cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wunderkammer as critical communication pedagogy: Collaboratively documenting pedagogical labor in a cabinet of curiosities

In this semester-long activity, I describe how to create a collaborative cabinet of curiosities that engages critical methods of inquiry as an alternative summative assignment.Courses: Communicatio...
NAFLD in Women: Unique Pathways, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Opportunities

In this review article, we evaluate sex differences in the natural history of NAFLD and highlight distinct risk profiles of women with NAFLD, as well as unique treatment considerations and research gaps. Reproductive factors, such as menopausal status, should be considered when evaluating NAFLD risk in women, as well as additional reproductive risk factors such as age at menarche, presence of polycystic ovary syndrome, and gestational diabetes. Women do appear to have lower risk for hepatocellular carcinoma from NASH, as well as lower mortality from NASH cirrhosis than men, although among women, NASH is now the leading indication for liver transplant. Data on sex differences in biomarker development and clinical trials are lacking, and researchers should be encouraged to evaluate biomarker performance by sex, and specifically report clinical trial endpoints in women.
A morphological and combined phylogenetic analysis of pirate spiders (Araneae, Mimetidae): evolutionary relationships, taxonomy and character evolution

Mimetidae is one of the three families within Araneoidea whose members do not spin foraging webs, but are unique in displaying a complex prey-capture behaviour known as aggressive mimicry. Mimetids are distributed worldwide and are most diverse in the tropics of Central and South America. Here we provide a comprehensive phylogeny of pirate spiders (Mimetidae) based on analyses that combine morphological and multigene nucleotide sequence data. We scored 147 morphological characters for 55 mimetids and 16 outgroup taxa and combined it in a total-evidence approach with the sequence data of Benavides et al. (2017) which included two nuclear ribosomal genes, 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA, two mitochondrial ribosomal genes, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA, the nuclear protein-encoding gene histone H3 and the mitochondrial protein-encoding gene cytochromec oxidase subunitI. We analysed the combined dataset using parsimony, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. Our results support the monophyly of Mimetidae and of the genera Gelanor, Ero, Anansi and Australomimetus. Mimetidae is sister to Arkyidae + Tetragnathidae. Mimetus as currently circumscribed is not monophyletic under any analytical approach used, although several lineages within the genus are consistently found in our analyses. We describe, illustrate and discuss the morphological synapomorphies that support the main clades of Mimetidae. The following nomenclatural changes are proposed: Ermetus koreanus (Paik, 1967), the sole species of the genus, is transferred to Ero C.L. Koch, 1836 and thus Ermetus Ponomarev, 2008 is a junior synonym of Ero C.L. Koch, 1836 (new synonymy) and Ero koreana Paik, 1967 becomes a revalidated combination. Phobetinus sagittifer Simon, 1895, the type species of the genus, is transferred to Mimetus Hentz, 1832 and thus Phobetinus Simon, 1895 is a junior synonym of Mimetus Hentz, 1832 (new synonymy), which results in two changes: Mimetus sagittifer (Simon, 1895), new combination and Mimetus investus (Simon, 1909), new combination. Reo latro Brignoli, 1979, the type species of the genus, is transferred to Mimetus and thus Reo Brignoli, 1979 is a junior synonym of Mimetus (new synonymy), which results in the following two changes: Mimetus latro Brignoli, 1979, new combination and Mimetus eutypus Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935, revalidated combination. Arochoides integrans Mello-Leitao, 1935 is transferred to Tetragnathidae (new family placement). The type specimen of Arochoides integrans, the only species in this genus, is a subadult male of Azilia (Tetragnathidae), most likely Azilia histrio Simon, 1895. Arochoides is a junior synonym of Azilia (new synonymy). http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:90F6B3DA-232B-428C-BF38-AEA8953D7685
Glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity in early pregnancy in an African American cohort

Problem Disruption in homeostatic feedback loops between inflammatory mediators and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a key mechanism linking chronic stress to inflammation and adverse health outcomes, including those occurring during pregnancy. In particular, alterations in glucocorticoid sensitivity may occur as a result of chronic stress, including that due to racial discrimination, and may be implicated in the persistent adverse maternal and infant health outcomes experienced by African Americans. While there are a few large-scale studies in human pregnancy that measure both cytokines and HPA axis hormones, to our knowledge, none directly measure glucocorticoid sensitivity at the cellular level, especially in an African American population. Method of study We measured the full range of the dexamethasone (DEX) dose-response suppression of TNF-α in first-trimester blood samples from 408 African American women and estimated leukocyte cell type contribution to the production of TNF-α. Results The mean (SD) DEX level needed to inhibit TNF-α production by 50% (ie, DEX IC50 ) was 9.8 (5.8) nmol/L. Monocytes appeared to be the main driver of Uninhibited TNF-α production, but monocyte counts explained only 14% of the variation. Monocyte counts were only weakly correlated with the DEX IC50 (r = -.11, P .05). Conclusion These findings challenge some prior assumptions and position this comprehensive study of glucocorticoid sensitivity as an important anchor point in the growing recognition of interindividual variation in maternal HPA axis regulation and inflammatory responses.
PanGIA: A Metagenomics Analytical Framework for Routine Biosurveillance and Clinical Pathogen Detection

ABSTRACT Metagenomics is emerging as an important tool in biosurveillance, public health, and clinical applications. However, ease-of-use for execution and data analysis remains a barrier-of-entry to the adoption of metagenomics in applied health and forensics settings. In addition, these venues often have more stringent requirements for reporting, accuracy, and precision than the traditional ecological research role of the technology. Here, we present PanGIA (Pan-Genomics for Infectious Agents), a novel bioinformatics analysis platform for hosting, processing, analyzing, and reporting shotgun metagenomics data of complex samples suspected of containing one or more pathogens. PanGIA was developed to address gaps that often preclude clinicians, medical technicians, forensics personnel, or other non-expert end-users from the routine application of metagenomics for pathogen identification. Though primarily designed to detect pathogenic microorganisms within clinical and environmental metagenomics data, PanGIA also serves as an analytical framework for microbial community profiling and comparative metagenomics. To provide statistical confidence in PanGIA’s taxonomic assignments, the system provides two independent estimations of probability for species and strain level detection. First, PanGIA integrates coverage data with ‘uniqueness’ information mapped across each reference genome for a stand-alone determination of confidence for each query sequence at each taxonomy level. Second, if a negative-control sample is provided, PanGIA compares this sample with a corresponding experimental unknown sample and determines a measure of confidence associated with ‘detection above background’. An integrated graphical user interface allows interactive interrogation and enables users to summarize multiple sample results by confidence score, normalized read abundance, reference genome linear coverage, depth-of-coverage, RPKM, and other metrics to detect specific organisms-of-interest. Comparison testing of the PanGIA algorithm against a number of recent k-mer, read-mapping, and marker-gene based taxonomy classifiers across various real-world datasets with spiked targets shows superior mean positive predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity. PanGIA can process a five million paired-end read dataset in under 1 hour on commodity computational hardware. The source code and documentation are publicly available at https://github.com/LANL-Bioinformatics/PanGIA or https://github.com/mriglobal/PanGIA. The database for PanGIA can be downloaded from ftp://bioinformatics.mriglobal.org/. The full GUI-based PanGIA analysis environment is available in a Docker container and can be installed from https://hub.docker.com/r/poeli/pangia/.
Renal Auto-Transplantation for Loin Pain Hematuria Syndrome Using a Multidisciplinary Team Model: Intermediate-Term Results.

Background Patients with loin pain hematuria syndrome (LPHS) can find relief via multiple modalities, few provide long-term pain control like renal auto-transplantation (RAT). This study evaluates the intermediate effectiveness of the RAT procedure's ability to achieve long-term pain control and quality of life improvement. Methods All patients with suspected LPHS were seen by a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) composed of urologists, interventional radiologists, and transplant surgeons. Clinical history and physical exam, lab values, imaging findings, and response to renal hilar block (RHB) were used to determine LPHS and candidacy for potential RAT. Preoperative, one-year, three-year, and five-year postoperative pain assessment scores and quality of life surveys were administered to each LPHS and potential RAT patient. Results Eighty-four LPHS patients were referred for the evaluation of and consultation for the option of RAT. Sixty-four of these patients underwent RHB of which 60 (93.8%) had a positive response, defined as a temporary reduction of pain score by >50%. Forty-six of the 60 patients who responded favorably proceeded to RAT. At the one-year follow-up, there was a 75% reduction in pain with 88.9% of patients experiencing a 50% reduction in pain. At one year, the mean Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) decreased by 65.4%, from an average of 23.7 to 8.2. Similarly, at three years (n = 5) and five years (n = 3), the mean pain scores were 2 and 1. Conclusions The MDT evaluation of potential LPHS patients with our protocol and treatment results in an improvement in pain and depression scores in these selected patients.
Personality pathology predicts increased informant-reported, but not performance-based, cognitive decline: Findings from two samples.

Research on the relationship between normal-range personality and cognitive aging has demonstrated consistent, modest effects. The current investigation increases our understanding of unhealthy cognitive aging by testing whether personality disorders (PDs), specifically borderline, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive PDs, show prospective associations with the onset of cognitive problems. Interpersonal stressful life events and social support were expected to mediate these relationships. The current investigation used data from 2 longitudinal studies of older adulthood: the Alzheimer's disease Research Center cohort (ADRC, N = 434, Mage = 69.95, 56% women) and the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network study (SPAN, N = 1,058, Mage = 65.92, 54% women). The ADRC study administered a battery of neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive ability/memory. Borderline PD was measured with a composite from the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The SPAN study administered self-, informant, and interview measures of the three PDs; a free-recall task; and an informant report measure of cognitive problems. Borderline PD features exhibited cross-sectional correlations with memory (ADRC: r = -.11; SPAN: all rs = -.08), general cognitive ability (ADRC: r = -.11), and informant-reported cognitive problems (rs ranged from .15 to .39). Most importantly, borderline PD features predicted an increase in informant-reported cognitive problems in SPAN participants (standardized bs = .13 and .15) over a 2-year period, but they did not predict a deterioration in the performance-based cognitive measures in either study. Avoidant and obsessive-compulsive PDs exhibited little association with cognitive aging. Neither interpersonal variable mediated any of these effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Spatial correlation of macroinvertebrate assemblages in streams and the implications for bioassessment programs.

Stream bioassessment using benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages is widely implemented by regulatory agencies, yet a critical question regarding spatial autocorrelation and sample independence remains: How much of a stream network does a point sample represent? Macroinvertebrate assemblages vary along a longitudinal gradient, likely due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors that alter water physiochemistry and habitat. A better understanding of how these gradients affect macroinvertebrate assemblage variance could prevent spatial over- and under-sampling within bioassessment efforts. This project investigated longitudinal patterns (10 s of km) of macroinvertebrate assemblages in 14 Wisconsin streams. Spatial autocorrelation was assessed using Moran’s I and other multivariate methods with an emphasis on estimating the distance at which assemblages no longer display spatial correlation. Within most streams, there was a linear, direct relationship between assemblage dissimilarity and longitudinal distance, with distance to independence (DTI) ranging from 1.7–13.5 km. DTI was most strongly affected by conductivity, which is often a surrogate for a suite of anthropogenic effects. With increasing conductivity, DTI increases, suggesting more homogenous assemblages in disturbed streams. Natural factors like watershed size, channel gradient, and riparian slope also affected DTI. Considering spatial correlation in monitoring designs could improve the efficiency and application of regulatory bioassessment programs.
Density Functional Theory Analysis of the Importance of Coordination Geometry for 5f36d1 versus 5f4 Electron Configurations in U(II) Complexes.

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on four known and seven hypothetical U(II) complexes indicate the importance of coordination geometry in favoring 5f36d1 versus 5f4 electronic ground states. The known [Cp″3U]-, [Cptet3U]-, and [U(NR2)3]- [Cp″ = C5H3(SiMe3)2, Cptet = C5Me4H, and R = SiMe3] anions were found to have 5f36d1 ground states, while a 5f4 ground state was found for the known compound (NHAriPr6)2U. The UV-visible spectra of the known 5f36d1 compounds were simulated via time-dependent DFT and are in qualitative agreement with the experimental spectra. For the hypothetical U(II) compounds, the 5f36d1 configuration is predicted for [U(CHR2)3]-, [U(H3BH)3]-, [U(OAr')4]2-, and [(C8H8)U]2- (OAr' = O-C6H2tBu2-2,6-Me-4). In the case of [U(bnz')4]2- (bnz' = CH2-C6H4tBu-4), a 5f3 configuration with a ligand-based radical was found as the ground state.
The Root-Cause Analysis on Failed Patient-Specific Measurements of Pencil-Beam-Scanning Protons.

Purpose/Objective(s) The purpose of this study is to present the root-cause analysis on failed patient-specific quality assurance (QA) measurements of pencil-beam-scanning (PBS) protons; referred to as PBS-QA measurement. Materials/Methods A criterion to fail a PBS-QA measurement is having a Results A total 2488 PBS-QA measurements were catalogued. The percentage of measurements for the sites of Head/Neck, Breast, Prostate, and Other are 53.3%, 22.7%, 10.5%, and 13.5% respectively. The percentage of measurements with a passing rate of 100%-to-95%, 94%-to-89%, and 3% per-mm dose gradient along depth of beam path was observed on the failed measurements. To study the effect of depth dose gradient, a 3D Gamma-index analysis toolkit was used. 43.1% of measurements improved using this 3D toolkit. A feature among measurements that remained sub-optimal was a sharp > 3% per-mm lateral dose gradient that may not be well handled by using the detector size of 5.0mm in-diameter. An analysis of the sampling of finite-size detectors using 1D error function showed a large dose deviation at locations of low doses in a valley between two plateaus. User error, large depth dose gradient, and the effect of detector-size are identified. Conclusion With an understanding and mitigation of these root causes, the goals of patient-specific QA, specifically detecting actual deviation of beam delivery or identifying limitations of dose calculation algorithm in used treatment planning system, can be directly related to the failure of PBS-QA measurements.
Induction and Expression of Fear Sensitization Caused by Acute Traumatic Stress

Fear promotes adaptive responses to threats. However, when the level of fear is not proportional to the level of threat, maladaptive fear-related behaviors characteristic of anxiety disorders result. Post-traumatic stress disorder develops in response to a traumatic event, and patients often show sensitized reactions to mild stressors associated with the trauma. Stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) is a rodent model of this sensitized responding, in which exposure to a 15-shock stressor nonassociatively enhances subsequent fear conditioning training with only a single trial. We examined the role of corticosterone (CORT) in SEFL. Administration of the CORT synthesis blocker metyrapone prior to the stressor, but not at time points after, attenuated SEFL. Moreover, CORT co-administered with metyrapone rescued SEFL. However, CORT alone without the stressor was not sufficient to produce SEFL. In these same animals, we then looked for correlates of SEFL in terms of changes in excitatory receptor expression. Western blot analysis of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) revealed an increase in the GluA1 AMPA receptor subunit that correlated with SEFL. Thus, CORT is permissive to trauma-induced changes in BLA function.
Cylindroma of the cervix.

Abstract The first cylindroma of the cervix is reported. The patient also had squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and basal cell carcinoma of the bridge of the nose. The exact histogenesis of cervical cylindromas still remains to be elucidated. It is urged that the original term, “cylindroma,” be limited to those lesions fulfilling Billroth's criteria.
Transanal colorectal resection using natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES).

The surgical management of rectal cancer has evolved over the past century, with total mesorectal excision (TME) emerging as standard of care. As a result of the morbidity associated with open TME, minimally invasive techniques have become popular. Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) has been held as the next revolution in surgical techniques, offering the possibility of ‘incisionless’ TME. Early clinical series of transanal TME with laparoscopic assistance (n = 72) are promising, with overall intraoperative and postoperative complication rates of 8.3% and 27.8%, respectively, similar to laparoscopic TME. The mesorectal specimen was intact in all patients, and 94.4% had negative margins. There was no oncological recurrence in average-risk patients at short-term follow up, and 2-year survivalrates in high-risk patients were comparable to that after laparoscopic TME. These preliminary studies demonstrate transanal NOTES TME with laparoscopic assistance to be clinically feasible and safe given careful patient selection, surgical expertise, and appropriate procedural training. We are hopeful that with optimization of transanal instruments and surgical techniques, pure transanal NOTES TME will become a viable alternative to open and laparoscopic TME in the future.
A Light Bulb Goes on: Values, Attitudes, Social Norms, and Personal Energy Consumption

When do people take political action? What roles do values, elite rhetoric, and social norms play in motivating action? These questions are of obvious importance for those interested in political behavior; however, little work – other than research on participation – explores the impact of these various factors. This study offers a framework that generates hypotheses about the role of values, rhetoric, and norms in shaping political behavior. Predictions are tested in an experiment that focuses on a particularly important behavior – actions regarding the consumption of energy. I find that social norms play a key role in shaping individuals’ attitudes about energy consumption, behavioral intentions to conserve energy, and actual behavior on a purchasing decision. Values, beliefs, and rhetoric also shape actions; however, social norms consistently exert the strongest impact. This accentuates the importance of incorporating social forces, in addition to psychological determinants, in the study of political behaviors. Additionally, the findings offer insight into ways to promote energy conservation.
Parallel Analysis of Multiple FSS Screens of Unequal Periodicity using an Efficient Cascading Technique

This paper presents a parallelized version of cascading procedure for analyzing the frequency selective surface (FSS) system comprising of multiple FSS screens of unequal periodicity embedded in multiple dielectric layers. The parallelism is implemented for computation of the [S] matrices of subsystems at the global harmonics, while the cascading operation (matrix calculations) is carried out in a single processor. The workload distribution among the processors is dynamic varying from subsystem to subsystem, and it is determined once the number of processors for the simulation is assigned. Besides the workload distribution that affects the performance of the parallel implementation, another factor is the ratio of amount of time needed for matrix/cascading operation to that required for the subsystem analysis for a single incident angle
Neonatal Tuberous Sclerosis: Magnetic Resonance Appearance of Subependymal Tubers

A case of tuberous sclerosis in a neonate, with cerebral and cardiac hamartomas evaluated by MR imaging, is presented. Intracranial subependymal tubers in this neonate exhibit increased signal intensity on short TR images. This differs from the signal characteristics of subependymal tubers in older patients.
The Long War: Dictatorship and Revolution in El Salvador

"The Long War" is a serious, radical critique of the poltical economy and recent history of El Salvador, set in the context of the troubled history of the entire Central Amercan region and detailing in full the extent of US intervention and its importancce as a destabilising factor. With the addition of a postscript, this new edition brings the narrative fully up to date.
EFFECTS OF OIL AND CHEMICALLY DISPERSED OIL IN SEDIMENTS ON CLAMS1

ABSTRACT Several field experiments with natural sediments in the intertidal zone were conducted over a two-year period to compare the effects of Prudhoe Bay crude oil and this same oil dispersed with Corexit® 9527 (1 part Corexit to 10 parts oil). The clams used were Protothaca staminea and Macoma inquinata. Exposure periods ranged from one to six months. In a one-month exposure to about 2,000 parts per million (ppm) total oil in sediments, survival of P. staminea was two to three times greater than that of M. inquinata, and both species exhibited lower tolerance to oil alone in sediment than dispersed oil at the same concentration. However, uptake of naphthalenes and phenanthrenes by M. inquinata was greater from sediments mixed with dispersed oil than oil alone. Dispersed oil in this 30-day exposure also produced a decrease (compared to field controls) in the concentration of some of the free amino acids in the tissues of M. inquinata. Four- and six-month field exposures of small P. staminea to sediment...
Re(bpy)(CO)3CN as a probe of conformational flexibility in a photochemical ribonucleotide reductase.

Photochemical ribonucleotide reductases (photoRNRs) have been developed to study the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism of radical transport in Escherichia coli class I ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). The transport of the effective radical occurs along several conserved aromatic residues across two subunits: β2(•Y122 → W48 → Y356) → α2(Y731 → Y730 → C439). The current model for RNR activity suggests that radical transport is strongly controlled by conformational gating. The C-terminal tail peptide (Y-βC19) of β2 is the binding determinant of β2 to α2 and contains the redox active Y356 residue. A photoRNR has been generated synthetically by appending a Re(bpy)(CO)3CN ([Re]) photo-oxidant next to Y356 of the 20-mer peptide. Emission from the [Re] center dramatically increases upon peptide binding, serving as a probe for conformational dynamics and the protonation state of Y356. The diffusion coefficient of [Re]-Y-βC19 has been measured (kd1 = 6.1 × 10−7 cm−1 s−1), along with the dissociation ...
Pharmacological inhibition of PARP-1 reduces α-synuclein- and MPP + -induced cytotoxicity in Parkinson’s disease in vitro models

Treatments based on pharmacological inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) have been suggested for a broad variety of human disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD). The neuroprotective effects underlying the efficacy of PARP-1 inhibitors in PD models suggest a role for PARP-1 in neurodegeneration. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of PARP-1 inhibition in two distinct PD models. First, we tested a panel of small molecule PARP-1 inhibitors in alpha-synuclein (aSyn) cytotoxicity assay, where we observed compound-dependent ameliorating effects. Next, we tested the same panel in primary ventral mesencephalic neuronal cultures, treated with MPP(+). Dopaminergic neurons, the primary cells affected in PD, were selected and subjected to analysis. A significant ameliorating effect was achieved only with a highly potent PARP-1 inhibitor. Our data implicates aberrant PARP-1 function in different pathways of neurodegeneration. Further, our results suggest a rationale for the development of highly potent, bio-available, brain-penetrable PARP-1 inhibitors to provide therapeutic benefits for Parkinson's patients.
Strain-Related Differences in Pathogenicity of Candida albicans for Oral Mucosa

Fifty female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups of 10 animals and were given a low concentration (0.01%) of tetracycline in drinking water. Four of the groups were orally inoculated weekly with the yeast Candida albicans for a period of 25 weeks. Each group received a different strain. Three of the four strains of yeast were consistently recovered upon culture of the oral cavity during the course of the study. Two of the strains produced grossly visible lesions (four of 10 and two of 10 animals) on the midline dorsal tongue, whereas no lesions were seen in the other two experimental groups or the control group. Clinical findings were supported histologically. These data suggest definite strain-related differences in mucosal pathogenicity for the lingual mucosa of rats among the strains of C. albicans studied.
SU-GG-T-69: Comparison of Three Optimization Methods of BrachyVision™ for IORT Using HDR and HAM Applicator

Purpose: To compare the three optimization methods in BrachyVision™ (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) for flat surface implants using the HAM applicator; To study the effect of curvature of a surface implant on dosimetry.Method and Materials: Flat surface implants were generated in BrachyVision™ using three different optimization strategies offered in BrachyVision™: geometrical optimization normalized to a reference point (GO), volume optimization using reference lines (VO_RL), and volume optimization using a PTV concept (VO_PTV). For each plan, the following indices were computed: the coverage index V(x) (percentage of target volume receiving x% of the prescription dose or more) and the homogeneity index HI(x) (=V(100)‐V(x), with x = 140). Two curved geometries, 9 and 20 cm radius, were considered. For each radius, 9 and 18 channels were planned first as if for a flat implant. The obtained dwell times were then directly transferred to corresponding channels in the curved geometry and dose distribution calculated. Another plan was generated using VO_PTV method based on the curved PTV. Plans were compared in terms of V(100) and HI(140) and DVHs for PTV and normal tissue. Results: 1. For flat implants, GO achieves worse coverage index (86.5 %) than the two VO techniques (95.3% and 95.5%). PTV DVHs are comparable between the two VO techniques. While the VO methods use similar optimization time, VO_RL is easier and quicker to setup thus is the fastest method to use. For both 9 and 18 channel HAM and both radii, the difference between the V(100) and HI(140) is minimal between plans generated with flat dwell times and curved dwell times. Conclusion: The VO_RL is the fastest method for planning a flat IORT HAM surface implant. For radius larger than 9 cm, a curved implant can be simplified as a flat implant with negligible dosimetric difference.
Genes Expressed in Neurons of Adult Male Drosophila

We have identified two genes, roX1 and roX2, whose expression in the adult fly is restricted to neurons of males. The two genes reside on the X chromosome, and each encodes an RNA with no apparent open reading frame. Both genes are physically linked to female-specific genes that encode proteins expressed in the ovary: opt1, a novel peptide transporter, and nod, a member of the kinesin family. The male-specific transcripts are positively regulated by the dosage compensation pathway in an all-or-none fashion. Our data suggest that the multimeric complex of dosage compensation proteins may operate in different ways on different sets of X-linked genes.
Derivation of analytic generalised inverses for transmission + reflection tomography

A methodology is presented for deriving analytic generalised inverses for arbitrary combinations of transmission and reflection traveltime data. These inverses are valid for negligible ray bending and one-dimensional velocity structure. The following conclusions are drawn from this analysis. (1) The slowness variance of a layer decreases with an increase in the number and length of rays which terminate in it. (2) The slowness variance associated with offset transmission VSP data will always be less than that associated with VSP reflection data. (3) The slowness covariance matrix for VSP transmission data is tridiagonal, i.e. the slowness errors in the ith layer only couple to those from the (i+1)th and (i-1)th layers. On the other hand, reflection VSP data will introduce a mutual coupling term between the slowness errors in the reflecting layer and the surface layer. (4) The slowness variance associated with transmission+reflection VSP data will generally be less than that from reflection or transmission VSP data. Moreover, the slowness covariance matrix for transmission+reflection data will be fully populated, meaning that there will be global coupling of slowness errors. However, if the segment lengths of reflecting rays are somewhat similar then the covariance matrix will be essentially tridiagonal. It is concluded from this analysis that the combination of reflection data with transmission data should most often improve the accuracy of slowness reconstruction. This assumes that the reflection traveltime errors are no more than twice that of the transmission traveltime errors.
Preservation of canine segmental pancreatic autografts: Cold storage versus pulsatile machine perfusion

The reliability of cold storage and pulsatile machine perfusion for preservation of open-duct segmental pancreatic grafts for 24, 48, and 72 hours was determined in a canine autograft model. The tail (left limb) of the pancreas on a pedicle of splenic artery and vein was transplanted to the pelvis with vascular anastomoses to the iliac vessels and the remainder of the pancreas was excised. Twenty nonpreserved grafts functioned immediately (the recipients became normoglycemic, plasma glucose less than 150 mg/dl), 16 long term (80%). Collins solution (CS, osmolality 300 mosm/kg) and a silica gel filtered plasma solution (SGF-I, osmolality 430 mosm/kg) were compared for cold storage at 4 degrees C. The long-term functional survival rate for grafts stored for 24 hours in SGF-I was 9/12 (75%) and in CS was 8/12 (67%). When graft preservation time was extended to 48 hours, 9/12 (75%) stored in SGF-I and 4/10 (40%) in CS functional long term. The preservation failure rates were 0% in grafts stored in SGF for up to 48 hours, but were 20% and 50% for grafts stored in CS for 24 and 48 hours. Storage at 72 hours was not satisfactory; even when SGF-I was used, the preservation failure rate was 57%. SGF was also used as the perfusate for pancreas preservation on the Mox-100 machine at a pressure of 30 mm Hg (achieved by leaving the port opposite the connected pancreas open). Lower pressures gave insufficient perfusion and higher pressures led to severe edema of grafts. Mean (+/- S.E.) flow (ml/min) through the grafts were 4.5 +/- 0.3 initially, 6.5 +/- 0.7 at 24 hours and 6.3 +/- 0.9 at 48 hours. With SGF-I only 6/12 (50%) of grafts perfused for 24 hours and only 1/8 (12%) for 48 hours functioned long term. With a modified perfusate (SGF-II, osmolality 470-500 mosm/kg) the results were slightly improved; 7/12 (58%) grafts perfused for 24 hours and 5/10 (50%) for 48 hours functioned long term. The mean (+/- S.E.) flow rate (ml/min) was 5.0 +/- 0.6 in grafts that functioned long term and was 8.3 +/- 1.0 in those that failed due to preservation complications. Mean (+/- S.E.) peak serum amylase levels (I.U./L.) were similar in recipients of fresh grafts (3953 +/- 365) and those stored hypothermically in SGF (4226 +/- 327), but were significantly lower in recipients of machine perfused grafts (2988 +/- 228). Although the percentage of successful transplants varied according to the preservation techniques, the mean (+/- S.E.) IVGTT K-values in recipients with functioning grafts were similar between the groups (-1.44 +/- .19 to -1.82 +/- .17%). The pure pancreas preservation failure rates with machine perfusion were between 30% and 40% at 24 to 48 hours, compared to 0% in those simply stored in cold SGF for 24 to 48 hours. We conclude that pancreas preservation by cold storage in high osmolar silica gel filtered plasma is more reliable than pulsatile machine perfusion and provides sufficient time to complete the logistical maneuvers necessary for clinical pancreas transplantation from cadaver donors.
C3 modeling with symmetrical rationality

In the absence of contrary information, it would seem prudent for competitors to attribute to their opposition the same level of rationality they attribute to themselves. In the context of a simple but interesting C^3 (command, control, and communication) model presented in Ref. [3], a method is proposed for incorporating symmetrical rationality without resorting to the general multistage game framework which has proved difficult to apply in practice. A technique is suggested for the approximate solution of the resulting C^3 model which does not require integration operations, and which appears to be especially well suited for C^3 problems with finite admissible control sets.
Role of endothelin-1 in osteoblastic bone metastases.

BACKGROUND Certain solid tumors metastasize to bone and cause an osteoblastic response. The mechanisms by which tumor cells stimulate this new bone formation are not completely understood. METHODS The authors identified three breast cancer lines that cause osteoblastic metastases in female nude mice and provided evidence that tumor-produced endothelin-1 (ET-1) mediates the osteoblastic response. RESULTS Tumor conditioned media, as well as exogenous ET-1, stimulated osteoblast proliferation and new bone formation in cultures of mouse calvariae. These effects were blocked by antagonists of the endothelin A (ETA), but not ETB, receptors. Mice inoculated with the ZR-75-1 breast cancer line and treated with a selective ETA receptor antagonist (ABT-627) had significantly fewer osteoblastic bone metastases and less tumor burden compared with untreated mice. In contrast, there was no effect of ABT-627 on osteolytic bone metastases caused by ET-1-negative breast cancer, MDA-MB-231. ABT-627 had no effect on growth in vitro or at the orthotopic site of ZR-75-1 or MDA-MB-231 cells. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, the data suggested that tumor-produced ET-1 mediates osteoblastic bone metastases by stimulating osteoblast proliferation and new bone formation. ETA receptor blockade may be useful for prevention and the treatment of osteoblastic bone metastases due to breast or prostate cancer. Cancer 2003;97(3 Suppl):779–84. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11129
In vivo correlation of thermodilution cardiac output and videodensitometric indicator-dilution curves obtained from contrast two-dimensional echocardiograms

In previous studies, indicator-dilution curves obtained by videodensitometry of contrast two-dimensional echocardiograms have shown close correlation with measurements of blood flow in vitro. In this study the technique was extended and contrast indicator-dilution curves obtained in vivo were correlated with simultaneous cardiac output measurements determined by thermodilution in eight dogs. Two-dimensional echocardiograms of the left ventricle were performed with the transducer on the myocardium during left atrial-pulmonary vein injection of 10 cc of a 1 x 10-° concentration of 30 11 diameter microballoons. A total of 148 injections were performed at 37 levels of cardiac output (1.70 to 7.90 liters/min) induced by alterations of left ventricular preload, isoproterenol and propranolol. Indicator-dilution curves were obtained from recordings of the analog signal of a linear videodensitometer focused on the left ventricle. Linear regression analysis between total area of the indicator-dilution curves and cardiac output yielded correlation coefficients (r) of 0.77 to 0.96 (mean 0.90) for individual dogs, and 0.65 for all cardiac output determinations in all dogs. Analysis of indicator-dilution curve area by the forward triangle-exponential decay method yielded enhanced individual coefficients of 0.90 to 0.97 (mean 0.94) with cardiac output and 0.61 for the group of animals. It is concluded that echographic indicator-dilution curves obtained from uniform size microballoons and videodensitometry may be obtained in vivo and correlate with cardiac output measurements.
Acute circulatory actions of intravenous amiodarone loading in cardiac surgical patients

Abstract Background The duration, severity, and cause of hypotension after intravenous amiodarone has not been well characterized in anesthetized cardiac surgical patients. Because amiodarone is tolerated in patients with advanced cardiac disease, we hypothesized that left ventricular systolic performance is preserved despite hypotension during amiodarone loading. Methods In a prospective double-blind trial, 30 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery were randomly assigned to receive intravenous amiodarone (n = 15) or placebo (n = 15). Cardiac output (CO), mixed venous oxygen saturation (SVO), arterial blood pressure (systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], mean arterial pressure [MAP]), pulmonary artery pressure, and central venous pressure (CVP) were recorded. Transesophageal echocardiographic left ventricular end-diastolic area (EDA), end-systolic area (ESA), fractional area change (FAC), and end-systolic wall stress (ESWS) were measured every 5 minutes. Results Mean arterial pressure, SBP, and DBP decreased over time after drug administration in both groups ( p p = 0.004) and placebo decreased the MAP by 4 mm Hg. The change in MAP, SBP, and DBP between groups was statistically different for the first 15 minutes after drug administration. Hypotension requiring intervention occurred in 3 of 15 after amiodarone and 0 of 15 after placebo ( p = 0.22). The mean heart rate was 11.5 beats per minute less after amiodarone ( p Conclusions Intravenous amiodarone decreased heart rate and caused a significant, but transient decrease in arterial pressure in the first 15 minutes after administration. Left ventricular performance was maintained suggesting that selective arterial vasodilation was the primary cause of drug-induced hypotension.
Post-Implementation Usability of Erp Training Manuals: The User's Perspective

Abstract Training users is critical to the success of ERP implementations. An important aspect of training is documentation in the form of training manuals. However, the effectiveness of the training manuals will depend on their perceived usability. in this study, data on users' perceptions of ERP training manuals, more than two years post-implementation, are analyzed for usability dimensions of task support, learnability, navigation, and presentation.
An exact solution for orbit view-periods from a station on a tri-axial ellipsoidal planet

This paper presents the concise exact solution for predicting view-periods to be observed from a masked or unmasked tracking station on a tri-axial ellipsoidal surface. The new exact approach expresses the azimuth and elevation angles of a spacecraft in terms of the station-centered geodetic topocentric coordinates in an elegantly concise manner. A simple and efficient algorithm is developed to avoid costly repetitive computations in searching for neighborhoods near the rise and set times of each satellite orbit for each station. Only one search for each orbit is necessary for each station. Sample results indicate that the use of an assumed spherical earth instead of an 'actual' tri-axial ellipsoidal earth could introduce an error up to a few minutes in a view-period prediction for circular orbits of low or medium altitude. For an elliptical orbit of high eccentricity and long period, the maximum error could be even larger. The analytic treatment and the efficient algorithm are designed for geocentric orbits, but they should be applicable to interplanetary trajectories by an appropriate coordinates transformation at each view-period calculation. This analysis can be accomplished only by not using the classical orbital elements.
Effect of 2-amino oleic acid exposure conditions on the inhibition of calcification of glutaraldehyde cross-linked porcine aortic valves

Postimplant calcific degeneration is a frequent cause of clinical failures of glutaraldehyde cross-linked porcine bioprosthetic heart valves (BPHV). It was demonstrated previously that 2-amino oleic acid (AOA) used as a bioprosthesis treatment was highly effective in mitigating aortic valve cusp but not aortic wall calcification. Our main objective was to study the efficacy of various AOA exposure conditions for inhibiting calcification of both cusps and aortic wall tissues using rat subdermal implants. BPHV tissues were treated with a saturated AOA solution for different time intervals before experimental. Aortic wall AOA levels were consistently lower than that of the cusps after the same exposure times. The diffusion of calcium ion across both cusp and aortic wall tissues was evaluated, and the results demonstrated that there was an AOA exposure time-dependent retardation of calcium ion penetration for cusp but not aortic wall. An 8-month extraction study was performed to determine the stability of AOA binding. When Tween 80 was used as an extraction medium, cusp and aortic wall retained 12.9 and 48.7%, respectively, of their initial AOA levels. AOA inhibition of calcification in rat subdermal implants (60 days) was found to be exposure time-dependent with maximum treatment time (120 h), resulting in the lowest calcium levels (20.1 +/- 10.3 and 71.4 +/- 5.4 micrograms/mg of cusp and aortic wall, respectively) as compared with controls (219.1 +/- 6.8 and 104.9 +/- 8.5 micrograms/mg of cusp and aortic wall, respectively). The significance of AOA binding on BPHV tissue was determined by either blocking or reducing BPHV's (cusp and aortic wall) free aldehyde residues with lysine or NaBH4, respectively, before AOA treatment. For aortic cusps, the AOA contents after 72 h were 98.3 +/- 2.7, 34.2 +/- 3.6, and 54.1 +/- 3.0 nM/mg of tissue for AOA (control), lysine-pretreated (plus AOA) and NaBH4-pretreated (plus AOA) tissues, respectively. However, their calcium levels after 60 days of rat subdermal implant were all comparable (i.e., 48.1 +/- 6.2, 38.2 +/- 9.1, and 47.0 +/- 15.0 micrograms calcium per mg of tissue). Similar results were observed on BPHV aortic wall. It can thus be concluded that AOA inhibition of BPHV calcification is exposure time-dependent, but the efficacy of AOA for aortic wall is less than that noted for aortic cusps, perhaps because of lower AOA binding and differences in calcium diffusion kinetics.
First observations of ionospheric irregularities and flows over the south geomagnetic pole from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) HF radar at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

[1] Observations from the first 100 days of operation of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radar at McMurdo Station, Antarctica are presented. The observations are examined for incidence of ionospheric scatter, which is higher than has been found at the auroral zone radars of the SuperDARN network. During some hours of each day, the probability of observing ionospheric scatter exceeded 90%. In the later portion of the period examined, there was a period of time each day during which the scatter incidence dropped significantly. Incidence was as examined versus solar illumination of the ionosphere, and it was found that the decreases coincided with periods when the ionosphere was in darkness. From this, it is concluded that propagation effects were the reason for the decreases. Plasma velocity observations from the period are also presented and compared with the prevailing interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The observations were averaged over the central polar cap (Λ > 85°) and were selected for intervals when the radar line of sight was nearly parallel to the Earth-Sun (E-S) line or perpendicular (E-S-perp) to it. A linear relationship was found between the IMF z component and the E-S velocity and similar relationship between the E-S-perp velocity and the IMF y component. There was a significant spread of velocities about the best fit lines. The IMF and average velocity time series were cross-correlated for a number of intervals, and it was found that the average correlation was about 50%, though during some intervals, the correlation exceeds 80%. No explanation is given for the variance of the correlation.
PLGA/liposome hybrid nanoparticles for short-chain ceramide delivery

Purpose Rapid premature release of lipophilic drugs from liposomal lipid bilayer to plasma proteins and biological membranes is a challenge for targeted drug delivery. The purpose of this study is to reduce premature release of lipophilic short-chain ceramides by encapsulating ceramides into liposomal aqueous interior with the aid of poly (lactic-coglycolicacid) (PLGA).
Waterborne nutrient budgets for the riparian zone of an agricultural watershed

Abstract Agroecosystems in the southeastern United States Coastal Plain typically have uplands in agriculture with mixed hardwood forests along the stream channels. This study determined the inputs and outputs of waterborne nutrients for the riparian forest ecosystem of an agricultural watershed. Quantities of phreatic groundwater and precipitation nutrient inputs and phreatic and surface nutrient outputs were determined during 1979. Based on input/output budgets, these streamside forests were shown to be effective in retaining N, P, Ca, and Mg. Partial conversion of the riparian forest to cropland was projected to increase NO3-N and NH4-N loads by up to 800%. Total replacement of riparian forest with crops would increase loads of all nutrients studied except organic N, DMRP, and total P. Land managers can maintain the nutrient filtering capacity of the streamside forest by selective harvesting of hardwoods and by maintaining the present hydrologic regime.