cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brief Novel Therapies for PTSD—Treatment of PTSD in Primary Care

The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among patients in primary care clinics is higher than that of the general population and many people prefer to get mental health care in primary care, creating a unique opportunity to identify and treat the disorder. Current treatment guidelines recommend psychotherapy as a first-line treatment for PTSD; however, there is a limited amount of research examining effective psychotherapy treatment protocols for PTSD within primary care. This review aims to examine the existing literature for the treatment of PTSD in primary care and discuss ongoing dissemination efforts for primary care mental health providers. Prolonged Exposure for Primary Care (PE-PC) has adapted the traditional PE model for use in primary care. We conducted the first randomized controlled trial examining the effectiveness of a PTSD treatment protocol for primary care (PE-PC) among active duty service members with PTSD which demonstrated significant decreases in PTSD symptomology compared with a control group. Service members receiving PE-PC showed significantly larger reductions in self-reported PTSD symptoms in PE-PC compared with minimal attention control and were more likely to no longer meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD following the four-session intervention. While there is limited research examining the treatment of PTSD within primary care, PE-PC has demonstrated efficacy. This intervention provides a proven effective PTSD treatment option for primary care that promises to expand access to patients who are likely to never follow through to complete care in another setting (such as specialty mental health). Additional clinical trials are underway to replicate and expand results. Implementation and dissemination efforts are ongoing and under empirical examination as well within DoD, VA, and civilian primary care settings.
Use of imaging as staging and surgical planning for pancreatic surgery

In the past few decades, there has been rapid advancements in imaging technologies that have become irreplaceable in the pre-operative assessment of patients with pancreatic tumors. Modern imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasound, can provide critical information of the absence or presence of metastatic disease in pancreatic cancer, as well as details on the local extent and resectability. In this review, we discuss the role of imaging in staging and surgical planning and imaging modalities involved in these assessments.
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and Esophageal Involvement in Patients with Pemphigus Vulgaris

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare autoimmune blistering disease involving the skin and mucous membranes. The prevalence of esophageal involvement remains uncertain. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of esophageal involvement in patients with PV. This is a single-center electronic database retrospective review of patients with a diagnosis of PV. Data abstracted included demographics, disease characteristics (biopsy results, symptoms, areas affected, treatments), and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) reports. Of the 111 patients that met eligibility criteria, only 22 (19.8%) underwent EGD. Demographic data were similar except those who underwent EGD were more likely to be female (77.3% vs. 51.7%, p = 0.05) and have hypertension (50.0% vs. 24.7%, p = 0.04). Esophageal symptoms were common in both groups; however, those experiencing dysphagia were more likely to undergo EGD (50.0% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.007). Those who underwent EGD had more refractory disease (≥ 3 treatment modalities: 100% vs. 58.4%, p < 0.001), but did not differ in areas affected. Of those who underwent EGD, only 4 (18.2%) had esophageal abnormalities either prior to PV diagnosis (1) or during a disease flare (3). Those having a flare were more likely to experience odynophagia (69.2%) or weight loss (61.5%), p = 0.02 and p = 0.05, respectively. While esophageal symptoms were common in our cohort of PV patients, a minority of patients underwent EGD, and the vast majority of those were unremarkable. This suggests that while esophageal symptoms are common in PV, permanent esophageal injury is more rare.
A precipitous decline in an invasive snail population cannot be explained by a native predator

Population dynamics of invasive species can exhibit rapid population growth followed by rapid decline. Populations of Potamopyrgus antipodarum, an invasive gastropod native to New Zealand, can follow this pattern, but potential mechanisms are unclear. We assessed the biomass of P. antipodarum and native macroinvertebrates over 16 years in Polecat Creek Wyoming (USA), a spring-fed tributary of the Snake River. We documented a 15-fold drop in the biomass of P. antipodarum. Biomass of collector–filterers fluctuated in the opposite direction to that of P. antipodarum biomass, suggesting the invasive snails may suppress taxa in this functional feeding group. Because the biomass of planarians (turbellarian flatworms) fell sharply with the biomass of P. antipodarum, and because planarians (Dugesia spp.) prey on P. antipodarum, we also evaluated the functional response of Dugesia to the invasive snails and estimated predation rate. To assess whether predation by Dugesia could have caused the large drop in biomass of P. antipodarum, we used monthly matrix projection models and their periodic matrix products to estimate the annual population growth rate ($$\lambda$$) of P. antipodarum with and without predation. When we added predation by planarians to the matrix population models, we observed that the proportion of models with $$\lambda < 1$$ increased by $$\approx \,{8}\%$$ at most. Thus, Dugesia may shift the population from growing to declining, but predation alone probably did not explain the large decline of P. antipodarum in Polecat Creek.
Preservation of Organ Function after Transplantation for Sickle Cell Disease

Background Recipients of successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for sickle cell disease (SCD) have hemoglobin S levels that reflect those of the donor. SCD related organ damage targets vital organs and is variable based on age and disease severity, and can be further compromised by transplant related complications. Organ function parameters are generally not primary end-points for clinical trials but need longitudinal follow up. This study aims to describe organ function in transplant recipients followed for one or more years after HSCT for SCD. Methods Following Institutional Review Board approval, a retrospective chart review was undertaken of SCD patients >1-year from HSCT with donor engraftment. Demographic data and organ functions (lung, brain and eyes) pre, at one-year, and at most recent assessment were compared for each patient. Organ functions reviewed included, creatinine, brain imaging, intelligence quotient (IQ), pulmonary function, retinal examination, and ferritin levels. Results Twenty-two patients were included in this review. There were 10 matched sibling donor, 8 matched or mismatched unrelated donor, 1 haploidentical, and 3 cord blood transplant recipients. Four patients received repeat donor cell infusion for waning donor chimerism followed by stabilization. Median age at first HSCT was 10 years (range 4-21 years). Eleven patients had MRI changes pre-HSCT. At 1-year, 4 of 17 transplant recipients had new MRI changes (2 patients with PRES and 2 with worsening infarction). At last follow up 3 of 18 patients demonstrated new MRI changes: bilateral temporal mesial sclerosis (1) and silent infarcts (2). IQ testing was available both at baseline and anytime beyond 1 year in 7 patients. IQ improved or remained stable in 5 patients and was lower in 2 patients, but remained in the average range. Pulmonary function tests were available for 21 patients of which 4 patients had restrictive lung disease. Ferritin levels decreased in 13 of 18 patients beyond the first year post-HSCT. Ophthalmologic exams at baseline and after transplant were performed in 12 patients. While SCD retinopathy was detected at baseline in two patients, no retinopathy was noted after HSCT. Follow up is in progress for additional organs such as the heart and kidneys. Discussion Long-term follow up of SCD related parameters post-HSCT demonstrates the effect of the intervention on disease manifestations. Our data demonstrates stability or improvement in organ function in the majority of patients after HSCT. This retrospective analysis is limited by the lack of uniform assessment of SCD related parameters and by obstacles such as provider changes and insurance denials. Though our data indicates improvement in SCD parameters post-HSCT, it also underscores the importance of systematic follow up prospectively through clinical trials and registries following curative therapy for SCD.
Hindcast/forecast of ENSO events based upon the redistribution of observed and model dynamic height in the Western Tropical Pacific, 1964–1986

Anomalous sea level, anomalous observed dynamic height (0/400 db) and anomalous model dynamic height are examined at the locations of 13 island sea level stations in the tropical Pacific for each bimonth of the four year period 1979 to 1982. Starting in 1981, the anomalous dynamic height data show off-equatorial Rossby waves propagated toward the W boundary of the Pacific basin. At the W boundary, the model Rossby wave activity was found to have excited coastally trapped Kelvin-Munk waves which transmitted the anomalous dynamic height equatorward. At the equator, coastally trapped wave activity excited eastward propagating equatorial Kelvin waves, yielding a pair of anomalous peaks in dynamic height variability in the E equatorial Pacific associated with the 1982–1983 ENSO event. The evolution of the peaks in dynamic height associated with the Rossby and Kelvin wave activity reflects the redistribution of observed upper-ocean heat content in the W tropical Pacific, providing a qualitative hindcast for the 1982–1983 ENSO event. In consequence of these results, and the results of a related study (Inoue et al. 1985), the redistribution of both observed and model heat content, as evidenced in dynamic height in the W Pacific during the 23-year period 1964–1985, is examined for its ability to hindcast and forecast ENSO events in this period. Complex EOF analysis is applied to the Onset Phase of ENSO events occurring in 1968–69, 1972–73, 1976–77, and 1982–83; it is used to determine the characteristic redistribution of heat content (dynamic height) prior to the Mature Phase of ENSO events. This analysis found both model and observed dynamic height in the N hemisphere to be characterized by wind-driven, westward propagating, baroclinic Rossby wave activity, having a remarkably stable period of 3 years over the 23-year period. The complex time series associated with these first spatial eigen-functions are used to construct observed and model hindcast indices that yield high values one year prior to the Mature Phase of ENSO events of the period. These indices achieve these values due to the incidence upon the Philippine coast in fall/winter of a positive anomaly in dynamic height propagating from the east at nondispersive Rossby long wave speeds.
Investigation of iodine nutritional status of children in Xiaodeng island of Xiamen Fujian provence in 2010

Objective To find out the iodine nutritional status of children in Xiamen island, and to provide the scientific basis for iodine supplimentation. Methods On March 2010, thyroids of all children aged 6to 12, from primary school on the Xiaodeng island of Xiamen were examined by palpation, urinary iodine, iodine content of salt athome and IQ level were tested, and were collected 20 households, iodine content of drinking water was tested randomly. Results IQ testing and thyroid palpation were carried out among a total of 156 children, the goiter rate of children was 1.28% (2/156), the mean IQ was 110; 154 urine samples were taken, the median urinary iodine was 219.1 μg/L; a total of 153 salt samples were tested, and the qualified rate of iodized salt was 87.58%(134/153), and the mean iodine content in the tap water was 4.52 μg/L Conclusions Iodine nutritional status of the island residents is better, and there are no such problems as excessive iodine. Key words: Iodine; Deficiency disorders; Goiter, endemic; Data collection
Using Amazon MTurk for Research in Academia: A Beginner’s Guide for Using Qualtrics, Detecting VPN/Proxy, Limiting Countries Using Geolocation & Other Tips

This is beginner's guide for using MTurk. If you intend to use MTurk for your research in academia using Qualtrics, this has details and tips which will allow you to conduct a study. The information given is based on our experiences conducting MTurk studies in summer of 2019. Overall, the quality of the respondents was very good. This paper contains suggestions and tips on setting criteria, using VPN/ proxy detectors, checking for location and ensuring you can conduct an MTurk study reliably and efficiently.
Effects of interlayer confinement and hydration on capacitive charge storage in birnessite.

Nanostructured birnessite exhibits high specific capacitance and nearly ideal capacitive behaviour in aqueous electrolytes, rendering it an important electrode material for low-cost, high-power energy storage devices. The mechanism of electrochemical capacitance in birnessite has been described as both Faradaic (involving redox) and non-Faradaic (involving only electrostatic interactions). To clarify the capacitive mechanism, we characterized birnessite’s response to applied potential using ex situ X-ray diffraction, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, in situ Raman spectroscopy and operando atomic force microscope dilatometry to provide a holistic understanding of its structural, gravimetric and mechanical responses. These observations are supported by atomic-scale simulations using density functional theory for the cation-intercalated structure of birnessite, ReaxFF reactive force field-based molecular dynamics and ReaxFF-based grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations on the dynamics at the birnessite–water–electrolyte interface. We show that capacitive charge storage in birnessite is governed by interlayer cation intercalation. We conclude that the intercalation appears capacitive due to the presence of nanoconfined interlayer structural water, which mediates the interaction between the intercalated cation and the birnessite host and leads to minimal structural changes. Nanostructured birnessite exhibits high specific capacitance and, while an important electrode material for high-power energy storage devices, its capacitive mechanism remains unclear. Capacitive charge storage in birnessite is now shown to be governed by interlayer cation intercalation.
2 The Sleeping Giant Awakes?: us Actions to Mitigate Climate Disruption

This paper, prepared for the Hamburg Conference on International Environmental Law, reports on US progress in mitigating global climate disruption. It concludes that the US has begun to move forward on this issue, but has not fully awakened to the danger climate disruption poses. This paper compares US policies at the federal, state, and regional levels with similar programs in other countries. The most significant nationwide initiative to date, by far, turn out to be recently revised Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards. Although these standards constitute something of a miracle politically and promise very significant emission reductions, both the EU and Japan have stricter standards on the books in terms of absolute levels if not in terms of total emission decreases. The US picture is consistent with trends elsewhere in that environmental benefit trading programs constitute the symbolic center of efforts, but in practice have achieved relatively little, because caps have been lax and problematic offsets have been available. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) has realized significant emission reductions, primarily because of use of revenues raised through the sale of emission allowances to fund energy efficiency, even though the cap was overallocated. California’s trading program, which just came on line, is designed to achieve less emission reductions than a number of the California Air Resources Board’s sector specific programs. The RGGI states’ decision to auction off 100% of the allowances constitutes a significant policy advance, but the US programs, like other programs, have put about 50% of the achievements available through caps at risk through liberal offset policies. This paper also discusses the role the Clean Air Act will likely play in future nationwide efforts. It concludes that absent a comprehensive climate bill, which will not pass Congress absent major political change, progress will likely remain very slow, fragmented, and unsatisfactory, because of the difficulties involved in reliance on administrative actions to address climate disruption.
Isolation and characterization of plasmid DNA in Streptococcus cremoris

Nine industrially important strains of Streptococcus cremoris (HP, AM(2), ML(1), WC, C(3), R(1), E(8), KH, and Wg(2)) were shown to possess a diversity of plasmid molecules. Molecular weights of plasmids were determined from their relative mobilities after agarose gel electrophoresis and via electron microscopy. To illustrate the varied plasmid sizes, strain HP contained plasmids of 26, 18, 8.5, 3.3, and 2 megadaltons (Mdal); strain ML(1) contained plasmids of 29, 18, 9, 4, 2.2, and 1.8 Mdal; and strain AM(2) had plasmids of 42, 27, 16, and 8.4 Mdal. The numbers of plasmids observed in the other strains were 6, 5, 5, 7, 5, and 4 for C(3), E(8), KH, R(1), WC, and Wg(2), respectively. A spontaneous proteinase-negative (Prt(-)) mutant of HP was missing the 8.5-Mdal plasmid, which suggests that in this strain proteinase activity could be linked to this particular plasmid. A lactose-negative (Lac(-)) Prt(-) mutant of ML(1) lacked the 2.2-Mdal plasmid. Under the conditions employed, antibiotic sensitivity and heavy-metal susceptibility did not correlate with the missing plasmid in Prt(-) HP or in the Lac(-) Prt(-) ML(1). Curing experiments with AM(2), using acridine dyes and elevated temperatures, did not yield Lac(-) variants. AM(2) was also cultured at high dilution rates in a chemostat for 168 h by using a buffered milk or lactic broth at 18 or 32 degrees C with no selection of Lac(-) derivatives. The inability to obtain Lac(-) variants under conditions known to facilitate plasmid elimination suggests that lactose metabolism is not plasmid-mediated in AM(2).
On the Optimality of Certainty Equivalence for Adaptive Model Reference Control

Most implementations of adaptive model reference control employ a certainty equivalence assumption whereby at each step, identification is performed first and then a control is devised by treating parameter estimates as if they were the correct values. Using certainty equivalence has often led to an acceptable control but has been without theoretical justification. This paper demonstrates that for a class of adaptive model reference controllers, the optimal (in a minimax sense) one-step-ahead control will either be zero or the certainty equivalence control.
Lectin-Based Glycoproteomic Techniques for the Enrichment and Identification of Potential Biomarkers

Glycan structures on glycoproteins are controlled by several factors such as regulated expression of glycosyltransferases and glycosylhydrolases, as well as regulation of glycoprotein expression, folding, and transport through the ER and Golgi. In cancer, for example, the glycosylation of glycoproteins can be significantly altered due to changes in the expression levels of glycosyltransferases as a result of oncogene activated signaling pathways coupled with gain or loss in chromosome copy number. Cumulatively these changes result in glycoproteins exported to the cell surface and extracellular region with altered glycan structures that can lead to significant changes in cell phenotype. Therefore, it is advantageous to be able to capture and identify proteins that express particular glycans or classes of glycans. In this report, we discuss extraction methods and lectin capture methodology that can be used to enrich and identify by mass spectrometry glycoproteins that express specific glycans that change in response to disorders or diseases, such as the presence of malignancies.
Data Base System Evaluation

The evaluation of data base systems embraces four very significant fields, the first being the design of resource management necessary to build into the product necessary performance attributes to make that product or system an attractive saleable item. The second part is the prediction of performance for a given configuration and workload. The third is the ability to measure the performance and confirm or deny the expectation obtained from the predictive process; and finally the ability to tune the system to accommodate changes made either in the configuration that exists or the user work load that is c u r r e n t l y p r e s e n t e d to the sy s t em.
Carrier frequency of the IVS4 + 4 A-->T mutation of the Fanconi anemia gene FAC in the Ashkenazi Jewish population

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous autosomal recessive disorder defined by a cellular hypersensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents. One of the FA genes, FAC, has been cloned and the genomic structure of the coding region has been characterized. We have developed amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) assays for five known mutations in FAC, and have applied these assays to determine the carrier frequency of the IVS4 + 4 A-->T (IVS4) mutation in an Ashkenazi Jewish population. We tested 3,104 Jewish individuals, primarily of Ashkenazi descent, for the two most common FAC mutations, IVS4 and 322delG. Thirty-five IVS4 carriers were identified, for a carrier frequency of 1 in 89 (1.1%; 95% confidence interval 0.79% to 1.56%); no 322delG carriers were found. To determine if the IVS4 mutation was confined to the Ashkenazi Jewish population, we tested 563 Iraqi Jews for IVS4, and no carriers were found. Because the IVS4 mutation has only been found on chromosomes of Ashkenazi Jewish origin and is the only FAC mutation found on these chromosomes, we suggest that a founder effect is responsible for the high frequency of this mutation. With a carrier frequency greater than 1% and simple testing available, the IVS4 mutation merits inclusion in the battery of tests routinely provided to the Jewish population.
Use of BCG vaccine in a new diagnostic test for tuberculosis.

Ninety-one children were Mantoux-tested using O.T. in a dilution of 1:10,000 (.01 mg.). Negative reactors were retested with a 1:100 (1.0 mg.) solution of O.T. All the children were then tested by making two punctures through a drop of BCG vaccine applied to the arm. The Mantoux-positive group developed papules during the first six days after inoculation with BCG. The tuberculin-negative individuals showed a late reaction to BCG in 12 to 20 days, similar to that seen in tuberculosis uninfected individuals when BCG vaccinated by the method of Rosenthal or Birkhaug. In four cases false "positives" were elicited with O.T. These were easily differentiated by the demonstration of a late reaction with the BCG test. Thirty-four of the negative reactors were rechecked one year later and showed no change in their status as a result of the BCG test. It is true, of course, that the number of children studied in this series is too small to justify any final conclusions about the role of BCG in routine tuberculin testing. The authors feel, however, that the findings together with the findings of other investigators indicate that BCG vaccine is a more sensitive and more specific test than the ordinary tuberculin test and it therefore should be of value in the following situations: 1. Where the authenticity of a "positive tuberculin test" is doubted. 2. In cases of tuberculin anergy where clinical evidence seems to indicate tuberculous infection despite a negative tuberculin test. 3. To detect infratuberculin allergy when BCG vaccination is contemplated. Further research is necessary to determine whether BCG vaccination is necessary in the presence of infratuberculin allergy.
Evidence for a functional intestinal-renal axis for arginine synthesis in the neonatal pig (258.2)

Endogenous arginine (Arg) synthesis is a complex multiorgan process, in which citrulline (Cit) made in the gut is converted into Arg in the kidney, by what is known as the intestinal-renal axis. In...
Challenging the Silence of the Mental Health Community on Adoption Issues

As traditional secrecy surrounding adoption has waned, the behavioral sciences, particularly the mental health community, have remained largely silent, particularly on postadoption issues. Reasons for this silence are suggested. Research on adoption is difficult to conduct. The mental health community may desire to see adoption as professional problem-solving and as a “favor” done to all involved. Problems in adoption thus represent both a failure on the part of those professionals and a favor gone bad. Fear that discussing adoption-related problems will lead to adoption itself being labeled as pathological is also likely operating to support the silence. Privacy issues for the adoptive and birth families are also important. Sexuality and childbirth have long been areas not sufficiently addressed, but with the addition of the “illegitimacy” common in adoption they are even more controversial. Issues of poverty, powerlessness, social class, and race also are difficult to face, as is the business aspect of adoption. Acknowledging the reasons for the silence may be the first step in addressing it. Other steps, such as continuing education programs and publication of information on postadoption issues are also suggested.
Defensive Tactics and Optimal Search

Berkovitch, Bradley and Khanna (BBK) attempt to show that defensive tactics increase welfare because these tactics help induce the optimal amount of search for targets. This is a novel and interesting claim; most scholars believe that defensive tactics and the auctions that these tactics often produce in fact dampen search.' A crucial assumption of BBK's model, however, seems insufficiently plausible to justify putting serious reliance on the model's results. When this assumption is relaxed in a natural way, the BBK results are reversed; their model then demonstrates that defensive tactics reduce search, as had previously been thought. Also, even if all of the BBK model's assumptions are accepted, the model apparently generates less search in equilibrium when defensive tactics are permitted than when they are banned. Section 1 below shows how BBK derive their central claim. Section 2 argues that defensive tactics, even on BBK's assumptions, will increase search in fewer cases than BBK claim. This argument is relevant to BBK's policy conclusions: if defensive tactics increase search only sometimes, it is more difficult to argue that they should be permitted always. Section 3 first shows that when a central assumption in BBK's model is altered in a particular way the model actually shows that defensive tactics dampen search. This section then argues that the modified assumption that I propose is much
The Exoskeleton of Bacterial Cells (the Sacculus): Still a Highly Attractive Target for Antibacterial Agents That Will Last For a Long Time

Most bacteria are entirely surrounded by a strong cell wall held together by covalent bonds of strength similar to those holding the atoms in a diamond together. This exoskeleton is a coat of armor or corset and is usually called a sacculus. It protects the bacterium from the stresses resulting from the higher osmotic pressure of the cytoplasm when compared with its environment. This strategy of constructing an external mechanical support has the weakness that the wall barrier has to be cleaved and new wall material inserted outside of the cell proper in order for the bacterium to grow and divide. Because of the unique chemistry and the necessity of selectively cleaving old stress-bearing wall for growth, the wall of the bacterial cell has been a key target for chemotherapeutic treatment of bacterial diseases. Currently, many infectious organisms are becoming resistant to overused antibiotics. Still the wall is a good target, and there could possibly be several entirely new classes of antibiotics targeted toward other parts of wall metabolism and function. The essential autolysins may be a particularly relevant target. To find chemotherapeutic agents we must use and extend our present understanding of the structural mechanics of bacterial wall and their biophysics, biochemistry, and physiology. Moreover, if we use our knowledge of biophysics/genetics and of the evolution of antibiotic resistance mutations that occurred millions of years ago, as well as our knowledge of ones that have arisen recently, quite novel antibiotics may be designed.
Protein-derived cofactors. Expanding the scope of post-translational modifications.

Recent advances in enzymology, structural biology, and protein chemistry have extended the scope of the field of cofactor-dependent enzyme catalysis. It has been documented that catalytic and redox...
A GPU accelerated virtual scanning confocal microscope

Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) is a commonly used technique for quantifying the movement of small biological systems. To aid in the evaluation of experimentally produced data, we used the parallel processing power offered by Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to accelerate a computational simulation of the process. We find that the parallel process is significantly faster when implemented on the GPU, and that further speed increases can be accomplished via various optimizations, bringing the speed increase up to a factor of one hundred in some cases.
Mortality and paraplegia after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair: a risk factor analysis

Abstract Background . Recent recommendations regarding thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) management have emphasized individualized treatment based on balancing a patient's calculated risk of rupture with their anticipated risk of postoperative death or paraplegia. The purpose of this study was to enhance this risk-benefit decision by providing contemporary results and determining which preoperative risk factors currently predict mortality and paraplegia after TAAA surgery. Methods . Risk factor analyses based on data regarding 1,220 consecutive patients undergoing TAAA repair from 1986 through 1998 were performed using multiple logistic regression with step-wise model selection. Results . The 30-day mortality rate was 4.8% (58 of 1,220) and the incidence of paraplegia was 4.6% (56 of 1,206). For elective cases, predictors of operative mortality included renal insufficiency ( p = 0.0001), increasing age ( p = 0.0005), symptomatic aneurysms ( p = 0.0059), and extent II aneurysms ( p = 0.0054). Extent II aneurysms ( p = 0.0023) and diabetes ( p = 0.0402) were predictors of paraplegia. Conclusions . These risk models may assist in decisions regarding elective TAAA operations. For patients who are acceptable candidates, contemporary surgical management provides favorable results.
Isomeric transitions in 43Sc and 46V

Abstract A survey has been made to look for isomeric states with half-lives in the range 10 μs — 30 ms produced by 17.5 MeV proton bombardment of the 1 f 7 2 shell elements Ca to Co. Isomers have been observed in 43Sc and 46V nuclei; in each case, the state decays with the emission of a single γ ray. The reactions leading to the 43Sc isomer are 46Ti(p, α)43Sc, 43Ca(p, n)43Sc and 44Ca(p, 2n)43Sc: and leading to the 46V isomer. 46Ti(p, n)46V. The energies and half-lives of these transitions are for 43Sc and 46V respectively, 151.9 keV, 421 μs and 801.1 keV, 1040 μs. A 5 ms isomer reported in 45Ti has been shown to be due to impurities in the Sc target used in its excitation.
Issues related to weight management during pregnancy among overweight and obese women

Pregnancy & obesity The obesity epidemic, now evident throughout the industrialized world, has significantly impacted both the shortand long-term health of pregnant women and their offspring. In 2003–2004, approximately 52% of women of childbearing age in the USA were overweight (body mass index [BMI] 25–29.9 kg/m) or obese (BMI > 30 kg/m) [1]. Along with the rising prevalence rates of adult obesity, birth weights and the proportion of macrosomic infants have also climbed over the past 30 years [2]. Growing evidence associates overweight and obesity with negative outcomes for fertility, pregnancy and delivery [2–5]. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has acknowledged the problems associated with obesity in pregnancy [6]. Unfortunately, the number of studies addressing the control of weight prior to conception and during pregnancy is small, and the interventions have not been particularly effective for women with pregravid obesity. In this editorial we will first address the clinical implications for the management of overweight and obese pregnant women as pertains to obstetrics care. Second, we will address issues related to clinical weight management before, during and after pregnancy. Finally, we will comment on the directions of future research in these areas. Pregnancy & complications due to overweight & obesity Following this increasing prevalence of obesity among women of reproductive age and pregnant women, we have realized that overweight and obesity negatively impact almost all aspects of reproduction, from impaired fertility to maternal and fetal risks during pregnancy, to obstetrical complications [7–9]. The impact even extends beyond the neonatal period for the offspring [10]. For many of these adverse outcomes, there appears to be a dose–response effect, with the magnitude of these risks increasing with higher BMI.
Facilitation of American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) Seedling Establishment by Pinus virginiana in Mine Restoration

This study evaluated the influence of planting sites on the establishment and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) colonization of American chestnut (Castanea denetata (Marsh.) Borkh.) on an abandoned coal mine in an Appalachian region of the United States. Root morphotyping and sequencing of the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region were used to identify the ECM species associated with the chestnut seedlings. Germination, survival, ECM root colonization, and growth were assessed in three habitats: forest edge, center (plots without vegetation), and pine plots (a 10-year-old planting of Pinus virginiana). Seedlings in pine plots had higher survival (38%) than the other plot types (center 9% and forest edge 5%; ). Chestnuts found colonized by ECM within the pine plots were larger (), contributed by a larger root system (). Forest edge and pine plots had more ECM roots than seedlings in center plots (). ITS fungal sequences and morphotypes found among chestnut and pine matched Scleroderma, Thelephora, and Pisolithus suggesting these two plant species shared ECM symbionts. Results indicated that the presence of P. virginiana had a greater facilitative effect on growth and survival of chestnut seedlings.
The number of molecules taken up by electroporated cells: quantitative determination

Fluorescent and fluorescent-labeled molecules were used with calibrated flow cytometric fluorescence measurements of electrically pulsed cells (intact yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to demonstrate a method for determining the net number of molecules transported into electroporated cells. For the conditions used, a single pulse of width 50 microseconds and magnitude 8.0 +/- 0.5 kV/cm resulted in an average net molecular uptake which is large, n = 1.4 x 10(5) molecules of 70 kDa FITC-dextran (supplied extracellular concentration of 500 microM), and n = 1.0 x 10(8) molecules of 660 Da propidium iodide (PI; 80 microM). Both molecules were present in pulsed cells at less than equilibrium values, consistent with a transient uptake mechanism. Intracellular FITC-dextran is present in soluble form, while PI is predominantly bound to nucleic acids. A broad, statistically significant distribution of molecular uptake was also observed. Such quantitative determinations should be important for guiding applications of electroporation, and for testing models of electroporation mechanisms. Further, the use of PI, which is well established as a membrane exclusion dye, provides additional support for the interpretation that both PI and FITC-dextran were internalized as a result of an electrical pulse.
Managing Growth in a Climate of Urban Diversity: South Florida’s Eastward Ho! Initiative

Development pressures have forced many of South Florida’s poorest new residents, many of them immigrants, to locate in a narrow, inner-city core area along the east coast. Now, with South Florida literally running out of land, political forces are encouraging redevelopment in this urban core area. Politicians and developers have sought to redirect growth to save the Everglades environment, resulting in new policy recommendations that neglect the experiences of a multicultural population. The recommendations for physical redevelopment are assessed in the context of demographic changes in the past decade to document the impact of the proposed population resettlement. Suggestions are made to improve the likelihood that physical redevelopment will be an effective policy.
A new simple device for delivering CPPB to infants. (A preliminary report).

An extremely simple device has been described with which constant positive pressure breathing can be delivered to infants. This device can be modified to create positive pressure ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure. It has applications both in intensive care units and in the operating room.
Penetrating radiation: applications at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos has used penetrating radiography extensively throughout its history dating back to the Manhattan Project where imaging dense, imploding objects was the subject of intense interest. This interest continues today as major facilities like DARHT 1 have become the mainstay of the US Stockpile Stewardship Program 2 and the cornerstone of nuclear weapons certification. Meanwhile, emerging threats to national security from cargo containers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have invigorated inspection efforts using muon tomography, and compact x-ray radiography. Additionally, unusual environmental threats, like those from underwater oil spills and nuclear power plant accidents, have caused renewed interest in fielding radiography in severe operating conditions. We review the history of penetrating radiography at Los Alamos and survey technologies as presently applied to these important problems.
Sounding of the atmosphere using broadband emission radiometer (SABER): instrument overview

This paper provides an overview of the sounding of the atmosphere using broadband emission radiometer (SABER) instrument proposed by NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) and the Space Dynamics Laboratory at Utah State University (SDL/USU). SABER is a 12-channel infrared radiometer designed to measure atmospheric emissions in the 1 to 17 micrometers spectral region. Radiometric, optical, thermal, and electronic aspects of the design are discussed.
Oncogenic PI3K deregulates transcription and translation.

There have long been indications of a role for PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) in cancer pathogenesis. Experimental data document a requirement for deregulation of both transcription and translation in PI3K-mediated oncogenic transformation. The recent discoveries of cancer-specific mutations in PIK3CA, the gene that encodes the catalytic subunit p110α of PI3K, have heightened the interest in the oncogenic potential of this lipid kinase and have made p110α an ideal drug target.
Regulation of gene expression in the protozoan parasite Entamoeba invadens: identification of core promoter elements and promoters with stage-specific expression patterns.

Developmental switching between life-cycle stages is a common feature among many pathogenic organisms. Entamoeba histolytica is an important human pathogen and is a leading parasitic cause of death globally. During its life cycle, Entamoeba converts between cysts (essential for disease transmission) and trophozoites (responsible for tissue invasion). Despite being central to its biology, the triggers that are involved in the developmental pathways of this parasite are not well understood. In order to define the transcriptional network associated with stage conversion we used Entamoeba invadens which serves as a model system for Entamoeba developmental biology, and performed RNA sequencing at different developmental time points. In this study RNA-Seq data was utilised to define basal transcriptional control elements as well as to identify promoters which regulate stage-specific gene expression patterns. We discovered that the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions of E. invadens genes are short, a median of 20 nucleotides (nt) and 26 nt respectively. Bioinformatics analysis of DNA sequences proximate to the start and stop codons identified two conserved motifs: (i) E. invadens Core Promoter Motif – GAAC-Like (EiCPM-GL) (GAACTACAAA), and (ii) E. invadens 3′-U-Rich Motif (Ei3′-URM) (TTTGTT) in the 5′ and 3′ flanking regions, respectively. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that both motifs specifically bind nuclear protein(s) from E. invadens trophozoites. Additionally, we identified select genes with stage-specific expression patterns and analysed the ability of each gene promoter to drive a luciferase reporter gene during the developmental cycle. This approach confirmed three trophozoite-specific, four encystation-specific and two excystation-specific promoters. This work lays the framework for use of stage-specific promoters to express proteins of interest in a particular life-cycle stage, adding to the molecular toolbox for genetic manipulation of E. invadens and allowing further dissection of factors controlling Entamoeba developmental biology.
Bringing Balancing Back In: Britain's Targeted Balancing, 1936–1939

Abstract This article challenges the conventional wisdom that Neville Chamberlain rejected the British tradition of balance of power in the 1930s. In contrast to balance of power and balance of threat theories, states do not balance against aggregate or net shifts in power. Instead, leaders define threats based on particular elements of a foreign state's power. The import is that different components of power of a foreign state are more or less threatening and aggregate shifts in power alone may not provoke counterbalancing behavior. In the 1930s, Britain balanced against the most threatening components of power: the German Luftwaffe and the threat of a knock-out air assault against the homeland, Japan's Imperial Navy and its threat to Britain's commercial trade routes and the Dominions in East Asia, and the Italian Navy and the threat to Britain's line of communication through the Mediterranean Sea to India and Asia. Given Britain's difficult financial circumstances, all other components of power, such a...
TAN-1, the human homolog of the Drosophila notch gene, is broken by chromosomal translocations in T lymphoblastic neoplasms.

Abstract Previously we described joining of DNA in the β T cell receptor gene to DNA of an uncharacterized locus in a t(7;9)(q34;q34.3) chromosomal translocation from a case of human T lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). We now show that the locus on chromosome 9 contains a gene highly homologous to the Drosophila gene Notch . Transcripts of the human gene, for which we propose the name TAN -1, and its murine counterpart are present in many normal human fetal and adult mouse tissues, but are most abundant in lymphoid tissues. In t(7;9)(q34;q34.3) translocations from three cases of T-ALL, the breakpoints occur within 100 bp of an intron in TAN -1, resulting in truncation of TAN-1 transcripts. These observations suggest that TAN -1 may be important for normal lymphocyte function and that alteration of TAN -1 may play a role in the pathogenesis of some T cell neoplasms.
Measurement of Gilbert damping parameters in nanoscale CPP-GMR spin valves

In situ device-level measurement of thermal mag-noise spectral linewidths in 60 nm diameter current-perpendicular-to-plane--giant magnetoresistive spin-valve stacks of IrMn/ref/Cu/free, with reference and free layer of similar CoFe/CoFeGe alloy, are used to simultaneously determine the intrinsic Gilbert damping for both magnetic layers. It is shown that careful alignment at a ``magic angle'' between free- and reference-layer static equilibrium magnetization can allow direct measurement of the broadband intrinsic thermal spectra in the virtual absence of spin-torque effects which otherwise grossly distort the spectral line shapes and require linewidth extrapolations to zero current (which are nonetheless also shown to agree well with the direct method). The experimental magic-angle spectra are shown to be in good qualitative and quantitative agreement with both macrospin calculations and micromagnetic eigenmode analysis. Despite similar composition and thickness, it is repeatedly found that the IrMn exchange pinned reference layer has an order of magnitude larger intrinsic Gilbert damping $(\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\approx}0.1)$ than that of the free layer $(\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\approx}0.01)$. It is argued that the large reference-layer damping results from strong, off-resonant coupling to lossy modes of an IrMn/ref couple, rather than commonly invoked two-magnon processes.
Ultrastructure of cerebral vessels in chick embryo in lead intoxication.

The ultrastructure of cerebral vessels was studied at various stages of brain development in chick embryos exposed to lead intoxication when they were 4 days old. The endothelial cells showed swelling of mitochondria, presence of many cytolysosomal structures, many tubular bodies, and coated vesicles. A few vessels showed attenuation on the lining endothelial cells. The significance of these morphological alterations are discussed.
Strain distribution and electronic spectra of InAs/GaAs self-assembled dots: An eight-band study

Strained epitaxy has been shown to produce pyramidal-shaped quantum dot structures by single-step epitaxy. In this paper we examine the strain tensor in these quantum dots using a valence force field model. We use an eight-band $\mathbf{k}\ensuremath{\cdot}\mathbf{p}$ formalism to find the electronic spectra in the highly strained dots. Results obtained for the conduction-band spectra using the effective-mass approach are shown to have serious errors. This is particularly true for excited states in the conduction band. The dependence of the electronic spectra on the quantum dot size and shape is also reported along with comparisons with published experimental results.
7C female sterile mutants fail to accumulate early eggshell proteins necessary for later chorion morphogenesis in Drosophila.

Abstract Seven noncomplementing female sterile mutations that affect eggshell assembly in Drosophila have been mapped to the 7C1-3 region of the X-chromosome. TEM of the mature eggshell of one of the alleles, fs(1)410, shows a lack of organization within the endochorion and an accumulation of electron dense material in the vitelline membrane of stage 14 eggchambers. SDS-PAGE of radiolabeled eggshell proteins shows that two proteins, s67 and s85, fail to accumulate in the fs(1)410 eggshell. In wild-type flies s85 is produced during stage 10 of oogenesis and then processed to s67 in stages 13 and 14. Neither s85 nor an additional stage 10 specific follicle cell protein (s130) are detected in fs(1)410 or four of the mutant alleles. Short-term labeling studies, analyses of in vitro translation products, and the simultaneous occurrence of s85 and s130 as electrophoretic variants in geographic fly strains indicate s85 is derived from s130. Although major biochemical differences appear in stage 10, mutant and wild-type eggshells are morphologically indistinguishable until stages 13–14. These results suggest that follicle cell proteins synthesized during the time of vitelline membrane deposition (stage 10) are important for proper assembly of the chorion layers during stages 13 and 14.