cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Graft Failure with Fludarabine (Flu), Antithymocyte Globulin (ATG) and a Second Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT).

Failure to engraft after SCT is a life-threatening complication. In a pilot trial, we assessed the feasibility of a second SCT after conditioning with Flu and ATG. Primary graft failure was defined by the inability to achieve any donor cell engraftment and to sustain an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >0.5 x 109/l, for 3 consecutive days by day 28 after SCT. Secondary graft failure was defined as recurrent neutropenia with an ANC 500 at a median of 18 days (range, 9–42 days). Complete disease response was documented in 4 pts including 3 with CML who achieved molecular response, and one with MDS. Three pts had grade 2, and three grade 3–4 acute GVHD. Median survival time of all pts was 7 months from their first SCT (range, 2–24 months). We conclude that Flu/ATG is a feasible regimen for second SCT as treatment for graft failure, allowing engraftment of donor hematopoiesis. GVHD was a major problem, and future studies should include more intense immunosuppressive prophylaxis.
Quantifying the Self-Assembly Behavior of Anisotropic Nanoparticles Using Liquid-Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy

ConspectusFor decades, one of the overarching objectives of self-assembly science has been to define the rules necessary to build functional, artificial materials with rich and adaptive phase behavior from the bottom-up. To this end, the computational and experimental efforts of chemists, physicists, materials scientists, and biologists alike have built a body of knowledge that spans both disciplines and length scales. Indeed, today control of self-assembly is extending even to supramolecular and molecular levels, where crystal engineering and design of porous materials are becoming exciting areas of exploration. Nevertheless, at least at the nanoscale, there are many stones yet to be turned. While recent breakthroughs in nanoparticle (NP) synthesis have amassed a vast library of nanoscale building blocks, NP–NP interactions in situ remain poorly quantified, in large part due to technical and theoretical impediments. While increasingly many applications for self-assembled architectures are being demonstra...
Diagnostic Overshadowing of the Psychiatric Population in the Emergency Department: Physiological Factors Identified for an Early Warning System.

BACKGROUND: Many people with mental disorders in the United States remain either medically untreated or inadequately treated, which is often attributed to diagnostic overshadowing, a common occurrence across the nation in emergency departments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research is to create a tool that supports accurate assessment and distinguishing behavioral symptoms between psychiatric illness and coexisting medical conditions in the emergency department, thus leading to appropriate care and placement. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort design of 133 psychiatric admissions were reviewed between the years 2011 and 2015. RESULTS: Logistic regression retained three factors: age greater than 70 years (odds ratio [OR] = 6.575, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.58-16.76), abnormal heart rate (OR = 8.48, 95% CI = 3.39-28.42), and abnormal temperature (OR = 9.82, 95% CI = 3.91-18.40). The three factors were then placed into a screening tool. The presence of each factor equaled 1 point. If the total score was greate...
Durability and Long-term Clinical Outcomes of Fecal Microbiota Transplant Treatment in Patients With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

Background Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) appears safe and effective for treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (RCDI). However, durability, long-term clinical outcomes, and patient satisfaction after FMT are not well described. Methods Eligible patients who received FMT for RCDI at Emory Hospital between 1 July 2012 and 31 December 2016 were contacted via telephone for a follow-up survey. Of 190 eligible patients, 137 (72%) completed the survey. Results Median time from last FMT to follow-up was 22 months. Overall, 82% (113/137) of patients at follow-up had no recurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI) post-FMT (non-RCDI group) and 18% (24/137) of patients had CDI post-FMT (RCDI group). Antibiotic exposure for non-CDI infections after FMT was more common in the RCDI group compared to the non-RCDI group (75% vs 38%, P = .0009). Overall, 11% of patients reported improvement or resolution of diagnoses not related to CDI post-FMT, and 33% reported development of a new medical condition or symptom post-FMT. Ninety-five percent of patients (122/128) indicated that they would undergo FMT again, and 70% of these 122 reported that they would prefer FMT to antibiotics as initial treatment if they were to have a CDI recurrence. Conclusions In this follow-up survey of outcomes after FMT at a median of 22 months follow-up, 82% of patients had durable cure of CDI. Patients with recurrence had more post-FMT antibiotic exposure, underscoring the need for thoughtful antibiotic use and a potential role for prophylactic microbiome enrichment to reduce recurrence.
Cytoplasmic RNA granules, ribostasis, and neurodegeneration

The regulation of translation and decay of messenger RNA (mRNA) is a key mechanism for control of gene expression. During transcription in the nucleus, nascent mRNAs assemble with a set of RNA-binding proteins to form messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs). These mRNA-binding proteins regulate transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA editing, nucleocytoplasmic transport, translation, turnover, and decay. Upon mRNA translation in the cytosol, mRNA-binding proteins are removed for recycling to the nucleus. When mRNA is not engaged in transcription, mRNPs assemble into cytoplasmic structures, including stress granules and processing (P) bodies. Stress granules form in response to several types of cellular stress and transiently store translationally silent mRNAs, associated with mRNA-binding proteins and translation initiation factors. P bodies also contain untranslated mRNAs, as well as translational repressors and components of the mRNA decay machinery and microRNA silencing pathway. Neurons also contain cytoplasmic mRNP transport granules that deliver silenced mRNA to specific cell compartments for local translation at active synapses. A conserved group of mRNA-binding proteins present in cytoplasmic mRNP granules regulate several steps of mRNA processing. These include Staufen, ataxin-2, fragile X mental retardation protein 1 (FRMP1), transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kD (TDP-43), and fused in sarcoma/translocated in sarcoma (FUS/TLS), among others. These and other proteins in mRNP granules harbor prion-like domains that mediate protein–protein interactions that mediate their nucleation and dynamics. In normal conditions, mRNP granules are dynamic structures that exchange mRNA and protein components with each other and eventually dissolve or are cleared by autophagy. Prolonged cell stress or mutations of mRNA-binding proteins lead to accumulation of mRNA-binding proteins in the form of persistent amyloid-like structures in stress granules. This toxic accumulation alters the pool of mRNA-binding proteins, reduces mRNAs available for translation, and sequesters other noncoding RNAs or RNA regulatory factors. Accumulation of stress granules containing TDP-43, FUS/TLS, ataxin-2, or associated proteins is a key feature of several neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, some forms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and others. There are several comprehensive reviews on the composition, dynamics, and involvement of stress granules and other mRNP granules in neurologic disease. Only salient concepts are emphasized here.
Rapid method for analysis of aflatoxin M1 in dairy products

Four methods for determining aflatoxin M1 levels in fluid milk were compared in a search for a simple, routine analytical procedure.. Each method was tested with samples spiked at levels of 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 ppb. The 3 quantitative methods were comparable in sensitivity (0.1 ng/mL) and recoveries (80-90%). A new method, using a commercially available extraction column that contains an inert hydrophilic matrix to permit extraction of dairy products, is described. The milk is adsorbed on the column and aflatoxin M1 is eluted with chloroform-acetone (9 + 1). The extract is further purified on a small silica gel column and aflatoxin M1 is determined by TLC. This method was simpler and shorter, and was equally sensitive and reproducible in determining aflatoxin M1 in spiked and naturally contaminated fluid milk samples and in spiked nonfat powdered, condensed, and evaporated milk.
Symptom Burden and Palliative Referral Disparities in an Ambulatory South Texas Cancer Center

Background: The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s recommendation for “dedicated palliative care services, early in the disease course, concurrent with active treatment” for cancer patients is a challenge for cancer centers to accommodate. Despite demonstrated benefits of concurrent care, disparities among socioeconomic and ethnic groups in access to supportive care services have been described. The aim of this project was to evaluate: a) how insurance coverage and ethnicity impact patient symptom burden and, b) how those factors influence palliative access for patients at a South Texas NCI-designated cancer center. Methods: During a 5-month retrospective period, 604 patients from five ambulatory oncology clinics completed the 10 question Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) surveys during their clinic visit. Patient demographics, ESAS scores, palliative referral decisions, and time to palliative encounters were collected. We compared symptom burden and time to consult based on ethnicity and insurance status (insured = Group A; under-insured and safety net = Group B). Results: The mean ESAS score for all patients at the initial visit was 19.9 (SD=18.1). Safety net patients were significantly more likely to be Hispanic, younger in age, and have an underlying GI malignancy in comparison to insured patients; however, the symptom severity was similar between groups with over 40% of individuals reporting at least one severe symptom. Twenty-one referrals were made to palliative care. On average, Group B had 33.3 days longer wait times until their first potential visit (p<0.01) when compared to Group A. Time to actual visit was on average 57.6 days longer for patients in Group B compared to patients in Group A (p=0.01), averaging at 73.8 days for safety net patients. Conclusions: This project highlights the high symptom burden of oncology patients and disparities in access to services based on insurance coverage. This investigation revealed a 4-fold increase in the time to the first scheduled palliative care visit based on whether patients were insured versus under-insured. While this study is limited by a small sample size, data suggest that under-insured oncology patients may have significant barriers to palliative care services, which may influence their cancer care quality.
GEORGE CHAUNCEY'S GAY NEW YORK: A VIEW FROM 25 YEARS LATER

When George Chauncey's Gay New York appeared a quarter century ago, it did so with deserved fanfare. Reviewers celebrated it as “brilliant,” “magisterial,” “exceptional,” “monumental,” “light-years ahead,” “masterful,” “seminal,” “groundbreaking,” “absolutely marvelous,” a “new beginning,” and a “landmark study.” While reviews of Gay New York appeared in the usual American history journals, many of these were uncommonly long, indicating the book's immediate importance. This importance was also felt beyond the discipline of history with reviews appearing in sociological, anthropological, environmental, American Studies, and even speech journals. The Association of American Geographers held a roundtable on Gay New York in 1995 in which a participant dubbed it, “one of the more important texts written by a nongeographer to be included in a canon of new social geography.” Beyond the academy, the popular press also expressed considerable interest in the book, with the New York Times, the New Yorker, the New Republic, and the Gay Community News each taking up the matter of Gay New York in its pages. And beyond the bounds of the United States, scholarly publications in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom also commissioned reviews of Gay New York. A year after its American debut with Basic Books, the parent firm of HarperCollins released it in the United Kingdom, and then eight years later the noted historian Didier Eribon translated it into French for the Parisian publisher Fayard. Within its first few years of publication, Gay New York also collected a number of notable prizes, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for history, the Frederick Jackson Turner Award from the Organization of American Historians (OAH), the Lambda Literary Award for gay men's studies, and the Merle Curti Award from the OAH.
The role of acidogenic diets and β-hydroxybutyate on lymphocyte proliferation and serum antibody response against bovine respiratory viruses in Holstein steers,,

Acidogenic diets were evaluated for their effects on lymphocyte proliferation in response to Staphylococcus aureus exotoxin B (SEB), and specific lymphocyte proliferation and serum-neutralizing antibody titers to four bovine respiratory viruses in vitro. Four Holstein steer calves, with an average weight of 213 +/- 42 kg, were fed a basal (control) diet consisting of 49% forage and 51% concentrate (DM basis), with 15% CP (on a DM basis). Three additional treatment diets were used: 1) the basal diet supplemented with 700 mL/d of butylene glycol (BG) to induce ketoacidosis by increasing blood beta-hydroxybutyate (BHBA); 2) the basal diet supplemented with 1.2 +/- 0.1 kg/d of anionic salts (AS; Soychor 16.7, West Central Soy, Ralston, IA) to induce a metabolic acidosis; and 3) the basal diet with all forage replaced by finely ground corn and soybean meal blended to provide 15% CP (HG), to induce lactic acidosis. The calves were fed each diet for 21 d in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Blood samples were collected on d 18, 19, and 20 of each 21-d period and analyzed for pH; concentrations of BHBA; in vitro lymphocyte proliferation to SEB, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), parainfluenza-3 (PI-3), and bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1); and titers of serum-neutralizing antibodies against the four viruses. Following treatment, the average pH of the serum samples was 7.38 for calves fed the control diet, 7.37 for the BG treatment, and 7.36 for the HG treatment, and was decreased (P < 0.05) to 7.33 for the AS treatment. All acidogenic diets decreased lymphocyte response to SEB (P < 0.05). The lymphocyte proliferative response, however, of each virus showed a different pattern of interaction with the three acidogenic diets tested. The AS diet was associated with increased lymphocyte proliferative response to BVDV and BRSV (P < 0.01) and increased serum neutralization titers to BHV-1 (P < 0.05). In calves fed the BHBA-inducing diet (BG), an increase in lymphocyte proliferation to BRSV was observed (P < 0.05). A similar relationship to blood BHBA concentration was not observed with the lymphocyte proliferation to BVDV, PI-3, or BHV-1. Titers of serum-neutralizing antibody against PI3 (P < 0.05) and BHV-1 (P < 0.01) were negatively correlated with blood pH, and titers of serum neutralizing antibodies to BHV-1 were negatively correlated to elevated circulating concentrations of BHBA (P < 0.05).
Before the “Black Box”: The Inputs and Outputs of Nineteenth-century Deep-sea Science:

Nineteenth-century investigations of the deep sea provide a case study for black box science. Naturalists were forced to theorize about a space for which they had no direct sensory observations. Th...
Young children's stereotype endorsement about people in poverty: Age and economic status effects

Abstract Childhood poverty in the U.S. is common and is associated with increased risk for negative outcomes in social-emotional, physical, and academic functioning domains beginning as early as toddlerhood. While research has addressed adults’ negative stereotyped beliefs about people in poverty, little is known about children’s endorsements of stigmatizing stereotypes about people in poverty. In the current study, interviews were conducted with 94 socioeconomically diverse four to nine year-old children. Children in the study endorsed various. negative beliefs about people in poverty, with endorsement of negative beliefs emerging in the late preschool period (age four to five years). More socioeconomically advantaged children demonstrated a linear increase in overall stereotype endorsement with age. In contrast, less socioeconomically advantaged children demonstrated a curvilinear relation between age and stereotype endorsement, with endorsement first increasing and then decreasing over the period covered in the study. Implications for future research are discussed.
Who is the state? Infrastructural power and everyday water governance in Delhi:

In Indian cities, a variety of state and non-state political actors and institutions play a role in regulating infrastructures in the everyday. Anthropological approaches to the everyday state have...
Mortality and behavior changes after surgery or interventional treatment for congenital heart disease in childbood

Objective To evaluate the mentality and behavior of children with congenital heart disease (CHD),and to compare surgical procedure versus interventional therapy for CHD in children of different ages and their influence on mentality and behavior.Methods From July 2005 to January 2008,160 children suffering from ventricular septal defect (VSD) or atrial septal defect (ASD),without other cardiac anomalies,were divided into two groups:surgical group(n=80) and interventional group(n=80).We performed Chinese standard Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist(CBCL) on these children before and 1 year after the treatment.Sixty normal children sex,age,education and achievement-matched were enrolled as control.Results The mentality and behavior of the children with CHD were obviously abnormal before treatment (P＜0.01).The abnormal rates of the boys and girls suffering from CHD were evidently higher than those of the healthy control subjects (P＜0.01).The behavior abnormities of CHD children presented depression,social flinch,somatic complaints and delinquency,which were significantly different from the healthy children.The total cursory mark of postoperative check results of the surgical and interventional groups,both in girls and in boys,significantly lower than those of the preoperative results(P＜0.05).The total and aggression cursory mark of postoperative check results of the surgical boys were higher than those of the interventional subjects(P＜0.05).The total depression,social flinch,aggression cursory mark of postoperative check results of the surgical girls were higher than those of the interventional ones (P＜0.05).The total cursory mark of elder children was significantly higher than those of the younger ones before treatments (P＜0.05).The postoperative total cursory mark of older children treated with surgical operations was higher than those of the younger controls in the same treatment group(P＜0.05).Conclusion CHD significantly affected the mentality and behavior of the children.Early treatments may alleviate the mental and behavior abnormality.Cardiac surgery dose not result in early postoperative improvements in mentality and behavior for children CHD in a certain period. Key words: Heart defects,congenital; Cardiac surgical procedures; Child psychology; Child behavior
Abstract #5099: Increased growth inhibition and apoptosis using the novel combination of bortezomib and temsirolimus in non-Hodgkin\#8217;s lymphoma cell lines

Bortezomib is a selective, reversible inhibitor of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway whose action leads to tumor growth arrest and induction of apoptosis. Bortezomib has demonstrated clinical activity in non-Hodgkin\#8217;s lymphoma (NHL), especially mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a key role in tumor cell growth and proliferation. Temsirolimus is an mTOR inhibitor that has shown activity in preclinical and clinical studies in various NHL subtypes. The objective of this study was to determine the growth inhibitory and apoptotic effects of the novel combination of bortezomib and temsirolimus in selected NHL cell lines including: Granta-519 (MCL), Toledo (large B-cell lymphoma), and EHEB (chronic B-cell leukemia). Cell viability was determined by the colorimetric MTS assay after 24 and 48 hours of treatment with bortezomib (1 - 10 nM) and temsirolimus (0.1 - 5 \#956;M). Drug interactions were examined by the combination-index (CI) isobologram method of median dose-effect analysis. Apoptosis was assessed by measuring cytochrome c release and caspase 3, 8, and 9 activity after 24 hours of treatment. Additionally, Bax and FasL expression, factors involved in pro-apoptotic signaling were evaluated by western blot analysis. The MTS assays revealed a significant time and dose-dependent growth inhibition with either agent alone in all three NHL subtypes. A synergistic interaction was demonstrated with bortezomib and temsirolimus in the EHEB and Granta-519 cell lines, while an additive effect was seen at lower drug doses in the Toledo cell line. The LD50 ranged from 2.7 - 9.2 nM for bortezomib alone and 0.3 - 10.6 \#956;M for temsirolimus alone. These levels were reduced to 0.4 - 4.5 nM and 0.04 - 2.25 \#956;M for bortezomib and temsirolimus, respectively, when these drugs were used in combination. A 4 to 10-fold (bortezomib) and 2 to 8-fold (temsirolimus) increase in caspase-3 activity was seen, which was increased 8 to 24-fold (p Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 5099.
Understanding and interpretation of a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) genetic test result by pediatric providers who do not specialize in genetics.

The advancement of genetic testing technologies has allowed for better diagnosis and management of patients, but also results in more variants of uncertain significance (VUSs) due to the increased number of genes being analyzed. There are more genetic tests available and more providers who do not specialize in genetics ordering genetic testing, but few studies examining how providers who do not specialize in genetics interpret VUSs. This study surveyed pediatric providers at a midwestern pediatric care center who do not specialize in genetics about their understanding of a mock genetic test report with a VUS result and whether their understanding of the result was associated with experience ordering genetic tests. Participants' preferences about content of the report and steps taken to understand the result were also examined. Of the 51 participants, 33% correctly answered both knowledge questions about the VUS result: one asking them to interpret the result and one asking them how they would explain the result to the patient. There was no association between answering both knowledge questions correctly and types of previous genetic tests ordered (p > .1 for 8 types of genetic tests), having received a genetic test report with a VUS result (p = .58), having referred patients to a genetics professional (p = .74), or feeling comfortable discussing a positive, negative, or VUS genetic test result (p > .4). This suggests that having previous experience ordering genetic tests does not contribute to the participants' knowledge about a variant of uncertain significance. Most participants reported that the amount of information in each section of the mock report was adequate. Participants were likely to reference multiple resources to better understand a VUS result, including published literature (82%), gene-specific databases (67%), and colleagues (63%). While these results cannot be generalized to all institutions, institutions can use the two knowledge questions to determine participants' understanding of genetic test results. This will help healthcare institutions determine methods that will best aide their providers who order genetic testing but do not specialize in genetics in learning more about the genetic testing process and better utilize results to improve patient care.
Small-scale clumping at recombination and the Hubble tension

Despite the success of the standard $\Lambda$CDM model of cosmology, recent data improvements have made tensions emerge between low- and high-redshift observables, most importantly in determinations of the Hubble constant $H_0$ and the (rescaled) clustering amplitude $S_8$. The high-redshift data, from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), crucially relies on recombination physics for its interpretation. Here we study how small-scale baryon inhomogeneities (i.e., clumping) can affect recombination and consider whether they can relieve both the $H_0$ and $S_8$ tensions. Such small-scale clumping, which may be caused by primordial magnetic fields or baryon isocurvature below kpc scales, enhances the recombination rate even when averaged over larger scales, shifting recombination to earlier times. We introduce a flexible clumping model, parametrized via three spatial zones with free densities and volume fractions, and use it to study the impact of clumping on CMB observables. We find that increasing $H_0$ decreases both $\Omega_m$ and $S_8$, which alleviates the $S_8$ tension. On the other hand, the shift in $\Omega_m$ is disfavored by the low-$z$ baryon-acoustic-oscillations measurements. We find that the clumping parameters that can change the CMB sound horizon enough to explain the $H_0$ tension also alter the damping tail, so they are disfavored by current {\it Planck} 2018 data. We test how the CMB damping-tail information rules out changes to recombination by first removing $\ell>1000$ multipoles in {\it Planck} data, where we find that clumping could resolve the $H_0$ tension. Furthermore, we make predictions for future CMB experiments, as their improved damping-tail precision can better constrain departures from standard recombination. Both the {\it Simons Observatory} and CMB-S4 will provide decisive evidence for or against clumping as a resolution to the $H_0$ tension.
The displacement of race in language and gender studies

As a collaboration between the two authors, this essay first addresses each author’s individual perspective on language and gender studies, particularly as it has taken shape in the US context, and then offers a jointly developed argument regarding the field’s history and trajectory. We write from the respective standpoints of our lived experiences within and beyond the academy. Mary is a white cis female-identified linguistics professor who was deeply involved in the Berkeley Women and Language Group in the 1990s and has conducted research on language and gender throughout her career, especially with respect to its intersection with race. deandre’s Black and gender-creative subjectivity substantially colours the lens through which they experience and interpret the social life of language.
Photometric Statistical Performance of the SEC Target

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the photometric statistical performance of the secondary electron conduction (SEC) target. The photometric stability and the degree of conformity to photon limited noise performance are important considerations in the development and application of television camera tubes for astronomical use. The objective of the test program was to determine how closely the observed noise corresponds to the photon limit. The readout noise performance limit of the camera system is set by the combination of the readout rate in pixels per second and the noise characteristics of the preamplifier used to process the readout signal generated at the SEC target. Present preamplifier performance is such that the amplifier root mean square noise per readout pixel at the target is about 200 electrons. It is found that a computer routine named DIFF calculates a noise value for each pixel of PATCH by subtracting from it an appropriate local mean value.
Kinetics of unfolding and refolding of proteins: II. Results for cytochrome c☆☆☆

Abstract Equilibrium and kinetic data are reported for the reversible denaturation of horse heart ferricytochrome c by guanidine hydrochloride. The results are analyzed by the procedures described in the preceding paper Ikai & Tanford 1973. Although most of the kinetic results may be described in terms of only two exponential decay terms, mechanisms involving three species cannot account for the results in detail. Among four-species mechanisms examined, the most satisfactory proves to be the mechanism N ⇌ X1 ⇌ D ⇌ X2, in which X1 is an intermediate on the pathway between native (N) and denatured (D) states, whereas X2 is a relatively highly ordered state on a dead-end pathway. We have interpreted this as representing an incorrectly folded form of the polypeptide chain. The rate constants required to account for the data are such that the first step in the conversion of the disordered polypeptide chain to the native protein would be the rapid formation of X2. Depletion of this incorrectly folded state and ultimate conversion of all of the protein to the native state occurs more slowly, the rate-limiting step in the transition zone being the reaction D → X1.
Thermal explosion hazards

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the vapor or thermal explosion—a phenomenon of considerable potential importance in the nuclear industry and a phenomenon of well-established importance in other industries. It also describes several methods resulting from extremely rapid heat transfer from hot molten material to a cool liquid. A thermal explosion is caused by simultaneous fragmentation of the molten material and rapid heat transfer from the fragmenting material into the liquid. The chapter reviews recent research involving both molten and solid bodies and discusses the state of the art understanding of the physics of this complicated problem. The material must be molten when fragmentation is initiated or extensive fragmentation will not occur. The reactor industry is concerned with the prevention of incidents; therefore, elaborate engineering safeguards are built into the reactor core to prevent conditions that could lead to explosive vapor formation.
Transverse Energy Production at RHIC

We study the mechanism of transverse energy (ET) production in Au+Au collisions at RHIC. The time evolution starting from the initial energy loss to the final ET production is closely examined in transport models. The relationship between the experimentally measured ET distribution and the maximum energy density achieved is discussed. The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) will provide us with a unique opportunity to study matter under extreme conditions. The transition from hadronic degrees of freedom to quark and gluon degrees of freedom is expected from collisions at these energies. The transverse energy spectrum will be among the very first results from RHIC. One important question we would like to answer from the day-one physics at RHIC is the maximum energy density reached in central Au+Au collisions. Lattice QCD 1 calculations give us the critical energy density for the transition to quark-gluon plasma. In this talk, we explore the relationship between the transverse energy spectrum and the energy density, and discuss the possibility of experimentally determine the maximum energy density. A general framework for computing and analysing energy-momentum tensor is introduced. As the first part of this study, we construct the energymomentum tensor for simulated events from transport model RQMD 2 . We also find the transverse energy, the equation of state, and the energy density for these events. Currently we are using our techniques to study the parton
Detection of Microspheres in Venules for Automated Particle Image

In this paper, we propose an automatic approach for detecting particle tracers (microspheres) in microscopic imagery obtained from mouse cremaster venules in vivo.Measurements of the translational speed and radial position of individual microspheresprovide the input data needed to extract velocity profiles from steady blood flow in venules.These profiles provide information about local hemodynamics that is critical to a broadrange of fields in microvascular physiology, including endothelial-cell mechanotransduction,inflammation, and microvascular resistance. In the preprocessing stage, an active contourmethod based on dynamic programming is used for vessel region extraction. Eachmicrosphere is then identified using a process of coarse segmentation followed byverification. Segmentation is achieved using a morphological method for microspheredetection while verification is achieved using an analytical model tailored to the microsphere.Experimental results are obtained using the proposed scheme and compared with previouslypublished manually acquired data.
Breaking Barriers: Women-centered Physical Education Programming in Higher Education

In general, physical activity subsides for females after high school. Researchers have found that women experience unique barriers to remaining physically active during their college years. Obstacles such as social anxiety, lack of social support, and life balance have been cited as challenges for women in relation to maintaining consistent physical activity habits. The purpose of this article is to provide college and university instructors of physical education activity courses an overview of the barriers women may face, discuss the importance of using a women-centered approach in this setting, and provide theoretically based concepts and offer practical examples that can be implemented in the classroom to lessen barriers and help female students sustain motivation for physical activity.
Fatty metamorphosis and other patterns in fibrous dysplasia

Background Interpretation of small biopsy fragments from suspected lesions of fibrous dysplasia with unusual clinical and / or radiological features may be challenging due to wide histomorphological spectrum of stromal appearances. Awareness of these variations should improve diagnostic confidence.
Endoscopy-assisted radiofrequency ablation around the coronary sinus ostium in dogs: its effects on atrioventricular nodal properties and ventricular response during atrial fibrillation.

Endoscopy for Ablation Around the CS Ostium. Introduction: Radiofrequency ablation of the slow pathway can prolong atrioventricular (AV) nodal properties and RR intervals during atrial fibrillation (AF) in many patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia. However, it is not well elucidated whether these changes are related to the presence of dual AV nodal pathway physiology. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes of AV nodal properties and RR intervals during AF caused by ablation of two specific areas in dogs. Methods and Results: Assisted by fiberoptic endoscopy, linear lesions were created between the coronary sinus ostium and tricuspid valve annulus (area 1) or posterior to the ostium (area 2) in 15 dogs. Three additional dogs served as controls. The measurements were made under autonomic blockade. Catheter ablation could be assisted in all dogs by means of endoscopy. Linear lesions were confirmed at autopsy. AV nodal parameters and RR intervals showed no overall changes. Individual data showed that ablation of area I resulted in modification of AV nodal properties in 54.5% (facilitation in 363% and inhibition in 18.2%), whereas ablation of area 2 induced changes in 50% (facilitation in 10% and inhibition in 40%). The RR intervals were shortened in 33.3% and 20% and prolonged in 44.5% and 40% after ablation of areas 1 and 2, respectively. The RR intervals during AF correlated well with the Wenckebach cycle length and the AV node functional refractory period before and after ablation (r = 0.78 to 0.94, P < 0.01 for each). Conclusions: Ablation of the two specific areas around the coronary sinus ostium was equally effective in modifying AV nodal properties and the ventricular response during AF without dual AV nodal pathway physiology. The ventricular rate to AF after ablation correlated well with the residual AV nodal properties.
Orbital evolution of impact ejecta from Mars.

The orbital evolution of material ejected from Mars into heliocentric orbits is investigated, with particular emphasis on the origin of the shergottite, nakhlite, and chassignite achondrites. Two models are considered. In the first, meteorite-size bodies are ejected directly from Mars. In the second, the ejecta are ∼ 15 m diameter bodies, that are subsequently fragmented by collisions in space. In both cases a large fraction (∼ 35%) of the objects that will ever reach Earth do so within 10 m.y. For the “small body” model, it is found that about 0.03% of the Mars crater ejecta must be accelerated to the Mars escape velocity; the “large body” model requires an efficiency of 0.4%. Assuming that the acceleration of large bodies to be less probable, the results indicate that meteorites originating as small bodies should dominate the terrestrial flux of Mars ejecta. This result is in general agreement with data from SNC meteorites, but the reported short exposure age of EETA 79001 is hard to understand in a pure small body model. The yield of meteorites from Mercury is found to be at least a factor of 100 lower than from Mars.
Fast and simple 2D geometric proximity queries using graphics hardware

We present a new approach for computing generalized proximity information of arbitrary 2D objects using graphics hardware. Using multi-pass rendering techniques and accelerated distance computation, our algorithm performs proximity queries not only for detecting collisions, but also for computing intersections, separation distance, penetration depth, and contact points and normals. Our hybrid geometry and image-based approach balances computation between the CPU and graphics subsystems. Geometric object-space techniques coarsely localize potential intersection regions or closest features between two objects, and image-space techniques compute the low-level proximity information in these regions. Most of the proximity information is derived from a distance field computed using graphics hardware. We demonstrate the performance in collision response computation for rigid and deformable body dynamics simulations. Our approach provides proximity information at interactive rates for a variety of simulation strategies for both backtracking and penalty-based collision responses.
Different activities and selectivities of silica-alumina catalysts synthesized in aqueous and alcohol solvents

Abstract Silica-aluminas having 15 wt% Al2O3 and subjected to identical heat treatment were synthesized starting from (i) sodium silicate and aluminum nitrate in water (ASA) and (ii) tetraethyl orthosilicate and aluminum isopropoxide in ethanol solvent (SA-SG). Both catalysts possess strong Bronsted acid sites which are capable of oligomerizing propene or ethene. With methanol as a feed, only ASA had a high hydrocarbon yield, while SA-SG produced mostly the dehydration product, dimethyl ether. While SA-SG possesses strong acidic sites, it is suggested that these sites become ineffective because of the strong chemisorption of the water resulting from dehydration. The weaker acidic sites also present on the SA-SG catalyst are probably responsible for the formation of the dehydration product.
Demographics and Efficacy of Head and Neck Cancer Screening

Abstract Objective This study was designed to 1) describe the demographics and 2) determine the efficacy of a head and neck cancer screening program to optimize future programs. Study Design Database analysis plus chart review. Setting Tertiary care academic medical center. Subjects and Methods After Institutional Review Board approval, we reviewed our 14-year experience (1996-2009) conducting a free annual head and neck cancer screening clinic. Available demographic and clinical data, as well as clinical outcomes, were analyzed for all participants (n = 761). The primary outcome was the presence of a finding suspicious for head and neck cancer on screening evaluation. Results Five percent of participants had findings suspicious for head and neck cancer on screening evaluation, and malignant or premalignant lesions were confirmed in one percent of participants. Lack of insurance (P = 0.05), tobacco use (P Conclusion A minority of patients presenting to a head and neck cancer screening clinic will have a suspicious lesion identified. Given these findings, to achieve maximal potential benefit, future head and neck cancer screening clinics should target patients with identifiable risk factors and take full advantage of opportunities for education and prevention.
Measurement of absorption and scattering properties of CVD diamond

Temperature dependent infrared transmittance measurements and room temperature BSDF measurements are collected on 1.5mm thick CVD diamond samples produced by De Beers Industrial Diamond Division. The transmittance measurements are from 2 to 20 micrometers covering the temperature range from room temperature to 400 degree(s)C. The BSDF measurements are conducted at wavelengths of 0.6328, 3.39, and 11 micrometers and as a function of the incidence angle. The total integrated scatter is obtained by integrating the BSDF function over all the reflection angles.
Proposal for intense attosecond radiation from an x-ray free-electron laser.

We propose the use of an ultrarelativistic electron beam interacting with a few-cycle, intense laser pulse and an intense pulse of the coherent x rays to produce a multi-MW intensity, x-ray pulses $\ensuremath{\approx}100\text{ }$ attoseconds in duration. Because of a naturally occurring frequency chirp, these pulses can be further temporally compressed.
Stable isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

The group of arachidonic acid metabolites comprising the prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes (eicosanoids) are extremely potent, biologically active compounds. Their properties include proaggregatory anti-aggregatory activity for platelets, chemotactic activity for neutrophils, vasoactive activity, and contractile activity to smooth muscle. In order to determine the role of these substances in pathophysiological conditions, it is essential to have highly sensitive methods available for their analysis.
Crystal Structure of an Endochitinase from Hordeum vulgare L. Seeds

Abstract Higher plants contain multiple constitutively expressed proteins for defense against infection by viruses, bacteria, and fungi. One such class of proteins, the chitinases, are effective antifungal agents because they hydrolyze the insoluble β?1,4-linked polymer of N-acetylglucosamine (chitin), which is the major component of the mycelial cell wall of many fungi. We report here the three-dimensional, 2·8 A, crystal structure of a 26 kDa endochitinase from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds. The amino acid residue molecule is rich in α-helices and has three disulfide bonds. A prominent elongated cleft runs the length of the molecule, and is presumably the region responsible for substrate binding and catalysis. Endochitinases from various species of plants show a high degree of similarity in their amino acid sequences. It is therefore likely that the barley endochitinase structure can serve as a model for other plant endochitinases and that catalytic models based on that structure will be applicable to the entire enzyme family.
Fetal mortality in oral cleft families(IV): the “doubling effect”

Fetal mortality data from Lancaster, Penn., Chicago, 111. and Minneapolis, Minn, are presented which support the authors' earlier findings in Indiana and Montreal that a positive relationship exists between the degree of liability to malformation and the incidence of fetal deaths in probands' sibships. Altogether, the study involved 189 CL sibships, 690 CLP sibships, and 3,416 pregnancies. On the basis of these data, which are derived from families of several different backgrounds of European ancestry, it is generalized that, as we proceed from CL sibships to CLP sibships, there is a doubling effect on fetal mortality. The consistency of this finding in several population samples is impressive. The implications of this observation are discussed with reference to genetic counseling.
: Fate and Transport of Three Pharmaceuticals in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are found in surface waters worldwide. Wastewater treatment plant effluent is a major source of these contaminants. The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is a unique aquatic ecosystem, a source of drinking water for over 25 million Californians, and a primary source of water for Central Valley agriculture. The sharp decline of four pelagic fish species in the Delta in the last decade is just one of several indicators that the ecosystem is severely impaired. Several wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharge into the Delta, directly or through tributaries. The presence of PPCPs in the Delta has received very little attention relative to the immense effort underway to rehabilitate the ecosystem. This study determined concentrations of PPCPs in the Sacramento River in the vicinity of the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant using passive sampler monitoring. These data were used to estimate loads of three of the detected pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, fluoxetine, and trimethoprim) from nine other WWTPs that discharge to the Delta. The 2-D, finite element, Resource Management Associates (RMA) Delta Model was then applied to determine the distribution that might result from these discharges. The model was run for the 2006, 2007, and 2009 water years. Results indicate that it is feasible that WWTP discharges could result in chronic presence of these pharmaceuticals at low ng L-1 levels at all 45 model output locations and, therefore, aquatic organisms within the Delta may be continually exposed to these contaminants.
Muscle Dynamics, Size Principle, and Stability

A mathematical model of skeletal muscle activation during small or isometric movements is discussed with the following attributes. A direct relationship between the stimulus rate and the active state is established. A piecewise linear relation between the length of the contractile element and the isometric force is considered. Hill's characteristic equation is maintained for determining the actual output force during different shortening velocities. A physical threshold model is proposed for recruitment which encompasses the size principle and its manifestations and also exceptions to the size principle. Finally, the role of spindle feedback in stability of the model is demonstrated by studying a pair of muscles.
Recurrence of pulmonary intravascular bronchoalveolar tumor with mediastinal metastasis 20 years later

Pulmonary intravascular bronchoalveolar tumor (IVBAT) also recognized as pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, is a rare malignant vascular tumor of unknown etiology. IVBAT is a tumor of multicentric origin and the lungs are rarely involved, with only about 60 cases of pulmonary IVBAT described in the literature. The prognosis is unpredictable, with life expectancy ranging from 1 to 15 years. We report an unusual case of pulmonary IVBAT that recurred in the lung with metastasis to the mediastinum.