cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The global health impact of a multidisciplinary medical service trip: lessons from Belize

# Background The Rush University Belize Immersion Experience (RUBIE) aims to engage healthcare professionals in a multidisciplinary team to build a home for a deserving Belizean family. A complimentary purpose of this program is for team members to achieve cultural immersion and a broader understanding of healthcare disparities in Belize. # Methods In December 2015, 10 students and 4 faculty members from Rush University Medical Center traveled to Belize City for six days. Through partnering with Hand in Hand Ministries (HHM) Building for Change program, participants were instructed by HHM staff on how to build the house daily until the sixteen square-foot home was completed. When team members were not working on the house, they volunteered in a local geriatric clinic, participated in discussions with healthcare and social service professionals, and interacted with local residents. # Results Building the house took approximately three days to complete. Participants gained collaborative and social skills from the teamwork and interaction with local residents while building the house. The entire experience provided students the opportunity to learn first-hand about the health issues impacting the citizens of Belize. The primary outcome produced a brand new house for a family living in extreme poverty, giving them a clean and safe shelter. The RUBIE program achieved the educational goal of immersing multidisciplinary health professionals on the challenges Belizean residents face everyday and the impact of public health issues. # Conclusions The RUBIE program immersed healthcare professionals in a new country and culture allowing them to work and learn together and accomplish the goal of providing clean shelter to a family in need. The impact of building one house in Belize may seem small, but this team contributed to the over 300 houses built by HHM's Building for Change program. The sum of clean shelter built over time will have long lasting effects on the Belizean health and economy. Overall, RUBIE team members took home knowledge and motivation to change the state of global health through their individual disciplines. Their collective experiences will continue to guide their efforts toward bringing quality, equitable healthcare to all the citizens of the world.
Bridge Inspection Using Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) and Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)

Bridge inspection is a critical task that is needed to monitor bridge quality and serviceability. Previous studies indicate that road network and bridges in the U.S. are not of high quality and poorly maintained for decades, and the current manual inspection routine is expensive, time-consuming, hazardous, and subjective. Moreover, current Bridge Management Systems (BMS) may not coordinate management of all phases of the bridge life cycle. Also, the dispersed inspection data drastically reduces the effectiveness of the system. Therefore, there is a need to identify cost-efficient and productive ways to inspect and manage our bridges. The objective of this study is to develop a novel framework for bridge inspections and management. The framework implements Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) technologies in an integrated manner to solve the issues associated with current manual bridge inspection and management practice. The proposed framework was implemented using data collected from an existing bridge located in Eugene, Oregon. Different types of defects were identified automatically using computer vision algorithms from the digital images captured by the UAS. These defects were assigned to individual BrIM elements. BrIM was used as the central database to store the 3D bridge model and inspection data. The framework also enables bridge inspectors and decision makers to access the most up-to-date inspection data simultaneously by taking advantage of cloud computing technology. The proposed framework: (1) provides a systematic approach for accurately documenting the structural condition assessment data, (2) reduces the number of site visits and eliminates potential errors resulting from data transcription, and (3) enables a more efficient, cost-effective and safer bridge inspection process.
Acute Pre-B Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Congenital Anomalies in a Child with a de Novo 22q11.1q11.22 Duplication

Microdeletions and microduplications are recurrent in the q11.2 region of chromosome 22. The 22q11.2 duplication syndrome is an extremely variable disorder with a phenotype ranging from severe intellectual disability, facial dysmorphism, heart defects, and urogenital abnormalities to very mild symptoms. Both benign and malignant hematological entities are rare. A male patient was diagnosed with mild facial dysmorphia, congenital heart anomalies shortly after birth and acute bowel obstruction due to malrotation of the intestine at the age of 3 years. A whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array revealed a de novo 6.6 Mb duplication in the 22q11.1q11.22 chromosomal region. A year later, the patient was diagnosed with acute pre-B lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL). Five genes, CDC45, CLTCL1, DGCR2, GP1BB and SEPT5, in the 22q11.1q11.22 region are potentially responsible for cell cycle division. We hypothesized that dosage imbalance of genes implicated in the rearrangement could have disrupted the balance between cell growth and differentiation and played a role in the initiation of malignancy with a hyperdiploid leukemic clone, whereas over-expression of the TBX1 gene might have been responsible for congenital heart defects and mild facial dysmorphia.
Depression Severity Classification from Speech Emotion

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric illness. Automatically classifying depression severity using audio analysis can help clinical management decisions during Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) treatment of MDD patients. Leveraging the link between short-term emotions and long-term depressed mood states, we build our predictive model on the top of emotion-based features. Because acquiring emotion labels of MDD patients is a challenging task, we propose to use an auxiliary emotion dataset to train a Deep Neural Network (DNN) model. The DNN is then applied to audio recordings of MDD patients to find their low dimensional representation to be used in the classification algorithm. Our preliminary results indicate that the proposed approach, in comparison to the alternatives, effectively classifies depressed and improved phases of DBS treatment with an AUC of 0.80.
Variation in Lightning Simulations to Assess Grounding Safety of Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST)

Codes and standards for lightning often rely on simulations due to the difficult nature of lightning testing, as in the case of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST). A small set of simulations by CSST manufacturers were previously used to justify the suggestion that grounding CSST would make it safe from perforation in the presence of lightning. Such a small set of simulations does not account for the uncertainty of lightning and the situations where it may interact with CSST. We account for these uncertainties in this work by performing thousands of simulations that use different combinations of simulation parameters. For example, for one scenario we run 2560 simulations with a variety of different waveforms and different impedance values. The waveforms follow IEC 62305 with rise times ranging from 0.25 $$\upmu$$s to 10 $$\upmu$$s and fall times ranging from 100 $$\upmu$$s to 1000 $$\upmu$$s and the impedance values were varied by ± $$25\%$$. Our results show that there are cases where grounding may prevent perforation, cases where grounding may reduce the damage but not prevent perforation and cases where grounding increases the chances of perforation. Our results further show that for lightning strikes with peak current greater than the median, there was never a case where grounding could have prevented perforation. Our methods provide a way to perform more comprehensive simulations to replicate what may happen in nature and better inform decisions made about codes and standards. In particular we show grounding of CSST will not prevent fires when assaulted by lightning with any reasonable degree of certainty.
A Case Report of a Newborn with Hypergalactosemia and Congenital Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt

Introduction: Congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) are vascular abnormalities between portal and systemic veins with an incidence of 1/30,000-1/50,000 in children. Clinically, shunts are pathologic because they allow the splanchnic venous circulation to bypass the liver and deposit into the systemic circulation. Thus, various biochemical metabolites including ammonia, galactose, and bile acids do not undergo first pass metabolism through the liver and instead accumulate in the blood. Case Report: A 4 week-old male infant delivered via C-section at 36 weeks of gestation with a birth weight of 1, 521 grams (small for gestational age) presented with direct hyperbilirubinemia, …
Reconstruction of birth histories using children ever born and children surviving data from the 1900 and 1910 U.S. censuses

This paper describes a method to reconstruct birth histories for women in the 1900 and 1910 U. S. census IPUMS samples. The method is an extension of an earlier method developed by Luther and Cho (...
The Stigma of Autism

This chapter explores the construct of stigma and the multiple ways it manifests itself in the work and life experiences of individuals with autism as well as their families. A formal diagnosis of autism may lead to a person experiencing stigma. Individuals who have not been formally diagnosed with ASD may also be stigmatized if they display characteristics of autism. The stigma of individuals with ASD is unique from the stigma felt by individuals with other disabilities. This is because autism is considered an invisible disability. The families of individuals with autism may also experience stigmatization. Individuals with autism may be stigmatized in many phases of their employment.
Flowfield Characteristics of a Supersonic Jet Impinging on an Inclined Surface

The study of the flowfield and noise characteristics of supersonic impinging jets is important as these configurations can be found in many engineering applications, such as short takeoff and landi...
Anal Conditions: STDs

Sexually transmitted diseases may cause perianal or anal lesions or ulcers, or proctitis. A high level of suspicion must be maintained in order to avoid misdiagnosis or delays in diagnosis and treatment, especially as symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases overlap with symptoms of anal fissures, hemorrhoids, cryptoglandular disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. A significant proportion of patients with sexually transmitted diseases are asymptomatic, making diagnosis even more elusive. In addition to empiric treatment, and following screening and retesting guidelines, counseling patients on ways to reduce risk of transmission and re-infection.
Self-perception of driving abilities in older age: A systematic review

Abstract Older adults have become the fastest growing age group worldwide and will continue to make up a more significant portion of the driving population. Given the increased potential for age-related perceptual, cognitive, and physical declines, it is important to understand the perception that older drivers have regarding their own driving abilities. This awareness often motivates their driving behavior and patterns. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize the literature regarding the self-perception of driving abilities in older age. The PRISMA method was used and 10 databases (SCOPUS, TRID, PsycINFO, AgeLine, Web of Science, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, Inspec, Compendex, PubMed, and Medline) were searched to identify relevant articles. A total of 25 articles met the search criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. Overall, methods used to assess self-perception of driving abilities in older adults vary considerably. Some studies employ only subjective questionnaires, while others administer questionnaires in addition to on-road driving or simulated evaluations. Nonetheless, the studies overwhelmingly report that older drivers tend to rate highly, and often overestimate, their driving abilities. They perceive their driving abilities to be better than themselves at a younger age, their cohorts, and all other drivers. However, more work is needed to develop improved subjective assessments that guide drivers in more accurately estimating their true driving abilities, as well as to compare subjective ratings to objective performance-based measures of driving abilities. This review may assist researchers in better understanding the characteristics that influence driving self-perception and may inform the development of interventional strategies that help older drivers to better calibrate how they perceive their driving.
Management of unruptured incidentally found intracranial saccular aneurysms

Unruptured intracranial saccular aneurysms occur in 3-5% of the general population. As the use of diagnostic medical imaging has steadily increased over the past few decades with the increased availability of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), so has the detection of incidental aneurysms. The management of an unruptured intracranial saccular aneurysm is challenging for both patients and physicians, as the decision to intervene must weigh the risk of rupture and resultant subarachnoid hemorrhage against the risk inherent to the surgical or endovascular procedure. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of factors to be considered in the decision to offer treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysms in adults. In addition, we review aneurysm and patient characteristics that favor surgical clipping over endovascular intervention and vice versa. Finally, the authors propose a novel, simple, and clinically relevant algorithm for observation versus intervention in unruptured intracranial aneurysms based on the PHASES scoring system.
The use of immersive stories to influence college students' attitudes and intentions related to drinking and driving.

OBJECTIVE College students are at risk of drinking and driving. The current study examines the use of immersive stories to prevent college students from drinking and driving. PARTICIPANTS 107 college students participated in the study. METHODS Participants were randomly assigned to watch an immersive 360° video, which featured a story of a young female driver who caused a fatal car crash due to impaired driving, either in head-mounted displays (HMDs) or in tablets. RESULTS The story viewed through HMDs (vs. tablets) led to lower intentions to drink and drive only among female participants. Moreover, female participants' perceived similarity to the protagonist mediated the effect of modality on their intentions to drink and drive. CONCLUSIONS 360° video stories experienced through high immersion (via HMDs) have the potential to prevent risky behavior. It is important to consider the protagonist's gender when adopting immersive stories in alcohol education programs on college campuses.
Massive Air Embolism During Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Averting Disaster in a Time of Crisis

A 62-year-old male with symptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation. During exchange of the saline irrigation bag, the patient developed sudden hypotension and bradycardia and was found to have a massive air embolism. Air was successfully aspirated with catheters, and the patient did not suffer any permanent sequelae. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Conventional open versus hybrid aortic arch repair: a meta- analysis of propensity-matched studies

Background Comparison of conventional (open) surgical versus hybrid aortic arch repair remains debatable. While the majority of previous comparative studies including meta-analyses contained primarily risk-unadjusted cohorts, those focusing on propensity-matched comparisons were limited by their small sample size. We aimed to compare outcomes of these two approaches through an up-to-date search and meta-analysis of the best evidence currently available in the literature. Methods The PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane library from inception to September 2019 were searched to identify articles reporting propensity-score matching data on open versus hybrid aortic arch repair. Patients' baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were extracted from the articles and pooled for analysis. Heterogeneity and biases were assessed among the included studies. Results Five studies, including a total of 378 patients (189 pairs), were included in the study. The two groups were similar in patients' baseline characteristics. Stroke rate favoured the open group [2.1% versus 14.3%, OR 0.18 (0.07, 0.46), P=0.0004, I2=0%]. There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to paraplegia. The hybrid group had numerically higher short-term mortality, but lower rate of acute renal failure requiring dialysis. There was a statistically significant difference between the mid-term survivals of the open and hybrid groups, with lower pooled mortality seen for the open group at 1-year and 2-years (P=0.02). Conclusions Open and hybrid repairs do not offer equivalent outcomes. Compared with hybrid aortic arch repair, conventional surgical aortic repair could be associated with favourable outcomes including postoperative stroke. Hybrid repair does not appear to provide better survival. Operative approaches should be carefully selected in treating aortic arch pathology.
Congenital methemoglobinemia

A case of congenital methemoglobinemia presenting at birth is reported. The clinical signs, differential diagnosis, pathogenesis and management of this disorder are discussed.
Inhibition of prostate cancer growth with the combination of celecoxib and an ADAM protease inhibitor

1346 The ErbB family of receptors, ErbB1 (EGFR) and ErbB2 (HER-2/neu), has been shown to play a significant role in the proliferation of human tumors. Many tumors overexpress these receptors and this correlates with poor prognosis and resistance to therapy. These receptors, when triggered by the binding of appropriate ligands, activate multiple cellular downstream pathways that in turn lead to tumor growth and survival. Although inhibitors of the ErbB family of receptors, e.g., Herceptin, Iressa, Tarceva, have demonstrated clinical efficacy in several solid tumors, not all ErbB positive tumors respond and many that respond initially develop resistance, presenting the need for alternative therapies. Proteolytic cleavage of both ErbB ligands and receptors has been shown to be a critical event resulting in pathway activation. This cleavage is necessary for the generation of soluble, functionally active forms of the ligands and in the case of HER-2/neu, results in a shed extracellular domain (ECD) and a membrane bound fragment (p95) containing a kinase domain with significant constitutive activity. Importantly, the presence of elevated HER-2/neu ECD in the sera of cancer patients has been linked to poor response rates. Both ErbB ligand and HER-2/neu cleavage have been shown to be mediated by the ADAM (a distintegrin and metalloproteinase) family of zinc-dependent proteases. Current studies using COX-2 inhibitors have shown that they cause apoptosis in cancer cell lines, suppress tumor growth and enhance chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Celecoxib is a selective COX-2 inhibitor. We examined the effect of combining celecoxib with an ADAM protease inhibitor (INCB3619: Incyte Corp.) on the growth of DU145 human prostate cancer cells. Exposure to INCB3619 produced minimal growth inhibition as a single agent in the DU145 cells (20% inhibition @ 20 μM). Addition of celecoxib (1 - 3 μM), however, resulted in a synergistic inhibitory effect as confirmed by isobologram analysis. These results suggest that combining an ADAM protease inhibitor with celecoxib may provide an improved result in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer.
Metals as Mutagens

A number of metals are mutagenic in bacteria or phage. These include compounds of arsenic, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, platinum, and selenium. Compounds containing aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and tellurium have been shown to induce chromosomal aberrations or abnormal cell divisions in animal or plant cells. Genetic evidence suggests that arsenic, chromium, and molybdenum compounds may influence the accuracy of DNA repair processes in microorganisms.
Abstract 17984: Validating the Gold-standard: Steady-State Free Precession Sequence for Assessment of Left Ventricular and Right Ventricular Mass

Background: Left ventricular (LV) mass (LVM) predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, thus accurate quantification of LVM is essential. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered the gold-standard for LVM and right ventricular (RV) mass (RVM) quantification. The steady-state free precession (SSFP) is the most widely used sequence nowadays; however, SSFP-derived LVM/RVM has only been validated in normal animals, while CMR is usually performed under pathological conditions. Therefore, our objective was to validate in vivo SSFP-derived LVM/RVM with the gold-standard autopsy weights of experimental animals with myocardial infarction (MI), LV remodeling, and pulmonary hypertension (PH). Methods: MI was induced in 11 pigs by balloon occlusion of the proximal LAD for 60 min, and MRIs were obtained 2 months post-MI. PH was induced in 11 pigs by surgical ligation of three pulmonary veins and animals underwent CMR 4 months post-surgery. Animals were euthanized immediately after CMR. Each ventricle was separately weighted using a high-fidelity scale. MRI studies were performed with a 3.0 Tesla magnet. Results: In the MI model, infarct size (IS) was 29±6% of LV, LVEF 34±8%, RVEF 62±149%, mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) 16±4mmHg, and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) 2.3±1.1 Wood units. In the PH model, IS was 0%, LVEF 64±5%, RVEF 55±10%, mPAP 36±16mmHg and PVR was 7.2±5.5 Wood units. All animals provided images of diagnostic quality. Excellent correlations were obtained between SSFP-calculated LV mass (86.6±12.9g) and autopsy-measured LV mass (91.1±15.2g, r=0.97, p<0.001). For LV, the correlation was not different in both groups of animals (r=0.98, p=0.01 for post-MI animals; r=0.96, p=0.01 for PH animals). There was also a strong correlation between RV mass obtained from CMR (37.9±14.1g) and from autopsy (41.6±13.1g r=0.9, p=0.01). For RV, the correlation was higher in PH animals (r=0.92, p<0.001) than in post-MI pigs (r=0.8, p=0.01). Conclusions: In vivo SSFP-CMR sequences determine LVM and RVM accurately and reliably compared with autopsy. Therefore, our study provides further validation for the clinical use of SSFP sequence derived LVM and RVM.
Estimation of the Heterogeneity of Fracture Permeability by Simultaneous Modeling of Multiple Air‐Injection Tests in Partially Saturated Fractured Tuff

Air-injection tests were used to investigate the flow characteristics of the fractured volcanic tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the potential site for a high-level nuclear waste repository. Because the tuff matrix pores are saturated over 90% with water and the matrix permeability is on the order of microdarcies, the air component of flow is mainly in the fractures. Air-injection tests can therefore help to determine the flow characteristics and heterogeneity structure of the densely fractured welded tuff. The tests were carried out in the Exploratory Studies Facility, an 8 km long underground tunnel at the Yucca Mountain site, in twelve 40 m long boreholes, forming three clusters within a cubic rock volume of approximately 40 meters on each edge. Each borehole in the test block was packed off (or isolated) into four sections (or zones) by inflatable packers. The in situ field tests consisted of constant-rate air injection into one of the isolated borehole zones while the pressure response was monitored in all the isolated zones. The pressure data showed an almost universal response in all monitored zones to injection into any borehole -zone, indicating that the fractures are well connected for airflow. Air-injection tests were performed in succession for all isolated zones. A simultaneous inversion was performed for the pressure response of all the monitoring zones for all the injection tests in the test block. TOUGH2, a 3D numerical code for multiphase, multicomponent transport, was used for this purpose. Spatially variable fracture permeability was used as an adjustable parameter to fit the simulated pressure responses to those measured, assuming fixed fracture porosity. For most of the pneumatic experiments, the calculated pressure changes matched the data well, and the estimated permeability ranged over four orders of magnitude, from 10 -15 m 2 to 10 -11 m 2 .
As Our World Warmed

After the Ice A Global Human History, 20,000-5000 BC. by Steven Mithen. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 2003. 636 pp. £25. ISBN 0-297-64318-5. Forthcoming from Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-01570-3. Paper, Phoenix, London, 2004. £8.99. ISBN 0-75381-392-0. Drawing on recent findings from archaeology, genetics, and the environmental sciences, the author provides a region-by-region account of the transformations of human populations in the 15 millennia following the Last Glacial Maximum.
S-procedure for the analysis of control systems with parametric uncertainties via parameter-dependent Lyapunov functions

In this paper, the problem of robust stability of systems subject to parametric uncertainties is considered. Sufficient conditions for the existence of parameter-dependent Lyapunov functions are given in terms of a criterion which is reminiscent of but less conservative than Popov's stability criterion. It is shown how the so-called S-procedure plays a crucial role in the derivation of this criterion. A comparison with existing stability criteria is done. An equivalent frequency-domain criterion is given. Extensions to cover slowly time-varying systems and robust performance are given.
Viewpoint: Population projections and migration commissions

On the one hand the techniques of demographic projection are essential: they offer powerful and objective quantitative methods that, implemented and interpreted properly, can provide a hypothetical migration commission with critical insights into possible futures - futures that might otherwise not be apparent by examining contem-poraneous data. At the same time, if implemented improperly or interpreted naively, such long range demographic projections could represent instruments of confusion, exaggeration, and even deliberate distortion. Both the strengths and weaknesses in-herent in the use of demographic projections need to be understood by any immigra-tion commission that might emerge.
Alterations of the Murine Gut Microbiome with Age and Allergic Airway Disease

The gut microbiota plays an important role in the development of asthma. With advanced age the microbiome and the immune system are changing and, currently, little is known about how these two factors contribute to the development of allergic asthma in the elderly. In this study we investigated the associations between the intestinal microbiome and allergic airway disease in young and old mice that were sensitized and challenged with house dust mite (HDM). After challenge, the animals were sacrificed, blood serum was collected for cytokine analysis, and the lungs were processed for histopathology. Fecal pellets were excised from the colon and subjected to 16S rRNA analysis. The microbial community structure changed with age and allergy development, where alterations in fecal communities from young to old mice resembled those after HDM challenge. Allergic mice had induced serum levels of IL-17A and old mice developed a greater allergic airway response compared to young mice. This study demonstrates that the intestinal bacterial community structure differs with age, possibly contributing to the exaggerated pulmonary inflammatory response in old mice. Furthermore, our results show that the composition of the gut microbiota changes with pulmonary allergy, indicating bidirectional gut-lung communications.
AN ISOLATION UNIT FOR SUPPLYING RADIOISOTOPES TO SPECIFIC SEGMENTS OF AN INTACT ROOT

A B S T R A C T A device useful for supplying radioactive ions to specific segments of intact roots is described. A small volume of aerated, radioactive culture solution may be circulated around an isolated segment of a root, while the remainder of that root and the other roots of the plant are exposed to non-radioactive culture solution. Any root which does not have lateral roots extending beyond the epidermis can be inserted into the device without handling the root itself. No sealants are required to achieve a leak-proof seal above and below the root segment. The use of flexible rubber membranes to isolate root segments causes no detectable damage to root cells where the membranes contact the root epidermis. A STUDY of the entrance of radioactive ions into primary roots of Zea mays has led to the design of a device capable of supplying a continuous flow of aerated, radioactive culture solution to a 2-mm length of root of an intact plant. Portions of the root located above and below the treated segment- may be exposed, simultaneously to aerated, non-radioactive culture solution. The design is based on modifications of an apparatus used by Gregory and Woodford (1939), Hayward, Blair, and Skaling's (1942) potometer, and an "absorption cell" employed by Wiebe and Kramer (1954). Gregory and Woodford (1939) used their apparatus to compartmentalize root segments in order to measure quantitatively the entrance
Assay and properties of the enzyme catalyzing the biosynthesis of 1-O-alkyl dihydroxyacetone 3-phosphate

Abstract The properties of the enzyme alkyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate synthase (1-O-acyl dihydroxyacetone 3-phosphate + ROH → 1-O-alkyl dihydroxyacetone 3-phosphate + fatty acid) in Ehrlich ascites tumor cell microsomes were studied utilizing a new assay procedure. The assay is based on the difference of partition coefficient between alkyl dihydroxyacetone-P and hexadecanol in an alkaline two-phase CHCl3-methanol-water system. The product of the enzymatic reaction was characterized by different methods as alkyl dihydroxyacetone-P. At optimum concentration of the substrates (acyl dihydroxyacetone-P and hexadecanol), detergents or Mg2+ and ATP do not stimulate the reaction. The kinetic properties of the reaction were found to be complex due to the stimulation of enzyme activity at low acyl dihydroxyacetone-P concentration but inhibition at the high concentration of the same substrate. The enzyme accepts a variety of long-chain primary alcohols as substrate without much specificity. With different acyl dihydroxyacetone-P, the highest activity was obtained with hexadecanoyl (16:0) dihydroxyacetone-P, with somewhat less activity with longer octadecanoyl (18:0) and much less (40% of 16:0) activity with tetradecanoyl (14:0) dihydroxyacetone-P. Preliminary studies indicate that a Schiffs base intermediate of the enzyme with the keto substrate is probably not formed, since NaBH4 inhibited the enzyme to the same extent in the presence or absence of acyl dihydroxyacetone-P. Fatty acids inhibit the reaction and an exchange of fatty acid with acyl dihydroxyacetone-P in the presence of the enzyme preparation was observed. Heat-inactivation studies indicate that alkyl dihydroxyacetone-P synthase is probably also catalyzing this fatty acid exchange reaction. Based on these findings, an enzyme-bound dihydroxyacetone-P intermediate is proposed.
Emerging strategies for high-risk and relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia: Novel agents and approaches currently in clinical trials

High-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is defined by clinical and biologic features that predict for poor response to induction chemotherapy and high risk of relapse. Despite even the most aggressive and well-developed strategies for care, most patients succumb to the disease. No currently available treatment has demonstrated consistent efficacy in terms of remission induction or long-term survival. This review will highlight some of the emerging strategies to treat high-risk AML with an emphasis on clinical trials of novel strategies currently enrolling patients. Targeted molecular therapies, novel cytotoxics, and immune-based therapies are under investigation for the management of high-risk AML. Some of the agents covered include tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeted to AML specific oncoproteins, nanoparticle formulations of existing drugs, nucleoside analogs, monoclonal antibodies, chimeric antigen receptors, bispecific T-cell engaging antibodies, and vaccines. As our understanding of the biology of AML has improved, targeted therapy for AML has emerged, offering to change not only response rate, but also the nature of response. Differentiation, rather than necrosis or apoptosis, is often seen in response to targeted agents and may be seen more frequently in the future. Interventions that might be more widely used in the near future include FLT3 inhibitors and nanoparticle formulations of drugs already known to have activity in the disease. Long term immune therapy holds significant promise.
Dispersion of ultrasound by conduction electrons calculated from the deformation coefficient

We extend Pippard's theory for ultrasonic attenuation in metals, based on a Fermi-surface deformation coefficient, to include the calculation of the dispersion. We make use of the transient-stress method developed by Kadanoff and Pippard for the case of zero applied field. The resulting expressions are applied to jellium, giving magnetic-field-dependent attenuation and dispersion with minimal restrictions on $\mathrm{ql}$ or $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\tau}$ which agree with earlier semiclassical calculations carried out in the laboratory frame. We point out a striking reversal in the phase of oscillations in the sound velocity as a function of magnetic field intensity for shear waves when ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{\pi}$. Asymptotic analytic expressions are given for the attenuation and dispersion for $\frac{\mathrm{ql}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}\ensuremath{\tau}}g4$.
Building trust and a sense of community in the Western Balkans: they shall overcome (their violent pasts)?

This study examines the extent to which Albania, Croatia and Macedonia, brought together by partnership in the Adriatic Charter in 2003, have made progress toward the development of trust and belonging (a security community) that will facilitate wider Euro–Atlantic integration. We assess identity and belonging with partners and neighbours, as well as within individual states. Moreover, we examine whether notions of security community ‘trickle down’ to the public. Based on extensive fieldwork, we conclude that there has been an increase in interactions among these countries at the elite level, but the general public in each country appears to exhibit less trust and sense of community.
Growth hormone enhances LNCaP prostate cancer cell motility.

AbstractPurpose: Prostate cancer cells are responsive to multiple hormones and growth factors that can affect cell function. These effects may include modulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, but the ability to impinge on the metastatic potential of prostate cancer cells by affecting cell motility should also be considered, as prostate tumor metastasis correlates with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. Human growth hormone (hGH) can affect the growth and survival of prostate cancer cells, but the effect of hGH on prostate cancer cell motility is unknown. In the present study, the potential for exogenous and autocrine hGH to directly affect prostate cancer cell motility was addressed. Materials and methods: The effects of exogenous and autocrine hGH on the chemokinesis and chemotaxis of LNCaP prostate cancer cells were tested using cell monolayer wound healing and Boyden chamber invasion assays. The signaling pathways underlying these effects were resolved with chemical inhibitors and the ...
Joint design of trajectory and RF pulses for parallel excitation

We propose an alternating optimization framework for the joint design of excitation k-space trajectory and RF pulses for small-tip-angle parallel excitation. Using Bloch simulations, we show that compared with conventional designs with predetermined trajectories, joint designs can often excite target patterns with improved accuracy and reduced total integrated pulse power, particularly at high reduction factors. These benefits come at a modest increase in computational time.
Solution nonuniqueness for separated gas-liquid flow in pipes and wells. I. Occurrence

ABSTRACT The occurrence of multiple solutions has been investigated and discussed in this paper. Multiple solution regions are displayed by either a U SL–U SG map or a X–Y map. It is found that many parameters impose influence on the multiple solution regions, including fluid properties, pipe ID, pipe inclination angle, wall inflow or outflow, empirical correlations for wall friction and interfacial friction factors, and so on. For example, the multiple solution region could change significantly if different interfacial friction factor correlations are applied. Multiple solutions are only possible for upward flow for separated flow in a pipe without wall mass transfer. However, for wellbore flow case, depending on wall inflow or outflow of fluids and their flow rates, multiple solutions may also exist for horizontal and downward flow. More specifically, for wall inflow case (production well), multiple solutions only exist for upward flow for the gas inflow-dominant case, whereas they may exist for upward,...
Surface science studies of Nb-(0001) Al2O3 interfacial reactions

Etude des reactions chimiques intervenant quand plusieurs couches monomoleculaires de niobium sont deposees sur un substrat monocristallin de Al 2 O 3 (0001)
TUNNEL JUNCTION DC SQUID: FABRICATION, OPERATION, and PERFORMANCE

We describe the theory, fabrication, operation, and performance of a cylindrical dc SQUID made with shunted Nb-NbOx-Pb Josephson tunnel junctions. The SQUID is current-biased at a nonzero voltage, and modulated with a 100 kHz flux. The 100 kHz voltage developed across the SQUID is amplified by a cooled, resonantLC circuit that optimally couples the SQUID impedance to the input of a room-temperature FET preamplifier. The SQUID is operated in a flux-locked loop with a dynamic range in a 1-Hz bandwidth of ±3×106. The 3-dB rolloff frequency for the loop response is typicalty 2 kHz, and the slewing rate is generally 2×104 φ0 sec−1. A typical flux noise power spectrum for a SQUID at 4.2 K in a superconducting shield is presented. Above 2×10−2 Hz the spectrum is white and has an rms value of 3.5×10−5 φ0 Hz−1/2. The white noise is intrinsic to the sensor and is close to the theoretical limit set by Johnson noise in the shunts. At lower frequencies, the power spectrum is approximately 10−10 (1 Hz/f) φ 0 2 Hz−1, wheref is the frequency. This value is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than the calculated 1/f noise in the tunnel junctions. The factors contributing to the long-term drift of the SQUID are discussed. By regulating the temperature of the helium bath we have achieved a drift rate of 2×10−5 φ0 h−1 over a 20-h period. A detailed description is given of the coupling efficiency of various input coils wound on the SQUID. The effects of coupling between the input coil, the SQUID, and the feedback (modulation) coil are described, and measurements of the coupling parameters reported. The energy resolution of the SQUID with respect to a current in a 24-turn input coil is 7×10−30 J Hz−1 for frequencies at which the flux noise has a white power spectrum. In terms of energy resolution, the SQUID has a better performance in the 1/f noise region that that of any SQUID previously reported in the literature. The long-term drift over an extended period also represents the lowest value yet reported.
Use of isopycnic plots in designing operations of supercritical fluid chromatography. III: Reason for the low column efficiency in the critical region

Abstract This paper discusses the origins of efficiency loss in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) when analyses are carried out in the low pressure supercritical region of carbon-dioxide, close to its critical point. Recent publications [1] , [2] , [3] have shown strong evidence of radial thermal heterogeneity inside an SFC column and suggested that it leads to peak-shape distortion and greatly reduces the column efficiency. We demonstrate that the physico-chemical properties of CO2 close to the critical point are such that formation of thermal heterogeneity inside the column is highly probable and could cause the observed efficiency loss. Consideration of isopycnic plots of CO2 permits clear identification of the problematic region and explains why these properties of CO2 are primarily responsible for the often perplexing efficiency losses taking place during the SFC operations.
Method for detecting moment connection fracture using high-frequency transients in recorded accelerations

The 1994 Northridge earthquake caused brittle fractures in steel moment frame building connections, despite causing little visible building damage in most cases. Future strong earthquakes are likely to cause similar damage to the many un-retrofitted pre-Northridge buildings in the western US and elsewhere. Without obvious permanent building deformation, costly intrusive inspections are currently the only way to determine if major fracture damage that compromises building safety has occurred. Building instrumentation has the potential to provide engineers and owners with timely information on fracture occurrence. Structural dynamics theory predicts and scale model experiments have demonstrated that sudden, large changes in structure properties caused by moment connection fractures will cause transient dynamic response. A method is proposed for detecting the building-wide level of connection fracture damage, based on observing high-frequency, fracture-induced transient dynamic responses in strong motion accelerograms. High-frequency transients are short (<1 s), sudden-onset waveforms with frequency content above 25 Hz that are visually apparent in recorded accelerations. Strong motion data and damage information from intrusive inspections collected from 24 sparsely instrumented buildings following the 1994 Northridge earthquake are used to evaluate the proposed method. The method’s overall success rate for this data set is 67%, but this rate varies significantly with damage level. The method performs reasonably well in detecting significant fracture damage and in identifying cases with no damage, but fails in cases with few fractures. Combining the method with other damage indicators and removing records with excessive noise improves the ability to detect the level of damage.
Rapid pathotyping of Newcastle disease virus from allantoic fluid and organs of experimentally infected chickens using two novel probes.

A system including RNA isolation, primers and two novel oligonucleotide probes (NC22 and VC22) was established to rapidly pathotype Newcastle disease virus (NDV) from infected allantoic fluid; The sequence of the probes is: VC22, 5′-AAGGAGGCAGAAACGCTTTATA-3′; NC22, 5′-GGGGAGACAGG GGCGCCTTATA-3′. Application efficacy of the probes was verified by differentiating NDV that derived from experimentally infected organs. NC22 and VC22 both were labeled with digoxigenin (DIG) and were successful in differentiating NDV strains from the infected allantoic fluid and organs of experimentally infected SPF chickens. The RT-PCR products of NDV isolates and strains were dotted onto nylon membrane and then hybridized with two specific probes separately. The VC22 probe is specific to virulent strains, and the NC22 probe is specific to avirulent strains. The results of hybridization coincide with viral intracerebral pathologenicity index (ICPI). The specificity of two probes and sensitivity of NC22 probe were evaluated. NC22 could detect down to 10−8 dilution from 107.5 EID50/ml or 800 fg of viral RNA. The system could be completed within 1 day to conduct experiment from clinical sample to the result of assay, and its potential practical application in clinical assay was discussed basing on specificity, sensitivity and rapidness.
Metabolic Therapy at the Crossroad: How to optimize myocardial substrate utilization?

There has been growing interest in targeting myocardial substrate metabolism for the therapy of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This is largely based on the observation that cardiac metabolism undergoes significant changes during both physiologic and pathologic stresses. In search for an effective therapeutic strategy, recent studies have focused on the functional significance of the substrate switch in the heart during stress conditions, such as cardiac hypertrophy and failure, using both pharmacologic and genetic approaches. The results of these studies indicate that both the capacity and the flexibility of the cardiac metabolic network are essential for normal function; thus, their maintenance should be the primary goal for future metabolic therapy.
Direct method of determining the methane content of coal — a modification

Abstract It is shown that the usually applied method for determining the methane content of coal, while quite satisfactory when used at small surface time ratios, significantly underestimates the quantity of gas lost at large surface time ratios.
A Musical View of the Universe: Kalapalo Myth and Ritual Performances

A Musical View of the Universe: Kalapalo Myth and Ritual Performances. Ellen B. Basso. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1985. 344 pp., appendices, notes, bibliography, index, index of myths. $39.95(cloth),$19.95(textedition). ISBN 0-8122-7931-X
Observation and quantification of gas bubble formation on a mechanical heart valve.

Clinical studies using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in patients with mechanical heart valves (MHV) have detected gaseous emboli. The relationship of gaseous emboli release and cavitation on MHV has been a subject of debate in the literature. To study the influence of cavitation and gas content on the formation and growth of stable gas bubbles, a mock circulatory loop, which employed a Medtronic-Hall pyrolytic carbon disk valve in the mitral position, was used. A high-speed video camera allowed observation of cavitation and gas bubble release on the inflow valve surfaces as a function of cavitation intensity and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration, while an ultrasonic monitoring system scanned the aortic outflow tract to quantify gas bubble production by calculating the gray scale levels of the images. In the absence of cavitation, no stable gas bubbles were formed. When gas bubbles were formed, they were first seen a few milliseconds after and in the vicinity of cavitation collapse. The volume of the gas bubbles detected in the aortic track increased with both increased CO 2 and increased cavitation intensity. No correlation was observed between O 2 concentration and bubble volume. We conclude that cavitation is an essential precursor to stable gas bubble formation, and CO 2 , the most soluble blood gas, is the major component of stable gas bubbles.