cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase I Trial of Veliparib, a Poly ADP Ribose Polymerase Inhibitor, Plus Metronomic Cyclophosphamide in Metastatic HER2-negative Breast Cancer.

Abstract Background Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase is an essential nuclear enzyme, involved in base-excision repair of damaged DNA. Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase inhibition sensitizes tumor cells to cytotoxic agents, which induce DNA damage, including cyclophosphamide (C), and metronomic dosing of C may optimize potential for synergy. Methods The primary objective of this phase I trial was to determine the safety and identify the recommended phase II dose of the combination of low-dose oral C (50, 75, 100, and 125 mg) once daily in combination with veliparib (V) (100, 200, and 300 mg) administered twice a day (BID) for 21-day cycles using a standard 3 + 3 design in patients with metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu-negative breast cancer. Dose-limiting toxicity was defined as any grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity or grade 4 thrombocytopenia/neutropenia occurring during cycle 1. Results A total of 31 patients were enrolled; 19 were treated with 50 mg of C and 12 were treated at higher doses (75, 100, or 125 mg), with V doses ranging from 50 to 300 mg BID. The recommended phase II dose of the combination was V 200 mg orally BID plus C 125 mg orally daily, with nausea and headache dose-limiting at higher V dose levels. Objective response or stable disease for at least 24 weeks occurred in 3 (43%) of 7 patients with known deleterious germline BRCA mutations and 2 (11%) of 19 patients with negative/unknown mutation status (P = .1). Conclusion The combination of oral continuous dosing of V (200 mg orally BID) with metronomic C (50, 75, 100, and 125 mg daily) is well-tolerated and shows antitumor activity in patients with BRCA–mutation-associated metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu-negative breast cancer.
Open Access and the Future of Scholarly Communication: Policy and Infrastructure, by Edited by Kevin L. Smith and Katherine A. Dickson: Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016, 318 pp., ISBN: 978-1-4422-7302-3, $45.00. Series: Creating the 21st-Century Academic Library, Vol. 9.

In the ninth volume in Creating the 21st Century Academic Library, Open Access and the Future of Scholarly Communication is one of two volumes in the series addressing the topic of open access in a...
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Preparedness

The 2014–2016 outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa marked the 25th such occurrence but was noteworthy in its massive scope, causing more human morbidity and mortality than the previous 24 recorded outbreaks combined. As of April 2016, there were 28,652 cases resulting in at least 11,325 deaths, nearly all in the three nations of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/index.html. Accessed 2 June 2016). Moreover, the 2014–2016 outbreak was the first in which patients, albeit few in number, were afforded sophisticated intensive care in the United States and in Europe. This “high-level containment care” (HLCC) was provided in specially designed purpose-built biocontainment units (BCUs). In this chapter, we explore the history and evolution of biocontainment, discuss its unique engineering and infection control modalities, and offer recommendations for the clinical and operational management of Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs).
Instructional quality of massive open online courses: a review of attitudinal change MOOCs

This study builds on prior research regarding attitudinal learning MOOCs, and a study examining the quality of MOOCs based on adherence to the first principles of instruction. Nine MOOCs designed for attitudinal instruction were reviewed to rate the degree they incorporated first principles of instruction and first principles of attitudinal instruction. The study found that while none of the MOOCs incorporated all of the first principles, overall, they incorporated the first principles of instruction more consistently than in the prior study. The review also showed that all of the courses did incorporate the attitudinal instruction first principles to some degree. This study provides researchers an approach to evaluating the instructional design quality of attitudinal instruction in general and MOOCs designed for attitudinal learning specifically, while also guiding practitioners in understanding how others have approached the design of attitudinal learning MOOCs.
Theory of Low-Energy π − π Scattering

We make a self-contained examination of the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}$ scattering problem on the basis of the $S$-matrix conjecture, using analyticity, elastic unitarity, and crossing symmetry. The crossing-symmetry relations are derived without using the double-dispersion relations. The nearest singularity hypothesis is adopted. Inelastic effects and distant left-hand singularities are crudely incorporated by means of polynomials. Nearby left-hand singularities are chosen in such a way the functional forms are correct near the branch point with unknown parameters. The amplitude so constructed satisfies elastic unitarity exactly in one channel; the parameters are adjusted through self-consistency conditions derived from crossing symmetry. By use of the inverse amplitude, we are able to construct simple amplitudes and find solutions by hand calculation. A $p$-wave resonance is generated for negative values of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ with $|\ensuremath{\lambda}|l0.39$. Solutions exhibit the development of $I=0$ $s$-wave bound states for negative values of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ with $|\ensuremath{\lambda}|\ensuremath{\ge}0.44$ and of $I=1$ $p$-wave bound states for negative values of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ with $|\ensuremath{\lambda}|\ensuremath{\ge}0.39$. We find the range of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$, $\ensuremath{-}0.3\ensuremath{\lesssim}\ensuremath{\lambda}l0.1$, to be self-consistent.
Studies of Mutagen-Activated Genes which Confer Anchorage-Independence: the c-sis Gene as a Model

The majority of human tumor cells, and particularly those of mesenchymal origin, have the ability to grow in semi-solid medium (i.e., anchorage-independent growth; refs. 1–5), a phenotype, which aside from some hematopoeitic cells, is rarely observed in nonneoplastic human cells. Treatment of rodent or human fibroblasts with mutagens has been shown to induce anchorage-independent growth at frequencies consistent with mutation at a single, dominant-acting gene (6,7), or perhaps pool of genes, any locus of which is permissive for the phenotype in its mutant form. Mutagen-induced acquisition of anchorage-independent growth in many aneuploid, immortal rodent cell lines has been shown to correlate well with acquisition of tumorigenic growth (8), whereas with diploid human fibroblasts, mutagen treatment has been shown to induce anchorage-independent cell populations that do not yield progressively growing tumors (9), and, consistent with this, the anchorage-independent cell clones senesce at passage levels similar to non-anchorage-independent cell clones (6). When neo-plastic transformation is viewed in the context of a multiple-step transition from normal to neoplastic cell (10), mutagen-induced anchorage-independence is likely to represent one of these discrete steps, where this acquired phenotype is related mechanistically to the final tumorigenic state.
Temperature control of cold-water coral (Lophelia) mound growth by climate-cycle forcing, Northeast Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Chronostratigraphy, of a northern Gulf of Mexico Lophelia pertusa (cold-water coral) mound (Roberts Reef), indicated that mound development included periods of growth and non-growth that are closely tied to Late Pleistocene climate cycles. U/Th and 14C dating of coral fragments in two ~ 16 m cores (mound crest and mound flank) and foraminiferal biostratigraphy provided a stratigraphic framework that identified five mound-growth sequences separated by four hiatuses, a total of ~ 300 ka. Mound growth occurred during interglacials while non-growth and unconformity formation correlates to glacial periods. In each cycle, growth on the mound flank persisted after growth at the crest ceased. Results of our study suggest warming bottom-water as the most probable environmental condition for limiting L. pertusa growth and mound accretion as sea level fell toward a glacial maximum. At highstands of sea level, the mound resided in the Oxygen Minimum Layer with a present temperature range of ~ 9.0–12.8 °C. During falling-to-lowstands of sea level, isotherms of warm, Subtropical Underwater (~ 12.8–21 °C) progressively exposed the mound to water above the thermal range for L. pertusa. A comparison of non-growth periods in the mound cores indicates that coral mortality and suppression of mound growth started at the crest and moved down the flank, a trend that supports progressive immersion of the mound in warm Subtropical Underwater. Multiday episodes of vertical down-mixing may have also transported warm ocean water, above the tolerance level of Lophelia, to the mound. Present average bottom-water temperatures at the mound crest range between 9 and 10.5 °C, ideal for L. pertusa growth in the Gulf of Mexico. Experimental work indicates that relatively short periods (weeks) of L. pertusa exposure to water of ~ 12–14 °C results in mortality. At periods of lowered sea level, the mound is projected to have been immersed in ocean water of ~ 12–14 °C for millennial scale time periods.
What Counts as Foreign Aid: Dilemmas and Ways Forward in Measuring China’s Overseas Development Flows

The geography of foreign aid is in flux as a growing number of countries from the Global South are entering the field as donors. A principal barrier to understanding this trend is divergence in the...
A Multiplex HIV Incidence Assay for Inferring Recent HIV-1 Transmission and Time of Infection.

Background:Laboratory assays for determining recent HIV-1 infection are an important public health tool for aiding in the estimation of HIV incidence. Some incidence assay analytes are remarkably predictive of time since seroconversion and may be useful for additional applications, such as predictin
Variable loss of CD30 expression by immunohistochemistry in recurrent cutaneous CD30+ lymphoid neoplasms treated with brentuximab vedotin.

Aims Brentuximab vedotin is a monoclonal anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate that has been used to treat a variety of CD30+ neoplasms. The phenomenon of antigen loss has been observed in patients treated with the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab. This study seeks to assess for antigen loss in the setting of recurrent CD30+ neoplasms treated with brentuximab vedotin. Methods We report nine cases of persistent/recurrent cutaneous CD30+ lymphoid neoplasms that demonstrated variable CD30 expression after treatment with brentuximab vedotin. Cases include MF (n = 6), cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (n = 1), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), both primary (n = 1) and systemic (n = 1). Results Immunohistochemical staining revealed decreased CD30 expression following brentuximab vedotin therapy in seven of nine cases. In these seven cases, the pre-treatment percent of tumor cells staining for CD30 ranged from 10% to 100% (mean 50.0%, SD 27.8%), compared to 5% to 50% (mean 14.5%, SD 14.8%, P = 0.003) at recurrence. Conclusions This case series highlights the finding that CD30 positivity can be variable in recurrences after treatment with anti-CD30 antibodies. This serves to raise awareness of the phenomenon of antigen loss after treatment with brentuximab vedotin and underscores the utility of performing multiple biopsies and/or employing molecular diagnostic techniques in patients with recurrent/persistent disease.
Research Agenda in Faith Community Nursing

Over the last 10 years there has been an ongoing effort to identify a research agenda for Faith Community Nursing. Through dedicated meetings and pre-conference sessions at the annual Westberg Symposium, faith community nurses have had the opportunity to participate in the ongoing development of a research agenda for this specialty practice. This research agenda has been modified regularly to advance with the ongoing maturation of the specialty practice and the larger research agenda within the profession of nursing. This chapter will discuss the basics of the reviewing research articles and the current research agenda for faith community nursing. The goal is to encourage more faith community nurses to be consumers of research, be involved in faith community nursing research projects and as prepared nurse researchers engage in advancing the practice of faith community nursing.
Theories of Sexual Violence Prevention

Theory influences not only how we understand the causes of sexual violence but also how individuals, groups, and communities can approach prevention across the social ecology. The majority of theories put forth to support sexual violence prevention address the individual level and typically emphasize why individuals may perpetrate sexual violence and/or why individuals may help to prevent sexual violence. While it is important to understand what motivates individuals to engage in behaviors related to sexual violence prevention, there is growing recognition that a focus on the individual level alone is insufficient. Increasingly, peer- and community-level settings for change have been recognized as especially salient to address relational and environmental factors that contribute to sexual violence perpetration and prevalence. A number of sexual violence prevention theories addressing these peer and community contexts provide a foundation for understanding how change can occur at this level. At the societal level of the ecology, there are fewer prevention theories available but those that are available are focused on systematic issues that pervade our culture. This chapter critically reviews a number of theories that support and influence sexual violence prevention work, but first examines how prevention efforts and corresponding theories evolved over the past few decades.
Emergent bilingual students’ use of humour in digital composing: Academic and social work:

Under dominant, autonomous views of literacy, students’ humorous language use during literacy events is often dismissed as ‘off task’ behaviour. Taking a languaging perspective, this paper consider...
Surgical Considerations and Management Options in Premature and Very Low Birth Weight Infants With Complex Congenital Heart Disease

The purpose of this review is to provide a concise discussion regarding surgical management of infants born pre-term and/or of low birth weight with congenital heart disease (CHD). The following provides a summary of current available experiential data and treatment paradigms that remain in evolution for this high-risk subset of infants. The composite of these findings supports center- and patient-specific decision-making to define the optimal timing and technique utilized for the palliation and definitive surgical treatment of CHD across a spectrum of severity. The following establishes that infants born both pre-term and of low birth weight represent a high-risk surgical cohort with CHD. Despite this increased risk of both morbidity and mortality following surgical palliation or definitive anatomic correction, advancements in prenatal diagnostics, in postnatal resuscitation, and in the conduct of complex neonatal surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass now enable early intervention with improved outcomes and favorable long-term risk of need for re-intervention. Infants of low birth weight and those born pre-term represent a high-risk subset of patients with CHD. Advancements in both surgical technique and the advent of interventional therapies have introduced important considerations that have enabled earlier treatment in a subset of carefully selected patients. Further prospective, well-controlled data are needed to better define the multi-system effects of early surgical intervention in this high-risk patient population.
Mechanisms of aortic carboxypeptidase-like protein secretion and identification of an intracellularly retained variant associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Aortic carboxypeptidase-like protein (ACLP) is a collagen-binding extracellular matrix protein that has important roles in wound healing and fibrosis. ACLP contains thrombospondin repeats, a collagen-binding discoidin domain, and a catalytically inactive metallocarboxypeptidase domain. Recently, mutations in the ACLP-encoding gene, AE-binding protein 1 (AEBP1), have been discovered, leading to the identification of a new variant of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome causing connective tissue disruptions in multiple organs. Currently, little is known about the mechanisms of ACLP secretion or the role of post-translational modifications in these processes. We show here that the secreted form of ACLP contains N-linked glycosylation and that inhibition of glycosylation results in its intracellular retention. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we determined that glycosylation of Asn-471 and Asn-1030 is necessary for ACLP secretion and identified a specific N-terminal proteolytic ACLP fragment. To determine the contribution of secreted ACLP to extracellular matrix mechanical properties, we generated and mechanically tested wet-spun collagen ACLP composite fibers, finding that ACLP enhances the modulus (or stiffness), toughness, and tensile strength of the fibers. Some AEBP1 mutations were null alleles, whereas others resulted in expressed proteins. We tested the hypothesis that a recently discovered 40-amino acid mutation and insertion in the ACLP discoidin domain regulates collagen binding and assembly. Interestingly, we found that this protein variant is retained intracellularly and induces endoplasmic reticulum stress identified with an XBP1-based endoplasmic reticulum stress reporter. Our findings highlight the importance of N-linked glycosylation of ACLP for its secretion and contribute to our understanding of ACLP-dependent disease pathologies.
Herd-based Testing for Infectious Diseases

The objective of herd-based testing for specific infectious diseases is to monitor for either the presence of the disease in the herd or the presence of individual animals in the herd with the disease. The information can be used to develop the appropriate control measures to prevent a disease from entering into a herd or to control a disease in the herd by reducing or eliminating the disease from the herd. The herd-based testing is part of the program for control of specific diseases within the herd and needs fit within the goals and objectives of the herd for the overall control of infectious diseases. The needs of herds for herd-based testing and types of herd-based tests used will vary depending upon whether the herd is a "closed-herd," producing its own replacements internally, or purchasing replacement animals from outside sources, whether the herd has had on-going control program and has reduced the prevalence of disease to low levels and needs to now monitor for the presence of the disease. The specific herd-based tests need to be selected based on the goals for the individual herd. For example, the objective of testing for Leptospira hardjobovis is to determine if the disease is present in the herd whereas the objective of tests for BVD may be to identify individual animals that are persistently infected.
The immunobiology of B-cell lymphoma. Studies with anti-idiotype antibodies

Human B-cell lymphomas are considered to be monoclonal cell populations which are derived from a single transformed cell. This notion is based on analyses of karyotypes [1, 2], X chromosome-linked enzymes [3, 4] and immunoglobulin expression of the tumor cell population. Assuming that these tumors are monoclonal, we produced antibodies directed against the idiotypic determinants of the cell surface Ig of several cases of human B-cell malignancy. We have used these antibodies as diagnostic monitoring reagents, as therapeutic agents, and as probes for the biology of the disease. Each tumor was idiotypically unique but, in addition, some patients had tumor cells representing more than one clone. Diagnostic and therapeutic trials show that anti-idiotypic antibodies have clinical utility. However, their role in the management of these diseases remains to be defined.
Thermal Stability and the Suppression of Convection in a Rotating Fluid on Earth

Thermal stability in a rotating fluid on earth is examined. Thermal stability refers here to the fluid state where convection is absent or at a minimum even in the presence of thermally induced density gradients. We examine the conditions which bring about thermal stability in a rotating fluid on earth through numerical simulations. It is shown that at least one thermal field exists for a rotating fluid with a gravitational background field where convection does not occur. The numerical model used is three-dimensional.
Endometrial metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma: A report of two cases

Case series Patient: Female, 55 • Female, 51 Final Diagnosis: Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma Symptoms: Neck swelling Medication: Erlotinib Clinical Procedure: Lymph node biopsy Specialty: Oncology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: The female genital tract is an uncommon site of involvement for extragenital malignancies. Ovarian, vaginal, and cervical metastasis has been described in the literature. Uterine corpus and, particularly, endometrial involvement are exceedingly rare. As the incidence of lung cancer is rising in the female population, metastatic uterine involvement by lung cancer is also being reported in the medical literature. Here, we report two cases of endometrial metastasis from primary lung adenocarcinoma. Case Report: The first case is a 55-year-old woman diagnosed with stage III lung adenocarcinoma who received initial treatment with sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which resulted in complete response to treatment. However, patient was found to have recurrence soon after completion of initial treatment. Biopsy of a hypermetabolic lesion confirmed endometrial metastasis. The second case is a 51-year-old woman who presented with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with metastasis to the uterus. EGFR mutation analysis of the lung mass and endometrial biopsy revealed epidermal growth factor receptor L858R mutation in exon 21. She had a positive response to EGFR-directed treatment of all areas of disease, including the uterus. Conclusions: Uterine metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma is uncommon and difficult to differentiate from primary uterine cancer. The possibility of lung cancer metastasis should be considered in patients who have adenocarcinoma on biopsy of uterine lesions.
Simulation for Traffic Parameter Prediction

Traffic models have frequently been used to evaluate (1) traffic management systems, (2) traffic control schemes, and (3) automated vehicle routing, as well as for planning purposes. Simulation-in-the-loop control is presently used in control schemes where the processes internal to the plant model are not easily reduced to analytical equations. This paper combines these ideas and presents a traffic model suitable for simulator-in-the-loop ramp control that allows for accurate predictions based on a micro-simulation. It also demonstrates that ramp demand can be modeled using a Poisson arrival model.
Performance Analysis of Data Hiding

This paper presents a theoretical performance analysis of data hiding, which inserts invisible/inaudible digital watermarks in media data. The analysis relates payload limit, minimum watermark-signalto-noise ratio, probability of watermark detection error, and bandwidth of the watermarking channel. The usage of such a channel for large payload, direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) with and without coding for error recovery is discussed. The paper finally illustrates how the analytical results can be applied in practice, in terms of selecting parameters of watermarking under quantization, by introducing analytical prediction of the decreasing SNR against quantization step size.
Making Real Data Persistent: Initial Experiences with SMRC

The Shared Memory-Resident Cache (SMRC) facility under development at IBM Almaden enables persistent C++ data structures to reside in a relational database by utilizing its binary large object (BLOB) facilities. Through SMRC, persistent C++ data then can be accessed both programmatically and through relational queries. Testing and refinement of the SMRC persistence facility has been driven by the early adoption of a challenging application, “graphical explain,” which provides support for the storage and visualization of optimized relational query plans. The purpose of this paper is to report on our early experiences with this application, as it has been enlightening with respect to the sorts of C++ data structures and programming practices that must be dealt with in order to make “reap’ C++ data persistent.
Languages for Parallel Processors

The effective programming of parallel computers is much more complex then the programming of conventional serial computers. There are two fundamental models of highly parallel computer architectures: single instruction stream-multiple data stream (SIMD) in which a single program control unit is used to control a set of slave processing elements and multiple instruction stream-multiple data stream (MIMD) in which a set of interconnected independent processors cooperate on a single task. The high level programming language constructs appropriate for each model are discussed.
Efficiency analysis of federally funded hospitals: comparison of DoD and VA hospitals using data envelopment analysis.

This article applies the technique known as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess differences in performance efficiency among two branches of the federal hospital system, The Department of Defe...
A Study of Gold-Coated Glass as Electrodes for Electropolymerization of 3-Methylthiophene

The viability of using Au surfaces made from Au evaporated on glass plates with a Cr underlayer was studied for the electropolymerization of 3-methylthiophene. Poly-3-methylthiophene films were pre...
Splenic arteriovenous fistula to maintain patency of splenorenal shunts.

Summary From this series of animal experiments it was concluded that patency of splenorenal shunts can best be maintained by creating a distal arteriovenous fistula. Such a fistula was created distal to the splenorenal shunt in one patient. Because of persistent varices the splenic artery was ligated five weeks later, at which time angiographic studies showed the shunt and fistula to be patent. The patient is doing well eleven months later, with radiographic documentation of variceal regression. This technic may be suitable when the peripheral portion of the splenic vein must be used or when, as in children, the vein is small.
Forgotten Pioneers in the Study of Gifted African-Americans.

A significant body of early research on gifted African‐American children has existed for 60 years and has been all but forgotten. This article presents a discussion and analysis of the work of five scholars — Horace Mann Bond, Lillian Proctor, A. Janet Terwilliger, Martin D. Jenkins, and Viola Theman — who sought to establish a literature about gifted African‐American children. In addition, the authors discuss the social milieu in which these scholars worked, possible reasons why their research has been neglected, and the importance of their contributions to the foundations of our field.
Electronic Structure of Zirconium

Augmented-plane-wave (APW) calculations of the electronic structure of zirconium have been carried out. The resulting Fermi surface is almost entirely different from the model proposed earlier by Altmann and Bradley on the basis of cellular calculations. The APW Fermi surface (after slight modification) can account for the angular dependence of the de Haas-van Alphen periods observed by Thorsen and Joseph; the theoretical values of the periods differ from the experimental results by no more than about 40%. Although this is by no means an outstanding example of close agreement between experimental and theoretical results, it is believed that the new Fermi-surface model represents a substantial improvement over previous work and is a better starting point for any future attempts to deduce an improved model whenever additional experimental data become available.
Aneurysm of fossa ovalis in adults: a pathologic study.

Abstract Background: Aneurysm of the fossa ovalis is an out pouching, space-occupying, interatrial septal structure. The anatomic morphology and characteristics of this aneurysm are of interest for pathologists and cardiologists alike. Methods: We identified 33 specimens of adult hearts with a large size aneurysm of the fossa ovalis (length equal to or more than 10 mm from the plane of the atrial septum) in a registry of cardiovascular disease. Anatomic–morphologic features of these aneurysms were examined by macroscopic and histopathologic studies. Results: Nineteen aneurysms were from females (57%) and 14 were from males (43%). Most aneurysms had a dome shape with maximal length of the aneurysmal excursion into an atrium varying from 10 to 35 mm (mean 16±5 mm) and width varying from 16 to 40 mm (mean 24±6 mm). Twenty-four aneurysms (73%) protruded into the right atrium while only nine (27%) penetrated into the left atrium. In 24 patients the interatrial ostium II was patent, and in 22 (91%) of them, abnormal increased intracardiac pressure was deemed responsible for the formation of the aneurysm. Among nine patients in whom the foramen ovale was closed, eight (89%) had an aneurysm protruding into the right atrium, and only one aneurysm penetrated into the left atrium. In six patients, the aneurysm further stretched an already patent foramen ovale resulting in creation of an atrial septal defect so that bidirectional shunting could occur, and in three cases, the aneurysm narrowed the inferior vena caval orifice. In three hearts, the aneurysm wall had endocardial fibrosis, and in three other specimens, a focal mural thrombus was present on the aneurysmal surface. Most common associated cardiac conditions in this series included atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (51%), aortic valvular disease (21%) and mitral valve disease (24%). Conclusions: Aneurysm of the fossa ovalis is a space-occupying, redundant structure, most commonly with a dome shape. In a majority of cases, the formation of this aneurysm relates to the effect of extrinsic mechanisms, which create abnormally elevated intracardiac pressures. The aneurysm protruded into the right atrium in 73% of cases. Endocardial fibrosis and a focal mural thrombus were present in several cases on the aneurysmal wall. Bidirectional shunt via stretched patent foramen ovale and distal embolization can contribute to complications related to the aneurysm.
Three-dimensional quantitative structure--property relationship (3D-QSPR) models for prediction of thermodynamic properties of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): enthalpy of sublimation.

Three-dimensional quantitative structure−property relationship (3D-QSPR) models have been constructed using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) to correlate the sublimation enthalpies at 298.15 K of a series of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with their CoMFA-calculated physicochemical properties. Various alignment schemes, such as atom fit, as is, and inertial were employed in this study. Separate CoMFA models were developed using different partial charge formalisms, namely, electrostatic potential (ESP) and Gasteiger-Marsili (GM) charges. Among the four different CoMFA models constructed for sublimation enthalpy (ΔsubHm(298.15 K)), the model that combined atom fit alignment and ESP charges yielded the greatest self-consistency (r2 = 0.976) and internal predictive ability (rcv2 = 0.750). This CoMFA model was used to predict ΔsubHm(298.15 K) of PCBs for which the corresponding experimental values are unavailable in the literature.
Adaptive Photonics-Aided Coordinated Multipoint Transmissions for Next-Generation Mobile Fronthaul

We propose and demonstrate a concept of photonics-aided coordination for multi-cell downlink transmissions. The concept targets reliable high-throughput applications for future-proof millimeter-wave small cells based on radio-over-fiber fronthaul. Based on the physical properties of millimeter waves and the phase and magnitude relationship during optoelectrical conversion, a photonics-aided coordination module is proposed, which adjusts the overall channel matrix of optical wireless transmissions in order to achieve a distortion-free reception. Exploiting the multitude and density of remote access units, we specifically propose three methods of coordination, namely, photonics-aided amplification, synthesis, and interference cancellation, which directly enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, increase the throughput, and mitigate the interference of cell-edge users, respectively. These methods are realized at the physical layer and can be transparent to data, which reduces the coordination overhead. Prototypes, involving end-to-end downlink transmissions, are established, which demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methods for both scalar and vector signals.
Biophysical Regulation of Astrocytoma Cell Physiology in 2D and 3D Culture

The rapid progression of high-grade brain tumors is related to diffuse infiltration of single tumor cells into the surrounding brain parenchyma, a process that involves aberrant interactions between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, we show that biophysical cues from the ECM regulate key tumor cell properties relevant to invasion in both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) culture models. We first investigated the role of ECM rigidity in regulating the structure, migration, and proliferation of a panel of astrocytoma cell lines on 2D fibronectin-coated polymeric ECM substrates of defined mechanical rigidity. On highly compliant ECMs, tumor cells appear rounded and fail to productively migrate. As ECM rigidity is increased, tumor cells spread extensively, form prominent stress fibers and mature focal adhesions, and migrate rapidly. Remarkably, cell proliferation is greatly enhanced on rigid versus compliant ECMs. Pharmacological inhibition of nonmuscle myosin II-based contractility blunts this rigidity-sensitivity and rescues motility on highly compliant substrates. We next explore astrocytoma mechanosensitivity in 3D by introducing a novel biomaterial platform in which we progressively modulate the biophysical properties of collagen I matrices by adding agarose. We find that agarose increases the bulk elasticity of 3D collagen ECMs over two orders of magnitude by forming a dense meshwork that intercalates between the entangled collagen fibers. Embedded glioma cells exhibit a pronounced transition to amoeboid motility accompanied by severe limitation of cellular invasion from multicellular spheroids as the agarose content of the hydrogels increases from 0-1% w/v. Our results are consistent with a model in which agarose structurally couples and reinforces individual collagen fibers, simultaneously introducing steric barriers to cell motility while shifting ECM dissipation of cell-induced stresses from the non-affine deformation of individual collagen fibers to the bulk-affine deformation of a continuum network.
Activation of μ-Opioid Receptors Inhibits Lordosis Behavior in Estrogen and Progesterone-Primed Female Rats

Abstract The present study investigated the effect of highly selective μ-opioid receptor (OR) agonists on lordosis behavior in ovariectomized rats treated with 3 μg of estradiol benzoate followed 48 h later by 200 μg of progesterone. Ventricular infusion of the endogenous μ-OR agonists endomorphin-1 and -2 suppressed receptive behavior in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. At 6 μg, both endomorphin-1 and -2 inhibited lordosis behavior within 30 min. However, while the effect of endomorphin-1 lasted 60 min, endomorphin-2 inhibition lasted up to 120 min after infusion. Pretreatment with naloxone (5 mg/kg sc) was able to block both endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 effects on lordosis. Site-specific infusions of endomorphin-1 or endomorphin-2 into the medial preoptic area (mPOA), the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH), or into the mesencephalic central gray did not affect receptivity. In contrast, infusion of 1 μg of either compound into the medial septum/horizontal diagonal band of Broca inhibited lordosis in a pattern very similar to that seen after intraventricular infusions. Infusion of the potent synthetic μ-OR agonist [ d -Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly-ol5]-enkephalin (0.08 μg) into the VMH and mPOA inhibited lordosis behavior for at least 60 min after infusion. The nonspecific opioid receptor antagonist naloxone was able to facilitate lordosis in partially receptive female rats when infused into the mPOA but not when infused into the VMH. The behavioral effects of the agonists and antagonist used in this study suggest that the endogenous μ-opioid system modulates estrogen and progesterone-induced lordosis behavior.
Assessing outcomes of adult oncology patients treated with linezolid versus daptomycin for bacteremia due to vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.

BackgroundThe incidence and severity of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus blood stream infections continue to rise and is a significant burden in the healthcare setting. Literature thus far is mini...
An analysis of dynamic fracture in microcracking brittle solids

Abstract Microcracks running dynamically in a brittle solid influence both the elastic moduli and the strength. If such a material contains a population of microcracks, the velocity of the microcracks and the conditions for microcrack coalescence in front of the macrocrack tip will determine the measured values of tensile fracture toughness. In this paper an analysis is presented which seeks to derive the ratio of dynamic to static fracture toughness values in microcracking brittle solids. A model is proposed which determines an estimate of the stiffness loss caused by a dilute population of microcracks aligned in a direction normal to the far-field tensile stress axis. This solution is then used to calculate the stiffness loss in brittle polycrystalline solids. On the assumption that microcrack coalescence and macrocrack initiation occur when the average opening displacement of the microcracks reaches a critical value, the ratio of dynamic to static fracture toughness is predicted as a function of microc...
Model emulates human smooth pursuit system producing zero-latency target tracking

Humans can overcome the 150 ms time delay of the smooth pursuit eye movement system and track smoothly moving visual targets with zero-latency. Our target-selective adaptive control model can also overcome an inherent time delay and produce zero-latency tracking. No other model or man-made system can do this. Our model is physically realizable and physiologically realistic. The technique used in our model should be useful for analyzing other time-delay systems, such as man-machine systems and robots.
Estimating cotton growth and developmental parameters through remote sensing

Three field experiments of nitrogen (N) rates, plant growth regulator (PIX) applications, and irrigation regimes were conducted in 2001 and 2002 to investigate relationships between hyperspectral reflectance (400-2500 nm) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth, physiology, and yield. Leaf and canopy spectral reflectance and leaf N concentration were measured weekly or biweekly during the growing season. Plant height, mainstem nodes, leaf area, and aboveground biomass were also determined by harvesting 1-m row plants in each plot at different growth stages. Cotton seed and lint yields were obtained by mechanical harvest. From canopy hyperspectral reflectance data, several reflectance indices, including simple ratio (SR) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), were calculated. Linear relationships were found between leaf N concentration and a ratio of leaf reflectance at wavelengths 517 and 413 nm (R517/R413) (r2 = 0.70, n = 150). Nitrogen deficiency significantly increased leaf and canopy reflectance in the visible range. Plant height and mainstem nodes were related closely to a SR (R750/R550) according to either a logarithmic or linear function (r2 = 0.63~0.68). The relationships between LAI or biomass and canopy reflectance could be expressed in an exponential fashion with the SR or NDVI [(R935-R661)/(R935+R661)] (r2 = 0.67~0.78). Lint yields were highly correlated with the NDVI around the first flower stage (r2 = 0.64). Therefore, leaf reflectance ratio of R517/R413 may be used to estimate leaf N concentration. The NDVI around first flower stage may provide a useful tool to predict lint yield in cotton.
Lorca, una escritura en trance: 'Libro de poemas' y 'Divan del Tamarit'

Lorca's poetry is founded upon a complex symbolical system of recurring motifs. This book analyses a number of those motifs as poetic signs through a contextual reading of Libro de poemas (1921) and Divan del Tamarit (1940) as the initial and final stages of Lorca's career. The sexual and religious crisis voiced in Libro de poemas achieves poetic articulation through the sign of the star, while the betrayal of childhood's fairytale is evidenced in the sign of the moon. Divan del Tamarit exemplifies the trancelike writing of the poetry of "opening up one's veins" as an activity developing between the desire for a word that will capture plenitude and the word's impenetrability to fix an impulse that, in itself, resists any determinacy.
Comparison of angiocardiographic and thermal washout technics for left ventricular volume measurement

UL] . appreciation of myocardial function is impossible without knowledge of left ventricular volume .' To determine left ventricular volume, we began in 1963 to explore the thermal washout method both in animals and man in the cardiac catheterization laboratory . The thermal washout method is based on the theory of Bing et al .' and Holt' and on thermal technics developed by Fegler,' Goodyet et al . 1 and Rapaport et al .," among others . The ready commercial availability of thermistors and their additional capability of measuring cardiac output led its to choose this method over saline conductivity' and ascorbate-platinuin methods .' The need but standardization of the method led to adoption of Dodge and co-workers" modification of Arvidsson's technic" for the nteasurernent of left ventricular volume by biplane angiocardiography . The two methods as used in our laboratory arc described next .
Potential energy curve in the trans—cis isomerization of glyoxal

Abstract A series of Hartree—Fock calculations on glyoxal for the trans, cis and five intermediate values of the dihedral angle are presented. The molecular geometry is optimized at each point. The energy for the trans—cis isomerization is 4.77 kcal/mole and the energy barrier is 7.22 kcal/mole. Moment of inertia for the rotation of one of the aldehyde groups about the carbon—carbon bond is calculated.
STELLAR WINDS AND BREEZES.

Steady stellar winds are generally divided into two classes: (i) the winds proper, for which the energy flux per unit solid angle, $E\_{\infty}$, is non-zero, and (ii) the breezes, for which $E\_{\infty}=0$. The breezes may be distinguished from one another by the value of the ratio, g, of kinetic to thermal energy of the particles in the limit of large distance, r, from the stellar centre, or more precisely by $g=\underset r\rightarrow \infty \to{\lim}\frac{mv^{2}}{kT}$, where v(r) is breeze velocity, T(r) is temperature, m is mean particle mass, and k is the Boltzmann constant. Solutions have previously been obtained for values of g in the range $0\leq g\leq 1$, in which the breezes are subsonic everywhere with respect to the isothermal speed of sound. It is demonstrated here that two distinct solutions exist as $g\rightarrow \frac{5}{3}$, namely (in an obvious notation) the $g=\frac{5}{3}-$ and the $g=\frac{5}{3}+$ possibilities. It is shown that, if $g>\frac{5}{3}$ $(g O(E\_{\infty}^{-2/5})$, the solutions do not obey the breeze equations. They ultimately follow the Durney asymptotic law $[T=O(r^{-4/3})$, for $r\rightarrow \infty]$ for the winds. This demonstration of how the winds merge continuously into the breezes as $E\_{\infty}\rightarrow 0$ is new. The question of how the particle density $(N\_{0})$ and temperature $(T\_{0})$ at the base of the stellar corona determine the type of solution realized outside the star is examined. Even when the flow speed, $v\_{0}$, at the base of the corona is subsonic, non-uniqueness can occur. In one domain of the $(N\_{0},T\_{0})$ plane, two distinct types of breeze are possible; in another these, together with a wind $(E\_{\infty}\neq 0)$, are permissible. Elsewhere (large $N\_{0}$, moderate $T\_{0})$ only a unique breeze exists or (small $N\_{0}$ and/or $T\_{0})$ a unique wind. In some domains (large $T_{0}$) no steady solution exists, unless the requirement that the corona is subsonic is relaxed. In this case, however, the problems of non-uniqueness are severely aggravated.
Concealed Atrial Parasystole Following the Senning Operation

A patient with sick sinus syndrome following the Senning operation was also found to have concealed atrial parasystole during intracardiac electrophysiological study. This atrial parasystolic pattern could be converted to atrial bigeminy by changing the atrial drive rate.
Observations of the solar diurnal and semidiurnal surface pressure oscillations in Canada

Abstract New observations of the solar diurnal and semidiurnal barometric oscillations at sixty Canadian stations are presented.
Flunixin meglumine blocks frusemide‐induced bronchodilatation in horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Six horses that developed acute airway obstruction (heaves) when housed in a barn and fed poor-quality hay were studied. Airway obstruction was verified by a maximal change in pleural pressure during tidal breathing (delta Pplmax) of at least 15 cmH2O. Frusemide (1.0 mg/kg bwt) or an equivalent volume of vehicle was then administered intravenously (iv) and lung function was measured 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 mins after drug administration. The effect of frusemide on lung function was also studied after treatment of horses with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg every 8 h for 2 days before the experiment). Frusemide significantly reduced the delta Pplmax beginning 15 mins after drug administration. This effect persisted for 5 h. The reduction in delta Pplmax was due partly to an increase in dynamic compliance and partly to a decrease in pulmonary resistance. Tidal volume and respiratory frequency were unaffected by frusemide. Vehicle had no effect on lung function. Flunixin meglumine abolished the effect of frusemide on airway calibre but did not prevent diuresis. These results indicate that the effect of frusemide on airways of horses with heaves persists for at least 5 h, is mediated through prostanoids, and is not a result of diuresis.
Strengthening At-Risk Families by Involving the Extended Family

ABSTRACT The family group conference (FGC) involves the extended family in a solution-focused, strengths-based approach to solving problems. As initially implemented in a state child welfare system, the FGC model was evaluated through questionnaires and comprehensive interviews with family members and professionals who participated in 21 conferences. Researchers (a) gathered descriptions of the process, (b) determined the perceptions of family members and professionals regarding the process, and (c) obtained recommendations for modifying the model. Families who participated in the study generally viewed the process as empowering; caseworkers and facilitators reported a high degree of satisfaction; and judges were optimistic about the potential for the model. Nevertheless, the FGC is not to be regarded as a panacea. The authors recommend several modifications and suggest questions for further research.