cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SP1-Binding Elements, Within the Common Metaxin-Thrombospondin 3 Intergenic Region, Participate in the Regulation of the Metaxin Gene

Metaxin (Mtx) is an essential nuclear gene which is expressed ubiquitously in mice and encodes a mitochondrial protein. The gene is located upstream and is transcribed divergently from the thrombospondin 3 (Thbs3) gene; 1352 nucleotides separate the putative translation start sites. Although the Mtx and Thbs3 genes share a common intergenic region, transient transfection experiments in rat chondro-sarcoma cells and in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts demonstrated that the elements required for expression of the Mtx gene are situated within a short proximal promoter and have no major effect on the transcription of Thbs3. The metaxin --377 bp promoter contains four clustered GC boxes between nucleotides --146 and --58 and an inverted GT box between nucleotides --152 and --161, but does not contain TATA or CCAAT boxes. Like many genes regulated by a TATA-less promoter, the transcription start site of metaxin is heterogeneous. The major start site is only 13 bp upstream from the putative translation start site. Electrophoretic mobility shift, competition and supershift assays showed that the ubiquitous transcription factor, Sp1, and, to a lesser extent, the Sp1-related protein, Sp3, bind to four of these Sp1-binding motifs. Co-transfection of metaxin promoter-luciferase constructs and an Sp1 expression vector into Schneider Drosophila cells, which do not synthesize Sp1, demonstrated that the metaxin gene is activated by Sp1. Deletion of the four upstream Sp1-binding elements, on the other hand, demonstrated that these motifs are superfluous in context of the larger Mtx promoter. Thus, despite the potential for common regulatory mechanisms, the available evidence indicates that the Mtx minimal promoter does not significantly affect Thbs3 gene expression.
Improvements in HIV Care Engagement and Viral Load Suppression Following Enrollment in a Comprehensive HIV Care Coordination Program

Background. Substantial evidence gaps remain regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) intervention strategies that improve engagement in care (EiC) and viral load suppression (VLS). We assessed EiC and VLS before and after enrollment in a comprehensive intervention for persons at risk of poor HIV care outcomes. Methods. New York City's Ryan White Part A HIV Care Coordination Program (CCP), launched at 28 agencies in 2009, applies multiple strategies to promote optimal utilization of medical and social services. Using laboratory test records from an HIV surveillance registry, we examined pre–post outcomes among 3641 CCP clients enrolled before April 2011. For the year before and after enrollment, we assessed EiC (defined as ≥2 tests, ≥90 days apart, with ≥1 in each half-year) and VLS (defined as viral load [VL] ≤200 copies/mL on latest VL test in the second half of the year). We estimated relative risks (RRs), comparing pre- and postenrollment proportions achieving EiC and VLS. Results. Among newly diagnosed clients, 90.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87.9%–93.2%) and 66.2% (95% CI, 61.9%–70.6%) achieved EiC and VLS, respectively. Among previously diagnosed clients, EiC increased from 73.7% to 91.3% (RR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.21–1.27) and VLS increased from 32.3% to 50.9% (RR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.50–1.66). Clients without evidence of HIV care during the 6 months preenrollment contributed most to overall improvements. Pre–post improvements were robust, retaining statistical significance within most sociodemographic and clinical subgroups, and in 89% (EiC) and 75% (VLS) of CCP agencies. Conclusions. Clients in comprehensive HIV care coordination for persons with evident barriers to care showed substantial and consistent improvement in short-term outcomes.
Differentiation of methyl substituted fluorenes, anthracenes and benz[a]anthracenes using surface‐catalyzed oxidation reactions and negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Methyl-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are shown to undergo surface-catalyzed reactions with oxygen. These reactions generate oxidized products, which include aldehydes, quinones, and anhydrides. The products dominate the O2/N2 negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) mass spectra of methyl-PAH when the ion source temperature is elevated to 300°C. The NICI mass spectra of methyl-PAH measured under these conditions show ions that can be used to distinguish the position of methyl groups substituted on fluorene, anthracene, and benz[a]anthracene isomers.
Predicting the Viterbi Score Distribution for a Hidden Markov Model and Application to Speech Recognition

Hidden Markov Models are used in many important applications such as speech recognition and handwriting recognition. Finding an effective HMM to fit the data is important for successful operation. Typically, the Baum-Welch algorithm is used to train an HMM, and seeks to maximize the likelihood probability of the model, which is closely related to the Viterbi score. However, random initialization causes the final model quality to vary due to locally optimum solutions. Conventionally, in speech recognition systems, models are selected from a collection of already trained models using some performance criterion. In this paper, we investigate an alternative method of selecting models using the Viterbi score distribution. A method to determine the Viterbi score distribution is described based on Viterbi score variation with respect to the number of states (N) in the model. Our tests show that the distribution is approximately Gaussian when the number of states is greater than 3. The paper also investigates the relationship between performance and the Viterbi score's percentile value and discusses several interesting implications for Baum-Welch training.
Indications for circumferential surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Abstract Background context The surgical management of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) remains challenging. Purpose To review the indications, techniques, and results of circumferential fusion for CSM. Conclusion Circumferential decompression and stabilization with instrumentation is a viable option to treat selected complex cervical spine disorders. It provides immediate stabilization of the spine, decreases anterior graft and instrumentation failure, and can obviate the need for postoperative halo immobilization.
A New Leaf Blotch Disease of Sudangrass Caused by Pantoea ananas and Pantoea stewartii

An unreported disease of sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense) was observed in commercial fields in Imperial Valley of California. Symptoms included light-colored necrotic streaks, and white or tan irregular blotches, often associated with reddish purple to dark brown margins. Pantoea ananas was consistently isolated from the blotches with reddish margins, while Pantoea stewartii or mixtures of both species were isolated from necrotic streaks without reddish margins. Fourteen seed samples harvested in different locations were assayed and found to be 0.0 to 3.6% infested with P. ananas. Seed transmission may be a means by which the pathogen is introduced. Symptoms in inoculated plants appeared as early as 2 and as late as 20 days after inoculation, depending on the inoculum level, methods of inoculation, temperature, and available moisture. The initial symptoms caused by inoculations with both bacteria were similar, but as symptoms progressed, P. ananas was associated with white streaks or irregular necrotic blotches often surrounded by a reddish or purplish hue. P. stewartii was associated with light-colored necrotic streaks. A synergistic or antagonistic relationship was not observed between the two pathogens in co-inoculations. In host range studies, both bacteria caused disease on sorghum and sudangrass at similar levels of severity. P. ananas was also pathogenic on corn and oat. P. stewartii from sudangrass was pathogenic on corn but did not cause wilting that was observed with Stewart's wilt strains of P. stewartii from corn. The sudangrass strains of P. stewartii also infected oat and triticale, while the Stewart's wilt strains did not. Both P. ananas and P. stewartii from sudangrass grew at relatively high temperatures (43 and 37°C, respectively) and caused disease at elevated temperatures and conditions of relative humidity similar to those in the Imperial Valley during late summer when epidemics of the disease were common.
Performing cyber security analysis using a live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) testbed

Cyber security analysis tools are necessary to evaluate the security, reliability, and resilience of networked information systems against cyber attack. It is common practice in modern cyber security analysis to separately utilize real systems computers, routers, switches, firewalls, computer emulations (e.g., virtual machines) and simulation models to analyze the interplay between cyber threats and safeguards. In contrast, Sandia National Laboratories has developed new methods to combine these evaluation platforms into a cyber Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) testbed. The combination of real, emulated, and simulated components enables the analysis of security features and components of a networked information system. When performing cyber security analysis on a target system, it is critical to represent realistically the subject security components in high fidelity. In some experiments, the security component may be the actual hardware and software with all the surrounding components represented in simulation or with surrogate devices. Sandia National Laboratories has developed a cyber LVC testbed that combines modeling and simulation capabilities with virtual machines and real devices to represent, in varying fidelity, secure networked information system architectures and devices. Using this capability, secure networked information system architectures can be represented in our testbed on a single computing platform. This provides an “experiment-in-a-box” capability. The result is rapidly produced, large scale, relatively low-cost, multi-fidelity representations of networked information systems. These representations enable analysts to quickly investigate cyber threats and test protection approaches and configurations.
Radiation perpendicular to the symmetry axis of prolate and oblate cavities

Thermal radiation heat transport within prolate and oblate ellipsoidal cavities was examined. The axisymmetric anisotropy of the cavity shape gives rise to a thermal radiation conductivity tensor with principal axes components parallel (λr, ‖) and perpendicular (λr, ⊥) to the symmetry axis. The prolate (λr, ⊥) and oblate (λr, ⊥) transverse components are calculated and compared with well-known results from the kinetic theory of transport across cylindrical and within slit void geometries. The use of λr, ⊥ and λr, ⊥, along with earlier results for λr, ‖ and λr, ‖, in well-known effective conductivity equations for spheroidal inclusions within a solid matrix, provides a means to rigorously treat cavity orientation and shape in high-temperature heat transport across porous materials. To facilitate the calculations and produce readily usable equations, a variational principle is used.
High-temperature Hf-site-interchange chemistry in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3

We explain observed Hf-site interchange in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 at high temperatures using solid-state defect chemistry reactions. The model takes into account fully the effects of nonstoichiometry on the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transition. Specifically, we use this model to interpret the temperature dependence of the Hf-site interchange that we measured using perturbed-angular-correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. In this context, the site interchange is an equilibrium, thermodynamic process that involves the partitioning of Hf ions between Li and group-V (Nb and Ta) sites. The Hf ions replace group-V ions by pushing them from their normal sites to the Li sublattice. Based on the temperature dependence of the site occupancy, this reaction requires approximately 2.2 to 2.3 eV.
The Elaphidion Audinet-Serville of the Puerto Rican Bank: new species, distributions, taxonomic corrections, and a key to species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Elaphidiini)

The six species of Elaphidion Audinet-Serville occurring in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are keyed, illustrated and diagnosed. Elaphidion michelii Ivie NEW SPECIES (Puerto Rico) and Elaphidion mayesae Ivie NEW SPECIES (St. Thomas and Puerto Rico) are described. Previous records for E. pseudonomon Ivie for Puerto Rico are corrected to Elaphidion mayesae Ivie.
Total RNA Extraction from Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) Blocks

1. Paraffin embedded specimen 2. 100% xylene (Thermo Fisher Scientific, catalog number: 6601) 3. 100% ethanol 4. Protease K (Life Technologies, Ambion ® , catalog number: AM2546) 5. Trizol (Life Technologies, InvitrogenTM, catalog number: 15596-018) 6. Chloroform (Sigma-Aldrich, catalog number: C2432) 7. Glycogen (F. Hoffmann-La Roche, catalog number: 10901393001) 8. Isopropyl alcohol (Isopropanol) 9. RNase-free water or TE buffer (USB, catalog number: 75834; Promega Corporation, catalog number: P1193) 10. Tris-HCl (Life Technologies, InvitrogenTM, catalog number: 15568-025) 11. CaCl2 (Sigma-Aldrich, catalog number: C5670) 12. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (Life Technologies, InvitrogenTM, catalog number: 15525-017) 13. Commercial kit (Life Technologies, Ambion ® , Austin, TX) 14. Sodium dodecyl sulfate 15. Protease digestion buffer (see Recipes)
Duration and Convexity Formulas for Odd First Period Bonds

Some of the most actively traded and liquid instruments in the marketplace are newly issued Treasury notes and bonds. A not inconsiderable proportion of these are issued with irregular first coupon periods. I provide a generalized reduction formula for bond duration and convexity that accommodates instruments with odd first period coupons. Previous duration and convexity reduction formulas for whole-period and fractional-period bonds are contained within the results presented here as special cases. I provide a simple numerical example illustrating the potential calculation errors that can arise if odd first period coupons are ignored.
Three respiratory gases and the red cell: oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide

Three vital gases—oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide—intersect at the level of the human red blood cell. The delivery of oxygen to all tissues by red cells is essential to human life. Evolution has created a complex molecule, haemoglobin, designed for efficient uptake and off-loading of oxygen. Iron rests at the centre of the haem moiety and is critical for oxygen exchange. Although studied for over a century, some details of oxygen transport by the red cell remain uncertain. Recent research has focusedon the interactionofhaemoglobin with a complex of cell-membrane proteins centred on band 3. In addition, there is renewed interest in the question of whether or not stored red cells deliver oxygen to tissues as well as fresh red cells. Nitric oxide (NO) physiology is directly related to oxygen delivery by the red cell. NO serves a local vasodilator to increase blood flow to hypoxic tissue beds. NO binds strongly to haemoglobin which serves as an NO sink. Under normal conditions, plasma NO synthesised by endothelial cells is not consumed by red cell haemoglobin due to a diffusion blockade across the red cell membrane that results from membrane structures not fully identified. Under conditions of red cell lysis, free haemoglobin scavenges NO reducing local vasodilation. Scavenging of NO is now recognised as an important component of the physiological response to chronic haemolysis and is very likely to play an important role in the renal lesion of acute haemolysis. The interactions of CO 2 with the red cell have drawn far less research attention. Plasma CO 2 released by tissues serves as an essential trigger for oxygen release by haemoglobin via the Hal-dane effect. CO 2 transport depends on conversion of CO 2 to bicarbonate via red cell carbonic anhydrase in conjunction with chloride exchange across the red cell membrane. There is very little research on the effect of blood storage on CO 2 excretion although this aspect of respiratory physiology is every bit as important as oxygen delivery. The three RBC gases are also the three principal gases of the Earth’s atmosphere. While CO 2 is the least abundant of the three by far, it is also likely to be the most critical to the future survival of life on Earth because small further increases in the concentration of CO 2 will result in continued climate change and large increases will be deadly. Thus, the management of three vital gases by the collection of red cells found within us has broad similarities to the collective management of our atmosphere. Just as the survival of individual tissue cells depends upon proper balance of these three respiratory gases, so too will their proper balance be the key to survival of life on Earth.
CFD Simulation of Flow Mixing in the Vertobrobasilar System

Patient specific modeling can provide detailed hemodynamic information that is not available through most standard imaging modalities. The vertebrobasilar system is comprised of the confluence of the two vertebral arteries into the basilar artery, followed by divergence into the posterior cerebral arteries. A pilot study, by Kansagra and Wong [2], utilized vessel-encoded arterial spin labeling, an experimental MRI technique to quantify vertebrobasilar perfusion. In this method, flow in different vessels can be tagged, and perfusion of tagged flow to different regions of the brain can be quantified. These results demonstrated that blood delivered to the right hemisphere came primarily from the right vertebral, and vice versa.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Idiopathic Regression of Metastases from Renal Cell Carcinoma

AbstractHerein we review 48 acceptable cases of idiopathic regression of metastases from renal cell carcinoma culled from the literature and present 3 additional cases. The data are analyzed and the issue of organ specificity in coping with metastases is discussed.
Drug prescribing for patients in renal failure.

Polypharmacy for nonrenal complications of chronic kidney failure is often a necessaiy part of the solution in clinical management, but it may also be part of a larger problem: drug toxicity. Since adverse drug reactions occur more frequently when renal function is impaired, the situation mandates sound clinical judgment, vigilant monitoring, and knowledgeable adjustment of drug regimens.
Should an Elevated Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Titer Alter Therapy for Seminoma

AbstractWe reviewed the clinical courses of 55 patients with pure seminoma of the testis to determine the influence of elevated levels of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin on prognosis. Of 44 patients with stage I and 11 with stage IIA seminomas 42 and 36 per cent, respectively, had elevated gonadotropin levels after orchiectomy and before radiotherapy. At followup, ranging from 12 to 64 months, 54 patients (98 per cent) were free of disease. We concluded that an elevated gonadotropin level after orchiectomy is not a significant prognostic indicator and that these patients should be treated with standard radiotherapy techniques.
Post-Keynesian economics: a pluralistic alternative to conventional economics

This article surveys the post-Keynesian alternative to conventional economics and highlights its pluralistic features. The article begins by describing the origins and strands of post-Keynesian economics, and by discussing the school's core presuppositions and some key findings. Then pluralistic features are identified, first by looking at the tradition as a whole and subsequently at the work of one prominent post-Keynesian, Hyman Minsky.
A Study of Fluid Flow in Sediments and the Effect of Tidal Pumping

Offshore drilling and production operations can result in spills or leaks of hydrocarbons into seabed sediments, which can potentially contaminate these sediments with oil. If this oil later migrates to the water surface it has the potential for negative environmental impacts. For proper contingency planning and to avoid larger consequences in the environment, it is essential to understand mechanisms and rates for hydrocarbon migration from oil containing sediments to the water surface as well as how much will remain trapped in the sediments. It is believed that the amount of oil transported out of the sediment can be affected by tidal pumping, a common form of subterranean groundwater discharge (SGD). However, we could find no study experimentally investigating the phenomenon of fluid flow in subsea sediments containing oil and the effects of tidal pumping. This study presents an experimental investigation of tidal pumping to determine if it is a possible mechanism that may contribute to the appearance of an oil sheen on the ocean surface above a sediment bed containing oil. An experimental apparatus was constructed of clear PVC pipe allowing for oil migration to be monitored as it flowed out of a sand pack containing oil, while tidal pressure oscillations were applied in three different manners. The effect of tidal pumping was simulated via compression of air above the water (which simulated the increasing static head from tidal exchange). Experimental results show that sustained oil release occurred from all tests, and tests with oscillating pressure produced for longer periods of time. Furthermore, the experimental results showed that the oil migration rate was affected by grain size, oil saturation, and oscillation wave type. In all oscillating experiments the rate and ultimate recovery was less than the comparable static experiments. For the conditions studied, the experimental results indicate that with an oscillating pressure on top of a sand pack, movement of a non-replenishing source of oil is suppressed by pressure oscillation.
Revolution as Restoration. Guocui xuebao and China's Path to Modernity, 1905–1911

It is a common theme in surveys of China's modern history that at the turn of the 20th century, intellectuals in China approached the problem of modernity in one of two ways. On the one hand, revol...
A molecular phylogenetic analysis of genus Anevrina (Diptera: Phoridae), with the description of a new species and updated world key

Here we report on the first molecular phylogenetic study of the phorid genus Anevrina using a combination of nuclear (28S) and mitochondrial (12S, ND1 and CO1) genes for a total of 2220bp. Both maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses recovered Anevrina as a monophyletic lineage within a broad sampling of phorid taxa that included 13 genera from 4 subfamilies. The higher-level relationships of phorid taxa based on the molecular tree were (Sciadocerinae + ((Hypocerinae + Phorinae) + Metopininae))). Relationships of species within Anevrina were also fully resolved with strong branch support in the form of posterior probabilities, bootstrap values, and decay indices. Two major clades were identified within Anevrina: ((A. luggeri + A. macateei) + (A. curvinervis + A. unispinosa)), which was joined as a sister group to ((A. variabilis + A. thoracica) + (A. olympiae + A. urbana)). A new and first Neotropical species, A. neotropica, from Costa Rica is described, illustrated, and included in an updated world key. Anevrina setigera (Loew, 1874) is synonymized with A. urbana (Meigen, 1830), new synonymy.
Divergent acoustic properties of gelada and baboon vocalizations and their implications for the evolution of human speech.

Human speech has many complex spectral and temporal features traditionally thought to be absent in the vocalizations of other primates. Recent explorations of the vocal capabilities of non-human primates are challenging this view. Here, we continue this trend by exploring the spectro-temporal properties of gelada (Theropithecus gelada) vocalizations. First, we made cross-species comparisons of geladas, chacma baboons, and human vowel space area. We found that adult male and female gelada exhaled grunts-a call type shared with baboons-have formant profiles that overlap more with human vowel space than do baboon grunts. These gelada grunts also contained more modulation of fundamental and formant frequencies than did baboon grunts. Second, we compared formant profiles and modulation of exhaled grunts to the derived call types (those not shared with baboons) produced by gelada males. These derived calls contained divergent formant profiles, and a subset of them, notably wobbles and vocalized yawns, were more modulated than grunts. Third, we investigated the rhythmic patterns of wobbles, a call type shown previously to contain cycles that match the 3-8 Hz tempo of speech. We use a larger dataset to show that the wobble rhythm overlaps more with speech rhythm than previously thought. We also found that variation in cycle duration depends on the production modality; specifically, exhaled wobbles were produced at a slower tempo than inhaled wobbles. Moreover, the variability in cycle duration within wobbles aligns with a linguistic property known as 'Menzerath's law' in that there was a negative association between cycle duration and wobble size (i.e. the number of cycles). Taken together, our results add to growing evidence that non-human primates are anatomically capable of producing modulated sounds. Our results also support and expand on current hypotheses of speech evolution, including the 'neural hypothesis' and the 'bimodal speech rhythm hypothesis'.
A Nonverbal Communication Classification System for Teaching Behaviors

This study examined three independently developed nonverbal communication classification systems for teaching behavior. Nonverbal teaching behaviors were defined, coded, and analyzed through the us...
Generalized Periodic Discharges With and Without Triphasic Morphology.

Purpose Generalized periodic discharges (GPDs) with a triphasic morphology have been associated with nonepileptic encephalopathies. We conducted the study to assess the reliability in which electroencephalographers can differentiate triphasic from nontriphasic periodic discharges and to evaluate for the presence of electroencephalogram and clinical characteristics that are associated with a higher risk of seizures. Methods We studied prospectively 92 patients between May 2016 and February 2017. Each pattern was analyzed by two readers, who were blinded to clinical data. Results The interrater agreement was "substantial" (Kappa 0.67). The following features significantly increased the risk of developing seizures: the absence of triphasic morphology, focality on electroencephalogram, interburst suppression, a history of epilepsy, and an abnormal scan. The "GPD score" includes a history of epilepsy, focality on electroencephalogram, and the absence of triphasic morphology. A GPD score of 0 has 13% risk of seizures, whereas a score of 5 to 6 has a 94% risk. Conclusions Triphasic morphology GPDs confer less risk of seizures when compared with patients with GPDs without triphasic morphology. Features with a higher risk of seizures include focality on electroencephalogram, interburst suppression, a history of epilepsy, and an abnormal scan. The GPD score can be used to assess the risk of developing seizures in patients with GPDs.
Weathering the 'Long Wounded Year': Livelihoods, Nutrition and Changing Political Ecologies in the Mikea Forest Region, Madagascar

Researchers studying health, adaptability, and political economy have long been concerned with human health as a reflection of interpenetrating sociopolitical, economic, ecological, and bodily processes. However, understanding the production of health in the context of changing political ecologies remains underexplored and undertheorized. This article proposes a 'landscape framework' for understanding variation in health across social and geographic space in contexts characterized by sociopolitical, economic, and environmental change. The proposed framework draws on scholarship from political ecology, medical anthropology, and research on livelihoods vulnerability, and is applied to understand variation in nutritional status, a locally and analytically salient manifestation of livelihood vulnerability, observed among Mikea people living in three communities in rural southwestern Madagascar in 2009. Because of the conjunctural nature of livelihoods vulnerability during the research period, which residents of the region widely described in idiomatic terms as the baintao lava, or 'the long wounded year,' no particular variable, interaction, or local capability is sufficient to explain variation in experienced insecurities and associated nutritional patterns, nor to explain why changes in bodily manifestations of livelihoods vulnerability were observed across seasons of data collection. Rather than focusing on factors of linear causation, the proposed framework focuses attention on articulations among processes that are associated with long-term adaptability, exposure to acute stressors, and the capabilities of people to take action in response to perceived social and environmental challenges. By emphasizing process and articulation, the landscape framework allows the analytic integration of scales of socio-ecological interaction, facilitates comparative analyses of vulnerability within regions, and demonstrates how the integration of ecological and social dimensions of experience can help to unmask processes that produce vulnerability and may contribute to resilience in a regional context. Key words: Political ecology, health, vulnerability, food security, nutrition, adaptability, Madagascar, conservation, development
Diethylstilbestrol and clear cell vaginal carcinoma: Reappraisal of the epidemiologic evidence

The association between DES and the development of clear cell vaginal carcinoma may have several alternative explanations rather than a cause- and-effect relation. One important possibility is that susceptibility bias, arising from reasons for use of the drug in a problem pregnancy, is a prime source of the observed effect in the case-control studies. Rather than being a cause of clear cell vaginal carcinoma, exposure to DES would serve as a prognostic "marker" to identify women born of problem pregnancies that increased their risk for development of the disease. Since medical advances in prenatal and perinatal care allowed these problem pregnancies to be carried to the term delivery of a viable child, DES may have been associated with an increased occurrence of clear cell vaginal carcinoma--without causing the disease. Another alternative hypothesis is needed to account for the high rates of reported previous exposure to DES in the case subjects of the two case-control studies. These rates may have been elevated by some form of interviewer bias or recall bias. The relatively high incidence of clear cell vaginal carcinoma that would be expected from the results of these case-control studies has not been observed in cohort studies. No instances of clear cell vaginal carcinoma have thus far been found in suitably assembled cohorts of women exposed to DES in utero. The history of science contains abundant examples of fervently held beliefs about cause- and-effect relations that were later found to be erroneous. The existing evidence of a DES/vaginal cancer relation is currently too weak for the causal role of DES to be regarded as established. To get better evidence, the problems of biased comparison and biased data can be addressed in at least three ways. The first is to carry out an appropriately objective new case-control study, with suitably chosen control subjects; the second is to study the issue of susceptibility bias by getting additional information about the occurrence of problem pregnancies in the mothers of patients with clear cell vaginal carcinoma who were not exposed to DES; the third is to review past tissue specimens from previously diagnosed genital adenocarcinomas, searching for clear cell cancers that may have been unrecognized. Until the suspected biases are addressed and either confirmed or refuted, the relation between DES and clear cell vaginal carcinoma remains a statistical association that is unaccompanied by the quality of evidence required for scientific conclusions.
Atmospheric deposition to remote receptors I. Precipitation quantities from the Ilwas-network

A dense precipitation network was operated for 45 mo in three remote watersheds in the Adirondack Park of New York State. The network consisted of 4 to 7 wet/dry collectors spaced 3 m to 30 km apart; network operation was on an event basis. The chief objective was an accurate determination of atmospheric inputs into the three watersheds and an assessment of intra- and interbasin variability. Approximately 96% of all possible events were captured. One of the watersheds, Sagamore, received from 6 to 36% less precipitation on a seasonal basis. The capture efficiency relationship between volume collected and standard rain gauge was quantified and shown to be a function of precipitation quantity, type, and sampler location.
Reactive Oxygen Species as Signaling Molecules

Although the pathophysiological role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has received considerable attention, there is a growing realization that oxidants also can play a normal, physiological role within cells. These observations came from studies initially using cultured cells stimulated by a variety of peptide growth factors. In this context, several groups were able to show that after ligand addition, the subsequent production of ROS was a necessary component of downstream signaling. Subsequent experiments have defined the enzymatic source of ligand activated ROS production and some of the relevant molecular targets. Here, we review these observations and discuss the role of ROS in normal growth factor signaling. In addition, we describe how these observations are currently being extended to the production of ROS emanating from the mitochondria, and how mitochondrial ROS also might be involved in certain signaling events. We also discuss how ROS might be involved in the induction of cellular senescence by acting as important intracellular mediators. Finally, we review the role of ROS in stem cells and how oxidants might again act to regulate the biology of these critical cells. Together, it is hoped that these observations will serve as a framework to more fully understand how ROS participate in aging. In particular, these observations provide the starting point to determine whether ROS participate in aging as random, stochastic damaging agents, or whether they function as mediators of critical redox-dependent pathways.
Presumed Pneumocystis carinii Choroiditis: Unifocal Presentation, Regression with Intravenous Pentamidine, and Choroiditis Recurrence

Abstract Pneumocystis carinii choroiditis is a well-documented but rare infection that has been described as a bilateral, multifocal process. Treatment efficacy has not been well established. In this report, three cases of presumed P. carinii choroiditis that developed during aerosolized pentamidine therapy for the prophylaxis of P. carinii pneumonia are described. All patients had unilateral choroiditis, and two patients were first observed to have unifocal choroiditis. In all patients, choroidal lesions decreased in size with intravenous pentamidine treatment. Choroiditis exacerbated in the two unifocal cases after the frequency of maintenance intravenous pentamidine therapy was decreased. P. carinii choroiditis may appear as a unifocal, unilateral lesion that may represent an earlier stage of infection than previously described. Intravenous pentamidine therapy appears to control P. carinii choroiditis but may need to be continued to prevent exacerbation. Patients receiving prophylactic aerosolized pentamidine therapy are not protected against extrapulmonary disease, and presumed P. carinii choroiditis may serve as a marker for disseminated infection.
Orientation dependent detectability of fiber-like signals in linear iterative image reconstruction for breast tomosynthesis.

We characterize the detectability of fiber-like signals in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) for linear iterative image reconstruction (IIR) algorithms. The detectability is investigated as a function of signal orientation and IIR regularization strength. The detectability is computed with a region-of-interest (ROI) Hotelling observer (HO) and applied to two linear IIR algorithms. Trends in detectability are compared with conspicuity of signals reconstructed in both simulation and real data studies. A common trend is observed with both algorithms in which signals oriented parallel to the detector and the plane containing the source-trajectory have lower detectability than their orthogonal counterparts at low regularization strengths. The orientation dependence is gradually reduced with increasing regularization strength. These trends in detectability are seen to match well with trends in the conspicuity of reconstructed signals in both simulation and real data studies.
The dissolution behavior of gold and copper from gold and copper alloys

The dissolution behavior of copper and gold from their pure state and from Au-Cu alloys in cyanide solutions has been investigated using a rotating disc. Oxygen was used as an oxidant. The effect of the alloy composition stirring speed of the disc, lixiviant concentration, solution pH and temperature on the overall dissolution kinetics has been studied. Au-Cu alloys of three compositions were used in this study. The atomic percent of gold in these alloys was 75, 50 and 25 respectively. The dissolution behavior of these three alloys was compared, under the same chemical conditions, with that of pure gold and pure copper. In general, the dissolution of copper and gold from alloys is controlled partially by surface chemical reaction and largely by mass transfer.
Simulated STAT Laboratory in a University Based Medical Laboratory Science Program

A crucial component of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) student training is clinical experience. This can be delivered through clinical rotations or by clinical laboratory simulation. Weber State University (WSU) in Ogden, Utah utilizes a combination of both to provide clinical experience to MLS students. In response to feedback from bi-yearly meetings with an advisory board, a campus simulated laboratory course was re-designed to enhance student customer service, communication skills, workflow and time management, instrument maintenance and troubleshooting, data entry, and result reporting. The course was modeled after a hospital STAT, or small core, laboratory consisting of blood bank, coagulation studies, chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, microbiology, and specimen processing. The course was taught over two semesters and evaluated by a pre/post survey related to the main educational outcomes, a mock certification exam, and a comprehensive practical exam. The survey results showed that the students9 perceived competence increased in all the areas of training, with the greatest increases seen in specimen processing and management and communication. The lowest average score was demonstrated in perceived competence with instrument maintenance. All students achieved a department-required minimum 80 percent competence on the comprehensive practical exam and there was a significant increase (p ABBREVIATIONS:MLS - Medical Laboratory Science, WSU - Weber State University, SOP- Standard Operating Procedure, LIS - Laboratory Information System, CAP- College of American Pathology, BS- Bachelor of Science, SBAR - Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommend-ation, BOC – Board of Certification, LIS – Laboratory Information System, LMS – Learning Management System
Bone Conduction Amplification in Children: Stimulation via a Percutaneous Abutment versus a Transcutaneous Softband.

Objectives Research suggests that the speech perception of children using bone conduction amplification improves if the device is coupled to an implanted abutment rather than to a softband. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the benefit of direct stimulation via an abutment is limited to small improvements in speech perception or if similar or greater benefits occur for other auditory tasks important for learning and communication. Design Fourteen children (7 to 15 years of age) with bilateral conductive and three children with unilateral conductive or sensorineural hearing loss were enrolled. Each child completed four tasks while using a bone conduction device coupled to an implanted abutment and with the device coupled to a softband. The two devices were worn at the same time and activated one at a time for testing. The children completed four tasks under each coupling condition: (a) a traditional word recognition task, (b) an auditory lexical decision task in which the children repeated aloud, and indicated the category of, real and nonsense words, (c) a nonsense-word detection task which required the children to identify nonsense words within short sentences, and (d) a rapid word learning task in which the children learned to associate nonsense words with novel images. Results Regression analyses revealed that age, duration of device use, in-situ hearing thresholds, or device output did not account for a significant portion of the variability in performance for any of the four tasks. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant increases in word recognition with the abutment as well as significantly better performance for the lexical decision and word learning tasks. The data indicated that the children with the poorest performance with the softband tended to benefit most with the abutment. Also, the younger children showed improved performance for more tasks with the abutment than the older children. No difference between coupling conditions was observed for nonsense-word detection. Conclusions The improved recognition of familiar words, categorization and repetition of nonsense words, and speed of word learning with the abutment suggests that direct stimulation provides a higher-quality signal than indirect stimulation through a softband. Because these processes are important for vocabulary acquisition and language development, children may experience long-term benefits of direct stimulation for academic, social, and vocational purposes in addition to immediate improvement in communication.
The Intellectual Landscape of the Domain of Culture and Ethics in Knowledge Organization: An Analysis of Influential Authors and Works

This article aims to examine the intellectual landscape of the domain of culture and ethics in knowledge organization (KO). A domain analysis was conducted on a corpus of 206 relevant papers using ...
In vitro characterization of odorranalectin for peptide-based drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier

The use of siRNA-based gene silencing has been recently underscored as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurological disorders. However, the stability of siRNA and other small molecule therapeutics is challenged by their intrinsic instability and limited passage across the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Based on these premises, our objective was to characterize/optimize odorranalectin (OL), a small non-immunogenic lectin-like peptide, as a carrier for targeted delivery across the BBB. For this purpose, 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein-conjugated OL and scramble peptide were synthesized, and then their BBB cellular internalization/trafficking and stability were characterized versus temperature, pH and serum content in the media in hCMEC/D3 cells as a model of BBB endothelium. Specifically, integrity of the internalized peptide in cell lysates was analyzed by LC/MS while cellular distribution and intracellular trafficking of OL was examined by fluorescence microscopy with early-late endosome (pHRodo Red®) and lysosome (Lysotracker®) markers. Our data show that cellular uptake of OL increased linearly with the concentrations tested in this study at 37 °C and the uptake was two to threefolds higher when compared to scramble peptide. While there were no differences for scramble peptide, the uptake of OL decreased by 50% at 4 °C incubation (vs. 37 °C). No effects of pH were observed on endothelial uptake of OL. Immunofluorescence studies also indicated a significant cellular internalization of OL that remained intact (as evaluated by LC–MS/MS) and co-localized with endosomal, but not lysosome marker. Importantly, OL was found non-toxic to cells at all concentrations tested. In summary, our data suggest the existence of a receptor-mediated transcytosis pathway for cellular uptake of OL at the BBB endothelium. However, in vivo studies will be needed to assess the siRNA loading capacity of OL and its trans-BBB transport efficiency for targeted delivery in the brain.
Influence of Dissolved Organic Carbon on the Acute Toxicity of Copper and Zinc to White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and a Cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia)

We conducted acute lethality tests with white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and Ceriodaphnia dubia exposed to copper and zinc at dissolved organic carbon concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5.5 mg/L. Dissolved organic carbon had minimal effects on zinc toxicity but did have a protective effect on acute copper toxicity, which was equal to that predicted by the copper biotic ligand model (BLM). The BLM-adjusted copper median effect concentrations for A. transmontanus ranged from 2.4 to 8.2 mg/L. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2682-2687. Published 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work, and as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Borate Glass Structure

Early in 1975, Norbert Kreidl approached me for my opinion on the topic and novel format which he was considering for the Fifth “Rolla” Ceramic Materials Conference.* The theme was to be borate glass structures, and part of the motivation was to produce a volume of original papers on the subject which could be dedicated as a “festschrift” in memory of Prof. Jan Krogh-Moe. The format he had in mind was to commission “a one-author monograph draft which would be distributed to, and exposed before a (the V Rolla) Conference.” He further envisioned that “short contributed papers and extensive discussion would be tied to the monograph draft which subsequently would be edited by its author for publication together with the conference proceedings.” I was then and I remain tremendously impressed by this concept, though I initially balked at Norbert’s suggestion that I be the author of the central paper--which surely will be taken under fire by all of the true experts in each of the relevant subfields. Nevertheless, Norbert refused to accept “no” for an answer, and accordingly I have assembled the attached material for the consideration of the Conference attendees.
Single-shot link discovery for terahertz wireless networks

Of the many challenges in building a wireless network at terahertz frequencies, link discovery remains one of the most critical and least explored. In a network of mobile receivers using narrow directional beams, how do the nodes rapidly locate each other? This direction information is crucial for beam forming and steering, which are fundamental operations for maintaining link quality. As the carrier frequency increases into the terahertz range, the conventional methods used by existing networks become prohibitively time-consuming, so an alternative strategy is required. Using a leaky-wave antenna with a broadband transmitter, we demonstrate a single-shot approach for link discovery which can be accomplished much more rapidly. Our method relies on measurements of the width of a broad spectrum, and does not require any information about the phase of the received signal. This protocol, which relies on a detailed understanding of the radiation from leaky-wave devices, offers a realistic approach for enabling mobility in directional networks.
Ontologies of Socioenvironmental Justice: Homelessness and the Production of Social Natures

Everyday experiences of the Hillside residents, individuals facing homelessness while living in a municipal park, provide a context of inquiry for both social and environmental justice. Ethnographi...