cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observed Ice Passage from Lake Huron Into the St. Clair River

Abstract Ice entering the St. Clair River from southern Lake Huron has caused large ice jams on the river, which have inundated large inhabited areas and delayed navigation. Study and forecasting of these ice jam events require that the ice passage from the lake into the river be described quantitatively. This paper analyzes data obtained from time-lapse photography of ice conditions at the entrance of the river at Lake Huron over six winters. For each day of record when ice was observed in Lake Huron or the river, the presence or absence of an ice arch and the daily average surface concentration of ice entering the river were noted. For the months of January through April, separate means, standard deviations, and distributions of the surface ice concentration were determined for periods when the ice arch was present or absent. The existence of the ice arch can be predicted by a simple indicator based on air temperature. The statistical distributions of ice concentration are strongly influenced by the presence or absence of the ice arch. The overall mean surface ice concentration was 9.5% with an arch present and 27.3% with no arch. Based on this finding, ice passage can be forecasted.
Natural attenuation of chlorinated solvent plumes at Texas dry cleaners

Dry cleaners are the largest users of perchloroethene (PCE) solvents in the United States. Releases from dry cleaners to soil and groundwater, however, remain largely unstudied. This article presents a database of 137 chlorinated solvent plumes at dry cleaners in Texas. The data indicate that PCE plumes are generally shorter in extent than those from industrial sites. Degradation products were observed at more than 80 percent of the sites with groundwater contamination. Calculated attenuation rates are on the order of one-to-three-year half-lives for PCE and its degradation products. The estimated cleanup timeframe for calculated attenuation rates is < 50 years. More research is needed to understand the presence of organic carbon sources at dry cleaners and its implications for natural attenuation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nuclear magnetic resonance study of doxorubicin binding to cardiolipin containing magnetically oriented phospholipid bilayers

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent anthracycline cancer drug whose interaction with anionic membrane phospholipids, such as cardiolipin (CL), is thought to contribute to its cytotoxicity as well as induce cardiotoxic side effects. We have studied the interaction of DOX with a CL containing model membrane system using high resolution, oriented sample (31)P and (2)H NMR. The model membrane system is composed of a bilayer forming phospholipid and a detergent that breaks the extended bilayers into disc-shaped micelles (bicelles) that can orient in a magnetic field. The effects of DOX on the phospholipid bilayer were monitored using samples containing dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), selectively deuterated in either headgroup or acyl chain positions, and measuring the changes in (2)H quadrupolar splittings as DOX was added. Changes in quadrupolar splittings upon DOX addition provide evidence for interaction with both surface and buried sites within the membrane bilayer.
In retrospect: Between Pacific Tides

Aaron Hirsh celebrates the 75th anniversary of the marine-biology classic by Ed Ricketts, the bohemian scientist who inspired John Steinbeck.
Iron Deficiency Anemia and Increased Urinary Norepinephrine Excretion.

Chronic iron deficiency in rats resulted in decreased MAO activity both in vitro and in vivo. Since MAO is an important enzyme in inactivation of catecholamines, urinary excretion of DA, NE, E, MN-NMN, and VMA was measured in 24-hour samples from 11 iron-deficient children before and after treatment with intramuscular iron. Pretreatment NE excretion was abnormally high and returned to normal (P=0.001) within one week of therapy. VMA excretion also was higher before than after treatment (P
Secondary myelodysplastic syndrome after hydroxychloroquine therapy

Primary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) occur in the absence of exposure to ionizing radiation, chemotherapeutic agents or myelotoxic drugs, whereas secondary MDS occurs in the presence of such exposure. We encountered 4 patients among 217 patients on hydroxychloroquine for rheumatological conditions in 2005 diagnosed with MDS. Two patients were male and two were female; the median age was 69.75 years, (range 65-76). The dose of hydroxychloroquine for all patients was 400 mg daily with median treatment duration of 10.5 years and a range of 6-16. All patients had bone marrow biopsy confirmation of the diagnosis of MDS. The incidence of MDS in a group older than 70 years ranges from 15 to 50/100,000 persons per year. The diagnosis of 4 cases of MDS among 217 patients in 1 year is approximately 123-137-fold higher than the risk of MDS in the general population aged more than 70 years (P < 0.001) and suggests that long-term treatment with hydroxychloroquine is associated with an increased risk of developing secondary MDS.
Payment changes in CV imaging.

Every month, the Imaging Council has a standing agenda item related to advocacy and reimbursement in order to update its members on this rapidly moving area. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) experts share new data with the Council and subspecialty staff to inform and guide decisions
Five-year data from the REFLEX study: a different interpretation.

To the Editor: I read the 5-year extension data from the REFLEX study1 with interest but found the title of the paper — as well as its conclusion — misleading. The authors conclude that rituximab (RTX) re-treatment is associated with maintained or improved efficacy based on clinical responses measured after each of up to 5 courses of RTX. However, there is a fairly pronounced dropout of patients after each course, such that fewer than 20% of … Address correspondence to Dr. Abeles; E-mail: aabeles{at}uchc.edu
System Fe-MgO-SiO2-O2 with applications to terrestrial rocks and meteorites

Abstract The stability relations between solids and oxygen gas have been calculated for parts of the system Fe- MgO-SiO2-O2 using thermochemical data. The system is broadly divided into two parts depending whether metallic iron or ferrite coexists with olivine and pyroxene. In the field of metallic iron the atomic fraction Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) in the silicates increases with decreasing oxygen pressure, but in the field of ferrite the reverse is true. The equilibria in the field of metallic iron are directly applicable to meteorites and some terrestrial rocks, whereas the equilibria in the field of ferrite apply to terrestrial basic and ultrabasic rocks with modifications. The oxygen fugacities thus determined may be used to calculate the “atmosphere of crystallization” consisting of other gases such as H2O, H2, CO2, CO, etc. The sensitivity of the response of the solid solutions of ferrous silicates to changes in the oxygen fugacity is also discussed, and it is found that silicate compositions in equilibrium with metallic iron are more sensitive than those in equilibrium with ferrite or hematite.
U.S. Cambodian Refugees' Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Mental Health Problems

Objective: This study examined U.S. Cambodian refugees’ use of complementary and alternative medicine and Western sources of care for psychiatric problems. Analyses assessed the extent to which complementary and alternative medicine was used in the absence of Western mental health treatment and whether use of complementary and alternative medicine was associated with decreased use of Western services. Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a representative sample drawn from the largest Cambodian refugee community in the United States. The sample included 339 persons who met criteria in the past 12 months for posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, or alcohol use disorder. Respondents described contact with complementary and alternative medicine and Western service providers for psychological problems in the preceding 12 months. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. Results: Seventy-two percent of the sample sought Western mental health services, and 34% relied on complementary and alternative medicine in the past year. Seeking complementary and alternative medicine was strongly and positively associated with seeking Western services, contrary to the hypothesis that use of complementary and alternative medicine inhibits seeking Western mental health treatment. Conclusions: Only a small percentage of Cambodian refugees used complementary and alternative medicine exclusively (5%), and utilization of complementary and alternative medicine was positively associated with seeking Western sources of care for mental health problems. Complementary and alternative medicine use does not appear to be a significant barrier to mental health treatment in this population, contrary to the Surgeon General’s conclusion that Asian Americans’ use of alternative resources may inhibit their utilization of Western mental health care. (Psychiatric Services 58:1212–1218, 2007)
Analysis of the evidence for the lower limit of systolic and mean arterial pressure in children.

Objective: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) are essential evaluation elements in ill children, but there is wide variation among different sources defining systolic hypotension in children, and there are no normal reference values for MAP. Our goal was to calculate the 5th percentile SBP and MAP values in children from recently updated data published by the task force working group of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program and compare these values with the lowest limit of acceptable SBP and MAP defined by different sources. Design: Mathematical analysis of clinical database. Methods: The 50th and 95th percentile SBP values from task force data were used to derive the 5th percentile value for children from 1 to 17 yrs of age stratified by height percentiles. MAP values were calculated using a standard mathematical formula. Calculated SBP values were compared with systolic hypotension definitions from other sources. Linear regression analysis was applied to create simple formulas to estimate 5th percentile SBP and 5th and 50th percentile MAP for different age groups at the 50th height percentile. Results: A 9‐21% range in both SBP and MAP values was noted for different height percentiles in the same age groups. The 5th percentile SBP values used to define hypotension by different sources are higher than our calculated values in children but are lower than our calculated values in adolescents. Clinical formulas for calculation of SBP and MAP (mm Hg) in normal children are as follows: SBP (5th percentile at 50th height percentile) 2 age in years 65, MAP (5th percentile at 50th height percentile) 1.5 age in years 40, and MAP (50th percentile at 50th height percentile) 1.5 age in years 55. Conclusion: We developed new estimates for values of 5th percentile SBP and created a table of normal MAP values for reference. SBP is significantly affected by height, which has not been considered previously. Although the estimated lower limits of SBP are lower than currently used to define hypotension, these values are derived from normal healthy children and are likely not appropriate for critically ill children. Our data suggest that the current values for hypotension are not evidence-based and may need to be adjusted for patient height and, most important, for clinical condition. Specifically, we suggest that the definition of hypotension derived from normal children should not be used to define the SBP goal; a higher target SBP is likely appropriate in many critically ill and injured children. Further studies are needed to evaluate the appropriate threshold values of SBP for determining hypotension. (Pediatr Crit Care Med 2007; 8:138‐144)
Surfactant-Induced Marangoni Eddies Alter the Coffee-Rings of Evaporating Colloidal Drops

The influence of the small ionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the evaporation of drying colloidal droplets is quantitatively investigated. The addition of SDS leads to a significantly more uniform deposition of colloidal particles after evaporation (i.e., the so-called “coffee-ring effect” is dramatically altered). We understand this phenomenon in the context of circulating radial Marangoni flows induced by the variation of SDS concentration along the air–water interface. Video microscopy permits the direct visualization of the colloidal particles involved in these flows, revealing a surprisingly stable “Marangoni eddy” that prevents particle deposition at the drop perimeter.
Immunobiology of radiotherapy: new paradigms.

It has been well demonstrated that irradiated dying cancer cells release tumor antigens. The extracellular antigens and dying tumor cells are engulfed by circulating bone marrow-derived antigen-presenting cells (APCs). After antigen uptake, APCs migrate to lymph nodes, where they engage with helper T cells for post-stimulation and APC activation. Induction of Th1 response and the activation of APCs further stimulate the induction of tumor specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that could potentially clear tumor cells both at primary and metastatic sites (Fig. 1). FIG. 1 Schematic representation of the envisioned mechanism of radiation-primed immunotherapy of advanced cancer. Radiation-induced immune modulation happens in two important phases. First, radiation induces damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules. In this event, radiation normalizes tumor vasculature, modulates tumor cell phenotype and increases immune recognition of the tumor cell. Radiation treatment can cause: a. upregulation of chemokines and adhesion molecules, providing signals for T cells to be attracted to the tumor; and b. upregulation of MHC molecules and tumor-associated antigens, making it easier for endogenous or immunotherapy-induced T cells to recognize and kill tumor (immunogenic modulation). Second, amplification by abrogating immune checkpoint factors with simultaneous costimulation of effector factors can ultimately lead to the induction of multiple unique T-cell populations (antigen cascade) that can kill antigen disparate tumor cells at metastatic sites (systemic effect) (Fig. 2). FIG. 2 Model for radiation-induced immunogenic modulation.
BUDGET BATTLES: Strategies of Local Government Officers during Recession

: This study of Florida cities, counties, and school districts shows that coping strategies adopted during periods of recession vary somewhat from those adopted following more permanent, statute imposed fiscal shortfalls. Expenditure reductions are far more common than revenue raising strategies. Across-the-board cuts are more popular than deep programmatic cuts or abolishments, reflecting the perception that cuts during a recession do not have to be as deep because the shortfalls are temporary. However, cities, counties, and school districts react differently to the same fiscal stimulus primarily because they differ in their functional responsibilities, revenue raising powers, and revenue reliance patterns. Nonetheless, their reactions to recession generally have paralleled those of the private sector, in spite of the contrary opinion held by the public at large.
Grammatical change in the noun phrase: the influence of written language use

Many discussions of grammatical change have focused on grammatical innovation in the discourse contexts of conversational interaction. We argue here that it is also possible for grammatical innovation to emerge out of the communicative demands of written discourse. In particular, the distinctive communicative characteristics of academic writing (informational prose) have led to the development of a discourse style that relies heavily on nominal structures, with extensive phrasal modification and a relative absence of verbs. By tracking the historical development of this discourse style, we can also observe the development of particular grammatical functions that are emerging in writing. We focus here on two grammatical features – nouns as nominal premodifiers and prepositional phrases as nominal postmodifiers – analyzing their historical development over the last four centuries in a corpus of academic research writing (compared to other registers such as fiction, newspaper reportage and conversation). Our analysis shows that these grammatical features were quite restricted in function and variability in earlier historical periods of English. However, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, they became much more frequent and productive, accompanied by major extensions in their functions, variants, and range of lexical associations. These extensions were restricted primarily to informational written discourse, illustrating ways in which new grammatical functions emerge in writing rather than speech.
A Theory of Causation: Causae Causantes (Originating Causes) as Inus Conditions in Branching Space-Times

Branching space-times (BST) theory, as developed elsewhere, permits a sound and rigorously definable notion of ``originating cause'' or causa causans---a type of transition event---of an outcome event. Mackie has famously suggested that causes form a family of ``inus'' conditions, where an inus condition is ``an insufficient but non-redundant part of an unnecessary sufficient condition.'' In this essay the needed concepts of BST theory are developed in detail, and it is then proved that the causae causantes a given outcome event have exactly the structure of a set of Mackie inus conditions. The proof requires the assumption that there is no EPR-like ``funny business.'' This seems enough to constitute a theory of ``causation'' in at least one of its many senses.
Teleprogramming to perform sophisticated underwater manipulative tasks using acoustic communications

In this paper we describe preliminary in-air testing of the teleprogramming system. By way of example we describe the task of bolting/unbolting a hatch cover. The position of the cover was known only approximately and all communication between the operator and remote sites occurred via a simulated acoustic link. No visual feedback from the remote site was available. The operator interaction required to command the remote robot for this task is discussed and the mechanism for detecting, diagnosing and recovering from errors is presented. It is observed that, while operators may successfully complete this task, it takes too long to recover from errors. Current research is aimed at improving performance by providing additional visual information to the operator and migrating this test system to a real subsea implementation. >
Welfare Workers as Family Planning Change Agents and the Perennial Problem of Heterophily with Welfare Clients

Two concepts borrowed from Everett Rogers' Communication of Innovations-heterophily and the role of change agents-are utilized to explain problems which welfare workers have in being influential family planning change agents for welfare mothers. These concepts are viewed as embedded in the social context of welfare department attempts to influence welfare mothers to use family planning and the related criticisms which welfare rights protagonists have recently voiced. Structured interviews with 58 welfare workqrs and 300 welfare mothers in one metropolitan Tennessee county reveal that heterophily characterizes these two groups in social and demographic characteristics, birth control attitudes, family size norms, and abortion attitudes. It is further suggested that this heterophily may partially account for welfare workers' limited conformity to the change agent role in family planning counseling with their clients. A number of innovative solutions are proposed to deal constructively with public welfare pro...
Compensatory Evolution and the Origins of Innovations

Cryptic genetic sequences have attenuated effects on phenotypes. In the classic view, relaxed selection allows cryptic genetic diversity to build up across individuals in a population, providing alleles that may later contribute to adaptation when co-opted—e.g., following a mutation increasing expression from a low, attenuated baseline. This view is described, for example, by the metaphor of the spread of a population across a neutral network in genotype space. As an alternative view, consider the fact that most phenotypic traits are affected by multiple sequences, including cryptic ones. Even in a strictly clonal population, the co-option of cryptic sequences at different loci may have different phenotypic effects and offer the population multiple adaptive possibilities. Here, we model the evolution of quantitative phenotypic characters encoded by cryptic sequences and compare the relative contributions of genetic diversity and of variation across sites to the phenotypic potential of a population. We show that most of the phenotypic variation accessible through co-option would exist even in populations with no polymorphism. This is made possible by a history of compensatory evolution, whereby the phenotypic effect of a cryptic mutation at one site was balanced by mutations elsewhere in the genome, leading to a diversity of cryptic effect sizes across sites rather than across individuals. Cryptic sequences might accelerate adaptation and facilitate large phenotypic changes even in the absence of genetic diversity, as traditionally defined in terms of alternative alleles.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE AUTO CHOICE REFORM ACT OF 1997

: The authors examine the nuances involved in no-fault coverage. They focus their examination on the concept of “choice,” providing a perspective on both coverage and constitutional questions.
USE OF CHINESE HAMSTER OVARY CELLS WITH ALTERED GLYCOSYLATION PATTERNS TO DEFINE THE CARBOHYDRATE SPECIFICITY OF ENTAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA ADHESION

We compared the adherence of E. histolytica trophozoites with a panel of lectin-resistant CHO mutants with altered glycosylation patterns. Our results coupled with data from saccharide inhibition studies indicate that terminal N-acetyllactosamine units on Asn-linked complex type oligosaccharides provide the major determinants on the cellular receptor for E. histolytica adhesion.
Molecules in Mammalian Communication

The extremely keen sense of smell of the dog and many game animals, and the strong odors emitted by some mammals, such as musk deer, skunk, or civet, are familiar. But we are learning only now which chemical compounds constitute the signals that these animals produce and receive, and what functions their body odors fulfil in their social and sexual lives. Earlier chemical studies of odoriferous animal secretions were motivated by the perfumers’ interests (e. g. [1]). For this interdisciplinary effort I will, as a behavioral ecologist, review the main concepts of chemical communication in mammals, and current research problems.
Reductive Decomposition of Deposits in Old ‘Mustard’ Munitions

The nature of the gelled or even solid deposits in decades-old ‘mustard’ tanks or munitions is uncertain. Some possibilities, which may occur alone or in combination: (a) polysulfonium salts, from alkylation of one molecule by another, etc. (b) poly(ethylenesulfide)s,—CH2–CH2–S–CH2–CH2–S–CH2–CH2–S—,resulting from chloride ion attack on polysulfonium salts (c) elemental sulfur, an impurity in Levinstein ‘mustard’ (d) di-or oligosulfide polymers (e) iron compounds, incorporating iron from container corrosion
Support Vector Machines

In this chapter, we discuss the support vector machine (SVM), an approach for classification that was developed in the computer science community in the 1990s and that has grown in popularity since then. SVMs have been shown to perform well in a variety of settings, and are often considered one of the best “out of the box” classifiers.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Spinal Metastases in the Postoperative Setting: A Secondary Analysis of Mature Phase 1-2 Trials

Purpose To evaluate the outcomes in patients treated on prospective phase 1-2 protocols with postoperative stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and identify the associated prognostic variables. Methods and Materials Sixty-six patients with 69 tumors were treated with SBRT on prospective phase 1-2 studies for spinal metastases between 2002 and 2010. All patients underwent SBRT after spine surgery, which included laminectomy, vertebrectomy, or a combination of these techniques. Renal cell carcinoma was the most common histology represented (n=35, 53%) followed by sarcomas (n=13, 20%). Thirty-one patients (47%) were treated with prior conventional radiation to the spine (median dose 30 Gy). Patients were followed up with spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies to determine the treated tumor control (TC). Pain and other symptom data were collected prospectively to determine treatment response and toxicity. Results The median follow-up time was 30 months (range, 1-145 months) for all patients and 75 months for living patients (range, 6-145 months). The actuarial 1-year rate of TC was 85%, adjacent vertebral body control was 85%, and overall survival (OS) was 74% (median 29 months). On multivariate competing-risks analysis, sarcoma histology (subhazard ratio [SHR] = 2.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-5.6, P =.04) and larger preoperative tumor volumes (SHR=1.01, 95% CI 1.0-1.01, P =.006) were significantly associated with worse TC. Karnofsky performance status was the only significant predictor for OS on multivariate analysis. There were no differences in TC between patients treated with different surgical techniques or different preoperative or postoperative Bilsky grades. There were no grade 3 or higher neurologic toxicities. Conclusion This study represents a large series of prospective data available on patients treated with SBRT in the postoperative setting. The combination of surgery with SBRT can offer patients with metastatic disease to the spine the chance of durable tumor control with minimal toxicity.
C(sp3)–O Bond-Forming Reductive Elimination from PdIV with Diverse Oxygen Nucleophiles

This article describes an investigation of C(sp3)–O bond-forming reductive elimination reactions from PdIV complexes. Phenoxide, acetate, difluoroacetate, dimethylphosphate, tosylate, and nitrate nucleophiles are shown to participate in this reaction. In all cases, C(sp3)–O bond formation occurs with high selectivity over potentially competing C(sp2)–O coupling. Additives have a profound impact on the chemoselectivity of these reductive elimination reactions. An excess of RO– was found to limit competing C(sp3)–C(sp2) bond-forming reductive elimination, while the presence of Lewis acidic cations was found to suppress competing C(sp3)–F coupling. Mechanistic investigations were conducted, and the available data are consistent with a sequence involving pre-equilibrium dissociation of the oxyanion ligand (RO–) followed by nucleophilic attack of RO– on a cationic PdIV–alkyl intermediate.
Drug use and harm reduction policy: alternative perspectives on the California proposal.

On October, 12, 2003, then California Governor Gray Davis vetoed legislation which would have created a trial period for evaluating nonprescription pharmacy access to needles and syringes for adult...
Symbiontic Interrelationships between Microbes and Ambrosia Beetles. II. The Organs of Microbial Transport and Perpetuation in Trypodendron betulae and T. retusum (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

The mycangia of Trypodendron betulae Swaine and T. retusum (LeConte) are described and characterized with microphotographs. The mycangia are the prothoracicpleural type and are similar to the mycangia of other species of Trypodendron . It was hypothesized that the secretions into the mycangium contribute to the “ambrosia cell” growth form in the symbiontic fungi.
Hospitalists’ utilization of weight loss resources with discharge texts and primary care contact: a feasibility study

ABSTRACTObjectives: Obesity affects a large proportion of the U.S. population, and hospitalizations may serve as an opportunity to promote weight loss. We sought to determine if multidisciplinary patient-centered inpatient weight loss intervention that included counseling, consults, post-discharge telephone text messages, and primary care follow up was feasible.Methods: We conducted a feasibility study focusing on 25 obese hospitalized patients to understand the issues related to rolling out an intensive intervention. Actual weight loss was a secondary outcome and we compared these 25 patients to 28 control patients who were exposed to usual care; weight change was assessed at 1 and 6 months.Results: Ninety-six percent (24/25) of nutritional consults and 92% (23/25) of physical therapy consults were submitted by hospital providers. All of these doctors were also reminded to counsel their patients about the detrimental health consequences. Fifty-two percent (13/25) and 40% (10/25) were actually seen and co...
Deducing Reaction Mechanism: A Guide for Students, Researchers, and Instructors

An introductory guide to deducing the mechanism of chemical reactions is presented. Following a typical workflow for probing reaction mechanism, the guide introduces a wide range of kinetic and mechanistic tools. In addition to serving as a broad introduction to mechanistic analysis for students and researchers, the guide has also been used by instructors to provide the organizational structure for an upper-level course on organic and inorganic reaction mechanism. After providing students with the tools of mechanistic study, student-led discussions of case studies and an independent proposal project provide preparation for understanding the mechanism of new reactions encountered in independent research.
Study on changes of bladder and urine of rats after subacute treatment with melamine

Objective:To study on changes of bladder and urine after rats were administrated with melamine for 28 days.Methods: 40 male SD rats and 40 female SD rats were administrated with 3 doses of melamine by gavage for 28 days,the animals were randomly divided into three experimental groups and one control group.After melamine treatment the animals were sacrificed,urine was collected for determination of pH,urinary density,urinary protein levels,and bladders were taken out for pathological test.Results: Submucosals edema,hemangiectasis and epithelial exfoliation were found in high dose group of melamine treatment,deposit sediments were also found in some bladders.There was no obvious difference in groups of middle dose and low dose melamine.No changes were found with urinary test in groups of melamine treatment in comparison with control.Conclusion: Melamine could have some effects on bladder when the rats were treated with subacute administration of melamine.
Emerging role of docetaxel (Taxotere) in the adjuvant therapy of breast cancer.

The need for improved adjuvant chemotherapy programs for breast cancer patients is emphasized by the 1998 overview analysis of adjuvant trials, which demonstrates that although there has been substantial incremental advances in adjuvant therapy, relapse and death are prevented in less than half of women with micrometastatic disease. Because both docetaxel (Taxotere; Rhone-Pouleuc Rorer, Collegeville, PA) and paclitaxel have substantial non-cross-resistance with anthracyclines and therefore activity in anthracycline-resistant breast cancer, defining their roles in the adjuvant therapy of breast cancer is an area of great interest and active clinical investigation. The results of the adjuvant trials using docetaxel assume a particular importance because of the two taxanes in clinical use at this time, docetaxel may be the more active agent in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, as demonstrated in the results from phase II and III randomized trials. Ongoing or soon-to-open adjuvant trials are evaluating the impact of docetaxel added to conventional adjuvant anthracyclines regimens, substituted for anthracyclines, used in combination with anthracyclines, and in direct comparison to paclitaxel. The results of these ongoing adjuvant trials will define the role of docetaxel in adjuvant chemotherapy programs for the management of patients with breast cancer and are eagerly awaited.
Dissociation of depolarization-activated and swelling-activated Cl- channels.

In many cells, patch excision and depolarization induce outwardly rectifying Cl- channels (ORDIC channels) whose function and normal mode of regulation are unknown. One possible function is the med...
Quantitative imaging techniques for turbulence and combustion diagnostics

Laser diagnostics have become an important tool for studying turbulence and combustion. Several techniques have been developed which allow the instantaneous 2-D measurement of quantities such as species concentration, temperature, and density in reacting and nonreacting flows. Such quantitative imaging techniques have received increased interest due to the realization that the large-scale structures play an important role in these flows. The spatial distributions of scalar quantities obtained by the techniques are expected to aid in understanding these structures. Techniques based on Lorenz-Mie, Rayleigh, fluorescence, and Raman scattering have been used successfully for quantitative 2-D measurements.
Brand Name Development: A Historical Perspective

A review of sources used in the past could be helpful to the systematic development of new brand names for products and services. Because the Patent Office quidelines for registrable brand names are too general or vague, and because intuitive creativity may be too unreliable for the meaningful and productive identification of brand name sources, it is important for marketers to develop their own quidelines which are more specific and fertile. A possible framework for source identification could be based on fixed-length combinations of letters, numbers, or symbols; plus the elements of language structure, and examples of historical precedent.
Accounting quality, bank monitoring, and performance pricing loans

We provide new evidence on the determinants of performance pricing provisions in bank loan contracts. We find that firms that are easier to monitor, such as those with better accounting quality, lower information opacity, or a stronger relationship with the lender are more likely to have performance pricing loans. The use of performance pricing is less likely after financial restatement events. Furthermore, we find that the likelihood of using accounting-based (as opposed to credit-rating-based) pricing provisions increases as the firm’s accounting quality increases, and as the strength of the prior lending relation increases. Our results are robust to alternative measures of accounting quality, information opacity, and bank monitoring, and suggest that monitoring costs have a significant impact on the design of debt contracts.
Immunosuppressive CD14+HLA-DRlo/neg monocytes are elevated in pancreatic cancer and "primed" by tumor-derived exosomes.

ABSTRACTImmunological strategies to treat pancreatic cancer offer new therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes. Understanding alterations in the immune systems of pancreatic cancer patients will likely lead to advances in immunotherapy for the disease. We profiled peripheral blood leukocytes from pancreatic cancer patients (n = 22) and age-matched controls (n = 20) using flow cytometry. Immune profiling of pancreatic cancer patients identified phenotypic changes in various immune cell populations, including a population of immunosuppressive monocytes (CD14+HLA-DRlo/neg), which were shown to be increased in these patients. There was a correlation between the levels of CD14+ monocytes and the levels of CD14+HLA-DRlo/neg monocytes in peripheral blood from pancreatic cancer patients. HLA-DR downregulation of monocytes was shown to occur through pancreatic cancer-derived exosome interactions with monocytes. In an in vitro model, exosomes from patient-derived xenograft cell lines and patient plasma de...
Optimizing the decomposition of time series using evolutionary algorithms: soil moisture analytics

Soil moisture plays a crucial part in earth science, with impact on agriculture, ecology, hydrology, landslides, and water resources. Extremes in soil moisture, which we denote as peaks and valleys, caused by heavy rainfalls and subsequent dry weather, are very important when predicting future soil moisture or even landslides. Existing methods, like moving averages, have limitations when it comes to smoothing time series data while preserving peaks and valleys. In this work, we propose a novel method, HyperSTL, for extrema-preserving smoothing of soil moisture time series. The method optimizes an existing time series decomposition technique, Seasonal Decomposition of Time Series by Loess (STL). HyperSTL optimizes STL's control parameters, which we call hyperparameters, using an objective function over the decomposed components. We demonstrate in experiments with nine soil moisture datasets that using HyperSTL generally results in improved predictions compared to using other smoothing methods.
Aging impacts CD103+ CD8+ T cell presence and induction by dendritic cells in the genital tract.

As women age, susceptibility to systemic and genital infections increases. Tissue-resident memory T cells (TRMs) are CD103+ CD8+ long-lived lymphocytes that provide critical mucosal immune protection. Mucosal dendritic cells (DCs) are known to induce CD103 expression on CD8+ T cells. While CD103+ CD8+ T cells are found throughout the female reproductive tract (FRT), the extent to which aging impacts their presence and induction by DCs remains unknown. Using hysterectomy tissues, we found that endometrial CD103+ CD8+ T cells were increased in postmenopausal compared to premenopausal women. Endometrial DCs from postmenopausal women were significantly more effective at inducing CD103 expression on allogeneic naive CD8+ T cells than DCs from premenopausal women; CD103 upregulation was mediated through membrane-bound TGFβ signaling. In contrast, cervical CD103+ T cells and DC numbers declined in postmenopausal women with age. Decreases in DCs correlated with decreased CD103+ T cells in endocervix, but not ectocervix. Our findings demonstrate a previously unrecognized compartmentalization of TRMs in the FRT of postmenopausal women, with loss of TRMs and DCs in the cervix with aging, and increased TRMs and DC induction capacity in the endometrium. These findings are relevant to understanding immune protection in the FRT and to the design of vaccines for women of all ages.
Transition Metal-Catalyzed Dicarbofunctionalization of Unactivated Olefins.

Transition metal (TM)-catalyzed difunctionalization of unactivated olefins with two carbon-based entities is a powerful method to construct complex molecular architectures rapidly from simple and readily available feedstock chemicals. While dicarbofunctionalization of unactivated olefins has a long history typically with the use of either carbon monoxide to intercept C(sp3 )-[M] (alkyl-TM) species or substrates lacking in β-hydrogen (β-Hs), development of this class of reaction still remains seriously limited due to complications of β-H elimination arising from the in situ-generated C(sp3 )-[M] intermediates. Over the years, different approaches have been harnessed to suppress β-H elimination, which have led to the development of various types of olefin dicarbofunctionalization reactions even in substrates that generate C(sp3 )-[M] intermediates bearing β-Hs with a wide range of electrophiles and nucleophiles. In this review, these developments will be discussed both through the lens of historical perspectives as well as the strategies scrutinized over the years to address the issue of β-H elimination. However, this review article by no means is designed to be exhaustive in the field, and is merely presented to provide the readers an overview of the key reaction developments.
Longitudinal Assessment of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Newly Admitted Nursing Facility Patients: Implications for an Evolving Population.

Background The spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is a global concern, and much about transmission in healthcare systems remains unknown. To reduce hospital stays, nursing facilities (NFs) have increasingly assumed care of post-acute populations. We estimate the prevalence of MDRO colonization in NF patients on enrollment and discharge to community settings, risk factors for colonization, and rates of acquiring MDROs during the stay. Methods We conducted a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of newly admitted patients in 6 NFs in southeast Michigan using active microbial surveillance of multiple anatomic sites sampled at enrollment, days 14 and 30, and monthly thereafter for up to 6 months. Results We enrolled 651 patients and collected 7526 samples over 1629 visits, with an average of 29 days of follow-up per participant. Nearly all participants were admitted for post-acute care (95%). More than half (56.8%) were colonized with MDROs at enrollment: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 16.1%; vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), 33.2%; and resistant gram-negative bacilli (R-GNB), 32.0%. Risk factors for colonization at enrollment included prolonged hospitalization (>14 days), functional disability, antibiotic use, or device use. Rates per 1000 patient-days of acquiring a new MDRO were MRSA, 3.4; VRE, 8.2; and R-GNB, 13.6. MDRO colonization at discharge was similar to that at enrollment (56.4%): MRSA, 18.4%; VRE, 30.3%; and R-GNB, 33.6%. Conclusions Short-stay NF patients exhibit a high prevalence of MDROs near the time of admission, as well as at discharge, and may serve as a reservoir for spread in other healthcare settings. Future interventions to reduce MDROs should specifically target this population.
STRAIN RATE DEPENDENCY OF COPPER RECRYSTALLIZATION

To gain an understanding of recrystallization dependency on strain rate pure copper was isothermally compressed to strains of 0.31-1.7 at strain rates ranging from 10−4 to 104 and subjected to anneal studies. Isothermal deformation was accomplished through incrementally applied plastic strains of less than 0.1 and cooling to room temperature. The anneal response was measured from isochronal anneal studies that determined the effect on recrystallized stable grain size. Results indicate a strong dependency of resulting hardness on strain rate and stable grain size on this hardness. This information is then used to design an experiment producing dynamic recrystallization during Hopkinson Bar compression testing.
Policy Knowledge: Epistemic Communities

Epistemic communities are one of the principal actors responsible for aggregating and articulating knowledge in terms of state interests for decision makers, and disseminating those beliefs internationally. In a broader political context, epistemic communities provide one of the major channels by which overarching regime principles, norms and rules are articulated for the international community, and disseminated internationally. Epistemic communities' major power resource is their reputation for impartial expertise. They provide scarce information that is of value to decision makers who are uncertain about the complex policy environment confronting them, particularly in instances of new issues with which they are politically and technically unfamiliar. While epistemic communities are the principal agents responsible for articulating such principles, norms, and rules, the extent to which they become more deeply diffused and embedded internationally has to do with the political influence of epistemic community members; their ability to persuade others, their ability to consolidate bureaucratic influence in important institutional venues, and their ability to retain influence over time. When they succeed, subsequent state interests and decisions to deploy state power are identified subject to their consensual knowledge.
Humean laws, explanatory circularity, and the aim of scientific explanation

One of the main challenges confronting Humean accounts of natural law is that Humean laws appear to be unable to play the explanatory role of laws in scientific practice. The worry is roughly that if the laws are just regularities in the particular matters of fact (as the Humean would have it), then they cannot also explain the particular matters of fact, on pain of circularity. Loewer (Philoso Stud 160:115–137, 2012) has defended Humeanism, arguing that this worry only arises if we fail to distinguish between scientific and metaphysical explanations. However, Lange (Philoso Stud 165:255–261, 2013, Synthese 195:1337–1353, 2018) has argued that scientific and metaphysical explanations are linked by a transitivity principle, which would undercut Loewer’s defense and re-ignite the circularity worry for the Humean. I argue here that the Humean has antecedent reasons to doubt that there are any systematic connections between scientific and metaphysical explanations. The reason is that the Humean should think that scientific and metaphysical explanation have disparate aims, and therefore that neither form of explanation is beholden to the other in its pronouncements about what explains what. Consequently, the Humean has every reason to doubt that Lange’s transitivity principle obtains.
Advancing Cardiac Surgery Case Planning and Case Review Conferences Using Virtual Reality in Medical Libraries: Evaluation of the Usability of Two Virtual Reality Apps

Background: Care providers and surgeons prepare for cardiac surgery using case conferences to review, discuss, and run through the surgical procedure. Surgeons visualize a patient’s anatomy to decide the right surgical approach using magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiograms in a presurgical case planning session. Previous studies have shown that surgical errors can be reduced through the effective use of immersive virtual reality (VR) to visualize patient anatomy. However, inconsistent user interfaces, delegation of view control, and insufficient depth information cause user disorientation and interaction difficulties in using VR apps for case planning. Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the usability of 2 commercially available VR apps—Bosc (Pyrus Medical systems) and Medical Holodeck (Nooon Web & IT GmbH)—using the Vive VR headset (HTC Corporation) to evaluate ease of use, physician attitudes toward VR technology, and viability for presurgical case planning. The role of medical libraries in advancing case planning is also explored. Methods: After screening a convenience sample of surgeons, fellows, and residents, ethnographic interviews were conducted to understand physician attitudes and experience with VR. Gaps in current case planning methods were also examined. We ran a usability study, employing a concurrent think-aloud protocol. To evaluate user satisfaction, we used the system usability scale (SUS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). A poststudy questionnaire was used to evaluate the VR experience and explore the role of medical libraries in advancing presurgical case planning. Semistructured interview data were analyzed using content analysis with feedback categorization. Results: Participants were residents, fellows, and surgeons from the University of Washington with a mean age of 41.5 (SD 11.67) years. A total of 8 surgeons participated in the usability study, 3 of whom had prior exposure to VR. Users found Medical Holodeck easier to use than Bosc. Mean adjusted NASA-TLX score for Medical Holodeck was 62.71 (SD 18.25) versus Bosc’s 40.87 (SD 13.90). Neither app passed the mean SUS score of 68 for an app to be considered usable, though Medical Holodeck (66.25 [SD 12.87]) scored a higher mean SUS than Bosc (37.19 [SD 22.41]). One user rated the Bosc usable, whereas 3 users rated Medical Holodeck usable. Conclusions: Interviews highlighted the importance of precise anatomical conceptualization in presurgical case planning and teaching, identifying it as the top reason for modifying a surgical procedure. The importance of standardized user interaction features such as labeling is justified. The study also sheds light on the new roles medical librarians can play in curating VR content and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.