cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The expanding role of radiation therapy for thymic malignancies

The role of radiation therapy (RT) in thymic malignancies has long been subject to considerable controversy. The main role for RT is in the setting of adjuvant therapy after surgical tumor resection, especially in advanced or incompletely resected cases. However, recent studies with larger patient numbers and cleaner study populations than previous studies have indicated a potentially clearer than previously assumed benefit after post-operative RT (PORT) even for completely resected patients with earlier stages of thymoma. In marginally resectable patients RT may be used in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy to shrink tumors and thereby potentially enable resection. In unresectable patients concurrent or sequential chemotherapy and RT can be employed as the definitive nonsurgical approach. The tendency of thymic tumors to recur in the pleural space highlights the necessity for more effective approaches to identify and treat high risk patients. Experiences in other pleural malignancies may pave the way to novel treatment modalities, for example pleural IMRT. The role of these techniques in thymic malignancies has yet to be determined and is not advisable at the current time outside of a clinical study. As the disease often takes an indolent course with excellent long-term local control (LC) and survival, late toxicities related to radiation of the mediastinum and adjacent organs at risk (OARs) have to be taken into consideration and may jeopardize the benefit patients experience from RT, especially in younger patients with a long-anticipated life expectancy. Radiation techniques, such as intensity modulated RT (IMRT) and proton beam therapy (PBT), have substantially reduced the exposure of OARs to ionizing radiation which is expected to translate into reduced long-term toxicities. Hence, the risk-benefit ratio of RT in early stage thymoma patients may be shifted favorably.
High Rate of Early Revision After Custom-Made Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background There has been a recent interest in custom-made partial knee arthroplasties to provide patient-specific instrumentation and better fit of the prosthesis. While unicondylar knee arthroplasties (UKAs) have demonstrated good outcomes and durable results in many studies, there is little evidence on outcomes of these custom-made implants. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all custom-made UKAs performed at our institution by one surgeon from 2008 to 2015. We analyzed preoperative demographics, clinical follow-up evaluations, and radiographs and performed an analysis of risk factors including age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, and tibial insert thickness. The incidence of revision surgery, radiographic failures indicating component loosening, and symptomatic clinically failed implants was calculated at an average of 54.0 months of follow-up. Results We analyzed 115 consecutive custom-made medial UKAs from a single surgeon at our institution and found 29 (25.2%) UKAs had failed at an average of 33.1 months after surgery. Reasons for failure included aseptic femoral loosening (10), aseptic tibial loosening (8), loosening of both components (4), infection (3), progression of osteoarthritis (2), pain (1), and dislodged polyethylene insert (1). We found a significant relationship between implant failure and body mass index; no other study variables were statistically significant. Conclusion We found a relatively high rate of aseptic loosening and particularly femoral component loosening in the short- to intermediate-term follow-up period. While further study of larger numbers of custom-made UKA from multiple institutions may help verify these findings, we recommend careful consideration of the use of this implant.
Necessity for a pathway for "high-alert" patients.

Over the last decade, the vulnerability of patients at transitions of care (TOC) has been recognized as a driver of healthcare costs and has served as an impetus for strategies to prevent hospital readmissions and harm. Given the complexity of medication regimens, patient-specific factors such as
Social Network Representation and Dissemination of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis PrEP: A Semantic Network Analysis of HIV Prevention Drug on Twitter

Daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis PrEP is a new approach to HIV prevention. The study aims to examine how PrEP has been represented and disseminated on one of the most popular social networking sites - Twitter. We collected 1435 public tweets containing the word "Truvada." After computer-mediated and manual de-duplication, we analyzed 447 unique tweets and calculated weights between two words to measure their co-occurrence in 7-word windows. Semantic networks of PrEP-related tweets were constructed. We found that Twitter was used to generate public discussions and collectively interpret new medical information, especially in frequently propagated tweets and from users with more followers. In the meantime, the results revealed the presence of illicit online pharmacies that marketed and sold PrEP without the need for a prescription. We discussed implications for public health and made urgent call for better regulation of online pharmacies.
Sodium, potassium, two chloride cotransport in corneal endothelium: characterization and possible role in volume regulation and fluid transport.

PURPOSE. To search for membrane transporter proteins that could contribute to volume regulation and fluid transport by corneal endothelium. As an initial step, the authors have focused on Na + -K + -2Cl cotransporters. METHODS. Bovine corneal endothelial cells were cultured to confluence. 86 Rubidium was used as a tracer for K + uptake determinations; uptake values were normalized per milligram of cell protein. RESULTS. Three components of K + uptake were characterized: ouabain (1 mM) sensitive, bumetanide (0.1 mM) sensitive, and ouabain-bumetanide insensitive. Both the ouabain-sensitive and bumetanide-sensitive components increased in the presence of 26.2 mM HCO 3 - ; 0.5 mM 4,4'-diisothiocyanato-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid abolished this increase. The bumetanide-sensitive component was completely inhibited in the absence of Na + or Cl - . This component was increased 33% by a 33% hypertonic solution and was decreased 38% by a 33% hypotonic solution. The protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate decreased the activity of the cotransporter, whereas forskolin, in the presence of isobutylmethylxanthine, decreased it. Calyculin A (100 nM), an inhibitor of phosphatases 1 and 2a, produced a large (97%) activation of this component. CONCLUSIONS. These results provided for the first time conclusive evidence for the presence of a Na + -K + -2Cl - cotransporter in corneal endothelium and of its possible involvement in volume-regulatory. processes in these cells. Given the uptake values reported here, such cotransporter could contribute significantly to electrolyte transport and hence to fluid transport across this preparation.
Zinc Supplements in Infants with Failure to Thrive: Effects on Growth

Mild zinc deficiency in childhood is one of the reasons why some children grow poorly. The provision of zinc supplements at nutritional doses to preschool children with low growth centiles resulted in improved height velocity and increased dietary intakes of energy, protein and zinc in the males1,2. During our studies of preschool children with mild zinc deficiency it became apparent that growth centiles first started to decline during infancy, generally between 6–15 months of age. Weight for age would initially decline typically over a period of 3–6 months and would drop from a mid-percentile level to a level close to the 5th percentile. During this period of decreased weight gain, length percentiles remained at first on their original curve, but subsequently a few months later declined to lower levels. Such decreases in weight velocity out of proportion to concomitant decreases in length velocity are generally indicative of an inadequate nutritional intake but could also be an early manifestation of mild nutritional zinc deficiency. The latter hypothesis was tested in a double-blind, controlled study of zinc supplementation in infants and toddlers with declining weight percentiles. The questions to be tested included that a nutritional deficiency of zinc was partially responsible for the declining growth centiles which sometimes occur in late infancy and that zinc supplementation under controlled conditions would be accompanied by increased growth velocity, particularly in weight for age. The pertinent methods and results of this study follow.
Azolla for rice production in Thailand

Thai farmers cannot apply chemical nitrogen fertilizers in the quantities recommended by the government because the price of rice is very low while the price of commercial fertilizers is relatively expensive. Azolla is very suitable as a source of nitrogen for rice in Thailand for the following reasons: the short time necessary for obtaining a substantial supply of nitrogen (as high as 3 kg N/ha/day), their N content (4–5%) and their tolerance of acidity and high temperature.
Deep Ultraviolet Standoff Photoacoustic Spectroscopy of Trace Explosives.

We demonstrate deep ultraviolet (UV) photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) of trace explosives using a sensitive microphone at meter standoff distances. We directly detect 10 µg/cm2 of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), and ammonium nitrate (AN) with 1 s accumulations from a 3 m standoff distance. Large PAS signals for standoff detection are achieved by exciting into the absorption bands of the explosives with a 213 nm laser. We also investigate the impact of the deep UV photochemistry of AN on the PAS signal strength and stability. We find that production of gaseous species during photolysis of AN enhances the PAS signal strength. This deep UV photochemistry can, however, limit the PAS signal lifetimes when detecting trace quantities.
Deep Brain Stimulation and Motor Cortical Stimulation for Malignant Pain

Neurostimulation has been used for decades to treat refractory pain. Deep brain stimulation was one of the earliest techniques used for this. More recently, the 1990s saw the beginning of epidural motor cortical stimulation for chronic pain. Both treatments have checkered histories. This chapter reviews these procedures and discusses the technique and outcomes from each of them.
Authentic Learning Secure Software Development (SSD) in Computing Education

As mobile computing is now becoming more and more popular, the security threats to mobile applications are also growing explosively. Mobile app flaws and security defects could open doors for hackers to break into them and access sensitive information. Most vulnerabilities should be addressed in the early stage of mobile software development. However, many software development professionals lack awareness of the importance of security vulnerability and the necessary security knowledge and skills at the development stage. The combination of the prevalence of mobile devices and the rapid growth of mobile threats has resulted in a shortage of secure software development professionals. Many schools offer mobile app development courses in computing curriculum; however, secure software development is not yet well represented in most schools’ computing curriculum. This paper addresses the needs of authentic and active pedagogical learning materials for SSD and challenges of building Secure Software Development (SSD) capacity through effective, engaging, and investigative approaches. In this paper, we present an innovative authentic and active SSD learning approach through a collection of transferrable learning modules with hands-on companion labs based on the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) recommendations. The preliminary feedback from students is positive. Students have gained hands-on real world SSD learning experiences with Android mobile platform and also greatly promoted self-efficacy and confidence in their mobile SSD learning.
An Educational Intervention to Improve Provider Screening for Syphilis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Utilizing an Urban Urgent Care Center.

Rates of syphilis are increasing in the United States especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). The purpose of this project was to implement an educational intervention based on the 2015 CDC Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Treatment Guidelines for urgent care providers with an emphasis on identifying MSM sexual behavior and appropriate screening for syphilis. An urgent care center was identified as a location where men seek care and where STD testing was occurring. After a baseline provider focus group to identify barriers to STD testing, a patient survey was created and given to clients to increase identification of MSM behaviors and to prompt providers to order syphilis testing. In addition, an educational intervention was implemented to improve provider and staff screening for syphilis. The intervention occurred between September 2015–December 2015. A total of 1341 males were seen with 1067 surveys collected. The mean age was 35.6 and 57.4% were Hispanic. Overall, 72 (5.4%) males identified as MSM. Approximately 50% of all MSM identified had RPRs (n = 37) sent and of these 13.5% (n = 5) tested positive for syphilis. The focus group among urgent care providers and staff identified barriers to syphilis testing. Targeted screening of males using a self-administered questionnaire is acceptable to urgent care populations and may assist in identifying MSM which in turn may help to facilitate syphilis screening and other relevant STI testing pertinent to this population.
Sexualidade na terceira idade: a visão dos idosos de um município do interior do estado de São Paulo

Objective: This study aims to describe the life and sexual profile of the elderly in a city in the interior of Sao Paulo and analyze their knowledge about sexuality. Methods: A questionnaire already validated by the Gender, Sexuality and Corporeity Laboratory (LAGESC / UDESC), was composed of 7 questions. For questions 1, 2, 5 and 7 a scale ranging from 0 to 10 was used, which corresponds to nothing (0), little (1 to 3), medium (4 to 6), reasonably (7 to 9 ) and much (10). Results: Participating in the study were 49 elderly people who, when asked about the importance of sex in youth, 33% said to be reasonably important and 53% very important. Regarding the current sexual frequency, 44% of respondents answered once a week. Conclusion: The sexual frequency factor is not the main factor for satisfaction, since the elderly talk about affection, companionship and attention. It is worth emphasizing the importance of sexuality for them and the importance of improving the approach by health professionals.
Preparation and evaluation of cefuroxime axetil gastro-retentive floating drug delivery system via hot melt extrusion technology.

Abstract Cefuroxime Axetil (CA) is a poorly soluble, broad spectrum antibiotic which undergoes enzymatic degradation in gastrointestinal tract. The objective of the present study was to develop lipid-based gastro-retentive floating drug delivery systems containing CA using hot-melt extrusion (HME) to improve absorption. Selected formulations of CA and lipids were extruded using a twin screw hot-melt extruder. Milled extrudates were characterized for dissolution, floating strength, and micromeritic properties. Solid-state characterization was performed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and hot-stage microscopy. In vitro characterization demonstrated that the formulations exhibited a sustained drug release profile for 12 h. All formulations showed desired floating and flow properties. Solid-state characterization revealed no phase separation and no chemical interactions between the drug and excipients. Based on in vitro study results, an optimized formulation (F8) was further evaluated for in vivo performance. Oral bioavailability (Cmax and AUC0–24h) of F8 was significantly higher than that of pure CA. This study describes the use of lipid-based gastro-retentive floating drug delivery systems to achieve desired sustained release profile for more complete dissolution which could potentially reduce enzymatic degradation. This study also highlights the effectiveness of HME technology to improve dissolution and bioavailability.
Mitigating Vulnerabilities of Voltage-based Intrusion Detection Systems in Controller Area Networks.

Data for controlling a vehicle is exchanged among Electronic Control Units (ECUs) via in-vehicle network protocols such as the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol. Since these protocols are designed for an isolated network, the protocols do not encrypt data nor authenticate messages. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) are developed to secure the CAN protocol by detecting abnormal deviations in physical properties. For instance, a voltage-based IDS (VIDS) exploits voltage characteristics of each ECU to detect an intrusion. An ECU with VIDS must be connected to the CAN bus using extra wires to measure voltages of the CAN bus lines. These extra wires, however, may introduce new attack surfaces to the CAN bus if the ECU with VIDS is compromised. We investigate new vulnerabilities of VIDS and demonstrate that an adversary may damage an ECU with VIDS, block message transmission, and force an ECU to retransmit messages. In order to defend the CAN bus against these attacks, we propose two hardware-based Intrusion Response Systems (IRSs) that disconnect the compromised ECU from the CAN bus once these attacks are detected. We develop four voltage-based attacks by exploiting vulnerabilities of VIDS and evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed IRSs using a CAN bus testbed.
A Quasi-Experiment for Universal and Unconditional Cash Transfers: Evidence from Remittances in Colombia

With the purpose of investigating the impacts of universal cash transfers, I use remittances in Colombia to study the heterogeneous eﬀects of an exogenous increase in a household “unearned income” on: labor supply (extensive and intensive margin), entrepreneurship, and education. I also identify how these eﬀects vary across the income distribution depending on how much the transfer represents as a proportion of labor income and if the amount of the transfer matters in order to trigger an eﬀect on individuals’ behavior. Estimates suggest that (i) on average, recipients of remittances do not experience an eﬀect on the outcome variables, but (ii) when the transfer as a proportion of the total household labor income corresponds to the third quartile of the distribution, the likelihood of becoming an entrepreneur signiﬁcantly increases as well as school enrollment. Even though results suggest that people do not stop working, they reduce the number of hours worked.
Efficient gravitational-wave glitch identification from environmental data through machine learning

The LIGO observatories detect gravitational waves through monitoring changes in the detectors' length down to below ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}19}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ variations---a small fraction of the size of the atoms that make up the detector. To achieve this sensitivity, the detector and its environment need to be closely monitored. Beyond the gravitational-wave data stream, LIGO continuously records hundreds of thousands of channels of environmental and instrumental data in order to monitor for possibly minuscule variations that contribute to the detector noise. A particularly challenging issue is the appearance in the gravitational wave signal of brief, loud noise artifacts called ``glitches,'' which are environmental or instrumental in origin but can mimic true gravitational waves and therefore hinder sensitivity. Currently, they are primarily identified by analysis of the gravitational-wave data stream, and auxiliary data channels often provide corroborating evidence. Here we present a machine learning approach that can identify glitches by considering all environmental and detector data channels, a task that has not previously been pursued due to its scale and the number of degrees of freedom within gravitational-wave detectors. The presented method is capable of reducing the gravitational-wave detector network's false alarm rate and improving the LIGO instruments, consequently enhancing detection confidence.
Conflict-Risk and Agricultural Portfolios: Evidence from Northern Uganda

Although the impact of insecurity on agricultural decisions is widely discussed, it remains largely unstudied empirically. This study estimates the effect of risk of violence on livestock and crop ...
Bipolar Junction Transistors

The bipolar junction transistor, or BJT, is a three-lead device made by stacking three layers of doped semiconductor material with alternating p- and n-doping. Hence, there are NPN or PNP type transistors. While the details of the electronic behavior of these transistors differs from that seen for the FET, the general approach for circuit analysis remains the same. Solutions are found for an operating point based on device characteristics, that is, the “large signal behavior,” then, if necessary, linearized models are used to look at small changes from that operating point. While the FET can be considered a voltage-controlled device, the BJT is considered current-controlled.
Ansa-to-Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Anastomosis Aided by Vagal Nerve Evoked Electromyography: Surgical Technique

Introduction: Ansa-to-recurrent laryngeal nerve (ANSA-RLN) anastomosis procedures in children with unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI) are considered a first-line treatment strategy for long-st...
Analyzing Airspace Data with RACE

RACE is an open source framework for building event-based airspace applications, developed at the NASA Ames Research Center since 2015. In this paper we present four representative projects that showcase RACE. We also reflect on lessons learned, and discuss plans for future extensions.
Beyond Correctional Officers and Prison Guards: Understanding Inmates’ Perceptions, Experiences, and Interactions with Correctional Counselors

Inmates often accuse correctional officers and prison guards of mistreatment and abusing their power; however, much less is known about how inmates react to correctional counselors. In this study r...
Debate: what is personhood in the age of AI?

In a friendly interdisciplinary debate, we interrogate from several vantage points the question of “personhood” in light of contemporary and near-future forms of social AI. David J. Gunkel approaches the matter from a philosophical and legal standpoint, while Jordan Wales offers reflections theological and psychological. Attending to metaphysical, moral, social, and legal understandings of personhood, we ask about the position of apparently personal artificial intelligences in our society and individual lives. Re-examining the “person” and questioning prominent construals of that category, we hope to open new views upon urgent and much-discussed questions that, quite soon, may confront us in our daily lives.
Thinking About Government Authority: Constitutional Rules and Political Context in Citizens Assessments of Judicial, Legislative, and Executive Authority

This study explores how citizens think about the appropriate exercise of authority across the branches of government. Three similarly designed experiments with nationally representative samples reveal that what individuals are told about compliance with decision-making rules matters across institutions, but so does the political context in which officials are acting. Participants’ policy preferences about the issues that are the subject of government action are particularly important in such assessments. Evidence suggests that participants’ feelings about the current President and their policy views are more important now in assessments of the appropriateness of unilateral action than they were during the Obama administration, and that what participants are told about the President’s compliance with rules is less important. This could reflect an erosion in the importance of constitutional norms in citizens’ assessments of executive authority, but other explanations specific to our inquiry are also discussed.
Sexual orientation disclosure to classmates among Latinx sexual minority high school and college youth.

This study examined how minority stressors mediate the association between sexual orientation disclosure to classmates and well-being in a sample of 238 Latinx sexual minority youth (SMY; age range: 14-24 years). Results indicated that sexual orientation disclosure to classmates was associated with higher levels of sexual orientation-based victimization, which contributed to higher levels of internalized homonegativity, which ultimately contributed to higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem. Sexual orientation-based victimization and internalized homonegativity were positively associated with depressive symptoms and negatively associated with self-esteem but sexual orientation disclosure to classmates was only positively associated with depressive symptoms. Associations between sexual orientation-based victimization and internalized homonegativity were stronger among college Latinx SMY compared to SMY in high school.
Uncertainty in overdose death reporting impedes the public health response.

For more than a decade, drug overdoses have been the leading cause of injury-related mortality in the United States (1), driven largely by increases in fatal overdoses involving heroin and syntheti...
Compartmentalization of Sphingolipid metabolism: Implications for signaling and therapy.

Abstract Sphingolipids (SLs) are a family of bioactive lipids implicated in a variety of cellular processes, and whose levels are controlled by an interlinked network of enzymes. While the spatial distribution of SL metabolism throughout the cell has been understood for some time, the implications of this for SL signaling and biological outcomes have only recently begun to be fully explored. In this review, we outline the compartmentalization of SL metabolism and describe advances in tools for investigating and probing compartment-specific SL functions. We also briefly discuss the implications of SL compartmentalization for cell signaling and therapeutic approaches to targeting the SL network.
Association of ultrasonographic features with histologic findings in 71 dogs with protein-losing nephropathy (2008-2018).

Objective To determine whether ultrasonographic features in dogs with protein-losing nephropathy (PLN) were associated with renal biopsy findings and compare corticomedullary ratios between dogs with PLN versus non-renal disease. Animals 71 dogs with PLN and 33 dogs without renal disease. Procedures Medical records and archived ultrasonographic images for dogs with PLN that underwent renal biopsy between 2008 and 2018 were reviewed. Corticomedullary ratios were measured. Results In dogs with PLN, median serum creatinine and BUN concentrations and urine-protein-to-creatinine-ratio prior to renal biopsy were 3.4 mg/dL (interquartile range [IQR], 1.2 to 5.3 mg/dL), 80 mg/dL (IQR, 28 to 105 mg/dL), and 11.4 (IQR, 6.4 to 18.3), respectively. Histologic abnormalities within the tubulointerstitial space were associated with cortical echogenicity. Gastric wall thickness > 5 mm was associated with a histologic diagnosis of acute glomerular disease. Dogs with immune complex-mediated glomerular disease were more likely to have abnormal gastric mural architecture. Other ultrasonographic features of the kidneys, liver, and stomach and the presence of ascites did not help to differentiate immune complex-mediated from non-immune complex-mediated glomerular disease, acute from chronic disease, or amyloid from non-amyloid disease or distinguish whether tubulointerstitial disease was present or absent. Median left corticomedullary ratio for 66 dogs with PLN (1.2) was significantly higher than that for the 33 dogs without renal disease (1.0). Clinical relevance Ultrasonographic features were poorly associated with specific pathological disorders in dogs with PLN. In this study, the corticomedullary ratio was higher in dogs with PLN, indicating the presence of cortical thickening, but the clinical relevance is unknown.
COUNSELING COLLEGE FRESHMEN: A THREE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

The principal service of a university counseling center continues to be educational-vocational in nature (Clark, 1965). The assumption is that students who receive counseling which provides meaningful information, and which sets into motion self-exploration and decision-making processes, will be better off than those who do not receive this service. How true is this? Research findings are inconsistent and inconclusive in supporting this assumption. This is a three-year follow-up of an original investigation which was concerned with the effects of counseling with comparatively low-ability, high-aspiring college freshmen (Burck and Cottingham, 1965). The first study was an outcome one, using the immediate external criterion of appropriateness of educational-vocational aspiration. That study and this follow-up attempted to control and account for some of the methodological shortcomings of similar counseling research (i.e., using volunteer control group and available precounseling baseline data; and insuring that the control group did not, in fact, receive counseling).
The Statute of Northampton by the Late Eighteenth Century: Clarifying the Intellectual Legacy

In a article examining the “myths and realities about early American gun regulation,” Saul Cornell provides new insight as to how the right to arms outside the home evolved in Antebellum law. Cornell’s article is arguably the first to seriously examine this legal development and I do not challenge his general findings in this regard. Where we seemingly diverge is the role that the Statute of Northampton served in this process, particularly its intellectual application by the nineteenth century. This article addresses those concerns and the Second Amendment outside the home.
Soluble and Nilpotent Groups

In this chapter we shall study classes of groups which can be constructed from abelian groups by repeatedly forming extensions, the process by which finite groups are built up from simple groups.
Metal ions cause the isomerization of certain intramolecular triplexes.

The influence of cations on the capacity of five oligopurine.oligopyrimidine mirror repeat sequences to adopt intramolecular triplexes (the usual H-y3 isomer and/or the rare H-y5 isomer) in recombinant plasmids was investigated. Unexpectedly, the presence of certain metal ions (magnesium, zinc, manganese, and calcium) stabilized the (GAA)4TTCGC(GAA)4 insert in the rare H-y5 when cloned into either of two different sequence backgrounds. Alternatively, either shortening or lengthening the sequence at the central interruption, which becomes the loop of the triplex, led to the formation of the canonical H-y3 under all conditions tested. Similarly, other oligopurine.oligopyrimidine mirror repeat sequences (i.e. (GAA)8 or (GGA)8) formed only the H-y3 under all experimental conditions. All triplexes were stabilized by negative supercoiling at pH 5.0; chemical probe and primer extension analyses served as critical structural tools. Hence, the nature of the central interruption sequence (the loop) of the mirror repeat is important for the stabilization of the H-y5. This region may be important for metal ion binding in the initial stages of triplex formation and thus may play a critical role in determining which isomer is formed. The possible biological role of a DNA sequence adopting three different conformations is discussed.
An analysis of voltage collapse in electric power systems

The authors present an analysis of voltage instability in electric power systems. A methodology for estimating proximity to voltage collapse is presented. The method is demonstrated by application to a six bus example.
Knot invariants from symbolic dynamical systems

If G is the group of an oriented knot k, then the set Hom(K, J) of representations of the commutator subgroup K = [G, G] into any finite group E has the structure of a shift of finite type (D, a special type of dynamical system completely described by a finite directed graph. Invariants of (D, such as its topological entropy or the number of its periodic points of a given period, determine invariants of the knot. When S is abelian, (r gives information about the infinite cyclic cover and the various branched cyclic covers of k. Similar techniques are applied to oriented links.
Gruppe der Herpesviren

Mehr als 25 verschiedene Viren sind in der Gruppe der Herpesviren zusammengefast. Sie enthalten alle einen Innenkorper aus doppelstrangiger DNS und einen Proteinmantel, der die Symmetrie eines Ikosaeders zeigt und der wiederum von einer Hulle umgeben ist. Diese Hullmembran enthalt Lipide, so das die Infektiositat empfindlich gegen Ather ist. Die Virushulle besitzt einen Durchmesser von 100–150 nm, das „nackte“ Virion von 100 nm und weist 162 Capsomere auf.
Mirror-Based Extrinsic Camera Calibration

This paper presents a method for determining the six degree-of-freedom transformation between a camera and a base frame of interest. A planar mirror is maneuvered so as to allow the camera to observe the environment from several viewing angles. Points, whose coordinates in the base frame are known, are observed by the camera via their reflections in the mirror. Exploiting these measurements, we determine the camera-to-base transformation analytically, without assuming prior knowledge of the mirror motion or placement with respect to the camera. The computed solution is refined using a maximum-likelihood estimator, to obtain high-accuracy estimates of the camera-to-base transformation and the mirror configuration for each image.We validate the accuracy and correctness of our method with simulations and real-world experiments.
Impact of rapid identification of Acinetobacter Baumannii via matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with antimicrobial stewardship in patients with pneumonia and/or bacteremia ☆,☆☆

We evaluated the clinical and economic outcomes of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with stewardship intervention in patients with Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) pneumonia and/or bacteremia. 66 patients were included in the pre-intervention group and 53 in the intervention group. The combination of AB identification via MALDI-TOF MS and ID PharmD intervention significantly reduced the median time to effective therapy compared to conventional identification without intervention [77.7 (95% CI: 73.1-84.8) to 36.6 (95% CI: 25.9-50.9) hours (P < 0.0001)]. Rapid organism identification along with ID PharmD intervention was also associated with a 19% increase in clinical cure (15% versus 34%, P = 0.016) and a decreased length of stay during antibiotic therapy (13 [8-18] versus 11 [7-15] days, P = 0.021). No difference in 14-day mortality was observed (20% versus 25%, P = 0.526). Median costs during infection were approximately $6500 less in the intervention group ($49,402 [35,307-86,566] versus $42,872 [26,966-74,506]; P = 0.243). AB identification via MALDI-TOF MS combined with stewardship intervention allows for timely, effective antimicrobial therapy and is associated with increased clinical cure.
Utilizing stem cell-derived RPE cells as a therapeutic intervention for age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose Degeneration or dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) can induce secondary photoreceptor atrophy and catastrophic vision loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly in industrialized countries and no cure exists for the “dry” or atrophic form to date. However, recent pre-clinical data from several groups suggests that embryonic stem cell-derived RPE cell transplantation may prevent photoreceptor degeneration in animal models of RPE degeneration. Another approach may be to derive RPE cells from autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) reprogrammed from dermal tissue. However, the safety of this approach has been questioned on several levels. In this chapter we will summarize work reported by several groups, including our own, that clearly demonstrate that transplanted RPE cells can provide anatomical and functional photoreceptor rescue in animal models of retinal degeneration. We will also discuss some of the prevailing concerns and challenges associated with this technique.
The mental health rehabilitation worker: A new member of the psychiatric team.

Changing treatment patterns have brought everincreasing numbers of the chronically mentally ill to a large municipal psychiatric department lacking personnel to meet their needs adequately. A new “inbetween” specialist in mental health rehabilitation has been created to provide certain useful services. Eight trainees are selected annually from among mature mothers seeking meaningful occupations after their children have become independent. Intensive theoretical and clinical training for one year leads to a certificate as a mental health rehabilitation worker. As a team member under professional supervision, this “in-between” specialist works with socially disabled patients individually, in families, and in groups, in order to improve their functioning in daily living, social relationships, and work.
All-atom multiscale simulation of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus capsid swelling.

An all-atom multiscale computational modeling approach, molecular dynamics/order parameter extrapolation (MD/OPX), has recently been developed for simulating large bionanosystems. It accelerates MD simulations and addresses rapid atomistic fluctuations and slowly varying nanoscale dynamics of bionanosystems simultaneously. With modules added to account for water molecules and ions, MD/OPX is applied to simulate the swelling of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) capsid solvated in a host medium in this study. Simulation results show that the N-terminal arms of capsid proteins undergo large deviations from the initial configurations with their length extended quickly during the early stage of capsid swelling. The capsid swelling is a symmetry-breaking process involving local initiation and front propagation. The capsid swelling rate is ∼0.25 nm/ns (npn) during the early stage of the simulation, and propagation of the structural transition across the capsid is roughly 0.6 npn. The system conditions that af...
The Effect of Long-Range Hydrodynamic Interaction on the Swimming of a Single Bacterium

It has been theoretically suggested that when a bacterium swims in a fluid, the disturbance it creates is long-ranged and can influence its locomotion. The contribution of these long-range hydrodynamic interactions to swimming cells is examined herein for a number of bacterial strains with well-defined flagellar geometries. We show experimentally for the first time that long-range hydrodynamic interactions are important for an accurate description of the swimming of a single cell, and the effect is more pronounced for bacteria with a large cell body. The commonly used local resistive force theory assumes a stationary background fluid while ignoring flows induced due to other moving parts of the cell. Although pedagogically attractive, resistive force theory is not generally applicable to experiment.
Clinical practice. Early Lyme disease.

A 26-year-old woman with a summer home on Long Island, New York, had a low-grade fever, malaise, arthralgias, headache, and neck pain one week after removing a tick from her thigh. Examination reveals a nontender oval (8 by 12 cm), homogeneously erythematous lesion at the site of the tick bite, consistent with erythema migrans. How should this case be managed? What if she had presented earlier, just after removing the tick?
Immunological Aspects of Allergic Asthma

Asthma is a chronic obstructive disease of the lower airways. It is characterized by episodic exacerbations of at least partially reversible airflow limitation, along with bronchial hyperreactivity and airway inflammation. This latter characteristic, airway inflammation, is now a major focus of investigation, in large part because of a growing body of evidence to support its critical role in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Investigations of the histopathologic, cytologic, and chemical events accompanying fatal and nonfatal asthma, as well as experimental allergen-induced allergic reactions of the lower airways, have confirmed that a wide variety of immunologic phenomena occur, including local release of preformed mediators, newly synthesized metabolites of arachidonic acid, and soluble pro-inflammatory proteins including kinins and cytokines; alterations in vascular permeability and the development of airways edema; leukocyte activation and accumulation; and immune-mediated neurogenic responses that affect airway smooth muscle and other local responses. This information has led to new pharmacologic approaches designed to antagonize each of these elements of the asthmatic diathesis, with varying degrees of success. Nevertheless, the development of novel antagonists of mediators, pro-inflammatory proteins, cells, adhesion molecules, neuropeptides, and their respective receptors have begun to yield additional insight into their relative importance in the immunologic basis of asthma.
Xenon Tetrafluoride: Reaction with Aqueous Solutions

Xenon tetrafluoride reacts with water to yield xenon, oxygen, hydrofluoric acid, and a very soluble species containing xenon. Evaporation of the solution yields a white, crystal-line substance which has been identified as xenon (VI) oxide, XeO(3).
Patients' and professionals' perceptions of quality in discharge planning

This article describes elderly patients' and health care professionals' perceptions of quality in discharge planning. Qualitative data were collected in semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of 25 elders who had been hospitalized for an acute episode of a chronic illness and 38 health care professionals. The constant comparative approach was used in analyzing the data. The findings indicate that both health professionals and patients identified process and outcome indicators of quality. Effective communication--a process that consisted of asking questions, getting answers, and questioning inconsistencies--was identified as a key component of successful discharge planning.
Effect of modified glucose-insulin-potassium on free fatty acids, matrix metalloproteinase, and myoglobin in ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Insulin has a free fatty acid (FFA)–suppressive effect, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)– and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)–lowering effect, and a potential myocardial–protective effect. Whether low-dose insulin exerts these effects in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) was investigated. Thirty-two patients administered thrombolytics and heparin were randomly assigned to a modified glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) regimen (insulin 2.5 U/hour, dextrose and potassium titrated to prevent hyperglycemia) or normal saline solution and potassium (controls) for 48 hours. Plasma FFA, serum VEGF, pro–MMP-1, and myoglobin were measured at baseline and sequentially for 48 hours. FFA concentrations were increased at baseline; increased further in the first 4 hours in controls (p ≤0.008), but not in the GIK group, and were higher at 4 hours in controls compared with the GIK group (p = 0.0009). VEGF decreased to 7% of baseline at 2 hours and remained suppressed in both groups (p = 0.0008). Pro–MMP-1 decreased in both groups (p
The Postmodern Organization: Mastering the Art of Irreversible Change / Managing in the Postmodern World: America's Revolution Against Exploitation

The article reviews the books “The Postmodern Organization: Mastering the Art of Irreversible Change,” by William Bergquist and “Managing in the Postmodern World: America's Revolution Against Exploitation,” by David M. Boje and Robert F. Dennehy.
Pancreatic pseudotumors: Computed tomography

Although pancreatic disease is suspected initially by historical or biochemical findings, the nature of the pathologic process in the past was frequently established only through invasive procedures. Inferences can be drawn from routine roentgenologic examinations, but visualization of the pancreas has only recently been achieved. Of the currently available noninvasive imaging procedures, computed tomography, in our opinion, is the screening procedure of choice. Care in the interpretation of pancreatic masses must be exercised since some of the findings can be attributed to anatomic variants, normal adjacent structures, or other neighboring pathologic processes.
Design and Control of Libration Point Spacecraft Formations

of the control acceleration. Fuel budgets are allocated by isoperimetric constraints. The nonsmooth optimal control problem is discretized using DIDO, a software package that implements the Legendre pseudospectral method. The discretized problem is solved using SNOPT, a sequential quadratic programming solver. Among many, one of the advantages of our approach is that we do not require linearization or analytical results; consequently, the inherent nonlinearities associated with the problem are automatically exploited. Sample results for formations about the Sun-Earth L2 point in the 3-body circular restricted dynamical framework are presented. Globally optimal solutions for relaxed and almost periodic formations are presented for both a large separation constraint (about a third to half of orbit size), and a small separation constraint (a few hundred km or about 5×10 6 of orbit size).