cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unraveling the etiology of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus.

Recent next generation sequencing (NGS) screens have led to a refined understanding the molecular classification of cancer, uncovering both distinct as well as shared mutations across organ systems. Of special interest are shared mutations, as they allow for cross-cancer use of approved therapies, such as vemurafenib, initially approved for melanomas, on other tumors with BRAF mutations.
First principles studies of the interactions between alkali metal elements and oxygen-passivated nanopores in graphene

We characterize the structure–property relationship of alkali metal elements in oxygen-passivated graphene pores using the density functional theory that accounts for quantum mechanical effects and charge transfer. Our description is based on the structural and electronic properties of the system and shows common trends among the different alkali metals and pores. We find that these nanopores which serve as docking sites for alkali metal elements give the strongest binding when the size of the pore is similar to the element's van der Waals radius. A linear correlation between the binding energy and the energy location of the alkali element valence state is found for all elements and pores. Analysis of the charge transfer reveals that alkali adsorption increases the local charge in the perimeters of the pore by amounts that depend on the geometry. Moreover, charge distributions in pristine graphene resemble those of an ideal conductor despite its semimetallic character and atomic thickness while oscillations in the vicinity of O-passivated nanopores are observed. Our results suggest that charge transfer is localized within a few nanometers of the pore and, therefore, allude to high density energy storage. The outcomes of this work are significant towards the application of porous graphene as effective membranes for ion filtration of water and electrode applications.
Making Music: A community–school music partnership

The purpose of this study was to explore a fledgling community–school music partnership, Making Music, and to examine the benefits and challenges of this partnership. The partnership was initially ...
notum1, acting downstream of pitx2, is essential for proper eye and craniofacial development

Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS) is a rare autosomal dominant developmental disorder characterized by ocular anterior chamber anomalies with an increased risk of glaucoma and systemic defects. Mutations in the transcription factor PITX2 were the first identified genetic cause of ARS. Despite the developmental importance of PITX2 and its role in ARS, the pathways downstream of PITX2 have yet to be fully characterized. Comparative transcriptome analyses involving pitx2-enriched cell populations isolated via fluorescence activated cell sorting of tissues expressing (Tg(-2.6pitx2-CE4:GFP)) reporter in wild-type and pitx2M64* mutant zebrafish embryos identified the highly down-regulated target notum1b, an ortholog of human NOTUM encoding a secreted carboxylesterase that cleaves a necessary palmitoleate moiety from WNT proteins. Further experiments confirmed a decrease in notum1b and identified down-regulation of another NOTUM ortholog, notum1a, in the developing mutant eye. CRISPR-generated permanent double knockout zebrafish lines of notum1b and notum1a, notum1-/-, displayed defects in craniofacial and ocular development, including corneal defects, small lenses, increased sizes of the anterior and posterior chambers, and anomalies in teeth development. Analysis of head transcriptome of notum1-/- zebrafish in comparison to wild-type predicted an up-regulation of the WNT pathway. We present NOTUM/notum1 as an important factor in ocular and craniofacial development and a novel downstream member of the PITX2/pitx2 pathway.
Development of a telehealth intervention to promote care-seeking among transgender women of color in Washington, DC.

BACKGROUND Transgender women of color (TWC) are an underserved population who often experience high rates of HIV and barriers to care including stigma, violence, and trauma. Few health information technology interventions are tailored to serve TWC. The purpose of this study was to inform the development of a TWC-specific telehealth intervention to increase access to care. METHODS Formative qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted to develop a customized telehealth intervention for TWC. Participants were TWC ≥ 18 years living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with at least one structural barrier to care and clinicians ≥18 years who provide care to TWC. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic coding and content analysis; barriers for TWC were categorized into Individual, Organizational, and Environmental levels. Several day-long meetings with TWC and stakeholders were convened to develop the intervention. RESULTS Saturation of theme on barriers to care was reached with 22 interviews. Identified barriers to service receipt included survival, instability, temporal discounting, and prioritizing hormone therapy over care, incongruence between providers and patients, pessimism, and lack of cultural competency. Each was intentionally addressed with the telehealth intervention. CONCLUSIONS Data informed the development of an innovative and customized telehealth intervention for TWC. Through the integration of technology and peer consultant outreach, we developed a novel approach that can address population-specific challenges to care. Further development of this model may be able to improve health outcomes among TWC.
Preliminary study of whole body MR diffusion weighted imaging in detecting pediatric primary and metastatic malignant tumor

Objective To assess the efficacy of whole body diffusion weighted imaging (WB-DWI) in detecting pediatric primary and metastatic malignant tumor. Methods WB-DWI was performed in 62 healthy pediatric volunteers and 40 pediatric patients with confirmed malignant tumors. The healthy volunteers were divided into three groups: 0 to 12 months, more than 12 months to 5 years and more than 5 to 15 years. The characteristics of WB-DWI imaging were analyzed. McNemar test was used to compare the difference of detection on metastasis between WB-DWI and WB-DWI combined with MRI, CT. The mean apparent diffusion coefficient ( ADC ) values of primary tumors and metastases were measured by using paired t test and compared with those of corresponding body regions of control group. Results WB-DWI imaging shows that signal intensity of metaphysis gradually reduces with increasing age in the normal pediatric group. On WB-DWI primary malignant tumors showed 100％ (40/40) high signal intensity and metastases showed high signal intensity in 89.2％ (58/65) on WB-DWI, with a positive predictive value of 90. 6％ (58/64). The detecting rate for metastases increased to 95.4％ (62/65) when WB-DWI was combined with MRL/CT, with a positive predictive value of 95.4％ (62/65) there was no statistically significant difference ( x2 = 2. 25, P ＞ 0. 05 ). The ADC values of primary malignant tumor sites in head ( n = 5), liver(n=6), kidney(n=8), adrenal(n=ll) were (0.76 ±0. 19) ×10-3 , (0. 97 ±0.29) × 10-3,(0. 81 ±0. 12) × 10-3 and (0. 93 ±0. 28) × 10-3mm2/s and those of corresponding body regions of control group were (1.02 ±0. 11) × 10-3,(1.57 ±0.58) × 10-3, (1.19 ±0. 15) × 10-3 and (2.03 ±0.42) ×10-3mm2/s respectively, there were statistically significant difference( t values were 3.54,3. 84,7. 02 and 12. 57 ;P ＜ 0. 05 ). The A DC values of metastases sites in head ( n = 9 ), liver ( n = 13 ), kidney ( n = 17 ),bone(n =7) and lymph node(n =6) were (0. 88 ±0. 12) × 10-3, (0. 98 ±0. 10) × 10-3, (0. 89 ±0. 11 ) × 10-3, (0. 96 ±0. 15) × 10-3 and (0. 83 ±0. 14) × 10-3mm2/s, and those of corresponding body regions of control group were (1.01 ±0.09) × 10-3, (1.45 ±0.39) × 10-3, ( 1.31 ±0.27) × 10-3, ( 1.34 ±0. 20) × 10 -3 and ( 0. 99 ± 0. 08 ) × 10 -3 mm2/s, there were statistically significant difference ( t values 4. 09,45.50,6. 95,14. 00 and 9. 27 ;P ＜ 0. 05 ). Conclusions Increased signal intensity is more frequently observed in metaphysis of long bone in normal children on WB-DWI. With a high detection rate for primary and metastatic malignant tumors, WB-DWI combined with conventional CT; MRI can significantly improve their sensitivity. Key words: Child; Neoplasms, second primary; Magnetic resonance imaging
Multilevel Orthopedic Surgery for Patients with Cerebral Palsy

Single event multilevel surgery (SEMLS) refers to the concept of performing multiple orthopedic procedures during one operative event so as to limit the number of hospitalizations and life-altering disruptions for patients and caregivers. Instrumented three-dimensional motion analysis techniques have advanced our understanding of gait deviations in individuals with cerebral palsy so that surgeons can be more confident in treatment decision-making. By observing children during their younger years, health-care providers can document functional issues and help target treatment to specific problems. Nonoperative treatments such as stretching, bracing, orthotics, therapies, medications, and tone management procedures offer options for many individuals, but surgery is often recommended for specific gait deviations. Ideally, combining as many of these surgical procedures and rehabilitation periods into single events can limit psychosocial and financial costs.
Sediment retention by natural landscapes in the conterminous United States.

Abstract Soils provide vital ecosystem services, from sequestering carbon to providing food and moderating floods. Soil erosion threatens the provisioning of these services and degrades downstream water quality. Vegetation plays an important role in soil retention: by holding it in place, soil can continue to provide ecosystem goods and services and protect water resources. The aims of this study were to: (1) develop a 30-meter resolution map of erosion in the conterminous United States, and (2) quantify the soil retention service of natural vegetation. Using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and physiographic and remote sensing datasets, we estimated sheet and rill erosion. We also developed a map of sediment delivery ratio to connect erosion to downstream delivery using hydrologic connectivity. The estimated sheet and rill erosion in the conterminous United States was 1.55 Pg yr−1, of which 0.52 Pg yr−1 reached waterbodies. Natural land cover prevents 12.3 Pg yr−1 of sheet and rill erosion and 5.1 Pg yr−1 in delivery to waterbodies. The value of natural land cover in retaining sediment is a function of the land cover, physiographic characteristics, and spatial context. This study has implications for spatial prioritization of natural land cover preservation and agricultural land management to minimize sediment erosion and delivery.
Length of Hospital Stay and Ventilator Days Among Trauma Patients With Major Psychiatric Illness

Background: Little research has been done on individuals with major psychiatric illness and longer mechanical ventilation and hospital stays. The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanisms of association between major psychiatric illness and mechanical ventilation days, length of hospital stay, and total ICU days. Methods: Data for this study consisted of subjects admitted to the intensive care unit in a level-1 trauma center after a motor vehicle accident from January 2011- September 2015 (n=2,802). Wilcoxon rank sum test and chi-square tests were used to determine differences between those with major psychiatric illness and without psychiatric illness for demographics, injury severity score (ISS), substance use, and clinical outcomes. Mediation models were computed for associations between psychiatric illness and clinical outcomes through alcohol and drug use. R 3.5.3 and Mplus (version 8) were used in this analysis. The university institutional review board approved this study. Results: Among all participants (n=2,802), 5.5% (n=155) were classified as having a major psychiatric illness. Mechanical ventilation days were higher among those with psychiatric illness (4.90) compared to those without (4.86). A higher percentage of those with major psychiatric illness had an alcohol use disorder (14.7%) compared to those without psychiatric illness (5.1%) (P Conclusions: Appropriate measures should be used to reduce length of stay, ICU stay, and mechanical ventilation days among those with major psychiatric illnesses.
It Doesn’t Take a Village to Fall for Misinformation: Social media use, discussion heterogeneity preference, worry of the virus, faith in scientists, and COVID-19-related misinformation beliefs

Abstract With the circulation of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization has raised concerns about an “infodemic,” which exacerbates people’s misperceptions and deters preventive measures. Against this backdrop, this study examined the conditional indirect effect of social media use and discussion heterogeneity preference on COVID-19-related misinformation beliefs in the United States, using a national survey. Findings suggested that social media use was positively associated with misinformation beliefs, while discussion heterogeneity preference was negatively associated with misinformation beliefs. Furthermore, worry of COVID-19 was found to be a significant mediator as both associations became more significant when mediated through worry. In addition, faith in scientists served as a moderator that mitigated the indirect effect of discussion heterogeneity preference on misinformation beliefs. That is, among those who had stronger faiths in scientists, the indirect effect of discussion heterogeneity preference on misinformation belief became more negative. The findings revealed communication and psychological factors associated with COVID-19-related misinformation beliefs and provided insights into coping strategies during the pandemic.
Impact of Patient Prosthesis Mismatch on the Outcome of Transcatheter Pulmonic Valve Implantation.

Patient prosthesis mismatch (PPM) is an important factor of the outcome in transcatheter aortic valve implantation. However, the impact of PPM in transcatheter pulmonic valve implantation (TPVI) has not been studied. Based on the narrowest valve stent diameters in two views of fluoroscopy, internal geometric orifice area (GOA) of the valve stent was calculated and indexed by body surface area (BSA), deriving iGOA. To define PPM in TPVI, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis for iGOA for predicting significant residual right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) gradient was used to derive the optimal cut-off value of iGOA. Our cohort were divided into 2 groups: PPM versus non-PPM. The clinical data were compared between 2 groups. TPVI was performed using Melody valve in 101 patients. Significant RVOT residual pressure gradient (≥ 15 mmHg) was observed in 31 patients (39.6%). Over a mean follow up periods of 6.9 ± 2.7 years, 22 patients (21.8%) required repeat interventions (16 transcatheter, 11 surgical, and both in 5 patients). Based on the ROC analysis, the best cut-off value of iGOA was 1.25 cm2/m2 (area under the curve 0.873, p
One-Dimensional Edge Contacts to Two-Dimensional Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides: Uncovering the Role of Schottky-Barrier Anisotropy in Charge Transport across Mo S 2 /Metal Interfaces

Low-resistance ohmic contacts are a prerequisite for implementing two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDs) in a host of applications. Edge contacts offer unique advantages, yet their electrical properties are not fully understood. Employing an $a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}b$ $i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o$ framework, the authors find that edge contacts to monolayer MoS${}_{2}$ are pinned to a charge-neutrality level close to the valence band and are $p$-type---unlike typical $n$-type top contacts. This anisotropy in Fermi-level pinning complicates conduction through metal-TMD interfaces and affects design guidelines for low-resistance contacts. Challenges, potential mitigating solutions, and opportunities that leverage this anisotropy are discussed.
American Sign Language Video Anonymization to Support Online Participation of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Users

Without a commonly accepted writing system for American Sign Language (ASL), Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) ASL signers who wish to express opinions or ask questions online must post a video of their signing, if they prefer not to use written English, a language in which they may feel less proficient. Since the face conveys essential linguistic meaning, the face cannot simply be removed from the video in order to preserve anonymity. Thus, DHH ASL signers cannot easily discuss sensitive, personal, or controversial topics in their primary language, limiting engagement in online debate or inquiries about health or legal issues. We explored several recent attempts to address this problem through development of “face swap” technologies to automatically disguise the face in videos while preserving essential facial expressions and natural human appearance. We presented several prototypes to DHH ASL signers (N=16) and examined their interests in and requirements for such technology. After viewing transformed videos of other signers and of themselves, participants evaluated the understandability, naturalness of appearance, and degree of anonymity protection of these technologies. Our study revealed users’ perception of key trade-offs among these three dimensions, factors that contribute to each, and their views on transformation options enabled by this technology, for use in various contexts. Our findings guide future designers of this technology and inform selection of applications and design features.
The BRD9/7 Inhibitor TP-472 Blocks Melanoma Tumor Growth by Suppressing ECM-Mediated Oncogenic Signaling and Inducing Apoptosis

Melanoma accounts for the majority of all skin cancer-related deaths and only 1/3rd of melanoma patients with distal metastasis survive beyond five years. However, current therapies including BRAF/MEK targeted therapies or immunotherapies only benefit a subset of melanoma patients due to the emergence of intrinsic or extrinsic resistance mechanisms. Effective treatment of melanoma will thus require new and more effective therapeutic agents. Towards the goal of identifying new therapeutic agents, we conducted an unbiased, druggable epigenetic drug screen using a library of 32 epigenetic inhibitors obtained from the Structural Genome Consortium that targets proteins encoding for epigenetic regulators. This chemical genetic screening identified TP-472, which targets bromodomain-7/9, as the strongest inhibitor of melanoma growth in both short- and long-term survival assays and in mouse models of melanoma tumor growth. Mechanistically, using a transcriptome-wide mRNA sequencing profile we identified TP-472 treatment downregulates genes encoding various extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including integrins, collagens, and fibronectins. Reactome-based functional pathway analyses revealed that many of the ECM proteins are involved in extracellular matrix interactions required for cancer cell growth and proliferation. TP-472 treatment also upregulated several pro-apoptotic genes that can inhibit melanoma growth. Collectively, our results identify BRD7/9 inhibitor TP-472 as a potentially useful therapeutic agent for melanoma therapy.
An Anatomic Study of the Sural Nerve Using 3-Tesla MRI: A Comparison to Cadaveric Data With Surgical Applications:

Background:The sural nerve (SN) is a sensory cutaneous nerve that is at risk of iatrogenic injury during surgery at the lateral ankle. Prior anatomic studies of the SN are limited primarily to cada...
Travel Insurance: Protecting Lesbian and Gay Parent Families Across State Lines

Until recently, when a lesbian couple had a child through artificial insemination, only one member of the couple was considered the legal parent of the resulting child at the moment of birth. Today, in a small but growing number of states, this is no longer the case. Instead, in this small group of states, from the moment of birth, both members of the couple are treated as legal parents of a child born to the couple through artificial insemination. While this advancement in state law is tremendously important for many children, the resulting protections are extremely tenuous. These children are assured protection only so long as they and their families remain in one place, never crossing state lines. This essay explores why this legal vulnerability exists and offers a proposal for mitigating this potentially harmful state of affairs.
Poland: “the police are not the public and the public are not the police”

In the fall of 1989 Poland was the first Eastern European country to free itself from Soviet domination. One of the strongest arms of the communist regime was the Militia, also called the Civic Militia. The main objective of this organization was not strict law enforcement, service, nor emergency response. Despite the initial goal of crime fighting, in reality, the Militia closely cooperated with the Security Bureau and in effect served the role of political police, aiming and targeting political opposition to the communist regime. Presents a study which aimed to analyze the difficult transformation police organizations face in the Eastern European bloc, and the impact of this transformation on the public’s perception of the new police role within the framework of police‐community relations. Owing to the scarcity of information available from the local law enforcement agencies the study largely relied on journalistic sources. Recognizes the limitation of such an analysis and presents the findings and conclusions accordingly.
Spectral Analysis of Wave Motion

It has long been known that an arbitrary time signal can be thought of as the superposition of many sinusoidal components, that is, it has a distribution or spectrum of components. Working in terms of the spectrum is called spectral analysis. In wave analysis, the time domain for a motion or response is from minus infinity to plus infinity. Functions in this domain are represented by a continuous distribution of components which is known as its continuous Fourier transform (CFT). However, the numerical evaluation and manipulation of the components requires discretizing the distribution in some manner — the one chosen here is by way of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT). This has the significant advantage that it allows the use of the very efficient fast Fourier transform (FFT) computer algorithm.
Molecular computing with dna self-assembly

Synthetic biology is an emerging technology field whose goal is to use biology as a substrate for engineering. Self-assembly is one of the many methods for fabricating such synthetic biosystems. Self-assembly is a process where components spontaneously arrange themselves into organized aggregates by the selective affinity of substructures. DNA is an excellent candidate for making synthetic biological systems using self-assembly because of its modular structure and simple chemistry. This thesis describes several techniques which use DNA as a nano-construction material and explores the computational capabilities of DNA self-assembly. For this dissertation, I set out to build a biomolecular computing device with several useful properties, including compactness, robustness, high degrees of complexity, flexibility, scalability and easily characterized yields and convergence rates. However, a unified device that satisfies all these properties is still many years away. Instead, this thesis presents designs, simulations, and experimental results for several distinct DNA nano-systems, as well as experimental protocols, each of which satisfies a subset of the above-mentioned properties. The hope is that the lessons learned from building all these biomolecular computational devices would bring us closer to our ultimate goal and would eventually pave the path for a computing device that satisfies all the properties. We experimentally demonstrate how we can reduce errors in tiling assembly using an optimized set of physical parameters. We propose a novel DNA tile design which enforces directionality of growth, reducing assembly errors. We build simulation models to characterize damage in fragile nanostructures under the impact of various external forces. Furthermore, we investigate reversible computation as a means to provide self-repairability to such damaged structures. We suggest two modifications of an existing DNA computing device, called Whiplash PCR machine, which allow it to operate robustly outside of controlled laboratory conditions and allow it to implement a simple form of inter-device communication. We present analysis techniques which characterize the yields and time convergence of self-assembled DNA nanostructures. We also present an experimental demonstration of a novel DNA nanostructure which is capable of tiling the plane and could prove to be a way of building 3D DNA assemblies.
Etiology and Management of the Compromised Patient with Fever and Pulmonary Infiltrates

The immunocompromised patient in whom fever and pneumonitis develop presents a formidable challenge to the clinician. A legion of microbial invaders ranging from common viral and bacterial pathogens to exotic fungal and protozoan agents have been reported to cause pulmonary infection in these patients. Given the array of infectious etiologies, it is little wonder that pneumonia is the most frequent cause of fatal infection in the compromised host.1–8 For example, in one large series of 227 renal transplant patients, inflammatory disease of the lung occurred in 20% of patients and was associated with 50% of fatalities.6 Patients with acute leukemia in relapse develop an episode of pneumonia approximately once every 60 days at risk.9 In patients with hematologic malignancy who developed fever and pulmonary infiltrates, the mortality rate (45%) was five times that for such patients with fever alone.10
New ways of looking at masks with the SHARP EUV microscope

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) microscopy is invaluable for the development of EUV photomasks, providing detailed information for the creation of new mask processes, and reliable feedback for comparison with printing studies. The SHARP microscope at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is dedicated to photomask research. It was developed with forward-looking specifications that make it well suited to the emulation of current EUV lithography tools and a variety of possible future directions. Some recent examples include (1) the demonstration of imaging with 4x numerical aperture values up to 0.625, measuring patterns with feature sizes down to 30-nm half-pitch, created with a tin-based photoresist serving as the absorber. (2) The emulation of complex, free-form illuminators used in source-mask optimization, including grayscale pupil fills. (3) Point by point phase measurement from aerial image measurements using several techniques. (4) Direct observation of non-telecentric, through-focus imaging effects that arise from the angular-dependence of the mask’s multilayer coating properties. In addition, we are preparing to extend SHARP imaging to include anamorphic optics, an emerging area of EUV lithography research.
Resilience of the natural arthropod community on apple to external disturbance

. 1 A naturally evolved arthropod community in a 6-year-old apple orchard was treated with three applications of permethrin; a second naturally evolved community was studied as an untreated control. Disturbance to the community was measured with Shannon's index of species diversity for the phytophagous and beneficial portions of the community. 2 Initially, there was a reduction in diversity of both phytophagous and beneficial arthropods because of the insecticide. Reduction in diversity was a result of both lower number of species and lower evenness of species abundance. 3 Two months after the last permethrin spray, there was no difference between diversity in the phytophagous community, but the beneficial community was more diverse in the treated orchard than in the untreated control. 4 The year after treatment there were few differences between the phytophagous communities, but the beneficial community was more diverse in the treated orchard than in the untreated orchard in May and early June; however, by September the beneficial community was less diverse in the treated orchard. 5 Although diversity statistics of the phytophagous communities were similar 15 months after treatment, differences still remained with the treated community being dominated by more r-selected species and the control orchard dominated by more K-selected species. 6 The arthropod community on apple has a high level of stability as reflected by its resilience to a severe external disturbance. This stability would allow for large, but infrequent, disturbances for pest management and still maintain long-term ecological equilibrium in the community.
Skeletal muscle satellite cells: changes in proliferation potential as a function of age

Skeletal muscle satellite cells were isolated from soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles of Sprague-Dawley rats at selected ages between 6 days and 30 months and grown in cell culture. Cells at each donor age were monitored individually to determine the number of progeny they were capable of producing. Under identical in vitro conditions, the average number of progeny produced was inversely proportional to donor age. Hence, the proliferation potential of satellite cells decreases with age.
A preclinical study of prostate sentinel lymph node mapping with [99mTC]diethylenetetramine pentaacetic acid-mannosyl-dextran.

Purpose: SLN identification could improve the pathological staging of prostate cancer. Prior SLN studies have been compromised by delayed radiotracer uptake rates and significant diffusion rates out of the sentinel nodes. Lymphoseek™ is a new radiopharmaceutical specifically designed for SLN mapping. It shows rapid and sustained SLN uptake.Materials and Methods: We investigated the use of Lymphoseek™ for prostate SLN mapping by measuring SLN uptake in 12 anesthetized pigs. The prostate was injected with 0.05 ml of a 1:1 volume per volume mixture of Lymphazurin™ and 1.0 mCi Lymphoseek™ (1 nmole). Within 5 to 19 minutes the pelvic lymph nodes were dissected and assayed with a γ probe. A lymph node was considered a sentinel node if it had count rates that exceeded 10 times the background count. We calculated the percent of injected dose of each lymph node excised and the prostate gland.Results: A total of 35 SLNs were identified in the 12 studies. Of the SLNs 81% were located outside of the obturator fossa i...
Synthesis of Oxadiazole-2-oxide Analogues as Potential Antischistosomal Agents.

The synthesis of several 1,2,5-oxadiazole-2-oxide (Furoxan) analogues is described herein. These compounds were prepared in an effort to probe the SAR around the phenyl substituent and oxadiazole core for our studies toward thioredoxin-glutathione reductase (TGR) inhibition and antischistosomal activity.
Venlafaxine-tramadol similarities

Venlafaxine and tramadol are relatively new compounds indicated for the treatment of depression and pain, respectively. These agents share a number of molecular and pharmacological features that may allow for broader and overlapping therapeutic indications for both drugs. Additionally, certain patient populations with coexisting depression and pain syndromes could potentially be treated with a single agent.
Paper: Production planning and scheduling for an integrated container company

This paper describes a hierarchy of models and information systems being developed by integrated producers of corrugated containers to aid in the process of planning and scheduling their operations. The initial focus is on eight easily identifiable decision areas and the tools available to deal with them. The eight decision areas are paper machine loading, master scheduling, trimming, boxcar loading, stock size selection, inventory replenishment, corrugator combining, and finishing and shipping scheduling. The remainder of the paper identifies the major interactions among these decision areas and the systems required to deal with them.
Effects of melittin on adipocyte metabolism unrelated to lysophospholipid accumulation

Melittin addition to rat or hamster adipocytes resulted in inhibition of lipolysis, cyclic AMP accumulation and glucose oxidation. Low concentrations of melittin were not insulin-like with respect to either stimulation of glucose metabolism or inhibition of lipolysis. Higher concentrations of melittin lysed adipocytes. In the presence of melittin, cellular phospholipids were released to the medium and hydrolyzed with little accumulation of lysophospholipids. Only in adipocytes incubated with melittin contaminated with phospholipase A2 was any appreciable accumulation of lysophospholipids seen and this was in the medium. These data suggest that the toxic effects of melittin on adipocytes are not due to the accumulation of lysophospholipids but rather to the loss of membrane phospholipids or alterations in membrane proteins.
Toward building a comprehensive data mart

To uncover new relationships or patterns one must first build a corpus of data or what some call a data mart. How can we make sure we have collected all the pertinent data and have maximized coverage? There are hundreds of search engines that are available for use on the Internet today. Which one is best? Is one better for one problem and a second better for another? Are meta-search engines better than individual search engines? In this paper we look at one possible approach in developing a methodology to compare a number of search engines. Before we present this methodology, we first provide our motivation towards the need for increased coverage. We next investigate how we can obtain ground truth and what the ground truth can provide us in the way of some insight into the Internet and search engine capabilities. We then conclude our discussion by developing a methodology in which we compare a number of the search engines and how we can increase overall coverage and thus a more comprehensive data mart.
A note on the hidden added costs of RIA test adoption.

This brief communication shows how adoption of the Radio Immune Assay (RIA) test will increase outdating of blood and also increase the average age of blood used for transfusion. The results are based on the assumption that each test will take approximately one day and that a random draw issuing policy will be applied to both free and crossmatched blood.
Contribution of transition metals in the reactive oxygen species activity of PM emissions from retrofitted heavy-duty vehicles

Abstract We assessed the contribution of water-soluble transition metals to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity of diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) from four heavy-duty vehicles in five retrofitted configurations (V-SCRT, Z-SCRT, DPX, hybrid, and school bus). A heavy-duty truck without any control device served as the baseline vehicle. Particles were collected from all vehicle-configurations on a chassis dynamometer under three driving conditions: cruise (80 km h −1 ), transient UDDS, and idle. A sensitive macrophage-based in vitro assay was used to determine the ROS activity of collected particles. The contribution of water-soluble transition metals in the measured activity was quantified by their removal using a Chelex ® complexation method. The study demonstrates that despite an increase in the intrinsic ROS activity (per mass basis) of exhaust PM with use of most control technologies, the overall ROS activity (expressed per km or per h) was substantially reduced for retrofitted configurations compared to the baseline vehicle. Chelex treatment of DEPs water extracts removed a substantial (≥70%) and fairly consistent fraction of the ROS activity, which ascertains the dominant role of water-soluble metals in PM-induced cellular oxidative stress. However, relatively lower removal of the activity in few vehicle-configurations (V-SCRT, DPX and school bus idle), despite a large aggregate metals removal, indicated that not all species were associated with the measured activity. A univariate regression analysis identified several transition metals (Fe, Cr, Co and Mn) as significantly correlated ( R > 0.60; p
Detection of EMI sources in portable radios

The digital signalling of certain communication products (e.g., trunked radios) requires that high speed logic and RF circuits be associated. Very often the close proximity of logic devices to RF boards can cause undesired desense phenomena, which, if not identified early in the design phase, add costs and delays to the delivery of a new product. This paper describes a simple device that can help the designer identify potential EM interference sources and characterize their strength and nature. Some EM signatures, over a broad band and at a single frequency, of a high speed logic board are shown.
Demographic and relationship predictors of paternity establishment for infants born to adolescent mothers.

Abstract Study Objective To identify demographic and relationship characteristics associated with paternity establishment for children born to adolescent mothers. Participants, Setting, and Design This prospective cohort study included 300 pregnant adolescents 12-19 years old, presenting for prenatal care between March 2002 and February 2005. Demographic and relationship characteristics were compared based on paternity establishment (father's name on the infant's birth certificate). Main Outcome Measure Paternity establishment (father's name on the infant's birth certificate). Results Of the 273 participants with outcome data, 54% established paternity. Paternity establishment differed by maternal race/ethnicity (69% Hispanic vs 36% non-Hispanic Black vs 52% non-Hispanic White, P = .01), maternal age (37% for 12-15 years vs 64% for 18-19 years, P = .01), maternal country of birth (48% U.S. born vs 76% non-U.S. born, P = .01), relationship with father of the infant, and father involvement at the time of delivery. Conclusion Paternity establishment rates for children born to teens were low overall. To increase rates of paternity establishment, policies and programs need to consider the unique characteristics and circumstances of teen parents.
Cannabis Withdrawal Among Detained Adolescents: Exploring the Impact of Nicotine and Race

Rates of marijuana use among detained youths are exceptionally high. Research suggests a cannabis withdrawal syndrome is valid and clinically significant; however, these studies have mostly been conducted in highly controlled laboratory settings with treatment-seeking, White adults. The present study analyzed archival data to explore the magnitude of cannabis withdrawal symptoms within a diverse sample of detained adolescents while controlling for tobacco use and investigating the impact of race on symptom reports. Adolescents recruited from a juvenile correctional facility (N=93) completed a background questionnaire and the Marijuana Withdrawal Checklist. Analyses revealed a significant main effect for level of tobacco use on severity of irritability, and for level of marijuana use on severity of craving to smoke marijuana and strange/wild dreams. Furthermore, a significant main effect for race was found with Black adolescents reporting lower withdrawal discomfort scores and experiencing less severe depressed mood, difficulty sleeping, nervousness/anxiety, and strange/wild dreams. Although exploratory, these findings may have significant clinical implications for providers in juvenile detention facilities, allowing the execution of proper medical and/or behavioral interventions to assist adolescents presenting with problematic cannabis and/or tobacco withdrawal.
Evaluation of a new sealed reentrant well chamber for HDR and LDR brachytherapy calibrations

A new reentrant ionization chamber SNC 1008 has been introduced for low dose rate (LDR) and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy source calibrations. There is no air density correction requirement for the chamber since it is hermetically sealed. In this study we evaluate its use for HDR as well as LDR source calibrations. The magnitude of the ionization current collected was found to be independent of the sign of the polarizing voltage within ±0.5%. The axial response curve of the well chamber reveals a “plateau region” ( ±0.5% dose variation) of 4.2 cm, which is larger than the published values for other commercially available chambers. Long-term stability of the chamber was evaluated. Short-term response and source positioning reproducibility were tested using both LDR and HDR sources. Ion collection efficiency was found to be high, making the chamber suitable for HDR 192 Ir sources.
Private Schools in America

THE letter on “The Public Schools in Great Britain” (NATURE, Sept. 19, p. 351), in its references to the system in America, does not show much acquaintance with the American scene.
Therapy of heart failure

Therapy of heart failure. The incidence and prevalence of heart failure is on the rise. It has become the single most expensive health care item in the United States and the number one discharge diagnosis in the elderly. The goals of therapy include both prevention and treatment of heart failure. In recent years research studies and randomized clinical trials have revolutionized the understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of this disease. This article focuses on the medical management of chronic systolic heart failure based on the pathophysiology of the disease. Systolic heart failure is characterized by a decrease in left ventricular function and cardiac output, which results in activation of several neurohormonal compensatory systems. The long term effects of this neurohormonal activation leads to further deterioration of cardiac function. The use of hydralazine and nitrates to reduce the systemic vascular resistance was the first to show an improvement in mortality and morbidity. Then angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, by inhibiting the renin angiotensin system, demonstrated a greater improvement in mortality and morbidity. More recently the inhibition of the sympathetic stimulation with beta-blockers has been shown to have an additive effect on morbidity and mortality in combination with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Digoxin and diuretics remain important for improving symptoms and decreasing hospitalizations but have not been shown to decrease mortality. The most recent advance in the treatment of cardiac failure is the demonstration that the aldosterone antagonists, spironolactone decreases morbidity and mortality.
Urine elimination of an oral salt and fluid load in healthy children.

Summary A method for studying renal response to an oral sodium and fluid load has been tested in a group of normal children aged 8 to 14 years. An oral sodium load of 80 mEq/1.73BSA was given after water diuresis was induced. Urine wascollectedhourlybyspontaneous voiding. At the time of the study the glomer-ular filtration rate and clearance of PAH was determined by the single injection technique. After the salt load was given the urinary sodium excretion was increased for 2 hours. Thereafter it reached a fairly stable level which was maintained at least during the next 4 hours. This response was a concomitant finding in all the children studied. It was thereafter considered justified to estimate the renal response to the salt load as the mean urinary sodium excretion from the third to the sixth hour after sodium administration. The urinary sodium excretion was then found to be 16 ± 1.8 mEq/hr/1.73BSA. When the salt load was doubled the urinary sodium excretion was increased by a factor of 1.6. Various explanations for this deviation from complete dose-response are discussed. It is suggested that the test is used in the evaluation in the control of sodium homeostasis in patients with renal and circulatory disturbances.
Picosecond laser pulse generation in a monolithic self-Q-switched solid-state laser

Abstract We report the generation of laser pulses of 290-ps duration with 8-μJ pulse energy in single longitudinal mode and single transverse mode in a diode-end-pumped monolithic self-Q-switched Cr,Nd:YAG laser.
An Interactive Web Site for Teaching the Simple Economics of Easter Island

URL: http://www.plu.edu/~reimanma/easter_island/ Brander and Taylor (1998) built a model of renewable resource use on Easter Island based on simple Ricardian and Malthusian principles encountered b...
High temperature; stable, spectrally selective solar absorbers for thermochemical hydrogen production

Abstract The thermochemical reduction of water by reactions similar to the Mark I process requires a processing temperature of 730°C. The efficient utilization of solar photothermal energy conversion, in distributed collector systems, to attain this temperature will require the use of suitable spectrally selective surfaces which are stable at the operating temperature. A coating system with demonstrated high temperature capability has been developed at the Optical Sciences Center under NSF/RANN sponsorship. A silicon thin film absorber is deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a silver thin film reflector. This optical stack is fabricated at temperatures in excess of 800°C, and the CVD technology is amenable to large scale production in a flow-through system. At 500°C the present Si-Ag system has typical solar absorptance and total normal emittance values of 0.75 and 0.06, respectively. Samples were fabricated which maintained their high spectral selectivity after 2000 thermal cycles between 150°C and 450°C, and after 100 h at 600°C. Further process studies now underway indicate that the solar absorptance can be improved to better than 0.85 by employing a Si-Ge multilayer absorber and that the operating range of the stacks can potentially be raised to the 800–900°C range by employing a refractory metal thin film reflector.
Mitral valve disease in pregnancy

Abstract Mitral valve disease is most commonly of rheumatic origin. Mitral stenosis is the most common of these and the most serious. Ventricular filling time is critical in women with mitral stenosis, and tachycardia may significantly interfere with filling time. Pregnancy conditions associated with tachycardia include pain, infection, hypertension, anemia, and blood loss. The postpartum period is the most dangerous time for women with mitral stenosis because of all of the fluid changes. Women with severe disease may benefit from invasive hemodynamic monitoring to assure adequate preload and prevent failure. Women with mitral insufficiency generally tolerate pregnancy well. Cardiac decompensation may rarely occur, especially in women with severe, long-standing disease. Women with mitral valve disease may have atrial enlargement and atrial tachyarrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation. Thus, they may be prone to thromboembolic phenomena. Such women should be treated with heparin. All women with mitral valve disease should receive subacute bacterial endocarditis prophylaxis. The majority of pregnant women with mitral valve disease can deliver vaginally, and cesarean section should be reserved for obstetric indications. Regional anesthesia is ideal for intrapartum pain relief, with the possible exception of women with severe mitral stenosis. Finally, these women should be managed by a multidisciplinary team approach to include obstetrician, perinatologist, cardiologist, and anesthesiologist.