cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How the Interplay between Financial and Nonfinancial Measures Affects Management Forecasting Behavior

ABSTRACT This study examines how the interplay between financial and nonfinancial measures (NFMs) affects management forecasting behavior. Building on the knowledge that NFMs are typically aligned ...
English language proficiency trajectories of Latino EL students in dual language programs

The purpose of this research is to examine the English language proficiency trajectories of 2,201 fourth- through eighth-grade Latino English learner (EL) students who differed by current English l...
The relationship between gastroesophageal junction integrity and symptomatic fundoplication outcomes.

The majority of patients who undergo a laparoscopic fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have a structural (hiatal hernia, shortened lower esophageal sphincter [LES]) or functional (weak LES) defect of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ). We hypothesized that the symptomatic outcomes of fundoplication in patients with a competent GEJ prior to surgery are inferior to those with an incompetent GEJ. This is a retrospective review of prospectively maintained data on subjects who underwent primary laparoscopic fundoplication (Nissen or Toupet) for medically refractory and confirmed GERD. Three esophageal manometry variables were used to determine GEJ competency: (1) hiatal hernia (normal = no hernia), (2) total lower esophageal sphincter length (normal ≥ 2.43 cm), and (3) lower esophageal sphincter pressure (normal = 15.0–43.7 mmHg). Patients in the competent group had normal values for all 3 variables. Symptomatic outcomes were assessed with the GERD Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) survey administered pre- and postoperatively, and then compared both intragroup, intergroup, and by procedure. A total of 78 patients met inclusion criteria—17 competent GEJ and 61 incompetent GEJ patients. GERD-HRQL scores improved in the incompetent cohort at all intervals out to 2 years postoperatively. GERD-HRQL improved in the competent cohort at 2 months, with no difference at 6 months or 2 years postoperatively compared to preoperative scores. Competent GEJ patients receiving a Nissen fundoplication had a higher rate of additional procedures (endoscopy with or without dilation, pH studies) following surgery to address recurrent or persistent GERD symptoms compared to Toupet. GERD patients with a competent GEJ report a lower GERD-HRQL with more frequent and severe reflux symptoms up to 2 years post-fundoplication. Competent GEJ patients receiving a Nissen fundoplication are more likely to have additional procedures to address symptoms following surgery. Surgeons should approach patients with a competent GEJ and medically refractory GERD with caution.
Imaging of Precision Therapy for Lung Cancer: Current State of the Art.

The knowledge of the recent advances of precision lung cancer therapy and their impact on image-based diagnosis and treatment monitoring is essential for radiologists to continue to be key members ...
Nonlocal Poincaré Inequalities for Integral Operators with Integrable Nonhomogeneous Kernels

The paper provides two versions of nonlocal Poincare-type inequalities for integral operators with a convolution-type structure and functions satisfying a zero-Dirichlet like condition. The inequalities extend existing results to a large class of nonhomogeneous kernels with supports that can vary discontinuously and need not contain a common set throughout the domain. The measure of the supports may even vanish allowing the zero-Dirichlet condition to be imposed on only a lower-dimensional manifold, with or without boundary. The conditions may be imposed on sets with co-dimension larger than one or even at just a single point. This appears to currently be the first such results in a nonlocal setting with integrable kernels. The arguments used are direct, and examples are provided demonstrating the explicit dependence of bounds for the Poincare constant upon structural parameters of the kernel and domain.
Effect of Elaeis guineensis (Jacq) leaf extracts on crude oil-induced genotoxicity in Wistar albino rats

Abstract The objective of the study was to determine the ameliorative effect of extracts of Elaeis guineensis leaves on crude oil induced genotoxicity. One hundred and twenty mature male albino Wistar rats were mobilised for this investigation. The rats were acclimatized for fourteen days on grower's mash. The experiment was divided into three categories: Pre-treatment, co-treatment, post-treatment. In each category, rats were indiscriminately allotted to eight groups. Five rats made a group. Rats fed grower's mash only constitute Group 1. Rats in Group 2 were fed with crude oil contaminated feed (COCF). Group 3 to Group 8 were fed with COCF and then administered aqueous, methanol, ethanol acetone, petroleum ether and blended mixture of E. guineensis leaves extract, respectively. The rats in all groups had water ad libitum and were exposed to each diet for a period of 56 days. Biochemical analyses were carried out. In the various stages of contamination, significant (p ˂ 0.05) increases were observed in micronuclei erythrocyte and fragmented deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) in the liver of Group 2 when compared with the control. The oral administration of E. guineensis leaves extracts significantly decreased the observed micronuclei erythrocyte and fragmented DNA in liver relative to rats fed COCF but with no treatment. The study has established that pre-treatment, post-treatment and co-treatment of rats with E. guineensis extracts reversed the genotoxic effect induced by consumption of COCF in rats.
Suturable mesh better resists early laparotomy failure in a cyclic ball-burst model

The small bites surgical technique supported by the STITCH trial has been touted as a strategy for preventing early laparotomy dehiscence through greater force distribution at the suture–tissue interface. However, this hernia prevention strategy requires an alteration in the standard closure technique that has not been widely adopted in the USA. This study seeks to determine whether incorporating a mid-weight polypropylene mesh material into a hollow-bore surgical suture material will effectively increase the force distribution at the suture–tissue interface and potentially help prevent early laparotomy dehiscence in an ex vivo model. A cyclic stress ball-burst model was used to compare suturable mesh (0 DuraMesh™) to conventional suture. After midline laparotomy, 28 porcine abdominal wall specimens were closed with either 0 DuraMesh™ or #1 polydioxanone double-loop suture. A custom 3D-printed ball-burst test apparatus was used to fatigue the repair on a MTS Bionix Load Frame. The tissue was repetitively stressed at a physiological force of 15–120 N cycled at a rate of 0.25 Hz for a total of 1000 repetitions, followed by a load to failure, and the maximal force was recorded. The mean maximal force at suture pull-through was significantly higher (p < 0.0095) in the 0 DuraMesh suture group (mean: 850.1 N) compared to the 1 PDS group (mean: 714.7 N). This ex vivo study suggests that using rational suture design to improve force distribution at the suture–tissue interface may be a viable strategy for preventing the suture pull-through that drives incisional hernia.
Inhibition of LIPG phospholipase activity suppresses tumor formation of human basal-like triple-negative breast cancer

The endothelial lipase LIPG possesses serine phospholipase activity and is involved in lipoprotein metabolism. Our previous studies have revealed that LIPG overexpression is required for tumor formation and metastasis of human basal-like triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We also demonstrated that LIPG differentially regulates TNBC malignancy through its enzymatic and non-enzymatic functions. The present studies were aimed at determining how XEN445, a specific inhibitor targeting LIPG phospholipase activity, impacts on TNBC tumor formation and malignant features. We established a cell-based LIPG enzymatic assay system to measure the inhibitory effect of XEN445 on LIPG phospholipase activity and determine its IC50. We found that XEN445 preferentially inhibited the proliferation of LIPG-expressing TNBC cells but not LIPG-negative luminal breast cancer cells. XEN445 inhibited the self-renewal of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in vitro and TNBC tumor formation in vivo. However, XEN445 had no inhibitory effect on the invasiveness and CSC stemness of TNBC cells. Our studies suggest that targeting both LIPG enzymatic and non-enzymatic functions is an important strategy for the treatment of TNBC.
Pharmacologic intervention for the management of retained placenta: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background Retained placenta affects 2% to 3.3% of all vaginal deliveries and is one of the leading causes of postpartum hemorrhage worldwide. Despite the prevalence of this condition, there is limited guidance on its management. Objective A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacologic interventions for the management of retained placenta. Study Design PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov , Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for full-text publications in English. Search terms included “retained placenta” AND “treatment” OR “therapy” OR “disease management” OR “Pitocin” OR “misoprostol” OR “Cytotec” OR “dinoprostone” OR “nitroglycerin” OR “carbetocin” OR “ergotamine,” with no restriction on publication dates. Only randomized controlled trials were included. The primary outcome was the need for manual extraction of the placenta or dilation and curettage. Reviewers evaluated the quality of included articles using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing the risk of bias. Pooled risk ratios were estimated based on random- and fixed-effects analyses. Interstudy heterogeneity was considered when I2≥50%. Results The literature search identified 29 randomized controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria (2682 subjects). The most commonly used agent across the studies was oxytocin administered via umbilical vein injection; there was high heterogeneity among these studies (I2=62%). Oxytocin was inferior to carbetocin (risk ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–2.52) and prostaglandins (risk ratio, 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–5.86) for the primary outcome. For oxytocin, prostaglandin agents, and nitroglycerin, there was a trend toward favoring the study drug for the primary outcome compared with control or placebo. Compared with placebo or control, estimated blood loss was lower if pharmacologic interventions were administered, with a mean difference of 121.5 mL (95% confidence interval, −185.7 to −52.3). There was no difference in postpartum hemorrhage or the need for blood transfusion between pharmacologic interventions and placebo or control. Conclusion Pooled estimates for oxytocin via umbilical vein injection, prostaglandin agents, and nitroglycerin performed favorably compared with placebo or control for the management of retained placenta. Carbetocin and prostaglandin agents were superior to oxytocin in reducing the need for manual extraction or dilation and curettage.
Complete Venous Ulceration Healing after Perforator Ablation Does Not Depend on Treatment Modality

Background Venous leg ulceration (VLU) represents the most advanced form of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Persistent VLU that fails to respond to noninvasive treatment requires a minimally invasive endovascular treatment, which may include chemical (ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy [UGFS]) and thermal ablation (endovenous laser therapy [EVLT] or radiofrequency ablation [RFA]) targeting incompetent veins. Current guidelines suggest ablation of incompetent perforating veins (IPVs) juxtaposed to active or healed VLU; however, the ideal treatment modality is unknown. We hypothesize that similar to incompetent superficial vein treatment options therapies, VLU healing will be equivalent across minimally invasive IPV treatment options. Methods Using the Vascular Low Frequency Disease Consortium, adults with VLU across 11 medical centers were retrospectively reviewed (2013–2017). We included those who underwent IPV therapies. The primary outcome was complete ulcer healing over time compared with cumulative hazard curves, log-rank testing, and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression. Secondary outcomes included number of subsequent procedures, which were compared using negative binomial regression. Results Of the 832 adults with VLU, 158 (19%) were exclusively treated conservatively, and 232 (28%) underwent index treatment for IPV and constitute the full and final cohort. The mean age was 60 ± 14 years, 57% were men, and the mean ulcer area was 3.0 cm2 (interquartile range, 1–6 cm2). Ninety-one (39%) were treated with EVLT, 127 (55%) RFA, and 14 (6%) UGFS. Patients treated with RFA were older (RFA 62 ± 14 years; EVLT 59 ± 14 years; UGFS 52 ± 9 years; P = 0.01), more likely to be men (RFA 68%, n = 86; EVLT 41%, n = 37; UGFS 64%, n = 9; P Conclusions This multi-institutional retrospective study does not demonstrate any association of IPV treatment modality with differing rates of VLU healing or number of subsequent procedures.
Spectroscopic and Photophysical Investigation of Model Dipyrroles Common to Bilins: Exploring Natural Design for Steering Torsion to Divergent Functions.

Biliproteins are a unique class of photosynthetic proteins in their diverse, and at times, divergent biophysical function. The two contexts of photosynthetic light harvesting and photoreception demonstrate characteristically opposite criteria for success, with light harvesting demanding structurally-rigid chromophores which minimize excitation quenching, and photoreception requiring structural flexibility to enable conformational isomerization. The functional plasticity borne out in these two biological contexts is a consequence of the structural plasticity of the pigments utilized by biliproteins―linear tetrapyrroles, or bilins. In this work, the intrinsic flexibility of the bilin framework is investigated in a bottom-up approach by reducing the active nuclear degrees of freedom through model dipyrrole subunits of the bilin core and terminus free of external protein interactions. Steady-state spectroscopy was carried out on the dipyrrole (DPY) and dipyrrinone (DPN) subunits free in solution to characterize their intrinsic spectroscopic properties including absorption strengths and nonradiative activity. Transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy was utilized to determine the mechanism and kinetics of nonradiative decay of the dipyrrole subunits, revealing dynamics dominated by rapid internal conversion with some Z→E isomerization observable in DPY. Computational analysis of the ground state conformational landscapes indicates enhanced complexity in the asymmetric terminal subunit, and the prediction was confirmed by heterogeneity of species and kinetics observed in TA. Taken together, the large oscillator strengths (f ~ 0.6) of the dipyrrolic derivatives and chemically-efficient spectral tunability seen through the ~100 nm difference in absorption spectra, validate Nature's "selection" of multi-pyrrole pigments for light capture applications. However, the rapid deactivation of the excited state via their natural torsional activity when free in solution would limit their effective biological function. Comparison with phytochrome and phycocyanin 645 crystal structures reveals binding motifs within the in vivo bilin environment that help to facilitate or inhibit specific inter-pyrrole twisting vital for protein operation.
Baking for economics and the community–An experiential learning project for the principles of microeconomics class

Abstract This paper introduces an experiential learning project for the principles of microeconomics class. In this project, students create a baking business and act as entrepreneurs, from conducting market research, engaging in production and sales, to evaluating their business’s financial performance. This hands-on project not only covers a wide range of learning objectives, including demand and supply, elasticity, market efficiency, production costs, and market structures, but also offers students an opportunity to improve their communication skills, problem-solving skills, time management skills, and teamwork skills. This paper introduces the project and provides supplemental materials for instructors to evaluate student performance in this project. This paper also discusses several modifications to shorten or expand this project to meet different learning objectives for various class sizes and class formats.
Breast carcinoma litigation

Questions concerning the use of family disease history and genetic testing in breast carcinoma patients have brought medical issues to the courts. Judicial answers with regard to the necessity for family history elucidation and the at risk status of asymptomatic carriers of genes associated with heritable disease have been recently recorded and are presented in this article. Cancer 1997; 80:600-5. © 1997 American Cancer Society
Navigating Ethical Issues in Photovoice: Balancing the Principles of Community-Based Participatory Research Ethics with Institutional Review Board Requirements.

This article reflects on ethical issues that arose during the course of two different evaluation projects that used photovoice method to engage with marginalized populations. The evaluations serve ...
'The Explanation You Have Been Looking For': Neurobiology as Promise and Hermeneutic Closure.

The biomedical aspiration of psychiatry has fundamentally reoriented clinical practice since the DSM-III in 1980 and reverberated in the public sphere. Over time, lay public understanding of the causes of mental suffering has increasingly endorsed biological conceptions. In this paper, I explore the sources from which a neurobiological model for mental suffering reaches ordinary people, and investigate its rhetorical appeal, personal appropriation, and consequences. Drawing on interviews and other data, I show that these sources—physicians, popular media, and advertising—share common ontological and moral assumptions. These assumptions, in turn, influence how people take up neurobiological explanation to account for their suffering, and how, paradoxically, they join it to their projects of self-determination. I conclude by considering how, from a phenomenological perspective, a neurobiological account fails to enhance self-knowledge or determination but leads to a hermeneutic dead end.
Estimating hearing aid fitting presets with machine learning–based clustering strategies

Although there exist nearly 35 × 106 hearing impaired people in the U.S., only an estimated 25% use hearing aids (HA), while others elect not to use prescribed HAs. Lack of HA acceptance can be attributed to several factors including (i) performance variability in diverse environments, (ii) time-to-convergence for best HA operating configuration, (iii) unrealistic expectations, and (iv) cost/insurance. This study examines a nationwide dataset of pure-tone audiograms and HA fitting configurations. An overview of data characteristics is presented, followed by use of machine learning clustering to suggest ways of obtaining effective starting configurations, thereby reducing time-to-convergence to improve HA retention.
Extension to Arbitrary Tensors

In Chap. 15, the invariant derivative operator \(\dot{\nabla }\) was defined for variants of order zero. The new operator proved to have a number of essential features including the tensor property—that is, producing tensor outputs for tensor inputs. Even with that narrow definition, the new operator demonstrated its impressive utility in equations (15.54) and (15.56) for evaluating the rates of change of volume and surface integrals. However, analysis of all but a few problems is impossible, unless the new derivative is extended to all objects encountered on surfaces which includes variants with arbitrary indicial signatures. The development of this extension is the subject of this chapter.
Chain Propagation Mechanisms

The copolymers of olefins with carbon monoxide are of great interest from at least four standpoints [1. First, as a monomer, carbon monoxide is particularly plentiful and inexpensive. Second, the presence of the carbonyl chromophore in the backbone makes them photodegradable [2], A third reason for the interest in olefin-carbon monoxide copolymers is that, because of the ease with which the carbonyl group can be chemically modified, the polyketones serve as excellent starting materials for other classes of functionalized polymers. In fact, about two dozen polymers incorporating a variety of functional groups have been previously synthesized [la] from the random ethylene-carbon monoxide copolymer (C2H4:CO>1) made through radical-initiated polymerization. Since carbon monoxide does not homopolymerize, the alternating olefin-carbon monoxide copolymers (olefin: CO = 1) have the highest possible concentration of the reactive carbonyl groups. Moreover, the 1,4-arrangement of the carbonyl groups in the alternating olefin-carbon monoxide copolymers provides additional functionalization pathways [3]. Finally, specific interest in the alternating ethylene-carbon monoxide copolymer stems from its high mechanical strength which results from its high crystallinity [1c,d,4]. To date, the metal ions that have been found to be active for the copolymerization and cooligomerization of vinyl monomers with carbon monoxide are palladium(II), nickel(II), and rhodium(I). The mechanistic pathways through which chain growth occurs at these metal centers are discussed below.
Do we talk differently: cross culture study on conference call

Cross cultural collaboration is popular in the world with increasing globalization, where cultural issues are important to be explored. In this paper, we reported an investigation of culture differences and cultural effects on communication problems in cross culture conference call using an ethnographic technique which refers to long interviews. In these interviews, communication differences among Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Americans were investigated. Our results showed that (1) culture differences in conference call existed in the dimensions of indirectness, power distance, assertiveness, language and speaker-centered vs. listener-centered; (2) and these culture differences caused communication problems in conference call such as misunderstanding, bad impression, unequal participation.
Computational biology on parallel computers

Several applications in computational biology have large runtime and memory requirements either because of large data sizes or the inherent time and memory complexity of the underlying algorithms. Parallel computing is an effective way to address both these concerns — run-time can be reduced by the use of multiple processors to solve the same problem and the scaling of memory with processors enables the solution of larger problems than otherwise possible. In this paper, we describe efficient parallel solutions for three important applications in computational biology: 1) Computing alignments of large stretches of genomes, 2) clustering Expressed Sequence Tags and 3) Computing the accessible surface area of protein molecules. We report experimental results on a 64-processor IBM xSeries parallel computer. We conclude the paper by arguing that parallel computational biology is an important subdiscipline that merits significant research attention.
A generalized ICE method for chemically reactive flows in combustion systems

Abstract A generalization of the Implicit Continuous-Fluid Eulerian (ICE) technique has been developed for the calculation of fluid flows in the presence of rapid exothermic chemical reactions typical of combustion environments. Systematic errors occur in the conventional operator splitting solution technique for the case of exothermic chemically reactive flows. These errors are the result of a biasing in the order in which the ICE and its derivative techniques solve the relevant conservation equations. Exothermic chemical reactions and thermal energy transport play important roles in determining the time-advanced pressure in the implicit treatment of the hydrodynamics for combustion environments, and the ICE models do not properly include these effects. The generalized ICE method presented corrects these systematic errors by properly coupling all of the operators which can have significant effects on the fluid pressure. The conventional solution method and the generalized method are each applied to a sample problem in order to illustrate the differences in the models.
Mature Body Weight and Life Span of Male and Female Progeny of Primiparous Rats Fed a Low Protein or Adequate Diet Throughout Pregnancy

Sixty-one primiparous Sprague-Dawley female rats were fed an adequate diet containing 5% protein (experiment 1) or 8% protein (experiment 2) throughout gestation. Low dietary protein reduced individual pup birth weight in both experiments (P less than .01 in experiment 1 and P less than .10 in experiment 2) and drastically decreased early postnatal survival in experiment 1. Weaning weight of survivors was reduced by gestation protein deprivation in experiment 1 but no in experiment 2. Male and female progeny surviving to weaning in experiment 1 and randomly selected progeny from each maternal treatment in experiment 2 were caged individually and fed ad libitum and nutritionally adequate corn-soybean meal-type diet throughout the entire life span. Body weight were recorded monthly beginning in young adulthood and continuing until death. Life span (in days) was recorded for each rat. Mature body weight of male and female progeny of dams fed restricted protein during gestation was less in both experiments than that of offspring from dams fed an adequate diet (P less than .01). There was no effect of prenatal nutrition on life span in either experiment, but females lived significantly longer than males in both experiments (p less than .05). It is concluded that maternal protein restriction during gestation of a magnitude large enough to reduce pup birth weight causes a significant reduction in mature body size of the progeny without affecting longevity in the rat.
An Introduction to the Symposium

This paper presents an introduction to the EEJ symposium. It initially focuses on the problems that have arisen in the wake of the ascendancy of the neo-liberal model into the realm of international Policymaking. Liberalization, privatization, and stabilization have been introduced with little regard to the stages, history, organizational capabilities and institutional settings of individual developing and transitional economies. Although liberalization engenders shifts in political and economic power, the architects of reform have failed to concern themselves with the potential implications to social structures of countries. The introduction focuses on three issues that concatenate the papers in the symposium: problems with property rights, theoretical and practical problems with the stabilization model, and the weaknesses embedded in the theory underlying financial liberalization. In the conclusions, they briefly point the way to alternatives to orthodox reform.
Designing a Class Activity to Enhance Business Students' Learning of Management Information Systems

To understand what happened when students were given the power of being able to choose what to learn and how to learn, using a qualitative approach, this paper has evaluated a business classroom activity. Based on the philosophy of learning as a process, we have found that two students team up to work on an IT trend report and presentation is a meaningful learning experience. Students have brought a variety of new IT topics to the classroom that the textbook even does not cover. This exercise also offer three ways of learning, learning individually, learning from others and learning by doing, which support three learning outcomes: interaction, collaboration and critical thinking. The activity is also meaningful in that the process of learning is relevant to students as future managers and business professionals, and that it facilitates critical thinking. We conclude the paper with implications for and recommendations to researchers, educators and students as well as the challenges we, as educators, may face in the future.
Nutrients and water masses in the Gulf of Maine - Georges Bank region: Variability and importance to blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense.

Abstract We report here the results of ten oceanographic survey cruises carried out in the Gulf of Maine–Georges Bank region of the Northwest Atlantic during the late spring to summer period in 2007, 2008 and 2010, for which we examine and characterize relationships among dissolved inorganic nutrient fields, water mass dynamics and cell densities of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense . Nutrients are supplied to continental shelf waters of the Gulf of Maine–Georges Bank region by inflows of deep offshore water masses; once in the Gulf they are transported with the residual circulation and mix with surface waters, both in the Gulf and on the Bank. Those fluxes of offshore water masses and their nutrient loads are the major source of nutrients for phytoplankton production in the region, including annual blooms of A. fundyense in the Gulf and on Georges Bank. This much is already known. We suggest here that the locations and magnitude of A. fundyense blooms are controlled in part by variable nutrient fluxes to the interior Gulf of Maine from offshore, and, those interior Gulf of Maine waters are, in turn, the main nutrient source to Georges Bank, which are brought onto the Bank by tidal pumping on the Northern Flank. We present evidence that nitrate is the initial form of nitrogenous nutrient for A. fundyense blooms, but it is quickly depleted to limiting concentrations of less than 0.5 µM, at which time continued growth and maintenance of the population is likely fueled by recycled ammonium. We also show that phosphate may be the limiting nutrient over much of Georges Bank in summer, allowing recycled ammonium concentrations to increase. Our temperature–salinity analyses reveal spatial and temporal (seasonal and interannual) variability in the relative proportions of two deep source waters that enter the Gulf of Maine at depth through the Northeast Channel: Warm Slope Water (WSW) and Labrador Slope Water (LSW). Those two source waters are known to vary in their nutrient loads, with nitrate concentrations about 50% higher in WSW than LSW, for example, and as such the proportions of these two water masses to one another are important determinants of the overall nutrient loads in the interior Gulf. In addition to these deep slope water fluxes, we show evidence here of episodic fluxes of relatively fresh and low-nutrient shelf waters from the Nova Scotian Shelf, which enter the Gulf in pulses at depths between the surface and approximately 150 m, displacing deep slope waters, and consequently they significantly dilute the Gulf's interior waters, reducing nutrient concentrations and, in turn, affect the magnitude of A. fundyense blooms.
Nanometer-Scale Pores: Potential Applications for Analyte Detection and DNA Characterization

Several classes of transmembrane protein ion channels function in vivo as sensitive and selective detection elements for analytes. Recent studies on single channels reconstituted into planar lipid bilayer membranes suggest that nanometer-scale pores can be used to detect, quantitate and characterize a wide range of analytes that includes small ions and single stranded DNA. We briefly review here these studies and identify leaps in technology that, if realized, might lead to innovations for the early detection of cancer.
Do topical antibiotics help prevent infection in minor traumatic uncomplicated soft tissue wounds

b h i e o e a i s s 3 [Ann Emerg Med. 2013;61:86-88.] Editor’s Note: Emergency physicians must often make decisions about patient management without clear-cut data of sufficient quality to support clinical guidelines or evidence-based reviews. Topics in the Best Available Evidence section must be relevant to emergency physicians, are formally peer reviewed, and must have a sufficient literature base to draw a reasonable conclusion but not such a large literature base that a traditional ”evidence-based” review, meta-analysis, or systematic review can be performed.
Usefulness of a pediatric colonoscope for colonoscopy in adults.

Abstract Background: There are few published data on how different types of colonoscopes affect success in reaching the cecum and patient comfort. We examined the feasibility of using a pediatric colonoscope for routine colonoscopy in adults and investigated whether there were subgroups of patients in whom use of this instrument was preferable. Methods: One-hundred fifty adults undergoing outpatient colonoscopy were randomized to colonoscopy with a standard colonoscope (Olympus CF-100L) or with a pediatric colonoscope (Olympus PCF-100). All procedures were performed by a faculty endoscopist and timed by an independent observer. After examinations, the endoscopist graded procedure difficulty and patients were given a questionnaire that assessed their experience. Results: The adult (n = 77) and pediatric (n = 73) colonoscope groups were comparable in all outcomes measured, including success in reaching the cecum (91% vs. 93%, p = 0.61), mean time to reach the cecum (11.4 vs. 9.7 min, p = 0.07), mean total procedure time (21.8 vs. 21.9 min, p = 0.95), mean meperidine dose (55 vs. 52 mg, p = 0.17); median midazolam dose (2.0 mg in both groups, p = 0.10), the endoscopists' perception of procedure difficulty, and patient comfort scales. Of the 7 patients in whom colonoscopy with the adult colonoscope was unsuccessful, the cecum was reached in 4 by switching to a pediatric colonoscope (all women, 3 of whom had prior hysterectomy). In the 5 patients in whom colonoscopy with the pediatric colonoscope was unsuccessful, the cecum was reached in 1 by switching to an adult colonoscope. Including the cases in which the cecum was reached by switching to the alternative colonoscope, the overall frequency of cecal intubation was 143 of 150 (95%). Subgroup analysis disclosed no difference between the 2 groups in outcomes when gender, presence of diverticulosis, and patient size were considered. Colonoscopy with the pediatric colonoscope was more successful than with the adult instrument in reaching the cecum in women with prior hysterectomy (11 of 12 [92%] vs. 15 of 21 [71%]); however, the numbers in each group were relatively small and the difference was not significant ( p = 0.22). Conclusions: The pediatric colonoscope is suitable for routine colonoscopy in adults. It is also useful in patients in whom colonoscopy with the adult colonoscope is unsuccessful in reaching the cecum (particularly in women). Additional study is needed to see if the pediatric colonoscope is actually superior to the adult colonoscopy for routine colonoscopy in women with prior hysterectomy. (Gastrointest Endosc 2000;51:314-7.)
Chest Wall Stabilization Using Plate Fixation

Large defects of the chest wall require stabilization of the remaining thorax to prevent paradoxical movement. A technique of fixation using rib grafts and compression plates is presented.
Effect of organoclay on the morphology, phase stability and mechanical properties of polypropylene/polystyrene blends

Abstract The effect of organically modified clay on the morphology, phase stability and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) blends was studied using three molecular weight grades of PP. Maleated polypropylene was used, at a PP-g-MA/organoclay ratio of 1, to preferentially promote dispersion of the organoclay in the PP matrix. The MMT content was fixed at 3 wt% based on the PP/PP-g-MA/MMT phase and the PS content was varied from 0–100 wt% in the blend. All blends were processed using a twin screw extruder. The organoclay resides in the PP phase and at the PP/PS interface. The dispersed PS particle size is significantly reduced by the presence of MMT, with maximum decrease observed for the low viscosity PP compared to its blend without MMT. The blends with MMT did not show any change in onset of co-continuity, though MMT shifts the phase inversion composition toward lower PS contents. The phase stability of the blend was significantly improved by the presence of MMT; for blends annealed at 210 °C for 2 h the dispersed phase particle size increased by as much as 10x without MMT with little change was noted with MMT present in the blend. The tensile modulus of blends improved with the addition of MMT at low PS contents. Blends based on the highest molecular weight grade PP showed increase in the tensile yield stress up to 40 wt% PS in the absence of MMT. The tensile strength at break for blend increased slightly with MMT while elongation at break and impact strength decreased in the presence of MMT. Surface energy analysis model was used to predict the orientation and equilibrium position of the clay platelet at the interface based on the surface energies.
Cavity ringdown spectroscopic detection of nitric oxide with a continuous-wave quantum-cascade laser

A spectroscopic gas sensor for nitric oxide (NO) detection based on a cavity ringdown technique was designed and evaluated. A cw quantum-cascade distributed-feedback laser operating at 5.2 mum was used as a tunable single-frequency light source. Both laser-frequency tuning and abrupt interruptions of the laser radiation were performed through manipulation of the laser current. A single ringdown event sensitivity to absorption of 2.2 x 10(-8) cm(-1) was achieved. Measurements of parts per billion (ppb) NO concentrations in N(2) with a 0.7-ppb standard error for a data collection time of 8 s have been performed. Future improvements are discussed that would allow quantification of NO in human breath.
Backward masking in monkeys after foveal prestriate and inferior temporal cortex lesions

In the monkey, foveal prestriate and inferior temporal cortex lesions produce a profound impairment of visual discrimination learning. In this experiment, we examined whether these impairments were associated with a loss of visual sensitivity under conditions of visual masking. Backward masking curves were obtained for two monkeys before and after temporal lobe lesions and for one normal human subject. When tested under the same conditions, human and animal curves were the same. The lesions had no effect on visual masking, although they did impair visual learning.
Phase-contrast digital tomosynthesis.

Purpose: Phase-contrast (PC) edge enhancement occurs at the boundary between different tissues and is an interference effect that results from the differential phase-shifts that the x-rays acquire while traversing the two tissues. While observable in planar phase-contrast radiographs, the impact of digital tomosynthesis on this edge enhancement effect has not been previously reported. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate: (1) that phase-contrast digital tomosynthesis (PC-DTS) is possible with a conventional x-ray source, (2) that the reconstructedtomosynthesisimages demonstrate and retain edge enhancement as compared to planar phase-contrast radiographs and (3) tomosynthesis improves object contrast by reducing the effects of superimposed structures. Methods: An unmodified, commercially available cabinet x-ray system (Faxitron LX-60) was used. The system contains a tungsten anode x-ray tube that was operated at 24 kVp and 3 mAs for each PC radiographicimage taken, with a nominal focal spot size of 0.010 mm. The digital detector uses CsI/CMOS with a pixel size of 0.054 mm × 0.054 mm. Objects to be imaged were attached to a computer-controlled rotating motor and are rotated ± 25° about a central position in one degree increments. At each increment, three phase-contrast radiographs are taken and then averaged to reduce the effect of noise. These planar images are then used to reconstruct a series of 56 longitudinal tomographic images with an image offset increment of about 0.7 mm. Results: Tomographic z-plane resolution was measured to be approximately 4 mm. When compared to planar PC images, the tomosynthesisimages were shown to retain the PC boundary edge enhancement in addition to an improvement in object contrast. Conclusions: Our work demonstrates that PC digital tomosynthesis retains the edge-enhancement observed in planar PC radiograph and further improves soft-tissue conspicuity by reducing the effects of superimposed tissue structure.
Low temperature synthesis of ZnS and CdZnS shells on CdSe quantum dots

Methods for synthesizing quantum dots generally rely on very high temperatures to both nucleate and grow core and core-shell semiconductor nanocrystals. In this work, we generate highly monodisperse ZnS and CdZnS shells on CdSe semiconductor nanocrystals at temperatures as low as 65 degrees C by enhancing the precursor solubility. Relatively small amounts of trioctylphosphine and trioctylphosphine oxide have marked effects on the solubility of the metal salts used to form shells; their inclusion in the precursor solutions, which use thiourea as a sulfur source, can lead to homogeneous and fully dissolved solutions. Upon addition to suspensions of quantum dot cores, these precursors deposit as uniform shells; the lowest temperature for shell growth (65 degrees C) yields the thinnest shells (d < 1 nm) while the same process at higher temperatures (180 degrees C) forms thicker shells (d approximately 1-2 nm). The growth of the shell structures, average particle size, size distribution, and shape were examined using optical spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and transmittance small angle x-ray scattering. The photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) of the as-prepared CdSe/ZnS quantum dots ranged from 26% to 46% as compared to 10% for the CdSe cores. This method was further generalized to CdZnS shells by mixing cadmium and zinc acetate precursors. The CdSe/CdZnS nanocrystals have a thicker shell and higher QY (40% versus 36%) as compared to the CdSe/ZnS prepared under similar conditions. These low temperature methods for shell growth are readily amenable to scale-up and can provide a route for economical and less energy intensive production of quantum dots.
Functionalization of 3,5,8-Trichlorinated BODIPY Dyes

Catalytic hydrogenation of dibenzyl 5-dipyrroketone-2,9-dicarboxylates followed by decarboxylative iodination affords a 2,9-diiododipyrroketone which gives a 2,5,9-trichlorodipyrromethene hydrochloride after nucleophilic addition/elimination, with adventitious chloride to replace the two iodide groups. Treatment with BF3·Et2O gives a 3,5,8-trichloro-BODIPY that readily undergoes regioselective Stille coupling at the 8-position, or homo/mixed couplings at the 3,8- or 3,5- and 8-positions. Stepwise and controlled replacement of the 3,5- and 8-chlorine atoms using Stille reagents results in formation of a completely unsymmetrical trisubstituted BODIPY. Several examples of unsymmetrical BODIPYs were synthesized and characterized using this methodology. Structure features of new BODIPYs are discussed within the context of 14 new X-ray structures, and photophysical parameters of all new BODIPY compounds are reported and discussed.
Positron emission tomography scanning in malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND Several recent studies have demonstrated the low yield of anatomically based computed tomography scans in evaluating Stage III (American Joint Committee on Cancer) patients with malignant melanoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and clinical utility of functionally based positron emission tomography (PET) scans in the same patient population. METHODS A prospective evaluation of 106 whole body PET scans obtained after injection of 2-fluorine-18, 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) was performed in 95 patients with clinically evident Stage III lymph node and/or in-transit melanoma. Areas of abnormality on FDG PET scanning were identified visually as foci of increased metabolic activity compared with background, and all positive foci were assessed pathologically. RESULTS In this patient population, there were 234 areas that were evaluated pathologically of which 165 were confirmed histologically to be melanoma. PET scanning identified 144 of the 165 areas of melanoma for a sensitivity of 87.3%. The 21 areas of melanoma that were missed included 10 microscopic foci, 9 foci less than 1 cm, and 2 foci greater than 1 cm. There were 39 areas of increased PET activity that were not associated with malignancy for a 78.6% predictive value of a positive test. Of the 39 false-positive areas (false-positive rate of 56.5%), 13 could be attributed to recent surgery, 3 to arthritis, 3 to infection, 2 to superficial phlebitis, 1 to a benign skin nevus, and 1 to a colonic polyp. Pathologic evaluation of the remaining false-positive areas failed to reveal a definitive etiology for their increased activity on PET scan. With the application of pertinent clinical information, the predictive value of a positive PET scan could be improved to 90.6%. The specificity of PET scanning in this study was only 43.5% because very few prophylactic lymph node dissections were performed. Thirty-six of the total 183 abnormal areas (19.7%) on PET scanning proved to be unsuspected areas of metastatic disease. These findings led to a change in the planned clinical management in patients after 16 of the 106 PET scans (15.1%). CONCLUSIONS FDG PET scanning can be helpful in managing patients with Stage III melanoma in whom further surgery is contemplated. Although false-positive areas are not uncommon, PET scans did change the management of patients 15% of the time. PET's inability to identify microscopic disease suggests that it is of limited use in evaluating patients with Stage I–II disease. Cancer 2000;89:1019–25. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Expression of H-2, laminin and SV40 T and TASA on differentiation of transformed murine teratocarcinoma cells.

Murine embryonal carcinoma cells (ECCs) do not express antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (H–2)1,2, but do express cell-surface molecules shared with early embryos3. ECCs are also characterized by their insusceptibility to infection by various oncogenic viruses4-7, and their ability to differentiate into a variety of adult cell types8. Differentiation of ECCs in vitro can occur spontaneously or can be induced9–12. On exposure to retinoic acid the ECC line F9 (ref. 13) differentiates into cells which have the characteristics of parietal endoderm10,14. When ECCs are exposed to simian virus 40 (SV40), the SV40 tumour (T) antigen is not expressed4, although the virus genome reaches the nucleus15, and a primary transcript of the SV40 A gene is made16. However, following exposure to retinoic acid, the differentiated cells, like most mouse somatic cells, are susceptible to SV40 abortive infection and synthesize large T and small t antigens17. To monitor the molecular events associated with the expression of the SV40 A gene on differentiation, we have constructed an ECC line (F9 12–1) containing a single integrated copy of the SV40 genome18. This was accomplished by introducing a recombinant plasmid consisting of pBR322 linked to the herpes simplex type 1 thymidine kinase gene and SV40 genome18 into a thymidine kinase-deficient F9 cell line19. We report here that in F9 12–1 cells exposed to retinoic acid, synthesis of the SV40 A gene product(s), T and tumour-associated specific antigens (TASA), parallels the appearance of the normal hallmarks of differentiation in this cell line, H–2 antigens and the basement membrane protein laminin20.