cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single cell analysis of the cellular heterogeneity and interactions in the injured mouse spinal cord

The wound healing process that occurs after spinal cord injury is critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis and limiting tissue damage, but eventually results in a scar-like environment that is not conducive to regeneration and repair. A better understanding of this dichotomy is critical to developing effective therapeutics that target the appropriate pathobiology, but a major challenge has been the large cellular heterogeneity that results in immensely complex cellular interactions. In this study, we used single cell RNA sequencing to assess virtually all cell types that comprise the mouse spinal cord injury site. In addition to discovering novel subpopulations, we used expression values of receptor-ligand pairs to identify signaling pathways that potentially drive specific cellular interactions during angiogenesis, gliosis, and fibrosis. Our dataset is a valuable resource that provides novel mechanistic insight into the pathobiology of not only spinal cord injury, but also other traumatic disorders of the CNS.
Outcomes and the impact of genomic characteristics on patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma enrolled in early phase trials.

5029Background: With the recent approvals of checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), a fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor, and an antibody-drug conjugate, patients with platinum-refractory me...
Some Ring-Theoretic Properties of \(\mathbf {A}_{{{\mathrm{inf}\,}}}\)

The ring of Witt vectors over a perfect valuation ring of characteristic p, often denoted \(\mathbf {A}_{{{\mathrm{inf}\,}}}\), plays a pivotal role in p-adic Hodge theory; for instance, Bhatt–Morrow–Scholze have recently reinterpreted and refined the crystalline comparison isomorphism by relating it to a certain \(\mathbf {A}_{{{\mathrm{inf}\,}}}\)-valued cohomology theory. We address some basic ring-theoretic questions about \(\mathbf {A}_{{{\mathrm{inf}\,}}}\), motivated by analogies with two-dimensional regular local rings. For example, we show that in most cases \(\mathbf {A}_{{{\mathrm{inf}\,}}}\), which is manifestly not noetherian, is also not coherent. On the other hand, it does have the property that vector bundles over the complement of the closed point in \({{\,\mathrm{Spec}\,}}\mathbf {A}_{{{\mathrm{inf}\,}}}\) do extend uniquely over the puncture; moreover, a similar statement holds in Huber’s category of adic spaces.
Coefficients of Determination for Mixed-Effects Models

The coefficient of determination is well defined for linear models and its extension is long wanted for mixed-effects models. We revisit its extension to define measures for proportions of variation explained by the whole model, fixed effects only, and random effects only. We propose to calculate unexplained variations conditional on individual random and/or fixed effects so as to keep individual heterogeneity brought by available predictors. While naturally defined for linear mixed models, these measures can be defined for a generalized linear mixed model using a distance measured along its variance function, accounting for its heteroscedasticity.
Microbial community successions and their dynamic functions during harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a freshwater lake.

Abstract The current study reports the community succession of different toxin and non-toxin producing cyanobacteria at different stages of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) and their connectivity with nitrogen and phosphorus cycles in a freshwater lake using an ecogenomics framework. Comprehensive high throughput DNA sequencing, water quality parameter measurements, and functional gene expressions over temporal and spatial scales were employed. Among the cyanobacterial community, the lake was initially dominated by Cyanobium during the months of May, June, and early July, and later primarily by Aphanizomenon and Dolichospermum depicting functional redundancy. Finally, Planktothrix appeared in late August and then the dominance switched to Planktothrix in September. Microcystis aeruginosa and Microcystis panniformis; two species responsible for cyanotoxin production, were also present in August and September, but in significantly smaller relative abundance. MC-LR (0.06–1.32 µg/L) and MC-RR (0.01–0.26 µg/L) were two major types of cyanotoxins detected. The presence of MC-LR and MC-RR were significantly correlated with the Microcystis-related genes (16SMic/mcyA/mcyG) and their expressions (r = 0.33 to 0.8, p
Cost-Related Medication Nonadherence in a Nationally Representative US Population with Self-Reported Glaucoma

Purpose To determine the rates of cost-related nonadherence to medications among US adults with glaucoma and to determine if participants with glaucoma have more cost-related medication nonadherence than those without glaucoma. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Participants in the 2016–2017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a cross-sectional survey regarding health topics that is administered annually to a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults in the United States. Methods We calculated proportions of NHIS participants with and without self-reported glaucoma who reported cost-related nonadherence over the previous 12 months. We analyzed responses to 7 survey items that dealt with medication cost-related issues to any/all of a participants’ medication: couldn't afford a prescribed medication; skipped medication doses to save money; took less medicine to save money; delayed filling a prescription to save money; asked doctor for lower cost medication to save money; bought prescription drugs from another country to save money; used alternative therapies to save money. We performed univariable and multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between self-reported glaucoma diagnosis and responses to these selected questions. Main Outcome Measures Proportion of participants with and without self-reported glaucoma who reported cost-related nonadherence. Results Participants with glaucoma reported they could not afford prescribed medication more frequently than participants without glaucoma (8.2% vs. 6.4% P = 0.024). Adjusted predicted proportions from a multivariable model demonstrated that participants with glaucoma responded that they had greater cost-related barriers to medication access. Conclusions In this nationally representative sample of the US population, after adjustment for confounding variables, participants with glaucoma more frequently reported cost-related nonadherence to medications compared with participants without glaucoma. Providers prescribing medication to patients with glaucoma should be aware of these findings and consider the impact of medication cost on their patients’ ability to adhere to therapy.
Trailblazers, Reciprocity, and Doctoral Education: The Pursuit of Critical Race Praxis and Survivance among Doctoral Students of Color.

This study utilized a mixed-methods, survey research design to explore the experiences and motivations of Students of Color who pursue doctoral studies in colleges or departments of education and t...
How Flexible is that Functional Form?: Measuring the Restrictiveness of Theories

We propose a new way to quantify the restrictiveness of an economic model, based on how well the model fits simulated, hypothetical data sets. The data sets are drawn at random from a distribution that satisfies some application-dependent content restrictions (such as that people prefer more money to less). Models that can fit almost all hypothetical data well are not restrictive. To illustrate our approach, we evaluate the restrictiveness of popular behavioral models in two experimental settings---certainty equivalents and initial play---and explain how restrictiveness reveals new insights about each of the models.
Prophylaxis for Chagas Disease Reactivation: Is it Necessary?

Purpose Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the parasite T cruzi and may reactivate in immunosuppressed transplant recipients. The incidence of CD has increased in Southern California as patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy may progress to require heart transplantation. While there are prophylactic medications for CD, is it not clear whether this prophylaxis prevents CD reactivation. Methods We reviewed 13 recipients transplanted between 1999 and 2019 who had CD prior to transplant. These patients had CD serologies checked at 1, 3, 6, 12 months post-transplant. 7 had T cruzi IgG antibodies and were given nifurtimox (n=2) or benznidazole (n=5). The other 6 did not develop antibodies and were not given antimicrobial therapy. Outcomes were compared: symptomatic CD, 1-year survival, freedom from rejection [any-treated (ATR), acute cellular (ACR) and antibody-mediated rejections (AMR)]. Results The patients who received antimicrobial therapy had numerically better 1-year survival. There was no difference in 1-year rejection (Table). Of the 7 patients who received antimicrobial therapy, none had CD reactivation while 3 patients in the no-prophylaxis group had CD reactivation. Conclusion Heart transplant patients with a history of CD appear to have acceptable outcome when closely monitored and administered antimicrobial therapy when indicated. Administration of prophylactic antimicrobial therapy to all CD, even without IgG antibodies, may be considered.
The Theoretical Landscape

Through much of the late twentieth century, notions of equity and quality in school mathematics were closely tied to interpreting the common finding of socio-demographic group-based differences in mathematics achievement. The often-virulent nature/nurture debates were grounded in psychological theories of individual difference (Jensen 1972); whereas sociological theories of social and cultural capital sought to explain inequalities in how society distributes its desiderata (Bowles and Gintis 2002). Explanatory theories that invoked constructs, such as the “culture of poverty” (Lewis 1965; Office of Policy, Planning and Research 1965; see Wilson’s critique 2009) and even intervention studies, such as Subtracting Bias, Multiplying Options (Fennema et al. 1981) were grounded in one or another of these disciplines and thereby constrained by their discursive practices. Not surprisingly, work from the 1960s through 1980s is often criticized for “blaming the victim.”
Micromechanics of Crack Initiation in High-Cycle Fatigue

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses micromechanics of crack initiation in high-cycle fatigue. Fatigue failures occur under loadings substantially lower than the yield strength of the material. Fatigue cracks occur in two stages that include crack initiation and crack propagation. A crystal subject to shearing stress deforms elastically until gliding starts in some region of the crystal. Part of the crystal slides with respect to the rest by unit atomic spacing. This slip can occur in a portion of a plane separating two parts of a crystal. The displacement gradient of an elastic-plastic body can be considered to consist of the elastic distortion and plastic slip. During plastic deformation, dislocation lines not only increase in number but also move within the crystal. The positive and negative dislocations move in opposite directions on the slip plane. The concentration of the positive dislocation on one side of the crystal and negative dislocations on the other side, referred to as the polarization of dislocations, facilitates the development of long-range internal stresses. The chapter also elaborates the analogy between inelastic strain and applied force.
Scoring algorithm to predict survival after nephrectomy and immunotherapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a stratification tool for prospective clinical trials.

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to develop an algorithm capable of stratifying the survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after nephrectomy and immunotherapy. METHODS The medical records of 173 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy for metastatic RCC and received recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2)-based immunotherapy between 1989 and 2000 were evaluated. Survival was the primary endpoint and was assessed based on clinical, surgical, and pathologic parameters. The clinical parameters included age, gender, performance status, existing hypertension, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, location of metastases, and presenting symptomatology. The surgical features included the requirement for blood transfusion or adrenalectomy. The pathologic factors involved tumor stage, tumor size, nuclear grade, lymph node status, and histologic subtype. Disease-specific survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine associations between clinical and pathologic features and survival. RESULTS The median follow-up was 3.2 years (range, 0.2–9.3 years). Death due to RCC occurred in 123 patients (71%) at a median of 13 months (range, from 0.1 months to 8.4 years) after nephrectomy. Multivariate analysis revealed that the following features were associated with survival: lymph node status (P = 0.002), constitutional symptoms (P = 0.005), location of metastases (P < 0.001), sarcomatoid histology (P = 0.003), and TSH level (P = 0.038). A scoring system based on the features in the multivariate model was created to stratify patients into low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups. Estimated survival rates at 1 years, 3 years, and 5 years were 92%, 61%, and 41%, respectively, for the low-risk group and 66%, 31%, and 19%, respectively, for the intermediate risk group. The high-risk group had 1% survival at 1 year and no survivors at 3 years. CONCLUSIONS In patients with metastatic RCC who were treated with nephrectomy and IL-2 immunotherapy, regional lymph node status, constitutional symptoms, location of metastases, sarcomatoid histology, and TSH levels were associated with survival. The authors present a scoring algorithm based on these features that can be used to predict survival in patients who present with metastatic RCC and to stratify such patients for prospective clinical trials. Cancer 2003;98:2566–75. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Terrorism and National Morality

This paper empirically investigates whether there is a negative relationship between the impact of terrorism in a country and national morality. A negative relationship between terrorism and national morality is predicted to exist, because it is reasoned that, in general, greater national morality leads to higher individual and social costs of terrorism, and to lower individual and social benefits from terrorism. Given the standard neoclassical assumption of rationality, an increase in the cost benefit ratio of terrorism due to increased national morality means that, with increased national morality, individuals will rationally choose to engage in less terrorism.The paper uses cross country regression analysis on contemporary data to test these ideas. It regresses the impact of terrorism on national morality and other variables. The results of the empirics of the paper are consistent with the key theoretical hypothesis. They show that the impact of terrorism is negatively associated with national morality.
EFFECTS OF AND PREFERENCE FOR PAY FOR PERFORMANCE: AN ANALOGUE ANALYSIS

We examined the effects of 2 payment systems on the rate of check processing and time spent on task by participants in a simulated work setting. Three participants experienced individual pay-for-performance (PFP) without base pay and pay-for-time (PFT) conditions. In the last phase, we asked participants to choose which system they preferred. For all participants, the PFP condition produced higher rates of check processing and more time spent on task than did the PFT condition, but choice of payment system varied both within and across participants.
Integrated Reading and Language Arts Instruction.

AbstractThe goal of the middle school organization is to create a learning environment that matches the developmental abilities and needs of young adolescents. This research attempts to operationalize that goal by integrating reading and English classes in large urban middle schools. The Student Team Reading and Writing (STRW) program reconfigured instruction to actively engage students in learning. The program used cooperative learning processes to take advantage of the cognitive, social, and motivational benefits of students working together on academic content. After a yearlong implementation, the researcher found students in STRW performed significantly higher on reading comprehension, reading vocabulary, and language expression achievement. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this research for providing integrated and engaging instruction in middle school
Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-based Quantitative Proteomics

LC-MS-based quantitative proteomics has become increasingly applied to a wide range of biological applications due to growing capabilities for broad proteome coverage and good accuracy and precision in quantification. Herein, we review the current LC-MS-based quantification methods with respect to their advantages and limitations and highlight their potential applications.
Politics vs Economics: Evidence from Municipal Annexation

Abstract This paper investigates economic and political factors in suburban annexation decision in large U.S. cities. This paper employs a median-voter model, which suggests a natural latent-variable estimation strategy. Bivariate logit and normal procedures incorporating information about state laws governing annexation are run on census tract level data. Estimated parameters are used to evaluate the effects of economic and political variables. Results show cities' desire to expropriate suburban tax base did not motivate annexation, although cities were sensitive to other economic factors. The desire to offset political and racial effects of urban migration had a consistent and positive effect on annexation.
In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As-Al/sub y/Ga/sub 1-y/As-GaAs strained-layer quantum-well heterostructure circular ring lasers

The growth, processing, and optical characterization of a single Y-junction In/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As-Al/sub y/Ga/sub 1-y/As-GaAs strained-layer quantum-well heterostructure circular ring laser (6 mu m width, 11 approximately 251 mu m outer radius) are described. The circular ring lasers have been grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, etched by SiCl/sub 4/ reactive ion etching, and planarized by polyimide. The dependences of laser threshold current density and peak emission wavelength (950 approximately 1015 nm) on outer radius are presented. The emission spectra show that the circular ring lasers lase mainly in high-order whispering gallery modes, with smaller outer radius ring lasers operating in low-order whispering gallery modes. >
Optical surface refurbishment in space environment

The potential use of the vacuum environment of space to clean contaminated mirror surfaces or generate Al mirror surfaces with high reflectance in the 80-200-nm region is discussed and illustrated with diagrams and graphs, reviewing previous studies and current experiment proposals. Consideration is given to (1) applying the atomic oxygen plasma environment of LEO to clean coated mirrors and (2) depositing freshly evaporated Al onto a mirror surface in vacuum, providing relatively long periods of high EUV reflectance before oxidation of the surface degrades performance: such a procedure could be performed as a maintenance measure or even incorporated into the design of a space observatory. A free-flying experiment is described which would produce and maintain an Al surface with controlled exposure to OH, H2O, and O2; demonstrate directed-beam Al deposition onto a simulated telescope/spectrometer surface; monitor instrument reflectance/sensitivity over time; and demonstrate in situ refurbishment of the degraded surface.
Chairperson's Summary of the United Nations General Assembly High‐Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development

1. In accordance with paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 60/227 of December 23, 2005, the President of the sixty-first session of the General Assembly has the honour to transmit herewith the summary of the first High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development that the General Assembly conducted on September 14 and 15, 2006, at United Nations Headquarters. 2. The High-level Dialogue was opened by the President of the General Assembly. Her statement was followed by statements from the Secretary General and the President of the Economic and Social Council. The Dialogue included four plenary meetings at which statements were made by high-level officials of 127 Member States, including 1 Vice-President, 47 ministers, and 40 vice-ministers. Representatives of 1 Observer State and 10 intergovernmental entities and organizations having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the sessions and the work of the Assembly also made statements. 3. Four interactive round tables were held during the afternoon of September 14 and the morning of September 15. Participants in the round tables included 162 high-level representatives of Member States, officials of 16 United Nations agencies, funds, and programs, the Executive Secretaries of 2 United Nations regional commissions, the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and representatives of 12 non-governmental organizations, civil society, and private sector entities. 4. Each round table considered a different topic. Round table 1 focused on the effects of international migration on economic and social development and was chaired by Tarja Filatov, Minister of Labor of Finland. Round table 2 discussed measures to ensure respect for and protection of the human rights of all migrants, and to prevent and combat smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons, and had Francisco Lainez, Minister for Foreign Affairs of El
Characteristics of maximum-value composite images from temporal AVHRR data

Red and near-infrared satellite data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer sensor have been processed over several days and combined to produce spatially continuous cloud-free imagery over large areas with sufficient temporal resolution to study green-vegetation dynamics. The technique minimizes cloud contamination, reduces directional reflectance and off-nadir viewing effects, minimizes sun-angle and shadow effects, and minimizes aerosol and water-vapor effects. The improvement is highly dependent on the state of the atmosphere, surface-cover type, and the viewing and illumination geometry of the sun, target and sensor. An example from southern Africa showed an increase of 40 percent from individual image values tothe final composite image. Limitations associated with the technique are discussed, and recommendations are given to improve this approach.
Variations in the expressed antimicrobial peptide repertoire of northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) populations suggest intraspecies differences in resistance to pathogens

The northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens or Lithobates pipiens) is historically found in most of the provinces of Canada and the northern and southwest states of the United States. In the last 50 years, populations have suffered significant losses, especially in the western regions of the species range. Using a peptidomics approach, we show that the pattern of expressed antimicrobial skin peptides of frogs from three geographically separated populations are distinct, and we report the presence of four peptides (brevinin-1Pg, brevinin-1Pl, ranatuerin-2Pb, and ranatuerin-2Pc) that have not previously been found in skin secretions. The differences in expressed peptides reflect differences in the distribution of alleles for the newly described Brevinin1.1 locus in the three populations. When enriched peptide mixtures were tested for their ability to inhibit growth of the pathogenic amphibian chytrid (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), peptides from Minnesota or Vermont frogs were more effective that peptides from Michigan frogs. Four of the purified peptides were tested for their ability to inhibit growth of two bacterial pathogens (Aeromonas hydrophila and Staphylococcus epidermidis) and B. dendrobatidis. Three of the four were effective inhibitors of B. dendrobatidis and S. epidermidis, but none inhibited A. hydrophila. We interpret these differences in expression and activity of antimicrobial peptides as evidence to suggest that each population may have been selected to express a suite of peptides that reflects current and past encounters with skin microbes.
Safety profile and technical success of imaging-guided percutaneous fiducial seed placement with and without core biopsy in the abdomen and pelvis.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to determine whether complications associated with combining biopsy and percutaneous fiducial seed placement in the abdomen and pelvis exceeds that of either procedure alone or prohibits completion of the combined procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective review was performed of 188 consecutive patients who underwent CT- or ultrasound-guided placement of fiducial seeds in the abdomen or pelvis, either alone (group 1, n = 117) or with concomitant biopsy (group 2, n = 71), from October 2005 through April 2010. Complications classified according to the Society of Interventional Radiology guidelines were compared between both groups using the Z test for proportions, as were the number of seeds per patient and seed migration and technical success rates. RESULTS. One hundred eighty-eight patients underwent percutaneous placement of 533 fiducial seeds in the abdomen and pelvis. Eight patients (4.3%) had complications. Five were minor (four small hematomas and one p...
Generation of interactive displays from FORTRAN using the PDP ‐ 10/LDS‐1 computer graphics system

The PDP-10/LDS-1 combination is a powerful and versatile computer graphics system. A package of programs described here permits the generation of displays and interaction with them by means of simple calls from FORTRAN programs. This makes computer graphics available to individuals who know a little FORTRAN but no assembler language. It serves also as a useful introduction to the LDS-1 for experienced programmers who intend to learn the assembler language and to write their own programs Experience with the language has shown that it is learnable quickly by the class of users at which it is aimed. In addition, the same package has been used by more experienced programmers as a powerful research tool in the study of conformations of biological macromolecules, such as proteins, DNA and RNA.
Everyday reasoning abilities in persons with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients develop progressive cognitive decline. The degree to which such decline impacts instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among individuals in the early stages of PD without dementia is not well documented. The Everyday Cognitive Battery Reasoning subtest (ECB) was used to assess ability to solve everyday reasoning tasks for IADL among 19 non-demented older adults with PD in comparison to 20 older adults without PD. The two groups were similar in age, education, race and gender. Individuals with PD had significantly lower scores (M = 61.98, SD = 12.03) than the comparison group (M = 69.80, SD = 9.48). Individuals with PD, who do not have dementia, may be more likely to experience difficulties in IADL requiring reasoning including medication use, finances, and nutrition. Even more serious implications lie in the capacity to make treatment choices.
Predictors of Screening for AIDS Clinical Trials Among African-Americans and Latino/Hispanics Enrolled in an Efficacious Peer-Driven Intervention: Uncovering Socio-Demographic, Health, and Substance Use-Related Factors That Promote or Impede Screening

African-American and Latino/Hispanic persons living with HIV/AIDS are underrepresented in AIDS clinical trials (ACTs). The aim of this paper was to uncover factors, either unmodifiable or not directly targeted for change, that predicted screening for ACTs during an efficacious peer-driven intervention (N = 540 total; N = 351 in an intervention arm, N = 189 control). This paper focused on participants assigned to an intervention arm, 56 % of whom were screened for ACTs. We found a decreased odds of screening was associated with closer proximity to the screening site, gay/lesbian orientation, lower mental health symptoms, current injection drug use, more recent HIV diagnosis, lack of prior screening experience, and failure to attend all intervention sessions, but there were no gender or racial/ethnic differences. Efforts to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in ACTs can be enhanced by attending to these specific factors, which may interfere with programmatic efforts to increase African-American and Latino/Hispanic representation in ACTs.
Norepinephrine-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in rat hypothalamic slices: effects of estrous cycle and ovarian steroids.

Abstract Hypothalamic slices prepared from female rats in various hormonal conditions were incubated in vitro in the presence or absence of 10 μM norepinephrine (NE), and cyclic AMP content was measured. Slices from animals in late diestrus or with exogenous estrogen treatment responded to NE with marked elevations of cyclic AMP in all but the posterior hypothalamus. Slices from rats sacrificed in late proestrus or following estrogen plus progestin administration showed little or no NE-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation.
Leiomyosarcoma arising from the superior mesenteric vein

A 40-YEAR-OLD WOMAN presented to her primary care physician with a 6-week history of dyspepsia, abdominal bloating, and midepigastric discomfort, which radiated to her midback and was exacerbated by eating. She reported a 10-lb weight loss over 6 weeks but no nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Physical examination revealed a well-developed healthy-appearing woman. Abdominal examination was significant for a movable, nontender, 8-cm mass in the epigastric region. Laboratory data included normal serum chemistry and hematologic findings. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen demonstrated a well-defined heterogeneously-enhanced solid mass that measured 6.0 × 5.3 × 8.0 cm (Fig 1). The mass was noted to have defined areas of hypo-attenuation thought to represent cystic or necrotic changes. The mass appeared to arise from the pancreatic neck and extended inferiorly to the aortic bifurcation. There was significant mass effect on the surrounding bowel and splenic vein superiorly and on the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) inferiorly. There was no evidence of vascular encasement or invasion, with preservation of the fatty tissue surrounding the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). A visceral arteriogram revealed a normal celiac artery and SMA with retrograde filling of the gastroduodenal artery from the SMA. There was mass impression that caused extrinsic narrowing of the SMV. Large venous collateral gastroepiploic and periportal veins were also noted. At exploratory laparotomy, the mass was noted to arise from below the neck of the pancreas, which was easily dissected from the superior surface of the tumor. Because the tumor was mobilized from all surrounding tissue, it was clearly attached to the left lateral surface of the SMV. After proximal and distal control of the SMV was obtained, a segmental resection of the vein was performed. Reconstruction was accomplished with a saphenous vein-paneled graft. The patient’s postoperative course was uncomplicated. Pathologic examination of the lesion (Fig 2) revealed a 6.5-cm grade 3/3 leiomyosarcoma (>10 mitotic figures/high-power field) with focal necrosis and hemorrhage. A segment of SMV also demonstrated involvement by leiomyosarcoma. Leiomyosarcoma arising from the superior mesenteric vein
Program provides around-the-clock clinical pharmacy services.

The need for clinical pharmacy services does not disappear at night. A few years ago, pharmacy leaders at the University of Tennessee Medical Center began noticing an increase in the number of requests and questions that required clinical expertise and that came from health care professionals
Space-time matrix method for joint angle and frequency estimation

High-resolution parameter estimation techniques have recently been applied to jointly estimate multiple signal parameters. In this paper, we consider the joint angle and frequency estimation (JAFE) problem. We define a novel space-time matrix which includes the information of incident angles and frequencies. The joint angle and frequency estimation method used the defined space-time matrix is named as space-time matrix method. Making using of the proposed method, the frequencies and incident angles can be estimated by the eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors of the defined space-time matrix, respectively. So, the presented method can automatically determined the paring of the estimated angles and frequencies by the relationship between eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Compared with the previous work, the space-time matrix method can provide better performance with substantially reduced computational complexity. The performances of some relevant algorithms are compared via simulations, and the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified.
A population study of alpha-keto acid reductase.

Summary An electrophoretic survey of 509 individuals of Japanese, Mexican American, American Negro, Eskimo, Amerindian and Anglo-American origin failed to reveal genetically determined variation at the alpha-keto acid reductase locus by starch gel electrophoresis. Additional screening of 232 individuals by thin layer isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels detected a single phenotype. Interspecific variation at the alpha-keto acid reductase locus is clearly resolved using either method. These results indicate that the alpha-keto acid reductase locus is monomorphic in most human population groups despite earlier results suggesting the existence of genetic polymorphism.
A new platinum-osmium alkyne complex from the reaction of Pt2Os4(CO)18 with PhC ≡ CPh: The synthesis, characterization, and crystal structure of Pt2Os4(CO)8 (μ3-PhC2Ph)3(μ4-PhC2Ph)

The new platinum-osmium alkyne cluster complex Pt2Os4(CO)8(μ3-PhC2Ph)3 (μ4-PhC2Ph),2, was obtained from the reaction of Pt2Os4(CO)18,1b, with PhC2Ph and was characterized by IR.1H NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The cluster of compound2 consists of an osmium capped Pt2Os3 square pyramid. It aLso contains three triply bridging and one quadruply bridging diphenylacetylene ligands. Crystal data for2: space group PI,a = 12.530(2) A,b = 21.565(4) A,c = 11.284(2) A,α = 100.31(2),β = 111.89(1),β = 76.78(2),Z = 2, 3879 reflections,R = 0.032.
Chemical Knockout of Pantothenate Kinase Reveals the Metabolic and Genetic Program Responsible for Hepatic Coenzyme A Homeostasis

Coenzyme A (CoA) is the major acyl group carrier in intermediary metabolism. Hopantenate (HoPan), a competitive inhibitor of the pantothenate kinases, was used to chemically antagonize CoA biosynthesis. HoPan dramatically reduced liver CoA and mice developed severe hypoglycemia. Insulin was reduced, glucagon and corticosterone were elevated, and fasting accelerated hypoglycemia. Metabolic profiling revealed a large increase in acylcarnitines, illustrating the role of carnitine in buffering acyl groups to maintain the nonesterified CoASH level. HoPan triggered significant changes in hepatic gene expression that substantially increased the thioesterases, which liberate CoASH from acyl-CoA, and increased pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1, which prevents the conversion of CoASH to acetyl-CoA. These results identify the metabolic rearrangements that maintain the CoASH pool which is critical to mitochondrial functions, including gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and the tricarboxylic acid and urea cycles.
DNA organization of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum

The organism Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, an archaebacterium, is envolutionarily very distant from both traditional prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Its genome (DNA) has physical characteristics typical of most prokaryotes except that it is quite small (about 10(9) daltons, less than half the size of the genome of Escherichia coli) and contains a significant amount (6 percent) DNA which renatures extremely rapidly.
Direct measurements of entanglement and permutation symmetry

So-called direct measurements of entanglement are collective measurements on multiple copies of a (bipartite or multipartite) quantum system that directly provide one with a value for some entanglement measure, such as the concurrence for bipartite states. Multiple copies are needed since the entanglement of a mixed state is not a linear function of the density matrix. The procedures proposed and implemented so far make certain assumptions about the states generated. This feature distinguishes direct measurements from standard entanglement verification tests such as Bell inequalities, entanglement witnesses, and quantum-state tomography, which make no such assumptions. I discuss how a direct measurement can be turned into a quantitative entanglement verification test without such assumptions by exploiting a recent theorem by Renner [Nature Phys. 3, 645 (2007)].
The right to nutrition and hydration: a need for vigilance.

Recent public interest in legal cases related to the withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration at the end of life, such as the highly publicized Terri Schiavo case (Quill, 2005), have created a climate in which a potentially life-sustaining intervention, such as gastrostomy tube (G-tube) feeding, might be questioned as futile, and even cruel, when suggested for a person with a severe disability experiencing a health crisis. Lack of understanding exists among some in the health care community and among members of the general public (including some guardians and family members) concerning the distinction between managing medical challenges associated with a chronic disability and providing care at what might be mistakenly perceived to be the end of life (King, 2005). This can have potentially devastating consequences. As suggested by Pugh (2005), the distinction between living with a disability and a terminal illness may be become ‘‘blurred’’ (p. 35), and treatment routinely provided individuals with a disability, such as Gtube feeding, might be denied as futile. The result may be an otherwise preventable death (Turnbull, 2005a).
A reply to watts and blackstock

Abstract Appreciation is expressed to Watts and Blackstock for their analysis of bio-informational theory and emotional imagery. Several questions raised in their paper (this issue, pp. 391–405) are considered here: An effort is made to clarify relevant theoretical statements, the Watts and Blackstock interpretations are analysed, and new experimental results, along with the author's more recent musings, are added to the discussion. The issues addressed include: the relationship between bio-informational theory and the controversy over propositional and iconic models of visual imagery; the place of emotional experience in cognitive science; the function of imagery; the measurement of cognitive events and their significance for emotional behaviour change; the relationship between emotional language and emotional behaviour; the aesthetic problems in imagery and exposure; the role of imagery in psychopathology and psychotherapy.
Which antifungal agent for onychomycosis? A pharmacoeconomic analysis.

The incidence of fungal nail infections is increasing and this is possibly because of several factors: better methods of detection, a growing population of immunocompromised patients who have a greater susceptibility to such infections, the increased use of immunosuppressive drugs, the increasing number of elderly people, worldwide travel, and the use of communal bathing facilities. Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the fingernails and toenails that accounts for about 30% of all superficial fungal infections. It is characterised by nail discoloration, thickening and ultimately destruction of the nail plate. Management of this disease has improved significantly and treatment patterns have dramatically changed in recent years as a result of advances in new treatment options (e.g. oral antifungal agents) and changes in treatment regimens (e.g. pulse therapy). Also, newer drugs for onychomycosis have improved tolerability profiles compared with older agents. The overall costs of treating onychomycosis are substantial, and it has been estimated that direct cost for US Medicare patients with the disease is $US43 million per year (year of costing not available). Pharmacoeconomic studies help in the decision-making process when selecting the most cost-effective antifungal agents to treat onychomycosis. To date there have been a number of national and international economic studies aimed at effectively assessing the efficacy and costs of the treatment options available to cure onychomycosis. The objectives of this paper are to (i) review the published findings regarding the epidemiology of onychomycosis; (ii) summarise the original pharmacoeconomic studies that describe the economic impact of the disease; and (iii) address the impact of the disease on patients’ health-related quality of life.
Embedding domain information in backpropagation

The search space for backpropagation (BP) is usually of high dimensionality which shows convergence. Also, the number of minima abound, and thus the danger to fall in a shallow one is great. In order to limit the search space of BP in a sensible way, we incorporate domain knowledge in the training process. A Two-phase Backpropagation algorithms is presented. In the first phase the direction of the weight vectors of the first (and possibly the only) hidden layer are constrained to remain in the same directions as, for example, the ones of linear discriminants or Principal Components. The directions are chosen based on the problem at hand. Then in the second phase, the constraints are removed and standard Backpropagation algorithm takes over to further minimize the error function. The first phase swiftly situates the weight vectors in a good position (relatively low error) which can serve as the initialization of the standard Backpropagation. Other speed-up techniques can be used in both phases. The generality of its application, its simplicity, and the shorter training time it requires, make this approach attractive.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Use of mycophenolate mofetil in the treatment of paraneoplastic pemphigus.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is a rare autoimmune blistering disease with circulating antibodies that bind the cell surface of the epidermis and other non-stratifying epithelia, and immuno-precipitate a complex of four or five proteins (250 kDa, 230 kDa, 210 kDa, 190 kDa and occasionally 170 kDa). 1,2 Combinations of immunosuppressive agents are usually required to obtain even partial control of the skin lesions. Mucous membrane lesions are refractory to treatment. We describe a patient with PNP whose skin and oral lesions are quiescent following treatment with oral mycophenolate mofetil.
The role of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of patent foramen ovale following aortocoronary bypass graft surgery

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An aptamer-capture based chromogenic assay for thrombin.

Abstract A simple chromogenic assay for human alpha thrombin is developed through aptamer affinity capture and a subsequent enzyme reaction. Thrombin is captured on the aptamer-modified magnetic beads, and catalyzes the conversion of chromogenic substrates to optically measured products. The measurement of the generated products by an absorbance spectrometer allows for the final quantification of thrombin. This assay shows high sensitivity by taking advantage of sample enrichment and enzyme amplification, and exhibits good specificity by involving the selective aptamer binding and the specific enzyme reaction. A concentration detection limit of 40 fM can be reached when the tripeptide substrate of tosyl-Gly-Pro-Arg-p-nitroanilide is used in a 24 h enzyme reaction, and the use of 2 h enzyme reaction in the assay enables the detection of 400 fM thrombin for a rapid analysis. This assay can be applied to detect thrombin in dilute human serum.
Characterisation of two highly oncogenic strains of Marek's disease virus 1 2

Summary The RB‐1B and ALA‐8 strains of Marek's disease (MD) virus, which were isolated from chickens with MD and which had been vaccinated with the herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT), were evaluated for their oncogenic potential in genetically susceptible (P‐line) and resistant (N‐line, PDRC) chickens. RB‐1B and ALA‐8 were both highly oncogenic, causing a high incidence of MD in both susceptible and resistant birds. Vaccination of P‐line birds with SB‐1 or HVT did not protect satisfactorily against RB‐1B. However, a bivalent vaccine consisting of SB‐1 and HVT enhanced protection significantly. HVT alone, and the bivalent vaccine, protected PDRC and N‐line chickens well against RB‐1B, but SB‐1 was less protective in PDRC birds. HVT protected equally well against challenge with ALA‐8 and the standard JM‐10 strain. Differences in the pathogenesis of viral infection could not be detected among ALA‐8, RB‐1B and JM‐10 between 4–7 days post‐infection (d.p.i.). However, after d.p.i. 12 RB‐1B caused significantly higher...
Interpretation and Reason

Developpant une approche interpretative de l'ethique dans le sens de l'oeuvre de M. Walzer, l'A. se propose de repondre a la principale objection qui lui est opposee, a savoir qu'une conception interpretative de l'ethique ne peut resoudre les conflits moraux qui surviennent dans un contexte interculturel, et doit donc etre rejetee comme relativiste, subjectiviste ou irrationaliste. Comparant les deux elements qui constituent la conception de la vie bonne pour une communaute, c'est-a-dire les pratiques institutionnelles et le scheme des valeurs, l'A. refute la connaissance conventionnelle de l'attitude interpretative et propose une reinterpretation de l'autonomie de la communaute