cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postnatal clearance of maternally derived phenylalanine in offspring of maternal phenylketonuria: implications for newborn screening

Abstract Introduction: In maternal phenylketonuria (PKU), phenylalanine transverses the placenta, producing hyperphenylalaninemia in the fetus. This hyperphenylalaninemia is present in the offspring at birth and could produce false positive newborn PKU screening results unless rapidly cleared. Consequently, we determined the duration of postnatal hyperphenylalaninemia among offspring of maternal PKU/mild hyperphenylalaninemia. Methods: Capillary blood specimens were collected from offspring of maternal PKU/hyperphenylalaninemia pregnancies within the first 24 h of life. These specimens were analyzed by Guthrie bacterial assay for phenylalanine. Umbilical cord blood specimens were collected and analyzed for amino acids by the amino acid analyzer. Results: The mean blood phenylalanine levels in 51 unaffected offspring decreased from 8.2 ± 6.1 mg/dl (497 ± 370 μmol/1) at age 4 h to 1.8 ± 0.5 mg/dl (110 ± 30 μmol/1) at age 24 h. At 12 h of age, however, the phenylalanine level was still > 2 mg/dl (120 μmol/1) in 59% and > 4 mg/dl (240 μmol/1) in 37% of these infants. Based on umbilical cord blood valves, 74 ± 22% of transferred phenylalanine remained in the offspring at 4 h of age, but the range was 32–100%, indicating wide variation in the initial clearance abilities of these infants. Two infants with mild hyperphenylalaninemia had persisting high blood phenylalanine at 24 h of age. Discussion: Most infants from maternal PKU pregnancies clear the maternally derived phenylalanine by 24 h of age. Thus, there is only a very short exposure to hyperphenylalaninemia postnatally in the infants from maternal PKU/mild hyperphenylalaninemia pregnancies. In addition, they are not likely to be designated as false positive in newborn screening, although they may be so designated in specimens collected before 24 h of age.
The Neolithography Consortium

The role of process simulation in microlithography is becoming an increasingly important part of process control as wafer feature sizes become smaller than the exposure wavelength, because the pattern transfer from photomask to wafer is nonlinear. An important factor hindering the increased use of simulation applications, however, is their inclination to be standalone applications not easily integrated into the overall process. These observations have led to the concept of The Neolithography Consortium. Neolithography is a realization and acceptance that the pattern on the photomask is not replicated exactly on the wafer because of diffraction effects, subresolution mask features and imperfections, and other effects. It is characterized by the full integration of process simulation and metrology into the IC microlithography process, leading to a comprehensive and logical approach to photomask design and wafer exposure. All of the relevant optical projection, resist exposure and development, and etch parameters, and resolution enhancement techniques are optimized and incorporated into the photomask design before the first wafer is printed. The Neolithography Consortium is being formed for the purpose of accelerating the adoption of neolithography, by identifying impediments to the integration of simulation and metrology tools into the microlithography process and finding solutions to remove these impediments. It is comprised of companies who create or use commercial IC microlithography simulation software, or who supply metrology or production tools which will interface with simulation software. Any company or organization with a legitimate interest is welcome to join.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
CYNICS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY: THE OFFICE AS REALITY VIEWER TRAINING

Abstract This article reads the American adaptation of The Office as a refinement of the “mockumentary” format for a televisual era dominated by reality TV. The author argues that the show has evolved, particularly in later seasons, into a sustained critique of the emotional and ideological effects of reality programming.
Distributed visualization of graph algorithms

DisViz is a visualization tool designed to assist students in learning graph algorithms, an important topic in the undergraduate curriculum. DisViz is intended for collaborative use by a group of students over a classroom network. This visualization system views network hosts as graph nodes and the socket connections among them, as graph edges. In typical usage, every student runs a copy of DisViz on his/her local machine. These applications detect each other's presence on the network and coordinate their actions to execute the graph algorithm in question and to deliver identical animations to every terminal.
Modeling the mouse lymphoma forward mutational assay: the Gene-Tox program database.

Abstract An SAR model of the induction of mutations at the tk± locus of L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells (MLA, for mouse lymphoma assay) was derived based upon a re-evaluation of experimental results reported by a Gene-Tox (GT) working group [A.D. Mitchell, A.E. Auletta, D. Clive, P.E. Kirby, M.M. Moore, B.C. Myhr, The L5178Y/tk± mouse lymphoma specific gene and chromosomal mutation assay. A phase III report of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Gene-Tox Program, Mutation Res. 394 (1997) 177–303.]. The predictive performance of the GT MLA SAR model was similar to that of a Salmonella mutagenicity model containing the same number of chemicals. However, the structural determinants (biophores) derived from the GT MLA SAR model include both electrophilic as well as non-electrophilic moieties, suggesting that the induction of mutations in the MLA may occur by both direct interaction with DNA and by non-DNA-related mechanisms. This was confirmed by the observation that the set of biophores associated with MLA overlapped significantly with those associated with phenomena related to loss of heterozygosity, chromosomal rearrangements and aneuploidy. The MLA SAR model derived from the GT data evaluation was significantly more predictive than an SAR model previously derived from MLA data reported by the US National Toxicology Program [B. Henry, S.G. Grant, G. Klopman, H.S. Rosenkranz, Induction of forward mutations at the thymidine kinase locus of mouse lymphoma cells: evidence for electrophilic and non-electrophilic mechanisms, Mutation Res. 397 (1998) 331–335.]. Moreover, the latter model appeared to be more complex than the former, suggesting that the GT induction data was both simpler mechanistically and more homogeneous than that of the NTP.
A unique four-stranded model of a homologous recombination intermediate

This paper proposes a model of four-stranded DNA synapsis during recombination between homologous segments of two DNA duplexes. The proposed intermediate is one of only two known models having relative chain orientations about the synaptic junction that are consistent with recent topological results on the integrative recombination of bacteriophage lambda. This model has the advantage of providing a mechanism for recognition of sequence homology between duplexes through specific hydrogen-bond formation; other models are discussed in comparison. The new model is based on an alternative family of DNA structures having chain directions opposite to those of the Watson-Crick family of structures. Idealized coordinates for generating both right- and left-handed forms of these alternative structures are presented for further study.
Geographic variation in social acceptability of wildland fuels management in the western United States

Contemporary natural resource management requires consideration of the social acceptability of management practices and conditions. Agencies wishing to measure, respond to, and influence social acceptability must understand the nuances of public perception regarding controversial issues. This study explores social acceptability judgments about one such issue: reduction of wildland fuel hazards on federal lands in the western United States. Citizens were surveyed in four locations where fire has been a significant ecological disturbance agent and public land agencies propose to reduce wildland fuel levels and wildfire hazards via prescribed burning, thinning, brush removal, and/or livestock grazing. Respondents in different locations differed in their knowledge about fire and fuel issues as well in their acceptability judgments. Differences are associated with location-specific social and environmental factors as well as individual beliefs. Results argue against using “one-size-fits-all” policies or inform...
Nanoparticle biofabrication using English ivy ( Hedera helix )

Background English ivy (Hedera helix) is well known for its adhesive properties and climbing ability. Essential to its ability to adhere to vertical surfaces is the secretion of a nanocomposite adhesive containing spherical nanoparticles, 60–85 nm in diameter, produced exclusively by root hairs present on adventitious roots. These organic nanoparticles have shown promise in biomedical and cosmetic applications, and represent a safer alternative to metal oxide nanoparticles currently available.
Stability and NMR correlations, experimental vs. calculational, among isoelectronic closo-hexaborane/carborane compounds

Abstract The results of IGLO/NMR and GIAO/NMR calculations on the known closo-hexaborate ions [R–XB 5 H 5 ] 2− and their protonated counterparts [R–XB 5 H 6 ] − (R=H, CH 3 , CN, Cl; X=B. R=H, CH 3 ; X=C) are correlated with experimental data. A consideration of plausible transition states for [Me–B 6 H 6 ] − bridging hydrogen tautomerism leads to the conclusion that such tautomerism is expected to be more facile for the compound [R–XB 5 H 6 ] − where X=B than for the compounds where X=C. NICS calculations are performed on all compounds and compared to those reported earlier for `aromatic' vs. `non-aromatic' systems.
Processing of precursor ribosomal RNA and the presence of a modified ribosome assembly scheme in Escherichia coli relaxed strain.

An electrophoretic system capable of separating 25 S, 23 S, 17.5 S and 16 S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) species was used to study the synthesis and fate of rRNA during amino acid starvation and resupplementation of E. coli relaxed strain KL99. This E. coli relA1 strain responded to an amino acid starvation by increasing the rate of synthesis of 25 S and 17.5 S precursor rRNA. When the limiting amino acid was resupplemented, a previously observed 40-fold increase in the cellular guanosine 5'-diphosphate, 3'-diphosphate content [Mol. Gen. Genet. (1983) 192, 5-9] appeared to cause a reduction in new rRNA synthesis. Following amino acid resupplementation, the precursor 25 S and 17.5 S rRNA accumulated during the amino acid starvation were conserved and processed to 23 S and 16 S rRNA species, respectively. This suggests that a modified ribosome assembly scheme involving stable precursor rRNA exists in relA 1 bacteria during periods of amino acid limitation and resupplementation.
Suffering, Science and Sabotage

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to discuss suffering in general, the criticism against fibromyalgia and other central sensitivity syndromes [CSS], the deleterious effects of disease-illness dualism, a new unifying paradigm for this duality, and then to suggest a remedial model for better patient care.Methods: A review of the literature using Medline and other sources, and an amalgamation of known knowledge with author's own ideas and inquiry.Results: Bias against CSS are harbored by many physicians, thwarting the progress for a better understanding and treatment of these syndromes. Most physicians believe in disease-illness dichotomy and pay more attention to the structural than the functional pathology, e.g., neurochemical endocrine [NCE] abnormalities. Both types of pathology are likely based on biology. Even psychosocial distress is mediated by neurochemistry. A model is suggested for proper care where patients and physicians work together with a common satisfying goal, each fulfilling their...
100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design

I love cartography because it is both an art and a science. On the one hand, cartography is a deeply quantitative profession, requiring working knowledge of mathematical concepts like coordinate sy...
A scheduling approach to parallel harmonic balance simulation

Rather than approach the parallelization of the harmonic balance simulation method numerically, a novel scheduling-oriented approach is described. The technique leverages circuit substructure to expose potential parallelism in the form of a directed, acyclic graph (dag) of computations. This dag is then allocated and scheduled using various linear clustering techniques. The result is a highly scalable and efficient approach to harmonic balance simulation. Two large examples, one from the integrated circuit regime and another from the communication regime, executed on three different parallel computers are used to demonstrate the efficacy of the approach. Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of hyperspectral compression on nonliteral exploitation

This paper describes a study effort whose objective is to investigate the impact of hyperspectral compression on the utility of the compressed and subsequently reconstructed data for nonliteral exploitation. The goal is to investigate and quantify the extent of degradation introduced by compression that can be tolerated for various exploitation applications in order to establish acceptable compression bit rates. Two nonliteral exploitation functions were performed on the original and compressed-reconstructed image cubes produced by two hyperspectral compression algorithms at four compression bit rates on two scenes. The results showed that, in general, no appreciable degradation in exploitation performance occurred between the compressed- reconstructed and original hyperspectral data sets using these two compression algorithms. The highly encouraging results indicate that compression technology may be a viable means to significantly alleviate transmission data rate limits.
Effects of essential oils and oleoresins of plants on ethanol production, respiration and sporulation of yeasts

Abstract Ethanol production, respiration, and sporulation of yeasts as effected by essential oils and oleoresins of allspice, cinnamon, clove, garlic, onion, oregano, savory, and thyme were investigated. Essential oils of allspice, cinnamon, and clove had little or no effect on ethanol production by Sacchraromyces cerevisiae . Oils of onion, oregano, savory, and thyme delayed and/or reduced the production of ethanol. Overall, essential oils effectively suppressed ethanol production by Hansenula anomala . At the highest concentrations tested (500 μg/ml), only cinnamon, clove, garlic and thyme oleoresins substantially delayed and/or reduced ethanol production by S. cerevisiae . Most of the essential oils (100 μm/ml) impaired the respiratory activity of S. cerevisiae as evidenced by a reduction in CO 2 production. Thyme oleoresin was the strongest inhibitor. Allspice and garlic oils impaired sporulation by H. anomala . All oils delayed sporulation of Lodderomyces elongisporus ).
Mind the gaps: missed opportunities to promote bone health among cancer survivors

Many cancer treatments have a negative effect on bone health and can lead to osteoporosis. Additionally, the risk of osteoporosis during cancer survivorship may differ by racial and ethnic group. Overall, cancer survivors may be poorly informed about the risk of bone loss due to treatment. Exercise can be prescribed to improve bone health and reduce risk of fracture. Women participating in the Improving Physical Activity After Cancer Treatment pilot study (IMPAACT) experienced significant improvements in bone health. The pilot work also suggests that cancer survivors of diverse racial/ethnic profiles may not fit the normal risk profile for osteoporosis and could be overlooked during screening. The lack of awareness of poor bone health in cancer survivors needs to be addressed, especially for those who do not fit the normal osteoporosis risk profile. Exercise is a safe and effective part of a cancer survivorship plan and is useful in promoting bone health.
Team Knowledge Representation: A Network Perspective

Objective:We propose a network perspective of team knowledge that offers both conceptual and methodological advantages, expanding explanatory value through representation and measurement of component structure and content.Background:Team knowledge has typically been conceptualized and measured with relatively simple aggregates, without fully accounting for differing knowledge configurations among team members. Teams with similar aggregate values of team knowledge may have very different team dynamics depending on how knowledge isolates, cliques, and densities are distributed across the team; which members are the most knowledgeable; who shares knowledge with whom; and how knowledge clusters are distributed.Method:We illustrate our proposed network approach through a sample of 57 teams, including how to compute, analyze, and visually represent team knowledge.Results:Team knowledge network structures (isolation, centrality) are associated with outcomes of, respectively, task coordination, strategy coordinat...
Electrical Conduction in Single-Crystal Thallic Oxide: I, Crystals “As-Grown” from the Vapor in Air

Thallic oxide, “T12O3,” has been shown to be a degenerate n-type semiconductor with resistivity varying from 60 to 150 μΩ-cm over the range 4° to 900°K. The carrier concentration was 7 × 1020 cm−3 and is temperature independent. Room-temperature Hall mobility was 105 cm2 V−1 s−1, increasing to 130 cm2 V−1 s−1 below 70°K. Donor states were shown to be native defects, probably oxygen vacancies.
A framework for programmable and flexible construction systems

Abstract Current state-of-the-art in robotics application to construction is assessed. A concept of Flexible Construction Systems (FCS), analogous to FMS in manufacturing, is introduced. Construction work environment is evaluated for the readiness to accept robotics in the current job-site configurations. Changes in work organization and construction systems are recommended to bring the work process in line with the requirements imposed by the automated equipment currently available. Evaluation methods for the equipment performance applicable to construction robotics are summarized and scrutinized for their usefulness in this work domain.
A general probabilistic model of carcinogenesis: Analysis of experimental urinary bladder cancer

A theoretical model of two-stage carcinogenesis has been hypothesized. Variables that are modeled include the populations of normal, initiated, and transformed cells; mitotic rates of these cells; hyperplasia; and the probabilities of cell initiation and transformation during replication. The size of the cell populations can be estimated and mitotic rates determined directly from animal studies. Tumor occurrences at different time intervals following varying periods of N-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]formamide (FANFT) and sodium saccharin administration are known and are used in the indirect estimation of values for unobservable model variables. Model-based analyses suggest FANFT markedly increases the probability of cell initiation in addition to its experimentally verifiable effects on increasing the stem cell population and mitotic rates. Further, experimental results appear inconsistent with the hypothesis that FANFT increases the probability of cell transformation over background levels. Similarly, the effect of sodium saccharin was found to be attributable entirely to increases in stem cell populations and mitotic rates without influencing either the probability of initiation or the probability of transformation.
Relationship between concentrations of atmospheric pollutants and averaging time

The relationship between maximum concentration and averaging time was studied for five different air pollutants in 17 California cities. The maximum concentrations for averaging times of one hour, one day, one month, and one year were shown to be approximately proportional to averaging time to an exponent. This relationship can be expressed as: Cmax (t) = Cmax (h)tb where Cmax (h) and Cmax (t) are the maximum concentrations for one hour and for t hours respectively, and b is an exponent which varies with the pollutant and the sampling location. This expression gives maximum concentrations for various averaging times which differ from the observed maximum concentration by an average of 10 per cent. This equation has application in the areas of air quality criteria and standards development The transformation of different criteria and standards to equivalent concentrations for a common time period (i.e., 1 h) permits direct comparison of these criteria or standards.
The Charge Distribution in Nuclei and the Scattering of High Energy Electrons

It is pointed out that the finite size of the nucleus will give rise to large deviations from Mott scattering when the change in wave-length of the electrons is of order of the nuclear dimensions. This deviation from Mott scattering at large scattering angles therefore provides a possibility for determination of the shape of the charge distribution and size of nuclei. In the case of a spherically symmetric charge distribution the nuclear charge density is immediately obtained from the observed angular distribution by a Fourier transform. The effects of competing processes, inelastic collisions with nuclear excitation or disintegration, atomic excitation or ionization and bremstrahlung are considered. It is shown that the first two competing effects may be disregarded if the electron energy is in the neighborhood of 50 Mev, the angle of scattering large (but not near $\ensuremath{\pi}$ and if the scattered electron has an energy equal to or nearly equal to the primary energy. With the latter condition fulfilled the bremstrahlung is reduced by the same factor as the elastic scattering and the two processes are indistinguishable.
Adjuvant therapy for rectal cancer

Patients with stage II and III rectal cancer benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Studies of postoperative adjuvant therapy consistently demonstrate decreases in locoregional recurrence with the use of radiation therapy. The use of postoperative chemotherapy results in improved disease-free survival and overall survival in certain studies. Preoperative radiation therapy decreases locoregional recurrence and in one study demonstrated an improvement in survival. The addition of chemotherapy to preoperative radiation results in improved locoregional control, but not survival. Preoperative chemoradiation is the standard of care for patients with clinical stage II and III rectal cancer in the United States due to improved local recurrence, acute and late toxicity, and sphincter preservation compared with postoperative chemoradiation. Promising approaches include the incorporation of new chemotherapeutic and biologic agents into chemoradiation and adjuvant chemotherapy regimens; new radiation techniques, such as the use of intraoperative radiation therapy and an accelerated concomitant radiation boost; and gene and protein expression profiling, to better predict response to treatment and prognosis.
Visual transcripts: lecture notes from blackboard-style lecture videos

Blackboard-style lecture videos are popular, but learning using existing video player interfaces can be challenging. Viewers cannot consume the lecture material at their own pace, and the content is also difficult to search or skim. For these reasons, some people prefer lecture notes to videos. To address these limitations, we present Visual Transcripts, a readable representation of lecture videos that combines visual information with transcript text. To generate a Visual Transcript, we first segment the visual content of a lecture into discrete visual entities that correspond to equations, figures, or lines of text. Then, we analyze the temporal correspondence between the transcript and visuals to determine how sentences relate to visual entities. Finally, we arrange the text and visuals in a linear layout based on these relationships. We compare our result with a standard video player, and a state-of-the-art interface designed specifically for blackboard-style lecture videos. User evaluation suggests that users prefer our interface for learning and that our interface is effective in helping them browse or search through lecture videos.
Developmental change in variability of lip muscle activity during speech.

Compared to adults, children's speech production measures sometimes show higher trial-to-trial variability in both kinematic and acoustic analyses. A reasonable hypothesis is that this variability ...
SU-FF-T-23: A Monte Carlo Simulation and Deconvolution Study of Detector Response Function

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the detector response function using Monte Carlo simulations of small radiation fields and simulations of detector responses to those fields. The results may be used to deconvolve the effect of finite size detectors on beam broadening in small field measurements. Method and Materials: A Monte Carlo model of a linear accelerator was generated to simulate the characteristics of a clinically used photon beam. These simulations were used to create a true beam profile. Three clinically available radiation detectors and two theoretical detectors were modeled in the beam. Detector specific models of measured beam profiles were generated from simulated detector responses. Detector response functions were deconvolved from the models of simulated measured profiles and the true beam profile. The results were then analyzed using curve fitting method. Results: The penumbra of the beam profiles generated by different cylindrical detectors demonstrated a significant linear relationship with detector radius. Detector response functions of cylindrical detectors can be approximately represented as a Gaussian curve dependent upon the radius of the detector.Fourier transform methods can be used to deconvolve the detector response function for the penumbral areas, but can introduce noise in the non‐penumbral areas. Deconvolution methods can reduce, but cannot remove the effects of detector size. Conclusions: Monte Carlo simulation can be used to model small radiation fields and detector responses. Detector response functions can be determined from the simulated fields and simulated detector responses. A deconvolution method based on a detector specific Gaussian response function can be used to reduce detector size effect in the penumbral areas.
Relationship between brood sex ratio and male ornaments depends on male age in a warbler

Sex allocation theory predicts that females should bias the sex ratio of their offspring in response to differences in the reproductive value of sons and daughters. For example, paternal traits (ornaments) that are associated with male quality and reproductive success may result in male-biased sex ratios when inheritance of these traits is more beneficial to sons than to daughters. However, the information content of male ornaments, as well as the ornaments themselves, may change with male experience. If females are responsive to changes in the information content of signals, the result may be context-specific patterns of sex allocation. In a 3-year study of 50 common yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas, females and their 287 young, we found that biased sex ratios were associated with male ornamentation, but that these deviations were not consistent across male experience classes. Females produced clutches with male-biased sex ratios when they were mated to young males with elaborate ornaments, but not when they were mated to older males. Male-biased broods were also associated with differences in offspring quality, as measured by average nestling mass. At our field site in New York, U.S.A., ornaments are generally more indicative of viability and condition among young, inexperienced males than among older males. We suggest that the relationship between male traits and the relative value of sons and daughters may change across male experience classes. Such changes may obscure patterns of adaptive sex-ratio bias and contribute to mixed results in the sex allocation literature.
Capsule commentary on Livaudais, et al., breast cancer treatment decision-making: are we asking too much of patients?

Shared decision-making is an increasingly emphasized goal of medicine. While accepted as an aphorism, there are possible negative consequences. The descriptive study by Livaudis et al. explores the consequences of decision making responsibility among women with breast cancer on decision regret; women reporting ‘too much’ responsibility had three-fold greater regret regarding their decision1. Perhaps contributing to this is that women with regret reported insufficient knowledge of treatment benefit. This is similar to findings in another study in which, seven months after surgical intervention, women who preferred more or less decision making responsibility were more regretful.2 It is unclear from either study whether the feelings of regret would change over time. It is troubling that nearly half of women, regardless of desired degree of decision responsibility, reported occasional or frequent problems understanding written information. Many women also reported insufficient knowledge of treatment benefit. With these numbers, it is not surprising that 40 % of the women in the study reported decision regret at 6 months. Clearly, physicians and other providers are far from mastering the shared decision making model and communicating risks and benefits of treatment. The reasons for this are likely multi-factorial including literacy, decision-making preference, lack of good decision aids, inadequate culturally appropriate materials, and failing to check patient understanding. In addition, physicians often feel inadequately trained in incorporating shared decision making into their practice3 and some physicians doubt their patients’ ability to assume a more active role and have concerns about implementing this model within present time constraints.4 As the author’s mention, decision aid tools could help. A recent Cochrane review found that decision aids with explicit values clarification exercises improve informed values based decisions and improved patient-–practitioner communication, with a variable effect on length of consultation.5 Shared decision-making in breast cancer treatment, particularly in patients who desire less decision making and among patients who do not fully understand the treatment, can lead to decision regret. Good decisions require good understanding of treatment options; it is incumbent for providers helping women with these difficult decisions to make sure they fully understand their options.
LIBERIA AND THE ATLANTIC WORLD IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: CONVERGENCE AND EFFECTS

William C. Burke, an African American emigrant in Liberia, wrote the following to an acquaintance in the United States on 23 September 1861: This must be the severest affliction that have visited the people of the United States and must be a sorce [sic] of great inconvenience and suffering and although we are separated from the seane [sic] by the Atlantic yet we feel sadly the effects of it in this country. The Steavens not coming out as usual was a great disappointment and loss to many in this country.Burke's lamentation about the impact of the American Civil War on the distant Atlantic shores of Africa underscores a problem—and opportunity—in Liberian historiography. Burke's nineteenth-century world extended past the distinct national boundaries that separated the United States and Liberia. Geographically, this was the vast littoral of the four continents—Africa, Europe, North America, and South America—abutting the Atlantic Ocean. But the Atlantic world, as historians now dubbed this sprawling transnational zone, was much more extensive. Societies near and faraway were also drawn into the web of socioeconomic activities in the basin. The creation of the Atlantic world spanned almost four centuries, from the late fifteenth to the waning decades of the nineteenth century. In this period, an unprecedented multitude of migrants crisscrossed the Atlantic creating a vast network. For example, by the nineteenth century, regular transatlantic packages such as the Mary Caroline Stevens whose delay Burke called “a great disappointment,” transported passengers, provisions, and dispatches between the United States and Liberia.
REFERENCE RANGE FOR SERUM PARATHYROID HORMONE

Objective: To determine whether the reference range for parathyroid hormone (PTH) should be lowered (from 65 pg/mL to a proposed value of 46 pg/mL) with use of the Allegro radioimmunometric assay. Methods: We examined the reference range for PTH, adjusted for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), in 503 healthy African American and white women, who were 20 to 80 years old. We also analyzed other factors that are thought to influence PTH levels. Results: Univariate predictors of PTH were identified, and a multivariate model was developed with use of the variables and PTH. Serum PTH was significantly higher in black study subjects than in white study subjects (P<0.02). Increasing PTH was also significantly correlated with increasing body mass index, age, and serum creatinine and with decreasing dietary calcium intake and serum 25-OHD levels. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis yielded the following predictors of PTH: body mass index (R2 = 9.4%), age (R2 = 1.0%), and serum 25-OHD (R2 = 0.8%). In our...
A suitable animal model for laparoscopic hepatic resection training

Background: There is a growing interest in using laparoscopy for hepatic resection. However, structured training is lacking in part because of the lack of an ideal animal training model. We sought to identify an animal model whose liver anatomy significantly resembled that of the human liver and to assess the feasibility of learning laparoscopic hepatic inflow and outflow dissection and parenchyma transection on this model. Methods: The inflow and outflow structures of the sheep liver were demonstrated via surgical dissection and contrast studies. Laparoscopic left major hepatic resections were performed. Results: The portal hepatis of all 12 sheep (8 for anatomic study and 4 for laparoscopic hepatic resection) resembled that of human livers. The portal vein (PV) was located posteriorly; the common hepatic artery (CHA) and the common bile duct (CBD) were located anterior medially and anterior laterally with respect to the portal hepatis. The main PV bifurcated into a short right and a long left PV. The extrahepatic right PV then bifurcated into right posterior and anterior sectoral PV. The CBD and CHA bifurcated into left and right systems. The cystic duct originated from the right hepatic duct. The cystic artery originated from the right HA in 11/12 animals. The left hepatic vein drained directly into the inferior vena cava (IVC). The middle and the right hepatic veins formed a short common channel before entering the IVC. Multiple venous tributaries drained directly into IVC. Familiarity with sheep liver anatomy allowed laparoscopic left hepatic lobe (left medial and lateral segments) resection to be performed with accuracy and preservation of the middle hepatic vein. Conclusions: The surgical anatomy of sheep liver resembled that of human liver. Laparoscopic major hepatic resection can be performed with accuracy using this information. Sheep is therefore an ideal animal model for advanced surgical training in laparoscopic hepatic resection.
Strategies for the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease that, untreated, can lead to permanent joint damage, decrease in quality of life, and disability. Health care professionals play a vital role in caring for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The therapeutic possibilities in the management of rheumatoid arthritis have changed, with newer biologic therapies that target the inflammatory cascade seen in rheumatoid arthritis. As new treatments become increasingly available, it is important for health care professionals to stay informed. This article provides physicians with a review of biologic therapies currently used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and describe how those therapies are used to manage rheumatoid arthritis.
Exact ground states of few-body nuclei with and without three-body forces

Approximation-free solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation are given for the ground states of three- and four-body nuclei, employing spin-independent central two- and three-body forces. Comparison with the results of more approximate few-body methods shows their relative accuracy.
Constructing the angiome: a global angiogenesis protein interaction network

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing microvessels. Excessive and insufficient angiogenesis have been associated with many diseases including cancer, age-related macular degeneration, ischemic heart, brain, and skeletal muscle diseases. A comprehensive understanding of angiogenesis regulatory processes is needed to improve treatment of these diseases. To identify proteins related to angiogenesis, we developed a novel integrative framework for diverse sources of high-throughput data. The system, called GeneHits, was used to expand on known angiogenesis pathways to construct the angiome, a protein-protein interaction network for angiogenesis. The network consists of 478 proteins and 1,488 interactions. The network was validated through cross validation and analysis of five gene expression datasets from in vitro angiogenesis assays. We calculated the topological properties of the angiome. We analyzed the functional enrichment of angiogenesis-annotated and associated proteins. We also constructed an extended angiome with 1,233 proteins and 5,726 interactions to derive a more complete map of protein-protein interactions in angiogenesis. Finally, the extended angiome was used to identify growth factor signaling networks that drive angiogenesis and antiangiogenic signaling networks. The results of this analysis can be used to identify genes and proteins in different disease conditions and putative targets for therapeutic interventions as high-ranked candidates for experimental validation.
Human foetal intestinal fibroblasts are hyper-responsive to lipopolysaccharide stimulation

Abstract Background Intestinal myofibroblasts contribute to immune regulation in adults with inflammatory bowel disease but have not been characterised in neonatal intestinal inflammatory diseases. Aims To compare lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated interleukin-8 (IL-8) production between human foetal and mature intestinal myofibroblasts in vitro. Methods Foetal, neonatal and adult cells were stimulated with increasing concentrations of E. coli LPS. In LPS stimulated foetal myofibroblasts, Toll-like receptor 4 mRNA expression was assessed by real-time PCR whilst Toll-like receptor 4 receptor activity was determined using anti-Toll-like receptor 4 antibody. Mitogen activated protein kinase pathway activity was assessed using chemical inhibitors and Western blotting. IL-8 production was measured by quantitative ELISA. Results IL-8 production by LPS stimulated foetal myofibroblasts occurred in a dose dependent manner. Toll-like receptor 4 expression was constitutive and Toll-like receptor 4 receptor blockade reduced IL-8 production by 42% (P = 0.0262). C-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38 and NF-κB inhibitors significantly attenuated LPS stimulated IL-8 production by 42%, 33% and 2%, respectively. Mitogen activated protein kinase activity was confirmed by the presence of phosphorylated proteins on Western blots. Conclusion These data demonstrate increased IL-8 production by foetal myofibroblasts that is partially mediated by Toll-like receptor 4, mitogen activated protein kinase and NF-κB cell signalling pathways. Intestinal myofibroblasts cells may contribute to the dysregulated inflammatory response in the immature intestine and may form targets that lead to new therapies to prevent neonatal intestinal inflammatory bowel diseases.
Ureteral Repair with Titanium Staples: Comparison with Suture Closure

Abstract Objectives. Vascular closure staple (VCS) clips made of titanium were initially developed for microvascular anastomoses with little knowledge of their effectiveness in larger tubular tissue structures. This study compares VCS clips and sutures in the closure of longitudinal ureterotomy incisions. Methods. In 9 pigs, 1-cm-long anterior, longitudinal ureterotomy incisions were randomly assigned to closure with either 4-0 interrupted polyglactin sutures or VCS clips. Results. Clip closure was significantly faster (74±28 versus 534±182 seconds). All 18 ureters were patent and without signs of leakage, calculus formation, or stenoses after 3 months. Clip closure resulted in slightly but not statistically significantly less narrowing of the duct lumen, but there was no difference in wall thickness at the repair site. At histologic examination, all 18 incisions healed without signs of acute inflammation or marked fibrosis. Conclusions. Ureterotomy closure with VCS clips results in wound healing that is as effective as suture closure, with a comparable degree of narrowing. The time required for clip closure is only about 1/7 that required for suture closure.
Embryos derived from Callus Tissue Cultures of the Wild Carrot

INDEPENDENT regeneration of root or shoot primordia is common in higher plants. However, the simultaneous, integrated development of both primordia from a single small mass of meristematic cells is found almost exclusively in ovular embryos. We have observed the development of structures bearing both these primordia, from callus tissue cultures of the wild carrot, Daucus carota L. These structures closely resemble in situ pro-embryos and embryos both morphologically and in their pattern of development.
CD55 and CD59 Deficiency in Transplant Patient Populations: Possible Association With Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria–Like Symptoms in Campath-Treated Patients

Campath-1H therapy is directed to CD52, a small mw protein that has a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, which has a conventional structure similar to other GPI anchors such as CD55 and CD59. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) results when cells have a somatic defect in the synthesis of GPI anchors and lack CD55 and CD59, as well as CD52. Several patients treated with Campath developed PNH-like symptoms with hemolysis and thrombosis. These patients were followed after therapy by measurement of peripheral CD55 and CD59 levels and showed an increased number of cells deficient in the expression of these molecules. Thereafter we instituted a screening program for the presence of CD55/59 levels in all pretransplant patients. Our results show that 17.3% of all pretransplant samples contained abnormal (9.7% of samples) or slightly abnormal (7.6% of samples) levels of granulocytes deficient in CD55 or CD59. This high prevalence of CD55/59 deficiency in Campath-treated patients with PNH-like symptoms suggests that a lack of these molecules (including CD52) could predispose to a complication of this immunosuppressive therapy.
Examining the Relationship Between Snowfall and Wildfire Patterns in the Western United States

Spatial and temporal patterns of snowfall influence future moisture availability, plant growth, and soil moisture. Therefore winter and spring snowfall may influence summer wildfire patterns. We conducted an examination of the spatial and temporal relationships and correlations between snow cover and wildfire from 1986 through 1996 in the 11 western states of the United States. Snow-cover and wildfire data were aggregated and normalized for each state, as well as for the entire western region. Mean annual snow-cover and wildfire extent values were determined for each geographic unit, and Z-score values were produced indicating departure from the mean for each year. For each of the 11 states and the region, as a whole, graphs were produced illustrating the relationships between snow-cover and wildfire patterns. No strong correlation was found for the entire western United States, nor did state aggregations show signs of consistent yearly correlation between measures of snow cover and wildfire. Nevertheless...
Induciton of MHC class I antigens on glial cells is dependent on persistent mouse hepatitis virus infection

Abstract H-2 class I antigens, but not class II antigens, were detected on the surface of glial cells persistently infected with mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59) as late as 90 days post-infection. Uninfected glial cells remained negative for H-2 class I and class II surface antigens. We have previously shown that conditioned media from infected glial cell cultures (supernatants) contain a factor unrelated to infectious virus and capable of inducing H-2 class I antigens on uninfected glial cells. The synthesis of this factor appears to be dependent on production of infectious virus since the H-2 inducing activity could not be detected 3 days following the addition of neutralizing antibodies to the cultures. This suggests that H-2 inducing activity contains as unstable component, the synthesis of which is dependent on continual virus production. Persistent MHV infection and H-2 class I antigen expression may play a role in MHV-induced demyelination.
Diabetes and the socioeconomic and built environment: geovisualization of disease prevalence and potential contextual associations using ring maps

Efforts to stem the diabetes epidemic in the United States and other countries must take into account a complex array of individual, social, economic, and built environmental factors. Increasingly, scientists use information visualization tools to "make sense" of large multivariate data sets. Recently, ring map visualization has been explored as a means of depicting spatially referenced, multivariate data in a single information graphic. A ring map shows multiple attribute data sets as separate rings of information surrounding a base map of a particular geographic region of interest. In this study, ring maps were used to evaluate diabetes prevalence among adult South Carolina Medicaid recipients. In particular, county-level ring maps were used to evaluate disparities in diabetes prevalence among adult African Americans and Whites and to explore potential county-level associations between diabetes prevalence among adult African Americans and five measures of the socioeconomic and built environment—persistent poverty, unemployment, rurality, number of fast food restaurants per capita, and number of convenience stores per capita. Although Medicaid pays for the health care of approximately 15 percent of all diabetics, few studies have examined diabetes in adult Medicaid recipients at the county level. The present study thus addresses a critical information gap, while illustrating the utility of ring maps in multivariate investigations of population health and environmental context. Ring maps showed substantial racial disparity in diabetes prevalence among adult Medicaid recipients and suggested an association between adult African American diabetes prevalence and rurality. Rurality was significantly positively associated with diabetes prevalence among adult African American Medicaid recipients in a multivariate statistical model. Efforts to reduce diabetes among adult African American Medicaid recipients must extend to rural African Americans. Ring maps can be used to integrate diverse data sets, explore attribute associations, and achieve insights critical to the promotion of population health.