cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Colonoscopic Complications: Colonic Perforations

Perforation is the most dreaded complication of colonoscopy, and risk increases with therapeutic interventions. Increasing adoption of aggressive resectional procedures such as EMR and ESD further increase risk. Managing colonic perforation depends upon the extent of the injury and when recognized. Endoscopic management is possible and often successful for small perforations when noted during the index procedure. Large perforations are best addressed surgically, and primary repair is often possible when expeditiously recognized. Delayed presentation is frequent, and a high index of suspicion is essential. Non-operative management is possible; however, generalized peritonitis will warrant urgent surgical exploration and repair.
Basketball and drugs: Wastewater-based epidemiological estimation of discharged drugs during basketball games in Kentucky.

Abstract High school sports gather a significantly larger number of fans than college and professional sports in the U.S. Adolescent and adult students in high schools and colleges (aged 12–25) are among the most vulnerable population to substance use. Event planners, risk managers, and emergency medical service personnel can extrapolate the mass loads of drugs in wastewater in this study to evaluate the spectator behavior in relatively larger basketball gatherings. Thirty-three illicit and prescribed psychotic drug residues (out of target 36) and five new psychoactive substances (NPS, out of target 40) were quantified in wastewater, using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, discharged during a college and a high school basketball games that were played in the same stadium in Kentucky. The wastewater concentrations of amphetamine, methylphenidate, hydromorphone were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.040) during a high school basketball game whereas cocaine, hydrocodone, and gabapentin was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.006) in a college basketball game. Higher cocaine to its metabolite ratio suggested that a significant amount of cocaine may have directly discharged down the drain during the college basketball game. Two synthetic cathinones (methcathinone and 4-methyl pentedrone) and three other NPSs (4-ANPP, mCPP, and 4-methylamphetamine) were also quantified in wastewater indicate the prevalence of NPSs in Kentucky. This is the first report of quantified substances of potential abuses at basketball games.
The prognostic significance of human papilloma virus in sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background Human papilloma virus (HPV) has been implicated in the pathology of oropharyngeal head and neck cancers, but its role in sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) has not been well established. Methods Thirty-two patients with SNSCC diagnosed between 2011 and 2018 were identified and stratified by HPV status and viral serotype, as determined by PCR. Endpoints including recurrence, metastases and survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Seventeen (53%) patients were HPV-positive and 15 (47%) were HPV-negative. The median follow-up time of living patients was 30.7 months (range 4-123 months). Survival did not differ by HPV status, but HPV+ tumors were more likely to locally recur and metastasize. When stratifying by treatment type, the lowest rate of recurrence occurred in patients receiving surgery and chemoradiation. Conclusion A significant proportion of sinonasal tumors appear to be associated with HPV. Testing for HPV might be justified in all cases of sinonasal cancers. Further investigation is warranted to better understand the role of HPV in SNSCC.
Transverse Acoustic Forcing of Gaseous Hydrogen/Liquid Oxygen Turbulent Shear Coaxial Flames

Gaseous hydrogen/liquid oxygen turbulent shear coaxial flames were subjected experimentally to both pressure antinode (PAN) and pressure node (PN) transverse acoustic forcing as a function of the g...
Assessment of Riverine Dredging Impact on Flooding in Low-Gradient Coastal Rivers Using a Hybrid 1D/2D Hydrodynamic Model

The current study investigates the effect of large-scale channel modifications via riverine dredging on flood dynamics in low-gradient river systems located in inland-coastal flood transition zones. The study site is the Vermilion River in south Louisiana, US, which is characterized by complex flow regimes, reversal and bi-directional flows, presence of large swamps with significant river-swamp interactions, and large volumes of runoff contributions from lateral tributaries. The study aims to understand the interplay of these factors and how they modulate and get affected by different dredging approaches that vary in spatial extent and the modifications introduced to the channel. The study deploys a hybrid, one- / two-dimensional (1D/2D), hydrodynamic model that simulates flow and stage dynamics in the main river and its major tributaries, as well as the flow exchanges with the interconnected swamp system. Overall, the results show that the dredging activities can significantly alter the flow regime in the watershed and affect flow exchanges between the river and the swamp system. In terms of flooding impact, only dredging approaches that are extensive in spatial extent and modifications to channel longitudinal slope can result in sizeable reductions in flood stages. However, these benefits come at the expense of significant increases in the amplitude and inland propagation of the Gulf tidal wave. On the other hand, less-extensive dredging can still provide moderate and spatially limited flood mitigation; however, they further expose downstream communities to increased levels of flooding, especially during more frequent events. The results reveal that while dredging can increase the hydraulic conveyance of the river system, the large runoff volumes delivered by the urbanized tributaries seem to outweigh the added improvement in the in-channel storage, thus reducing the anticipated flood relief. The results suggest that a watershed-centered approach, instead of a riverine-centered approach is needed for flood management in these systems so that the relative benefits and tradeoffs of different mitigation alternatives can be examined.
Development of the Resistance and Empowerment Against Racism (REAR) Scale.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to develop and validate the Resistance and Empowerment Against Racism (REAR) scale. METHOD Fifty items developed through processes adapted from Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) were administered to a sample of 723 women and 230 men of color (Asian Americans, Black Americans, Latinx, and Native Americans). We employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using stratified subsamples; examined construct validity of the final REAR scale and subscales; and evaluated 2-week test-retest reliability with a subsample. RESULTS Analyses supported a four-factor model, including Awareness and Relational Resistance; Participation in Resistance Activities and Organizations; Interpersonal Confrontation; and Leadership for Resistance. The REAR demonstrated good test-retest and internal reliability and construct validity. CONCLUSIONS Use of the REAR may enable researchers and clinicians to examine how people of color proactively respond to racism through empowered action to challenge racism, and how these responses may moderate the negative effects of racism on psychological well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
The need to consider residual risk

Increased flood risk from climate change requires adaptation, but future protection may leave communities with residual risk that is overlooked. Research now quantifies residual flood damage globally, highlighting the need to lower costs and time to deploy flood management infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable regions.
Functional Communication Abilities in Youth With Cerebral Palsy: Association With Impairment Profiles and School-Based Therapy Goals.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between functional communication skills, underlying speech, language, and cognitive impairments and school-based speech pathology serv...
Model Composition Directives

An aspect-oriented design model consists of a set of aspect models and a primary model. Each of these models consists of a number of different kinds of UML diagrams. The models must be composed to identify conflicts and analyze the system as a whole. We have developed a systematic approach for composing class diagrams in which a default composition procedure based on name matching can be customized by user-defined composition directives. This paper describes a set of composition directives that constrain how class diagrams are composed.
Biohydrogenation of Unsaturated Fatty Acids VI. SOURCE OF HYDROGEN AND STEREOSPECIFICITY OF REDUCTION

Abstract The biohydrogenation of either linoleic acid or cis-9, trans-11, cis-13-octadecatrienoic acid (punicic acid) by Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens results in the formation of trans-11-octadecenoic acid. Incubation of whole cells with tritiated formate, tritiated succinate, and glucose labeled with tritium in various positions failed to result in the labeling of the monoenoic acid product. In contrast, experiments performed in D2O indicated that deuterium was incorporated at the cis double bond(s) reduced by the microorganism. This reduction, which takes place stereospecifically, was found to occur by cis addition to the d side of cis-9, trans-11-octadecadienoic acid, an intermediate in the biohydrogenation of linoleic acid. The distribution of deuterium at the reduced carbon atoms shows an isotope effect and leads to the speculation that reduction occurs by addition of a proton and hydride ion mediated by an unknown carrier.
The MDL Model for Resolving Complex Litigation if a Class Action is Not Possible

This article reviews the origins and development of multidistrict litigation before proceeding to examine its ability to take the place of class actions for the resolution of complex litigation. After noting that class actions are increasingly unavailable, particularly in pharmaceutical products liability cases, the article explores the management of the In re Vioxx Products Liability Litigation MDL. The article concludes that the MDL model can allow for the efficient resolution of complex litigation where a class action is not available, but creative management by the MDL transferee court is crucial. Highlighted are the use bellwether trials and the global settlement across jurisdictional lines, crafted by counsel in both federal and state courts and blessed and overseen in its execution by the MDL court. Professional ethics issues regarding requiring opting-in plaintiffs' attorneys to urge their clients to participate in the global settlement and, if not, to withdraw, are discussed. The growing use of multidistrict transfers of discreet litigation to a single court in various states is examined. Finally, the article calls for Congress to enhance the powers of MDL courts and to learn from the experience of the states and district courts that have experimented, often on an ad hoc basis, with the MDL model.
Carbohydrates and Glycoconjugates

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Carbohydrates and Glycoconjugates: Structure and Function 3 The Past: Primary Structure 4 The Present: Solution Conformation and Dynamics 5 The Future: Glycoconjugates in (Inter-)Action at the Membrane Surface 6 Conclusions 7 Acknowledgements 8 Biographical Sketch 9 Abbreviations Related Articles
Morally Motivated Self-Regulation

2 This paper focuses on self-regulation motivated by altruistic moral concerns. The context is one in which individuals can voluntarily self-regulate in the presence of opportunities to free ride on the self-regulation of their trading partners. Moral preferences can mitigate free riding, but moral preferences can be limited in the sense that they may be weaker the greater the socioeconomic distance from a trading partner and can depend on whether others are expected to reciprocate. The scope of self-regulation can be increased by moral suasion, but individuals can also form organizations to reduce free riding. This paper characterizes the scope of self-regulation as a function of the form and strength of moral preferences and explains the effectiveness of organizations in expanding that scope. Moral preferences can be conditional on the actions of others or limited by socioeconomic distance. A citizen thus may self-regulate when interacting with someone close but not with someone far away. Moral preferences can also be conditional or unconditional. Unconditional moral preferences are independent of the action of others, whereas with conditional preferences a citizen is more willing to self-regulate if other citizens are expected to reciprocate. 3
An Investigation of Perceptual and Decisional Influences on the Perception of Hierarchical Forms

When observers are asked to identify the global and local dimensions of hierarchical forms, their responses are typically faster when the dimensions are consistent rather than inconsistent. This effect, which we refer to as the dimensional consistency effect, has been demonstrated numerous times in paradigms requiring responses to a single dimension. However, most hypotheses regarding dimensional consistency effects address the simultaneous perception of both dimensions, and the manner in which the information about these dimensions may (or may not) 'interact'. Most explanations of the dimensional consistency effect attribute the effect to perceptual influences. The present study uses the constructs of general recognition theory (Ashby and Townsend, 1986 Psychological Review 93 154-179) to represent the source of the effect in terms of both perceptual and decisional influences. In addition, a complete identification response paradigm was used to collect data on the simultaneous perception of both global and local dimensions of hierarchical forms. Analyses of multidimensional signal detection measures and fits of parametric models of the perceptual space were used to guide inferences, with all sources of evidence pointing to both perceptual and decisional influences.
Media Use and Perceptions of Welfare

This study examines public perceptions of the characteristics of a typical welfare recipient and of welfare programs, and how these perceptions reflect differences in individuals' media use. The evidence shows that contextually poor, event-centered, and personalized media content use, represented by exposure and attention to television cable news, and entertainment shows, works in the direction of introducing typical biases in welfare perceptions: perception of welfare recipients as non-White, female, of younger age, and of higher federal spending on welfare programs. In contrast, watching more thematic television stories about welfare and poverty, as well as reading public affairs content in newspapers, has overall positive effects on the accuracy of perceptions of welfare. In turn, perceptions of welfare recipients and welfare programs affect individual's support for welfare programs.
Linking geography to reading and English language learners’ achievement in US elementary and middle school classrooms

The GeoLiteracy for English language learners (ELLs) program is a curriculum that enhances reading and writing skills while teaching geography content for US students in kindergarten through eighth grades. The program includes 85 lesson plans that address all US national geography standards, a quarter of which address environmental issues. The program also includes methodology and materials aimed at meeting the academic needs of the growing population of ELLs in the United States. This article describes a study conducted in three US states that examined the effects of GeoLiteracy for English Language Learners on reading comprehension of third to eighth grade students. The findings reveal that reading comprehension achievement of students, especially ELLs, who used GeoLiteracy improved or maintained. Thus, offering geography education to ELLs not only promotes the discipline but also improves reading comprehension. This study uncovered a number of bureaucratic, political and philosophical issues related to...
Zinc accumulation and metabolism in primary cultures of adult rat liver cells. Regulation by glucocorticoids

Abstract Adult rat liver parenchymal cells were isolated by the collagenase perfusion technique and cultured as a monolayer for up to 20 h. The quantity of zinc accumulated from the extracellular environment was significantly increased by adding physiological concentrations of certain glucocorticoids to the medium. The degree of stimulation was directly related to glucocorticosteroids potency. Sex steroids, certain peptide hormones and prostaglandins E2 and F2α did not influence zinc accumulation. Control cells exhibited a decline of zinc accumulation after 4 h in culture although uptake processes were still operative. When dexamethasone, the most potent glucocorticoid used, was present in the medium the cells accumulated zinc at a linear rate greater than that seen in control cells, for at least 20 h. The dexamethasone-induced stimulation of zinc accumulation was relatively specific since 45Ca, 14C-labelled amino acids and [35S]cystine accumulation was not influenced by the hormone. A lag of 4 h was observed before an effect of dexamethasone on zinc accumulation could be detected. Moreover, the hormone-stimulated phase of accumulation was blocked when the cells were simultaneously incubated with either actinomycin D or cycloheximide. The additional complement of zinc accumulated by the dexamethasone-treated cells was localized in the cytosol fraction. Gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatorgraphy confirmed that this additional cytosol zinc was bound to metallothionein. [35S]Cystine was incorporated into metallothionein in hormone-treated cells indicating that the protein was synthesized de novo during periods of enhanced zinc accumulation.
Familial defective apolipoprotein B-100: low density lipoproteins with abnormal receptor binding

Abstract Previous in vivo turnover studies suggested that retarded clearance of low density lipoproteins (LDL) from the plasma of some hypercholesterolemic patients is due to LDL with defective receptor binding. The present study examined this postulate directly by receptor binding experiments. The LDL from a hypercholesterolemic patient (G.R.) displayed a reduced ability to bind to the LDL receptors on normal human fibroblasts. The G.R. LDL possessed 32% of normal receptor binding activity (approximately equal to 9.3 micrograms of G.R. LDL per ml were required to displace 50% of 125I-labeled normal LDL, vs. approximately equal to 3.0 micrograms of normal LDL per ml). Likewise, the G.R. LDL were much less effective than normal LDL in competing with 125I-labeled normal LDL for cellular uptake and degradation and in stimulating intracellular cholesteryl ester synthesis. The defect in LDL binding appears to be due to a genetic abnormality of apolipoprotein B-100: two brothers of the proband possess LDL defective in receptor binding, whereas a third brother and the proband's son have normally binding LDL. Further, the defect in receptor binding does not appear to be associated with an abnormal lipid composition or structure of the LDL: the chemical and physical properties of the particles were normal, and partial delipidation of the LDL did not alter receptor binding activity. Normal and abnormal LDL subpopulations were partially separated from plasma of two subjects by density-gradient ultracentrifugation, a finding consistent with the presence of a normal and a mutant allele. The affected family members appear to be heterozygous for this disorder, which has been designated familial defective apolipoprotein B-100. These studies indicate that the defective receptor binding results in inefficient clearance of LDL and the hypercholesterolemia observed in these patients.
Consideration Set Measurement

The consideration set is a concept that is both intuitively appealing and practically useful. However, there is no standard operational definition of the construct, little reported research investigating alternative measures for empirically assessing the construct, and only limited investigation of interproduct differences in set characteristics (typically focusing on set size). Results of the experiment reported here indicate that situation-specific operational definitions yield smaller reported consideration sets that exhibit greater correspondence to reported purchases than do situation-neutral definitions, and that semantic variations within definition type have little impact on measured set characteristics. Further, findings indicate that much of the interproduct variation in consideration set size is related to awareness set size.
Investigation of cardiorespiratory abnormalities through computer simulation

Abstract The basic physiologic functions which were simulated on the digital computer are multiple alveolar ventilation through a branching bronchial structure, the distribution of alveolar ventilation across the lung based on airway resistance and alveolar compliance, O2 and CO2 exchange with and transport in the blood, ventilation control based on arterial blood Pa co 2, Pa o 2 and pHa, and peripheral metabolic exchange of O2, CO2, and acid or base. The simulation output is a set continuous-time variables corresponding to clinical measurements, namely: volume, rate and composition of expired gas, composition of arterial and venous blood, indicator dilution across the heart and lung, and intraplural pressure used to obtain dynamic lung compliance and resistance. The simulation was used to investigate the observability (based on the clinical measurements) of changes in ventilation and perfusion distributions and to evaluate the ability of the lung to control acid-base balance with normal and reduced lung compliance for a range of metabolic CO2 production and acid or base, compatible with those observed in critically ill patients in decompensated septic shock.
Reflections on Spiritual Foundations of Human Values for Global Business Management

Recent financial scandals at large multinational corporations such as Enron and WorldCom have brought into focus the need for “ethical” management in multinational corporations. For a deeper understanding of the issues, the spiritual foundation of ethics also need to be included in the academic dialogue and professional practice. In the Western countries, the discussion of spirituality in management is often limited to the Judeo-Christian tradition. With India and China becoming important players in the global economy, their spiritual traditions need to be included in the discourse to make it more comprehensive and relevant.This paper identifies fourteen principles of ethics from the Bhagavad-Gita and argues that it can be assimilated in the management practices of global corporations from a non-sectarian perspective. It identifies the sources of Hindu spirituality relevant to global business management, adumbrates the architecture of spirituality for business ethics, and provides an intellectual justific...
Fast and Accurate OPC for Standard-Cell Layouts

Model based optical proximity correction (OPC) has become necessary at 90nm technology node and beyond. Cell-wise OPC is an attractive technique to reduce the mask data size as well as the prohibitive runtime of full-chip OPC. As feature dimensions have gotten smaller, the radius of influence for edge features has extended further into neighboring cells such that it is no longer sufficient to perform cellwise OPC independent of neighboring cells, especially for the critical layers. The methodology described in this work accounts for features in neighboring cells and allows a cellwise approach to be applied to cells with a printed gate length of 45nm with the projection that it can also be applied to future technology nodes. OPC-ready cells are generated at library creation (independent of placement) using a boundary-based technique. Each cell has a tractable number of OPC-ready versions due to an intelligent characterization of standard cell layout features. Total number of cells with boundaries in the OPC-ready library only increases linearly with the number of cells in the original library. Results are very promising: the average edge placement error (EPE) for all metal1 features in 100 layouts is 0.731nm which is less than 1 % of metal1 width, creating similar levels of lithographic accuracy while obviating any of the drawbacks inherent in layout specific full-chip model-based OPC. For even small circuits, there were runtime reductions of up to 100times and a potential 35times decrease in mask data size.
Developmental constraints on behavioural flexibility

We suggest that variation in mammalian behavioural flexibility not accounted for by current socioecological models may be explained in part by developmental constraints. From our own work, we provide examples of constraints affecting variation in behavioural flexibility, not only among individuals, but also among species and higher taxonomic units. We first implicate organizational maternal effects of androgens in shaping individual differences in aggressive behaviour emitted by female spotted hyaenas throughout the lifespan. We then compare carnivores and primates with respect to their locomotor and craniofacial adaptations. We inquire whether antagonistic selection pressures on the skull might impose differential functional constraints on evolvability of skulls and brains in these two orders, thus ultimately affecting behavioural flexibility in each group. We suggest that, even when carnivores and primates would theoretically benefit from the same adaptations with respect to behavioural flexibility, carnivores may nevertheless exhibit less behavioural flexibility than primates because of constraints imposed by past adaptations in the morphology of the limbs and skull. Phylogenetic analysis consistent with this idea suggests greater evolutionary lability in relative brain size within families of primates than carnivores. Thus, consideration of developmental constraints may help elucidate variation in mammalian behavioural flexibility.
Diel and life-history characteristics of personality: consistency versus flexibility in relation to ecological change

Despite the potential benefits of modifying behaviour according to changing ecological conditions, many populations comprise individuals that differ consistently in behaviour across situations, contexts and points in time (i.e. individuals show personality). If personalities are adaptive, the balance between consistency and flexibility of behavioural traits should reflect the ability of individuals to detect and respond to changing conditions in an appropriate and timely manner and, thus, depend upon the pace and predictability of changing conditions. We investigated the balance between individual consistency and flexibility in the subsocial spider Anelosimus studiosus by assaying boldness across the diel cycle and correlating these data with patterns of prey and threat abundance in the natural habitat. We found significant diel flexibility in boldness correlating with drastic and predictable changes in prey availability. Moreover, the strength of within-individual flexibility in boldness was comparable to the strength of rank-order consistency among individuals. We also found evidence that mean boldness level and among-individual variation in boldness are correlated with reproductive status. These data emphasize the interplay between behavioural consistency and flexibility and suggest that temporal characteristics of ecological conditions may be vital in assessing the strength, stability and adaptive value of animal personalities.
FORCED CONVECTION HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER FROM A PARTIALLY LIQUID-COVERED SURFACE

Forced convection heat and mass transfer, from a surface made of solid cylinders and its voids that are partially filled with a liquid, are studied numerically using a unit cell model. The predictions are compared with those available from boundary-layer treatment of partially liquid-covered planar surfaces. The results show that as the surface liquid saturation decreases and the Reynolds number increases, a vortex is formed in the partially filled voids. This vortex moves upstream as the Reynolds number increases, and its presence makes the mass transfer characeristics substantially different from those for planar surfaces. The results also show that in limited cases, the ratio of the total mass transfer rate to total heat transfer rate can be approximated by the fraction of the surface area covered by the liquid.
Teaching Multicultural Group Counseling: Perspectives for A New Era

The demographics in the United States are rapidly changing. Despite these well-documented shifts in ethnicity and race, there remain gaps in the research, practice, and training that address relevant multicultural issues in group counseling. This article addresses the challenges in incorporating multicultural issues in training group counselors, and discusses socio-ecological and cross-cultural considerations in teaching multicultural group work. The article also provides recommendations for teaching multicultural group counseling.
Search for collagen in substrate adhesion site of two murine cell lines.

WHEN BALB/c 3T3 cells or their SV40-transformed counterparts are detached from the tissue culture substrate by treatment with the Ca2+-specific chelator EGTA, cellular footpads which mediate the cell–substrate adhesion process are pinched off from the rest of the cell surface and remain as substrate-attached material (SAM)1–3. SAM contains a small percentage of total celluar protein (approximately 1–2% depending on the cell type) and is enriched in glycosamino-glycan-containing proteoglycans, the LETS4 glycoprotein (the large, external, transformation-sensitive glycoprotein; also referred to as fibronectin5 and very similar to serum-containing cold-insoluble globulin (CIG)6), and several proteins associated with the actin-containing microfilaments and 10-nm diameter filaments of these cells7,8. These components seem to be tightly associated with each other as a cell ‘surface’ complex mediating the adhesive bond3. Evidence is accumulating to indicate that LETS in particular plays an important part in cellular adhesion sites3. LETS (or CIG) has recently been shown to bind to collagen9, specifically the α1 chain (H. Kleinman et al. personal communication), or to yield immunofluorescence patterns with monospecific antibody similar to those observed for collagen on the surface of some cultured cells10. Some cell types have been shown to adhere to collagenous matrices after adsorption to the collagen of a serum macromolecule which may be CIG11,12. Therefore, we tried to determine whether the substrate adhesion sites of normal and SV40-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells contain collagen which might mediate the adhesion process by way of binding of the LETS glycoprotein. Using two independent methods, our studies have demonstrated that very little collagen can be found in these adhesion sites. This indicates that collagen does not mediate the cell–substrate adhesion process of these two murine cell lines and that LETS may bind to some other component in SAM to generate adhesive bonds between the cell surface and the substrate-bound serum receptor molecules3.
Macrophage regulation of the T-cell allogeneic response during tumor growth.

Abstract One way mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) were used to determine how in vivo tumor growth affects in vitro macrophage-T-cell interactions. When normal T-cells were used, reactivity to allogeneic cells required macrophages. In contrast, the nonadherent spleen cell population from week old tumor-bearing mice responded without additional macrophages. At all concentrations, addition of exogenous macrophages enhanced the MLR. Macrophages from normal as well as tumor-bearing mice (TBM) when treated with anti-theta serum and complement exhibited no inhibitory activity towards normal nylon wool nonadherent (NA) T-cells, at concentrations ranging up to 24%. Macrophage enhancement was not contact dependent, though the degree of enhanced activity was dependent upon the host stage of tumor development. During initial phases of tumor growth, T-cell reactivity was maximally enhanced by the presence of normal or TBM macrophages. In the late stages of tumor development, T-cells, when exposed to macrophages from normal or TBM, exhibited a subnormal level of reactivity. Though no in vitro macrophage inhibition of T-cell MLR activity could be detected, experiments are currently being conducted to determine the extent of macrophage involvement in the degeneration of the T-cell immune response during late stages of tumor growth.
Physician assistant home visit program to reduce hospital readmissions

Objective A physician assistant home care (PAHC) program providing house calls was initiated to decrease hospital readmission rates. We evaluated the 30-day readmission rates and diagnoses before and during PAHC to identify determinants of readmission and interventions to reduce readmissions. Methods Patients who underwent cardiac surgery were evaluated postoperatively for 13 months as pre-PAHC (control group) and 13 months with PAHC. Physician assistants made house calls on days 2 and 5 following hospital discharge for the PAHC group. Both groups were seen in the office postoperatively. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 26 months of readmissions. Readmission rates for the control and PAHC groups were compared, as were the reasons for readmissions. Readmission diagnoses were categorized as infectious, cardiac, gastrointestinal, vascular, pulmonary, neurologic, and other. Also noted were the interventions made during the home visits. Results There were 361 patients (51%) in the control group and 340 patients (49%) in the PAHC group. Overall readmission rate for the control group was 16% (59 patients) and 12% (42 patients) for the PAHC group, a 25% reduction in the rate of readmissions ( P = .161). The rate of infection-related readmissions was reduced from 44% (26 patients) to 19% (8 patients) ( P = .010). Home interventions included adjustment of medications (90%), ordering of imaging studies (7%), and administering direct wound care (2%). Conclusions The 30-day readmission rate was reduced by 25% in patients receiving PAHC visits. The most common home intervention was medication adjustment, most commonly to diuretic agents, medications for hypoglycemia, and antibiotics.
EFFECT OF STRESS-STRAIN BEHAVIOR ON LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE OF α-β TITANIUM ALLOYS

— Tensile specimens of Ti-6A1-4V with four levels of interstitial oxygen content and a Ti-8Al-1Mo-1V alloy with different heat treatments to alter grain size and/or microstructural character are subjected to slow strain-controlled cyclic deformation leading to rupture in the 5-500 cycle range. Indication of crack initiation as well as rupture life are compared, relative to the plastic excursion strain. On this basis, the effects of grain size and oxygen content are not clearly discriminated. Yet, some of the materials exhibit markedly superior performance. This improvement seems to be related to a characteristic evolution in the shape of the cyclic stress-strain curve. Here, relative to a full convex hysteresis loop of early cycles, the later cycles exhibit a reduced stress level, or cyclic softening, in the first half of the excursion, followed by a resurgence of strength to initial stress levels in the latter portion. The enhanced strain hardening rate enabling this terminal strength restoration is thought to stabilize the deformation, reducing the amount of stress-relaxation-induced tensile strain. Taking such strain as an increment of damage in a cumulative cyclic creep strain criterion provides a correlation between the evolving shape of the cyclic stress-strain curve and the low cycle fatigue endurance. Results indicate the absolute increase in the terminal plastic strain hardening rate to be a constant of a material, independent of the cyclic strain excursion.
Intermittency of illuviation in dystrochrepts and hapludults from the Piedmont and Blue Ridge provinces of North Carolina

Abstract Dystrochrepts and Hapludults formed from mica gneiss and schist in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces of North Carolina have a range of illuvation cutan orientation patterns that is related to various indicators of soil development (clay content, solum thickness, and degree of primary mineral alteration). The relationship of cutan orientation patterns to soil development in these soils suggests that clay illuviation is largely intermittent in occurrence. Lessivage occurs in Typic Dystrochrepts, the soils showing the least morphological development, but because of the thinness and coarse texture of the sola the major areas of accumulation may occur beneath the cambic horizons in vertical cracks in the structurally rigid, isovolumetrically weathered saprolite. The source of clay is relatively easily weathered plagioclase. Few illuviation cutans are present in argillic horizons of fine-loamy Hapludults. Evidence of illuvial clay is lacking because biotite is being altered to sand- and silt-sized pseudomorphs of kaolinite with little production of clay-sized particles. Once the biotite is entirely kaolinized, comminution of the sand- and silt-sized kaolinite grains supplies clay for clayey argillic horizons to evolve. Soils at this stage of development have abundant illuviation cutans with strong continuous orientation. After the silt- and sand-sized kaolinite has been comminuted the only primary minerals remaining in any abundance to produce clay-sized particles are relatively resistant muscovite and microcline. Iron continues to concentrate as the clayey Hapludults develop, masking the anisotropy of the illuviation cutans. The increasing lack of distinctness of cutans and their apparent low degree of orientation with increasing degree of soil development indicate that illuviation has largely ceased in the most developed clayey Hapludults and the illuvial features are for the most part relict features of an earlier period of clay production.
Neural Network-Wavelet Microsimulation Model for Delay and Queue Length Estimation at Freeway Work Zones

Recently, the writers developed a new mesoscopic-wavelet model for simulating freeway traffic flow patterns and extracting congestion characteristics. As an extension of that research, in this paper, a new neural network-wavelet microsimulation model is presented to track the travel time of each individual vehicle for traffic delay and queue length estimation at work zones. The model incorporates the dynamics of a single vehicle in changing traffic flow conditions. The extracted congestion characteristics obtained from the mesoscopic-wavelet model are used in a Levenberg–Marquardt backpropagation (BP) neural network for classifying the traffic flow as free flow, transitional flow, and congested flow with stationary queue. The neural network model is trained using simulated data and tested using both simulated and real data. The computational model presented is applied to five examples of freeways with two and three lanes and one lane closure with varying entry flow or demand patterns. The new microsimulat...
Emerging human papillomavirus vaccines

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are a leading cause of virus-associated cancers of the anogenital, oropharyneal and cutaneous epithelium. The most prevalent of these is cervical cancer, which is responsible for ∼ 500,000 deaths annually worldwide. A group of about 15 serologically unrelated ‘high-risk’ HPV types are responsible for almost all HPV-associated cancers. Prevention of papillomavirus infection can be achieved by induction of capsid-specific neutralising antibodies in preclinical animal papillomavirus models and in recent human clinical trials. High titres of conformationally-dependent, type-specific HPV-neutralising antibodies are triggered by HPV virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines. Overcoming the problems of type-specificity of the responses to these VLP vaccines is a potentially important area of current HPV vaccine research, with an emphasis on induction of more broadly cross-protective neutralising responses. Viral oncogenes E6 and E7 are continuously present in HPV-associated cancers...
Ospemifene inhibits the growth of dimethylbenzanthracene-induced mammary tumors in Sencar mice

Ospemifene is a new selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that is being developed for the treatment of urogenital atrophy and osteoporosis. Similarly to other SERMs, ospemifene exhibits antiestrogenic effects in breast tissue, which led to the hypothesis that it may be a potential breast cancer chemopreventive agent. We first assessed the ability of ospemifene, compared to tamoxifen and raloxifene, to prevent dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors in female Sencar mice. Ospemifene (N = 18), tamoxifen (N = 20) and raloxifene (N = 17), each dosed at 50 mg/kg, were administered daily by oral gavage, in combination with 20 microg DMBA for the first 6 weeks. Control mice (N = 21) received vehicle plus DMBA only for the first 6 weeks. Daily treatment then continued for 37 weeks. As hypothesized, ospemifene greatly reduced the incidence of mammary carcinomas compared to control mice (p = 0.003), similar to tamoxifen (p = 0.0004); however, in the raloxifene group, no significant effect was seen in mammary tumor prevention (p = 0.20). A follow-up study comparing ospemifene (N = 20) to tamoxifen (N = 20) in the same model was then performed to confirm the results of the first study. The results of the follow-up study, which extended the treatment to 52 weeks, confirmed the results of our previous study, with ospemifene (p = 0.01) and tamoxifen (p = 0.004) significantly decreasing mammary carcinomas compared to controls. The results of these two studies suggest that women taking ospemifene for osteoporosis and/or urogenital atrophy may further benefit from ospemifene's breast cancer chemopreventive effects.
Ineffective delivery of diet-derived microRNAs to recipient animal organisms

Cross-kingdom delivery of specific microRNAs to recipient organisms via food ingestion has been reported recently. However, it is unclear if such delivery of microRNAs occurs frequently in animal organisms after typical dietary intake. We found substantial levels of specific microRNAs in diets commonly consumed orally by humans, mice, and honey bees. Yet, after ingestion of fruit replete with plant microRNAs (MIR156a, MIR159a, and MIR169a), a cohort of healthy athletes did not carry detectable plasma levels of those molecules. Similarly, despite consumption of a diet with animal fat replete in endogenous miR-21, negligible expression of miR-21 in plasma or organ tissue was observed in miR-21 −/− recipient mice. Correspondingly, when fed vegetarian diets containing the above plant microRNAs, wild-type recipient mice expressed insignificant levels of these microRNAs. Finally, despite oral uptake of pollen containing these plant microRNAs, negligible delivery of these molecules was observed in recipient honeybees. Therefore, we conclude that horizontal delivery of microRNAs via typical dietary ingestion is neither a robust nor a frequent mechanism to maintain steady-state microRNA levels in a variety of model animal organisms, thus defining the biological limits of these molecules in vivo.
Risk assessment for herbaceous biomass crops: The case of perennial grasses

Abstract The production of two perennial grasses, tall fescue and switchgrass, for biomass energy were included as alternative activities in a single-index model (SIM) of portfolio selection for an agricultural enterprise. Results indicate that, from the risk efficiency point of view, switchgrass is a good alternative and is included in a risk efficient farm enterprise, while tall fescue, due to its low expected return, is not included. The correlation of returns of the grass crops with those of the conventional activities was low or negative, suggesting that the energy crops may be good candidates for diversification. However, the high correlation between the returns on the two grass crops indicates that only one of them would be included in a risk efficient farm enterprise. The SIM regression estimates seemed sufficient to determine the risk characteristics of the new energy crops. The SIM quadratic-programming results added little additional information; thus, this stage of the analysis can be obviated without great loss of information.
Acute Renal Failure Due to Rhabdomyolysis Associated With the Extreme Lithotomy Position

A patient who developed acute renal failure secondary to rhabdomyolysis associated with the use of the extreme lithotomy position for 6 hours during radical perineal prostatectomy is described. It appears that muscle ischemia due to compression of the lumbar and pelvic muscles resulted in muscle injury. Intense muscle uptake of technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate assisted in localizing the muscles involved and ascertaining the extent of the injury. Review of the literature disclosed seven other patients with a similar association. All patients complained of muscle pain shortly after recovery from anesthesia. Early recognition and aggressive treatment with intravenous fluids may prevent the development of acute renal failure.
Reactions of thioether carboxylic acids with mercury(II): Formation and X-ray crystal structure of mercury(II) mercaptoacetate

Abstract Reactions of Hg(II) salts with thioether carboxylic acids o -C 6 H 4 [CH(SCH 2 COOH) 2 ] 2 ( 1a ) and PhCH(SCH 2 COOH) 2 ( 3 ) in water were found to lead to the decomposition of these ligands with the formation of mercury(II) mercaptoacetate Hg(SCH 2 COOH) 2 ( 2 ) and aldehydes o -C 6 H 4 (CHO) 2 and PhCHO, respectively. A similar reaction was observed between Hg(NO 3 ) 2 and CH 3 (CH 2 ) 2 CH(SCH 2 COOH) 2 ( 4 ). The X-ray structure of Hg(SCH 2 COOH) 2 ( 2 ) shows a linear –S–Hg–S– moiety. The mechanism of the formation of 2 in the reactions between Hg 2+ and thioether carboxylic acids in water is discussed.
The relationship of Trichophyton quinckeanum to Trichophyton mentagrophytes.

The successful crossing of a group of Trichophyton quinckeanum cultures with tester strains of Arthroderma benhamiae, the perfect state of T. mentagrophytes, demonstrated that this organism is not ...
Regional basement geology of Lake Huron

Gravity and magnetic anomalies observed over Lake Huron primarily reflect variations in the lithology of the basement rocks underlying the Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks of the Michigan Basin. Central Lake Huron is dominated by a 25-mgal gravity maximum which correlates with a complex, discontinuous belt of positive magnetic anomalies that extend southwest from Georgian Bay into Michigan. These anomalies are believed to originate from mafic gneiss intercalated with granitic gneiss such as encountered elsewhere in the Grenville Province. The western boundary of these northeasterly trending anomalies is interpreted to mark the location of the Grenville Front beneath the Lake between Killarney, Ontario, and Michigan9s Saginaw Bay. To the west of the Grenville Front, the gravity and magnetic anomalies consist of alternating maxima and minima striking east-southeast which can be traced across Michigan into Wisconsin. The North Channel and the islands to the south are dominated by negative anomalies associated with lower Proterozoic sedimentary rocks. Much of the basement rock beneath Manitoulin Island and the lake to the south and west, nearly to the Michigan shoreline, is intruded by a complex of plutons having a strong magnetic signature.