cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends of Palliative Care Utilization in Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the United States

Abstract Background: Early integration of Palliative Care (PC) have shown to improve survival in some solid malignancies such as lung and colon cancers. In this study we sought to analyze the PC utilization in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Methods: Using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) Participant User File, we extracted patient-level data of patients with AML reported between 2004 to 2015.Patients who received pain management and/or other palliative procedures were considered as PC utilizers. After excluding the cases with acute promyelocytic leukemia t (15, 17) (given its excellent prognosis), we classified the AML into three groups- AML with genetic abnormalities, therapy related AML and AML with dysplasia. Other co-variates included in the analysis were age, sex, race, origin, Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score, insurance status, household income, educational status, facility type (academic vs non-academic) and year of diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors of palliative care utilization. Statistical analysis was done using PC SPSS v24.0. Results: Of 102,778 patients, 3.4% (n=3504) received PC as initial treatment. PC utilization increased significantly from 2004-2006 to 2013-2015 (2.5% vs 3.9%, p Conclusions: We noticed a differential utilization of palliative care based on the histological subtype of AML. The lesser utilization of PC in AML with certain genetic abnormalities may be attributed to their better overall survival outcomes. Though we noticed an increased trend in PC utilization over the past decade, the overall PC utilization in AML is markedly low and plagued by origin and socio-economic status. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
2006-P: The Role of Adipose Tissue-Resident Eosinophils in Adipocyte Metabolism and Whole-Body Energy Homeostasis

Adipose tissue resident eosinophils (AT-EOS) are thought to play a pivotal role in whole-body energy homeostasis. However, the precise role of, and the mechanisms underlying AT-EOS in the regulation of whole-body energy metabolism remains elusive. This is because of the limitations of rodent models which have been genetically engineered to either produce elevated whole-body eosinophils or knock-out models for this hematopoietic lineage. To determine the function of AT-EOS, we generated a transgenic mouse model overexpressing human eotaxin[AV1] 2 (hEo2), which is an eosinophil specific chemokine, under the control of a fat-specific aP2 promoter, to recruit circulating EOS exclusively into adipose (hEo2tg). Compared to wild type (WT) littermates of both genders, hEo2tg mice displayed a significant increase of AT-EOS in multiple AT depots including, perirenal and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT). However, EOS were not increased in brown adipose tissue (BAT). When fed a high-fat diet (HFD), hEo2tg mice gained less weight (males weight: 45.5 ±0.7g vs. 51 ±0.4g, P Disclosure T. Li: None. W. LeSuer: None. A. Singh: None. J.D. Hernandez: None. X. Zhang: None. D. Jelinek: None. J. Liu: None. A. Vella: Advisory Panel; Self; vTv Therapeutics. Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc. E.A. Jacobsen: None. E. DeFilippis: None. Funding National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (KL2TR002379)
Chemistry in Molten Alkali Metal Polyselenophosphate Fluxes. Influence of Flux Composition on Dimensionality. Layers and Chains in APbPSe4, A4Pb(PSe4)2 (A = Rb, Cs), and K4Eu(PSe4)2

The reaction of Pb and Eu with a molten mixture of A2Se/P2Se5/Se produced the quaternary compounds APbPSe4, A4Pb(PSe4)2 (A = Rb,Cs), and K4Eu(PSe4)2. The red crystals of APbPSe4 are stable in air a...
Systemic exposure to Ginkgo biloba extract in male F344/NCrl rats: Relevance to humans.

Abstract Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is a popular botanical dietary supplement used worldwide and the safety of use is a public health concern. While GBE is a complex mixture, the terpene trilactones and flavonol glycosides are believed to elicit the pharmacological and/or toxicological effects of GBE. In a National Toxicology Program (NTP) 2-year rodent bioassay with GBE, hepatotoxicity was observed in rodents (≥100 mg/kg in rats, ≥ 200 mg/kg in mice). Subsequently, questions arose about whether or not the GBE used in NTP studies was representative of other GBE products and how rodent doses are related to human doses. To address these, we generated systemic exposure data for terpene trilactones in male rats following oral administration of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg GBE test article from the 2-year bioassay. Dose-normalized C max and AUC ∞ for terpene trilactones from the current study were within 5-fold of published rodent studies using a standardized GBE preparation. Comparison of our rat systemic exposure data at 100 mg/kg GBE to published human data following ingestion of 240 mg GBE-containing product showed that the rat/human exposure multiple was 3–22, for terpene trilactones. These data demonstrate the relevance of NTP rodent toxicity data to humans.
Proximal-Field Sensing: In Situ Prediction of Far-Field Radiation for Integrated Radiators

Proximal-field sensing is introduced as an integrated sensing scheme for the in situ characterization of far-field radiation properties of integrated radiators, and the proximal-field radiation sensors (PFRSs) are proposed as the tools to enable this capability. These sensors are integrated on the same dielectric substrate as the transmitting antennas and extract the existing information in the excited substrate modes and use it to predict the far-field radiation properties in real time based on in situ field measurements in the close proximity of the transmitting antennas, without any need to use additional test equipment, remove the antenna from its operating environment, or interrupt its operation in a wireless system. The functionality of this sensing scheme is verified on both PCB and IC platforms through the implementation of two proof-of-concept prototypes, and different aspects of the electromagnetic and electronic design of the PFRS integration with integrated radiators are investigated.
Role of Signaling Pathways in Improving Salt Stress in Plants

Salinity is one of the major agricultural constraints exhibiting severe damage to crop productivity. Multivariate signaling pathways trigger plant’s tolerance against salt stress and promote survival via restoring cellular homeostasis. These signal transduction pathways comprise of osmotic and ionic homeostasis pathways, detoxification response pathways for repair and injury control and the growth regulation signaling pathways. The salt overly sensitive (SOS) pathway represents another prominent signaling pathway, arising as a major defence strategy in controlling ion homeostasis. Additionally, the downstream adaptive responses against salinity stress are prompted by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinase 2 pathways. Recent investigations suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) have a major role in regulating the crosstalks of stress-induced hormonal signaling and endogenously elicited redox and metabolite signals. Thus, the aim of this chapter is to focus on the salt stress-mediated signal transduction pathways including major plant transcription factor (TF) families coordinating regulatory networks underlying salt stress tolerance.
Plenity (Oral Superabsorbent Hydrogel)

Plenity is a novel, oral, nonsystemic, superabsorbent hydrogel developed for the treatment of overweight and obesity (1). This new product, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2019, is considered a medical device, not a medicine, because it achieves its primary intended purpose through mechanical modes of action (1). This oral superabsorbent hydrogel has a labeled indication for weight management in overweight and obese adults with a BMI of 25–40 kg/m2 when used in conjunction with diet and exercise (2). There are two naturally derived building blocks in this product; modified cellulose is cross-linked with citric acid, which creates a three-dimensional matrix. Each capsule contains thousands of superabsorbent hydrogel particles. When taken orally with a meal, the capsules disintegrate in the stomach, resulting in the release of these particles (2). The individual nonclustering hydrogel particles occupy about one-fourth of a person’s stomach volume when that person is fully hydrated (2). The gel particles mix with ingested foods, creating a larger volume, with higher elasticity and viscosity, in the stomach and small intestine, thus promoting satiety and fullness (2). The gel particles maintain their three-dimensional structure and mechanical properties during transit through the small intestine. Upon arrival in the large intestine, the hydrogel is partially broken down by enzymes and loses its three-dimensional structure along with most of its absorption capacity. The released water is then reabsorbed, and …
A Longitudinal Comparison of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System to Legacy Scales in Knee and Shoulder Arthroscopy Patients.

Purpose The purpose of this prospective correlational study was to compare the psychometric properties of the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scales with those of traditional legacy scales over a longitudinal postoperative period in patients undergoing arthroscopic procedures. Methods Active-duty military personnel undergoing shoulder and knee arthroscopic procedures completed the DVPRS, PROMIS, and legacy scales preoperatively and again at 3 months postoperatively. Rolling correlation coefficients (rrm) were used to assess the concurrent validity between the DVPRS average pain scores and computer adaptive testing PROMIS scales (Anxiety, Depression, Pain Behavior, Pain Interference, Mobility, Sleep Disturbance, Satisfaction With Social Roles, and Upper Extremity Physical Function) and the legacy scales (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES] scale, Shoulder Activity Scale, International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] questionnaire, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation [SANE], Marx Activity Rating Scale, and Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey). Results A total of 121 participants completed the scales preoperatively, 80 completed them at 3 months postoperatively, and 59 (49% of participants) completed them at both times. Rolling correlation coefficients between PROMIS Pain Interference (rrm = –0.41, P = .006), Satisfaction With Social Roles (rrm = 0.56, P Conclusions PROMIS scales measuring physical function, pain presentation, and other health domains showed acceptable concurrent validity with ASES and IKDC scores. By integrating the prospective collection of biopsychosocial PROMIS scales into practice, it is possible for clinicians in orthopaedic settings to assess changes in validated patient-reported outcomes to inform patient-centered care planning throughout the postoperative recovery period. Level of Evidence Level II, prospective comparative study (with not all participants completing follow-up).
Randomized Pulse-Based Encoding for Secure Wireless Data Communications

This paper presents a randomized pulse-based data encoding scheme that enables high-speed and low-cost secure wireless communication. For high-speed wireless communication, we encode a 4-bit data as a symbol and compress the data volume by a total of 16 distinct orthogonal pulses. To ensure the security, we randomize the multi-order orthogonal pulse patterns to modulate the bit stream randomly. We randomize the pulses with emerging, energy-efficient, non-volatile, consumer-off-the-shelf Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM)-based high-quality random numbers. The generation of multi-order pulse sets, randomization of the pulses, and verification of the power requirements of individual pulses defined by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) are performed through MATLAB Simulation. Simulation results show that the proposed data encoding scheme supports a total of M = 2k*k bits data by N p = 2k different orthogonal pulses and ensures physical-layer security, where k is a nonnegative integer number.
Cohabitation before marriage: do prior alliances enhance post-merger performance?

We investigate the impact of prior alliance relationships on subsequent mergers between partner firms. We argue that an acquirer’s prior alliance experience with the target reduces information asymmetry, which helps improve acquisition performance. Alternatively, agency problems arising from familiarity may lead to inefficient decision making. Examining mergers between 1986 and 2014, we find evidence that prior alliance collaboration is positively associated with the acquirer’s long-term profitability and growth. This positive effect is more pronounced when target-specific learning and experience are more crucial to merger success, such as targets in knowledge-intensive or organizational-capital-intensive industries as well as cross-industry mergers. However, we cannot formally rule out the possibility that our results are partly driven by the small size of our sample.
Totally Cystic Schwannoma: A Misnomer.

Background Although partial cystic degeneration is commonly observed in schwannoma, cases of totally cystic forms have also been reported. A literature review of cases describing totally cystic schwannoma was performed to assess their imaging characteristics. Methods PubMed was queried with the phrases “totally cystic schwannoma,” “purely cystic schwannoma,” and “completely cystic schwannoma.” A total of 19 papers encompassing 22 cases of reported totally cystic schwannoma were included. Patient characteristics, clinical presentation, and reported imaging characteristics were recorded. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance images from the papers were collected and reviewed by a senior musculoskeletal radiologist. Results The most frequent presenting location of these lesions was in spinal nerve roots. The interpretations of imaging reported in the papers described a homogeneous lesion that was isointense to slightly hyperintense to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on T1-weighted images. On contrast administration, the studies described a thin rim of “ring-like” enhancement around the lesion. Our reinterpretation of the imaging revealed heterogeneous lesions that were hyperintense to CSF on T1-weighted images. Post-contrast images typically demonstrated an irregularly thickened enhancing rim. Most images showed evidence of solid components in the lesion, with many containing enhancing soft tissue elements. The observed imaging features were not consistent with simple cystic lesions. Conclusions Review of the imaging studies of the reported cases of completely cystic schwannoma did not produce any convincing examples of purely cystic lesions. The description of these lesions as “totally cystic” appears to be a misnomer and has diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
Governing Disaster Risk Reduction in Nepal

How can a community cope with the risk of water-induced disaster when its government is either unable or unwilling to act? Communities typically rely on governments to coordinate disaster mitigation efforts and finance risk reduction initiatives; however, climate change may exceed the capabilities of this government-centered model. In the search for an alternative, this chapter considers the special case of Nepal. Already weakened by misguided development, extreme poverty, and a decade of conflict, Nepal must also cope with the rapidly increasing risk of water-induced disaster. To do so, this chapter argues in favour of expanding private sector participation in disaster risk governance. Support for this argument includes a brief review of the disaster literature, a summary of endogenous and exogenous threats, as well as an overview of recent international risk mitigation efforts. Following this, the focus returns to Nepal and the potential benefits of increasing private sector participation in its disaster management efforts. The paper concludes with recommendations for expanding the private sector role in disaster risk governance.
Some Robust Stability Tests

We have already discussed the importance of stability and more generally D-stability to control system analysis and design. We saw that for linear time invariant systems, these concepts can be expressed in terms of polynomial root locations. In Chapter 3 we recalled some basic stability tests and introduced the Finite Nyquist Theorem. From our discussion in Chapter 4, there are ample reasons for investigating not only root locations of a single polynomial,but rat her root locations of families of polynomials with parameter uncertainty. One can immediately recognize that the Routh-Hurwitz criterion and the Nyquist Theorem can be used for this purpose. For the Routh-Hurwitz criterion one constructs the Routh table where the first column will now contain entries that in general are rational functions of the uncertain parameters. One still needs to guarantee that for all uncertainty val ues the first column contains positive entries. In the case of the Nyquist Theorem the image of the Nyquist path for each polynomial in the family must have the appropriate number of encircle ments of the origin. These are only two of many robust stability tests that can be employed. In fact, over the last decade there has been a tremendous amount of interest in developing efficient analytical results for polynomial family stabi lity and D-stability. The book by Barmish [6] provides an excellent reference for this work.
Bounded Stationary Stable Processes and Entropy

In this paper we will show that any stationary or stationary increment p-stable process, 1≤p<2, that is sample bounded has a finite metric entropy integral. The result is an application of Talagrand’s work on majorizing measures for stable processes [7]. We combine this result with earlier results to give necessary conditions for a stationary increment stable process to have a.s. bounded or a.s. continuous sample paths.
The Biosynthesis of β-Hydroxy-β-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A in Yeast III. PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE CONDENSING ENZYME THIOLASE SYSTEM

Abstract Attempts to separate β-hydroxy-β-methylglutaric acid coenzyme A-condensing enzyme and thiolase from yeast preparations by density gradient centrifugation, chromatography, and electrophoresis are described. In each case, it was not possible to prepare by these methods condensing enzyme free of thiolase activity. The results suggest that both proteins have closely similar physical properties. Each enzyme can be inactivated independently of the other by treatment with various reagents. Trypsin and chymotrypsin partially inactivate condensing enzyme. Papain, on the other hand, had no effect. The prior presence of acetoacetyl coenzyme A protects the condensing enzyme from inactivation by trypsin and chymotrypsin. Thiolase is completely inactivated by trypsin and chymotrypsin. The presence of CoA prior to treatment with trypsin partially protects thiolase from inactivation. Papain inactivates thiolase about 50% in the absence of substrates, but in the presence of acetoacetyl-CoA the inactivation goes rapidly to completion. Heat treatment inhibits condensing enzyme but not thiolase. The presence of acetyl-CoA protects condensing enzyme from heat inactivation and at the same time makes thiolase somewhat sensitive to heat. In agreement with previous results, iodoacetamide completely inhibits thiolase and only partially affects condensing enzyme. The presence of acetoacetyl-CoA or acetyl-CoA prior to the addition of iodoacetamide gives almost complete protection to condensing enzyme and partial protection to thiolase. CoA did not protect thiolase from inhibition. These results concerning the effect of substrates suggest that conformational changes in both condensing enzyme and thiolase are induced by the substrates, acetyl-CoA, acetoacetyl-CoA, and CoA. Kinetic measurements on condensing enzyme show that acetoacetyl-CoA exerts a large inhibitory effect. At low concentrations of acetyl-CoA, acetoacetyl-CoA appears to act as a competitive inhibitor. In the case of thiolase both acetoacetyl-CoA and CoA show potent substrate inhibition. Specificity studies with various acyl thioesters indicate that the thiolase activity studied differs from the β-ketothiolase and mixed thiolase studied by Stern and Drummond (4, 18).
Courts in the Age of Dysfunction

This is a commissioned comment on a forthcoming article by Benjamin Ewing & Douglas Kysar, Prods and Pleas: Limited Government in an Era of Unlimited Harm, 121 Yale L.J. - (forthcoming 2011). Ewing & Kysar suggest that we augment the traditional conception of constitutional "checks and balances" with one of "prods and please," i.e. that different branches of government can provide incentives and knowledge to induce action from other branches. It uses federal climate nuisance litigation as an example of how such prods and pleas can and should oeprate. I am skeptical that governmental branches listen to reasoned arguments from other branches; thus, "pleas" has little value. Ewing & Kysar's theory of prods, however, contains an important insight. Branches often respond to political incentives, and so when one branch reaches a decision that undermines the political goals of key actors in other branches (a "prod"), action is possible. In this Age of Dysfunction, when one of the major American political parties seeks to paralyze government action, I suggest three areas where judicial prodding might be appropriate: 1) where legislation is blocked by a filibuster; 2) where opposition to legislation rejects science; and 3) where the legislative process produces results discriminating against diffuse and invisible (and thus powerless) groups. I then use Ewing & Kysar's example of climate change policy and argue that under current circumstances, judicial prodding is appropriate.
Applications of self-tuning control for spacecraft tracking: theory and experiment

A three-axis self-tuning feedforward/feedback controller has been developed to improve spacecraft tracking performance using standard rate sensors for measurements and reaction wheels for actuation. The self-tuning control gains consist of the fully populated inertia matrix and the constant angular momentum vector, each of which are identified in real time using a minimum variance technique operating on rate gyro measurements, tachometer measurements, and known control inputs. These parameters are used to approximately cancel nonlinear gyroscopic coupling as well as to provide open-loop torque commands to follow an accelerating tracking profile. Both computer-simulated and experimental results demonstrate the potential of the nonlinear self-tuning controller in conjunction with a standard quaternion based linear feedback control law.
Thermal pollution and its control

Thermal pollution as a result of waste heat being released to the environment from steam electric generating plants is discussed by considering the magnitude of the problem, the environmental effects of heated water discharge, thermal pollution control technology, economics of thermal pollution control, and beneficial uses of waste heat from power plants. (LCJ)
Rheology via Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics [1]

The equilibrium molecular dynamics formulated by Newton, Lagrange, and Hamilton has been modified in order to simulate rheological molecular flows with fast computers. This modified “Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics” (NEMD) has been applied to fluid and solid deformations, under both homogeneous and shock conditions, as well as to the transport of heat. The irreversible heating associated with dissipation could be controlled by carrying out isothermal NEMD calculations. The new isothermal NEMD equations of motion are consistent with Gauss’ 1829 “Least- Constraint” principle as well as certain microscopic equilibrium and nonequilibrium statistical formulations due to Gibbs and Boltzmann. Application of isothermal NEMD revealed high-frequency and high-strain- rate behavior for simple fluids which resembled the behavior of polymer solutions and melts at lower frequencies and strain rates. For solids NEMD produces plastic flows consistent with experimental observations at much lower strain rates. The new nonequilibrium methods also suggest novel formulations of thermodynamics in nonequilibrium systems and shed light on the failure of the “Principle of Material Frame Indifference.”
Parent Spirituality, Grief, and Mental Health at 1 and 3 Months After Their Infant's/Child's Death in an Intensive Care Unit

Problem The death of an infant/child is one of the most devastating experiences for parents and immediately throws them into crisis. Research on the use of spiritual/religious coping strategies is limited, especially with Black and Hispanic parents after a neonatal (NICU) or pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) death. Purpose The purpose of this longitudinal study was to test the relationships between spiritual/religious coping strategies and grief, mental health (depression and post-traumatic stress disorder) and personal growth for mothers and fathers at 1 (T1) and 3 (T2) months after the infant's/child's death in the NICU/PICU, with and without control for race/ethnicity and religion. Results Bereaved parents' greater use of spiritual activities was associated with lower symptoms of grief, mental health (depression and post-traumatic stress), but not post-traumatic stress in fathers. Use of religious activities was significantly related to greater personal growth for mothers, but not fathers. Conclusion Spiritual strategies and activities helped parents cope with their grief and helped bereaved mothers maintain their mental health and experience personal growth.
Tropical cyclone wind speed constraints from resultant storm surge deposition: A 2500 year reconstruction of hurricane activity from St. Marks, FL

[1] Recent work suggests that the patterns of intense (≥category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale) hurricane strikes over the last few millennia might differ from that of overall hurricane activity during this period. Prior studies typically rely on assigning a threshold storm intensity required to produce a sedimentological overwash signal at a particular coastal site based on historical analogs. Here, we improve on this approach by presenting a new inverse-model technique that constrains the most likely wind speeds required to transport the maximum grain size within resultant storm deposits. As a case study, the technique is applied to event layers observed in sediments collected from a coastal sinkhole in northwestern Florida. We find that (1) simulated wind speeds for modern deposits are consistent with the intensities for historical hurricanes affecting the site, (2) all deposits throughout the ∼2500 year record are capable of being produced by hurricanes, and (3) a period of increased intense hurricane frequency is observed between ∼1700 and ∼600 years B.P. and decreased intense storm frequency is observed from ∼2500 to ∼1700 and ∼600 years B.P. to the present. This is consistent with prior reconstructions from nearby sites. Changes in the frequency of intense hurricane strikes may be related to the degree of penetration of the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico.
Cosmologies of Bungalow Preservation: Identity, Lifestyle, and Civic Virtue

This paper examines the construction of identity and lifestyle through consumption practices associated with the restoration of humble early 20th century bungalows in Southern California. Homeowners engage in the historic preservation of their homes, endowing them with agency, and reveal in narratives personal transformation of identity and lifestyle. As preservationists they turn their experiences of private consumption into civic activism, collectively constructing local preservationist cosmologies with which to inspire and justify their advocacy of exclusionary aesthetic tactics in the public realm. Although preservation homeowners invoke legal protections to transform the appearance of multiethnic, multiclass localities, they also engage in educational outreach to win converts and mitigate the effects of gentrification in the continuing restructuring of older suburban landscapes.
Grafting of ethylene glycol-butadiene block copolymers onto dimethyl-dichlorosilane-coated glass by γ-irradiation

Amphipathic ethylene glycol-butadiene block copolymers (PEG-PB) with different chain lengths of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were synthesized by reacting poly(ethylene glycol methyl ether) (m-PEG, mol. wt = 350, 550, 750, 2000 and 5000) with telechelic polybutadiene (PB). The PEG-PB copolymers formed were covalently grafted to dimethyldichlorosilane-coated glass (DDS-glass) by gamma-irradiation. The PEG-grafted surface was characterized by measuring advancing and receding contact angles, fibrinogen adsorption, the number of adherent platelets and the area of spread platelets. The grafting efficiency was measured indirectly from the ability of the surface to prevent platelet adhesion. The total dose of gamma-irradiation necessary for grafting of PEG-PB onto DDS-glass in aqueous solutions was less than 0.24 Mrad at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. For successful grafting, the surface-adsorbed copolymers should be gamma-irradiated in the presence of water. gamma-Irradiation in the dried state did not result in copolymer grafting. The adsorption of copolymers for 30 min before exposure to gamma-irradiation was enough for effective grafting. The grafting was equally effective whether or not DDS-glass was exposed to the air-copolymer solution interface when the DDS-glass was introduced into the copolymer solution. The copolymers were able to prevent platelet adhesion only when they were adsorbed onto DDS-glass at certain bulk concentrations. Too low or too high copolymer concentrations in the adsorption solution resulted in a surface where platelets could adhere and activate. The range of copolymer concentration which prevented platelet adhesion was larger as the PEG chain length of the grafted copolymers became longer. Our data indicate that platelet-resistant surfaces can be made by grafting PEG-PB onto chemically inert surfaces by a simple gamma-irradiation process.
Relay Power Optimization for Wireless Cooperative Networks over OFDM Fading Channels

We consider adaptive subcarrier assignment and fair power control strategy that minimizes a cost function of average relay powers for multi-user wireless OFDM networks, where relays assist communication between sources and destinations with an amplify-and-forward strategy. Using a class of beta-fair cost functions to balance the tradeoff between energy efficiency and fairness, jointly optimal subcarrier and power allocation schemes at the relays are derived in the quasi-closed form. In addition, we develop novel stochastic optimization algorithms capable of dynamically learning the intended wireless channels on-the-fly to approach the optimal policy. Numerical results are provided to evaluate the proposed schemes for multi-user OFDM relay networks over block fading channels.
Variations in the organization of human genomic DNA segments containing H1 histone genes

Abstract We have isolated from a γCh4A library four human genomic DNA segments containing H1 histone genes. Analysis of the representation and organization of histone coding sequences indicates that three of these cloned DNA segments contain both core and H1 histone genes. One of the cloned human H1 histone genes has no core histone genes in close proximity.
Uncovering the intrinsic size dependence of hydriding phase transformations in nanocrystals

Although quantitative understanding of nanocrystal phase transformations is important for efficient energy conversion and catalysis, difficulties in directly monitoring nanoscale systems in reactive environments remain. Direct quantification of hydriding transformations in palladium nanocrystals now clearly reveals that the transformation rates are governed by nanocrystal dimensions.
Virus-like particles with T = 19 icosahedral symmetry in a human gastroenteritis stool

Abstract Virus-like particles not previously described were observed in a human gastroenteritis stool using negative-stain TEM. The stool was among a number of acute-phase illness stools which had been collected in Egypt during 1980. The particles measured 65–70 nm in diameter, and it was possible to detect individual capsomeres on many of these particles. The capsomeric pattern identified on the particles corresponded to an icosahedrally symmetric T = 19 capsid. Distinctive five-fold vertices, usually appearing as darker spots on the capsid, were an additional feature of these particles. The capsid structure, which is skew, could readily be distinguished from the T = 25 capsid of adenovirus and the holey capsids of rotavirus and reovirus. Antibody to the particles was detected in both the shedding individual's acute- and convalescent-phase serum specimens using IEM, although an antibody increase was not demonstrated.
ADRENOCORTICALLIKE TISSUE IN THE OVARIES OF THE ADRENALECTOMIZED GROUND SQUIRREL (CITELLUS TRIDECEMLINEATUS)1 2

IN A PREVIOUS paper it was stated that the ground squirrel survives adrenalectomy if the food intake is maintained, which occurs if the animal is allowed to drink i per cent sodium chloride solution (Groat, 1941). A lessened food intake and the inability to survive a fast are good criteria of two different levels of adrenal insufficiency in this animal. At a variable time after adrenalectomy (minimum, 15 days for females), I per cent sodium chloride solution may be replaced by water and the animal will continue to eat; but it will not be able to survive-a fast until some 3 or 4 months after operation. The nature of this gradual physiologic adjustment has proved to be the appearance and growth of adrenocortical-like tissue in the animal. The ovary is an invariable site for the manifestation of this phenomenon. The material for this report consists of serial sections of the ovaries of 46 ground squirrels.
An Experimental Investigation of the Influence of Manufacturing Errors on the Planetary Gear Stresses and Load Sharing

In this paper, results of an experimental study are presented to describe the impact of certain types of manufacturing errors on gear stresses and the individual planet loads of an n-planet planetary gear set (n = 3 to 6). The experimental set-up includes a specialized test apparatus to operate a planetary gear set under typical speed and load conditions and gear sets having tightly controlled intentional manufacturing errors. The instrumentation system consists of multiple strain gauges mounted on the ring gear and a multi-channel data collection and analysis system. A method for computing the planet load sharing factors from root strain time histories is proposed. Influence of carrier pinhole position errors on gear root stresses are quantified for various error and torque values applied to gear sets having 3 to 6 planets. The results clearly indicate that manufacturing errors influence gear stresses and planet load sharing significantly. Gear sets having larger number of planets are more sensitive to manufacturing errors in terms of planet load sharing behavior.Copyright © 2007 by ASME and General Motors
Effects of public and private deviancy on compliance with a request

Abstract A confederate requester asked subjects to write letters for an educational campaign after they had completed a battery of tests and received either deviant or nondeviant feedback. Half of the subjects were led to believe that the requester had knowledge of their test performance; the remaining half believed that the confederate did not know their test scores. Within these conditions, some subjects believed that complying with the request would involve future meetings with the requester while others were not led to anticipate any future interaction. As expected, deviants complied more than nondeviants replicating Freedman and Doob's (1968) results; however, neither the secret/known nor the future interaction variations produced effects. Contrary to the prediction that deviants are compliant because they wish to avoid mistreatment, secret deviants complied slightly more than known deviants. Compliance was discussed as instrumental in improving self-image.
Factors That Impair Wound Healing

The body's response to tissue injury in a healthy individual is an intricate, sequential physiologic process that results in timely healing with full re-epithelialization, resolution of drainage, and return of function to the affected tissue. Chronic wounds, however, do not follow this sequence of events and can challenge the most experienced clinician if the underlying factors that are impairing wound healing are not identified. The purpose of this article is to present recent information about factors that impair wound healing with the underlying pathophysiological mechanism that interferes with the response to tissue injury. These factors include co-morbidities (diabetes, obesity, protein energy malnutrition), medications (steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, anti-rejection medications), oncology interventions (radiation, chemotherapy), and life style habits (smoking, alcohol abuse). Successful treatment of any chronic wound depends upon identification and management of the factors for each individual.
Activation of a Signaling Cascade by Cytoskeleton Stretch

Cells sense and respond to mechanical force. However, the mechanisms of transduction of extracellular matrix (ECM) forces to biochemical signals are not known. After removing the cell membrane and soluble proteins by Triton X-100 extraction, we found that the remaining complex (Triton cytoskeletons) activated Rap1 upon stretch. Rap1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor, C3G, was required for this activation; C3G as well as the adaptor protein, CrkII, in cell extract bound to Triton cytoskeletons in a stretch-dependent manner. CrkII binding, which was Cas dependent, correlated with stretch-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in Triton cytoskeletons including Cas at the contacts with ECM. These in vitro findings were compatible with in vivo observations of stretch-enhanced phosphotyrosine signals, accumulation of CrkII at cell-ECM contacts, and CrkII-Cas colocalization. We suggest that mechanical force on Triton cytoskeletons activates local tyrosine phosphorylation, which provides docking sites for cytosolic proteins, and initiates signaling to activate Rap1.
Differential effects of tissue processing on human embryonic and fetal skin

To most accurately evaluate quantitative data from studies of developing epidermis, the effects of tissue processing on human embryonic and fetal skin (8–20 weeks gestational age) were examined using two different techniques: 1) EDTA-separated epidermal sheets that were briefly fixed in 2% paraformaldehyde, processed through Permount infiltration, and prepared as whole mounts on glass slides, and 2) skin that was fixed in Karnovsky's fixative and embedded in Epon. Based on en face measurements of surface area before and after tissue processing, both procedures caused differential, age-dependent shrinkage. However, the trend of increasing shrinkage was inversely related to increasing age in the paraformal-dehyde-fixed epidermal sheets (y = 57.14 + 1.26x, where x = gestational age in weeks and y = % of original surface area), but directly correlated with aging in the Karnovsky-fixed skin (y = 955.62 − 232.77x + 20.38x2). Shrinkage of epidermal sheets occurred during the dehydration and clearing steps, whereas most of the dimensional changes in whole skin took place during fixation in Karnovsky's. These differences are probably due to greater cross-linking of proteins and longer fixation time in the more concentrated and fast-acting Karnovsky's as well as the influence of increasing quantities of fibrous proteins in the dermis of whole skin.
Floor Space Requirements of S.C. White Leghorn Hens

Abstract THE ADDITION of vitamin D to poultry rations has revolutionized the method of keeping commercial poultry flocks. The “range” method, a system characterized by high land and labor costs, has been replaced by the “confinement” system. However, the practice of confining birds has not been without problems. The closing of houses, particularly during the winter, has created ventilation problems. The accumulation of moisture when houses were closed in the winter has led to poor litter conditions. The increase in population density has accentuated certain disease problems as well as cannibalism. High summer temperatures have frequently resulted in heat prostration or marked decreases in production. When one considers the importance of the problems associated with population density, it is surprising that more research data are not available on the allocation of floor space in poultry houses. The data that are available on the production response in floor space trials are not …
Postobstructive pulmonary oedema during anaesthesia in children with mucopolysaccharidoses

We present case reports of five patients with severe forms of mucopolysaccharidoses who developed postobstructive pulmonary oedema during anaesthesia. The difficulties of anaesthesia in these patients and the particular predisposition that these patients exhibit for the development of postobstructive pulmonary oedema is discussed.
Lack of Enhanced Response to Repeated d-Amphetamine Challenge in First-Episode Psychosis: Implications for a Sensitization Model of Psychosis in Humans

Behavioral sensitization is the process whereby intermittent stimulant exposure produces a time-dependent, enduring, and progressively more robust behavioral response. This process serves as a model for the development of psychosis, but has been little studied in humans. The authors report results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of repeated d-amphetamine challenges in 13 patients with first-episode manic or schizophrenic psychosis. Each patient received two daily doses of d-amphetamine (0.25 mg/kg) separated by 48 hours that alternated with two daily doses of matched placebo. Symptoms (activity/energy level, mood, rate and amount of speech, and severity of psychosis) and eye-blink rates were measured hourly for 5 hours following drug administration. In contrast to results from previous work in normal volunteers, none of the measures demonstrated the progressive increase following the second amphetamine dose as compared to the first dose that characterizes sensitization. These results suggest that patients with psychosis are already maximally sensitized, so cannot exhibit progressive behavioral enhancement following repeated stimulant challenges, or that patients with psychosis do not sensitize.
Multiple skeletal lesions in young childrendue to trauma

Summary 1. Traumatic lesions of the bones arecommon in infants and young children. 2. History of a traumatic episodeis often not obtained. 3. The clinical manifestations are generally mild and easily overlooked. 4. The radiographic bone lesions are subperiosteal ossification, metaphyseal fractures, avulsions, gross fractures, impacted fractures, and epiphyseal displacements. 5. The outcome is good unless thegrowing cartilage has been injured.
Detector for trace amounts of nitrogen in helium

Abstract A detector has been developed which can detect very low levels of contamination in a gaseous process stream or storage vessel. The detection is based on the emission spectrum of the gas in a low current electrical discharge. The system has proven very useful for helium liquefier operation and has been used extensively at Fermilab to monitor contamination of helium by nitrogen, water and hydrocarbons. Specifications of the unit in use at the Fermilab Central Helium Liquefier are included, as well as schematic drawings which define the critical configurations. A summary of the results of studies on various wavelengths and substances is included. The system is very reliable, stable, sensitive, and easy to maintain and operate. The output signal is specific to the substance which has optical emission at the wavelength of the monochromator setting.
Epidermal growth factor binding to cortical basolateral membranes in compensatory renal hypertrophy

We studied epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding to renal basolateral membranes before and following unilateral nephrectomy. After 48 h unilateral nephrectomy there was a small increase in kidney cortex weight but EGF binding was unchanged, suggesting that alterations in EGF binding do not play a role in early renal hypertrophy. In contrast, 3 week unilateral nephrectomy was associated with a significant decrease in the Bmax of the high affinity binding sites for EGF without a change in the affinity constant. The changes in EGF binding seemed specific since binding for insulin was not changed by 3 week unilateral nephrectomy. The changes in EGF binding were not correlated with changes in Na-H antiporter activity elicited by unilateral nephrectomy but seemed inversely correlated with changes in renal cortical weight. Our results demonstrate that unilateral nephrectomy is not associated with changes in EGF binding in early stages, but is associated with a decrease in the number of high affinity binding sites after 3 weeks. This suggests that in the steady state, compensatory renal hypertrophy is associated with 'down regulation' of the EGF receptor.
Chemotaxis as a model for sensory systems

Sensory systems in all biological species have certain similarities. Receptors are specifically designed to interact with certain stimuli and not with others. The signals from the stimulus are transmitted through a complex analyzing system to generate some type of behavioral response. The response in turn provides some survival value for the organism. The response of organisms to chemical stimuli is one such subclassification which is pervasive in living systems. Mammals are able to taste and smell a wide variety of compounds and are incapable of tasting or smelling others. Similarly insects show a specificity in their response to some compounds acting as pheromones and even bacteria respond to certain chemicals and not others. The highly differentiated neurosystem of a higher species, the moderately intricate systems of insects and the presumable simple systems of bacteria represent an enormous span in complexity. Yet a fundamental act of faith of biochemists since the days of Buchner has been that the study of ‘lower’ forms of life can provide biochemical insight into the most complex species. Whether this will be true in sensory systems remains to be seen. In this article I shall discuss some current thinking on bacterial chemotaxis and some potential relations to higher sensory systems.
IMPROVED QUANTUM THEORY OF MANY-ELECTRON SYSTEMS. II. THE BASIC METHOD.

A general method of obtaining accurate and useful many-electron wave functions for atoms and molecules is developed. The method involves the proper optimization of a many-electron function which is an eigen-function of total spin and which satisfies Pauli's principle. The procedure is somewhat similar to that in which one obtains the Hartree-Fock wave function by properly optimizing a Slater determinant. There are three key features of the new method: (1) The wave function remains accurate as the nuclei configuration is changed from the equilibrium configuration to that of the dissociated molecule; (2) the many-electron wave function can be interpreted in an independent-particle scheme; (3) the independent-particle states are no longer always required to be symmetry functions for the spatial symmetry group as in the Hartree-Fock method. In addition, the energy calculated using the new method is always lower than the Hartree-Fock energy, and the method is applicable to states of any total spin and number of particles. Calculations using this method are reported for the H2 and LiH molecules.