cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
97856 Implementation of DPYD and UGT1A1 pharmacogenetic testing to guide chemotherapy dosing

ABSTRACT IMPACT: The implementation of DPYD and UGT1A1 pharmacogenetic testing, a promising tool of precision medicine, translates evidence-based research into clinical oncology practice with personalized dosing to better predict interpatient variability in chemotherapy tolerability. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Patients with DPYD and UGT1A1 genetic variants are at risk for severe toxicity from fluoropyrimidines and irinotecan, respectively. We propose that providing clinicians with the option to order a pharmacogenetic (PGx) test with relevant dose recommendations will increase test uptake to guide pharmacotherapy decisions and improve safety outcomes. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We plan to conduct a non-randomized, pragmatic, open-label study in 600 adult patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers initiating a fluoropyrimidine- and/or irinotecan-based regimen at three cancer centers within a health system. Implementation metrics of a new, in-house laboratory developed PGx test will be measured, including feasibility of returning results within one week, fidelity of providers following dose recommendations, and penetrance via test ordering rates. Clinical aims will include assessing severe toxicity during the first six months of chemotherapy. Outcomes will be compared to a historical control of GI cancer patients enrolled in a biobank and treated with standard dose chemotherapy. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We anticipate that there will be an increase in PGx test uptake given its shorter turnaround time to facilitate clinical decision-making prior to the first dose of chemotherapy. Through integration of test results in the electronic health record (EHR) and clinical decision support tools for patients with actionable genotypes, we also expect that providers will have a high level of agreement to the recommended dose adjustments. We anticipate a decreased incidence of severe (Grade >3) toxicity among prospectively genotyped patients in the first six months of chemotherapy compared to DPYD and UGT1A1 variant carriers in the historical control group. Exploratory clinical utility data on costs of hospitalizations, chemotherapy treatment, PGx test, and medical services will also be reported. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: This study aims to address barriers identified by key stakeholders to implementing PGx testing to better tailor chemotherapy dosing to the genetic profiles to patients. This may prevent adverse event-related hospitalizations, improve quality of life for patients, and reduce health system resource utilization costs.
Assessing Perinatal Insurance Coverage at Time of Death: A National Survey of Maternal Mortality Review Committees.

Background: The objective of this study is to understand the proportion of Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) that investigate insurance status at the time of maternal deaths occurring during three time periods: pregnancy, childbirth, and up to 12 months postpartum. Materials and Methods: We conducted a national survey of MMRCs between July and September of 2020. Jurisdictions were e-mailed a 17-item questionnaire that addressed whether the MMRCs document insurance status for each of the three time periods as well as facilitators and barriers to doing so. Descriptive statistics were performed. Follow-up interviews were conducted with five MMRCs between November and December of 2020 to assess unique strategies and challenges discovered in their survey responses. Results: Among 46 eligible jurisdictions, 37 completed the survey (80.4%). The vast majority of MMRCs reported documenting insurance status during pregnancy (97.3%, 36/37) and childbirth (88.4%, 30/34). Fewer MMRCs reported documenting insurance status at the time of death for deaths that occur postpartum (59.4%, 19/32). Barriers to doing so included limited access to postpartum insurance data and a historic focus on deaths occurring during pregnancy and in association with childbirth. Conclusions: MMRCs primarily focus on identifying insurance status during pregnancy and at childbirth. Information on insurance status in the postpartum period is more difficult to ascertain and less often determined. The findings from this work should inform efforts for MMRCs to improve data collection on insurance status and ultimately improve the capacity of MMRCs to identify targeted insurance policy reforms that could help reduce maternal mortality.
Acute Stress Exposure Alters Food-Related Brain Monoaminergic Profiles in a Rat Model of Anorexia.

BACKGROUND Adverse life experiences are a major risk factor for anorexia nervosa (AN). Eating-provoked anxiousness associated with AN is postulated to be due to food-related exaggerated serotonin activity in the brain and imbalances of monoamine neurotransmitters. OBJECTIVES Using a rodent model of stress-induced hypophagia, we investigated if stress exposure augments food-related serotonin turnover and imbalances in measures of brain serotonin and dopamine activity in manners consistent with anxiousness toward food and restricted eating. METHODS Adult male F344 rats were conditioned to associate an audio cue with daily food over 2 weeks, after which half of the rats were exposed to a single episode of tail shocks (stress) or left undisturbed (nonstressed). All rats were killed 48 h later, during a control period, the food-associated cue, or a period of food access. Serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, as well as metabolite concentrations, were assessed across brain regions comprising reward, emotion, and feeding circuits relevant to AN in acutely stressed and nonstressed rats using HPLC. Statistical significance level was 5%. RESULTS Stress-induced rat hypophagia paralleled an augmented serotonin turnover in response to the food-associated cue in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, as well as food access in the hypothalamus and cortical areas (all P < 0.05). Stress exposure increased the ratio of serotonin to dopamine metabolites across several brain areas, but the magnitude of this imbalance was further augmented during the food-associated cue and food access in the brainstem, hippocampus, and cortical areas (all P < 0.05). Finally, stress lowered norepinephrine concentrations by 18% in the hypothalamus (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The observed stress-induced changes to monoamine profiles in rats could have key implications for physiological states that contribute to restricted eating and may hold relevance for the development of AN precipitated by adverse life experiences.
Modeling electron microburst induced by chorus waves

The interaction of chorus waves with energetic electrons is investigated using test particle simulation, for two cases respectively, one (for a ducted chorus) with an assumption of parallel propagation along a dipole field line (Figure 1), and the other one (for an unducted chorus) with a more physical wave propagation in the dipole field. F or the latter case, ray tracing of many waves is used to reconstruct the spatial and temporal variation of electromagnetic field of chorus elements. Substantial differences in electron transport are found and signatures of electron precipitation pattern induced by the chorus waves are predicted.
Evaluation of silver nanoparticle acute and chronic effects on freshwater amphipod (Hyalella azteca).

Abstract Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are known to cause ecotoxic effects, but there are no existing derived ambient water quality criteria (AWQC) for these nanomaterials to protect freshwater aquatic life due to insufficient toxicological data. We exposed Hyallela azteca to silver nitrate, citrate-coated AgNPs (citrate-AgNPs), and polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated AgNPs (PVP-AgNPs) in a 10-day and 28-day water-only static renewal system with clean sand as a substrate for the amphipods and compared their point estimates with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) AWQC for silver. We observed that all treatments decreased the survival, growth, and biomass of H. azteca, and the order of toxicity was AgNO3 > citrate-AgNPs > PVP-AgNPs. The LC50s of AgNO3, citrate-AgNPs, and PVP-AgNPs for were 3.0, 9.6, and 296.0 µg total Ag L−1, respectively, for the acute exposure and 2.4, 3.2, and 61.4 µg total Ag L−1, respectively, for the chronic exposure. Acute and chronic EC20s of citrate-AgNPs ranged from 0.5 to 3.5 µg Ag L−1 while that of PVP-AgNPs ranged from 31.2 to 175 µg total Ag L−1 for growth and biomass. Both Ag+ released from AgNPs and the nanoparticles contributed to the observed toxicity. The dissolution and toxicity of AgNPs were influenced by surface coating agents, particle size, and surface charge. Most point estimates for AgNPs were above AWQC for silver (4.1 µg L−1) and the lowest concentration (0.12 µg/L) at which Ag is expected to cause chronic adverse effects to freshwater aquatic life. Our study demonstrates that the current AWQC for silver, in general, is protective of freshwater aquatic life against AgNPs tested in the present study.
Mental Health Disorders in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

It has been well understood for some time that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience high rates of behavior and emotional problems. In this chapter, we review some of the conceptual and practical issues related to the assessment of mental health problems in young people with ASD. We discuss instrumentation and prevalence of several psychiatric disorders. We also summarize select behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and psychopharmacological treatment studies.
Gene therapy for carcinoma of the breast: Genetic ablation strategies

The gene therapy strategy of mutation compensation is designed to rectify the molecular lesions that are etiologic for neoplastic transformation. For dominant oncogenes, such approaches involve the functional knockout of the dysregulated cellular control pathways provoked by the overexpressed oncoprotein. On this basis, molecular interventions may be targeted to the transcriptional level of expression, via antisense or ribozymes, or post-transcriptionally, via intracellular single chain antibodies (intrabodies). For carcinoma of the breast, these approaches have been applied in the context of the disease linked oncogenes erbB-2 and cyclin D1, as well as the estrogen receptor. Neoplastic revision accomplished in modal systems has rationalized human trials on this basis.
Tag Separation in Cardiac Tagged MRI

In this paper we introduce a tag separation method for better cardiac boundary segmentation and tag tracking. Our approach is based on two observations in the cardiac tagged MR images: 1) the tag patterns have a regular texture; 2) the cardiac images without tag patterns are piecewise smooth with sparse gradients. These observations motivate us to use two dictionaries, one based on the Discrete Cosine Transform for representing tag patterns and the other based on the Wavelet Transform for representing the underlying cardiac image without tag patterns. The two dictionaries are built such that they can lead to sparse representations of the tag patterns and of the piece-wise smooth regions without tag patterns. With the two dictionaries, a new tag separation approach is proposed to simultaneously optimize w.r.t. the two sparse representations, where optimization is directed by the Total Variation regularization scheme. While previous methods have focused on tag removal, our approach to acquiring both optimally-decomposed tag-only image and the cardiac image without tags simultaneously can be used for better tag tracking and cardiac boundary segmentation. We demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed approach through extensive experiments on large sets of cardiac tagged MR images.
The impact of epidemic, war, prohibition and media on suicide: United States, 1910–1920.

The paper utilizes a natural experiment approach to estimate the impact of exogenous social and political events on suicide behavior in the United States between 1910 and 1920. The study is concerned with determining the impact of World War I, the great Influenza Epidemic, and the prohibition experiment on suicide. Estimating the monthly population in the United States registration area from 1910 to 1920, monthly suicide and mortality rates are computed. A time-series model is postulated, and second-order autoregressive estimates are used to determine the impact of the independent variables in the model. It is concluded that World War I did not influence suicide; the Great Influenza Epidemic caused it to increase; and the continuing decline in alcohol consumption between 1910 and 1920 depressed national suicide rates. Further individual-level aggregate studies are needed to confirm the findings of the study.
Alcohol SBIRT implementation in adult primary care: physician versus non-physician delivery

Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in adult primary care is cost-effective and recommended by national guidelines, but has not been widely adopted. The ADVISE study examines whether non-physician (versus physician) delivery of SBIRT in primary care clinics increases implementation. This is a clustered, randomized controlled trial of 54 adult PC clinics in Kaiser Permanente Northern California. We compared a control condition versus training, technical support and performance feedback for physician versus non-physician delivery. The study included qualitative interviews with providers and patients and examined rates of screening, brief intervention and referral as implementation outcomes. On average, interventions were longer in duration in the non-physician arm, but barriers in this model included a complex ‘handoff”, the need for patients to often have a separate visit for the intervention, and patient resistance. Barriers salient for physician delivery included a region-wide primary care access initiative and new competing priorities due to health care reform. Inclusion of the screener in the EMR, opinion leaders, a physician testimonial linking alcohol use to performance measures for other chronic conditions, and compatibility with other practices were facilitators. We discuss findings in the context of the Consolidated Framework on Implementation Research.
Leveraging Publicly Available Data to Discern Patterns of Human-Trafficking Activity

We present a few data analysis methods that can be used to process advertisements for escort services available in public areas of the Internet. These data provide a readily available proxy evidence for modeling and discerning human-trafficking activity. We show how it can be used to identify advertisements that likely involve such activity. We demonstrate its utility in identifying and tracking entities in the Web-advertisement data even if strongly identifiable features are sparse. We also show a few possible ways to perform community- and population-level analyses including behavioral summaries stratified by various types of activity and detection of emerging trends and patterns.
DEVELOPMENT OF FLOW STRUCTURES IN THE LEE OF AN INCLINED BODY OF REVOLUTION

Laser-induced fluorescence has been utilised for visualising the flow structures behind an inclined body of revolution in a large towing tank. The observations have focused on the effects of the incidence angle and the Reynolds number on the axial development of the large-scale structures within the separated region, as well as the location of boundary-layer separation and reattachment. At low angles of incidence and low Reynolds numbers the flow is symmetric, containing two large centres (foci) of coalescing stream surfaces as well as several secondary structures. The transition to an asymmetric flow is observed to begin first in the downstream sections with the gradual detachment of the left primary sector and an inward motion of the right-hand centre. While detaching, the primary left structure becomes elongated as the stream surfaces break and coalesce into two distinct centres. The resulting two foci start interacting further downstream and eventually recombine. When the left centre of coalescence is completely detached, an additional centre forms in its place and the right-hand structure starts lifting away from the surface. Evidence of asymmetry very close to the tip of the model at 45 degree inclination is also provided. A series of qualitative drawings of the flow topology is provided. They follow the evolution of the flow structures in the lee of the model.
The Coming Redefinitions of Crime: An Anarchist Perspective

Crime's existence and substance are dependent upon institutionalization of the principle of legality. Crime is a denial of a prospectively defined legal right. A right is a legally guaranteed future access to a valued resource. Crime and penal sanction create a vicious cycle of appropriation. Breaking through this cycle requires an understanding of the structural concomitants of appropriation and law. An analysis of hierarchy, stratification, differentiation, relational quality, individualism, and commitment to structure demonstrates that: (1) distributive and participatory inequality are the foundations for appropriation; and (2) individual claims to appropriate are absurd and unjust because the means of production are the collective work of humankind. An exploration of the assumptions of the principle of legality leads to the inference that any response to human conflict that respects individual authenticity and sovereignty, human diversity, competency, and shared responsibility can only be articulated retrospectively. With an increased awareness that each person is unique, diverse, separate and at once unified in the need to search for meaning, understanding, bonding and solidarity, the concept of justice is evolving. A needs-based conception (to each according to need, taking into account the resources available to all) is replacing a rights-based and deserts-based conception of justice. Though crime, law, and their institutional supports have increased, symbiotic human relationships are also increasingly being crafted from the human sentiments of commiseration and solidarity. If these developments continue to gather momentum, a system of retrospective justice, of needs-based justice, of anarchy, will continuously evolve.
Effects of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene on estuarine macrobenthic communities exposed via water and sediment

Abstract Macrobenthic animal communities that colonized sand-filled aquaria were exposed to 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB), a recent replacement for polycholorinated biphenyls in the electrical industry. In one test, communities established by planktonic larvae entrained in continuously supplied unfiltered seawater for 50 days were exposed to waterborne TCB for 6 days; in the second test, the toxicant was added to the sediment before 8 weeks of colonization. Concentrations that affected community structure were usually two orders of magnitude lower for waterborne TCB than for sediment-bound TCB, but the same types of organisms were affected by each route of exposure. The lowest TCB concentrations (measured) that affected average numbers of individuals exposed via the water were 0.04 mg/liter for mollusks, 0.4 mg/liter for arthropods, and 4 mg/liter for annelids. Average number of species was significantly lower than the control at 4 mg/liter. For TCB exposures via the sediment, the lowest concentrations (nominal) that affected average numbers of individuals were 100 μg/g for mollusks and echinoderms, and 1000 μg/g for arthropods and annelids. Average number of species in experimental aquaria was significantly lower than the control at ⩾ 100 μg/g. TCB persisted in sediments, but some leached into water throughout the 8-week exposure via sediment.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methylprednisolone when administered at 8 AM versus 4 PM

The temporal variations in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methylprednisolone at 8 AM versus 4 PM were investigated in six healthy male volunteers. Subjects completed three phases: no drug administration, 20 mg intravenous methylprednisolone at 8 AM, and the same dose at 4 PM. Methylprednisolone clearance was 28% greater in the afternoon. The suppressive effects of methylprednisolone on basophils (measured as whole blood histamine), helper T lymphocytes, and cortisol concentrations, assessed by the ratio of the area under the curve (AUC) after methylprednisolone to the baseline AUC
Representation and realization of operational differential equations with time-varying coefficients

Abstract An algebraic treatment of operational differential equations with time-varying coefficients is presented in terms of skew rings of differential polynomials defined over a Noetherian ring. Included in this framework are delay differential equations with time- varying coefficients. The operator equations are characterized by transfer matrices which are utilized to construct realizations given by first-order vector differential equations with operator coefficients. It is shown that the realization of matrix equations can be reduced to the realization of scalar equations. Finally, a simple procedure is derived for realizing scalar equations.
Rule violations of Japanese inmates; An artifact of a low imprisonment rate

Rule violations offer insights to inmate reactions to penal confinement and to the official control system. Japanese prisons are of special significance because of the diversion of convicted offenders when feasible. American critics of community corrections have argued that heavy diversion would impose only the most intransigent criminals on prisons. By the sociocultural standards of Japan, diversion has had that consequence for its prisons. Official data provide the opportunity to examine a system of rule enforcement under those circumstances, including the relationship with inmate recidivism and the length of imprisonment.
The use of a nitrogen laser for observation of space charge effects in drift chambers and development of high precision vertex chambers

A two-stage nitrogen laser has been built and is presently being used to investigate properties of drift chambers. In this paper we present the measured parameters of this laser, the results of a study of the double track separation in a drift chamber of jet design and a measurement of the saturation effects in this chamber as a function of total gain. An understanding of the saturation effects is important for drift chambers with multiple hit capability. The laser technique reported here represents a major improvement in the simplicity of investigation of the double track separation and saturation effects. In addition, we have demonstrated the usefulness of this kind of laser in the development of high precision drift chambers working in a resolution range of ∼ 20–30 μm.
Genetic progression in the pancreatic ducts.

The genetic progression described by Yamano et al in this issue of The American Journal of Pathology helps establish a progression model for pancreatic ductal carcinoma. This progression model has a number of important implications for the classification of lesions in the pancreas and for the future early detection and chemoprevention of pancreatic carcinoma.
Metabolic Effects of Dietary Fructose in Diabetic Subjects

OBJECTIVE To assess the metabolic effects of chronic dietary fructose consumption in diabetic subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Six type I and 12 type II diabetic subjects consumed, in random order, two isocaloric study diets for 28 days. In one diet, 20% of energy was derived from fructose. In the other diet, RESULTS Mean plasma glucose, urine glucose, and serum glycosylated albumin values were lower during the fructose diet than during the starch diet, but the differences achieved only marginal statistical significance. The day-28 value for mean plasma glucose was 12.5% lower ( P = 0.03) during the fructose diet than during the starch diet. At days 14, 21, and 28, fasting serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were both significantly higher during the fructose diet than during the starch diet. The day-28 values for serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol during the fructose diet were 6.9% ( P = 0.008) and 10.9% ( P = 0.002) higher, respectively, than the corresponding values during the starch diet. No differences were observed between the study diets in fasting serum HDL cholesterol, fasting serum triglycerides, peak postprandial serum triglycerides, or fasting serum lactate. Peak postprandial serum lactate was significantly higher during the fructose diet. Type I and type II diabetic subjects responded to the diets in a consistent way, but type I subjects experienced significantly more hypoglycemia during the fructose diet than during the starch diet. CONCLUSIONS A high-fructose diet may result in reduced glycemia in diabetic subjects but at the expense of increased fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol .
Teacher Certification and Endorsement in Gifted Education: Past, Present, and Future:

State department of education directors of gifted education were surveyed in order to determirie the current status of certification/endorsement requirements in the United States. Responses from each of the 50 slates are included in this paper. Fewer than half of the states have requirements specific to gifted education for certification/endorsement. Those criteria that do exist are reported and dispiayed graphically, and a discussion of the importance of and need for certification/endorsement and periodic review is presented.
Nucleation and Decay Initiation Are the Stiffness-Sensitive Phases of Focal Adhesion Maturation

A cell plated on a two-dimensional substrate forms adhesions with that surface. These adhesions, which consist of aggregates of various proteins, are thought to be important in mechanosensation, the process by which the cell senses and responds to the mechanical properties of the substrate (e.g., stiffness). On the basis of experimental measurements, we model these proteins as idealized molecules that can bind to the substrate in a strain-dependent manner and can undergo a force-dependent state transition. The model forms molecular aggregates that are similar to adhesions. Substrate stiffness affects whether a simulated adhesion is initially formed and how long it grows, but not how that adhesion grows or shrinks. Our own experimental tests support these predictions, suggesting that the mechanosensitivity of adhesions is an emergent property of a simple molecular-mechanical system.
Spontaneous Spinal Cord “Injury Potential” in the Rat

A marked ionic change in both the intra- and the extracellular space at the site of an acute spinal cord lesion has been reported in the literature. The present study was undertaken to measure spontaneous electrical potentials that might be associated with the previously observed ionic shifts. With the use of an impact (weight drop) model of cord injury in rats, lesions were induced at T-8. DC potentials were measured simultaneously both rostrally and caudally with respect to site of injury over a time course of 4 hours after injury. The potentials were positive with respect to lesion site, and the intensity decreased with time during 4 hours of observation. These results seem to support reported ionic shifts and migrations in injured cords and represent, to our knowledge, the first reported measurement of spontaneous injury potential in the cord of a mammal.
Baseline Validation of Unstructured Grid Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Toward Flow Control

The value of the use of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes methodology for active flow control applications is assessed. An experimental flow control database exists for a NACA0015 airfoil modified at the leading edge to implement a fluidic actuator; hence, this configuration is used. Computational results are documented for the baseline wing configuration (no control) with the experimental results and assumes two-dimensional flow. The baseline wing configuration has discontinuities at the leading edge, trailing edge, and aft of midchord on the upper surface. A limited number of active flow control applications have been tested in the laboratory and in flight. These applications include dynamic stall control using a deformable leading edge, separation control for takeoff and landing flight conditions using piezoelectric devices, pulsed vortex generators, zero-net-mass oscillations, and thrust vectoring with zero-net-mass piezoelectric-driven oscillatory actuation. As yet, there is no definitive comparison with experimental data that indicates current computational capabilities can quantitatively predict the large aerodynamic performance gains achieved with active flow control in the laboratory. However, one study using the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) methodology has shown good quantitative agreement with experimental results for an isolated zero-net-mass actuator. In addition, some recent studies have used RANS to demonstrate qualitative performance gains compared with the experimental data for separation control on an airfoil. Those quantitative comparisons for both baseline and flow control cases indicated that computational results were in poor quantitative agreement with the experiments. The current research thrust will investigate the potential use of an unstructured grid RANS approach to predict aerodynamic performance for active flow control applications building on the early studies. First the computational results must quantitatively match experiments for the no-control case before proceeding to the time-dependent flow control case. This paper documents the baseline (no-control) case using an unswept airfoil configuration. The next section describes the configurations used for the computations and the experimentals. The computational approach is then described followed by results and concluding remarks.
The properties of gold deposits produced by DC, pulse and asymmetric AC plating

In studies of the use of pulsed current (PC) or asymmetric AC in place of DC in electrodeposition, considerable attention has been devoted to the effects of PC upon the widely applied hard gold coatings normally deposited by DC from acid cyanide electrolytes containing cobalt or nickel. The authors of this article compare the properties of gold foils produced by PC, asymmetric AC and DC plating from a cyanidecitrate-sulphate electrolyte in the absence of alloying metals.
Exact Masses and Chemical Formulas of Individual Suwannee River Fulvic Acids from Ultrahigh Resolution Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectra

Molecular formulas have been assigned for 4626 individual Suwannee River fulvic acids based on accurate mass measurements from ions generated by electrospray ionization and observed by ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS). Formula assignments were possible because of the mass accuracy of FTICR MS at high field (9.4 T) and the regular mass spacing patterns found in fulvic acid mixtures. Sorting the 4626 individually observed ions according to Kendrick mass defect and nominal mass series (z* score) revealed that all could be assigned to 1 of 266 distinct homologous series that differ in oxygen content and double bond equivalence. Tandem mass spectrometry based on infrared multiphoton dissociation identified labile fragments of fulvic acid molecules, whose chemical formulas led to plausible structures consistent with degraded lignin as a source of Suwannee River fulvic acids.
Changes in student-centred assessment by postsecondary science and non-science faculty

Although many appeals for reform include adopting more student-centred assessment, few studies have examined the postsecondary classroom. Using the 1993 and 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Fac...
Effect of aspirin and warfarin therapy on thromboembolic events in patients with univentricular hearts and Fontan palliation.

Abstract Background Patients with univentricular hearts and Fontan palliation are at risk for thromboembolic complications. While aspirin and warfarin therapies are currently the mainstay of prophylaxis, controversy exists as to the optimal prevention strategy. Methods A cohort study was conducted on the New England registry of patients born in 1985 or earlier with Fontan surgery at Boston Children's Hospital, in order to assess and compare the effect of prophylactic aspirin and warfarin on incident thromboembolic events. Results A total of 210 qualifying patients (49% male) underwent Fontan surgery at a median age of 8.5years: 48.6% had a right atrium to pulmonary artery anastomosis, 11% a right atrium to right ventricle conduit, 38.6% a lateral tunnel, and 1.9% an extracardiac conduit. No thromboembolic prophylaxis was prescribed to 50.0%, whereas 24.3% received aspirin, and 25.7% warfarin. In multivariate analyses, lack of aspirin or warfarin was associated with a significantly higher thromboembolic event rate when compared to therapy with either [hazard ratio 8.5, 95% confidence interval (3.6–19.9), P Conclusions Prophylaxis with either aspirin or warfarin was associated with a significantly lower rate of incident thromboembolic events following Fontan palliation, with no difference between the two therapies.
Variation in dental occlusion and arches among melanesians of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. II. Clinal variation, geographic microdifferentiation and synthesis

Patterns of geographic microdifferentiation for dental occlusion and the size and shape of the dental arches are described for 14 villages on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. Occlusal variables, such as overjet, overbite, molar relationships, crowding or spacing, and malalignment vary less among villages than do arch length and width. Arch length and width decrease in size from north to south. The pattern of biological distance among villages for occlusal variables and arch size correspond poorly to anthropometric, linguistic, geographic and migrational distances. The value of occlusal variables and arch size for discriminating among populations, the biological interpretation of multivariate data and the objectives of research on geographic microdifferentiation are discussed.
A Comparison of Salt Marsh Construction Costs with the Value of Exported Shrimp Production

Penaeid shrimp support valuable fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and shrimp productivity has been linked to coastal salt marshes. Continuing wetland loss in Galveston Bay, Texas (USA) has led to the development of various salt marsh restoration projects. These constructed wetlands often attempt to mimic natural marsh landscape characteristics within the region and incorporate marsh edge, because marsh edge appears important for fishery production. We estimated the value of shrimp production from nine of these constructed wetlands for comparison with project construction costs that ranged between $9,555 and $45,311 ha−1 (2007 U.S.) Overall annual shrimp production attributable to the constructed wetlands ranged from 228 to 318 kg ha−1. After adjusting for natural mortality and production expected from open water replaced by marsh, the constructed marshes contributed an enhanced annual shrimp production between 90 and 146 kg ha−1. The annual value of this shrimp production from the nine wetlands ranged from $425 to $690 ha−1, based on the ex-vessel price of shrimp harvested in Galveston Bay. In relation to construction costs, shrimp production was higher for marsh terracing projects and small marsh islands built with nearby sediment than for marsh islands built with dredged sand.
Chromocolonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening: Dive into the Big Blue.

Chromoendoscopy involves the use of special stains to help identify and characterize lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. Dyes can be classified as absorptive or contrast; indigocarmine is one of the most commonly used agents in the latter category. The underlying principle is that the dye pools temporarily in abnormal mucosal areas without actively staining crypts, allowing the delineation of lesion contour and morphology. Indigocarmine
Novel solid phase synthesis supports for the preparation of oligonucleotides containing 3′-alkyl amines.

Abstract The synthesis and application of photolabile supports for solid phase oligonucleotide synthesis that release oligonucleotides containing 3′-alkyl amines is described. The alkyl amine functionality can be revealed without removing any other protecting groups throughout the biopolymer. The solid phase synthesis supports do not contain a nucleoside, making it possible to use a single support for the synthesis of oligonucleotides independent of their sequence. Individual solid phase synthesis supports differ according to the length of the alkyl tether between the 4,4′-dimethoxytrityl group which serves as the initiation site for oligonucleotide synthesis and the latent alkyl amine. Eicosameric oligonucleotides are obtained in yields ranging from 70–98% under photolysis conditions that are known to produce less than 3% thymidine•thymidine photodimers. Longer oligonucleotides (30 and 40 nucleotides in length) are cleaved from these solid phase synthesis supports in lower yields.
Some enzymologic aspects of the human erythrocyte

Abstract The human erythrocyte engages solely in a glycolytic type of metabolic activity, a metabolic specialization which may be viewed as an expression of adaptive efforts directed toward survival in an environment rich in glucose, and in the face of a "handicap" due to the lack of a nucleus. Since relatively few biosynthetic reactions occur in erythrocytes, a specialized metabolic pathway, the Rapoport-Luebering cycle, has evolved in the human erythrocyte which provides a means of dissipating the excess of energy-rich phosphate so as to ensure continued glycolytic activity. Although anaerobic glycolysis constitutes the only important pathway for the catabolism of glucose in the human erythrocyte under normal physiological conditions, the cell is potentially capable of catabolizing glucose oxidatively as well as of metabolizing glucose by means of the uridyl transferase reaction sequence. The human erythrocyte is enzymatically equipped to oxidize glucose by way of the pentose phosphate metabolic cycle, but the alternate pathway of glucose catabolism can be activated only if the normally missing metabolic link to molecular oxygen is supplied. Partial activation can be achieved in the nonoxidative portion of the pentose phosphate cycle by supplying a suitable substrate. The glycolipoprotein-containing envelope of the human erythrocyte appears to perform an important metabolic function in regulating the flux of ions in and out of the cell and in controlling the flow of glucose and phosphate, both of which are essential metabolites for the human erythrocyte. Metabolic aberrations have been found in a variety of pathologic conditions, but only a few of these have been elucidated sufficiently to permit exact definition of the aberration. Most firmly established in the latter category are the metabolic aberrations found in drug-induced hemolytic anemia, in galactosemia and in hereditary spherocytosis.
A retrospective analysis of mandibular trauma radiology dictations

Objectives This study aims to determine the factors that influence the quality of radiology reports of maxillofacial computed tomography (CT) scans from patients presenting to the emergency department who sustained mandible fractures. We discuss specific, pertinent details that were either included or excluded from the report that could potentially affect the operating surgeon’s treatment plan.
Hot-stage microscopy of film detachment: Vapor-deposited arsenosilicate glasses on silicon

Abstract Direct observation of bubble formation in arsenosilicate glass films deposited on silicon from an AsCl3 source was carried out by hot-stage microscopy. The growth of such detachment bubbles was followed at a controlled temperature and was plotted against time. After an initial fast growth occurring within the first minute, the bubble size increased at a slower rate. Films prepared from an AsH3 source exhibited superior heat treatment characteristics. Residual chlorine in the glass appeared to be responsible for the poorer heat treatment properties of arsenosilicate films deposited from AsCl3.
Superconducting fluctuation effects at a silver-germanium interface.

Structures consisting of various layers of Ag and Ge were fabricated in ultrahigh vacuum by quench condensation onto substrates held at liquid-helium temperatures. The electrical conductances of these structures measured ino situ exhibited incomplete superconducting transitions and superconducting fluctuation effects. It is suggested that these may be a consequence of phenomena occurring at a Ag-Ge interface, rather than properties of atomically mixed Ag and Ge.
Code design for quadratic Gaussian multiterminal source coding: The symmetric case

Whereas the theory and practice of two-terminal quadratic Gaussian multiterminal (MT) source coding is complete, the theory with more than two terminals is only partial, with the sum-rate limit only known in the symmetric case where all sources are positively symmetric and all target distortions equal. This paper proposes the first code design for quadratic Gaussian MT source coding in this symmetric setup. The aim is to approach corner points of the rate region via TCQ for quantization and LDPC codes for Slepian-Wolf compression. We provide high-rate analysis of our code design. Simulations with three and four terminals show a very small sum-rate loss.
Brazilian library literature

Brazil, known as “the land of the future” in the words of Stefan Zweig, has rapidly awakened to modern times, and is becoming one of the highly industrialized countries of the world. The societal transformations from a rural agriculture-based economy to one which is predominantly urban and industrial have been accompanied by a great demand for scientific and social information. Until the late forties, Brazil lacked the proper channels to conduct research; higher education was materially as well as structurally illequipped to encourage scientific progress; good libraries and documentation centers were scarce, and bibliographic activities lacked cohesion and purpose. It soon became evident that the library profession needed to play a more vigorous role in making government authorities aware of the key roles which information centers of high quality could play in the development of the country. Several meetings and conferences of librarians and documentalists at the regional and national level explored new means of providing adequate information services to the scholarly and scientific communities of the nation. As the library profession expanded, the growing number of professionals demanded more and better organizations to represent them. It was at this time, during the late sixties, that the voices of Brazilian librarianship began to make themselves heard. A good idea of the progress in this area is reflected in the rapidly expanding library literature, whose influence has lately transcended national boundaries. The present article is an attempt to acquaint the reader with this literature in all its multifaceted aspects. The evaluation of the changes in quality and in quantity of this professional literature can best be traced through three historical stages. Each successive stage broadened, rather than replaced, the previous one, and the current scene, is essentially an amalgam of all three.
How to Include Parton Transverse Momentum in Quantum Chromodynamics

I show that parton transverse-momentum effects can be included in factorized quantum-chromodynamics inclusive cross sections, but that factorization is maintained only if the transverse-momentum variable which is held fixed is independent of the scale of the parton momentum. I also emphasized that other nonperturbative effects can be just as important as the transverse momentum.
A motion amplifier using an axially driven buckling beam: I. Design and experiments

For active materials such as piezoelectric stacks, which produce large force and small displacement, motion amplification mechanisms are often necessary – not simply to trade force for displacement, but to increase the output work transferred through a compliant structure. Here, a new concept for obtaining large rotations from small linear displacements produced by a piezoelectric stack is proposed and analyzed. The concept uses elastic (buckling) and dynamic instabilities of an axially driven buckling beam. The optimal design of the buckling beam end conditions was determined from a static analysis of the system using Euler's elastica theory. This analysis was verified experimentally. A stack-driven, buckling beam prototype actuator consisting of a pre-compressed PZT stack (140 mm long, 10 mm diameter) and a thin steel beam (60 mm× 12 mm× 0.508 mm) was constructed. The buckling beam served as the motion amplifier, while the PZT stack provided the actuation. The experimental setup, measuring instrumentation and method, the beam pre-loading condition, and the excitation are fully described in the paper. Frequency responses of the system for three pre-loading levels and three stack driving amplitudes were obtained. A maximum 16∘ peak-to-peak rotation was measured when the stack was driven at an amplitude of 325 V and frequency of 39 Hz. The effects of beam pre-load were also studied.
Toxicity of chlorinated bornane (toxaphene) residues isolated from Great Lakes lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush).

Lake trout samples from the Great Lakes contain residues of a complex pattern of chlorinated bornanes similar to the insecticide toxaphene. These residues, although structurally similar to toxaphene, are composed of a different profile of compounds than the analytical standard. Chlorinated bornane residues were isolated from tissues of Lake Michigan and Siskiwit Lake (Isle Royale) lake trout using a variety of purification techniques. Toxicity studies were conducted to determine the toxicological properties of the isolated residues in comparison to both technical material and the procedural standard. Static 24-hr acute bioassays with mosquito larvae(Aedes egypti) demonstrated that the residues were as toxic as the toxaphene standard. Additionally, experiments performed on the picrotoxinin receptor of the GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-chloride ionophore complex of the central nervous system revealed that the residues were very potent at the [35S]-t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate binding site. Therefore, both non-specific and specific measures of toxicologic potency show that environmentally derived residues of toxaphene retain significant biologic activity. There is no trend for decreasing toxicity of toxaphene residues for the period of 1982–85. Also, the residues found in samples from Siskiwit Lake were as toxic as those found in Lake Michigan.
Some augmented cathode follower circuits

Some direct-coupled augmented cathode-follower circuits are described suitable for power-tube grid drivers, coaxial cable drivers, high-input impedance isolation stages, active electronic filters and frequency selective circuits. One of the circuits, using only 2\frac{1}{2} double triodes, has an input-output voltage transfer ratio of 0.995 or greater with no phase reversal, can supply up to 100 ma of positive current has a freqency response essentially flat from zero up into the megacycle-second range can have an input capacitance approaching or equal to zero exhibits an input resistance greater than 1011ohms for input swings of ±100 volts or more using ordinary unselected receiving tubes has an output resistance of 3 ohms, will handle a dynamic range of 630 volts peak-to-peak, and shows less than one part in a million total harmonic distortion at 20-volts runs output and only two parts in 105distortion at 100 volts rms output.