cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytoreduction and intraperitoneal heated chemotherapy for the treatment of endometrial carcinoma recurrent within the peritoneal cavity.

Our experience with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPHC) in conjunction with surgical resection for endometrial cancer recurrent within the abdominal cavity was reviewed. Eligible patients underwent exploratory laparotomy with the aim of resecting disease to ≤5 mm maximum dimension followed immediately by intraperitoneal perfusion of cisplatin (100 mg/m2) heated to 41–43°C (105.8–109.4°F) for 1.5 h. Data for analysis was extracted from retrospective chart review. Five patients underwent surgery and IPHC between September 2002 and January 2005 for abdomino-pelvic recurrence. Original stage and histology were 1A papillary serous (1), 1C endometrioid with clear cell features (1), and 1B endometrioid (3). Mean age was 61 (41–75) years, mean prior laparotomies were 1.4 (1–2), and mean chemotherapy agent exposure was 1.6 (0–4). Mean time from initial treatment to surgery and IPHC was 47 (29–66) months. Mean length of surgery was 9.8 (7–11) h after which three patients had no residual disease and two had ≤5 mm disease. The mean duration of hospital stay was 12.6 (6–20) days. Postoperative surgical complications included wound infection with septicemia in one patient. Mean maximum postoperative serum creatinine was 1.02 (0.6–1.70) mg/dL. There was no ototoxicity or neuropathy and no perioperative mortality. No patients have been lost to follow-up. Two are living disease free at 28 and 32 m and two are living with disease at 12 and 36 m. One patient died at 3 m without evidence of cancer. Two patients who had no residual macroscopic disease at the end of surgery are alive at 32 and 36 m. The combination of IPHC with surgery for recurrent endometrial carcinoma is relatively well tolerated. The unexpectedly long survival seen in this cohort supports a phase II trial of IPHC with cisplatin for recurrent endometrial cancer.
A comparative study of carbons for use as an electrically conducting additive in the manganese dioxide cathode of an electrochemical cell

using continuous carbon-fiber carbon-matrix and polymer– untreated fibers are used. The activation treatment does not matrix composites. Comp Part B: Eng 1999;30(3):227–31. degrade the tensile properties of the fibers. [3] Sau KP, Chaki TK, Chakraborty A, Khastgir D. Electromagnetic interference shielding by carbon black and carbon fibre filled rubber composites. Plastics Rubber Comp Process Acknowledgements Appl 1997;26(7):291–7. [4] Ramadin Y, Jawad SA, Musameh SM, Ahmad M, Zihlif AM, Technical assistance by Weiming Lu of this University Paesano A et al. Electrical and electromagnetic shielding is appreciated. behavior of laminated epoxy–carbon fiber composite. Polymer Int 1994;34(2):145–50. [5] Huang CY, Pai JF. Studies on processing parameters and thermal stability of ENCF/ABS composites for EMI shieldReferences ing. J Appl Polym Sci 1997;63(1):115–23. [6] Shui X, Chung DDL. Submicron diameter nickel filaments [1] Chung DDL. Materials for electromagnetic interference and their polymer–matrix composites. J Mater Sci shielding. J Mater Eng Perform 2000;9(3):350–4. 2000;35:1773–85. [2] Luo X, Chung DDL. Electromagnetic interference shielding
Promoting and Marketing E-Resources

Marketing electronic resources is now a necessary task for librarians and libraries. In order for libraries to successfully market their e-resources, they must first understand what such an undertaking entails. This may include conducting user studies, working creatively and collaboratively, and using many lines of communication to disseminate the message.
Chinese Arms Transfers: Purposes, Patterns, and Prospects in the New World Order

Developments in Worldwide and PRC Arms Transfers Introduction to Part I: "A Rogue Elephant" China and the Global Arms Trade PRC Security and Its Growing Arms Trade, 1949-1979 Contemporary PRC Arms Transfers Introduction to Part II: Independence and Regional Influence PRC Arms Transfers to the Middle East: Beyond the Economic Motive PRC Arms Transfers to South Asia: Seeking Strategic Balance PRC Arms Transfers to Southeast Asia: Asserting Regional Influence Future Prospects for PRC Arms Transfers Chinese Arms Transfers in the 1990s: Purposes, Patterns, and Prospects in the New World Order Appendixes Appendix 1: Exports of Chinese Missiles and Missile Launchers, 1951-1990 Appendix 2: Exports of Chinese Armor/Artillery, 1951-1990 Appendix 3: Exports of Chinese Military Aircraft, 1951-1990 Appendix 4: Exports of Chinese Naval Craft, 1951-1990 Bibliography Index
Towards an understanding of liquid-metal embrittlement: Energetics of Ga on Al surfaces

First-principles electronic structure calculations show that Ga wets the low Miller index surfaces of Al. Consistent with a thermodynamic basis for the observation that Ga causes single-crystal Al to crack along (100) planes, the Ga-covered (100) plane has the lowest surface energy. This represents a compromise between weaker Ga binding on closer-packed Al surfaces and higher clean surface surface energies on more open ones. In the second adsorbed Ga layer, on Al(100), several structures lie near the minimum total energy, consistent with rapid diffusion of Ga to a crack tip. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
The wit and wisdom of master surgeon Robert Zollinger

Originally published in the September 4, 1985 issue of The Columbus Dispatch, this article profiled Dr. Zollinger on the occasion of his 82nd birthday.
Acute and chronic effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on seizures in the gerbil

Abstract Δ 9 -THC was injected daily for 6 days into gerbils from our breeding colony that exhibit spontaneous epileptiform seizures. At a dose of 20 mg/kg no effect was seen on the latency, duration or severity of the seizures induced after 1 and 6 days of treatment. Δ 9 -THC (50 mg/kg) completely abolished the seizures after a single injection but tolerance developed to this effect so that no protection was afforded after 6 daily doses. Severe toxin signs were evident at the higher dose level with marked depression of spontaneous motor activity. The toxic effects increased progressively with chronic treatment and half the animals failed to survive.
Ambient bioassays for assessing water-quality conditions in receiving streams

The purpose of this paper is to show how short-term laboratory tests, conducted according to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) procedures, can be used effectively to assess water-quality conditions in streams or rivers that receive pollutants from industry or municipal or agricultural areas. Standardized, short-term tests with fish, aquatic invertebrates or algae are commonly used to estimate the acute or chronic toxicity of wastewaters; this is referred to as effuent testing. The methods used for testing effluents also can be used to assess water quality in receiving streams: in this application, the procedures are referred to as ambient testing. Despite similarity in methods, the major objective of effluent testing differs importantly from that of ambient testing. In effluent testing, the key objective is to determine how toxic an effluent is; in ambient testing, the main objective usually is that of determining if the water at a site is toxic. This difference is subtle but very important: it shapes the strategy for cost-effective ambient testing, and determines the framework for effective statistical analysis and interpretation of ambient toxicity test results. Specific case-study examples are provided demonstrating the kinds of information that can be extracted from ambient toxicity testing by use of different statistical methods, including analysis of variance, contingency-table analysis, and two types of multivariate procedures (principal components analysis and logistic regression). Examples also are given supporting the idea that an effective ambient testing programme should be long-term, and contain a diagnostic-testing component analogous to the toxicity identification procedures used to supplement effluent-testing programmes. Recommendations derived as ‘lessons learned’ from largescale ambient toxicity testing programmes for receiving streams at Department of Energy facilities include: (1) testing more frequently with one species (preferably Ceriodaphnia) generally is more effective, in terms of information gained per dollar spent, than testing less frequently with two or more species; (2) use five or more sites per test period, plus two or more reference sites, whenever possible; (3) use four to six test periods per year; and (4) use diagnostic testing to supplement the ambient-testing programme. Various laboratory and in situ methods for environmental assessment are now under development, but these methods probably will not gain acceptance for use in regulatory situations for many years. Rapid growth in need for ecological risk assessments outstrips the rate at which new test procedures are approved for regulatory purposes. Thus, laboratory tests for estimating possible environmental impacts of toxic or disruptive pollutants are likely to be used more frequently during the next decade.
Novel processing of silica hydrosols and gels

Abstract New techniques for a solventless TEOS hydrolysis reaction and for inducing rapid homogeneous gelation with syneresis in silica hydrosols are described. The dependency of gelation time and syneresis shrinkage on the conditions at gelation are illustrated, and a reaction mechanism, based on structural considerations, is proposed. Some applications of these novel processes are suggested.
Hydrated excess proton at water-hydrophobic interfaces.

The behavior of the hydrated excess proton is investigated at the water−vapor, water−hydrophobic wall, and water−carbon tetrachloride interfaces through molecular dynamics simulations using the third-generation multistate empirical valence bond model (MS-EVB3). The MS-EVB3 simulations show a surface preference of the excess proton at the water−vapor interface, consistent with the discovery of this effect using an earlier version of the MS-EVB model (Petersen et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2004, 108, 14804) and with the experimental results. The preference of the hydrated excess proton for other water−hydrophobic interfaces is also analyzed for the first time. The hydrated proton structures and charge defect delocalization effects at these interfaces are discussed in detail. By decomposing the free energy profiles into the internal energy and entropic contributions, the thermodynamic (free energy) driving forces for the surface preference of the excess proton are also elaborated. These results indicate that the “...
Averroes, Thomas Aquinas and Giles of Rome on How is Man Understands

Giles of Rome, in his early treatise, De plurificatione possibilis intellectus , criticizes the arguments of Thomas Aquinas against the Averroist doctrine of the uniqueness of the possible intellect on the grounds that Aquinas does not fully appreciate the distinction between material and intentional forms and the differences in how these forms are generated. Nevertheless, like Aquinas, he argues that Averroes' doctrine still results in the apparently absurd consequence that homo non intelligit , i.e., the individual, particular man, this man, does not understand. Giles, however, attempts to respond to certain "radical" Averroists, who, in a bold and clever maneuver, affirm that homo non intelligit . While Giles does effectively argue that homo non intelligit is not the opinion of Averroes, he is unable to demonstrate the absurdity of homo non intelligit in a manner that would be convincing to the Averroists. This is because Giles, like Aquinas, maintains that the intellect is a power of the soul, and thus has a different conception of the relation between body and intellect than do the Averroists, who emphasize the separateness of the intellect.
Enterotoxin production by atypical Staphylococcus aureus from poultry

Phenotypically typical Staphylococcus aureus was isolated frequently from the necrotic bone and liver of poultry suffering from femoral head necrosis. Occasionally strains were isolated that differed from typical Staph. aureus in one or more of the major diagnostic tests, i.e. coagulase production, anaerobic fermentation of mannitol and production of a heat-stable deoxyribonuclease. Such atypical strains were also isolated from nasal swabs of healthy birds. Tests for enterotoxin production demonstrated that some atypical strains from both sick and healthy birds are capable of producing staphylococcal enterotoxins.
Research in action: using positive deviance to improve quality of health care

Despite decades of efforts to improve quality of health care, poor performance persists in many aspects of care. Less than 1% of the enormous national investment in medical research is focused on improving health care delivery. Furthermore, when effective innovations in clinical care are discovered, uptake of these innovations is often delayed and incomplete. In this paper, we build on the established principle of 'positive deviance' to propose an approach to identifying practices that improve health care quality. We synthesize existing literature on positive deviance, describe major alternative approaches, propose benefits and limitations of a positive deviance approach for research directed toward improving quality of health care, and describe an application of this approach in improving hospital care for patients with acute myocardial infarction. The positive deviance approach, as adapted for use in health care, presumes that the knowledge about 'what works' is available in existing organizations that demonstrate consistently exceptional performance. Steps in this approach: identify 'positive deviants,' i.e., organizations that consistently demonstrate exceptionally high performance in the area of interest (e.g., proper medication use, timeliness of care); study the organizations in-depth using qualitative methods to generate hypotheses about practices that allow organizations to achieve top performance; test hypotheses statistically in larger, representative samples of organizations; and work in partnership with key stakeholders, including potential adopters, to disseminate the evidence about newly characterized best practices. The approach is particularly appropriate in situations where organizations can be ranked reliably based on valid performance measures, where there is substantial natural variation in performance within an industry, when openness about practices to achieve exceptional performance exists, and where there is an engaged constituency to promote uptake of discovered practices. The identification and examination of health care organizations that demonstrate positive deviance provides an opportunity to characterize and disseminate strategies for improving quality.
How tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella spp) and common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) align objects to surfaces: Insights into spatial reasoning and implications for tool use

This report addresses phylogenetic variation in a spatial skill that underlies tool use: aligning objects to a feature of a surface. Fragaszy and Cummins-Sebree's [Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews 4:282–306, 2005] model of relational spatial reasoning and Skill Development and Perception–Action theories guided the design of the study. We examined how capuchins and chimpanzees place stick objects of varying shapes into matching grooves on a flat surface. Although most individuals aligned the long axis of the object with the matching groove more often than expected by chance, all typically did so with poor precision. Some individuals managed to align a second feature, and only one (a capuchin monkey) achieved above-chance success at aligning three features with matching grooves. Our findings suggest that capuchins and chimpanzees do not reliably align objects along even one axis, and that neither species can reliably or easily master object placement tasks that require managing two or more spatial relations concurrently. Moreover, they did not systematically vary their behavior in a manner that would aid discovery of the affordances of the stick–surface combination beyond sliding the stick along the surface (which may have provided haptic information about the location of the groove). These limitations have profound consequences for the forms of tool use we can expect these individuals to master. Am. J. Primatol. 73:1012–1030, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Total positivity and the embedding problem for Markov chains

We prove that the class of transition matrices for the finite state time-inhomogeneous birth and death processes coincides with the class of non-singular totally positive stochastic matrices. Thus we obtain a complete solution to the embedding problem for this class of Markov chains.
Strain differences in runway learning in the rat

Running speed during runway conditioning was measured for 567 rats from 12 inbred strains: ACI, A990, A35322, F344, inR, IR, MNR/Har, MNRA, MR/Har, TS1, TS3, WAG. The results provide parametric data for methodological use and add to the standardization of these strains as behaviorally defined lines.
Molecular mechanisms of deguelin-induced apoptosis in transformed human bronchial epithelial cells.

Abstract Increasing evidence has demonstrated that the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway plays an important role in cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, adhesion, invasion, and migration, functions that are critical to cancer cell survival and metastasis. Increased expression of activated Akt has been observed in the early stages of tobacco-induced lung carcinogenesis. Moreover, blocking the PI3K/Akt pathway specifically inhibits the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, indicating that the PI3K/Akt pathway is a potential target for chemoprevention and therapy in lung cancer. The aim of this work is to study the lung cancer chemopreventive potential of PI3K/Akt inhibitors using an in vitro lung carcinogenesis model. We found that genetic or pharmacologic approaches targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway inhibited the proliferation of premalignant and malignant human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. After screening several natural products to identify a potential lung cancer chemopreventive agent, we have found that deguelin, a rotenoid isolated from Mundulea sericea (Leguminosae), specifically inhibits the growth of transformed HBE and NSCLC cells by inducing cell-cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and apoptosis, with no detectable toxic effects on normal HBE cells, most likely due to the agent’s ability to inhibit PI3K/Akt-mediated signaling pathways. The specific sensitivity of premalignant and malignant HBE and NSCLC cells to deguelin suggests that this drug could be clinically useful for chemoprevention in early-stage lung carcinogenesis and for therapy in confirmed lung cancer.
Rifamycin inhibition of WT and Rif-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Escherichia coli RNA polymerases in vitro

Summary Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infects over 9 million people globally and claims approximately 2 million lives annually. Rifampin (Rif) is one of the first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs that inhibits transcription by binding to the β subunit (encoded by the rpoB gene) of the prokaryotic RNA polymerase (RNAP). A highly conserved 81 base pair core region among the β subunit of prokaryotes harbors most of the point mutations leading to rifamycin-resistant (RifR) mutations, where the majority of the clinically relevant MTB RifR mutations result from amino acid substitutions of one of the following three amino acids: βAsp435, βHis445, and βSer450 (MTB numbering). In this study, to determine the direct effect of rifamycins on the MTB RNAP, co-overexpression vectors were constructed to co-express the core subunits of wild-type and RifR mutants of MTB RNAP. The three aforementioned amino acids were each mutated to the most prevalent substitution found in the MTB clinical isolates (Asp435Val, His445Tyr, Ser450Leu) in the rpoB gene via site-directed mutagenesis. After purification via two-step column chromatography, the in vitro activity of the wild-type and RifR mutant MTB RNAPs was assessed via rolling circle transcription assay. The apparent IC 50 values for three key rifamycins (rifampin (Rif), rifabutin (Rbn), and rifaximin (Rfx)) were determined and these results indicate that the mutant RNAPs demonstrate approximately 10 3 -fold or greater loss of affinities for rifamycins relative to wild-type MTB RNAP. Along with the MTB RNAPs, rifamycin inhibition of the Escherichia coli RNAP counterparts was also assessed. Previously, it has been reported that Gram-positive bacteria (particularly mycobacteria) are more sensitive to rifamycins than Gram-negative bacteria. Under our experimental conditions, the rifamycin IC 50 s for wild-type and RifR mutants of MTB and E. coli RNAPs (wild-type and corresponding mutants) were very similar; therefore, the difference in sensitivity toward rifamycins does not reside in the RNAP itself. The correlation between the sensitivity of rifamycins and permeability into cells was evaluated using the wild-type E. coli strains (TG2 and DH5α) and a mutant E. coli strain with efflux pump defects (EC2880, tolC − / imp − ). The MICs were drastically lower in the EC2880 strain, consistent with previous reports that the differential sensitivity of MTB and E. coli to rifamycins is not related to the RNAP, but rather has to do with efflux pumps in E. coli . Future work will focus on the elucidation of the molecular interaction of these MTB RifR mutants with rifamycins to provide insight to the design of novel rifamycins.
The preterm infant as a social partner: Responsive but unreadable

The behavioral responses of 16 very low birthweight premature infants and 16 full-term infants to social stimulation were assessed at the time of discharge from the hospital. Each infant was exposed to visual, auditory, tactile, and combined auditory and tactile social stimulation. Both groups of infants were found to be more motorically active and less visually responsive when tactually stimulated. Preterm infants differed significantly from full-term infants in their high frequency of body movement and arousal. The two groups did not differ in their ability to orient visually, sustain enface gaze and generally appear socially available. The results suggest a different pattern of response organization in the preterm infant; the infant is able to visually orient to a partner but unable to control erratic body movements, gasps and grunts, or frequent shifts in state. As a social partner, the preterm infant, though socially responsive, may not be “readable” by the caregiver.
The prediction of reverse turns in the blue copper proteins and their copper cores

Abstract The frequencies of occurrence of the side chains in proteins in the first, second, third, and fourth positions of a reverse turn in a set of 26 nonredundant protein chains are shown in a table that lists cysteine and cystine side chains separately. This table was used to predict the reverse turns in poplar plastocyanin whose crystal structure is known (75% of the turn residues are correctly predicted but the overall accuracy of the predictions is only 66% in a turn-not-turn two-state model), and in three blue copper proteins whose crystal structures are being determined (cucumber plastocyanin and cucumber basic protein) or contemplated ( Rhus vernificera stellacyanin). The copper cores proposed for cucumber basic protein and stellacyanin are discussed.
Middle cerebral artery occlusion in Macaca fascicularis: acute and chronic stroke evolution.

Background An intravascular stroke model designed for magnetic resonance imaging was developed in Macaca fascicularis (M. fascicularis) to characterize serial stroke lesion evolution. This model produces a range of stroke lesion sizes which closely mimics human stroke evolution. This paper describes the care of animals undergoing this stroke procedure, the range of outcomes we experienced and the cause of mortality in this model. Methods Anesthesia was induced with atropine and ketamine and maintained with isoflurane or propofol. Non-invasive blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate, respiration rate, temperature and end tidal CO2 were monitored continuously. The stroke was created by occluding a distal branch of the middle cerebral artery. During catheter placement animals were heparinized and vasospasm was minimized using verapamil. Results Anesthetic induction and maintenance were smooth. Animals with small strokes showed very rapid recovery, were able to ambulate and self-feed within 2 hours of recovery. Animals with strokes of ≥4% of the hemispheric volume required lengthy observation during recovery and parenteral nutrition. Large strokes resulted in significant brain edema, herniation and brainstem compression. Conclusions Intracerebral hemorrhage and or subarachnoid hemorrhage coupled with a stroke of any size was acutely fatal. In the absence of an effective acute stroke therapy, the spectrum of outcomes seen in our primate model is very similar to that observed in human stroke patients.
Systemic Bevacizumab (Avastin) Therapy for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Twelve-Week Results of an Uncontrolled Open-Label Clinical Study

Purpose To evaluate the short-term safety of systemic bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA) and its effects on visual acuity (VA) and subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Open-label, single-center, uncontrolled clinical study. Participants Age-related macular degeneration patients with subfoveal CNV (N = 9) and best-corrected VA letter scores of 70 to 20 (approximate Snellen equivalent, 20/40–20/400). Methods Patients were treated at baseline with an infusion of bevacizumab (5 mg/kg), followed by 1 or 2 additional doses given at 2-week intervals. Safety assessments were performed at all visits. Ophthalmologic evaluations included protocol VA measurements and ocular examinations, along with optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography. Main outcome measurements Safety assessments were performed, along with assessments of changes from baseline in VA scores, OCT measurements, and angiographic lesion characteristics. Results There were no serious ocular or systemic adverse events identified. By 6 weeks, the only adverse event identified was a mild elevation of systolic blood pressure (BP) (+12 mmHg; P = 0.035), and this elevation was controlled by either changing or initiating antihypertensive medication. By 12 weeks, the elevation of systolic BP was no longer significant ( P = 0.51). In the study eyes, significant increases in VA were evident within 1 week of treatment, and by 12 weeks, the median and mean VA letter scores increased by 8 letters ( P = 0.011) and 12 letters ( P = 0.008), respectively. The median and mean central retinal thickness measurements decreased by 157 μm ( P = 0.008) and 177 μm ( P = 0.001), respectively. In the fellow eyes at 12 weeks, the median and mean VA letter scores increased by 27 letters ( P = 0.018) and 16 letters ( P = 0.012), and the median and mean central retinal thickness measurements decreased by 59 μm ( P = 0.028) and 92 μm ( P = 0.06). In all study eyes, angiography revealed a marked reduction or an absence of leakage from CNV. Conclusion Overall, bevacizumab therapy was well tolerated, with an improvement in VA, OCT, and angiographic outcomes. Although these preliminary results are promising, a randomized controlled clinical trial is necessary before concluding that systemic bevacizumab therapy is safe and effective for patients with neovascular AMD.
The 1.5-A resolution crystal structure of bacterial luciferase in low salt conditions.

Bacterial luciferase is a flavin monooxygenase that catalyzes the oxidation of a long-chain aldehyde and releases energy in the form of visible light. A new crystal form of luciferase cloned from Vibrio harveyi has been grown under low-salt concentrations, which diffract x-rays beyond 1.5-A resolution. The x-ray structure of bacterial luciferase has been refined to a conventional R-factor of 18.2% for all recorded synchrotron data between 30.0 and 1.50-A resolution. Bacterial luciferase is an α-β heterodimer, and the individual subunits fold into a single domain (β/α)8 barrel. The high resolution structure reveals a non-prolyl cis peptide bond that forms between Ala74 and Ala75 in the α subunit near the putative active site. This cis peptide bond may have functional significance for creating a cavity at the active site. Bacterial luciferase employs reduced flavin as a substrate rather than a cofactor. The structure presented was determined in the absence of substrates. A comparison of the structural similarities between luciferase and a nonfluorescent flavoprotein, which is expressed in the lux operon of one genus of bioluminescent bacteria, suggests that the two proteins originated from a common ancestor. However, the flavin binding sites of the nonfluorescent protein are likely not representative of the flavin binding site on luciferase. The structure presented here will furnish a detailed molecular model for all bacterial luciferases.
Genetic variation in telomeric repeat binding factors 1 and 2 in aplastic anemia

Objective Abnormal telomere shortening has been observed in a subset of individuals with aplastic anemia (AA). We hypothesized that genetic variation in two genes critical in telomere biology, TERF1 and TERF2 , could be a risk factor for AA. Methods The proximal promoter and all coding regions of TERF1 and TERF2 were sequenced in 47 individuals with acquired AA. Regions with genetic variation were sequenced in an additional 95 AA patients and 289 healthy controls. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequencies were analyzed using co-dominant and dominant models and haplotypes determined. Functional studies evaluated telomerase activity, telomere and telomeric overhang lengths, and TRF2 protein expression in select patients. Results Two nonsynonymous amino acid changes were detected, one in exon 9 of TERF1 and another in exon 6 of TERF2 . These sequence variants resulted in conservative amino acid changes and were not predicted to alter TRF1 or TRF2 protein expression or function. SNP and haplotype analyses in acquired AA patients suggested that one variant allele, in intron 9 of TERF1 , and haplotype could be associated with increased risk for aplastic anemia (OR 1.59, 95% confidence interval 1.06–2.39, p = 0.033). TERF2 SNPs and haplotypes were not significantly associated with aplastic anemia. Conclusions It is possible that a common genetic variant in TERF1 is associated with risk for AA but additional studies are required. Highly penetrant, non-synonymous, or insertion-deletion mutations in TERF1 and TERF2 were not identified and therefore are not likely to be major genetic risk factors for the development of AA.
Esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula and associated congenital esophageal stenosis.

Background. The association of congenital stenosis of the distal esophagus (CES) in children with esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula complex (TEF) has been described but is thought to be rare. Most reports have been of individual or small numbers of cases. Objective. The objective of the study was to evaluate the incidence, clinical and radiographic features of CES associated with TEF, and to compare the clinical and radiographic features of CES with acquired anastomotic strictures in TEF patients. Materials and methods. A retrospective review was undertaken of the records and radiographs of 225 infants with primary TEF repair over a 26-year period. Results. A total of 18 of 225 (8 %) cases of CES associated with TEF and 43 of 225 (19 %) cases of anastomotic strictures were identified. CES was typically a relatively long, smooth circumferential narrowing at the junction of the mid-esophagus and distal esophagus, with normal-caliber esophagus above and below; anastomotic strictures, in contrast, were focal. Diagnosis of CES was delayed in 10 cases and missed on one or more fluoroscopic studies in 14 children. Symptoms, including feeding and respiratory problems and foreign body impaction, were common in both CES and anastomotic strictures; repeated esophageal dilatations were usually necessary. Esophageal perforation complicated dilatation in 6 (33 %) young children with CES, but none of the children with anastomotic strictures (P < 0.001). Conclusion. CES in combination with TEF is not rare and usually produces clinical symptoms. The diagnosis may be missed or delayed unless specifically evaluated surgically and radiologically. Esophageal dilatation in CES is potentially hazardous with a high risk of perforation, especially in young children.
Field application and assessment of the safety edge

Pavement edge drop-off can be a serious safety concern when a vehicle leaves the paved roadway surface and encounters a significant difference in vertical elevation between the paved roadway and the adjacent unpaved shoulder. Edge drop-offs are potential safety hazards because scrubbing between the pavement edge and tire can result in loss of control. FHWA developed the Safety Edge on the basis of research results that indicated a sloped pavement edge surface could be more easily traversed by a vehicle leaving its lane and attempting to remount the pavement edge. The Safety Edge is a design feature that creates an approximate 30° fillet along the outside edge of the paved section of a roadway. Although a number of benefits have been attributed to the Safety Edge, agencies in Iowa were slow to adopt it. To accelerate use of the Safety Edge, the research team marketed and monitored it in Iowa during the 2010 construction season. This project provided the opportunity to evaluate the Safety Edge as well as summarize lessons learned from agencies and contractors. Evaluation of the Safety Edge included assessment of the consistency of slope application, identification of common problems during construction, measurement of the density of the Safety Edge, and computation of the approximate additional material needed to construct the Safety Edge. The team also measured drop-off formation along previously constructed Safety Edge sites and compared this with control sites to assess any difference in occurrence.
Richard Wiseman, a royalist surgeon of the English civil war

Abstract The contribution to the treatment of head injuries from Richard Wiseman, a Royalist surgeon during the English Civil War culminating in the battle of Worcester (1651), is presented. Wiseman's surgical skill and vast experience was expressed in his book based on 600 personally treated patients.
Neutron pickup and four-body processes in reactions of 16O+197Au at 26.5 and 32.5 MeV/nucleon

Abstract Projectile breakup in reactions of 424 MeV and 520 MeV 16O+197Au was studied via coincidence measurements of projectile-like fragments and light particles. The quasi-elastic breakup of the projectile was found to proceed via sequential decay. In addition, the 12C-α channel showed important contributions from neutron pickup followed by successive neutron and alpha-particle emission, a mechanism generating four-body final states.
Structuring access to higher education: The role of differentiation and privatization

Abstract Building on cross-national stratification research that examines how institutional arrangements affect stratification processes, I explore how two characteristics of higher education systems, differentiation and privatization, shape access to postsecondary opportunities. Using hierarchical linear models and relying on variation in educational systems across states in the U.S., I demonstrate that differentiation and privatization structure access to higher education, albeit at times in previously unanticipated ways. Differentiation, which denotes the presence of community colleges, has a democratizing effect: it increases overall enrollment in postsecondary institutions as well as decreases the gap in enrollment between students from different social strata. Moreover, contrary to the diversion hypothesis, differentiation does not disproportionately divert students from less privileged family backgrounds from 4-year institutions. Differentiation does, nevertheless, divert another group of students: those with lower test scores. The results also indicate that privatization has little effect on overall access to higher education, although it influences migration of students, facilitating out-of-state enrollment.
β-Acetylhexosaminidases and other acid hydrolases of diploid WI-38 fibroblasts

Abstract Human embryonic diploid lung fibroblasts of the WI-38 line were assayed for the activities of acid hydrolases normally associated with lysosomes. Present in the fibroblasts were: β-acetylhexosaminidases, acid phosphatase, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, β-glucuronidase, α-mannosidase, sulfatase, acid pyrophosphatase, lipase, ribonuclease, sialidase, cathepsin A and cathepsin D. Lysozyme, hyaluronidase and cathepsin C activities were not detected. Selected hydrolases were measured as a function of passage number, during growth to confluence after subcultivation, and after holding the cells in the postconfluent resting phase. As evidenced by increased specific activity, β-acetylhexosaminidase was greatly affected by these manipulations of the cultures. β-Acetylhexosaminidase, the acid hydrolase with the highest specific activity, was measured in soluble and membrane fractions of passage 20 and passage 41 cells, and was separated into its A and B forms from passage 26.5 cells. The ratio of β-acetylglucosaminidase to β-acetylgalactosaminidase activities was pH dependent and varied from 5.2:1 to 9.9:1; the pH optimum of the former enzyme being about pH 4.6 and of the latter being pH 4.0. The Km app for p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminide was 1.5 m m . The B form of the enzyme was more heat stable than the A form, and the enzyme in 0.5 m potassium chloride extracts of passage 41 cells was more heat stable than the enzyme in extracts of passage 20 cells. The effect of known inhibitors of hexosaminidases was tested. The enzyme appears to be similar in most respects to other β-acetylhexosaminidases from mammalian sources.
The geographic and phylogenetic position of sauropod dinosaurs from the Kota formation (Early Jurassic) of India

Abstract The earliest sauropods are the Late Triassic Isanosaurus from Thailand, the Early Jurassic Barapasaurus and Kotasaurus from the Kota Formation of the Pranhita-Godavari Basin of India and Vulcanodon from Zimbabwe, and a variety of Middle Jurassic genera from many localities in Gondwana and Laurasia except North America. These early sauropod genera are related, but their phylogenetic positions remain unresolved. Sauropods originated in Laurasia (Thailand and vicinity) or Pangea (broadly, Thailand, China, India), with at least three additional steps involving expansion and diversification through the Middle Jurassic.
Proteins and mucoproteins in the duodenal fluids of cystic fibrosis and control subjects

Abstract Duodenal fluids from cystic fibrosis and control subjects were analyzed for proteins and mucoproteins by quantitative paper-strip electrophoresis. Prominent quantitative differences were found among the nine major proteins and mucoproteins of the two subject groups. Three proteins and two mucoproteins did not differ between the groups, but the other two proteins and two mucoproteins did differ. The cystic fibrosis subjects had: (I) a relative excess of substances designated as mucoprotein O and protein C5; and (2) a relative deficiency of mucoprotein C4 and protein O. It is notable that cystic fibrosis is characterized by a quantitative difference pattern rather than by a qualitative difference.
Special Review Series: Experimental Advances in Understanding Cancer Pain

In this final contribution to the Special Review Series on basic mechanisms of cancer pain, Rosemary Polomano and I review recent progress in developing animal models of chemotherapy-evoked painful peripheral neuropathy. We now …
What can we learn about hearing aids from cochlear implants

Cochlear implants have changed the rehabilitation of profoundly hearing-impaired patients. A wide range of performance is reported for postlingually deaf adult patients using multichannel (Nucleus and Inerad) cochlear implants. For the 63 patients described here, performance ranges from 0 to 62% correct word recognition, from 0 to 98% lipreading enhancement measured as a percentage of the possible enhancement, and from 0 to 98% on understanding words in sentences. Prelingually deaf children also show benefit from their cochlear implants, but they require more time to obtain benefit than postlingually deaf children and adults. Experience with cochlear implants has suggested a few observations that could be useful to hearing aid development, including: (1) field trials are essential; (2) signal processing should preserve and enhance frequency resolution; (3) the fitting process for a sophisticated hearing aid may require several days to adjust properly; (4) fitting algorithms should focus on individuals rather than averages; (5) patients will wear a larger device if their handicap is great enough and if the improvement is sufficient; and (6) patients should and will accept expensive hearing aids.
Teaching Self-Direction to Enhance Children's Thinking in Physical Science.

Abstract Fifty middle-grade pupils conducted experiments on the effects of gravity, either as members of small groups who were taught skills of self-directed critical thinking (Experimental 1; E-1) or as members of a class taught by their regular teacher (Experimental 2; E-2). Sixteen other children served as controls (C), studying neither the science nor the thinking skills. Experimental 1 and Experimental 2 pupils scored significantly higher on a test of relevant science content than did the control children, but their achievement was not different from each other. When E-1, E-2, and C children were individually given new science problems to solve, E-1 pupils outperformed E-2 pupils and C pupils as predicted. Somewhat unexpectedly, E-2 children performed better on the new problems than did the uninstructed C pupils.
Diffusion-based deprotection in mesoporous materials: a strategy for differential functionalization of porous silica particles.

A monodisperse, spherical mesoporous silica (Acid-Prepared Mesoporous Spheres, APMS) was prepared and then functionalized with two types of Fmoc (9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl) terminated silanes with variable chain lengths. N2 physisorption experiments indicated that, under some conditions, the pores of the solid were completely filled by the Fmoc-protected organosilanes. These blocked pores were then “reopened” by the cleavage of Fmoc groups with a piperidine solution. In contrast to the solution reaction, this deprotection reaction was much slower within the pores. The rate of deprotection was followed by UV/visible spectroscopy, and a plot of Fmoc released versus time showed a sigmoidal shape. An empirical model was applied to the data, which indicated that the reaction was influenced by the concentration and temperature of the piperidine solution as well as the number of Fmoc moieties within the pores. Using this information, we show that the location of the deprotection reaction in the pores of the s...
Archiving and retrieval of sequential images from tomographic databases in PACS

In the picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) used in modern hospitals, the current practice is to retrieve images based on keyword search, which returns a complete set of images from the same scan. Both diagnostically useful and negligible images in the image databases are retrieved and browsed by the physicians. In addition to the text-based search query method, queries based on image contents and image examples have been developed and integrated into existing PACS systems. Most of the content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems for medical image databases are designed to retrieve images individually. However, in a database of tomographic images, it is often diagnostically more useful to simultaneously retrieve multiple images that are closely related for various reasons, such as physiological continguousness, etc. For example, high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images are taken in a series of cross-sectional slices of human body. Typically, several slices are relevant for making a diagnosis, requiring a PACS system that can retrieve a contiguous sequence of slices. In this paper, we present an extension to our physician-in-the-loop CBIR system, which allows our algorithms to automatically determine the number of adjoining images to retain after certain key images are identified by the physician. Only the key images, so identified by the physician, and the other adjoining images that cohere with the key images are kept on-line for fast retrieval; the rest of the images can be discarded if so desired. This results in large reduction in the amount of storage needed for fast retrieval.
Pliocene-Pleistocene Sediments of the Equatorial Pacific: Their Paleomagnetic, Biostratigraphic, and Climatic Record

Magnetic stratigraphy of 15 oriented cores from the equatorial Pacific was determined as far back as the Gilbert reversed-polarity epoch. Ranges of selected species of four major microfossil groups (diatoms, silicoflagellates, foraminifers and Radiolaria) are compared with the record of geomagnetic reversals during the last 4.5 m. y. in eastern equatorial Pacific deep-sea cores. Characteristics of the fossil assemblages are used as criteria for recognition of most of the paleomagnetic reversals that occurred during this interval. Two zones of major paleontological change occur characterized by extinctions of several species and coiling direction changes in some foraminifers. The first change comes in the middle of the Gauss normal magnetic series (about 3 m.y. B.P.) and the second near the Olduvai magnetic event (about 2.0 m.y. B.P.). Seven equatorial foraminiferal species, two radiolarian species, and two diatom species become extinct near reversals. The establishment of the true chronostratigraphic relationships of these selected microfossil species allows us to date zonations of previous authors and provides absolute dates that can be used in worldwide correlation of marine sediments. The percentage of calcium carbonate was determined throughout the lengths of four cores. Eight distinct carbonate cycles are present in the Brunhes series, having periodicities of about 75,000 years in the upper Brunhes to over 100,000 years in the lower Brunhes. It is possible to correlate these carbonate cycles among our cores and also to correlate them with the previous work of Arrhenius who equated the carbonate peaks with glacial stages and the troughs with interglacial stages. This interpretation is supported by paleomagnetic and C14 dating of the last carbonate high which is synchronous with the Wisconsin glaciation (80,000 to 11,500 years B.P.). It, therefore, is probable that there were eight major glacial fluctuations during the last 700,000 years. During the last 400,000 years there is good correlation between the carbonate cycles of the Pacific and evidence of climatic fluctuations in the Atlantic established by Ericson and Wollin (1968) and Emiliani (1966) based on fossil abundances and oxygen isotope ratios, respectively. The rates of sedimentation during the Brunhes series range between 3.5 mm/1000 years for siliceous ooze to 17.5 mm/1000 years for highly calcareous sediment.
Changes in Pulmonary Blood Volume During Upright Exercise: Clinical Implications

Forty patients with coronary artery disease and 12 normal subjects underwent symptom-limited upright exercise. The pulmonary blood volume was measured by first-pass radionuclide angiography. There was no significant change in pulmonary blood volume during exercise in the normal subjects. Twenty-seven patients (68 percent) with coronary artery disease had an increase in pulmonary blood volume during exercise. Seventeen of the 19 patients (89 percent) with coronary artery disease who stopped the exercise because of shortness of breath had an increase in pulmonary blood volume during exercise compared with ten of 21 patients (48 percent) who stopped because of angina or an abnormal exercise ECG or both (P