cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Terminal Transferase Positive Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: In Vitro Differentiation of a T-Lymphocytic/Promyelocytic Hybrid Phenotype

In a case of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), the expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), an early lymphoid marker, was detected. Double-fluorescent staining for the myeloid-specific antigens VIM-2 and VIM-D5 in combination with specific antiserum for TdT suggested a mixed leukemic cell population consisting of a morphologically, cytochemically, and immunologically promyelocytic component (80%) and a lymphoid, TdT+ component (20%) that was myelomonocytic in morphology but otherwise without any evidence of nonlymphoid nature. Fluorescent-activated cell analysis revealed that a greater number of cells reacted with monoclonal anti-T antibodies (OKT3, OKT6, and OKT11) than could be identified as lymphoid by TdT expression. As confirmed by double-staining fluorescence microscopy, a large fraction of the promyelocytic leukemia cells were biphenotypic, expressing both myeloid and lymphoid markers (50% positive for VIM-D5 and OKT6, 30% positive for VIM-D5 and OKT3). Subsequently, in vitro differentiation experiments were performed. While treatment of the cells with GCT-conditioned medium favored proliferation, with only a weak and delayed promotion of the cells towards maturation as reflected by enhanced expression of the mature T-marker T3 but persistent expression of the thymocyte antigen, exposure to all-trans and 13-cis retinoic acid resulted in marked differentiation of both the myeloid and the lymphoid cell characteristics. Retinoid treatment resulted in the loss of TdT, a partial disappearance of the T6-antigen, and the expression of the late T cell antigen T3 by almost 70% of the cells. In addition, myeloid maturation was obvious from the morphologic appearance of the cells, as well as from the expression of the OKM1-associated antigen by a majority of the cells. This report concerns a unique case of APL in which, for the first time, a coexistence of promyelocytic and lymphoid elements was detected, with exposure of the cultured leukemic cells to retinoic acid inducing maturation along both the myeloid and the lymphoid lineage.
Solvent-free vacuum growth of oriented HKUST-1 thin films

Thin films of ultrahigh porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly desirable because the unique characteristics of MOFs could then be incorporated into micro-electronic devices, sensors, and membranes. Here we report a new thin film growth method for highly oriented Cu3(BTC)2 (HKUST-1) under vacuum without the use of solvents. Using layer-by-layer (LBL) growth, we sequentially deposited H3BTC from a chemical vapor deposition process and Cu from a physical vapor deposition process. Adopting this methodology, we grew thin films of HKUST-1 by sequentially depositing one monolayer (ML) of Cu after each H3BTC deposition cycle. The transition of Cu0 to Cu2+ by forming paddle-wheel units of HKUST-1 was confirmed by XPS, and is facilitated by background gas molecules, O2 and H2O, with no indication of copper oxide formation. Our HKUST-1 thin films have two distinct planes, the (220) plane detected by glancing angle XRD and the (222) plane identified by in-plane XRD, which indicates that the HKUST-1 thin films are highly oriented. Moreover, the thickness of the HKUST-1 thin films linearly increased with the number of LBL cycles by ∼20 nm for each LBL cycle as measured by AFM. Finally, we measured H2O desorption in a 100 nm HKUST-1 film and observed the existence of strongly bound H2O molecules absorbed within the HKUST-1 film, which predominantly desorb at ∼398 K. Overall, we show how to control the growth of highly oriented HKUST-1 thin films through a bottom-up approach by directly depositing H3BTC and Cu under high vacuum.
In vivo force-length and activation dynamics of two distal rat hindlimb muscles in relation to gait and grade

Muscle function changes to meet the varying mechanical demands of locomotion across different gait and grade conditions. A muscle's work output is determined by time-varying patterns of neuromuscular activation, muscle force and muscle length change, but how these patterns change under different conditions in small animals is not well defined. Here, we report the first integrated in vivo force-length and activation patterns in rats, a commonly used small animal model, to evaluate the dynamics of two distal hindlimb muscles (medial gastrocnemius and plantaris) across a range of gait (walk, trot and gallop) and grade (level and incline) conditions. We use these data to explore how the pattern of force production, muscle activation and muscle length changes across conditions in a small quadrupedal mammal. As hypothesized, we found that the rat muscles show limited fascicle strains during active force generation in stance across gaits and grades, indicating that these distal rat muscles generate force economically but perform little work, similar to patterns observed in larger animals during level locomotion. Additionally, given differences in fiber type composition and variation in motor unit recruitment across the gait and grade conditions examined here for these muscles, the in vivo force-length behavior and neuromuscular activation data reported here can be used to validate improved two-element Hill-type muscle models.
Space syntax visibility graph analysis is not robust to changes in spatial and temporal resolution

Space syntax is an influential framework for quantifying the relationship between environmental geometry and human behavior. Although many studies report high syntactic–behavioral correlations, pre...
How Radiologists Are Paid: An Economic History, Part IV: End of the Bubble

During the first decade of the 21st century, the imaging bubble began to burst. The combination of digitized images, the DICOM standard, and affordable PACS sharply increased radiologists' productivity but also allowed an imaging study to be read from anywhere, creating the field of teleradiology and increased competition for radiologists. Increasing numbers of insurers contracted with radiology benefits managers to help control radiology utilization, and the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 mandated spending cuts across the government. Consolidation of multiple Current Procedural Terminology codes and the reassessment of calculations used to estimate the utilization of a CT or an MRI scanner exerted additional downward pressure on radiology reimbursements. All of these factors, combined with more radiologists completing residency and the delayed retirement of older radiologists after the 2008 financial crisis, brought the imaging bubble to an end.
Feeling Poorly after an Upgrade to a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Device

A 72 year old man underwent upgrade to a CRT device due to right ventricular pacing and symptomatic heart failure. He felt poorly after the upgrade and was found to have pacemaker syndrome due to atrial latency and inappropriate device programming.
What is Cyber or Digital Autoethnography

Because of rapid developments in new media technologies and digital platforms, we live in a media-driven and highly digitalized society. Most of our everyday experiences are either highly mediated ...
Dismantling Mindfulness-Based Programs: a Systematic Review to Identify Active Components of Treatment

Elucidating the active ingredients of psychological treatments is an important step in the scientific validation of these interventions. Component studies are one way to test which aspects of psychological treatments impact outcomes or, in other words, are the active ingredients of treatment. As research and popular interest in mindfulness-based programs grows, it is important to evaluate the active ingredients of these programs and to continually refine theorized models of the mechanisms of mindfulness. Studying active ingredients may help clarify which elements of mindfulness-based programs are most important for dissemination. We conducted a systematic review of component studies of mindfulness-based programs for adults with psychological conditions. PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews were followed. Eight component studies were identified. These studies dismantled mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, unified mindfulness, and core mindfulness processes. The eight studies differed with respect to types of programs and populations studied, yet similarities emerged. Notably, acceptance coupled with awareness and mindfulness meditation training may be two promising active ingredients of these different programs. Future studies examining mindfulness-based programs should continue to attempt to dismantle active ingredients of treatment and use the findings to update theoretical models of mindfulness.
Single-cell characterization of subsolid and solid lesions in the lung adenocarcinoma spectrum

Determining the clinical significance of CT scan-detected subsolid pulmonary nodules requires an understanding of the molecular and cellular features that may foreshadow disease progression. We studied the alterations at the transcriptome level in both immune and non-immune cells, utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing, to compare the microenvironment of subsolid, solid, and non-involved lung tissues from surgical resection specimens. This evaluation of early spectrum lung adenocarcinoma reveals a significant decrease in the cytolytic activities of natural killer and natural killer T cells, accompanied by a reduction of effector T cells as well as an increase of CD4+ regulatory T cells in subsolid lesions. Characterization of non-immune cells revealed that both cancer-associated alveolar type 2 cells and fibroblasts contribute to the deregulation of the extracellular matrix, potentially affecting immune infiltration in subsolid lesions through ligand-receptor interactions. These findings suggest a decrement of immune surveillance in subsolid lesions.
The psychoactive drug of abuse mephedrone differentially disrupts blood-brain barrier properties

Synthetic cathinones are a category of psychostimulants belonging to the growing number of designer drugs also known as “Novel Psychoactive Substances” (NPS). In recent years, NPS have gained popularity in the recreational drug market due to their amphetamine-like stimulant effects, low cost, ease of availability, and lack of detection by conventional toxicology screening. All these factors have led to an increase in NPS substance abuse among the young adults, followed by spike of overdose-related fatalities and adverse effects, severe neurotoxicity, and cerebral vascular complications. Much remains unknown about how synthetic cathinones negatively affect the CNS and the status of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We used in vitro models of the BBB and primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMVEC) to investigate the effects of the synthetic cathinone, 4-methyl methcathinone (mephedrone), on BBB properties. We showed that mephedrone exposure resulted in the loss of barrier properties and endothelial dysfunction of primary hBMVEC. Increased permeability and decreased transendothelial electrical resistance of the endothelial barrier were attributed to changes in key proteins involved in the tight junction formation. Elevated expression of matrix metalloproteinases, angiogenic growth factors, and inflammatory cytokines can be explained by TLR-4-dependent activation of NF-κB signaling. In this first characterization of the effects of a synthetic cathinone on human brain endothelial cells, it appears clear that mephedrone-induced damage of the BBB is not limited by the disruption of the barrier properties but also include endothelial activation and inflammation. This may especially be important in comorbid situations of mephedrone abuse and HIV-1 infections. In this context, mephedrone could negatively affect HIV-1 neuroinvasion and NeuroAIDS progression.
Her stories: daytime soap opera & US television history: by Elana Levine, Durham and London, Duke University Press, 2020, 400 pp., $29.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781478008019

Elana Levine has woven an intricate and engaging account charting the history of one of the foundational forms of network television: the daytime soap opera. Highlighting the genre’s role in the hi...
500 million years of charted territory: functional ecological traits in bryophytes

Since the late Cambrian era, bryophytes have been shaping terrestrial ecosystems through unique and diverse suites of anatomical, physiological, and morphological traits. In this review we highlight historical and recent work in bryophyte functional ecology, with an emphasis on knowledge gaps and opportunities for future work. While we cannot always avoid the temptation to contrast with tracheophyte (especially angiosperm) studies, our aim is to de-center that perspective in favor of a more universal understanding of functional land plant ecology. We therefore center our description on three core aspects of bryophytes that are poorly represented in tracheophyte studies: (I) dynamic water content (including poikilohydry and desiccation tolerance), (II) multiple scales of interaction with environment, and (III) reproduction and life history. We also highlight the diverse and wide-ranging influence bryophytes have on ecosystem processes, including primary productivity, nutrient cycling, hydrology, and ecological interactions with other species. Furthermore, while the study of bryophyte functional traits has rapidly grown in the past decade, important gaps in phylogenetic and geographic coverage persist and constrain the development of a more universal land plant functional ecology theory.
Gallstones

Gallstone disease is a common clinical problem that poses particular difficulties for our aging and increasingly obese population. Exciting new research suggests an infectious cause for most cholesterol stones. The keys to managing patients with gallstone disease are recognition of the wide spectrum of clinical disease resulting from gallstones and a flexible, multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment. The biliary tract has been a proving ground in the development of minimally invasive technology.
Representations of Israel, literal and allegorical, in X-Men comics

This paper seeks to argue that the Zionist idea offers an effective lens through which we can understand the X-Men comics. Through the metaphor of mutants as Jews, Marvel has presented readers with...
How has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted the Clinical Volume and Variety of an Academic Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program?

Abstract Purpose Attempts to mitigate the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID) have disrupted the delivery of non-pandemic care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the COVID pandemic on surgical volume and variety at an academic oral and maxillofacial surgery program. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the surgical logs of the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from January 2012 through January 2021. Each record identified patient demographics and case classifications. Of note, the surgical logs analyzed were only those which were performed in the operating room and not the outpatient clinic nor emergency department. The study predictor was timing of care, which was divided into pre-pandemic, peak pandemic, or post-peak pandemic. The primary study outcomes were the monthly procedure count and the procedure categories. The secondary dependent variables were patient age and race. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance were used to determine whether pandemic effects existed within outcome groups. Results The final sample included 64,709 surgical procedures (Table 1). Before, during, and after the pandemic peak, there were means of 691.0, 209.0, and 789.4 procedures per time period, respectively (p Conclusion Along with a predictable decline in surgical numbers, a greater proportion of infection and trauma procedures were performed at the pandemic's peak; trauma accounted for over a quarter of surgical cases during this peak. One potential reason for this could be due to an increase in at-home domestic violence. Pennsylvania issued a stay-at-home order for Philadelphia County from March 23 until May 8, 2020. A recent study highlighted that there was a regional decrease in the overall volume of trauma at the University of Pennsylvania [1]. This was largely driven by parallel decreases in the number of unintentional injury mechanisms, such as motor vehicle collisions. Interestingly, there was a paradoxical increase in the number of intentional interpersonal injuries [1]. In fact, the number of domestic assault cases grew by at least 5% during this time at the national level [2]. The increase in infections may be due to outpatient dental services being inaccessible during the pandemic's peak, causing patients with odontogenic infections to have limited care options. Furthermore, because most patients were avoiding local emergency departments that were overwhelmed with COVID, it is probable that certain mild infections that otherwise could be treated in-office may have transformed into more severe airway threatening conditions that required operating room drainage. Despite all these changes, surgery volume normalized, and case variety returned to pre-pandemic levels in the post-peak period. Our study suggests that the addition of COVID restrictions did not change the case volume or variety in the months after the initial crisis.
Interviewing tips for applicants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Social skills deficits are common to many individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and can be cause for much anxiety. Because these deficits include interactions with strangers and people in authority, many individuals with ASD have difficulty successfully managing job interviews. When given very specific examples of how to better present themselves and interact with others in an interviewing situation, individuals with ASD become more competent in positively altering their social interactions in employment situations. The keys to improving skills for interviews include understanding disclosure under the Americans with Disabilities Act, being aware of specific accommodations that can be helpful in the interviewing process, having a thorough self-knowledge, being as completely prepared as possible, and possessing verbal restraint. The increased confidence that comes from being prepared allows individuals to relax before and during the interview, transforming a nervous exchange of information into a confident and dynamic presentation of their qualifications.
Derrick Hindery: From Enron to Evo. Pipeline Politics, Global Environmentalism, and Indigenous Rights in Bolivia

Review of the book by Derrick Hindery: From Enron to Evo. Pipeline Politics, Global environmentalism, and Indigenous Rights in Bolivia. Copyright Information: All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. Contact the author or original publisher for any necessary permissions. eScholarship is not the copyright owner for deposited works. Learn more at http://www.escholarship.org/help_copyright.html#reuse
Innocents Abroad: Reflections on Summer Abroad Law Programs

Every summer, approximately 4,000 United States law students get ready to participate in summer abroad law programs located in all parts of the planet: Central and South America, Western and Central Europe, South and East Asia, Russia, Africa, and the Middle East. Almost every corner of the world can lay claim to hosting its own American summer law program. From late May through the middle of August, the legal academy is on the move. The authors have been a part of this mass migration and they wrote down their thoughts.This Article is organized in the following fashion. Part I describes the benefits of studying law in a summer abroad program. Part II seeks to characterize the kind of travel that a law student, studying abroad, engages in -- is he or she a tourist, a pilgrim, or a student on a modern day version of the Grand Tour? The authors put the summer abroad law program into historical context and explore a few of the myriad ways in which people -- and in particular students -- travel. Part III describes the American Bar Association's criteria that dictate the minimal standards every summer abroad law program must achieve in order to receive accreditation. Part IV presents the results of a survey the authors conducted of directors of summer abroad law programs. Part V is the aspirational part of the Article, and is conceptually linked to Part II in which the authors struggled to characterize this unique genre of educational travel.
TV program scheduling strategies and their relationship to new program renewal rates and rating changes

This study looked at counter‐programming, blunting, defensive, and offensive scheduling, and their effect on renewal rates as well as rating patterns from 1972 through 1992. The competitive scheduling method had no effect on either the rate of renewal or rating patterns. The study also found that moving a new series resulted in differences in the success rate if the strength of the new series before the move was taken into account. Finally the study revealed a strong link between a new program's ranking, and rating improvement and renewal rates.
RN043 and B335: Two examples of highly collimated bipolar flows oriented nearly in the plane of the sky

New CO and CS line observations of the RN043 and B335 molecular outflow regions, obtained at the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory, reveal that RN043 and B335 are single highly collimated bipolar flows oriented nearly in the plane of the sky. Our results imply that the high velocity molecular gas in these flows has a non-zero expansion velocity perpendicular to the flow axis, and that the flow in B335 must be driven by a mostly non-molecular wind component.
Isolation and Partial Characterization of a Temperature-Sensitive Escherichia coli Mutant with Altered Glutaminyl-Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Synthetase

A temperature-sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli has been found in which the conditional growth is a result of a thermosensitive glutaminyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase. The corresponding genetic locus glnS is cotransduced with lip. In a strain containing the mutationally altered glutaminyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase, no derepression of the enzyme itself nor of glutamine synthetase was observed.
Market Definition in the Hospital Industry:A Structural Approach

The courts have denied seven out of eight government requests to block hospital mergers since 1994. A main reason for this failure has been the inability of the antitrust authorities to convincingly define a geographic market that supports their case. Because there is no standard approach to market definition, a number of geographic market delineation methods have been employed for antitrust enforcement in the hospital industry. We employ a structural model of hospital competition developed by Gaynor and Vogt (2003) to apply the"SSNIP test to hospitals in California. Our analysis of a large subset of hospitals in the state of California using 1995 data suggests that markets implied by analytical methods previously employed in merger cases are, in the majority of instances, substantially larger than those that would be implied by a method rooted in the principles set forth in the FTC and DOJ merger guidelines. The results have important implications for merger analysis in the hospital industry in that they illustrate that reliance on imprecise market definition methods has the potential to lead to badly mistaken geographic market delineation and was likely a contributing factor for the exceptionally permissive legal environment for hospital mergers in the past decade.
The Relationship Between Children’s Use of Singing Voice and Singing Accuracy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between children’s use of singing voice (vocal register) and singing accuracy. In previous studies recorded examples of kindergartners’ ( n = 37) and first graders’ ( n = 38) singing were assessed with the Singing Voice Development Measure. For this study, these recorded examples were also evaluated for accuracy by two different raters. There was a significant correlation between children’s use of singing voice and singing accuracy, but no significant relationship for either variable with tonal aptitude as measured by Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation. When children’s accuracy was assessed based on their usable register, the influence of register on accuracy was very small suggesting that the relationship between vocal development and accuracy is a function of children’s access to, and control of, a wider singing range. Teachers interested in improving singing accuracy in their students are encouraged to work with them on expanding their usable vocal registers.
Surgery residency training programmes have greater impact on outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy than hospital volume or surgeon frequency.

hpb_130 68..70 Background: Hospital volume of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and surgeon frequency of PD have been shown to impact outcomes. The impact of surgery residency training programmes after PD is unknown. This study was undertaken to determine the impact of surgery training programmes on outcomes after PD, as well as their importance relative to hospital volume and surgeon frequency of PD. Methods: The State of Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration Database was queried for patients undergoing PD during 2002–2007. Measures of outcome were compared for patients undergoing PD at centres with vs. without surgery residency training programmes. Results: A total of 2345 PDs were identified, of which 1478 (63%) were undertaken at training centres and 867 (37%) were performed at non-training centres. Patients undergoing PD at training centres had shorter lengths of stay, lower hospital charges and lower in-hospital mortality. Relative to surgeon frequency of PD, training centres had a greater favourable impact on hospital length of stay, hospital charges and in-hospital mortality (P < 0.001 for each, ANCOVA). Relative to hospital volume of PDs undertaken, training centres had a greater impact on hospital charges (P < 0.001, ANCOVA). Conclusions: Surgery residency training programmes have a favourable effect on outcomes following PD and their impact on outcome is greater than the impact of hospital volume or surgeon frequency of PD.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 167

Abstract Experimental data pertaining to all nuclei with mass number A = 167 have been evaluated. Level schemes from both radioactive decay and reaction studies are presented, along with associated tables of experimental data and adopted properties for levels and γ rays. This evaluation for A = 167, which considers data received by 5 July 2000, supersedes the 1989 compilation by V. Shirley (1989Sh33), published in Nuclear Data Sheets 58, 871 (1989).
Tracking mental engagement: a tool for young people with ADD and ADHD

This paper describes a reflective mobile application to help young people with ADD and ADHD better understand their engagement levels during their daily tasks. The mobile application, paired with an electroencephalographic (EEG) device, collects data about user-specific task engagement and pairs it with geographic and temporal data to provide insights into the degree to which a user is engaged in tasks based on time and location. The paper describes two mobile prototypes developed to investigate the problem space of contextual visualizations of engagement information, and it presents future directions for development and study.
Instructional interventions for reducing situational anxiety and avoidance

Instructors can manipulate situational variables to help reduce situational anxiety and avoidance in their students. Research reported here tests variations in motivation (percent of grade for communication activity), acquaintance (communication partner as friend or stranger), and context of assignment for their effect on dispositional anxiety and avoidance. Each factor was varied in a cover story which students read and then responded to with a report of their likely anxiety and avoidance behavior. Results indicate that context strongly influences anxiety and avoidance, that motivation reduces reported anxiety for low and high CA students in public assignments, and that acquaintance influences low CA, but not high CA students.
Kinetics of Drug Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion

HE kinetic aspects of drug absorption, distriTbution, metabolism, and excretion have not been previously reviewed in the English language. Two discussions or reviews on the subject have been included in German publications. One of these constituted one issue of Die Pharmazie (1) and was prepared by Druckrey and Kupfmuller. The other is included in a book written by Dost (2). Dost’s bibliography on kinetic and related topics is extensive. More than two decades ago, Teorell published two papers in the English language which were a theoretical treatment of the kinetic consideration under discussion here (3). Some of the literature existing on the subject a t that time, as well as literature on kinetics of some physiological substances, was briefly reviewed in these papers. Relatively recently, Robertson published an extensive review on the theory and use of isotopes in the determination transfer rates (4). In Robertson’s review, work with physiological substances was of primary interest ( 3 ) . The same is true in the rather extensive papers published by Russell ( 5 ) and by Odeblad, Westin, and Englund ((j). Although not concerned with drugs, many fundamental principles of elimina-
XREF: a case study in Common Lisp portability

Experience in building XREF, a Common Lisp cross reference utility, has revealed several issues relevant to writing portable program analysis utilities and supporting portable application programs across implementations. XREF is a program analyzer that parses Lisp code, analyzes calls to macros and functions and the use of variables, and then produces reports on inter-dependencies among functions, macros, variables, and files. It was designed to be a portable Common Lisp program that could analyze any any program written entirely in Common Lisp; the standard specified in [1] (hereafter CLtL) is both its implementation language and domain.
The effect of processing on large, self-assembled amyloid fibers

It has been shown that micrometer-sized amyloid fibers can spontaneously self-assemble from peptide mixtures. Varying the molar ratio and type of peptides in the mixture affected fiber morphology and properties. Here, the same peptide mixtures at constant molar ratio are studied at different processing conditions to note influences on fiber formation. This study illustrates that changes in solution pH, temperature, and ionic strength can also influence the extent of fiber formation. In addition, processing variables greatly affect the size, morphology, and modulus of large amyloid fibers. Fibers segregate into two classes: flat ribbons or tapes of low modulus and cylindrical fibers of high modulus. Cylindrical cross-sections appear to result from twisted tapes and processing conditions can affect the transition from flat to cylindrical. Solution conditions could prevent or enhance the twisting transition, depending on the amino acid composition of the peptides in the mixture. The most robust fiber properties result from cylindrical fibers with diameters of 10–20 μm. The transition from flat to cylindrical appears to be highly influenced by the glutamine (Q) or lysine (K) content of the peptides. Thus it is possible to design useful, macroscopic fibers with predictable shape and properties.
Lithium effects in plasmas

Report on the Workshop held at Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America 17-18 October 1996.
Improved outcomes for stem cell transplant recipients requiring pediatric intensive care

Objectives: Survival for hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients requiring pediatric intensive care unit admission may be improving. This study was conducted to review outcomes for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation requiring admission to our pediatric intensive care unit and to identify variables impacting survival. Design: Retrospective database review. Setting: Pediatric intensive care unit and bone marrow transplant service of a children’s hospital. Patients: Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at our center from July 2004 through June 2010 requiring pediatric intensive care unit admission during the same period. Measurements and Main Results: Thirty-five percent of patients (155 of 448) undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation required 319 admissions over this period. Of these 155 patients, 63% (97 of 155) were discharged alive following their most recent admission with a 100-day survival of 51% (79 of 155). Forty-five percent (69 of 155) of patients were still alive on long-term followup. Intubation and mechanical ventilation were required for 57% (88 of 155) of patients, with 39% (34 of 88) of patients surviving their last pediatric intensive care unit admission. Renal support was utilized for 25% (38 of 155) of patients with 34% (13 of 38) survival to pediatric intensive care unit discharge. Admissions surviving to pediatric intensive care unit discharge had signifi cantly lower Pediatric Risk of Mortality II scores, shorter pediatric intensive care unit length of stay, lower utilization of intubation and mechanical ventilation with fewer ventilator days, and lower use of renal support when compared to nonsurvivors. Of note, each prior pediatric intensive care unit admission significantly reduced the odds of pediatric intensive care unit survival. Conclusions: We report a 63% survival to pediatric intensive care unit discharge, with 45% surviving at a median follow-up of over 2 yrs for all hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit over a 6-yr period. Our data suggest improved survival outcomes for this high risk patient population. (Pediatr Crit Care Med 2012; 13:e336–e342)
Identification and purity test for ergonovine and methylergonovine

A method is described for the separation and identification of those “water-soluble” ergot alkaloids of pharmaceutical interest; namely, ergonoyine, ergonovinine, methylergonovine, and methylergonovinine.
Finding architectural flaws in android apps is easy

Mobile devices store confidential information. As a result, security vulnerabilities such as information disclosure in mobile apps can have serious consequences. To build secure apps, developers are expected to follow security policies that are described only informally. Some policies target architectural flaws, rather than coding defects, and are not easily checked or enforced with existing tools. Scoria is a prototype tool that allows architects to write security policies as machine-checkable constraints that are executed against a program abstraction that is a hierarchy of abstract objects with dataflow communication edges. Using Scoria, architects reason not only about the presence or absence of communication, but also about object provenance, hierarchy and reachability. We show how Scoria can find information disclosure in an open-source Android app.
Mechanical Characterization of the Layer-Specific Human Aorta

In this work, three layers of human aorta, i.e. intima, media and adventitia, obtained from a 9 mm CryoValve® aortic valve allograft, were tested along both axial and circumferential directions. Preconditioning with a stretch ratio of 1.35 was used to mimic the physiological pulsatile loading conditions of the tissue. Results suggested that the stiffness along circumferential direction is generally larger than axial direction in each of the three layers. In all three layers, the media layer is the stiffest, and the adventitia layer is the softest regardless of testing directions. The anisotropic, nonlinear elastic mechanical behavior of each layer from the aortic valve allograft could help better understand the compliance mismatch between the allograft and native arterial tissue.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Perceptions of medical school deans and state medical society executives about physician supply.

ContextPhysician shortages are appearing, yet controversy about their significance and uncertainty about their remedy exist.ObjectivesTo sample the perceptions of medical school deans and state medical society executives about the adequacy of physician supply, to determine the perceived impact of any shortages on medical schools, and to assess the capacity of medical schools to expand.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsMedical school deans in the United States and Puerto Rico were surveyed by means of a structured questionnaire, and officials of US state medical societies were queried by means of open-ended telephone interviews. Information was obtained from 58% of medical school deans and 86% of state medical society executives.Main Outcome MeasureReported perceptions of shortages or surpluses of physicians by specialty and plans to increase medical school class size.ResultsApproximately 85% of both deans and medical society respondents perceived shortages of physicians, usually in multiple specialties, while 10% perceived surpluses, usually coexisting with shortages. Among deans reporting shortages, 83% described a negative impact on their schools. Recent or planned increases in class size were reported by 27% of deans and expansion capacity by another 34%, but 7% noted recent decreases in class size. Applied generally, these changes in class size could yield 7.6% additional matriculants annually.ConclusionsPhysician shortages are prevalent and they are negatively affecting medical schools. Little capacity exists to alleviate these shortages through class size expansion.
Full solar spectrum measurements of absorption of light in a sample of the Beacon Sandstone containing the Antarctic cryptoendolithic microbial community

We report measures of absorption (negative log10 of the transmissivity) of a collimated beam through a 2.27 mm surface layer of Beacon Sandstone that harbours a cryptoendolithic microbial community. Consistent with the findings of previous work in the visible light range with these rocks, and in analogous sediments, blue wavelengths are more strongly attenuated than red. At wavelengths from 2400–1200 nm the absorption of the dry rock layer is roughly constant at 3.1 except in the water bands at 2000 nm and 1600 nm. From 1200–300 nm the absorption increases from 3.1 to 6.4, below 300–190 nm (the lowest wavelength measured) the absorption exceeds 6.4. When the rock is saturated with water the absorption uniformly decreases by about 0.1–0.2 over the 700–400 nm region but decreases sharply for lower wavelengths, with the decrease equal to 0.5 at 300 nm. Thus, the relative protection against UV is attenuated when the rock is wet. Even with this decreased absorption the UV absorption is still greater than that for the visible. The absorption at wavelengths less than 300 nm was too large to measure (> 6.4) for both the wet and dry rocks.
Corrosion Resistance of a High-Silicon Alloy in Metal-Dusting Environments

A Si-containing, high-temperature alloy (Fe–17Cr–9Ni–8Mn–4Si) was exposed to high-carbon activity and low-oxygen partial pressure environments (CO–H2) over a temperature range from 650 to 950 °C. No metal dusting corrosion was observed in this alloy. The structure and composition of the surface films formed were characterized in detail at the nanometer level. At a temperature of 650 °C, the surface-oxide films formed are made up of an inner, continuous, amorphous-silica (SiO2) layer and an outer crystalline manganese chromate (MnCr2O4) spinel layer with manganese oxide (MnO) crystals on the surface. By contrast, at a higher temperature of 950 °C, a more-complex layered structure is developed, comprising inner, continuous, amorphous SiO2 and crystalline manganese-silicate (Mn2SiO4) layers and an outer crystalline Cr2O3/MnCr2O4 duplex layer with MnO crystals having variable textures on the surface.
Comparison of the fructose effect and the starve-refeed response of rat liver enzymes

Abstract The magnitude of the starve-refeed response and the effect of dietary fructose on the activities of hepatic glucose 6-phosphates dehydrogenase (G6PD) and malic enzyme (ME) were studied. The magnitude of increase in enzyme activity was similar in rats starved and refed the glucose diet or fed the fructose diet ad libitum when compared to rats fed the glucose diet ad libitum . In rats starved and refed the fructose diet, the starve-refeed response and the fructose effect were additive, suggesting that the two responses have different mechanisms. When the enzyme response to a subsequent starve-refeed episode was studied it was found that a previous starve-refeed episode increased the subsequent response to starvation-refeeding, whereas prefeeding the fructose diet ad libitum did not. Both the starve-refeed response and the fructose effect were inhibited by 8-azaguanine, suggesting a requirement for de novo RNA synthesis. The data suggest that the nature of requirement for de novo RNA synthesis is different in the starve-refeed response from the requirement for de novo RNA synthesis for the fructose effect.
Three-dimensional cell culture model for measuring the effects of interstitial fluid flow on tumor cell invasion

The growth and progression of most solid tumors depend on the initial transformation of the cancer cells and their response to stroma-associated signaling in the tumor microenvironment (1). Previously, research on the tumor microenvironment has focused primarily on tumor-stromal interactions (1-2). However, the tumor microenvironment also includes a variety of biophysical forces, whose effects remain poorly understood. These forces are biomechanical consequences of tumor growth that lead to changes in gene expression, cell division, differentiation and invasion(3). Matrix density (4), stiffness (5-6), and structure (6-7), interstitial fluid pressure (8), and interstitial fluid flow (8) are all altered during cancer progression. Interstitial fluid flow in particular is higher in tumors compared to normal tissues (8-10). The estimated interstitial fluid flow velocities were measured and found to be in the range of 0.1-3 μm s(-1), depending on tumor size and differentiation (9, 11). This is due to elevated interstitial fluid pressure caused by tumor-induced angiogenesis and increased vascular permeability (12). Interstitial fluid flow has been shown to increase invasion of cancer cells (13-14), vascular fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells (15). This invasion may be due to autologous chemotactic gradients created around cells in 3-D (16) or increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression (15), chemokine secretion and cell adhesion molecule expression (17). However, the mechanism by which cells sense fluid flow is not well understood. In addition to altering tumor cell behavior, interstitial fluid flow modulates the activity of other cells in the tumor microenvironment. It is associated with (a) driving differentiation of fibroblasts into tumor-promoting myofibroblasts (18), (b) transporting of antigens and other soluble factors to lymph nodes (19), and (c) modulating lymphatic endothelial cell morphogenesis (20). The technique presented here imposes interstitial fluid flow on cells in vitro and quantifies its effects on invasion (Figure 1). This method has been published in multiple studies to measure the effects of fluid flow on stromal and cancer cell invasion (13-15, 17). By changing the matrix composition, cell type, and cell concentration, this method can be applied to other diseases and physiological systems to study the effects of interstitial flow on cellular processes such as invasion, differentiation, proliferation, and gene expression.
Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) Regulates Angiogenesis Independently of VEGF during Ocular Neovascularization

Background Aberrant growth of blood vessels in the eye forms the basis of many incapacitating diseases and currently the majority of patients respond to anti-angiogenic therapies based on blocking the principal angiogenic growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). While highly successful, new therapeutic targets are critical for the increasing number of individuals susceptible to retina-related pathologies in our increasingly aging population. Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a cell surface peptidase that is absent on normal tissue vasculature but is highly expressed on the neovasculature of most solid tumors, where we have previously shown to regulate angiogenic endothelial cell invasion. Because pathologic angiogenic responses are often triggered by distinct signals, we sought to determine if PSMA also contributes to the pathologic angiogenesis provoked by hypoxia of the retina, which underlies many debilitating retinopathies.
Predicting turnover: a comparison of part-time and full-time employees

The predictability of turnover was compared for part-time versus full-time workers. This was accomplished using variables (1) that were hypothesized by Mobley (1977) to precede the turnover decision and (2) that have been shown in previous research to be significantly related to turnover. Measures of these variables were assessed via questionnaires following the second month of employment. Turnover was assessed directly from company records for a period of up to twelve months following employment. None of the hypothesized antecedent variables were significantly related to turnover within the part-time group. However, within the full-time group, all of the hypothesized precursors to turnover were found to be at least marginally related to actual turnover. Further, there was evidence to suggest differential predictability of turnover across full-time and part-time employment status groups, suggesting that the two groups may have a different ‘psychology of work’. These results are discussed in terms of the supportive evidence provided.
Transient Isotopic Studies of the Role of Lattice Oxygen during Oxidative Coupling of Methane on Sr Promoted Lanthanum Oxide

Studies of the oxidative coupling of methane were performed by applying transient isotopic techniques on Sr promoted La2O3 catalysts. Pulses of methane with different oxygen concentrations and 13CH4/12CH4 isotopic switches show that the catalyst does not activate methane unless gas phase oxygen is present in the system. The above measurements also indicate that no long lived methane species can be detected on the surface of the catalyst under reaction conditions. Results of the steady state 18O/16O exchange experiments combined with temperature programmed isotopic exchange (TPIE) data suggest that Sr promotion increases the mobility of lattice oxygen by creating oxygen vacancies in the structure of La2O3.
Comment: phonon spectrum of molecular crystals from exciton sidebands

Abstract Phonon sidebands of excitons in molecular crystals with negligibly small excitation exchange interactions, including isotopic guest systems, are not, in general, expected to be predominantly weighted by translational modes that are predictable from Brillouin zone centre ( q = 0) ones. Some phonon sideband data on naphthalene, hexamethylbenzene, etc. are discussed and argued to map the extent of the phonon density-of-states as well as some of the q ≠ 0 singularities.