cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural and silver/vanadium ratio effects on silver vanadium phosphorous oxide solution formation kinetics: impact on battery electrochemistry.

The detailed understanding of non-faradaic parasitic reactions which diminish battery calendar life is essential to the development of effective batteries for use in long life applications. The dissolution of cathode materials including manganese, cobalt and vanadium oxides in battery systems has been identified as a battery failure mechanism, yet detailed dissolution studies including kinetic analysis are absent from the literature. The results presented here provide a framework for the quantitative and kinetic analyses of the dissolution of cathode materials which will aid the broader community in more fully understanding this battery failure mechanism. In this study, the dissolution of silver vanadium oxide, representing the primary battery powering implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), is compared with the dissolution of silver vanadium phosphorous oxide (AgwVxPyOz) materials which were targeted as alternatives to minimize solubility. This study contains the first kinetic analyses of silver and vanadium solution formation from Ag0.48VOPO4·1.9H2O and Ag2VP2O8, in a non-aqueous battery electrolyte. The kinetic results are compared with those of Ag2VO2PO4 and Ag2V4O11 to probe the relationships among crystal structure, stoichiometry, and solubility. For vanadium, significant dissolution was observed for Ag2V4O11 as well as for the phosphate oxide Ag0.49VOPO4·1.9H2O, which may involve structural water or the existence of multiple vanadium oxidation states. Notably, the materials from the SVPO family with the lowest vanadium solubility are Ag2VO2PO4 and Ag2VP2O8. The low concentrations and solution rates coupled with their electrochemical performance make these materials interesting alternatives to Ag2V4O11 for the ICD application.
On the size and generation of minimal N-detection tests

The main result of this paper, proved as a theorem, is that a lower bound on the number of test vectors that detect each fault at least N times is N times the minimal test set size for N = 1. Tests with N > 1 have been reported to have a higher defect coverage and hence are of practical interest. We give an integer linear programming (ILP) algorithm for optimally minimizing a given test set for any given N; in general, the value of N can be separately specified for each fault. Results on benchmark circuits show that optimal N-detection tests are easier to find for circuits that are deep and the input cones of primary outputs have large overlap. However, for small depth circuits, where the primary input overlap between output cones is small or nonexistent, the minimization of the N-detection tests requires further investigation.
Handicapped University Students' Views of Educational Programs as Compared With Those of Majors and Nonmajors

The present study solicited opinions of and experiences in the public school system from handicapped students who had successfully matriculated into a university program. Their opinions and experiences were found to differ significantly from those of special education majors and nonmajors, the latter group having had no training in special education. Furthermore, the two groups of nonhandicapped students (special education undergraduate majors and undergraduate nonmajors) were unable to predict the opinions and experiences of the handicapped students, and the special education majors were no more successful at doing this than the nonmajors. In particular, the nonhandicapped students consistently overestimated the limitations and perceptions of special needs of the handicapped students by continually viewing them as more disabled than the handicapped students viewed themselves. When asked to rank the value of various aspects of educational programming for young handicapped children, the nonhandicapped stud...
Predation on marine snakes: a case for decapods supported by new observations from Thailand

Scientific and commercial collecting have documented high levels of abundance among several species of marine snakes. Estimates of first-year mortality in populations of marine snakes range from 40 to 90%. The primary cause of this mortality is unknown. Storms, currents, sun exposure, dehydration and fire are abiotic factors that may control populations of marine and amphibious snakes. Disease, malnutrition and predation are biotic factors known to affect populations. In the literature there are isolated reports of predation by marine mammals, birds of prey, fish and invertebrates. Sharks in Australian waters are known to be predators on sea snakes. Our studies show that in the estuaries, intertidal mangrove creeks and mud flats of southeast Asia decapod crustaceans are important snake predators. Microhabitat overlap, exoskeleton armour and a respiratory advantage in an underwater standoff argue for their potential as potent predators. Field observations, a survey of crab stomach contents and encounters between snakes and crabs under laboratory conditions support this hypothesis. –
Effects of a comprehensive school-based asthma program on symptoms, parent management, grades, and absenteeism.

Study objective This study assessed the impact of a comprehensive school-based asthma program on symptoms, grades, and school absences in children, and parents' asthma management practices. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Fourteen elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods in Detroit, MI. Participants Eight hundred thirty-five children with asthma in grades 2 through 5 and their parents. Intervention The intervention entailed six components for children, their parents, classmates, and school personnel to encourage and enable disease management. Measurements and results Parents completed telephone interviews and the schools provided data at baseline and 24 months after intervention. At follow-up, treatment children with persistent disease had significant declines in both daytime (14% fewer, p
Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma, a childhood neoplasm arising from neural crest cells, is characterized by a diversity of clinical behavior ranging from spontaneous remission to rapid tumor progression and death. To a large extent, outcome can be predicted by the stage of disease and the age at diagnosis. However, the molecular events responsible for the variability in response to treatment and the rate of tumor growth remain largely unknown. Over the past decade, transformation-linked genetic changes have been identified in neuroblastoma tumors that have contributed to the understanding of tumor predisposition, metastasis, treatment responsiveness, and prognosis. The Children's Oncology Group recently developed a Neuroblastoma Risk Stratification System that is currently in use for treatment stratification purposes, based on clinical and biologic factors that are strongly predictive of outcome. This review discusses the current risk-based treatment approaches for children with neuroblastoma and recent advances in biologic therapy.
The necessity of sigma-finiteness in the radon–nikodym theorem

This note contains characterizations of those sigma-fields for which sigma-finiteness is a necessary condition in the Radon-Nikodym Theorem.Our purpose is to consider those σ-fields for which σ-finiteness is a necessary condition in the Radon–Nikodym Theorem. We first prove a measure theoretic equivalence in the general case, and then use this to obtain an algebraic characterization in the case when the σ-field is the Borel field of a locally compact separable metric space. For undefined terminology we refer the reader to [1] for measure theoretic and [2] for algebraic properties.By a measure, we mean a countably additive function from σ-field of sets or a Boolean σ-algebra into the non-negative extended real numbers. We will say that a measure μ on a σ-field of sets Σ is RN provided each μ-continuous finite measure on Σ has a Radon–Nikodym derivative in L1(μ).
Dynamic Reprogramming of the Kinome in Response to Targeted MEK Inhibition in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Kinase inhibitors have limited success in cancer treatment because tumors circumvent their action. Using a quantitative proteomics approach, we assessed kinome activity in response to MEK inhibition in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and genetically engineered mice (GEMMs). MEK inhibition caused acute ERK activity loss, resulting in rapid c-Myc degradation that induced expression and activation of several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). RNAi knockdown of ERK or c-Myc mimicked RTK induction by MEK inhibitors, and prevention of proteasomal c-Myc degradation blocked kinome reprogramming. MEK inhibitor-induced RTK stimulation overcame MEK2 inhibition, but not MEK1 inhibition, reactivating ERK and producing drug resistance. The C3Tag GEMM for TNBC similarly induced RTKs in response to MEK inhibition. The inhibitor-induced RTK profile suggested a kinase inhibitor combination therapy that produced GEMM tumor apoptosis and regression where single agents were ineffective. This approach defines mechanisms of drug resistance, allowing rational design of combination therapies for cancer.
HOSTING AN OPEN HOUSE FOR A MEDICAL INFORMATION DEPARTMENT: AN EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL METHOD

An open house was held over three days to raise awareness about the expanding functions and value of the Glaxo Wellcome Medical Information Department to internal customers. The objective of the open house was to increase the visibility of the Medical Information Department internally by emphasizing its services.
Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor interacts with mouse blastocysts independently of ErbB1: a possible role for heparan sulfate proteoglycans and ErbB4 in blastocyst implantation.

Blastocyst implantation requires molecular and cellular interactions between the uterine luminal epithelium and blastocyst trophectoderm. We have previously shown that heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is induced in the mouse luminal epithelium solely at the site of blastocyst apposition at 16:00 hours on day 4 of pregnancy prior to the attachment reaction (22:00-23:00 hours), and that HB-EGF promotes blastocyst growth, zona-hatching and trophoblast outgrowth. To delineate which EGF receptors participate in blastocyst activation, the toxicity of chimeric toxins composed of HB-EGF or TGF-(α) coupled to Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE) were used as measures of receptor expression. TGF-(α) or HB-EGF binds to EGF-receptor (ErbB1), while HB-EGF, in addition, binds to ErbB4. The results indicate that ErbB1 is inefficient in mediating TGF-(α)-PE or HB-EGF-PE toxicity as follows: (i) TGF-(α)-PE was relatively inferior in killing blastocysts, 100-fold less than HB-EGF-PE, (ii) analysis of blastocysts isolated from cross-bred egfr+/− mice demonstrated that HB-EGF-PE, but not TGF-(α)-PE, killed egfr−/− blastocysts, and (iii) blastocysts that survived TGF-(α)-PE were nevertheless killed by HB-EGF-PE. HB-EGF-PE toxicity was partially mediated by cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG), since a peptide corresponding to the heparin-binding domain of HB-EGF as well as heparitinase treatment protected the blastocysts from the toxic effects of HB-EGF-PE by about 40%. ErbB4 is a candidate for being an HB-EGF-responsive receptor since RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that day 4 mouse blastocysts express two different erbB4 isoforms and immunostaining with anti-ErbB4 antibodies confirmed that ErbB4 protein is expressed at the apical surface of the trophectoderm cells. It is concluded that (i) HB-EGF interacts with the blastocyst cell surface via high-affinity receptors other than ErbB1, (ii) the HB-EGF interaction with high-affinity blastocysts receptors is regulated by heparan sulfate, and (iii) ErbB4 is a candidate for being a high-affinity receptor for HB-EGF on the surface of implantation-competent blastocysts.
Protein Phosphatases in Plants

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of a protein often serve as an "on-and-off" switch in the regulation of cellular activities. Recent studies demonstrate the involvement of protein phosphorylation in almost all signaling pathways in plants. A significant portion of the sequenced Arabidopsis genome encodes protein kinases and protein phosphatases that catalyze reversible phosphorylation. For optimal regulation, kinases and phosphatases must strike a balance in any given cell. Only a very small fraction of the thousands of protein kinases and phosphatases in plants has been studied experimentally. Nevertheless, the available results have demonstrated critical functions for these enzymes in plant growth and development. While serine/threonine phosphorylation is widely accepted as a predominant modification of plant proteins, the function of tyrosine phosphorylation, desptie its overwhelming importance in animal systems, had been largely neglected until recently when tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) were characterized from plants. This review focuses on the structure, regulation, and function of protein phosphatases in higher plants.
Disease-Specific Expression of Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase Isoforms†

The association between elevated serum type 5 TRACP activity and metabolic bone diseases has been recognized for many years. However, serum type 5 TRACP exists as two related isoforms: 5a and 5b. Only isoform 5b is osteoclast-derived; the origin and significance of isoform 5a has hardly been explored. We have used simultaneous immunoassays for type-5 TRACP activity and total type-5 TRACP protein in conjunction with non-denaturing gel electrophoresis and column chromatography to investigate the nature and significance of TRACP isoforms 5a and 5b in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our studies have shown that TRACP activity and protein are elevated in approximately 50% of sera from ESRD patients, which is caused by osteoclastic isoform 5b. We have also shown that total TRACP protein, but not TRACP activity, is elevated in approximately 30% of sera from RA patients, which is caused by non-osteoclastic isoform 5a. When macrophages or dendritic cells (DC) were cultured in vitro, abundant TRACP 5a was secreted into the culture medium, whereas TRACP 5b was retained intracellularly by both cell types. This implicates macrophages and DC as potential sources of elevated TRACP 5a in RA. Because TRACP isoform expression may be disease-specific, it is important to be able to distinguish TRACP 5a from 5b. There are four criteria by which to do so: (1) TRACP 5a bears sialic acid residues while TRACP 5b does not; (2) the pH optimum for TRACP 5a is 5.2 while that for TRACP 5b is 5.8; (3) the specific activity of TRACP 5a is significantly lower than that of TRACP 5b; and (4) TRACP 5a is as an uncleaved polypeptide, whereas TRACP 5b is a proteolytically nicked disulfide-linked "heterodimer." The differences in biochemical properties and disease-specific expression of TRACP isoforms 5a and 5b suggest that they are regulated differently and perform separate functions in a tissue-specific manner.
ACTH content of dog kidneys.

SummaryThe amount of ACTH that could be extracted from kidneys of surgically stressed normal dogs was 0 and 4 mU/kidney in 2 lots tested. Seventy-two percent of the ACTH added to half of one batch of kidneys was recovered by the extraction technic used. On injection into hypophysectomized dogs, renal venous plasma from surgically stressed or hemorrhaged dogs had no more adrenal cortical stimulating activity than peripheral arterial plasma collected at the same time. These findings do not support the hypothesis that significant amounts of ACTH are released from the kidneys into the circulation during surgical stress or hemorrhage.
Utilization of Preoperative Electrodiagnostic Studies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: An Analysis of National Practice Patterns.

Purpose Given the lack of a reference standard diagnostic tool for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), we conducted a population-level analysis of patients undergoing carpal tunnel release to characterize the utilization of preoperative electrodiagnostic studies (EDS). Secondarily, we sought to determine the impact of EDS utilization on timeliness of surgery, number of preoperative physician visits, and costs. Methods The 2009–2013 Truven MarketScan databases were used to identify a national cohort of adult patients undergoing carpal tunnel release. Three multivariable regression models were designed to evaluate the relationship between preoperative EDS use and timing of surgical release, the number of preoperative physician visits, and total costs for CTS-related visits, while controlling for sociodemographic variables, insurance type, comorbid conditions, and treatment characteristics. Results The final study cohort included 62,894 patients who underwent carpal tunnel release, of whom 58% had preoperative EDS. Patients undergoing EDS waited 36% longer for surgical release than patients without EDS. The mean time between diagnosis and surgery was predicted to be 183 days for patients who underwent preoperative EDS and 135 days for patients who did not. Patients having EDS experienced 1 additional visit, $996 greater total costs, and $112 additional out-of-pocket costs on average. Occupational therapy consultation and steroid injection were also associated with increased time to surgery, but with one-fourth and one-third the added cost of EDS, respectively. Conclusions On the basis of national practice trends, providers do not consistently agree with the practice of performing EDS before carpal tunnel release. Given the uncertain utility of routine EDS before carpal tunnel release and its association with delays to surgery and increased costs, further evaluation of EDS in relation to patient preferences and value of care is warranted. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy Investigation of the Strained Si1−xGex-on-Si Band Offsets

The band offsets and band gap are the most important parameters that determine the electrical and optical behavior of a heterojunction. In situ scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) was employed to measure the valence band offset of strained Si1−xGex-on-Si (100) for the first time. The valence band offsets of strained Si0.77Ge0.23and Si0.59Ge0.41on Si(100) are found to be 0.21eV and 0.36eV, respectively. The results are in good agreement with theory and with results from other experimental methods. Due to band bending and surface states, it is difficult to determine the conduction band edge at the interface of Si1−xGex/Si exactly, but the conduction band offset is found to be much smaller than the valence band offset
Leveraging Microfinance: A Tool to Aid Ground Commanders in Distributing Economic Development Funds

Military leaders do not currently have an effective method to guide the allocation of economic development funds. The purpose of this article is to present a tool that will help guide how a ground commander can best allocate available funds in order to raise a communities economic output. The tool is data driven using information from a microfinance organization, Kiva. Data from microfinance loans are utilized due to the similar purpose with that of financial aid provided by ground commanders through economic development funds. The Kiva dataset is consolidated to five sectors: Industry, Services, Agriculture, Health, and Education. These sectors act as the individual stocks that make up an ’investment’ portfolio; the sectors then can be analyzed for optimization in terms of long term economic growth. Given a country of operation, the tool will return a portfolio recommendation with percent allocation by economic sector to be used as guidance in economic development fund distribution. This tool serves to provide much needed guidance in providing a base of economic knowledge of a country of interest and a proposal about the distribution of development funds.
Developing and evaluating an eco-speed harmonization strategy for connected vehicles

As an active traffic and demand management (ATDM) strategy that has been implemented for decades, speed harmonization may improve traffic flow by regulating traffic speed upstream of bottlenecks. In this paper, we propose a new speed harmonization strategy with a focus on environmental factors, called eco-speed harmonization (ESH). ESH takes advantage of individual vehicle's real-time information via Connected Vehicle (CV) technologies to reduce energy and environmental impacts of vehicular traffic. Simulation studies based on a complex real-world network have shown that the introduction of the proposed ESH strategy with full CV technology penetration can reduce energy consumption by up to 4 percent and criteria pollutant emissions (e.g., fine particles) by up to 17 percent, depending on the level of traffic congestion. Sensitivity analyses indicated that energy and emissions reduction benefits will decrease as the CV technology penetration rate decreases.
Gastric smooth muscle cells possess two classes of endothelin receptors but only one alters contraction

Endothelin (ET)-like immunoreactivity and ET binding sites are widely distributed in the gastrointestinal tract, and ET causes contraction of stomach muscle strips. To determine whether ETs could interact with gastric smooth muscle cells directly and alter function, we measured binding of 125I-ET-1, 125I-ET-2, and 125I-ET-3 to dispersed gastric smooth muscle cells from guinea pig and their abilities to alter cell length. Each ligand bound in a time- and temperature-dependent manner, which was specific and saturable. Analysis of the dose-inhibition curves of both ET-1 and ET-3 for binding of each ligand indicated the presence of two classes of receptors, one class (ETA receptor) with a high affinity for ET-1 and ET-2 but a low affinity for ET-3, and the other (ETB receptor) with a high affinity for ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3. The ligands were rapidly internalized by both receptors; however, it was greater with ETA receptors. ET-1 stimulated muscle contraction (50% effective concentration approximately 2 nM), whereas ET-3 did not stimulate contraction or cause relaxation. These results demonstrate that gastric smooth muscle cells possess two classes of ET receptors. One type (ETA) has a high affinity for ET-1 and ET-2 and a low affinity for ET-3, and receptor occupation results in rapid ligand internalization and muscle contraction; the other type (ETB) has a high affinity for ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3, and receptor occupation results in a lesser degree of ligand internalization than the ETA receptor and does not alter contractile behavior.
Complications of 125iodine implantation and pelvic lymphadenectomy in the treatment of prostatic cancer.

AbstractThe operative, postoperative and late complications experienced by 300 consecutive patients who underwent 125iodine implantation and pelvic lymphadenectomy for localized prostatic cancer were analyzed. Of the patients reviewed 68 per cent had clinical stage B lesions, while 32 per cent had clinical stage C lesions. The incidence of intraoperative complications was 6 per cent. There were 2 postoperative deaths and 23 per cent of the patients had postoperative complications. Of 177 patients followed postoperatively for 6 months or more (mean 29.3 months) late morbidity was experienced by 49 (28 per cent). The incidence of impotence in 109 patients who were potent preoperatively and who were followed for a minimum of 15 months was 7 per cent.
Pelvic Lymphadenectomy in the Management of Carcinoma of the Prostate

AbstractBetween January 1, 1971 and December 30, 1977, 82 patients underwent bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy for carcinoma of the prostate, 65 with associated radical prostatectomy. Lymph node metastases were noted in 27 cases: 1 of 8 with A2, 3 of 16 with Bl, 12 of 39 with B2 and 11 of 19 with C tumors. Of the 17 patients undergoing lymphadenectomy only as a staging procedure before definitive radiation therapy 12 had nodal involvement, while 15 of 64 patients with combined lymphadenectomy and prostatectomy had nodal disease.Early complications involved 6 patients with thromboembolic disease, including 1 death while the patient was hospitalized of pulmonary embolism. All 6 thromboembolic complications occurred among 52 patients who had not received anticoagulation, for an incidence of 11.5 per cent compared to no episode of thromboembolism among 30 patients prophylactically anticoagulated with warfarin sodium. Late complications of chronic lymphedema occurred in 15 patients, 10 of whom had postoperative...
Patent foramen ovale in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: Long-term risk and morbidity.

Abstract Introduction Little is known about the presence of patent foramen ovale in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. While there is suspected worsening of hypoxemia confounding assessment and management of pulmonary hypertension, as well as possible increased morbidity from paradoxical emboli, there may be theoretical relief of worsening right-sided pressures by the same mechanism of right-to-left shunting. Methods Retrospective review of consecutive patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (WHO Group 1) via right heart catheterization, from 1998 to 2010. All patients also underwent a four chamber transthoracic echocardiogram with agitated saline contrast for the evaluation of patent foramen ovale. Primary clinical data was collected and compared between patients with and without patent foramen ovale along with univariable and multivariable predictors of long term survival. Results One hundred and fifty five patients were included in the study, 42 with patent foramen ovale (27%). Patients with patent foramen ovale were younger at pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis and trended towards higher right ventricular systolic pressures on echocardiography and mean pulmonary arterial pressures by right heart catheterization. Predictors of mortality included age, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, and severe hypoxemia. Only diffusing capacity and age were predictive of mortality after adjustment for a priori covariables. Conclusion Patent foramen ovale is seen in a quarter of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and associated with increased prevalence of severe hypoxemia but had no effect on long term survival.
The Clinical Impact of a Web-Based Image Repository on Radiation Exposure in Injured Children

Abstract Purpose The long-term cancer risks for children exposed to radiologic images can be two to three times higher than for adults because children are more sensitive to radiation and have a longer lifetime in which to accumulate exposure from CT scans. Injured children often undergo repeat CT imaging if they are transferred from non-pediatric hospitals to a Level I pediatric trauma center (PTC). This study determined the impact of a statewide web-based image repository (WBIR) on repeat imaging among transferred injured children. Methods All injured children who underwent CT imaging and were transferred to the PTC in 2010 (pre-WBIR) and 2013 (post-WBIR) were included. Patient-level factors studied included demographics, body region of scan, Injury Severity Score, and Emergency Department (ED) disposition. Change from pre to post on rate of repeat imaging was assessed. Results Two hundred fifty-four and 233 children, with a median age of 7.3 years, were transferred to the Children's Hospital in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Repeat imaging levels at the PTC were lower post-WBIR than pre-WBIR (20% versus 33%, odds ratio [OR] 0.54, P = .005). Images of the head decreased most significantly (60% versus 33%, OR 0.33). Images performed at Level II and III trauma centers were repeated less often after WBIR. Conclusions The WBIR significantly reduced repeat imaging among injured children transferred to a PTC, especially children transferred from Level II and Level III trauma centers, children with lower-acuity injuries, and children with initial scans of the head. Radiation savings are expected to be beneficial to children.
Curbing Our Enthusiasm: An Analysis of the Check-In/Check-Out Literature Using the Council for Exceptional Children's Evidence-Based Practice Standards.

Check-in/Check-out (CICO) is an intervention designed to improve behavioral outcomes for students identified as at-risk for school failure. Core principles of the intervention include clearly defin...
Comparison of a Novel Weightbearing Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scanner Versus a Conventional Computed Tomography Scanner for Measuring Patellar Instability.

Background:Conventional computed tomography (CT) images are routinely used for diagnosing patellofemoral instability and are obtained with the patient in a supine position, nonweightbearing, with t...
The role of the subtropical North Atlantic water cycle in recent US extreme precipitation events

The role of the oceanic water cycle in the record-breaking 2015 warm-season precipitation in the US is analyzed. The extreme precipitation started in the Southern US in the spring and propagated northward to the Midwest and the Great Lakes in the summer of 2015. This seasonal evolution of precipitation anomalies represents a typical mode of variability of US warm-season precipitation. Analysis of the atmospheric moisture flux suggests that such a rainfall mode is associated with moisture export from the subtropical North Atlantic. In the spring, excessive precipitation in the Southern US is attributable to increased moisture flux from the northwestern portion of the subtropical North Atlantic. The North Atlantic moisture flux interacts with local soil moisture which enables the US Midwest to draw more moisture from the Gulf of Mexico in the summer. Further analysis shows that the relationship between the rainfall mode and the North Atlantic water cycle has become more significant in recent decades, indicating an increased likelihood of extremes like the 2015 case. Indeed, two record-high warm-season precipitation events, the 1993 and 2008 cases, both occurred in the more recent decades of the 66 year analysis period. The export of water from the North Atlantic leaves a marked surface salinity signature. The salinity signature appeared in the spring preceding all three extreme precipitation events analyzed in this study, i.e. a saltier-than-normal subtropical North Atlantic in spring followed by extreme Midwest precipitation in summer. Compared to the various sea surface temperature anomaly patterns among the 1993, 2008, and 2015 cases, the spatial distribution of salinity anomalies was much more consistent during these extreme flood years. Thus, our study suggests that preseason salinity patterns can be used for improved seasonal prediction of extreme precipitation in the Midwest.
Advanced Airway Type and Its Association with Chest Compression Interruptions During Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Attempts.

Objective: To assess interruptions in chest compressions associated with advanced airway placement during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) victims. Metho...
Relating Goal Structures to Other Classroom Processes

This chapter describes one way in which future research might increase our understanding of how goal-structuring interventions are related to basic classroom achievement and classroom social interaction processes in heterogeneous classrooms. It proposes a merging of nonexperimental data-analysis techniques with experimental or quasi-experimental treatments. By merging the two approaches and collecting the data necessary for each, researchers should be able to examine the ways in which cooperative learning interventions impact basic educational processes. For example, goal-structuring interventions could possibly affect outcomes by mediating the effects of variables that are part of achievement processes, enhancing the impact of variables already present in the classroom, or injecting new sources of influence into the classroom. Of these alternatives, the middle one might be viewed as the most interesting, for it is intriguing to think of cooperative learning as a catalyst that triggers a reaction from variables that are commonly present in contact situations. Least interesting is the notion of cooperative learning interventions’ acting as mediating variables, for if such interventions merely mediate effects already present, their impact on classroom processes could not be very great.
Effect of saponins on the growth and activity of rhizosphere bacteria

Saponins are a group of steroid or triterpenoid glycosides and related chemicals (sapogenins: non-glycosylated) found in roots, shoots, seeds, and flowers of many plant species. Saponins are of agronomic interest because of allelopathic interference with plant growth (Oleszek and Jurzysta, 1987; Waller et al., 1993). Saponins can be released into the soil by secretion from roots and/or leaching from living or decaying plant material (Mishustin and Naumova, 1955; Oleszek and Jurzysta, 1987). Conservation management practices designed to maintain plant residues on the soil surface such as the use of cover crops and reduced tillage are rapidly being adopted by growers; thus the impact of these compounds and other natural products on crop productivity and soil and rhizosphere microbial ecology warrants study.
The Evolutionary Dynamics of the Movement to Ban Landmines

In an attempt to demonstrate the vitality and significance of the transnational, nonstate realm of world politics, in this article, we examine the global mine-ban movement during the period 1991-2002. In doing so, we make two claims: The first is that, at least in the case of the mine-ban movement, the nonstate realm has proved highly successful in generating power to affect outcomes in innovative and effective ways. Our second claim - the more innovative of the two - concerns the evolutionary dynamics of the mine-ban movement, and, by extension, of the nonstate realm of world politics. By way of amplifying our first claim, we note that the mine-ban movement did not seek to take control of traditional sources of state power such as taxation and military force (as transnational criminal organizations often do) or to work primarily through state mechanisms such as the judicial process or the United Nations (as many environmental and human rights organizations do). Rather, it generated power by flooding global media with unsettling statistics and images and by using the internet and other technologies to build an extensive, transnational coalition that could not be discounted, co-opted, or, ultimately, denied political space.1 This network placed such tremendous pressure on states that eventually a small group of them agreed to work with it to achieve a bold set of humanitarian goals, even though doing pushed these states outside conventional negotiating structures and brought them into opposition with the major powers of the world.
Rearrangements of Vinylcyclopropanes and Related Systems

Perhaps it is appropriate that this review be written some 100 years after the report of the first syntheses of cyclopropane derivatives by von Baeyer1 and Perkin2 and the formulation of the ‘theory of ring strain’ by von Baeyer.1 The chemistry of small ring compounds has risen to prominence in the last 30 years. The popularity especially of the three-membered rings as intermediates in synthetic transformations has been due primarily to their latent energy content and to the almost endless number of chemical transformations in which these compounds and their derivatives can participate. New applications and novel permutations of the basic systems continue to appear at a fast pace. The fascinating chemistry associated with the strain of these intermediates continues to find wide applicability in the field of synthetic methodology and in the total synthesis of complex molecules.
DNA polymerase II, the probable homolog of mammalian DNA polymerase epsilon, replicates chromosomal DNA in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Two temperature-sensitive DNA polymerase II mutants (pol2-9 and pol2-18) of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated by the plasmid shuffling method. DNA polymerase II activity partially purified from both mutants was thermolabile, while DNA polymerase I and III activities remained thermotolerant. At the restrictive temperature, the pol2 mutants were defective in chromosomal DNA replication and exhibited the dumbbell terminal morphology typical of DNA replication mutants. The POL2 transcript accumulated periodically during the cell cycle, peaking at the G1/S boundary in the same manner as the transcripts of more than 10 other DNA replication genes. These results indicate that DNA polymerase II participates in nuclear DNA replication. The similarities in structure and activities between the DNA polymerases of yeast and mammals make it likely that mammalian DNA polymerase epsilon too is required for chromosomal DNA replication.
Parent attitudes toward resident involvement in their child's strabismus surgery.

Purpose To explore patterns in parents' understanding and preferences related to ophthalmology resident participation in their child's strabismus surgery. Methods Over a 4-week period, a survey was distributed at a suburban, academic eye center to English-speaking parents of children with strabismus who have not previously undergone, or were not being scheduled for, strabismus surgery. Results All of the 64 eligible parents participated in the survey. For a resident to assist or perform the surgery, 80% and 97% of parents, respectively, indicated it was important or extremely important to be asked permission beforehand; 69% indicated the attending surgeon should ask permission for the resident to perform the surgery, whereas only 11% believed a standard written consent was sufficient. Of the 64 respondents, 77% indicated that they would agree to a resident assisting with their child's operation; 36% would agree to a resident performing the surgery. Conclusions Nearly all parents in our study indicated that they would want to be informed of resident involvement by the attending surgeon. The vast majority would consent to having an ophthalmology resident assist in their child's strabismus surgery, and more than one-third would consent to having the resident perform their child's strabismus surgery. Obtaining informed consent prior to resident involvement increases transparency and highlights the importance of ophthalmology residency education.
Line excitation array detection fluorescence microscopy at 0.8 million frames per second.

Three-dimensional, fluorescence imaging methods with ~1 MHz frame rates are needed for high-speed, blur-free flow cytometry and capturing volumetric neuronal activity. The frame rates of current imaging methods are limited to kHz by the photon budget, slow camera readout, and/or slow laser beam scanners. Here, we present line excitation array detection (LEAD) fluorescence microscopy, a high-speed imaging method capable of providing 0.8 million frames per second. The method performs 0.8 MHz line-scanning of an excitation laser beam using a chirped signal-driven longitudinal acousto-optic deflector to create a virtual light-sheet, and images the field-of-view with a linear photomultiplier tube array to generate a 66 × 14 pixel frame each scan cycle. We implement LEAD microscopy as a blur-free flow cytometer for Caenorhabditis elegans moving at 1 m s−1 with 3.5-µm resolution and signal-to-background ratios >200. Signal-to-noise measurements indicate future LEAD fluorescence microscopes can reach higher resolutions and pixels per frame without compromising frame rates. Demanding biological imaging applications require extremely fast detection methods. Here, the authors demonstrate Line Excitation Array Detection, their developed technique for performing fluorescence microscopy in 3D with 0.8 million frames per second, by applying it to flow cytometry and neuron detection.
Oral Contraceptives and Antiandrogens Most Effective for Hirsutism Pharmacotherapy.

Combination oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are an excellent treatment option for women desiring medical therapy for hirsutism. Based on this meta-analysis, an accompanying practice guideline recommends adding an antiandrogen, such as finasteride (Propecia), if there is an inadequate response within six months.
Evaluating the influence of prostate-specific antigen kinetics on metastasis in men with PSA recurrence after partial gland therapy.

Abstract Purpose Although current Delphi Consensus guidelines do not recommend a specific definition of biochemical recurrence after partial gland therapy, these guidelines acknowledge that serial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests remain the best marker for monitoring disease after treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether PSA velocity at failure per the Phoenix (nadir + 2 ng/mL) definition is associated with metastasis and prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) in a cohort of patients who experienced PSA failure after partial gland therapy. Methods Between 1997 and 2007, 285 patients with favorable risk prostate cancer underwent partial prostate brachytherapy to the peripheral zone. PSA velocity was calculated for 94 patients who experienced PSA failure per the Phoenix (nadir + 2) definition. Fine and Gray competing risks regression was performed to determine whether PSA velocity and other clinical factors were associated with metastasis and PCSM. Results The median time to PSA failure was 4.2 years (interquartile range: 2.2, 7.9), and the median followup time after PSA failure was 6.5 years (3.5–9.7). Seventeen patients developed metastases, and five experienced PCSM. On multivariate analysis, PSA velocity ≥3.0 ng/mL/year (adjusted hazard ratio 5.97; [2.57, 13.90]; p Conclusions Rapid PSA velocity at PSA failure after partial gland treatment may be prognostic for long-term outcomes.
External Techniques in Frontal Sinus Surgery

External techniques for frontal sinus surgery are often thought of as “historical” approaches that have been supplanted by endoscopic approaches. While the vast majority of frontal sinus pathology may be addressed by endoscopic techniques, select pathology still warrants external frontal surgery. This chapter details indications and surgical technique of external frontal sinus techniques. The modern approach to open frontal sinus surgery has dramatically evolved in intent and execution. Frontal sinus obliteration is not mandated when adopting an external frontal approach. External techniques may be used to restore sinus function, minimize tissue destruction, and preserve mucosa (functional “external” sinus surgery). External frontal techniques may be invaluable for recalcitrant inflammatory sinus disease that are not adequately addressed by prior endoscopic procedures or where the disease is far lateral and inaccessible through endoscopic approaches. Patients with malignancies, benign tumors, fractures, and CSF leaks may also require external frontal approaches. Additionally, open procedures may provide a faster, definitive option in cases where endoscopic techniques would necessitate significantly lengthier operative time for a successful outcome.
Profiling off-label prescriptions in cancer treatment using social health networks.

Objectives To investigate using patient posts in social media as a resource to profile off-label prescriptions of cancer drugs. Methods We analyzed patient posts from the Inspire health forums (www.inspire.com) and extracted mentions of cancer drugs from the 14 most active cancer-type specific support groups. To quantify drug-disease associations, we calculated information component scores from the frequency of posts in each cancer-specific group with mentions of a given drug. We evaluated the results against three sources: manual review, Wolters-Kluwer Medi-span, and Truven MarketScan insurance claims. Results We identified 279 frequently discussed and therefore highly associated drug-disease pairs from Inspire posts. Of these, 96 are FDA approved, 9 are known off-label uses, and 174 do not have records of known usage (potentially novel off-label uses). We achieved a mean average precision of 74.9% in identifying drug-disease pairs with a true indication association from patient posts and found consistent evidence in medical claims records. We achieved a recall of 69.2% in identifying known off-label drug uses (based on Wolters-Kluwer Medi-span) from patient posts.
Basal Forebrain Structures and the Electrical Induction of Sleep

For the last ten years research has been performed at UCLA which has helped elucidate an early finding made in our laboratory, namely that electrical stimulation in the pre-optic basal forebrain of cats and monkeys induces the electroencephalographic and behavioral manifestations of sleep. Experimentation has revealed that the basal forebrain is part of a forebrain inhibitory system which is capable of suppressing widely throughout the body both somatic and visceral mechanisms.
Mechanisms and Regulation of RNA Condensation in RNP Granule Formation.

Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules are RNA–protein assemblies that are involved in multiple aspects of RNA metabolism and are linked to memory, development, and disease. Some RNP granules form, in part, through the formation of intermolecular RNA–RNA interactions. In vitro, such trans RNA condensation occurs readily, suggesting that cells require mechanisms to modulate RNA-based condensation. We assess the mechanisms of RNA condensation and how cells modulate this phenomenon. We propose that cells control RNA condensation through ATP-dependent processes, static RNA buffering, and dynamic post-translational mechanisms. Moreover, perturbations in these mechanisms can be involved in disease. This reveals multiple cellular mechanisms of kinetic and thermodynamic control that maintain the proper distribution of RNA molecules between dispersed and condensed forms.
Analysis of the Transcriptome: Regulation of Cancer Stemness in Breast Ductal Carcinoma In Situ by Vitamin D Compounds

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which accounts for one out of every five new breast cancer diagnoses, will progress to potentially lethal invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) in about 50% of cases. Vitamin D compounds have been shown to inhibit progression to IDC in the MCF10DCIS model. This inhibition appears to involve a reduction in the cancer stem cell-like population in MCF10DCIS tumors. To identify genes that are involved in the vitamin D effects, a global transcriptomic analysis was undertaken of MCF10DCIS cells grown in mammosphere cultures, in which cancer stem-like cells grow preferentially and produce colonies by self-renewal and maturation, in the presence and absence of 1α25(OH)2D3 and a vitamin D analog, BXL0124. Using next-generation RNA-sequencing, we found that vitamin D compounds downregulated genes involved in maintenance of breast cancer stem-like cells (e.g., GDF15), epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and metastasis (e.g., LCN2 and S100A4), and chemoresistance (e.g., NGFR, PPP1R1B, and AGR2), while upregulating genes associated with a basal-like phenotype (e.g., KRT6A and KRT5) and negative regulators of breast tumorigenesis (e.g., EMP1). Gene methylation status was analyzed to determine whether the changes in expression induced by vitamin D compounds occurred via this mechanism. Ingenuity pathway analysis was performed to identify upstream regulators and downstream signaling pathway genes differentially regulated by vitamin D, including TP63 and vitamin D receptor -mediated canonical pathways in particular. This study provides a global profiling of changes in the gene signature of DCIS regulated by vitamin D compounds and possible targets for chemoprevention of DCIS progression to IDC in patients.
Continuity and change in the Native American village: multicultural origins and descendants of the fort ancient culture: by Robert A. Cook, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2017, xvii+284 pp., ill., tables, bibliography, index, $79.95 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-1-10704-379-4

Continuity and Change is a synthesis of many years of archaeological research conducted by Dr. Robert A. Cook at Fort Ancient sites in southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana. Cook has two major...