cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of bis bipyridyl ruthenium(II) and osmium(II) complexes with 5,5′-bis-tetrazolate and N,N-bis(tetrazol-5-yl)-amine

Abstract New monometallic bis -bipyridyl Ru(II) and Os(II) complexes bonded with high nitrogen content five membered aromatic dianionic ligands 5,5′- bis -tetrazolate (bt) and N,N -bis(tetrazol-5-yl)-amine (bta) have been prepared. NMR results presented are consistent with N 1 -N 1 bidentate chelate bonding to the metal. Absorption spectra display lower energy M dπ → bpy π ∗ metal to ligand charge transfer transitions than the respective tris bipyridyl complexes, and the results are consistent with the π donating ability of the bt and bta dianions. Density function theory calculations for all complexes show the HOMO are predominately M dπ-bt π and M dπ-bta π character while the LUMO are M dπ-bpy π ∗ character. The M +2/+3 oxidation potentials are less positive, and bpy 0 /− 1 reduction potentials are at more negative potentials than the respective tris bipyridyl complexes, which is consistent with increased electron donation from the bt and bta dianionic ligands to the metal.
The Engineer of Human Souls

The Engineer of Human Souls (Přiběh inženýra lidských dusi) may be read as a sequel to Skvorecký’s two other major novels, The Cowards and Miracle. The Czech version was published in 1977, while the English translation did not appear until 1984. It became an immediate critical success, particularly in the United States, where Czech emigre fiction had recently started to receive considerable attention. The title of the novel is an ironic reference to the notorious definition of a writer in Communist society according to the tenets of Stalinist aesthetics: the writer’s work is expected to perform a propagandistic and didactic function. But the title also indirectly suggests the biographical or quasi-biographical nature of the novel, which is narrated in the first person by the author’s surrogate, Danny Smiřický, who is already familiar to the reader from earlier works. The connection between the narrator and the author is implied in a number of ways. Like Skvorecký, Danny is an emigre Czech writer; he lives in Toronto and is employed as a professor of literature at Edanvale College whereas Skvorecký was at the time teaching in the same city at Erindale College. As in Miracle, an informed reader will find numerous parallels between the fictitious characters and authentic individuals, but the relationship between fact and fiction is of much less interest than in Skvorecký’s previous novels. The Engineer is not a roman a clef, not even in the limited sense of Miracle.
Cellular and Humoral Studies in Diseases with Heart-Reactive Antibodies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses cellular and humoral studies in diseases with heart-reactive antibodies. Using a variety of immunological techniques, a number of investigators have observed a serological reaction against heart tissue in the sera of acute rheumatic fever patients. While the exact antigenic stimulus for the production of these antibodies was unknown, the general assumption was that these antibodies were either a result of direct toxic damage to the heart with subsequent release of cardiac antigens or the interaction of streptococcal components or products and cardiac tissue with the formation or uncovering of new cardiac antigens. Kaplan's observation that antibodies raised in rabbits to streptococcal antigens bound to mammalian cardiac tissue added another parameter to the nature of the origin of these heart-reactive antibodies in rheumatic fever patients. The chapter presents the evidence for the participation of antibodies in the pathogenesis of certain diseases. It discusses the nature of antibodies directed toward mammalian muscle tissue. When applicable, evidence for the participation of antibodies directed toward other organs is used as examples of possible further avenues of approach in the study of tissue antibodies.
Congenital Heart Surgery Subspecialty Certification: How Is It Working? The American Board of Thoracic Surgery Perspective

Congenital heart surgery is among the most challenging fields in all of medicine. The unique skills and knowledge base required prompted the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) to establish the Subspecialty Certificate in Congenital Heart Surgery (CHS). Standards for operative experience and fellowship training programs were established by the ABTS and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Since 2009, 188 Subspecialty Certificates in CHS have been granted, including 38 earned through the fellowship training pathway. Today, the overwhelming majority of congenital heart surgeons in the United States hold a Subspecialty Certificate in CHS. Recent survey data suggests those individuals who have completed Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education fellowship training in CHS were satisfied with the operative experience they received during training and the vast majority are practicing CHS. While surgical training and education will always be a work in progress, in the 7 years since its inception, the ABTS Subspecialty Certificate in CHS has achieved the goal of quality control and standardization of CHS training.
Preparation and isolation of neoglycoconjugates using biotin-streptavidin complexes

Glycoproteins commercially available in multi-gram quantities, were used to prepare milligram amounts of neoglycoproteins. The glycoproteins bromelain and bovine gamma-globulin were proteolyzed to obtain glycopeptides or converted to a mixture of glycans through hydrazinolysis. The glycan mixture was structurally simplified by carbohydrate remodeling using exoglycosidases. Glycopeptides were biotinylated using N-hydroxysuccinimide activated-long chain biotin while glycoprotein-derived glycans were first reductively aminated with ammonium bicarbonate and then biotinylated. The resulting biotinylated carbohydrates were structurally characterized and then bound to streptavidin to afford neoglycoproteins. The peptidoglycan component of raw, unbleached heparin (an intermediate in the manufacture of heparin) was similarly biotinylated and bound to streptavidin to obtain milligram amounts of a heparin neoproteoglycan. The neoglycoconjugates prepared contain well defined glycan chains at specific locations on the streptavidin core and should be useful for the study of protein-carbohydrate interactions and affinity separations.
Seed, Pollen, and Insect Transmission of Viroids

Abstract Viroids cause economically important damage to crops and the potential for seed, pollen, and insect transmission is of considerable importance in the spread of viroid diseases. Viroid transmission through true seed and pollen has been confirmed for several viroid/host combinations; however, the seed transmission rate reported for members of the families Pospiviroidae and Avsunviroidae is quite variable in the same and different hosts. Therefore, a greater understanding of viroid movement into the developing seed is needed to shed light on the transmission efficiencies observed. The impact of viroid seed transmission on growers and international seed trade as a potential pathway for pathogen introduction is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. Additionally, some pospiviroids have been shown to be insect-transmitted either through encapsidation in an insect-transmitted virus or through mechanical inoculation by insects visiting plants to obtain pollen.
CD47 Blockade as an Adjuvant Immunotherapy for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose: Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who undergo surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy have an expected survival of only 2 years due to disease recurrence, frequently in the liver. We investigated the role of liver macrophages in progression of PDAC micrometastases to identify adjuvant treatment strategies that could prolong survival.Experimental Design: A murine splenic injection model of hepatic micrometastatic PDAC was used with five patient-derived PDAC tumors. The impact of liver macrophages on tumor growth was assessed by (i) depleting mouse macrophages in nude mice with liposomal clodronate injection, and (ii) injecting tumor cells into nude versus NOD-scid-gamma mice. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were used to measure CD47 ("don't eat me signal") expression on tumor cells and characterize macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. In vitro engulfment assays and mouse experiments were performed with CD47-blocking antibodies to assess macrophage engulfment of tumor cells, progression of micrometastases in the liver and mouse survival.Results:In vivo clodronate depletion experiments and NOD-scid-gamma mouse experiments demonstrated that liver macrophages suppress the progression of PDAC micrometastases. Five patient-derived PDAC cell lines expressed variable levels of CD47. In in vitro engulfment assays, CD47-blocking antibodies increased the efficiency of PDAC cell clearance by macrophages in a manner which correlated with CD47 receptor surface density. Treatment of mice with CD47-blocking antibodies resulted in increased time-to-progression of metastatic tumors and prolonged survival.Conclusions: These findings suggest that following surgical resection of PDAC, adjuvant immunotherapy with anti-CD47 antibody could lead to substantially improved outcomes for patients. Clin Cancer Res; 24(6); 1415-25. ©2017 AACR.
New insights into necrotizing enterocolitis: From laboratory observation to personalized prevention and treatment

Abstract Background/purpose Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease of prematurity that develops after feeding, often without warning, and results in diffuse intestinal necrosis leading to sepsis and death in many cases. The lack of improvement in overall survival is influenced by nonspecific diagnostic modalities as well as inexact and nonpersonalized treatment strategies. Methods/Results Recently, we and others have shown that NEC develops in response to exaggerated bacterial signaling in the premature intestine, as a consequence of elevated expression and activity of the bacterial receptor toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which is important for normal gut development. Breast milk is a powerful TLR4 inhibitor, while mutations in TLR4 genes lead to increased NEC risk in humans, providing proof-of-concept for its role in NEC. Recently, a drug discovery approach has revealed a novel class of TLR4 inhibitors which are being developed for personalized approaches to NEC treatment. Conclusion This review will highlight the current understanding of the role of bacterial signaling in NEC pathogenesis, and will describe advances in diagnosis, prevention and treatment of NEC that may hopefully improve survival for these most fragile patients. Systematic Review Level of Evidence: Level II.
Optic neuritis caused by the re-emerging great masquerader.

A 49-year-old Caucasian woman presented with subacute headache and right eye pain associated with scotoma, blurred vision and photophobia. MRI was suggestive of optic neuritis of the right optic nerve and she was treated with steroids. Due to persistent symptoms, a lumbar puncture was performed and cerebrospinal fluid analysis was positive for venereal disease research laboratory and rapid plasma reagin titres. On further history, she recalled experiencing an illness associated with diffuse rash, likely secondary syphilis, 1–2 months prior. She tested negative for HIV. She was treated with intravenous penicillin for 2 weeks following which she experienced improvement in symptoms.
Revisiting the Relevance of Conceptualism of Godard’s film

Jean-Luc Godard’s filmmaking is analyzed as a conceptual art, as in agreement with his most accomplished role as a film critic, not a classical filmmaker. In his 1970 manifesto, Godard argues that 1) we must make political films, and 2) we must make films politically. While the first point provokes a constructive critique of the art of cinema, the other one leads to the provision of an absolute cinematic experience. Correspondingly, it is argued that albeit rare and systematically unsupported in the academic setting, a most prolific scientific work is such that it implicitly questions the dominant presentation styles and methodological paradigms in parallel with providing meaningful basic and/or practical findings. The relevance of other elements of Godard’s conceptual approach to revolutionizing the art of cinema to scientific studies is elaborated too. The importance of ad hoc improvisation, deliberate imperfectness, the aesthetics of poverty, the embracement of collective uncertainties and the eagerness to constantly get lost to be found is particularly emphasized. “I don’t make movies; I make cinema” is Godard’s precept whose translation to any professional field, including scientific research and teaching, could produce uncountable benefits. Godard’s art is intimately tied to the iteration of the point that the value of an act is measured by the extent to which it reaches out away from the subject and into the world, correlating with the Buberian ontology. Corresponding annihilations of the protagonists symbolize the necessity of the artist’s working against the self in the attempt to use her art to destroy the art in question and point at everything as an equally precious art. The discourse follows an impulsive and unstructured course so as to veritably reflect Godard’s approach to filmmaking.
Against Against Literature: Histories of Fiction, Fictions of History

This section combines several threads of discussion from previous sections, including bringing Alvarez more directly into conversation with Danticat, introducing work in the philosophy of history by Michel-Rolphe Touillot to deepen the earlier analysis of Hayden White, and returning to John Beverley’s work on literature, testimonio, and cultural studies, to describe literature’s, and literary studies’, historical resilience in the face of especially Beverley’s important critiques from the nineteen nineties. The section concludes by turning briefly to Alvarez’s novel Salome and Danticat’s literary memoir Brother, I’m Dying, in order to describe how each text deploys literary resources to cut across and even to merge the mimetic registers of fiction and history.
Incident injury is strongly associated with subsequent incident temporomandibular disorder: results from the OPPERA study

Cross-sectional studies confirm, as expected, a positive association between jaw injury and painful temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), but prospective evaluations are lacking. We prospectively assessed incident jaw injury, injury type, and development of TMD in adults aged 18 to 44 years. Data were collected from 3258 individuals from communities surrounding 4 US academic institutes between 2006 and 2008. At enrollment, participants reported no TMD history and no facial injuries in the previous 6 months. Quarterly, follow-up questionnaires assessed incident jaw injury, which was classified as intrinsic (attributed to yawning or prolonged mouth opening) or extrinsic (attributed to other causes). Examiners classified incident TMD during a median follow-up period of 2.8 years (range 0.2-5.2 years). Cox regression models used jaw injury as a time-dependent covariate to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association with incident TMD. Among 1729 participants with complete data, 175 developed TMD. Eighty percent of injuries were intrinsic. Temporomandibular disorder annual incidence was nearly twice as high in those experiencing jaw injury (5.37%) compared with those who did not (3.44%). In the Cox model that accounted for timing of injury, the corresponding HR was 3.94 (95% CI = 2.82-5.50) after adjusting for study site, age, race, and sex. Hazard ratios did not differ (P = 0.91) for extrinsic injuries (HR = 4.03, 95% CI = 2.00-8.12) and intrinsic injuries (HR = 3.85, 95% CI = 2.70-5.49). Jaw injury was strongly associated with incident TMD. If surveillance and intervention after jaw injury is to be effective in preventing TMD, they should focus on both intrinsic and extrinsic injuries.
The Masculinization and Militarization of the Female Sexualized Body in Zoé Valdés’s Yocandra in the Paradise of NADA

"Is this a garden or a cemetery? I want a garden. I need a garden. How proud I am to be Cuban! How terrified I am to be Cuban!" declares Yocandra in Zoe Valdes’s Yocandra in the Paradise of NADA. In this essay, I interrogate the revolutionary contradictions inscribed on female sexualized bodies showing how women’s histories are registered in their scars, each scar representing a historical marker in the body’s memory of lived experience. Moreover, I examine how Valdes’s narrative fiction reveals how subjugation and exploitation often materialize as sexualized and politicized wounds. The female sexualized and eroticized body works as an allegorical transcript for the toxic masculinization and militarization of the Cuban Revolution.
Short Communication: Fructose-Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of Self-Assembled Nano-Peptide Amphiphiles for Treating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Background In recent years, numerous bacteria have become resistant to conventional antibiotics. Fortunately, an increasing body of research indicates that through the addition of specific metabolites (like sugars), the antibacterial activity of certain drugs can be enhanced. A new type of self-assembled nano-peptide amphiphile (SANPA) was designed in this study to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and to reduce the use of antibiotics. Methods Here, SANPAs were self-assembled into nanorod structures with a diameter of ca. 10.5 nm at concentrations greater than the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 44.67 μM. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were treated with SANPAs with fructose supplementation. Results After a 30-min fructose pre-incubation, SANPAs reduced bacteria growth relative to non-fructose treatments at all concentrations. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that the presence of fructose seemed to slightly ameliorate the cytotoxic effect of the treatment on model human fetal osteoblasts (or bone-forming cells) and human dermal fibroblasts. Conclusion We demonstrated here that SANPAs-like nanomaterials have a promising potential to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially when added to fructose, potentially limiting their associated infections.
Torsional response of pretensioned elastic rods

Abstract We examine the torsional response of a pretensioned elastic circular rod. First, we review a procedure for computation of semidiscrete wave modes in the rod. The modes are continuous in the axial and circumferential directions but discrete in the radial direction. In terms of these modes, we synthesize a two-node hyperelement that can represent a rod segment, with discretization only in the radial direction, within the framework of finite element analysis. The effort involved in computations with this hyperelement is independent of the rod segment length. Next, using this efficient formulation, we analyze time-harmonic vibrations of a pretensioned rod subjected to torque at one end and fixed at the other. We show how the rod response is affected by the level of pretension. Assuming that torsional-response measurements are available for a known level of pretension, we show how the coefficient describing the effect of pretension can be estimated. Finally, with this coefficient, we present a simple, yet effective, procedure for estimation of the level of pretension.
Insertion of the Maize Transposable Element AC Into Poplar

The maize transposable element Ac (Activator) was inserted into hybrid poplar (Populus alba x P. grandidentata) using cocultivation of suspension cultures with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Southern blot analysis indicates that six of eight hygromycin-resistant callus lines contain stably integrated foreign DNA. The number of inserted T-DNA copies ranges from approximately 1 to 10. Southern blot analysis suggests that Ac has excised from its original location in the T-DNA. We are currently studying transposition of Ac in transgenic shoots. We believe this to be the first report of transposon activity in a woody plant.
Coherent transport of spin by adiabatic passage in quantum dot arrays

We introduce an adiabatic transfer protocol for spin states in large quantum dot arrays that is based on time-dependent modulation of the Heisenberg exchange interaction in the presence of a magnetic field gradient. We refer to this protocol as spin-CTAP (coherent transport by adiabatic passage) in analogy to a related protocol developed for charge-state transfer in quantum dot arrays. The insensitivity of this adiabatic protocol to pulse imperfections has potential advantages for reading out extended spin qubit arrays. When the static exchange interaction varies across the array, a quantum-controlled version of spin-CTAP is possible, where the transfer process is conditional on the spin states in the middle of the array. This conditional operation can be used to generate $N$-qubit entangled GHZ states. Using a realistic noise model, we analyze the robustness of the spin-CTAP operations and find that high-fidelity ($g95%$) spin eigenstate transfer and GHZ state preparation is feasible in current devices.
Seroconversion rates following COVID-19 vaccination amongst patients with malignant disease- the impact of diagnosis and cancer-directed therapies

As COVID-19 has been shown to adversely affect patients with cancer, prophylactic strategies are critically needed. We determined the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccination in a cohort of cancer patients that had received full dosing with one of the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines. 201 oncology patients underwent anti-spike protein SARS-CoV-2 IgG testing post vaccination and demonstrated a high rate of seroconversion (94%) overall. When compared to solid tumors (98%), a significantly lower rate of seroconversion was observed in patients with hematological malignancies (85%), particularly recipients of anti-CD20 therapies (70%) and stem cell transplantation (74%). Patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (97%) or hormonal therapies (100%) demonstrated high seroconversion post-vaccination. Patients with prior COVID-19 infection demonstrated higher anti-spike IgG titers post-vaccination. Relatively lower IgG titers were noted following vaccination with the adenoviral when compared to the mRNA-based vaccines. These data demonstrate generally high immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccination in oncology patients and identify vulnerable cohorts that need novel vaccination or passive immunization strategies.
Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy in the Context of COVID-19: The Role of Trust and Confidence in a Seventeen-Country Survey

Objectives: An effective vaccine to SARS-CoV-2 cannot be successfully deployed if a significant number of people worldwide are unwilling to accept it. We investigated the relationship between trust in scientists and medical professionals and perceptions of vaccine safety and effectiveness. We also build on past studies by exploring the relationship between confidence in global health organizations and vaccine hesitancy. Methods: We conducted an online survey in seventeen countries/territories across five world regions between May -June 2020. We assessed the relationship between COVID19 vaccine hesitancy, confidence in public health organizations, and trust in key experts and leaders. Results: Our findings strongly suggest that confidence in the World Health Organization combined with trust in domestic scientists and healthcare professionals is a strong driver of vaccine acceptance across multiple countries/territories. Conclusion: We find that hesitancy is widespread, and uptake would be insufficient to achieve herd immunity. There is widespread confidence in how public health organizations have responded to the current pandemic and this is related to vaccine acceptance. Our results also highlight the important role of trust in health care providers and scientists in reducing COVID19 vaccine hesitancy.
The Communist Walküre: Eisenstein’s Vision for Marrying German Wagnerism with Soviet Communism

Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein was commissioned to produce Wagner’s Die Walkure in 1940, after the signing of the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, to demonstrate Soviet loyalty to Germany dur...
Long-term Residue Management Experiment: Pendleton, Oregon USA

The Residue Management experiment is one of six long-term studies maintained by the Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center, Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station. The Center is located 15 km northeast of Pendleton, Oregon at 45° 44′ north and 118° 37′ west. It lies within the Columbia Plateau physiographic province between the Cascade and Rocky mountains. The climate is semi-arid, but partially influenced by maritime winds from the Pacific Ocean. Winters are cool and wet, the summers hot and dry. Precipitation occurs primarily during the winter. Annual precipitation is 420 mm, with 70% received between 1 September and 31 March. Winter precipitation falls mainly as rain, with limited duration of snow cover in most years. Average annual temperature is 10.2 °C, but ranges from -0.6 °C in January to 21.2 °C in July. Weather is measured daily 200 m from the site. Temperature and precipitation have been recorded since 1931, 10-cm soil temperature since 1962, wind speed and water evaporation since 1963, and solar radiation and humidity since 1982. Elevation is 455 m above sea level. Soils consist of loess from Pleistocene alluvial deposits overlying basalt flows of Miocene age. They are classified as coarse silty mixed mesic Typic Haploxerolls by the USDA classification system. Soils are well drained and depth to water table is greater than 50 m. Soil depth ranges from 1 to 2 m, depending upon landscape position. Soil texture is silt loam throughout the profile. The upper 30 cm of soil contains 18% clay, 70%) silt, and 12% fine sand. The area was originally a mid-grass prairie that was first cultivated in about 1885.
Notice of Retraction Provisions of computer technology in the learning development of students with visual impairment

This study aimed to present the experiences of students with visual impairment in Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines in their employment of computer technology in their school activities. It specifically looked into the provisions of computer technology usage to their learning development and the problems they encountered in its use. From the analyses of the study, findings of the in-depth interview inquiry have surfaced three themes. It contributed to the development of their affective, social and academic skills. Furthermore, from the richness and thickness of the descriptions given by the respondents during the interview phase, five distinct themes emerged relative to the problems they encountered. These include the following factors: instruction, training, hardware, software, and they themselves as the learner. The results suggest that computer technology skills of students with visual impairment should be enhanced and their problems in its usage should be address.
Interaction of metal oxide nanoparticles, generated via microparticle ablation, with intense XUV pulses

We have designed and assembled an experiment to evaluate the role of continuum lowering in XUV nanocluster ionization. Metal oxide nanoparticles, generated via laser ablation of microparticles, will be irradiated by intense coherent XUV pulses.
Effects of Aflatoxin on Seeding Growth and Ultrastructure in Plants

Nineteen plants belonging to 11 species of the cruciferae were studied to determine the effects of aflatoxin B1 on seed germination and seedling development. Germination was not inhibited in any test organism at a concentration of 100 μg of aflatoxin per ml of agar substrate. Inhibition of elongation of the hypocotyls and roots in the species studied varied from 29 to 93% and from 22 to 91% in the respective tissues. Lepidium sativum was the most susceptible plant studied and exhibited the maximal inhibitory response noted above at concentrations of 8 μg of aflatoxin per ml. The ultrastructure of Lepidium root cells treated with crystalline aflatoxin B1 exhibited morphological changes characteristic of those found in aflatoxin-treated animal cells. In addition to changes in the cytoplasmic organelles, numerous ring-shaped nucleoli with prominent nucleolar caps were produced. The effect of aflatoxin on plant cells is compared with similar effects induced by actinomycin D. Seed germination and seedling development is discussed in relation to the effects of both compounds on deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid biosynthesis.
Enuresis: an analysis of various therapeutic approaches.

Three hundred enuretic patients from 3 to 14 years of age were treated by various techniques and the effectiveness of these techniques was evaluated. Boys outnumbered girls in the overall group; however, there was no appreciable sex difference in the responses. When the child took an active responsibility for seeking to change his behavior pattern and was supported by reinforcement from his family and physician, the results appeared to be more successful than when the child was a passive participant in the therapy, as with instrumentation-surgery, medications, or conditioning devices. Improvement in these latter groups was frequently more rapid, but the relapse rate higher than in the "responsibility-reinforcement" approach. Although the results from our study could not be considered statistically significant, there is a trend showing that the "responsibility-reinforcement" technique produces more successful longterm results than the therapies employing instrumentation-surgery, medications, or conditioning devices. Of greater import is the fact that the "responsibility-reinforcement" technique is less disruptive than other therapeutic modalities from the physiological as well as the psychological standpoint. For these reasons, when organic causes can be ruled out, we believe that the "responsibility-reinforcement" technique is the optimal initial approach for the treatment of enuresis.
Automating checks of plan check automation

While a few physicists have designed new plan check automation solutions for their clinics, fewer, if any, managed to adapt existing solutions. As complex and varied as the systems they check, these programs must gain the full confidence of those who would run them on countless patient plans. The present automation effort, planCheck, therefore focuses on versatility and ease of implementation and verification. To demonstrate this, we apply planCheck to proton gantry, stereotactic proton gantry, stereotactic proton fixed beam (STAR), and IMRT treatments.
First-in-Class Angiotensin Receptor Neprilysin Inhibitor in Heart Failure

Neprilysin inhibitors augment the natriuretic peptide system by preventing the breakdown of atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide. LCZ696, an angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor composed of a neprilysin inhibitor prodrug and the angiotensin receptor antagonist valsartan, has proven effective in hypertension, has shown promise in a pilot trial of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and is being tested in a large outcomes trial of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. A preserved ejection fraction outcomes trial is beginning.
Psychological issues in treatment of severely noncompliant diabetics

Abstract The authors’ program for dealing with the severe behavioral problems of noncompliant diabetics who consistently and deliberately refuse to follow medical advice is necessarily long-term. These patients often meet criteria for borderline personality disorder. Frequently commencing with crisis management rather than psychotherapy per se, the therapist strives for the slow dispersal of deep-rooted denial, manipulative behavior, and dependency needs. In many cases impaired family dynamics require resolution before the patient can arrive at acceptance of the illness and of practical measures for coping with it, in place of previous magical hopes for cure and resentment of physicians for not providing such cure.
Complete mitochondrial genomes elucidate phylogenetic relationships of the deep-sea octocoral families Coralliidae and Paragorgiidae

Abstract In the past decade, molecular phylogenetic analyses of octocorals have shown that the current morphological taxonomic classification of these organisms needs to be revised. The latest phylogenetic analyses show that most octocorals can be divided into three main clades. One of these clades contains the families Coralliidae and Paragorgiidae. These families share several taxonomically important characters and it has been suggested that they may not be monophyletic; with the possibility of the Coralliidae being a derived branch of the Paragorgiidae. Uncertainty exists not only in the relationship of these two families, but also in the classification of the two genera that make up the Coralliidae, Corallium and Paracorallium. Molecular analyses suggest that the genus Corallium is paraphyletic, and it can be divided into two main clades, with the Paracorallium as members of one of these clades. In this study we sequenced the whole mitochondrial genome of five species of Paragorgia and of five species of Corallium to use in a phylogenetic analysis to achieve two main objectives; the first to elucidate the phylogenetic relationship between the Paragorgiidae and Coralliidae and the second to determine whether the genera Corallium and Paracorallium are monophyletic. Our results show that other members of the Coralliidae share the two novel mitochondrial gene arrangements found in a previous study in Corallium konojoi and Paracorallium japonicum; and that the Corallium konojoi arrangement is also found in the Paragorgiidae. Our phylogenetic reconstruction based on all the protein coding genes and ribosomal RNAs of the mitochondrial genome suggest that the Coralliidae are not a derived branch of the Paragorgiidae, but rather a monophyletic sister branch to the Paragorgiidae. While our manuscript was in review a study was published using morphological data and several fragments from mitochondrial genes to redefine the taxonomy of the Coralliidae. Paracorallium was subsumed into Corallium and the genus Hemicorallium was resurrected. This left two disjunct clades as Corallium, making that genus paraphyletic. One of the clades includes the type specimens of Corallium, indicating that clade should remain Corallium. For the other clade, we support the resurrection of the genus Pleurocorallium to fix the paraphyly of Corallium. Based on congruent phylogenies in both studies, the genus Pleurocorallium includes the species C. secundum, C. kishinouyei, C. konojoi, C. elatius, and C. niveum.
Impression Management using Typeface Design

Abstract This article develops empirically based guidelines to help managers select typefaces that affect strategically valued impressions. The authors discuss the potential trade-offs among the impressions created by typeface (e.g., pleasing, engaging, reassuring, prominent). The selection of typeface can be simplified with the use of six underlying design dimensions: elaborate, harmony, natural, flourish, weight, and compressed.
Gain Control of Synaptic Response Function in Cerebellar Nuclear Neurons by a Calcium-Activated Potassium Conductance

Small conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (SK) current provides an important modulator of excitatory synaptic transmission, which undergoes plastic regulation via multiple mechanisms. We examined whether inhibitory input processing is also dependent on SK current in the cerebellar nuclei (CN) where inhibition provides the only route of information transfer from the cerebellar cortical Purkinje cells. We employed dynamic clamping in conjunction with computer simulations to address this question. We found that SK current plays a critical role in the inhibitory synaptic control of spiking output. Specifically, regulation of SK current density resulted in a gain control of spiking output, such that low SK current promoted large output signaling for large inhibitory cell input fluctuations due to Purkinje cell synchronization. In contrast, smaller nonsynchronized Purkinje cell input fluctuations were not amplified. Regulation of SK density in the CN therefore would likely lead to important consequences for the transmission of synchronized Purkinje cell activity to the motor system.
Does taste aversion play a role in the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone in Zucker rats

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) reduces food intake in obese Zucker rats. To study the role of taste aversion on this process, we used two approaches. First, we presented increasing concentrations of DHEA in chow to lean and obese Zucker rats, either in competition with unadulterated chow, or alone. Second, we examined energy intake following parenteral DHEA administration. Both lean and obese rats always preferred nonadulterated chow to DHEA-supplemented chow. However, lean rats required a higher DHEA concentration (0.06%) than obese rats (0.015%) to achieve the same degree of aversion. When DHEA-supplemented chow was presented alone, only high concentrations (0.3 and 0.6% DHEA) decreased food intake. Rats given DHEA by IP injection (200 mg/kg/day) also decreased their energy intakes. The results demonstrate that although DHEA can cause taste aversion at low concentrations in Zucker rats, it does not alter energy intake until high concentrations are given. In addition, nonoral DHEA also decreases energy intake in these animals. These results suggest that DHEA's antiobesity effect is not mediated by taste aversion.
CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIBODIES TO VARICELLAZOSTER VIRUS BY WESTERN BLOT

The immune response to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) includes antibody (Ab) to virally-specified proteins (P) and glycoproteins (GP). We analyzed Ab after chickenpox (CP), zoster (Z), and live attenuated varicella vaccine (LAW) by western blot (WB). Responses to 2 of the 3 major GPs were identified by comparing bands on standard WBs using infected VZV cell lysate as antigen with a reference WB in which Z serum was reacted with purified GP I and GP II. A mouse monoclonal Ab to GP I confirmed its location, and all 3 GPs were visualized on silver stain of SDS-polyacrylamide gel. Preimmune sera and an uninfected cell lysate were controls. All convalescent sera from patients with CP(N=5) had antibody to GP I (bands at 99 and 92 kilodaltons [kd]), GP II (125 kd), and GP III (113 kd). In addition 5/5 had a strong band at 147 kd and 4/5 had a band at 39 kd, near the molec. wt. of VZV deoxypyrimidine kinase. Bands were well-preserved to GP I in 5 remote CP sera, but faint at GP II and III and at 147 kd. In 7/8 pts. post Z, bands at all 3 GPs and at 39 kd were darker than after recent CP despite equivalent fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen (FAMA) liters. Z sera also had bands at 51, 48, 46, and 43 which were absent or faint post CP. After 2 doses of LAW, 10/11 vaccinees had bands at GP I. Fewer (6/11) had a band at GP II and only 3/11 had a band at GP III. However.the WBs of 4 vaccinees after breakthrough CP were similar in intensity and band location to WBs post Z. Ten leukemic children who lost FAMA Ab after LAW and later reseroconverted without clinical illness also had WBs resembling the anamnestic profile seen post Z. Even when FAMA negative, these silent FAMA reconverted were protected from serious CP. WB is useful in distinguishing secondary from primary immune response to VZV.
Crack-tip parameters and temperature rise in dynamic crack propagation

Abstract This paper presents a discussion of (i) possible crack-tip parameters that may govern elastodynamic crack propagation in the presence of nonuniform temperature fields, material inhomogeneity, etc.; (ii) possible crack-tip parameters in elastoplastic dynamic fracture; and (iii) the temperature field near the crack tip due to the propagating inelastic zone in which heat is generated.
New compounds: N,N-Dimethyl-[3-(1-alkylpiperidyl)]carbamates, Potential Cholinesterase Inhibitors

The synthesis of 10 piperidine carbamates was carried out by condensation of various 3-hydroxypiperidines with dimethyl-carbamyl chloride or, alternatively, by treatment of the hydroxy compound with phosgene followed by dimethylamine. Changes were made in the length of the alkyl chain substituted on the heterocyclic nitrogen. The compounds were developed as potential cholinesterase inhibitors as a continuation of previous studies.
Human papillomavirus and risk of oral cancer

Although human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, is established as a necessary cause for more than 95% of cervical carcinomas, the association with oral squamous cell carcinoma is less well delineated. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and types of HPV in squamous cells of a group of patients with newly diagnosed oral or pharyngeal cancer (n = 93) compared with an age- and gender-frequency-matched control group of patients with no history of oral cancer (n = 205). HPV was evaluated from a mouth rinse collection of cells in the oral cavity and tested by 32P-labeled HPV generic probes and DNA sequencing for HPV types. HPV was identified in 15% of the oral cancer cases but in fewer than 5% of the controls (P < .05). The risk of cancer associated with HPV infection was independent of tobacco and alcohol use (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47-9.32; P < .05). HPV types included similar and other types not identified previously in the genital tract. There was no statistically significant increased risk of cancer among former tobacco users (former vs. never users: adjusted OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.31-1.44, P < .05), but the risk was significantly increased for current users (current vs. never: adjusted OR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.22-5.71; P < .05). Likewise, former alcohol users were not at increased risk of disease (former vs. never: adjusted OR = 1.78; 95% CI: 0.87-3.67), whereas current alcohol users were (current vs. never: adjusted OR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.22-5.42; P < .05). HPV-related genital lesions (14.3% vs. 10.6%), oral-genital sexual behavior (42.4% vs. 45.2%), and number (11 or more) of sexual partners (23% v. 17%) were not significantly different between cases and controls. These data suggest that in addition to tobacco and alcohol, HPV plays a role in the development of oral cancer.
Percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma: a safe and effective bridge to liver transplantation.

Abstract The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in the United States. Although liver transplantation is an effective means of treating selected patients, pretransplantation tumor progression may preclude some patients from undergoing transplantation. The aim of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA) in 33 consecutive patients with nonresectable HCC and advanced cirrhosis. Mean subject age was 57.2 ± 10.6 years, mean Child-Turcotte-Pugh score was 7.0 ± 1.4, and mean maximal tumor diameter was 3.6 ± 1.1 cm. Using contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, 22 patients (66%) had a complete radiological response at 3 months post-RFA, whereas 11 patients (33%) had an incomplete radiological response. During follow-up, 18 patients (54%) experienced tumor progression and 9 subjects underwent repeated ablation for either residual disease or tumor progression. The overall actuarial patient survival rate of the 33 patients was 58% at 2 years, whereas the transplantation-free patient survival rate was 34% at 2 years. Fifteen of 23 transplant candidates were successfully bridged to liver transplantation after a mean post-RFA follow-up of 7.9 ± 6. 7 months. The extent of tumor necrosis in the explant varied, but no subjects had evidence of tumor seeding on post-RFA imaging, at liver transplantation, or in the explant. The 3-year actuarial posttransplantation patient survival rate was 85%. Two patients have developed posttransplantation recurrence, and both had microscopic vascular invasion in their explants. In summary, our data show that RFA is a safe and effective treatment modality for patients with advanced cirrhosis and nonresectable HCC. Although the ability of RFA to prevent or delay tumor progression requires further prospective study, its favorable safety profile and promising efficacy make it an attractive treatment option for liver transplant candidates with nonresectable HCC. (Liver Transpl 2002;8:1165-1174.)
Possible mesalamine-induced pericarditis: Case report and literature review

Pericarditis should be considered in any patient complaining of chest pain and/or dyspnea who is taking a product that contains mesalamine or sulfasalazine. A 41-year-old woman was taking mesalamine 800 mg 3 times/day for 3 weeks before hospital admission. She complained of sharp, pleuritic chest pain that radiated down both arms and increased in intensity when lying down. She was diagnosed with pericarditis based on clinical presentation and electrocardiogram findings. Differential diagnoses for myocardial infarction, systemic lupus erythematosus, and viral or bacterial causes were ruled out based on subjective and objective data. Mesalamine-induced pericarditis was considered on hospital day 2, and the drug was discontinued at discharge on day 3. Clinicians should be aware of this potential drug-related complication, as the relationship between mesalamine or sulfasalazine and pericarditis has been reported rarely in the literature.
Daily energy expenditure and the cost of activity in a free-living mammal.

Antelope ground squirrels (Ammospermophilus leucurus, 80–100 g) began surface activity 1.0–1.5 h after sunrise and ended it 0.5–1.25 h before sunset throughout the year near Barstow, California. Daily energy expenditure (DEE) of free-living animals measured with doubly labeled water (H3H18O) decreased from 1,340 kJ kg-1 d-1 in April to 970 in October. Resting metabolic rates (RMR) of freshly-captured, fed, ground squirrels varied through the year (22.1 J g-1 h-1 in August, 19.1 in January) but most of the change in DEE could be explained by differences in thermoregulatory costs between seasons. The ground squirrels had lower rates of resting metabolism at night (15.3J g-1 H-1) than during the day. The cost of activity (calculated by subtracting 24 h resting costs from total DEE during August and October, periods when thermoregulatory costs were negligible) was ∼ 550 kJ kg-1 d-1 in August and October. Thus, activity accounted for about 50% of the total DEE. The mean rate of energy expenditure during the activity period, calculated as activity cost (kJ d-1) divided by activity time (h d-1), then plus RMR, was about 3xRMR. This multiplication factor may be useful as an estimator of foraging costs or in estimating DEE from time budgets.
Close Encounters with a Fish Screen II: Delta Smelt Behavior Before and During Screen Contact

Abstract Fish screens reduce entrainment losses of fish at water diversions, but little is known about the behavior of individual fish near these structures, including the likelihood, consequences, and mechanics of involuntary screen contact. Recent studies using a large, laboratory-based flume, the Fish Treadmill, have shown that such contact can result in injury, stress, and mortality. We investigated key aspects of screen contact events using videotape records of Fish Treadmill experiments. We quantitatively described precontact behavior, impact velocity and angle, contact duration, distance traveled, and velocity of delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus while in contact with the screen, and related these responses to postexperiment injuries and mortality. Immediately prior to contact, delta smelt generally exhibited positive rheotaxis and moderate swimming velocity (mean ± SD = 20.2 ± 9.7 cm/s). Most fish impacted the screen broadside (within 40° of parallel to the screen) and tail first. Impact veloci...