cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in patients receiving therapeutic plasma exchange with a centrifuge-based apheresis system.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) are frequently used antihypertensive medications with additional advantages such as reducing proteinuria and cardiovascular events. ACEi are commonly held at least 24 hours before a therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) to reduce possibility of adverse events (AEs) including adverse drug reactions (ADR). The objective of this study was to determine if ACEi use increases the risk of ADR in patients receiving TPE with a conventional centrifuge-based apheresis system. This is a retrospective chart review study (n = 252; 52% male). Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association of ACEi use and AEs. Of 171 patients who had AE during TPE, only 38 patients were taking ACEi. There was no significant association between ACEi use and AEs after adjustments (odds ratio = 0.885, 95% confidence interval: 0.468, 1.674). Our results suggest that risk of AEs is not higher in patients taking ACEi receiving TPE using a centrifuge-based machine. Randomized controlled prospective trials may be needed to further investigate this matter.
The concoction of cancer, catheter, and intracardiac clot: a case report describing a potential treatment strategy.

Background Patients with cancer often pose a unique challenge to anticoagulation, as they have a higher risk of bleeding and clotting than the general population. Patients with cancer and catheter-related intracardiac thrombus are a very specific subset of people who do not have specific recommendations guiding their treatment. This article aims to address the existing knowledge gaps in this scenario and provide a possible treatment approach for these patients. Case summary We describe the case of a 46-year-old lady with invasive breast cancer, who was on chemotherapy through a central venous catheter and was found to have a right atrial thrombus on routine echocardiography. Due to the paucity of data in this scenario and because the patient requested an oral anticoagulant which did not need frequent monitoring, we started her on apixaban for a total of 3 months. Echocardiogram was repeated at 4 and 8 weeks. In the 8-week echocardiogram, the right atrial thrombus was no longer visualized. Discussion Malignancy and central venous catheters significantly increase the risk of thrombosis. Although low molecular weight heparin is the preferred anticoagulant to manage thrombosis in patients with cancer, direct oral anticoagulants have been proven to be non-inferior. In patients with catheter-related intracardiac thrombus, anticoagulation should be continued for at least 3 months or until the catheter is removed, whichever is longer.
A quantitative analysis of two improvisation assessment instruments

The purpose of this study was to determine how inter-rater reliability scores for iPad improvisations and clarinet improvisations would compare between two different creativity assessment measures—...
Genome-scale data resolves the timing of divergence in Joshua trees.

PREMISE Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana) and their yucca moth pollinators (Tegeticula synthetica and T. antithetica) are a model system for studies of plant-pollinator coevolution and, they are thought to be one of the only cases in which there is compelling evidence for cospeciation driven by coevolution. Previous work attempted to evaluate whether divergence between the plant and their pollinators was contemporaneous. That work concluded that the trees diverged more than 5 million years ago-well before the pollinators. However, clear inferences were hampered by a lack of data from the nuclear genome and low genetic variation in chloroplast genes. As a result, divergence times in the trees could not be confidently estimated. METHODS We present an analysis of whole chloroplast genome sequence data and RADseq data from >5000 loci in the nuclear genome. We developed a molecular clock for the Asparagales and the Agavoideae using multiple fossil calibration points. Using Bayesian inference, we produced new estimates for the age of the genus Yucca and for Joshua trees. We used calculated summary statistics describing genetic variation and used coalescent-based methods to estimate population genetic parameters. RESULTS We find that the Joshua trees are moderately genetically differentiated, but that they diverged quite recently (~100-200 kya), and much more recently than their pollinators. CONCLUSIONS The results argue against the notion that coevolution directly contributed to speciation in this system, suggesting instead that coevolution with pollinators may have reinforced reproductive isolation following initial divergence in allopatry.
Pandemic Hope for Chapter 11 Financing

The pandemic revealed that the increasing complexity of debtor’s capital structure could supply much-needed competition in the Chapter 11 financing market, as other inside lenders increasingly challenge a debtor’s favored inside lenders. After discussing the benefits of this surprising development, the Essay identifies several impediments and offers strategies for removing them.
Observations of CO2 clathrate hydrate formation and dissolution under deep-ocean disposal conditions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the observations and implications for the effective disposal of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ocean. Simply discharging the CO2 at great depths may be insufficient if hydrate coatings form on liquid droplets of CO2. Observations of single droplets indicate that the coating may impede the dissolution and permit the CO2 droplet to rise to unacceptably shallow depths. The possibility of growth of the hydrate shell cannot be ruled out based on the observations of single droplets. If CO2 is not dissolved, then the growth of the hydrate coatings becomes more likely, especially as droplets collide and fresh CO2 is released. Density observations indicate that pure hydrates formed in the first case are negatively buoyant and sink. Problems with plugging in the event of a flow interruption in such systems may be avoided by operating at slightly under saturated conditions with respect to CO2. Observations indicate that these conditions favor the formation of a semi-solid mass rather than a solid hydrate plug.
Synthesis and Characterization of Water Soluble Gold Nanoclusters of Varied Core Size

A series of water soluble gold nanoclusters of variable core size were prepared and characterized. The clusters were synthesized using a ligand substitution reaction between CH3(OCH2CH2)3SH and hexanethiol encapsulated gold nanoclusters, and characterized using NMR, FTIR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy, as well as TGA, DSC, and TEM. Conductivity values were obtained for the clusters and increased as expected along with the gold core size. The substitution reaction used in the synthesis was followed by 1H NMR and found to produce only partial ligand substitution after 24 h, consistent with solubility observations and necessitating use of a two-step preparation scheme.
Toward an Understanding of Authentic Learning: Student Perceptions of an Authentic Classroom

Advocates of educational reform often describe classroom instruction as inauthentic. That is, most classroom learning activities are structured around artificial contexts for learning, and students only engage in tasks and remember information at superficial levels. Some teachers are attempting to break traditional classroom practices by creating authentic contexts for learning. To date, most of the research on authentic classrooms has described the processes teachers have used to develop the classroom environment (learning activities, resources, etc.); however, few have examined authentic classrooms from the students' perspective: “What do students think about authentic classrooms?” The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine a unique learning environment at a large, Midwest high school to understand how students perceived that environment. Most of the students reported a positive experience and described the classroom as fun and exciting with real-world relevance. However, there were several students who did not share these views, and many students were not successful.
Cold air incursions, δ18O variability, and monsoon dynamics associated with snow days at Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru

Quelccaya Ice Cap in the Andes of Peru contains an annually resolved δ18O record covering the past 1800 years; yet atmospheric dynamics associated with snow deposition and δ18O variability at this site are poorly understood. Here we make use of 10 years of snow pit and short core δ18O data and hourly snow-height measurements obtained by an automated weather station deployed at the ice cap's summit to analyze linkages between snowfall, δ18O, and the South American summer monsoon (SASM). Snow accumulation peaks in December and is negative May–September. Snow δ18O values decrease gradually through austral summer from about −17 to −24‰. Surface snow δ18O is altered after deposition during austral winter from about −24 to −15‰. More than 70% of the total snow accumulation is tied to convection along the leading edge of cold air incursions of midlatitude air advected equatorward from southern South America. Snowfall amplitude at Quelccaya Ice Cap varies systematically with regional precipitation, atmospheric dynamics, midtroposphere humidity, and water vapor δD. Strongest snowfall gains correspond with positive precipitation anomalies over the western Amazon Basin, increased humidity, and lowered water vapor δD values, consistent with the “amount effect.” We discuss ventilation of the monsoon, modulated by midlatitude cold air advection, as potentially diagnostic of the relationship between SASM dynamics and Quelccaya snowfall. Results will serve as a basis for development of a comprehensive isotopic forward model to reconstruct past monsoon dynamics using the ice core δ18O record.
Playing texts against each other in the multimodal English classroom

This article explores the way adolescents and adults are experimenting with the multimodal affordances of contemporary intertextual practices. Drawing on a considerable number of recent research studies, we outline how young people and young adults are consistently engaging with the opportunities of the digital environment. We explore the recent history of multimodality, examining how we can help students move from simply using intertextuality for their own enjoyment, to a far more critical and informed position. This critical position, we feel, is especially powerful when students engage in intercontextuality and when they investigate issues of identity through the affordances of multimodal texts. Drawing on the research studies, we offer a number of ways in which English teachers can utilize the potential of their students' capability with the new technologies.
Systematics, phylogeny and historical biogeography of the Pentagonaster clade (Asteroidea: Valvatida: Goniasteridae)

Morphology-based phylogenetic hypotheses developed for living and fossil goniasterid asteroids have provided several unique opportunities to study bathymetric and biogeographic shifts for an ecologically important group of prominent, megafaunal invertebrates. A cladistic analysis of 18 ingroup taxa employing 65 morphological characters resulted in a single most parsimonious tree. The tree supports assignment of the Atlantic Tosia parva (Perrier, 1881) and the Pacific Tosia queenslandensis Livingstone, 1932 to new, separate genera. The phylogenetic tree supports offshore to onshore bathymetric shifts between basal and derived taxa. The phylogeny is also consistent with historical events surrounding the separation of Antarctica from Australia and South Africa. Buterminaster Blake & Zinsmeister, 1988 from the Eocene La Meseta Formation, Antarctic Peninsula, was included in the phylogenetic analysis and is now supported as the only fossil species in the genus Pentagonaster Gray, 1840. Pentagonaster stibarus H. L. Clark, 1914 is separated from synonymy with P. dubeni Gray, 1847 and resurrected as a valid species. The new genus, Akelbaster, gen. nov., shows unusual new structures that resemble cribiform organs, although their function has not been determined. One specific ingroup lineage, including Tosia and Pentagonaster, attains a much larger adult size than those of its sister-taxa, suggesting that Cope’s rule may apply to asteroids within this clade. Pentagonaster and related genera are revised. Descriptions of four new genera and three new species are presented, including: Akelbaster novaecaledoniae, gen. nov., sp. nov., Ryukuaster onnae, gen. nov., sp. nov., Eknomiaster beccae, sp. nov., Pawsonaster parvus, gen. nov., comb. nov. and Anchitosia queenslandensis, gen. nov., comb. nov.
Affirmative Action and Redistributive Ethics

Management faces complex race related issues in which groups arguing entitlement appear to claim benefits historically enjoyed by others. Thus many affirmative action issues provoke animosity because they are framed as zero sum problems. To some extent they are zero sum. Therefore, rationales for corporate policy must address that forthrightly. Up to now the corporate justification has been weak. The article describes a social debt owed interracially resulting from the accumulation of current class benefits from past discrimination, and asserts that affirmative action policies have a firm ethical basis inasmuch as they are affectively redistributing benefits to pay the social debt.
Free insulin-like growth factor (IGF) in disorders of IGF binding protein 3 complex formation.

The concentration of free IGF-I and -II in normal human serum is less than 0.5% of the total concentration of the IGF (1). Despite the fact that this component is critical in the feedback regulation of pituitary GH secretion and is important in the endocrine action of IGF-I on target tissues, its measurement has been little used in clinical practice. This is because the small concentrations of this entity are technically difficult to measure accurately and concentrations are subject to rapid change, depending on the fluctuations of the concentration of IGF binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) in fasting and metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus. For this reason, measurement of total serum IGF-I has been the accepted clinical method of evaluating IGF-I activity in patients. About 80% of what is being measured is IGF-I that is bound to the ternary complexes of IGF-I-IGFBP3-acid labile subunit (ALS) (2) and to a lesser extent to the ternary complex of IGF-IGFBP5-ALS. The remainder is in loose binary association with IGFBP1, -2, and -4. Measurement of serum IGFBP3 as an index of GH action, therefore, is a surrogate measure of the total IGF-I and IGF-II in serum. However, in conditions when the formation of the IGFBP3 ternary complex is impaired, total serum IGF no longer reflects free IGF. Two different examples by which this might occur are considered.
Comparative fatigue strengths and stabilities of metacarpal internal fixation techniques

To study quantitative differences in the fatigue strength and stability obtained with 5 types of internal fixation of metacarpal fractures, 105 preserved human metacarpals were cyclically tested in bending, torsion, and axial loading after oblique osteotomies of the metacarpal and internal fixation. The dorsal plate with lag screw was superior in all modes, followed by the two dorsal lag screws, crossed Kirschner wire tension banding, and intramedullary Kirschner wire fixation. The five intramedullary and the paired intramedullary Kirschner wire fixations were not statistically different. The fatigue life of the plate fixation was significantly larger in bending (1.5 times), torsion (1.6 times), and axial loading (2.5 times) than the second strongest fixation, two dorsal lag screws. Its initial rigidity was significantly higher in axial loading (1.5 times) but was not statistically different in bending and torsion.
Spectrum of Shoulder Injuries in Skeletally Immature Patients

This article evaluates the spectrum of epidemiology and treatment of children presenting with shoulder pain. These injuries are discussed to further understand the mechanism of injury, the variation of these injuries with age, treatment options, and outcomes and complications that may arise. A retrospective clinical review was performed to compliment the findings of the literature review.
SIR2 Is Required for Polycomb Silencing and Is Associated with an E(Z) Histone Methyltransferase Complex

Abstract Background: SIR2 was originally identified in S. cerevisiae for its role in epigenetic silencing through the creation of specialized chromatin domains. It is the most evolutionarily conserved protein deacetylase, with homologs in all kingdoms. SIR2 orthologs in multicellular eukaryotes have been implicated in lifespan determination and regulation of the activities of transcription factors and other proteins. Although SIR2 has not been widely implicated in epigenetic silencing outside yeast, Drosophila SIR2 mutations were recently shown to perturb position effect variegation, suggesting that the role of SIR2 in epigenetic silencing may not be restricted to yeast. Results: Evidence is presented that Drosophila SIR2 is also involved in epigenetic silencing by the Polycomb group proteins. Sir2 mutations enhance the phenotypes of Polycomb group mutants and disrupt silencing of a mini- white reporter transgene mediated by a Polycomb response element. Consistent with this, SIR2 is physically associated with components of an E(Z) histone methyltransferase complex. SIR2 binds to many euchromatic sites on polytene chromosomes and colocalizes with E(Z) at most sites. Conclusions: SIR2 is involved in the epigenetic inheritance of silent chromatin states mediated by the Drosophila Polycomb group proteins and is physically associated with a complex containing the E(Z) histone methyltransferase.
Forcing of the Arctic Oscillation by Eurasian Snow Cover

AbstractThroughout much of the latter half of the twentieth century, the dominant mode of Northern Hemisphere (NH) extratropical wintertime circulation variability—the Arctic Oscillation (AO)—exhibited a positive trend, with decreasing high-latitude sea level pressure (SLP) and increasing midlatitude SLP. General circulation models (GCMs) show that this trend is related to several factors, including North Atlantic SSTs, greenhouse gas/ozone-induced stratospheric cooling, and warming of the Indo-Pacific warm pool. Over the last approximately two decades, however, the AO has been decreasing, with 2009/10 featuring the most negative AO since 1900. Observational and idealized modeling studies suggest that snow cover, particularly over Eurasia, may be important. An observed snow–AO mechanism also exists, involving the vertical propagation of a Rossby wave train into the stratosphere, which induces a negative AO response that couples to the troposphere. Similar to other GCMs, the authors show that transient sim...
Enhanced ionization of diatomic molecules in strong laser fields: A classical model

A classical model is developed to study molecular ionization in strong laser fields. The model is compared with a one-dimensional quantum-mechanical model for the case of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{\mathrm{}+}$. The intensity threshold for ionization of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{\mathrm{}+}$ is studied as a function of laser polarization, wavelength, pulse duration, and internuclear separation. A range of internuclear separations is found where the ionization rate is enhanced over that at the equilibrium separation, in agreement with the quantum-mechanical model. The classical model is then extended to multielectron diatomic molecules. A regime is found where simultaneous two-electron ionization occurs. An intensity range is suggested for looking for enhanced ionization effects in dissociating diatomic molecules. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Testing and modeling the influence of reclamation and control methods for reducing nonpoint mercury emissions associated with industrial open pit gold mines.

Industrial gold mining is a significant source of mercury (Hg) emission to the atmosphere. To investigate ways to reduce these emissions, reclamation and dust and mercury control methods used at open pit gold mining operations in Nevada were studied in a laboratory setting. Using this information along with field data, and building off previous work, total annual Hg emissions were estimated for two active gold mines in northern Nevada. Results showed that capping mining waste materials with a low-Hg substrate can reduce Hg emissions from 50 to nearly 100%. The spraying of typical dust control solutions often results in higher Hg emissions, especially as materials dry after application. The concentrated application of a dithiocarbamate Hg control reagent appears to reduce Hg emissions, but further testing mimicking the actual distribution of this chemical within an active leach solution is needed to make a more definitive assessment. Implications: Laboratory and field measurements of mercury flux from mate...
Intra‐pair Cooperation, Fledgling Care, and Renesting by Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos)

Male and female northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) cooperated in dividing labor between care of fledglings and renesting. This study during two breeding seasons demonstrated a temporal division of labor in this multi-brooded passerine. Both parents fed newly fledged young. One to four days after young fledged, males reduced feeding rates and began nest-building. Males delayed initiation of nest construction in proportion to the number of fledglings present. During nest-building, females provided more food to fledglings. Mates then switched roles. Females finished building nests, laid the next clutches, and began incubation; males fed fledglings until they were independent. Within pairs, males fed fledglings more than did females in one of two years. Both sexes defended fledglings against potential predators, although males provided stronger and more frequent defense. This is the first detailed description of a monogamous passerine that clearly demonstrates lack of brood division while renesting. Division of broods is largely precluded by the temporal division of labor, a behavioral mechanism increasing the probability of renesting. Attempts at renesting, in turn, are favored by a high level of nest predation in this population.
Ecology Age: Implications for the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

The Earth Summit, held in June 1992, focused international attention on the state of the environment. Critical environmental threats that affect the hospitality and tourism industry include solid waste, water quality and availability, energy, and air pollution. An overview of each of these and initiatives to address them are discussed. The purposes of this article are to stimulate dialogue among hospitality profession als, to emphasize the need for research and training in the industry, and to encourage education programs regarding environmental threats.
One Minute for Prevention The Power of Leveraging to Fulfill the Promise of Health Behavior Counseling

In the lay community, healthy behaviors have been mom-and-apple-pie issues for generations. Based on common sense and experience, mothers and grandmothers taught us to eat right, go outside to play, avoid tobacco and alcohol, and pay attention to safety. But healthcare professionals have been skeptical for decades whether counseling patients about healthy lifestyles is worth their time. Many have questioned the very premise that it is part of their job. Physicians are trained, after all, to hear murmurs and read x-rays, not to answer questions about the healthiest cooking oil or the best workout regimen at the gym. Busy clinicians often lack the time, skills, and resources for such counseling, and even the most enthusiastic advocates of a healthy lifestyle recognize the enormous difficulties patients face in adopting new habits and maintaining them long enough to achieve meaningful health benefits. In addition, insurance companies tend not to reimburse clinicians for time spent talking to patients. The argument that patients benefit little from such efforts was challenged in 1989 by the first report of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The report made headlines 1 by concluding that health behavior counseling is more likely to save lives and improve health than what doctors normally do for preventive care: performing physical examinations and administering screening tests. “The data suggest that among the most effective interventions available to clinicians for reducing the incidence and severity of the leading causes of disease and disability in the United States are those that address the personal health practices of patients.” 2 A few years later, McGinnis and Foege 3 published a
Belair fault zone: Evidence of Tertiary fault displacement in eastern Georgia

The Belair fault zone is a series of northeast-trending oblique-slip reverse faults that cut the inner margin of the Coastal Plain near Augusta, Georgia, in juxtaposition with Coastal Plain sediments and crystalline rocks. The fault zone is composed of at least eight en echelon faults and has been mapped for more than 24 km (15 mi). Geologic mapping and drilling indicate that the fault zone has had as much as 30 m (100 ft) of apparent vertical offset since the deposition of the Late Cretaceous to middle Tertiary Coastal Plain sedimentary rocks, and ∼ 23 km (14 mi) of apparent left-lateral offset since the metamorphism of the Paleozoic crystalline rocks. The configuration of the inner margin of the Coastal Plain northeast of Augusta suggests that the Belair fault zone is much longer than presently mapped and that Coastal Plain rocks were possibly involved in the transcurrent displacement.
Malignant pleomorphic adenoma with metastasis

Abstract In the case just presented it is interesting to note the persistent recurrence of the lesion, not only in the original tumor site but also in distant tissues.
Thermal conductance at solid interfaces: an application of the Fenech-Rohsenow model

Abstract An analysis of the thermal conductance of 240 pairs of uranium dioxide-Zircaloy-4 contact is presented. The analysis uses the Fenech-Rohsenow (F-R) model and the surface profiles obtained from mass-produced UO 2 pellets and Zircaloy cladding used in nuclear reactor fuel assemblies. For no contact pressure the differences in surface finish and the relative position of the surfaces in contact give a wide range of thermal contact conductance from 1.14 to 3.60 W cm −2 °C −1 in a helium environment. The contact conductance is insensitive to contact pressure up to 0.7 MPa apparent pressure. The values of the thermal conductance increase rapidly beyond that pressure due to the plastic flow of the Zircaloy-4 surface asperities. Values of thermal contact conductance evaluated with the Ross and Stoute (R-S) correlation are higher than those obtained with the F-R correlation. This difference is attributed to the use of average fluid thickness in the R-S correlation.
A Runge-Kutta Nystrom algorithm.

A Runge-Kutta algorithm of order five is presented for the solution of the initial value problem where the system of ordinary differential equations is of second order and does not contain the first derivative. The algorithm includes the Fehlberg step control procedure.
Form factors for the semileptonic decayB → πℓν

Abstract Previously published determinations forB → πlν form factors are fit using a parameterization proposed by Becirevic and Kaidalov which incorporates physical constraints on the form factors. We check the consistency of the extrapolation topπ = 0 by testing phenomenological expectations in the combined chiral and heavy quark limits. We then examine how well current lattice results constrain the form factors in extrapolations to the maximum pion recoil limit.
Bivariate current status data with univariate monitoring times

SUMMARY For bivariate current status data with univariate monitoring times, the identifiable part of the joint distribution is three univariate cumulative distribution functions, namely the two marginal distributions and the bivariate cumulative distribution function evaluated on the diagonal. We show that smooth functionals of these univariate cumulative distribution functions can be efficiently estimated with easily computed nonparametric maximum likelihood estimators based on reduced data consisting of univariate current status observations. This theory is then applied to functionals that address independence of the two survival times and the goodness-of-fit of a copula model used by Wang & Ding (2000). Some brief simulations are provided along with an illustration based on data on HIV transmission. Extension of the ideas to incorporate covariates, possibly time-dependent, are discussed.
The Possibility of a Housing Authority Elite Negotiations and the Establishment of an Urban Renewal Relocation Plan in Fargo, North Dakota

This study uses urban regime theory to understand the events surrounding Fargo urban renewal during the 1950s. Specifically, it focuses upon the struggle between realtors, banking officers, government officials, and other local actors, as they established a plan for relocating Fargo residents displaced by urban renewal. With a downtown Civic Center as their ultimate goal, coalition partners set aside their differences and produced an unprecedented plan: to avoid any reliance on public housing, relocation would be handled via the private sector, specifically the Fargo Board of Realtors. The study demonstrates that this relocation plan and its subsequent revisions reflected the interests of the individual regime members.
Solution interactions between the uranyl cation [UO22+] and histidine, N-acetyl-histidine, tyrosine, and N-acetyl-tyrosine

Abstract Complexes of the uranyl cation [ UO 2 2 + ] with histidine (His), N-acetyl-histidine (NAH), tyrosine (Tyr), and N-acetyl-tyrosine (NAT) were studied by UV–visible and NMR spectroscopy, and by potentiometric titration. Protonation constants for each ligand are reported, as are cumulative formation constants for uranyl–amino acid complexes. Coupling constant data (JCH) for uranyl–histidine complexes indicate that inner-sphere solution interactions between histidine and uranyl cation are solely at the carboxylate site. At 25 °C the major uranyl–histidine complex has a cumulative formation constant of log β110 = 8.53, and a proposed formula of [UO2HisH2(OH)2]+; the stepwise formation constant, log KUL, is estimated to be ⩽5.6 (≈8.53 − (−6.1) − (−6.1) − 15.15). Outer-sphere interactions, H-bonding or electrostatic interactions, are proposed as contributing a significant portion of the stability to the ternary uranyl–hydroxo-amino acid complexes. The temperature dependent protonation constants of histidine and formation constants between uranyl cation and histidine are reported from 10 to 35 °C; at 25 °C, ΔG = −43.3 kJ/mol.
Content-based image retrieval as a computer aid for the detection of mammographic masses

The purpose of the study was to develop and evaluate a content-based image retrieval (CBIR) approach as a computer aid for the detection of masses in screening mammograms. The study was based on the Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM). Initially, a knowledge database of 1,009 mammographic regions was created. They were all 512x512 pixel ROIs with known pathology. Specifically, there were 340 ROIs depicting a biopsy-proven malignant mass, 341 ROIs with a benign mass, and the remaining 328 ROIs were normal. Subsequently, the CBIR algorithm was implemented using mutual information (MI) as the similarity metric for image retrieval. The CBIR algorithm formed the basis of a knowledge-based CAD system. The system operated as follows. Given a databank of mammographic regions with known pathology, a query suspicious mammographic region was evaluated. Based on their information content, all similar cases in the databank were retrieved. The matches were rank-ordered and a decision index was calculated using the query's best matches. Based on a leave-one out sampling scheme, the CBIR-CAD system achieved an ROC area index A z = 0.87±0.01 and a partial ROC area index 0.90 A z = 0.45±0.03 for the detection of masses in screening mammograms.
Effects of calcium ionophores on the transport and distribution of calcium in isolated cells and in liver and kidney slices.

The effects of calcium ionophores on cellular calcium metabolism were studied in cultured kidney cells, in cells freshly isolated from rat kidney, and in liver and kidney slices. In isolated cells, these ionophores decreased the total cellular Ca content and the mitochondrial Ca.45Ca efflux from prelabelled cells was also stimulated even in the absence of extracellular Ca. In slices, the ionophore A23187 increased the total slice Ca and the uptake of45Ca. However, the mitochondria isolated from these slices treated with the ionophore had a lower total Ca and a depressed relative radioactivity. These results suggest that the increased cytosolic Ca produced by Ca ionophores may be due to mobilization of intracellular Ca stores rather than to a net shift of Ca from the extracellular fluids to the cell.
Discovering logic through comics

This paper describes a new experimental course introduced in the Spring of 2010 at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. Discovering Logic is an introduction to logic for Computer Science majors in their freshman year. It targets students who have had little or no exposure to logic and has the primary objective of 1) preparing them for sophomore classes which require proficiency with understanding formal statements expressed in English, elementary reasoning skills, and a sense of mathematical rigor. The course is structured as to achieve two additional objectives: 2) develop the students' communication skills, and 3) give them some historical depth into Computer Science and logic. This led to a somewhat unconventional approach that used a comic book, Logicomix, as the course textbook and that empowered the students to be active agents in the learning process through presentations and numerous open discussions. Preliminary analysis hints at an improved performance in follow-up courses, indicating that it may be achieving its primary objective.
CD5-positive, cyclinD1-negative mantle cell lymphoma with a translocation involving the CCND2 gene and the IGL locus

Distinguishing mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), from low-grade B-cell lymphoma is important because MCL is clinically more aggressive and is treated differently. Though most MCL overexpress cyclinD1 (CCND1) and have a t(11;14)(q13;q32), MCL that are negative for CCND1 exist. Some have translocations involving cyclinD2 (CCND2) and either the immunoglobulin heavy chain or kappa light chain locus. We present a CD5-positive, CCND1-negative B-cell lymphoma with a novel translocation involving CCND2 and the immunoglobulin lambda (IGL) gene. A 64-year-old male underwent resection of a polypoid mass of the ileum. Histology showed atypical, medium-sized lymphoid cells positive for CD20, CD5, CD43, and CCND2 by immunohistochemistry, and negative for CCND1, CCND3, and p27. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was negative for CCND1 abnormalities, but demonstrated a CCND2/IGL fusion. Clinical workup revealed stage IV disease. Current diagnostic criteria are insufficient for subclassifying this case, highlighting the need for additional studies on CCND2-translocated B-cell lymphomas to guide therapy appropriately.
Benefits, Harms, and Motives in Clinical Research

In recent years, the Report has hosted a lively scholarly conversation about moral justification and informed decision-making in clinical research, including exposition of the moral norms of research, reexaminations of voluntariness and paternalism in research decision-making, and comparisons of equipoise and nonexploitation. Lynn Jansen's article in this issue adds a thorough, thoughtful exploration of altruism in patient-subjects. She closely examines the nature and implications of altruistic motivation, primary and subsidiary altruism, and the relative strength of subsidiary motives. Recognizing that consistent, accurate assessment of research subjects' motivations poses a big challenge to implementing a "motive test," Jansen nonetheless reasonably argues that identifying altruistic motivations can assist in assessing subjects' understanding, particularly by helping to determine whether patient-subjects are affected by therapeutic misconception. Two of Jansen's arguments are especially noteworthy. One is her important and well-articulated but admittedly unfinished claim that restricting studies in which subjects are permitted to participate to those with an acceptable harm/benefit balance (or risk/potential benefit balance, if you prefer) is not paternalism, but is legitimately grounded in researchers' obligations not to exploit subjects. This argument is critical to the relationship between design and ethics in clinical research, yet it is often reduced to protection versus autonomy for subjects. Though I would put it in somewhat different terms, I wholeheartedly endorse her central tenet: that the researcher has independent obligations, based on the moral norms of science, to offer participation only in trials with appropriate harm/benefit balances. Of course, this begs other big questions: What is "appropriate," how is that determined, and how great a role should be played by nonscientific factors like the social and cultural context of research decision-making? There is little agreement about what is an acceptable harm/benefit balance in the first place, let alone how that balance might be altered when a patient-subject says, with full understanding, "I'll take that risk"--whether the motivation is altruism or a realistically faint hope of direct benefit. This area of inquiry greatly merits further attention. Interestingly, the argument I like best is directly linked to the one I like least: Jansen's "central claim" that altruism (if it could reliably be tested for) might justify participation in riskier research than would otherwise be acceptable. …
Ritual, reflection, and religion: the Devas of Banaras

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Banaras became a site of significant social and intellectual contestation whose outcomes exerted their influence well into Indian modernity. Recent scholarship has demonstrated that Mīmāṃsā and Advaita Vedānta were favoured by that city’s intellectual elite, many of whom emigrated from the Deccan and South India. However, much work needs to be done to contextualize this claim within the social and intellectual history of both traditions. This paper concentrates on a particular problematic: the relationship between popular religious movements and the rarefied air of scholarly pedagogy. What sort of challenge did the public expression of personal devotion pose to early modern Sanskrit intellectuals? How did the growth of theistic traditions influence intellectual writing across Sanskrit knowledge-systems? More particularly, what space might bhakti have found among the intellectuals of Banaras, jostling for attention with well-established disciplines expounding...
Advances in bioelectromagnetics for implantable systems

Implantable medical devices are used to supplement, monitor, or replace physiological function for a variety of medical conditions. In this article we highlight a set of topics that we believe could eventually be instrumental in bringing the next generation of implantable devices to existence. These include multi-scale numerical modeling and simulation, magnetic neural interfaces, high-performance telemetry, and the use and application of flexible antennas.
Learning set with intra-problem stimulus variation.

Thirty-six discrimination problems of a new type were presented to teen-age human Ss. Each problem contained four trials, and each trial involved a choice between a constant and varied stimulus. The constant stimulus appeared on all trials within a problem The varied stimulus was different on every trial. There were six experimental groups, representing orthogonal combination of a three-treatment reinforcement variable and a two-treatment response vs nonresponse variable. The reinforcement variable involved the following treatments, listed in ascending order of difficulty: constant stimulus correct on all problems, varied stimulus correct on all problems, constant and varied stimuli correct alternately over problems. The response vs nonresponse variable was applied only to Trial 1, and its effects were evaluated on later trials, which showed that the nonresponse treatment was more difficult.
The Cultural Dimension of Social Movements: A Theoretical Reassessment and Literature Review*

L'A. examine les differentes approches des mouvements culturels. Il porte plus particulierement son attention sur deux ouvrages : celui de R. Fantasia « Cultures of solidarity » qui constitue un effort pour reelaborer la theorie de la mobilisation des ressources ainsi que sur le livre de F. D. Ginsburg « Contested lives ». Les perspectives defendues dans ces ouvrages offrent une analyse des pratiques, des contextes d'interaction et d'elaboration de la culture. Il regrette toutefois une conception de la culture inspiree par la psychologie sociale. Il estime que leur vision de la culture est par trop volontariste, qu'elle mesestime le role des codes culturels preexistants et neglige le role de la religion dans le cadre de la culture politique americaine
Comparison of the Effects of Propylthiouracil and Sulfadiazine on Thyroidal Biosynthesis and the Manner in Which They Are Influenced by Supplemental Iodide1

Sulfadiazine (SD) and propylthiouracil (PTU) were administered to rats parenterally or in the diet for varying periods of time and over a wide dosage range. The effects of these drugs on thyroid weight and biosynthetic processes were compared. Both were qualitatively similar in their antithyroid activity. Coupling of iodinated tyrosines to form iodothyronines was most readily inhibited, then iodination of monoiodotyrosine, while iodination of tyrosine was much more resistant to inhibition. Supplementary iodide decreased the goiter produced by PTU but not that produced by SD. Iodide did not alter the effect of PTU on thyroidal biosynthesis but increased that of SD at least 1,000-fold. A marked potentiation of the inhibitory effect of SD was produced by as little as 10 ng KI daily, while a complete inhibition of all organic binding of iodine was produced with SD plus 100 jug KI daily. Iodide maximally potentiated the inhibitory effect of SD within 24 hours. No definite inhibition of thyroidal biosynthesis w...
MEMS Optical Force Sensor Enhancement Via Compliant Mechanism

Although there are capacitive surface micromachined force sensors with adequate resolution for cell manipulation and microneedle injections, it comes with the sacrifice of dynamic range and linearity. In contrast, optical based force sensors can provide the desired resolution and maintain relatively large sensing ranges compared to similar capacitive sensors. Plus, optical interferometry provides a sensing method that uncouples the conflicting design parameters, such as sensitivity and linearity. The current drawback to optical interferometry is the large off-chip equipment that is currently used in the operation of optical sensors. However, innovative techniques are being applied to surface micromachined microphones that allow off-chip components to be integrated onto the sensing chip. These same techniques can easily translate to the force sensor presented in this research, due to the similarities in the sensing methods. The thrust of this work is to explore a mechanism approach for enhancing the performance of a surface micromachined optical force sensor. A new design is presented which introduces a special mechanism, known as the Robert’s mechanism, as an alternate means in which the device is structurally supported. The new design’s implementation is achievable using an equivalent compliant mechanism. Initially, an analytical set of pseudo-rigid-body-model equations were developed to model the compliant design. A more accurate model was then constructed using FEA methods. The geometric parameters of the compliant Robert’s mechanism were then optimized to obtain a sensor with improved linearity and sensitivity. Overall, the force sensor provides higher sensitivity, larger dynamic range and higher linearity compared to a similar optical force sensor that uses a simple structural supporting scheme. In summary, this paper demonstrates the effectiveness of using a mechanism approach for enhancing the performance of MEMS sensors. The expected impact is to improve biomedical experiments and help further advance research that can improve quality of life.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Heparin Pharmacokinetics: Increased Requirements in Pulmonary Embolism

Heparin disappearance after injection and plasma levels during continuous infusion were studied in normal subjects and patients with thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism, renal failure, and liver failure. Heparin removal in normal subjects after 75 u/kg was nearly linear with a clearance of 0.64 ml/min/kg, SD +/- 0.11. Clearance varied inversely with dose. Heparin clearance in pulmonary embolism (0.80 ml/min/kg +/- 0.23) was significantly accelerated compared both to normals (P less than 0.005) and to thrombophlebitis patients (0.55 ml/min/kg +/- 0.19, P less than 0.01); the disappearance was more curvilinear in thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism than in normal subjects (P less than 0.025). Continuous infusion heparin requirements were greater in pulmonary embolism than in thrombophlebitis, in accordance with pharmacokinetic predictions. The pattern and rate of disappearance in renal disease was similar to normal subjects; in liver disease clearance was accelerated (0.86 ml/min/kg +/- 0.28) and disappearance curvilinear. Because of accelerated clearance, the initial dose of heparin in pulmonary embolism should be greater (25 u/kg/h) than in thrombophlebitis (10-15 u/kg/h). Variability within patient groups necessitates some laboratory control of dosage.
Event-related potential (ERP) correlates of memory blocking and priming during a word fragment test.

Exposure to orthographically similar words impairs the ability to complete word fragments (e.g., Smith and Tindell, 1997), providing evidence that retrieval has been blocked (the Memory Block Effect or MBE). Two studies measured event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the neural correlates of priming and blocking. The behavioral data in both experiments revealed that exposure to blocking words decreased fragment completions, increased intrusions (i.e., attempts to complete fragments using a blocking word), and slowed response times relative to control fragments. The ERPs in Experiment 1 indicate that priming and blocking begin during the early stages of lexical processing because lexical-related ERP amplitudes (N200) were larger than the control condition. A negative, frontal ERP emerged approximately 500 ms after fragment onset and was attenuated for blocking and primed fragments, which suggests that it reflects executive processes that govern solving fragments. Experiment 2 replicated these effects and revealed that both N200 and the late, negative ERP amplitudes varied according to whether or not the fragments were completed, which indicates that these ERPs reflect lexical activation and blocking processes. Collectively, the data suggest that blocking and priming begin to influence word fragment completion during early lexical processing and blocking impedes a normal memory search.