cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated analysis of musical structure

Listening to music and perceiving its structure is a fairly easy task for humans, even for listeners without formal musical training. For example, we can notice changes of notes, chords and keys, though we might not be able to name them (segmentation based on tonality and harmonic analysis); we can parse a musical piece into phrases or sections (segmentation based on recurrent structural analysis); we can identify and memorize the main themes or the catchiest parts---hooks---of a piece (summarization based on hook analysis); we can detect the most informative musical parts for making certain judgments ( detection of salience for classification). However, building computational models to mimic these processes is a hard problem. Furthermore, the amount of digital music that has been generated and stored has already become unfathomable. How to efficiently store and retrieve the digital content is an important real-world problem. This dissertation presents our research on automatic music segmentation, summarization and classification using a framework combining music cognition, machine learning and signal processing. It will inquire scientifically into the nature of human perception of music, and offer a practical solution to difficult problems of machine intelligence for automatic musical content analysis and pattern discovery. Specifically, for segmentation, an HMM-based approach will be used for key change and chord change detection; and a method for detecting the self-similarity property using approximate pattern matching will be presented for recurrent structural analysis. For summarization, we will investigate the locations where the catchiest parts of a musical piece normally appear and develop strategies for automatically generating music thumbnails based on this analysis. For musical salience detection, we will examine methods for weighting the importance of musical segments based on the confidence of classification. Two classification techniques and their definitions of confidence will be explored. The effectiveness of all our methods will be demonstrated by quantitative evaluations and/or human experiments on complex real-world musical stimuli. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Theory of reaction mechanisms

2 S to i ch iome t r i c Rela t ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 2.1 U n c a t a l y z e d R e a c t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 2.2 M u l t i p l e S to ich iomet r i es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 2.3 C a t a l y z e d R e a c t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 2.4 C h a n g e o f Basis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Histochemical demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase activity during sequential molar development in the Swiss albino mouse

Applying the ditetrazolium salt (Nitro-BT) method for succinic dehydrogenase, murine molar teeth were studied sequentially from the cap stage of development through the appositional stages of odontogenesis. Reaction-distribution and intensity varied relative to the developmental stage as well as the zone of maturation within a given stage. The peripheral cells of the parent dental lamina exhibited some activity, as did the outer enamel epithelium of the bell stage. During the period of matrix apposition, components of the stratum intermedium, ameloblastic zone and odontoblastic layer region of the dental papilla demonstrated intense enzymatic activity. Cells actively engaged in enamel matrix production demonstrated activity in the basal and distal cell segments. High activity continued in the papillary layer of the enamel organ, as well as in the cells of the dental sac during the postamelogenic period.
Critique without judgment in political theory: Politicization in Foucault’s historical genealogy of Herculine Barbin

The historical specificity of Michel Foucault’s practice of critical genealogy offers a valuable model for political theory today. By bringing into focus its historical attention to detail, we can locate in Foucault’s genealogical philosophy an alternative to prominent assumptions in contemporary political theory. The work of political theory is often positioned in light of an assumed goal of staking political theory to certain political positions, judgments, or normative determinations that already populate the terrain of politics. This goal may be illusory; certainly it is not requisite. The alternative model of political theory in Foucault’s work involves resolutely refusing to take positions in politics so as to enact specific critical politicizations on the terrain of the political. Such a practice of ‘critique without judgment’ is dependent upon the historical attention to specificity brought to bear in genealogical work. This history-centered genealogical model is instructively exemplified in Foucault’s under-discussed introduction to his book Herculine Barbin. Foucault’s curation and discussion of the Barbin dossier offers a concise account of how Foucauldian genealogy engages with historical specificity in order to politicize its objects of inquiry without reducing its own work to the task of issuing a political judgment.
Optimal Energy Management for a Mild Hybrid Vehicle With Electric and Hybrid Engine Boosting Systems

This paper investigates the utilization of two low-voltage hybrid mechanisms on fuel economy improvement of a vehicle with a downsized engine. The first mild hybrid system, configured with a motor, a planetary gear set, and a supercharger, permits switching between parallel hybrid operation and boosting but not both. This constrained flexibility offers additional degrees of freedom, yet it requires a highly optimized decision of which functionality, torque assist, or boost assist, in addition to how much energy to be used by each. The second mild hybrid system also supports supercharging and torque assist but with two separate motors, hence is more flexible. Both systems enable the use of a downsized engine as a competitive counterpart to widely used turbocharged and full hybrid electric powertrains. The optimal control problem for energy management of both configurations on a vehicle with an automatic transmission is formulated and solved using dynamic programming (DP) over standard drive cycles. The results indicate around 25% fuel consumption improvement compared to a baseline turbo-charged engine over the FTP75 cycle, which is around 80% of the full hybridization benefit. The supercharging versus torque assist share and its sensitivity to the drive cycle, battery size, and compressor efficiency, which influence the availability of electric energy and the losses of electrical and mechanical paths, is also investigated. Few causally implementable rules for selecting the single motor system operating mode are found by analysis of the DP solution, and their effectiveness is shown by incorporating into the DP formulation and comparing the resulting fuel consumption.
90 Socioeconomic disparities in lupus nephritis: findings from the southern california lupus registry

Background Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) is a chronic multi-systemic autoimmune disease. Despite therapeutic advancements, lupus nephritis (LN), which occurs in 25%–75% of individuals with SLE, remains a major cause of mortality. Prior studies have demonstrated poor outcomes in SLE occurring more frequently in both ethnic minority groups as well as in those with low socioeconomic status (SES). Factors attributing to greater mortality rates in these populations include patient resistance to treatment, compliance, low SES and genetics. Methods Subjects were selected from SCOLR, a prospective registry enrolling all-comers with SLE. Inclusion criteria were LN subjects with available biopsy report. Subjects with renal transplant and unknown LN class were excluded. Data collected included demographics, insurance information, clinical and serologic variables specifically to establish an SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI). Subjects were categorized by self-reported ethnicity: White Hispanic, White non-Hispanic, Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander. Further sub-analysis was carried out on individuals with public vs. private insurance. Insurance and ethnicity were used as surrogates for socioeconomic status and descriptive statistical analyses were calculated to determine if observed differences were statistically significant. Results One hundred and sixty-two medical charts were reviewed. Of those, 50% of subjects were White Hispanic, 31.8% White non-Hispanic, 8.7% Black, and 6.6% Asian/Pacific Islander. After adjusting for age, sex, and BMI, public insurance was independently associated with the prevalence of LN (p=0.038). We performed a subgroup analysis of the 35 LN subjects to observe the association between SES with treatment outcomes. Proteinuria was higher in subjects with public insurance at baseline and this difference was statistically significant (p=0.053) with a similar trend at 6 months. Baseline and 6 month SLEDAI means were higher in subjects with public compared to private insurance. Baseline, 6 and 12 month SLEDAI means were significantly lower in Asian/PI compared to other ethnic groups. While White non-Hispanics demonstrated SLEDAI improvement over 6 months, the majority of Asians/PI, Blacks, and Hispanics demonstrated no change or worsened disease activity. Conclusions Low socioeconomic status, as determined by the proxy variables of ethnicity and insurance type, is associated with greater mortality in SLE. To our knowledge, this is the first study that compares differences in treatment response in LN patients with low-SES in southern California. Our findings, which confirm the association of SES with long-term outcomes in SLE and LN, are in line with previous studies. More studies with greater power are warranted to validate these findings and improve healthcare outcomes. Funding Source(s): None
Percutaneous Cholecystolithotomy Using Cholecystoscopy

The morbidity and mortality of cholecystectomy can increase to 10% in high surgical risk patients. The technique for percutaneous cholecystolithotomy consists of 3 steps: (1) percutaneous cholecystostomy, (2) tract dilation and cholecystolithotomy, and (3) tract evaluation and catheter removal. Cholecystoscopy is critical in guiding the lithotripsy probe for fragmentation of large stones and is useful for locating small stone fragments not seen in cholangiography. Cholecystoscopy is also useful for assessing ambiguous lesions and in distinguishing between stone vs debris or mass. Technical success rate of percutaneous cholecystolithotomy using cholecystoscopy ranges from 93% to 100%. Procedure related complication rate has been reported as 4%-15%. The most common complication is bile leak during the procedure or after catheter removal. Although recurrence rate of gallstones has been reported up to 40%, the symptom recurrence rate is much lower. Therefore, percutaneous cholecystolithotomy using cholecystoscopy can be an alternative to cholecystectomy in high surgical risk patients with symptomatic gallstones.
Inside the hiring process: how managers assess employability based on grit, the big five, and other factors

Hiring managers' priorities are shifting from traditional criteria such as work experience and education to intrinsic traits such as grit and the big five. The purpose of this study was to investigate how hiring managers assess job seeker employability based on grit, the big five, and other factors. Participants were 100 employers from a three-county area in the Midwest USA. The results indicated that service organisations and goods-focused organisations value grit as a hiring criterion above a point of theoretical indifference. Furthermore, several bivariate relationships were found between grit and the big five. Independent samples t-tests revealed that service companies prioritise conscientiousness more than good-focused organisations. Regression analysis showed that 27% of the variability in grit was explained by other hiring criteria. Implications and theoretical contributions are provided for universities, hiring managers, and jobseekers. Specific recommendations include embracing failure, adopting behavioural-based interviewing practices, and conveying grit in application materials.
Foramen Magnum Meningioma: Far Lateral Approach.

We present a case of a foramen magnum meningioma in a 42-year-old female who presented with headaches for 2 years, associated with decreased sensation and overall feeling of “heaviness” of the right arm. The tumor posed significant mass effect on the brainstem, and given the location of the tumor in the anterolateral region of the foramen magnum, a right far lateral approach was chosen. The approach incorporates the interfascial dissection technique to safely expose and preserve the vertebral artery in the suboccipital triangle. After drilling the posteromedial portion of the occipital condyle and opening the dura, the tumor can be entirely exposed with minimal retraction on the cerebellum. The working space offered by the far lateral approach allows careful dissection at the lateral craniocervical junction, and preservation of the V4 segment of the vertebral artery and the lower cranial nerves. Simpson's grade-2 resection was achieved with coagulation of the dural base around the vertebral artery. The postoperative course was unremarkable for any neurological deficits. At the 2-year follow-up, imaging identified no recurrence of tumor and the patient remains asymptomatic. The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/IMN1O7vO5B0 .
Association between Financial Risk Tolerance and Locus of Control, Sensation Seeking for Pre-Retiree Baby Boomers

Financial risk tolerance is an important concept that helps financial planners recommend financial products to their clients. As the baby boomer generation approaches retirement, research to determine how these individuals perceive financial risk tolerance has grown exponentially. The present study examines the relationship between financial risk tolerance, locus of control, and sensation seeking of the baby boomers.
Navigating and Utilizing Values during Change Processes at Catholic Colleges and Universities

Catholic colleges and universities (CCUs), particularly those of moderate selectivity, are especially vulnerable to changes in the external environment. In addition to external forces, values from the academic tradition as well as those from an institution’s Catholic heritage contribute to change efforts at CCUs. This study uses the lens of general education revision at two Catholic universities to show how leaders and members of sponsoring organizations can effectively navigate these value sets. It reveals that the values of the sponsoring organization can be essential touchstones for organizational change, particularly when members of the organization express their values clearly and seek validation that those values are meaningfully utilized, and that conflicts among values emerging from the academy are more prevalent than those between sponsors’ values and academic values. The study concludes with practical recommendations for members of sponsoring organizations and senior leaders at Catholic colleges and universities.
Procentriole microtubules as drivers of centriole reduplication

Centriole reduplication leads to the formation of supernumerary centrosomes, which promote cellular transformation, invasion and are a hallmark of tumors. A close association between a mother centriole and a procentriole (engagement), established during centriole duplication, intrinsically blocks reduplication. Premature loss of centriole association predisposes centrioles for reduplication and occurs during various types of cell cycle arrests in the presence of high Polo-like kinase 1 activity. Here we use nano-scale imaging and biochemistry to reveal the processes leading to the loss of centriole association and reduplication. We discover that centriole reduplication is driven by events occurring on procentriole microtubule walls. These events are mechanistically different from mitotic centriole separation driven by Pericentrin and Separase but are similar to the physiological process of centriole distancing occurring in unperturbed cycling G2 cells. We propose a concept in which centriole reduplication is a consequence of hijacked and amplified centriole maturation process.
MULTI-MATERIAL ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED COMPOSITE REACTIVE MATERIALS VIA CONTINUOUS FILAMENT DIRECT INK WRITING

Abstract Advances in multi-material additive manufacturing have enabled advancements in the manufacture of composite materials. In this work, a family of thermite-based reactive materials is created and evaluated for the suitability as composite energetic structures. The burn rate with respect to binder ratio is observed to be highly predictable and exponential (coefficients of determination of r T i 2 = 0.984 and r A l 2 = 0.973 ), with composites transitioning from one binder mass fraction to another. To create composites, a single layered syringe and nozzle are used in conjunction with continuous filament direct ink writing. The resulting prints show success in composite structure with a transition zone between printed materials. These results show both a variety of thermite-based energetics with easily modifiable reaction rates and a technique to print said reactive materials to create composite structures.
Application of Generalized Concentration Addition to Predict Mixture Effects of Glucocorticoid Receptor Ligands

Environmental exposures often occur in complex mixtures and at low concentrations. Generalized concentration addition (GCA) is a method used to estimate the joint effect of receptor ligands that vary in efficacy. GCA models have been successfully applied to mixtures of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) ligands, each of which can be modeled as a receptor with a single binding site. Here, we evaluated whether GCA could be applied to homodimer nuclear receptors, which have two binding sites, to predict the combined effect of full glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists with partial agonists. We measured transcriptional activation of GR using a cell-based bioassay. Individual dose response curves for dexamethasone (full agonist), prednisolone (full agonist), and medroxyprogesterone 17-acetate (partial agonist) were generated and applied in three additivity models, GCA, effect summation (ES), and relative potency factor (RPF), to generate response surfaces. GCA and RPF yielded adequate predictions of the experimental data for two full agonists. However, GCA fit experimental data significantly better than ES and RPF for all other binary mixtures. This work extends the application of GCA to homodimer nuclear receptors and improves prediction accuracy of mixture effects of GR agonists.
Epidemiological analysis of malaria in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province from 1950 to 2015

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of malaria and to discover the regularity of malaria outbreaks in Nanchang City from 1950 to 2015, so as to provide a scientific basis for developing control strategies after the goal of malaria elimination has been achieved. Method Malaria related data, report forms and work summary in Nanchang from 1950 to 2015 were collected and analyzed to indicate malaria distribution characteristics via the descriptive epidemiological methods. Results The total number of malaria cases reported in Nanchang City was 1 449 878 from 1950 to 2015. The particular years with the three peaks of malaria epidemic from 1950s to 1970s were 1954, 1970 and 1977. The climax of annual mean incidence rate of malaria (6 948.75 per 100 thousand) was reached in 1970. Totally 1 449 739 local recurrence cases were reported between 1950 and 1999. There were 484 292 local recurrence cases (accounting for 68.80%, 484 292/703 911) that were diagnosed in the malaria epidemic seasons, May to August. There were 44 931, 25 684, 22 614 and 5 842 cases reported in Nanchang County, Xinjian County, Jinxian County and Qingshanhu District, which ranked the top 4 of epidemic focus areas (accounting for 90.65%, 99 071/109 293) between 1980 and 1989. The 13 245 cases reported between 1972 and 1985 in the three county/districts (Jinxian County, Xihu District and Wanli District), included 8 513 cases of male and 4 732 cases of female. The 126 cases reported between 2005 and 2015, included 122 imported cases who were mostly returnees after overseas labor output and 57 falciparum malaria cases with a increasing trend year by year. There was no correlation between the seasonal change and the occurrence of malaria. Conclusions The comprehensive prevention and control measures based on eliminating the source of infection can effectively control the epidemic of malaria. It is suggested that the surveillance on imported falciparum malaria cases should be the focus in prevention and control of the disease at the late-stage because the epidemiological characteristics of local malaria cases have died out completely. Key words: Malaria; Epidemiological analysis; Annual mean incidence rate
Applying Heat and Humidity using Stove Boiled Water for Decontamination of N95 Respirators in Low Resource Settings

Abstract Global shortages of N95 masks have led to an urgent need of N95 decontamination and reuse methods that are scientifically validated and available globally. Although several large scale decontamination methods have been proposed (hydrogen peroxide vapor, UV-C); many of them are not applicable in remote and low resource settings. Heat with humidity has been demonstrated as a promising decontamination approach, but care must be taken when implementing this method at a grassroots level. Here we present a simple method to provide stable humidity and temperature for individual N95 masks which can be simply scaled in low resource settings. Moist heat (>50% humidity, 65-80C temperature) was applied to Kimberly-Clark N95 respirators for over 30 minutes by placing sealed containers with N95 respirators into water that had been brought to a rolling boil and removed from heat, and then allowing the containers to sit for over 45 minutes. After rising to their threshold points, temperature and humidity remained above 65C and 50% for a treatment time of at least 30 minutes. Filtration efficiency of 0.3-4.99um particles remained above 97% after 5 treatment cycles across all particle size sub-ranges, which is consistent with previously-reported data for similar heat and humidity conditions on different N95 FFR models. Although no fit tests were conducted on these masks after treatment, prior data on moist heat based treatment indicates consistent fit for up to five cycles of decontamination. This method of applying heat and humidity for the purpose of N95 respirator decontamination can be implemented on open flame stoves for low resource settings without reliable electricity access or where other methods of decontamination are not accessible. Higher temperatures or longer treatment times, such as treatment at >70C for over 30 minutes, could be achieved by increasing the volumes of boiled water used. Although fresh N95 masks should always be used - whenever available - we believe this simple yet reliable method provides a low cost, electricity free method for N95 decontamination in remote parts of the world.
The effect of imagery and product involvement in copy testing scores of animatics and finished ads: a schemata approach

Although animatics – animated storyboards with voiceovers – and finished ads are often used in copy testing, little research has examined the psychological processes underlying participants’ evalua...
The Tutte Polynomial

So far we have encountered several polynomials associated with a graph, including the chromatic polynomial, the characteristic polynomial and the minimal polynomial Our aim in this chapter is to study a polynomial that gives us much more information about our, graph than any of these.
Urgently needed: a praxis of language awareness among pre-service primary teachers

This paper presents a qualitative analysis of structured student reflection following carefully designed, collaborative student-centered activities to demonstrate how pre-service teachers may initi...
Mutual Inductance in Magnetic Resonance Two-Element Phased-Array Square Coils with Strip and Wire Conductors

Phased-array coils are extensively employed in Magnetic Resonance (MR) as transmitter and receiver radiofrequency (RF) coils due to their large field-of-view (FOV) and their high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Array elements have to be geometrically decoupled for mutual coupling minimization, to achieve coil performance maximization. This paper proposes an analytical method for the mutual inductance calculation between two square loops constituting a 2-element phased-array coil in dependence on the conductor cross-sectional geometry (flat strip and circular wire). Simulation accuracy was evaluated with workbench experimental measurements performed at 21 MHz frequency on two home-built array square coils.
Negative affective states and moral judgment: A closer look at their joint involvement

This paper considers two studies that address negative affective states and moral reasoning while taking the Defining Issues Tests (DIT, DIT2). Both studies confirmed earlier findings that the DIT ...
THE MACROECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE COVID-19 ECONOMIC CRISIS: THE CASE OF SOUTH KOREA

This paper examines the major impacts of COVID-19 on the Korean economy throughout 2020. Since the start of the pandemic, sectoral unevenness of growth, employment inequality, and corporate liquidity preferences have been accelerated. These patterns reflect a continuation of trends that have been developed since the 1997 Asian crisis. As the main approach in examining the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the government policy implemented to cope with them, I focus on the unequal distribution of output and employment shocks across businesses, workers, and households, through which I derive the macroeconomic implications of the pandemic crisis for the Korean economy. Throughout 2020, South Korea has been witnessing income redistribution favorable to big corporations and banks and away from small businesses, non-standard workers, and low-income households. These widening disparities have important macroeconomic implications. LAS IMPLICACIONES MACROECONOMICAS DE LA CRISIS ECONOMICA COVID-19: EL CASO DE COREA DEL SUR RESUMEN En este trabajo se examinan los principales impactos del COVID-19 en la economia de Corea del Sur en 2020. Desde el inicio de la pandemia el crecimiento sectorial desigual, la desigualdad del empleo y las preferencias por la liquidez se han acelerado. Estos patrones reflejan la continuacion de tendencias que se han desarrollado desde la crisis asiatica de 1997. Al revisar los efectos de la crisis COVID-19 y la politica correspondiente implementada por el gobierno, nos enfocamos principalmente en la distribucion desigual del producto y de los choques al empleo entre las empresas, los trabajadores y los hogares mediante lo cual se derivan las implicaciones macroeconomicas de la pandemia para la economia de Corea. A lo largo de 2020, Corea del Sur ha estado experimentando una redistribucion del ingreso favorable a las grandes corporaciones y a los bancos y en disfavor de las pequenas empresas, los trabajadores no estandar y los hogares de bajos ingresos. Estas disparidades crecientes tienen implicaciones macroeconomicas importantes.
The ACE2/Ang-(1–7) Pathway in Cardiac Fibroblasts as a Potential Target for Cardiac Remodeling

Despite advances in its treatment, heart failure prevalence continues to increase and this condition remains a major contributor to mortality and morbidity in both industrialized and developing nations throughout the world. Cardiac remodeling that is activated by injury to the myocardium and/or increased wall stress adversely affects cardiac function over time and is known to play a critical role in the progression of heart failure. Excessive accumulation and stiffening of collagen (i.e., fibrosis) is a well-recognized component of the remodeling process, and it contributes to progression of disease and worsening heart failure by perturbing cardiac contractility, relaxation, and electrical conduction. Cardiac fibroblasts are interstitial cells that are responsible for synthesis and turnover of collagen in the myocardium. Current experimental and clinical evidence suggests that cardiac fibroblasts are an important target when inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) are used to treat heart failure. An alternative pathway of the RAS, involving angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), angiotensin-(1–7) (Ang-(1–7)), and the Mas receptor, has been found recently to be cardioprotective. Evidence suggests that Ang-(1–7), acting predominantly through the Mas receptor, can regulate maladaptive growth-promoting effects of angiotensin ll and inhibit both cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis. This chapter highlights the potential regulatory role of the ACE2/Ang-(1–7)/Mas pathway and how it relates to cardiac fibroblasts during the remodeling process.
Exercise, PGC-1α and metabolic adaptation in skeletal muscle

Endurance exercise promotes skeletal muscle adaptation, and exercise-induced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (Pgc-1α) gene expression may play a pivotal role in the adaptive processes. Recent applications of mouse genetic models and in vivo imaging in exercise studies have started to delineate the signaling-transcription pathways that are involved in the regulation of the Pgc-1α gene. These studies revealed the importance of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/activating transcription factor 2 and protein kinase D/histone deacetylase 5 signaling transcription axes in exercise-induced Pgc-1α transcription and metabolic adaptation in skeletal muscle. The signaling-transcription network that is responsible for exercise-induced skeletal muscle adaption remains to be fully elucidated.
Designing for the Life Sciences: The Epistemology of Elite Life Science Real Estate

Abstract: In this article trends in the design of iconic elite life science buildings is discussed. Four main elite life science buildings of the new century are considered. The buildings reflect things going on in and around elite contemporary life science today, including changing ideas about the relation between the public and science, and about the relation of science to the market. Reading trends in the design of science buildings is a way to follow the evolving epistemology of the life sciences and changing demands of science policy. Keywords: Design; architecture; STS; Life Sciences; buildings.
The role of sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer.

Abstract Background: Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy are new techniques that accurately provide crucial staging information while inflicting far less morbidity than complete axillary dissection. As these techniques continue to gain acceptance, issues such as adequacy of training, certification, and outcomes measures become increasingly important. The purpose of this paper is to report the initial lymphatic mapping experience at the H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute and to provide a detailed description of the technical aspects of lymphatic mapping. Study Design: From April 1994 to April 1998, 700 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancers underwent an IRB-approved prospective trial of lymphatic mapping using a combination of Lymphazurin (USSC, Norwalk, CT) blue dye and filtered technetium 99m-labeled sulfur-colloid. Failure of the procedure was defined as the inability to detect an SLN by either radiocolloid uptake within a lymph node by the gamma probe or the inability to visualize blue staining of a lymph node. Learning curves were then generated as the failure rate versus serial number of patients for each of the 5 surgeons involved in this study. Results: The SLN was identified in 665 of 700 patients (95.0%). A total of 1,348 SLNs were successfully removed, of which 238 (17.7%) were positive for metastatic disease in 176 of 665 patients (26.5%). In patients who underwent a complete axillary dissection after SLN biopsy, SLNs were identified in 173 of 186 patients (93.0%). Of the 173 patients, 53 patients (30.6%) had positive SLNs and 120 patients (69.4%) had negative SLNs. In the 120 patients with negative SLNs, one patient was found to have disease on complete dissection, for a false-negative rate of 0.83% (95% CI: 0.02%, 4.6%). A learning curve representing the mean of the 5 surgeons' experience indicates that on average 23 patients are required by an individual surgeon to achieve a 90% ± 4.5% success rate and 53 patients are required to achieve a 95% ± 2.3% success rate (p = 0.05). Conclusions: These data validate lymphatic mapping and SLN biopsy as indispensable tools in the surgical treatment of breast cancer. With adequate multidisciplinary training, these techniques can be readily implemented at institutions treating breast cancer.
THE MEDIATOR'S ASSESSMENT OF SAFETY ISSUES AND CONCERNS (MASIC): A SCREENING INTERVIEW FOR INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND ABUSE AVAILABLE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

Screening for intimate partner violence and/or abuse (IPV/A) in family mediation is important, perhaps particularly among cases without attorney representation. While most mediators agree that it is ideal to consider IPV/A in case planning, there is less agreement regarding the need to universally and systematically screen for IPV/A among all cases. Such attitudes are of concern, given research in other fields (e.g., medicine, couples therapy) and our own research in a family mediation clinic, which documents that the lack of consistent and formal IPV/A assessment results in underdetection of IPV/A. While a variety of IPV/A screening measures exist, each has shortcomings. Thus, our research and clinical experience led us to develop a new IPV/A screening measure, the Mediator’s Assessment of Safety Issues and Concerns (MASIC). We discuss features of the MASIC and provide the full measure in theAppendix.The MASIC is a behaviorally specific IPV/A screen that assesses various types of abuse (e.g., coercive control, stalking, physical violence) over the course of the relationship and in the past year. It is administered as an interview to build rapport and assesses lethality indicators and offers optional recommendations for procedural changes in mediation based on IPV/A. Although we have begun relevant research, it is important to note that the MASIC has not yet been validated. Nonetheless, we recommend the use of systematic IPV/A screens in family mediation and suggest that such measures may prove especially important in providing unrepresented parties a safe and appropriate environment for mediation. fcre_1339 646..662
Chemical selectivity of nucleobase adduction relative to in vivo mutation sites on exon 7 fragment of p53 tumor suppressor gene

Damage to p53 tumor suppressor gene is found in half of all human cancers. Databases integrating studies of large numbers of tumors and cancer cell cultures show that mutation sites of specific p53 codons are correlated with specific types of cancers. If the most frequently damaged p53 codons in vivo correlate with the most frequent chemical damage sites in vitro, predictions of organ-specific cancer risks might result. Herein, we describe LC-MS/MS methodology to reveal codons with metabolite-adducted nucleobases by LC-MS/MS for oligonucleotides longer than 20 base pairs. Specifically, we used a known carcinogen, benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) to determine the most frequently adducted nucleobases within codons. We used a known sequence of 32 base pairs (bp) representing part of p53 exon 7 with 5 possible reactive hot spots. This is the first nucleobase reactivity study of a double stranded DNA p53 fragment featuring more than 20 base pairs with multiple reactive sites. We reacted the 32 bp fragment with benzo[a]pyrene metabolite BPDE that undergoes nucleophilic substitution by DNA bases. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for sequencing of oligonucleotide products from the reacted 32 bp fragment after fragmentation by a restriction endonuclease. Analysis of the adducted p53 fragment compared with unreacted fragment revealed guanines of codons 248 and 244 as most frequently targeted, which are also mutated with high frequency in human tumors. Codon 248 is mutated in non-small cell and small cell lung, head and neck, colorectal and skin cancer, while codon 244 is mutated in small cell lung cancer, all of which involve possible BDPE exposure. Results suggest the utility of this approach for screening of adducted p53 gene by drugs and environmental chemicals to predict risks for organ specific cancers.
Electrode composition and partial discharges and their role in the breakdown of dielectric elastomer films

The dielectric breakdown strength of the elastomer films used in dielectric elastomer actuators and generators (DEA & DEG) limits the peak actuation strains and maximum efficiency that can be achieved by these electromechanical transducers. In order to reduce the likelihood of failure during their operation, the factors that lead to breakdown should be well understood. Recent efforts in this area have focused on electromechanical and thermal effects that lead to breakdown, however degradation and ultimately breakdown caused by partial discharge activity represent another key way an insulating material can fail. This work presents partial discharge data collected from the VHB4910 (3M) acrylic elastomer, tested using solid stainless steel electrodes, solid graphite electrodes, and powdered carbon electrodes. It is found that degradation due to partial discharge activity does play a role in the breakdown of the samples tested using solid electrodes, and that their detection could provide an indication of the degradation that leads to breakdown. However when powdered carbon electrodes are used, significantly more partial discharge activity occurs between the carbon particles of the electrode on the surface of the dielectric. This obscures the detection of the partial discharges occurring due to internal defects that cause damage to the dielectric.
Aldose Reductase in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Abstract Sugar alcohols have been reported to accumulate in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of diabetic animals. This finding has raised interest in the role of RPE in diabetes-associated retinal changes such as cystoid macular edema. To confirm the presence of aldose reductase in this tissue, the NADPH-dependent enzyme was purified to an apparent homogeneity from cultured human RPE cells, characterized, and its biochemical properties investigated. The induction of aldose reductase by hypertonic stress was also examined. The purification of aldose reductase was performed by a series of chromatographic steps which include gel filtration, affinity chromatography and chromatofocusing. Final purity achieved was monitored by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The kinetic properties and susceptibility to inhibition of the purified aldose reductase were essentially identical to aldose reductase purified from human placenta and kidney. In addition to aldose reductase, chromatofocusing demonstrated the presence of aldehyde reductase, another NADPH-dependent reductase. However, the amounts of aldehyde reductase present were much smaller than those of aldose reductase and the levels of aldehyde reductase appeared too small to contribute to the polyol production in the RPE cells. Culture of RPE cells in hypertonic medium containing 150 mM sodium chloride (600 mosmol total) increased both reductase activity, monitored with d l -glyceraldehyde as substrate, and immunoblot staining for aldose reductase. Chromatofocusing of RPE cells cultured in hypertonic media resulted in a prominent increase in the peak corresponding to aldose reductase compared to the peak height of cells grown in control medium. No increase in aldehyde reductase from RPE cells cultured in hypertonic medium was observed. These results indicate that human RPE cells contain two NADPH-dependent reductases, aldose reductase and aldehyde reductase with aldose reductase being the predominant reductase. Sugar alcohol formation in this tissue is principally catalysed by aldose reductase while the amounts of sugar alcohols generated by aldehyde reductase appear negligible. Only aldose reductase is induced by hypertonic stress. This supports the hypothesis that the aldose reductase mediated polyol production serves as an osmolyte to osmoregulation.
First light on the horizon: The dawn of chemotherapy

LIVING HISTORY One of the monumental discoveries in medicine during the last century was that recorded by Farber et al. in 1948. The team at the Boston Children’s Hospital found that a simple compound administered systemically to children with leukemia caused a remission of the thitherto universally lethal disease. Members of that research team who were then Fellows were asked recently to record their impressions of those heady days. What was it like to see peripheral blood smears, loaded with lymphoblasts, clear with the administration of aminopterin? To be present at such epochal moments in the advance of medicine and science comes but once in a lifetime. Drs. Wolff, Mercer, and Sylvester have graciously consented to let us share in their recollections. An additional echo of those days is provided by Prof. Ravindranath who, by chance, met one of the first patients cured of leukemia 45 years before.
InAs quantum dot laser diodes: structure, characteristics, and temperature dependence

The influence of two monolayer (ML)-thick AlAs under- and overlayers on the formation and properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) has been studied using transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence. The main purpose of this work was to achieve high internal quantum efficiency of the active medium and temperature stability of the laser diodes. Single and multiple layers of 2.0-2.4ML InAs QDs with various combinations of under- and overlayers were grown on GaAs (001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy inside a AlAs/GaAs short-period superlattice. It was found that a 2.4-ML InAs QD layer with GaAs underlayer and 2-ML AlAs overlayer exhibited the lowest QD surface density of 4.2x1010 cm-2 and the largest QD lateral size of about 19 nm as compared to the other combinations of cladding layers. This InAs QD ensemble has also shown the highest room temperature PL intensity with a peak at 1210 nm and the narrowest linewidth, 34 meV. Fabricated edge-emitting lasers using triple layers of 2.2-ML InAs QDs with AlAs overlayer demonstrated 120 A/cm2 threshold current density and 1230 nm emission wavelength at room temperature. Excited state QD lasers have shown high thermal stability of threshold current up to 130 degree(s)C.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Anterior, total, and two-stage corpus callosum section: differential and incremental seizure responses

Published reports suggest that control of generalized seizures is improved by callosotomy but do not necessarily indicate that completion of failed anterior callosotomy is beneficial. We studied 42 patients after anterior callosotomy and 22 after total callosotomy, of whom 14 underwent a two-stage procedure. Cure or marked diminution of seizures was most dramatic for atonic and tonic-clonic seizures after anterior callosotomy (100 and 83%), and for tonic-clonic and tonic seizures after total callosotomy (68 and 57%). For the 14 patients who failed to improve after anterior section and then underwent total section, incremental responses were noted for all seizure types, with cure or marked diminution of partial seizures in 2 of 14 patients, of tonic-clonic seizures in 6 of 10, of tonic seizures in 2 of 4, of atonic seizures in 2 of 5, and of myoclonic seizures in 1 of 1. More than two seizure types, verbal IQ < 80, and diffuse ictal EEG patterns were significantly more common in the anterior callosotomy failures. Total callosotomy can be of benefit when anterior callosotomy fails, especially for persistent tonic-clonic and tonic seizures, and will most often be necessary in patients with diffuse cerebral abnormalities.
Coassembly of amphiphilic peptide EAK16-II with histidinylated analogues and implications for functionalization of β-sheet fibrils in vivo.

Abstract EAK16-II (AEAEAKAKAEAEAKAK) is one of the first building blocks of environmentally responsive materials. This self-assembling peptide undergoes solution-to-gel transition when transferred from a low to high ionic strength environment. Previously we have demonstrated the histidinylated analogue EAKIIH6 (AEAEAKAKAEAEAKAKHHHHHH) coassembles with the parent peptide to render His-tags as a functionalization mechanism in vitro and in vivo . The present study aimed to understand the pathways by which the analogue coassembles with EAK16-II. The results presented herein suggested two competing but not mutually exclusive events in the coassembly. Atomic force microscopic and gel electrophoretic data showed that EAKIIH6 self-sorted to high molecular weight species without EAK16-II. Self-sorting of EAKIIH6 was inhibited by the parent peptide in a concentration dependent manner. Injecting mixtures containing EAKIIH6 subcutaneously rendered His-tags detectable in live mice for at least 312 h, despite diluting the histidinylated analogue by 10–50 folds compared to a previous formulation. The study provided a formulation by which in vivo display of His-tags was attained without excess amphiphilic peptides. By increasing coassembling efficiency, the likelihood of generating immunogenic aggregates outside the main fibrils could be minimized. These findings provide insights for rational functionalization of in situ self-gelling materials.
FORMATION OF METASTABLE IRON CARBIDE PHASES AFTER HIGH-FLUENCE CARBON ION IMPLANTATION INTO IRON AT LOW TEMPERATURES

Carbon ions were implanted with an energy of 100 keV into thin iron layers at temperatures of -70 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. Detailed analysis of structure was done by x-ray-diffraction synchrotron-radiation experiments. Phase formation was studied as a function of fluence from 1.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{17}$ up to 1.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{C}}^{+}$/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. The existence of cementite (\ensuremath{\theta}-${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}$C) and other metastable phases \ensuremath{\chi}-${\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}$${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$ and \ensuremath{\eta}-${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$C is demonstrated and explained by lattice-invariant deformation. The sequence of phase transformation during subsequent annealing to temperatures of up to 450 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C was also investigated. The transformation sequence was found to end up in \ensuremath{\theta}-${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}$C, which is explained by a diffusion-determined process.
Kinetics and Mechanism of the Oxidation of Guanosine Derivatives by Pt(IV) Complexes

The kinetics of redox reactions of the PtIV complexes trans-Pt(d,l)(1,2-(NH2)2C6H10)Cl4 ([PtIVCl4(dach)]) and Pt(NH2CH2CH2NH2)Cl4 ([PtIVCl4(en)]) with 5‘- and 3‘-dGMP (G) have been studied. These redox reactions involve substitution followed by an inner-sphere electron transfer. The substitution is catalyzed by PtII and follows the classic Basolo−Pearson PtII-catalyzed PtIV-substitution mechanism. We found that the substitutution rates depend on the steric hindrance of PtII, G, and PtIV with the least sterically hindered PtII complex catalyzing at the highest rate. 3‘-dGMP undergoes substitution faster than 5‘-dGMP, and [PtIVCl4(en)] substitutes faster than [PtIVCl4(dach)]. The enthalpies of activation of the substitution, Δ , of 3‘-dGMP is only 70% greater than that of 5‘-dGMP (50.4 vs 30.7 kJ mol-1), but the entropy of activation of the substitution, Δ , of 3‘-dGMP is much greater than that of 5‘-dGMP (−59.4 vs −129.5 J K-1 mol-1), indicating that steric hindrance plays a major role in the substitution....