cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer Lymph Node Metastases: Adenovirus-Mediated Lymph Node Detection

Like other solid epithelial tumors, nodal involvement in prostate cancer signifies a poor clinical outcome. Yet, the lack of standard pelvic lymph node (LN)-sampling procedures and specific noninvasive imaging approaches to accurately assess nodal involvement is hampering the management decision. This chapter will discuss the debates in the clinical community on LN dissection and the development of various imaging modalities for prostate cancer. We will also describe a novel approach of using recombinant human adenoviral vectors (Ads) to directly map nodal metastases in experimental models of human prostate cancer. By exploiting the innate lymphotrophic properties of adenovirus and the prostate-restricted expression of imaging reporter genes incorporated into the viral vector, we were able to produce bioluminescent or positron emission tomography (PET) signals that correlate with the presence of metastatic lesions in the draining LNs. Significantly, this approach enables the direct PET visualization of sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases, without the need for lymphadenectomy. We believe that developing and implementing more effective diagnostic imaging modalities to assess nodal status could improve the outcomes for patients with advanced stage prostate cancer.
Changes in lower extremity strength may be related to the walking speed improvements in children with cerebral palsy after gait training.

Abstract Background Cerebral palsy (CP) has a high probability of resulting in lower extremity strength and walking deficits. Numerous studies have shown that gait training has the potential to improve the walking abilities of these children; however, the factors governing these improvements are unknown. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between change in lower extremity strength, walking speed and endurance of children with CP following gait training. Methods and procedures Eleven children with CP (GMFCS levels = II-III) completed a gait training protocol three days a week for six weeks. Outcome measures included a 10 m fast-as-possible walk test, 6 min walking endurance test and lower extremity strength. Outcomes and results The group results indicated there were improvements in walking speed, walking endurance and lower extremity strength. In addition, there was a positive correlation between percent change in lower extremity strength and walking speed and a negative correlation between the percent change in lower extremity strength and the child’s age. Conclusions Our results imply that changes in lower extremity strength might be related to the degree of the walking speed changes seen after gait training. Younger children may be more likely to show improvements in lower extremity strength after gait training.
Vascular Ultrasound Imaging for Screening Patients at Risk for Cardiovascular Events Application from the West to the East

Highlights The evaluation of vessel wall thickness alone, without including plaque assessment, in a primary prevention cohort is like looking at an angiogram without coronary stenoses in an intervention cohort. Current ultrasound technology, with minimal user interface, automated measurements, high resolution, and the rapidly developing three-dimensional assessment, is ready for clinical use for risk stratification in patients in risk factorâ€“based algorithms, particularly in medically underserved populations. ATP IV guidelines improve on ATP III for the appropriate identification of patients at risk, but may still lead to over- or undertreatment with statins in a significant number of subjects who do not or do have subclinical atherosclerosis, respectively.
Incremental least squares policy iteration for POMDPs

We present a new algorithm, called incremental least squares policy iteration (ILSPI), for finding the infinite-horizon stationary policy for partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs). The ILSPI algorithm computes a basis representation of the infinite-horizon value function by minirnizing the square of Bellman residual and performs policy improvenent in reachable belief states. A number of optimal basis functions are determined by the algorithm to minimize the Bellman residual incrementally, via efficient computations. We show that, by using optimally determined basis functions, the policy can be improved successively on a set of most probable belief points sampled from the reachable belief set. As the ILSPI is based on belief sample points, it represents a point-based policy iteration method. The results on four benchmark problems show that the ILSPI compares competitively to its value-iteration counterparts in terms of both performance and computational efficiency.
Seropositive and seronegative presumed pediatric autoimmune dysautonomia: clinical features and immunotherapy (P5.311)

Objective: The body of literature in pediatric presumed autoimmune autonomic disorders associated with autoantibodies to the ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is very small compared to that of adults. Due to the rarity of these diseases in children, seropositive pediatric cases have rarely been reported in the literature and only one seronegative case has previously been reported. Therefore, we aim to further characterize the clinical features and response to immune therapy of seropositive and seronegative children with presumed autoimmune autonomic disorders and provide a review of the literature. Background: Autoantibodies to the ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor are associated with a spectrum of autonomic disorders ranging from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome to autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy. This spectrum is well characterized in adults but not in children. Common presenting symptoms include orthostatic intolerance and gastrointestinal dysmotility. Children without these antibodies displaying similar symptoms of dysautonomia have only rarely been reported. Design/Methods: We describe three seropositive and three seronegative children followed in the Yale Pediatric Neuroimmunology clinic demonstrating symptoms of dysautonomia typically associated with the antiganglionic acetylcholine receptor antibody, including their presenting symptoms, antibody titers treatment regimens and clinical outcomes. Results: The seronegative children displayed a clinical presentation in the same spectrum of symptoms observed in the seropositive children. Combined immunotherapy and symptomatic treatments resulted in clinical improvements in the majority of cases, both seropositive and seronegative. Full autonomic recovery of systemic symptoms and depletion of gAChR autoantibody, when applicable, was mostly incomplete in our cohort of children. Conclusions: These six case reports contribute to the small body of literature in pediatric presumed autoimmune autonomic disorders. They illustrate the need for heightened awareness of a possible autoimmune etiology for idiopathic autonomic dysautonomia in children. Further studies are required to formally evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy in both seropositive and seronegative patients. Disclosure: Dr. Zhou has nothing to disclose. Dr. Makhani has nothing to disclose.
Harnessing geometric techniques for robust real-time estimation of shallow water acoustic channels

The shallow water acoustic channel is well-known to exhibit rapid fluctuations in delay spread, which poses a fundamental roadblock to real-time channel estimation, particularly under moderate to rough sea conditions. This talk will summarize recent research on multiple representations of the shallow water acoustic channel and present the relative merits of each channel representation in localizing different channel effects. In particular, we will examine the efficacy of employing geometric signal processing techniques to adaptively track the shallow water acoustic channel in each representation. Results based on experimental field data as well as channel simulations under varying environmental conditions will be presented.The shallow water acoustic channel is well-known to exhibit rapid fluctuations in delay spread, which poses a fundamental roadblock to real-time channel estimation, particularly under moderate to rough sea conditions. This talk will summarize recent research on multiple representations of the shallow water acoustic channel and present the relative merits of each channel representation in localizing different channel effects. In particular, we will examine the efficacy of employing geometric signal processing techniques to adaptively track the shallow water acoustic channel in each representation. Results based on experimental field data as well as channel simulations under varying environmental conditions will be presented.
Radiomic Analysis of Myocardial Native T1 Imaging Discriminates Between Hypertensive Heart Disease and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Objectives This study sought to examine the diagnostic ability of radiomic texture analysis (TA) on quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance images to differentiate between hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Background HHD and HCM are associated with increased left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT). Contemporary guidelines define HCM as LVWT ≥15 mm that is unexplained by other disease, which complicates diagnosis in cases of co-occurrences. Conventional global native T1 mapping involves calculation of mean T1 values as a surrogate for fibrosis. However, there may be differences in its spatial localization, such as diffuse and more focal fibrosis in HHD and HCM, respectively. Methods This study identified 232 subjects (53 with HHD, 108 with HCM, and 71 control subjects) for TA who consecutively underwent free-breathing multislice native T1 mapping. Four sets of texture descriptors were applied to capture spatially dependent and independent pixel statistics. Six texture features were sequentially selected with the best discriminatory capacity between HHD and HCM and were tested using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Each disease group was randomly split 4:1 (feature selection/test validation), in which the reproducibility of the pattern was analyzed in the test validation dataset. Results The selected texture features provided the maximum diagnostic accuracy of 86.2% (c-statistic: 0.820; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.769 to 0.903) using the SVM. For the test validation dataset, the accuracy of the pattern remained high at 80.0% (c-statistic: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.00). Global native T1, with an accuracy of 64%, separated HHD and HCM patients modestly (c-statistic: 0.549; 95% CI: 0.452 to 0.640). Conclusions Radiomics analysis of native T1 images discriminates between HHD and HCM patients and provides incremental value over global native T1 mapping.
Factfinders' Judgments Concerning Forensic Identification Science Testimony

Forensic identification science rests upon the notion that certain attributes of inanimate objects, persons, or even the residuum of certain behavior contain so much variability that it is possible to associate evidence from a crime scene with the source of that evidence. But serious scientists have long realized that, for reasons physical, statistical and psychological, such credulousness reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of these techniques. Outside of DNA typing, forensic identification has no random match probability data to share with factfinders, and such experts generally assert that their examination indicates that the crime scene evidence and the defendant's sample share a common source, or some comparable formulation. Our research is concerned with the effects of the kind of testimony that is given, or which could be given, for the numerous other forensic identification sciences that have been in existence much longer than DNA typing (e.g., fingerprints, handwriting, microscopic hair comparison); these fields have no scientific basis of the sort that DNA typing does, and must stand instead on the foundation of the personal experience and judgment of their practitioners, who must support their claims in court not with empirical data but with testimonial assurances. How would such expert testimony be received if it included more complete and candid descriptions of how they reached their findings and the more limited meaning of those findings? In three experiments we examined the impact on judges and jurors of different ways of expressing the meaning of a forensic match. Overall, the data revealed that what factfinders conclude from the evidence varied as a function of the ways in which the expert's findings were expressed and whether or not the limitations of the accuracy of forensic identification science were presented.
Blockade of RAF and autophagy is the one-two punch to take out Ras.

Activating mutations in RAS genes ( KRAS , HRAS , and NRAS ) are oncogenic drivers arising in about one-third of human malignancies (1, 2). Cancers with oncogenic RAS mutations are among those with the poorest prognosis, the most notorious example being pancreatic cancer with a 95% mutation frequency in KRAS and a 7% survival rate beyond 5 y of diagnosis. As such, targeting oncogenic RAS proteins or their functional output has been a longstanding priority for development of effective cancer therapies. Unfortunately, therapeutic targeting of oncogenic RAS proteins directly or of their individual downstream effector pathways has not been successful for the treatment of the vast majority of human cancers, suggesting that functional redundancies provide workarounds that sustain oncogenic activity. In PNAS, Lee et al. (3) use a novel combinatorial knockdown screening approach to identify essential RAS signaling and stress adaptation programs that, when cotargeted, compromise RAS-mediated cancer cell survival. RAS proteins are small GTPases that transduce signals from upstream growth factor receptors to downstream signaling pathways to stimulate growth, proliferation, and survival. In cancers, oncogenic mutations in RAS proteins such as KRAS G12V render them in the constitutively “on” position, decoupling regulatory growth signals from effector mechanisms. These unregulated growth signals drive the cancer phenotype through constitutive activation of the downstream RAF, RalGDS, and PI3K pathways (Fig. 1) (1, 2). Fig. 1. Essential codependency of RAS-driven cancers on BRAF, CRAF, and autophagy. BRAF and CRAF provide key functional oncogenic signaling downstream of RAS that requires autophagy mediated by ATG7 to sustain survival. Coordinate blockade of BRAF, CRAF, and ATG7 provides the one-two punch and lethal blow to Ras-driven cancer cells. Targeting oncogenic RAS proteins directly has proved difficult, with the possible exception of the KRAS V12C mutation in a small subset of human cancers in which the cysteine residue … [↵][1]1Email: epwhite{at}cinj.rutgers.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Abstract 189: Why Digital Health Trials Can Fail: Lessons Learned from the SmartGUIDE Randomized Trial of Virtual Cardiac Rehabilitation

Background: We performed a trial to evaluate the efficacy of a blended intervention with a custom-designed smartphone app combined with health coaching to improve medication adherence and cardiovas...
The Effect of Aging on the ERP Correlates of Feedback Processing in the Probabilistic Selection Task

Feedback processing contributes to efficient learning, decision making, and social interaction. Studies using event-related brain potentials (ERPs) reveal that feedback processing is associated with transient ERP components over the medial frontal and posterior regions of the scalp that distinguish between positive and negative feedback. There is some evidence indicating that aging has differential effects on the ERP correlates of feedback processing in a gambling task, and the current study was designed to extend these findings to a reinforcement learning paradigm. Younger and older adults performed the probabilistic selection task while ERPs elicited by feedback cues indicating a correct or incorrect choice were recorded during the learning phase. The ERPs revealed that the amplitude of the feedback negativity and frontal P3 were attenuated in older adults relative to younger adults. The amplitude of a temporal positivity was also attenuated in older adults; in contrast, the amplitude of an occipital negativity was insensitive to the effects of aging. These findings indicate that aging may be associated with the disruption of both local activity and long-range connectivity between neural structures related to feedback processing.
Universal Design for Learning Chemistry Instruction for Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

Students with and without learning disabilities in high school chemistry classes, either co-taught or self-contained, received instruction on calculating molar conversions using universal design fo...
Upregulation of Endothelial HLA Class II is a Marker of Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Heart Allograft Biopsies

Abstract In 2013, the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant (ISHLT) introduced the working classification for pathologic changes associated with antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) of the heart allograft, known as pathologic AMR (pAMR). With 2 components associated with AMR, histopathologic changes) and immunopathologic markers, the proposed classification also suggests the use of class II HLA as a marker of endothelial integrity. It is known that during allograft rejection, endothelial cells are activated, therefore, we hypothesized that endothelial class II HLA rather than a marker of mere endothelial presence, is a marker of endothelial activation and becomes upregulated in AMR. Eight hundred thirty-eight heart allograft biopsies, collected from January 2016 to September 2018 at a single institution from patients with a current or recent diagnosis of AMR, were evaluated for both histopathologic and immunopathologic changes of AMR. Biopsies were labeled with immunofluorescence with antibodies against C4d and for immunohistochemistry with antibodies against C3d, CD68, and class II HLA. ISHLT criteria were used to classify the biopsies, and for class II HLA, both the percentage and the stain intensity were evaluated. Biopsies (74.8%) from our cohort showed either histopathologic pAMR-1, immunopathologic pAMR-1, or combined histopathologic and immunopathologic pAMR-2 evidence of AMR. Expression of endothelial HLA class II was significantly correlated with the diagnosis of AMR by percentage area (P We confirmed our hypothesis that in heart allograft biopsies, there is a spectrum of both percentage and intensity of HLA class II expression due to endothelial activation, and that class II HLA by immunohistochemistry is a marker significantly correlated with the diagnosis of AMR. In addition, the group of focally positive C4d biopsies (10%-50%) should be considered positive for the immunopathologic component of the 2013 ISHLT classification, as this group of biopsies also correlated with the diagnosis of AMR.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Voderberg Tile

We present a generalization of the Voderberg tile, which, in addition to admitting periodic and nonperiodic spiral tilings of the plane, has the property that just two copies can surround 1 or 2 co...
Sales education and philanthropy: U.S. sales curriculum transcends boundaries and elevates employability and income levels in Latin America

There has been an increase in sales education across the U.S. and world. Due to the growing and critical demand of sales professionals, new programs have been established at many universities. This...
Application of PBL teaching method in orthopedic nursing teaching ward round

Objective To evaluate the effect of PBL teaching method applied in orthopedic nursing teaching ward round.Methods A total of 105 nursing students were involved in PBL teaching model during their internship in the department of orthopedics between 2009 to 2011.Teaching effect was evaluated with a questionnaire,the advantages and problems of PBL teaching method applied in clinical nursing teaching were analyzed.Results Among 105 nursing students,97.15％ of nursing students accepted the PBL teaching ward round mode,90.48％ of nursing students clearly mastered learning objectives,teaching emphases and difficulties through clinical rounds,91.43％ of nursing students believed that the ability of self-study ability was improved,92.38％ of nursing students believed that PBL teaching method has inspired interesting for learning,deepened the understanding of knowledge and memory,94.29％ of nursing students considered that the concept of holistic nursing care was established.Conclusions PBL teaching method can inspire the students' interesting,cultivate self-study ability and critical thinking skills,and enhance awareness of service.and it is a good way to improve comprehensive qualities of nursing students. Key words: ospitals,osteopathic; Hospitals,teaching; PBL teaching method; Nursing teaching ward round
PCR-Based Technologies to Study Differential Gene Expression in Rat Brain

We are interested in cloning/identifying virtually all mammalian brain mRNAs which are differentially expressed in response to various chemical, electrical, pharmacological and behavioral challenges to the central nervous system. To reach this ambitious objective, we propose that a PCR-based differential display methodology which is digital, portable, systematic, quantitative and database-friendly is required. To develop this technology, we first examined previously reported PCR-based differential display methodologies; we report that although current methods are sufficient for identifying some differentially expressed mRNAs, a more rigorous technique is needed to fit the necessary criteria. To this end, we report preliminary work which is aimed at the development of a modified method of PCR-based differential display.
Variants of the human RAD52 gene confer defects in ionizing radiation resistance and homologous recombination repair in budding yeast

RAD52 is a structurally and functionally conserved component of the DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair apparatus from budding yeast to humans. We recently showed that expressing the human gene, HsRAD52 in rad52 mutant budding yeast cells can suppress both their ionizing radiation (IR) sensitivity and homologous recombination repair (HRR) defects. Intriguingly, we observed that HsRAD52 supports DSB repair by a mechanism of HRR that conserves genome structure and is independent of the canonical HR machinery. In this study we report that naturally occurring variants of HsRAD52, one of which suppresses the pathogenicity of BRCA2 mutations, were unable to suppress the IR sensitivity and HRR defects of rad52 mutant yeast cells, but fully suppressed a defect in DSB repair by single-strand annealing (SSA). This failure to suppress both IR sensitivity and the HRR defect correlated with an inability of HsRAD52 protein to associate with and drive an interaction between genomic sequences during DSB repair by HRR. These results suggest that HsRAD52 supports multiple, distinct DSB repair apparatuses in budding yeast cells and help further define its mechanism of action in HRR. They also imply that disruption of HsRAD52-dependent HRR in BRCA2-defective human cells may contribute to protection against tumorigenesis and provide a target for killing BRCA2-defective cancers.
Influence of Gender and School-Based Information Sharing About Dating Violence Among Foster Children

Foster children are at an increased risk of subsequent dating violence (DV) perpetration and victimization. One potential reason for this is that the instability associated with being in the foster...
VISITAÇÃO DOMICILIÁRIA EM CONTEXTO COVID19: NARRATIVA

The COVID19 context led to significant changes in the way health care units operate, with home visitation having a particularly relevant impact. This article describes, from a first-person perspective, part of a working day for a nurse who provides home visitation care in a COVID context19. In doing so, it addresses the nurse's procedures, thoughts and feelings, highlighting the real experience of providing home care during the pandemic.
Fast additive manufacturing distortion prediction using backward interpolation

Abstract Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing (PBFAM) processes have emerged as important industrial processes that are capable of manufacturing complicated part features, such as hollow designs, lattice structure and other unique design structures. The current state of computing technology requires significant time to predict the part distortion formed during the PBFAM build process. In this paper, a novel Backward Interpolation (BI) model is presented for fast estimation of part distortion based on build process parameters. In the Backward Interpolation approach, we propose the concept of distortion factor that represents the distortion contribution of unit forces on the node to all other nodes that have equal or lower height in the FEM mesh. To start with, the CAD model is meshed in a layer by layer manner and the FEM model is voxelized and sliced for calculating the distortion factor. Next, the as-built distortion before cutoff from the substrate is calculated based on distortion factors and the internal forces generated by the inherent strain of the voxel. Subsequently, the spring back distortion is calculated, and the total part distortion is then finally determined as the summation of part distortion and the spring back distortion. An experimental validation of the methodology was conducted, and the predicted distortion results appeared to agree well with the distortion obtained from the built part. The comparison of distortion obtained from Backward Interpolation and distortion data from published work was further used to validate this algorithm. The computational efficiency of the proposed Backward Interpolation method was evaluated using an example part and demonstrated that the part distortion values were obtained within a few minutes using a desktop computer, confirming the significant decrease in computing time using this approach.
Minority Women's Self-medicating Behaviors from Work Stress (Presentation Slides)

Conference presentation on minorities and health disparities. This presentation used a Chi-Square analysis to consider minority women, workplace bullying and self-medicating behaviors.
Extracellular Vesicles as Central Mediators of COPD Pathophysiology

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex, heterogeneous, smoking-related disease of significant global impact. The complex biology of COPD is ultimately driven by a few interrelated processes, including proteolytic tissue remodeling, innate immune inflammation, derangements of the host-pathogen response, aberrant cellular phenotype switching, and cellular senescence, among others. Each of these processes are engendered and perpetuated by cells modulating their environment or each other. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are powerful effectors that allow cells to perform a diverse array of functions on both adjacent and distant tissues, and their pleiotropic nature is only beginning to be appreciated. As such, EVs are candidates to play major roles in these fundamental mechanisms of disease behind COPD. Furthermore, some such roles for EVs are already established, and EVs are implicated in significant aspects of COPD pathogenesis. Here, we discuss known and potential ways that EVs modulate the environment of their originating cells to contribute to the processes that underlie COPD. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Physiology, Volume 84 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
A Psychometric Analysis of Hope, Persistence, and Engagement Among Reengaged Youth

Youth who have disengaged from and subsequently returned to school are qualitatively different from students with continual educational enrollment. In this study, we examined the validity for two measures: the Adult Hope Scale (AHS) and Persistence in Goal Striving (PGS) Scale, among two samples of reengaged students (i.e., students who have dropped out of high school and returned to finish their degrees). Results from the AHS indicated that among reengaged students, a new factor structure may fit better than what has been used previously. Results from the PGS replicated a factor structure from previous research. Finally, we examined whether we could find support for criterion validity by assessing associations with measures of engagement, and found a positive relation between the AHS, PGS, and measures of cognitive and emotional engagement. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Balls Defined by Vector Fields

Publisher Summary This chapter presents balls defined by vector fields. The problems of several complex variables with which one shall be concerned with arise in a program of Stein to understand analogues in several complex variables of certain well known phenomena in the theory of functions of one complex variable.
Al Maqaleh v. Gates

Does the constitutional right to habeas corpus reach to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan? In Boumediene v. Bush, the Supreme Court held that noncitizens detained at the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba could avail themselves of the constitutional right of habeas corpus. In Al Maqaleh v. Gates the DC Circuit faced the same question with regard to Bagram, and ruled that Bagram, while also an offshore American military base, was not analogous to Guantanamo with regard to habeas rights. This brief essay describes the case and analyzes its significance in light of the larger debates over the conflict in Afghanistan and against al Qaeda.
Recursive estimation of camera motion from uncalibrated image sequences

We describe a method for estimating the motion and structure of a scene from a sequence of images taken with a camera whose geometric calibration parameters are unknown. The scheme is based upon a recursive motion estimation scheme, called the "essential filter", extended according to the epipolar geometric representation presented by Faugeras, Luong, and Maybank (see Proc. of the ECCV92, vol.588 of LNCS, Springer Verlag, 1992) in order to estimate the calibration parameters as well. The motion estimates can then be fed into any "structure from motion" module that processes motion error, in order to recover the structure of the scene. >
Robustness analysis and design of sparsely interconnected neural networks

We first conduct an analysis of the robustness properties of a class of neural networks with applications to associative memories. Specifically, for a network with nominal parameters storing a set of desired bipolar memories, we establish sufficient conditions under which the same set of bipolar memories is also stored in the network with perturbed parameters. This result enables us to establish a design procedure for neural networks whose stored memories are invariant under perturbations. Our design procedure is capable of generating artificial neural networks with prespecified sparsity constraints and in particular, is applicable in the design of cellular neural networks for associative memories. >
K-Pg extinction patterns in marine and freshwater environments: The impact winter model

[1] The Chicxulub asteroid impact produced massive extinction in terrestrial environments most likely through an intense heat pulse and subsequent widespread fires. Aquatic environments were shielded from this heat and fire but nevertheless showed massive extinction in marine environments and, for reasons unexplained, far less extinction in freshwater environments. Extinction in marine environments resulted from the effects of an “impact winter” caused by dust and smoke in the atmosphere that extinguished sunlight at the Earth's surface for a period of months to years. The resulting cessation of photosynthesis caused a globally extensive extinction of phytoplankton taxa. Because aquatic ecosystems, unlike terrestrial environments, are strongly dependent on daily photosynthetic output by autotrophs, loss of phytoplankton likely caused catastrophic mortality and extinction in aquatic ecosystems. Other potential causes of mortality in aquatic ecosystems include lower ambient temperatures and anoxia due to the lack of photosynthetic oxygen. Inland waters, although probably subject to high mortality, showed lower proportionate extinction than marine environments probably because of the greater potential among the freshwater taxa for dormancy, the greater efficiency of reaeration by rapid flow to offset oxygen demand, abundant thermal refugia fed by groundwater at moderate temperatures, and preadaptation of freshwater taxa to a great degree of environmental variability. In addition, detrital feeders appear to have had low extinction rates in either marine or freshwater environments, but again freshwater taxa would have been favored by higher renewal rates of detrital organic matter as a result of their direct hydrologic contact with soil.
Initial Risk-Based Screening of Potential Brownfield Development Sites

Brownfield redevelopment is sustainable only when it is a transparent process protective of public health. The objective of the brownfield health risk screening matrix is to provide a scientifically based, transparent process to evaluate human health risks on proposed redevelopment sites as well as a framework that can be critically evaluated by both environmentalists and the community in general. Public discussion and understanding of current health risk assessment, as well as the risks specific to each brownfield redevelopment site, are essential for an effective brownfield redevelopment program. The Brownfields Redevelopment Program was started by the EPA in 1995 and seeks to use already contaminated sites rather than contaminate even more greenfields. Two of the biggest difficulties are making redevelopment profitable and protecting human health. Traditional human health risk assessment evaluates single chemical exposures and identifies the level below which no adverse effect will occur to the most se...
Perspectives in Supply Chain Risk Management: A Review

To gain cost advantage and market share, many firms implemented various initiatives such as outsourced manufacturing and product variety. These initiatives are effective in a stable environment, but they could make a supply chain more vulnerable to various types of disruptions caused by uncertain economic cycles, consumer demands, and natural and man-made disasters. In this paper, we review various quantitative models for managing supply chain risks. We also relate various supply chain risk management strategies examined in the research literature with actual practices. The intent of this paper is three-fold. First, we develop a unified framework for classifying supply chain risk management articles. Second, we hope this review can serve as a practical guide for some researchers to navigate through the sea of research articles in this important area. Third, by highlighting the gap between theory and practice, we hope to motivate researchers to develop new models for mitigating supply chain disruptions.
Child Custody Decisions in Families Experiencing Woman Abuse

Both battered women and their partners are at risk for abusing their children, but social work practitioners are often unaware of the much greater risk presented by men who batter. This article reviews the scientific literature comparing the risk that battered women and men who batter will physically abuse their children. Several tenets of social work practice lore are challenged, and practitioners are cautioned about the use of psychological tests and profiles to judge child abuse potential and parenting ability. The hazards of mediation and joint custody are discussed, as well as the limitations of treatment for men who batter.
Death and rebirth in fieldwork: a case study.

Cultural anthropologists have spent a great deal of time and effort analyzing rites of passage among small-scale tribal peoples. They have devoted considerably less effort however to the study of thier own principal rite of passage. the experience of fieldwork. In a series of earlier studies (Wengle 1983. 1984, 1986). the author has explored certain psychological changes that anthropologists experience while doing fieldwork. In this paper, I provide (1) a description of the subjective meaning of fieldwork conceived as a rite of passage and (2) an illustration of the major themes contained in this description through an analysis of a recently published personal account of fieldwork (Cesara 1982).
Organophosphorus compounds preferentially affect second messenger systems coupled to M2/M4 receptors in rat frontal cortex

Recent reports indicate that organophosphate insecticides, in addition to inhibiting acetylcholinesterase activity, can bind directly at a subset of muscarinic receptors, which also bind cis-methyldioxolane with high affinity. Muscarinic receptors are known to act through at least two second messenger systems, either the stimulation of phosphoinositide turnover (mediated through the M1 and M3 receptor subtypes) or the inhibition of cAMP formation (mediated through the M2 and M4 receptor subtypes). We have investigated the action of the active forms of parathion, malathion, and chlorpyrifos (paraoxon, malaoxon, and chlorpyrifos oxon, respectively) on these second messenger systems in cortical slices from adult male Long-Evans rats. Paraoxon, malaoxon, and chlorpyrifos oxon (10−8 to 10−4 M) inhibited forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect on cAMP formation was blocked by the muscarinic antagonist atropine (10 μM). These results suggest that paraoxon, malaoxon, and chlorpyrifos oxon can act as agonists at the M2 and/or M4 subset of muscarinic receptors. In addition, chlorpyrifos may have another site of action. In contrast, none of the organophosphates had any effect on basal or carbachol-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis. The differential activity on these two second messenger systems make it unlikely that the observed effects on cAMP formation are due to increases in endogenous acetylcholine resulting from inhibition of acetylcholinesterase.
An overview of the Global Historical Climatology Network monthly mean temperature data set, version 3

[1] Since the early 1990s the Global Historical Climatology Network-Monthly (GHCN-M) data set has been an internationally recognized source of data for the study of observed variability and change in land surface temperature. It provides monthly mean temperature data for 7280 stations from 226 countries and territories, ongoing monthly updates of more than 2000 stations to support monitoring of current and evolving climate conditions, and homogeneity adjustments to remove non-climatic influences that can bias the observed temperature record. The release of version 3 monthly mean temperature data marks the first major revision to this data set in over ten years. It introduces a number of improvements and changes that include consolidating “duplicate” series, updating records from recent decades, and the use of new approaches to homogenization and quality assurance. Although the underlying structure of the data set is significantly different than version 2, conclusions regarding the rate of warming in global land surface temperature are largely unchanged.
Myelinated retinal nerve fibers associated with hyperopia and amblyopia

Myelinated retinal nerve fibers are a congenital anomaly of the ocular fundus. 1 They appear as white or gray patches with irregular feathery borders at the level of the retinal nerve fiber layer. The association of myelinated nerve fibers with myopia and amblyopia is well recognized, and amblyopia in this setting may be refractory to treatment. 2 In previous reports, the eye with myelinated nerve fibers was often highly myopic, 1-4 or, if hyperopic, less so than the fellow eye. 5,6 We report a case of myelinated nerve fibers associated with amblyopia in the more hyperopic eye.
Msx1 is required for the induction of Patched by Sonic hedgehog in the mammalian tooth germ.

We have used the mouse developing tooth germ as a model system to explore the transmission of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signal in the induction of Patched (Ptc). In the early developing molar tooth germ, Shh is expressed in the dental epithelium, and the transcripts of Shh downstream target genes Ptc and Gli1 are expressed in dental epithelium as well as adjacent mesenchymal tissue. The homeobox gene Msx1 is also expressed in the dental mesenchyme of the molar tooth germ at this time. We show here that the expression of Ptc, but not Gli1, was downregulated in the dental mesenchyme of Msx1 mutants. In wild-type E11.0 molar tooth mesenchyme SHH-soaked beads induced the expression of Ptc and Gli1. However, in Msx1 mutant dental mesenchyme SHH-soaked beads were able to induce Gli1 but failed to induce Ptc expression, indicating a requirement for Msx1 in the induction of Ptc by SHH. Moreover, we show that another signaling molecule, BMP4, was able to induce Ptc expression in wild-type dental mesenchyme, but induced a distinct expression pattern of Ptc in the Msx1 mutant molar mesenchyme. We conclude that in the context of the tooth germ Msx1 is a component of the Shh signaling pathway that leads to Ptc induction. Our results also suggest that the precise pattern of Ptc expression in the prospective tooth-forming region is controlled and coordinated by at least two inductive signaling pathways. Dev Dyn 1999;215:45–53. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Class D voltage-switching inverter with tapped resonant inductor

A steady-state analysis and experimental verification are given for a Class D voltage-switching inverter whose resonant circuit consists of a resonant capacitor in series with a tapped inductor. The analysis of the inverter is carried out in the frequency domain using Fourier series techniques. Design equations describing the steady-state operation are derived. It is found that the DC-to-AC voltage transfer function of the inverter is almost independent of the load variations at a switching frequency higher than the resonant frequency. In addition, the circuit has high efficiency over a wide range of load resistance. A prototype of the inverter was built and tested at an output power of 64 W using IRF730 power MOSFETs. The theoretical and experimental results show excellent agreement.
Fusarium head blight infection following point inoculation in the greenhouse compared with movement of Fusarium graminearum in seed and floral components

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe can cause extensive losses in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seed quality and yield. Greenhouse studies were conducted in 2000 and 2001 to investigate the movement of F. graminearum into floral components of the wheat spike following point inoculation (PI) of a middle floret. The visual greenhouse rating of spikelet infection (severity) following PI for all genotypes in the Uniform Northern and Southern FHB Screening Nurseries with various levels of Type II resistance was also related to seed infection by F. graminearum in the same spikes and to field infection of all genotypes in 2001. Greenhouse ratings of FHB spikelet infection were poorly associated with F. graminearum infection in seeds and other floral components from the same spikelets. Pathogen movement was primarily localized around the PI (resistant cultivars) or moved basally from the PI (susceptible cultivars). Greenhouse FHB spikelet infection ranged from 5 (resistant genotypes) to 100% (susceptible genotypes) with a wide but unrelated range in seed infection in the same spikes. Thus, Type II resistance to FHB (measured by spikelet severity) in the greenhouse was not a good indicator of F. graminearum seed infection. Seed infection with F. graminearum exceeded 70% in all genotypes when grown under near epidemic conditions in the field nursery and was poorly related to visual measurements (spikelet severity and scabby seeds) of Type II resistance. It is proposed that a greenhouse rating of those spikes having <30% spikelet FHB infection can be combined with a laboratory evaluation of the same spikes with <30% F. graminearum seed infection to provide a more definitive method of selecting for Type II resistance.
Approach to Steady State in Completely Mixed Flow Reactors

Environmental engineers frequently employ the assumption that steady-state conditions are approximated after three hydraulic residence times. In this paper, the conditions under which this assumption is valid are elucidated. For well-mixed systems, the time to approach steady state depends on the kinetic order of removal mechanisms, the initial pollutant concentration in the control volume (=C0), and the kinetic rate constant. The assumption of three hydraulic residence times to steady state was found to be conservative if C0 = 0. However, if C0 equals the influent concentration, then more than three hydraulic residence times may be required to approach steady-state conditions with some zero-order reactions.
Analytical and Experimental Investigation of Entrainment in Capillary Pumped Wicking Structures

Analytical and experimental investigations were conducted to identify and better understand the parameters that govern the entrainment of liquid droplets in high-velocity gas streams flowing over capillary wicking structures. Using a flow visualization technique, two modes of entrainment were identified and described for high-velocity gas flows over an intermittently interrupted liquid surface. These two modes, roll-wave entrainment and stripping entrainment, were found to correspond to the lower and upper critical gas velocities, respectively. Measurement of the critical gas velocities and the droplet size distribution (Sauter mean diameter) of the entrained sprays were made as a function of the capillary pore size for three different mesh sizes and were compared with several analytical models developed in previous investigations. The flow visualization results indicate that the upper critical velocity is insensitive to variations in the capillary pumping rate provided the capillary pores are properly primed. The experimental results also indicate that the critical velocity for a given mesh is strongly influenced by the mesh dimensions, but that the previously developed criteria for estimating the critical velocity results in an underestimation of the upper critical velocity for all but very small pore sizes. Finally, to resolve this problem a new analytical model formore » predicting the critical velocity was developed and shown to be accurate for a wide range of capillary pore sizes.« less
Inhibition of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase by phosphatidic acid.

The lipid second messenger, phosphatidic acid, inhibits the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor in detergent-lipid mixed micelles or in reconstituted membranes. Enzymatic studies revealed that this lipid second messenger inhibits the catalytic activity of partially purified insulin receptor without affecting the affinity of the receptor for insulin. Selectivity in the protein-lipid interaction is suggested by the inability of several other acidic lipids to affect the kinase activity of the receptor and by the relative insensitivity of the inhibition to increasing ionic strength and, in some cases, micelle surface charge. Lysophosphatidic acid and phosphatidic acids with short acyl chains do not affect significantly the receptor's kinase activity, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions are involved in the inhibition. Thus, both a high affinity interaction of the insulin receptor with the phosphate headgroup and a stabilizing hydrophobic interaction with the acyl chains contribute to the inhibitory protein-lipid interaction. The selective sensitivity of the insulin receptor to phosphatidic acid suggests that the receptor-mediated generation of this lipid in the plasma membrane could negatively modulate insulin receptor function. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.