cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Development of ICD Adaptations and Modifications as Background to a Potential Saudi Arabia's National Version

Modified national versions of the WHO’s International Statistical Classification of Diseases, current version ICD-10 with ICD-11 coming into effect in January 2022, have become the standard in many countries for diagnosis and procedure coding to facilitate the submission of medical billing and reimbursement by health insurers. The WHO ICD-10 exists purely as a coded classification of disease. It has no related classification of procedures and lacks the clinical level of diagnostic specificity necessary for the documentation of individual clinical cases and the associated prescribed therapies and interventions, particularly surgical cases. Historically, the US clinical modification of ICD-9, known as ICD-9-CM, established the trend. Australia adopted ICD-9-CM, later adapted it to Australian clinical specifications, and after the launch of the WHO ICD-10 produced the current Australian modification ICD-10-AM, used under license by many other countries. This paper examines a work in progress, rather than offering an academic critique, to illustrate the evolution of national clinical modications with particular reference to those of the United States, Australia and Thailand. The selection is based on the historical ICD-9-CM connection of the US and Australia, and the fact that Thailand is a more advanced developing nation like Saudi Arabia. The study parameters include the Saudi national healthcare system which has not previously employed a classification clinical coding, despite the wealthy developing healthcare system. Nations using their own modification face the burden of upgrading. Saudi Arabia plans to implement the national Australian modification, rather than creating a Saudi national modification.
Pelvic Fractures and Associated Genitourinary and Vascular Injuries: A Multisystem Review of Pelvic Trauma

OBJECTIVE. Blunt pelvic trauma is associated with injuries to the musculoskeletal, lower genitourinary, and vascular systems, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. This article provides a comprehensive review of these injuries, reviews classification systems that are helpful in predicting prognosis, describes the most appropriate imaging tests for injury detection, and emphasizes the role that interventional radiology plays in the setting of pelvic trauma. CONCLUSION. Blunt pelvic injuries can involve the musculoskeletal, genitourinary, and vascular systems, often concomitantly, making it imperative for radiologists to recognize injury patterns and understand implications for management. Injury classifications can be helpful in determining management and predicting prognosis. Contrast-enhanced CT is the imaging modality test of choice in evaluating pelvic trauma, and protocols should be optimized for best detection of injuries. Transcatheter arterial embolization plays a critical role in stopping acute hemorrhage and improving clinical outcomes.
Numerical Oscillation Prevention for PV Inverter Controllers in Quasi-Steady-State Simulators

Droop-based inverter control methods are popular for preventing overvoltage in low voltage networks with high installations of photovoltaic (PV) solar. Quasi-steady-state simulators (QSTS) can be used to reduce the computational burden of conducting long-term techno-economic analyses of such PV inverter controllers. If dynamic models for droop-based controllers are directly implemented in QSTS, numerical oscillation occurs and the controllers fail to converge to their steady-state operation. In this paper, a power network sensitivity-based algorithm is proposed for preventing numerical oscillation while implementing active and reactive droop-based PV inverter controllers in QSTS (i.e., GridLAB-D). Convergence of the sensitivity-based algorithm is verified using a typical radial distribution feeder for three droop-based PV inverter controllers. The proposed algorithm limits the maximum error in voltage below 0.5% for all controllers compared to the dynamic simulation in PSCAD.
Fintech Isn’t So Different From Traditional Banking: Trading Off Aggregation of Soft Information for Transaction Processing Efficiency

We examine trade-offs that Prosper, a large online peer-to-peer lending platform, has made over time in its lending processes. Since its 2006 inception, Prosper has (1) changed the way it sets the interest rates on loans from auctions among peer lenders to pre-set pricing based on a proprietary credit-rating model in December 2010; (2) enabled institutional investors to fund whole rather than just fractional loans in April 2013; and (3) reduced the extent of soft information available to peer lenders in September 2013. In each of these changes, Prosper has traded off the aggregation of soft information by peer lenders for transaction processing efficiency, a trade-off similar to that made by large traditional banks. We provide the following evidence regarding the costs and benefits of this trade-off. On the cost side, after the December 2010 change the distribution of loan interest rates shrinks and the ability of interest rates to predict loan default deteriorates, particularly for loans to low credit quality borrowers for whom soft information is more important for credit screening. After the April 2013 change interest rates for low credit quality loans in the fractional loan market are more predictive of default than are interest rates in the whole loan market. On the benefit side, loan volume and funding speed rise sharply after each of these changes. Moreover, the costs appear manageable, as peer lenders’ ability to diversify increases and the weighted-average interest rate of a modest-size portfolio of Prosper loans remain just as predictive of default. Placebo and difference-in-differences tests using a peer-to-peer lender that did not change its lending processes during our sample period (Lending Club) indicates that these effects are attributable to the changes in Prosper’s processes.
A Bon VOYAGER for Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease is prevalent, affecting more than 200 million persons worldwide.1 As a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis, it is associated with an increased risk of myocardial inf...
Acute Hemodialysis for Treatment of Severe Ethanol Intoxication.

A male college student presented to the emergency department with altered mental status and a serum ethanol level higher than the hospital laboratory assay. His course was complicated by mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, and cardiotoxicity. Thirteen hours into admission and despite aggressive supportive measures, the patient remained obtunded off sedation with serum ethanol level elevated at 428 mg/dL. A decision was made to initiate hemodialysis to expedite ethanol clearance and prevent further end-organ damage. Two hours into hemodialysis, mental status improved and serum ethanol level had decreased to 264 mg/dL. A total of 4 hours of hemodialysis were completed and serum ethanol level continued to downtrend. Dialysis increased the rate of ethanol elimination by a factor of 4 and prevented further cardiotoxicity or electrolyte level abnormalities. This case supports the use of hemodialysis for adult patients who meet the criteria of severe ethanol toxicity requiring critical care resources and having evidence of organ toxicity to 1 or more organ.
Rural-urban disparities in the distribution of dental caries among children in south-eastern Louisiana: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence of dental caries among elementary school-aged children in rural compared to urban communities within south-eastern Louisiana that have participated in a school-based dental screening and sealant program. Methods The authors utilized de-identified Sealant Efficiency Assessment for Locals and States screening data for 2007-2014 provided by The Health Enrichment Network oral health program. The screening was conducted throughout 46 elementary schools in Louisiana. Screening forms recorded decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT). Descriptive statistics including demographic characteristics and oral health conditions were calculated. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the burden of caries in schools. Results Of 963 children screened, 32% had dental caries. There was an increased risk of having any DMFT among children who attended rural schools as compared to those who attended urban schools (prevalence odds ratio (POR)=2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.61-2.93). This study found that non-Hispanic black children had reduced odds of DMFT as compared to the children from other reported ethnicities (POR=0.695, 95%CI=0.503-0.960). Conclusion A higher prevalence of dental caries was found in rural compared to urban communities. Further research is needed to assess the extent of geographic differences to improve oral health outcomes.
Urban resources limit pair coordination over offspring provisioning.

The amount of care parents provide to the offspring is complicated by an evolutionary conflict of interest (‘sexual conflict’) between the two parents. Recent theoretical models suggest that pair coordination of the provisioning may reduce this conflict and increase parent and offspring fitness. Despite empirical studies showing that pair coordination is common in avian species, it remains unclear how environmental and ecological conditions might promote or limit the ability of parents to coordinate care. We compared the level of pair coordination, measured as alternation and synchrony of the nest visits, of house wrens Troglodytes aedon pairs breeding in a rural (10 nests) and a suburban (9 nests) site and investigated how differences in parental behaviours were related to habitat composition, prey abundance and how they ultimately related to reproductive success. We found that parents alternated and synchronized their nest visits more in the rural site compared to the suburban one. The suburban site is characterized by a more fragmented habitat with more coniferous trees and less caterpillar availability. Offspring from the rural site were heavier at fledging than at the suburban site. Taken together, these results suggest that environmental conditions play an important role on the emergence of coordinated parental care and that considering environmental variables is pivotal to assess the fitness consequences of parental strategies.
New improved Aggregator: predicting which clinical trial articles derive from the same registered clinical trial

Objectives To identify separate publications that report outcomes from the same underlying clinical trial, in order to avoid over-counting these as independent pieces of evidence. Materials and methods We updated our previous model by creating larger, more recent, and more diverse positive and negative training sets consisting of article pairs that were (or not) linked to the same ClinicalTrials.gov trial registry number. Features were extracted from PubMed metadata; pairwise similarity scores were modeled using logistic regression and used to form clusters of articles that are likely to arise from the same registered clinical trial. Results Articles from the same trial were identified with high accuracy (F1 = 0.859), nominally better than the previous model (F1 = 0.843). Predicted clusters showed a low error rate of splitting of 8-11% (ie, when 2 articles belonged to the same trial but were assigned to different clusters). Performance was similar whether only randomized controlled trial articles or a more diverse set of clinical trial articles were processed. Discussion Metadata are surprisingly accurate in predicting when 2 articles derive from the same underlying clinical trial. Conclusion We have continued confidence in the Aggregator tool which can be accessed publicly at http://arrowsmith.psych.uic.edu/cgi-bin/arrowsmith_uic/RCT_Tagger.cgi.
Liver tumor F-18 FDG-PET before and immediately after microwave ablation enables imaging and quantification of tumor tissue contraction

Poor liver tumor visibility after microwave ablation (MWA) limits direct tumor ablation margin assessments using contrast-enhanced CT or ultrasound (US). Positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/CT may offer improved intraprocedural assessment of liver tumor ablation margins versus current imaging techniques, as 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)-avid tumors remain visible on PET immediately following ablation. The purpose of this study was to assess intraprocedural 18F-FDG PET scans before and immediately after PET/CT-guided MWA for visualization and quantification of metabolic liver tumor tissue contraction resulting from MWA. This retrospective study, conducted at a large academic medical center after Institutional Review Board approval, included 36 patients (20 men; mean age 63 [range 37–85]) who underwent PET/CT-guided MWA of 42 18F-FDG-avid liver tumors from May 2013 to March 2018. Tumor metabolic diameters (short/long axes) were measured for each tumor on pre- and post-ablation PET images. Tumor metabolic volumes were calculated using tumor diameter measurements and compared with automated volumes using an SUV threshold algorithm. A two-tailed paired t test was used for the analyses. Comparing intraprocedural pre- and post-ablation PET images, mean metabolic tumor short- and long-axis diameters decreased from 21.4 to 14.9 mm [− 29%, p < 0.001, standard deviation (SD) 18%] and from 24.0 to 18.0 mm (− 24%, p < 0.001, SD 16%), respectively. The mean calculated tumor metabolic volume decreased from 10.5 to 4.6 mm3 (− 55%, p < 0.001, SD 26%). The mean automated tumor metabolic volume decreased from 10.6 to 5.8 mm3 (− 45%, p < 0.001, SD 30%). Intraprocedural PET images of 18F-FDG-avid liver tumors allow visualization and quantification of MWA-induced metabolic tumor tissue contraction during 18F-FDG PET/CT-guided procedures. The ability to visualize contracted tumor immediately post-MWA may facilitate emerging intraprocedural PET and PET/CT imaging techniques that address a clinical gap in directly assessing the ablation margin.
The ubiquity of directional and reciprocating motion in enzymes out of equilibrium

A biological molecular motor is an enzyme that uses the free energy of an out-of-equilibrium chemical reaction to drive mechanical motion. This motion must have a specific direction to fulfill the motor9s functional role. For example, a corkscrew-shaped flagellum must rotate in the appropriate sense to propel the organism. The generation of directional motion appears to be a complex protein property, and it is not clear how the evolutionary leap from non-motor enzymes to molecular motors could have occurred. Indeed, the existence of biological molecular motors has been held up in the popular press as a mark against the theory of evolution [1]. Here, we provide evidence, based on atomistic simulations and kinetic modeling, that conformational switching of non-motor enzymes, induced by out-of-equilibrium substrate binding and catalysis, induces motor-like, directional torsional motions, as well as oar-like, reciprocating motions. Generalizing from these specific results, we provide an argument that virtually any chiral molecule undergoing conformational transitions out of equilibrium should be expected to undergo directional rotations on small and potentially large scales. Thus, the emergence of directional motion did not require an evolutionary leap. Instead, directional motion was present in the earliest enzymes, and only evolutionary optimization was needed for highly adapted motor proteins to emerge. Moreover, because chirality is a sine qua non for directional motion, the adaptive value of directional motors means that chirality itself is adaptive, so the need for directional motion may be one reason for the prevalence of chiral molecules in living systems. Finally, the ubiquity of driven molecular motions in enzymes catalyzing reactions out of equilibrium might help explain why the diffusion constants of some enzymes increase with their catalytic rate [2-4]. [1] Pallen, M. J. & Matzke, N. J. From The Origin of Species to the origin of bacterial flagella. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 4, 784-790, doi:10.1038/nrmicro1493 (2006). [2] Muddana, H. S., Sengupta, S., Mallouk, T. E., Sen, A. & Butler, P. J. Substrate catalysis enhances single-enzyme diffusion. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 2110-2111, doi:10.1021/ja908773a (2010). [3] Sengupta, S. et al. Enzyme molecules as nanomotors. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 1406-1414, doi:10.1021/ja3091615 (2013). [4] Riedel, C. et al. The heat released during catalytic turnover enhances the diffusion of an enzyme. Nature 517, 227-230, doi:10.1038/nature14043 (2015).
Vascular Imaging in the Asymptomatic High-risk Cancer Population: A Role for Thrombosis Screening and Therapy Management.

Objectives We retrospectively examined the venous thromboembolism (VTE) events diagnosed in the Prophylaxis of High-Risk Ambulatory Cancer Patients Study (PHACS), a multi-center randomized trial, to assess the value of screening vascular imaging for the diagnosis of incidental VTE in high-risk cancer patients. Methods A total of 117 asymptomatic cancer patients with a Khorana score ≥3 starting a new systemic chemotherapy regimen were enrolled in a prospective randomized control trial. Patients underwent baseline venous ultrasound (US) of the lower extremities (LEs) and screening contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT). Those without preexisting VTE were then randomized into observation or dalteparin prophylaxis groups and were screened with serial US every 4 weeks for up to 12 weeks and imaged with contrast-enhanced chest CT at 12 weeks. Any additional imaging performed during the study period was also evaluated for VTE. Results Baseline prevalence of incidental VTE was 9% (n = 10) with 58% percent of VTEs diagnosed by screening US. Incidence of VTE in the randomized phase of the trial was 16% (n = 16) with 21% (n = 10) of patients in the control arm and 12% (n = 6) of patients in the dalteparin arm developing VTE, a non-significant 9% absolute risk reduction (HR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.23-1.89). Sixty-nine percent of these patients were asymptomatic with 31% of patients diagnosed by screening US. Conclusions Adding screening US to routine oncologic surveillance CT in high-risk ambulatory cancer patients with a Khorana score ≥3 can lead to increased VTE detection, with potential for decreased morbidity, mortality, and health care spending.
Socialism-in-practice was a nightmare, not Utopia: Ludwig von Mises’s critique of central planning and the fall of the Soviet Union

Thirty years ago, in 1991, the Soviet Union formally came to an end as a political entity on the map of the world. It marked the conclusion of the dream of a new socialist system based on comprehensive government central planning for a better society. Soviet socialist reality was a nightmare of tyranny, economic chaos, along with political privilege and favoritism, which left everyday life for those living in the great socialist experiment one of poverty, corruption and despair. The reason why the socialist experiment in central planning was such a failure can be understood in terms of another anniversary, that being one hundred years since the publication of Austrian economist, Ludwig von Mises’s, famous 1920 essay on “Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth.” Mises demonstrated why it was inevitable and inescapable that socialism would fail and breed its negative side effects, due to the abolition of the economic institutions of private property, markets, and prices, without which a rational economic order is “impossible.” I recount some of the realities and absurdities of Soviet socialist daily life and its end based my travels in the Soviet Union in its last years. This paper is based on the Presidential Address delivered at the 2020 Society for the Development of Austrian Economics Annual Meeting.
The Effect of Phenylbutazone and Flunixin Meglumine on Clinical Acute Toxic Mastitis in Dairy Cows

A randomized prospective clinical trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of flunixin meglumine and phenylbutazone in the treatment of acute toxic mastitis in dairy cows.
Modelica-based system modeling for studying control-related faults in chiller plants and boiler plants serving large office buildings

Abstract Dynamic modelling of the faulty operation of chiller plants and boiler plants can help identify their impacts and support the development of fault detection methods. However, adequate models are seldom reported in the literature. In this study, we aim to develop high-fidelity models for approximating the dynamic behaviors of chiller plants and boiler plants under control-related faults. Specifically, we first designed a typical configuration of the chiller plants and the boiler plants; we then modeled both the physical systems and controllers of these typical plants with Modelica. When developing the Modelica models, we created a hierarchical model structure while modules in each layer can be redeclared and parameterized at upper layers. This model structure facilitates the implementation of fault scenarios through intuitive model modifiers. At last, we applied the proposed models in a comprehensive fault impact evaluation of the thirteen control-related faults of chiller and boiler plants. In this evaluation, the proposed models are coupled with the EnergyPlus TM thermal load model to study the impact of various faulty scenarios. Based on the fault impact evaluation results, we identified the faults that have the most significant impacts on the operation of the chiller and boiler plants, respectively. We also found that the relationship between the impacts of the studied faults and the severity level of the faults can be highly non-linear. This study contributes to the literature by providing the first dynamic models of chiller plants and boiler plants which can be used to study control-related faults on a large-scale.
Deficiency of CXCR2, but not other chemokine receptors, attenuates autoantibody‐mediated arthritis in a murine model

Objective Chemokines coordinate leukocyte trafficking in homeostasis and during immune responses. Prior studies of their role in arthritis have used animal models with both an initial adaptive immune response and an inflammatory effector phase. We undertook analysis of chemokines and their receptors in the effector phase of arthritis using the K/BxN mouse serum–transfer model. Methods A time-course microarray analysis of serum-transferred arthritis was performed, examining ankle tissue, synovial fluid, and peripheral blood leukocytes. Up-regulation of chemokines was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. The functional relevance of chemokine induction was assessed by transferring serum into mice deficient in CCR1–7, CCR9, CXCR2, CXCR3, CXCR5, CX3CR1, CCL2, or CCL3. Further mechanistic analysis of CXCR2 involved treatment of arthritic mice with a CXCR2 antagonist, bone marrow (BM) cell transfers with CXCR2+/− and CXCR2−/− donors and recipients, flow cytometry of synovial cells, and competition experiments measuring enrichment of CXCR2-expressing neutrophils in arthritic joints of mice with mixed CXCR2+/+ and CXCR2−/− BM cells. Results Gene expression profiling revealed up-regulation of the CXCR2 ligands CXCL1, CXCL2, and CXCL5 in the joint in parallel with disease activity. CXCR2−/− mice had attenuated disease relative to CXCR2+/− littermates, as did mice receiving the CXCR2 inhibitor, while deficiency of other chemokine receptors did not affect arthritis severity. CXCR2 was required only on hematopoietic cells and was widely expressed on synovial neutrophils. CXCR2-expressing neutrophils were preferentially recruited to arthritic joints in the presence of CXCR2-deficient neutrophils. Conclusion CXCR2 (but not other chemokine receptors) is critical for the development of autoantibody-mediated arthritis, exhibiting a cell-autonomous role in neutrophil recruitment to inflamed joints.
Brain edema in rabbits with galactosamine-induced fulminant hepatitis

Abstract Brain edema and intracranial hypertension are major complications of fulminant hepatic failure. We investigated the development of brain edema and monitored intracranial pressure in rabbits with toxic hepatitis induced by galactosamine. Using a gravimetric technique to assay small tissue samples, we found that brain water was increased in cortical grey matter, but not in subcortical, mesencephalic, and pontine white matter, or in the cerebellum. The proportion of water in cerebral grey matter in control animals was 80.96% ± 0.49% with significant elevations to 81.96% ± 0.47% and 82.95% ± 1.49% in mild and severe encephalopathy, respectively. This corresponds to mean increases in tissue volume of 5.5% and 11.7%. The hippocampal grey matter also accumulated water in severe encephalopathy with a 30% increase in mean tissue volume. The regional increase in brain water was confirmed by the wet-dry weight method. Neither hypotension, hypoxia, nor severe hypoglycemia were present to account for the edema. Intracranial pressure was monitored continuously in unanesthetized rabbits via an intraventricular cannula as encephalopathy developed. The pressure was normal in the mild stage, but was intermittently elevated in animals with severe encephalopathy. The normal range of intracranial pressure was 2–9 mmHe and the ranee or peak values in galactosamine-treated rabbits was 18–55 mmHg. The regional differences in brain water accumulation suggest that cellular swelling and abnormalities in the movement of water across the blood-brain barrier may account for the brain edema in this model.
The Metamorphosis of Managed Care

The conventional wisdom is that managed care’s brief life is over and we are now in a post-managed care era. In fact, managed care has a long history and continues to thrive. Writers also often assume that managed care is a fixed thing. They overlook that managed care has evolved and neglect to examine the role that it plays in the health system. Furthermore, private actors and the state have used managed care tools to promote diverse goals. These include: increasing access to medical care; restricting physician entrepreneurialism; challenging professional control over the medical economy; curbing medical spending; managing medical practice and markets; furthering the growth of medical markets and private insurance; promoting for-profit medical facilities and insurers; earning bounties for reducing medical expenditures; and reducing governmental responsibility for, and oversight of, medical care. Struggles over these competing goals spurred the metamorphosis of managed care. This article explores how managed care transformed physicians’ conflicts of interests and responses to them. It also examines how managed care altered the opportunities for patients/medical consumers to use exit and voice to spur change.
Enzyme mechanism-based, oxidative DNA–protein cross-links formed with DNA polymerase β in vivo

Free radical attack on the C1' position of DNA deoxyribose generates the oxidized abasic (AP) site 2-deoxyribonolactone (dL). Upon encountering dL, AP lyase enzymes such as DNA polymerase β (Polβ) form dead-end, covalent intermediates in vitro during attempted DNA repair. However, the conditions that lead to the in vivo formation of such DNA-protein cross-links (DPC), and their impact on cellular functions, have remained unknown. We adapted an immuno-slot blot approach to detect oxidative Polβ-DPC in vivo. Treatment of mammalian cells with genotoxic oxidants that generate dL in DNA led to the formation of Polβ-DPC in vivo. In a dose-dependent fashion, Polβ-DPC were detected in MDA-MB-231 human cells treated with the antitumor drug tirapazamine (TPZ; much more Polβ-DPC under 1% O2 than under 21% O2) and even more robustly with the "chemical nuclease" 1,10-copper-ortho-phenanthroline, Cu(OP)2. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts challenged with TPZ or Cu(OP)2 also incurred Polβ-DPC. Nonoxidative agents did not generate Polβ-DPC. The cross-linking in vivo was clearly a result of the base excision DNA repair pathway: oxidative Polβ-DPC depended on the Ape1 AP endonuclease, which generates the Polβ lyase substrate, and they required the essential lysine-72 in the Polβ lyase active site. Oxidative Polβ-DPC had an unexpectedly short half-life (∼ 30 min) in both human and mouse cells, and their removal was dependent on the proteasome. Proteasome inhibition under Cu(OP)2 treatment was significantly more cytotoxic to cells expressing wild-type Polβ than to cells with the lyase-defective form. That observation underscores the genotoxic potential of oxidative Polβ-DPC and the biological pressure to repair them.
Age affects over-marking of opposite-sex scent marks in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus

Models of age-related effects on behavior predict that among short-lived species younger adults are more attractive and attracted to opposite-sex conspecifics than are older adults, whereas the converse is predicted for long-lived species. Although most studies of age-related effects on behavior support these predictions, they are not supported by many studies of scent marking, a behavior used in mate attraction. Over-marking, a form of scent marking, is a tactic used by many terrestrial mammals to convey information about themselves to opposite-sex conspecifics. The present study tested the hypothesis that the age of meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus; a microtine rodent, affects their over- and scent marking behaviors when they encounter the marks of opposite-sex conspecifics. Sex differences existed in the over-marking behavior of adult voles among the three different age groups that were tested. Male voles that were 5-7 mo-old and 10-12 mo-old over-marked a higher proportion of the marks of females than did 2-3 mo-old male voles. Female voles that were 2-3 mo-old, 5-7 mo-old, and 10-12 mo-old over-marked a similar number of marks deposited by male voles. Overall, the data were not consistent with models predicting the behavior of short-lived animals such as rodents when they encounter the opposite sex. The differences in over-marking displayed by older and younger adult male voles may be associated with life history tradeoffs, the likelihood that they will encounter sexually receptive females, and being selected as mates.
Second primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma three years after successfully treated index esophageal cancer.

Context Development of a second primary malignancy after an index esophageal cancer is a rare event, primarily due to short survival of patients with esophageal cancer. However, the number of long-term esophageal cancer survivors has been increasing due to advances in early detection and therapy. Case report We report herein a case of pancreatic adenocarcinoma that developed three years after a successfully treated early-stage adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. A 70-year-old Caucasian male presented with vague complaints of nausea, vomiting and abdominal distention, with subsequent development of jaundice. A computed tomography scan of abdomen revealed a 2.9 cm soft tissue mass in the head of the pancreas and the patient underwent a Whipple’s procedure, with pathology confirming the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Three years previously, the patient was successfully treated for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus via minimally invasive esophagogastrectomy. Despite chemoradiotherapy for localized disease and subsequent systemic chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer, the patient eventually succumbed to his illness. Conclusion We discuss the association between esophageal cancer and subsequent second malignancies, along with implications for surveillance and therapy. Image: A low-attenuation mass in the head of the pancreas and uncinate process.
MYCOTIC BRANCHITIS IN LABORATORY-MAINTAINED HERMIT CRABS (PAGURUS SPP.)

ABSTRACT Hermit crabs, Pagurus spp., collected year-round by the Marine Resources Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, exhibited a spring time increase in mortality. Two diseases are responsible for this mortality. Infection by larval tetraphyllidean cestodes has been previously described. Twenty-eight per cent of laboratory-maintained animals also exhibited a severe mycotic infection caused by Fusarium solani. Characteristic lesions produced by this fungus were infection of the gill filaments, direct invasion of the branchial joint dermis and overlying arthrodial membrane, and subsequent invasion of the dermis of the cephalothorax and overlying arthrodial membrane. The fungus elicited a severe mixed inflammatory cell response with encapsulation and melanosis of the fungal elements. Disease outbreaks were effectively controlled by elimination of infective sources and disinfection of environmental surfaces with chlorine bleach. This disease is similar to black gill disease of shrimps and lobsters.
Ribonucleic general acid

Ribozymes are enzymes comprised of RNA that fold into three-dimensional structures and that catalyze chemical reactions central to all cells. A new study shows that ribozymes, like proteins, may use general acid catalysis as part of their catalytic toolkit.
Modulated imaging: a novel method for quantifying tissue chromophores in evolving cerebral ischemia

The authors report the results of utilizing spatially-modulated near infrared light using Modulated Imaging (MI) technology in imaging cerebral ischemia. MI images of the left parietal somatosensory cortex were obtained post-occlusion and up to three hours following middle cerebral artery occlusion. Tissue chromophore maps were obtained to demonstrate spatiotemporal changes in the distribution of oxy, deoxy, total hemoglobin, and oxygen saturation. MI recorded a decrease in oxyhemoglobin concentration and tissue oxygen saturation and increase in tissue deoxyhemoglobin concentration following occlusion. Optical intrinsic signal was used to detect functional activation of the somatosensory barrel cortex to whisker stimulation. This activation was completely lost following occlusion. Imaging findings in a transient ischemic attack using photothrombosis is also demonstrated.
Epidemiology of lead poisoning in cattle--a five-year study in Iowa.

AbstractLead poisoning has been increasingly recognized as a significant and major cause of bovine poisoning in Iowa during recent years [3, 4]. Data from the Iowa Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for the years 1965 through 1971 indicate an increasing number of lead poisoning cases in cattle, with 1970 as the peak year. From January, 1967, through June 30, 1971, 80 episodes of bovine lead poisoning have been confirmed by the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Of this number, 28 were recognized in 1970 alone. Lead poisoning is the single most common toxicosis in cattle in Iowa. In order to further delineate the incidence, clinical severity, sources, seasonal occurrence, and chemical results of affected and non-affected animals, this study was undertaken.
Generation of solitons, periodic pulsing and nonlinearities

We report the generation of a variety of periodically modulated pulse trains in the CPM dye laser. These pulses are reminiscent of high-order solitons. We have identified the nonlinearity which prevents the formation of pulses which are solutions of the nonlinear Schrodinger's equation. A modification of the laser cavity removes this nonlinearity and true N = 2 solitons have been generated.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
FORMATION OF TANTALUM TUCK-IN COMPLEXES BY ACTIVATION OF METHYL C-H BONDS IN PENTAMETHYLCYCLOPENTADIENE GROUPS BY CARBAZOLE LIGATION

The reaction of [Cp*TaCl4] with the potassium salt of carbazole (cbK, >3 equiv) in hydrocarbon solvents leads to the species [(C5Me4CH2)Ta(cb)2Cl] (1), in which one of the ring methyl C−H bonds of ...
Estimating the accuracy of the coverages of outer β‐content tolerance intervals, which control both tails of the normal distribution

Tolerance limits which control both tails of the normal distribution so that there is no more than a proportion β1 in one tail and no more than β2 in the other tail with probability γ may be computed for any size sample. They are computed from X - k1S and X - k2S, where X and S are the usual sample mean and standard deviation and k1 and k2 are constants previously tabulated in Odeh and Owen [3]. The question addressed is, “Just how accurate are the coverages of these intervals (– Infin;, X – k1S) and (X + k2S, ∞) for various size samples?” The question is answered in terms of how widely the coverage of each tail interval differs from the corresponding required content with a given confidence γ′.
Throwing the Baby Out with the Bathwater: Evaluation of Domain Importance Weighting in Quality of Life Measurements

This paper examined major inconsistencies between claims made and the evidence presented in recent studies on evaluating the role of domain importance weighting in quality of life (QoL) measures. Three inconsistencies were discussed and they were: (1) treating the failure to support a particular importance weighting function as the evidence of uncovering no importance weighting necessary at all, (2) considering domain importance weighting and multiplicative scores synonymous, and (3) extending findings with a within-domain focus to an across-domain focus. Overlooking these inconsistencies may lead to an overgeneralization of study findings, which would likely result in premature or even erroneous conclusions. Caution must be given in interpreting study results in order to avoid overgeneralization which limits our understanding of the true role that domain importance weighting may play in QoL measures.
Effects of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Sleep Quality, Cognition, and Driving Performance in Patients With Cirrhosis

Background & Aims In patients with cirrhosis, sleep disturbances are assumed to result from hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on cognition, sleep parameters, or driving in patients with cirrhosis are unclear. Methods We performed a cross-sectional and prospective study of 118 subjects. Subjects were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: those with OSA and cirrhosis (without hepatic encephalopathy or ascites, n = 34), those with cirrhosis only (n = 30), those with OSA only (n = 29), and those without OSA or cirrhosis (controls, n = 25). None of the OSA patients were receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Subjects underwent cognitive testing (paper–pencil tests for psychomotor speed and attention, as well as executive function tests), sleep assessment (daytime sleepiness and night-time sleep quality), and a monotonous driving simulation (worsening lane deviations over time indicated poor performance). We also tested patients with OSA, with cirrhosis (n = 10) and without cirrhosis (n = 7), before and after CPAP therapy. Results Daytime sleepiness and sleep quality were worse in subjects in the OSA groups (with or without cirrhosis) than subjects with cirrhosis alone or controls. Of subjects with only OSA, 36% had impaired psychomotor speed and attention, compared with more than 60% of subjects in both cirrhosis groups. In contrast, executive function was uniformly worse in subjects with OSA, with or without cirrhosis, than groups without OSA. Simulator performance (lane deviations) worsened over time in both OSA groups. CPAP therapy significantly increased executive function and sleep quality, and reduced simulator lane deviations and sleepiness, in OSA subjects with and without cirrhosis. After CPAP therapy, performance on the paper–pencil test improved significantly only in subjects with OSA without cirrhosis. Conclusions OSA should be considered in evaluating sleep impairment in patients with cirrhosis. In patients with cirrhosis and OSA, psychomotor speed and attention issues likely are related to cirrhosis, whereas executive function and simulator performance are affected by OSA. CPAP therapy improves executive function and simulator performance in patients with OSA, regardless of cirrhosis.
Patents versus Patients? Antiretroviral Therapy in India

Drs. Diane Havlir and Scott Hammer write that the risks posed by the trade-related aspects of intellectual-property-rights legislation to HIV-infected persons in resource-limited countries cannot be ignored. They suggest solutions to this apparent conundrum.
Enhancing information security with the information resource management approach

Recently, computer security and incidents of computer crime have received considerable attention. Without a doubt, in computer security the risks are high, and the problems and their solutions are complex; nonetheless, the emphasis of this attention has been misplaced. The emphasis should be primarily on the security of information itself and secondarily on the devices that handle information and on any of the other factors that go into information production. The factors of information production should certainly be considered, but only after planning and analysis based on information has been completed. For example, when considering the possibility that a competitor may steal your firm's proprietary information, it is best to consider first what information should be safequarded and what expenditure is warranted for such protection; then one can consider the environments in which this information appears (paper-based, computerized, verbal, etc.) and controls that are appropriate for these environments. This paper explores the application to the information security area of Information Resource Management (IRM), a new and promising approach that concentrates, on information not on computers. This paper explains the concepts underlying IRM, how they are applied, and what general information systems benefits can be obtained. In a more specifically security-oriented sense, it indicates how IRM can help address a few of the pressing problems now encountered by information security practitioners: controls suboptimization, the Maginot Line syndrome, top management understanding and support, disaster recovery planning, security policy-making, consideration of noncomputerized information, and expeditious resolution of security problems.
Decay Pathways of Thymine and Methyl-Substituted Uracil and Thymine in the Gas Phase

We report observations of a dark state in the decay pathways of thymine, 1,3-dimethyl thymine, 1,3-dimethyl uracil, and 1-methyl uracil in the gas phase. After initial excitation by a nanosecond laser, the excited molecules failed to return to the ground state but rather were trapped in a dark state for tens to hundreds of nanoseconds. This result contradicts those reported in water solutions. We therefore propose that the photochemistry of these pyrimidine bases is different in the gas phase from that in the liquid phase and that the dark state is effectively quenched in water solutions. Although we do not have a quantitative measure of the yield of this dark state, the fact that further ionization from this dark state has a high yield in the deep UV makes this pathway important in the chemistry of nucleic acid bases. This result further implies that the photostability of our genetic code may not be an inherent property of the bases themselves.
Oncogenic Ras dominates overexpression of E-cadherin in malignant transformation of intestinal epithelial cells

Abstract Background Loss of the adherens junction protein E-cadherin is a critical event during Ras-mediated transformation of intestinal epithelial cells. The purpose of our study was to determine if overexpression of E-cadherin prevents Ras-induced malignant transformation and suppresses cell growth. Methods Rat intestinal epithelial cells were constructed with a mutated human Ha-RasVal12 cDNA. In these cells, Ras is constitutively expressed or induced by addition of isopropyl-1-thio-B-D-galactopyranoside. Cells were transfected with a bicistronic retroviral system that expressed green fluorescent protein alone or this protein and human E-cadherin. E-cadherin expression was measured by Western blot analysis, and localization by immunofluorescence. Anchorage-independent growth in soft agar was examined as well as tumor growth in nude mice. Results After Ras induction, endogenous E-cadherin was downregulated, whereas overexpression of human E-cadherin was sustained. Oncogenic Ras dominated overexpression of E-cadherin by causing malignant transformation and E-cadherin mislocalization. Ras also promoted growth in soft agar and tumors in nude mice despite E-cadherin overexpression. Conclusions Oncogenic Ras subverts the tumor suppressor activity of E-cadherin in Ras-transformed intestinal epithelial cells by downregulating endogenous E-cadherin and mislocalizing transfected E-cadherin. The role of E-cadherin as a tumor suppressor in intestinal malignancies may be restricted by mutated or overactive Ras.
Urushiols of poisonous anacardiaceae

Abstract GC-MS has been used to analyze and characterize the mixture of bis -trimethylsilyl derivatives of 3- n -alk(en)ylcatechols (urushiol) obtained from certain poisonous members of the Anacardiaceae. Analyses revealed a variation in composition of urushiol obtained from the same species. Furthermore, urushiols from poison ivy and poison wood, while consisting largely of n -C 15 -substituted catechols, also contain varying amounts of the homologous n -C 17 -substituted catechols. Similarly, the 3-alk(en)ylcatechol mixtures from poison oak, while containing mainly n -C 17 -species, also contain varying amounts of the n -C 15 species. The analysis of a single poison sumac sample revealed that it contained predominantly 3- n -pentadec(en)ylcatechols.
Bistability and hysteresis in dense shear granular flow

We consider dense Couette flow of inelastically colliding hard disks. Depending on the inelasticity of particle collisions and average density of particles, various flow regimes are found, and possible selection mechanisms are discussed. These regimes are investigated using both hydrodynamic equations and event-driven molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. One of the most intriguing flow regimes is the "plug flow", where a solid-like cluster coexists with a fluid layer. The entire phase diagram of parameters is explored, and bifurcation diagrams are presented. We theoretically predict bistability and hysteretic behavior and confirm this prediction in MD simulations.
A Truly European Forest: A Historic Lower Silesian Palaeobotanical Collection (Late Cretaceous) at the Museum of Natural History (Berlin)

A historical collection of late Cretaceous plant fossils from Lower Silesia, comprising about 520 specimens, now located at the Museum of Natural History, Berlin, and formerly in possession of the Prussian Geological Survey, has recently been traced back to its origins. Today this collection can be used as a nucleus to develop future scientific research projects. Due to the historical background of the specimens and the scattered locations of additional material from various geologic sites, such projects may have to be realised as a cooperative effort between scientists from several institutions of the Central European countries that were historically involved, namely the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland.
OSCILLATION INVESTIGATIONS IN SOUDAN 2: ATMOSPHERIC νμ → ντ AND ${\rm n} \to \bar{n}$ IN IRON

The 5.90 fiducial kiloton-year exposure of the Soudan-2 iron tracking calorimeter is analyzed for effects of neutrino oscillations. Using fully contained single track, single shower and multiprong events, we determine the atmospheric νμ/νe ratio-of-ratios in the sub-GeV Eν regime to be R=0.68±0.12±0.06. Assuming this anomalously low R-value to be the result of νμ flavor disappearance via νμ → ντ oscillation, we distribute fully contained and partially contained events into bins of log(L/Eν) and fit to oscillation hypotheses using extended maximum likelihood. The region in the (sin22θ, Δm2) plane allowed at 90% CL is obtained using the Feldman-Cousins procedure: 0.52 7.2×1031 years. The corresponding lower limit for oscillation of free neutrons is seconds.