cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Degradation mechanisms in group-III nitride devices

Devices fabricated in the group-III nitride material system have shown significant resistance to the types of degradation common to those encountered in the GaAs and InP -based systems. As a result, GaN-based light emitting diodes have pushed the technological limits of package technology and design for high output power. The relatively high defect densities in these materials have been shown to be a device weakness for laser applications. This paper reviews these concepts to try to give the readers an understanding of the differences between the group-III nitrides and standard III-V materials.
Teachers' Literal and Inferential Talk in Early Childhood and Special Education Classrooms.

Research Findings: This study examined preschool teachers’ literal talk (LT) and inferential talk (IT) during shared book readings in early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special edu...
Framing Controversy on Social Media: #NoDAPL and the Debate About the Dakota Access Pipeline on Twitter

Background: This research explores how controversial engineering decisions become the subject of widespread social media debates, using the prominent case of activism opposed to the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). The #NoDAPL Twitter hashtag became the primary vehicle for activism, with Twitter users shaping the debate through how they framed the controversy. Literature review: Framing refers to how information is packaged and presented. Because framing shapes the interpretation of information, it plays a crucial role in scientific controversies. Research questions: 1. Which framing strategies are present in the most influential (determined by the number of retweets and “likes”) posts using #NoDAPL on Twitter? 2. How do the framing strategies used in the most influential #NoDAPL tweets change in relation to major political events? 3. Do the framing strategies used in the most influential #NoDAPL tweets amplify the echo-chamber effect and polarization on Twitter? Methodology: The team collected daily data on the #NoDAPL hashtag and selected tweets with #NoDAPL that had more than 1500 likes or retweets, and categorized them by the frames that they exhibited. Results and discussion: The most-used frames were conflict/strategy and morality/ethics, with no noticeable middle path frame, leading to the echo-chamber effect and online polarization. The scientific/technical uncertainty frame was used only sporadically, in contrast with project proponents who tried to emphasize the pipeline's safety. Implications: Engineers seeking to understand and participate in public debates about issues central to their profession should recognize and engage the frames being used by the public to understand information. The project proponents’ defense of the pipeline fell on deaf ears, likely because they focused on safety rather than broader questions of morality. While engineers should share technical information related to a project under fire, they cannot ignore the concerns expressed by their critics.
Modification of Pierce’s Classical Theory of Traveling-Wave Tubes

For a realistic case of an electron beam interacting with the electromagnetic fields supported by a thin perfectly conducting tape helix, we derive the exact dispersion relation, from which an unambiguous determination of Pierce’s space-charge parameter ${Q}$ is made. In the process of doing so, we discover that the circuit mode in the equivalent three-wave theory of Pierce must be modified at high beam current, an aspect not included in Pierce’s original analysis. We quantify this circuit mode modification by a new parameter that we call ${q}$ , introduced here for the first time in traveling-wave tube theory. In a realistic example, we find that the effect of ${q}$ is equivalent to a modification of the circuit phase velocity by as much as two percent, which is a significant effect—equivalent to a detune of two percent.
Antitrust Immunity for Refusals to Deal in (Intellectual) Property Is a Slippery Slope

The Federal Circuit's decision in CSU v. Xerox1 has generated enormous controversy. However, there seems to be emerging agreement among both critics and supporters of the decision on a correct, narrow reading of the decision. Whatever else the decision stands for, it appears to declare antitrust immunity for unilateral refusals to sell or license patented or copyrighted intellectual property (IP). What was at stake in Xerox is whether a firm with a legitimate property right in the design of certain parts has the right to condition sale of those parts with terms that enable Xerox to obtain a monopoly in a different market, for service labor. More broadly, what is at stake is a safe harbor for conduct that previously has been found illegal. For, although much emphasis is placed on whether this was a unilateral refusal to deal (as opposed to a concerted agreement, which would not be exempt from Section 1 scrutiny), it is at least as important that this was a conditional refusal. As I show below, the meaningful distinction between this conditional refusal to deal and a conventional illegal tie is nil. Further, if an antitrust exemption is given to all conditional unilateral refusals to deal, this formalistic shield will be easily available in the future to firms that would otherwise be subject to antitrust liability for tying or other concerted agreements.
Use of whole embryo culture for studying heart development

Congenital heart defects occur in approximately 1% of newborns and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants and children. Many adult cardiac diseases also have developmental basis, such as heart valve malformations, among others. Therefore, dissecting the developmental and molecular mechanisms underlying such defects in embryos is of great importance in prevention and developing therapeutics for heart diseases that manifest in infants or later in adults. Whole embryo culture is a valuable tool to study cardiac development in midgestation embryos, in which ventricular chambers are specified and expand, and the myocardium and endocardium interact to form various cardiac structures including heart valves and trabecular myocardium (Cell 118: 649-663, 2004; Dev Cell 14: 298-311, 2008). This technique is essentially growing a midgestation embryo ex utero in a test tube. One of the strengths of embryo culture is that it allows an investigator to easily manipulate or add drugs/chemicals directly to the embryos to test specific hypotheses in situations that are otherwise very difficult to perform for embryos in utero. For instance, embryo culture permits pharmacological rescue experiments to be performed in place of genetic rescue experiments which may require generation of specific mouse strains and crosses. Furthermore, because embryos are grown externally, drugs are directly acting on the cultured embryos rather than being degraded through maternal circulation or excluded from the embryos by the placenta. Drug dosage and kinetics are therefore easier to control with embryo culture. Conversely, drugs that compromise the placental function and are thus unusable for in utero experiments are applicable in cultured embryos since placental function is not required in whole embryo culture. The applications of whole embryo culture in the studies of molecular pathways involved in heart valve formation, myocardial growth, differentiation, and morphogenesis are demonstrated previously (Cell 118: 649-663, 2004; Dev Cell 14: 298-311, 2008; Nature 446: 62-67, 2010). Here we describe a method of embryo culture in a common laboratory setting without using special equipments.
Pitfalls and Potential in Medicare's Move Toward Outpatient Care Episodes.

The authors evaluate the potential benefits and challenges in developing programs for Medicare's episode-based bundled payments for the management of chronic conditions among outpatients.
Twisted de Rham Complex on Line and Singular Vectors in sl(2) Verma Modules

We consider two complexes. The first complex is the twisted de Rham complex of scalar meromorphic differential forms on projective line, holomorphic on the complement to a finite set of points. The second complex is the chain complex of the Lie algebra of $\mathfrak{sl}_2$-valued algebraic functions on the same complement, with coefficients in a tensor product of contragradient Verma modules over the affine Lie algebra $\hat{{\mathfrak{sl}_2}}$. In [Schechtman V., Varchenko A., Mosc. Math. J. 17 (2017), 787-802] a construction of a monomorphism of the first complex to the second was suggested and it was indicated that under this monomorphism the existence of singular vectors in the Verma modules (the Malikov-Feigin-Fuchs singular vectors) is reflected in the relations between the cohomology classes of the de Rham complex. In this paper we prove these results.
Vaginal estrogen use for genitourinary symptoms in women with a history of uterine, cervical, or ovarian carcinoma.

Objective Menopausal symptoms may adversely affect quality of life and health in women diagnosed with a gynecologic malignancy. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of adverse outcomes, including cancer recurrence, venous thromboembolism, and secondary malignancies, among patients with a history of endometrial, ovarian, or cervical cancer prescribed vaginal estrogen for genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed including women who were diagnosed with endometrial, ovarian, or cervical cancer from January 1, 1991 to December 31, 2017 and subsequently treated with vaginal estrogen for genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Patients were included if not undergoing active cancer treatment and were disease-free based on most recent cancer surveillance visit with physical exam and/or imaging. Demographics, oncologic variables, estrogen use, and adverse outcomes were recorded. Descriptive statistics and univariate analysis were performed. Results Of 244 women who received vaginal estrogen, 52% (n=127) had a history of endometrial, 25.4% (n=62) cervical, 18.9% (n=46) ovarian cancer, and 3.7% (n=9) low malignant potential tumors. The mean age and body mass index were 55.5±12.5 years and 29.2±8.6 mg/kg2, respectively. With a median follow-up of 80.2 months, the incidence of recurrence for endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancer was 7.1% (n=9), 18.2% (n=10), and 9.7% (n=6), respectively. In patients with endometrial cancer who recurred, the incidence was 2.4% (n=3) for stage I/II and 4.7% (n=6) for stage III/IV disease. Similarly, recurrence rates for ovarian cancer were 4.3% (n=2) for stage I/II and 17.4% (n=8) for stage III/IV disease. All cervical cancer recurrences were in patients with stage I/II disease. Adverse outcomes including breast cancer (1.6%, n=4), secondary malignancy (2.5%, n=6), and venous thromboembolism (2.5%, n=6) were rare. Conclusion In women with a history of endometrial, ovarian, or cervical cancer prescribed vaginal estrogen use for genitourinary syndrome of menopause, adverse outcomes, including recurrence and thromboembolic events, are infrequent. Vaginal estrogen may be considered safe in gynecologic cancer survivors.
The Oral History Manual: By Barbara W. Sommer and Mary Kay Quinlan. 3rd ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. 145 pp. 978-1-4422-7078-7, Hardback, $85.00; 978-1-4422-7079-4, Paperback, $40.00; 978-1-4422-7080-0, e-Book, $38.00

In two previous editions, The Oral History Manual has served as a concise toolkit for novice practitioners and a handy reference of recent standards for professionals. This review assesses primaril...
Development of New Scoring System for Whole Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Evaluation of Multiple Myeloma Lesions

Abstract Introduction: Advanced imaging with whole body MRI (WB-MRI) or positron-emission tomography (PET) is increasingly utilized in multiple myeloma (MM) as a diagnostic and prognostic modality. WB-MRI has become the standard of care for discerning active from asymptomatic multiple myeloma based on updated International Myeloma Working Group guidelines. WB-MRI is far superior to standard metastatic bone survey (MBS). It may outperform PET scan in some respects, namely in detection of the pattern and the extent of bone marrow infiltration, and its unique capability to quantify both burden of disease and response to treatment. We report on Yale method of WB-MRI protocol performed without gadolinium that differs from previously published methodology. Methods: WB-MRI imaging protocol was performed on a Siemens 3 Tesla magnet with a moving table, with the average imaging time of 60 minutes. It consisted of the following sequences: 1) Sagittal T1 of the total spine; 2) Coronal STIR (fluid sensitive) from the skull vertex through the ankles in 6 different stations, with merged images; 3) Coronal T1 (fat sensitive) from the neck through the feet in 5 stations, with merged images. We performed both baseline MBS and WB-MRI on 15 patients with newly diagnosed MM prior to initiation of therapy. Results: The WB-MRI imaging studies were reviewed and a standardized scoring system was designed to describe myeloma lesions based on the following parameters: 1) Size 3cm: 1-3 points; 2) Endosteal scalloping: 1 point; 3) Associated marrow or periosteal edema: 1 point; 4) Cortical breakthrough: 1 point; 5) Associated soft tissue mass 1 point. This scoring system will be further validated in a larger prospective study of newly diagnosed patients with MM before and after induction. WB-MRI and MBS were evaluated for respective merits for disease staging and their impact on treatment decisions. Our WB-MRI protocol detected myeloma lesions in 33% of patients (5/15), whereas MBS identified lesions in only 6% (1/15). Overall, information obtained from WB-MRI significantly influenced the patient's staging in 73% of patients (11/15), and directly impacted treatment decisions in 46% of patients (7/15). WB-MRI identified myeloma bone lesions, which otherwise would have been missed by standard bone survey in 27% of patients (4/15). Myeloma related bone lesions occurred predominantly in the axial skeleton, most commonly seen in cervical, thoracic, lumbar spine and pelvis. Conclusion: Our method of WB-MRI protocol incorporates MM lesion scoring system, can be applied to patients regardless of renal impairment, provides valuable information on the extent and the stage of disease, and significantly influences treatment decisions. The proposed scoring system for myeloma lesions will be further validated in a larger prospective study for patients in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Variation in Car Seat Tolerance Screen Performance in Newborn Nurseries.

BACKGROUND: Currently, car seat tolerance screens (CSTSs) are recommended for all infants born prematurely in the United States. Although many late-preterm infants are cared for exclusively in newborn nurseries (NBNs), data on implementation of CSTS in nurseries are limited. Our objective for this study was to determine management strategies and potential variation in practice of CSTS in NBNs across the nation. METHODS: We surveyed NBNs across 35 states using the Better Outcomes through Research for Newborns (BORN) network to determine what percentage perform CSTSs, inclusion and failure criteria, performance characteristics, follow-up of failed CSTSs including use of car beds, and provider attitudes toward CSTS. RESULTS: Of the 84 NBNs surveyed, 90.5% performed predischarge CSTSs. The most common failure criteria were saturation 20 seconds. More than 55% noted hypotonia as an additional inclusion criterion for testing, and >34% tested any infant who had ever required supplemental oxygen. After an initial failed CSTS, >93% of NBNs retested in a car seat at a future time point, whereas only ∼1% automatically discharged infants in a car bed. When asked which infants should undergo predischarge CSTS, the most common recommendations by survey respondents included infants with hypotonia (83%), airway malformations (78%), hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease (63%), and prematurity (61%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a large degree of variability in implementation of CSTS in NBNs across the United States. Further guidance on screening practices and failure criteria is needed to inform future practice and policy.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) in an Adolescent that Developed Coronary Aneurysms: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Abstract Background A small subset of pediatric patients develop a rare syndrome associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This syndrome shares characteristics with Kawasaki disease. Case Report A 15-year-old girl presented to our Emergency Department (ED) with fevers and malaise. She was diagnosed on her initial visit with an acute viral syndrome and discharged with a COVID polymerase chain reaction test pending, which was subsequently negative. She returned 3 days later with persistent fever, conjunctivitis, and a symmetric targetoid rash over her palms. She had no adenopathy, but her erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were both significantly elevated at 90 mm/h and 19.61 mg/dL, respectively. The patient was then transferred to the regional children's hospital due to a clinical suspicion for MIS-C, and subsequent COVID-19 immunoglobulin G testing was positive. She had been empirically started on intravenous immunoglobulin in addition to 81 mg aspirin daily. Initial echocardiograms showed mild dilatation of the left main coronary artery, and on repeat echocardiogram, a right coronary artery aneurysm was also identified. Oral prednisone therapy (5 mg) was initiated and the patient was discharged on a continued prednisone taper. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? We present a case of a 15-year-old girl who presented to the ED with MIS-C who developed coronary aneurysms despite early therapy, to increase awareness among emergency physicians of this emerging condition.
Piezo-response in two-dimensional α-Tellurene films

Abstract Monoelemental two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted significant attention due to their exciting electro-mechanical properties and extreme thinness. However, most of these materials have stable centro-symmetric structures due to same electronegativities of all atoms and lack interesting properties such as piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity. Here we report the existence of piezoelectricity in atomically thin monoelemental α-Tellurium films. DFT calculations reveal that monoelemental few layer α-Tellurene is electrostrictive. However, group theory analysis shows that α-Tellurene belongs to piezoelectric C2 group due to negligible asymmetry and has high anomalous Born effective charges, similar to the traditional perovskite piezoelectric structures. Experimental exploration demonstrates the existence of through thickness piezoelectricity. With single and dual AC resonance tracking piezoelectric force microscopy, piezoelectric coefficient (d33) up to 1 pm/V is observed for the Te ultrathin films. Moderate layer dependent piezoelectricity observed in α-Te films makes it a promising candidate for the realization of atomically thin piezoelectric devices.
Organ System Anomalies Associated with Congenital Scoliosis: A Retrospective Study of 310 Cases

Summary: In a cohort of 310 consecutive congenital scoliosis patients, a retrospective analysis of abnormalities in ten organ systems was performed. Overall, intraspinal defects were observed in 43% of patients, and defects in other organ systems were found in 77% of patients. Urogenital anomalies occurred in 39% of patients. Cardiac anomalies occurred in 54% of patients, a rate more than two times higher than previously reported. The association between defects in various organ systems was …
Diagnostic Performance of High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Strategies and Clinical Variables in a Multisite US Cohort.

Background: European data support the use of low high-sensitivity troponin (hs-cTn) measurements or a 0/1-hour (0/1-h) algorithm for myocardial infarction to exclude major adverse cardiac events (M...
Human Capital Planning as a Tool for Organizational Growth and Development in the Banking Industry 'A Case Study of ECOBANK The Gambia'

Purpose: The basic factor in an economic development is the rate at which the country produces people with imaginations, vision, education, theoretical, practical and analytical skills. Thus, no organization is known to have had a record of sustained growth and development without ample supply of qualified personnel to man their development efforts. Most successful organizations of today have proved that investment in human capital holds the key that unlocks the forces of growth and development. Methodology: This study is a survey to investigate human capital planning as a tool for organizational growth and development in the banking industry (a case study of ECOBANK, The Gambia) Fifteen research questions were formulated to guide the research. The subject used for the study consists of thirty respondents. The respondents are the senior and junior staff of the Bank branch randomly selected. The instrument used during this study was the questionnaire. Percentage score were used to analyze the data collected. Based on the analysis, Findings: the findings revealed that the bank has human capital planning department, has enough human capital to check shortfalls and has forecast future of human capital needs in terms of ills, numbers and ages. It is recommended that while the bank maintains its status quo on human capital management, it should as well make available the necessary information to them for competitively having an edge in the market.
Immune markers of response to pembrolizumab and guadecitabine in platinum resistant ovarian cancer utilizing multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC)

Objectives: Treatment options for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) are limited by poor response (poor response) rates and short progression-free survival. Immune checkpoint inhibitors induce modest response rates (8-11%) in phase II trials for PROC, although responders can have prolonged disease control. An immunoreactive subtype of ovarian cancer (OC) was proposed from TCGA genomic analysis and susceptibility to immune checkpoint blockade seems to correlate with specific populations of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). This study sought to identify potential markers of response to immunotherapy by using multiplex immunohistochemical staining (mIHC) to phenotype TILs in ovarian tumors obtained before and after treatment with guadecitabine and pembrolizumab in a phase II clinical trial (NCT02901899). Methods: OC core needle biopsies were obtained at baseline and after 2 cycles of treatment from patients with PROC enrolled in a phase 2 trial testing the combination of guadecitabine and pembrolizumab. The Opal Multiplex IHC kit (Akoya Biosciences) was used to identify the TIL markers CD3, CD8, CD20, CD68 and FoxP3, and the epithelial marker pan-cytokeratin. A total of 12 paired (pre- and post-treatment) specimens from responders (PR or stable disease > 4 months, n=6, R) vs. non-responders (progression Results: In this study, 48 pts were enrolled, 43 were treated, and 33 were evaluable for response. Overall, there were 3 PRs (RR=9.9%) and 16 pts had stable disease (SD) [48%]. The clinical benefit rate (PR + SD > 3 months) was 27%. Analysis of TILs in the tumor microenvironment identified an increased total and stromal numbers of CD8 cells in baseline biopsies in R vs. NR (p=0.05). Likewise the total and stroma-infiltrating numbers of CD8 cells post-treatment were higher in R vs. NR (p=0.05). The total, tumor, and stromal numbers of B cells at baseline and after treatment were increased in R vs. NR (p Conclusions: Immunophenoyping using mIHC identified treatment induced changes in immune cell subpopulations predictive of response to immunotherapy in PROC.
Transcatheter valve implantation for degenerated tricuspid bioprosthesis and failed tricuspid ring

Background: Transcatheter tricuspid valve-in-valve (TViV) and valve in-ring (TViR) implantation have become a viable therapy for a failed tricuspid bioprosthesis. Here we report short (thirty days) and long (one-year) term clinical outcomes of ten patients who underwent TViV at our institution. Methods: The electronic databases of New York Presbyterian Columbia Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed for cases of transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TViV or TViR). Between 2012 and 2019, data from ten patients who underwent TViV were collected. The primary safety outcome was procedure-related adverse events, including clinically evident cardiac perforation, new pericardial effusion and sustained ventricular arrhythmia. The primary efficacy endpoint was defined as successful valve deployment with total (paravalvular or intravalvular) tricuspid regurgitation (TR) estimated as mild or less. Results are descriptive in nature. Results: A total of ten patients who underwent TViV were included in the study. Of them, 40% presented with isolated tricuspid bioprosthetic stenosis (TS), 20% with isolated TR and 40% with mixed TS and TR. All patients were treated with the SAPIEN valve (first generation, XT, or Sapien 3). The TViV procedure was successful in all patients, and no immediate post-replacement paravalvular leak (PVL) or intra-procedural complications were reported. The primary safety and efficacy endpoints were met in all patients. At thirty-days, all patients were alive and reported significant improvements in symptoms and functional status. Conclusions: Transcatheter tricuspid valve implantation is a safe and effective therapy for degenerative tricuspid bioprosthesis.
Evaluating association between idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and hypertension.

PURPOSE The role of platelets in the pathogenesis of hypertension is not well known. The aim of this study was to ascertain if patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) had different rates of hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we analyzed the correlation between hypertension and ITP from the years 2002-2011. RESULTS We found no significant differences in the rate of hypertension between ITP and Non-ITP patients. For instance, in 2002, 25.90% of patients with ITP had a concurrent diagnosis of hypertension, compared with 26.53% of Non-ITP patients. Then in 2011, 31.95% of patients with ITP had a concurrent diagnosis of hypertension, compared with 32.31% of Non-ITP patients. CONCLUSION Based on our large database, the presence of ITP does not appear to be associated with an increased or decreased risk of hypertension.
Compressed Single-Shot Photoacoustic Image Reconstruction of a 3D Pressure Distribution

We introduce a method for volumetric photoacoustic imaging from a single laser shot using compressive sensing. We demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of a 3D pressure distribution reconstruction.
Scheduling for today's computer systems: bridging theory and practice

Scheduling is a fundamental technique for improving performance in computer systems. From web servers to routers to operating systems, how the bottleneck device is scheduled has an enormous impact on the performance of the system as a whole. Given the immense literature studying scheduling, it is easy to think that we already understand enough about scheduling. But, modern computer system designs have highlighted a number of disconnects between traditional analytic results and the needs of system designers. In particular, the idealized policies, metrics, and models used by analytic researchers do not match the policies, metrics, and scenarios that appear in real systems. The goal of this thesis is to take a step towards modernizing the theory of scheduling in order to provide results that apply to today's computer systems, and thus ease the burden on system designers. To accomplish this goal, we provide new results that help to bridge each of the disconnects mentioned above. We will move beyond the study of idealized policies by introducing a new analytic framework where the focus is on scheduling heuristics and techniques rather than individual policies. By moving beyond the study of individual policies, our results apply to the complex hybrid policies that are often used in practice. For example, our results enable designers to understand how the policies that favor small job sizes are affected by the fact that real systems only have estimates of job sizes. In addition, we move beyond the study of mean response time and provide results characterizing the distribution of response time and the fairness of scheduling policies. These results allow us to understand how scheduling affects QoS guarantees and whether favoring small job sizes results in large job sizes being treated unfairly. Finally, we move beyond the simplified models traditionally used in scheduling research and provide results characterizing the effectiveness of scheduling in multiserver systems and when users are interactive. These results allow us to answer questions about the how to design multiserver systems and how to choose a workload generator when evaluating new scheduling designs.
The origin of gamma G globulins in human amniotic fluid

Abstract Amniotic fluid and sera from 30 Rh-immunized mothers as well as sera from their husbands have been studied for Gm(a), Gm(f), Gm(b), and Gm(g) genetic factors of gamma G. In 8 families, there was no evidence for fetal contribution to the immunoglobulins found in the amniotic fluid, and it seems likely that these are of maternal origin.
Epidermal growth factor. Physical and chemical properties.

Abstract The major physicochemical properties of epidermal growth factor are reported. The molecular weight of epidermal growth factor is estimated to be approximately 6100 by the methods of sedimentation equilibrium, gel filtration, and minimum molecular weight calculations from amino acid analyses. Epidermal growth factor is a single chain polypeptide having an asparagine amino-terminal residue and an arginine carboxyl-terminal residue. It is further characterized by the absence of 3 specific amino acid residues: lysine, alanine, and phenylalanine. No detectable free sulfhydryl groups, hexosamines, or neutral sugars were observed. Epidermal growth factor has an isoelectric point of pH 4.60. The ultraviolet absorption spectrum is typical for proteins, with an E1%1 cm at 280 nm of 30.9. The secondary structure, as judged by ultraviolet circular dichroism, is principally nonhelical.
Comparison of Rous sarcoma virus RNA processing in chicken and mouse fibroblasts: evidence for double-spliced RNA in nonpermissive mouse cells.

Abstract Rous sarcoma virus, an avian retrovirus, transforms but does not replicate in mammalian cells. To determine to what extent differences in RNA splicing might contribute to this lack of productive infection, cloned proviral DNA derived from the Prague A strain of Rous sarcoma virus was transfected into mouse NIH 3T3 cells, and the viral RNA was compared by RNase protection with viral RNA from transfected chicken embryo fibroblasts by using a tandem antisense riboprobe spanning the three major splice sites. The levels of viral RNA in NIH 3T3 cells compared with those in chicken embryo fibroblasts were lower, but the RNA was spliced at increased efficiency. The difference in the ratio of unspliced to spliced RNA levels was not due to the increased lability of unspliced RNA in NIH 3T3 cells. Although chicken embryo fibroblasts contained equal levels of src and env mRNAs, spliced viral mRNAs in NIH 3T3 cells were almost exclusively src. In NIH 3T3 cells the env mRNA was further processed by using a cryptic 5' splice site located within the env coding sequences and the normal src 3' splice site to form a double-spliced mRNA. This mRNA was identical to the src mRNA, except that a 159-nucleotide sequence from the 5' end of the env gene was inserted at the src splice junction. Smaller amounts of single-spliced RNA were also present in which only the region between the cryptic 5' and src 3' splice sites was spliced out. The aberrant processing of the viral env mRNA in NIH 3T3 cells may in part explain the nonpermissiveness of these cells to productive Rous sarcoma virus infection.
The analytic state of consciousness as a form of play and a foundational transference.

The analytic state of consciousness is a particular regressive altered state in the patient characterized by an increased sensitivity and reactivity to impressions arising from both the inner world...
Effects of neonatal size on maturity and escape performance in the Trinidadian guppy

Summary The livebearing Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) produces bigger offspring in populations exposed to low predation and produces smaller, more numerous offspring in populations subject to high predation (HP). Like most fishes, guppies respond to predator attacks with a fast-start escape response. From the scaling of teleost fast-start performance, we predict that larger guppy neonates should exhibit faster, more effective escape responses than smaller neonates. Increasing performance with increasing size could be due simply to size, or to both size and the acquisition of more mature body forms, as is seen in larval-stage fishes. We find no difference in external body proportions among guppy offspring varying in size from 5·1 mm to 7·1 mm at birth, suggesting offspring are born morphologically mature. However, based on the degree of skeletal ossification, as a proxy for internal maturity, we find that guppies are still maturing rapidly around the time of birth. The smallest neonates from the very HP Caroni confluence lack ossification of key skeletal elements that are present in their larger low predation counterparts. In guppies from the Aripo/Caroni drainage, we show that neonatal escape performance covaries with responsiveness and increases with size along a gradient of HP offspring, but is lower in the largest low predation offspring. The scaling of escape performance in the HP populations performing maximally (scaling with length as L2·76) exceeds predictions from size alone (scaling exponent of L1·0 indicates performance increases linearly with body size). This suggests that guppy neonates, like rapidly developing larval fishes, vary substantially in morphological maturity among populations. The finding that neonatal guppy offspring covary in both size and maturity at birth means that being smaller also means being less mature, which amplifies the negative escape performance effects of being born small. Despite the negative consequences of being born both small and immature, HP environments select heavily for high fecundity, and thus small offspring size. We find selection favours female life-history traits over offspring escape performance.
Surgical wound infection

Wound infections remain a major source of postoperative morbidity, accounting for about a quarter of the total number of nosocomial infections. Today, many of these infections are first recognized in the outpatient clinic or in the patient's home due to the large number of operations done in the outpatient setting. This leads to errors in establishing the true incidence of their occurrence but undoubtedly decreases the overall real cost and length of hospital stay. The pathogens implicated in the development of wound infections remain largely the human microorganisms from the exogenous environment and the endogenous organ microflora. Many perioperative factors have been identified that increase the incidence of the development of postoperative wound infection. Avoidance of these factors as well as the appropriate use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis has decreased the incidence of wound infection. During the last decade many studies have reported on the individual risk factors that favor the development of postoperative infectious complications in various surgical procedures. It is hoped that this knowledge may allow for prospective alterations in the preventative and therapeutic modalities in the high-risk patient in the studies designed in the 1990s. The use of effective infection surveillance both in the hospital and in the outpatient setting is mandatory in order to collect meaningful data. The use of computer technology will greatly facilitate the proper surveillance, analysis, and control of infections in the surgical patient.
Novel α7 nicotinic receptor isoforms and deficient cholinergic transcription in schizophrenia

Abnormal α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activity contributes to sensory gating and cognitive deficits in schizophrenic individuals. Negligible differences in α7 mRNA levels between disease and control states have led to conclusions that cholinergic dysfunction in schizophrenia (SZ) must occur post-transcriptionally. Alternatively, we propose that the dysregulation of splice variants of the α7 receptor could account for cholinergic deficiencies observed in this disease. Here, we isolated multiple α7 splice variants including exon deletions and those associated with a novel 124–127 base insertion following exon 4. Transcripts containing this new exon originated from sense strand-oriented RNA (vs. antisense), and in silico translations produced putative subunits with unique amino termini. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses indicated that one novel isoform was significantly downregulated (P ≤ 0.03) in post-mortem prefrontal cortex of individuals with SZ (n = 35) compared with controls (n = 34). Ten brain regions (cerebellum, thalamus, corpus callosum, caudate, putamen and five areas of the cortex) were further screened for α7 isoforms in three individuals of each group. Semiquantitative analyses showed that each α7 mRNA subtype was present in each brain region, but all were particularly deficient in the corpus callosum in schizophrenics vs. controls (P ≤ 0.0002 to 0.05 for different isoforms). Our data demonstrate that α7 transcription is altered in several ways in SZ, suggesting that transcription-level mechanisms could account in part for the impaired cholinergic neurotransmission observed in this disease.
Dissociation of water on a palladium nanoparticle

Ab initio SCF-CI theory has been used to examine the interactions of a single water molecule with a 31-atom nanocluster of palladium. Calculations are performed on singly-charged cationic and anionic particles in addition to the neutral system to determine effects of charging on the adsorption energy of water and the barriers to dissociation. Penetration of the dissociated H through the surface layer into an interstitial subsurface site is also examined. Adsorption energies of an intact water molecule fall in the range 0.2–0.8 eV, while the barrier to dissociation into a subsurface site is in the range 1.4–2.1 eV depending on the charge of the metal particle. Calculations on the photoinduced dissociation of water adsorbed on the Pd surface are also reported, and dissociation pathways with smaller energy barriers than found for the ground state are shown to exist. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010
Geological implications of a permeability-depth curve for the continental crust

The decrease in permeability ( k ) of the continental crust with depth ( z ), as constrained by geothermal data and calculated fluid flux during metamorphism, is given by log k = −14 − 3.2 log z, where k is in meters squared and z is in kilometers. At moderate to great crustal depths (>∼5 km), this curve is defined mainly by data from prograde metamorphic systems, and is thus applicable to orogenic belts where the crust is being thickened and/or heated; lower permeabilities may occur in stable cratonic regions. This k-z relation implies that typical metamorphic fluid flux values of ∼10−11 m/s are consistent with fluid pressures significantly above hydrostatic values. The k-z curve also predicts that metamorphic CO2 flux from large orogens may be sufficient to cause significant climatic effects, if retrograde carbonation reactions are minimal, and suggests a significant capacity for diffuse degassing of Earth (1015–1016 g/yr) in tectonically active regions.
Tubulin and microtubule structure

Microtubules are cytoskeletal polymers made of repeating αβ-tubulin heterodimers that play essential roles in all eukaryotic cells. The dynamic character of microtubules is key to their functions, as evidenced by the large number of natural compounds that bind tubulin, alter microtubule dynamics and result in mitotic arrest. The electron crystallographic structure of tubulin showed that the α- and β-tubulin monomers are very similar. They contain a nucleotide binding domain, an intermediate domain where Taxol binds in β-tubulin, and a C-terminal helical region that form the crest of microtubule protofilaments where motors and other associated proteins bind. The complex dynamic behavior of microtubules, while modulated by other cellular factors, is ultimately due to the tubulin subunit architecture and its intrinsic GTPase activity. Thus, knowledge of the structure of tubulin and the microtubule is essential for our understanding of vital microtubule properties with relevance to broadly used anticancer therapies.
SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION TEMPERATURES OF VARIOUS LEAD-BASE ALLOYS.

Abstract The superconducting transition temperatures T c of lead-base alloys with 1–7 at.% Cd, Hg, In, Tl, Sn, Sb, and Bi have been measured. T c changes linearly with solute concentration. For the light solutes In, Sn, and Sb, T c is higher than for the heavier elements of the same group of the periodic table. The reason for this seems to be a change in the phonon spectrum, caused by alloying. Moreover T c has been measured for the system Pb-In in the range 0–65 at.% In. T c decreases monotonically with increasing In content, in contrast to earlier findings for the system PbTl.
Composite constant propagation: application to Android inter-component communication analysis

Many program analyses require statically inferring the possible values of composite types. However, current approaches either do not account for correlations between object fields or do so in an ad hoc manner. In this paper, we introduce the problem of composite constant propagation. We develop the first generic solver that infers all possible values of complex objects in an interprocedural, flow and context-sensitive manner, taking field correlations into account. Composite constant propagation problems are specified using COAL, a declarative language. We apply our COAL solver to the problem of inferring Android Inter-Component Communication (ICC) values, which is required to understand how the components of Android applications interact. Using COAL, we model ICC objects in Android more thoroughly than the state-of-the-art. We compute ICC values for 460 applications from the Play store. The ICC values we infer are substantially more precise than previous work. The analysis is efficient, taking slightly over two minutes per application on average. While this work can be used as the basis for many whole-program analyses of Android applications, the COAL solver can also be used to infer the values of composite objects in many other contexts.
Mammary gland expression of transgenes and the potential for altering the properties of milk.

Mammary Gland Expression of Transgenes and the Potential for Altering the Properties of Milk
Generalized matched filters and univariate Neyman-Pearson detectors for image target detection

I derive two-stage, statistically suboptimal target detectors for images. The first, or transformation, stage is a "generalized matched filter" (GMF) that linearly transforms the input image. I propose three rational signal-to-noise-ratio criteria whose maximization yields the three GMFs. The second, or detection, stage is a univariate "Neyman-Pearson detector" (NPD), which executes a pointwise likelihood ratio test on the GMF transformed images. Experiments on infrared and synthetic-aperture radar imagery compare GMF/NPDs with several established detectors.
Clinical Science: Normal TMJ Bony Relationships in Centric Occlusion

In a preliminary investigation, condyle-temporal bone spatial relationships were determined quantitatively in 50 asymptomatic TMJs (25 subjects) by making area measurements of the posterior and anterior portions of the joint spaces. For both right and left sides, the numerical expression of the joint relationship indicated that the condyle is normally centered in the joint to a very high degree. Standard deviations around the mean joint relationship values were large, however, which suggests that the posteroanterior variation of condyle positions in asymptomatic TMJs is greater than commonly thought. In addition, there was only mild correlation between individual joint relationships on right and left sides.
Molecular diagnosis of thiopurine S-methyltransferase deficiency: Genetic basis for azathioprine and mercaptopurine intolerance

Background: Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPM) catalyzes the S-methylation (that is, inactivation) of mercaptopurine, azathioprine, and thioguanine and exhibits genetic polymorphism. About 10% of...
Dietary Competition in an Extant Mammalian Guild: Application of a Quantitative Method to Evaluate Reconstructed Niche Overlap in Paleocommunities

The evaluation of competition, contingent on the identification of niche similarity, is a challenge in the fossil record. Specifically, a method for quantifying the degree of niche overlap is needed, as niches in paleocommunities can be reconstructed only using ecomorphological characters. In this study, I suggest the use of nonparametric multivariate pairwise comparisons for testing the presence or absence of niche overlap, wherein niches are defined as Hutchinsonian multidimensional hypervolumes. I applied this method to an extant mammalian guild, comprising primates and their dietary competitors, to determine the significance of dimensionality in niche construction and to examine the ability of molar morphology to capture dietary niche overlap. I conducted principal component analyses of eight molar measurements across all members of this guild, and dietary niches were defined by principal component scores. Niche overlap was assessed through the comparison of distances among individuals both within and between niches. To demonstrate the application of the proposed method, I compared dietary niches of 1) seven predefined dietary groups and 2) genera within and across dietary groups using multivariate pairwise comparisons. Results indicated that the typically unexplored higher principal components, or “niche axes,” may be integral to niche separation. As predicted, almost all niches of genera from different dietary groups did not overlap; however, niche overlap among genera within the same dietary category was less than expected. This highlights our need to investigate further the structure of niches within extant guilds to better inform our examination of competition in paleocommunities.
Inhibition of leucine aminopeptidase and malate dehydrogenase by aquoplatinum (II) complexes.

Abstract Halide complexes of platinum have been previously shown to inhibit tumors and cell growth as well as to possess immunosuppresive activity. Evidence is presented here that the active species in Rb2PtBr4 solutions which inhibits both leucine aminopeptidase ( l -leucyl-peptide hydrolase, EC 3.4.1.1) and malate dehydrogenase ( l -malate:NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.37) enzymes is PtBr3(H2O)−. The aquo complex earlier has been shown to be in equilibrium with PtBr42− in solution and the rate of formation is known. This is in accord with the rate of inhibition of enzyme activity by fresh solutions of Rb2PtBr4. This reagent should provide another method for studying the active site and function of enzymes.