cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grading of medullary thyroid carcinoma on the basis of tumor necrosis and high mitotic rate is an independent predictor of poor outcome.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare nonfollicular cell-derived tumor. A robust grading system may help better stratify patients at risk for recurrence and death from disease. In total, 144 MTC between 1988 and 2018 were subjected to a detailed histopathologic evaluation. Clinical and pathologic data were correlated with disease specific survival (DSS), local recurrence free survival (LRFS) and distant metastasis free survival (DMFS). Median age was 53 years (range: 3–88). Median tumor size was 1.8 cm (range: 0.2–11). Lymph node metastases were present in 84 (58%) cases while distant metastases at presentation were found in 9 (6%) patients. Seven (5%) had ≥5 mitoses/10 HPFs. Tumor necrosis was present in 30 cases (20%) while lymphovascular invasion occurred in 41 (28%) of tumors. Extra-thyroidal extension was found in 44 (31%) and positive margins were seen in 19 (14%). There was a strong correlation between increasing tumor size and tumor necrosis (p < 0.001). Median follow up was 39 months. In univariate analysis, male gender, higher American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage group, larger tumor size, tumor necrosis, high mitotic index (≥5/10 HPF), nodal status, size of largest nodal metastasis, and elevated postoperative serum calcitonin predicted worse DSS, LRFS, and DMFS (p < 0.05). Extra-thyroidal extension correlated with DSS and DMFS while positive margins and distant metastasis at presentation imparted worse DSS (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, tumor necrosis and mitotic activity (5 mitosis/10 HPFs as the cutoff) were the only independent predictors for DSS (p = 0.008 and 0.026, respectively). Tumor necrosis was the sole independent prognostic factor for LRFS and DMFS (p = 0.001 and 0.003, respectively). The presence of tumor necrosis and high mitotic rate are powerful independent prognostic factors in MTC and outperform serum calcitonin and stage. We propose a grading system based on tumor necrosis and mitotic activity to better stratify MTC patients for counseling, post-resection surveillance, and therapy.
Liver Disease in Children

Liver disease in children is increasing in prevalence, placing a huge burden on healthcare systems and often requiring long-term management. Offering an integrative approach to the science and clinical practice of pediatric hepatology, this is the definitive reference text for improved diagnosis and treatment strategies. In the new edition of this authoritative text, chapters have been thoroughly revised in line with major advances in the field, such as recognizing the increased frequency of fatty liver disease, and how genetic testing has the potential to establish earlier diagnoses for a variety of diseases. Disorders covered include cholestasis, metabolic disorders and hepatitis, with their presentation across the spectrum of infancy, childhood and adolescence discussed. The indications and surgical aspects of liver transplant are explained and post-transplant care is described in detail. This is a valuable resource for pediatricians, hepatologists, gastroenterologists and all clinicians involved in the care of children with liver diseases.
Illinois' Response to Rising Residential Property Values: An Assessment Growth Cap in Cook County

A recent policy change caps the annual percentage increase in the assessed value of owner-occupied homes in Cook County, Illinois. Assuming that total revenue would remain constant, the result is r...
The Human Health Co-benefits of Air Quality Improvements Associated with Climate Change Mitigation

Fossil fuel combustion processes that generate greenhouse gases (GHG) also emit and or cause the creation of other harmful air pollutants. Thus, while policies designed to avert the course of climate change would eventually result in direct human health benefits from lessened global temperature changes and associated impacts, they would also bring much more immediate ancillary human health co-benefits from the associated reduced ground-level air pollution in the short term. Several measures aimed at reducing GHG emissions, notably the reduced use of fossil fuels such as coal, can also improve local air quality, most notably particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O3) air pollution. Further, whereas the benefits from climate change mitigation would materialize far in the future, these co-benefits, or ancillary benefits, would provide much more immediate “return on investment” in climate change mitigation. Thus, as detailed below, the near-term human health co-benefits of climate mitigation (e.g., fossil fuel emission reductions) may provide the most economically compelling justification for immediate action towards climate change mitigation. Here we discuss the health impacts of PM and ozone, two key air pollutants that have substantial impacts on human health and that are likely to be reduced by policies aimed at controlling GHG emissions.
Registration of engineers [comments on "Letter to the Editor" by Louis S. Leavitt]

The commentor states that the original author's [Louis S. Leavitt] charges (ibid., Jan 1938, pp 42), that the engineering examining boards are composed of politicians and that the whole thing may degenerate to a political racket, "is not" substantiated by the facts. These facts are available to anyone; even to those whose sincerity of purpose is questionable, when tainted with such violent abuse of their fellow practitioners. The commentor further states that he has yet to witness in the legal or medical profession such an unethical attack unchallenged. The members of these examining boards are members of our profession serving with little or no compensation at great personal sacrifice without fear or favor and need no defense other than their unimpeachable records.
Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocols

The medium access control (MAC) protocol serves a vital role in all networks in which communication is based on a broadcast (or multiaccess) channel. The MAC protocol is directly responsible for controlling access to the communication resources, subject to the technological constraints of the hardware. This article provides a taxonomy of MAC protocols, and then reviews some of the most important MAC protocols according to their method of sharing the medium since this best characterizes their operation. Keywords: medium access control (MAC); broadcast medium; multiple access; multiaccess channel
Struggle for Mastery: Disfranchisement in the South, 1888-1908 [Book Review]

In substance and methodology, this book represents a retreat to an earlier era. Perman refuses to state his or others' hypotheses clearly, or he qualifies them out of existence, repeatedly contradicts himself, arranges information to avoid confronting inconvenient facts, eschews quantitative or explicit qualitative tests, and undermines generalizations by exaggerating small differences and glossing over large ones.
Evidence that an Intrinsic Redshift Component that is a Harmonic of z = 0.062 May be Present in Every Quasar Redshift

After estimating and removing all ejection-related Doppler components from the redshifts of the QSOs near NGC 1068, the remaining redshift is assumed to be intrinsic. This well-studied case is the first example in which it has finally been possible to separate the intrinsic redshift component from the cosmological and other Doppler components. It is shown that this leads to intrinsic redshift components that occur at exact multiples of z = 0.062 and are defined by the relation zi = 0.062[10N - M] where N and M can have only certain discrete values. It is also shown that the intrinsic redshifts given by this relation and others obtained for different N and M-values, agree closely with the redshifts found to be preferred in analyses of quasar emission-line redshifts. It is now apparent that the peaks in the distribution of quasar emission line redshifts also occur at pure harmonics of z = 0.062. Although these peaks have previously been fitted by a log(1+z) relation, the above explanation now seems more appropriate. These results indicate that the Delta(z) = 0.062 redshift interval, long known to be present in QSO emission-line redshifts below z = 0.6, is also present in an intrinsic component of QSO redshifts up to z ~ 2. This appears to imply that the Delta(z) = 0.062 redshift interval represents a fundamental redshift spacing that arises from the very nature of the intrinsic redshifts.
Adaptive scene synchronization for virtual and mixed reality environments

Technological advances in virtual environments facilitate the creation of distributed collaborative environments, in which the distribution of three-dimensional content at remote locations allows efficient and effective communication of ideas. One of the challenges in distributed shared environments is maintaining a consistent view of the shared information, in the presence of inevitable network delays and variable bandwidth. A consistent view in a shared 3D scene may significantly increase the sense of presence among participants and improve their interactivity. This paper introduces an adaptive scene synchronization algorithm and a framework for integration of the algorithm in a distributed real-time virtual environment. In spite of significant network delays, results show that objects can be synchronous in their viewpoint at multiple remotely located sites. Furthermore residual asynchronicity is quantified as a function of network delays and scalability.
Continuous quantum measurement and the quantum to classical transition

While ultimately they are described by quantum mechanics, macroscopic mechanical systems are nevertheless observed to follow the trajectories predicted by classical mechanics. Hence, in the regime defining macroscopic physics, the trajectories of the correct classical motion must emerge from quantum mechanics, a process referred to as the quantum to classical transition. Extending previous work [Bhattacharya, Habib, and Jacobs, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 4852 (2000)], here we elucidate this transition in some detail, showing that once the measurement processes that affect all macroscopic systems are taken into account, quantum mechanics indeed predicts the emergence of classical motion. We derive inequalities that describe the parameter regime in which classical motion is obtained, and provide numerical examples. We also demonstrate two further important properties of the classical limit: first, that multiple observers all agree on the motion of an object, and second, that classical statistical inference may be used to correctly track the classical motion.
Barbed suture impact on wound closure in body contouring surgery

Background: As artistry has been refined in body contouring surgery, streamlining wound closure is the next advance on the horizon. Absorbable barbed suture is one potential solution. The authors present their experience with this suture in wound closure for different body regions. Methods: A review of operative and clinic notes of 496 patients who had body contouring procedures from March of 1998 to September of 2008 was performed. Variables studied included age, gender, body mass index, medical history, and operative data. Use of barbed suture was noted, and complications were tabulated. Multilevel analysis was performed using generalized estimate equation method. Results: The records of 910 operations in 496 patients were analyzed. Procedures were performed on multiple body regions: abdomen (n = 493), chest (n = 124), back (n = 104), thigh (n = 104), and arm (n = 88). Barbed suture was used in 114 cases. There were 115 wound-healing problems, with barbed suture present in 17 cases. On unadjusted analysis, the wound complication rate with barbed suture was 17.5 percent, compared with 12.0 percent when barbed suture was not used (p = 0.093). On multilevel multivariable analysis, age (odds ratio, 1.04) and body mass index at contour (odds ratio, 1.05) were significant in impairing wound healing (p < 0.01), and barbed suture was not associated with the wound complication rate. In subset analysis, barbed suture was associated with significantly higher wound complication rate in the arm (odds ratio, 8.4; p = 0.046). Conclusions: Barbed suture presents problems with wound healing, particularly in the arm. The authors look forward to seeing the evolution in technologies designed to improve the speed and outcome of wound closure for lengthy body contouring procedures.
Safety in discretionary access control for logic-based publish-subscribe systems

Publish-subscribe (pub-sub) systems are useful for many applications, including pervasive environments. In the latter context, however, great care must be taken to preserve the privacy of sensitive information, such as users' location and activities. Traditional access control schemes provide at best a partial solution, since they do not capture potential inference regarding sensitive data that a subscriber may make. We propose a logic-based pub-sub system, where inference rules are used to both derive high-level events for use in applications as well as specify potentially harmful inferences that could be made regarding data. We provide a formal definition of safety in such a system that captures the possibility of indirect information flows. We show that the safety problem is co-NP-complete; however, problems of realistic size can be reduced to a satisfiability problem that can be efficiently decided by a SAT solver.
Comparative activity of clinafloxacin and nine other compounds tested against 2000 contemporary clinical isolates from patients in United States hospitals

Abstract The in vitro activity of clinafloxacin (formerly CI-960, AM-1091, PD-127391) was compared with other fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, gentamicin, vancomycin, imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, clindamycin, and metronidazole against 2000 recent clinical strains from a large number of hospitals in the United States. Overall, clinafloxacin was the most active compound tested. Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa , clinafloxacin and ciprofloxacin demonstrated comparable activity (88% and 80% susceptible, respectively), and were four- to 16-fold more potent than levofloxacin (MIC 90 , 16 μg/ml) or trovafloxacin (MIC 90 , 32 μg/ml). Among anaerobic bacteria, clinafloxacin (MIC 50 s, 0.25–0.5 μg/ml) and trovafloxacin (MIC 50 s, 0.5–2.0 μg/ml) were the most active quinolones, whereas metronidazole, imipenem and piperacillin/tazobactam were the most potent comparators. Clinafloxacin demonstrated sustained activity when compared to several available peer drugs against contemporary clinical isolates. The clinafloxacin spectrum against the 15 important pathogens monitored ranged from nil or 4.0% (vancomycin-resistant enterococci) to 100.0% (four different species) susceptible with an average percent susceptibility of 94.0%. This degree of potency and spectrum for clinafloxacin provides a wide potential for use against many species with established resistance to other antimicrobial classes.
Impulse-Momentum Diagrams

Multiple representations are a valuable tool to help students learn and understand physics concepts.1 Furthermore, representations help students learn how to think and act like real scientists.2 These representations include: pictures, free‐body diagrams,3 energy bar charts,4 electrical circuits, and, more recently, computer simulations and animations.5 However, instructors have limited choices when they want to help their students understand impulse and momentum. One of the only available options is the impulse‐momentum bar chart.6 The bar charts can effectively show the magnitude of the momentum as well as help students understand conservation of momentum, but they do not easily show the actual direction. This paper highlights a new representation instructors can use to help their students with momentum and impulse—the impulse‐momentum diagram (IMD).
How monochromatic is church membership? Racial-ethnic diversity in religious community

It is a common conception that the church is among the most segregated of American institutions, yet there is little research to identify the extent of racial-ethnic homogeneity or to explain what factors propel diversity within religious communities. Research that does exist draws primarily on individual level data and treats diversity as a categorical variable. This paper introduces a continuous measure of racial-ethnic diversity. It also brings attention to contextual features (region and location size) and organizational features (faith group, church structure, and socioeconomic characteristics) of local religious communities in order to understand the importance of proximity and similarity in promoting racial-ethnic integration. The analysis employs the 1993 American Congregation Giving Study, a sample of 625 congregations and parishes from five Christian traditions. Findings suggest that religious communities are not wholly monochromatic. Patterns of diversity differ by faith group, region, and location size. A discussion of implications concludes the paper
Patients With Chronic Pain

Preoperative evaluation of patients with chronic pain is important because it may lead to multidisciplinary preoperative treatment of patients� pain and a multimodal analgesia plan for effective pain control. Preoperative multidisciplinary management of chronic pain and comorbid conditions, such as depression, anxiety, deconditioning, and opioid tolerance, can improve patient satisfaction and surgical recovery. Multimodal analgesia using pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies shifts the burden of analgesia away from simply increasing opioid dosing. In more complicated chronic pain patients, multidisciplinary treatment, including pain psychology, physical therapy, judicious medication management, and minimally invasive interventions by pain specialists, can improve patients� satisfaction and surgical outcome
Pyrene Degradation in the Rhizosphere of Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)

A growth chamber study was conducted to investigate the fate of pyrene in the rhizosphere of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). For this study, 14C-labeled pyrene was used, and distribution of 14C activity was assessed after plant establishment. After 190 days of incubation, 37.7 and 30.4% of 14C-pyrene was mineralized in the soil planted with tall fescue and switchgrass, respectively, while 4.3% mineralization was observed for the unplanted control. Only 7.6 and 8.7% of pyrene was recovered from the soil in the two planted treatments, while 31.5% of pyrene remained in the unplanted control. Significant amounts of 14C were observed for all treatments and controls in the humic/fulvic fraction of soil at the end of the experiment. This research indicates the potential for pyrene mineralization in planted systems, although the ultimate fate of degradation byproducts is uncertain.
Crustal geomagnetic field: two-dimensional intermediate-wavelength spatial power spectra

Two-dimensional Fourier spatial power spectra of equivalent magnetization values are presented for a region that includes a large portion of the western United States. The magnetization values were determined by inversion of POGO satellite data, assuming a magnetic crust 40 km thick, and were located on an 11 x 10 array with 300 km grid spacing. The spectra appear to be in good agreement with values of the crustal geomagnetic field spatial power spectra given by McLeod and Coleman (1980) and with the crustal field model given by Serson and Hannaford (1957). The spectra show evidence of noise at low frequencies in the direction along the satellite orbital track (N-S). indicating that for this particular data set additional filtering would probably be desirable. These findings illustrate the value of two-dimensional spatial power spectra both for describing the geomagnetic field statistically and as a guide for diagnosing possible noise sources.
Identifying genes and gene networks involved in chromium metabolism and detoxification in Crambe abyssinica.

Chromium pollution is a serious environmental problem with few cost-effective remediation strategies available. Crambe abyssinica (a member of Brassicaseae), a non-food, fast growing high biomass crop, is an ideal candidate for phytoremediation of heavy metals contaminated soils. The present study used a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization approach in C. abyssinica to isolate differentially expressed genes in response to Cr exposure. A total of 72 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced and found to represent 43 genes. The subtracted cDNAs suggest that Cr stress significantly affects pathways related to stress/defense, ion transporters, sulfur assimilation, cell signaling, protein degradation, photosynthesis and cell metabolism. The regulation of these genes in response to Cr exposure was further confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Characterization of these differentially expressed genes may enable the engineering of non-food, high-biomass plants, including C. abyssinica, for phytoremediation of Cr-contaminated soils and sediments.
A compact exploration strategy for indoor flight vehicles

This paper presents a compact exploration strategy designed to be implemented onboard indoor Miniature Air Vehicles (MAVs) operating in cluttered and confined environments. The exploration strategy uses 2D range information from a laser range scanner to generate velocity commands by blending a Sensor-based Random Tree frontier planner with a wall-following velocity field generator. The combined approach leverages the efficient exploration capabilities of frontier-based guidance and ensures that the vehicles follows a path that is free of obstacles and conducive to maintaining good scan geometry through a wall-following approach. The strategy has been successfully implemented and tested on a Quadrotor MAV and simulation results are presented. Flight test results shall be included in the final version.
On long-term mortality trends in the United States, 1850-1968.

This study of United States life tables analyzes the process of mortality transition during 1850–1968. Special features of the study are (1) a phase-specific, rather than an age-specific, analysis of mortality and (2) use of measures based on person-years of life (nL x ) in phase-intervals, rather than survival rates (nPx) or expectation of life at given ages (e x o). The analysis suggests that the historical transition of mortality in the United States can be described as a three-stage process: an initial stage of slow improvement in life expectancy during 1850–1900, a second stage of rapid improvement during 1900–1950, and a third stage of slower improvement since 1950. Quantitative measures of rapidity of mortality decline in the several phases indicate that they are not identical for all phases and in all stages. The analysis also suggests that there have been rapid changes in the components of overall mortality differentials by sex and race in the United States. The paper draws attention to the need for studies of factors in variations of mortality at ages beyond 50 in the United States population subgroups.
Using Authentic Case Studies to Teach Ethics Collaboratively to School Librarians in Distance Education

This chapter explains how case studies can be used successfully in distance education to provide an authentic, interactive way to teach ethical behavior through critical analysis and decision-making while addressing ethical standards and theories. The creation and choice of case studies are key for optimum learning, and can reflect both the instructor's and students' knowledge base. The process for using this approach is explained, and examples are provided. As a result of such practice, students support each other as they come to a deeper, co-constructed understanding of ethical behavior, and they make more links between coursework and professional lives. The instructor reviews the students' work to determine the degree of understanding and internalization of ethical concepts/applications, and to identify areas that need further instruction.
Flexible Wrappers for Cheddar Cheese

Summary Use of a Parakote wrapper reduced the weight loss of cheddar cheese during curing to a very small amount, as compared with that found when the cheese was paraffined. The per cent of weight lost by the Parakote-wrapped cheese was less when the 5-lb. loaf was wrapped intact rather than as five 1-lb. portions. Only slight, if any, mold growth was found on the surface of the cheese wrapped in Parakote and pressed overnight, as long as the wrapper remained intact. Uncoated aluminum foil was unsatisfactory as a cheese wrapper since it disintegrated during curing and mold growth occurred on the exposed surface of the cheese. The 12 per cent sodium propionate solution was satisfactory as a mold inhibitor. Sodium hypochlorite in the concentration used (400 ppm.) was not as effective. The use of a Parakote wrapper resulted in a cheese which ripened slightly slower than the corresponding paraffined cheese, regardless of whether the curing temperature was 50 or 65° F., but this effect of the type of cover was of little importance compared with the effect of age and temperature on flavor development. The flavor produced in the cheese wrapped in Parakote was slightly different from that of the paraffined cheese in that the flavor, developed toward the end of the ripening period in some of the Parakote-wrapped cheese, was described as a “slight volatile acid flavor,” while that of the paraffined cheese was called “nutty.”
14% sputtered thin-film solar cells based on CdTe

Polycrystalline II-VI semiconductor materials show great promise for thin-film photovoltaic cells and modules. Large-area deposition of these II-VI semiconductors such as CdTe is possible by a variety of methods but the use of a plasma-based method such as magnetron sputtering can have significant advantages. Here we present recent results in the fabrication of CdS/CdTe cells using rf magnetron sputtering and discuss some of the advantages that appear possible from the use of sputtering methods in this class of materials. Some of these advantages are particularly relevant as the polycrystalline thin-film PV community addresses issues related to the challenges of fabricating high efficiency tandem cells with efficiencies over 25%. Our best results have been obtained with sputtered ZnO:Al to achieve a CdTe solar cell with 14.0% efficiency at one sun for an air-mass-1.5 global spectrum. In addition, we have studied reactive sputtering of ZnTe:N which shows promise for use as a transparent back contact or recombination junction for alloyed II-VI-based top cells in a tandem solar-cell configuration.
“Family Matters”: A Conceptual Framework for Genetic Testing in Children

Genetic testing in minor children presents a complex ethical and social problem. Current guidelines state that genetic testing of children is recommended only under circumstances where a clear medical or psychosocial benefit to the child can be demonstrated. Because of the difficulty in determining a psychosocial benefit, the discussion about genetic testing of minors ultimately tends to focus on who has the right to make the decision and whose right to autonomy is jeopardized, the parent's or the child's, when there is no identified medical benefit. Historically, a western bioethics paradigm, Principlism, has been used to guide genetic counseling sessions and genetic-testing guidelines for minors. This bioethics paradigm is guided by the principles: respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Genetic testing in children, when viewed through a traditional bioethics filter is limited by its focus on the individual because children are not only individuals, they are also integral parts of a larger social context, that of their family. Because this bioethics paradigm places a strong emphasis on individual autonomy, the family's beliefs and values and the parents' concern for their children may be overshadowed by the medical community's attempt to preserve the child's "right" to an autonomous decision about genetic testing. The purpose of this paper is to first discuss the circumstances in which genetic testing of minors occurs and then present a theoretical and ethics-based conceptual framework that may be useful in the development of genetic counseling interventions.
Attention and the depth perception of kittens

An experiment by Held and Hein (1963) in which active kittens discriminated depth and passive ones did not is often cited as showing the importance of self-produced locomotion for perceptual development. We hypothesized that their passive kittens may have paid less attention than active kittens to the environment. We repeated their experiment with kittens that either were given an interesting display to watch or were allowed to move through the environment by lifting their heads to close a microswitch that operated a go-cart. Kittens that paid greater attention to the environment discriminated depth on the visual cliff, whereas those reared with similar light exposure conditions but without the increased attention did not discriminate.
Biological and biomechanical responses to traditional epithelium-off and transepithelial riboflavin-UVA CXL techniques in rabbits.

PURPOSE To compare the biological effects of riboflavin-ultraviolet A (UVA) corneal cross-linking (CXL) performed with a traditional epithelium-off method to several transepithelial methods in a rabbit model. Preliminary experiments on biomechanical rigidity were also performed. METHODS Four treatment groups were included: (1) standard epithelium-off, (2) tetracaine transepithelial, (3) benzal-konium chloride-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (BKC-EDTA) transepithelial, and (4) femtosecond laser-assisted transepithelial riboflavin-UVA CXL. Six eyes from each treatment group and the untreated control group were analyzed at 24 hours and 2 months after treatment in wound healing studies. The TUNEL assay was performed to detect the extent of stromal cell death. Optical density was measured with a Scheimpflug analyzer. The corneal stiffening effect was quantitated in three eyes from each group using optical coherence elastography performed 2 months after treatments. RESULTS Twenty-four hours after CXL, stromal cell death extended full corneal thickness with both standard epithelium-off CXL and femtosecond laser-assisted CXL, but only approximately one-third stromal depth after BKC-EDTA transepithelial CXL. Negligible stromal cell death was detected with tetracaine transepithelial CXL. Cell death results were statistically different between the BKC-EDTA transepithelial CXL and standard epithelium-off CXL groups (P < .0001). Significant corneal opacity differences were noted. Standard epithelium-off CXL had the greatest density and tetracaine transepithelial CXL had the least density compared to the control group after treatment. As measured with optical coherence elastography, a trend toward greater mean stiffening was observed with BKC-EDTA transepithelial CXL than with epithelium-off CXL, femtosecond laser-assisted CXL, or tetracaine transepithelial CXL, but the result did not reach statistical significance. All of the CXL treatment groups exhibited significantly smaller variance of stiffness compared to the control group. CONCLUSION In the rabbit model, BKC-EDTA transepithelial CXL produced less stromal cell death and less risk of endothelial cell damage than standard epithelium-off CXL or femtosecond laser-assisted CXL. Additional study is needed to determine whether biomechanical stiffness is significantly different between the epithelium-off CXL and transepithelial CXL groups.
Converting a eukaryotic transcriptional inhibitor into an activator

GAL80, an inhibitor of the yeast transcriptional activator GAL4, is converted into an activator by inserting an acidic activating sequence into it. This hybrid activator does not bind to DNA directly, but is brought to DNA by interacting with a derivative of GAL4 that interacts with both DNA and GAL80.
CHARACTERIZATION OF MODEL NITROSYLHEME PIGMENTS WITH VISIBLE, INFRARED AND 15N FOURIER TRANSFORM NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY

Synthetic pigments that model the organic-soluble pigment in heat-processed cured ham were characterized with infrared (IR) and 15N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The two pigments synthesized were 15N nitrosyl (protoporphyrinato- IX) iron (II), or FeII PP15 NO, and 15N dinitrosyl (protoporphyrinato-IX), or FeII PP(15NO)2. An NMR spectrum was obtained only for the FeII PP15 NO. The NMR spectrum consisted of a single peak + 1.78 ppm from the Na15 NO3 and –6.8 from the CH3NO2 reference. The IR spectrum included a single NO symmetric stretch at 1801 cm−1. The visible spectrum of FeII PPNO did not match the visible spectrum of ham extracts, while it did with FEII PP(15NO)2. An unequivocal structural assignment of FeII PP15 NO was made, but longer NMR runs may be necessary to obtain a spectrum and unequivocal structural assignment of FeII PP(15 NO)2.
Extracting information from music audio

Information includes individual notes, tempo, beat, and other musical properties, along with listener preferences based on how the listener experiences music.
The malignant potential of oral lichen planus--diagnostic pitfalls.

Abstract Lichen planus is often confused with premalignant white lesions of the oral cavity which share certain clinical and histologic characteristics. Two cases of oral squamous-cell carcinoma are presented in which the diagnosis of coexisting lichen planus proved to be erroneous.
The roots of predictivism.

Abstract In The Paradox of Predictivism (2008, Cambridge University Press) I tried to demonstrate that there is an intimate relationship between predictivism (the thesis that novel predictions sometimes carry more weight than accommodations) and epistemic pluralism (the thesis that one important form of evidence in science is the judgments of other scientists). Here I respond to various published criticisms of some of the key points from Paradox from David Harker, Jarret Leplin, and Clark Glymour. Foci include my account of predictive novelty (endorsement novelty), the claim that predictivism has two roots, the prediction per se and predictive success, and my account of why Mendeleev’s predictions carried special weight in confirming the Periodic Law of the Elements.
Antibacterial Effect of Tertiary Butylhydroquinone Against Two Genera of Gram Positive Cocci

The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) against Pediococcus pentosaceus in a bacteriological medium was 15 μg/ml for 103 to 105 cells/ml and 20 μg/ml for 106 cells/ml. Heat stress and sodium chloride were each synergistic to the inhibitory effect of TBHQ. Production of both L and D lactic acid was inhibited by TBHQ. Fermentation of sucrose was totally inhibited by 5 μg/ml TBHQ as compared to 10 μg/ml TBHQ for L-arabinose, D-galactose and maltose and to 15 μg/ml TBHQ for glucose. TBHQ (50 μg/ml) did not inhibit growth of 1.2 × 103 cells of S. aureus z-88, but 30 μg/ml totally inhibited growth of 3.0 × 103 cells of S. aureus 100 for 36 hr. TBHQ (100 μg/ml) was bactericidal against the latter strain. TBHQ (10–50 μg/ml) slightly inhibited production of nonheat treated nuclease but had little or no effect on heat treated nuclease of S. aureus z-88.
Electoral Structure and State Legislative Representation: A Research Note

Previous research suggests a linkage between the electoral structure of legislative districts and characteristics of those elected. More specifically, studies find that blacks and other geographically concentrated minorities are more successful in single-member districts (SMDs) while women are elected more frequently from multimember districts (MMDs). However, these findings do not control for the urban and rural character of the district. Using data from 10 states, which use some combination of single-member and nonseat designated multimember districts, we compare characteristics of legislators elected from the different district types. We find that nonnative legislators are more likely to represent urban SMDs; educational attainment is a function of the urban/rural nature of the district and is not related to electoral type; and that legislators from SMDs have longer legislative service than those from MMDs. More importantly though, with respect to race and gender, we find compelling evidence that black...
Genetic and genomic analysis of RNases in model cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria are diverse photosynthetic microbes with the ability to convert CO2 into useful products. However, metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria remains challenging because of the limited resources for modifying the expression of endogenous and exogenous biochemical pathways. Fine-tuned control of protein production will be critical to optimize the biological conversion of CO2 into desirable molecules. Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are labile intermediates that play critical roles in determining the translation rate and steady-state protein concentrations in the cell. The majority of studies on mRNA turnover have focused on the model heterotrophic bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. These studies have elucidated many RNA modifying and processing enzymes and have highlighted the differences between these Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, respectively. In contrast, much less is known about mRNA turnover in cyanobacteria. We generated a compendium of the major ribonucleases (RNases) and provide an in-depth analysis of RNase III-like enzymes in commonly studied and diverse cyanobacteria. Furthermore, using targeted gene deletion, we genetically dissected the RNases in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, one of the fastest growing and industrially attractive cyanobacterial strains. We found that all three cyanobacterial homologs of RNase III and a member of the RNase II/R family are not essential under standard laboratory conditions, while homologs of RNase E/G, RNase J1/J2, PNPase, and a different member of the RNase II/R family appear to be essential for growth. This work will enhance our understanding of native control of gene expression and will facilitate the development of an RNA-based toolkit for metabolic engineering in cyanobacteria.
S-(-)equol producing status not associated with breast cancer risk among low isoflavone-consuming US postmenopausal women undergoing a physician-recommended breast biopsy.

Soy foods are the richest sources of isoflavones, mainly daidzein and genistein. Soy isoflavones are structurally similar to the steroid hormone 17β-estradiol and may protect against breast cancer. S-(−)equol, a metabolite of the soy isoflavone daidzein, has a higher bioavailability and greater affinity for estrogen receptor-β than daidzein. About one third of the Western population is able to produce S-(−)equol, and the ability is linked to certain gut microbes. We hypothesized that the prevalence of breast cancer, ductal hyperplasia, and overall breast pathology will be lower among S-(−)equol producing, as compared to non -producing, postmenopausal women undergoing a breast biopsy. We tested our hypothesis using a cross-sectional study design. Usual diets of the participants were supplemented with one soy bar per day for three consecutive days. Liquid chromatography-multiple reaction ion monitoring mass spectrometry analysis of urine from 143 subjects revealed 25 (17.5%) as S-(−)equol producers. We found no statistically significant associations between S-(−)equol producing status and overall breast pathology (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.23 – 1.89), ductal hyperplasia (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.20 – 3.41), or breast cancer (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.16 – 1.87). However, the mean dietary isoflavones intake was much lower (0.3 mg/day) than in previous reports. Given that the amount of S-(−)equol produced in the gut depends on the amount of daidzein exposure, the low soy intake coupled with lower prevalence of S-(−)equol producing status in the study population favors towards null associations. Findings from our study could be used for further investigations on S-(−)equol producing status and disease risk.
Determination of fracture intensity

Abstract Fracture intensity expressed in terms of fracture surface area per volume is rapidly estimated using a stereological equation S v = 2 P L developed in studies of biological and metallurgic systems. Modifications are available for the case of fully oriented, partially oriented and conjugate fractures.
PROSTAGLANDIN E 2 INTEGRATES THE HORMONAL- AND STRETCH-STIMULATED PRODUCTION OF SURFACTANT. † 2101

PROSTAGLANDIN E 2 INTEGRATES THE HORMONAL- AND STRETCH-STIMULATED PRODUCTION OF SURFACTANT. † 2101
Calibration of HVAC equipment PID coefficients for energy conservation

Abstract The combination of proportional–integral–derivative (PID) coefficients for a set of equipment in a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system has an impact on the overall system energy consumption as well as the ability for the system to maintain temperature setpoints. A simple calibration methodology is discussed where successive optimization on the set of proportional, integral, and derivative coefficients is performed to reduce the energy consumption of the system. The calibration methodology discussed here is applied to a two-zone building for a summer design day. The results show that calibration of proportional coefficients can reduce the system energy consumption by up to 29% and can improve meeting temperature setpoints by up to 45%. Successive calibration of integral coefficients can increase the energy savings up to 35% and can improve meeting temperature setpoints by up to 52%. The successive calibration of derivative coefficients has a negligible impact on the energy conservation and the ability to meet temperature setpoints. The re-calibration of proportional coefficients with the new values of integral and derivative coefficients yields an additional 2.3% increase in energy savings.
Effect of birefringence on the scattering of light. II. Oriented polymers

It has been considered for some time that the presence of birefringence in an oriented polymer must affect the light-scattering behavior. Previous analyses of this phenomenon are restricted to single-particle scattering. A more complete theory of the effect of birefringence on the scattering of light from correlated systems is presented. The measured scattering intensity is shown to be dependent upon the optical properties of the sample as well as the experimental technique and conditions.
Thermal performance comparisons for solar hot water systems subjected to various collector and heat exchanger flow rates

Abstract The thermal performance of solar domestic hot water (SDHW) systems is influenced by the rate at which heat transfer fluids within the system are circulated. An experimental investigation has been conducted at the National Bureau of Standards to quantitatively evaluate the influence of flow rates, both for SDHW systems that circulate potable water directly through the solar collector array and for systems that employ an external heat exchanger to transfer heat from the solar collector array to the potable water. This article presents data from side-by-side experiments that shows improvements in overall SDHW system performance as a result of lowering the collector fluid flow rate for direct systems utilizing conventional return tubes. Although they are limited to one location, specific system configurations, and time periods, these experimental results support the general conclusions reached in earlier experimental and simulation studies regarding the advantage of reduced collector flow rate. Side-by-side experiments were also performed for SDHW systems in which the tanks were fitted with return tubes designed to reduce internal tank fluid mixing. The results of these experiments show only a small difference in overall performance for the systems operated at conventional and reduced collector flow rates. Side-by-side tests of an indirect SDHW system that employs an external heat exchanger did not show improved performance at reduced tankside flow rates. A simulation study of an indirect SDHW for a range of heat exchanger designs and collector and tankside capacitance rates concluded that an optimum collector-side capacitance rate does not exist and an optimum tank-side capacitance rate occurs only for heat exchangers with overall heat transfer coefficients much larger than that used in the experiments.
Inflammation blockade improves pancreatic islet function

Abstract Pancreatic islet transplantation can replace insulin-secreting β cells in patients with diabetes mellitus. However, current methodology for isolating islets from a pancreas only retrieves a portion of the total islets. Within these limited number of islets, nearly 50% of β cells lose biological function before transplantation. Protecting and improving β-cell viability and function was the goal of this study. Previously we observed that an anti-inflammatory compound, lisofylline (LSF), protects β cells from cytotoxicity during diabetes development. In this study, we demonstrated that human islets treated in vitro with LSF retained β-cell glucose responsiveness and insulin secretion in the presence of multiple proinflammatory cytokines. In addition, LSF treatment in vitro enhanced basal insulin production in β cells, suggesting that LSF can directly improve β-cell function. LSF reduced β-cell apoptosis induced by proinflammatory cytokines by 50%. Importantly, 30% fewer LSF-treated islets were sufficient to achieve insulin independence in a murine islet transplantation model. These results demonstrate the ability of LSF-like compounds to protect and enhance β-cell function, suggesting the potential of using LSF or its analogs in islet transplantation.
Coastal Zone Color Scanner Imagery Of Phytoplankton Pigment Distribution In Icelandic Waters

Nimbus-7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data were used to compute spatial distribution of surface phytoplankton pigments in coastal and offshore waters near Iceland in April 1979. The standard CZCS processing algorithms were applied and a limited evaluation of their accuracy was conducted. This evaluation utilized in situ measurements from a cruise in the area and the clear water radiance concept. Initial results appear to confirm that the CZCS processing algorithms used at these moderately high latitudes exhibit accuracy similar to the validation studies conducted in the mid Atlantic bight.
A grease-gap method for studying the excitatory amino acid pharmacology of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells

A grease-gap method for studying the pharmacology of CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells was developed with use of rat hippocampal slices that included only area CA1 and the retrohippocampal area. These slices were transferred to a two-compartment superfusion chamber and the pyramidal cell bodies in area CA1 were separated from their axons in the subiculum with a grease barrier. The CA1 pyramidal cells were depolarized relative to their axons by superfusion with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), (RS)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA), kainate and L-glutamate. NMDA was unusually potent in the CA1-subiculum slice compared to other preparations. The NMDA receptor antagonists D(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (D-AP5), phencyclidine and Mg2+ shifted the NMDA dose-response curve to the right in a parallel manner. Similarly, the quisqualate receptor antagonist pentobarbitone shifted the AMPA dose-response curve to the right. Schild plots for these antagonists had slopes insignificantly different from 1. These results are consistent with the presence of a substantial NMDA receptor reserve on CA1 pyramidal cells. They are also in line with the high density of excitatory amino acid receptors on CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells and with the known pharmacological properties of these receptors. Grease-gap studies on the CA1-subiculum slice fill the need for a means of obtaining quantitative pharmacological data on CA1 pyramidal cells.
Wear versus thickness and other features of 5-Mrad crosslinked UHMWPE acetabular liners.

Background The low wear rates of crosslinked polyethylenes provide the potential to use larger diameters to resist dislocation. However, this requires the use of thinner liners in the acetabular component, with concern that higher contact stresses will increase wear, offsetting the benefits of the crosslinking.