cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anxiety-like behavior in Rett syndrome: characteristics and assessment by anxiety scales

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by regression of language and motor skills, cognitive impairment, and frequent seizures. Although the diagnostic criteria focus on communication, motor impairments, and hand stereotypies, behavioral abnormalities are a prevalent and disabling component of the RTT phenotype. Among these problematic behaviors, anxiety is a prominent symptom. While the introduction of the Rett Syndrome Behavioral Questionnaire (RSBQ) represented a major advancement in the field, no systematic characterization of anxious behavior using the RSBQ or other standardized measures has been reported. This study examined the profiles of anxious behavior in a sample of 74 girls with RTT, with a focus on identifying the instrument with the best psychometric properties in this population. The parent-rated RSBQ, Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Scale (ADAMS), and Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C), two instruments previously employed in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, were analyzed in terms of score profiles, relationship with age and clinical severity, reliability, concurrent validity, and functional implications. The latter were determined by regression analyses with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition (Vineland-II) and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ), a quality of life measure validated in RTT. We found that scores on anxiety subscales were intermediate in range with respect to other behavioral constructs measured by the RSBQ, ADAMS, and ABC-C. Age did not affect scores, and severity of general anxiety was inversely correlated with clinical severity. We demonstrated that the internal consistency of the anxiety-related subscales were among the highest. Test-retest and intra-rater reliability was superior for the ADAMS subscales. Convergent and discriminant validity were measured by inter-scale correlations, which showed the best profile for the social anxiety subscales. Of these, only the ADAMS Social Avoidance showed correlation with quality of life. We conclude that anxiety-like behavior is a prominent component of RTT’s behavioral phenotype, which affects predominantly children with less severe neurologic impairment and has functional consequences. Based on available data on standardized instruments, the ADAMS and in particular its Social Avoidance subscale has the best psychometric properties and functional correlates that make it suitable for clinical and research applications.
The Confirmation Process and the Quality of Political Debate

Because so many important public issues have become the subject of constitutional litigation, the selection of Supreme Court justices has potentially significant political consequences. For most of the twentieth century, debate over prospective appointments focused upon seemingly neutral concepts of professional competence knowledge of the law, intelligence, experience, integrity, and aspects of character embodied in the notion of judicial temperament rather than upon candidates' substantive views.1 Recently, however, the debate has changed dramatically, and consideration of prospective justices' personal philosophy has dominated the confirmation process.2 The former approach might be called the competence model, the latter the ideological model.2 Those who favor full discussion of major political issues might be expected to approve the emergence of the ideological model. After all, this approach emphasizes substantive constitutional visions and focuses directly upon subjects that lie at the heart of national debate. Besides, it is more honest than the competence model, which has often concealed substantive disagreements beneath layers of symbolic arguments about ethics and character.4 In fact, the
Capti-Speak: a speech-enabled accessible web interface

People with severe vision impairments generally interact with web pages via screen readers that provide keyboard shortcuts for navigating through the content. However, this traditional press- and-listen mode of interaction has several drawbacks, notably: time wasted listening to irrelevant content, extensive use of the keyboard to navigate the content, and the need to remember numerous keyboard shortcuts and browsing strategies. Augmenting traditional screen reading with a speech interface has the potential to alleviate many of the above limitations. This work describes Capti-Speak, an accessible web-browsing interface that supports both speech commands and standard screen-reader shortcuts. A user study with a dozen blind participants showed that Capti-Speak was significantly more usable and efficient compared to the conventional screen readers, especially for ad-hoc browsing, searching, and navigating to the content of interest.
Splitting the Difference: Modeling Appellate Court Decisions with Mixed Outcomes

In rendering a decision in a particular case, judges are not limited to finding simply for the appellant or for the respondent. Rather, in many cases, they have the option to find for the former on one or more issues and for the latter on one or more other issues. By thus ‘‘splitting the difference,’’ judges can render a judgment that favors both litigants to some degree. What accounts for such mixed outcomes? Several theoretical perspectives provide potential explanations for this phenomenon. First, Galanter (1974) suggests that litigants with greater resources will achieve more favorable outcomes in the courts. Where two high-resource, repeat-player litigants meet in the appeals courts, these more sophisticated and successful parties may be able to persuade the court to render decisions with mixed outcomes that at least partially favor each party. Second, split outcomes may result from strategic interactions among the appeals court judges on the decisionmaking panel. Where majority opinion writers seek to accommodate other judges on the panel, split outcomes have the potential to serve as an inducement for more ideologically extreme judges to join the majority opinion. Finally, Shapiro and Stone Sweet (Stone Sweet 2000; Shapiro & Stone Sweet 2002) propose that courts will sometimes split the difference in order to enhance their legitimacy (and ultimately enhance compliance by losing parties). For example, in highly salient cases, where noncompliance would more clearly threaten court legitimacy, judges may be more likely to split the difference in order to mollify even the losing party. We develop an empirical model of mixed outcomes to test these propositions using data available from the U. S. Courts of Appeals Database and find evidence supportive of all three theoretical perspectives.
Sources of nitrogen for primary production in warm-core rings 79-E and 81-D1

Profound changes in concentrations of phytoplankton biomass and rates of primary production in warm-core Gulf Stream rings can occur, apparently in response to nutrient enrichment, within a few months after a ring separates from the Gulf Stream. In Ring 8 1 -D at 3 months of age the dependence on NO,- was 2%3 times as high as in the northern Sargasso Sea and in Ring 79-E shortly after formation. The N03- gradient at the base of the mixed layer in the new Ring 79-E was 0.09 pmol kg-* m-l, whereas that for the older Ring 8 1 -D was 0.30. The increase in proximity ofNO,- to the mixed layer may be a general phenomenon associated with the aging process of warm-core rings. The increase in this gradient enhances the potential for episodic bursts of production in warm-core rings in response to turbulent mixing at the base of the mixed layer. Following an interaction with the Gulf Stream and a gale force storm, the mixed layer of Ring 8 1 -D cooled and its NO,- content increased. In response to increased availability of NO,-, both the rate of phytoplankton utilization of N03- and the rate of primary production increased. Integrated rates for N03- uptake in the mixed layer increased sevenfold (from 28 to 195 pmol m-2 h-1 1.
Education and Treatment Needs of Students with Profound, Multiply Handicapping, and Medically Fragile Conditions: A Survey of Teachers' Perceptions:

This investigation assessed perceptions of special educators regarding the education and treatment needs of students with profound or multiple handicaps or medically fragile conditions. A survey wa...
Efficacy of Pravastatin in Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (NNRTI) and Protease Inhibitor (PI)-based HAART in HIV-Infected Patients

Pravastatin has generally been considered a safe and effective option for HIV-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). However, pravastatin concentrations are known to significantly decrease with concomitant efavirenz (EFV) use. Currently there are no studies determining if these reductions in pravastatin possibly translate into an attenuation of its lipid lowering efficacy when used in HIV-infected patients on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based HAART. To evaluate the differences in the lipid lowering efficacy of pravastatin for the treatment of dyslipidemia in HIV-infected patients on NNRTI-based HAART compared to protease inhibitor (PI)-based regimens. A single center, retrospective evaluation of a comprehensive electronic HIV registry that identified HIV-infected, Veterans Affairs (VA) patients who received pravastatin 20 mg plus NNRTI or PI-based HAART from January 1997 to November 2006 who met the strict criteria for inclusion. A total of 18 patients [NNRTI (n = 7) and PI (n = 11)] met the strict criteria for inclusion. In HIV-infected patients taking NNRTI-based HAART there was a reduction in TC by -10.1%, LDL by -12% and non-HDL by -12.2% within 6 months after starting pravastatin 20 mg. In HIVinfected patients taking PI-based HAART, there was a reduction in TC by -10.1%, in LDL by -21.1% and in non-HDL by -13.8% within 6 months after starting pravastatin 20 mg. In both groups, only one additional patient achieved their patient specific lipid goals. In either group these reductions were seen without any apparent adverse drug events or compromise to virologic or immunologic control. This initial evaluation suggests that pravastatinâs efficacy may be attenuated with NNRTIs versus PI-based HAART, possibly due to known reductions in pravastatin concentrations when administered with NNRTI-based regimens. These effects were seen without any apparent compromises to safety and should be validated in a prospective study.
Analysis of the efficacy of a novel mobile medical wastewater treatment system

The E-Z Solutions mobile medical wastewater treatment device was designed to treat medical wastewater accumulated from surgical operations on disaster relief vehicles in the event a viable sewer connection is unavailable. The device will prevent the spread of disease and other contaminants through wastewater by utilizing multiple filtration steps and the application of germicidal Ultraviolet (UV) light. The spread of disease from contact with biohazard wastewater is estimated to effect approximately 2 billion people around the world, with four-fifths of those contaminated inhabiting developing countries. Children comprise the majority of deaths attributed to waterborne disease due to the reduced strength of their immune systems compared to adults and their sensitivity to dehydration and malnutrition developed from symptoms of common waterborne diseases. Secondary contamination from contact with medical waste water is extremely dangerous given the variety of contaminants in the wastewater.
Worldwide never-smoking youth susceptibility to smoking.

Abstract Purpose To estimate susceptibility to smoking among never-smoking youth globally and identify factors associated with such behavior. Methods Cross-sectional data for 168 countries were obtained from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Frequencies and proportions for descriptive statistics, and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for logistic regression models were reported. Results Approximately 12.5% of never-smoking youth worldwide were susceptible to smoking worldwide, of which 7.2% were males and 5.3% were females. Compared with youth in the Americas, those in other WHO regions were associated with decreased susceptibility to smoking. Regardless of gender, exposure to parental or peer smoking, secondhand smoke inside or outside home, and tobacco industry promotion was associated with increased smoking susceptibility. In contrast, support for smoke-free policies and school antismoking education was associated with decreased susceptibility to smoking among females. Moreover, exposure to antismoking media messages was associated with increased susceptibility to smoking among never-smoking youth. Conclusions Approximately 1 in 8 never-smoking youth worldwide was found to be susceptible to smoking. A comprehensive approach involving parental and peer education, smoke-free policies, ban on tobacco advertising and promotions, and antismoking education in schools should be developed by policy makers and public health professionals to protect never-smoking youth from being susceptible to smoking and transforming into future regular smokers.
Recombinant Human Monoclonal Antibodies to Ebola Virus

Human Fab (IgG1kappa) phage display libraries were constructed from bone marrow RNA from 2 donors who recovered from infection with Ebola (EBO) virus during the 1995 outbreak in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The libraries were initially panned against a radiation-inactivated EBO virus-infected Vero cell lysate, but only weak binders were identified. In contrast, panning against secreted EBO glycoprotein (SGP) resulted in Fabs showing very strong reactivity with SGP in ELISA. These Fabs also reacted with a virion membrane preparation. The Fabs were strongly positive in IFAs with cells infected with EBO (subtype Zaire) virus but negative with uninfected cells, with a characteristic punctate staining pattern in the cytoplasm. The Fabs showed weak or no reactivity with the virus cell lysate although donor serum did react. The Fabs are now being characterized in structural and functional terms. Major interest will focus on the ability of antibodies to neutralize EBO virus and, later, to protect animals against infection.
Role of Oxygen Vacancies on the Ferroelectric Properties of Pzt Thin Films

The properties of ferroelectric thin films can be significantly influenced by the presence of point defects. The concentration of vacancies presented in these thin films is known to be one of the key parameters causing the degradation of these films when these films are subjected to polarization reversals. p]To study the effects of the vacancy concentration on the ferroelectric properties, sol gel PZT films and powders were annealed in different oxygen partial pressures. For the PZT films, the reduction of oxides to pure metals was not observed even with films annealed at 2×10−5 atmosphere of oxygen partial pressure. Samples annealed at low oxygen partial pressure (for instance, 10−3 and 2×10−5 atmosphere), which has more Pb and O2 depletions and consequently has more Pb and O2 vacancies, cannot be switched easily. The ratios of coercive field after and before fatigue increase as the defect concentrations of the annealed samples increase.
A case for packet deflection in structured wireless topologies

We promote the idea of deflecting packets in a structured wireless mesh deployment. In any wireless network, upon arrival of new packets when the sources and destinations are selected uniformly the majority of traffic goes through the center of the network, while the edges are underutilized. This situation becomes more apparent in a structured mesh deployment. We demonstrate that the throughput could be improved by deflecting packets away from the congested part of the network and towards the underutilized parts. We develop a simple routing protocol that allows network nodes to deflect packets. We demonstrate that the performance of deflection routing improves as the network size increases. Our extensive simulations show that despite of its simplicity deflection routing not only outperforms conventional shortest path routing but newly developed and complex opportunistic routing mechanisms as well. Our simulations show that for a moderate size network, deflection routing gives 51% higher throughput than the conventional routing mechanism, when a newly arrived packet selects its source and destination uniformly.
Evaluating Distance Spectra for Turbo Codes

Researchers have developed handy tools to evaluate the ensemble-average of distance spectra for turbo codes, but evaluating distance spectra for an individual turbo code with a specific random interleaver remains computationally prohibitive. This paper develops a new way to efficiently tackle this problem. The new method enjoys low complexity, and generates more comprehensive spectra results than existing methods possibly.
Effects of diphenylhydantoin on excitability and automaticity in the canine heart.

Studies were performed on the dog heart in situ to determine the effects of diphenylhydantoin (DPH) on excitability and automaticity. DPH decreased automaticity in the His-Purkinje system, evidenced by an increase in the ventricular escape time both during vagal stimulation in intact dogs and after ventricular overdrive in dogs with heart block. The spontaneous ventricular rate of dogs with heart block was unaffected by doses up to 20 mg/kg. DPH had no significant effect on either atrial or ventricular diastolic threshold when this variable was tested with bipolar stimuli or with stigmatic anodal or cathodal stimuli. The effective refractory period of atrial and particularly of ventricular muscle was shortened by DPH (10 mg/kg); a leftward shift in the strength-interval curve occurred consistently. Multiple response threshold and fibrillation thresholds were elevated by DPH in both the ventricle and atrium (20 of 24 experiments). In anesthetized dogs, intraventricular conduction velocity increased minimally after DPH administration. DPH increased transmembrane threshold voltage and reduced the current required to stimulate isolated Purkinje fibers. The commercial solvent used clinically as a diluent for DPH was found to increase diastolic threshold and prolong the effective refractory period.
ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATION IN SEED NUMBER, SIZE, AND DISPERSAL OF A FLESHY-FRUITED PLANT

Plant reproductive strategies may evolve from fitness trade-offs between seed dispersal and seedling establishment. Small crops of large seeds generally are not dispersed as far as large crops of small seeds, but large seeds contain more reserves for seedling establishment. However, selection pressures imposed on these traits may vary among environments. This study examined the extent and consequences of environmental variation in the seed dispersal strategy of a fleshy-fruited plant, the common chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). From 1996 to 1998, P. virginiana fruit crop and seed traits were measured for plants sampled in moist riparian or dry slope habitats in western Montana. The consequences of variation in P. virginiana location, seed size, and seed number for seed dispersal were estimated from 1996 to 1999 by collecting seeds in seed traps. In all years, P. virginiana produced larger crops of smaller seeds in riparian than in slope habitats. Reproductive biomass was lower for plants on moisture-limit...
M12 protein from Streptococcus pyogenes is a receptor for immunoglobulin G3 and human albumin

We previously showed that M12 protein from opacity factor-negative Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococci) CS24 is responsible for immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3) binding activity. Here, we report that this M protein binds human serum albumin (HSA). Deletion analysis showed that the C repeats are sufficient for binding HSA, although upstream regions may be required for optimal binding. Like protein G, IgG3 and HSA bind to independent domains in the M protein. Experiments showed that bound IgG3 did not inhibit HSA binding to the M protein. The interaction between M12 protein and HSA is specific. M12 protein does not bind chicken egg and bovine serum albumins. Alignments of C1 and C2 repeats of M12 protein to sequences at the carboxy termini of other M proteins and Ig receptors revealed highly homologous sequences in the FcRV, M5, M6, ML2.1, and M57 proteins, suggesting that all could bind HSA. As predicted from the alignment, M5 protein and M6+ streptococci bound HSA, whereas an isogenic M6- mutant did not bind HSA. Furthermore, M2 protein from an opacity factor-positive strain also bound HSA.
Diet shifts by planktivorous and benthivorous fishes in northern Lake Michigan in response to ecosystem changes

In Lake Michigan, diets of planktivorous and benthivorous fishes have varied over the past decades, in part owing to food web changes. To update diet information and compare them to a similar effort in 1994–1995, we analyzed the diets of seven benthivorous and planktivorous fish species collected along two northern Lake Michigan transects that spanned nearshore (18 m), intermediate (46 m), and offshore (91, 110, 128 m) bottom depths during spring, summer, and autumn of 2010. Calanoid copepods (e.g., Limnocalanus macrurus, Leptodiaptomus sicilis, and Senecella calanoides) comprised a majority of the diets in at least one season for all sizes of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), bloater (Coregonus hoyi), and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). Similarly, Mysis diluviana was the highest proportion in at least one season for large sizes of alewife, bloater, and rainbow smelt, as well as slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) and deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii). The diets of the remaining two species, ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) and round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), were dominated by herbivorous cladocerans or dreissenid mussels, respectively. Interspecific diet overlap was minimal at 18 and 46 m. In offshore waters, however, overlap was relatively high, driven by frequent consumption of Mysis. Relative to 1994–1995, 2010 diets revealed increased feeding on calanoid copepods and Mysis, with corresponding declining consumption of Diporeia spp. and herbivorous cladocerans. Relative diet weight was also higher in 1994–1995 than in 2010 for small and large bloater and both sculpin species. We hypothesize that the shifts in diets are reflective of community-level changes in invertebrate prey availability.
Managing the Household: Achieving Control, Being Productive, Distributing Resources

This chapter analyzes the daily routines of 37 women—young adults, mature adults and old women—from 10 extended family households to identify the reasons that mature adulthood is considered the most satisfying phase in a woman’s life. There are systematic differences in these daily routines, all of which can be traced to the family roles women occupy. The analysis indicates that women feel most in control of their own lives, most influential over others and connected most meaningfully to other people and to divinity when they are senior wives or married husband’s mother—the two family roles that mature adulthood encompasses. Thus, mature adulthood provides temple town women the greatest opportunities to access and experience wellbeing. This chapter presents a very particular picture of domesticity, one that exemplifies the moral values of self-control, self-discipline, and doing one’s duty sincerely and steadfastly—values that these women believe best ensure success and satisfaction in life.
Long-term effects of multiply pulsed dielectric barrier discharges in air on thin water layers over tissue: Stationary and random streamers

Tissue covered by thin liquid layers treated by atmospheric pressure plasmas for biomedical applications ultimately requires a reproducible protocol for human healthcare. The desired outcomes of wet tissue treatment by dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) depend on the plasma dose which determines the integral fluence of radicals, ions, electric fields and UV/VUV photons incident onto the tissue. These fluences are controlled by power, frequency and treatment time. To first order, these parameters determine the energy deposition (J cm−2) onto the tissue. However, energy deposition may not be the only parameter that determines the fluences of reactants to the underlying tissue. In this paper, we report on a computational investigation of multipulse DBDs interacting with wet tissue. The DBDs were simulated for 100 pulses at different repetition rates and liquid thicknesses followed by 10 s or more of afterglow. Two schemes were investigated—stationary and random. In the stationary scheme, the DBD plasma streamer continues to strike at the same location on the liquid layer, whereas in the random scheme the plasma streamer strikes at random locations on the liquid layer. These differences in streamer locations strongly affect the spatial distribution of solvated species such as OHaq and H2O2aq ('aq' represents an aqueous species), which have high rates of solvation. The spatial distribution of species such as NOaq, which have low rates of solvation, are less affected by the location of the streamer due to the remediating effects of diffusion in the air. The end result is that fluences to the tissue are sensitive to the spatial location of the streamer due to the ensuing reactions in the liquid between species that have low and high rates of solvation. These reactions can be controlled not only through location of the streamer, but also by repetition rate and thickness of the liquid layer.
LES for Supersonic Ramp Control Flow Using MVG at M=2.5 and Re=1440

In this paper, the MILES method and fifth order WENO scheme are used to make comprehensive studies on the MVG controlled ramp flow and the ramp only flow at M=2.5 and Re=1440. LES results show that MVG can significantly reduce the separation zone at the ramp corner and lower the boundary layer shape factor. A series of new findings are obtained about the MVG-ramp flow including the structures of the surface pressure, the spatial structures of the shock waves, the complete separation pattern, etc. The mechanism about the formation of the momentum deficit is deeply studied. A new mechanism on the shock-boundary layer interaction control by MVG is discovered as associated with a series of vortex rings, which are generated by the high shear layer at the boundary of the momentum deficit zone. Vortex ring strongly interacts with the flow and plays an important role in the separation zone reduction.
Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of CeAl2 in Magnetic Field

Despite the Malthusian growth of interest in CeAl2 its ground state remains enigmatico We have studied CeAl2 at low temperatures in magnetic field in order to shed some light on the transition from the high temperature crystal electric field (CEF) modified Kondo behavior(1) into the unknown ground state. Our measurements of thermal expansion and heat capacity have determined a phase diagram in the H-T plane consisting of a single low temperature, low field region bounded by a smooth line of second order transitions which approaches the T axis perpendicularly (see inset in fig. 4). We have studied some thermodynamic, magnetic and transport properties above and across the phase boundary in order to get more information about the ground state properties of CeAl2.
Study on the Mechanism of extracts in vine of Luffa on the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis

[Objective]To investigate the curative effects and its mechanism of extracts in vine of Luffa on the treatment of allergic rhinitis. [Methods] The mice model of allergic rhinitis were induced by ovalbumin and Al(OH)3so as to observe the symptoms of the mice and pathological changes of nasal mucosal morphology and to detect the histamine content and eosinophils of the nasal mucosa in the serum after 10 days of drenching corresponding drugs.[Results]The extracts in vine of Luffa can effectively change pathological alteration of nasal mucosa in rhinitis mice and reduce histamine levels and eosinophils of the nasal mucosa in the serum so as to cure rhinitis.[Conclusion]The functional mechanism of vine of Luffa in treating rhinitis can be achieved through decreasing histamine and eosnophils.
FDA approves revised prescribing for clozapine; new REMS in effect

EDITOR'S NOTE: We don't usually publish contributions from outside our own staff. However, at the request of the Food and Drug Administration, and given the importance of the topic, we've made an exception for the following article on changes in prescribing procedures for clozapine.
51 What you need to know about ICD-10-CM for injury research, surveillance, and epidemiology

Researchers who study injury morbidity frequently use hospital discharge, emergency department, trauma registry or other morbidity data that have been coded using the clinical modification of the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9-CM). The US Department of Health and Human Services has ruled that the clinical modification of the 10th Revision of ICD (ICD-10-CM) will replace ICD-9-CM in the United States for coding of morbidity data beginning October 1, 2015. On that date, all hospitals and health care providers covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) must use ICD-10-CM when reporting medical diagnosis information. This topic symposium will provide an overview of the ICD-10-CM injury diagnosis and external cause codes as well as the proposed ICD-10-CM matrices for standardised reporting and classification of injuries by (1) mechanism and intent of injury and (2) nature of injury and body region. A proposed ICD-10-CM surveillance definition for traumatic brain injury (TBI) will also be presented. Symposium participants will be encouraged to provide feedback on the proposed matrices and definitions. In an interactive exercise, participants will learn how to use General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs) to develop crosswalks to translate between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM.
Chronic myelocytic leukemia--Part II: Approaches to and molecular monitoring of therapy.

DATA SOURCES: Current literature. DATA SYNTHESIS: Chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) was initially described in 1845 and is considered one of the first leukemias discovered. Effective approaches to therapy were not instituted until arsenic was first administered in 1865. Since then, four major therapeutic milestones have been achieved; the development of alkylating agents like busulphan and 6-thioguanine in 1953, alpha interferon in 1983, bone marrow transplantation in 1986, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors in 1998. The discovery that the protein product of this fusion gene expresses constitutive tyrosine kinase activity prompted the synthesis of a designer drug, imatinib mesylate, which binds the fusion protein and neutralizes the tyrosine kinase activity. Molecular methods of detecting BCR-ABL transcripts are showing promise in confirming drug resistance and predicting patient outcomes in response to imatinib mesylate therapy. Evidence of drug resistance can guide physicians in selecting alternative therapeutic approaches early in the course of the disease to potentially rescue non responders. Although the success of clinical trials has been dramatic, drug resistance and disease relapse are issues to be considered. CONCLUSION: The discovery that the BCR/ABL fusion protein exhibits increased and constitutive tyrosine kinase activity led investigators to develop an inhibitor to this activity. The synthesis of imatinib mesylate, currently marketed as Gleevec™ or GlivecR, is in stage III clinical trials and has proven to be the most successful antileukemic drug to date. As in CML, an understanding of the leukemogenic mechanisms involved in other leukemias will provide the groundwork for the development of therapeutic interventions tailored to the specific molecular defects identified, eventually rendering obsolete the shotgun approaches to massive cell killing produced by chemotherapy. ABBREVIATIONS:ABL = Ableson oncogene found in a strain of mouse leukemia virus; ASH = American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting; BCR = breakpoint cluster region; CCR = complete cytogenetic response; CHR = complete hematologic response; CML = chronic myelocytic leukemia; INF = interferon; MCR = major cytogenetic response; MMR = major molecular response; RT-PCR = reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; SCT = stem cell transplant.
Gaining access : Congress and the farm lobby, 1919-1981

Through a comprehensive analysis of American agricultural politics in the past half-century, "Gaining Access" shows when, how, and why interest groups gain and lose influence in the policy deliberations of the United States Congress. By consulting with policy advocates, John Mark Hansen argues, lawmakers offset their uncertainty about the policy stands that will bolster or impede their prospects for reelection. The advocates provide legislators with electoral intelligence in Washington and supportive propaganda at home, earning serious consideration of their policy views in return. From among a multitude of such informants, representatives must choose those they will most closely consult. With evidence from congressional hearings, personal interviews, oral histories, farm and trade journals, and newspapers, Hansen traces the evolution of farm lobby access in Congress. He chronicles the rise and fall of the American Farm Bureau, the surge and decline of party politics, the incoporation of the commodity lobbies, the exclusion of the consumer lobbies, and the accommodation of urban interests in food stamps. Brilliantly combining insights from rational choice theory with historical data, "Gaining Access" is an essential guide for anyone interested in the dynamics of interest group influence.
Effects of non-ideal Hadamard modulators on the performance of ADC

A non-ideal Hadamard modulator in the front-end of /spl Pi//spl Delta//spl Sigma/ ADC can be modelled as an ideal Hadamard modulator with gain error in parallel with an offset error. The effects of non-ideal Hadamard modulators can be partially removed by using chopper stabilisation and adaptive channel gain equalisation.
Oxygen isotope geochemistry of mafic phenocrysts in primitive mafic lavas from the southernmost Cascade Range, California

Previously reported whole-rock δ18O values (5.6–7.8‰) for primitive quaternary mafic lavas from the southernmost Cascades (SMC) are often elevated (up to 1‰) relative to δ18O values expected for mafic magmas in equilibrium with mantle peridotite. Olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase crystals were separated from 29 geochemically well-characterized mafic lavas for δ18O measurements by laser fluorination to assess modification of the mantle sources by ancient and modern subducted components. Oxygen isotope values of olivine phenocrysts in calc-alkaline lavas and contemporaneous high alumina olivine tholeiitic (HAOT) lavas generally exceed depleted mantle olivine values (~4.9–5.3‰). Modern addition of up to 6 wt% slab-derived fluid from Gorda serpentinized peridotite dehydration (~15‰) or chlorite dehydration (~10‰) within the serpentinized peridotite can provide the 18O enrichment detected in olivine phenocrysts (δ18Oolivine = 5.3–6.3‰) in calc-alkaline mafic lavas, and elevate 18O in overlying mantle lithosphere, as well. Specifically, although HAOT δ18Oolivine values (5.5–5.7‰) may reflect partial melting in heterogeneous 18O enriched mantle source domains that developed during multiple subduction events associated with terrane accretion (e.g., <1 wt% of ~15‰ materials), an additional 18O enrichment of up to 2 wt% of 10–15‰ slab-derived hydrous fluids might be accommodated. The calc-alkaline primitive magmas appear to have experienced a continuous range of open system processes, which operate in the mantle and during rapid magma ascent to eruption, and occasionally post quench. Textural relationships and geochemistry of these lava samples are consistent with blends of mafic phenocrysts and degassed melts in varying states of 18O disequilibrium. In lenses of accumulated melt within peridotite near the base of the crust, coexisting olivine and clinopyroxene δ18O values probably are not at isotopic equilibrium because fluids introduced into the system perturbed the δ18Omelt values. A “sudden” melt extraction event interrupts 18O equilibration in phenocrysts and poorly mixed melt(s). Rapid ascent of volatile oversaturated primitive mafic magma through the crust appears to be accompanied by devolatilization and crystallization of anorthite-rich plagioclase with elevated δ18Oplag values. The (Sr/P)N values for the whole rock geochemistry are consistent with a 87Sr/86Sr ~0.7027 slab-derived fluid addition into the infertile peridotite source of magmas, and melt devolatilization is recorded in the mixture of disequilibrium δ18O values for the constituent phases of lavas. Morbidity of the Gorda Plate as it undergoes intense deformation from the spreading ridge to the trench is likely a key factor to developing the carrying capacity of hydrous fluids and mineral phases in the slab subducting into the SMC mantle.
Perceived Impact on Client Outcomes: The Perspectives of Practicing Supervisors and Supervisees

Clinical supervision is considered to be an essential component of psychotherapy training. However, research on supervisors’ ability to affect client outcome has been mixed. This investigation aims...
PT-symmetric micro-resonators: High sensitivity at exceptional points

Enhanced sensitivity is demonstrated in PT-symmetric coupled micro-resonator arrangements biased at an exceptional point. The spectral response of such a system is shown to follow a square root dependence on externally introduced perturbations.
Retinoblastoma (Rb) protein expression in triple-negative breast cancer.

1097Background: Expression of Rb, the protein product of the RB tumor suppressor gene, is required for cyclin D kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibition in luminal breast cancers. Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) frequently exhibit Rb loss and are thus believed to be poor candidates for CDK4/6 inhibition. However, the features associated with Rb loss in TNBC are poorly-defined. We aimed to assess whether TNBC that express the androgen receptor (AR) and resemble a more luminal subtype retain Rb more often than other TNBC. Methods: To assess the frequency and correlates of Rb expression in TNBC, we stained tissue microarrays (TMAs) containing 180 Stage I-III TNBC, 71 with germline BRCA1 mutations (BRCA1+) and 109 without BRCA1 mutation (sporadic), using a mouse monoclonal antibody to human Rb (clone G3-245, BD Biosciences). Assessment of tumor size, histologic type, grade, lymphovascular invasion and lymph node status were assessed on histologic review. The TMAs, containing three 0.6mm cores/tumor, had been previou...
The Art of Teaching Computational Science

Abstract The Workshop on Teaching Computational Science (WTCS) presented innovative research work describing innovations in teaching computational science in its various aspects, e.g. modeling and simulation, high-performance and large-data environments, during the International Conference in Computational Science 2017. This editorial provides an introduction to the work presented during the sessions.
LMap: Shape-Preserving Local Mappings for Biomedical Visualization

Visualization of medical organs and biological structures is a challenging task because of their complex geometry and the resultant occlusions. Global spherical and planar mapping techniques simplify the complex geometry and resolve the occlusions to aid in visualization. However, while resolving the occlusions these techniques do not preserve the geometric context, making them less suitable for mission-critical biomedical visualization tasks. In this paper, we present a shape-preserving local mapping technique for resolving occlusions locally while preserving the overall geometric context. More specifically, we present a novel visualization algorithm, LMap, for conformally parameterizing and deforming a selected local region-of-interest (ROI) on an arbitrary surface. The resultant shape-preserving local mappings help to visualize complex surfaces while preserving the overall geometric context. The algorithm is based on the robust and efficient extrinsic Ricci flow technique, and uses the dynamic Ricci flow algorithm to guarantee the existence of a local map for a selected ROI on an arbitrary surface. We show the effectiveness and efficacy of our method in three challenging use cases: (1) multimodal brain visualization, (2) optimal coverage of virtual colonoscopy centerline flythrough, and (3) molecular surface visualization.
Ethanol and sodium acetate as a preservation method to delay degradation of environmental DNA

Environmental DNA (eDNA) samples that are collected from remote locations depend on rapid stabilization of the DNA. The degradation of eDNA in water samples is minimized when samples are stored at ≤ 4 °C. Developing a preservation technique to maintain eDNA integrity at room temperature would allow a wider range of locations to be sampled. We evaluated an ethanol and sodium acetate solution to maintain the integrity of the DNA samples for the time between collection and lab testing. For this evaluation, replicate water samples taken from a tank housing Asian carp were placed on ice or held at room temperature. At both temperatures, water samples were left untreated or were preserved with an ethanol and sodium acetate solution (EtOH–NaAc). Every day for 6 days following collection, a subset of the samples was removed from each preservation method and DNA was extracted and nuclear and mitochondrial markers were assayed with qPCR. Results showed comparable persistence of DNA between iced samples without the EtOH–NaAc treatment and samples that received EtOH–NaAc treatment that were kept at room temperature. We found that DNA can be amplified from preserved samples using an EtOH–NaAc solution after up to 7 days at room temperature.
Management of low-grade dysplasia in Barrett’s esophagus: Ablate or survey?

Abstract There are several issues that continue to make the management of Barrett’s esophagus and low-grade dysplasia challenging especially in terms of determining the optimal management strategy—surveillance vs endoscopic eradication therapy (EET). Some of these include a highly variable rate of neoplastic progression to high-grade dysplasia or cancer and significant interobserver variability among pathologists (including expert gastrointestinal pathologists). The efficacy and effectiveness of EET, predominantly using radiofrequency ablation, in reducing the risk of progression has been well described. However, there are limited data that define the ideal candidates most likely to benefit from EET compared with surveillance. This review discusses the challenges in the diagnosis and management of Barrett’s esophagus with low-grade dysplasia, provides practice advice for this patient population and the need for physicians to incorporate quality indicators in clinical practice.
Acute cholecystitis: comparing clinical outcomes with TG13 severity and intended laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy in difficult operative cases.

The revised Tokyo Guidelines include criteria for determining the severity of acute cholecystitis with treatment algorithms based on severity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of the revised Tokyo Guidelines severity grade to clinical outcomes of cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. We identified 66 patients with acute cholecystitis from a prior study of difficult cholecystectomy cases. We examined the relationship between severity grade and multiple variables related to perioperative and postoperative outcomes. A more severe revised Tokyo Guidelines grade was associated with a higher number of complications (p = 0.03) and a higher severity of complications (p = 0.01). Severity grade did not predict operative time, estimated blood loss, intensive care unit admission or length of stay. Compared to planned open cholecystectomy, intended laparoscopic cholecystectomy was associated with significantly fewer total and Clavien–Dindo grade 3 complications, fewer intensive care unit admissions, and shorter length of stay (p values range from 0.03 to < 0.0001). In technically difficult operations for acute cholecystitis, the revised Tokyo guidelines severity grade correlates with the number and severity of complications. However, intended performance of laparoscopic cholecystectomy rather than open cholecystectomy in difficult operations predicts broader beneficial outcomes than severity grade.
Tolerability of Eteplirsen for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in the Youngest Reported Patient Treated With This Therapy (P2.332)

Objective: To report tolerability of eteplirsen infusions started at ten months of age in an infant diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Background: Eteplirsen is a novel therapy for DMD that uses antisense oligonucleotides to induce exon 51 skipping in mRNA splicing, thereby restoring dystrophin production in amenable mutations. In human clinical trials for eteplirsen, the youngest subject at entry was four years old. We report an infant who started treatment with eteplirsen at ten months of age. Design/Methods: Chart Review Results: Patient presented at five months of age due to strong family history of DMD (maternal uncle with DMD, mother mutation carrier). Creatine Kinase (CK) level was elevated at 7,162 IU/L. Genetic testing showed an out of frame dystrophin gene deletion from exon 48 to 50 which was amenable for exon 51 skipping with eteplirsen. Therapy with eteplirsen 30 mg/kg/dose was initiated at ten months of age. Weekly infusions have been tolerated well, with no complications. At 24 weeks of therapy, the patient was at 4th percentile for motor assessment on Bayley scale. Vital signs, hematology, renal function, echocardiogram were normal. Liver functions were baseline elevated, with no significant change since initiation of therapy. CK level prior to starting therapy was 24,939 IU/L, and at 24 weeks was 12,801 IU/L. Conclusions: With availability of eteplirsen commercially, early diagnosis and therapy initiation for pre-symptomatic patients would theoretically afford benefit in delaying symptoms and preserving ambulation. In clinical trials, eteplirsen was used in patients as young as four years old. With initiation of therapy at ten months of age, our patient is the youngest reported case treated with eteplirsen. With over 24 weeks of treatments completed, the patient has not had any adverse effects and has tolerated the drug well. Effect of early therapy on efficacy will be determined based on continued longitudinal follow up. Disclosure: Dr Bhalla has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lakhotia has nothing to disclose.
Evaluation of a Monoblock Divertor Design for the ITER Tokamak

A subcooled nucleate boiling computer code (with 3D heat conduction in solid and 1D forced convection in fluid) that incorporates a good estimation of the single-phase and two-phase pressure drop w...
The New Role for Water Markets in the Twenty-First Century

We have learned a great deal since the end of the 1980s. Water markets have shown the potential to help countries and regions deal with their growing water shortages. However, to be effective water markets need to have wide acceptance by stakeholder and be designed so that water can be traded at low transaction costs. Third party impacts tend to be the most difficult issues that must be addressed when water markets are being designed. This involves both downstream users and environmental impacts. After over two decades of trial and error Australia has done a good job of adjusting their institutional arrangements to address most third party impacts. Luckily local water markets tend not to have many third party impacts as illustrated by the village level markets in Oman.