cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An RNA bestiary in splicing-mutant MDS

Mutations in components of the messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing machinery are the most commonly detected class of acquired genetic variant in blood and marrow cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, how do these spliceosome mutations result in the core pathological features of MDS, such as failed hematopoiesis, cell dysmorphology, and clonal dominance? In this issue of Blood , Pellagatti in Oxford and his colleagues move us closer to understanding the mechanisms of splicing-induced changes, as they report comprehensive RNA sequencing data from 84 patients with MDS, including 28 with splicing mutations. 1
A Polymer Blend Approach for Creation of Effective Conjugated Polymer Charge Transport Pathways.

Understanding the role of the distribution of polymer chain lengths on process–structure–property relationships in semiconducting organic electronics has remained elusive due to challenges in synthesizing targeted molecular weights (Mw) and polydispersity indices. Here, a facile blending approach of various poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) molecular weights is used to investigate the impact of the distribution of polymer chain lengths on self-assembly into aggregates and associated charge transport properties. Low and high Mw samples were blended to form a highly polydisperse sample which was compared to a similar, medium Mw control. Self-assembly was induced by preprocessing the polymer solution with UV irradiation and subsequent solution aging before deposition via blade-coating. Superior charge carrier (hole) mobilities were observed for the blend and control samples. Furthermore, their solution lifetimes exceeded 14 days. UV–vis spectral analysis suggests that low Mw P3HT lacks the mesoscale crystallinit...
Advertisements in DVR Time: The Shelf Life of Recorded Television Commercials In Drama, Reality, and Sports Programs

ABSTRACT Time-shifted television can time-shift advertising. This study explores the frequency and timing of digital video recorder (DVR) advertising views in a sample of 2015–2016 drama, reality, and sports programs. Although the majority of recorded advertisements are “zipped” (fast-forwarded), some programs have many DVR viewers and delayed normal-speed advertisement exposures. The number and shelf life of recorded advertisement views vary by genre. DVRs accounted for more than 25 percent of all advertisement views from dramas (15 percent day-shifted, 5 percent shifted by more than three days). Time-sensitive advertisements might appear in sport or reality programs with fewer delayed views.
Identifying genes with tri-modal association with survival and tumor grade in cancer patients

Previous cancer genomics studies focused on searching for novel oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes whose abundance is positively or negatively correlated with end-point observation, such as survival or tumor grade. This approach may potentially miss some truly functional genes if both its low and high modes have associations with end-point observation. Such genes act as both oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, a scenario that is unlikely but theoretically possible. We invented an Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm to divide patients into low-, middle- and high-expressing groups according to the expression level of a certain gene in both tumor and normal patients. We found one gene, ORMDL3, whose low and high modes were both associated with worse survival and higher tumor grade in breast cancer patients in multiple patient cohorts. We speculate that its tumor suppressor gene role may be real, while its high expression correlating with worse end-point outcome is probably due to the passenger event of the nearby ERBB2’s amplification. The proposed EM algorithm can effectively detect genes having tri-modal distributed expression in patient groups compared to normal genes, thus rendering a new perspective on dissecting the association between genomic features and end-point observations. Our analysis of breast cancer datasets suggest that the gene ORMDL3 may have an unexploited tumor suppressive function.
Meta-GNN: metagraph neural network for semi-supervised learning in attributed heterogeneous information networks

Heterogeneous Information Networks (HINs) comprise nodes of different types inter-connected through diverse semantic relationships. In many real-world applications, nodes in information networks are often associated with additional attributes, resulting in Attributed HINs (or AHINs). In this paper, we study semi-supervised learning (SSL) on AHINs to classify nodes based on their structure, node types and attributes, given limited supervision. Recently, Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) have achieved impressive results in several graph-based SSL tasks. However, they operate on homogeneous networks, while being completely agnostic to the semantics of typed nodes and relationships in real-world HINs. In this paper, we seek to bridge the gap between semantic-rich HINs and the neighborhood aggregation paradigm of graph neural networks, to generalize GCNs through metagraph semantics. We propose a novel metagraph convolution operation to extract features from local metagraph-structured neighborhoods, thus capturing semantic higher-order relationships in AHINs. Our proposed neural architecture Meta-GNN extracts features of diverse semantics by utilizing multiple metagraphs, and employs a novel metagraph-attention module to learn personalized metagraph preferences for each node. Our semi-supervised node classification experiments on multiple real-world AHIN datasets indicate significant performance gains of 6% Micro-F 1 on average over state-of-the-art AHIN baselines. Visualizations on metagraph attention weights yield interpretable insights into their relative task-specific importance.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) in Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery: A Case-Matched Analysis of Perioperative and Pain Outcomes

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways are well established in certain surgical specialties because findings have shown significant improvements in outcomes. Convincing literature in head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery is lacking. This study aimed to assess the effect of an ERAS pathway on National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP)-based occurrences and pain-related outcomes in HNC surgery. The study matched 200 patients undergoing head and neck oncologic surgery on an ERAS pathway between 1 March 2016 and 31 March 2019 with control subjects (1:1 ratio) during the same period. Demographic and perioperative data collected from the NSQIP database were extracted. Pain scores and medication usage were electronically extracted from our electronic medical record system and compared. Risk factors for high opioid usage also were assessed. Both groups were statistically similar in baseline characteristics. The ERAS group had fewer planned intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (4% vs. 14%; p < 0.001), a shorter mean hospital stay (7.2 ± 2.3 vs. 8.7 ± 4.2 days; p < 0.001), and fewer overall complications (18.6% vs. 27.0%; p = 0.045). Morphine milligram equivalent requirements over 72 h were significantly reduced during 72 h in the ERAS group (138.8 ± 181.5 vs. 207.9 ± 205.5; p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the risk factors for high opioid analgesic usage included preoperative opioid usage, age younger than 65 years, race, patient-controlled analgesia use, and ICU admission. The study findings showed that ERAS in HNC surgery can result in improved outcomes and resource use, and that these results are sustainable. The outcomes described in this report can be further used to optimize ERAS pathways.
Irish Nationalists in America: The Politics of Exile, 1798–1998: New York: Oxford University Press, 312 pp, $39.95, ISBN 9780195331776, Publication Date: April 2016

Irish Nationalists in America: The Politics of Exile, 1798–1998, by David Brundage, professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is the most complete study yet of Irish nationa...
A Survey on Heart Biometrics

In recent years, biometrics (e.g., fingerprint or face recognition) has replaced traditional passwords and PINs as a widely used method for user authentication, particularly in personal or mobile devices. Differing from state-of-the-art biometrics, heart biometrics offer the advantages of liveness detection, which provides strong tolerance to spoofing attacks. To date, several authentication methods primarily focusing on electrocardiogram (ECG) have demonstrated remarkable success; however, the degree of exploration with other cardiac signals is still limited. To this end, we discuss the challenges in various cardiac domains and propose future prospectives for developing effective heart biometrics systems in real-world applications.
The association of stressful life events on weight loss efforts among African American breast cancer survivors.

This study examined whether stressful life events were associated with weight loss, central adiposity, and health behavior changes of African American breast cancer survivors (AABCS) participating in a weight loss intervention. We conducted a secondary-data analyses of Moving Forward, a weight loss efficacy trial for AABCS conducted in 2011–2014. Two-hundred forty-six eligible women were randomized to a 6-month interventionist-guided (IG) or self-guided (SG) weight loss intervention. Data was collected on height, weight, self-reported diet, and self-reported physical activity. Stress (e.g., financial, legal, employment, relationships, safety, prejudice) was measured using an abbreviated version of the Crisis in Family Systems (CRISYS) urban life stress measure. Generalized linear models stratified by group examined the degree to which stress was associated with weight loss or changes in central adiposity, physical activity, and diet during the intervention (Months 1–6) or maintenance (Months 7 to 12) phases. Participants reported a median of 3.0 life stressors (range 0 to 22) mostly relating to relationships, safety concerns, and financial problems. In the IG group during the intervention phase, exposure to life stressors was not associated with weight loss (p = 0.15) or change in central adiposity (p = 0.69), physical activity (p = 0.15), or diet (p = 0.26). We found similar associations for the maintenance phase and in the SG group. Despite facing stress across a myriad of domains (e.g., relationships, safety, finances), AABCS were successful at initiating and maintaining behaviors to achieve weight loss, reductions in central adiposity, and behavioral changes. Future randomized controlled trials are warranted that include more strategies to address the challenges that AABCS face, to determine whether AABCS in particular might benefit from interventions that address barriers (e.g., stress management) to weight loss. Such strategies are critical for improving quality of life and lowering the risk of cancer recurrence.
Quantifying the Differential Phase Angle Behaviour of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures Using Artificial Neural Networks

Phase angle is an important property of asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures that can aid in proper material selection and thereby assist in accurate design of flexible pavements. In particular, it is imperative to quantify differential phase angle behaviour for varying mixture characteristics to minimise premature failure of flexible pavements. To this end, this study aims to provide insights into the differential phase angle behaviour of wearing versus base course mixtures, field versus laboratory prepared mixtures, and for a full spectrum of binder grades. To achieve this research aim, this study employs a two-step framework. First, an artificial neural network (ANN) model is developed to predict phase angle using laboratory test data as input. Twenty-three AC mixtures consisting of different penetration grade binders, varying mix proportions, and mix types are used for phase angle testing performed at four testing temperatures (4.4, 21.1, 37.8, and 54.4 °C) and six loading frequencies (25, 10, 5, 1, 0.5, and 0.1 Hz) using the asphalt mix performance tester equipment. In the second step, a sensitivity/parametric analysis is performed for the phase angle model revealing the differences in phase angle characteristics of wearing and base course, field and laboratory mixtures as well as mixtures prepared with different binder grades. Furthermore, a comparison of the proposed ANN model with linear and non-linear regression models is performed, and the ANN model outperforms the competing models. The developed ANN model can be used as a surrogate to laboratory testing and utilised by transport departments and pavement analysts to characterise the phase angle behaviour of heterogenous AC mixtures.
Development and applications of KASP markers distinguishing A- and B/K-genomes of Arachis

Peanut is an important global food crop with a narrow genetic base due to its domestication bottleneck and the ploidy barrier between it and almost all of its wild diploid relatives. Increasingly, peanut breeders have been introgressing beneficial alleles from its diploid relatives into the cultigen to improve agronomic traits along with its pathogen and pest resistances. To overcome the ploidy barrier, the process of introgression can be initiated by making hybrids between A- and B/K-genome Arachis diploid species and then doubling their chromosomes to induce tetraploidy. These allotetraploids are generally cross-compatible with peanut. Previously, true allotetraploids were distinguished from selfed progeny by infertile pollen grain counts; however, markers that can distinguish allele dosage between A- and B/K-genomes allow allotetraploids to be confirmed before flowering or even planting and can be more reliable than infertile pollen grain counts. These markers also can be used to confirm and track the inheritance of previously discovered homoeologous recombination events, which commonly occur in synthetic allotetraploid-derived materials. In this study, 105 KASP markers distinguishing A- and B/K-genomes were designed to span the entire peanut genome. These markers can be used as a time and cost-efficient alternative to using the Axiom_Arachis SNP arrays where high-resolution is not required.
Theory of Thermal Elasticity

In the previous discussion of elastic deformations, the possibility of effects arising from temperature changes in the solid was completely ignored. From elementary physics, it is, however, known that changes in temperature in an unconstrained solid generally produce changes in its linear dimensions. These changes give rise, in turn, to corresponding strains and when such strains are prevented by boundary supports, the temperature changes must then induce stresses within the material. Since our earlier discussions did not deal with such strains or stresses, we were thus implicitly assuming the case of constant-temperature, or isothermal, deformations.
Altered cellular interactions between endothelial cells and nonenzymatically glucosylated laminin/type IV collagen

Laminin and type IV collagen are two major basement membrane glycoproteins. In previous studies it has been shown that nonenzymatic glucosylation induces structural alterations of these macromolecules and also reduces their ability to self-associate. In the present study, endothelial cells were tested for their ability to adhere and spread on nonenzymatically glucosylated laminin and type IV collagen. Adhesion and spreading were reduced when glucosylated macromolecules were used as substrates. Glucosylation-induced changes in adhesion and spreading may be an important initial event signaling other phenotypic modifications of cells in the microvasculature and may be a crucial factor in order to understand the pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy at the molecular level.
Defects in Superfluids, Superconductors and Membranes

An introduction to the defects which dominate the physics of superfluid He$^4$ films, of superconducting slabs and of crystalline and hexatic membranes is given. We first review point vortices in two-dimensional neutral superfluids and discuss the unusual screening which arises when the bosons are charged, as in superconducting films. Dislocation and disclination defects in crystalline membranes are discussed from a similar point of view. There is little or no screening in ``monolayer'' crystals, which are strongly constrained to lie in a flat two-dimensional plane. A strong nonlinear screening effect arises, however, in 2d membranes allowed to buckle into the third dimension. This screening drastically lowers dislocation and disclination energies, and forces crystalline membranes to melt at any finite temperature. We point out that buckled 5- and 7-fold disclinations in hexatic membranes have in general different logarithmically divergent energies. A similar asymmetry exists in the energies of 5- and 7-fold defects in {\it liquid} membranes. This difference determines the sign of the Gaussian bending rigidity, and has important consequences in membranes which can change their topology or with free boundary conditions.
Gate violations by truck drivers at highway-rail grade crossings in two cities

Gate violations during train crossing events by truck drivers at highway-rail grade crossings in two cities were investigated. About 22% of the collected observations involved gate violations by truck drivers. Analysis showed that the frequencies of gate violations increased with higher truck traffic during crossing events and drivers of single-unit trucks displayed a greater propensity for gate violations compared with drivers of trucks with trailers. Violations were more frequent with longer times between the onset of flashing lights and train arrivals at the crossings. Options for reducing truck drivers' gate violations at gated crossings are provided.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Mild Symptoms: An Opportunity to Standardize Intravenous Thrombolysis

Background Patients presenting with mild stroke symptoms are excluded inconsistently from intravenous (IV) thrombolysis. We aimed to compare acute magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with mild symptoms to those with more severe deficits to identify clinically mild patients who might benefit from IV thrombolysis. Methods We retrospectively studied consecutive stroke patients presenting with perfusion deficit who underwent time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography within 24 hours of time last seen normal. Two raters measured the lesion volumes on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) with mismatch (MM) calculated as PWI minus DWI. Occlusion site was categorized as "proximal," "distal," or "magnetic resonance angiography-negative" by consensus review. Stroke with mild symptoms was defined as admit National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 4 or less. Values were reported as n (%). Results Ninety-one patients were included; 56 (61.5%) with nonmild and 35 (38.5%) with mild symptoms. After stratifying for occlusion site, there were no differences in PWI and MM lesion volumes for the nonmild versus mild patients ( P = .34-.98 and P = .54-1, respectively). Furthermore, there was a trend for thrombolyzed mild stroke patients (88%, n = 7 of 8) to more likely have a favorable clinical outcome (discharge modified Rankin score ≤ 2) versus untreated patients (70%, n = 16 of 23). Conclusions When present, conspicuous vessel occlusions in clinically mild stroke patients are concomitant with similar perfusion deficit and MM volumes in more clinically severe stroke patients. Coupled with a trend toward better outcomes in mild stroke patients who were treated with IV tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), this could indicate that advanced imaging may be used in standardizing the way these patients are selected for IV t-PA therapy.
Solubility of nitrous oxide in aqueous blends of N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol

Aqueous solutions of alkanolamines have applications in acid gas treatment for the removal of acid gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The solubility of nitrous oxide in aqueous blends of N-methyldiethanolamine and 2-amino-2-methyl-1 propanol was measured over the temperature range 10--60 C. The total composition of the alkanolamines in water ranged from 30 to 50 mass %. The experimental results were interpreted in terms of Henry`s constants.
Latency of ocular movement in cerebral disease

Oculomotor reaction time was studied in patients with cerebral disease and in control patients. Reaction time in the latter group was quite comparable to previous normative findings on manual reaction time in a comparable group of control patients. The patients with cerebral disease were significantly slower than controls, their mean oculomotor reaction time being 98 msec. (45 per cent) higher than that of the controls. There was a substantial positive correlation between reaction times to the left and reaction times to the right in both groups of patients. The findings support the concept that oculomotor reaction time, like other forms of reaction time, reflects cerebral status. Further study is required to determine its relationship to size and locus of cerebral lesion.
Geochemistry: A piece of the deep carbon puzzle

Carbon loss from subducting slabs is thought to be insufficient to balance carbon dioxide emissions at arc volcanoes. Analyses of ancient subducted rocks in Greece suggest that fluid dissolution of slab carbonate can help solve this carbon-cycle conundrum.
Comparison of Experimental and Computed Species Concentration and Temperature Profiles in Laminar, Two-Dimensional Methane/Air Diffusion Flames

Abstract Experimental concentration measurements of the major stable species and five radical species (OH., H atom, O atom, CH., and CH3) obtained on a rectangular Wolfhard-Parker slot burner are compared with a detailed computation of the chemical structure of an axisymmctric laminar, CH4/air diffusion flame burning at atmospheric pressure. In order to examine these CH4/air flames with different geometries and different sizes, the species profiles are plotted as functions of the local mixture fraction, and the scalar dissipation rate has been matched in a region around the stoichiometric surface. The overall agreement in the absolute concentrations, the shape of the profiles, and their location in terms of the local mixture fraction is good to excellent for the stable species (except for O2) and for the most abundant radicals OH, H atom, and O atom. For example, the calculated OH- maximum concentration is in much better agreement with the experimental results than are full equilibrium and partial equilib...
Dislodgeability of Chlorpyrifos and Fluorescent Tracer Residues on Turf: Comparison of Wipe and Foliar Wash Sampling Techniques

Residential use of pesticides has increased substantially in the United States over the past twenty years. Contact with pesticide-treated turf may result in dermal exposures, particularly among children. This study evaluated wipe sampling and foliar wash techniques to measure chlorpyrifos on turf following insecticidal treatments with Dursban 4E™. Residues of the fluorescent tracer Uvitex OB™ were also measured as part of a larger study adapting video imaging analysis to children's exposure to pesticides. The wipe technique recovered an average of 0.50 μg/cm2 of chlorpyrifos, or 1.5% of the initial deposit, and an average of 0.21 μg/cm2 of tracer, or 6.1% of the initial deposit, from bluegrass turf 1–3 hours after application. The foliar wash technique recovered significantly more chlorpyrifos and tracer (1.3 μg/cm2, or 4.0% and 0.36 μg/cm2, or 10.5%, respectively). The resulting chlorpyrifos/tracer ratio was also significantly greater for the foliar wash technique (4.6) than for the wipe sampling technique (2.6). Variability associated with each technique was similar. Chlorpyrifos dissipation on irrigated and non-irrigated plots was evaluated through collection of wipe and foliar wash samples at six time intervals over a 48 h period. Wipe technique results indicated that irrigated residues were significantly lower than non-irrigated during the first 6.5 h post-application; foliar wash residues were significantly lower on the irrigated plot during the first 3.5 h post-application. No effect of irrigation on dislodgeability of chlorpyrifos residues was observed after 24 h. The findings indicate that foliar wash sampling removes larger amounts of chorpyrifos and fluorescent tracer residues from turf than wipe sampling, and would therefore produce higher estimates of potential exposure among children if used as a turf contact-transfer factor. They also demonstrate that foliar wash sampling produces a higher relative transfer factor for video imaging analysis of skin exposure than does wipe sampling. Wipe sampling was found to be far simpler than foliar wash sampling in regard to both sample collection and analysis. Further investigations are required to determine the accuracy of these two techniques in estimating transfer of pesticides from turf to skin.
Stability of negative-image equilibria in spike-timing-dependent plasticity

We investigate the stability of negative image equilibria in mean synaptic weight dynamics governed by spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). The model architecture closely follows the anatomy and physiology of the electrosensory lateral line lobe (ELL) of mormyrid electric fish. The ELL uses a spike-timing-dependent learning rule to form a negative image of the reafferent signal from the fish's own electric discharge, thus improving detectability of external electric fields. We derive sufficient conditions for existence of the negative image and necessary and sufficient conditions for stability, for arbitrary postsynaptic potential functions and arbitrary learning rules. This significantly generalizes earlier investigations. We then apply the general result to several examples of biological interest, including a class of learning rules consistent with the rule observed experimentally in the mormyrid ELL.
Properties of aluminum-based cermet thin film resistors

A family of novel aluminum-aluminum oxide cermet resistance thin films has been deposited by the controlled oxidation of thermally decomposing triethyl aluminum vapor. Film resistivity can be varied, controllably, from 10−2 to 104 Ωcm. Over the range 10−1−103 Ωcm, the temperature coefficient of resistivity decreases monotonically from zero to −1200 ppm/°C. High value resistors having surface resistivities from 1 kΩ/sq. to 1000 MΩ/sq. have been fabricated by conventional aluminum metallization patterning techniques and they are compatible with silicon wafer processing technology.
Color discrimination capability under highly structured spectra

An experiment was performed to test the capa- bility of measures of gamut area to predict the color dis- crimination capability of lamps with highly structured spectra. Sixteen subjects completed a Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue Test under four different lighting conditions of similar chromaticity: light emitting diodes (LEDs) that used red, green, and blue primaries; two types of linear fluores- cent; and tungsten halogen. Total Error Score (TES) was significantly worse under the LEDs than the other three conditions, which produced statistically equivalent scores. No measure considered in this work, including Color Ren- dering Index, Color-Discrimination Index, or Farnsworth Munsell Gamut Area, was able to order correctly, let alone correlate with, the color discrimination capability of the four lamps, as characterized by TES. This calls into question the concept of using a measure of gamut area to characterize color discrimination as part of a multi-index tool for quantifying color rendition, especially since lamps with highly structured spectral output are becoming more prevalent for general illumination. 2011 Wiley Periodicals,
Effect of Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) in Persons With Aphasia: Extension and Replication of Previous Findings

Purpose Verb Network Strengthening Treatment (VNeST) is an aphasia treatment that targets verbs (e.g., measure) and their related thematic roles (e.g., carpenter–lumber). Previous studies reported ...
Emulating internet topology snapshots in deterlab

Investigating the Internet's topology is one component towards developing mechanisms that can protect the communication infrastructure underlying our critical systems and applications. We study the feasibility of capturing and fitting Internet's topology snapshots to an emulated environment called Deterlab. Physical limitations on Deterlab include the number of nodes available (i.e., about 400) and the number of interfaces (i.e., 4) to interconnect them. For example, one Internet's topology snapshot at the Autonomous Systems (AS) level has about 100 nodes with 5 nodes requiring more than 4 interfaces. In this paper, we present a short summary of the Internet's topology snapshots collected and propose a solution on how we can represent the snapshots in Deterlab and overcome the limitation of nodes requiring more than four interfaces. Preliminary results show that all paths from snapshots are maintained if a node requiring more than four interfaces had no more than four other nodes requiring four interfaces. Also, we constructed a proof of concept that captures the main idea of using then snapshots in a security experiment in Deterlab. The topology shows a Multiple Origin Autonomous System (MOAS) conflict for 10 nodes. It is scalable to larger topologies in Deterlab because we have automated the topology creation and protocol configuration.
Sonolytic Decomposition of Aqueous Bioxalate in the Presence of Ozone

Ultrasonic irradiation in the presence of ozone is demonstrated to be effective for the rapid oxidation of oxalic acid, bioxalate, and oxalate (H2C2O4/HC2O4−/C2O42−) in aqueous solution to CO2 and H2O. The degradation rate of bioxalate exposed to “sonozone” (i.e., simultaneous ultrasonication and ozonolysis) was found to be 16-times faster than predicted by the linear addition of ozonolysis and ultrasonic irradiation rates. The hydroxyl radical (•OH) is the only oxy-radical produced that can oxidize oxalate on a relevant time-scale. Thus, plausible •OH production mechanisms are evaluated to explain the observed kinetic synergism of ultrasonication and ozonolysis toward bioxalate decomposition. •OH production via decomposition of O3 in the cavitating bubble vapor and via the reaction of O3 and H2O2 are considered, but kinetic estimations and experimental evidence indicate neither to be a sufficient source of •OH. A free-radical chain mechanism is proposed in which the HC2O4− + •OH reaction functions as a p...
Quantitative cancer risk assessments for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

Abstract State-of-the-art quantitative risk assessment techniques, including consideration of new time-to-response data, have been applied to chronic animal bioassay data on the dietary intake of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD). The non-linear shapes of the dose-response relationships for the hepatocellular carcinogenic responses have been estimated, and a review of the quantitative impacts of several of the choices involved in the quantitative risk assessment considers, particularly, the definition of the carcinogenic responses of concern, the experimental data set, the pathology evaluation, a biologically effective dose scale versus the administered dose, methods of making the fitted model responsive to the data at the lower experimental doses, consistency in dose-response shapes for different data sets, fitted model values versus bounds, the utilization of time-to-response information incorporating the lateness of the carcinogenic responses, and the method of characterizing the maximum acceptable dose. The estimated virtually safe dose for an increase of 0.000001 (one in a million) in the probability of hepatocellular neoplastic nodule and/or carcinoma in a female rat is approximately 0.1 ng/kg body weight/day in the diet. The estimated mean free dose, corresponding to a reduction in the expected amount of time without hepatocellular neoplastic nodule and/or carcinoma proportional to 1 wk in 70 yr, is in the range of 1–5 ng/kg body weight/day in the diet of a female rat. No species-to-species extrapolations nor human exposure assessments have been made. However, these estimated risks correspond to dietary intakes that are at least 150 times greater than the 0.0006365 ng/kg body weight/day intake described by the Centers for Disease Control as a reasonable level to begin consideration of action to limit human exposure.
Unboundedness detection for a class of communicating finite-state machines

Abstract Let M and N be two communicating finite-state machines that exchange one type of message. We discuss an algorithm to decide whether the communication between M and N is bounded. The algorithm is based on constructing a finite representation of the reachability tree of M and N assuming that M and N progress at equal speeds.
Analysis of Fabric Structures

Abstract This paper deals with some practical aspects of the analysis of fabric (tension) structures. It is limited in scope to problems of small strain with large rotation for linear isotropic fabrics. It is Newtonian in approach and begins with a discussion of the effect of prestress upon the analysis required; the geometric stiffness matrix is then discussed and it is shown how this matrix can be developed using only equilibrium equations; finally, computer programs for the analysis of fabric structures are discussed. The highly nonlinear constitutive equations of some common fabrics will be considered in a later effort.
Stress: Pregnancy Considerations

UNLABELLED Stress-induced pregnancy complications represent a significant cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality due to preterm labor, low-birth-weight babies, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and neuropsychological developmental delays of affected offspring. Psychosocial factors such as socioeconomic status, work status, marital status, level of education, access to prenatal care, substance abuse, ethnicity, cultural background, and quality of relationships with partners and parents have been identified as determinants of stress during pregnancy. The biopsychosocial model of health and disease aptly explains the interactions of these psychosocial factors in the genesis of stress-induced pregnancy complications. Prenatal screening and intervention for relevant biopsychosocial risk factors may be useful in preventing stress-related perinatal complications. TARGET AUDIENCE Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians. LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completing this CME activity, physicians should be better able to describe how stress is manifested biologically, discuss stress and its impact from the biopsychosocial model of health and disease, recognize how stress may lead to pregnancy complications such as preterm labor, preeclampsia, and low-birth-weight infants, explain how stress may impact the neuropsychological development of children whose mothers experienced perinatal stress, and demonstrate how prenatal screening and appropriate interventions may reduce perinatal stress and associated pregnancy complications.
Public Participation: Technology and Democracy

Abstract Computerized visualization methods offer planners and architects some new ways to support and facilitate democratic decision-making. However, the uses of this technology in public participation are just beginning to be explored. This paper describes a community planning process in which a combination of high- and low-tech visualization methods—a Geographic Information System (GIS) and a human artist—was used to increase public participation and draw out local knowledge.
A Comparison of Antimicrobial Efficacy and Tissue Reaction of Four Antiseptics on Canine Wounds

Three concentrations of povidone iodine, chlorhexidine, benzalkonium chloride, and a pluronic polyol were tested for antimicrobial efficacy and tissue reaction in wounds inoculated with Staphyloccocus aureus. Five paired incisions were created on the back of each of 16 dogs in four treatment groups. Five wounds were inoculated with beta-hemolytic, coagulase positive S. aureus (109 organisms); the contralateral wounds were not inoculated. After two hours, three wounds on each side were irrigated with antiseptic in low, medium, or high concentrations; another was irrigated with physiological saline; and one was left untreated. One hundred ml of solution was applied in each instance with a syringe and needle at approximately 8 psi. Tissue bacteria were quantitated immediately following irrigation. The wounds were sutured with 5/0 monofilament stainless steel and bandaged. After 48 hours, the dogs were euthanized and signs of wound infection were recorded. Wound bacteria were quantitated again, and sections of the wounds were removed for examination by light microscopy. Antiseptics were significantly effective (p < 0.01) in reducing the bacterial population in contaminated wounds when compared to control wounds on the same dog. High antiseptic concentrations were more effective than low concentrations. At 48 hours, the bacterial population was significantly lower in wounds treated with chlorhexidine or benzalkonium chloride compared with povidone iodine or pluronic polyol. The antiseptics caused no significant difference (p < 0.01) in tissue reaction in noninoculated wounds. Chlorhexidine (0.5 or 1.0%) was the most effective antiseptic under the conditions used.
Prime ideals in crossed products of finite groups

LetR * G be a crossed product of the finite groupG over the ringR. In this paper we discuss the relationship between the prime ideals ofR*G and theG-prime ideals ofR. In particular, we show that Incomparability and Going Down hold in this situation. In the course of the proof, we actually completely describe all the prime idealsP ofR*G such thatP∩R is a fixedG-prime ideal ofR. As an application, we prove that ifG is a finite group of automorphisms ofR, then the prime (primitive) ranks ofR and of the fixed ringRG are equal provided •G•−∈R. In an appendix, we extend some of these 3 results to crossed products of the infinite cyclic group.
Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia: a cell autonomous disorder?

SMARCAL1 (SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily a-like protein 1) encodes a SWI/SNF ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling protein. Mutations in SMARCAL1 cause the autosomal-recessive multisystem disorder Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD); this suggests that the SMARCAL1 protein is involved in the development or maintenance of multiple organs. Disease within these many tissues could arise by a cell autonomous or a cell non-autonomous mechanism. Consistent with a cell autonomous mechanism, we did not find any disease recurrence in transplanted organs or protection of other tissues by the organ grafts. In order to better understand the role of SMARCAL1 during normal development and in the pathogenesis of SIOD, we characterized the spatial and temporal expression of the murine homolog (Smarcal1). The Smarcal1 mRNA and protein were expressed throughout development and in all tissues affected in patients with SIOD including the bone, kidney, thymus, thyroid, tooth, bone marrow, hair, eye, and blood vessels. Significantly, the expression profile of Smarcal1 in the mouse has led us to reexamine and identify novel pathology in our patient population resulting in changes in the clinical management of SIOD. The expression of Smarcal1 in affected tissues and the non-recurrence of disease in grafted organs lead us to hypothesize a cell autonomous function for SMARCAL1 and to propose tissue-specific mechanisms for the pathophysiology of SIOD. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Paired-associate learning in five “alternating-list” transfer paradigms

Paired-associate learning was studied in five alternating-list transfer paradigms. This was accomplished by alternating practice on two lists every two trials during learning. Differences in learning among the alternating-list CD, CB, AD and ABr paradigms were explained by interference from two established sources, conflicting forward associations, and conflicting backward associations, thereby extending the generality of the evidence for these sources of interference. Early acquisition in the alternating-list AB' paradigm did not differ from the CD paradigm or the single-list AB paradigm, but was significantly lower than both paradigms in later acquisition. This finding along with the high appropriate error rate in the AB' paradigm suggested the presence of forward association interference under conditions of alternate-list transfer.
Response of materials under dynamic loading

The dynamic response of materials is important to the performance and failure resistance of many engineered systems. Experimental methods are now available to measure this response over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. Application of these methods to the investigation of the dynamic response of metals, glasses and ceramics has led to important advances in understanding, while bringing into focus important issues that remain to be resolved. In this paper, a number of these issues are discussed and potentially fruitful research directions are suggested.
Local Curvature of Wavefronts in an Optical System

The local principal curvatures (shape) of a wavefront propagating through an optical system can be calculated from geometrical optics. Formulas are derived for the change in shape during transfer, refraction, reflection, and diffraction by a grating in a system of homogeneous isotropic media. The results not only have immediate application to design, but also provide necessary data for treating points where the geometric approximation fails.
Linear magic rectangles

We introduce a method for producing a variety of magic rectangles using -linear transformations. This adds significantly to the collection of known magic rectangles with non-coprime dimensions.
Elastic interaction between linear polymeric chains and periodic potentials

The elastic displacement of an axially stressed chain within crystalline surroundings, which was first treated by Chevychelov, is reexamined. We compare the results obtained for homogeneously distributed masses with that for discrete atoms, considering the nonuniformity of the potential of a crystal containing hydrogen bonds. In polyethylene and polyamide the maximum mechanical excitation of a chain penetrates into the crystal a distance of 15 to 20 chain atoms. The effect of the relative position of the crystal boundary on the stress-strain field was studied and the energy of defects calculated.
Monte Carlo renormalization-group studies of two-dimensional models

Abstract Both Monte Carlo computer simulations and real-space renormalization-group methods have proven valuable for determining phase boundaries and critical properties of two-dimensional systems. A combination of these two approaches has certain advantages over the individual methods, and can lead to improvement in speed and accuracy.
CD4 dependence of gp120IIIB-CXCR4 interaction is cell-type specific

Abstract The HIV-1 envelope protein gp120IIIB is selective for the CXCR4 chemokine receptor and has been shown to induce apoptosis in neurons both in vivo and in vitro. We examined the ability of gp120IIIB to signal through the rat CXCR4 (rCXCR4) receptor and its dependence on the presence of the human CD4 (hCD4) protein in a number of cell systems. SDF-1α potently inhibited N-type Ca channels in cultured HEK293 cells expressing both the Ca channel subunits and rCXCR4 receptors. However, gp120IIIB was ineffective in producing either Ca channel inhibition or in blocking the effects of SDF-1α. However, when hCD4 was coexpressed with rCXCR4 and Ca channel subunits, gp120IIIB also produced Ca channel inhibition. Similarly, in PC12 cells transfected with the rCXCR4, SDF-1α produced mobilization of intracellular Ca, while gp120IIIB was only effective when hCD4 was coexpressed. SDF-1α induced endocytosis of Yellow Fluorescent Protein (YFP)-tagged rCXCR4 expressed in PC12 cells, as did gp120IIIB, an effect which was enhanced by hCD4 coexpression. When tagged rCXCR4 was expressed in F-11 cells or in rat DRG neurons, SDF-1α produced extensive receptor endocytosis. However, the ability of gp120IIIB to produce endocytosis was dependent on the coexpression of hCD4. Our results demonstrate that the degree of hCD4 dependence of the agonist effects of gp120IIIB at the rCXCR4 receptor is cell-type specific.
Surgical approaches to metastatic spine disease.

Purpose of reviewRecent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of many types of cancers have prolonged and improved the quality of life for cancer patients. With increased survival, metastatic spinal lesions are becoming much more of a functional and clinical problem.Recent findingsPercutaneous ver
Prolonged increases in vein wall tension increase matrix metalloproteinases and decrease constriction in rat vena cava: Potential implications in varicose veins

Background Increased venous hydrostatic pressure plays a role in the pathogenesis of varicose veins. Increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been identified in varicose veins. Also, we have shown that MMP-2 inhibits venous contraction. However, the relation between venous pressure, MMP expression, and venous dysfunction is unclear. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that prolonged increases in venous wall tension cause overexpression of MMPs and decreased contractility, which in turn promote venous dilation. Methods Circular segments of inferior vena cava (IVC) were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats and suspended between two wires in Krebs solution. Preliminary vein wall tension-contraction relation showed maximal potassium chloride (KCl) (96 mmol/L) contraction at 0.5 g basal tension, which remained steady with increases in tension up to 2 g. Vein segments were subjected to either control (0.5 g) or high (2 g) basal tension for short (1 hour) or long duration (24 hours). Isometric contraction in response to phenylephrine (Phe, 10 −5 mol/L), angiotensin II (AngII, 10 −6 mol/L), and KCl was measured. The veins were frozen to determine the expression and localization of MMPs using immunoblots and immunohistochemistry. Results In IVC segments subjected to 0.5 g tension for 1 hour, Phe and AngII produced significant contraction. At higher 2 g basal tension for 24 hours, both Phe and AngII contractions were significantly reduced. Reduction in KCl contraction was also observed at high 2 g basal tension for 24 hours, suggesting that the reduction in vein contraction is not specific to a particular receptor, and likely involves inhibition of a post-receptor contraction mechanism. In vein segments under 2 g tension for 24 hours and treated with TIMP-1, Phe, AngII, and KCl contractions were partially restored, suggesting the involvement of MMPs. IVC immunoblot analysis demonstrated prominent bands corresponding to MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein. High 2 g wall tension for 24 hours was associated with marked increase in the amount of MMP-2 and -9 relative to the housekeeping protein actin. There was a correlation between MMP expression and decreased vein contraction. Also, significant increases in MMP-2 and -9 immunostaining were observed in IVC segments subjected to high 2 g tension for 24 hours. Both MMP-2 and MMP-9 caused significant inhibition of Phe contraction in IVC segments. Conclusions In rat IVC, increases in magnitude and duration of wall tension is associated with reduced contraction and overexpression of MMP-2 and -9. In light of our findings that MMP-2 and -9 promote IVC relaxation, the data suggest that protracted increases in venous pressure and wall tension increase MMPs expression, which in turn reduce venous contraction and lead to progressive venous dilation.