cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum biomarkers for cardiovascular inflammation in subclinical hypothyroidism

Summary Objective Cardiovascular disease has been reported to be more common in patients with elevated levels of TSH and with normal thyroxine levels, termed subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). The aim of this study was to determine whether individuals with SCH were more likely than euthyroid controls to have elevations in inflammatory biomarkers that are associated with cardiac disease. Methods From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002 data we identified respondents aged ≥ 40 who met the laboratory criteria for SCH. We compared the average values and frequencies of elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine in the SCH individuals to those in euthyroid individuals. Results A total of 1608 individuals were included in the analysis of whom 45 (2·8%) met the criteria for SCH, with seven (15·6%) having TSH levels between 10 and 15 IU/l. We found no differences in median, mean or the percentage of elevated CRP or homocysteine in individuals with SCH compared to euthyroid controls. Linear regression models adjusting for age, gender, the presence of other cardiac risk factors, and whether the individual was using a cholesterol-lowering drug also failed to show any association between SCH and either high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) (P = 0·62) or homocysteine (P = 0·63) levels. When we examined the subset of people with TSH levels between 10 and 15 IU/l, we again found no difference in mean hsCRP or homocysteine compared to control. Conclusions In this large population-based sample, hsCRP and homocysteine levels do not differ for individuals with SCH compared to euthyroid individuals. This suggests that cardiac inflammation is not greater in individuals with SCH.
Grade Inflation Rates among Different Ability Students

This study compares grade inflation rates among different ability students at a large, open admissions public University. Specifically, this study compares trends in graduating grade point average (GPA) from 1983 to 1996 across low, typical and higher ability students. This study also tests other explanations for increases in graduating GPA. These other explanations are changes in 1) ACT score 2) gender 3) college major and 4) vocational programs. With these other explanations considered, regression results still report an inflationary trend in graduating GPA. Time, as measured by college entry year, is still a significant positive predictor of GPA. More directly, comparisons of regression coefficients reveal lower ability students as experiencing the highest rate of grade increase. Higher grade inflation rates among low aptitude students suggest that faculty might be using grades to encourage learning among marginal students.
Modeling Ca2+ signaling differentiation during oocyte maturation

Ca2+ is a fundamental intracellular signal that mediates a variety of disparate physiological functions often in the same cell. Ca2+ signals span a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, which endow them with the specificity required to induce defined cellular functions. Furthermore, Ca2+ signaling is highly plastic as it is modulated dynamically during normal physiological development and under pathological conditions. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Ca2+ signaling differentiation during cellular development remain poorly understood. Oocyte maturation in preparation for fertilization provides an exceptionally well-suited model to elucidate Ca2+ signaling regulation during cellular development. This is because a Ca2+ signal with specialized spatial and temporal dynamics is universally essential for egg activation at fertilization. Here we use mathematical modeling to define the critical determinants of Ca2+ signaling differentiation during oocyte maturation. We show that increasing IP3 receptor (IP3R) affinity replicates both elementary and global Ca2+ dynamics observed experimentally following oocyte maturation. Furthermore, our model reveals that because of the Ca2+ dependency of both SERCA and the IP3R, increased IP3R affinity shifts the system's equilibrium to a new steady state of high cytosolic Ca2+, which is essential for fertilization. Therefore our model provides unique insights into how relatively small alterations of the basic molecular mechanisms of Ca2+ signaling components can lead to dramatic alterations in the spatio-temporal properties of Ca2+ dynamics.
Interpreting Microscopic Magnetic Resonance Elastography Measurements Using Finite Element Analysis

Microscopic Magnetic Resonance Elastography (μMRE) could be useful in estimating the shear stiffness of biological or other samples of small dimension. In this study, a silicon rubber phantom shell with liquid inside of it was measured using μMRE. A parametric simulation study of a simplified axisymmetric shell model was performed in order to interpret the wave propagation and how it is affected by the material parameter values.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Evidence for the soilborne nature of the rice sheath rot and panicle blight pathogen, Burkholderia gladioli 1

Strains of Burkholderia gladioli were isolated from rice (Oryza sativa) field soil, and its association with rice sheath rot and panicle blight symptoms was demonstrated, both under greenhouse and field conditions for the first time. The B. gladioli strains were identified using Biolog, cellular fatty acid composition, polymerase chain reaction, and sequencing of both 16S rDNA and 16–23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Inoculation of rice with B. gladioli strains isolated from soil caused vertical, linear gray lesions surrounded by dark brown margins on flag-leaf sheaths in greenhouse experiments and significant panicle blighting under field conditions.
Anticoagulant Responses to Thrombin Are Enhanced During Regression of Atherosclerosis in Monkeys

Background— Diet-induced atherosclerosis in monkeys produces abnormal anticoagulant responses to thrombin, including decreased generation of activated protein C (APC). We tested the hypothesis that anticoagulant responses to thrombin increase toward normal during regression of atherosclerosis. Methods and Results— Six cynomolgus monkeys were fed a high-fat atherogenic diet for 44 months and then a low-fat regression diet for 8 months. Serum total cholesterol decreased from 417±44 to 68±6 mg/dL (mean±SEM) and LDL cholesterol decreased from 375±44 to 27±5 mg/dL after the regression diet. In response to infusion of thrombin, the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) increased by 11±3 seconds before the regression diet and by 41±22 seconds after the regression diet (P=0.01). The peak level of circulating plasma APC was 52±9 ng/mL before the regression diet and 88±17 ng/mL after the regression diet (P=0.01). The APC sensitivity of plasma factor V was identical before and after the regression diet. Three...
The distribution of transition metal cations in spinels

Crystal field theory in conjunction with spectroscopic data may be applied to give quantitatively the d-shell splitting and the resulting stabilization of a transition metal ion in a crystal site of given symmetry. The thermodynamic stabilization values are found for both octahedral and tetrahedral sites in the spinel lattice. The differences between these values is the site preference energy. The cation distributions predicted from this energy are in good agreement with known experimental data. The occurrence of a large Jahn-Teller effect is correlated with tetragonal phase formation.
Characterization of acute experimental left ventricular thrombi with quantitative backscatter imaging

Two-dimensional echocardiography is an excellent technique for detecting left ventricular thrombi, however, acute clot is sometimes difficult to differentiate from adjacent myocardium and intracavitary signals. We hypothesized that quantitative assessment of the acoustic properties of acute left ventricular thrombi using a quantitative backscatter imaging system would permit the differentiation of thrombus from adjacent myocardium and intracavitary echoes. Acute, experimental left ventricular thrombi in seven dogs were evaluated with a quantitative backscatter imaging system that allowed the measurement of relative integrated backscatter and cyclic (i.e., diastolic minus systolic) variation in integrated backscatter. Coronary ligation abolished the cyclic variation in relative backscatter that occurred in normal myocardium. The end-diastolic relative backscatter in the thrombus (16.9 +/- 1.3 dB) was significantly higher than in apical myocardium (13.2 +/- 0.6 dB, p less than 0.05). There was no significant difference in the cyclic variation in relative backscatter among thrombus, ischemic myocardium, or intracavitary blood. Thus, the quantitative assessment of the acoustic properties of left ventricular thrombi can be useful in their detection and in the differentiation from myocardium and intracavitary signals.
Prostate-specific antigen and prosttic acid phosphatase: Biomolecular and physiologic characteristics

PSA is a 34-kd 240-amino acid glycoprotein produced by the prostatic epithelial cells. It is a member of the glandular kallikrein gene family and has a high sequence homology with human glandular kallikrein (hGK-1). PSA is a serine protease and has chymotrypsin-, trypsin-, and esterase-like activities. It is secreted into the seminal fluid where it degrades two seminal vesicle proteins that are important components of the semen coagulum, thus playing an important role in semen liquefaction. The production of PSA protein appears to be under the control of circulating androgens acting through the androgen receptor. Therefore, the significance of a low serum PSA value in a patient who has undergone previous antiandrogen therapy may not be the same as that for a patient who has not received endocrine treatment.
Genome sequences published outside of Standards in Genomic Sciences, July – October 2012

The purpose of this table is to provide the community with a citable record of publications of ongoing genome sequencing projects that have led to a publication in the scientific literature. While our goal is to make the list complete, there is no guarantee that we may have omitted one or more publications appearing in this time frame. Readers and authors who wish to have publications added to subsequent versions of this list are invited to provide the bibliographic data for such references to the SIGS editorial office.
Class numbers, the novikov conjecture, and transformation groups

EWING [7] showed that the G-signature of a smooth G-manifold for G = Z,, p an odd prime, is essentially unrestricted if and only if the class number of the cyclotomic field containing the p-th roots of unity is odd. Katz [9] has elaborated on this, using results from smooth equivariant cobordism theory, to prove precise integrality formulae; in particular, he connects the G-signature mod 4 to the signatures and local representations occurring at components of the fixed set. In a different direction the author [21] showed that the existence of certain group actions on nonsimply connected manifolds forces their higher structures to vanish. In fact, the Novikov conjecture is equivalent to a statement about group actions. In yet another direction, S. Cappell and the author constructed [S] certain characteristic classes for semifree PI!. (locally linear) G-actions; these were applied there to prove a splitting theorem for some classifying spaces. This splitting, crucial for many equivariant existence and classification problems, at the prime 2 depends on understanding peripheral invariants of free group actions on sphere bundles. For locally-nonlinear actions, the results are deduced by means of comparison to the locally linear case. In this paper, we study the cobordism of homologically trivial actions and use it to unify, extend, and improve our understanding of all the above phenomena. The method is to consider, say, QHT, (Z,, X) which is roughly speaking the cobordism group of n-manifolds with rationally homologically trivial Z,-action. mapping into X. This is not a representable functor, and one cannot reduce the problem to stable homotopy theory of some Thorn spectrum. (It is not always possible to make a transverse inverse image have a homologitally trivial action). The solution (Theorem 1) to this difficulty, similar to that for Poincart cobordism, measures the deviation through an exact sequence involving L.i(R[n,X]) (for an appropriate ring R) as the “third term”. At this point one easily recovers the result that the Novikov conjecture implies the vanishing of higher signatures-for homologically trivial actions. This then gives information about which classes in the bordism group R(B(n x G)) have such G-actions, while [21] only solves (in some cases) this for R(&r). (Of course, the exact sequence also computes how many actions there are corresponding to a given class.) Now, for X = point, the Atiyah-Singer invariant is essentially a cobordism invariant, and the next order of business is to compute its role in the theory. Using the connection
Nutrition of the Aged Horse

This article reviews current thoughts on nutrition of the older horse in health and disease. Common causes of weight loss and poor body condition in old horses include dental or oral cavity abnormalities, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, and reduced feed intake attributable to competition from herd mates or pain associated with osteoarthritis. Feed intake and body condition may improve after institution of management changes. Thin but otherwise healthy old horses can benefit from a diet that provides 12% to 16% crude protein and includes highly digestible feedstuffs. In horses with severe irreversible dental problems, long-stem fiber (hay) should be replaced by soaked hay cubes, short chopped hay, or heavily soaked sugar beet pulp. Evidence of chronic endocrine, hepatic, or renal disease dictates dietary modifications.
Single copy DNA homologies in Atriplex . II. Hybrid thermal stabilities and molecular phylogeny

Single copy DNA sequence homologies were measured by interspecific molecular hybridization and thermal denaturation techniques for eight species of the genus Atriplex and spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Thermal stability profiles for Atriplex interspecific hybrids indicated more base pair mismatch than has been observed in most previously reported intrageneric comparisons of animal DNA. On the assumption that sequence divergence by base substitution is proportional to the time which has elapsed subsequent to speciation, the data are interpreted as indicating that lines leading to many modern Atriplex species probably originated during a single period of rapid speciation. This group includes C3 and C4 photosynthetic types from both subgenera. Thus the molecular data do not support the classical subgeneric distinction, and it is no longer necessary to postulate a polyphyletic origin for C4 photosynthesis within Atriplex.
Comparing cultivars of three cool‐season turf‐grasses for potassium uptake kinetics and potassium recovery in the field

Abstract Efficient use of potassium (K) by turf depends on the ability of roots to absorb a high proportion of the fertilizer K applied to the soil. Among turfgrass genotypes, variation in K absorption kinetics of roots and its inheritance is important in the development of genotypes that are more efficient in K absorption from the soil. Therefore, K uptake kinetics of six cultivars each of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) were compared under greenhouse conditions. In 1990 and 1991, field studies of the same cultivars were conducted comparing clipping production rate, leaf blade K concentration, K recovery rate in clippings, K efficiency ratio and visual quality under a moderate K fertilization of 59 kg K/ha/year. Significant differences among species and cultivars were obtained for both absorption kinetics and field recovery of K. Significant correlations between some K uptake parameters and field performance were...
Separation of Human Skin Cells by Velocity Sedimentation into Functionally Distinct Fractions

The epidermis consists of a heterogeneous population of cells including Langerhans cells, Merkel cells, melanocytes, and keratinocytes in various stages of differentiation. The current study was undertaken to determine if skin cell suspensions can be separated into morphologically and/or functionally distinct fractions. Skin cells were suspended by trypsinization and separated into multiple fractions by velocity sedimentation. Certain fractions reproducibly stimulated proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes in the skin cell lymphocyte reaction, whereas other fractions, containing larger cells, supported growth of keratinocyte colonies in cell cultures. These results indicate that stimulation in the skin cell lymphocyte reaction and growth of keratinocyte colonies are mediated by distinct cells, separable by velocity sedimentation.
Selective adrenergic stimulant actions of 1-isopropylamino-3- (2-thiazoloxy)-2-propanol (ITP) in anesthetized cats

Abstract 1-Isopropylamino-3-(2-thiazoloxy)-2-propanol HCl (ITP) was found to produce a long lasting increase in the sinotrial heart rate are in myocardial contractile force in anesthetized cats. The drug had no significant effect on mean arterial blood pressure in the doses employed. ITP (40 μg/kg) produced an increase in plasma free fatty acids but had no significant effect on blood glucose, blood lactate or plasma potassium. The cardiac stimulant and lipolytic actions of ITP were blocked by propranolol. The spectrum of activity of the drug places it in the category of a selective beta-1 stimulant agent.
Perinatal methylmercury intoxication: Behavioral effects in rats

Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to perinatal (4th gestational day until Postnatal Day 21) methylmercury intoxication to determine the long-term behavioral effect of the mercury poisoning. Experimental and control animals were evaluated at 110-140 days of age. Compared to controls, the methylmercury animals demonstrated significant behavioral deficits characterized by hypoactivity and by reduced appetitive, escape, and avoidance learning.
A Dyad-Based Analysis of New Venture Success: Comparing Recent Internet to Non-Internet Related IPOs

We examine variance in the performance of new ventures that emerged prior to the Internet bubble burst with data that spans beyond it. These firms faced high uncertainty, and were hoping to compensate founders and investors with appropriately high returns. We address the performance issues through the use of dyads, where Internet-related ventures are matched to non-Internet ventures. We find that the Internet has a positive effect on both performance and volatility measures. We also find that incentive, value proposition, and context factors explain performance variance within the sample of Internet-related ventures, as well as terminal events within that sample.
Uncertainty analysis of exposure to radon released from the former Feed Materials Production Center

Abstract Radon and its decay products escaped from two storage silos on the site of the former Feed Materials Processing Center (FMPC) near Cincinnati, Ohio, exposing workers and nearby residents. The releases began in the early 1950s as the silos were filled with 226 Ra -bearing ore from which uranium had been extracted, and they continued at relatively high rates until mid-1979, when vent pipes and other penetrations in the silo domes were closed. Subsequent releases were at lower rates, and monitored concentrations in air at the site boundary have been near background. A dose reconstruction study sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated the historic releases of radionuclides and developed methods for calculating dose to individuals living in the vicinity of the facility. Uncertainties in release and transport parameters that propagated into dose estimates were analyzed and presented as distributions of dose to individuals with specified exposure histories. This paper discusses the use of data from the site and models of radon release and atmospheric transport to estimate distributions of working-level months (WLM) at locations remote from the point of release. Uncertainty in atmospheric transport contributes most significantly to uncertainty in predicted WLM, with nominal composite uncertainty factors of 4–5 (95th percentile/median) indicated for distances between 3 and 10 km from the source.
Inhibition of tumor growth by peptide specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in a three-dimensional collagen matrix.

Tumor associated, MHC I restricted antigenic peptides have been identified in both human and mouse tumors. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) which recognize these tumor associated antigenic peptides are potential anti-cancer effectors. The anti-tumor activity of CTL is usually measured in vitro by the 51Cr release assay and in mice by tumor growth inhibition which is the most direct assessment of anti-tumor effect. In clinical studies, an in vivo tumor growth inhibition assay is not an option and an in vitro assay which corroborates with in vivo tumor growth is needed to assess the long-term outcome of CTL activity. Here, a three-dimensional (3-D) collagen gel assay was developed to measure in vitro the inhibition of mouse mammary tumor growth by anti-tumor CTL. BALB/c mouse CTL were induced with peptide E474 SFAVATTAL which was expressed by mouse mammary tumor cells D2F2. To measure D2F2 tumor growth inhibition in vitro, a mixture of tumor cells and anti-E474 CTL in a 1 μl cell bolus was embedded in the collagen gel. Complete eradication of tumor growth was observed at E:T ratio of or greater than 1:1. rIL-2 supplementation was necessary to achieve long-term tumor growth inhibition. Even spontaneous D2 tumor explant could be grown in the collagen gel and addition of anti-E474 to this culture reduced tumor growth. This assay system provides a realistic and sensitive alternative to the in vivo tumor growth inhibition assay and allows easy adaptation to test additional therapeutic reagents.
Effects of Selected Surfactants on Nutrient Uptake in Corn (Zea mays L.)

Surfactants in herbicide formulations eventually enter soil and may disrupt various processes. Research examined effects on nutrient uptake in corn caused by surfactants, herbicides, and surfactant-herbicide combinations applied to silt loam and silty clay loam soils in the greenhouse. Surfactants evaluated were Activator 90, Agri-Dex, and Thrust; herbicides were glyphosate, atrazine, and bentazon. Corn was planted in fertilized soils with moisture content maintained for optimum growth. Foliage (V8 growth stage) was collected for elemental analyses. Nutrient uptake differed with soil texture. Nutrient uptake from silty clay loam was more affected by surfactants and/or herbicides than in silt loam. Potassium uptake was significantly (P = 0.05) decreased in silt loam only by Thrust but uptake of phosphorus (P), potassium (K) calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) decreased by ≤30% in silty clay loam treated with surfactants. Surfactants and/or herbicides may interact with soil texture to affec...
Some Models for the Analysis of Association in Multiway Cross-Classifications Having Ordered Categories

Abstract Goodman recently presented a class of models for the analysis of association between two discrete, ordinal variables. The association was measured in terms of the odds ratios in 2 × 2 subtables formed from adjacent rows and adjacent columns of the cross-classification, and models were devised that allowed the odds ratios to depend on an overall effect, on row effects, on column effects, and on other effects. This article presents some generalizations of this approach appropriate for multiway cross-classifications, including (a) models for the analysis of conditional association, (b) models for the analysis of partial association, and (c) models for the analysis of symmetric association. Three cross-classifications are analyzed with these models and methods, and rather simple interpretations of the association in each are provided.
Nervous system lupus mimics limbic encephalitis

A 28-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) suffered recent onset fever, headache, encephalopathy followed by severe, repeated generalized seizures. Investigations revealed limbic encephalitis. Tests for Herpes simplex encephalitis and paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis were negative. High titers anti-ribosomal-P antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) suggested an association with nervous system lupus. No brain biopsy was performed. Treatment was with anti-seizure, anti-viral, and immunomodulating medication.
Utilization of LIDAR and NOAA's Vertical Datum Transformation Tool (VDatum) for Shoreline Delineation

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an organization of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is mandated to map the United States' coastal boundary, defining the nation's legal shoreline. This paper presents a new methodology for extraction of shorelines from lidar data. The methodology incorporates NOAA's vertical datum transformation tool (VDatum) for transforming lidar data to a specified tidally-based datum for shoreline extraction. The VDatum utility comprises geoid models, fields representing departures of an orthometric datum from local mean sea level, and hydrodynamic models portraying tidal regimes for accurate demarcation of coastal lines. The procedure presented here minimizes the variability and subjectivity that have plagued more traditional shoreline delineation techniques. The semi-automated routine allows for consistent, non-interpreted shorelines to be derived, providing significant advantages over proxies such as the high water line, beach scarps, and dune lines. This technique is invariant to coastline type, and has provided good results for a range of margins, such as a sandy or rocky. Additional advantages include the ability to derive multiple tidally-based shorelines from a single dataset and greater flexibility in data acquisition. Perhaps most importantly, the lidar data can be collected in a manner to support a variety of Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping (10CM) applications, including nautical charting, storm surge/tsunami modeling, coral reef mapping, ecosystem monitoring, and coastal mapping.
Alterations in the epithelial surface of human palatal shelves prior to and during fusion: A scanning electron microscopic study

The surface topography of palatal shelves was examined by scanning electron microscopy prior to and during secondary palate formation in 72 therapeutically aborted human embryos and fetuses ranging in age from 37 days to 12 weeks (post-fertilization). Alterations in epithelial surface appearance were observed in the prospective region of fusion prior to contact between the shelves. First seen as an elliptical area along the anterior portion of the presumptive medial edge, a zone of alteration spread progressively along the anterior four-fifths of the medial edge prior to shelf contact, and continued along the posterior one-fifth of the shelf as fusion proceeded. The altered zone eventually extended onto the oral surface in the middle of the shelf but was restricted to a narrow zone along the medial edge posteriorly. Initially characterized by elongation and “intertwining” of superficial cells, alterations later included cell death, desquamation and possible active migration of surface cells. The shelf epithelium subjacent to the zone of alteration exhibited increased irregularity in thickness and numerous “invaginations” into the underlying mesenchyme. These alterations are thought to reflect intrinsic changes within the shelf and may play a role in the fusion process. Evidence for surface remodeling following fusion was also observed.
Mesh patterning process for 40nm contact hole

Contact hole patterning is more difficult than line/space patterning as mask error factor is higher in contact hole patterning which has 2-dimensional patterns. As the industry moves towards 40nm node and beyond, the challenges associated with contact hole having a manufacturable process window have become increasingly difficult. Current 1.35NA ArF lithography is capable of printing 50nm contact hole with a stable process window at best. Conventional contact hole patterning processes such as resist reflow and RELACS are no longer able to be used for half-pitch 40nm contact hole pattern because we have to shrink not only hole diameter but also pattern pitch. In this paper, we will demonstrate and compare the patterning performance of the mesh patterning processes including litho-etch-litho-etch, cap freezing and self freezing process.
STIMULUS REINFORCEMENT DURING SENSORY DEPRIVATION.

The study explores the need for sensory stimulation during sensory deprivation (S.D.). Confined and nonconfined Ss were compared on time spent button-pressing for visual, auditory, visual and auditory, or no stimulation. Thus, there were 8 treatment groups of 10 human Ss each. Ss in confinement spent more time button-pressing than did nonconfined Ss. Ss receiving pleasant visual stimulation spent more time button-pressing than did Ss not receiving such stimulation. No significant relationships were found between button-pressing behavior and performance on a variety of tests.
The Preparation, Characterization and X-ray Structural Analysis of Tetrakis[1-Methyl-3-(2-Propyl)-2(3H)-Imidazolethione]Cadmium(II) Hexafluorophosphate

A new compound, [Cd(mipit)4][PF6]2 has been synthesized and characterized via standard solid and solution state methods including single crystal X-ray crystallography (mipit = 1-methyl-3-(2-propyl)-2(3H)-imidazolethione). The title compound crystallizes in tetragonal space group I4 1 /a with a = 12.478(2) A, b = 12.478(2) A, c = 28.806(6) A, and Z = 4. The complex is a high melting, colorless solid that has a distorted tetrahedral CdS4 coordination geometry. Thermogravimetric analysis results for the title compound as well as for another potential CdS synthon and two potential CdSe synthons are reported. The synthesis and characterization of the title compound, a new ionic homoleptic cadmium complex, tetrakis[1-methyl-3-(2-propyl)-2(3H)-imidazolethione]cadmium(II) hexafluorophosphate is reported. The results of a single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveal a distorted tetrahedral CdS4 coordination sphere about the cadmium.
Abstract SY31-01: Combinatorial development of biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery

High throughput, combinatorial approaches have revolutionized small molecule drug discovery. Here we describe our work on high throughput methods for developing and characterizing biomaterials for drug delivery and tissue engineering. We have developed automated methods allowing for rapid nanoliter scale synthesis of 10009s of biomaterials, as well as the testing of their chemical, material, and biological properties. These methods have also been applied towards the development of new methods to control stem cell behavior, as well as vehicles for drug delivery. In particular, these combinatorial libraries of different biomaterials have enabled new methods for microparticulate drug delivery, non-viral gene therapy, siRNA delivery, and vaccines. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY31-01. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-SY31-01
The Impact of Meeting Donor Management Goals on the Number of Organs Transplanted per Expanded Criteria Donor: A Prospective Study From the UNOS Region 5 Donor Management Goals Workgroup

Importance The shortage of organs available for transplant has led to the use of expanded criteria donors (ECDs) to extend the donor pool. These donors are older and have more comorbidities and efforts to optimize the quality of their organs are needed. Objective To determine the impact of meeting a standardized set of critical care end points, or donor management goals (DMGs), on the number of organs transplanted per donor in ECDs. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective interventional study from February 2010 to July 2013 of all ECDs managed by the 8 organ procurement organizations in the southwestern United States (United Network for Organ Sharing Region 5). Interventions Implementation of 9 DMGs as a checklist to guide the management of every ECD. The DMGs represented normal cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and endocrine end points. Meeting the DMG bundle was defined a priori as achieving any 7 of the 9 end points and was recorded at the time of referral to the organ procurement organization, at the time of authorization for donation, 12 to 18 hours later, and prior to organ recovery. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was 3 or more organs transplanted per donor and binary logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors with P Results There were 671 ECDs with a mean (SD) number of 2.1 (1.3) organs transplanted per donor. Ten percent of the ECDs had met the DMG bundle at referral, 15% at the time of authorization, 33% at 12 to 18 hours, and 45% prior to recovery. Forty-three percent had 3 or more organs transplanted per donor. Independent predictors of 3 or more organs transplanted per donor were older age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95 per year [95% CI, 0.93-0.97]), increased creatinine level (OR = 0.73 per mg/dL [95% CI, 0.63-0.85]), DMGs met prior to organ recovery (OR = 1.90 [95% CI, 1.35-2.68]), and a change in the number of DMGs achieved from referral to organ recovery (OR = 1.11 per additional DMG [95% CI, 1.00-1.23]). Conclusions and Relevance Meeting DMGs prior to organ recovery with ECDs is associated with achieving 3 or more organs transplanted per donor. An increase in the number of critical care end points achieved throughout the care of a potential donor by both donor hospital and organ procurement organization is also associated with an increase in organ yield.
Characteristics and outcomes of fall-related open-globe injuries in pseudophakic patients

AIM: We aimed to identify the characteristics and prognostic indicators of poor visual and anatomic outcome in pseudophakic patients with fall-related open-globe (OG) injuries. We used a case series design, for a total of 26 patients. METHODS: Charts of consecutive pseudophakic patients with fall-related OG injury at a single institution were reviewed. Demographics, ophthalmic history, circumstances of injury, initial best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), examination findings, surgical interventions, and follow-up BCVA were tabulated for statistical analysis with unpaired t-tests and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (73%) were women. Mean (± standard deviation) age was 80.6±4.6 years (range: 61-97 years). Initial BCVA was CONCLUSION: Large wound size, low OTS, 360° SCH, total hyphema, posterior injury, and IOL damage are common findings that are also prognostic of poor visual and anatomic outcome in pseudophakic patients with fall-related OG injuries. Ophthalmologists dealing primarily with geriatric populations should contribute to the discussion of fall risk. Language: en
Ultrasonic study of photoconductivity in undoped n-GaAs at low temperatures

Abstract The velocity of piezoelectrically-active, ultrasonic shear waves was measured before, during, and after sub-band gap illuminations of undoped, n-type GaAs at temperatures between 1.5 K and 68 K. Unlike semi-insulating or “ordinary” semiconducting material, the excess donors in our sample had a thermal ionization energy of 0.22 eV. Our results revealed photoconductivity during illumination with 1.26, 1.10, or 0.95 eV narrow band light, partial reduction of such photoconductivity by the addition of Ge-filtered light, and decaying and persistent conductivity components after cessation of illumination. Interpretation of these effects is given which includes photoexcitation of electrons into the conduction band from a large fraction of near mid-gap levels of the EL2 center. The results were very important for our interpretation of the photo-ultrasonic behavior recently reported by us for oxygen-doped, n-GaAs at low temperatures.
Selective FWM-based Wavelength Conversion Realized by Highly Nonlinear Fiber

Selective four-wave-mixing-based wavelength conversions from L-band to S-band using newly developed highly nonlinear fiber with high 4th-order dispersion are demonstrated by adjusting pump wavelengths, in which conversion bandwidths can be narrowed to about 10nm.
RIFAMPIN TREATMENT FOR GROUP A STREPTOCOCCAL CARRIERS

Chronic pharyngeal carriage of group A streptococci (GAS) is of concern to many physicians and families. No therapy has proved effective in eliminating GAS from asymptomatic patients with positive cultures after penicillin (P). Rifampin (Rif) has excellent in vitro activity against GAS. Because Rif effectively terminates meningococcal and H. influenzae carriage, we evaluated Rif for GAS carriage. Otherwise healthy children 2 to 16 y.o. were defined as carriers when a throat culture 3 weeks after IM benzathine P (600,000 u ≤60 lbs., 1.2 million u >60 lbs.) for GAS pharyngitis showed persistence of the same GAS serotype. Thirty-seven carriers were randomly assigned to 3 groups: Group I (13 patients): no treatment; Group II (10): repeat IM benzathine P; Group III (14): repeat IM benzathine P and oral Rif (10 mg/kg BID × 8 doses). Groups were comparable in age, sex, and socio-economic status. Cultures were obtained every 3 weeks for at least 9 weeks. Group II and III patients culture-positive 3 weeks after treatment were crossed to the opposite group. At 3 weeks, 10/13 (77%) in Group I, 7/10 (70%) in Group II, but only 1/14 (7%) in Group III were GAS-positive. Group III differs from Group I (p< 0.001) and from Group II (p<0.01). In the cross-over phase, 4/4 treated Group II patients were negative after P + Rif. Overall, P + Rif was successful in 17/18 courses, differing from Groups I and II (each p<0.005). These data show oral Rifampin plus IM penicillin to be effective in eradicating chronic group A streptococcal carriage.
Effect of human apolipoprotein E isoforms on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

Abstract The current study compared the acute effect of human apolipoprotein (apo) E isoforms on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins 6 h after a bolus intravenous injection of individual isoforms into apo E-deficient mice. We found a large accumulation of remnant particles not only in the d
Labial hypertrophy: a new surgical approach

Abstract Study Objective: To develop a new technique for labioplasty with the goal of decreased scar formation, decreased vulva pain, and dyspareunia. Design: We present a simple surgical approach to labial reduction in two young women. We performed a wedge resection of the excess labial tissue after first identifying and preserving the main arterial supply to each labia. Results: After surgical correction, the patients had excellent cosmetic results with smooth symmetrical contours, minimal scarring, and relief from symptoms. Conclusions: Hypertrophy of the labia minora is a frequently overlooked problem in young women. In general, gynecologists have been reluctant to surgically remove the excess tissue. We present a new approach to labioplasty that is safe and can be performed easily in symptomatic patients.
Posets admitting a unique order-compatible topology

A characterization is given for those posets (X, =<) such that X admits exactly one topology inducing the given partial order =<. As a corollary, a poset is finite if and only if it is finite-dimensional and admits a unique compatible topology. Related applications and examples are also developed.
Spinal cord afferent systems containing the nerve terminal protein NT75.

In the adult spinal cord, immunocytochemical staining for NT75 is concentrated in nerve terminals in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn. Deeper laminae of the dorsal horn contain moderate immunocytochemical labeling, but the ventral horn is only sparsely stained. The origin of spinal nerve terminals containing NT75 was investigated with lesion techniques, colchicine treatment, and retrograde tracing in combination with immunocytochemical staining. Primary afferent neurons express NT75 immunoreactivity and account for most of the dense staining in the superficial dorsal horn and part of the labeling in the deeper laminae. It was found that corticospinal and virtually all brainstem neurons with descending projections to the spinal cord also express NT75 immunoreactivity, including those terminating in the ventral horn. Colchicine treatment of the spinal cord also resulted in NT75 staining in most, if not all, spinal neurons. It appears that neurons in all three major sources of spinal afferents (primary sensory, descending, and intrinsic systems) can express NT75 immunoreactivity, but that some neurons normally contain higher levels of the protein in their nerve terminals. Previous analysis of developing spinal cord has shown widespread, dense NT75 labeling throughout the spinal gray in the early postnatal period, which later becomes restricted to the adult pattern. These studies support the hypothesis that many spinal pathways express high levels of NT75 immunoreactivity during development, but that only certain pathways maintain high levels in the adult. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
SPECL: A system programming dialect of ECL

The SPECL programming system is an attempt to combine the characteristics of an implementation language with those desirable for verifiability (human and mechanical) and transportability. The former requires efficient code generation and access to hardware; the latter requires a highly structured language and isolation of machine dependencies. SPECL will be embedded in the ECL programming system, which currently includes an interpreter and compatible compiler for the extensible language EL1, and a set of tools for debugging, metering, and verification. The SPECL compiler (under design) will restrict the semantics of EL1 to eliminate the need for run-time support and type checking, and couple specification of machine representation of modes and operators with the EL1 definitional mechanism to enable generation of efficient object code.
Ion mobility of ground and excited states of laser-generated transition metal cations.

The application of ion mobility to separate the electronic states of first-, second-, and third-row transition metal cations generated by the laser vaporization/ionization (LVI) technique is presented. The mobility measurements for most of the laser-generated transition metal cations reveal the presence of two or three mobility peaks that correspond to ground and excited states of different electronic configurations. The similarity of the measured reduced mobilities for the metal cations generated by LVI, electron impact, and glow discharge ion sources indicates that the same electronic configurations are produced regardless of the ion source. However, in comparison with electron impact of volatile organometallic compounds, the LVI populates fewer excited states due to the thermal nature of the process. Significant contributions to the production and populations of excited states of Ni+, Nb+, and Pt+ cations have been observed in the presence of argon during the LVI process and attributed to the Penning i...
Macroscopic motion of liquid metal plasma facing components in a diverted plasma

Abstract Liquid metal plasma facing components (PFCs) have been identified as an alternative material for fusion plasma experiments. The use of a liquid conductor where significant magnetic fields are present is considered risky, with the possibility of macroscopic fluid motion and possible ejection into the plasma core. Analysis is carried out on thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamic (TEMHD) forces caused by temperature-gradients in the liquid-container system itself in addition to scrape-off-layer currents interacting with the PFC from a diverted plasma. Capillary effects at the liquid-container interface will be examined which govern droplet ejection criteria. Stability of the interface is determined using linear stability methods. In addition to application to liquid metal PFCs, thin film liquid metal effects have application to current and future devices where off-normal events may liquefy portions of the first wall and other plasma facing components.
Gangster in guerilla face: A transnational mirror of production between the USA and El Salvador

Doble cara (double/two-faced) is a key trope in Salvadoran political folklore. It is a folk theory of mimesis, which attempts to `master the absent presence of the other' through a discourse of conspiracy. The term has a history in the US-funded Salvadoran civil war. In this article, I consider how doble cara has come to be deployed around a new and pivotal social subject — Salvadoran immigrant gang youth deported from the USA — and how these deported youth emerge as a packed and displaced sign for the trauma of post-civil war violence, the failed promise of peace, and ongoing entanglements between the USA and El Salvador. The article is written in conversation with Begona Aretxaga, who inspired many of the questions explored here.
MCMI PROFILES OF PRETRIAL DEFENDANTS

Millon inventory scores for 135 registered patients screened for competency to stand trial raise concern about the clinical utility of the scale for pretrial forensic decisions
Challenges and Practical Approaches with Word Sense Disambiguation of Acronyms and Abbreviations in the Clinical Domain

OBJECTIVES Although acronyms and abbreviations in clinical text are used widely on a daily basis, relatively little research has focused upon word sense disambiguation (WSD) of acronyms and abbreviations in the healthcare domain. Since clinical notes have distinctive characteristics, it is unclear whether techniques effective for acronym and abbreviation WSD from biomedical literature are sufficient. METHODS The authors discuss feature selection for automated techniques and challenges with WSD of acronyms and abbreviations in the clinical domain. RESULTS There are significant challenges associated with the informal nature of clinical text, such as typographical errors and incomplete sentences; difficulty with insufficient clinical resources, such as clinical sense inventories; and obstacles with privacy and security for conducting research with clinical text. Although we anticipated that using sophisticated techniques, such as biomedical terminologies, semantic types, part-of-speech, and language modeling, would be needed for feature selection with automated machine learning approaches, we found instead that simple techniques, such as bag-of-words, were quite effective in many cases. Factors, such as majority sense prevalence and the degree of separateness between sense meanings, were also important considerations. CONCLUSIONS The first lesson is that a comprehensive understanding of the unique characteristics of clinical text is important for automatic acronym and abbreviation WSD. The second lesson learned is that investigators may find that using simple approaches is an effective starting point for these tasks. Finally, similar to other WSD tasks, an understanding of baseline majority sense rates and separateness between senses is important. Further studies and practical solutions are needed to better address these issues.