cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic endonasal resection of esthesioneuroblastoma: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND This study reports the combined experience of the University of Miami and University of Pittsburgh with endoscopic endonasal resection of esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB). A retrospective case series review was performed in a tertiary care university hospital. METHODS Twenty-three patients, 16 men and 7 women, were reviewed. Mean age was 56.6 years (15-79 years). Nineteen patients received primary endoscopic endonasal anterior skull base resection. Of these, the modified Kadish stage at presentation was A in 2 patients, B in 11 patients, C in 5 patients, and D in 1 patient. Three patients had revision surgeries for recurrent tumors. The main outcome measures were complete resection and margin assessment, short-term and long-term complications, and recurrence rate. RESULTS Complete resection and negative intraoperative resection margins were achieved endoscopically in 17 of the primarily treated cases. The two other cases had one patient that required an additional craniotomy approach to complete the resection of a positive lateral dual margin, another patient had positive margins at the orbital apex. All patients tolerated the endoscopic procedure very well with no meningitis. There were four cerebral spinal fluid leaks. Mean follow-up period for the primarily treated cases was 45.2 months (11-152 months), all were disease free at the most recent available follow-up. CONCLUSION In experienced hands and carefully selected patients, endoscopic resection of ENB respects the principles of oncologic surgery, providing an adequate exposure for margin assessment as well as reliable reconstruction of the anterior skull defect with a relatively low morbidity.
Surveilance and outbreak data analysis of mumps from 2006 to 2010 in Guangzhou

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2010, and to provide scientific evidence for mumps prevention and control strategies formulation. Method The descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the incidence and outbreaks of mumps in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2010. Results A total of 23 940 mumps cases were reported. The average annual incidence was 57.38/105. The mumps incidence was the highest in 2006(85.41/105) and lowest in 2007(45.04/105). The mumps cases occurred all year round, and the peak season was May, June and July. Mumps mainly affected students (45%), children in kindergartens (23%) and children in the community (18%). The largest number of mumps cases occurred among children was in the age of 5-9 years old. The incidence of mumps in male was higher than in female, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=1758.80,P=0.000). There were 20 mumps outbreaks, and all of them occurred at schools. Conclusions The incidence of mumps was high in Guangzhou. The students and children in kindergartens are the high risk groups. It is necessary to strengthen mumps surveillance in institutional children.
Investigation of 20 phthalate esters pollution in foods in Hangzhou

Objective To investigate the contents of 20 phthalate esters( PAEs) in food in Hangzhou city,and to provide scientific basis for setting national standards for the limits of PAEs in foods. Methods Two hundred food samples were collected from Hangzhou city,111 of them were oil-free samples,and the rest were fatty food samples. All the 200 samples were detected by UPLC-MS / MS. Results The detection rates of DEHP( 98. 5%),DNOP( 98. 0%),DIBP( 89. 0%),DBP( 89.0%),DMP( 76. 0%) and DEP( 98. 5%) were high in the 200 food samples,while DBEP was not detected in all the samples. Both DEEP and DNP were not detected in the 111 oil-free samples. The detection rates of BMPP( 5. 0%),DCHP( 5. 5%) as well as DMEP( 7. 0%) were low in the 200 food samples. Conclusion The contamination of PAEs is universal in foods,and the pollution was not only from packing materials,but also may be from the production,transportion and preservation process of food.
A Tuberculosis Outbreak among Medical Waste Workers

Occupational exposures to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and bloodborne pathogens were evaluated during the processing of medical waste at a commercial treatment site. The facility utilized a method co...
Reconstructive surgery for major craniofacial deformities.

Repair of the congenital deformity does not necessarily solve the child’s or the parent’s multiple problems since associated anomalies and side effects may remain and cloud the patient’s future. The study of congenital abnormalities may provide clues to etiology and prevention.
Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Detect Protein-Protein Interactions in Live Cells

Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) is a valuable tool to detect protein-protein interactions. BRET utilizes bioluminescent and fluorescent protein tags with compatible emission and excitation properties, making it possible to examine resonance energy transfer when the tags are in close proximity (<10 nm) as a typical result of protein-protein interactions. Here we describe a protocol for detecting BRET from two known protein binding partners (Gαi1 and RGS14) in HEK 293 cells using Renilla luciferase and yellow fluorescent protein tags. We discuss the calculation of the acceptor/donor ratio as well as net BRET and demonstrate that BRET can be used as a platform to investigate the regulation of protein-protein interactions in live cells in real time.
Pre-Service Teachers’ Cultural Competence Development Using Multicultural Children’s Literature

This study draws from the life study of two teacher educators, one African American, the other Korean. Specifically, this study examines the manner in which children’s literature has intersected their lives and work. For Meach (first author), Little Black Sambo, for instance, was a source of visual horror, as the absence of racial representations in US children’s literature was suddenly filled with the racially distorted illustrations found in Little Black Sambo. For Soh (second author), the same book was a source of delight as she shared it with her early childhood education students as a teacher in South Korea.
Engineering Electrospun Scaffolds to Encourage Cell Infiltration

Electrospinning has become a popular technique to construct micro-/nanofibrous scaffolds for a broad variety of regenerative medicine applications. Electrospun scaffolds provide an abundant surface area and a densely assembled fiber architecture. However, the small pore sizes common with this technique hinder cellular infiltration and integration with host tissue. In order to address this important limitation, many researchers have proposed methods to create larger pores, to increase porosity, and to integrate cells among the fibers. In this chapter, we survey recent efforts in modifying the electrospinning process to facilitate better cellular infiltration and tissue integration.
CACHEXIA IN CHILDREN WITH CARDIOMYOPATHY

Introduction Chronic heart failure is associated with cardiac cachexia. Cardiac cachexia refers to a syndrome of protein-energy malnutrition. We studied the severity of malnutrition in children with end-stage cardiomyopathy (CMP) admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods Retrospective study of 42 patients with circulatory failure due to CMP necessitating cardiac support. Malnutrition was defined as weight for age (WFA) Results Forty-two patients, age 7.0 years (0.2–16.7 yrs), 55% male, were analyzed. CMP was classified as: 82% dilated, 5% hypertrophic, 9% restrictive and 5% noncompaction. Duration of stay was 26 days (1–187 d). WFA on admission was −1.5 SD (−3.7–1.9 SD). Lowest WFA during admittance was −2.2 SD (−6.1–1.9 SD). WFA-SDS 5 days. In this group weight loss occurred during admission accounting for a decrease of 0.6 SD (0.0–4.0 SD). Enteral and/or parenteral nutritional support was given in 81% of the patients. Conclusion Over half of the children with cardiomyopathy admitted to the PICU suffered from malnutrition. Despite dietary support 90% lost weight during admission due to diminished fluid overload and cachexia. Increased metabolic rates, malabsorption, anorexia due to a proinflammatory state or delayed gastric emptying and fluid restriction can lead to an imbalance in energy intake and energy requirement.
Goals of Care Ambulatory Resident Education: Training Residents in Advance Care Planning Conversations in the Outpatient Setting

Abstract Background: Advance care planning (ACP) discussions often occur in the inpatient setting when patients are too ill to participate in decision making. Although the outpatient setting is the preferred time to begin these discussions, few physicians do so in practice. Many internal medicine (IM) residents report inadequate training as a barrier to having outpatient ACP discussions. Objective: To assess whether a novel curriculum entitled Goals of Care Ambulatory Resident Education (GOCARE) improved resident physicians' understanding of and preparedness for conducting ACP discussions in the outpatient setting. Design: The curriculum was delivered over four weekly three-hour small group sessions to IM residents. Each session included didactics, a demonstration of skills, and a simulated patient communication laboratory that emphasized deliberate practice. Setting/Subjects: IM residents from an urban, academic ambulatory care practice. Measurements: Impact of the intervention was evaluated using a retr...
Sleep and other correlates of high-level health in older adults

A large sample (N = 1139) of adults ≥75 years from the 2011-2014 NHANES cohorts was used to examine predictors of high-level health. Analyses were done with SAS to control for sample weights and allow results to be reported as population parameters. The majority of participants described their health as high-level (73.6%). Logistic regression found a longer sleep duration, minority status, decreased income, multiple medications, low physical activity, and late stage memory impairment were significant predictors of low-level health (p < .05) while sex, education level, marital status, body mass index, and depression symptoms were not. The assessment of sleep should be expanded to cover dimensions such as sleep quality and sleep disorders to help maintain wellness in older adults. This study supports that the majority of older adults have high-level health and identifies several modifiable factors to maintain wellness.
Does introgression of crop alleles into wild and weedy living populations create cryptic in situ germplasm banks

Natural gene flow often delivers alleles from cultivated species into unmanaged populations of weedy or wild relatives. Unmanaged populations with introgressed crop alleles may become the unintended repositories of crop alleles that are no longer available to breeders. Descriptive studies have confirmed the introgression of alleles from 17 crop species into free-living populations. Multigeneration experimental studies allowing hybrid-derived individuals to evolve under natural conditions are informative, but remain few. A study in this issue of Molecular Ecology (Molecular Ecology, 26, 2017) documents genomewide crop allele evolution in experimental populations of crop-wild hybrid-derived sunflowers. Approximately, three-quarters of the wild alleles increased in frequency;-however, 5% of the crop alleles in each of the two sites increased (Molecular Ecology, 26, 2017; Figure ). The remainder behaved as if they were neutral. This study's results plus those of prior studies demonstrate that introgressed populations of crop-wild relatives contain a mixture of wild and crop alleles and thereby can be valued as a distinct kind of in situ germplasm resource relative to nonintrogressed populations. [Figure: see text].
Differential Effects of Vitamin C or Protandim on Skeletal Muscle Adaptation to Exercise

Whether vitamin C blocks aerobic exercise adaptions lacks consensus, perhaps because of approaches that only assess markers of mitochondrial biogenesis. By directly measuring mitochondrial biogenes...
Spinal Motion Restoration Devices for the Degenerative Disc

Cervical and lumbar degenerative disc disease is common in today’s society and can be associated with significant pain and disability (Taksali et al. 2004). Spinal fusion continues to be the most common surgical treatment for degenerative conditions in the neck and low back (Davis 1994; Lee and Langrana 2004). While fusion has been similarly used for the treatment of degenerative arthritis of the hip and knee joints, it has been replaced by revolutionary joint arthroplasty techniques with excellent outcomes in terms of relieving pain and restoring function (Santos et al. 2004). In contrast, disc arthroplasty has only recently been considered an alternative to spinal arthrodesis and has not replaced fusion as the “gold standard” treatment. Studies regarding spinal fusion for degenerative disc disease have demonstrated inconsistent clinical results even in properly selected patients, and despite advances in spinal fusion technique and instrumentation, patient outcomes have not been significantly altered (Barrick et al. 2000; Kleeman et al. 2001; Madan and Boeree 2003; Bono and Lee 2004; Lee and Langrana 2004; Santos et al. 2004).
Abstract MP54: Extent of Subclinical Atherosclerosis and Associations with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Vary by Race/Ethnicity in Late Midlife Women: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation

Subclinical atherosclerosis indices, such as carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque, have been linked to future CHD, MI and stroke events, are more prevalent in postmenopausal women and va...
The Apprentice Diplomat

In the period between 1618 and 1624, when Huygens made his first journeys to England, Anglo-Dutch relations were under considerable strain. Economic pressure from within was exercised in both countries: when they came into contact with each other their economic aims conflicted severely, and they quickly found that they had far too much in common. Throughout the seventeenth century and well into the next, England and Holland were in sharp competition for the same things, and neither country gave in to the other any more than expediency required. In the first place, they were to some degree in competition over the cloth trade, and the difficulties over imposts on dyed cloth were finally arbitrated by the English merchants. More far-reaching than the cloth trade and far more significant in the development of Anglo-Dutch affairs was the problem of sea rights. Hugo Grotius’ book Mare Liberum proclaimed the natural freedom of the seas; the English scholar John Selden answered the Hollander’s book with his Mare Clausum, or closed sea, an expression of the policy James chose to take in order to help the English fisheries. James declared the North Sea closed to all but English shipping; the Hollanders were then cut off from the Dogger Bank, long a source of wealth to the Netherlands herring-fisheries. The sea quarrel between the two countries extended beyond the North Sea; for Dutch and English ships found themselves rivals in both the northern whaling areas and in the Russian trade. In the East Indies the English and Dutch Companies clashed over both trade and settlement, and Dutch success in 1623 in removing the English settlement on the island of Amboina gave the English the moral excuse they needed to demand increased trading rights in the Indies.
Cytology of Extracervical Adenocarcinoma

Although extrauterine adenocarcinoma is rarely identified in cervical cytology, the possibility of a non-uterine tumor should always be excluded in the event of adenocarcinoma in a cervical sample. In this chapter features of extrauterine adenocarcinomas, known to involve the cervix or known to shed into the cervical cytology sample, are reviewed. An approach to the work-up of such samples is provided.
Patching the Pathway and Widening the Pipeline: Models for Developing a Diverse Early Childhood Workforce in Chicago

With the growing appreciation of the importance of early learning experiences for children's healthy development, attention to the cultivation and maintenance of a qualified workforce has steadily increased. Such a workforce must have not just the knowledge and skills related to child development and early learning, but also be linguistically and culturally prepared to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse child and family population. To ensure a highly qualified workforce, programs and policymakers must attend to both the "pipeline" through which new early childhood educators (ECEs) enter the workforce and the "pathways" by which ECEs work toward and obtain the necessary education and credentials for different roles within the field. In line with the aims of this special issue, this paper leverages the first-person account style to describe barriers to and creative solutions for the development of practitioners in low-resourced communities in Chicago, with the goal of informing practice and policy. We describe three prior and ongoing partnership programs between community-based organizations and institutions of higher education, each tailored to support a unique population in the ECE pipeline on the pathway for increased educational attainment and credentialing. Each program is grounded in a specific community of Chicago, a diverse city with a sizable population of children raised in non-English speaking homes. Each program addresses specific needs of the communities they serve, especially around the recruitment, retention, and promotion of bilingual ECEs. Program administrators and community members describe each programs' goals, development, and key components unique to their target population as well as key takeaways. We conclude with an overview of critical components that we identified across these programs in order to create pathways for change within the workforce and the communities they serve.
Determining the Method Threshold of Identification via Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry of Weathered Gasoline Extracted from Burnt Nylon Carpet,

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees defines threshold of identification as the minimum concentration of ignitable liquid identifiable from gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry data using accepted pattern identification criteria. We propose a method for determining this threshold for gasoline based on base peak to qualifier ratios of six compounds. The ion ratios were established for each compound in the neat gasoline. These ratios were then compared to those obtained for gasoline and 98% weathered gasoline both spiked onto burnt nylon carpet at 20 ppt down 0.50 ppt, and recovered from the carpet using headspace extraction (ASTM 1412). Identification was confirmed if the compounds’ ion ratios fell within +-25% of that in the neat sample. We found that ion ratios for all samples were acceptable for six compounds at 1.60 and 0.80 ppt for extracted neat and extracted 98% weathered gasoline, respectively, illustrating potential for incorporating into Quality Assurance Programs.
A difference degree test for comparing brain networks

Recently, there has been a proliferation of methods investigating functional connectivity as a biomarker for mental disorders. Typical approaches include massive univariate testing at each edge or comparisons of network metrics to identify differing topological features. Limitations of these methods include low statistical power due to the large number of comparisons and difficulty attributing overall differences in networks to local variation. We propose a method to capture the difference degree, which is the number of edges incident to each region in the difference network. Our difference degree test (DDT) is a two-step procedure for identifying brain regions incident to a significant number of differentially weighted edges (DWEs). First, we select a data-adaptive threshold which identifies the DWEs followed by a statistical test for the number of DWEs incident to each brain region. We achieve this by generating an appropriate set of null networks which are matched on the first and second moments of the observed difference network using the Hirschberger-Qi-Steuer algorithm. This formulation permits separation of the network's true topology from the nuisance topology induced by the correlation measure that alters interregional connectivity in ways unrelated to brain function. In simulations, the proposed approach outperforms competing methods in detecting differentially connected regions of interest. Application of DDT to a major depressive disorder dataset leads to the identification of brain regions in the default mode network commonly implicated in this ruminative disorder.
Autografting for B2 Glenoids

The Walch B2 glenoid is characterized by a biconcave glenoid deformity, acquired glenoid retroversion, and posterior subluxation of the humeral head. Surgical reconstruction of the B2 glenoid is of...
Does umbilical contamination correlate with colorectal surgery patient outcomes

Most preoperative assessment tools to evaluate risk for postoperative complications require multiple data points to be collected and can be logistically burdensome. This study evaluated if umbilical contamination, a simple bedside assessment, correlated with surgical outcomes. A 6-point score to measure umbilical contamination was developed and applied prospectively to patients undergoing colorectal surgery at an academic medical center. There were 200 patients enrolled (mean age 58.1 ± 14.8; 56% female). The mean BMI was 28.6 ± 7.4. Indications for surgery included colon cancer (24%), rectal cancer (18%), diverticulitis (13.5%), and Crohn’s disease (12.5%). Umbilical contamination scores were 0 (23%, cleanest), 1 (26%), 2 (21%), 3 (24%), 4 (6%), and 5 (0%, dirtiest). Umbilical contamination did not correlate with preoperative functional status (p > 0.2). Umbilical contamination correlated with increased length of stay (rho = 0.19, p = 0.007) and postoperative complications (OR 1.3, 1.02–1.7, p = 0.04), but not readmission (p = 0.3) or discharge disposition (p > 0.2). Sterile preparation of the abdomen is an important component of proper surgical technique and umbilical contamination correlates with increased postoperative complications.
Reference intervals for radiographic, echocardiographic and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide values in healthy kittens:

ObjectivesAssessment of heart size in kittens is important, and there is a need for reference intervals (RIs) to prevent misinterpretation of cardiomegaly in this patient population. The purpose of...
Pinpointing Where to Start: A Reflective Analysis on the Introductory Evaluation Course

Th is reflective analysis details four approaches to an introductory course for evaluation learners within a methodologically focused graduate-level program on statistics, measurement, and research design. Evidence of student learning outcomes, or SLOs, was utilized within Gibbs’ reflective cycles to redesign the course using Fink’s integrated course design process. The purpose of each approach varied along a theory-practice continuum, including theory, theory-to-practice, practice, and evidence building. The purpose, SLOs, and learning experiences of each approach are accompanied by longitudinal reflections on evaluation learners, course purposes, and the creation of a multi-course learning progression. Th is exploration offers perspectives and lessons learned that may assist new and experienced instructors in determining how an introductory course may best fi t the learning needs of their students.
AZD5438-PROTAC: A selective CDK2 degrader that protects against cisplatin- and noise-induced hearing loss.

Abstract Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of hearing loss and cancer. Previously, we identified AZD5438 and AT7519-7 as potent inhibitors of CDK2, however, they also targeted additional kinases, leading to unwanted toxicities. Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) are a new promising class of small molecules that can effectively direct specific proteins to proteasomal degradation. Herein we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of PROTACs of AT7519-7 and AZD5438 and the identification of PROTAC-8, an AZD5438-PROTAC, that exhibits selective, partial CDK2 degradation. Furthermore, PROTAC-8 protects against cisplatin ototoxicity and kainic acid excitotoxicity in zebrafish. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the structural requirements for CDK2 degradation. Together, PROTAC-8 is among the first-in-class PROTACs with in vivo therapeutic activities and represents a new lead compound that can be further developed for better efficacy and selectivity for CDK2 degradation against hearing loss and cancer.
Mapping Individual Differences on the Internet: Case Study of the Type 1 Diabetes Community.

Background: Social media platforms, such as Twitter, are increasingly popular among communities of people with chronic conditions, including those with type 1 diabetes (T1D). There is some evidence that social media confers emotional and health-related benefits to people with T1D, including emotional support and practical information regarding health maintenance. Research on social media has primarily relied on self-reports of web-based behavior and qualitative assessment of web-based content, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Meanwhile, recent advances in natural language processing have allowed for large-scale assessment of social media behavior. Objective: This study attempts to document the major themes of Twitter posts using a natural language processing method to identify topics of interest in the T1D web-based community. We also seek to map social relations on Twitter as they relate to these topics of interest, to determine whether Twitter users in the T1D community post in “echo chambers,” which reflect their own topics back to them, or whether users typically see a mix of topics on the internet. Methods: Through Twitter scraping, we gathered a data set of 691,691 tweets from 8557 accounts, spanning a date range from 2008 to 2020, which includes people with T1D, their caregivers, health practitioners, and advocates. Tweet content was analyzed for sentiment and topic, using Latent Dirichlet Allocation. We used social network analysis to examine the degree to which identified topics are siloed within specific groups or disseminated through the broader T1D web-based community. Results: Tweets were, on average, positive in sentiment. Through topic modeling, we identified 6 broad-bandwidth topics, ranging from clinical to advocacy to daily management to emotional health, which can inform researchers and practitioners interested in the needs of people with T1D. These analyses also replicate prior work using machine learning methods to map social behavior on the internet. We extend these results through social network analysis, indicating that users are likely to see a mix of these topics discussed by the accounts they follow. Conclusions: Twitter communities are sources of information for people with T1D and members related to that community. Topics identified reveal key concerns of the T1D community and may be useful to practitioners and researchers alike. The methods used are efficient (low cost) while providing researchers with enormous amounts of data. We provide code to facilitate the use of these methods with other populations.
Evaluating Graph Vulnerability and Robustness using TIGER

Network robustness plays a crucial role in our understanding of complex interconnected systems such as transportation, communication, and computer networks. While significant research has been conducted in the area of network robustness, no comprehensive open-source toolbox currently exists to assist researchers and practitioners in this important topic. This lack of available tools hinders reproducibility and examination of existing work, development of new research, and dissemination of new ideas. We contribute TIGER, an open-sourced Python toolbox to address these challenges. TIGER contains 22 graph robustness measures with both original and fast approximate versions; 17 failure and attack strategies; 15 heuristic and optimization-based defense techniques; and 4 simulation tools. By democratizing the tools required to study network robustness, our goal is to assist researchers and practitioners in analyzing their own networks; and facilitate the development of new research in the field. TIGER has been integrated into the Nvidia Data Science Teaching Kit available to educators across the world; and Georgia Tech's Data and Visual Analytics class with over 1,000 students. TIGER is open sourced at: https://github.com/safreita1/TIGER
Inhibitors of the sphingomyelin cycle: Sphingomyelin synthases and sphingomyelinases.

Sphingolipids are a class of bioactive lipids, which are key modulators of an increasing number of physiologic and pathophysiologic processes that include cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis, stress and inflammatory responses. Sphingomyelin is an important structural component of biological membranes, and one of the end-points in the synthesis of sphingolipids. Mainly synthetized in the Golgi apparatus, sphingomyelin is transported to all other biological membranes. Upon stimulation, sphingomyelin can be hydrolyzed to ceramide by 5 different sphingomyelinases. The diversity and cellular topology of ceramide allow it to exert multiple biologies. Furthermore, ceramide can be metabolized to many other bioactive sphingolipids. Ceramide, coming from sphingomyelin or other complex sphingolipids, can be hydrolyzed to sphingosine, which can easily change cellular localization. In turn, sphingosine can be recycled to ceramide and to sphingomyelin in the endoplasmic reticulum, completing the sphingomyelin cycle. Our understanding of the roles of various sphingolipids in the regulation of different cellular processes has come from studying the enzymes that regulate these sphingolipids, and their manipulation. The use of pharmacologic inhibitors has been critical for their study, as well as being promising bullets for disease treatment. Some of these diseases involving the sphingomyelin cycle include cancer, inflammation, atherosclerosis, diabetes and some rare diseases such as Niemann–Pick disease. This review will focus on the enzymes involved in the sphingomyelin cycle, their history, and their involvement in pathophysiological processes. Finally, it will describe in details all the small molecules that are being used to inhibit these enzymes and their use in therapeutics.
Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography of Automobile Rubber Bumper Guard Samples

A piece from an automobile rubber bumper guard was found at the scene of a hit-and-run accident and was compared to a sample obtained from the front bumper guard of a suspect's vehicle. The samples were examined by the pyrolysis method of Chih-An Hu, which provides both a chromatogram of the volatile components and a pyrogram of the nonvolatile polymeric component.
Recombination: a means to an end in human cells.

Telomere maintenance is required for chromosome stability. Telomeres are maintained principally by the action of the reverse transcriptase telomerase. In cells that lack telomerase, telomere length is preserved by an alternate mechanism termed ALT. A new study reports that recombination between telomeres is responsible for ALT in human cells. As telomerase is a potential target for cancer therapy, these findings indicate that an assault on telomere maintenance may have to contend with two pathways.
Plerixafor as a salvage mobilization strategy for haploidentical peripheral blood allogeneic stem cell transplantation

In allogeneic stem cell mobilization, peripheral blood stem cell mobilization with filgrastim can be considered standard of care. Poor mobilizers may be at risk for inadequate stem cell collection during apheresis. He we present a successful case of salvage plerixafor use with filgrastim in a haploidentical identical transplant patient.
Nextel™ 610 Fiber-Reinforced Alumina-YAG Porous Matrix Composites

Nextel 610 fiber-reinforced porous matrix composites with matrices containing various amounts of YAG and alumina were produced to determine the effect of YAG on retained tensile strengths after heating to 1100° and 1200°C. In all cases the YAG-containing composites gave higher ultimate stresses and greater strains to failure than the all-alumina composites when processed at 1200°C for times of up to 100 h. No correlation was found between strength and amount of YAG in the matrix; however, composites with matrices containing YAG, vs. alumina, as the binder phase had higher strengths. YAG was found to greatly hinder densification of alumina at 1200°C. The greater strengths of the YAG-containing composites can be attributed, at least in part, to a reduction in matrix densification, compared to the all-alumina matrix composite.
Should Advanced Standing Programs be Abolished? Yes!

(1999). Should Advanced Standing Programs be Abolished? Yes! Journal of Social Work Education: Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 7-11.
Plasmon-mediated emission in the strong coupling regime

We demonstrate the strong coupling of SPPs and localized plasmons to dye molecules, characterized by splitting of the dispersion curve. We further observe an anomalous behavior in the emission of molecules strongly coupled to plasmons.
The magnesium transport ATPases of Salmonella typhimurium

Publisher Summary Mg 2+ is one of the most abundant cations, second to potassium, and the most abundant divalent cation. This chapter provides an overview of the previous studies on Mg 2+ transport in enteric bacteria and the Mg 2+ transporting ATPases of Salmonella typhimurium . Mg 2+ is important for many aspects of cellular function. Structurally it is a major stabilizing factor for all biomembranes and the ribosomal translation apparatus, and it binds to nucleic acids and proteins to help maintain specific conformations. The gram negative bacterium Salmonella typhimurium is used as the model system for the study of transmembrane Mg 2+ transport, because (1) in general, bacterial transport systems are homologous in structure and mechanism to eukaryotic systems, (2) Salmonella typhimurium has been studied in great detail and the genetic techniques for prokaryotic systems are unmatched by any eukaryotic system, and (3) the previous studies of Mg 2+ transport in the related bacterium, E.coli, provide background knowledge.
Colombia Médica is now indexed in MEDLINE/Pubmed: A dream come true

Hace algunos anos se dijo que «la linea mas corta en la ciencia, como en el amor, no es la linea recta»1. Esto resulto ser cierto para Acta Medica del Valle, una revista que inicio sus labores en Cali, Colombia, en 1970. Para entonces, Rodrigo Guerrero et al., sonaron con tener una revista que difundiera la informacion medica proveniente, sobre todo, del suroccidente colombiano. En este mismo sentido, Jorge Lega Siccar, Presidente del Comite Editorial del primer numero de esta revista, tuvo la vision que llegarian manuscritos procedentes de «todo el pais», asi como del extranjero, a la oficina editorial de esta recien nacida revista cien­-tifica. iY lo lograron! A continuacion, Francisco Falabella et al., dirigieron la revista desde 1973 hasta 1998, y sonaron con mejorar el impacto y reputacion de la revista en Colombia. Por lo tanto, el nombre de la revista cambio en 1980 a Colombia Medica, y cientos de manuscritos de alta calidad se publicaron en papel durante 25 anos (desde 1970 hasta 1995), apoyados siempre por la Universidad del Valle ubicada tambien en Cali. Durante este tiempo, Colombia Medica publico investigaciones muy importantes. Por ejemplo, Zaninovic et al., publicaron, en 1981, en esta revista, acerca de una enfermedad que se presentaba en habitantes del suroccidente de Colombia. Dicha enfermedad se caracteriza por paraparesia espastica, un trastorno que se asocio, mas tarde, con una serie de cofactores ambientales2; estas investigaciones atrajeron la atencion de la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud a este problema medico. Ademas, entre los suenos de este grupo editorial estuvo la creacion de una edicion electronica de Colombia Medica, cuyo primer numero se publico en la pagina web: http://colombiamedica.univalle.edu.co, en 1995. iY lo lograron!
Content and Control: Assessing the Impact of Policy Choices on Potential Online Business Models in the Music and Film Industries

The online environment and new digital technologies threaten the viability of the music and film industries' traditional business models. The industries have responded by seeking government intervention, among other means, to protect their traditional models as well as by developing new models specifically adapted to the online market. Industry activity and public debate have focused on three key policy areas related to copyright holders' control of content: technical interference with and potential liability of P2P services; copyright infringers' civil and criminal liability; and legal reinforcement of digital rights management technologies (DRM). This paper seeks to support policymakers' decision making by delineating the potential consequences of policy actions in these areas. To do so, it assesses how such action would impact relevant social values and four business models representative of current and emerging attempts to generate viable revenues from digital media. The authors caution that government intervention is currently premature because it is unlikely to strike an appropriate balance between achieving industry goals while supporting other social values, such as consumer rights, the diversity of available content, and technological innovation.
The NASA Advanced Solar Dynamics Technology Program

The NASA Advanced Solar Dynamics Technology Program, aimed at developing power system technology for versatile, advanced, high-capacity spacecraft and surface power systems, is discussed. The goals of the program are to be achieved by pursuing high-risk but high-payoff technologies, namely, advanced solar concentrators, heat receivers, power conversion dynamic cycles, and radiators. The NASA program is discussed in terms of mission drives, the technological goals for each of the system's major components, and program status. >
Classical and quantum interaction mechanisms of magnetic fields with biosystems

The mechanisms by which magnetostatic and electromagnetic fields interact with biosystems are discussed. Classical mechanisms, quantum mechanisms, the effects of DC magnetic fields, and the effects of modulated DC magnetic fields are discussed. It is concluded that both magnetostatic and electromagnetic fields have effects on plant and animal systems; these effects can be hazardous under certain conditions and can lead to death in the extreme case. >
Morphologic aspects of adhesion and spreading behavior of amphibian blastula and gastrula cells

By means of SEM we have examined spreading and adhesive behavior of cells isolated from superficial and deep regions of germ layers from blastula to late gastrula in Rana pipiens embryos. Each of the cell populations sampled show adhesive and spreading characteristics distinctive for each region and stage which we interpret as demonstrating the following: (1) From blastula through late gastrula, cells from each region have already acquired the ability to express surface morphologic and adhesive features independently of their association with their neighbors, i.e. autonomously. (2) The distinctive spreading and adhesive characteristics for each tissue sub-population suggest kinetic properties seemingly related to their in vivo morphogenetic movements, epiboly or invagination. (3) The appearance within germ layers of two subpopulations between blastula to midgastrula, suggests early intratissue inductive interactions. (4) The outermost, superficial cells from each germ layer show proximal and distal surface differences which may reflect adhesive differentials as postulated by Steinberg (1970) for presumptive ectoderm cells. (5) With the exception of superficial cell proximal and distal differentiation, freshly disaggregated cells do not show morphologic characteristics seen in corresponding cells spreading for one hour.
Peyronie’s Disease: AUA Guideline

Purpose: The purpose of this guideline is to provide a clinical framework for the diagnosis and treatment of Peyronie’s disease.Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the literature using the PubMed®, EMBASE® and Cochrane databases (search dates 1/1/1965 to 1/26/15) was conducted to identify peer-reviewed publications relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of PD. The review yielded an evidence base of 303 articles after application of inclusion/exclusion criteria.Results: The systematic review was used to create guideline statements regarding treatment of PD. When sufficient evidence existed, the body of evidence for a particular treatment was assigned a strength rating of A (high quality evidence; high certainty), B (moderate quality evidence; moderate certainty), or C (low quality evidence; low certainty). Evidence-based statements of Strong, Moderate, or Conditional Recommendation were developed based on benefits and risks/burdens to patients. Additional consensus statements related to the diag...
SymmTop: A Symmetric Circuit Topology for Ultra Low Power Wide Temperature-Range Applications

A major roadblock for ultra-low power (ULP) circuits lies in increased sensitivity to process variations at near- and sub-VT. Additionally, temperature variations can be detrimental to circuit functionality for energy harvesting applications operating in outdoor environments. This vulnerability to variations at the device level is exacerbated by imbalances between pull-up (PUN) and pull-down (PDN) networks at the circuit level. In this paper, we propose Symm Top, a symmetric circuit topology in conjunction with a biasing scheme that maintains symmetrically robust operation of ULP energy harvesting systems in a variety of climates, including extreme temperatures. Through noise-analysis and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations performed in a commercial 28nm Fully Depleted Silicon On Insulator (FDSOI) technology, we demonstrate the robustness to variations and extreme temperature ranges of the proposed symmetric 2-to-1 multiplexer design (mirror mux) with bias compared to conventional 2-input NAND and NOR-based circuits. The linearity between temperature and bias makes this scheme easily applicable for programmable sensors in a variety of applications requiring environmental adaptability.
Poly gate depletion effects on NMOS hot carrier reliability

We report the poly depletion effects on hot carrier reliability. Although the poly depletion has been reported to improve the time dependent dielectric breakdown, we have found that the hot carrier reliability is worse. This is due to effective oxide thickness increase at measurement condition. >
Metals in seafood organisms near a large California municipal outfall

Abstract With the possible exception of copper and zinc, eight trace metals in muscle tissue of five popular benthic-feeding sportsfishes caught near the Los Angeles County municipal wastewater outfalls were not concentrated above levels measured in island and coastal control specimens. In contrast, the edible portions of five invertebrate seafood organisms collected from the highly contaminated bottom sediments in this discharge zone did concentrate some of the metals several-fold above control values. The maximum contamination observed was a 10-fold elevation of chromium in abalone and scallop muscle.
Intelligibility of Synthetic Speech for Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Listeners

This study examined the perceived intelligibility of synthetic speech. Participants were adults aged 49–69, one group with normal hearing and one group with acquired sensorineural hearing impairmen...
Participation of Blacks, Puerto Ricans, and Whites in Voluntary Associations: A Test of Current Theories

To interpret the relatively high rates of voluntary organization participation among blacks, theorists have developed deprivation and normative explanations. Both interpretations suggest that oppressed minority groups will develop group coherence and salience to their members. However, unlike the deprivation argument, the normative conception does not view the development of activist norms as an inevitable outcome of this process. By examining the organizational behavior of Puerto Ricans, blacks, and whites in New York City, we test several key postulates from each interpretation. None of the postulates is consistently supported. Most damaging to both arguments is that black ethnic identifiers do not exhibit higher participatory rates than their more assimilated peers. That lower-class black women manifest an unusually active pattern of organizational membership as compared with their male counterparts is shown also to be incompatible with both the deprivation and normative conceptions. Further inquiries into the mechanisms which predispose a particular subgroup within a minority population to be more involved in voluntary organizations than another are recommended. Over the last decade and a half, studies have consistently reported that American black rates of participation in voluntary associations generally equal or surpass those of whites once social class and other background variables are taken into account (Antunes and Gaitz; Clemente and Sauer; *We gratefully acknowledge the helpful suggestions of Sherman Krupp, Marvin E. Olsen, Lauren H. Seiler, and Gaye Tuchman. The author's names are ordered alphabetically to signify equal authorship. The work reported in this paper was supported in part by NIMH Grant # 1RO2 MH 23806-015R to Donald Treiman, principal investigator, at the Center for Policy Research.
Measurement of acetylcholine turnover with glucose used as precursor: evidence for compartmentation of glucose metabolism in brain.

— The turnover of acetylcholine in whole mouse brain in vivo has been determined using [U-14C]glucose as a precursor of the acetyl moiety. The standard requirements for the measurement of turnover were met: the injection did not change the concentrations of precursor or product, the amount of radioactivity in the brain was proportional to the amount injected, and the relationship between the specific activity of glucose and that of acetylcholine was typical of a precursor and a product. The value for acetylcholine turnover was 64 pmol/min per mg protein, approx 6.4 nmol/min per g brain. Treatment with amobarbital (0.16 mmol/kg) decreased the incorporation of glucose into acetylcholine by 73 × 7%, and treatment with atropine increased it by 18 × 6%. These values agree with those using choline as a precursor, supporting the validity of the values for turnover obtained with either labelled precursor. The specific activity of acetylcholine was higher than that of pyruvate at all times in mouse brain in vivo and in rat brain slices in vitro. These observations demonstrate compartmentation of glucose metabolism with respect to acetylcholine synthesis in the brain. They agree with observations by others of compartmentation of acetyl metabolism. They provide an explanation for the close linkage which has been observed between carbohydrate catabolism and acetylcholine synthesis in the CNS.
Transportation Innovation and Social Complexity among Maritime Hunter-Gatherer Societies

Advanced watercraft were in use at historic contact among a number of the most complex hunting-gathering societies of western North America, including the Chumash and the Nootkans. Though anthropologists often relegate technological innovations to very minor roles as stimuli toward social evolution and power inequities, archaeological analyses of long-term cultural change cannot afford to ignore the many social, symbolic, and practical implications of major innovations in transportation. Analysis of the linkages between watercraft and political, ideological, and economic systems reveals a strong association between social complexity and transportation of high capacity and range among maritime peoples.