cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors: Differential Diagnosis

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is a rare malignancy of the ­central nervous system. It occurs most often in the posterior cranial fossa of children younger than 2 years old. The microscopic appearance of AT/RT is quite variable. Though rhabdoid cells are characteristic of AT/RT, they are often dominated by other cell populations. Owing to its varying morphologies, many entities should be considered in the differential diagnosis of AT/RT. These tumors include medulloblastoma, choroid plexus carcinoma, glioblastoma, and germ cell tumors. Deletions or mutations on the long arm of chromosome 22 resulting in decreased expression of INI1 are seen in nearly all cases of AT/RT. The recent introduction of an immunohistochemical stain for INI1 has greatly aided pathologists in distinguishing AT/RT from other morphological mimics.
Autonomous Localization, Navigation and Haustral Fold Detection for Robotic Endoscopy

Capsule endoscopes have gained popularity over the last decade as minimally invasive devices for diagnosing gastrointestinal abnormalities such as colorectal cancer. While this technology offers a less invasive and more convenient alternative to traditional scopes, these capsules are only able to provide observational capabilities due to their passive nature. With the addition of a reliable mobility system and a real-time navigation system, capsule endoscopes could transform from observational devices into active surgical tools, offering biopsy and therapeutic capabilities and even autonomous navigation in a single minimally invasive device. In this work, a vision system is developed to allow for autonomous lumen center tracking and haustral fold identification and tracking during colonoscopy. This system is tested for its ability to accurately identify and track multiple haustral folds across many frames in both simulated and in vivo video, and the lumen center tracking is tested onboard a robotic endoscope platform (REP) within an active simulator to demonstrate autonomous navigation. In addition, real-time localization is demonstrated using open source ORB-SLAM2. The vision system successfully identified 95.6% of Haustral folds in simulator frames and 70.6% in in vivo frames and false positives occurred in less than 1% of frames. The center tracking algorithm showed in vivo center estimates within a mean error of 6.6% of physician estimates and allowed for the REP to traverse 2 m of the active simulator in 6 minutes without intervention.
A Commentary on “The Call Center Agent’s Performance Paradox: A Mixed-Methods Study of Discourse Strategies and Paradox Resolution”

This commentary examines the contributions and findings of “The Call Center Agent’s Performance Paradox: A Mixed-Methods Study of Discourse Strategies and Paradox Resolution.” It also explores how ...
Resisting Invisibility through Creative Expressions: Immigrant Students and Families’ Voices and Actions

This study examines a grassroots effort to work collaboratively with a group of immigrant students, their families, and educators at an urban high school. Using PAR as a methodological tool, we explore how a group of high school students along with their families resist racial stigmatization and marginalization. These young people and families were part of a university intergenerational collective, Family School Partnership (FSP) that worked along-side teachers in an urban high school located in Salt Lake City, Utah. This article focuses on how PAR can be a pedagogical tool to support immigrant young people and their families as they resist oppressions in schools while offering teachers, pre-service teachers and graduate students unique preparation experiences for working with and learning from immigrant students.
The complexities of dating island and coastal settlements

Establishing absolute chronology for archaeological sites has become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, but perhaps more so for island and coastal archaeologists due to numerous issues wit...
Gender, Sex Hormones, and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling of the distal pulmonary vasculature, ultimately leading to destruction and loss of the ...
Strengths and limitations of Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae for managing Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) adults and grubs with caveats for cross‐order activity to monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) larvae

BACKGROUND: Target‐selective biopesticides are needed to facilitate integrated pest and pollinator management in urban landscapes and gardens. Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae, strain SDS‐502 (Btg), recently registered in the USA and Canada, produces Cry8Da protein active against scarab beetles. We evaluated Btg formulations for managing the Japanese beetle [Popillia japonica Newman (JB)], a polyphagous invasive pest, including residual spray effectiveness for reducing adult feeding on Rosa and Tilia spp., and granular formulations for early‐ or late‐curative control of root‐feeding grubs in turfgrass. We also tested for cross‐order activity to monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) larvae and other non‐target insects. RESULTS: Field‐weathered Btg residues reduced JB feeding on foliage for 3–14 days. Most beetles were still flight‐capable after 24 h confinement with Btg‐treated leaves. Granular Btg failed to control early‐ or late‐instar JB grubs in soils under several turfgrass species at multiple field sites. In three trials, feeding on Btg‐sprayed milkweed resulted in 97–100% mortality of early instar monarchs, with symptoms of B. thuringiensis pathogenesis. Fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)) fed Btg‐treated grass had reduced body mass, but there were no adverse effects on lady beetle larvae preying on Btg‐sprayed aphids or on the aphids themselves. CONCLUSION: This study supports efficacy of Btg strain SDS‐502 for reducing defoliation by adult JB in urban landscape settings. Granular formulations, however, failed to control JB grubs in turfgrass soils. Btg should not be used in gardens with larval host plants of the monarch butterfly or other non‐pest Lepidoptera, especially species of conservation concern. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Semantic N-Gram Feature Analysis and Machine Learning–Based Classification of Drivers’ Hazardous Actions at Signal-Controlled Intersections

AbstractIn the United States, it is common for crash reports to include a narrative that contains a police officer’s written summary of the crash. The crash narratives provide valuable information ...
Strongylocentrotus franciscanus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

Abstract Studies of red, Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, and purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, have yielded remarkable new discoveries that have advanced sea urchin ecology and biology in multiple fields. Sea urchins are model organisms for the study of developmental biology, as well as ocean warming, ocean acidification and climate change. Research results reveal that larval sea urchins in the plankton can reproduce asexually, change their larval morphology to enhance feeding, recover from months of starvation and disperse over the long distances, connecting populations of benthic adults. Adults living within interconnected metapopulations can utilize dissolved organics when algae are scarce, create rock pits and live for more than 100 years. Sea urchins are best known for their grazing impacts on algal communities. Overgrazing by sea urchins can reduce kelp forests to 'barrens' dominated by coralline algae, but more frequently they coexist in mosaics of algal and invertebrate patches. The spines of red sea urchins form a canopy that shelters juveniles and a suite of species, which, in conjunction with modulating algal resources, makes them ecosystem engineers. Recruitment is highly variable in space and time yet the drivers of recruitment success are poorly understood. Red sea urchins are the basis for important fisheries that lend themselves to spatial management strategies such as Marine Protected Areas. Sea urchins play such an important role in kelp forest communities that the successful management of the community and its ecosystem services will require an integrated ecosystem based approach incorporating what we know about sea urchin ecology.
E-238 Relative angle of deflection correlates with aneurysmal rupture status in posterior communicating artery aneurysms

Background The ability to prognosticate rupture for cerebral aneurysms is paramount to prevent the risks inherent to open clipping or endovascular coiling. The goal of this study was to create a mathematical model to predict the probability of rupture incorporating the salient biomorphometric characteristics of the aneurysm. Methods Posterior communicating artery aneurysms confirmed by computed tomography angiography were subjected to three-dimensional reconstruction to ascertain the following biomorphometric parameters: height, width, neck size, aspect ratio, bottle neck factor, aneurysm angle, deflection angle, neck angle, and proximal internal carotid artery- distal internal carotid artery angle. Significant factors related to rupture were determined and a forward stepwise binary logistic regression was performed to establish the log-odds of rupture. Results A total of 101 aneurysms (80 ruptured and 21 unruptured) were included. Of the six statistically significant biomorphometric parameters measured, aneurysm deflection angle and aspect ratio both were considerably larger (p=0.001) in ruptured cases compared to unruptured ones. Binary logistic regression applied to the dataset demonstrated a 96% sensitivity and 89% overall accuracy. Conclusions This updated binary logistic regression model was able to identify aneurysm rupture more robustly when compared to previous models. Future studies combining patient specific characteristics, along with previously determined biomorphometric parameters may further enhance this model. Disclosures N. Damodara: None. K. Thomas: None. J. Quinn: None. C. Gandhi: None. C. Prestigiacomo: None.
Beyond the Critique of Judgment: Arendt and German Idealism

This chapter is concerned with the relationship between Arendt and German Idealism. Consistently, Arendt was highly critical of thinkers, such as Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel, throughout her writings. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Arendt positioned herself against German Idealism. In this chapter, I situate Arendt’s relationship to German Idealism by way of Kant’s Critique of Judgment. Like the German idealists, Arendt was profoundly influenced by the final installment of Kant’s critical project. Also like the German idealists, Arendt attempted to go beyond its limits. Despite the fact that Arendt took Kant’s third Critique in a radically different direction, she belongs with the German idealists in her indebtedness to Kant’s Critique of Judgment. My discussion of the relationship between Arendt and German Idealism is broken into three parts. First, I discuss the reasons for Arendt’s critical orientation towards the German idealists and the major aspects of their philosophy. Second, I discuss the reasons why Arendt returned to the Critique of Judgment and read it as a political text. Third, I discuss major aspects of Arendt’s use of the Critique of Judgment.
A Vapor Phase Trinitrotoluene Threshold Detector Enabled by Nonlinear Feedback

The standoff detection of energetic materials is a critical challenge in national security and defense. The detection of solid energetic materials is particularly challenging, as these materials have extremely low vapor pressures at room temperature. Accordingly, the species have very low vapor phase concentrations. This letter presents a bifurcation-based resonant mass sensor architecture, a functionalization method, and sensor testing results demonstrating a low-cost, tunable sensitivity trinitrotoluene trace vapor detector. This detector leverages TIPS-Pentacene as a selective functional layer on a bulk-acoustic wave sensor and exhibits an estimated limit of detection below 480 ppb in N $_2$ .
Prison Health Care: Is Contracting Out Healthy?

U.S. Prison health care has recently been in the news and in the courts. A particular issue is whether prisons should contract out for health care. Contracting out has been growing over the past few decadest. The stated motivation for this change ranges from a desire to improve the prison health care system, sometimes in response to a mandate by federal and state courts to a desire to reduce costs. This study is a first attempt to quantify the impact of this change on inmate health. A morbidity measures are not readily obtainable, we focus on mortality. More specifically, we use a panel of state prisons from 1979-1990 and a fixed effects Poisson model to estimate the change in mortality associated with increases in the percentage of medical personnel employed under contract rather than as prison employees. In contrast to the first stated aim of contracting, we find that a 20 percent increase in percentage of medical personnel employed under contract increases mortality by 2 percent.
Interleukin-6 Trajectory and Secondary Infections in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Treated With Interleukin-6 Receptor Blocker

To describe the infectious complications and interleukin-6 trajectories in mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting ICUs at Washington University-Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. Participants All consecutive patients admitted to the medical ICU and requiring mechanical ventilation from March 12, 2020, to April 21, 2020, were included. Interventions Tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 receptor blocker, was prescribed at the discretion of the treating physicians to patients with a clinical picture compatible with cytokine release syndrome. Measurements All the patients were followed to death or hospital discharge. Demographic and laboratory data were collected retrospectively from the electronic medical record. Interleukin-6 levels were measured at days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21. Infections were divided into culture positive and culture negative (clinically suspected and treated). The main outcomes were infectious complications and interleukin-6 levels at different points in time. Results Forty-three patients with respiratory failure secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 were on mechanical ventilation during the study period. Twenty-seven (68%) were male, and 31 (72.1%) were African-American. Median Charlson score was 2 (interquartile range, 0-4). Median Pao2/Fio2 was 171.5 (122-221) on the day of mechanical ventilation initiation, and 13 patients (30.2%) required vasopressors. C-reactive protein was 142.7 (97.7-213.7), d-dimer 1,621 (559-13,434), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II 11 (9-15). Interleukin-6 levels at admission were 61 pg/mL (interquartile range, 28.6-439 pg/mL). Patients treated with tocilizumab had higher levels of interleukin-6 at each measurement (days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21) compared with patients receiving standard of care. Both groups reached peak interleukin-6 levels at day 7. Administration of tocilizumab was associated with a trend toward increased risk of infection. Conclusions Interleukin-6 levels peak at day 7 in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation and follows a similar trajectory in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation irrespective of treatment with interleukin-6R blockers. Interleukin-6 levels continued to rise in nonsurvivors, in comparison with survivors, where the rise in interleukin-6 levels was followed by a decline.
Architecture, Classification, and Applications of Contemporary Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have been gaining significant attention in recent times as they are becoming increasingly accessible and easier to use. This article serves as an introduction to UAV systems’ architecture, classification, and applications to help researchers and practitioners starting in this field get adequate information to understand the current state of UAV technologies. The article starts by inspecting the UAVs’ body configuration styles and explains the physical components and sensors that are necessary to operate and fly a UAV system. The article also provides a comparison of several components for state-of-the-art UAVs. The article further discusses different propulsion methods and various payloads that could be mounted on the UAV. The article then explores the classification of UAVs followed by the application of UAVs in different domains, such as recreational, commercial, and military. Finally, the article provides a discussion of futuristic technologies and applications of UAVs along with their associated challenges.
Collaborating with Competitors: How Do Small Firm Accounting Associations and Networks Successfully Manage Coopetitive Tensions?

The “coopetition” paradox exists when two or more organizations are simultaneously involved in cooperative and competitive interactions. In the accounting industry, small firms encounter coopetition when they align themselves with other independent firms to form accounting associations and networks (“AANs”). AANs are a type of interorganizational relationship (“IOR”) that provide opportunities for member firms to collaborate by sharing important resources such as expertise, best practices, and manpower. However, member firms also compete in the marketplace for clients and human capital, which incentivizes uncooperative and opportunistic behavior. If managed inadequately, coopetitive tensions can significantly hamper AAN benefits and may lead to IOR failure. Given the considerable longevity of AANs, we interview 42 high-level accounting professionals to understand AANs’ apparent successful management of these tensions. Leveraging coopetition and IOR theory, our analysis suggests that transactional mechanisms (contractual agreements, organizational structure, selection/monitoring processes) and relational mechanisms (trust, social ties, reciprocity) play key roles in encouraging healthy cooperation and competition among member firms. One of our main conclusions is that these mechanisms contribute to AAN success because they are leveraged comprehensively across each IOR life cycle phase, and they are mutually reinforcing with transactional mechanisms providing the foundation to inspire confidence and encourage the development of relational mechanisms. Our research enriches existing accounting and coopetition literature, provides a new perspective for AANs, and responds to calls to understand key factors of IOR success.
A Novel Pathway for Bacterial Ethanolamine Metabolism

Ethanolamine, a major component of the cell membranes of bacteria and animals in the form of phosphatidylethanolamine, can be a source of carbon and/or nitrogen for many bacterial species. The cano...
Polycrystal Orientation Effects on Microslip and Mixed-Mode Behavior of Microstructurally Small Cracks

There are two sources of mode mixity--on a macro level (combined loading situation), and on the micro level--that affect the propagation of small crystallographic cracks. This work explores mode mixity on the micro level by utilizing a computational model to simulate microstructural influences on driving forces for the formation and growth of small cracks. Two-dimensional computational cyclic crystal plasticity calculations are conducted to study the distribution of cyclic slip and critical plane-type fatigue parameters in a material with nominal stress-strain characteristics of 4340 steel. Cases of applied cyclic tension-compression and cyclic shear are analyzed at strain amplitudes below macroscopic yielding. Emphasis is placed on stress state and amplitude dependence of the distribution of these parameters among grains. The role of anisotropic plasticity is isolated by assuming the elastic behavior of grains to obey homogeneous, isotropic linear elasticity. All grains are of equal dimension and are assigned a random orientation distribution. It is found that the distribution of the Fatemi-Socie critical plane fatigue parameter among grains is Weibull-distributed, and it is argued that it forms an improved linkage to cyclic crack tip displacement for microstructurally small cracks. The authors also present computed crack tip opening and sliding displacements as a functionmore » of maximum applied tensile strain (from well below to just above nominal yielding) for small cracks within surface grains surrounded by a nearly random orientation distribution of grains. Multiple realizations of the local microstructure are examined for each crack length for sub-grain size cracks, with results normalized to the ratio of crack length to grain size. Key results include a very strong role of the free surface on crack tip displacement, with opening displacement being much greater than the sliding for suitably small crystallographic cracks in the surface grains. There is also a strong effect of the orientation of the next grain ahead of the crack on local mode mixity of the crack tip displacements, which plays an increasingly influential role as the crack tip approaches the first grain boundary.« less
Energy Security and the Social Use of Energy

When energy and natural resources are becoming scarce on the global scale, attention should be focused on how energy is being used to meet a variety of social needs and priorities - not just the political priority of growth. New energy accounting is needed to distinguish the energy used for operation, maintenance, and development of capital goods and infrastructure from that used to pursue economic growth. This would serve both developed and developing economies to make informed decisions on their own socioeconomic priorities under the constraints of growing resource scarcity and divergent demographic trends. Without such informed policy making, Western societies will be hardly able to respond to national security requirements, and to contribute to the international quest for peace and security.
Structure and Biochemistry of the Sertoli Cell

Publisher Summary The close morphological relationship between Sertoli cells and the developing germ cells offers the Sertoli cell a unique position within the testis; however, to understand the role of the Sertoli cell in spermatogenesis a clear understanding of Sertoli cell morphology is important. This chapter provides an overview of some of the aspects of the Sertoli cell: its structural and biochemical components and the hormonal regulation of the Sertoli cell by Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone. The Sertoli cell can mediate the biological actions of both FSH and testosterone and those cellular products synthesized in the Sertoli cell under the control of FSH and testosterone can act on germ cells to influence their development. A number of proteins, which are synthesized by the Sertoli cell have been identified; however, the roles these proteins play in spermatogenesis, if any, remains to be determined. Further studies should aid in dissecting out the many complicating factors involved in spermatogenesis and the role Sertoli cells play in this process.
Calving system and weaning age effects on cow and preweaning calf performance in the Northern Great Plains

A 3-yr study evaluated late winter (Feb), early spring (Apr), and late spring (Jun) calving systems in conjunction with varied weaning strategies on beef cow and calf performance from Northern Great Plains rangelands. Crossbred cows were randomly assigned to one of three calving systems (on average n= 168.calving system(-1).yr(-1)) and one of two weaning times (Wean 1, 2) within each calving system. The Feb and Apr calves were weaned at 190 and 240 d of age, whereas Jun calves were weaned at 140 and 190 d of age. Breeding by natural service occurred in a 32-d period that included estrous synchronization. Cows were managed throughout the year as appropriate for their calving season. Quantity and quality of hay and supplements were provided based on forage and weather conditions, physiological state of the cows, and available harvested feed resources within a year. After weaning, two-thirds of the early weaned steers were fed in confinement in Montana, and one-third were shipped to Oklahoma and were grazed or fed forage. One-half of the early weaned heifers grazed seeded pastures, and the other half was fed in confinement. Early weaned calves were weighed on approximately the same day as late-weaned calves. Birth weight and overall rate of gain from birth to weaning did not differ for calves from the three calving systems. Calf weaning weight differed by weaning age within calving system (P = 0.001), and calves from the Jun calving system that were weaned at 190 d of age tended (P = 0.06) to be lighter than calves of the same age from the Feb or Apr calving systems. Cow BW change and BCS dynamics were affected by calving system, but the proportion of cows pregnant in the fall was not. Cows suckled until later dates gained less or lost more BW during the 50 d between the first and second weaning than dry cows during this period. The previous year's weaning assignment did not affect production in the following year. Estimated harvested feed inputs were less for the Jun cows than for the Feb and Apr cows. We conclude that season of calving and weaning age affect outputs from rangeland-based beef cattle operations.
Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block in the dog: an anatomical evaluation.

Abstract Objective To describe the ultrasound-guided technique to the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in the dog and evaluate the spread of a local anesthetic/methylene blue solution. Study design Prospective experimental trial. Animals Ten adult Beagle cadavers weighing 11.1 ± 1.1 kg (mean ± SD). Methods Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks were performed bilaterally by a single trained individual on unpreserved cadaver dogs using 10 mL of methylene blue/bupivacaine solution per site. Dissection of the abdominal wall was performed within 15–55 minutes of block to determine distribution of injectate and nerve involvement in the transversus abdominis fascial plane. Results The transversus abdominis fascial plane was adequately visualized via ultrasound and injected in twenty hemi-abdominal walls. Segmental branches of T11, T12, T13, L1, L2, and L3 were adequately stained in 20%, 60%, 100%, 100%, 90%, and 30% of injections, respectively. Conclusions and clinical relevance This anatomical study suggests that the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block would provide adequate regional anesthesia of the abdomen, potentially extending to the cranial and caudal limits of the abdomen. This supports the clinical potential of this block in veterinary medicine.
USING 21 cm ABSORPTION IN SMALL IMPACT PARAMETER GALAXY-QUASAR PAIRS TO PROBE LOW-REDSHIFT DAMPED AND SUB-DAMPED Lyα SYSTEMS*

To search for low-redshift damped Lyα (DLA) and sub-DLA quasar absorbers, we have conducted a 21 cm absorption survey of radio-loud quasars at small impact parameters to foreground galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Here we present the first results from this survey based on observations of SDSS J104257.58+074850.5 (z QSO = 2.66521), a quasar at an angular separation from a foreground galaxy (z gal = 0.03321) of 25 (1.7 kpc in projection). The foreground galaxy is a low-luminosity spiral with on-going star formation (0.004 M ☉ yr–1 kpc–2) and a metallicity of –0.27 ± 0.05 dex. We detect 21 cm absorption from the galaxy with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). The absorption appears to be quiescent disk gas co-rotating with the galaxy and we do not find any evidence for outflowing cold neutral gas. The width of the main absorption line indicates that the gas is cold, Tk < 283 K, and the H I column is surprisingly low given the impact parameter of 1.7 kpc; we find that N(H I) ≤9.6 × 1019 cm–2 (GBT) and N(H I) ≤1.5 × 1020 cm–2 (VLBA). VLBA marginally resolves the continuum source and the absorber, and a lower limit of 27.1 × 13.9 pc is derived for the size of the absorbing cloud. In turn, this indicates a low density for a cold cloud, n(H I) < 3.5 cm–3. We hypothesize that this galaxy, which is relatively isolated, is becoming depleted in H I because it is converting its interstellar matter into stars without a replenishing source of gas, and we suggest future observations to probe this and similar galaxies.
Half-awake to the risk of predation

Birds have overcome the problem of sleeping in risky situations by developing the ability to sleep with one eye open and one hemisphere of the brain awake. Such unihemispheric slow-wave sleep is in direct contrast to the typical situation in which sleep and wakefulness are mutually exclusive states of the whole brain. We have found that birds can detect approaching predators during unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, and that they can increase their use of unihemispheric sleep as the risk of predation increases. We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviourally controlling sleep and wakefulness simultaneously in different regions of the brain.
Cortical bone growth and maturational changes in dwarf rats induced by recombinant human growth hormone

The growth hormone (GH)-deficient dwarf rat was used to investigate recombinant human (rh) GH-induced bone formation and to determine whether rhGH facilitates simultaneous increases in bone formation and bone maturation during rapid growth. Twenty dwarf rats, 37 days of age, were randomly assigned to dwarf plus rhGH (GH; n = 10) and dwarf plus vehicle (n = 10) groups. The GH group received 1.25 mg rhGH/kg body wt two times daily for 14 days. Biochemical, morphological, and X-ray diffraction measurements were performed on the femur middiaphysis. rhGH stimulated new bone growth in the GH group, as demonstrated by significant increases (P < 0.05) in longitudinal bone length (6%), middiaphyseal cross-sectional area (20%), and the amount of newly accreted bone collagen (28%) in the total pool of middiaphyseal bone collagen. Cortical bone density, mean hydroxyapatite crystal size, and the calcium and collagen contents (microgram/mm3) were significantly smaller in the GH group (P < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the processes regulating new collagen accretion, bone collagen maturation, and mean hydroxyapatite crystal size may be independently regulated during rapid growth.
Web-based smoking-cessation programs: results of a randomized trial.

Background Initial trials of web-based smoking-cessation programs have generally been promising. The active components of these programs, however, are not well understood. This study aimed to (1) identify active psychosocial and communication components of a web-based smoking-cessation intervention and (2) examine the impact of increasing the tailoring depth on smoking cessation. Design Randomized fractional factorial design. Setting Two HMOs: Group Health in Washington State and Henry Ford Health System in Michigan. Participants 1866 smokers. Intervention A web-based smoking-cessation program plus nicotine patch. Five components of the intervention were randomized using a fractional factorial design: high- versus low-depth tailored success story, outcome expectation, and efficacy expectation messages; high- versus low-personalized source; and multiple versus single exposure to the intervention components. Measurements Primary outcome was 7 day point-prevalence abstinence at the 6-month follow-up. Findings Abstinence was most influenced by high-depth tailored success stories and a high-personalized message source. The cumulative assignment of the three tailoring depth factors also resulted in increasing the rates of 6-month cessation, demonstrating an effect of tailoring depth. Conclusions The study identified relevant components of smoking-cessation interventions that should be generalizable to other cessation interventions. The study also demonstrated the importance of higher-depth tailoring in smoking-cessation programs. Finally, the use of a novel fractional factorial design allowed efficient examination of the study aims. The rapidly changing interfaces, software, and capabilities of eHealth are likely to require such dynamic experimental approaches to intervention discovery.
Hit or Miss: Fertilization Outcomes of Natural Inseminations by Japanese Quail.

Variation in fertilization success underlies sexual selection, yet mating does not guarantee fertilization. The relationship between natural inseminations and fertilization success is essential for understanding sexual selection, yet that relationship and its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood in sperm-storing vertebrates such as birds. Here the relationship is analyzed in mating trials using Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), which show striking variation in the fertilizing success of inseminations. Failures of males’ inseminations to fertilize eggs were mainly due to failures prior to sperm-egg contact. Fertilization probabilities on any given day were unrelated to whether the female had laid an egg the previous day, arguing against stimulation of sperm release from sperm storage tubules by the events of the daily egg-laying cycle. Instead, an unfertilized egg laid between two fertilized eggs predicted a longer sperm storage interval. Both sexes gained similar numbers of fertilized eggs by mating with a second partner the next day, but males, unlike females in a previous study, did not gain by having two females to mate with at the same time. Instead, they were both behaviorally and sperm limited, whereas females gain by mating twice in quick succession. Even double inseminations often failed to fertilize any eggs, and multiple matings would be needed for an entire clutch to be fertilized with high certainty. Paradoxically, this low and probabilistic fertilization success co-occurs with other notable characteristics of male quail suggestive of past sexual selection for increased success, including vigorous copulatory behavior, forced copulations, foamy secretion aiding in sperm competition, large testes and unusual sperm morphology.
Ulnar nerve excursion and strain at the elbow and wrist associated with upper extremity motion.

Significant excursion of the ulnar nerve is required for unimpeded upper extremity motion. This study evaluated the excursion necessary to accommodate common motions of daily living and associated strain on the ulnar nerve. The 2 most common sites of nerve entrapment, the cubital tunnel and the entrance of Guyon’s canal, were studied. Five fresh-frozen, thawed transthoracic cadaver specimens (10 arms) were dissected and the nerve was exposed at the elbow and wrist only enough to be marked with a microsuture. Excursion was measured with a laser mounted on a Vernier caliper fixed to the bone and aligned in the direction of nerve motion. A Microstrain (Burlington, VT) DVRT strain device was applied to the nerve at both the elbow and wrist. Nerve excursion associated with motion of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers (measured by goniometer) was measured at the wrist and elbow. An average of 4.9 mm ulnar nerve excursion was required at the elbow to accommodate shoulder motion from 30° to 110° of abduction, and 5.1 mm was needed for elbow motion from 10° to 90°. When the wrist was moved from 60° of extension to 65° of flexion, 13.6 mm excursion of the ulnar nerve was required at the wrist. When all the motions of the wrist, fingers, elbow, and shoulder were combined, 21.9 mm of ulnar nerve excursion was required at the elbow and 23.2 mm at the wrist. Ulnar nerve strain of 15% or greater was experienced at the elbow with elbow flexion and at the wrist with wrist extension and radial deviation. Any factor that limits excursion at these sites could result in repetitive traction of the nerve and possibly play a role in the pathophysiology of cubital tunnel syndrome or ulnar neuropathy at Guyon’s canal. (J Hand Surg 2001;26A:655‐662. Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.)
MO-D-220-03: Thermoacoustic Imaging of Porcine Kidneys

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of thermoacoustic (TA) imaging to detect microvasculature surrounding tumors embedded 6+ centimeters deep. Methods: Ex vivo imaging of porcine kidneys in a custom TA testbed demonstrates 6cm depth penetration. Chilled glycine solution serves as acoustic couplant. Submicrosecond radiofrequency pulses with carrier frequency 108 MHz and peak power of 40kW generate TA pressures. Step‐ and‐shoot volumetric scanning is performed by rotating and translating the kidney while the transducer remains stationary. Translation increment is 3.6mm between slices. Focused single‐element videoscan transducers with center frequencies of 1 MHz and 2.25 MHz collect signals, which are amplified by a 54dB preamp. Lightly filtered single‐slice sinograms are backprojected in‐plane to reconstructimages. TA signal generated by vials of blood product and pure anticoagulant are compared with TA signal from pure water. Vials are manually positioned, diminishing repeatability of these experiments, so multiple realizations of each are presented. Results: Reconstructions of the kidneys clearly track progression of calyces from one slice to the next. In vivo, calyces are filled with urine, which can have widely varying electrical conductivity. TA signal strength is directly proportional to electrical conductivity but is also a function of other tissue parameters: bulk modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, and specific heat capacity. In our testbed, the calyces fill with glycine, which has low conductivity, causing signal dropout in the calyces. TA pressures generated by both blood product and pure anticoagulant generate orders of magnitude stronger signal than pure water. Conclusions: We demonstrate whole organ TA imaging is possible with 108 MHz RF irradiation. Furthermore, at 108 MHz, blood is highly conductive and generates strong signal, supporting the hypothesis that TA may be able to detect microvasculature surrounding aggressive tumors. This work was supported by NIH grant 5 R21 CA137364‐02.
On elliptic units and p-adic Galois representations attached to elliptic curves

Let K be a quadratic imaginary number field with discriminant DK≠-3,-4 and class number one. Fix a prime p⩾7 which is not ramified in K and write hp for the class number of the ray class field of K of conductor p. Given an elliptic curve A/K with complex multiplication by K, let ρA¯:Gal(K¯/K(μp∞))→SL(2,Zp) be the representation which arises from the action of Galois on the Tate module. Herein it is shown that if p∤hp then the image of a certain deformation ρA:Gal(K¯/K(μp∞))→SL(2,Zp[[X]]) of ρA¯ is “as big as possible”, that is, it is the full inverse image of a Cartan subgroup of SL(2,Zp). The proof rests on the theory of Siegel functions and elliptic units as developed by Kubert, Lang and Robert.
A predominant idiotype independent of specificity, or Ig and H-2 allotypes, is found in the primary but not the secondary murine antibody response to lysozyme.

Removal of just the three N-terminal residues Lys-Val-Phe (TIP) on hen egg white lysozyme (HEL), by aminopeptidase cleavage, eliminates an antigenic determinant which is a recurrent and dominant focus of primary but not secondary antibody responses to HEL in a variety of mouse strains. We have generated an anti-idiotypic rabbit antiserum against such a TIP-dependent monoclonal antibody (mAb). This antiserum reacts with many different primary anti-HEL mAb, but fails to react with all of a variety of secondary anti-HEL mAb. The idiotype defined by this antiserum, termed IdXE, is a common feature of early anti-HEL antibody responses but does not appear in secondary responses. Although the presence of IdXE and TIP dependence is correlated in primary responses, studies of idiotype expression on mAb and on plaque-forming cells (PFC) using mixed erythrocyte monolayers clearly show that at the single-cell level the properties are separable, i.e., not all TIP-recognizing PFC display IdXE and a sizable proportion of cells producing non-TIP-dependent antibodies are IdXE+. The restricted idiotypy and specificity of early antibody responses to HEL occur in each of eight diverse mouse strains tested: it is not associated with a particular MHC haplotype, heavy chain allotype or light chain allotype. The finding of such strain-independent restriction in the early response pattern to a typical protein antigen is novel and suggests the involvement of highly conserved, potent regulatory mechanisms which are manifested as a limitation in the initial expression of the available repertoire.
A methodology for integrative multimodeling: connecting dynamic and geometry models

Modeling techniques tend to be found in isolated communities: geometry models in CAD and Computer Graphics and dynamic models in Computer Simulation. When models are included within the same digital environment, the ways of connecting them together seamlessly and visually are not well known even though elements from each model have many commonalities. We attempt to address this deficiency by studying specific ways in which models can be interconnected within the same 3D space through effective ontology construction and human interaction techniques.
American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statements on Bioethics: Summaries and Commentaries: Part 2

1. Mark R. Mercurio, MD, MA* 2. Mary B. Adam, MD, MA* 3. Edwin N. Forman, MD* 4. Rosalind Ekman Ladd, PhD* 5. Lainie Friedman Ross, MD, PhD* 6. Tomas J. Silber, MD, MAAS* 1. *On behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Bioethics The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a strong and longstanding interest in the field of bioethics and periodically publishes policy statements pertaining to specific ethical questions relevant to pediatrics. The subjects addressed cover a wide range of topics, from parental refusal of immunization to the care of critically ill children. These policies are authored initially by the AAP's Committee on Bioethics and undergo extensive internal review by other committees prior to publication. This article is the first in a series of three intended to familiarize readers with many of the AAP policies currently in place that address issues in bioethics. In this series, 16 policies published by the AAP are summarized, each followed by a brief commentary. The commentaries are intended to address, at least on a cursory level, some of the ethical principles underlying the policies. Some briefly point out possible alternative viewpoints. The policies referenced in this article represent the efforts of various committees and committee members over the years. Each of the summaries presented here, as well as the commentaries that follow, represents the work of individuals serving on the Executive Committee of the Section on Bioethics, as indicated at the beginning of each summary. Understandably, some of the wording of these summaries is taken directly from the published policies. When quotations are used within a summary and not referenced, it can be assumed that the quote is taken directly from the policy being summarized. For ease of use, the references for each policy are provided with each individual summary and commentary. Part 1 of this series reviews: 1. Informed Consent, Parental Permission, and Assent in Pediatric Practice 2. Religious Objections to Medical Care 3. Responding to Parental Refusals of Immunization of Children 4. Sterilization of Minors With Developmental Disabilities 5. Human Embryo Research Part 2 …
10Be and 26Al Evidence for Exceptionally Low Rates of Australian Bedrock Erosion and the Likely Existence of Pre-Pleistocene Landscapes

Analysis of in situ-produced 10Be and 26Al demonstrate that some Australian inselbergs (granitic domes) are among the most stable geomorphic surfaces in the world, eroding at rates as low as 0.6 m/myr. Twenty isotopic analyses of ten samples suggest that the bare bedrock tops of these isolated granitic domes have been exposed to cosmic radiation for at least 0.5 myr and are eroding at a mean model rate less than 0.7 ± 0.1 m/myr (n = 6). Isotopic analyses of samples collected from the top of Mt. Wudinna, Little Wudinna, and Yarwondutta Rock are most consistent with continuous exposure during erosion. On the other hand, samples collected from the flanks of some domes and the tops of other domes have isotopic abundances suggestive of complex exposure histories including burial and reexposure. These unique isotopic data provide the first quantitative information for evaluating longstanding, but previously untested, hypotheses regarding the antiquity and development of these enigmatic landforms and indicate that some Eyre Peninsula inselbergs are probably relict features of pre-Pleistocene landscapes.
Increasing the Neel temperature of magnetoelectric chromia for voltage-controlled spintronics

Boron doped chromia (Cr2O3) thin films with substitutional doping levels between zero and 3% are grown using pulsed laser deposition in borane background gases. Magnetometry reveals a tunable increase in the Neel temperature of the (0001) textured Cr2BxO3−x thin films at a rate of about 10% with 1% oxygen site substitution preserving a net boundary magnetization. Spin resolved inverse photoemission measured after magnetoelectric annealing in subsequently reversed electric fields evidences voltage-controlled reversal of boundary magnetization and thus magnetoelectricity of Cr2BxO3−x. Conservation of magnetoelectricity far above room temperature makes ultra-low power voltage-controlled spintronic devices feasible.
A physical, genetic and transcriptional map of the cloned his3 gene region of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract A cloned fragment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) DNA containing the structural gene for imidazoleglycerolphosphate dehydratase (his3) has been mapped using a combination of physical techniques and classical bacteriophage λ genetics. A physical map has been constructed using subcloned restriction endonuclease fragments from the original yeast DNA fragment (Sc2601) and using deletion mutants of a bacteriophage λ hybrid containing Sc2601. The deletion endpoints within the yeast DNA segment have been mapped with respect to restriction endonuclease cleavage sites of Sc2601. The wild-type his3 gene, as defined by complementation of an Escherichia coli auxotroph lacking imidazoleglycerol-phosphate dehydratase activity, is localized to a 700 base-pair region. The 5′ and 3′ endpoints of the gene are defined within limits of 50 base-pairs. The lesions in cloned mutant his3 genes that are non-functional in yeast and in E. coli have been mapped by phage recombination using deletion mutants of the his3 gene generated in E. coli. Transcription of the his3 gene in E. coli is initiated from a promoter located less than 100 base-pairs from the start of the structural gene.
Surfaces and Interfaces of Nanoscale Silicon Materials

Surfaces and interfaces play a critical role in determining properties and functions of nanomaterials, in many cases dominating bulk properties, owing to the large surface- and interface-area-to-volume ratio. Using Si nanomembranes, a well-controlled two-dimensional single-crystalline semiconductor, as a prototype system, we discuss how surfaces and interfaces influence electrical transport properties at the nanoscale. We show that electronic conduction in Si nanomembranes is not determined by bulk dopants but by the interplay of surface and interface electronic structures with the “bulk” band structure of the thin Si membrane. Additionally, we describe our recent experimental results on the control of highly ordered molecular structures on Si surfaces, which is of intense interest for the integration of ordered organic thin films in silicon-based electronics. This could also potentially lead to the rational design of Si nanostructures with controlled properties through regulation of the surface chemistry.