cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in intensity-modulated radiation therapy use for rectal cancer in the neoadjuvant setting: a National Cancer Database analysis.

Purpose Traditionally, three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) is used for neoadjuvant chemoradiation in locally advanced rectal cancer. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was later developed for more conformal dose distribution, with the potential for reduced toxicity across many disease sites. We sought to use the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to examine trends and predictors for IMRT use in rectal cancer. Materials and methods We queried the NCDB from 2004 to 2015 for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation to standard doses followed by surgical resection. Odds ratios were used to determine predictors of IMRT use. Univariable and multivariable Cox regressions were used to determine potential predictors of overall survival (OS). Propensity matching was used to account for any indication bias. Results Among 21,490 eligible patients, 3,131 were treated with IMRT. IMRT use increased from 1% in 2004 to 22% in 2014. Predictors for IMRT use included increased N stage, higher comorbidity score, more recent year, treatment at an academic facility, increased income, and higher educational level. On propensity-adjusted, multivariable analysis, male gender, increased distance to facility, higher comorbidity score, IMRT technique, government insurance, African-American race, and non-metro location were predictive of worse OS. Of note, the complete response rate at time of surgery was 28% with non-IMRT and 21% with IMRT. Conclusion IMRT use has steadily increased in the treatment of rectal cancer, but still remains only a fraction of overall treatment technique, more often reserved for higher disease burden.
Penetrating Neck Trauma

The neck has many vital structures packed into a small amount of space vulnerable to penetrating trauma. Injuries to the airway and arteries that course this region are the primary cause of immediate morbidity and mortality. But just as morbid are unidentified/unassuming-isolated injuries to the esophagus. Penetrating injury may be caused by projectile or blade with each assuming different subtleties in management. Penetrating injury caused by projectiles is associated with a higher incidence of significant injury, yet a stab wound tract commonly is more difficult to delineate, often underestimating the potential for and significance of injury. Although, the majority of isolated Zone II injuries (∼50%) are caused by knife wounds, surgical management is more frequently required in those sustaining gunshot wounds (GSW); 60 and 80% respectively. Absolute indications, regardless of mechanism, such as hemorrhage, expanding hematoma, neurologic deficit, airway compromise, or impaled object necessitate emergent surgical management. Other symptoms such as subcutaneous emphysema, hemoptysis, stridor, odynophagia, or dysphagia also often necessitate urgent surgical exploration. The neck is divided into three zones by horizontal planes. Two different classifications are described based on different borders. Monson et al. in 1969 described the first classification. Here, Zone I is described as below the medial head of the clavicles, Zone II between the medial head of the clavicles and the angle of the mandible, and Zone III above the angle of the mandible. This classification was proposed to better identify areas of the neck that warrant further diagnostic studies (namely angiography) prior to operative management in preparation of appropriate and possibly complicated exposure. Later, a second definition was introduced changing the borders of Zone I and II to the cricoid cartilage. It is important when reviewing this literature to make this distinction for comparison of outcomes. Zone I injuries often necessitate median sternotomy or clavicle resection while Zone III injuries may require mandibular disarticulation; hence the need for further diagnostic modalities in preparation for operative management. A. The first priority in trauma management is the institution of the American College of Surgeons Advanced Trauma Life Support guidelines. The airway is insured of patency and protection, breath sounds are confirmed bilaterally and circulation is identified with peripheral pulses. If the patient requires an artificial airway, a surgical tray should be available because tracheal injury or neck hematoma may often render an endotracheal intubation unsuccessful. Many advocate bronchoscopic aid in intubation so as not to create a false passage with direct laryngoscopy. Regardless of intubation, a chest radiograph (CXR) is promptly obtained to identify potential thoracic pathology (i.e., pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, hemothorax, or subcutaneous emphysema). Once the primary survey is complete, a better evaluation of the neck and all other possible injuries can ensue.
Plain English: The “Rhetoric of Anti-rhetoric” and its Consequences for Anglophone Culture*

The extent to which the plain style is valued in Anglophone culture cannot be underestimated. Its basic premises (the virtues of clarity, economy and precision) are repeatedly extolled in writing m...
Abstract 149: Zoniporide Combined with α-Methylnorepinephrine Promotes Greater Hemodynamic Stability than Either Agent Alone During Chest Compression in Rats

Background: We have reported in animal models of cardiac arrest that sodium hydrogen exchanger-1 (NHE-1) inhibition - by attenuating reperfusion injury - helps preserve left ventricular distensibility yielding higher forward blood flows during chest compression. Others have reported that α-methylnorepinephrine (α-MNE) - a selective peripheral α2-adrenoreceptor agonist - is superior to epinephrine given its lack of β-agonist effect that intensifies myocardial ischemia. We examined in a rat model of VF the effects of combining the NHE-1 inhibitor zoniporide (ZNP) with α-MNE during CPR, expecting to elicit a vasopressor effect (α-MNE) that is better maintained over time because of ZNP. Methods: VF was electrically induced in 32 male retired breeder Sprague-Dawley rats and left untreated for 8 minutes. Chest compression was then initiated, gradually increasing the depth of compression (maximum 17 mm) to attain an aortic diastolic pressure of 28 mmHg by the end of minute 2, maintaining such level for the remaining 6 minutes of chest compression, time at which defibrillation was attempted. The rats were randomized 1:1:1:1 to receive a 3 mg/kg bolus of ZNP or 0.9% NaCl before starting chest compression and a 100 μg/kg bolus of α-MNE or its vehicle at minute 2 of chest compression with the investigators blind to the assignment. Results: The ratio between the aortic diastolic pressure and depth of compression (Figure) was higher - as expected - in rats that received α-MNE(+) given its vasopressor effect. The effect, however, was not maintained and declined over time; but to a significantly lesser degree in rats that also received ZNP; i.e., α-MNE(+)/ZNP(+) group. Conclusions: The findings support a favorable interaction between α-MNE and ZNP; the first prompting needed peripheral vasoconstriction - likely with less concomitant myocardial injury - and the latter preserving left ventricular distensibility, which combined enhance the hemodynamic efficacy of chest compression.
Generating Quantified Referring Expressions with Perceptual Cost Pruning.

We model the production of quantified referring expressions (QREs) that identify collections of visual items. To address this task, we propose a method of perceptual cost pruning, which consists of two steps: (1) determine what subset of quantity information can be perceived given a time limit t, and (2) apply a preference order based REG algorithm (e.g., the Incremental Algorithm) to this reduced set of information. We demonstrate that this method successfully improves the human-likeness of the IA in the QRE generation task and successfully models human-generated language in most cases.
Total Synthesis of Pyrolaside B: Phenol Trimerization through Sequenced Oxidative C-C and C-O Coupling.

A facile method to oxidatively trimerize phenols using a catalytic aerobic copper system is described. The mechanism of this transformation was probed, yielding insight that enabled cross-coupling trimerizations. With this method, the natural product pyrolaside B was synthesized for the first time. The key strategy used for this novel synthesis is the facile one-step construction of a spiroketal trimer intermediate, which can be selectively reduced to give the natural product framework without recourse to stepwise Ullmann- and Suzuki-type couplings. As a result, pyrolaside B can be obtained expeditiously in five steps and 16 % overall yield. Three other analogues were synthesized, thus highlighting the utility of the method, which provides new accessibility to this area of chemical space. A novel xanthene was also synthesized through controlled Lewis acid promoted rearrangement of a spiroketal trimer.
Impaired integration of object feature knowledge in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Objective Accessing semantic representations of real-world objects requires integration of multimodal perceptual features that are represented across relevant neocortical areas. Early Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology, including neurofibrillary tangles in the perirhinal cortex as well as disrupted cortico-cortical connectivity, would be expected to disrupt the integration of object features. This integration deficit may underlie AD patients' semantic memory deficits and would be predicted to be more prominent for living objects, which tend to be more defined by sensory features compared with nonliving objects. Method Two experiments were conducted to assess feature integration in cognitively healthy older adults and patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In both experiments, pictures of real-world objects were presented in congruent or incongruent colors. Participants were instructed to make a speeded color congruency judgment (Experiment 1) or name the presented surface color (Experiment 2). Results Across experiments, MCI patients showed a selective integration deficit for living, but not nonliving, objects across both experimental paradigms that was consistent with a deterioration in semantic structural representations rather than a deficit in controlled semantic retrieval. Planned secondary analyses with a subset of patients (Experiment 1) for whom PET imaging was available indicated that the degree of impairment was associated with the magnitude of cortical amyloid burden. Conclusions These findings suggest that early AD pathology leads to impaired integration of distributed semantic object representations. The development of integration tasks as sensitive markers of early AD pathology may lead to more effective diagnostic tools for early detection and intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Introduction and historical background

Abstract The largest variations in the plasma and fields that comprise the inner regions of the Earth’s space environment, or the magnetosphere, occur during geomagnetic storms and are related to the intensification of the ring current, the magnetically trapped charged particles that partially or fully encircle the Earth inside of ∼7 Earth radii. This chapter provides a historical introduction to the ring current and geomagnetic storms that have been investigated for more than 100 years. An overview of the relationship of the ring current to solar wind drivers and the development and decay of the ring current, in terms of the Sun-Earth connection is presented. Major space weather effects triggered by geomagnetic storms are briefly summarized. These effects intensify during extreme events, like the largest recorded geomagnetic storm that occurred in September 1859, known as the Carrington Event. Less severe storms have occurred since then, still causing many disruptions.
Reconsidering the Reliance Rules: The Restatement of Contracts and Promissory Estoppel in North Dakota

There is now in some states a sort of synthetic common law, formed from a handful of cases or none at all supplemented by a judicial quasi-enactment of the Restatements of the Law. As it deals with "promissory estoppel," the Restatement of Contracts presents a web of related concepts and rules. This article asserts, consistently with modern American contract theory, there is but one "reliance interest" yet there are at least three different kinds of reliance: (1) reliance in the absence of consideration, (2) reliance in the absence of assent, and (3) reliance in the absence of a required writing. Just as there are dramatically different policies for each of the three presumptive rules that reliance occasionally displaces, so it might be expected that courts would have articulated dramatically different rationales to explain why reliance is "reasonable" and failure to enforce the relied-upon promise is "unjust" in any of the three different situations. This article examines every significant reliance case in a single jurisdiction and concludes the courts in that state have tended to assume rather than decide the doctrine is applicable. Moreover, they have neither treated the three kinds of reliance differently nor articulated why, exactly, it is sensible to enforce some relied-upon promises because of reliance, yet contrary to other law. This article draws no explicit normative conclusion other than the obvious: the law might be more predictable if courts would explain their rationale. In passing, this article observes that North Dakota has a comprehensive civil code of substantive law providing that promises constitute binding contracts if accompanied by "consent" and sufficient "cause" or consideration. Accordingly, this article suggests promissory estoppel is not only unnecessary as a practical matter but may be impermissible as a matter of law in North Dakota (and in California, Montana and other such code states).
Cyclic transitions between higher order motifs underlie sustained asynchronous spiking in sparse recurrent networks

A basic-yet nontrivial-function which neocortical circuitry must satisfy is the ability to maintain stable spiking activity over time. Stable neocortical activity is asynchronous, critical, and low rate, and these features of spiking dynamics contribute to efficient computation and optimal information propagation. However, it remains unclear how neocortex maintains this asynchronous spiking regime. Here we algorithmically construct spiking neural network models, each composed of 5000 neurons. Network construction synthesized topological statistics from neocortex with a set of objective functions identifying naturalistic low-rate, asynchronous, and critical activity. We find that simulations run on the same topology exhibit sustained asynchronous activity under certain sets of initial membrane voltages but truncated activity under others. Synchrony, rate, and criticality do not provide a full explanation of this dichotomy. Consequently, in order to achieve mechanistic understanding of sustained asynchronous activity, we summarized activity as functional graphs where edges between units are defined by pairwise spike dependencies. We then analyzed the intersection between functional edges and synaptic connectivity- i.e. recruitment networks. Higher-order patterns, such as triplet or triangle motifs, have been tied to cooperativity and integration. We find, over time in each sustained simulation, low-variance periodic transitions between isomorphic triangle motifs in the recruitment networks. We quantify the phenomenon as a Markov process and discover that if the network fails to engage this stereotyped regime of motif dominance "cycling", spiking activity truncates early. Cycling of motif dominance generalized across manipulations of synaptic weights and topologies, demonstrating the robustness of this regime for maintenance of network activity. Our results point to the crucial role of excitatory higher-order patterns in sustaining asynchronous activity in sparse recurrent networks. They also provide a possible explanation why such connectivity and activity patterns have been prominently reported in neocortex.
Diet-induced obesity in genetically diverse collaborative cross mouse founder strains reveals diverse phenotype response and amelioration by quercetin treatment in 129S1/SvImJ, PWK/EiJ, CAST/PhJ, and WSB/EiJ mice.

Abstract Significant evidence suggests protective effects of flavonoids against obesity in animal models, but these often do not translate to humans. One explanation for this disconnect is use of a few mouse strains (notably C57BL/6 J) in obesity studies. Obesity is a multifactorial disease. The underlying causes are not fully replicated by the high-fat C57BL/6 J model, despite phenotypic similarities. Furthermore, the impact of genetic factors on the activities of flavonoids is unknown. This study was designed to explore how diverse mouse strains respond to diet-induced obesity when fed a representative flavonoid. A subset of Collaborative Cross founder strains (males and females) were placed on dietary treatments (low-fat, high-fat, high-fat with quercetin, high-fat with quercetin and antibiotics) longitudinally. Diverse responses were observed across strains and sexes. Quercetin appeared to moderately blunt weight gain in male C57 and both sexes of 129S1/SvImJ mice, and slightly increased weight gain in female C57 mice. Surprisingly, quercetin dramatically blunted weight gain in male, but not female, PWK/PhJ mice. For female mice, quercetin blunted weight gain (relative to the high-fat phase) in CAST/PhJ, PWK/EiJ and WSB/EiJ mice compared to C57. Antibiotics did not generally result in loss of protective effects of quercetin. This highlights complex interactions between genetic factors, sex, obesity stimuli, and flavonoid intake, and the need to move away from single inbred mouse models to enhance translatability to diverse humans. These data justify use of genetically diverse Collaborative Cross and Diversity Outbred models which are emerging as invaluable tools in the field of personalized nutrition.
The Effects of Collegiate Sports Coaching on the Male Voice: Pilot Data.

Abstract Purpose This research gathered pilot data on the effects of a typical collegiate athletic season on the male coach's voice. Materials and methods Ten male coaches and ten age- and sex-matched controls participated. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to assess group differences in: 1) written self-reports obtained during one session, 2) acoustic and aerodynamic variables obtained during regular season and during off-season for the coaches and only once for the controls, and 3) auditory-perceptual data provided by three speech-language pathologists using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice during one listening session. Data pertaining to the coaches’ regular season, to the coaches’ off-season, and to the control participants were designated as in-season, off-season, and control, respectively. Results Significant self-reported findings included more phonotraumatic behaviors in the coaches than in the controls and higher in-season than off-season and control vocal demand. The coaches’ history of voice problems was unrelated and the controls’ was related to respiratory illness and addressing a large audience. A significant acoustic finding was lower off-season than control low fundamental frequency. Finally, trained listeners perceived control loudness as more aberrant than off-season loudness and they noted vocal fry twice as many times in in-season and off-season than in control voices. Conclusions This study exposed traces of adverse voice reactions to coaching and confirmed that coaches harbor a job-based proclivity to voice overuse. Self-reported measures appeared to be the least and aerodynamic the most immune to phonatory exertion that pervades daily coaching tasks. Future studies are warranted to further delineate how athletic coaching interferes with voice production.
Legionella longbeachae pneumonia: Case report and review of reported cases in non-endemic countries.

Abstract Legionella longbeachae pneumonia is much less common than Legionella pneumophila pneumonia in most of the world and may evade timely diagnosis in settings that rely primarily on urine antigen testing, which detects Legionella pnuemophila serogroup 1 only. It is, however, widely recognized in Australia and New Zealand, where it is endemic and associated with exposure to compost and potting soils, rather than contaminated water systems as seen with L. pneumophila. L. longbeachae can cause a similar spectrum and severity of illness as L. pneumophila. Here we present a case of a 47-year-old man with L. longbeacheae necrotizing pneumonia following exposure to possibly contaminated soil from a wastewater treatment facility. Initial presentation included cough, chest pain, and dyspnea, and progressed to hypoxic respiratory failure, tension pneumothorax, and cardiac arrest. L. pneumophila urine antigen was negative, but bronchioalveolar lavage samples grew L. longbeachae on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar. A review of cases reported in the literature in non-endemic regions over a 20-year period identified 38 cases in Europe, 33 in Asia, and 8 in North America. Average age was 65, 65 % were male, and 35 % had potentially relevant environmental exposures. L. longbeachae should be considered in cases of severe community acquired pneumonia, particularly following a consistent environmental exposure or if initial testing for other pathogens is unrevealing. A thorough exposure history including questions about contact with potting soil or compost, and utilization of specialized agar for culture can both be key in identifying this pathogen.
Opportunities for Making Ends Meet & Upward Mobility: Differences in Organizational Deprivation Across Urban & Suburban Poor Neighborhoods

Given the recent rise of poverty in American suburbs, this study asks: What poor neighborhoods are most disadvantageous, those in the city or those in the suburbs? Building upon recent urban sociological work demonstrating the importance of neighborhood organizations for the poor, we are concerned with one aspect of disadvantage – the lack of availability of organizational resources oriented towards the poor. By breaking down organizations into those that promote mobility versus those that help individuals meet their daily subsistence needs we seek to explore potential variations in the type of disadvantage that may exist. Methods. We test whether poor urban or suburban neighborhoods are more likely to be organizationally deprived by breaking down organizations into three types: hardship resources, educational resources, and employment resources. We use data from the 2000 County Business Patterns and the 2000 Census and test neighborhood deprivation using logistic regression models. Results. We find that suburban poor neighborhoods are more likely to be organizational deprived than urban poor neighborhoods, especially with respect to organizations that promote upward mobility. Interesting racial and ethnic composition factors shape this more general finding. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that if a poor individual is to live in a poor neighborhood, with respect to access to organizational resources, he or she would be better off living in the central city. Suburban residence endears isolation from organizations that will help meet one’s daily needs and more so, from those offering opportunities for mobility.
Nondiet Weight-Neutral Curricula Limited in Current Accredited US Dietetic Programs

Abstract Objective Determine awareness and prevalence of, and interest in nondiet weight-neutral (NDWN) focused curriculum and factors associated with the presence in accredited dietetic programs throughout the US. Methods Online cross-sectional survey sent to directors of US Coordinated Programs (n = 60) and Didactic Programs in Dietetics (n = 214). Results 116 programs (42%) responded, 95% reported knowledge of NDWN approaches to weight management like Health at Every Size. Most schools (72%) included NDWN in their curriculum, mostly in a single lecture (53%). Most respondents (74%) reported interest in an NDWN curriculum. Common factors for not including NDWN were: lack of trained and knowledgeable staff (35%) and insufficient space in the curriculum to incorporate additional topics (35%). Conclusions and Implications Most knew of NDWN approaches and included in curricula but only as 1 lecture. Faculty training and curriculum flexibility may help support the increased incorporation of NDWN approaches.
Metastatic melanoma

The overall survival for patients with metastatic melanoma ranges from 4.7 to 11 months, with a median survival of 8.5 months. Standard treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma has not been defined. The range of treatment options includes close observation, surgical resection of isolated metastases, therapy with dacarbazine, combination chemotherapy, and participation in clinical trials.
Improved syringe disposal practices associated with unsanctioned safe consumption site use: A cohort study of people who inject drugs in the United States.

Abstract Background Community opposition to safe consumption sites often centers around improper syringe disposal. People are concerned these sites might attract people who inject drugs to the neighborhood, which might in turn lead to more used syringes left in public settings. Methods We evaluated an unsanctioned safe consumption site in an undisclosed United States city in 2018–2020 to assess whether use of the site was associated with improper syringe disposal practices. We recruited people who inject drugs (N=494) using targeted sampling methods, and interviewed participants at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. We employed a quasi-experimental design involving inverse probability of treatment weighting using propensity scores. We used generalized estimating equations and Poisson models to calculate relative risk and incidence rate ratios of improper syringe disposal. Results The risk of any improper syringe disposal was comparable among people who used and did not use the unsanctioned safe consumption site in prior 30 days (relative risk 1.03; 95% confidence interval=0.53, 1.17). The rate of improperly disposed syringes per number of injections in prior 30 days was significantly lower among people who had used the unsanctioned safe consumption site during the same period (incident rate ratio 0.42; 95% confidence interval=0.18, 0.88). Conclusion When people used this unsanctioned safe consumption site, they disposed of significantly fewer syringes in public places, including streets, sidewalks, parks, or parking lots, than people not using the site. This study helps allay concerns that implementing safe consumption sites in the US would lead to increases in improperly disposed syringes.
Application of air-to-air charge cooling to the two-stroke cycle diesel engine

The combustion and air system development of the air-to-air charge cooled two-stroke cycle diesel engine for the heavy-duty truck market is described. The conceptual modifications to the actual turbocharged-charge cooled diesel cycle are defined and supported by analytical modeling results and engine dynamometer development test results. Actual engine and vehicle performance are provided to demonstrate the significant achievement in fuel efficiency made via the optimizing scheme employed.
Corporate Governance Indexes and Valuation: Which Causes Which?

Two recent papers document a significant relation between valuation multiples and governance indices during the 1990s. We test whether causation runs from governance to valuation or vice versa. We find that valuation multiples during the early 1980s, a period preceding the adoption of the provisions comprising the governance indices, are highly correlated with valuation multiples during the 1990s. After controlling for valuation multiples during 1980-1985, no significant relation exists between contemporaneous valuation multiples and governance indices during the 1990s. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that firms with low valuation multiples were more likely to adopt provisions comprising the governance indices, not that the adoption of these provisions depresses valuation multiples.
The role of the α7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor on motor coordination in mice treated with methyllycaconitine and anabasine.

The adverse effects of methyllycaconitine (MLA) have been attributed to competitive antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Research has indicated a correlation between the LD50 of MLA and the amount of α7 nAChR in various mouse strains, suggesting that mice with more α7 nAChR require more MLA to be poisoned. However, recent research demonstrated that there was no difference in the acute lethality (LD50) to MLA in mice lacking the α7 nAChR subunit compared with wild-type mice. The objective of this study was to determine if the α7 nAChR subunit plays a role in motor coordination deficiencies that result from exposure to nAChR antagonists and agonists. We compared the motor function and coordination in wild-type mice to mice lacking the α7 subunit of the nAChR, after treating them with a non-lethal dose of MLA or anabasine, using the following tests: balance beam, grip strength, rotarod, open field and tremor monitor. Analysis of the data indicated that overall there was no difference between the wild-type and knockout mice (P = 0.39 for grip strength; P = 0.21 for rotarod; P = 0.41 for balance beam; P = 0.22 for open field; and P = 0.62 for tremors). Thus results from this study suggest that α7 nAChR does not play an integral role in the acute effects of MLA or anabasine on motor function/coordination. Consequently other subunits of nAChRs found in the neuromuscular junction are likely the primary target for MLA and anabasine resulting in motor coordination deficiencies and acute toxicosis. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Enhanced Growth of T-Strain Mycoplasmas with N-2-Hydroxyethylpiperazine-N′-2-Ethanesulfonic Acid Buffer

The small size of T-strain mycoplasma colonies obtained on agar medium has been a drawback to the study of these organisms. The incorporation of 0.05 m N -2-hydroxyethylpiperazine- N′ -2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES), a new hydrogen ion buffer, into agar medium at p H 6.8 led to the production of colonies at least 60% greater in diameter than those obtained on media without HEPES at p H 6.5 or 6.0. In addition, the colonies often had the “fried-egg” appearance typical of “classical” large-colony-forming mycoplasmas. The addition of HEPES to liquid medium in the presence of 0.1% urea resulted in a slightly higher number of viable organisms and a corresponding increase in ammonia production. Rapid death of the mycoplasmas occurred on continued incubation of the liquid medium cultures even in the presence of HEPES. The larger colony size facilitated the study of hemadsorption and tissue-culture cell adsorption. Preliminary results of such tests in which these phenomena have been demonstrated are presented. The advantages and disadvantages of having larger colonies are discussed, and the terminology of T-strain mycoplasmas is considered in the light of the present findings. Images
The initial data products from the EUVE software - A photon's journey through the End-to-End System

The End-to-End System (EES) is a unique collection of software modules created for use at the Center for EUV Astrophysics. The 'pipeline' is a shell script which executes selected EES modules and creates initial data products: skymaps, data sets for individual sources (called 'pigeonholes') and catalogs of sources. This article emphasizes the data from the all-sky survey, conducted between July 22, 1992 and January 21, 1993. A description of each of the major data products will be given and, as an example of how the pipeline works, the reader will follow a photon's path through the software pipeline into a pigeonhole. These data products are the primary goal of the EUVE all-sky survey mission, and so their relative importance for the follow-up science will also be discussed.
Rural Revolt in Mexico: U.S. Intervention and the Domain of Subaltern Politics

Rural Revolt in Mexico: U.S. Intervention and the Domain of Subaltern Politics. Daniel Nugent. ed. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1998. 384 pp.
Improving Analysts' Negative Earnings Forecasts

In contrast to positive earnings forecasts, the negative earnings forecasts of security analysts are grossly optimistic. We adjusted negative earnings forecasts downward by varying amounts and evaluated forecast performance according to (1) forecast accuracy relative to the consensus, (2) the frequency of being closer to actual earnings than the consensus, and (3) the frequency with which adjusted forecasts underestimate actual earnings, thereby jeopardizing the analyst's relations with corporate managers. Relative forecast accuracy and the probability of beating the consensus are improved, without an inordinate increase in the probability of underestimating earnings, by adjusting negative forecasts downward by a small amount.
Epidemiology and Intervention Trials

Determining the health effects of carotenoids in humans is a challenging yet high priority area of research. Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations. Epidemiologists who study carotenoids are thus interested in determining if carotenoid intake or carotenoid status is associated with risk of various disease endpoints. As carotenoids are known to have antioxidant functions in plants, and evidence suggests that oxidative stress could be involved in the aetiology of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, cataract and macular degeneration, much of the epidemiological research on carotenoids has emphasized links with risk of these and other chronic diseases, as summarized in Chapters 13–15.
Happy birthday, Gray's Anatomy.

(2009). Happy Birthday, Gray's Anatomy. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings: Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 342-345.
Asset Prices, Funds' Size and Portfolio Weights in Equilibrium with Heterogeneous and Long-Lived Funds

We perform a detailed asymptotic analysis of the equilibrium behavior of the asset prices, wealth size and portfolio weights in complete markets equilibria, with long-lived funds. In equilibrium, the fund with the (closest to) log preference will dominate the other funds in size, in the long-run, with probability one. On the other hand, two funds on the opposite sides of the log preference will never dominate each other in expected size.In the very long run, the price behavior of the risky asset will be determined solely by the fund closest to the log preference. However, the price drift and volatility still are affected by higher risk aversions, and the optimal portfolio weights contain a hedging component, positive (negative) for the risk aversions higher (lower) than log. The hedging component is monotone increasing in risk aversion for the times further away from the terminal horizon, but it may become monotone decreasing closer to the terminal horizon.For earlier, but still asymptotically infinite times, the price behavior is impacted also by the funds with risk aversions greater than one. Selling short is never optimal. There are distinct increasing time periods such that the price has the same symptotic behavior in each period. The long-run per-period return gets lower with time.
Regulation and Relevance of Myofibroblast Responses in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, incurable lung disease of unknown etiology with only limited treatment options. Current paradigms of disease pathogenesis feature recurrent or prolonged epithelial injury and an ensuing inflammatory response that culminates in the appearance of activated myofibroblasts. These cells are believed central to the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix that eventually obliterates the alveolar space to cause respiratory failure. Because the factors driving the accumulation of myofibroblasts remain poorly understood, effective therapies remain elusive. This review focuses on recent understanding of myofibroblasts including their seemingly uncontrolled proliferation and survival, their controversial origin in pathological IPF tissues, and the local biochemical and biomechanical matrix factors that drive their behavior. In addition, novel antifibrotics under development for the treatment of lung disease will be discussed. As our understanding of fibroblast and myofibroblast biology regulation expands, these cells may prove to be effective therapeutic targets.
3‐D dose‐volume compensation using nonlinear least‐squares regression technique

A method for external beam dose‐volume optimization is presented. The Gauss–Marquardt nonlinear least‐squares regression technique is applied to compensator design and determination. The dose distribution (uniform or otherwise) desired throughout a volume is specified. Compensators optimized to produce the necessary variation of beam intensity across the surface of each beam are simultaneously determined for all the beams. Solutions for homogeneous dose, homogeneous target dose, and restricted dose to exterior target volume structures, and inhomogeneous target dose cases are presented. Dependence of the results on the number of parameters as well as the role of degree of desirability weighting is explained and illustrated via examples. Discussion of the significance and limitations of this optimization method is also presented.
Determination of selected chlorinated benzenes in water by purging directly to a capillary column with whole column cryotrapping and electron-capture detection

Abstract The purge with whole column cryotrapping (P/WCC) method for the determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in aqueous samples is adapted for use with an electron-capture detector. In this method, VOCs are stripped from an aqueous sample with an inert purge gas and transferred directly to the head of a capillary column for subsequent GC analysis. To prevent the column from plugging with ice during the purge step, and to reduce the chromatographic interference caused by the reaction of small amounts of water with thermal electrons in the detector, a glass-bead water trap is placed in-line between the purge vessel and the gas chromatograph. The water trap is constructed of a short length of 0.32 cm O.D. stainless-steel tubing filled with 0.5 mm diameter glass beads. By maintaining the trap at − 10°C during the purge, most of the water can be removed from the purge gas. Transmission of the analytes to the column is then achieved with a subsequent, short purge of the trap at 25°C. The method was tested with the chlorinated benzenes. Despite their high molecular masses, the more chlorinated members of this group have large enough Henry's law constants that they can be determined with a purge technique. Experimental purging efficiencies were determined and compared to theoretical values. This method allows the simplicity and the high reliability of the P/WCC method to be combined with the exceptionally high sensitivity of an electron-capture detector.
Temperature stable crystal oscillator

A crystal oscillator is proposed which can exhibit a frequency versus temperature stability comparable to that of the best atomic frequency standards. >
Coral communities of Biscayne Bay, Florida and adjacent offshore areas: diversity, abundance, distribution, and environmental correlates

1. Hardbottom habitats of Biscayne Bay, a shallow lagoon adjacent to the city of Miami, Florida, USA, contain a limited number of coral species that represent a small subset of the species found at nearby offshore hardbottom and reef habitats of the Florida Reef Tract. Although the physical characteristics of this basin make it a marginal environment for coral growth, the presence of dense populations of Siderastrea radians and Porites furcata indicate that these, as well as other corals that are found at lower densities, are able to tolerate extreme and fluctuating conditions. Three factors, temperature, sedimentation, and salinity, appear to limit coral abundance, diversity, and distribution within Biscayne Bay. 2. Temperatures exhibit high frequencies of extreme high and low values known to cause coral stress and mortality elsewhere. Similarly, sedimentation rates are very high and sediment resuspension caused by currents, storms and boating activities commonly bury corals under sediment layers. Sediment burial was shown experimentally to influence growth and mortality of S. radians. 3. The salinity of Biscayne Bay is influenced by freshwater inputs from canal, sheetflow and groundwater sources that create a near-shore environment with low mean salinity and high salinity fluctuation. Coral communities along this western margin have the lowest coral density and species richness. Chronic exposure to low salinity was shown experimentally to cause a decrease in the growth of S. radians. 4. The location of Biscayne Bay, downstream of a large restoration effort planned for the Everglades watershed, highlights the need to understand the relationship between the physical environment and the health of benthic communities. The data presented here provide the type of scientific information needed so that management decisions can take into account the potential impacts of human activities on the health of coral populations that are already near their tolerance limits for temperature, salinity, and sedimentation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Extension of Fe MAD phases in the structure determination of a multiple [FeS] cluster containing hydrogenase

The structure of the hydrogenase (CpI) from Clostridium pasteurianum has been solved by MAD phasing taking advantage of the presence of 20 Fe atoms in the native ~60 kD protein. The Fe atoms in this protein are distributed into five [FeS] clusters that could easily be identified in Patterson maps. Although the individual sites for the Fe atoms within the [FeS] cluster could not be identified directly, phasing to the maximum resolution (2.5 A) of the MAD data was achieved by an iterative assignment and refinement of the positions of individual Fe atoms based mainly on the known structure of several of the metal clusters. After the majority of the Fe atoms had been successfully assigned and refined in this manner, excellent quality electron-density maps were obtained which allowed the amino acid chain to be traced.
Annealing Simulations of Nano-Sized Amorphous Structures in SiC

Abstract A two-dimensional model of a nano-sized amorphous layer embedded in a perfect crystal has been developed, and the amorphous-to-crystalline (a–c) transition in 3C-SiC at 2000 K has been studied using molecular dynamics methods, with simulation times of up to 88 ns. Analysis of the a–c interfaces reveals that the recovery of the bond defects existing at the a–c interfaces plays an important role in recrystallization. During the recrystallization process, a second ordered phase, crystalline 2H-SiC, nucleates and grows, and this phase is stable for long simulation times. The crystallization mechanism is a two-step process that is separated by a longer period of second-phase stability. The kink sites formed at the interfaces between 2H- and 3C-SiC provide a low energy path for 2H-SiC atoms to transfer to 3C-SiC atoms, a process which can be defined as a solid-phase epitaxial transformation (SPET). It is observed that the nano-sized amorphous structure can be fully recrystallized at 2000 K in SiC, which is in agreement with experimental observations.
Robust topological design of cellular materials

A robust topology exploration method is under development in which robust design techniques are extended to the early stages of a design process when a product’s layout or topology is determined. The performance of many designs is strongly influenced by both topology, or the geometric arrangement and connectivity of a design, and potential variations in factors such as the operating environment, the manufacturing process, and specifications of the design itself. While topology design and robust design are active research areas, little attention has been devoted to integrating the two categories of design methods. In this paper, we move toward a comprehensive robust topology exploration method by coupling robust design methods, namely, design capability indices with topology design techniques. The resulting design method facilitates efficient, effective realization of robust designs with complex topologies. The method is employed to design extruded cellular materials with robust, desirable elastic properties. For this class of materials, 2D cellular topologies are customizable and largely govern multifunctional performance. By employing robust, topological design methods, we obtain cellular material designs that are characterized by ranged sets of design specifications with topologies that reliably meet a set of design requirements and are relatively simple and robust to anticipated variability.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Radiation transfer in absorbing-scattering liquids—II. Comparisons of measurements with predictions

Abstract Comparisons have been made between measured and predicted results for the radiation field in both highly absorbing and scattering aqueous suspensions with a highly reflecting or absorbing bottom. Predictions were based on a discrete ordinate solution to the equation of transfer, with the requisite properties (extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient and scattering phase function) obtained from measurements performed on samples extracted from the suspensions. All trends in the data were predicted by the model, although poor numerical agreement was obtained for suspensions of large albedo and extinction coefficient. The disagreement is attributed to the effect of multiple scattering on the property measurements.
Increased lysyl oxidase activity in aortas of hypertensive rats and effect of beta-aminopropionitrile.

Abstract Lysyl oxidase activity was measured in aortas of spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt (DOCA-salt) induced hypertensive rats. Lysyl oxidase, the enzyme which catalyzes the initial step in cross-linking of collagen and elastin, was significantly elevated in aortas of both models of hypertension. Aortic collagen synthesis was increased in both models and collagen was significantly elevated in aortas of DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Administration of β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN), an inhibitor of lysyl oxidase, before the onset of DOCA-hypertension prevented the development of hypertension and reduced lysyl oxidase and collagen content to control values. These results suggest that lysyl oxidase is instrumental in determining levels of aortic collagen content and that inhibitors of collagen and elastin crosslinking may be effective antihypertensive agents.