cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Adjustment for Comparing Hospital Quality with Surgery: How Many Variables Are Needed?

BACKGROUND: The American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP)willsoonbereportingprocedure-specificoutcomes,andhopestoreducetheburdenof data collection by collecting fewer variables. We sought to determine whether these changes threaten the robustness of the risk adjustment of hospital quality comparisons. STUDY DESIGN: We used prospective, clinical data from the ACS NSQIP from 2005 to 2007 (184 hospitals, 74,887 patients). For the 5 general surgery operations in the procedure-specific NSQIP, we compared the ability of the full model (21 variables), an intermediate model (12 variables), and a limited model (5 variables) to predict patient outcomes and to risk-adjust hospital outcomes. RESULTS: The intermediate and limited models were comparable with the full model in all analyses. In the assessment of patient risk, the limited and full models had very similar discrimination at the patient level(C-indicesforall5procedurescombinedof0.93versus0.91formortalityand0.78versus0.76 formorbidity)andshowedgoodcalibrationacrossstrataofpatientrisk.Inassessinghospital-specific outcomes, results from the limited and full-risk models were highly correlated for both mortality (range 0.94 to 0.99 across the 5 operations) and morbidity (range 0.96 to 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Procedure-specific hospital quality measures can be adequately risk-adjusted with a limited number of variables. In the context of the ACS NSQIP, moving to a more limited model will dramatically reduce the burden of data collection for participating hospitals. (J Am Coll Surg 2010;210:503–508. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American College of Surgeons)
Present and past influences on current smoking among HIV-positive male veterans.

INTRODUCTION Cigarette smoking has become an important influence of morbidity and mortality for HIV-positive individuals in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Although smoking is common among military personnel and veterans, the lasting impact of military service on smoking at a later stage of life has not been examined. The current study investigated present and past influences on current smoking among HIV-positive male veterans. METHODS Participants were 200 HIV-positive men served by the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. A survey was administered via audio-enhanced computer-assisted self-interview, and additional information was extracted from the computerized patient record system. RESULTS Logistic regression was performed to test hypotheses concerning the participants' current situations as well as characteristics of their past military service. Having smokers in one's environment, being more depressed, and having used alcohol or drugs were associated with having smoked in the previous 30 days, whereas stronger endorsement of attitudes stating adverse effects of smoking was linked to lower likelihood of smoking. Neither having been in a military conflict nor the length of the military service was significantly related to current smoking. CONCLUSIONS Remote experiences in the military did not have a sustained effect on smoking behavior years later. Implications of this study for the development of smoking cessation programs targeting HIV-positive veterans include the importance of altering attitudes about tobacco, treating underlying depression, addressing social influence, decreasing substance use, and increasing awareness of the heightened vulnerability to a variety of negative consequences of smoking among infected individuals.
Improved outlook for Ewing's sarcoma with combination chemotherapy (vincristine, actinomycin D and cyclophosphamide) and radiation therapy

Vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide (VAC) were administered to 14 patients with Ewing's sarcoma. The primary tumors were treated with radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy. Nine patients had no visible metastases at diagnosis: two died following the development of pulmonary metastases and the rest have been free of disease for periods varying from 4 months to 4 1/2 years following completion of treatment. This contrasts with a 27% survival in patients previously treated at this center with single agent chemotherapy. Five other patients had demonstrable metastases at diagnosis: VAC chemotherapy achieved complete regression of pulmonary metastases in three for 9, 9+ and 24+ months, respectively. Following disappearance of tumor in the latter two, pulmonary irradiation was administered in an attempt to consolidate the response, but tumor recurred 6 months later. These patients eventually died of widespread disease although survival appeared prolonged in comparison to that seen in past experience. Chemotherapy was well tolerated, although three patients developed hemorrhagic cystitis, necessitating discontinuation of cyclophosphamide. The data suggest the potential for prolonged control and an increase in the cure rate with this therapeutic approach.
Diaspora entrepreneurs as institutional change agents: The case of Thamel.com

Abstract Diasporans are migrants and their descendants who maintain a relationship to their country of origin ( Safran, 1991 ). Diasporans who establish new ventures in their countries of origin comprise a special case of international ethnic entrepreneurship. In countries of settlement, diasporans confront institutional environments that often are quite different than those that exist in their countries of origin. We refer to the exposure to and adoption of institutional roles and relationships associated with a new cultural setting as “institutional acculturation.” Most extant work in management and marketing focuses on how a migrant's acculturation affects his/her behavior in the new country of residence. We shift the analytical lens to the country of origin. Utilizing a case study from Nepal, we demonstrate how institutional acculturation can inspire a diaspora entrepreneur to transform institutional arrangements in his/her country of origin and generate dramatic change in society's role expectations of the government, suppliers, and buyers.
Cross-Cultural “Allies” in Immigrant Community Practice: Roles of foreign-trained former Montagnard health professionals

This pilot case study describes foreign-trained former Montagnard refugee physicians’ practice experiences in Vietnam and their current community health worker and “ally” roles within the Montagnard refugee community. It highlights key features that facilitate cross-culturally responsive health care. We interviewed five Vietnam-trained former Montagnard refugee physicians using an open-ended interview format during March, 2012. We used content analysis procedures to identify key themes characterizing Montagnard physicians’ former and current practice experiences and emphasizing the roles they currently play in their new homeland. Montagnard physicians were fighting infectious diseases in homeland Vietnamese communities. Since coming to the U.S., Montagnard physicians have reoriented their competencies to fit within a community health workers model, and have shifted practice to fighting chronic disease in this refugee community. Tasks now include describing and contextualizing unique characteristics of the Montagnard languages and cultures to outside constituents. They become cross-cultural allies to the U.S. health care and facilitate individuals’ medical adherence with mainstream physicians’ orders. They ensure accuracy of interpretation of Montagnard patients’ medical complaints during a medical visit. Our findings reveal the potential roles that can be ascribed to a cross-cultural ally and can be built into practice to fulfill the Montagnard community’s unmet health needs: oral historian, mediator, facilitator/negotiator, quality assurer, psychosocial confidant, and health advocate. Normal 0 false false false EN-US ZH-CN X-NONE
Examination of data relating to the thermodynamic and kinetic interactions between nonvolatile aqueous solutes and three ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymers

Distribution coefficient (Ks) and diffusivity [diffusion coefficient (D)] values for 19 nonvolatile solutes were previously reported for three ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers. In this article, the interaction properties of these solutes are compared with their octanol/water partition coefficient (Po/w) values. Adequate linear log/log correlations between Ks and Po/w are obtained for all three copolymers, once the effect of the solution pH on solute speciation is taken into account. The resultant correlations are similar for all three copolymers, suggesting that they share a common interaction mechanism. Inverse correlations between log D and log Po/w are established for all three materials. Although the relationship between log D and log Po/w is linear for the EVA polymers, the scatter in the poly(vinyl acetate) data is sufficiently large that a linear relationship cannot be unilaterally established. The utility of such a model in terms of assessing the potential interaction between a plastic container and its contained contents is demonstrated. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 253–259, 2006
Successes and struggles with building web teams: a usability committee case study

Purpose – The purpose of this case study is to raise issues and challenges with the formation and structure of web teams within libraries.Design/methodology/approach – The authors review the literature and reflect on their experience with web teams.Findings – The literature is scarce when it comes to discussions on building web and usability teams. However, using team formation theory can strengthen any sort of web team regardless of the exact nature of its formation and structure.Practical implications – This paper reviews and reflects on a list of team formation aspects that could be beneficial while building a web team.Originality/value – This case study fills a gap in the literature about how web and usability teams are formed and how team structure affects the success of the group.
Genetic basis of sudden cardiac death due to emotional trauma in apparently healthy individuals: Commentary

severe emotional trauma etc. Therefore, some of the victims reported in the article by Babu V et al. [1] (particularly the relatively young ones in whom the SCDs were not clinically suggestive of any apparent etiology including acute coronary syndromes or other structural heart disease etc.) might have harboured some kind of genetically determined arrhythmogenic conditions including ion channelopathies (with normal or abnormal resting ECGs) that might lead to SCDs in response to a sudden and severe emotional trauma. Thorough analysis and genetic screening of families of these victims may confirm this suggestion, and may help take preventive measures for the family members against SCD. In conclusion, the first manifestation of a genetically determined ion channelopathy may be SCD. However, ion channelopathies may be easily ignored when they are not accompanied by ECG signs and clinical symptoms, and may remain clinically dormant unless the patient faces severe triggering factors (drugs, severe emotional stress etc.). A portion of sudden deaths due to emotional trauma may be attributable to genetically determined arrhythmogenic entities including ion channelopathies, particularly in relatively young and apparently healthy victims suggesting thorough examination and further analysis (including genetic screening) of the family members of these victims for prevention of SCD. The authors of this manuscript have certified that they comply with the Principles of Ethical Publishing in the International Journal of Cardiology [8].
Models of plant-pathogen coevolution

Plant populations are often genetically polymorphic for resistance to pathogens. The effectiveness of this resistance is limited because the pathogens are, in turn, polymorphic for virulence genes that can evade plant resistance. Theoretical models and intriguing preliminary data suggest that these plant-pathogen polymorphisms are maintained by continual cycles of coevolution within populations, combined with occasional immigration of new virulence and resistance genes from distant populations.
The Prosumption of Commemoration Disasters, Digital Memory Banks, and Online Collective Memory

The Internet has created innumerable possibilities for the construction of memorials devoted to tragic or catastrophic events and the exercise of collective memory. Two recent American disasters, t...
Sequence-dependent conformations of DNA duplexes: the TATA segment of the d(G-G-T-A-T-A-C-C) duplex in aqueous solution.

The base and sugar protons of the d(G-G-T-A-T-A-C-C) duplex have been assigned from two-dimensional correlated (COSY) and nuclear Overhauser effect (NOESY) measurements in D2O solution at 25°C. The nucleic acid protons have been assigned from NOEs between protons on adjacent bases on the same and partner strands, as well as from NOEs between the base protons and their own and 5′-flanking H1′, H2′, H2″, H3′, and H4′ sugar protons. These assignments are confirmed from coupling constant and NOE connectivities within the sugar protons of a given residue. Several of these NOEs exhibit directionality and demonstrate that the d(G-G-T-A-T-A-C-C) duplex is a right-handed helix. The relative magnitude of the NOEs between the base protons and the sugar H2′ protons of its own and 5′-flanking sugar demonstrate that the TATA segment of the d(G-G-T-A-T-A-C-C) duplex adopts a B-DNA type helix geometry in solution, in contrast to the previous observation of a A-type helix for the same octanucleotide duplex in the crystalline state.
The value of videotape in mock oral board examinations

Objective To determine the impact on self-perception, of having residents view their own performance (taped) on mock oral board examinations. Design Self-evaluation—intervention—self-evaluation design. Third-, fourth-, and fifth-year residents evaluated themselves after each examination(room) during mock oral examinations. Residents reviewed the examination on videotape and re-evaluated themselves. Setting University Medical Center. Participants Twenty surgical residents from the third, fourth, and fifth years of training. Main outcome measures Mean scores in 6 categories based on a 5-point Likert scale. Scores by examiners plus pre- and post-video viewing self-scores were compared. Results We found that residents consistently underestimated their performance on the examination. Viewing their videotapes resulted in revised self-scores, which were more consistent with scores of the examiners. All scores will be presented in sequence as follows: Mean score by examiners, mean self-score pre-tape viewing and mean self-score post-tape viewing. For professionalism, scores were 4.63, 4.15, and 4.43, p = 0.047. For organization, 3.91, 3.27, and 3.63, p = 0.007. For decision making, 4.02, 3.42, and 3.72, p = 0.033. P-values reflect the comparison of resident self-scores pre- and post-tape viewing. Analysis of variance comparison of scores in various rooms (different examiners) revealed no significant difference in scores based on rooms (different examiners). Evaluations according to rooms (different examiners) were not statistically different, supporting inter-rater reliability. There was consistent improvement in knowledge and decision making with advanced years of training, supporting internal validity of the examination. Conclusions Videotape viewing results in revised resident self-scores, which are more consistent with scores given by the examiners. Tape viewing significantly affected resident self-scores in professionalism, organization, and decision-making.
Energies of Cu + 1 ions sputtered from Cu by very low energy (50 eV < E< 1 keV) inert gas ions

Abstract He+, Ne+ and Ar+ ions with energies E1 between 50 and 1000 eV were used to bombard a polycrystalline Cu target at an angle of 45°. The energies, E2, of the Cu1+ ions sputtered at 90° to the primary beam were investigated using a UHV magnetic sector mass spectrometer. The maxima of the energy distributions as measured by the instrument, were at values of E2 of about 4 eV (±1 eV), nearly independent of e1 and primary ion mass. Plots of log N(E2) versus log E2 displayed limited linear portions over which the functional dependence of N(E2) is proportional to E2−0.5. Plots of the average secondary ion energy, Ē2, versus the energy transferred by the primary ion to a Cu atom in a direct collision ([ 4m 1 m 2 (m 1 + m 2 ) 2 ]E 1 ) , indicate that Ē2 increases linearly with transfer energy up to a transferred energy of about 200 eV, independent of primary ion mass. Above about 200 eV transferred energy, Ē2 asymptotically approaches values which depend upon primary ion mass. At transferred energies below about 200 eV, the collision kinematics in the fust few collisions appears to dominate the emission process.
Alpha- and beta-synucleins are new diagnostic tools for acute erythroid leukemia and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia.

α-synuclein is a key component of the Lewy body, a large globular protein complex that forms in the nervous system of patients with Parkinson disease and other dementias [1-3]. Since α-synuclein also occurs in megakaryocytic and erythroid lineages [4-7], we wondered what role synucleins had in the hematopoietic system. Therefore, we studied the expression of α-, β-, and γ-synucleins in a comprehensive panel of patient bone marrows and leukemic cell lines. We observed under expression of α-synuclein in the megakaryocytes of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), but not normal reactive marrow (NRM) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Conversely, we observed over expression of β-synuclein in the blasts of megakaryoblastic leukemias (MegL), but not acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or erythroleukemia (EryL), suggesting that α- and β-synucleins could be useful adjunct markers for the early detection of MDS and the differential diagnosis of EryL and MegL from other AMLs.
The non-operant nature of the bar-press escape response

Fifty-six rats were trained to press a bar to terminate shock. Different groups were trained with different force requirements and different response feedback conditions. Under most conditions the modal response latency became very short, 0.1 sec or less, which indicates that at least much of the time the response should not be considered an operant.
Abstract 4295: Multifunctional nanoconstructs for tumor visualization using contrast enhanced MRI

New multifunctional nanoconstructs using mesoporous Si particles (SiMPs) and polymeric hydrogel particles (HG) are synthesized with superior MRI efficacy and favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Clinically relevant Gd 3+ -based contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), namely [Gd (DTPA)] 2− , [Gd (DOTA)] 1- and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles, were either i) encapsulated within the mesoporous structure of the SiMPs or ii) covalently attached to SiMPs and HGs. The size (from 400 to 2000 nm) and shape (discoidal, cylindrical, etc.) of the nanoconstructs are accurately tailored during the fabrication process to control the in vivo biodistribution. In tumor bearing mouse model, discoidal particles with a characteristic size of 1000 x 400 nm were found to accumulate at the tumor site more than other particles. The incorporation of clinically used, FDA approved CAs into the mesoporous structure of the SiMPs led to magnetic nanoconstructs exhibiting much higher relaxivities as compared to free CAs in solution. In particular, the relaxivity for [Gd (DTPA)] 2− and [Gd (DOTA)] −1 loaded SiMPs was measured to be ∼ 25 mM −1 s −1 , which is more than 6 times larger than the r 1 obtained for free CAs (∼ 4 mM −1 s −1 ). The pore size played a dominant role in that the relaxivity was observed to grow with a reduction in pore diameter: r 1 ∼ 24 mM −1 s −1 for small pore SiMPs (5-10 nm); and r 1 ∼ 10 mM −1 s −1 for huge pore SiMPs (30-40 nm). CAs covalently attached to SiMPs and HGs, exhibited no such dependence on pore sizes but provided comparable enhancement in r 1 . For SPIOs encapsulated in mesoporous SiMPs, a much larger enhancement in relaxivity was observed with r 2 ∼ 220 mM −1 s −1 for the resulting nanoconstructs against r 2 ∼ 11.2 mM −1 s −1 for free SPIOs. These results suggest that geometrical confinement into mesopores is a general strategy for enhancing the performance of both T 1 and T 2 MRI CAs. Intravenous injection of SPIO-loaded SiMPs in melanoma bearing mice decreased the contrast (T 2 -weigthed relaxation), confirming the high level of accumulation of these nanoconstructs at the tumor site. For the enhanced relaxivity and superior localization of imaging agents at the target site, the proposed nanoconstructs provide an ideal platform for early cancer detection by MRI. In addition, the easily functionalizable surface of these nanoconstructs render them the ability to perform cellular and molecular imaging using clinical MRI scanners. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4295. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4295
Calcium sensor properties for activity-dependent homeostatic regulation of pyloric network rhythms in the lobster stomatogastric ganglion

Homeostatic regulation has been proposed as a mecha-nism that can explain the robust behavior of central pat-tern generating (CPG) neural networks observedexperimentally. CPG networks, such as the pyloric net-work in the stomatogastric ganglion (STG) of the lobster,generate stable patterns of activity in spite of constantmolecular turnover and environmental changes.Although the sensing and acting components of regula-tion are not yet well understood, one likely scenario is thatcalcium-based activity sensors drive the regulation ofintrinsic cellular and synaptic properties.It has been shown that calcium can help maintain stableactivity levels in individual model neurons [1], andpyloric rhythms in one network model [2]. Remainingquestions are: (1) whether calcium sensors work in differ-ent network model versions, and (2) what intrinsic prop-erties of calcium sensors are important for distinguishingfunctional from non-functional activity patterns.
Lymphomas of mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue in common variable immunodeficiency.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency disease characterized by low serum immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, and usually IgM. The central immune deficiency is impaired secretion of immunoglobulins and lack of antibody production; however, T cell dysfunction and a variety of inflammatory complications suggest global immune dysregulation. A number of reports have documented the association of primary immunodeficiency diseases with the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In CVID, the risk has been estimated to lie between 1.4% and 7%. As for NHL arising in other immunodeficiency states, the lymphomas in CVID are extranodal and are usually B cell in type. Of 22 B cell lymphomas that have appeared over a period of 25 years in a cohort of subjects with CVID, five lymphomas, appearing in more recently studied subjects, that arose in mucosal sites would be classified as mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas. MALT lymphomas are low-grade B cell lymphomas that result from a proliferation of neoplastic marginal-zone related cells of lymphoid tissue and tend to occur in organs that have acquired lymphoid tissue due to long-term infectious or autoimmune stimulation. Lymphomas of this kind have not been described in patients with congenital immunodeficiency, although chronic mucosal antigen stimulation is an integral part of these immune deficiency states. Am. J. Hematol. 69:171–178, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Topography on satellite surfaces and the shape of asteroids

Consideration of the topography and shape of incompressible, nonrotating, isothermal, spherical objects as an approach to the study of the topography and shape of smaller planetary bodies. A static model and a creep deformation model are applied in the process. Factors and forces which may have a bearing on the geometry and topography of small planetary bodies are discussed.
Visual masking near spatiotemporal edges

One area of applied research in which vision scientists can have a significant impact is in improving image compression technologies by developing a model of human vision which can be used as an image fidelity metric. Scene cuts and other transient events in a video sequence have significant impact on digital video transmission bandwidth. We have therefore been studying masking at transient edge boundaries where bit rate savings might be achieved. Using Crawford temporal and Westheimer spatial masking techniques, we find unexpected stimulus polarity dependent effects. At normal video luminance levels there is a greater than fourfold increase in narrow line detection thresholds near the temporal onset of luminance pedestals. The largest elevations occur for pedestal widths in the range of 2 - 10 min. When the luminance polarity of the test line matches that of the pedestal polarity the masking is much greater than when the test and pedestal have opposite polarities. We believe at least two masking processes are involved; (1) a rapid response saturation in on- or off-center visual mechanisms and (2) a process based on a stimulus ambiguity when the test and pedestal are about the same size. The fact that masking is greatest for local spatial configurations gives one hope for its practical implementation in compression algorithms.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurement of critical disjoining pressure for dewetting of solid surfaces

It is shown that metastable fluid films on solid surfaces are destabilized when the applied capillary pressure exceeds a critical disjoining pressure. This leads to a wettability reversal of the solid substrate that can be detected using AFM measurements. Force vs distance curves reveal large hysteresis when the intervening liquid film is ruptured, causing wettability alteration. No hysteresis is observed for a stable film. A series of such experiments are conducted to investigate the effect of pH, salinity, and surface characteristics on wetting behavior of solid surfaces. Quantitative measurements of disjoining pressure isotherms have been made with octadecane and crude oil to better understand wettability alteration in oil reservoirs. These measurements also provide some insight into the short-range forces of interaction between a hydrocarbon (hydrophobic) phase and mineral (hydrophilic) surface separated by aqueous electrolytes.
Modern Optics and Electrical Engineering

The need for educating electrical engineers in modern optics is discussed. One approach to introducing this relatively new area into the curriculum is described.
Human neutrophil peptide defensins induce single strand DNA breaks in target cells

To investigate whether target cell DNA injury participates in cytolysis by human neutrophil defensins (HNP), we analyzed HNP-treated cells for single strand breaks by the alkaline unwinding assay and the activation of ADPribose polymerase, a DNA repair enzyme. Strand breaks and ADP-ribosylation were first detected in K562 and Raji targets 6-8 hr after incubation with HNP and increased to maximal levels by 18 hr. DNA was not degraded into nucleosome-sized fragments. To assess the impact of DNA injury on cytolysis, we increased strand breakage by coincubating targets with HNP and two inhibitors of ADPribose polymerase, 3-aminobenzamide, or nicotinamide. Concurrently with inhibiting polymerase activity and increasing DNA injury, these agents significantly enhanced HNP-mediated cytolysis. Enhancement occurred only at time points (over 6 hr) and in targets (only nucleated targets) where HNP-induced DNA injury could be occurring. These data indicate that neutrophil defensins can induce DNA injury in targets and suggest such injury may be involved in target cell death.
Neurovascular regulation in the normal brain and in Alzheimer's disease.

The structural and functional integrity of the brain depends on the delicate balance between substrate delivery through blood flow and energy demands imposed by neural activity. Complex cerebrovascular control mechanisms ensure that active brain regions receive an adequate amount of blood, but the nature of these mechanisms remains elusive. Recent findings implicate perivascular neurons, gliovascular interactions and intramural vascular signalling in the control of the cerebral microcirculation. Neurons, astrocytes and vascular cells seem to constitute a functional unit, the primary purpose of which is to maintain the homeostasis of the brain's microenvironment. Alterations of these vascular regulatory mechanisms lead to brain dysfunction and disease. The emerging view is that cerebrovascular dysregulation is a feature not only of cerebrovascular pathologies, such as stroke, but also of neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Astrophysical evidence for the direct electron- neutrino weak interaction.

Plasma neutrino process of Adams, Ruderman and Woo dependent on direct electron-neutrino interaction and connected with stellar evolution
Phenotypic Diversity of Breast Cancer-Related Mutations in Metalloproteinase-Disintegrin ADAM12

Six different somatic missense mutations in the human ADAM12 gene have been identified so far in breast cancer. Five of these mutations involve highly conserved residues in the extracellular domain of the transmembrane ADAM12-L protein. Two of these extracellular mutations, D301H and G479E, have been previously characterized in the context of mouse ADAM12. Three other mutations, T596A, R612Q, and G668A, have been reported more recently, and their effects on ADAM12-L protein structure/function are not known. Here, we show that ADAM12-L bearing the G668A mutation is largely retained in the endoplasmic reticulum in its nascent, full-length form, with an intact N-terminal pro-domain. The T596A and R612Q mutants are efficiently trafficked to the cell surface and proteolytically processed to remove their pro-domains. However, the T596A mutant shows decreased catalytic activity at the cell surface, while the R612Q mutant is fully active and comparable to the wild-type ADAM12-L. The D301H and G479E mutants, consistent with the corresponding D299H and G477E mutants of mouse ADAM12 described earlier, are not proteolytically processed and do not exhibit catalytic activity at the cell surface. Among all six breast cancer-associated mutations in ADAM12-L, mutations that preserve the activity - R612Q and L792F - occur in triple-negative breast cancers, while loss-of-function mutations - D301H, G479E, T596A, and G668A - are found in non-triple negative cancers. This apparent association between the catalytic activity of the mutants and the type of breast cancer supports a previously postulated role of an active ADAM12-L in the triple negative breast cancer disease.
The “open artery hypothesis” in survivors of myocardial infarction

In survivors of acute myocardial infarction, the restoration of antegrade flow in the infarct-related coronary artery may improve prognosis by a mechanism independent of its effect on left ventricular function. Survival may be enhanced even when restoration of flow is accomplished days or weeks after the acute event. In a series of retrospective studies of survivors of a first myocardial infarction, it was shown that long-term survival is significantly better in those with than in those without antegrade flow in the infarct-related artery. It is hypothesized that late restoration of antegrade flow in the infarct-related artery renders the border zone of the infarction more electrically stable, thereby diminishing the incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden death.
Some remarks on the ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ interpretations of the attributes

This paper is an attempt to clarify the ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ interpretations of Spinoza's position on the attributes of substance. It is argued that (a) the dispute between objectivists and subjectivists survives resolution of the question concerning correct translation of ‘tanquam’ in definition iv, Part I of the Ethics, (b) the objective interpretation, unlike the subjective one, requires rejection of the notion of ‘absolute’ identity, unless Spinoza's position is inconsistent, and (c) the subjective interpretation is best characterized as holding that, although each attribute constitutes the essence of substance, there is only a (Suarezean) distinction of reasoned reason (distinctio rationis ratiocinatae) between the attributes, and between any attribute and God. (Spinoza will depart from Suarez, however, in holding that there can be a distinction of reasoned reason between A and B, when the concepts of and are adequate [or clear and distinct].) The dispute is thus held ‐to concern Spinoza's co...
Experimental middle cerebral artery microsurgical embolectomy.

Acute arterial embolism continues to be a major cause of stroke morbidity in adults.(3) This is particularly true of those patients with certain cardiac disorders such as rheumatic valvular disease, atrial fibrillation, valvular prosthesis, or myocardial infarction. Extracranial carotid artery atheromatous disease is also a major source of cerebral embolic stroke. It is well known that most cerebral embolizations occur in the area of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Many patients are hospitalized when such episodes occur, and probably could be vigorously treated fairly rapidly. Potential therapy modalities include hypothermia, pressor agents, corticoids, barbiturates, and microsurgical embolectomy or revascularization. Presently, however, there are no clinical or experimental guidelines as to their use and timing. (14,15,16,19)
Foreign currency hedge accounting: multi‐currency versus functional currency accounting

Auditors nowadays must be aggressive and involved in risk assessment and analysis. This paper identifies, analyzes, and recommends a solution to a current problem in accounting for foreign‐currency hedges. This is accomplished by an examination of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 133, Accounting for Derivatives Instruments and Hedging Activities, as issued in June 1998. Multi‐currency accounting is recommended as an alternative to functional‐currency accounting. The information generated by the multi‐currency versus the functional currency (as advocated in the SFAS 133) accounting methods for using options as hedging instruments is illustrated. Multi‐currency accounting excels in its transparency. It more clearly provides information on the respective exposure positions of the hedged items and the hedging instruments as well as the notional amounts. Auditors’ risk assessment and analysis can now be effectively performed under this system.
The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship

In June 2003, Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow’s feature on female friendship generated an overwhelming response from readers eager to share anecdotes with the author. Several years later, when Zaslow decided to expand the column into a full-length book, he turned to an e-mail from Jenny. She wrote that she was part of a clique of eleven women who had remained close friends for many years. The group had known each other since their childhoods in Ames, Iowa, in the 1960s. In their teens, the girls bonded over boys and after school jobs (detasseling corn and scooping ice-cream at Boyd’s). Group cohesion was more diffi cult when they went their separate ways attending college, beginning careers, and building families in different cities around the country. They continued, however, to correspond over the phone and through letters, sharing the ups and downs of marriage and child rearing. In the end, and between them, the group had twenty-one children. When Christie, the fi rst born, was diagnosed with leukemia at age fourteen, the girls were devastated and rallied in support of Karla, her mother and their friend. In fact, by their thirties and forties, all the girls had “ endured grief that would inform the rest of their lives ” (192). Today members counsel each other as they struggle with divorce, illness, and the realization that their lives may not have turned out exactly as they had hoped. Mostly, the girls fi nd strength and reassurance through the collective memories of their hometown. According to Zaslow, they “ loved the place then and love it more now ” (3). Overall, Ames provides continuity because it allows the girls to connect the present to the past.
Warming, soil moisture, and loss of snow increase Bromus tectorum’s population growth rate

Climate change threatens to exacerbate the impacts of invasive species. In temperate ecosystems, direct effects of warming may be compounded by dramatic reductions in winter snow cover. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is arguably the most destructive biological invader in basins of the North American Intermountain West, and warming could increase its performance through direct effects on demographic rates or through indirect effects mediated by loss of snow. We conducted a two-year experimental manipulation of temperature and snow pack to test whether 1) warming increases cheatgrass population growth rate and 2) reduced snow cover contributes to cheatgrass’ positive response to warming. We used infrared heaters operating continuously to create the warming treatment, but turned heaters on only during snowfalls for the snowmelt treatment. We monitored cheatgrass population growth rate and the vital rates that determine it: emergence, survival and fecundity. Growth rate increased in both warming and snowmelt treatments. The largest increases occurred in warming plots during the wettest year, indicating that the magnitude of response to warming depends on moisture availability. Warming increased both fecundity and survival, especially in the wet year, while snowmelt contributed to the positive effects of warming by increasing survival. Our results indicate that increasing temperature will exacerbate cheatgrass impacts, especially where warming causes large reductions in the depth and duration of snow cover.
Transnational enterprises and international regulation: A survey of various approaches in international organizations

Increasing attention is being paid to the development of international codes of behavior and rules of law to regulate the behavior of transnational enterprise. Notable steps in this direction have been taken by the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Community, the Andean Common Market and various other organizations. The approaches represented by these efforts can be categorized by the use of four models: the Free Market model; the European Community model; the Multinational Consortium approach; and the Development Community approach. These approaches to the problem of regulation differ in the degree to which they impose prior regulation on multinational firms and in whether they permit the firms to operate as integrated systems or impose arms-length standards on parent-subsidiary relations. Each approach has merits, depending on context and the values of the governments involved.
In Vitro and In Situ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Signal Features of Atherosclerotic Plaque-Associated Lipids

The goal of this study was to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal features of the different types of lipids found in human atherosclerotic plaques. A 1.5-T SIGNA scanner was used to acquire T1-, T2-, and proton density-weighted data at four different temperatures for individual lipids and lipid mixtures designed to replicate the proportions of lipids found in plaques. Individual lipids and lipid mixtures were scanned both in a test tube and after implantation in the media of normal porcine aortas. Each of the three broad classes of lipids (triglycerides, unesterified and esterified cholesterol, and phospholipids) had different and distinct MR signal patterns, which allowed discrimination of these classes of lipids in vitro. Further, lipid implantation studies demonstrated that these distinct MR signal patterns could be used to readily distinguish each lipid type from surrounding porcine aortic media. MR signals from lipid mixtures demonstrated marked regional heterogeneity, similar to the heterogeneous lipid distribution characteristic of human atherosclerotic plaques. In summary, MR signals from lipid mixtures that mimic plaque lipid proportions can be detected at body temperature, especially in those mixtures with an increased percentage of cholesteryl esters. These studies raise the possibility that with further advances in technology, MRI may become a useful tool for determining the lipid content and composition of human atherosclerotic plaques in vivo.
C-terminal Dimerization Activates the Nociceptive Transduction Channel Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1

Covalent modification of the specific cysteine residue(s) by oxidative stress robustly potentiates transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and sensitizes nociception. Here we provide biochemical evidence of dimerization of TRPV1 subunits upon exposure to phenylarsine oxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), two chemical surrogates of oxidative stress. A disulfide bond formed between apposing cysteines ligates two C termini, serving as the structural basis of channel sensitization by oxidative covalent C-terminal modification. Systematic cysteine scanning of the C terminus of a cysteineless TRPV1 channel revealed a critical region within which any cysteine introduced phenylarsine oxide activation to mutant TRPV1. Oxidative sensitization persisted even when this region is substituted with a random peptide linker containing a single cysteine. So did insertion of this region to TRPV3, a homolog lacking the corresponding region and resistant to oxidative challenge. These results suggest that the non-conserved linker in the TRPV1 C terminus senses environmental oxidative stress and adjusts channel activity during cumulative oxidative damage by lowering the activation threshold of gating elements shared by TRPV channels.
SU-FF-T-60: A Dosimetric Comparison of Three Commercially Available Carbon Fiber Table Extension Boards

Purpose: To measure and compare the changes in dose distributions produced by the presence of a carbon fiber extension board (used to provide necessary patient extension beyond the gun end of the treatment couch). The tested carbon fiber extension boards are designed to be “radiotranslucent” so that the transmitted radiation beam is not significantly altered. We measured the attenuation due to the boards being placed in the beam's path, compared the relative dose distributions obtained using different boards, and also examined the effect of “build‐up”. Method and Materials: The three boards evaluated were the Med‐Tec Type‐S system, the Brainscan H&N Tx system, and the Orfit HP long baseplate for IMRT.Dosimetric data were obtained for 6 MV photons with an Exradin A12, 0.65 cm3 Farmer ionization chamber, with Kodak EDR film, and with an Exradin P11, 0.62 cm3 plane parallel chamber (for measuringdose buildup in a Gammex RMI solid water phantom). Results: The Orfit board's maximum attenuation was 1.2%. The Med‐Tec Type‐S board's maximum attenuation was 2.3%. The Brainscan board's maximum attenuation was 13.7%. The isodose distribution and profiles for each board will be presented. Conclusion: We determined that the Orfit board did not significantly alter the radiation beam and resulting dose distribution. Its adaptability to various tables was favorable compared to the Med‐Tec system, which is well suited for the Varian Exact couch. The Med‐Tec board is also well suited for therapeuticradiation, but had a higher change in attenuation than the Orfit system. The Brainscan board was sub‐optimal due to non‐air equivalent material used as structural support in the board's interior, which caused significant beam attenuation. Conflict of Interest: Research was supported by equipment loan from Orfit Industries and Med‐Tec, Inc.
Estimation of line length and number: A developmental study

Abstract Ninety-six children at several age levels from 6–13 years and 16 adults were asked to match handgrip force to length of lines and verbally presented numbers. Slopes of the matching functions increased with age, with the greatest differences in slope being found between 11–13 years on both tasks. Response variability was not a function of age, indicating that in spite of systematic differences among age levels, the method used has promise for the assessment of perceptual and cognitive skills of young children whose facility with the ratio properties of numbers cannot be assumed.
Prospective study of risk factors for suicidal behavior in individuals with anxiety disorders.

BackgroundAnxiety disorders are very common and increase risk for suicide attempts. Little is known about predictors of increased risk specifically among individuals with anxiety disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether specific anxiety disorders and other co-morbid psychiatric disorders, physical health, or work or social functioning increased the future likelihood of a suicide attempts among individuals with anxiety disorders.MethodIn this prospective study, 676 individuals with an anxiety disorder were followed for an average of 12 years.ResultsAs hypothesized, we found that post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), intermittent depressive disorder (IDD), epilepsy, pain, and poor work and social functioning all predicted a shorter time to a suicide attempt in univariate analyses. In multivariate analyses, baseline MDD and IDD were independent predictors of time to suicide attempt, even when controlling for a past history of suicide attempt. No specific anxiety disorder was an independent predictor of time to attempt in this anxiety-disordered sample. Adding baseline physical health variables and social functioning did not improve the ability of the model to predict time to suicide attempt.ConclusionsMood disorders and past history of suicide attempts are the most powerful predictors of a future suicide attempt in this sample of individuals, all of whom have an anxiety disorder.
Variation of Intensity Ratios of Optically Excited Spectrum Lines with the Intensity of the Exciting Light

IN a recent paper on the optical excitation of mercury vapour (Phil. Mag., Sept. 1927) I directed attention to the fact that lines excited by two successive processes of absorption should increase with the square of the intensity of the exciting light, while lines resulting from a three-stage absorption should increase with the cube of this intensity.