods.
PRETREATMENT WITH PARACETAMOL INHIBITS METABOLISM OF ENFLURANE IN RATS

We studied the interaction between paracetamol (acetaminophen U.S.P.) and enflurane. Sixteen rats were assigned to four groups (n=4) to receive: paracetamol 7.5 mg/100 g body weight; paracetamol plus 1% enflurane; 1% enflurane alone, or no treatment (controls). Animals were killed 6 h later. A second series of 16 were treated identically, but were killed after 24 h. Measurements were made of fluoride concentrations in serum, liver and urine (indicators of biotransformation of enflurane), paracetamol concentrations in urine, pathological changes in liver samples, and concentrations of the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum. Pretreatment with paracetamol significantly decreased urinary fluoride at 6 and 24 h after exposure to enflurane, but decreased fluoride concentrations in serum and liver only at 6 h after exposure to enflurane. Paracetamol concentrations in urine did not change after exposure to enflurane. Exposure to paracetamol alone increased AST and ALT. At 24 h after exposure to enflurane, serum concentrations of enzymes in rats pretreated with paracetamol were similar to those of control rats. Pretreatment with paracetamol may therefore inhibit metabolism of enflurane. Although no hepatic damage was observed, the increased in AST and AL T suggested subclinical liver damage in rats given only paracetamol.
Evaluation of Bear Rub Surveys to Monitor Grizzly Bear Population Trends

Wildlife managers need reliable estimates of population size, trend, and distribution to make informed decisions about how to recover at-risk populations, yet obtaining these estimates is costly and often imprecise. The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population in northwestern Montana, USA, has been managed for recovery since being listed under the United States Endangered Species Act in 1975, yet no rigorous data were available to evaluate the program's success. We used encounter data from 379 grizzly bears identified through bear rub surveys to parameterize a series of Pradel model simulations in Program MARK to assess the ability of noninvasive genetic sampling to estimate population growth rates. We evaluated model performance in terms of 1) power to detect gender-specific and population-wide declines in population abundance, 2) precision and relative bias of growth rate estimates, and 3) sampling effort required to achieve 80% power to detect a decline within 10 years. Simulations indicated that ecosystem-wide, annual bear rub surveys would exceed 80% power to detect a 3% annual decline within 6 years. Robust-design models with 2 simulated surveys per year provided precise and unbiased annual estimates of trend, abundance, and apparent survival. Designs incorporating one survey per year require less sampling effort but only yield trend and apparent survival estimates. Our results suggest that systematic, annual bear rub surveys may provide a viable complement or alternative to telemetry- based methods for monitoring trends in grizzly bear populations.
Development of an assay to simultaneously measure orotic acid, amino acids, and acylcarnitines in dried blood spots

Abstract Background Orotic aciduria in the presence of hyperammonemia is a key indicator for a defect in the urea cycle, specifically ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency. Current newborn screening (NBS) protocols can detect several defects of the urea cycle, but screening for OTC deficiency remains a challenge due to the lack of a suitable assay. The purpose of this study was to develop a high-throughput assay to measure orotic acid in dried blood spot (DBS) specimens as an indicator for urea cycle dysfunction, which can be readily incorporated into routine NBS. Methods Orotic acid was extracted from DBS punches and analyzed using flow-injection analysis tandem mass spectrometry (FIA–MS/MS) with negative-mode ionization, requiring Results We describe 2 assays which can quantify orotic acid in DBS: a stand-alone method and a combined method for analysis of orotic acid, amino acids, and acylcarnitines. Both methods demonstrated orotic acid recovery of 75–85% at multiple levels of enrichment. Precision was also comparable to traditional FIA–MS/MS methods. Analysis of residual presumptively normal NBS specimens demonstrated a 5:1 signal to noise ratio and the average concentration of orotic acid was approximately 1.2 μmol/l. The concentration of amino acids and acylcarnitines as measured by the combined method showed no significant differences when compared to the conventional newborn screening assay. In addition, retrospective analysis of confirmed patients and presumptively normal newborn screening specimens suggests potential for the methods to identify patients with OTC deficiency, as well as other urea cycle defects. Conclusion The assays described here quantify orotic acid in DBS using a simple extraction and FIA–MS/MS analysis procedures that can be implemented into current NBS protocols.
Toxic metal contamination in the lateral lakes of the Coeur d'Alene River Valley, Idaho

The 11 lateral lakes of Coeur d'Alene River valley in northern Idaho have received heavy metal contamination from over a century of upstream mining. The lateral lakes lie within the flood plain of the Coeur d'Alene River, and in their bottom sediments is preserved a stratigraphic record of the upstream mining operations. To characterize the contaminated sediments in the lateral lakes, sampling techniques, including the Livingston piston corer and the Huttenen freeze box, have been developed by Quaternary geologists to preserve the vertical stratigraphy in the samples. From 26 cm to over 55 cm of undisturbed tailing sediments, commonly with “varve-like” features, have been found in each of the lateral lakes, with maximum concentrations by weight of lead at 3.8%, zinc at 3.4%, arsenic at 340 mg/kg, cadmium at 120 mg/kg and mercury at 7 mg/kg. The contamination in the lakes appears to be restricted to the shallow subsurface and heavy metal concentrations generally drop to background levels within a meter of depth.
BLOWUP OF SOLUTIONS OF THE UNSTEADY PRANDTL'S EQUATION

We prove that for certain class of compactly supported C˜ initial data, smooth solutions of the unsteady Prandtl's equation blow up in nite time