cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Significance of Portal Vein Invasion and Extent of Invasion in Patients Undergoing Pancreatoduodenectomy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Several studies have confirmed the safety of pancreatoduodenectomy with portal/mesenteric vein resection and reconstruction in select patients. The effect of vein invasion and extent of invasion on survival is less clear. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between tumor invasion of the portal/mesenteric vein and long-term survival. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma at a single academic medical center (2000–2014) was performed. Survival was compared using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. After non-pancreatic periampullary adenocarcinomas and patients with non-segmental (lateral wall only) resection of portal/mesenteric vein were excluded, there were 567 eligible patients. Of these, segmental vein resection was performed in 90 (16 %) with end-to-end primary anastomosis (67) or interposition graft reconstruction (23). Patients with vein resection more likely received neoadjuvant systemic therapy (59 vs. 4 %, p < 0.0001). Histopathology of patients undergoing vein resection revealed a distribution of T stage toward larger tumors and higher rates of perineural invasion. Portal/mesenteric vein resection, however, was not associated with differences in hospital stay, postoperative complications, or operative mortality. Patients with or without vein resection had comparable overall survival rates at 1-, 3-, and 5-years. On final surgical histopathology, only 52 of 90 (58 %) vein resections had adenocarcinoma involvement of the venous wall. Of these, depth of invasion was at the level of the adventitia (9), media/intima (34), and full thickness/intraluminal (9). Venous wall invasion (52) did not significantly influence overall survival (14 vs. 21 months, p = 0.08) but was associated with significantly shorter median disease-free survival (11.3 vs. 15.8 months, p = 0.03), predominantly due to local recurrence. The extent of invasion (adventitia, media/intima, full thickness/intraluminal) did not impact overall survival or disease-free survival (14.4 vs. 15.5 vs. 7.4 months, p = 0.08 and 11.2 vs. 12.2 vs. 5 months, 0.59, respectively). Portal/mesenteric vein resection, histopathologic invasion, or the extent of invasion were not independent predictors of overall survival in Cox regression analysis. Although Portal/mesenteric vein resection is associated with increased 90-day mortality, venous resection is not prognostic of overall survival. Although a subgroup analysis showed that a direct tumor invasion into the vein wall on final histopathology was associated with a higher rate of local recurrence but with no difference in overall survival (even when stratified according to extent of venous wall invasion), larger studies with an increased power will be needed to confirm these findings.
Challenges at the Bedside With ECMO and VAD

Patients on circulatory support can be the source of multiple challenges including optimizing the circuit for specific congenital heart lesions, troubleshooting circuit failures, transporting patients on the circuit, anticoagulation and bleeding, transitioning to more mobile ventricular assist device, listing for thoracic organ transplantation, weaning from the circuit, and educating the patient and family about mechanical support. These challenges ideally require a specialized multidisciplinary team, which includes anesthesiologists, child life specialists, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) specialists, intensivists, nurses, nutritionists, perfusionists, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, social workers, and surgeons.
The Origin of the Pycnidium in Macrophomina Phaseoli

1. American Phytopathological Society, Source book Comm. 1967. Source book of laboratory exercise in planit pathology. W. H. Freeman Company, San Francisco. 387 p. 2. Hendrix, J. W. 1965. Influence of sterols on growth and reproduction of Pythium and Phytophthora spp. Phytopathology 55: 790-797. 3. Savage, E. J., C. W. Clayton, J. H. Hunter, J. A. Brenneman, C. Laviola, and M E. Gallegly. 1968. Homothallism, heterothallism and interspecific hybridization in the genus Phytophthora. Phytopathology 58: 1004-1021. 4. Waterhouse, Grace M. 1963. Key to the species of Phytophthora de Bary. Mycol. Pap. 92: 1-22. 5. . 1967. Key to Pythium Pringsheim. Mycol. Pap. 109: 1-15. 6. . 1970. The genus Phytophthora de Bary. Diagnoses (or descriptions) and figures from the original papers (2nd ed.) Mycol. Pap. 122: 1-59. 7. Williams, F. J., K. S. Amin, and B. Baldev. 1975. Phytophthora stem blight of Cajanus cajan. Phytopathology 65: 1029-1030. 8. --, J. S. Grewal, and K. S. Amin. 1968. Serious and new diseases of pulse crops in India in 1966. P1. Dis. Reporter 52: 300-304.
The Affordable Care Act: The Replacement for the Employer Sponsored Health Insurance Tax Exclusion

This paper discusses the ESI tax exclusion and its negative impacts on healthcare spending and costs. This paper begins with a background on the ESI tax exclusion and how it has shaped healthcare costs and spending in the United States. Part III discusses the ACA provisions that undermine the rationales for the ESI exclusion. Part IV presents options for reform to the ESI exclusion and part V concludes.
TRAP/BPEL - A Framework for Dynamic Adaptation of Composite Services

TRAP/BPEL is a framework that adds autonomic behavior into existing BPEL processes automatically and transparently. We define an autonomic BPEL process as a composite Web service that is capable of responding to changes in its execution environment (e.g., a failure in a partner Web service). Unlike other approaches, TRAP/BPEL does not require any manual modifications to the original code of the BPEL processes and there is no need to extend the BPEL language nor its BPEL engine. Furthermore, TRAP/BPEL promotes the reuse of code in BPEL processes as well as in their corresponding autonomic behavior. In this paper, we describe the details of the TRAP/BPEL framework and use a case study to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our approach.
Proteomics-Based Theranostics

Discovery of proteomic (proteome) biomarkers is helpful for early tumor diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Proteins present in blood released from diseased cells and surrounding tissues contain important biological information with the potential to transform early diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, and even preventative decisions in medicine. This chapter reviews the bioinformatics methods for proteomics biomarker discovery with related issues and the improved knowledge-based network biomarkers.
Revisiting secondary capsulotomy for posterior capsule management in pediatric cataract surgery.

Purpose To evaluate the development and treatment of visual axis opacification following pediatric cataract extraction with intraocular lens placement (IOL) without primary posterior capsulotomy and anterior vitrectomy (PPC+AV). Methods The medical records of children who underwent cataract extraction and IOL at an academic medical center were reviewed retrospectively for development of posterior capsular opacification (PCO) to identify risk factors for development of treatment-requiring posterior capsular opacification. Results A total of 63 eyes of 47 children 7 months to 16 years of age were included. The rate of PCO formation following cataract extraction without PPC+AV was 90%. Of those, 96% required a secondary capsular procedure to clear the visual axis; 55% had a clear visual axis after 1 procedure, almost exclusively with a YAG capsulotomy, and 3.5% did not require any secondary capsular procedure. Younger age was the only statistically significant characteristic associated with both PCO formation and need for more than one secondary capsular procedure. Children Conclusions Cataract extraction and IOL without PPC+AV leads to an expected high rate of PCO formation, which can be effectively managed with a secondary capsular procedure in all age groups. Leaving the posterior capsule intact at primary surgery is an option to discuss with parents to avoid a more complicated primary surgery.
Luminescence centers in calcium co-doped LSO:Ce single crystals

Experimental studies of LSO:Ce crystals co-doped with various concentrations of Ca are presented. Photoluminescence decay time, excitation and emission spectra, thermal response and X-ray radioluminescence are investigated as a function of Ca concentration. Experimental data show Ca co-doping does not alter the energy level structure of either Ce1 or Ce2, but reduces the relative population of Ce2 to Ce1. Thus, the luminescence from Ce2 is suppressed, which contributes to the fast scintillation decay of Ca co-doped LSO:Ce.
Transferring New Technologies From R&D To Manufacturing

(1989). Transferring New Technologies From R&D To Manufacturing. Research-Technology Management: Vol. 32, No. 5, pp. 38-43.
Biased agonists of the kappa opioid receptor suppress pain and itch without causing sedation or dysphoria

Agonists targeting the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) have been promising therapeutic candidates because of their efficacy for treating intractable itch and relieving pain. Unlike typical opioid narcotics, KOR agonists do not produce euphoria or lead to respiratory suppression or overdose. However, they do produce dysphoria and sedation, side effects that have precluded their clinical development as therapeutics. KOR signaling can be fine-tuned to preferentially activate certain pathways over others, such that agonists can bias signaling so that the receptor signals through G proteins rather than other effectors such as βarrestin2. We evaluated a newly developed G protein signaling–biased KOR agonist in preclinical models of pain, pruritis, sedation, dopamine regulation, and dysphoria. We found that triazole 1.1 retained the antinociceptive and antipruritic efficacies of a conventional KOR agonist, yet it did not induce sedation or reductions in dopamine release in mice, nor did it produce dysphoria as determined by intracranial self-stimulation in rats. These data demonstrated that biased agonists may be used to segregate physiological responses downstream of the receptor. Moreover, the findings suggest that biased KOR agonists may present a means to treat pain and intractable itch without the side effects of dysphoria and sedation and with reduced abuse potential.
Christian Faith in a Secular Age

This article offers an analysis of secularization from within the Christian tradition, with an emphasis on the challenge that the moral and metaphysical dissensus created by secularization causes, not only for a Christian conception of the world, but even for the very possibility of establishing a persuasive case for Christianity in the midst of the social and ideological fragmentation of contemporary society. Beginning with Charles Taylor’s analysis of secularism, it will consider several perspectives on the relationship between modernity, secularism, and the breakdown of moral consensus in the modern world. Finally, it will turn to the question of how Christians should engage with integrity with the secular context of modernity.
Halo-free phase contrast microscopy (Conference Presentation)

The phase contrast (PC) method is one of the most impactful developments in the four-century long history of microscopy. It allows for intrinsic, nondestructive contrast of transparent specimens, such as live cells. However, PC is plagued by the halo artifact, a result of insufficient spatial coherence in the illumination field, which limits its applicability. We present a new approach for retrieving halo-free phase contrast microscopy (hfPC) images by upgrading the conventional PC microscope with an external interferometric module, which generates sufficient data for reversing the halo artifact. Measuring four independent intensity images, our approach first measures haloed phase maps of the sample. We solve for the halo-free sample transmission function by using a physical model of the image formation under partial spatial coherence. Using this halo-free sample transmission, we can numerically generate artifact-free PC images. Furthermore, this transmission can be further used to obtain quantitative information about the sample, e.g., the thickness with known refractive indices, dry mass of live cells during their cycles. We tested our hfPC method on various control samples, e.g., beads, pillars and validated its potential for biological investigation by imaging live HeLa cells, red blood cells, and neurons.
Absolute configuration of an axially chiral sulfonate determined from its optical rotatory dispersion, electronic circular dichroism, and vibrational circular dichroism spectra

The absolute configuration (AC) of an axially chiral sulfonate (aCSO), 3,5-dimethyl-2-(naphthalen-1-yl)-6-(naphthalen-1-yl)benzenesulfonate (labeled as aCSO5), was investigated using optical rotatory dispersion (ORD), electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopies. All three methods led to the same conclusion and the AC of aCSO5 is reliably determined to be (−)-(aR, aR), or conversely (+)-(aS, aS).
Renal Complications Associated with HSCT

Acute kidney injury and CKD remain significant complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and are associated with morbidity and mortality. Careful assessment of kidney function, e.g., glomerular filtration rate (GFR), blood pressure, and proteinuria, is a critical first step in the detection of kidney disease and the prevention of further injury, when possible. While kidney injury can be multifactorial after HSCT, the most common causes include medications, infections, thrombotic microangiopathy, and perhaps GvHD. Close collaboration between HSCT providers, nephrologists, infectious disease experts, and, when needed, critical care teams is essential to the prevention and management of kidney injury in this high-risk population. This chapter discusses the prevalence and diagnosis of renal dysfunction post-HSCT. It also addresses common causes of kidney injury post-HSCT. Hemorrhagic cystitis is discussed in greater detail elsewhere (see Chap. 16).
Suspected Oak, Quercus, Toxicity in an African Spurred Tortoise, sulcata

ABSTRACT A captive-raised, 4-year-old male African spurred tortoise, Geochelone sulcata, was maintained in an indoor/outdoor enclosure and was found dead after a two-day history of polyuria. Gross necropsy revealed severe oral mucosal and esophageal ulceration and an intestinal tract diffusely packed with oak leaves. Histologically, there was fibrinonecrotic stomatitis, glossitis, segmental enteritis, necrotizing splenitis, multifocal intravascular thrombosis, and renal tubular nephrosis. The oral ulceration and renal tubular nephrosis were attributed to tannin toxicity. Tannic acid concentration in the stomach contents was 80ppm. Disseminated thrombosis may have been the result of uremia or a direct effect of the tannin toxins. Veterinarians and animal caregivers should be aware of and advise owners to the potential for oak toxicity in tortoises with access to oak leaves.
A Nonparametric Theory of Statistics on Manifolds

An expository account of the recent theory of nonparametric inference on manifolds is presented here, with outlines of proofs and examples. Much of the theory centers around Frechet means; but functional estimation and classification methods using nonparametric Bayes theory are also indicated. Applications in paleomagnetism, morphometrics and medical diagnostics illustrate the theory.
Identification of perioperative pulmonary aspiration in children using quality assurance and hospital administrative billing data.

BACKGROUND Perioperative aspiration is a rare but potentially devastating complication, occurring in 1-10 per 10 000 anesthetics based on studies of quality assurance databases. Quality assurance reporting is known to underestimate the incidence of adverse outcomes, but few large studies use supplementary data sources. This study aims to identify the incidence of and risk factors for perioperative aspiration in children using quality assurance data supplemented by administrative billing records, and to examine the utility of billing data as a supplementary data source. METHODS Aspiration events for children receiving anesthesia at a tertiary care pediatric hospital between 2008 and 2014 were identified using (i) a perioperative quality assurance database and (ii) hospital administrative billing records with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision Clinical Modification coded diagnoses of aspiration. Records were subject to review by pediatric anesthesiologists. Following identification of all aspiration events, the incidence of perioperative aspiration was calculated and risk factors were assessed. RESULTS 47 272 anesthetic cases were evaluated over 7 years. The quality assurance database identified 20 cases of perioperative aspiration occurring in surgical inpatients, same-day admissions, and outpatients. Using hospital administrative data (which excludes outpatients with shorter than a 24-hour stay), 9 cases of perioperative aspiration were identified of which 6 had not been found through quality assurance data. Overall, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision coding demonstrated a positive predictive value of 94.5% for any aspiration event; however, positive predictive value was <4% for perioperative aspiration. A total incidence of 5.5 perioperative aspirations per 10 000 (95% CI: 3.7-8.0 per 10 000) anesthetics was found. CONCLUSION Quality assurance data offer an efficient way to measure the incidence of rare events, but may underestimate perioperative complications. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for aspiration used as a secondary data source were nonspecific for perioperative aspiration, but when combined with record review yielded a 30% increase in identified cases of aspiration over quality assurance data alone. The use of administrative data therefore holds potential for supplementing quality assurance studies of rare complications.
The Chromosome Cycle and the Centrosome Cycle in the Mitotic Cycle

“Possible, but not interesting,” Lonnrot answered. “You'll reply that reality hasn't the least obligation to be interesting. And I'll answer you that reality may avoid that obligation but that hypotheses may not.” Jorge Luis Borges, “Death and the Compass”
Selective Endoscopic Discectomy

More than 12 yr have passed (1991) since I learned and adopted arthroscopic microdiscectomy (AMD) from pioneer endoscopic spine surgeon Parviz Kambin, who, along with Sadahisa Hijikata, first established the technique for percutaneous nucleotomy in the early 1970s. A cadaver dissection of the traditional posterior anatomy of the lumbar spine compared with the foraminal anatomy clearly illustrates the feasibility and advantages of the foraminal approach to the lumbar disc (Fig.1A,B). Kambin’s AMD technique evolved gradually to allow for more dorsal placement of the cannula to effect posterolateral fragmentectomy and resection of the posterior annulus for stenosis, and it made possible the removal of extruded and sequestered herniated discs (1, 2, 3, 4) (Fig. 2). Hijikata (5) also recently reviewed his 12 yr of experience with endoscopic discectomy. In 1996, a new design of the operating spine endoscope adding multichannel irrigation and complementary instrumentation (Fig. 3) (6) allowed further development of endoscopic spine surgery to include the treatment of annular tears causing discogenic back pain (7,8). Advanced techniques of foraminoplasty for central and lateral recess stenosis followed (9, 10, 11, 12). The third-generation system design change to the Yeung Endoscopic Spine Surgery (YESS) system gave me more flexibility to maneuver the endoscope and improved ability to probe spinal anatomy in a conscious patient (13). Continued evolution of this technique afforded me the ability to better evaluate the pathological process causing the patient’s discogenic back pain.
Nonlinear ultrasonic response of voids and Cu precipitates in body-centered cubic Fe

Interpreting nonlinear ultrasonic signals detected in a nondestructive evaluation of radiation damage requires the knowledge of the correlation between defects and nonlinearity. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the effect of distributed vacancies, voids, Cu atoms, and Cu precipitates on the nonlinear ultrasonic response in body-centered cubic (bcc) Fe. The nonlinearity parameter calculated from the second harmonic amplitude in the perfect lattice is 2.73. Vacancies are found to increase the nonlinearity. However, clusters of vacancies in the form of spherical voids show an opposite effect. This finding can be used to conveniently distinguish vacancies from voids in the material. Unlike vacancies, individual Cu atoms decrease the nonlinearity. Clustering of Cu atoms into Cu precipitates further decreases the nonlinearity. Interestingly, precipitates with a diameter of 2 nm and larger exhibit a similar effect despite their different structure and coherency with the Fe matrix.
A Qualitative Phenomenological Study of Emotional and Cultural Intelligence of International Students in the United States of America.

This phenomenological study examined the role of emotional and cultural intelligence in the social integration of international students. The study included nine participants who were selected using purposeful sampling. The researcher used five main interview questions to guide the datacollection process. The questions were designed to help determine both whether the participant appeared to be competent in cultural and emotional intelligence, and how that competence then contributed to his or her social integration. The study findings revealed that emotional and cultural intelligence played an important role in enabling international students to integrate socially. This article seeks to offer a deeper understanding of the social integration challenges of international students, contribute to the existing knowledge, and offer suggestions for future research.
Bachelor Trouble, Troubled Bachelors: The Cultural Figure of the Bachelor in Ballybunion and Mullingar

This chapter focuses on two historical moments which crystallise the cultural transformation of the concept of the bachelor: the founding of the Gay Bachelor Festival in Ballybunion in 1970, and the premiere of A. J. Stanley’s play Troubled Bachelors in Mullingar in 1940. Stanley’s play responded to the threatened eviction of bachelors from council cottages by the Westmeath Board of Health in 1938, unless they agreed to get married. This chapter attempts to develop a preliminary genealogy of the term ‘bachelor,’ recovering the ideological richness and cultural complexity of Irish bachelordom by analysing local practices of gender and masculinity. In the context of dancehall culture and the international gay rights movement, this chapter reads the Irish bachelor as resistant and potentially counter-hegemonic figure of masculinity.
Rice carbonization and the archaeobotanical record: experimental results from the Ban Chiang ethnobotanical collection, Thailand

Our paper addresses the complex set of issues affecting rice grain preservation at archaeological sites. Through a set of carefully controlled carbonization experiments using wild and domesticated species, we demonstrate that dried, dehusked grains survive intact within a small window of heating conditions and, contrary to previous studies, are not substantially reduced in size by the carbonization process. The rice accessions included in this study are part of an extensive botanical collection from the Ban Chiang region, Thailand, which provides unique ethnobotanical information for traditional rice cultivars, their growing conditions, and specific attributes favored by local farmers. The Ban Chiang rice study provides a new lens for considering the history of rice cultivation in Southeast Asia regarding the chronology, archaeology, and cultural importance of Oryza sativa ssp. japonica and Oryza sativa ssp. indica.
Anisotropic breakage mechanics: From stored energy to yielding in transversely isotropic granular rocks

Abstract The microstructure of geological solids is affected by their deposition history, which generates complex systems of grain contacts and damage patterns able to induce mechanical anisotropy. This paper aims to disclose the connection between energy storage and the yield surface of cross-anisotropic granular rocks, with the goal to simplify the representation of their mechanical anisotropy. For this purpose, a reformulation of Continuum Breakage Mechanics (CBM) is proposed to introduce material symmetries associated with energy storage processes. It is shown that, due to the thermodynamic consistency of the selected approach, the energy release resulting from comminution is influenced by the anisotropic characteristics of the elastic energy potential. As a result, the model is able to capture naturally and without additional fitting parameters the dependence of the yielding envelope on the relative orientation between bedding planes and loading direction. The performance of the new CBM model has been tested by performing parametric analyses which elucidate the role of cross-anisotropic elastic properties on the yield surface of a granular rock. Furthermore, its accuracy has been assessed against laboratory results available for two sandstones exhibiting dependence of the yield stress on the orientation of the bedding planes. Despite the simplicity of the selected model, the results emphasize that the proposed approach captures the salient features of the deformation response of anisotropic granular rocks, thereby disclosing an intimate connection between grain-scale energy release and cataclastic yielding which greatly simplifies the mathematical description of intrinsic inelastic anisotropy.
Adapting a self-affirmation intervention for use in a mobile application for smokers

Self-affirmation interventions can reduce defensive responses to threats to the self, but have had limited reach to the general population. We sought to create an effective and feasible version of the Kindness Questionnaire self-affirmation intervention for use on a mobile device outside the traditional university laboratory setting and by non-student participants. In an online experiment, 603 cigarette smokers (Mage= 37.5 years, SD = 10.2) were randomly assigned to one of six conditions in a 2 (Self-Affirmation: Self-Affirmation, No Self-Affirmation Control) × 3 (Example Type: Written, Imagined, No Examples) fully-crossed design. Participants read a message about the health harms of smoking. None of the self-affirmation variations were effective or feasible: the self-affirmation showed null effects on the primary outcomes of message acceptance, perceived message effectiveness, and reactance. It also backfired by reducing intentions to quit smoking and risk perceptions. Participants spent little time reading the health message, and those in the written self-affirmation condition infrequently provided detailed responses. Translating interventions developed and tested for efficacy in laboratory settings to “real-world” settings is necessary but challenging.
The effects of trainings in soil and water conservation on farming practices, livelihoods, and land-use intensity in the Ethiopian highlands

Smallholder farmers in the Ethiopian Highlands face increasingly difficult farming conditions. Agricultural intensification to feed the growing rural population, livestock pressure on native vegetation, and climate change converge to exacerbate soil erosion, creating a significant threat to crop productivity and rural livelihoods. Farmer trainings can be a potent strategy to increase farmer awareness of the larger causes of soil loss, help farmers adapt to or mitigate environmental challenges, and improve crop outputs and incomes. However, evaluations of farmer training programs rarely assess socioeconomic and environmental outcomes simultaneously. Our study uses multiple methods to estimate the socio-ecological effects of a soil and water conservation training program for farmers implemented by ADHENO Integrated Rural Development Association, an Ethiopian non-governmental organization. We asked: (a) did farmers use practices taught in trainings; (b) did these strategies lead to improved agricultural productivity or livelihoods; and (c) how did land-use intensity change in areas with more participation in farmer trainings? To address questions (a) and (b), our study and results are based on 449 household surveys, collected between June and August 2017, in two rural kebeles in Ethiopia in which ADHENO has been active since 2003. We used remote sensing analysis of high resolution satellite images to measure land-use change over a period of nine years, addressing question (c) for one of the kebeles. Analysis of household surveys with propensity score matching and robustness checks suggests that participation in farmer trainings predicts the implementation of four out of seven soil conservation farming methods. Participants in training sessions also had higher average incomes from agriculture than non-participants. Linear models of land-use change in the area around villages did not depict a clear relationship between participation in farmer trainings and change in land-use intensity. These results indicate that farmer trainings focusing on soil and water conservation have the potential to influence farming practices and livelihoods and have implications for soil conservation efforts in the Ethiopian Highlands. This study highlights the importance of evaluating the impacts of small, localized development interventions, of which there are many in sub-Saharan Africa, to better understand the ways in which myriad types of programs influence both land use and livelihoods.
Synthesis of a metal-ligating amino acid suitable for solid phase assembly of peptides

Abstract The synthesis of an amino acid analog, N-α-Fmoc-N-e-Tetrabutyl EDTA-L-Lysine, suitable for incorporating a strong metal binding site at any internal sequence position in a peptide is described.
In-vitro infection of peripheral blood dendritic cells with human immunodeficiency virus-1 causes impairment of accessory functions.

Dendritic cells (DC) although a minor bone-marrow derived cell population, play an important role in initiating T-cell-mediated immune responses (Steiman and Inaba, 1989). The involvement of DC in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been suggested by several reports (Eales et al.,1988; Patterson and Knight,1987; Langhoff et al.,1991). Patterson and Knight (1987), using a preparation containing 2 to 48% DC, detected viral budding from the plasma membrane 5 days after HIV-IIIB infection. Surprisingly, Langhoff et al (1991) reported that DC produced ∼ 10-fold more virus, than did T lymphocytes or fresh adherent monocyte populations when infected with several strains of HIV. Our studies were designed to test the relative ability of different strains of HIV-1 displaying different cellular tropism, to infect human peripheral blood DC and to determine the effect of such infection on DC accessory functions.
The Long Road to Kidney Transplantation: Does Center Distance Impact Transplant Referral and Evaluation?

Kidney transplantation is the optimal treatment therapy for eligible patients with kidney failure, offering longer life expectancy and better quality of life compared with patients receiving long-term dialysis treatment ([1][1]). However, despite decades of recognition and efforts to improve equity
Is Urinary Retention Following Extravesical Ureteral Reimplantation Still a Concern

Transient urinary retention is a known complication of bilateral extravesical ureteral reimplantations. Recent studies have shown that the robotic-assisted bilateral extravesical reimplantation may have lower transient urinary retention rates than previously reported for the open approach. The purpose of this review is to compare urinary retention incidence in patients undergoing open versus robotic-assisted extravesical reimplantations. In some of the larger series, open bilateral extravesical ureteral reimplantation was noted to have a temporary urinary retention rate of 4–15%. In our recent experience with the open approach, we have noted a 2% incidence of transient urinary retention. In recent series of robotic-assisted bilateral extravesical reimplantations, transient retention was seen in 0–22%, with larger series favoring lower urinary retention rates. The incidence of transient urinary retention following open or robotic-assisted approaches in recent series is 0–2%, which is almost negligible. Dysfunctional elimination syndrome symptoms and constipation need to be aggressively treated preoperatively. Families of patients who undergo bilateral extravesical ureteral reimplantations, regardless of whether it is performed via the open or robotic-assisted approach, should not only be counseled of the small risk of transient urinary retention but should also be told that this can also be seen with any other surgical approach for the repair of primary vesicoureteral reflux.
Estimation of Heights and Body Masses of Tuberculosis Patients in the Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study for Use in Individual Dosimetry.

Author(s): Thiessen, Kathleen M; Apostoaei, A Iulian; Zablotska, Lydia B | Abstract: AbstractThis paper documents the estimation of mean heights and body masses, by age and sex, used in development of organ-specific dose conversion coefficients for external radiation for a historical cohort of about 64,000 patients from the Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study. Patients were exposed to repeated fluoroscopy and chest radiography examinations in the course of treatment for tuberculosis in residential medical facilities throughout Canada between 1930 and 1969. Using Canadian national survey data and extensive literature review, mean heights and masses were obtained for the White population of Canada during the time period of interest, and the differences in mean body mass between tuberculosis patients and the general population were estimated. Results in terms of mean height and body mass of Canadian tuberculosis patients, with uncertainties, are reported for selected age groups (children of ages 1, 5, 10, and 15 y and adults age 20+) and for both sexes. Use of estimated average heights and body masses by age and sex permits the adjustment of computerized phantoms for body mass for a given age, thereby increasing the relevance of the organ-specific dose conversion coefficients for the cohort and improving the accuracy of the resulting estimated organ doses.
“Real” Animals and the Eighteenth-Century Literary Imagination

Where are “real” animals to be found: in Edward Tyson’s anatomical study of the chimpanzee (Anatomy of a Pygmie), the praise poems for lapdogs that document the rise of the “companion animal”, Lord Monboddo’s linguistic treatise on the orangutan (Origin and Progress of Language), or the fate of the first-person dog narrator of The Biography of a Spaniel? “Real” and represented animals have a complex connection that challenges literary critique today, just as it challenged the representations of the non-human in the eighteenth century.
A treatment in search of a disease? Challenges in mindfulness research and practice.

Abstract ‘Mindfulness’ has become a mainstream component of American culture and a successful business worth more than 1 billion dollars. Born out of Buddhist contemplative traditions that reached the West in the mid-1960s, secular mindfulness programs have spread both geographically (to the US and Europe) and socially (to healthcare, academia, politics, the military, and finance). The diffusion of mindfulness practice to domains that are culturally and socially so different from its original Buddhist context has had important consequences. This manuscript will examine some of these consequences as well as some challenges generated by the encounter between the American culture and Eastern millennial contemplative traditions. With the purpose of increasing awareness about these issues and to generate a debate within the mindfulness community, some suggestions on how to face such challenges are then offered to mindfulness researchers, instructors, and health care providers interested in alleviating the suffering of their patients using mindfulness meditation.
Infective endocarditis

Infective endocarditis remains a serious and potentially fatal disease. Even with appropriate therapy, mortality rates remain at about 10% to 20%. Common errors in treatment include starting antibiotics before obtaining at least three blood cultures, failing to use bactericidal drugs, stopping therapy too early, and delaying heart surgery when it is indicated. The epidemiology of endocarditis will continue to evolve, and we will see more cases that are hospital acquired, more cases associated with the presence of cardiac support devices, and cases associated with line-related bacteremia. Therefore, organisms associated with endocarditis will also likely evolve. We will see more cases due to multiresistant organisms (eg, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, glycopeptide-resistant staphylococci, and multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods) as well as yeast and fungi.
Feature selection based on relative attribute dependency: an experimental study

Most existing rough set-based feature selection algorithms suffer from intensive computation of either discernibility functions or positive regions to find attribute reduct. In this paper, we develop a new computation model based on relative attribute dependency that is defined as the proportion of the projection of the decision table on a subset of condition attributes to the projection of the decision table on the union of the subset of condition attributes and the set of decision attributes. To find an optimal reduct, we use information entropy conveyed by the attributes as the heuristic. A novel algorithm to find optimal reducts of condition attributes based on the relative attribute dependency is implemented using Java, and is experimented with 10 data sets from UCI Machine Learning Repository. We conduct the comparison of data classification using C4.5 with the original data sets and their reducts. The experiment results demonstrate the usefulness of our algorithm.
Calibration of Hydraulic Network Models

The validity of a hydraulic network model of a water distribution system depends largely on the accuracy of input data and the assumptions made in developing the model. Although much of the data can be obtained with a high degree of certainty, certain parameters exist that are either not readily available or difficult to obtain. Such parameters typically include pipe roughness factors and nodal demands and their spatial and temporal distribution. As a result of the difficulty of obtaining economic and reliable measurements of both of these parameters, final model values are normally determined through the process of model calibration. Model calibration involves adjustment of these and other uncertain network model parameters until the model results closely approximate actual observed conditions as measured from field data. This article describes a seven-step procedure for optimal calibration of water distribution network models. Historically, one of the most difficult steps in the process has been the final adjustment of pipe roughness values and nodal demands through the process of microlevel calibration. With the advent of recent computer technology, it is now possible to achieve good model calibration with a reasonable level of success. As a result, little justification remains for failing to develop good calibrated network models before conducting network analysis. Keywords: microcalibration; water distribution system; macrocalibration; pipe roughness factors; genetic algorithms; optimization
Repair of Pyrimidine Dimer Damage Induced in Yeast by Ultraviolet Light

Crude extracts from ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated yeast cells compete with UV-irradiated transforming deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for photoreactivating enzyme. The amount of competition is taken as a measure of the level of cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers in the yeast DNA. A calibration of the competition using UV-irradiated calf thymus DNA indicates that an incident UV dose (1,500 ergs/mm2) yielding 1% survivors of wild-type cells produces between 2.5 × 104 to 5 × 104 dimers per cell. Wild-type cells irradiated in the exponential phase of growth remove or alter more than 90% of the dimers within 220 min after irradiation. Pyrimidine dimers induced in stationary-phase wild-type cells appear to remain in the DNA; however, with incubation, they become less photoreactivable in vivo, although remaining photoreactivable in vitro. In contrast, exponentially growing or stationary-phase UV-sensitive cells (rad2-17) show almost no detectable alteration of dimers. We conclude that the UV-sensitive cells lack an early step in the repair of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers.
Evidence‐based behavior change curriculum for the ambulatory clerkship: The double helix

Purpose – To provide a rationale regarding the importance of physician behavior change counseling. To describe the double helix behavior change curriculum at the University of Rochester (UR). To provide initial evidence that the curriculum is effective.Design/methodology/approach – Evidence that physician use of the 5A's model is effective in changing important patient health behaviors is summarized. The behavior change curriculum is described. Initial evidence assessing knowledge, attitudes and skills for behavior change counseling is reviewed.Findings – Physicians will be better prepared to intervene to improve their patients quality and quantity of life if they consistently counsel patients using a brief standard model (the 5A's) that integrates biological, psychological, and social aspects of disease and treatment. Past efforts in the UR's curriculum have demonstrated that students adopt broader “biopsychosocial values” when the curriculum supports their learning needs. Initial evidence demonstrates t...
Effective dynamics of hot, soft non-Abelian gauge fields: Color conductivity and log ( 1 / α ) effects

B\"odeker has recently argued that non-perturbative processes in very high temperature non-Abelian plasmas (such as electroweak baryon number violation in the very hot early Universe) are logarithmically enhanced over previous estimates and take place at a rate per unit volume of order ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{5}{T}^{4}\mathrm{ln}(1/\ensuremath{\alpha})$ for small coupling. We give a simple physical interpretation of B\"odeker's qualitative and quantitative results in terms of Lenz's Law---the fact that conducting media resist changes in the magnetic field---and earlier authors' calculations of the color conductivity of such plasmas. In the process, we resolve some confusion in the literature about the value of the color conductivity and present an independent calculation. We also discuss the issue of whether the classical effective theory proposed by B\"odeker has a good continuum limit.
Catalytic activity of shock modified ZnO for CO oxidation and methanol synthesis

Alteration of the catalytic activity of inorganic powders by dynamic shock compression has been reported in the literature for over twenty years. Recently Golden et.al.(l,2) and Lee (3) have extended the early pioneering work of Horiguchi and Nomura(4) and Batsanov et.al.(5,6,7). Previous work reported by Batsanov et.al.(5) for the effect of shock compression on ZnO catalysis revealed an enhanced activity for CO oxidation that decreased during the rate measurements. The purpose of this paper is to report steady state rate measurements of CO oxidation and methanol synthesis over shock compressed ZnO powders under reaction conditions believed to be transport limitation free.
Synchrotron light and experimental geophysics

Probably there is no single research innovation in laboratory and experimental geophysics with more potential than proposed applications of synchrotron radiation. Three large specialized machines for these and other applications are to come on line this year, including the existing synchrotron rings at Stanford University (SLAC, Stanford Linear Accelerator Facility), Cornell Univesity (CHESS, Cornell High-Energy Synchrotron Source), and a totally new facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory (NSLS, National Synchrotron Light Source). These synchrotrons are special in that they release almost pure white X radiation of exceedingly high intensity that can be utilized in a variety of diffraction experiments. This will be the first time sufficient X ray intensity has been available to track the atom-by-atom kinetics of rapid phase transitions at one atmosphere and at high pressures in special apparatus. It is also the first time that experiments at high pressures and temperatures about 1000°C and extending to 4000°C, thus duplicating conditions as intense as those at the earth's core-mantle boundary, can be analyzed by in situ X ray diffraction.
Not Just Robo-Students: Why Full Engagement Matters and How Schools Can Promote It

Research has long linked academic engagement to positive social, psychological, and physical developmental outcomes; however, qualitative studies in high-performing schools find that some students who work hard in school may be compromising their mental and physical health in the pursuit of top grades. Such research calls for closer and more contextualized examinations of the concept of engagement. This study examines academic engagement in a sample of 6,294 students (54 % female; 44 % White, 34 % Asian, and 22 % other racial or ethnic background) attending 15 high-achieving schools. Findings show that two-thirds of students at these schools are not regularly “fully engaged” in their academic schoolwork; that is, they do not regularly report high levels of affective, behavioral and cognitive engagement. Although most students report working hard, few enjoy their schoolwork and find it valuable. This lack of full engagement, particularly the absence of affective and cognitive engagement, is associated with more frequent school stress, higher rates of cheating, and greater internalizing, externalizing, and physical symptoms of stress. The study also finds that full engagement is strongly related to positive teacher-student relationships. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Regulation of Bacterial Growth Rates by Dissolved Organic Carbon and Temperature in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean

The effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and temperature on bacterial production was examined in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Addition of glucose, glucose plus ammonium, or free amino acids stimulated bacterial production ([3H]thymidine incorporation), whereas changes in bacterial abundance were either negligible or much less than changes in bacterial production. The average bacterial growth rate also greatly increased following DOM additions, whereas in contrast, addition of ammonium alone never affected production, bacterial abundance, or growth rates. Since the large glucose effect was not observed in previous studies of cold oceanic waters, several experiments were conducted to examine DOM-temperature interactions. These experiments suggest that bacteria respond more quickly and to a greater extent to DOM additions at higher temperatures, which may explain apparently conflicting results from previous studies. We also examined how temperate affects the kinetic parameters of sugar uptake. Maximum uptake rates (Vmax) of glucose and mannose increased with temperature (Q10= 2.4), although the half-saturation constant (Km) was unaffected; Km+ S was roughly equal to glucose concentrations (S) measured by a high pressure liquid chromographic technique. Bacterial production and growth rates appear to be limited by DOM in the equatorial Pacific, and thus bacterial production follows primary production over large spatial and temporal scales in this oceanic regime, as has been observed in other aquatic systems. Although temperature may not limit bacterial growth rates in the equatorial Pacific and similar warm waters, it could still affect how bacteria respond to changes in DOM supply and help set steady-state DOM concentrations.