cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel method for esophageal stent placement: retroflexed endoscopic guidance from the stomach.

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has been increasing over the past 2 decades, with associated high mortality rates. Curative treatment options are limited, and therefore palliative treatments are a mainstay to improve quality of life and nutritional intake. Endoscopically placed self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) are used increasingly as a nonsurgical alternative for the palliation of malignant esophageal strictures. There are a wide variety of SEMSs available, but almost all are placed under endoscopic guidance with or without the use of fluoroscopy. Precise stent placement to bridge the tumor is required to provide palliation of dysphagia and prevent adverse events (eg, airway obstruction, gastric ulceration, and early stent occlusion). Historically, fluoroscopic guidance has permitted the accurate positioning of stents by the use of several radiopaque methods to mark the tumor’s margins (eg, ethiodized oil injection, mucosal clip placement, and externally taped paperclips on the patient’s chest). Previous studies have shown that SEMSs can be placed under direct proximal antegrade endoscopic visualization without the use of fluoroscopy while accurate placement is achievable. In patients with distal esophageal cancer, we describe successful guidance of stent deployment from a retroflexed endoscope positioned in the stomach in the absence of fluoroscopy.
Rainbow-enhanced forward glory from fused-silica spheres.

A tertiary rainbow enchances the forward glory scattering from a fused-silica sphere because of its refractive index m ≈ 1.465. The scattered light contains a strong cross-polarized component and varies rapidly in brightness with changes in m. In experiments m is varied by the use of a range of argon and dye laser wavelengths. The forward cross-polarized scattering is found to be in agreement with Mie theory calculations. A reflective coating on small areas around the equator and polar caps of the sphere increases the forward scattering by a factor of ∼180.
Transformation and radiosensitivity of human diploid skin fibroblasts transfected with SV40 T-antigen mutants defective in RB and P53 binding domains.

A series of human diploid fibroblast cell clones were developed by DNA transfection with either wild-type SV40 T-antigen (SV40 T) or T-antigen mutants defective in its various functional domains. Cell clones expressing the wild-type SV40 T were significantly radioresistant as compared with clones transfected with the neo gene only (D0 = 192 ± 13 vs 127 ± 19). This radioresistance persisted in post-crisis, immortalized cell lines. A series of mutants with point or deletion mutations within each functionally active domain of SV40 T were also examined for their ability to alter radiosensitivity and induce morphological transformation. Cell clones transfected with T-antigen mutants defective in nuclear localization or origin binding showed increased radioresistance similar to clones transfected with wild-type T-antigen, and expressed morphological changes characteristic of SV40 T-transfected cells. A retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (RB) binding defective mutant showed moderately increased radioresistance (...
Prepulse inhibition in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.

Sensorimotor inhibition, or the ability to filter out excessive or irrelevant information, theoretically supports a variety of higher-level cognitive functions. Impaired inhibition may be associated with increased impulsive and risky behavior in everyday life. Individuals infected with HIV frequently show impairment on tests of neurocognitive function, but sensorimotor inhibition in this population has not been studied and may be a contributor to the profile of HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND). 37 HIV-infected individuals (15 with HAND) and 48 non-infected comparison subjects were assessed for prepulse inhibition (PPI), an eyeblink startle paradigm measuring sensorimotor gating. Although HIV status alone was not associated with PPI deficits, HIV-positive participants meeting criteria for HAND showed impaired PPI compared to cognitively intact HIV-positive subjects. In HIV-positive subjects, PPI was correlated with working memory but was not associated with antiretroviral therapy or illness factors. In conclusion, sensorimotor disinhibition in HIV accompanies deficits in higher-order cognitive functions, though the causal direction of this relationship requires investigation. Subsequent research on the role of sensorimotor gating on decision-making and risk behaviors in HIV may be indicated.
Electron tunneling and contact resistance of metal-silicon contact barriers

Abstract The contact resistance of Al and Pt on n -type Si over a wide range of doping concentrations (10 18 → 2 × 10 20 cm −3 ) has been measured at both room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature. These experimental results are compared with theoretical calculations based on a model with electron tunneling through the potential barrier at the interface as the dominant mechanism of current flow. Good agreement is found. It is hoped that this physical model can be used as a guideline in developing ohmic contacts for various semiconductor devices.
Postoperative recovery in children after minimum versus full-length sternotomy.

Abstract Background . Minimal access incisions for pediatric cardiac surgery have been reported to hasten postoperative recovery. This prospective study compared recovery after a minimum versus full-length sternotomy for repair of atrial septal defects in children. Methods . We studied 35 children undergoing atrial septal defect repair using a full-length sternotomy (n = 18) or ministernotomy (n = 17) according to the surgeon's preference. All children were managed according to an established clinical practice guideline. Intraoperative comparisons included patient demographics, bypass and cross-clamp times, and, as a measure of stress response, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and lactate levels at six time intervals throughout the surgical procedure. Postoperative comparisons included pain scores at 6, 12, and 24 hours, frequency of emesis, analgesic requirements, respiratory rate and gas exchange, and length of intensive care unit and total hospital stay. Nurse and parent assessment scores of overall recovery were constructed using visual analog and Likert scales. Results . No significant differences between mini- versus full-length sternotomy were detected for the measured outcome variables. No adverse outcomes were detected. Conclusions . In this prospective study, a ministernotomy did not enhance postoperative recovery, and the primary advantage appears to be an improved cosmetic result.
Desired family-size correlates for single undergraduates.

Some single Caucasian undergraduates of Protestant religious preference, 115 men and 105 women, were tested to find correlates of, and to compare social-psychological to demographic variables in predicting, subjects' desired family sizes. Men had a mean desired family size of 2.04 children and women, 1.91 children. Women seem more accepting of childless families than men, perhaps perceiving new attractiveness in careers. Men and women wanting small families are less religious and are from smaller families. These men are more anxious and lower in need achievement, and the women have a less traditional sex-role self-concept. Women may see larger families as confirming a traditional sex-role, while men may see them confirming an achievement-oriented, possibly traditional, male role. Demographic variables, which best predict desired family size, may represent the continued influence of subjects' family backgrounds. However, social-psychological variables may also become important desired family-size influence...
Utility of the immunoglobulin free light chain assay for plasma cell disorders 2015

In this issue of Leukemia and Lymphoma, Vij and colleagues demonstrate that the serum free light chain level is a leading indicator of response in patients with relapsed refractory myeloma treated ...
Social order and energy consumption in matrifocal households

The positive association between energy used and social complexity proposed by Leslie White and his students is examined at the microsociological level of the household. The hypothesis is tested within matrifocal households supported either by welfare or by the mother's earnings. White's macrosociological proposition is found to be conditional on other cultural, social organizational factors. Household energy consumption rises to the extent that the family establishes ties with outside social organizations, with an increase in the tempo of household activity, and, pari passu,with the expressiveness of the personality of the female household head. Energy consumption is a way of coping with the effects of reduced social organizational and personality order. These social factors interact with demographic and technological factors in determining a social organization's level of energy consumption. By considering the institutional, organizational, and motivational measures suggested in this paper, the unreliability of energy use predictions may be reduced.
Use of Antihypertensive Medications and Diagnostic Tests Among Privately Insured Adolescents and Young Adults With Primary Versus Secondary Hypertension

Abstract Purpose To compare the use of antihypertensive medications and diagnostic tests among adolescents and young adults with primary versus secondary hypertension. Methods We conducted retrospective cohort analysis of claims data for adolescents and young adults (12–21 years of age) with ≥3 years of insurance coverage (≥11 months/year) in a large private managed care plan during 2003–2009 with diagnosis of primary hypertension or secondary hypertension. We examined their use of antihypertensive medications and identified demographic characteristics and the presence of obesity-related comorbidities. For the subset receiving antihypertensive medications, we examined their diagnostic test use (echocardiograms, renal ultrasounds, and electrocardiograms). Results The study sample included 1,232 adolescents and young adults; 84% had primary hypertension and 16% had secondary hypertension. The overall prevalence rate of hypertension was 2.6%. One quarter (28%) with primary hypertension had one or more antihypertensive medications, whereas 65% with secondary hypertension had one or more antihypertensive medications. Leading prescribers of antihypertensives for subjects with primary hypertension were primary care physicians (80%), whereas antihypertensive medications were equally prescribed by primary care physicians (43%) and sub-specialists (37%) for subjects with secondary hypertension. Conclusions The predominant hypertension diagnosis among adolescents and young adults is primary hypertension. Antihypertensive medication use was higher among those with secondary hypertension compared with those with primary hypertension. Further study is needed to determine treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes associated with differential treatment patterns used for adolescents and young adults with primary versus secondary hypertension.
Exploring the effects of multiple management objectives and exotic species on great lakes food webs and contaminant dynamics

A simulation model was developed to describe linkages among fish food web, nutrient cycling, and contaminant processes in the southern basin of Lake Michigan. The model was used to examine possible effects of management actions and an exotic zooplankter (Bythotrephes) on Lake Michigan food web and contaminant dynamics. The model predicts that contaminant concentrations in salmonines will decrease by nearly 20% ifBythotrephes successfully establishes itself in the lake. The model suggests that this decrease will result from lowered transfer efficiencies within the food web and increased flux of contaminants to the hypolimnion. The model also indicates that phosphorus management will have little effect on contaminant concentrations in salmonines. The modeling exercise helped identify weaknesses in the data base (e.g., incomplete information on contaminant loadings and on the biomass, production, and ecological efficiencies of dominant organisms) that should be corrected in order to make reliable management decisions.
Thinking about the World Bank’s “accordion” geography of financial globalization

Abstract Two “flagship” World Bank reports, entitled The Long March—A Reform Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean In The Next Decade (1997) and the World Development Report, 1999–2000 (2000), are the subject of this paper. Both publications attempt to come to terms with the policy and practice of structural adjustment in the context of a new geography of global finance. This paper argues that the geographical imagination employed in both World Bank reports is the product of a dominant statist geographical imagination that struggles to explain contemporary developments in the geography of money. The paper starts with a brief discussion of the Mexican peso and debt crisis, and the World Bank’s practice of structural adjustment. Through an interrogation of both World Bank papers, thought is then given to the purchase of territorialized state-based mappings of the global economy. The paper wraps up with a brief conclusion concerning the explanatory salience of scale. Internationally mobile capital is here to stay. Growing trade links, new communication technologies, and increasingly sophisticated financial products are making national borders more porous to financial flows. The challenge facing policymakers in developing countries is how to navigate through this financially integrating world ( World Development Report 1999-2000, 2000: 85 ). [W]hereas the horizons of the world of money and finance are global and deterritorialized, the political imagination seems wedded to territorialism and the borders of the nation state ( Leyshon &Thrift, 1997: 290 ).
The temporal and spatial expression of the novel Ca++-binding proteins, Scarf and Scarf2, during development and epidermal differentiation.

Abstract During the process of epidermal differentiation, intracellular and extracellular calcium (Ca++) concentrations induce an array of signaling pathways [Berridge, M.J., Lipp, P., Bootman, M.D., 2000. The versatility and universality of calcium signaling. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell. Biol. 1, 11–21] . Keratinocytes follow a complex Ca++-dependent program of differentiation moving from the basal proliferative layer, through the spinous and granular differentiated layers to ultimately culminate in the formation of the cornified layer of the epidermis. Members of the Ca++-binding proteins play a central role in the transduction of Ca++ signals. Utilizing a suppressive subtractive hybridization screen comparing basal and differentiated keratinocytes, we identified the novel Ca++-binding protein genes, Scarf (skin Calmodulin-related factor) and Scarf2, which have homology to calmodulin (CaM). In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of the expression pattern for Scarf and Scarf2 transcripts and proteins in the developing mouse. To examine Scarf2 expression during embryogenesis, we performed in situ hybridization, and detected expression in the hair follicle, skin and nasal epithelium. These results showed substantial overlap with the previously reported Scarf gene expression [Hwang, M., Morasso, M.I., 2003. The novel murine Ca2+-binding protein, Scarf, is differentially expressed during epidermal differentiation. J. Biol. Chem. 278, 47827–47833]. Comparing the expression patterns of Scarf and Scarf2 proteins in neonatal and adult mouse skin with several structural epidermal proteins, i.e. keratin 14 (K14), keratin 1 (K1), loricrin (LOR) and filaggrin (FIL) showed that their expression overlaps K1, an early marker of keratinocyte differentiation. Interestingly, Scarf and Scarf2 were also detected in the tongue and oral epithelia, rib bone undergoing ossification and in the medullar region of thymus.
MRI effects on the teratogenicity of x-irradiation in the C57BL/6J mouse.

This investigation was undertaken in order to ascertain the combined effects of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fields and x-irradiation on the developing eye of the mouse strain C57B1/6J. Dams in groups of 15 were subjected to absorbed doses of 5, 15, and 30 cGy. Other dams (N = 15) were exposed to T2 spin-echo MRI fields under clinically realistic conditions following exposure to 30 cGy of x-irradiation. The developing eye was the biological end point studied. It was found that the 30-cGy dose resulted in teratogenic significance (p less than or equal to .05) for the C57B1/6J mouse. Groups exposed to both types of radiation fields demonstrated malformation levels similar to the 30-cGy irradiated animals with no additive or synergistic effects detected. The malformation rates and degree of statistical significance varied somewhat with unit of measurement, and analytical method. The results confirmed low level X-ray teratogenicity and suggested that the MRI techniques employed for this investigation did not enhance the teratogenicity of x-irradiation on eye malformations produced in the C57B1/6J mouse.
Occupational biomechanics--a basis for workplace design to prevent musculoskeletal injuries.

This paper proposes that occupational biomechanics is the growing discipline necessary to improve workplace design. As such it focuses on the rapidly expanding body of biomechanics knowledge on workplace situations that cause musculoskeletal injuries and disabilities. Several new methods for evaluating the bio-mechanical consequences of workplace designs are reviewed, including computerized biomechanical models of workers and the use of general design guidelines to improve workplace design. Examples of how workplaces can be redesigned to reduce musculoskeletal stresses on the lower back, wrist and shoulder are provided, to illustrate how occupational biomechanics is being applied in several different industries to prevent musculoskeletal injuries and disabilities.
The profile distribution of total and DTPA‐extractable copper in selected soils in Louisiana

Abstract An investigation was conducted to determine the content and profile distribution of total and DTPA‐extractable Cu in 72 agriculturally important soils from the six major mineral soil areas in Louisiana. In most of the relatively young soils the highest concentration of total Cu occurred in the upper soil horizons. In older soils there was an increase in total Cu with increasing depth in the profile. The concentration of total Cu appeared to vary more with the clay constituents of the soils and the parent materials than with soil depth. The majority of the soils had the largest amount of total Cu in the B horizons. The range in total Cu for all soils and horizons was from 3.0 to 49.0 ppm. In the majority of the soils the highest concentration of DTFA‐extractable Cu was in the surface Ap horizon. There was a decrease in the extractable Cu content with increasing soil depth in most of the soils. Soils developed in Red and Mississippi River alluvium contained relatively “large”; amounts of extractabl...
Cognitive behavioral group therapy for depressed, low-income minority clients: Retention and treatment enhancement

Despite the ever-increasing clinical needs of “underserved populations,” research, practice guidelines, and clinical training programs have focused primarily on treating middle- and upper-middle-class nonminority clients. This paper high-lights the mental health needs of low-income minority patients, pointing out specific risks, obstacles to service utilization, reasons for treatment failures, and significant opportunities for clinical interventions and innovations. Countertherapeutic patient and therapist beliefs and attributions are discussed. A pilot cognitive-behavioral depression group specifically designed for low-income minority patients is used to demonstrate practical interventions and guidelines for working with this population. Preliminary results suggest that premature attrition and clinical outcomes can be significantly improved. Group structure, content, and special attention to group processes were thought to be responsible for positive findings.
Miocene Spumellarian Radiolaria from South Pacific: ABSTRACT

The taxonomy of Radiolaria, a subclass within the phylum Protozoa, was developed by Ernest Haeckel in the late 1800s. That classification was based primarily on gross geometric patterns which have been subsequently shown to be unsatisfactory. Reclassification research has been concentrated on the Nassellarian (conical) radiolaria because of more pronounced characters. Spumellarian (spherical) radiolaria, however, have not been regrouped mainly because their morphology is more subtle and difficult. However, they are the most robust and most persistent in the fossil record (Ordovician to present), and therefore the likliest to be preserved in strata. Two core sites, 77B and 289 from the Deep Sea Drilling Project, provide a continuous time sequence during the Miocene and both probably represent a stable equatorial current system. Slides were made at 1-m intervals from the cores and spumellaria individuals were studied from successive time sequences. Nineteen characters were recorded for each and then subjected to a rigorous analytical technique provided by a numerical taxonomy program (NTPAC-11). Pearson's correlation coefficients detected 23 species throughout the Miocene. An unweighted pair group clustering method using arithmetic averages grouped these species into 14 genera. End_of_Article - Last_Page 678------------
Circadian variation of sputum inflammatory cells in mild asthma

Abstract Background: Asthma, like many conditions, demonstrates a circadian rhythm with a worsening of lung function in the early morning hours compared with in the late afternoon. Objective: Because eosinophilic airway inflammation is a proposed mechanism for worsening asthma, we characterized circadian variation in airway eosinophils and determined its relationship to variability in airway function. Methods: Pulmonary function testing, sputum induction, and phlebotomy were performed at 7 am and 4 pm in 11 allergic subjects with mild asthma. Sputum was analyzed for cell viability, differential, and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin levels. IL-5 levels in serum were measured by means of ELISA. Results: Subjects had a significant decrease in FEV 1 (median [interquartile range] = 80% [70%-86%] vs 85% [82%-94%], P = .009) and a greater β-agonist reversibility (median [interquartile range] = 13% [7%-32%] vs 8% [5%-14%], P = .024) in the early morning compared with in the late afternoon. Sputum analysis showed an increase in early morning total sputum leukocytes (median [interquartile range] = 4.3 × 10 6 [2.3 × 10 6 to 6.1 × 10 6 ] vs 2.6 × 10 6 [1.7 × 10 6 to 3.6 × 10 6 ], P = .044) and eosinophils (median [interquartile range] = 7.0 × 10 4 [2.7 × 10 4 to 18.7 × 10 4 ] vs 3.6 × 10 4 [1.0 × 10 4 to 8.2 × 10 4 ], P = .024). Furthermore, sputum eosinophils correlated with β-agonist reversibility ( R s = 0.665, P = .019). Finally, levels of IL-5 in serum and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin in sputum were significantly increased at 7 am. Conclusion: These data suggest that circadian variability in pulmonary function in asthma could be related to changes in airway eosinophil recruitment and activation. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;111:308-12.)
Examination of des-tyrosine1-gamma-endorphin activity at oH-spiroperidol binding sites in rat brain.

Abstract Des-tyrosine 1 -γ-endorphin (DTγE, β-LPH 62–77) was tested for its ability to affect the binding of 3 H-spiroperidol in rat corpus striatum, frontal cortex and nucleus accumbens-olfactory tubercle. 3 H-Spiroperidol binds with high affinity and specificity to neuroleptic receptors in brain tissue. The inability of DTγE to inhibit specific 3 H-spiroperidol binding reported here suggests that DTγE is not acting at the neuroleptic receptor labeled by 3 H-spiroperidol in these regions of rat brain.
You May Rely on the Reliability Polynomial for Much More Than You Might Think

ABSTRACT The reliability polynomial R &#x1d4ae;(p) of a collection &#x1d4ae; of subsets of a finite set X has been extensively studied in the context of network theory. There, X is the edge set of a graph (V, X) and &#x1d4ae; the collection of the edge sets of certain subgraphs. For example, we may take &#x1d4ae; to be the collection of edge sets of spanning trees. In that case, R &#x1d4ae;(p) is the probability that, when each edge is included with the probability p, the resulting subgraph is connected. The second author defined R &#x1d4ae;(p) in an entirely different way enabling one to glean additional information about the collection &#x1d4ae; from R &#x1d4ae;(p). Illustrating the extended information available in the reliability polynomial is the main focus of this article while demonstrating the equivalence of these two definitions is the main theoretical result.
High-Order Description of the Dynamics in FFAGs and Related Accelerators

In this paper, we describe newly developed tools for the study and analysis of the dynamics in FFAG accelerators based on transfer map methods unique to the code COSY INFINITY. With these new tools, closed orbits, transverse amplitude dependencies and dynamic aperture are determined inclusive of full nonlinear fields and kinematics to arbitrary order. The dynamics are studied at discrete energies, via a high-order energy-dependent transfer map. The order-dependent convergence in the calculated maps allows precise determination of dynamic aperture and detailed particle dynamics. Using normal form methods, and minimal impact symplectic tracking, amplitude- and energy-dependent tune shifts and resonance strengths are extracted. Optimization by constrained global optimization methods further refine and promote robust machine attributes. Various methods of describing the fields will be presented, including representation of fields in radius-dependent Fourier modes, which include complex magnet edge contours and superimposed fringe fields, as well as the capability to interject calculated or measured field data from a magnet design code or actual components, respectively.
SU‐E‐T‐564: Validation of Photon Dose Calculation Using Mobius3D System Compared to AAA and Acuros XB Systems

Purpose: To study the Collapsed Cone Convolution/Superposition algorithm in Mobius 3D system for dose calculations in comparison to Acuros XB and AAA dose calculation algorithms in Eclipse treatment planning system. Methods: Dose modeling or correction at density heterogeneity (lung/tissue or bone/tissue interfaces) remains an area of maximum discord amongst treatment planning systems. Thus, four phantoms were constructed and CT scanned with both horizontal and vertical density heterogeneity interfaces. Treatment plans were created with varying field sizes (3×3 cm2, 5×5 cm2, and 10×1 0 cm2) and energies (6FFF, 6MV, and 15 MV). All plans were created in Eclipse TPS with one single AP field, 100 cm SSD, 1 mm grid size for improved resolution, and 200 MU. Plans were calculated with AAA and Acuros XB algorithms and exported to Mobius3D for recalculation and comparison. Percent depth dose (PDD) and horizontal profiles at multiple depths through density heterogeneity interfaces were compared and analyzed. RPC Lung phantom was also used for complex plan (3DCRT and IMRT) dose comparisons. Results: Examination of PDD and horizontal dose profiles were reported graphically and numerically. Highest conformality was noted between AcurosXB and Mobius3D in homogenous sites. CCC in Mobius3D generally matches closer with AcurosXB, especially for large field sizes, compared to AAA. In PDDs, Mobius3D tends to under‐predict dose compared to AcurosXB at the tissue‐to‐water interface up to 3%, while over‐predicting dose in and beyond the lung‐to‐tissue interface compared to AcurosXB up to 7%. In 10×10 profiles with vertical heterogeneity interface, Mobius3D agrees with AcurosXB within 3%/3mm for 6MV and 15MV, but higher difference was seen for 6X‐FFF. Conclusion: The recently released Mobius3D program offers physicist and physician ease in evaluation, rapid plan review, and dose second check to TPS calculations. Future research directions include confirmatory clinical dose calculations and additional evaluation with patient geometry.
Complex capacitance in the representation of modulus of the lithium niobate crystals

Abstract The lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 or LN) single crystal is grown in-house. The ac small-signal electrical characterization is conducted over a temperature range 35 ≤T≤ 150 °C as a function of measurement frequency (10 ≤f≤ 10 6 Hz). Meaningful observation is noted only in a narrow temperature range 59 ≤T≤ 73 °C. These electrical data when analyzed via complex plane formalisms revealed single semicircular relaxation both in the complex capacitance ( C ⁎ ) and in the modulus ( M ⁎ ) planes. The physical meaning of this kind of observation is obtained on identifying the relaxation type, and then incorporating respective equivalent circuit model. The simplistic non-blocking nature of the equivalent circuit model obtained via M ⁎ -plane is established as the lumped relaxation is identified in the C ⁎ -plane. The feature of the eventual equivalent circuit model allows non-blocking aspect for the LN crystal attributing to the presence of the operative dc conduction process. Identification of this leakage dc conduction via C ⁎ -plane is portrayed in the M ⁎ -plane where the blocking nature is removed. The interacting interpretation between these two complex planes is successfully presented.
Assessment of tropical OH seasonality using atmospheric 14CO measurements from Barbados

14CO can be used to assess the mean OH concentration if the atmospheric inventory is determined. However, atmospheric transport must be well represented. The dependence on transport has previously been predicted in model studies to be much smaller in the tropics than in the middle latitudes. To test this, we made weekly measurements of 14CO from a tropical station in the Atlantic (Barbados, West Indies, 13°10′N, 53°26′W) from July 1996 to July 1997. These data are compared with the 14CO seasonal cycle predicted from a zero dimensional chemistry model. Results show that the observed seasonal cycle correlates well with predicted 14CO from the chemistry model during the summer and fall, however significant deviation from the chemistry model becomes apparent in the wintertime, which is probably largely a result of 14CO being transported to the tropics from the middle latitudes, and is in contrast to earlier modeling studies. Transport has a stronger effect in the winter months because the latitudinal gradient in 14CO is large and the lifetime is long, since OH concentrations are at their seasonal low.
Polymerization in an electrodeless glow discharge. II. Olefinic monomers

The rates of polymer deposition from various olefinic monomers in an electrodeless glow discharge were studied. The previously found empirical relationship (with styrene in part I) between the rate of polymer deposition R, the monomer pressure pM, and gas pressure px in a steady-state flow system (i.e., R = a(pM)2 [1 + b(px)], R being nearly independent of the discharge power) was also found with all monomers investigated. (The effect of gas was examined with nitrogen in this study.) However, it was found that the polymer deposition is controlled by the monomer flow rate and Ro (in pure monomer flow) is proportional to the flow rate of monomer Fw (based on the weight); i.e., Ro = kFw, where k is a characteristic rate constant of the polymerization. Olefinic monomers can be generally classified into two major groups, i.e., type A monomers which predominantly polymerize, and type B monomers which decompose in a glow discharge. Type B monomers have smaller values of a and k compared to type A monomers. The values of a and k for type A monomers both increase with increasing molecular weight of the monomer. The values of k for all monomers investigated are within roughly an order of magnitude, indicating that the reactivity levels of monomers are very similar in a glow discharge polymerization.
Arthroscopic Distal Clavicle Resection: A Biomechanical Analysis of Resection Length and Joint Compliance in a Cadaveric Model

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to assess the effects of a distal clavicle resection of less than 5 mm on bony contact and compliance in the acromioclavicular (AC) joint and to localize areas of persistent contact in the AC joint. The hypothesis of this study was that AC contact can be avoided by excising less than 5 mm of bone from the distal clavicle. Methods: Ten human AC joints underwent compressive loading of the distal clavicle into the acromion after the following: disk excision, distal clavicle resection of 2.5 mm, and distal clavicle resection of 5 mm. The joint resistance force, stiffness, and presence and location of contact were monitored. Results: Excising 2.5 mm or less resulted in no bone-to-bone abutment in 6 of 10 specimens. A 5-mm resection resulted in successful decompression in all specimens. The specimens that required a 5-mm resection had minimal contact after the 2.5-mm resection (inferior-posterior quadrant only). AC joint stiffness decreased significantly with increasing amounts of clavicular resection ( P = .01). Conclusions: A 5-mm distal clavicle resection guaranteed no abutment but decreased joint stiffness. Persistent contact occurred only in the inferior-posterior quadrant of the joint after a 2.5-mm resection. Clinical Relevance: These findings support the efficacy of a 5-mm distal clavicle resection for eliminating bony contact but suggest that there is a bony contribution to AC joint stiffness. A resection of 2.5 to 5.0 mm could be adequate if care is taken to excise a greater depth of bone in the inferior-posterior quadrant.
Distinct mechanisms of cell-kill by triapine and its terminally dimethylated derivative Dp44mT due to a loss or gain of activity of their copper(II) complexes

Triapine, currently being evaluated as an antitumor agent in phase II clinical trials, and its terminally dimethylated derivative Dp44mT share the α-pyridyl thiosemicarbazone backbone that functions as ligands for transition metal ions. Yet, Dp44mT is approximately 100-fold more potent than triapine in cytotoxicity assays. The aims of this study were to elucidate the mechanisms underlying their potency disparity and to determine their kinetics of cell-kill in culture to aid in the formulation of their clinical dosing schedules. The addition of Cu(2+) inactivated triapine in a 1:1 stoichiometric fashion, while it potentiated the cytotoxicity of Dp44mT. Clonogenic assays after finite-time drug-exposure revealed that triapine produced cell-kill in two phases, one completed within 20 min that caused limited cell-kill, and the other occurring after 16 h of exposure that produced extensive cell-kill. The ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor triapine at 0.4 μM caused immediate complete arrest of DNA synthesis, whereas Dp44mT at this concentration did not appreciably inhibit DNA synthesis. The inhibition of DNA synthesis by triapine was reversible upon its removal from the medium. Cell death after 16 h exposure to triapine paralleled the appearance of phospho-(γ)H2AX, a marker of DNA double-strand breaks induced by collapse of DNA replication forks after prolonged replication arrest. In contrast to triapine, Dp44mT produced robust cell-kill within 1h in a concentration-dependent manner. The short-term action of both agents was prevented by thiols, indicative of the involvement of reactive oxygen species. The time dependency in the production of cell-kill by triapine should be considered in treatment regimens.
Trypsin-treated serum potentiates thymidine incorporation into concanavalin A stimulated thymocytes.

Abstract When either heat-inactivated rat serum or culture medium supplemented with 5% rat serum is incubated with trypsin at 37° for 1–16 hours, activity is generated which potentiates the incorporation of ( 3 H) thymidine ( 3 H-TdR) into concanavalin A (con A) stimulated rat thymocytes. Evidence is presented that the potentiating activity is not due to residual trypsin following its sequential inactivation with soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF).
Complementation of Listeria monocytogenes Null Mutants with Selected Listeria seeligeri Virulence Genes Suggests Functional Adaptation of Hly and PrfA and Considerable Diversification of prfA Regulation in L. seeligeri

While Listeria seeligeri and L. monocytogenes contain the main Listeria virulence gene cluster, only L. monocytogenes is considered an intracellular pathogen. Initial evolutionary analyses showed that the virulence genes prfA, hly, and plcA are conserved in L. seeligeri, with specific Hly and PrfA amino acid residues showing evidence for positive selection in L. seeligeri. Our data also show that temperature-dependent transcript patterns for prfA, which encodes a transcriptional regulator of virulence genes, differed between L. monocytogenes and L. seeligeri. To further investigate the divergence of virulence gene function and regulation, L. seeligeri prfA (prfALS), hly (hlyLS), and plcA (plcALS), as well as prfALS constructs with different prfA promoter regions, were introduced into appropriate L. monocytogenes null mutants. Only when prfALS was under the control of the L. monocytogenes prfA promoters (P1- and P2prfA) (P1P2LM prfALS) was prfALS able to fully complement the ΔprfALM deletion. hlyLS introduced into an L. monocytogenes background under its native promoter showed transcript levels similar to those of hlyLM and was able to partially restore L. monocytogenes wild-type-level hemolysis and intracellular growth, even though HlyLM and HlyLS showed distinct patterns of cell- and supernatant-associated hemolytic activities. Our data indicate that (i) regulation of prfA expression differs between L. monocytogenes and L. seeligeri, although hly transcription is temperature dependent in both species, and (ii) PrfA and Hly functions are largely, but not fully, conserved between L. seeligeri and L. monocytogenes. Virulence gene homologues and their expression thus appear to have adapted to distinct but possibly related functions in these two species.
Baryonic dark matter

Abstract Many searches for baryonic dark matter have been conducted but, so far, all have been unsuccessful. Indeed, no more than 1% of the dark matter can be in the form of hydrogen burning stars. It has recently been suggested that most of the baryons in the universe are still in the form of ionized gas so that it is possible that there is no baryonic dark matter. Although it is likely that a significant fraction of the dark matter in the Milky Way is in a halo of non-baryonic matter, the data do not exclude the possibility that a considerable amount, perhaps most of it, could be in a tenuous halo of diffuse ionized gas.
A New Species of Soapfish (Teleostei: Serranidae: Rypticus), with Redescription of R. subbifrenatus and Comments on the Use of DNA Barcoding in Systematic Studies

A new species of Rypticus is described from the Bahamas, Bermuda, Florida, and the Caribbean Sea. The species previously has been confused with the spotted soapfish, R. subbifrenatus Gill 1861, with which it shares a similar pattern of dark spotting on the body. The new species differs from R. subbifrenatus in having yellow pigment on the pectoral fin and distal portions of the soft dorsal, caudal, and anal fins in life (pale in preservative); a different configuration of dark spots on the head; usually dark spots on the belly and caudal fin; almost always four dorsal-fin spines; and modally 25 total dorsal-fin elements, 15 pectoral-fin rays, and 23 total caudal-fin rays. The lower jaw typically extends further anteriorly beyond the upper jaw in the new species than in R. subbifrenatus, and the caudal peduncle is usually narrower. The new Rypticus typically inhabits deeper waters than R. subbifrenatus, and is commonly found on vertical slopes and walls vs. shallow, flat areas. The new species likely would...
Prevention of Teratogenic Antiserum-Induced Dysmorphology by Methionine Supplement in Rat Embryos Cultured in Vitro

Prevention of Teratogenic Antiserum-Induced Dysmorphology by Methionine Supplement in Rat Embryos Cultured in Vitro
Habenular asymmetry and the central connections of the parietal eye of the lizard

Histochemical and autoradiographic analyses of the axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase and tritiated amino acids were employed to study the central connectivity of the lizard parietal eye. Somata and processes of centrifugal fibers to the parietal eye were localized in tissue of the dorsal sac and in the leptomeningeal sheath of the pineal gland. Analyses of series of transverse sections of the brain showed the left medial habenular nucleus to be subdivided into pars dorsolateralis and pars ventromedialis, and the right medial habenular nucleus not to be so subdivided. Centripetal fibers of parietal eye ganglion cells project to only the pars dorsolateralis of the left medial habenular nucleus and terminate there in two distinct fields. The asymmetry of the lizard habenula may be a specialization associated with the unilateral projection from the parietal eye.
Rockin', Rappin', and Religion: Programming strategy on Z music television

(1999). Rockin', Rappin', and Religion: Programming strategy on Z music television. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 17-27.
Structure and Performance of the Service Sector in Transition Economies

This paper examines the performance of the service sector in the Eastern European transition economies during the 1997–2004 period. The performance of the service sector as a whole and of its sub-sectors is very heterogeneous within the region. Service sub-sectors that are information and communications technology producers or users and those using skilled labour more intensively exhibit the highest labour productivity growth. Our estimates show a positive and significant effect of liberalization on service labour productivity growth that is stronger for sub-sectors that are more distant from the technological frontier. Service liberalization is also shown to have a positive effect on labour productivity levels and growth of downstream manufacturing industries.
Reliability Evaluation of Coal Mine Internet of Things

In order to sense and control the complicated hazards in process of mining, the Internet of Things has been applied to coal mine production. The safety management in coal mine highly relies on the reliability of coal mine Internet of Things. In this paper, the hazard theory, system security theory and risk analysis theory have been used to screen the evaluation indexes. Analytic hierarchy process and mean square error method were applied to determine the weight of each index and establish a comprehensive evaluation system. Finally, we used the application status of Internet of Things in Jiaozuo Coal Industry Group for an analysis example in this paper, obtained the key factors affecting the reliability of coal mine Internet of Things, and gave recommendations.
Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a cancer with no standard of care.

atrics. It has a 2-phase induction. The first phase includes 4 drugs (daunorubicin, prednisone, vincristine and asparaginase), and the second phase contains cyclophosphamide, cytarabine and 6-mercaptopurine. The drugs in the postremission cycles vary within each regimen and between regimens but include asparaginase and a late cycle of delayed reinduction (a truncated modified induction). Hoelzer et al. [4] adopted the BFM model and modified it for adults, and several of the subsequent adult regimens are variants of this model. The second model, the hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone (hyper-CVAD) regimen, was developed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. It consists of 2 cycles alternating 4 times for a total of 8 cycles. Cycle A contains fractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone, mostly given in the first 5 days; cycle B contains high-dose methotrexate and high-dose cytarabine given over 3 days. In contrast to BFM-based regimens, it contains no asparaginase and is used almost only in adults [5] . The structure of 2 alternating cycles is simpler to follow, and it is widely used in the USA. No apparent outcome advantage was reported for either regimen, and the choice of any ALL treatment is generally based on prior training and practice preferences. The role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation Approximately 6,000 new cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) are diagnosed in the USA each year. Most occur in children, but 40% are in adults 20 years or older. In children, outcomes have improved due to sequential, well-conducted, multi-institutional, randomized clinical trials, rationally designed in a step-by-step manner. Consequently, approximately 80% of all children with ALL are cured. In contrast, the cure rate of adult ALL has remained at 35–40% over the past 30 years [1] . Many large multi-institutional studies were also conducted in adults, but most were not developed systematically and very few were randomized. Furthermore, despite variability in patient characteristics between regimens, the outcomes were almost identical. As a result, this rare cancer has no real ‘standard-of-care’ in adults [2] . In this issue of Acta Haematologica, Buyukasik et al. [3] report a retrospective comparison of 2 treatment approaches in adults. In general, the treatment of ALL is complex, with a variety of chemotherapy agents used in multiple cycles; all regimens include maintenance and central nervous system prophylaxis which distinguish the treatment of ALL from that of acute myeloid leukemia. With a few exceptions, most regimens can be grouped into 2 fundamentally different models [2] . The first of these, the BerlinFrankfurt-Munster (BFM) model, was developed in pediReceived: April 18, 2013 Accepted: April 22, 2013 Published online: June 19, 2013
Effects of Regional Accreditation of Full-time Faculty on Community College Graduation Rates

This national study assessed the broader issue of the negative impact of the community college employment practice of hiring excessive part-time faculty. The model was conceptualized using variables identified from prior research for institutional effects on graduation rates, and it included variables for the regional accreditation for the adequacy of full-time faculty. Data used in the study were retrieved from the National Center for Education Statistics and from the nation’s six regional accrediting agencies. Among the major findings in the study, graduation rates were found to be significantly correlated among schools belonging to different regional accreditation agencies. Ratios of full-time faculty, institution size, instructional spending, and ratios of full-time students were also found to correlate significantly with increased graduation rates.