cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regimen‐related toxicity of myeloablative chemotherapy with BCNU, thiotepa, and etoposide followed by autologous stem cell rescue for children with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme: Report from the Children's Cancer Group

Background The survival of children with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains poor. In an effort to improve the cure rate of children with this disease, high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell rescue (ASCR) has been evaluated. We report the regimen-related toxicity (RRT) and survival seen in 11 children with newly diagnosed GBM treated with high-dose chemotherapy on a Children's Cancer Group study (CCG-9922). Procedures This phase II pilot study, intended to treat 30 patients, accrued 11 patients from July, 1993, to April, 1995. The pre-ASCR preparative regimen included BCNU 100 mg/m2 every 12 hr for a total of six doses on days −8, −7, −6; thiotepa 300 mg/m2/day on days −5, −4, −3; and etoposide 250 mg/m2/day on days −5, −4, −3. All patients received delayed radiotherapy at a dose of 5,400 cGy to the primary site commencing on approximately day +42 after ASCR. Results Five patients (45%) developed significant, nonfatal (grade III or IV) pulmonary and/or neurological toxicities. Three patients developed signs and/or symptoms of idiopathic interstitial pneumonitis. Eight patients (73%) have died, two (18%) of toxicity, and six (55%) of disease progression. Three patients (27%) achieved and remain in complete radiographic remission 2.9, 3.9, and 5.1 years from ASCR. One of these three, developed a lymphoblastic nonhodgkins lymphoma (NHL) 3.5 years post-ASCR. The survival rates for these 11 children at 1 year and 2 years are 73% ± 13% and 46% ± 14%, respectively. The progression-free survival rates at 1 year and at 2 years are 64% ± 14% and 46% ± 14%, respectively. Conclusions We conclude that high-dose chemotherapeutic regimens followed by ASCR is a feasible treatment of childhood GBM. The BCNU-based preparative regimen utilized in this study was associated with prohibitive pulmonary toxicity. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 33:83–87, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Physiological Profiling of Soil Microbial Communities in a Florida Scrub-Oak Ecosystem: Spatial Distribution and Nutrient Limitations

Rapid physiological profiling of heterotrophic microbial communities enables intensive analysis of the factors affecting activity in aerobic habitats, such as soil. Previous methods for performing such profiling were severely limited due to enrichment bias and inflexibility in incubation conditions. We tested a new physiological profiling approach based on a microtiter plate oxygen sensor system (Becton Dickinson Oxygen Biosensor System (BDOBS)), which allows for testing of lower substrate addition (i.e., lower enrichment potential) and manipulation of physiochemical assay conditions, such as pH and nutrients. Soil microbial communities associated with a scrub-oak forest ecosystem on Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge in central Florida, USA, were studied in order to evaluate microbial activity in a nutrient poor soil and to provide baseline data on the site for subsequent evaluation of the effects of elevated CO2 on ecosystem function. The spatial variation in physiological activity amongst different habitats (litter, bulk soil, and rhizosphere) was examined as a function of adaptation to local resources (i.e., water soluble extracts of roots and leaf litter) and the degree of N and P limitation. All the communities were primarily N-limited, with a secondary P limitation, which was greater in the rhizosphere and bulk soil. The litter community showed greater overall oxygen consumption when exposed to litter extracts relative to the rhizosphere or soil, suggesting acclimation toward greater use of the mixed substrates in the extract. Root extracts were readily used by communities from all the habitats with no habitat specific acclimation observed. A priming effect was detected in all habitats; addition of glucose caused a significant increase in the use of soil organic carbon. Response to added glucose was only observed with N and P addition, suggesting that C may be lost to the groundwater from these porous soils because nutrient limitation prevents C immobilization.
Freedom in paradise: quality of conditional release reports submitted to the Hawaii judiciary.

Abstract Annually thousands of insanity acquitees are released from mental hospitals when they are no longer determined to be dangerous. This research examined quality of post-acquittal Conditional Release (CR) reports submitted to the Hawaii Judiciary. Hawaii utilizes a “three panel” system for assessing trial felony competency, criminal responsibility, and conditional release, where typically two psychologists (one Department of Health and one community-based) and one community-based psychiatrist submit independent reports to the Court. One hundred fifty CR reports were rated using a 44-item report quality measure. Interrater reliability trials indicated good to excellent agreement between quality ratings. Overall level of report quality was poor regardless of examiners' professional discipline, employer, or board certification status. Concordance rates for CR opinions were poor. Level of agreement between the judicial determination and majority recommendations was also poor. Reasons for the poor quality and level of agreement are discussed with recommendations for report quality improvement, including standardization of procedures and use of forensic risk assessment instruments.
349. Pretreatment of the Esophagus with Manganese Superoxide Dismutase-Plasmid Liposome (MnSOD-PL) Complex Increases Migration and Proliferation of Marrow Stem Cell Progenitors of Esophageal Squamous Epithelium

Following irradiation of the murine esophagus there is detectable migration of marrow origin stem cells into the esophagus associated with recovery from irradiation-induced damage. Irradiation of the esophagus or the bone marrow results in stably increased detectable production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for weeks. We hypothesized that reducing the production of ROS following irradiation may allow for increased stable recruitment of stem cells into the irradiated areas. C57BL/6NHsd female mice were administered MnSOD-PL (100 |[mu]|g plasmid DNA) by intraesophageal injection 24 hours before irradiation to 29 Gy. Control mice were irradiated to 29 Gy. The mice were then injected I.V. with bone marrow cells isolated from ROSA (LacZ+) male mice. Fourteen days after irradiation mice were sacrificed and the esophagus excised and sorted into side population (SP) and non-SP cells. In mice that received MnSOD-PL prior to irradiation, 40% of the non-SP cells were LacZ+ compared to 10% in mice that received irradiation only. Sorting of esophageal SP cells which include multilineage stem cells showed 20% from MnSOD-PL pretreated then irradiated mice were LacZ+ compared to 8% of the SP cells from control irradiated mice. In addition, mice that received MnSOD-PL intraesophageally 24 hours before irradiation also had decreased apoptotic cells. At day 5 following irradiation, 20% of control irradiated esophageal cells were undergoing apoptosis; whereas, in mice that were pre-treated with MnSOD-PL there was less than 1% apoptosis. In conclusion, administration of MnSOD-PL results in increased migration of stem cells from the bone marrow into the esophagus and decreased apoptosis in the esophagus. The data suggest that MnSOD-PL pre- irradiation treatment of the esophagus results in increased marrow cell engraftment due to reduction of ROS.
Sodium nitroprusside ameliorates systemic but not pulmonary HBOC-201-induced vasoconstriction: an exploratory study in a swine controlled haemorrhage model.

Abstract Background : Vasoconstriction is a side effect that may prevent the use of haemoglobin based oxygen carrier (HBOC) as blood substitute. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), would mitigate systemic and pulmonary hypertension associated with HBOC-201 in a simple controlled haemorrhage swine model. Methods : After 55% estimated blood volume withdrawal through a venous catheter, invasively anesthetized and instrumented animals were resuscitated with three 10ml/kg infusions of either HBOC-201 or Hextend (HEX) with or without 0.8μg/kg/min SNP (infused concomitantly via different lines). Haemodynamics, direct and indirect measures of tissue oxygenation, and coagulation were measured for 2h. Results : Haemorrhage caused a state of shock manifested by hypotension and base deficit. HBOC-201 resuscitation resulted in higher systemic ( p p p p >0.05) arterial pressure was attenuated by co-infusion of SNP, without significant group differences in haemodynamics, tissue oxygenation, platelet function, coagulation, methaemoglobin, or survival ( p >0.05). Conclusion : In swine with haemorrhagic shock, co-administration of the NO donor, SNP, effectively and safely reduces HBOC-201-related systemic but not pulmonary vasoactivity. Interestingly, co-administration of the vasodilator SNP with HEX had no deleterious effects in comparison with HEX alone.
Time-frequency signal analysis of hydrophone data

The acoustic spectrum of a transiting aircraft, when received by a hydrophone located beneath the sea surface, changes with time due to the acoustical Doppler effect. The traditional method for analysing signals whose frequency content changes with time is the short-time Fourier transform that selects only a short segment of the signal (or window of data) for spectral analysis at any one time. The short-time Fourier transform requires the frequency content of the signal to be stationary during the analysis window, otherwise the frequency information will be smeared by the transformation. Recently, joint time-frequency distributions, which highlight the temporal localisation of a signal's spectral components, have been used to analyse nonstationary signals whose spectra are time dependent. In this paper, the short-time Fourier transform and the Wigner-Ville time-frequency distribution are applied to time-series data from a hydrophone so that the instantaneous frequency of the propeller blade rate of a turbo-prop aircraft can be estimated at short time intervals during the aircraft's transit over the hydrophone. The variation with time of the estimates of the Doppler-shifted blade rate is then compared with the corresponding temporal variation predicted using a model that assumes the sound propagates from the airborne acoustic source to the subsurface receiver through two distinct isospeed media (air and water) separated by a plane boundary (the air-sea interface). The results for five transits are presented in which the altitude of the aircraft ranged from 350 to 6050 ft with the speed of the aircraft varying from 232 to 245 kn.
Food Physical Chemistry Applications to Processing and Nutrition

Food Physical Chemistry is considered as a branch of Food Chemistry [1-5] concerned with the study of structurefunctionality relationships, as well as the underlying physical and chemical interactions [6] in foods in terms of physical and chemical principles applied to food systems. This includes, of course, the applications of physical/chemical techniques [7-24], instrumentation and methodology for the study of foods [2-4,6-9], thus partially overlapping also with Food Analytical Chemistry. One may also consider Food Physical Chemistry from the viewpoint of “physiochemical principles of the reactions and conversions that occur during the manufacture, handling, and storage of foods” [25], but this is a somewhat restrictive view because food physicochemical applications are also encountered in the fields of Human Nutrition, biomedical, biotechnology and crop sciences.
TADALAFIL IN THE TREATMENT OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION FOLLOWING BILATERAL NERVE SPARING RADICAL RETROPUBIC PROSTATECTOMY: A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO CONTROLLED TRIAL

ABSTRACT Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of tadalafil 20 mg, taken on demand, in men with erectile dysfunction following bilateral nerve sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy (BNSRRP). Materials and Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled multicenter study consisted of a 4-week treatment-free run-in period (baseline) followed by 12 weeks of treatment. A total of 303 men (mean age 60 years) with preoperative normal erectile function who had undergone a BNSRRP 12 to 48 months before study were randomized (2:1) to tadalafil (201) or placebo (102). The 3 co-primary end points were changes from baseline in the International Index of Erectile Function erectile function domain score, and the percentage of positive responses to Sexual Encounter Profile questions 2 (successful penetration) and 3 (successful intercourse). The Global Assessment Question and the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction questionnaire were secondary end points. We defined a priori a subgroup of 201 patients reporting evidence of postoperative tumescence, defined as 50% or greater "yes" responses to Sexual Encounter Profile question 1 (ability to achieve at least some erection) during baseline intercourse attempts and stratified randomization based on this criterion. Results: Patients receiving tadalafil reported greater improvement on all primary and secondary end points (p Conclusions: Tadalafil 20 mg, taken on-demand, was an efficacious and well tolerated treatment for erectile dysfunction following BNSRRP.
Pancoast's Syndrome and Small Cell Lung Cancer

Four patients with small cell lung cancer (SCC) presenting with Pancoast's syndrome are described. Superior sulcus tumors are usually caused by epidermoid carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the lung, and are routinely treated with radiotherapy followed by radical surgery. SCC, on the other hand, is widely disseminated at diagnosis and is best treated with chemotherapy. Although not previously reported as a cause of Pancoast's tumor, these four cases of SCC presenting as such clearly indicate the need for pretreatment histologic diagnosis to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention. Transcutaneous needle aspiration biopsy is a means by which the diagnosis can be safely made in patients presenting with apical lung tumors.
Electromagnetics of superconductors

Summary form only given. It is pointed out that, electromagnetically speaking, a superconductor is distinguishable from a fictitious perfect conductor. A superconducting material is more conveniently treated as a dielectric material with a negative real part of the dielectric constant as far as electromagnetics is concerned. When superconductors are considered as a generalized dielectric material, some superconductive electromagnetic problems are simplified, since the dielectric parameter is an integral part of electromagnetic computation. No technical difficulty is presented to existing computer programs if a dielectric constant passes from a positive value to a negative one. Also presented is a time-domain computational method involving dispersive media, such as superconductors or plasma. It involves a time-domain finite difference approach with system function expansion, so that no explicit convolution is required. It thus greatly reduces memory demand and CPU time. As a consequence of this electromagnetic treatment of a superconductor, the existence of a surface wave on a superconducting surface is also predicted. >
NanoSIMS imaging alteration layers of a leached SON68 glass via a FIB‐made wedged crater

Currently, nuclear wastes are commonly immobilized into glasses because of their long-term durability. Exposure to water for long periods of time, however, will eventually corrode the waste form and is the leading potential avenue for radionuclide release into the environment. Because such slow processes cannot be experimentally tested, the prediction of release requires a thorough understanding the mechanisms governing glass corrosion. In addition, due to the exceptional durability of glass, much of the testing must be performed on high-surface-area powders. A technique that can provide accurate compositional profiles with very precise depth resolution for non-flat samples would be a major benefit to the field. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) depth profiling is an excellent tool that has long been used to examine corrosion layers of glass. The roughness of the buried corrosion layers, however, causes the corresponding SIMS depth profiles to exhibit erroneously wide interfaces. In this study, NanoSIMS was used to image the cross-section of the corrosion layers of a leached SON68 glass sample. A wedged crater was prepared by a focused ion beam (FIB) instrument to obtain a 5× improvement in depth resolution for NanoSIMS measurements. This increase in resolution allowed us to confirm that the breakdownmore » of the silica glass network is further from the pristine glass than a second dissolution front for boron, another glass former. The existence of these two distinct interfaces, separated by only ~20 nm distance in depth, was not apparent by traditional ToF-SIMS depth profiling but has been confirmed also by atom probe tomography. This novel sample geometry will be a major benefit to efficient NanoSIMS sampling of irregular interfaces at the nanometer scale that would otherwise be obscured within ToF-SIMS depth profiles.« less
Optimal Multiband Joint Detection for Spectrum Sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks

Spectrum sensing is an essential functionality that enables cognitive radios to detect spectral holes and to opportunistically use under-utilized frequency bands without causing harmful interference to legacy (primary) networks. In this paper, a novel wideband spectrum sensing technique referred to as multiband joint detection is introduced, which jointly detects the primary signals over multiple frequency bands rather than over one band at a time. Specifically, the spectrum sensing problem is formulated as a class of optimization problems, which maximize the aggregated opportunistic throughput of a cognitive radio system under some constraints on the interference to the primary users. By exploiting the hidden convexity in the seemingly nonconvex problems, optimal solutions can be obtained for multiband joint detection under practical conditions. The situation in which individual cognitive radios might not be able to reliably detect weak primary signals due to channel fading/shadowing is also considered. To address this issue by exploiting the spatial diversity, a cooperative wideband spectrum sensing scheme refereed to as spatial-spectral joint detection is proposed, which is based on a linear combination of the local statistics from multiple spatially distributed cognitive radios. The cooperative sensing problem is also mapped into an optimization problem, for which suboptimal solutions can be obtained through mathematical transformation under conditions of practical interest. Simulation results show that the proposed spectrum sensing schemes can considerably improve system performance. This paper establishes useful principles for the design of distributed wideband spectrum sensing algorithms in cognitive radio networks.
Adaptive backstepping control for parallel robot with uncertainties in dynamics and kinematics

It is common in robot tracking control that controllers are designed based on the exact kinematic model of the robot manipulator. However, because of measurement errors and changes of states in practice, the original kinematic model is often no longer accurate and will degrade the control result. An adaptive backstepping controller is designed here for parallel robot systems with kinematics and dynamics uncertainties. Backstepping control is used to manage the transformation between the errors in task space and joint space. Adaptive control is utilized to compensate for uncertainties in both dynamics and kinematics. The controller demonstrated good performance in simulation.
Statistical Significance Testing: A Historical Overview of Misuse and Misinterpretation with Implications for the Editorial Policies of Educational Journals

Statistical significance tests (SSTs) have been the object of much controversy among social scientists. Proponents have hailed SSTs as an objective means for minimizing the likelihood that chance factors have contributed to research results; critics have both questioned the logic underlying SSTs and bemoaned the widespread misapplication and misinterpretation of the results of these tests. The present paper offers a framework for remedying some of the common problems associated with SSTs via modification of journal editorial policies. The controversy surrounding SSTs is overviewed, with attention given to both historical and more contemporary criticisms of bad practices associated with misuse of SSTs. Examples from the editorial policies of Educational and Psychological Measurement and several other journals that have established guidelines for reporting results of SSTs are overviewed, and suggestions are provided regarding additional ways that educational journals may address the problem.
Combination of potassium ferricyanide, diazothio ether and mercaptan as “catalyst” for emulsion polymerizations of butadiene and styrene

The combination of a diazothio ether and a mercaptan in an emulsion copolymerization recipe of butadiene and styrene containing potassium ferricyanide as a “catalyst” has a very strong activating effect on the polymerization. p-Methoxyphenyl diazothio-(2-naphthyl) ether, designated as MDN, was found to be particularly suitable. In the present paper, ordinary household soap (S.F. flakes) and dehydrogenated rosin soaps of varying degrees of purity have been used as emulsifiers. By using various tertiary or primary mercaptans, polymers of any degree of modification were obtained. The recommended recipe at 40°C. gives about 80% conversion in 10 hours. The rate of conversion is greatly increased by adding to the recipe substances which have a strongly alkaline reaction in water, as sodium carbonate, trisodium phosphate, or sodium hydroxide. With such “alkaline” recipes attractive rates of conversion are obtained at around 0°C.
Causes of interannual variability in ecosystem–atmosphere CO2 exchange in a northern Wisconsin forest using a Bayesian model calibration

Carbon dioxide fluxes were examined over the growing seasons of 2002 and 2003 from 14 different sites in Upper Midwest (USA) to assess spatial variability of ecosystem-atmosphere CO2 exchange. These sites were exposed to similar temperature/precipitation regimes and spanned a range of vegetation types typical of the region (northern hardwood, mixed forest, red pine, jack pine, pine barrens and shrub wetland). The hardwood and red pine sites also spanned a range of stand ages (young, intermediate, mature). While seasonal changes in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and photosynthetic parameters were coherent across the 2 years at most sites, changes in ecosystem respiration (ER) and gross ecosystem production (GEP) were not. Canopy height and vegetation type were important variables for explaining spatial variability of CO2 fluxes across the region. Light-use efficiency (LUE) was not as strongly correlated to GEP as maximum assimilation capacity (Amax). A bottom-up multi-tower land cover aggregated scaling of CO2 flux to a 2000 km(2) regional flux estimate found June to August 2003 NEE, ER and GEP to be -290 +/- 89, 408 +/- 48, and 698 +/- 73 gC m(-2), respectively. Aggregated NEE, ER and GEP were 280% larger, 32% smaller and 3% larger, respectively, than that observedmore » from a regionally integrating 447 m tall flux tower. However, when the tall tower fluxes were decomposed using a footprint-weighted influence function and then re-aggregated to a regional estimate, the resulting NEE, ER and GEP were within 11% of the multi-tower aggregation. Excluding wetland and young stand age sites from the aggregation worsened the comparison to observed fluxes. These results provide insight on the range of spatial sampling, replication, measurement error and land cover accuracy needed for multi-tiered bottom-up scaling of CO2 fluxes in heterogeneous regions such as the Upper Midwest, USA. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.« less
Sketching with Conceptual Metaphors to Explain Computational Processes

To explore how people conceptualize a complex system, 232 university students were asked to sketch how a search engine works. While the sketches reveal a diverse range of visual and conceptual approaches, a subset of the sketches exhibit an underlying regularity for describing algorithmic processes. To explain this regularity, the author proposes the conceptual metaphor: a search engine is a series of text transformations and describe a set of mappings from sketchable graphic markings to abstractions in the search engine domain. The author believes that this metaphor can be applied to enable people to more effectively conceptualize, describe, and explore complex systems
Hierarchical Evolution of the Bacterial Sporulation Network

Genome sequencing of multiple species makes it possible to understand the main principles behind the evolution of developmental regulatory networks. It is especially interesting to analyze the evolution of well-defined model systems in which conservation patterns can be directly correlated with the functional roles of various network components. Endospore formation (sporulation), extensively studied in Bacillus subtilis , is driven by such a model bacterial network of cellular development and differentiation. In this review, we analyze the evolution of the sporulation network in multiple endospore-forming bacteria. Importantly, the network evolution is not random but primarily follows the hierarchical organization and functional logic of the sporulation process. Specifically, the sporulation sigma factors and the master regulator of sporulation, Spo0A, are conserved in all considered spore-formers. The sequential activation of these global regulators is also strongly conserved. The feed-forward loops, which are likely used to fine-tune waves of gene expression within regulatory modules, show an intermediate level of conservation. These loops are less conserved than the sigma factors but significantly more than the structural sporulation genes, which form the lowest level in the functional and evolutionary hierarchy of the sporulation network. Interestingly, in spore-forming bacteria, gene regulation is more conserved than gene presence for sporulation genes, while the opposite is true for non-sporulation genes. The observed patterns suggest that, by understanding the functional organization of a developmental network in a model organism, it is possible to understand the logic behind the evolution of this network in multiple related species.
Interpolation by Projections in C *-Algebras

If x is a self-adjoint element in a unital C∗−algebra A, and if pδ and qδ denote the spectral projections of x corresponding to the intervals ]δ,∞[ and ]−∞,−δ[, we show that there is a projection p in A such that pδ ≤ p ≤ 1− qδ, provided that δ > dist {x,A−1 sa }. This result extends to unbounded operators affiliated with a C∗−algebra, and has applications to certain other distance functions.
Graphical method for determining lateral and manifold pipe diameters in drip irrigation

La fonction principale de l'irrigation de systeme de goutte-a-goutte est de repondre aux exigences de consommation d'utilisation de l'eau pour une recolte dans certaines conditions hydrauliques determinees et uniformes. Dans cette etude, une methode graphique a ete evaluee pour determiner les diametres des tuyaux lateraux et les diametres des branchements avec le but d'obtenir une distribution de l'eau acceptable dans l'irrigation de systeme de goutte-a-goutte. On a suggere que les diametres des tuyaux doivent etre choisis quand le coefficient d'uniformite de Christiansen Cu, etait egal a, ou plus grand de 98% et 97.5% pour les tuyaux laterales et pour les branchements, respectivement. Les diagrammes de conception pour lesquels des coefficients d'uniformite pourraient etre trouves directement, ont ete prepares des differents diametres des tuyaux lateraux et des branchements pour l'utilisation generale.
Improved token passing ring and its performance simulation

A novel local area network technology called the improved token-passing ring is proposed based on unused links that exist in a pure token passing ring. A performance evaluation was performed through extensive simulation. Results show that the improved token-passing ring has a shorter delivery time, higher throughput, and smaller average queue length, and makes more efficient use of links in a network compared with the pure token passing ring, since the proposed approach uses concurrent transmission. In addition, the author has proposed a scheduling policy called conflict-avoidance. Under this scheduling the delivery time can be reduced and network throughput increased since more messages can move around the loop simultaneously. >
Adrenal Cortical Carcinomas with Myxoid Differentiation in the Domestic Ferret (Mustela putorius furo)

A total of 15 adrenocortical carcinomas with myxoid differentiation from 15 ferrets were eval- uated in this retrospective study. Six of these ferrets (40%) either were euthanatized or died due to invasive and/or metastatic disease. The myxoid component was a variable part (between 5% and 95%) of the adrenal cortical neoplasm and consisted of sheets and cords of small, polygonal neoplastic cells that formed lumenlike spaces. Such spaces contained a variable amount of alcian blue (pH 2.5)-positive mucinous product (i.e., acidic mucopolysaccharides). Neoplastic cells were negative for the argentaffin reaction, but immunohistochemically they were strongly positive for vimentin and -inhibin and lightly positive for synaptophysin. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-labeling indices (LI) of adrenal cortical neoplastic cells within the myxoid component of the neoplasm were significantly elevated (P 0.05) compared with those of typical neoplastic adrenal cortical cells or the adjacent nonneoplastic zona reticularis. Ultrastructurally, cells in the myxoid component exhibited a typical adrenocortical phenotype characterized by cytoplasmic lipid vacuoles, prominent rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and zonula adherens. This lesion was interpreted as an adrenal cortical carcinoma with myxoid differentiation and appeared to be highly malignant based on PCNA LI, rate of invasion into adjacent tissue, and metastasis (6/15). This report is the first description of this histologic variant in the ferret, which morphologically resembled the rare myxoid variant of adrenocortical carcinoma described in humans.
Corn chip laceration of the esophagus and evaluation of suspected esophageal perforation

Two patients presented to the emergency department within three months with a laceration of the esophagus due to corn chip ingestion. Both complained of odynophagia, and each was evaluated for suspected perforation with confirming esophagrams. Both patients were treated nonoperatively with full recovery.
CHANGING THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH BEHAVIORS BY DIET AND CHEMOPREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS

In the last decade, cancer prevention has witnessed a great increase in the importance attached to diet and related chemopreventive interventions. There are several apparent stimuli for this. Firstly, the positive health value of nutrition in general and of some specific nutrients may be an outgrowth of developments in basic laboratory studies of carcinogenesis. As the number of substances examined in laboratory models grew, it was perhaps inevitable that some test substances would prove to have inhibitory, rather than carcinogenic, effects. Indeed, the application of basic carcinogenesis research methodology has proved as capable of identifying inhibitors as carcinogens.
Enabling Trust with Behavior Metamodels

Intelligent assistants promise to simplify our lives and increase our productivity. Yet for this promise to become reality, the Artificial Intelligence community will need to address two important issues. The first is how to determine that the assistants we build will, in fact, behave appropriately and safely. The second issue is how to convince society at large that these assistants are useful and reliable tools that should be trusted with important tasks. In this paper, we argue that both of these issues are be addressed by behavior metamodels (i.e., abstract models of how the agent behaves). Our argument is 1) based on experimental evidence of how metamodels can improve debugging/validation efficiency, and 2) based on how metamodels can contribute to three fundamental components of trusting relationships established in previous literature.
Implications for Coronal Heating Theories from Stellar X-ray Observations

I review the essential aspects of X-ray emission from late spectral type stars (principally the dwarf stars) from the point of view of theory: What can the variation of X-ray emission properties from such stars, and their correlations with other stellar properties, reveal about the processes which lead to coronal heating, and hence the observed X-ray emission? Specific topics discussed include the possible “saturation” of stellar surface X-ray fluxes at levels comparable to the brightest regions on the solar surface; and a variety of aspects of the stellar rotation-activity connection. In most of these cases, the underlying physics remains unclear. One key conclusion is that the observations reveal a dependence of X-ray emission levels on stellar rotation which is “unreasonably” well-correlated; that is, given the current state of coronal heating theories, it appears that the degree of correlation between stellar coronal X-ray luminosity and stellar rotation rate is far stronger than a naive application of available theories would predict.
Living Diabetes: How Disease Perceptions and Cultural Factors Influence Self-Care Behaviors in South Asians in America

The prevalence of diabetes and associated complications are significantly higher in South Asians in comparison to Caucasians. These differences are secondary to a greater biologic susceptibility, but limited knowledge of disease and poor health-seeking behaviors also contribute. We conducted a focus group study to identify perceptions, cultural factors, and practical constraints on the self-care behaviors of South Asians with type 2 diabetes. Thirty-two South Asians with age <75 years and diabetes qualified for enrollment. The main barriers to the practice of appropriate behaviors such as regular physical exercise, consuming low-glycemic foods and attending physician’s appointments were time constraints, difficulty in adapting to dietary changes, and poor understanding of disease severity and complications. Cultural factors complicating self-care included fasting during Ramadan and adhering to traditional social roles, especially among women. Health professionals should strive to provide culturally-tailored education to South Asians with diabetes as it is central to improving the health of minority communities. Journal of Nature and Science, 1(5):e98, 2015
Mercury exposure and a shift toward oxidative stress in avid seafood consumers

Mechanisms of mercury (Hg) toxicity at low doses from seafood consumption, the most common exposure route, are not well understood. We tested the hypothesis that seafood Hg exposure is related to a shift in redox status, indicated by a decrease in the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH:GSSG) in blood, or increase in redox potential (Eh). We also examined whether key seafood nutrients (selenium (Se), omega-3 fatty acids) confound or modify this shift. We measured blood concentrations of total Hg, Se, GSH, GSSG, and the Omega-3 Index (% omega-3s of total fatty acids in red blood cell membranes) in seafood consumers in Long Island, NY. We examined relationships between Hg, GSH:GSSG ratio and Eh. Elevated blood Hg (>5.8µgL(-1)) was associated with lower GSH:GSSG (β=-116.73, p=0.01), with no evidence of confounding by Se or Omega-3 Index. However, in models stratified by Omega-3 Index levels, Hg-GSH:GSSG associations were weakened among those with high Omega-3 Index levels (>6% of fatty acids, β=-63.46, p=0.28), and heightened among those with low Omega-3 Index (β=-182.53, p<0.01). We observed comparable patterns for Eh in relation to Hg. These results support the hypothesis that Hg exposure from seafood is linked to a shift in redox status toward oxidative stress, modified by omega-3 fatty acids in this population. Further work should examine the role of different seafood nutrients and Hg-induced shifts in redox status in the diverse health effects associated with elevated Hg exposure.
Rome's Mediterranean World System and its Transformation

The revised version of an analysis of the recent large-scale interpretation of the great transition from the ancient world of the Roman Empire to the worlds of its successor states, economies, and societies offered by Chris Wickham in his ‘Framing the Early Middle Ages.’
Network Analysis for Today's Classrooms:

Analysis of an electric circuit in terms of element variables instead of loop currents involves the formulation of more equations, but their formulation is easier. Since calculators used by student...
Talking Ethics with Strangers: A View from Jewish Tradition

The work of H. Tristram Engelhardt provides an important set of reflections for bioethics in a secular context. Taking Engelhardt's work as its point of departure this article explores the challenges that Jewish ethicists face in contributing to bioethics in a secular context. The article explores how the Jewish tradition can address issues in bioethics in ways that are true to its tradition and at the same time accessible and relevant to "moral strangers" in a secular society.
Track Performance Modeling Under Mixed Traffic

The majority US high speed trains are sharing the same track network with freight trains, which will bring different load patterns i.e. different peak loads, speeds, and loading sequence and durations to the current track infrastructure. The change in loading characteristics especially when train is moving at so called “Critical Speeds” may however cause unfavorable track performances, for instance increase in track settlement (both in ballast and the subgrade soil). Effort has been taken in this research to investigate the impact of different load patterns on the track settlement accumulation. A fully coupled dynamic track model consists of a vehicle, rail-tie-ballast “Sandwich” upper structure, and a finite 3D soil substructure model is developed and utilized to obtain the loading pulses and pulse combinations introduced by different traffic patterns. A Discrete Element Modeling approach is then employed to simulate the ballast settlement under those realistic loading pulses and pulse combinations. Results and conclusions will be highlighted and recommendations will be made in the end.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Not just graphene: The wonderful world of carbon and related nanomaterials

Carbon, with its variety of allotropes and forms, is the most versatile material, and virtually any combination of mechanical, optical, electrical, and chemical properties can be achieved with carbon by controlling its structure and surface chemistry. The goal of this article is to help readers appreciate the variety of carbon nanomaterials and to describe some engineering applications of the most important of these. Many different materials are needed to meet a variety of performance requirements, but they can all be built of carbon. Considering the example of supercapacitor electrodes, zero- and one-dimensional nanoparticles, such as carbon onions and nanotubes, respectively, deliver very high power because of fast ion sorption/desorption on their outer surfaces. Two-dimensional (2D) graphene offers higher charge/discharge rates than porous carbons and a high volumetric energy density. Three-dimensional porous activated, carbide-derived, and templated carbon networks, with high surface areas and porosities in the angstrom or nanometer range, can provide high energy densities if the pore size is matched with the electrolyte ion size. Finally, carbon-based nanostructures further expand the range of available nanomaterials: Recently discovered 2D transition-metal carbides (MXenes) have already grown into a family with close to 20 members in about four years and challenge graphene in some applications.
Nucleophagy: A New Look at Past Observations

Keratinization of the stratum corneum involves a highly choreographed sequence of events in which granular cells lose their nuclei and become desiccated corneocytes. Akinduro et al. detail the molecular machinery underlying removal of the nucleus (nucleophagy) during the final stages of keratinization. They provide evidence that nucleophagy is induced when the keratinocytes differentiate and that failure in the initiation of nucleophagy is associated with parakeratosis.
Expression and significance of PD-1on the surface of T lymphocyte in children with Henoch-Schnlein purpura

Objective To explore the expression and significance of programmed death protein1(PD-1)on the surface of T lymphocyte in children with Henoch-Schnlein purpura(HSP).Methods Twenty-five children with HSP(group A)were divided into subgroups of A1(dermal type,6cases),A2(articular type,6cases),A3(abdominal type,5cases),A4(nephritic type,3cases)and A5(mixed type,5cases).Seventeen healthy children(group B)were taken as the controls.The positive expression rate of PD-1was detected by flow cytometry.Relationships between the positive expression rate of PD-1with urine microalbumin/creatinine(Malb/Cr)and urine beta-2-microglobulin(β2-MG)were analyzed.Results The positive expression rate of PD-1in group A was remarkably higher than that in group B[(7.73±3.64)%vs.(3.28±2.12)%](P0.01),which in subgroups of A2,A3,A4and A5were higher than that in subgroup A1[(5.87±1.40)%,(8.64±1.38)%,(10.67±0.57)%and(11.82±4.03)% vs.(3.95±1.73)%](P0.05or P0.01).The positive expression rate of PD-1 was positively correlated with urine Malb/Cr andβ2-MG(r=0.56,r=0.60,P0.01).Conclusion PD-1can be used as an immunological indicator for monitoring the severity of HSP and detecting early renal injury in children with HSP.
Determination of 33 weedicides and pesticides in foods by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and selected ion monitoring

Objective:To establish a method for determination of 33 organophosphorus,pyrethroid,organochlorine,carbamate and weedicide pesticides in foods by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) and selected ion monitoring(SIM).Methods:The pesticides were extracted with acetone and dichloromethane.The extract was warmed with water at 80℃,circumrotated and evaporated until it was nearly dry.Then it was cleaned up by Envi-Carb column and Sep-Pak-NH2 column.The analysis was performed by GC-MS and SIM.Retention time and specific ions were used to confirm the pesticides.Results:The calibration curves of 33 pesticides were linear(correlation coefficient r0.99) within the range of 0.01～1.0 μg/ml.The recoveries were 89%～98%,the relative standard deviations(RSD) of the method was 10% for each case,and the limit of determination(LOD),defined in terms of 3 times baseline noise was 0.001～0.005 mg/kg.Conclusion:The method is suitable for determining pesticides in foods with satisfactory sensitivity,accurcy and precision.
Sensory Psychology and Perception

Sensory psychology is the logical content area for beginning our review of experimental aging research. Experimental aging research began with a famous study dealing largely with age differences in sensory sensitivity, a concept of primary concern in sensory psychology (Scharf, 1975). The pioneering researcher, Sir Francis Galton, succeeded in attracting over 9,000 visitors to the International Health Exhibition (London) in 1884 to his laboratory on the exhibition grounds. Amazingly, the visitors paid a slight fee, in contrast to the present practice of paying subjects to participate in a research project, for the privilege of being assessed on 17 different abilities. Included among these abilities were several of a sensory nature, such as the ability to hear tones of varying frequencies (see Birren & Clayton, 1975). Galton (1885) discovered that higher frequency tones became harder to hear as age increased over the adult segment of the life span, a finding that has since been replicated many times (Corso, 1971, 1977).
Simultaneous quasi-RHCP and LHCP radiation in the near field of planar RFID antennas

The concept of quasi-circular polarization (CP) of the EM field produced in the near field by a planar RFID antenna is discussed. Optimized CP near field performance is obtained by shaping the layout of periodic EM coupled strips forming the antenna aperture. It is shown that the specifically designed planar antenna can simultaneously produce the right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) and left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) in the spatially different areas of the near field zone. The results of EM simulation illustrate the mechanism of producing the quasi-CP radiation in the antenna near field zone at different distances from the antenna surface.
Effect of Linezolid on Hematologic Recovery in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients Following Induction Chemotherapy.

Objective Assess the effects of linezolid on hematologic outcomes in newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following induction chemotherapy. Design Single-center, retrospective, observational, cohort study. Setting Large, tertiary care academic medical center. Patients A total of 225 patients ≥ 18 years admitted between December 2010 and 2013 with newly diagnosed AML were assessed for inclusion. Patients were identified through the use of ICD-9 codes and chemotherapy ordered via the computerized physician order entry system. Sixty-eight patients met inclusion criteria and were grouped into two arms based on antimicrobial treatment: LZD group (linezolid plus gram-negative antimicrobial, n=21) or control group (vancomycin or daptomycin plus gram-negative antimicrobial, n=47). Interventions The LZD group received linezolid ≥ 72 hours. The control group received vancomycin or daptomycin ≥ 72 hours. If patients switched extended gram-positive therapy, they were included in the LZD group as long as they had received ≥ 72 hours of linezolid. Measurements/Results The primary end point of time to neutrophil recovery was not statistically different (28 days for LZD group vs 26 days for control group; p=0.675). The preplanned subgroup analysis of patients who received ≥ 14 days of linezolid demonstrated statistically similar median times to neutrophil recovery (29 days for LZD group vs 26 days for control group; p=0.487). Total duration of extended gram-positive antimicrobial therapy was significantly longer in the LZD group (27 days vs 16 days; p<0.001). Secondary end points not found to be statistically significant included platelet count at time of neutrophil recovery, duration of neutropenia, and length of hospital stay. Conclusions There were no significant differences in hematologic outcomes in newly diagnosed AML patients who received linezolid for extended gram-positive antimicrobial coverage following induction chemotherapy. This study provides new insight with a primary focus on the effects of hematologic outcomes when using linezolid in a well-defined acute leukemia population. Further study is warranted with larger populations to assess the potential adverse effects linezolid may have in patients with acute leukemia.
A novel gamma-ray imaging system using a coded-aperture compton camera

Proof-of-principle of a novel gamma-ray imaging system has been performed by Monte Carlo simulation. Previous designs implement either a coded aperture or Compton scattering system to image a gamma-ray source. By taking advantage of characteristics of each of these systems a new design can be implemented that does not require a pixelated stopping detector. This new system has significant promise in homeland security, astronomy, medical imaging and other fields.