cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of the Multi-Component Q-DFT Pauli Approximation to the Anion–Positron Complex: Energies, Positron and Positronium Affinities

In this chapter we first consider the binding of a positron (e+) to various negative atomic ions (X−). A positron is a positively charged electron. It is a particle which is identical to an electron in all of its properties except that the sign of its charge and its magnetic moment are opposite to that of the electron. As a consequence of the Coulomb attraction, a positron is bound to an anion, and in a manner similar to that of an electron in the Hydrogen atom, the positron can be in discrete energy states designated as 1s, 2s, 2p, 3p, 3d, etc. The anion–positron [X−; e+] complex is a multi-component system. The corresponding equations for this complex may be derived via Multi-Component QDFT [1]. (The derivation of these equations is not given here.) In this chapter the Q-DFT Pauli Approximation within this multi-component framework is applied [2] to the anion–positron system to determine the total energy, and to thereby obtain the positron affinity AP of the negative atomic ion. The positron affinity of the anion is defined as $$A_{{\rm P}} = E(X^{-}) \hbox{-} E[X^{-}; e^{+}],$$ (14.1) where E(X−) is the energy of the negative ion and E[X−; e+] that of the anion– positron complex. Positive values of AP indicate binding of the positron i.e. for binding, the energy of the positron–anion system must be more negative than that of the ion itself. The results of these calculations show that there exist bound states of the positron when only correlations due to the Pauli principle are considered in the description of the electronic component of the system. Coulomb correlation between the electrons and those between the electrons and the positron as well as the corresponding Correlation-Kinetic effects are ignored in the Multi-Component Q-DFT Pauli Approximation. The energies of the anion–positron system obtained are upper bounds to those [3–5] of Hartree–Fock theory. The differences between these energies, which are in parts per million, are an estimate of the contribution to the Correlation-Kinetic energy due to Pauli correlations. The contribution of these effects to the total energy is therefore negligible. (Recall that this is also the case for neutral atoms and negative ions.) The differences between the Q-DFT Pauli Approximation results and those of Monte Carlo calculations [6] are an estimate of the Coulomb correlation and all the Correlation-Kinetic contributions. It turns out that for the anion–positron systems considered, no definitive conclusions can be arrived at for the sum of these effects since the variational Monte Carlo and diffusion Monte Carlo results [6] for the positron affinity AP differ significantly.
Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy and Pulse Height Measurements on High Resolution n-Type 4H-SiC Epitaxial Schottky Barrier Radiation Detectors

High resolution 20 μm n-type 4H-SiC epitaxial layer Schottky barrier radiation detectors were fabricated by depositing nickel (Ni) contacts using DC sputtering for both front- and backside. Current-Voltage (I-V) measurements at 300 K showed barrier height and diode ideality factor of ∼1.14 eV and 1.19 respectively. The leakage current at -170V reverse bias was $\sim 1.0 \times 10^{-9}$ A. Capacitance-Voltage (C-v) measurements revealed a doping concentration of $2.9 \times 10^{14} cm^{-3}$. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) was carried out to investigate defect levels and capture cross sections. Shallow and deep level defects at Ec – (0.14 ± 0.01) eV, Ec – (0.18 ± 0.01) eV, Ec – (0.62 ± 0.02) eV, Ec – (1.42 ± 0.04) eV, and Ec – (1.52 ± 0.03) eV have been found. A 0.1 μCi 241Am radiation source was used to assess the detector performance by pulse height spectroscopy (PHS) and the detector showed energy resolution of 0.38% full-width half maxima (FWHM) for alpha particles at 5447 keV.
Improved Image Description Via Embedded Object Structure Graph and Semantic Feature Matching

Image description has become a popular topic in multimedia computing and computer vision areas. Recent works have demonstrated that learning the local semantic concepts, in addition to the image features, as the contextual information can help to understand the image scene better. However, current image description methods treating the local features as the bag-of-visual-words that do not capture the interaction and structure of the objects embedded in the image. In this paper, we propose a novel captioning framework that learns to integrate local concepts with their geometry structure as the side information. We design an Object Structure Graph to encode the positions and the distribution of the objects in the image. In order to embed the graph into an efficient representation, we introduce a semantic matching schema that matches our embedded graph with their corresponding sentence. Our experiments based on the public image captioning data sets, the MS-COCO and the Flickr30k, show that our improved solution is significantly better than current state-of-the-art techniques that leverage local semantic concepts; and our best model on the same splitting has competitive results compared to other recent approaches.
(274) Novel Neurosteroid Intervention for Chronic Low Back Pain in Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans

Chronic low back pain symptoms are extremely common among Iraq/Afghanistan-era Veterans. However, pharmacological management for pain is frequently suboptimal, and many Veterans experience persistent and unalleviated pain symptoms and/or intolerable side effects to pain medications. Current medications such as opioids that are frequently used to treat chronic pain symptoms have side effect risks such as respiratory depression, addiction, sedation, and potentially lethal interactions with other drugs. There is thus an acute and immediate need for the development of effective, safe, and non-habit-forming pharmacological treatments for chronic pain disorders. Neurosteroids are endogenous molecules that are enriched in human brain and hold promise for pain therapeutics. Data in rodent models demonstrate that neurosteroids exhibit pronounced analgesic actions, and our data in Iraq/Afghanistan-era Veterans suggest that neurosteroids are decreased in the setting of pain symptoms in clinical populations. Neurosteroids are hence logical candidates for pain alleviation and have not been tested yet for this indication. We thus conducted a 6-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pregnenolone versus placebo to determine if adjunctive pregnenolone has therapeutic utility for the treatment of chronic low back pain in Iraq/Afghanistan-era Veterans. The primary outcome measure was average pain intensity ratings from a daily pain diary. Secondary outcomes included pain interference scores. Pregnenolone was extremely well-tolerated. Veterans randomized to pregnenolone reported significant reductions in low back pain relative to those randomized to placebo (pain diary p=0.024; pain recall p=0.010). Pain interference scores for “work” (p=0.040) and “activity” (p=0.031) were also improved in Veterans randomized to pregnenolone compared to placebo. Pregnenolone may thus represent a new intervention for pain conditions that is safe, well-tolerated, non-habit-forming, and potentially efficacious for the alleviation of pain symptoms in Iraq/Afghanistan-era Veterans.
Distortion-free imaging: A double encoding method (DIADEM) combined with multiband imaging for rapid distortion-free high-resolution diffusion imaging on a compact 3T with high-performance gradients.

Background Distortion-free, high-resolution diffusion imaging using DIADEM (Distortion-free Imaging: A Double Encoding Method), proposed recently, has great potential for clinical applications. However, it can suffer from prolonged scan times and its reliability for quantitative diffusion imaging has not been evaluated. Purpose To investigate the clinical feasibility of DIADEM-based high-resolution diffusion imaging on a novel compact 3T (C3T) by evaluating the reliability of quantitative diffusion measurements and utilizing both the high-performance gradients (80 mT/m, 700 T/m/s) and the sequence optimization with the navigator acquisition window reduction and simultaneous multislice (multiband) imaging. Study type Prospective feasibility study. Phantom/subjects Diffusion quality control phantom scans to evaluate the reliability of quantitative diffusion measurements; 36 normal control scans for B0 -field mapping; six healthy and two patient subject scans with a brain tumor for comparisons of diffusion and anatomical imaging. Field strength/sequence 3T; the standard single-shot echo-planar-imaging (EPI), multishot DIADEM diffusion, and anatomical (2D-FSE [fast-spin-echo], 2D-FLAIR [fluid-attenuated-inversion-recovery], and 3D-MPRAGE [magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo]) imaging. Assessment The scan time reduction, the reliability of quantitative diffusion measurements, and the clinical efficacy for high-resolution diffusion imaging in healthy control and brain tumor volunteers. Statistical test Bland-Altman analysis. Results The scan time for high in-plane (0.86 mm2 ) resolution, distortion-free, and whole brain diffusion imaging were reduced from 10 to 5 minutes with the sequence optimizations. All of the mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in phantom were within the 95% confidence interval in the Bland-Altman plot. The proposed acquisition with a total off-resonance coverage of 597.2 Hz wider than the expected bandwidth of 500 Hz in human brain could yield a distortion-free image without foldover artifacts. Compared with EPI, therefore, this approach allowed direct image matching with the anatomical images and enabled improved delineation of the tumor boundaries. Data conclusion The proposed high-resolution diffusion imaging approach is clinically feasible on C3T due to a combination of hardware and sequence improvements. Level of evidence 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:296-310.
Fundamentals and Applications of Resonant Leaky-Mode Photonic Lattices

Nano- and micro structured films with subwavelength periodicity represent fundamental building blocks for a host of device concepts. Whereas the canonical physical properties are fully embodied in a one-dimensional lattice, the final device constructs are often patterned in a two-dimensional slab or film in which case we refer to them as photonic crystal slabs or metasurfaces. These surfaces are capable of supporting lateral modes and localized field signatures with propagative and evanescent diffraction channels critically controlling the response. Local Fabry-Perot and Mie mode signatures are observable by computations within the structural geometry. It is clear that these local modes have no causal effect with all key functionality provided by lateral leaky Bloch modes. The subwavelength restriction of periodicity is usually maintained for effective devices; however, it is also possible to generate interesting spectral behavior when this is not satisfied leading to unexpected device concepts. The dominant second leaky stopband exhibits many remarkable physical properties including band-edge transitions and bound states in the continuum. Multi-resonance effects are observed when Bloch eigenmodes are excited with more than one evanescent diffraction channel with the resulting spectral response clearly understood by invoking this process. In this paper, we discuss these key properties of leaky-mode lattices and present relevant device examples. These include fiber mounted resonant sensors that have been designed, fabricated and tested. Moreover, for potential aerospace applications including imaging and sensing, experimental results on wideband reflectors operating in the mid-IR spectral region spanning from 3 to 13 μm are presented along with demonstration of their design and fabrication.
Comparing surgical and nonsurgical larynx‐preserving treatments with total laryngectomy for locally advanced laryngeal cancer

Background The declining 5-year overall survival (OS) of patients with laryngeal cancer has been associated with increased nonsurgical management of stage III/IV disease. To further assess this hypothesis, the authors evaluated recent OS trends and patterns of use between larynx-preserving approaches with chemoradiation (CRT) or partial laryngectomy (PL) and total laryngectomy (TL) stratified by tumor and nodal burden. Methods The National Cancer Data Base was used to identify 8703 patients with stage III/IV (excluding T1 tumors) laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated between 2003 and 2011 with CRT or upfront PL or TL with or without adjuvant therapy. OS was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox proportional hazards model. Results Among patients with non-T4, low nodal burden (T2N1 or T3N0-N1) disease, no survival differences were observed between CRT, PL, and TL. Patients who had non-T4, high nodal burden (T2-T3N2-N3) disease who underwent TL with or without adjuvant treatment had a higher risk of death compared with those who received CRT (hazard ratio, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04-1.51; P = .016). For T4N0-N3 tumors, TL compared with CRT was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.62-0.92; P = .002). No statistically significant difference in outcome was noted between CRT and PL for all stage groups. The use of CRT has declined and receipt of TL has increased since 2006 for T4 disease, whereas PL rates have remained stably low. Conclusions No survival differences were noted between surgical and nonsurgical approaches for patients with non-T4, low nodal burden laryngeal cancer. Patients with non-T4, high nodal burden disease may benefit from definitive CRT. Total laryngectomy remains advantageous in patients with T4 disease.
Leveraging Diversity in Community College Foreign Language Instruction

Diversity among students can be both a challenge and a resource. In this paper, I incorporate observations and experiences as a teacher in various settings of Mandarin language education to discuss the different types of diversity frequently encountered in the community college system, and how to install inclusive practices that celebrate “the world of difference” and improve the pedagogical experience. I will discuss how to bridge differences in age, ideology, technological ability, language, and professional backgrounds. These observations point out that diversity within the classroom can be leveraged for more effective learning outcomes and satisfactory student experiences in the context of foreign language instruction in the California Community College system
A Short Course in Medicine for the Consulting Pediatric Psychologist: Essential Knowledge for the Nonphysician Clinician

Pediatric psychologists, with clinical health and child psychology training, are useful partners or consultants across pediatric healthcare settings. While value derived from integrated behavioral and medical care is well-documented (including increased access to indicated mental health diagnoses and treatments, reduced medical care utilization, and increased patient satisfaction), there are multiple challenges to integration. One such challenge for behavioral health providers is learning the language of physician/medical colleagues regarding acute and chronic medical illness/injury and medical intervention. This chapter represents a multidisciplinary, collaborative effort to create a brief guide to practical medical information for the pediatric psychologist working in a medical setting. Information presented is introductory and focused on topics the authors find to be most common and relevant in pediatric practice in both inpatient and outpatient settings. There is special attention to emotional and behavioral considerations of various medical procedures and interventions throughout. Topics covered include medical specialty areas of expertise, diagnostic imaging, laboratory testing, common procedures, medication management, acronyms/abbreviations in medical terminology, useful resources for further reference, ethical and cultural considerations, and medically controversial topics. The ultimate goal of this review of medical information and resources is to further promote the successful collaboration and communication across healthcare specialists who have much to offer children and families facing complex health-related challenges.
Brazil’s road to serfdom

This paper applies Hayek’s arguments in “The Road to Serfdom” to the case of Brazil in the first three decades of the twentieth century. We describe the Brazilian experiment under a liberal regime from 1892 and 1930 and the causes of its demise. We identify these causes as stemming from a shift in the political ideology following World War I and the breakdown of the constitutional rule of limited government. We argue that the Hayekian analysis of “The Road to Serfdom” correctly identifies these causes as stemming from an ideological and practical overreliance on government’s capacity to direct the economy.
Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Critical Discourse Studies (CDS), and Beyond

This chapter introduces the volume, and defines Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)/Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) and its aims, along with a brief explanation of our use of the acronym CDA/CDS in the book. In addition, it provides three recent examples of different types of studies published in major journals that accept work in CDA or CDS. These articles illustrate in detail what a CDA/CDS study might look like, in order to provide readers with some idea of the types of scholarship that could be considered under this umbrella and of some issues and topics that have been addressed. Finally, we describe the contents of each chapter as well as how they fit together.
Necessity and Opportunity Entrepreneurship in Canada

The present analysis examines the initiation of necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship ventures in Canada from the late 1980s until more recent times, to determine how these activities relate with the business cycle. The definitions of necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship mirror those in Fairlie and Fossen (2018). Unlike previous results for other countries, I find that in Canada, both necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship appear to be procyclical, with new ventures increasing as unemployment declines. These results hold after various robustness tests, including gender stratification are applied. The possibility of using these forms of entrepreneurship as leading or lagged indicators of recessions is also considered.
A panel of 96 SNPs to identify individuals and differentiate subspecies of elk (Cervus canadensis) for microfluidic and other genotyping platforms

The tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) is endemic to California, USA, where it experienced an extreme genetic bottleneck in the 1870s. Two other subspecies of elk co-occur in California, Roosevelt (C. c. roosevelti) and Rocky Mountain (C. c. nelsoni) elk. These subspecies potentially interbreed in contact zones. For monitoring and genetic management of fragmented populations, markers are needed to differentiate both individuals and subspecies. Using Illumina HiSeq sequencing of 12 individuals, including four from each subspecies, we developed a suite of 96 SNP markers for a Fluidigm platform. This marker set enabled differentiation of individuals and subspecies with high confidence and will facilitate genetic monitoring of elk throughout their range.
Elucidating the patterns of seed-to-seedling transmission of Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum, the causal agent of cotton bacterial blight

ABSTRACT Cotton bacterial blight (CBB) was a major disease of cotton in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. The recent reemergence of CBB, caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum (Xcm) revealed many gaps in our understanding of this important disease. In this study, we employed a field isolate of Xcm from Georgia USA (WT) to generate a non- pathogenic, hrcV mutant lacking a functional Type III Secretion System (T3SS-). We tagged the WT and T3SS- strains with an auto-bioluminescent Tn7 reporter and compared colonization patterns of susceptible and resistant cotton seedlings using macroscopic image analysis and bacterial load enumeration. Wildtype and T3SS- Xcm strains colonized cotton cotyledons of resistant and susceptible cotton cultivars. However, Xcm populations were significantly higher in susceptible seedlings inoculated with the WT strain. Additionally, WT and T3SS- Xcm strains systemically colonized true leaves, although at different rates. Finally, we observed that seed-to-seedling transmission of Xcm may involve systemic spread through the vascular tissue of cotton plants. These findings yield novel insights into potential Xcm reservoirs for CBB outbreaks.
Caregiving in a rural context: Challenges and recommendations

Abstract Geographic location has important implications for caregivers. For example, rural caregivers are older, have higher rates of chronic conditions and disability, and often require more extensive support than their urban counterparts. Yet, rural areas have more limited health care, infrastructure, and economic resources, all of which could result in greater strain on unpaid caregivers. Any programs or policies designed to support unpaid caregivers in rural areas should take this unique context into account. This chapter presents background on the rural context for caregivers and provides a discussion of the ways in which policies and programs can best support them.
Treatment of AL Amyloidosis: Mayo Stratification of Myeloma and Risk-Adapted Therapy (mSMART) Consensus Statement 2020 Update

Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a clonal plasma cell disorder leading to progressive and life-threatening organ failure. The heart and the kidneys are the most commonly involved organs, but almost any organ can be involved. Because of the nonspecific presentation, diagnosis delay is common, and many patients are diagnosed with advanced organ failure. In the era of effective therapies and improved outcomes for patients with AL amyloidosis, the importance of early recognition is further enhanced as the ability to reverse organ dysfunction is limited in those with a profound organ failure. As AL amyloidosis is an uncommon disorder and given patients' frailty and high early death rate, management of this complex condition is challenging. The treatment of AL amyloidosis is based on various anti-plasma cell therapies. These therapies are borrowed and customized from the treatment of multiple myeloma, a more common disorder. However, a growing number of phase 2/3 studies dedicated to the AL amyloidosis population are being performed, making treatment decisions more evidence-based. Supportive care is an integral part of management of AL amyloidosis because of the inherent organ dysfunction, limiting the delivery of effective therapy. This extensive review brings an updated summary on the management of AL amyloidosis, sectioned into the 3 pillars for survival improvement: early disease recognition, anti-plasma cell therapy, and supportive care.
Using Gamification Techniques to Enable Generation Z’s Propensity to Do Good

This research examines how gamification might affect Gen Z’s propensity to give. Gamification is the application of game-design elements and principles in non-game contexts. A large body of researc...
Operant conditioning of epileptic neurons in monkeys and its theoretical application to EEG operant conditioning in humans.

This paper reviews a series of previous reports which summarize the physiology of chronic experimental epileptic foci in monkeys. It is shown that such monkeys can be trained to bidirectionally control the firing rates of normal and epileptic neurons which comprise the epileptic focus. As a result of this acquired operant performance, the monkeys show both a decrease in clinical seizures as well as a decrease in single unit epileptic activity. The EEC correlate of this change in single unit epileptic actvity is generalized EEG desynchronization. The conclusion from these data would indicate epileptic neurons can be operantly controlled and this control is not correlated with any specific EEG pattern. This brings to question the specificity of the SMR in EEG biofeedback paradigms which treat human epilepsy. This author feels that the result from such biofeedback studies are the result of the patient learning to manipulate electrical events within the CNS pathways through which the seizure propagates and is not contingent upon specific EEG frequencies.
The Interactions among Fe, Zn and Cu Affecting Liver Cu and Femur Zn Concentrations in the Rat

Numerous studies have indicated that interactions can occur between each pair of the three transition elements, Fe, Zn and Cu (1). We have shown that a significant 3-way interaction does occur among these three elements which affected hemoglobin levels in the rat (2). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of varying dietary concentrations of Fe, Zn and Cu on femur Zn and liver Cu concentrations in the growing rat.
Nitrification: An Introduction and Overview of the State of the Field

Nitrogen is an essential element for life, a major component of proteins and nucleic acids. Cultivated ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) provided the basis for investigations into the physiology and biochemistry of nitrification for decades and supported the ecological inferences obtained from field studies. Most of this work was done on AOB, and even now, the NOB are much less studied in the environment. The discovery of novel organisms and novel pathways are the most important findings to be documented in the field of nitrification since the publication of the last monograph in 1986. But just as important, and absolutely critical to these discoveries, are the changes in the study and methodology of nitrification. Both independently and in parallel with these advances in the molecular biology of nitrification, major advances in understanding their biochemistry and regulation have also occurred in the last 25 years. Major insights about ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) genomics and metabolic capabilities are discussed. Microbial ecology has been transformed into molecular ecology, so great has been the impact of molecular biological methods in the study of microbes in natural and managed systems. Ribosomal RNA and functional gene sequence data are now the standard for investigation of microbial diversity, distribution, and activity in the environment. These methods have made it possible to investigate environmental control of nitrification, regulation in response to changing conditions, the discovery of great uncultured diversity, and an understanding of succession and biogeography among functionally similar types.
Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Induces IL-8 Synthesis in Human Corneal Epithelial Cells

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a neuropeptide with proinflammatory activities, is released from termini of corneal sensory neurons in response to pain stimuli. Because neutrophil infiltration of the clear corneal surface is a hallmark of corneal inflammation in the human eye, we determined whether CGRP can bind to human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) and induce expression of the neutrophil chemotactic protein IL-8. It was found that HCEC specifically bound CGRP in a saturable manner with a Kd of 2.0 x 10-9 M. Exposure of HCEC to CGRP induced a significant increase in intracellular cAMP levels and enhanced IL-8 synthesis nearly 4-fold. The capacity of CGRP to stimulate cAMP and IL-8 synthesis was abrogated in the presence of the CGRP receptor antagonist CGRP8-37. CGRP stimulation had no effect on the half-life of IL-8 mRNA while increasing IL-8 pre-mRNA synthesis >2-fold. In contrast to IL-8, CGRP did not induce monocyte chemotactic protein-1 or RANTES synthesis, nor did the neuropeptide enhance detectable increases in steady state levels of mRNA specific for these two beta-chemokines. The results suggest that HCEC possess CGRP receptors capable of initiating a signal transduction cascade that differentially activates expression of the IL-8 gene but not the genes for monocyte chemotactic protein-1 or RANTES. The capacity of CGRP to stimulate IL-8 synthesis in HCEC suggests that sensory neurons are involved in induction of acute inflammation at the eye surface.
CGP57148B (STI-571) induces differentiation and apoptosis and sensitizes Bcr-Abl-positive human leukemia cells to apoptosis due to antileukemic drugs

The differentiation and apoptosis-sensitizing effects of the Bcr-Abl-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor CGP57148B, also known as STI-571, were determined in human Bcr-Abl-positive HL-60/Bcr-Abl and K562 cells. First, the results demonstrate that the ectopic expression of the p185 Bcr-Abl fusion protein induced hemoglobin in the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) HL-60 cells. Exposure to low-dose cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C; 10 nmol/L) increased hemoglobin levels in HL-60/Bcr-Abl and in the chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) blast crisis K562 cells, which express the p210 Bcr-Abl protein. As compared with HL-60/neo, HL-60/Bcr-Abl and K562 cells were resistant to apoptosis induced by Ara-C, doxorubicin, or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which was associated with reduced processing of caspase-8 and Bid protein and decreased cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome c (cyt c). Exposure to CGP57148B alone increased hemoglobin levels and CD11b expression and induced apoptosis of HL-60/Bcr-Abl and K562 cells. CGP57148B treatment down-regulated antiapoptotic XIAP, cIAP1, and Bcl-x(L), without affecting Bcl-2, Bax, Apaf-1, Fas (CD95), Fas ligand, Abl, and Bcr-Abl levels. CGP57148B also inhibited constitutively active Akt kinase and NFkappaB in Bcr-Abl-positive cells. Attenuation of NFkappaB activity by ectopic expression of transdominant repressor of IkappaB sensitized HL-60/Bcr-Abl and K562 cells to TNF-alpha but not to apoptosis induced by Ara-C or doxorubicin. Importantly, cotreatment with CGP57148B significantly increased Ara-C- or doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of HL-60/Bcr-Abl and K562 cells. This was associated with greater cytosolic accumulation of cyt c and PARP cleavage activity of caspase-3. These in vitro data indicate that combinations of CGP57148B and antileukemic drugs such as Ara-C may have improved in vivo efficacy against Bcr-Abl-positive acute leukemia.
Adaptation to Nutrient Availability in Marine Microorganisms by Gene Gain and Loss

An important regulator of both primary productivity and respiration is nutrient availability [e.g., Sanudo-Wilhelmy et al., 2001; Bonnet et al., 2008; Mills et al., 2008; Wambeke et al., 2008]. The concentration and ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron in the surface ocean varies predictably among different oceanic regions. For example, phosphate is often present at very low concentration in the North Atlantic compared to the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, whereas the case is reversed for nitrate [Wu et al., 2000]. Similarly, iron is generally low in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific and Southern Ocean compared to most other areas of the ocean [Coale et al., 1996]. Despite this variation in nutrient availability, both photosynthetic and heterotrophic bacteria like Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus , and the SAR11 group are often detected in high abundances across ocean regions [Partensky et al., 1999; Morris et al., 2002; Rusch et al., 2007]. Thus, a fundamental question is whether and how specific bacterial lineages adapt to spatial variation in nutrient availability? It is becoming increasing clear that adaptation to local nutrient conditions is often mediated by gene gain and loss of entire cassettes containing the functionality responsible for nutrient acquisition. For example, a comparative analysis of Prochlorococcus genomes showed large variation in the presence of phosphate uptake genes [Martiny et al., 2006]. Furthermore, Prochlorococcus cells proliferating in low P environments like the Sargasso
Surgical complications after pancreas transplantation with portal-enteric drainage.

Abstract Background: Despite recent advances, surgical complications remain an important source of morbidity after pancreas transplantation (PTX). Several previous studies have delineated the surgical complications after PTX with systemic-bladder (S-B) drainage, but data are limited regarding the incidence and outcomes of surgical complications after PTX with portal-enteric (P-E) drainage. Study Design: We retrospectively studied surgical complications after 83 vascularized PTXs with P-E drainage in 79 patients (65 simultaneous kidney-PTXs [SKPT] and 18 solitary PTXs [SPT], 8 pancreas alone and 10 pancreas after kidney transplantation). Twelve (15%) were retransplants. A surgical complication was defined as the need for repeat laparotomy within the first 3 months after PTX. Results: A total of 53 surgical complications requiring repeat laparotomy occurred in 31 patients (37%). The incidence of surgical complications in SKPT and SPT was 38% and 33%, respectively. The most common indications for repeat laparotomy were: vascular thrombosis in 13% (SKPT 14% and SPT 11%), intraabdominal infection in 10% (SKPT 12% and SPT 0%), intraabdominal bleeding in 8% (SKPT 8% and SPT 11%), and duodenal allograft leak in 4% (SKPT 3% and SPT 6%). Patient survival rates at 1 and 3 years with versus without surgical complications were 84% and 80% versus 94% and 86%, respectively (p = NS). Pancreas graft survival rates at 1 and 3 years with versus without surgical complications were 48% and 44% versus 89% and 76%, respectively (p Conclusions: Surgical complications after PTX are common, and their incidence and outcomes with P-E drainage are similar to those with S-B drainage. The complication rate does not vary according to the type of transplant (SKPT versus SPT). Increasing experience with P-E drainage results in a decreased incidence of surgical complications.
Subcutaneous Angiotensin II Infusion using Osmotic Pumps Induces Aortic Aneurysms in Mice

Osmotic pumps continuously deliver compounds at a constant rate into small animals. This article introduces a standard protocol used to induce aortic aneurysms via subcutaneous infusion of angiotensin II (AngII) from implanted osmotic pumps. This protocol includes calculation of AngII amount and dissolution, osmotic pump filling, implantation of osmotic pumps subcutaneously, observation after pump implantation, and harvest of aortas to visualize aortic aneurysms in mice. Subcutaneous infusion of AngII through osmotic pumps following this protocol is a reliable and reproducible technique to induce both abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms in mice. Infusion durations range from a few days to several months based on the purpose of the study. AngII 1,000 ng/kg/min is sufficient to provide maximal effects on abdominal aortic aneurysmal formation in male hypercholesterolemic mouse models such as apolipoprotein E deficient or low-density lipoprotein receptor deficient mice. Incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms induced by AngII infusion via osmotic pumps is 5 - 10 times lower in female hypercholesterolemic mice and also lower in both genders of normocholesterolemic mice. In contrast, AngII-induced thoracic aortic aneurysms in mice are not hypercholesterolemia or gender-dependent. Importantly, multiple features of this mouse model recapitulate those of human aortic aneurysms.
Mammalian DNA damage response pathway.

The DNA damage response pathway is critical for the maintenance of genomic stability. Many components of this pathway are tumour suppressors, such as p53, ATM, BRCA1, NBS1, Mre11 and Chk2, underlining the critical role of the DNA damage response pathway in tumour suppression. The elucidation of the DNA damage response pathway will not only help us understand the mechanism of tumour suppression, but also allow for the discovery of new drug targets for cancer therapy. A recent example is the development of MDM2 inhibitors that could activate the p53 pathway in cancer cells (Vassilev et al., 2004). With the help of proteomics and advances in imaging techniques, we should have a better understanding of the molecular events mediating the DNA damage response in the near future.
Defending 'the Artist's Theory': Wollheim's Lost Idea Regained?

The paper considers an argument of Richard Wollheim’s, originally presented in a 1976 symposium with Goodman and Wiggins, which disappeared when the symposium contribution was ‘reprinted’ in the supplementary essays to the expanded edition of Art and Its Objects (Wollheim, 1980). It lays out the argument’s original context, locating its objectives by means of a comparison with Goodman’s autographic/allographic distinction, with its attendant discussion of the ‘history of production’, and presents Wollheim’s defence of ‘the artist’s theory’. This defence coheres in interesting ways with Wollheim’s aesthetics emphasis on the importance of the artist’s intention (suitably understood) as part of a specification of what the work itself is. This conception reinforces the importance Wollheim grants both to the fulfilled intentions of the artist and to a suitably positioned, suitably informed, and suitably sensitive spectator. Both should be modelled as operating under the aegis of the artist’s theory, a notion this ‘missing’ argument serves to emphasize.
Measuring the impact of a national meeting special session: Change in participant perceptions of rural health pharmacy curricula and effects at home institution

Abstract Objectives The primary objective is to describe the impact of an AACP session on participants' opinions toward rural health pharmacy education. The secondary objective is to determine the session's impact at participants' pharmacy institution. Methods Participants were surveyed twice, once via paper during the session and then via telephone, four months after the session. Questions were related to respondent perception of rural health needs and the impact of the session on participant home institution. Results The pre- and post-questionnaires had response rates of 66.7% and 68.4%, respectively. No change was seen in respondent opinion for most prompts, but more respondents disagreed at follow-up with a statement that pharmacists in rural and urban areas require the same skills (65.6% pre and 82.1% post, p Conclusions Pharmacy educators interested in rural health share similar opinions regarding rural health pharmacy education and are motivated to initiate change in this area. Attendance at a national meeting may impact attendee home institutions.
For Mr. Doe, on the Occasion of My Inadequacy

I thought this was magic. I honestly believed that diagnoses came inscribed on stone tablets, psychiatrists could read minds, surgeons never hesitated and blood was a beautiful thing. But it is your warmth and not your blood, spilling out the chest tube which soaks through my gown, and when I can no longer feel your pulse, I hear my own break harsh along the shore of my perception.
Diet self-management and readiness to change in underserved adults with type 2 diabetes

Abstract Aim Dietary assessment in diabetes may be enhanced by considering patient-centered perspectives and barriers to change within IDF guidelines. Consideration of readiness to change (RTC) diet in underserved samples may guide future interventions in high risk populations. This study assesses the utility of a rapid assessment of RTC diet in a medically underserved sample. Method Participants were 253 Black (43.7%) and White (55.1%) American adults with type 2 diabetes [ M age=57.93 (11.52); 60.5% female; 19% below the US poverty threshold]. Participants were recruited at medical clinics and completed validated self-report measures assessing diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy and dietary behaviors and barriers by RTC. Results Stage-based comparisons identified significant differences in diabetes and dietary domains: participants in the Action stage endorsed fewer behavioral dietary barriers ( p p p p Conclusions Findings highlight the clinical utility of a brief measure of RTC in understanding patient perspectives toward dietary behaviors in a medically underserved sample. The impact of gender on RTC diet warrants further exploration.
Estimation of malignant tissue blood flow with radioactively labelled microspheres.

IN THE paper entitled "Blood flow to Lymphatic Metastases in Concious Rats" [1], the relative blood flow of the SMT-2A mammary adenocarcinoma, when transplanted into either the inguinal or axillary mammary gland, was compared to that of the spontaneous lymph node metastases. The SMT-2A tumor was chosen for this investigation because after transplantation into mammary tissue it spontaneously metastasizes via the lymphatics, a route very common with human mammary tumors. To determine the normal and malignant tissue blood flows in conscious unrestrained rats, the radioactively labelled microsphere technique was employed. Drs. Endrich, Schosser and Messmer [2] have raised three questions concerning the microsphere technique as utilized in this study. They first state "With a venous reference sample, one could distinguish between nutritional and non nutritional flow in a malignant tumor. This differentiation has not been performed in the above s tudy. . . " . The distinction between nutritional and non nutritional blood flow is not as clearly defined in a tumor as in normal tissue. All vessels in a tumor provide some degree of nutrition, although some are more efficient than others. Endrich et al. suggest that the proportion of trapped and still circulating microspheres should have been assessed by obtaining a venous reference sample. Such a reference sample will not provide meaningful results unless a single vein collects the total venous outflow from the tumor and there is no mixing with venous blood from the surrounding normal tissue. Unless these criteria are met, the reference blood sample will contain microspheres which have passed through a-v shunts in the normal tissue in
Interface structures and rotational epitaxy of titanium on tungsten (110)

Abstract Interface structures of ultrathin Ti films grown on W(110) have been studied by low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) in a wide range of annealing temperatures. The interface structures observed are interpreted to be due to site-coincidence growth (commensurate growth) and rotational epitaxy (incommensurate growth), respectively. The first monolayer of titanium is very strained with a large unit-cell expansion of 12.7% relative to that of Ti(0001). Deposition of additional Ti atoms destroys the strained structure, leading to rotational epitaxy: two Ti(0001) domains rotating mutually by 9.9°. A thermally stable Ti bilayer exists at high annealing temperatures.
MEASUREMENT OF ACCOMMODATIVE AMPLITUDE IN AMBLYOPIA

Monocular accommodative amplitudes were measured in amblyopic individuals by the subjective minus lens and push-up techniques and by objective dynamic retinoscopy. Accommodative amplitudes were always reduced in amblyopic eyes using the minus lens and retinoscopy techniques, but not with the push-up technique which inflated this measure. Owing to difficulty in detecting defocused stimuli with the amblyopic eye, it is suggested that the objective retinoscopic technique be used by clinicians for accurate assessment of accommodative amplitude in these patients.
METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTABILITY LINES

Abstract Results obtained from a diagnostic study of instability lines are presented. The results indicate that an instability line is associated with low-level horizontal convergence brought about primarily by the variation of the isentropic upgliding motion associated with a layer of strong, confluent winds in the lower levels of the troposphere.
Quantum transition of a deuteron beam

Abstract A monoenergetic circular beam of deuterons is confined by a magnetic field. For a field ⋍10 kG, at particle energy ⋍4 keV, it is argued that a quantum transition occurs at lineal density ≳3×10 10 cm -1 corresponding to a current of 0.20 A. The analysis includes a quasiclassical estimate of the ground state energy of the system.
A reply to staats' language behavior therapy: A derivative of social behaviorism

A recently published article was used as an example of what were termed “new trend” articles regarding behavior therapy. It was argued that these new trend articles contain three qualities thought not to be helpful to the future of behavior therapy. First, they offer old procedures under new names as new approaches without proper tribute to the historical roots of their procedures. Second, they emphasize theoretical aspects to the point where they overshadow the technological aspects of behavior therapy. Third, they suggest that traditional personality-type constructs be included in present procedures when such constructs have little or no contribution to make to a technology of behavior change.
What It Takes to Do Diversity Education.

Diversity education is a challenging task that requires specific knowledge and training. D. Scott Tharp outlines four dimensions of cultural competence that all faculty and staff should develop to effectively and authentically support student development of critical cultural consciousness within a safe, affirming environment.
A study of the relationship between polyribosomes and messenger RNA in Escherichia coli.

The distribution of messenger RNA among various cell fractions was examined by extracting RNA from different regions of sucrose gradients of lysates of pulse-labeled cells and annealing it to denatured DNA. Results indicate that, under any of the growth conditions studied, roughly two-thirds of the mRNA is associated with ribosomes (either as polysomes or monosomes). Hybridization studies showed that the amount of mRNA per culture in RCrel cells starved for 45 minutes of a required amino acid increased by a factor of 2 to 3 compared to an exponentially growing culture. Under these conditions, the polyribosomes were smaller than those typical of an exponential culture. When RCstr cells were starved of an amino acid in the presence of chloramphenicol, both the increase in mRNA content and polyribosome distribution closely resembled that found in an amino acid-starved RCrel culture. On the other hand, when RCstr strains were starved of an amino acid with no added protein inhibitor, the amount of mRNA remained constant or decreased by approximately one-third. Under these conditions, the polysome distribution remained similar to an exponential culture in most of the RCstr strains studied, but shifted to monosomes in at least one strain. Addition of tetracycline led to a threefold increase in mRNA content and a rapid breakdown of polysomes. Energy-source shift-down led to a transient decrease in the amount of mRNA accompanied by a transient and uniform loss of polysomes. These observations are discussed within a scheme relating polyribosome distribution to the amount of mRNA in the cell.
Synthesis of Novel Platinum Complexes Showing Potential as Anti-Cancer Drugs

Many metal co-ordination complexes have been investigated as potential anti-cancer drugs with a rich diversity of effects and toxicity (1). One of the most successful is cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II), which is an active anti-tumor agent at low concentration. Many complexes containing a variety of amines have been synthesized and tested, again with a wide range of effectiveness (1). We wish to report the synthesis of five new platinum complexes and the results of preliminary screening for potential anti-cancer activity.