cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of specific DNA base damages in the X-ray-induced inactivation of bacteriophage PM2

Abstract Two types of X-ray-induced base damages, alkali-labile sites and thymine ring saturation products, were quantitated in PM2 DNA irradiated in the phage capsid under oxic and anoxic conditions. The extent of formation of these base damages was compared with the number of single- and double-strand breaks and lethal hits produced under the same conditions. The individual inactivation efficiencies of alkali-labile sites and thymine ring saturation products were determined by selectively inducing each of these damages in isolated PM2 DNA by chemical means in vitro and determining the rate of biological inactivation of the treated DNA by transfection. For each lethal X-ray hit induced in oxic conditions there were 1.06 alkali-labile sites, 0.40 thymine ring saturation products, 2.09 single-strand breaks and 0.11 double-strand breaks in the PM2 genome. In anoxic conditions, the respective number of lesions was 1.00, 0.19, 1.73 and 0.09. The individual inactivation efficiencies of thymine ring saturation products and alkali-labile sites were found to be essentially equal, 7–8 lesions per lethal event in the PM2 genome. Alkali-labile sites and thymine ring saturation products together accounted for 15–20% of the biological inactivation of X-irradiated bacteriophage PM2. The presence or absence of oxygen during irradiation did not affect the contribution to inactivation made by alkali-labile sites, but the contribution by thymine ring saturation products to inactivation was about 2-fold higher in oxic compared with anoxic conditions. With the 4 lesions measured, we have accounted for some 28–34% of the lethal events in X-irradiated PM2 phage, most of the remaining events being caused by as yet unidentified base damages.
Magnetic Properties of the Iron Laminations for CBA Magnets

The required magnetic properties of the iron for CBA dipoles are for the most part the same as those for conventional accelerators, namely: low coercive force, high permeability at both low and high inductions and high saturation induction. There are two main differences in the CBA application, i) the iron is at 3.8°K, ii) the magnetic field in the iron can go as high as 6 Tesla, which is well above saturation. Measurements of the magnetization curves for CBA iron laminations at 300°K and 4.2°K are presented. The data are analyzed in terms of a simple model in which the variation in saturation induction can be separated from the low field permeability variation. Tolerances on coercive force, permeability and saturation induction are discussed.
Diagnosis of Burkitt Lymphoma and Related High-Grade B-Cell Neoplasms

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive B-cell neoplasm with an extremely short doubling time that mainly affects children and young adults. Despite having several characteristic features, none is entirely specific for BL and the differential diagnosis may include diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), B lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma, and B-cell lymphoma unclassifiable with features intermediate between DLBCL and BL. We outline a practical approach to establish a diagnosis of BL and distinguish it from other high-grade B-cell malignancies. We pay particular attention to B-cell lymphomas with features intermediate between DLBCL and BL, a new diagnostic category in the 2008 World Health Organization classification system that provides a framework for categorizing challenging cases not meeting diagnostic criteria for either "classic" BL or DLBCL.
Student conceptions of natural selection and its role in evolution

Pretests and posttests on the topic of evolution by natural selection were administered to students in a college nonmajors' biology course. Analysis of test responses revealed that most students understood evolution as a process in which species respond to environmental conditions by changing gradually over time. Student thinking differed from accepted biological theory in that (a) changes in traits were attributed to a need-driven adaptive process rather than random genetic mutation and sexual recombination, (b) no role was assigned to variation on traits within a population or differences in reproductive success, and (c) traits were seen as gradually changing in all members of a population. Although students had taken an average of 1.9 years of previous biology courses, performance on the pretest was uniformly low. There was no relationship between the amount of previous biology taken and either pretest or posttest performance. Belief in the truthfulness of evolutionary theory was also unrelated to either pretest or posttest performance. Course instruction using specially designed materials was moderately successful in improving students' understanding of the evolutionary process.
DSIP-Like material in brain parts of rats running a complex maze

Abstract Delta sleep-inducing peptide-like immunoreactivity (DSIP-LI) was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in invidual brain areas of rats running a 12-choice maze. One of the areas found to contain a high level of DSIP-LI was the thalamus, where a distinct peak of immunoreactivity eluted at the position of the synthetic DSIP noapeptide after high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). On each of the two days of testing, DSIP-LI in the thalamus correlated significantly with running times in the maze. The results suggest an association of behavior with the levels of peptide in a region of the brain.
A study of methanol transport/uptake by a methanol-utilizing bacterium L3 in a batch bioreactor.

Two novel, nitrogen-limited and oxygen-limited, perturbed transient experiments were performed to examine the presence of active transport of methanol and study the effect on methanol uptake by a methanol-utilizing bacterium, L3, in a batch bioreactor. Transient limitations of both ammonium ions and O2 in batch cultures were found to cause methanol leakages out of the cells, suggesting the presence of an active transport of methanol in L3. Such experimental results were used to indirectly estimate the intracellular levels of methanol during a batch growth of L3. The results of our analysis indicate that the intracellular methanol level is high and show an increasing trend during the unbalanced phase, but falls to a constant low level in the balanced phase of a typical batch growth8 of L3. A simple modelling analysis suggests that a four-parameter “pump-and-extrusion” model could be used to adequately describe the transport of methanol between the extra cellular and intracellular phases of batch cultures of L3.
Intellectual property organizations and pharmaceutical patents in Africa.

This article builds on a previous study which found low numbers of patent applications for HIV antiretroviral drugs in African countries. A high level of variation was noted across individual countries and consequently the present study has sought to account for sources of the variation through statistical analyses. First a correlation between the number of patents and HIV infection rate was observed (r = 0.448 p < 0.001). T-tests identified significantly higher numbers of patents in national members of two intellectual property organizations (IPOs)--African Regional Intellectual Property Orginisation (ARIPO) and the Organisation Africaine de la Proprie´ te´ Intellectualle (OAPI)--than in countries who did not belong to an intellectual property organization. The relationship between IPO membership and number of patents was also statistically significant in a multivariate Poisson regression. These findings demonstrate that higher numbers of patents are found in countries where they are more easily filed. This has important policy implications given the worldwide trend toward increased recognition of pharmaceutical patents. (authors)
Design of An Ultra-Fast Acting Insulin Analog using Unnatural Amino Acids - Replacement of PheB24 with Cyclohexanylalanine

Insulin replacement therapy is central to the treatment of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Clinical trials have shown that tight glycemic control in T1DM leads to reduction in long-term diabetic complications. In an effort to better mimic the normal post-prandial pattern of pancreatic insulin release, meal-time insulin analogs were developed in the 1990s using standard mutagenesis. These analogs exhibit more rapid absorption from the subcutaneous depot due to destabilization of the zinc insulin hexamer. Unfortunately, such conventional analogs do not achieve the rapid “on-off” pharmacodynamic profiles sought in an ideal rapid-acting insulin formulation. To circumvent this limitation, we have investigated the utility of nonstandard protein design based on unnatural mutagenesis. Our studies have focused on residue PheB24 at the dimer interface of the insulin hexamer. Investigation of the role of this aromatic side chain by hybrid quantum-mechanical/classical molecular mechanics (QM/cMM) suggested that substitution of the B24 aromatic ring of its saturated near-isostere (cyclohexanylalanine; Cha) would introduce a subtle perturbation but still allow hexamer formation. We therefore undertook the characterization of a ChaB24-containing derivative of insulin lispro, the active component of Humalog. Native-like assembly of phenol-stabilized insulin analog hexamers was demonstrated in cobalt complexes by atomic absorption spectroscopy and explicitly visualized in zinc complexes by X-ray crystallography. ChaB24-lispro-insulin exhibits native hypoglycemic potency as measured in Lewis rats rendered diabetic by steptozotocin. Preliminary studies of pharmacodynamics in anesthetized Yorkshire pigs suggest that treatment of patients with ChaB24-lispro-insulin may benefit from curtailment of the late post-prandial “tail” of unwanted insulin action that presently confers risk of hypoglycemia. Together, these results exemplify the potential power of unnatural amino acids to optimize the therapeutic properties of a protein central to the treatment of a human disease.
Crystal structure of nedocromil sodium heptahemihydrate and its comparison with that of nedocromil sodium trihydrate

The crystal structure of one of the hydrated forms of nedocromil sodium, the heptahemihydrate, has been determined. Crystal data:a=26.687(5),b=29.479(8),c=6.394(3) A, orthorhombic, space groupAba2,Z=8. This structure is compared with the previously determined structure of the trihydrate [Freer, A. A., Payling, D. W., and Suschitzky, J. L.,Acta Crystallogr. 1987,C43, 1900–1905]. The two structures differ in the molecular conformation of the nedocromil anion, the intensity of color, the coordination of the sodium ions, and the environment of the water molecules. In the heptahemihydrate two of the water molecules from dimers, whereas the remaining water molecules form a two-dimensional network consisting of a pentameric chain in one direction and an infinite chain in the other. From another viewpoint, 5 1/2 water molecules in the heptahemidydrate are present in the first coordination sphere of the sodium ions, whereas the remaining two water molecules are present as “lattice” water in the crystal.
Experimental and computational study of thermal energy storage with encapsulated NaNO3 for high temperature applications

Abstract The objective of this work is to establish methods for storage of thermal energy using encapsulated phase change materials (EPCMs) at temperatures up to 440 °C applicable in concentrating solar plants (CSPs), in which heat transfer fluid (HTF) from the solar collector would pass through the storage system embedded with EPCM capsules. NaNO 3 , having latent heat of 176 kJ/kg at 308 °C, is selected as the storage medium. Stainless steel capsules containing NaNO 3 are fabricated and installed in a pilot-scale thermal energy storage (TES) system for performance tests. Compressed air is used as heat transfer fluid in the current tests. The test section (T/S) with EPCM capsules successfully demonstrate the ability to transfer thermal energy to and from a transport fluid, achieving energy storage and retrieval in multiple charging and discharging cycles. In a given cycle where capsule temperatures varied from ∼250 °C to ∼386 °C, the EPCM is found to store significant energy per unit mass (∼211 kJ/kg of capsule), with the phase change material (PCM) NaNO 3 accounting for ∼95% of the total energy stored in the capsules. The latent heat of the NaNO 3 contributes to ∼42% of the energy stored in the capsules. It is expected that the storage density of the EPCM would be even greater for plant size TES systems with larger size capsules, without the penalties associated with the limited scale used here. A mathematical model has been developed for the test section with EPCM capsules and its predictions are found to agree with experimental measurements within 7% discrepancy in stored energy. The dynamic performance of charging and discharging rates are also well predicted by the model, giving confidence for engineering design capabilities in future applications using EPCMs for thermal energy storage.
An Assessment of Resiliency and Life Satisfaction in High School-Aged Students in Belize

This study assesses resiliency and life satisfaction of high school youth from Belize. Due to the contrast of geography, culture, and economic characteristics, between Belize and the U.S. many differences were hypothesized to be found. Resiliency and life satisfaction were hypothesized (a) to be lower in the youth from Belize when compared with previous studies of youth conducted in the United States, (b) youth in Belize, who have high resilience, will also have high life satisfaction and (c) youth who has low life satisfaction will also have very little resiliency.
A note on savings and loan ownership structure and expense preference: A re-examination

This study extends the work of Akella and Greenbaum [Journal of Banking & Finance 12 (1988) 419] through the use of a much larger, nationwide sample of US saving and loan associations and supports their original finding of significant expense-preference behavior in mutual savings and loans during their original study period (1979–80). This study also provides evidence that over the time period of substantial deregulation and changes in the competitive environment in the US financial services industry, expense-preference behavior for savings and loans decreased. The results are consistent with the idea that the removal of barriers that restrict competition should improve managerial efficiency in firms that survive. 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Information navigation by clustering and summarizing query results

We have explored and evaluated a novel approach to information seeking grounded in the idea of summarizing query results through automated document clustering. The user starts with a natural language description of the needed information and navigates the information space through the interaction of the system. We implemented a prototype allowing searches of a significant portion of the entire World Wide Web. In a laboratory experiment, subjects searched the WWW for answers to a given set of questions. Our results indicate that our prototype improved search peformance, presumably through better understanding of query results. In addition, we analyzed interaction patterns and the effects of such parameters as subject skills and task peculiarities.
Evidence for a Difference in Toxicity Between Common and Hairy Vetch Seed for Chicks

Abstract Recently, Kienholz et al. (1962) reported hairy vetch seed, when comprising 93.4 percent of the chick’s diet, appeared exceedingly toxic resulting in 100 percent mortality at 3 weeks of age. In contrast, Harper and Arscott (1962) reported no toxicity as measured by mortality from feeding up to 40 percent of hairy vetch seed, Vicia villosa, var. glabrescens Koch, in rations for chicks. However, 20 to 40 percent of common vetch seed, V. sativa L. var. Willamette proved exceedingly toxic. In view of possible misinterpretation of these reports, experiments were conducted involving higher levels of hairy (HVS) and common (CVS) vetch seed2 than had previously been used in our investigations. In the first experiment duplicate lots of 12-day old White Vantress × Nichols 108 chicks, equalized for sex, were raised in electrically heated batteries, in a force-draft ventilated room, with 24-hour lights. In the second experiment, two separate trials involving duplicate…
Instrumentation of open-source software for intrusion detection

A significant number of cyber assaults and intrusion attempts are made against open source software written in C, C++, or Java. Detecting all flaws in a large system is still a daunting, unrealistic task. The information assurance area known as "intrusion detection" (ID) senses unauthorized access attempts by monitoring key pieces of system data. There is a desire to at least detect intrusion attempts in order to stop them while in progress, or repair the damage at a later date. Most ID systems examine system log files, or monitor network traffic. This research presents a new approach to generating records for intrusion detection by means of instrumentation. Open source code such as a web server can be compiled and the execution path of the server can be observed externally in near real-time. This method thus creates a new data source for ID which can be incorporated into a discovery system.
Leptin-signaling inhibition results in efficient anti-tumor activity in estrogen receptor positive or negative breast cancer

Introduction We have shown previously that treatment with pegylated leptin peptide receptor antagonist 2 (PEG-LPrA2) reduced the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2) and growth of 4T1-breast cancer (BC) in syngeneic mice. In this investigation, PEG-LPrA2 was used to evaluate whether the inhibition of leptin signaling has differential impact on the expression of pro-angiogenic and pro-proliferative molecules and growth of human estrogen receptor-positive (ER +) and estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) BC xenografts
Analysis of the bioactivity of magnetically immunoisolated peroxisomes

Peroxisomes produce reactive oxygen species which may participate in biotransformations of innate biomolecules and xenobiotics. Isolating functional peroxisomes with low levels of contaminants would be a useful tool to investigate biotransformations occurring in these organelles that are usually confounded with biotransformations occurring in other co-isolated organelles. Here, we immunoisolate peroxisomes and demonstrate that the impurity level after isolation is low and that peroxisomes retain their biological activity. In this method, an antibody targeting a 70-kDa peroxisomal membrane protein was immobilized to silanized magnetic iron oxide beads (1-4 μm in diameter) coated with Protein A. Peroxisomes from L6 rat myoblast homogenates were magnetically captured, washed, and then analyzed for subcellular composition using enzymatic assays. Based on the ratio of peroxisomal to lysosomal activity, the retained fraction is 70-fold enriched relative to the unretained fraction. Similarly, the ratio of peroxisomal activity to mitochondrial content suggests that the retained fraction is >30-fold enriched relative to the unretained fraction. H(2)O(2) production from the β-oxidation of palmitoyl-CoA demonstrated that the isolated peroxisomal fraction was biologically active. Capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) analysis confirmed that the immunopurified fractions were capable of transforming the anticancer drug doxorubicin and the fatty acid analog, BODIPY 500/510 C1C12. Besides its use to investigate peroxisome biotransformations in health and disease, the combination of magnetic immunoisolation with CE-LIF could be widely applicable to investigate subcellular-specific biotransformations of xenobiotics occurring at immunoisolated subcellular compartments.
Toxicological significance of non‐, mono‐ and di‐ortho‐substituted polychlorinated biphenyls in oysters from galveston and tampa bays

Concentrations of non ortho (77, 126, and 169), mono-ortho (105 and 118) and di-ortho (128 and 138) substituted PCB congeners were measured in oysters from Galveston and Tampa bays, and reported toxic equivalent factors were used to assess their toxicity Most of the relative toxicity encountered in the oysters analyzed during this study was due to the presence of planar non-ortho-PCBs (53 8–94 3%), particularly congener 126 In contrast, the contribution of di-ortho-substituted PCB congeners to the total relative toxicity of the samples was negligible ( 118 ≥ 169 ≥ 105 > 77 » 138 > 128 and 126 > 118 > 169 ≥ 77 > 105 » 138 > 128, respectively Based on the reported lower clearance rates of non ortho and mono ortho-substituted PCB congeners compared to other congeners within the same chlorination level, contaminated oysters that are depurated in clean environments will lower their total PCB concentrations, but their original toxicity may not be proportionally reduced
Patient-Oriented Evidence that Matters (POEMs)™ Suggest Potential Clinical Topics for the Choosing Wisely™ Campaign

Objective: We propose a method of identifying clinical topics for campaigns like Choosing Wisely. Methods: In the context of an ongoing continuing medication education program, we analyzed ratings on every patient-oriented evidence that matters (POEM) synopsis delivered in 2012 and 2013. Given the objective of the Choosing Wisely campaign, we focused this analysis on 1 specific item in the validated questionnaire used by physicians to rate POEMs. This questionnaire item is about “avoiding an unnecessary diagnostic test or treatment.” For each POEM, we calculated frequencies and proportions for this item, then we identified the 20 POEMs that were most commonly associated with this item in 2012 and 2013. Finally, we determined whether the clinical topic of each of these POEMs was mentioned in the Choosing Wisely master list. Results: In 2012 and 2013 we received 506,809 completed questionnaires (or ratings) linked to 530 POEMs, for an average of 956 ratings per POEM. In 59% of these POEMs (n = 312), the most commonly expected type of health benefit was “avoiding an unnecessary diagnostic test or treatment.” We then identified the top 20 POEMs most commonly associated with this item in each year by ranking all 312 POEMs from the top down. The clinical topic addressed by 29 of these 40 POEMs was not addressed in the Choosing Wisely master list. These topics fell into 3 categories: diagnostic tests, medical interventions, and surgical interventions. Conclusion: “Big data” can identify clinical topics relevant to campaigns such as Choosing Wisely. This process represents a new way to inform the expert panel approach.
Detecting cellulase penetration into corn stover cell walls by immuno-electron microscopy

In general, pretreatments are designed to enhance the accessibility of cellulose to enzymes, allowing for more efficient conversion. In this study, we have detected the penetration of major cellulases present in a commercial enzyme preparation (Spezyme CP) into corn stem cell walls following mild-, moderate- and high-severity dilute sulfuric acid pretreatments. The Trichoderma reesei enzymes, Cel7A (CBH I) and Cel7B (EG I), as well as the cell wall matrix components xylan and lignin were visualized within digested corn stover cell walls by immuno transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using enzyme- and polymer-specific antibodies. Low severity dilute-acid pretreatment (20 min at 100 degrees C) enabled <1% of the thickness of secondary cell walls to be penetrated by enzyme, moderate severity pretreatment at (20 min at 120 degrees C) allowed the enzymes to penetrate approximately 20% of the cell wall, and the high severity (20 min pretreatment at 150 degrees C) allowed 100% penetration of even the thickest cell walls. These data allow direct visualization of the dramatic effect dilute-acid pretreatment has on altering the condensed ultrastructure of biomass cell walls. Loosening of plant cell wall structure due to pretreatment and the subsequently improved access by cellulases has been hypothesized by the biomass conversion community for over two decades, and for the first time, this study provides direct visual evidence to verify this hypothesis. Further, the high-resolution enzyme penetration studies presented here provide insight into the mechanisms of cell wall deconstruction by cellulolytic enzymes.
Intravenous Thrombolysis and Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke With Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion A Systematic Review of Clinical Outcomes

Background and Purpose—Strokes secondary to acute internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion are associated with extremely poor prognosis. The best treatment approach to acute stroke in this setting is unknown. We sought to determine clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke attributable to ICA occlusion treated with intravenous (IV) systemic thrombolysis or intra-arterial endovascular therapy. Methods—Using the PubMed database, we searched for studies that included patients with acute ischemic stroke attributable to ICA occlusion who received treatment with IV thrombolysis or intra-arterial endovascular interventions. Studies providing data on functional outcomes beyond 30 days and mortality and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) rates were included in our analysis. We compared the proportions of patients with favorable functional outcomes, sICH, and mortality rates in the 2 treatment groups by calculating χ2 and confidence intervals for odds ratios. Results—We identified 28 studies ...
Reliability and Sensitivity Analysis of Low Power Portable Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) systems are becoming popular and one of the best candidate for powering portable devices. While the attempt to scale down for their size and improve their system topology and efficiency are underway, nevertheless literatures related to its reliability are limited. This might be due to the system infancy and low of market penetration. In this paper, reliability of low power DMFC system is evaluated by assuming as non-repairable components and system. System reliability block diagram (RBD) is developed and used to evaluate its reliability. By using RBD, failures can be considered as statistically independent. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis is evaluated in order to identify the critical components which severely affect the system reliability. The exponential distribution model is used to estimate failure rate and reliability of each component.
Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert. Menstrual Purity: Rabbinic and Christian Reconstructions of Biblical Gender. Contraversions: Jews and Other Differences. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ix, 326 pp.

This book is presented as “first a study of the classic rabbinic discourse on menstruation and of the range of meanings that talmudic literature accords to women's bodies in its discourse on Niddah” (p. 1). As the presence of the word “Christian” in the subtitle would suggest, however, the actual contents of the book are somewhat broader. The range of materials covered are all worthy of scholarly examination and analysis, which Fonrobert ably and engagingly provides. Yet, the wide reach of this book contributes to both its strengths and its weaknesses.
A GENETIC ANALYSIS OF TETRAHYMENA THAT HAVE ABORTED NORMAL DEVELOPMENT

Conjugating Tetrahymena can abort the sexual cycle before the production of progeny somatic (macro-) nuclei and return to vegetative growth. We have analyzed the germinal (micronuclear) genotypes of these cells in order to determine the stage at which they aborted conjugation. Our data demonstrate that nearly all of these cells attempt meiosis, but that very few reach the successful completion of cross-fertilization. The resulting micronuclear genotypes suggest that either germinal chromosomes or entire nuclei are lost during an unsuccessful attempt at meiosis or cross-fertilization. We conclude that the decision to develop progeny macronuclei is made during meiosis and is dependent on the completion of some step necessary for successful cross-fertilization.
Reusable components for evolving systems

Increasingly, the computers of the world are connecting to form large continuously evolving information systems. Ultimately there will be just one; perhaps this is already the case. Our quest for software reuse has an economic foundation: we want to do more for less cost. We want to build on what has gone before, we want new things to coexist with and leverage older things. Extensible or open systems can be augmented by adding components and new configurations, and this ability is open to everyone. However these systems must keep running while being extended in this way, and must preserve their integrity, through the change and thereafter. The four D's of software are design, development, debugging and deployment. The first three get their fair share of attention from the research community, but deployment does not. The author describes requirements for reusable components and infrastructure, and talks about how deployment requirements feed back into the others and in some cases simplify them.
Energy Partition to the Workpiece for Grinding with Aluminum Oxide and CBN Abrasive Wheels

An experimental investigation is reported of the energy partition to the workpiece for grinding of steels with aluminum oxide and cubic boron nitride (CBN) abrasive wheels. The energy input to the workpiece was obtained by measuring the temperature distribution in the workpiece using an embedded thermocouple technique and match­ ing the results with analytically computed values. It was found that 60-75 percent of the grinding energy is transported to the workpiece as heat with an aluminum oxide abrasive wheel, as compared to only about 20 percent with CBN wheels. An analysis of the results indicates that the much lower energy partition to the workpiece with CBNcan be attributed to its very high thermal conductivity whereby a significant portion of the grinding heat is transported to the abrasive instead of to the workpiece. The much lower energy partition to the workpiece with CBN wheels results in much lower grinding temperatures and a greatly reduced tendency for thermal damage to the workpiece.
Spinal Cord Tolerance to Radiosurgery

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an emerging technology used for the treatment of spinal tumors. Its implementation allows effective dose escalation over conventional radiotherapy, which may improve tumor control. Additionally, it provides a treatment option for patients who are not candidates for conventional radiotherapy because of previous radiotherapy to the spinal cord. Finally, it has the potential to improve the quality of life for patients who may be spared a prolonged treatment course, and acute radiation toxicity. With potential advantages, come new challenges. Most critical among these challenges is to minimize the risk of spinal cord injury.
Polarimetric Radar–Based Estimates of Spatial Variability in Characteristic Sizes of Raindrops in Stratiform Rainfall

PolarimetricX-bandradarmeasurements ofdifferentialreflectivityZDRin stratiformrainfallwere usedfor retrieving mean mass-weighted raindrop diameters Dm and estimating their spatial variability dDm at different scales. The ZDR data were calibrated and corrected for differential attenuation. The results revealed greater variability in Dm for larger spatial scales. Mean values of dDm were respectively around 0.32‐0.34, 0.28‐0.30, and 0.24‐0.26 mm at scales of 20, 10, and 4.5 km, which are representative of footprints of various spaceborne sensors. For a given spatial scale, dDm decreases when the mean value of Dm increases. At the 20-km scale the decreasing trend exhibits a factor-of-1.7 decrease of dDm when the average Dm changes from 1 to 2 mm. Estimation data suggest that this trend diminishes as the spatial scale decreases. Measurement noise and other uncertainties preclude accurate estimations of Dm variability at smaller spatial scales because for many data points estimated variability values are equal to or less than the expected retrieval errors. Even though they are important for retrievalsofabsolute values of Dm, the details of the dropshape‐sizerelation did not significantly affect estimates of size spatial variability. The polarization cross coupling in simultaneous transmission‐simultaneous receiving measurement mode presents another limiting factor for accurate estimations of Dm. This factor, however, was not too severe in estimations of the size variability. There are indications that tuning the differential attenuation correction scheme might balance off some possible cross-coupling ZDR bias if differential phase accumulation is less than approximately 408.
Acariasis in Captive Fat-Tailed Jirds (Pachyuromys duprasi)

This case report describes acariasis in captive, wild-caught, fat-tailed jirds (Pachyuromys duprasi). All animals within the cage (n = 4) were examined for pruritus and alopecia and subsequently found to be infested with the mite Pyroglyphis morgan ii. All life stages of the mite were identified on animals and within the nesting materials. Treatment, including repeated subcutaneous ivermectin administration and husbandry practice modifications, proved effective in eradicating the mites and in subsequent amelioration of clinical signs.
Sirolimus may be associated with early recurrence of biliary obstruction in liver transplant patients undergoing endoscopic stenting of biliary strictures

Introduction. Recurrent biliary obstruction necessitating premature repeat endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERCP) remains a costly and morbid problem in patients undergoing treatment of post-orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) biliary strictures. We evaluated the relationship between prednisone or sirolimus use and early recurrence of biliary obstruction given their negative effects on collagen production and cholangiocyte regeneration. Methods. Medical records of adult patients who underwent OLT from 1998-2008 and developed anastomotic (ABS) and/or nonanastomotic (NABS) biliary strictures requiring endoscopic plastic stent therapy were reviewed. Outcome was early recurrence of biliary obstruction requiring repeat ERCP. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, sex, and time from OLT to ERCP, were performed. Results. 35 patients with ABS and 9 patients with NABS underwent a total of 157 ERCPs. Median patient age was 56 years, 68% were male, and hepatitis C was the most common OLT indication (52%). Early recurrence of biliary obstruction ocurred following 17.1% of ERCPs. In univariate analysis, neither prednisone nor sirolimus was associated with early recurrence of biliary obstruction. In multivariate analysis, however, sirolimus use was associated with increased incidence of early recurrent biliary obstruction (OR = 2.53; 95% CI: 0.77-8.32; p = 0.12); this was more pronounced at doses > 3 (OR = 4.27; 95% CI: 0.62-29.3; p = 0.14) than at ≤ 3 mg/day (OR = 2.24; 95% CI: 0.62-8.13; p = 0.22) and statistically significant in patients with ABS only (OR = 1.44 per mg increase in sirolimus dose; 95% CI 1.02-2.03; p = 0.037). Conclusions. Sirolimus use, particularly at higher doses and patients with ABS, may be associated with an increased risk of early recurrence of biliary obstruction requiring repeat ERCP for post-OLT biliary strictures. Additional studies are needed to further investigate these findings and elucidate other risk factors.
Solitary Gastric Carcinoid Tumor Associated with Long-Term Use of Omeprazole: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Gastrin exerts trophic effects on all cells of the gastric oxyntic mucosa including enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells. Hypergastrinemia may result from hypoor achlorhydria due to chronic atrophic gastritis, from longterm drug-induced acid suppression or from gastrinoma occurring as part of the multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) 1 syndrome [1]. We describe here a man who developed an atypical, benign gastric carcinoid or neuroendocrine tumor (NET), after being treated with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for 20 years.
The Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority Reporting System is a confidential, statewide Internet reporting system with which all Pennsylvania hospitals, outpatient-surgery facilities, and birthing centers, as well as some abortion facilities, must file information on medical errors.Safety Monitor is a column from the authority that informs nurses on issues that can affect patient safety and presents strategies they can easily integrate into practice. For more information on the authority, visit www.patientsafetyauthority.org. For the original article discussed in this column or for other articles on patient safety, click on "Patient Safety Advisories" and then "Advisory Library" in the left-hand navigation menu.
On the origins and evolution of trans-splicing of bursicon in mosquitos

Broad transcriptomic sequencing of eukaryotes has revealed the ubiquity of splicing of nuclear genes. While the vast majority of splicing events join segments of the same RNA transcript, various studies have found a few intriguing cases of trans-splicing of introns, in which splicing events within protein coding regions join segments of different RNA transcripts. The most structurally intricate case known involves the bursicon gene in mosquitos, in which an internal exon is encoded at a distinct locus, requiring multiple trans-splicing events form the mature mRNA. This arrangement is known to be ancestral to mosquitos, however the exact timing of the origin of trans-splicing and the history of the bursicon gene within mosquitos is unknown. Taking advantage of the recent availability of genomes from various Anopheles mosquitos and from relatives of mosquitos, I determined trans versus cis encoding of bursicon across Culicomorpha. I conclude that trans-splicing emerged in the last common ancestor of mosquitos, and that trans-splicing has been retained in all 19 studied Anopheles species. The retention of trans-splicing could indicate functional importance of this arrangement, or could alternatively reflect the rarity of mutations giving rise to viable allelic alternatives.
Rotamers and Migration: Investigating the Dissociative Photoionization of Ethylenediamine.

The unimolecular dissociation of energy-selected ethylenediamine cations was studied by threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy (TPEPICO) in the photon energy range of 8.60–12.50 eV. Modeling the breakdown diagram and time-of-flight distributions with rigid activated complex RRKM theory yielded 0 K appearance energies for eight dissociation channels, leading to NH2CHCH2+• at 9.120 ± 0.010 eV, CH3C(NH2)2+ at 9.200 ± 0.012 eV, NH2CHCH3+ at 9.34 ± 0.08 eV, CH2NH2+ at 9.449 ± 0.025 eV, CH2NH3+ at 9.8 ± 0.1 eV, c-C2H4NH2+ at 10.1 ± 0.1 eV, CH3NHCHCH2+ at 10.2 ± 0.1 eV, and the reappearance of CH2NH2+ at 10.2 ± 0.1 eV. The CBS-QB3-calculated pathways highlighted the influence of intramolecular hydrogen attractions on the dissociation processes, presenting novel isomers and low-energy van der Waals intermediates that led to fragments in good agreement with experimental results. While most of the dissociation channels take place through reverse barriers, the 0 K heat of formation of •CH2NH2 was ...
Sarcoma of the uterus; review of cases at the Elizabeth Steel Magee Hospital.

Abstract 1. 1. A twenty-five year survey of the gynecologic service at the Elizabeth Steel Magee Hospital yields sixteen cases of sarcoma of the uterus, giving an incidence of 2.6 per cent of all malignancies of the uterus. The comparative incidence of sarcoma of all fibroid uterine tumors in this series was 0.8 per cent. 2. 2. Only seven of the sixteen were histologically leiomyosarcomas, and ten of the sixteen originated in fibroids. Three originated in the stroma of six endometrium, and can be considered round cell sarcomas. 3. 3. Five of the sixteen patients are still living, and longest survival period being fifteen years. It must be remembered that in all of the five surviving, sarcoma was an accidental finding in uteri removed for fibroids. 4. 4. In one case of sarcoma complicating pregnancy the metastases were extensive and rapid. rapid.
Antithrombotic treatments in acute ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke results most commonly from cerebral arterial thrombosis. Antithrombotic agents can reduce the incidence of cerebral embolic events or the extent of tissue injury and neurological outcome. The antiplatelet agents aspirin, ticlopidine, and the combination of dipyridamole and aspirin are associated with a significant reduction in second focal cerebral ischemic events. Oral anticoagulants have a role to reduce the incidence of cardiogenic emboli in patients with mechanical cardiac valves or nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Both antithrombotics are untested in the acute setting. The recombinant tissue plasminogen activator rt-PA has been shown to significantly increase the number of stroke patients with no or minimal deficit when treated within 3 hours of symptom onset. Additional studies of this and other plasminogen activators by both intravenous and intra-arterial delivery have highlighted limitations to this approach, but also support its role in acute intervention. The risk of intracerebral hemorrhage attends the use of all antithrombotic agents, most notably plasminogen activators. Strategies to decrease this risk are likely to add to beneficial outcome.
Tuberculosis. Digging deep in the soul of humanity

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest infectious diseases that affected humankind. A quintessential social disease, TB remains one of the world's deadliest communicable diseases, with still a high mortality and burden of disease. Social representations of TB focus on aspects associated to feelings and manifestations awakened by the disease, sometimes reinforcing stigmas and prejudices about the way of perceiving TB. TB is a historic disease now reborn with a deeper social stigma. Despite the modest reduction in TB incidence worldwide, its incidence is still rising in certain crisis-affected populations like refugees, and in those bearing high prevalence of HIV, persisting poverty, especially in the developing world. Fear and stigma may appear justified with the increasing rates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB, and now extremely drug resistant (XDR) TB. However, stigmatization of TB poses serious obstacles to current TB control efforts, as socio-cultural aspects can influence adherence to TB treatment.
The Role of Coated Sodium Butyrate on Performance of Broilers Fed High Protein and Reduced Energy Diets

Addition of butyrate or its salt has been reported to have a positive impact on growth performance in broilers due to its bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties. This study investigated the effect of enterically coated dietary sodium butyrate (SB) on broiler performance. In experiment 1, 408 day-old male Ross 308 chicks were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Factors were dietary energy (standard or minus 50 kcal/kg relative to standard diet) and coated SB level (0 and 1 g/kg). In experiment 2, 2160 day-old male Cobb 500 birds were used in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial plus one arrangement of treatments. Factors included grain source (corn or wheat); protein level (standard or high); coated SB level (0 and 1 g/kg) plus a treatment using 2 kg SB in a high protein wheat-based diet. The results from the experiments showed no effect of coated SB on performance at 1 g/kg inclusion in feed across the ME range or across basal diet type (grain) or protein level (P > 0.05). However, birds fed the high protein wheat diet with 2 g/kg SB had higher body weights than the control birds at 10 and 24 days old. Birds fed high protein diets had lower body weight gain (WG) than those fed standard protein diets (P < 0.05), whereas birds fed corn based diets had higher WG than those fed wheat based diets (P < 0.05). Birds fed high dietary protein or wheat based diet showed decreased pH of caecal contents. The results indicated that dietary coated SB had no effect on broiler performance, the concentration of caecal and ileal short chain fatty acids (SCFA) or intestinal pH. Higher inclusion levels may play a beneficial role but this warrants further investigation.
Mosquito Modulation of Arbovirus–Host Interactions

Arthropod transmitted pathogens cause millions of human, wildlife, and domestic animal infections every year. Emergence and reemergence of mosquito borne viruses, such as West Nile and Zika, are a constant reminder of the threat that these pathogens represent. They also illustrate our lack of knowledge and understanding of the complexity of vector–virus–pathogen interactions. Infections occur during blood acquisition as vectors feed upon the vertebrate host. In reality, the feeding process involves pathogen delivery in a complex and highly variable cocktail of salivary components that not only evolved to enable the feeding process, but also can influence host immune responses and efficiency of pathogen establishment and disease development. These effects and how they may be used to reduce disease incidence are discussed in this chapter.
Experiences in Implementing Measurement Programs

Despite significant improvements in implementing measurement programs for software development in industry, data collected by Rubin Systems show that a large percentage of metrics programs fail. This technical note describes some useful lessons learned at a number of organizations that have implemented measurement programs using the Goal-Driven Software Measurement methodology. It includes a description of the methodology, a discussion of the challenges, obstacles, and their solutions, an initial set of indicators and measures, as well as some artifacts (such as templates and checklists) that we have found to enable successful implementations. The main motivation of this technical note is to provide some practical advice and guidelines for planning and implementing measurement programs.
Thysanoptera Collected during Bloom on White and Colored Disposable Sticky Cards in Florida Citrus Groves

During February through April between 1990 and 1993, 86 species of thrips (Thysanoptera: Terebrantia and Tubulifera) were identified from disposable colored sticky cards in navel orange groves in P...
Cooperative learning in middle school: A means to improve peer relations and reduce victimization, bullying, and related outcomes.

Peer victimization is a highly stressful experience that impacts up to a third of all adolescents and can contribute to a variety of negative outcomes, including elevated anxiety, depression, drug use, and delinquency, as well as reduced self-esteem, school attendance, and academic achievement. Current prevention approaches (e.g., the Olweus program) have a mixed record in American schools. We propose a new approach to prevention that leverages theory and research surrounding the social aspects of bullying and victimization, particularly peer relations. Our approach attempts to (1) break down the process of homophily among bullies, and (2) provide a mechanism by which socially isolated students can develop new friendships. Our approach asks teachers to increase opportunities for positive peer interaction through carefully structured, group-based learning activities in school (i.e., cooperative learning). We hypothesized that these positive peer interactions would result in reductions in bullying, victimization, perceived stress, and emotional problems, as well as increases in peer relatedness, among more marginalized students. Using a cluster randomized trial with 15 rural middle schools in the Pacific Northwest (N = 1,460 7th grade students), we found that cooperative learning significantly reduced bullying, victimization, and perceived stress for marginalized students (i.e., moderated effects), and reduced emotional problems and enhanced relatedness for all students (i.e., main effects). Given that cooperative learning has already been shown to enhance student engagement and achievement in prior research, our results demonstrate that cooperative learning can be a permanent, sustainable component of teacher training and school culture.