cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Banking of Pluripotent Stem Cells: Issues and Opportunities from the NIH Perspective

Over the past 15 years, pluripotent stem (PS) cells have changed the face of biomedical research and provided fresh hope for regenerative medicine-based therapies. Successful implementation of PS cell-based therapy will rely on developing an organized plan for identifying appropriate biospecimen donors, obtaining appropriate consent, collecting necessary patient history data, and developing an organized system for storage and delivery of tissue samples and cell lines. This is particularly important as the number of PS cells being generated is large and ever-growing, and the potential for their use in drug discovery and therapy depends on organized, comprehensive systems for generating systematically well-characterized cell lines and cell line panels from which differentiated cells can be generated. In this chapter, we outline the efforts made by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a human embryonic stem (hES) cell registry and PS cell banks, efforts we believe will be an integral part of the future of PSC therapy.
Makes Me Feel Glad That I'm Not Dead: Jim Pepper and Music of the Native American Church

This article identifies Jim Pepper's 1971 jazz hit “Witchi Tai To” as a contact zone in which cultures (Native and non-Native) collide. In the song, Native powwow culture and Native identities are ...
Calcinosis Cutis of the Vulva: A Review

Idiopathic calcinosis cutis (CC) is an uncommon skin condition. Although it has been reported many times in the scrotum, it is exceedingly rare in the vulva. Most reports of vulvar CC are in children. Vulvar CC may be thought clinically to be inclusion cysts. Other causes of calcinosis such as autoimmune disease or alterations in serum calcium levels, potentially associated with malignancy, must be considered before considering a case as idiopathic.
Midbrain responses to electroreceptive input in catfish

1. A limited region of the torus semicircularis in the midbrain of the catfish receives strong electroreceptive input. The electroreceptive region forms a 200–300 μm wide rostrocaudal band extending the length of the torus (Fig. 1). Tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli also influence unit activity in this region. 2. The receptive fields of single units demonstrate a somatotopic organization of electroreceptive input, primarily from the contralateral body surface (Fig. 2): anterior body areas project to rostral torus, posterior body areas project to caudal torus. 3. The electroreceptive evoked potential to a stimuluson oroff transient consists of a large negative wave, sometimes followed by a biphasic wave (Fig. 1c). The evoked potential amplitude increases logarithmically with stimulus intensity over a 65 db range (Fig. 4); EP latency decreases exponentially over this same range, its greatest rate of change being to stimuli of less than 100 μV/cm. 4. The threshold stimulus intensity to elicit an evoked response, as extra-polated from amplitude versus intensity plots (Fig. 4) from the most sensitive region of the torus, is 0.6 μV/cm, which equals the behavioral detection threshold of catfish. 5. The amplitude and latency of the evoked potential changes depending on the orientation of the electric field gradient (\(\overrightarrow {\text{E}}\)) of the stimulus with respect to the fish (Fig. 5). For each torus region abest\(\overrightarrow E\) can be found to which the response is maximal in amplitude and minimal in latency. At 90° to thisbest\(\overrightarrow E\) orientation, the EP virtually disappears. 6. Thebest\(\overrightarrow E\) orientation changes parametrically with the rostrocaudal and mediolateral position of the recording site (Fig. 6). A possible mechanism responsible for\(\overrightarrow {\text{E}}\) orientation preference is discussed. 7. The occurrence of an electrical stimulus alters the excitability of the torus to subsequent electrical stimuli (Figs. 7 and 8). Twin pulse experiments show a period of response depression then facilitation following stimulus intensities greater than 500 μV/cm.
Ecological engineers’ nests benefit plant recovery following fire in a semiarid grassland, New Mexico, USA

QUESTIONS: Ants and rodents are recognized as ecosystem engineers worldwide creating soil‐modified nests and adjacent edges with superior resources. The influence of Dipodomys spectabilis (rat) and Pogonomyrmex rugosus (ant) on nests and edges would be similar in burned and unburned habitat on functional groups’ cover, density, number of inflorescences and species number. We hypothesize that annual and perennial dicots would recover faster on rat patches than on burned grassland, dicots and grasses would recover faster on ant patches than on burned grassland, and annual dicots would recover faster on rat than on ant patches, whereas grasses would recover faster on ant than on rat patches. LOCATION: Semiarid grassland, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USA. METHODS: We analyzed annual and perennial dicots, grasses and subshrubs in burned and unburned plots at 80 nests during cool‐ and warm‐seasons two years post‐fire. Data were collected at nest top (mound), edge, and 20 m (control) from the edge. RESULTS: Cover, density and species richness of different functional groups were low on animal mounds in unburned and burned plots. Ant edges had greater perennial dicot cover, grass cover and richness while rat edges had lower grass density and richness than control sites at unburned and burned plots. Perennial dicot density and richness recovered faster at rat mounds and edges than control. Ant edges yielded faster recovery of grass inflorescences than control. Dicots recovered faster on rat than ant mounds whereas grasses grew faster on ant edges. CONCLUSIONS: Rats create nests enhancing density of recovering dicots and ant edges facilitate reproduction of recovering grasses. Equal regeneration between animal nests and grassland occurred commonly when fire reduced grass competition. Dysochory, granivory and fire intensity may influence recovery. Nests may be sources of reestablishment and seed dispersal. Recovery of grassland may be amplified as plants infill from engineered nests.
Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a devastating illness that takes the lives of virtually all diagnosed. The 5-year survival for patients who have undergone surgical resection with curative intent remains less than 20%. Considerable effort has thus been expended into the development of adjuncts to surgical management, including both adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies. The importance of a complete or R0 resection has been documented in terms of its benefit on overall survival. Hence, the determination of resectability is paramount. Improved diagnostics and advancements in surgical techniques have led to the emergence of borderline resectable tumors, a spectrum of disease falling between overtly resectable and locally advanced, unresectable PDACs. Uniformly defining this patient population is essential, both to optimally care for more patients and for the development of stage-specific, novel clinical trials. A multimodal approach to patient care done in high-volume centers ensures that physicians with the most expertise will be caring for this complex patient population.
Understanding the Relationship Between Real-Time Thermal Imaging and Thermal Damage Estimate During Magnetic Resonance-Guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy

Objective Magnetic resonance–guided laser interstitial thermal therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses intraoperative magnetic resonance thermometry (MRT) to generate a thermal damage estimate (TDE) of the ablative area. This study aimed to compare areas produced by the MRT heat map with the system-generated TDE produced by Visualase software. Methods All ablations were performed using the Visualase laser ablation system. MRT heat map and TDE were quantified using MATLAB version R2014a. TDE was compared with the summed area of green, yellow, and red areas (heat map 63.9 [HM63.9]) and the summed area of light blue, green, yellow, and red areas (heat map 50.4 [HM50.4]) produced by the MRT heat map. Results Fifty-six patients undergoing magnetic resonance–guided laser interstitial thermal therapy were examined. Mean TDE produced was 236 mm2 (SEM = 9.5). Mean HM63.9 was 231 mm2 (SEM = 8.7), and mean HM50.4 was 370 mm2 (SEM = 12.8). There was no significant difference between TDE and HM63.9 (P = 0.51). There was a significant difference between TDE and HM50.4 (P Conclusions The system-generated TDE consistently remains contained within the boundaries of the MRT heat map. At standard factory settings, TDE and the area produced within the periphery of HM63.9 are similar in magnitude. The light blue portion of the MRT heat map may serve as an additional means of predicting when critical structures may be at risk during laser ablation if exposed to further thermal stress.
Characterizing the QPO Behavior of the X-ray Nova XTE J1550--564

For all 209 RXTE observations of the X-ray nova XTE J1550-564 during its major outburst of 1998-1999, we have analyzed the X-ray power spectra, phase lags, and coherence functions. The phase lags and coherence measures are used to distinguish three types of low-frequency QPOs (one more than those reported by Wijnands, Homan, & van der Klis 1999). For the most common type, the phase lag is correlated with both the QPO frequency and the amplitude. The physical significance of the QPO types is evident in the relationships between QPO properties and the apparent temperature and flux from the accretion disk. There is also a clear pattern in how the QPO types relate to the presence of high-frequency QPOs. In general, both the amplitude and the Q value (freq./FWHM) of low-frequency QPOs decrease as the high-frequency oscillations increase in frequency (100 to 284 Hz) and in Q value. We speculate that the antagonism between low-frequency and high-frequency QPOs arises from competing structures in a perturbed accretion disk. However, we find that the frequencies of slow ( 100 Hz) QPOs are not correlated. In addition, we encounter systematic problems in attempting to reliably compare the QPO frequencies with broad features in the power continuum, since there are a variable number of such features in the power spectra. These results cast some doubt on the reported global relationship between QPOs from neutrons stars and those from black hole systems.
Is Female Wellness Affected When Men Blame Them for Erectile Dysfunction

Abstract Introduction Several studies have investigated the association between erectile dysfunction (ED), its treatment, and female sexual dysfunction, but the impact of males blaming their female partners for their ED remains unknown. Aims To investigate whether women who are blamed by their male partners for their ED experience worse overall sexual function and satisfaction. Methods We performed a global, cross-sectional web-based survey to investigate female perceptions of ED. We distributed the 30-item survey via email, Reddit, Amazon Mechanical Turk, and Facebook. Women 18 years of age or older were eligible to participate and answered questions based on a 5-point Likert scale. Women were grouped by ages 18-29, 30-39, and 40 and older. Main Outcome Measures The survey collected data that included general demographics and questions regarding experiencing male blame for ED and its relationship with each subject's sexual health and wellness. Results A total of 13,617 females participated in the survey. Of the women surveyed, 79% have experienced their partner losing their erection during sexual activity and approximately 1 out of 7 women (14.7%) had experienced being blamed by their partner for loss of their erection. Women who were blamed for their partner's ED were more likely to end the sexual encounter, were less sexually satisfied, and were more likely to end relationships due to their partner's ED. Conclusion Approximately 1 out of 7 women have experienced male blame for their partner's ED which is associated with negative impacts on female mental health, sexual satisfaction and the success of the overall partnership. Because of its widespread impact on female wellness, male blame should be considered during evaluation of female sexual history and men must be educated on the significant impact their reactions during intimacy have on their female partners and their relationships as a whole. Dubin JM, Wyant WA, Balaji NC, et al. Is Female Wellness Affected When Men Blame Them for Erectile Dysfunction?. Sex Med 2021;XX:XXXXXX.
Factors Associated with Clinician Adherence to USPSTF Diabetes Screening Recommendations.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Diabetes and prediabetes impact nearly half of the US adult population and are associated with significant health risks but may be underdiagnosed. Effective screening may improve diagnosis and give patients opportunity to manage their disease. The purpose of this study was to determine screening rates, identify characteristics predictive of screening, and evaluate correct diagnosis of diabetes and prediabetes. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 71 433 patients eligible for diabetes screening, defined by completing A1c test within the 3-year study period. RESULTS: A total of 31.3% of eligible patients received diabetes screening. Factors associated with screening include older age, female sex, non-white race, Hispanic ethnicity, Medicare or Medicaid insurance, higher BMI, and having a medical comorbidity. History of prediabetes or gestational diabetes were the strongest predictors for diabetes screening, but history of gestational diabetes was under-documented. Of those screened, 10.4% had a result consistent with diabetes and 51.8% had a result consistent with prediabetes. However, 52.9% of these patients had a missed diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study indicate the need for uniform coverage for diabetes screening for all insurances, increased documentation of gestational diabetes to improve screening for patients with this history, and improving accurate diagnosis after screening is completed.
Assessing the Impact of Fresh Vegetable Growers’ Risk Aversion Levels and Risk Preferences on the Probability of Adopting Marketing Contracts: A Bayesian Approach

One of the most frequently cited theoretical statements to explain the use of contractual arrangements is that risk drives the choice of contracts. However, there is limited empirical support for this argument. A Bayesian ordered probit formulation is used in this study to determine the importance of fresh vegetable producers’ and farm operation characteristics on the probability of adopting marketing contracts. The findings of the study indicate that younger farmers, with larger farm size and with the ability to expand their operations are more likely to participate in marketing contract agreements. On the other hand, the results do not support the risk shifting hypothesis.
Emotion and Emotion Regulation Considerations for Speech-Based In-Vehicle Interfaces

Speech and dialogue systems have been used in a variety of domains, from acting as human operators, to assisting those who have difficulties using other modalities, and more recently facilitating smartphone input. Speech has been more readily adopted by in-vehicle speech systems as the safest way to both communicate to the driver and to have the driver provide input to the system. Much of the work on speech dialogue systems has focused on the cognitive aspects of speech interfaces by evaluating different information architectures, e.g. [1], or comparing mixed modality interfaces, e.g., [2]. This paper argues that advanced speech-based interfaces will have the need and opportunity to be emotionally responsive.
The Impact of a Collaborative Wiki Assignment on Teaching and Learning in a Teacher Education Program

This study explored students’ perceptions and behaviors of public wiki use during a collaborative Wikipedia assignment in a graduate technology and literacy education course. Results confirmed that the majority of students had an overall positive experience posting content on Wikipedia. Students learned how to use Wikipedia through collaborative practice, including, how to adhere to its standards and cite work properly, the importance of critically evaluating online information, and the value of publishing work to an authentic audience. Students (prospective and current teachers) reported numerous ways in which collaboration on Wikipedia could be integrated into their K-12 classrooms in order to promote higher order thinking and foster meaningful knowledge construction. Pedagogical practices for the effective integration of public wiki assignments in higher education and K-12 settings are recommended.
Improving population estimation with neural network models

Intercensal and postcensal population estimates are essential in federal, state, and local governments planning and resource allocation. Traditionally, linear regression based models are widely used for projecting population distributions in a given region. We constructed population projection models with various types of artificial neural networks. Using historical census data, we tested the performance of the neural network models against the ratio correlation regression model that we have used for the last 20 years. The results indicate that properly trained neural networks outperform the regression model in both model fitting and projection. Among the different neural network models we tested, the fuzzy logic based neural network performed the best.
Response to Martha Nussbaum's a Right to Marry

The question of same-sex marriage concerns every morally sensitive citizen. It has been the subject of debate everywhere, especially among scholars and intellectuals. That is why, no doubt, the Brennan Center for Justice invited me to comment on Professor Martha Nussbaum’s Essay entitled ―A Right To Marry?‖ 1 Our opposing views on this hotly debated question are well known. In fact, we have debated this question several times before. 2 I will begin this discussion by emphasizing a point of agreement between Professor Nussbaum and myself before getting to our points of disagreement. Indeed, indicating that point of agreement between us might lead to a clearer discussion of the points on which we disagree. In my conclusion, I will indicate another probable point of agreement between us, one that presently lies on the political horizon. It is clear that Professor Nussbaum is dissatisfied with the present state of the institution of marriage in our secular society and its polity. I join her in that dissatisfaction. Therefore, I shall not defend the status quo ante by simply invoking stare decisis against her call for change, since I am also in favor of change. Instead, we differ over what sort of change each of us wants. Professor Nussbaum draws upon precedents that seem to be already changing the legal definition of marriage from a union of a man and woman into the union of two persons, irrespective of their sex. Conversely, I want to change or undo those very precedents that have led to a situation where what might be called ―the
Can Ownership Restrictions Enhance Security Value? Evidence from a Natural Experiment

This paper examines the role of ownership restrictions in raising capital from niche clienteles. Extant literature suggests that limiting availability of securities to only certain classes of investors constricts demand, and hence decreases prices. We argue that ownership restrictions can have positive implications for prices when viewed in the overall context of security design. We provide empirical evidence through an in-depth analysis of a natural experiment: multiple events of capital raising by an emerging market company with ownership restrictions, namely $4.2 billion and $5.5 billion of bonds offered by India's largest bank, State Bank of India exclusively to Indians living abroad at approximately 150 basis points below comparable benchmarks leading to a bottom line savings of $1.08 billion. This is an intriguing issue because it raises the question, how can an emerging market issuer with junk bond ratings obtain such yields? We argue that ownership restrictions can lead to value enhancement as well as value transfer from holders of other securities. Ownership restrictions can enhance value by circumventing the deadweight costs of prolonged negotiations, particularly when a security is restricted to a homogenous clientele that values the underlying collateral higher than other investors. Restricting the ownership further ensures that investment is limited to a homogenous class of investors that the issuer cares about. It thus serves as a precommitment to ensuring an efficient ex-post renegotiation in the potential default states, resulting in a lower ex-ante offering yield (and a higher offer price). This can result in an implicit seniority of holders of these restricted bonds vis-a-vis holders of unrestricted bonds. We empirically test and find support for both value enhancement as well as for value transfer from ownership restrictions. In particular, we find evidence of a transfer of wealth from existing holders of foreign currency denominated bonds of other Indian firms. However, the implicit seniority accounts for some but not all the difference in yields suggesting that ownership restrictions also enhance value through other avenues such as higher collateral valuation and lower renegotiation costs. Overall, our results suggest that firms with niche clienteles can benefit from designing securities with ownership restrictions, by offering new securities exclusively to investors who value them the most.
What signals do packet-pair dispersions carry?

Although packet-pair probing has been used as one of the primary mechanisms to measure bottleneck capacity, cross-traffic intensity, and available bandwidth of end-to-end Internet paths, there is still no conclusive answer as to what information about the path is contained in the output packet-pair dispersions and how it is encoded. In this paper, we address this issue by deriving closed-form expression of packet-pair dispersion in the context of a single-hop path and general bursty cross-traffic arrival. Under the assumptions of cross-traffic stationarity and ASTA sampling, we examine the statistical properties of the information encoded in inter-packet spacings and derive the asymptotic average of the output packet-pair dispersions as a closed-form function of the input dispersion. We show that this result is different from what was obtained in prior work using fluid cross-traffic models and that this discrepancy has a significant impact on the accuracy of packet-pair bandwidth estimation.
Rearrangement and expression of T-cell receptor genes in large granular lymphocyte leukemia

Ten patients with large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia were studied for rearrangement and expression of T cell receptor (TCR) genes. Eight patients with CD3+ LGL proliferation had unique TCR beta-gene rearrangements, supporting a clonal process. Each of five patients studied with CD3+ disease had evidence for expression of full-length TCR alpha-, beta-, and gamma-gene transcripts. In contrast, patients with CD3- LGL proliferation had no evidence for rearrangement or expression of TCR genes. These studies suggest that leukemic LGL arise from two different cell origins. Leukemic LGL may be a useful model for studying natural killer (NK) cell (CD3- LGL) and non-MHC-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CD3+ LGL) activation and differentiation.
INDUCTION OF ACQUIRED RESISTANCE IN GUINEA PIGS WITH DEFATTED MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS VACCINES.

Smith, D. W. (University of Wisconsin, Madison), G. B. Fregnan, L. DeLaquerriere-Richardson, and E. Valdivia. Induction of acquired resistance in guinea pigs with defatted Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccines. J. Bacteriol. 88:87–92. 1964.—Residues of mycobacteria exhaustively extracted with neutral organic solvents have been shown to produce a level of resistance against tuberculosis in guinea pigs comparable to that produced by BCG. Disruption of defatted tubercle bacilli in adjuvant eliminated the acid-fast staining property of the residue, but immunizing and sensitizing properties were retained in the fraction which sedimented at 44,000 × g. To demonstrate these activities with 50 μg of vaccine, it was necessary to use Bayol-Arlacel adjuvant. A similar quantity of vaccine given in saline was inactive. A defatted vaccine prepared from a virulent strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis recently passed through a guinea pig was significantly more immunogenic than a similar vaccine prepared from H37Ra.
Nanocomposite hydrogels based on liquid crystalline brush-like block copolymer–Au nanorods and their application in H2O2 detection

New nanocomposite hydrogels from liquid crystalline brush-like block copolymers (LCBBCs) and gold nanorods (AuNRs) were synthesized and characterized. The hydrogels protected and stabilized AuNRs, which presented peroxidase-like activity and catalysed the oxidation of a substrate in the presence of H2O2 and elicited a sensitive chromogenic response. This reusable, table-top stable, free-standing nanocomposite hydrogel platform can be used to develop a simple and reproducible method to detect H2O2.
Improving aerosol retrieval accuracy by integrating AERONET, MISR and MODIS data

Retrieval of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) by ground- and satellite-based remote sensing provides different accuracy, coverage, and resolution. An important challenge is how to best utilize information from multiple instruments to further improve the quality of retrievals. In this study, we explored whether the accuracy of AOT retrievals could be improved by fusion of ground- and satellite-based data using neural network techniques. MISR and MODIS satellite data were obtained for several 16-day periods during 2002 and 2003 covering the continental USA. These data are joined spatially and temporally with AOT measurements from 34 AERONET ground-based stations over the continental USA. The R/sup 2/ accuracies of MODIS and MISR retrievals were estimated at 0.57 and 0.66, when AERONET AOT is used as the ground truth. When radiance and geometric attributes are used together with MISR and MODIS AOT as attributes for prediction of AERONET AOT, the R/sup 2/ accuracy was increased up to 10%.
Epidemiology of Spinal Injuries in Sports

Supraphysiological stresses placed on the spine during sporting activity can lead to various spinal injuries, ranging from a simple sprain or strain of the musculoligamentous structures surrounding the spine to a cervical fracture dislocation with complete spinal cord injury. Collision sports, such as football, are responsible for the vast majority of catastrophic spinal injuries. Gymnastics and other sports that require repetitive hyperextension at the waist have been associated with isthmic spondylolysis. This article reviews the epidemiology of spinal injuries associated with various sports, with a specific focus on spinal cord injury.
Physical attractiveness and access to alcohol: What is beautiful does not get carded

This research examined whether previously documented social benefits associated with physical attractiveness would influence the decision to request proof of legal age for the purchase of alcohol. Undergraduates were presented with a photograph of a highly attractive or less attractive member of the opposite gender that they diddid not expect to meet. Results indicated that the opportunity to interact with a highly attractive member of the opposite gender significantly reduced the chances that the target would be asked to provide proof of legal age. Physical attractiveness was positively related to perceptions of age in the perception of male targets, hut not for females. The implications of these findings for restricting alcohol availability among minors are considered.
Observations of swell influence on ocean surface roughness

[1] Field measurements of the ocean surface wave spectrum focusing on the slope-contributing components are used to construct a spectral model of the ocean surface roughness. The spectral parameterization is established with the observed empirical power law relation between the dimensionless wave spectral density and wind speed. The power law parameters (proportionality coefficient and exponent) are shown to be modified by swell. Discussions are presented on the swell effects of spectral properties, including their wind speed dependence and swell modification of roughness components characterizing Bragg resonance and surface tilting in radar application. Several notable results include the following: (1) With increasing swell intensity, the spectral density increases in the long-wave portion and decreases in the short-wave portion of the intermediate-scale waves. (2) There is a nodal point with respect to swell impact in the wave number dependence of the coefficient and exponent of the spectral parameterization function in the vicinity of wave number near 3 rad/m, suggesting that waves about a couple of meters long are insensitive to swell influence. (3) Spectral density in the decimeter length scale becomes less sensitive to wind speed variation as swell intensity increases. (4) Increasing swell influence shifts wave breaking toward shorter and broader scales.
Effect of specimen size and grain orientation on the mechanical and physical properties of NBG-18 nuclear graphite

Abstract We present here a comparison of the measured baseline mechanical and physical properties of with grain (WG) and against grain (AG) non-ASTM size NBG-18 graphite. The objectives of the experiments were twofold: (1) assess the variation in properties with grain orientation; (2) establish a correlation between specimen tensile strength and size. The tensile strength of the smallest sized (4 mm diameter) specimens were about 5% higher than the standard specimens (12 mm diameter) but still within one standard deviation of the ASTM specimen size indicating no significant dependence of strength on specimen size. The thermal expansion coefficient and elastic constants did not show significant dependence on specimen size. Experimental data indicated that the variation of thermal expansion coefficient and elastic constants were still within 5% between the different grain orientations, confirming the isotropic nature of NBG-18 graphite in physical properties.
Use of polymethylmethacrylate in large osseous defects in the foot and ankle following tumor excision.

Foot and ankle surgeons are occasionally confronted with having to fill large defects following excision of osseous lesions. This can prove to be quite challenging to the surgeon in regards to the requirement of large amounts of autogenous, allographic, or synthetic bone graft material. The amount of time spent nonweightbearing postoperatively can be quite prolonged, and the evaluation for tumor recurrence at the graft-host interface is difficult to ascertain. Polymethylmethacrylate has been used extensively in orthopedic surgery for many years in a safe manner for total joint replacement. It has also been used to fill large defects following tumor excision (i.e., giant cell tumor) and as an alternative to bone graft. This article briefly reviews the concepts of using polymethylmethacrylate in this manner and presents the use of polymethylmethacrylate in the treatment of foot and ankle lesions with three case presentations. The authors' purpose for this paper is to simply expand on the current medical literature available regarding the use of polymethylmethacrylate in the foot and ankle and to increase the awareness of foot and ankle surgeons regarding its use as a treatment alternative. A follow-up to this article is planned to present a larger patient population, longer term follow-up, and outcomes data.
Development of Regulations in the 1990 National Fire Code of Canada on storage of Dangerous Goods

The 1990 edition of the National Fire Code (NFC) of Canada contains new requirements to regulate storage of “dangerous goods” in buildings. In Canada, “dangerous goods” are defined by the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations as explosives, compressed gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizing substances, poisonous and infectious substances, radioactive materials, corrosive substances, and miscellaneous environmentally dangerous substances. The new Fire Code regulations will apply to storage and handling of these products when they are kept in buildings, where they are no longer under the control of transportation legislation.
An analysis of professional codes of ethics in the hospitality industry

Abstract There is a growing interest in the effectiveness of codes of ethics in guiding individuals’ behavior in the workplace. Much of the recent attention has centered on improving the codes of ethics of individual corporations, including hotel firms. Few analyses have been done focusing on the codes put forth by professional associations, which are often responsible for maintaining professionalism and integrity among their members. Given the decreasing loyalty of employees toward individual firms and the increase in loyalty toward their professions, an analysis of professional codes is warranted. An examination of four professional codes from the hospitality industry raises important issues about the potential impact of including key ethical values in order to guide members’ actions.
Fulfilling the promise: community response to the needs of sexual minority youth and families.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth, and the children of gay and lesbian parents, are particularly vulnerable to harassment and other forms of risk. This paper reviews the literature and outlines common processes beginning to be used in some U.S. communities to meet the needs of these youth and families. An illustration of progressive community action is offered in the case of a church-initiated effort still ongoing in a small town in Massachusetts.
Preparation of N3-thymidine–butylene–N3-thymidine interstrand cross-linked DNA via an orthogonal deprotection strategy

Abstract A DNA duplex containing an N 3-thymidine–butylene– N 3-thymidine interstrand cross-link (ICL) was prepared using an on-column orthogonal deprotection strategy to permit different nucleotide sequence composition around the cross-linked site. The conditions used to remove 5′- O -allyloxycarbonyl and 3′- O - tert -butyldimethylsilyl protective groups for various on-column oligonucleotide intermediates did not affect the cross-linked lesion. Efficient removal of these groups enabled successful coupling of 2′-deoxyphosphoramidites to produce the desired duplex with a 31% yield after deprotection and purification.
Evaluation of a classification method for retrieving atmospheric temperatures from satellite measurements

Abstract The retrieval of vertical temperature profiles from radiances measured from a satellite is a difficult inversion problem that has been solved to varying degrees of accuracy by several approaches. A method that uses a classification approach for the initial estimate is described. The initial estimate is modified by the application of a single set of regression coefficients that is valid for all latitudes and seasons. Retrievals from this method are compared to the operational retrievals obtained by the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). The comparison is based on the carefully matched radiosonde-retrieval pairs that are used in the operational system to update retrieval coefficients. About 10% of the data covering the period July 1987–July 1988 was used to generate the coefficients for both the classification and the retrieval that are used in the classification method. The classification method was then used to process data covering the period July 1987–July...
Comprehensive Outpatient Respiratory Care: A Program Conducted in a Suburban Private Practice*

: ABSTRACT: Fifty-nine patients (ages, 51–58) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease took part for nine months in a comprehensive outpatient respiratory program that involved training in various factors of daily living but stressed retraining in breathing, airway hygiene and respiratory efficiency. The patients were followed closely by means of pulmonary function and other tests. Subjectively, 55 patients noted functional improvement and an increased feeling of well-being. Objectively, 49 patients showed increased endurance and physical capacity. In 7 cases, pulmonary function tests showed an improvement of 30 per cent or more. In general, there was a significant increase in walking distance, chest expansion and body hydration, and a reduction in the use of corticosteroids and the rate of hospital admissions. These results indicate the desirability of having such a program available in every community to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Some Pitfalls with the Kramers-Kronig Relationships [Education Column]

The properties of the Kramers-Kronig (KK) relationships relating the real and imaginary parts of the frequency-domain permittivity are well known, but not at every electrical engineer's fingertips. This tutorial presents some surprises (e.g., incorrect prediction of the imaginary part from the real part for a Drude-model cold plasma), and explains not only why but how these come about.
The effects of cytoskeletal altering agents on the surface topography of GM1 in Neuro-2A neuroblastoma cell membranes

Neuro-2a murine neuroblastomal cells exposed to exogenous ganglioside undergo increased neuritogenesisin vitro. To determine if the distribution of exogenous ganglioside (GM1) in neuronal membranes is related to neuritogenesis, the surface topography of exogenous ganglioside in these cells was examined by localization with cholera toxin B-FITC. Following exposure to exogenous ganglioside, levels of fluorescent label appeared similar on perikaryal and neuritic surfaces. Scanning electron microscopic studies using protein G-gold to label antibody against exogenous ganglioside confirmed these observations at higher magnification. Within the general labelling pattern, occasionally labelled material was observed which seemed to form short linear arrays. This suggested that elements of the cytoskeleton might be influencing the surface distribution of exogenous ganglioside. To examine this possibility, Neuro-2a cells were exposed to agents known to alter the stability of specific cytoskeletal components, after which the general distribution of exogenous ganglioside was determined. Treatment with Colcemid, which disrupted microtubules, resulted in restriction of most exogenous ganglioside-positive label to the perikaryal surfaces. In contrast, exposure to taxol which enhanced microtubule stability diminished perikaryal fluorescence and increased neuritic labelling. The disruption of cytochalasin D-sensitive microfilaments did not influence the topographic distribution of exogenous ganglioside. Under the experimental conditions employed, mean neuritic lengths for Colcemid- and taxol-treated cells were nearly equal, indicating that altered neuritic length resulting from treatment with cytoskeletal agents was not a major factor in the redistribution of exogenous ganglioside. These studies suggest that microtubules play a role in determining the distribution of recently incorporated ganglioside in neuronal plasma membranes.
Upper Mississippi embayment shallow seismic velocities measured in situ

Abstract Vertical seismic compressional- and shear-wave (P-and S-wave) profiles were collected from three shallow boreholes in sediment of the upper Mississippi embayment. The site of the 60-m hole at Shelby Forest, Tennessee, is on bluffs forming the eastern edge of the Mississippi alluvial plain. The bluffs are composed of Pleistocene loess, Pliocene-Pleistocene alluvial clay and sand deposits, and Tertiary deltaic-marine sediment. The 36-m hole at Marked Tree, Arkansas, and the 27-m hole at Risco, Missouri, are in Holocene Mississippi river floodplain sand, silt, and gravel deposits. At each site, impulsive P- and S-waves were generated by man-made sources at the surface while a three-component geophone was locked downhole at 0.91-m intervals. Consistent with their very similar geology, the two floodplain locations have nearly identical S-wave velocity (VS) profiles. The lowest VS values are about 130 m s−1, and the highest values are about 300 m s−1 at these sites. The shear-wave velocity profile at Shelby Forest is very similar within the Pleistocene loess (12 m thick); in deeper, older material, VS exceeds 400 m s−1. At Marked Tree, and at Risco, the compressional-wave velocity (VP) values above the water table are as low as about 230 m s−1, and rise to about 1.9 km s−1 below the water table. At Shelby Forest, VP values in the unsaturated loess are as low as 302 m s−1. VP values below the water table are about 1.8 km s−1. For the two floodplain sites, the VP/VS ratio increases rapidly across the water table depth. For the Shelby Forest site, the largest increase in the VP/VS ratio occurs at ∼20-m depth, the boundary between the Pliocene-Pleistocene clay and sand deposits and the Eocene shallow-marine clay and silt deposits. Until recently, seismic velocity data for the embayment basin came from eartquake studies, crustal-scale seismic refraction and reflection profiles, sonic logs, and from analysis of dispersed earthquake surface waves. Since 1991, seismic data for shallow sediment obtained from reflection, refraction, crosshole and downhole techniques have been obtained for sites at the northern end of the embayment basin. The present borehole data, however, are measured from sites representative of large areas in the Mississippi embayment. Therefore, they fill a gap in information needed for modeling the response of the embayment to destructive seismic shaking.
Variational transition state theory without the minimum-energy path

In this paper we propose a method for carrying out variational transition state theory calculations without first obtaining a converged minimum-energy path (MEP). We illustrate the method in two ways, first of all by employing an unconverged MEP and secondly by using a dynamically optimized distinguished reaction path. Preliminary tests of the algorithm for the reactions OH+H2→H2O+H and C2H5→C2H4+H are very encouraging.
Pneumocystis pneumonia in a patient with cervical carcinoma treated with combination chemotherapy

Abstract A 62-year-old with metastatic cervical carcinoma being treated with combination chemotherapy developed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. Bronchoscopic evaluation revealed pneumocystis pneumonia. She was successfully treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Gynecologists should be familiar with this opportunistic infection that can occur in patients receiving chemotherapy for gynecologic malignancies.
Sense and avoid technologies with applications to unmanned aircraft systems: Review and prospects

Abstract Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) are becoming ever more promising over the last decade. The Sense and Avoid (S&A) system plays a profoundly important role in integrating UASs into the National Airspace System (NAS) with reliable and safe operations. After analyzing the manner of S&A system, this paper systematically presents an overview on the recent progress in S&A technologies in the sequence of fundamental functions/components of S&A in sensing techniques, decision making, path planning, and path following. The approaches to these four aspects are outlined and summarized, based on which the existing challenges and potential solutions are highlighted for facilitating the development of S&A systems.
Tools for interdisciplinary design of pervasive computing

Purpose – To be successful, pervasive computing requires a balance of computing, design, and business requirements to be considered throughout the design process. Achieving this synthesis requires a level of interdisciplinary design that is not present in current pervasive design tools. To understand the state of the art and provide insight to future tool designers, the purpose of this paper is to present a survey of design tools for pervasive computing and consider their ability to be used in interdisciplinary design.Design/methodology/approach – The authors have performed a survey of tools covering many areas within pervasive computing and have evaluated the abilities of each tool with established metrics for pervasive design tools.Findings – While the paper has found many design tools are available for constructive pervasive applications, few are suitable through all phases of the design cycle or useful across all the intended application domains of pervasive computing.Originality/value – This survey p...
Regulation of osteoblastic gene expression by lead

Although it is well recognized that lead accumulates in bone, skeletal tissue is considered primarily a sequestering compartment and not a site of toxic action for lead. However, exposure to lead is associated with impaired skeletal growth in children and reductions in indices of bone formation in laboratory animals. Osteoblastic ROS 17/2.8 cells were used in an effort to better understand the consequences of lead exposure on skeletal homeostasis. Studies on confluent cultures of ROS 17/2.8 cells revealed that lead (2-200 microM) had no effect on cell number or DNA and protein synthesis. However, alkaline phosphatase activity was reduced by lead in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Reductions in steady state alkaline phosphatase mRNA levels paralleled the lead-induced inhibition of enzyme activity. Moreover, lead exposure resulted in similar dose-dependent reductions in steady state type 1 procollagen and bone Gla protein mRNA levels. The effect of lead on osteoblastic gene expression in ROS 17/2.8 cultures, however, was selective in nature, as similar lead exposures resulted in no alterations in beta-actin or glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA levels. These data demonstrate that lead, in the absence of over toxicity, specifically restricts the expression of certain aspects of the differentiated osteoblast phenotype. Such alterations in osteoblast function may contribute to the skeletal abnormalities observed in settings of lead intoxication.
Actin-encoding cDNAs and gene expression during the intermolt cycle of the Bermuda land crab Gecarcinus lateralis

Two actin-encoding cDNAs (act1 and act2) from Gecarcinus lateralis have been sequenced or partially sequenced and the corresponding proteins deduced. The act1 cDNA has a complete ORF; the act2 cDNA lacks most of the 5' end of the coding region. The nucleotide (nt) sequences of both clones are very similar to act sequences of many organisms, the most closely related being from another arthropod, the silkmoth Bombyx mori. The proteins Act1 and Act2 are more similar to vertebrate cytoplasmic actin isoforms (beta-actins) than to vertebrate muscle actins (alpha-actins); they are also more similar to animal actins than to those of fungi or plants. Codon usage is strongly biased toward C or G in the third position. The deduced number of amino acid (aa) residues and calculated Mr for Act1 are 376 aa and 41.94 kDa, respectively. The deduced aa sequence of Act1 is very similar to those of muscle actins of B. mori and Drosophila melanogaster. Southern blots indicated seven to eleven act genes in the crab genome. Northern blots probed with a segment from the 3' UTR of act1 showed a single band of approx. 1.6 kb in poly(A)+ mRNAs from epidermis, limb bud or claw muscle and in total RNAs from ovary and gill, and two bands of approx. 1.6 and 1.8 kb in total RNA from midgut gland. Western blots of one-dimensional gels of proteins from the four layers of the exoskeleton, epidermis, limb buds and claw muscle were probed with a monoclonal Ab against chicken gizzard actin; tissue- and stage-specific changes in actin content were observed. The presence of several isoforms, and differences in their number and occurrence at various stages of the intermolt cycle, were detected on Western blots of two-dimensional gels.