cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations of snoring frequency and intensity in pregnancy with time-to-delivery.

Background Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, little is known about the association of SDB with timing of delivery. We examined the association of snoring frequency, a key SDB marker, and snoring intensity, a correlate of SDB severity, with time-to-delivery among a cohort of pregnant women. Methods In this prospective cohort study, 1483 third trimester pregnant women were recruited from the University of Michigan prenatal clinics. Women completed a questionnaire about their sleep, and demographic and pregnancy information was abstracted from medical charts. After exclusion of those with hypertension or diabetes, 954 women were classified into two groups by their snoring onset timing, chronic or pregnancy-onset. Within each of these groups, women were divided into four groups based on their snoring frequency and intensity: non-snorers; infrequent-quiet; frequent-quiet; or frequent-loud snorers. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to investigate the association between snoring frequency and intensity and time-to-delivery, adjusting for maternal characteristics. Results Chronic snoring was reported by half of the pregnant women, and of those, 7% were frequent-loud snorers. Deliveries before 38 weeks' gestation are completed occurred among 25% of women with chronic, frequent-loud snoring. Compared with pre-pregnancy non-snorers, women with chronic frequent-loud snoring had an increased hazard ratio for delivery (adjusted hazard ratio 1.60, 95% confidence interval 1.04, 2.45). Conclusions Snoring frequency and intensity is associated with time-to-delivery in women absent of hypertension or diabetes. Frequent-loud snoring may have a clinical utility to identify otherwise low-risk women who are likely to deliver earlier.
Mechanism of Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Transition Metal–Nitrogen–Carbon Catalysts: Establishing the Role of Nitrogen-containing Active Sites

Using molecular probes that have unique spectral signatures and have strong selective binding to the potential active sites allows elucidating the mechanism of different reactions. The mechanism of oxygen reduction reaction in metal–nitrogen–carbon (MNC) catalysts has been studied by using a bisphosphonate complexing agent, which improves the selectivity of ORR by blocking the protonated and hydrogenated nitrogen that are catalyzing the partial reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. A combination of theoretical, electrochemical and spectroscopic with focus on near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to directly probe the competition between binding of oxygen and molecular probe to the surface of MNC catalyst and to identify the role of different types of nitrogen in the mechanism of ORR.
THE TYPOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF SPARTAN BURIALS FROM THE PROTOGEOMETRIC TO THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD: RETHINKING SPARTAN EXCEPTIONALISM AND THE OSTENSIBLE CESSATION OF ADULT INTRAMURAL BURIALS IN THE GREEK WORLD

This article makes use of recently published graves to offer the first synthetic analysis of the typology and topography of Spartan burials that is founded on archaeological evidence. Our knowledge of Spartan burial practices has long been based almost entirely on textual sources – excavations conducted in Sparta between 1906 and 1994 uncovered fewer than 20 pre-Roman graves. The absence of pre-Roman cemeteries led scholars to conclude that, as long as the Lycurgan customs were in effect, all burials in Sparta were intracommunal and that few tombs had been found because they had been destroyed by later building activity. Burial practices have, as a result, been seen as one of many ways in which Sparta was an outlier. The aforementioned recently published graves offer a different picture of Spartan burial practices. It is now clear that there was at least one extracommunal cemetery in the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods. What would normally be described as extramural burials did, therefore, take place, but intracommunal burials of adults continued to be made in Sparta throughout the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods. Those burials were concentrated along important roads and on the slopes of hills. The emergent understanding of Spartan burial practices takes on added significance when placed in a wider context. Burial practices in Sparta align closely with those found in Argos and Corinth. Indeed, burial practices in Sparta, rather than being exceptional, are notably similar to those of its most important Peloponnesian neighbours; a key issue is that in all three poleis intracommunal burials continued to take place through the Hellenistic period. The finding that adults were buried both extracommunally and intracommunally in Sparta, Argos and Corinth after the Geometric period calls into question the standard narrative of the development of Greek burial practices in the post-Mycenaean period.
Event-Based Adaptive Power Control in Vehicular Networked Systems With State-Dependent Bursty Fading Channels

This brief considers both safety and efficiency issues for vehicular networked systems (VNSs) where vehicles exchange information over vehicle to vehicle (V2V) wireless communication channels. One of the challenges to ensure system safety and efficiency lies in unreliable V2V fading channel conditions, which stochastically change as a function of the vehicle states and are subject to severe data rate drops. By adopting a bursty state-dependent fading model , this brief presents a novel event-based adaptive power control scheme. Under this scheme, the VNS assures efficient use of communication resources while preserving almost sure asymptotic stability . The benefits of the proposed scheme over other power policies are shown in a leader–follower formation control example.
District-Led School Turnaround: A Case Study Of One U.S. District’s Turnaround Launch For Multiple Schools

In the last 20 years, the United States has spent billions of dollars on policies and programs to turn around, or rapidly improve, its lowest-performing schools. Little consideration has been given...
Maternal Obesity/Diabetes, Plasma Branched‐Chain Amino Acids, and Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk in Urban Low‐Income Children: Evidence of Sex Difference

Maternal metabolic conditions are known risk factors for child autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are also associated with ASD. We examined the joint associations of maternal metabolic conditions and BCAAs on the risk of child ASD and whether the associations differed by child's sex. We analyzed 789 mother-infant pairs, a subset of the Boston Birth Cohort, from a predominantly urban, low-income, minority population. Maternal plasma BCAAs were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in samples collected 24-72 hr postpartum. A composite BCAA score was created using factor analysis, and prepregnancy obesity and diabetes (ob/DM) were combined into one variable. Logistic regression was used to explore the role of BCAAs as mediators or cofactors with ob/DM and child's sex on ASD risk. BCAA-ob/DM and BCAA-sex interactions were also examined. Maternal BCAAs alone were not associated with ASD and did not mediate the path between ob/DM and ASD. In the presence of maternal ob/DM, BCAA score was significantly associated with ASD (adjusted OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.18, 4.60). Interactions were present for valine with ob/DM and for valine and isoleucine with male sex on ASD risk. The odds ratio (OR) for risk of ASD was the greatest with all three risk factors combined-male sex, above median BCAA score, and ob/DM (OR 10.79, 95% CI 4.40, 26.42). Similar patterns were found for other developmental disorders, though not as strong as for ASD. Additional studies are warranted to clarify the role of maternal BCAAs, ob/DM, and child's sex in ASD. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1562-1573. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: This study investigated whether maternal obesity/diabetes and maternal circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can jointly affect child ASD risk and whether the associations differ by child's sex. We found that the risk of ASD was greater among mothers with obesity/diabetes who also had elevated concentrations of BCAAs and that this risk was even greater for male children. These findings provide new evidence on fetal origins of ASD and sex difference and warrant additional investigation.
Change in Visual Perceptual Detection Distances for Low Vision Travelers as a Result of Dynamic Visual Assessment and Training.

This study evaluated the ability of a dynamic visual assessment and training protocol to improve the ability of 65 persons who were legally blind to detect environmental hazards. Training improved ...
Comparison of Toxicity between Propylene Glycol (PG)-Free Melphalan with PG-Melphalan for Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (AHCT) in Patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM)

Introduction High-dose melphalan (Mel) conditioning before AHCT has been standard in MM. The lyophilized Mel formulation has inadequate solubility and stability after reconstitution, and propylene glycol (PG) which is used to improve solubility, is associated with toxicity. A PG-free Mel preparation, Evomela, uses captisol as a solubilizing agent and in a phase IIb study showed acceptable safety profile, comparable efficacy and was FDA approved as a conditioning regimen for AHCT. There is limited evidence directly comparing toxicity and outcomes between the two Mel formulations used as conditioning for AHCT in MM. Objective Compare early post-AHCT toxicity and outcomes in MM patients receiving conditioning with PG-Mel vs. PG-free Mel. Methods This is a single-center retrospective study analyzing outcomes in a cohort of consecutive MM patients receiving AHCT using Mel conditioning between 01/2015 and 01/2018. Our center switched from using PG-Mel to PG-free Mel in 11/2016. The cohort was divided into 2 groups based on Mel formulation (PG-Mel vs. PG-free Mel); patients enrolled immediately prior to this date and immediately after formed 2 groups. The primary endpoint was toxicities in 30 days of AHCT. Secondary endpoints included engraftment, early infections, day 100 responses and mortality. Covariate balancing weights were computed using inverse propensity scores based on age, KPS, ISS, HCT-CI, cytogenetic risk, lines of therapy pre-AHCT and Mel dose. Weighted analysis was performed to estimate the average treatment effect of PG-Mel vs. PG-free Mel on outcomes. Results Of 294 AHCT patients, 162 received PG-Mel and 132 received PG-free Mel conditioning. PG-free Mel patients were older and had lower KPS (Figure 1). In univariate analysis, PG-free Mel was associated with faster neutrophil recovery (12 vs. 13 days, p Conclusion Preliminary analysis suggests PG-free Mel conditioning allows modest improvement in time to engraftment and risk of severe infections, compared to PG-Mel. Organ toxicity profile and 100-day mortality are comparable.
Human Services Providers’ Perspectives on Refugee Resettlement in the United States before and after the 2016 Presidential Election

The United States has historically accepted and resettled refugees by opening its doors to those fleeing violence, armed conflict, or persecution around the world. However, the degree of receptivit...
Active and Passive Euthanasia in the Context of Severe Congenital Heart Disease

Active euthanasia, or mercy killing, describes the act of causing death for beneficent reasons by an active intervention. The Groningen Protocol which includes active euthanasia was introduced in the Netherlands for selected circumstances. In this chapter we discuss all options including euthanasia in the care of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. When a newborn child or infant is diagnosed with complex cardiac anatomy that is likely to result in a short and uncomfortable life, physicians and parents are often faced with a daunting dilemma. Should they embark on multiple palliative operations or should they withhold life-sustaining treatment and choose palliative care? This decision is often complicated by its impact on the well-being of parents, siblings, families, and health professionals. Although not currently a possibility in this country, there may be a third option—active euthanasia.
Women in the Winter of Life

While Petrarch’s Laura and her descendants display the beauty of youth, later twists on tradition, under sway of baroque aesthetics, wither spring roses to winter wreckage. The versatile Giambattis...
The End of the 1951 Refugee Convention? Dilemmas of Sovereignty, Territoriality, and Human Rights

The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol are the main legal documents governing the movement of refugee and asylum seekers across international borders. As the number of displaced persons seeking refuge has reached unprecedented numbers, states have resorted to measures to circumvent their obligations under the Convention. These range from bilateral agreements condemning refugees to their vessels at sea to the excision of certain territories from national jurisdiction. While socio-economic developments and the rise of the worldwide web have led to deterritorialization of vast domains of the economy and the media which enable them to escape from state control, territorial presence, whether on terra firma or on vessels at sea which are functional surrogates for territorial sovereignty, continues to be the basis for the entitlement to human and citizens’ rights. We are facing a dual movement of deterritorialization and territorialization at once, both of which threaten the end of the 1951 Convention. This article is an exercise in non-ideal theory which, nonetheless, has implications for a seminal question in ideal democratic theory as to how to define and justify the boundaries of the demos. If the demos refers to the constitutional subject of a self-determining entity in whose name sovereignty is exercised, regimes of sovereignty, including those which govern the movement of peoples across borders, define the prerogatives as well as obligations of such sovereign entities under international law. The period ushered in by the 1951 Convention was such a sovereignty regime which today may be nearing its end.
Visio-Acoustic Data Fusion for Structural Health Monitoring Applications

Structural health monitoring has been an expanding discipline due to its potential to decrease maintenance and downtime costs, detect failure early, extend life spans, and fulfill the increased need of safety and security. Acoustic source identification techniques’ have been used for remote structural health monitoring, but the applicability of each technique has been limited by factors ranging from achievable spatial resolution to hardware costs. This paper aims to mitigate current acoustic techniques’ limitations by exploring the possibility of fusing acoustic and video data. This paper focuses on combining microphone acoustic measurements with vibrational information recovered from video-based measurements. Among acoustic methods, acoustic arrays have been used for remotely detecting, localizing and characterizing acoustic sources. Acoustic-array based techniques are limited in their ability to discriminate multiple closely-spaced acoustic sources from far-field acoustic pressure signals. On the contrary, video-based techniques have shown the ability to recover full-field, high resolution mode shapes, and the associated frequencies and damping ratios with virtually no dependence with the distance from the target. The challenge with video methods, applied to acoustic source identification, is that acoustic sources may occur in the kilohertz range requiring a higher frame per second sampling rate than most low cost cameras. Acoustic measurements provide additional information content that is used to recover the correct frequency content of an acoustically radiating structure from temporally-aliased (sub-Nyquist) video measurements. Experiments are conducted to show how combining acoustic and video data relaxes the hardware requirements for acoustic source detection and localization applications.
Nurses, Managers, and Engineers – Oh My! Disciplinary Perceptions of Intuition and Its Role in Expertise Development

This Research Category – Full Paper presents initial emergent themes from our quest to understand the construct of intuition. Our work uses theories of expertise development and dual-cognitive processing frameworks to provide a theoretical grounding to define discipline-specific intuition. We hypothesize that intuition can be observed in disciplinary experts through discussions of experience and decision-making processes. Interviews were conducted with professionals in three fields – engineering, nursing, and business management – that engage intuition in decision-making. A comparative analysis of emergent themes is presented to understand similarities and differences in use and definition across these disciplines. Parallel grounded theory and critical incident technique approaches were used to identify perceptions and incidents of intuition. Results suggest that intuition can be defined as a "sense of knowing" that is context specific and at least partly attributable to experience. Inclusion of multiple fields and comparisons across disciplines form the foundation for our future work focusing solely on engineering intuition.
Monitoring the Spatial Spread of COVID-19 and Effectiveness of Control Measures Through Human Movement Data: Proposal for a Predictive Model Using Big Data Analytics

Background: Human movement is one of the forces that drive the spatial spread of infectious diseases. To date, reducing and tracking human movement during the COVID-19 pandemic has proven effective in limiting the spread of the virus. Existing methods for monitoring and modeling the spatial spread of infectious diseases rely on various data sources as proxies of human movement, such as airline travel data, mobile phone data, and banknote tracking. However, intrinsic limitations of these data sources prevent us from systematic monitoring and analyses of human movement on different spatial scales (from local to global). Objective: Big data from social media such as geotagged tweets have been widely used in human mobility studies, yet more research is needed to validate the capabilities and limitations of using such data for studying human movement at different geographic scales (eg, from local to global) in the context of global infectious disease transmission. This study aims to develop a novel data-driven public health approach using big data from Twitter coupled with other human mobility data sources and artificial intelligence to monitor and analyze human movement at different spatial scales (from global to regional to local). Methods: We will first develop a database with optimized spatiotemporal indexing to store and manage the multisource data sets collected in this project. This database will be connected to our in-house Hadoop computing cluster for efficient big data computing and analytics. We will then develop innovative data models, predictive models, and computing algorithms to effectively extract and analyze human movement patterns using geotagged big data from Twitter and other human mobility data sources, with the goal of enhancing situational awareness and risk prediction in public health emergency response and disease surveillance systems. Results: This project was funded as of May 2020. We have started the data collection, processing, and analysis for the project. Conclusions: Research findings can help government officials, public health managers, emergency responders, and researchers answer critical questions during the pandemic regarding the current and future infectious risk of a state, county, or community and the effectiveness of social/physical distancing practices in curtailing the spread of the virus.
Rumor Detection of Sina Weibo Based on MCF Algorithm

Sina Weibo as the most popular social network application in China has become an important social media and also a perfect platform for rumor spreading. According to current investigate and research, there are at least 516 million active users every month till the end of 2019, and this number doubled in 2020 as a result of CODIV-19. Weibo becomes the main news resource for most people during their quarantine. People during quarantine have a lot of spare time to keep reading that constant refreshing news and they will believe those News comes from Weibo without thinking because there are lots of information, which people hard to prove all those authenticities. Rumor detection always a big challenge for researchers to study and for the government to control. There are lots of related works about detecting rumors based on Machine Learning and Deep Learning algorithms. However, most of them overlooked the importance of blog comments. Comments of one micro blog is really an important source for identifying rumors, and also there are seldom researches related to comments exist. This paper using commenter’s credit as weight, which added on comment context’s emotion analysis result, combined with Weibo users profile features as input of a pretrained Support Vector Machine (SVM) module. In this way to make the rumor detection result more accurate and precise. Also, the diversity of commenters background and richness of comment contexts makes the analysis result more accurate than only analyze Weibo content.
To Be, or Not to Be, That's the Question: Vijay's Dilemma (a)

This case is part of the Giving Voice to Values (GVV) curriculum. To see other material in the GVV curriculum, please visit http://store.darden.virginia.edu/giving-voice-to-values.The case discusses how power can be distributed unevenly in an organization and how power can be used by individuals to promote their own self-interests. It highlights how the different influencing tactics can be used by individuals to give voice to what they know is correct. Excerpt UVA-OB-1180 Giving Voice to Values Rev. Jan. 12, 2017 To Be, or Not to Be, That's the Question: Vijay's Dilemma (A), As Vijay held the improved version of The T Company Code of Conduct on the morning of March 3, 2008, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. This was the moment when he finally felt vindicated. He turned to the page that was titled “Conflict of Interest” and felt a sense of satisfaction. He then took a look at the medal of appreciation on his desk from the felicitation ceremony held earlier in the day and his thoughts sailed back in time. It was the morning of July 13, 2006 when Vijay finally heard the good news. His manager announced that beginning the following month, he was going to be promoted to the role of senior procurement manager (Appendix 1). Vijay had joined the T Company three years prior and had been working as assistant manager in the manufacturing department. He had never failed to deliver and thus had secured an Exceeds Expectations rating in all his appraisal cycles. He had also received the award of “Most Promising Employee” in the company's annual felicitation ceremony that year. . . .
Chlorophyll a as an indicator of microcystin: Short-term forecasting and risk assessment in Lake Erie

Abstract We developed a Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework to establish a short-term forecasting model of particulate cyanobacterial toxin concentrations in Western Lake Erie using chlorophyll a concentration as the predictor. The model evolves over time with additional data to reflect the changing dynamics of cyanobacterial toxin production. Specifically, parameters of the empirical relationship between the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin and chlorophyll a concentrations are allowed to vary annually and seasonally under a hierarchical framework. As such, the model updated using the most recent sampling data is suited to provide short-term forecasts. The reduced model predictive uncertainty makes the model a viable tool for risk assessment. Using data from the long-term Western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom monitoring program (2008–2018), we illustrate the model-building and model-updating process and the application of the model for short-term risk assessment. The modeling process demonstrates the use of the Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework for developing informative priors in Bayesian modeling.
Phase separation vs aggregation behavior for model disordered proteins.

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) is widely utilized by the cell to organize and regulate various biochemical processes. Although the LLPS of proteins is known to occur in a sequence-dependent manner, it is unclear how sequence properties dictate the nature of the phase transition and thereby influence condensed phase morphology. In this work, we have utilized grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations for a simple coarse-grained model of disordered proteins to systematically investigate how sequence distribution, sticker fraction, and chain length impact the formation of finite-size aggregates, which can preempt macroscopic phase separation for some sequences. We demonstrate that a normalized sequence charge decoration (SCD) parameter establishes a “soft” predictive criterion for distinguishing when a model protein undergoes macroscopic phase separation vs finite aggregation. Additionally, we find that this order parameter is strongly correlated with the critical density for phase separation, highlighting an unambiguous connection between sequence distribution and condensed phase density. Results obtained from an analysis of the order parameter reveal that at sufficiently long chain lengths, the vast majority of sequences are likely to phase separate. Our results suggest that classical LLPS should be the primary phase transition for disordered proteins when short-ranged attractive interactions dominate and suggest a possible reason behind recent findings of widespread phase separation throughout living cells.
Novel MHC Variants Spliced by Overlap Extension

We have developed a new technique, based on the polymerase chain reaction (Ho 1989), called “splicing by overlap extension” (SOE), which simplifies site-directed mutagenesis and allows the introduction of larger systematic changes in gene structure in a manner independent of the distribution of restriction endonuclease sites in the targeted area of the gene (Ho 1989). An added feature of SOE is that it provides a straight-forward strategy for the generation of chimeric genes from unrelated sources, such that our ability to make genetic constructs is limited by knowledge of how protein domains will interact and not by the structure of the genes that encode them (Horton 1989). We have used the SOE strategy to generate novel MHC class I variants designed to investigate the antigen presenting properties of the encoded glycoproteins. Here we present examples of how SOE has been applied in the generation of these constructs and the characterization of their gene products using mAbs.
MICRORNAS ARE NOT THAT SMALL TO IGNORE

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecule that negatively regulates gene expression by causing either degradation or translational inhibit ion of their target mRNAs. These miRNAs are key regulators of various biological processes such as differentiation, maturation and maintenance of immu ne homeostasis. Furthermore, deregulated expression of miRNA has now been shown to regulate several disease processes by regulating tumorigenesis, angi ogenesis, apoptosis and metastasis in cancer and ot her diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This review article summa rizes the present status of miRNA research, with major emphasis on the roles of miRNAs in the development of various human diseases.
Supporting Aspartate Biosynthesis Is an Essential Function of Respiration in Proliferating Cells

Mitochondrial respiration is important for cell proliferation; however, the specific metabolic requirements fulfilled by respiration to support proliferation have not been defined. Here, we show that a major role of respiration in proliferating cells is to provide electron acceptors for aspartate synthesis. This finding is consistent with the observation that cells lacking a functional respiratory chain are auxotrophic for pyruvate, which serves as an exogenous electron acceptor. Further, the pyruvate requirement can be fulfilled with an alternative electron acceptor, alpha-ketobutyrate, which provides cells neither carbon nor ATP. Alpha-ketobutyrate restores proliferation when respiration is inhibited, suggesting that an alternative electron acceptor can substitute for respiration to support proliferation. We find that electron acceptors are limiting for producing aspartate, and supplying aspartate enables proliferation of respiration deficient cells in the absence of exogenous electron acceptors. Together, these data argue a major function of respiration in proliferating cells is to support aspartate synthesis.
Work in progress - education and practice: assessment for architecture education

Architectural education has always been a complicated issue. In Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice, Boyer and Mitgang concluded, "that architectural education is really about fostering the learning habits needed for the discovery, integration, application, and sharing knowledge over a lifetime". The University of Hartford's architecture program is based on the blending academic-based theoretical studies with industry-based problem solving. Our practice oriented architecture department has developed and implemented an innovative assessment plan. This plan implements both traditional and innovative methods for evaluation. Key to the assessment plans success is the involvement of our advisory board members and other practicing professionals. The challenges to architects and educators regarding architectural education are sometimes daunting. Concerns over "lack of integration of technical and practical knowledge into design work is probable the single most widespread area of program weakness". The unique roles of the advisory board members and other practicing professionals help to overcome these challenges. Faculty, administrators, and professionals are working together to develop and implement a solid program for its students, graduates, and the profession.
From Down Syndrome to the “Human” in “Human Genetics”

I must acknowledge the efforts and dedication of the very large number of colleagues, fellows, technicians, counselors, students, collaborators, and patients and their families, with whom I have worked over the past forty years on the projects that I have mentioned, as well as many others. The fact that only a few could be mentioned by name in the foregoing text does not in the least diminish the importance of their contributions to my clinical, research, and organizational activities, and I am truly indebted to all of them. And, even though already mentioned in the narrative, my wife and collaborator in both science and life, Lois Barth Epstein, M.D., deserves special recognition for all that she has done. The research reported in this paper was supported by grants from many sources—particularly, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute on Aging. Current grants to myself and collaborators include AG16998, AG16999, 1F33DE/HD05706, HD24605, HD31498, HD38384, and NS38869.
Comparison of outcomes between a less experienced surgeon using a fully endoscopic technique and a very experienced surgeon using a microscopic transsphenoidal technique for pituitary adenoma

OBJECT The comparative efficacy of microscopic and fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas has not been well studied despite the adoption of fully endoscopic surgery by many pituitary centers. The influence of surgeon experience has also not been examined in this setting. The authors therefore compared the extent of tumor resection (EOR) and the endocrine outcomes of 1 very experienced surgeon performing a microscopic transsphenoidal surgery technique with those of a less experienced surgeon using a fully endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery technique for resection of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas in a concurrent series of patients. METHODS Post hoc analysis was conducted of a cohort of adult patients prospectively enrolled in a pituitary adenoma quality-of-life study between October 2011 and June 2014. Patients were followed up for 6 months after surgery. Patients were treated either by a less experienced surgeon (100 independent cases) who practices fully endoscopic surgery exc...
Vibrational spectroscopy of carbon monoxide, acetonitrile, and phenylalanine adsorbed on liquid ∣ electrode interfaces by sum frequency generation

Abstract This paper reviews recent work carried out in our laboratory on the application of sum frequency generation (SFG) to investigate liquid ∣ electrode interfaces in the presence of an external potential. First, we present a study of CO oxidation on a Pt(111) electrode. Although the CO stretching frequency observed by SFG agrees with that observed using IR spectroscopy, the intensity behaves differently from that observed by IR. While the intensity of IR absorption decreases due to CO oxidation, a 360% enhancement of SFG intensity was observed in the pre-ignition potential region. This suggests that the bonding state of CO is significantly perturbed in the pre-ignition potential region. Secondly, SFG was used to study the potential induced structural change of acetonitrile adsorbed on a Pt(111) electrode. SFG spectra indicate that acetonitrile reorients in response to the electrode potential with the C C bond perpendicular to the electrode surface. The orientation is predominately with the CH3 group toward the metal at 200 mV (vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) and with the CN group toward the metal at 1200 mV. Finally, the adsorption of phenylalanine on a glassy carbon electrode was studied as a function of electrode potential. The SFG signal suggests that the phenylalanine is adsorbed on the electrode with the phenyl ring and the ammonium group nearly parallel to the surface. The dipole of the methylene group tilts toward the electrode surface when the applied potential increases.
A RECORDING SODIUM-LINE REVERSAL PYROMETER

An instrument for the measurement of flame temperatures from 1500 to 2700 deg C by the sodium-line reversal method is described in which the eye and hand of a trained operator are replaced by a closed-loop electromechanical system. The advantages are in continuous recording of varying flame temperatures, increased accuracy, and measurement on flames that would be dangerous to an observer. (auth)
New Techniques For Sensitive Detection: Spatially Resolved Absorption And Multiphoton Optogalvanic Spectroscopies

Several new laser-based detection methods for use in combustion diagnostics are described. Spatially resolved saturated absorption spectroscopy and optical Stark modulation spectroscopy provide two techniques for obtaining point resolution in absorption measurements; these methods are demonstrated in studies of atomic sodium aspirated into a flame. Resonant multiphoton optogalvanic spectroscopy can be used to observe radicals in flames that are extremely difficult to detect with conventional optical techniques; studies of atomic hydrogen and atomic oxygen in flames are presented.
Development of a targeted topoisomerase I inhibitor for anticancer therapy.

CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2008 Abstracts Abstract #2146 Background: DNA topoisomerase I (Top1) has been identified as the molecular target of a variety of drugs, due to the important roles that they play in biological systems. Studies show that breast cancer cell lines are sensitive to Top1 agents such as camptothecin. Recent clinical trials have suggested that breast cancer patients may respond to drugs which target Top1. This suggests that some breast cancers may have elevated expression of the enzyme. Thus, development of Top1 inhibitors may be a good target for anticancer therapy. To better target cancer cells, the drugs can be linked to a pH-sensitive linker such as the N-Ethoxybenzylimidazoles (NEBIs) developed in our lab. The NEBIs are designed to undergo hydrolysis in slightly acidic aqueous solutions at physiological temperature, comparable to the environment found in endosomes, lysosomes, and the extracellular environment of tumors. The hydrolysis of the NEBI causes the dissociation of the drug from a carrier (e.g. Herceptin), and the rates can be tuned by modifying the electron withdrawing and donating groups on the NEBI ring. It was demonstrated that the rates can be tuned to give half-lives ranging from 36 minutes to 9 months. Materials and Methods: We have developed a new class of imidazole-containing drugs which may inhibit Top1 activity. These compounds have a 4-ring, indenoisoquinoline structure and were synthesized by a simple condensation reaction which gives good yield. Ring substituents were modified to achieve molecules of optimal potency. The resulting drugs were subsequently linked to the NEBI, and hydrolysis studies were performed to determine the rate of active drug release. ![][1] Cytotoxicity of cleaved drugs was screened using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay and topoisomerase inhibition assays will be performed in the near future. Results: Cytotoxicity studies showed that the hydrolyzed drugs are toxic to the 10μM range in cancer cells. One of the compounds has recently been approved for the National Cancer Institute screen, in which the activity will be evalutated with 60 different cancer cell lines of diverse tumor origins. Ongoing studies will assess the topoisomerase I inhibition activity of these compounds. Discussion: We have developed a novel prodrug which comprises of a toxic Top1 inhibiting drug attached to a pH-sensitive linker. This may prove to be an effective approach to anticancer therapy. Future studies will be pursued in using folic acid as the drug carrier to target breast cancer cells. Studies show that folate receptor overexpression is associated with poor outcome in women with breast cancer. Furthermore, it has been shown that folate receptors may undergo endocytosis, which will trigger the release of the active drug from the linker. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 2146. [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI): A Systemic Approach to Complex Developmental Trauma

Children and youth who have experienced foster care or orphanage-rearing have often experienced complex developmental trauma, demonstrating an interactive set of psychological and behavioral issues. Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is a therapeutic model that trains caregivers to provide effective support and treatment for at-risk children. TBRI has been applied in orphanages, courts, residential treatment facilities, group homes, foster and adoptive homes, churches, and schools. It has been used effectively with children and youth of all ages and all risk levels. This article provides the research base for TBRI and examples of how it is applied.
Tumor-associated T cell receptor repertoires in low- and high-grade gliomas

Meeting abstracts Glioblastoma (GBM) remains prognostically dismal, with care centered on resection, motivating research into novel therapies. Although inducing anti-tumor immunity remains an attractive target for therapeutic and preventative intervention, the interplay between evolving
A difference in the effect of rat liver extract (chalone) on the mitotic index of chick embryo liver when extracted at different times of day.

Abstract Adult and neonatal rat liver was used as a source for liver chalone. Extracts of rat liver were prepared from two groups of rats: one group was killed at 0900 and a second group was killed at 2100. The rat liver extracts were injected into the air sacs of 15-day old chick embryos and the effect on the mitotic index of the chick liver was studied. All rat liver extracts prepared from rats killed at 2100 demonstrated significantly more inhibition of the mitotic index in the chick liver than did the extracts obtained at 0900.
Methods of health education for preschoolers.

Although the preschool years have been identified as an ideal time for teaching children about health and for establishing positive health beliefs and behaviors, little research has been carried out on health education for young children. The major purpose of this descriptive study was to determine how parents and clay-care teachers perceived the methods that they used to provide health education for preschool-age children. The data were collected using guided interview schedules developed by the investigator. The total sample was composed of 34 day-care teachers and parents with preschool-age children enrolled full time in five day-care centers in Seattle, Washington. The teaching methods of role modeling, discussion, audiovisual aids, reading materials, field trips, and games were investigated in the areas of physical, mental, developmental, dental, and nutritional health education. Role modeling was the most popular method used by both parents and teachers. Health professionals were not perceived to be...
Small is big: The microfossil perspective on human-plant interaction

The archaeological record contains only scattered and incomplete clues to the scope and complexity of past human behavior, and archaeologists must develop every possible source of useful information. Although much overused of late, the truism that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence holds particular force in archaeology and nowhere more than in the prehistory of human–plant interaction. Until recently, the reconstruction of plant use and domestication has been biased by a necessary dependence on macrobotanical remains preserved in arid environments or through serendipitous carbonization. Microbotanical analyses have proven increasingly valuable in balancing the record. Over the last few decades, phytolith (plant opal silica bodies) and starch grain studies have contributed significantly to the multiproxy reconstruction of past environments, human use of plants, and the pathways of plant domestication (e.g., refs. 1 and 2). This observation is especially true in humid regions, where conditions do not favor the preservation of macrobotanical remains, and in areas where tubers were important sources of plant foods; tubers are soft structures that often are consumed in their entirety, and they tend to leave few macro remains even under optimal preservation conditions. Working in the humid tropics of Central America, Dickau et al. (3) demonstrate in this issue of PNAS the power of archaeological starch grain analysis by using this proxy to elucidate the differential movement and adoption of both seed and root crops in western and central Panama beginning ≈7,800 years ago.
Obesity and laparoscopic repair of ventral hernias.

Background: Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) is gaining acceptance and compares favorably with open repair. Patients who are morbidly obese (MO) traditionally have been considered poor surgical candidates for ventral hernia repair because of their associated comorbidities and risk of postoperative wound infection and hernia recurrence. In this study we evaluated our experience with LVHR in patients who are obese and those who are morbidly obese. Methods: All 64 patients undergoing LVHR at the University of Kentucky between September 1997 and October 2000, representing 66 hernias, were entered prospectively into a database. Data before, during, and after surgery were collected as well as follow-up data. Patients were divided into three groups on the basis of body mass index (BMI): normal to overweight (BMI # 29); obese (BMI 30‐39), and MO (BMI $ 40). Results: There were 16 patients in the MO group, most of them women. The mean BMI was 43.9 (range, 40‐60), and the mean age was 45.6 years (range, 25‐68 years). The location of defects was similar among the groups, as were the number of prior repairs. The operative time and length of stay for the MO group tended to be longer than for the other two groups. Five minor complications occurred in the MO group. During a follow-up period ranging from 1 to 35 months, there were no recurrences. Conclusion: Laparoscopic repair of ventral hernias in patients who are morbidly obese is both safe and feasible, and can be performed with minimal morbidity. At this writing, there have been no recurrences, but long-term follow-up evaluation is required.
Seasonal Predictions of Tropical Cyclones Using a 25-km-Resolution General Circulation Model

AbstractRetrospective seasonal predictions of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the three major ocean basins of the Northern Hemisphere are performed from 1990 to 2010 using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory High-Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) at 25-km resolution. Atmospheric states are initialized for each forecast, with the sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) “persisted” from that at the starting time during the 5-month forecast period (July–November). Using a five-member ensemble, it is shown that the storm counts of both tropical storm (TS) and hurricane categories are highly predictable in the North Atlantic basin during the 21-yr period. The correlations between the 21-yr observed and model predicted storm counts are 0.88 and 0.89 for hurricanes and TSs, respectively. The prediction in the eastern North Pacific is skillful, but it is not as outstanding as that in the North Atlantic. The persistent SSTA assumption appears to be less robust for the western North Pacific, contributing to less...
Resident Satisfaction With Community Residential Care Placement

A measure of client satisfaction is an important component of any program evaluation, but little has been done to assess the satisfaction of residents of residential care homes with major program s...
A new pressure relaxation closure model for one-dimensional two-material Lagrangian hydrodynamics

We present a new model for closing a system of Lagrangian hydrodynamics equations for a two-material cell with a single velocity model. We describe a new approach that is motivated by earlier work of Delov and Sadchikov and of Goncharov and Yanilkin. Using a linearized Riemann problem to initialize volume fraction changes, we require that each material satisfy its own p dV equation, which breaks the overall energy balance in the mixed cell. To enforce this balance, we redistribute the energy discrepancy by assuming that the corresponding pressure change in each material is equal. This multiple-material model is packaged as part of a two-step time integration scheme. We compare results of our approach with other models and with corresponding pure-material calculations, on two-material test problems with ideal-gas or stiffened-gas equations of state.
A novel inducible element, activated by contact with Rathke's pouch, is present in the regulatory region of the Rpx/Hesx1 homeobox gene.

Abstract Reciprocal inductive interactions are postulated to play a role in the determination and differentiation of the pituitary gland and the ventral hypothalamus. The homeobox gene Rpx/Hesxl is expressed during gastrulation in the anterior endoderm, prechordal plate, and the prospective cephalic neural plate, and at later stages of development in Rathke’s pouch, the primordium of the pituitary. We have defined the regulatory elements necessary for proper spatial and temporal expression during development in transgenic mice using lacZ reporter genes. Proper spatial and temporal expression in the anterior endoderm prechordal plate and anterior neural plate can be recapitulated with as little as 568 bp of upstream sequence and intragenic sequence containing the first exon and intron. Late-stage expression in Rathke’s pouch requires additional negative and positive regulatory elements. Interestingly, deletion analysis uncovered an element that directs transgene expression to a region of the hypothalamus that lies in direct contact with Rathke’s pouch. In vitro tissue recombination experiments have established that this expression is induced by contact with the pouch. We propose that this element may be present in other genes that normally respond to signals emanating from the pouch during the development of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis. The Rpx–lacZ transgenic mice provide a novel model system for the molecular dissection of inductive cell signaling during pituitary development.