cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among People Who Inject Drugs: Exploratory Findings of the Interaction Between Race, Homelessness, and Trust

Scale-up of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in people who inject drugs (PWID) remains suboptimal. Patient-level factors are often complex and may contribute to scale-up. Using cross-sectional data from 234 opioid-dependent patients on methadone who met eligibility criteria for PrEP, we conducted logistic regression analyses to assess potential moderators associated with being on PrEP (n = 60). Mean provider trust was significantly higher among Blacks vs Whites (39.4 vs 34.9; p = 0.002) and non-homeless vs homeless participants (37.5 vs 34.8; p = 0.008). Though race/ethnicity was not a significant moderator on provider trust and PrEP use, increased provider trust was marginally associated with increased PrEP use among Blacks (p = 0.058). Additionally, homelessness significantly moderated provider trust and PrEP use (p = 0.024). Provider trust among non-homeless participants was positively correlated with PrEP use (p = 0.013) but not among homeless participants. Strategies that promote provider trust in Blacks and non-homeless PWID on methadone may improve PrEP scale-up.
Systemic Polyarteritis Nodosa

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a rare systemic necrotizing vasculitis predominantly affecting the medium-sized arteries with widely variable presenting features, disease course, and outcomes. Recent updates regarding the nomenclature of PAN have resulted in the description of several PAN sub-phenotypes. Herein discussed are idiopathic PAN, Hepatitis B-associated PAN and monogenic disorders such as adenosine deaminase-2 deficiency. The current understanding of the pathogenesis, histopathological features, and treatment of these conditions are reviewed.
Critical values in cytology.

The timely reporting of critical values, or values that may be life-threatening if immediate action is not taken, is essential to patient care and safety. Although some guidelines exist for critical diagnoses in cytology, not all laboratories have a specific list of diagnoses that should be considered critical, and the very existence of cytology “critical values” has been called into question. Here we propose a pragmatic system for determining cytology critical values and report our laboratory’s critical value list, formulated based on a review of the medical literature regarding clinical urgency and other institutions’ cytology critical value lists.
Triadic Coercion: Israel’s Targeting of States that Host Nonstate Actors: by Wendy Pearlman and Boaz Atzili, New York, Columbia University Press, 2019, 284 pp., $30.00 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-231-17185-4

Published under Columbia University Press’s Studies in Terrorism and Irregular Warfare series, this book is an important look into an understudied aspect of how states manage non-state threats. Foc...
Back to the Future: Nordefco’s First Decade and Prospects for the Next

This article discusses the evolution of the Nordic defense cooperation, NORDEFCO, during its first decade, i.e. since 2009, and its prospects for the next. A special focus is on the 2019 (Sweden) and 2020 (Denmark) chairs, who in many ways represent two opposite approaches to defense cooperation in the Nordic region. While NORDEFCO’s first period was devoted to various types of smart defense, the Russian aggression in Ukraine in early 2014 represents a real game changer with a new and upgraded operational role for the Nordic cooperation. The nonalignment of two of the Nordic countries, however, puts a severe limit to how far defense integration and cooperation can go in the Nordic-Baltic region. Nevertheless, NORDEFCO is still of considerable value in terms of regional security as a tool for circumventing the restrictions posed by the differing security doctrines and, thus, for integrating all the Nordic countries in the defense cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.
Making People Matter: Moving Toward a Humanity-Based Public Administration:

In this article, I demonstrate how a humanity-driven approach to Public Administration (PA) can be used to resolve macro-level value conflicts. I define a humanity-driven approach to PA as one that...
Continuous biphasic chemical processes in a four-phase segmented flow reactor

A quaternary segmented flow regime for robust and flexible continuous biphasic chemical processes is introduced and characterized for stability and dynamic properties through over 1500 automatically conducted experiments. The flow format is then used for the continuous flow ligand exchange of cadmium selenide quantum dots under high intensity ultraviolet illumination for improved photoluminescence quantum yield.
Development and Implementation of DIGEST: The Digital Interactive Gastroenterology Education Suite for Trainees.

Introduction Clinical clerkship curricula should exist to provide rotating learners on subspecialty rotations with consistent exposure to specific topics geared toward the discipline of interest, such as pediatric gastroenterology (GI). We aim to describe our experience developing and implementing DIGEST: the Digital Interactive Gastroenterology Education Suite for Trainees, a novel, online GI curriculum delivered to virtual, rotating learners during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stay-at-home order. Materials and methods A general needs assessment in 2019 identified a lack of standardized educational experience amongst the rotating learners on pediatric GI service. The COVID-19 pandemic compelled us to transition our curriculum from our institution's secure share drive to the GOOGLE classroom. A program evaluation was undertaken and included learner responses to content and confidence questionnaires and a health care professions education (HPE) expert's response to a course quality assessment rubric. Results Feasibility-the final DIGEST product was free of charge to create but incurred direct and indirect costs of time and training on behalf of the authors. Acceptance-7 possible learners participated and responded to the questionnaires (100% response rate). Learners reported a superior learning experience and increased confidence with DIGEST. An HPE expert reported that the course design of DIGEST met or exceeded expectations in all categories. Conclusions DIGEST is a novel pediatric GI curriculum for rotating learners that could be rapidly deployed, or adapted, for a wide range of clinical disciplines within the Military Health System.
Atomic-scale mechanisms of helium bubble hardening in iron☆

Abstract Generation of helium due to (n,α) transmutation reactions changes the response of structural materials to neutron irradiation. The whole process of radiation damage evolution is affected by He accumulation and leads to significant changes in the material's properties. A population of nanometric He-filled bubbles affects mechanical properties and the impact can be quite significant because of their high density. Understanding how these basic mechanisms affect mechanical properties is necessary for predicting radiation effects. In this paper we present an extensive study of the interactions between a moving edge dislocation and bubbles using atomic-scale modeling. We focus on the effect of He bubble size and He concentration inside bubbles. We found that ability of bubbles to act as an obstacle to dislocation motion is close to that of voids when the He-to-vacancy ratio is in the range from 0 to 1. A few simulations made at higher He contents demonstrated that the interaction mechanism is changed for over-pressurized bubbles and they become weaker obstacles. The results are discussed in light of post-irradiation materials testing.
Local Lists in Europe

The phenomenon of independent local lists (Ill’s) has not yet been a subject of international comparative research. Of course, there are manifold reasons for this lack of scientific attendance, but among the most serious are the absence of internationally agreed on definitions, a common conceptual framework, and above all, a first international oversight. The latter will be the ambitious project of this book, while the forthcoming paragraphs will deal with questions of a comprehensive definition and sketches of a possible conceptual framework.
Homicide or accident off the coast of Florida: trauma analysis of mutilated human remains.

In the many years Dr. William R. Maples served as a forensic anthropologist, he saw diverse sources of trauma presented in the victims of violent crime, accident and suicide in the state of Florida. In 1996 the District 18 Medical Examiner's Office of Florida requested the assistance of Dr. Maples in the analysis of human remains recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The deceased was in an advanced state of decomposition characterized by skin slippage and discoloration. The torso bore multiple lacerations, including nearly parallel lacerations in the skin of the back. Specimens were carefully macerated and the fractures reconstructed. The skeletal trauma was caused by a device capable of delivering robust cuts and blunt trauma in linear paths, as is consistent with propeller trauma. Unusual in this case were blows to the ventral and dorsal surfaces of the body. Based on the anthropological analysis and interviews with the family of the deceased, the F.B.I. proceeded with the case as a homicide investigation.
Local Radiation Therapy of B16 Melanoma Tumors Increases the Generation of Tumor Antigen-Specific Effector Cells That Traffic to the Tumor

Immunotherapy of cancer is attractive because of its potential for specificity and limited side effects. The efficacy of this approach may be improved by providing adjuvant signals and an inflammatory environment for immune cell activation. We evaluated antitumor immune responses in mice after treatment of OVA-expressing B16-F0 tumors with single (15 Gy) or fractionated (5 x 3 Gy) doses of localized ionizing radiation. Irradiated mice had cells with greater capability to present tumor Ags and specific T cells that secreted IFN-gamma upon peptide stimulation within tumor-draining lymph nodes than nonirradiated mice. Immune activation in tumor-draining lymph nodes correlated with an increase in the number of CD45(+) cells infiltrating single dose irradiated tumors compared with nonirradiated mice. Similarly, irradiated mice had increased numbers of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes that secreted IFN-gamma and lysed tumor cell targets. Peptide-specific IFN-gamma responses were directed against both the class I and class II MHC-restricted OVA peptides OVA(257-264) and OVA(323-339), respectively, as well as the endogenous class I MHC-restricted B16 tumor peptide tyrosinase-related protein 2(180-188). Adoptive transfer studies indicated that the increased numbers of tumor Ag-specific immune cells within irradiated tumors were most likely due to enhanced trafficking of these cells to the tumor site. Together these results suggest that localized radiation can increase both the generation of antitumor immune effector cells and their trafficking to the tumor site.
Privacy-Preserving Data Publishing in the Cloud: A Multi-level Utility Controlled Approach

Conventional private data publication schemes are targeted at publication of sensitive datasets with the objective of retaining as much utility as possible for statistical (aggregate) queries while ensuring the privacy of individuals' information. However, such an approach to data publishing is no longer applicable in shared multi-tenant cloud scenarios where users often have different levels of access to the same data. In this paper, we present a privacy-preserving data publishing framework for publishing large datasets with the goals of providing different levels of utility to the users based on their access privileges. We design and implement our proposed multi-level utility-controlled data anonymization schemes in the context of large association graphs considering three levels of user utility namely: (i) users having access to only the graph structure (ii) users having access to graph structure and aggregate query results and (iii) users having access to graph structure, aggregate query results as well as individual associations. Our experiments on real large association graphs show that the proposed techniques are effective, scalable and yield the required level of privacy and utility for user-specific utility and access privilege levels.
Identification of genes expressed during cercosporin biosynthesisin Cercospora zeae-maydis

Abstract Gray leaf spot, caused by the fungus Cercospora zeae-maydis , is the most destructive foliar disease of maize in the United States. However, little is known about the biochemical and molecular events of pathogenesis. C. zeae-maydis produces cercosporin, a phytotoxin shown to be a virulence factor in diseases caused by other Cercospora species. To identify genes involved in cercosporin biosynthesis and ultimately determine the role of cercosporin in disease development, we constructed a cDNA subtraction library of C. zeae-maydis by suppression subtractive hybridization. Poly (A) + RNA isolated from cultures grown in a cercosporin-suppressing medium was subtracted from poly (A) + RNA isolated from cultures grown in a cercosporin-inducing medium, resulting in transcripts that are specific to the cercosporin-producing culture. Analyses of 768 sequences in this cDNA subtraction library revealed 197 cDNAs with high similarity to genes in the GenBank and Saccharomyces Genome Database, and these genes were grouped into nine categories based on predicted functions of the encoded proteins. Northern analysis of seven selected clones with predicted functions in fatty acid metabolism (fatty acid synthase, oleate Δ-12 desaturase, and linoleate diol synthase) and secondary metabolism [cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, dihydrogeodin (phenol) oxidase, and coproporphyrinogen oxidase] indicated that those genes were expressed in cercosporin-inducing conditions. Analysis of expression kinetics confirmed that those genes are expressed concomitantly with cercosporin accumulation. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.
Hormone-replacement therapy in patients with breast cancer. A reappraisal.

Background. It has been common practice to prohibit hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) in patients with breast cancer. A reappraisal of this practice is necessary because hundreds of reports have established the benefits of HRT in coronary artery disease, osteoporosis, the serum lipid profile, and quality of life. Methods. An argument is presented to support the safety of HRT use in such patients in the absence of a prospective randomized study addressing these issues. This argument relies primarily on historical data. Results. There is no direct evidence that the use of HRT adversely affects patients who have previously been afflicted with breast cancer
Blue matter: strong scaling of molecular dynamics on blue gene/l

This paper presents strong scaling performance data for the Blue Matter molecular dynamics framework using a novel n-body spatial decomposition and a collective communications technique implemented on both MPI and low level hardware interfaces. Using Blue Matter on Blue Gene/L, we have measured scalability through 16,384 nodes with measured time per time-step of under 2.3 milliseconds for a 43,222 atom protein/lipid system. This is equivalent to a simulation rate of over 76 nanoseconds per day and represents an unprecedented time-to-solution for biomolecular simulation as well as continued speed-up to fewer than three atoms per node. On a smaller, solvated lipid system with 13,758 atoms, we have achieved continued speedups through fewer than one atom per node and less than 2 milliseconds/time-step. On a 92,224 atom system, we have achieved floating point performance of over 1.8 TeraFlops/second on 16,384 nodes. Strong scaling of fixed-size classical molecular dynamics of biological systems to large numbers of nodes is necessary to extend the simulation time to the scale required to make contact with experimental data and derive biologically relevant insights.
Moral Decision-Making: Reason, Emotion & Luck

This extensive note synthesizes current psychological and neuroscientific research on how people make decisions with moral implications. Research summaries and scenarios illustrate critical issues.Learning Objective: Introduce students to the connections (and contradictions) between classical philosophical concepts and modern scientific findings.
Multiple-GHz ring and LC VCOs in 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS

This work presents a comparison of the ring and LC VCOs to be used in multiple-GHz communication systems. Multiple-GHz CMOS ring and LC VCOs are implemented on the same chip and tested under similar conditions for a fair comparison. The prototype chip was fabricated using a 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS process and includes three-stage ring and symmetrical LC VCOs aimed for this comparison. The ring VCO dissipates 50 mW at an oscillation frequency of 6.1 GHz, and exhibits -97.5 dBc/Hz phase noise (@ 1 MHz). The LC VCO has a maximum frequency of 3 GHz with a 46% tuning range and has -111.4dBc/Hz phase noise (@1 MHz) while using 3.6 mW.
A Multiagent System Approach to Grocery Shopping

We present an approach to social grocery shopping based on customers trading information about item prices and quantities in order for the customers to find the lowest prices for the goods they purchase and the most convenient plan for buying them. Because collecting and reporting prices is tedious, agents repre-senting customers are needed to make this approach practical. Agents also have the potential to learn which other agents can be trusted. We use a realistic shopping list based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index in order to guarantee the realism of our results. By visiting actual grocery markets and comparing prices, we have discovered that the total cost of a list of groceries can vary by 13%. We have also discovered that by shopping optimally, that is, buying each item from the cheapest store, the result can be a savings of 16% over shopping at the store with the lowest total cost. To shop at minimum cost requires customers’ agents to report prices to each other. If they do, each customer is likely to achieve at least a 10% savings. However, what if the reported prices are inaccurate? Would customers be worse off than if they just shopped randomly? We investigated the robustness of our multiagent shopping system in the presence of errors in reported prices. From this, we determine the potential savings an average customer might obtain.
Economic Aspects of U. S. Energy Independence in the Coming Decade

There is no doubt that energy is a subject on the minds of many today. A great deal of what is being said about energy not only bears repeating, but requires careful evaluation and should be followed by constructive action. Energy research and development will play a central role in most of this nation’s scientific, technological, and industrial endeavors for years, if not decades, to come. This is true not only because of the overwhelming importance of energy to the nation but because our energy problems—both immediate and long-range—are complex. It is also true because the urgency of dealing with these problems must be brought home to the public and to people at all levels of responsibility in government, industry, and education. These problems have not vanished with the end of the oil embargo and the disappearance of lines at the gas stations. The United States will be living with them and working to solve them for a long time. Before turning to some of the solutions that might be considered for the coming decade, it is useful to make a few observations to illustrate the national and global impact of the energy situation.
Genus and gaps in function fields

Abstract A new formula for the genus of certain function fields is given. A key role is played by the notion of the gaps at a place of the function field. The methods used are purely algebraic and the constant field is allowed to be quite arbitrary.
An increase in NMDA-sensitive [3H]glutamate and [3H]kainate binding in hippocampus 24 hours after PCP

Considerable research has identified a variety of acute PCP-induced biochemical changes in brain; but, little study has been devoted to characterizing delayed PCP-induced actions. These could potentially be associated with the prolonged psychotomimetic effects of the drug in humans. Here we studied delayed PCP-induced alterations in glutamate receptor subtype binding across a range of PCP doses, based on our previous findings of delayed regional cerebral metabolism changes with PCP. We report that 24 h after a single dose, PCP increases N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-sensitive [3H]glutamate binding in hippocampus (CA1) in an apparent dose-sensitive manner; no other dose-sensitive regional changes in NMDA binding sites were apparent in a sampling of 19 brain regions. [3H]kainate binding sites were increased in CA3 and dentate gyrus, but only at the high drug dose. Moreover, PCP appeared to have a general delayed effect in upregulating NMDA receptor binding in limbic-associated brain areas at its middle dose, and in upregulating [3H]kainate binding in neocortical and limbic areas at its high dose. No PCP effects were noted on AMPA receptor binding. These delayed actions of PCP may be informative about the mechanism of PCP psychosis.
Ammonium excretion rates in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, measured by a 15N isotope dilution technique

Ammonium ion uptake and excretion rates were measured in water samples taken from Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, by monitoring the 15N/(15N+14N) isotope ratio in dissolved ammonium ion in incubated samples which had been spiked with 15N-labeleled crops of microzooplankton (organisms passing a 0.333 mm mesh gauze), but the actual excretion was due primarily to smaller organisms (less than 0.035 mm in nominal diameter). Preliminary results indicate that excretion rates were substantially higher during the night than during the day, and that on the average daily uptake and excretion of ammonium ion were roughly in balance.
The rhetoric of ‘terrorism’ and the evolution of a counterterrorist state in Nepal

This paper examines the global ‘war on terror’ (WOT) and the case of Nepal. Nepal shifted in its identity from being neutral and uninvolved in global affairs prior to 2001, to being part of the global WOT. Nepal's enactment of anti-terrorism legislation in 2001 helped establish its new ‘counterterrorist’ identity, while affixing the ‘terrorist’ label to Maoist rebels that the state was fighting. This allowed regional and global actors to view the Nepali state's actions against Maoist rebels as ‘counterterrorist’. The period of November 2001 when the first Nepali anti-terrorism legislation was established and the February 2005 takeover of the state by the (then) king are the main focus of this paper. The goal here is not to discuss whether the Maoists were (or were not) ‘really’ terrorist; instead, the task is to note how the label of ‘terrorism’ was used in Nepal to legitimate ‘counterterrorism’ operations by the state. The article argues that the state's use of the ‘war on terror’ rhetoric specifically d...
PREDICTING SEVERITY OF HEAD INJURY BASED ON REASONS FOR HOSPITAL ADMISSION

Most children hospitalized for head injury are admitted for assessment of neurologic status and for monitoring the development of complications. This retrospective study of 155 head injury pts. (2 mos. to 16 yrs.) hospitalized during 14 mos. determines predictive values of common admission criteria following head injury for the severity of head injury based on skull radiographs and head CT scans. Twenty seven pts. had severe head injury: 13 compound/depressed skull fracture, 6 epidural hematoma, 4 brain contusion, 2 cerebral edema, 1 subdural hematoma, 1 brain ischemia; 128 had minor head injury: 46 concussion, 35 minor trauma, 27 linear skull fracture (LSF), and 20 basilar skull fracture. Positive predictive values for severe head injury were: deep scalp laceration/large scalp swelling (75%); loss of consciousness (LOC) ≥5 min. (50%); focal neurologic deficit (42%); seizures (28%); altered consciousness (28%); severe headache (21%); any LOC (21%); LSF (18%); vomiting ≥5 times (12%); scalp swelling/abrasion (10%); retrograde amnesia (5%); anterograde amnesia (4%). Negative predictive values for severe head injury ranged from 97% for LSF to 75% for anterograde amnesia and scalp swelling/abrasion. Thus, certain "admission criteria" in head injury pts. are predictive of the severity of head injury: the more obvious the presenting abnormality (deep laceration, protracted LOC, focal CNS deficit, seizures), the more likely a severe head injury is present, and that prolonged vomiting, scalp injury, and amnesia are poor predictors of severe head injury.
017 Laminin 10 in Wound Reepithelization and Angiogenesis

Extracellular matrix laminins are the major noncollagenous components in the basement membrane zones (BMZ) and influence a variety of important biological processes including cell attachment, migration, and tissue development. A newly discovered laminin family member, laminin 10 (alpha 5, beta 1, and gamma 1), is found a major laminin present in the BMZs at the dermal-epidermal junction and dermal microvascular vessels. We examined the roles of laminin 10 in cutaneous wound repair in vitro and in vivo. Purified laminin 10 protein promoted human keratinocyte spreading and attachment, which is mediated by integrins. In human wound lesions, immunoperoxidase staining, with antibody 4C7 specific to laminin alpha 5 chain, stained strongly positive for laminin 10 in newly formed BMZs of epidermis and dermal blood vessels. Using a laminin 10 alpha 5 chain knockout mouse, excisional wounds in this model had abnormal reepithelialization and decreased granulation tissue formation. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the BMZ of the mutant skin showed discontinuous lamina densa formation in areas between hemidesmosomes. In a porcine burn wound model, Reverse Transcription and Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis found significant higher expression of laminin 10 shortly after wounding and persisted through day 21, peaking at day 10. This expression pattern is consistent with the reconstitution of BMZs in the epidermis and microvascular blood vessels. These studies indicate that laminin 10 plays important roles in wound healing by promoting cell migration, BMZ assembly, reepithelialization, and angiogenesis. This study was supported by grants from NIH/NIAMES, DOD/DARPA and the Dermatology Foundation of South Florida.
Sources of variation in HPG axis reactivity and individually consistent elevation of sex steroids in a female songbird.

Abstract Understanding sources of individual differences in steroid hormone production has important implications for the evolution of reproductive and social behaviors. In females in particular, little is known about the mechanistic sources of these individual differences, despite established linkages between sex steroids and a variety of fitness-related traits. Using captive female dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) from two subspecies, we asked how variation in different components of the hypothalamo-pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis related to variation in testosterone production among females, and we compared females to males in multiple components of the HPG axis. We demonstrated consistent individual differences in testosterone elevation in response to challenges with luteinizing hormone (LH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). These hormone challenges led to more LH production but less testosterone production in females than males, and the sexes differed in some but not all measures of sensitivity to hormones along the HPG axis. Similar to findings in males, variation in testosterone production among females was not related to variation in LH production, gonadal LH-receptor mRNA abundance, or hypothalamic abundance of androgen receptor mRNA or aromatase mRNA. Rather, the primary source of individual variation in circulating steroids appears to the gonad, a conclusion further supported by positive correlations between testosterone and estradiol production. Unlike males, females did not differ by subspecies in any of the endocrine parameters that we assessed, suggesting some degree of independent evolution between the two sexes. Our results highlight the sources of physiological variation that may underlie the evolution of hormone-mediated phenotypes in females.
Effects of Off-Resonance Irradiation, Cross-Relaxation, and Chemical Exchange on Steady-State Magnetization and Effective Spin–Lattice Relaxation Times

Abstract In the presence of an off-resonance radiofrequency field, recovery of longitudinal magnetization to a steady state is not purely monoexponential. Under reasonable conditions with zero initial magnetization, recovery is nearly exponential and an effective relaxation rate constant R 1eff = 1/ T 1eff can be obtained. Exact and approximate formulas for R 1eff and steady-state magnetization are derived from the Bloch equations for spins undergoing cross-relaxation and chemical exchange between two sites in the presence of an off-resonance radiofrequency field. The relaxation formulas require that the magnetization of one spin is constant, but not necessarily zero, while the other spin relaxes. Extension to three sites with one radiofrequency field is explained. The special cases of off-resonance effects alone and with cross-relaxation or chemical exchange, cross-relaxation alone, and chemical exchange alone are compared. The inaccuracy in saturation transfer measurements of exchange rate constants by published formulas is discussed for the creatine kinase reaction.
Influence of chromium on superplasticity in ultra-high carbon steels

The influence of chromium additions to ultra-high carbon steels has been investigated. A common bearing steel (52100 containing 1% C and 1.5% Cr), a 1.6%+1.5% Cr steel (designated 52160) and a plain 1.6% C steel have been compared. Chromium is found to enhance greatly the superplastic properties. This is because the chromium enters the cementite and thereby stabilizes it. This in turn allows very little grain growth in ferrite to occur during superplastic deformation. A value of 1220% elongation to failure in 52160 was found at 650° C at an initial engineering strain rate of 1% min−1. The influence of strain rate on the elongation to failure has also been investigated in this material.
Influence of Trophic Position and Spatial Location on Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Bioaccumulation in a Stream Food Web

We tested the ability of delta15N-derived trophic position (TP) to predict polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in a historically contaminated stream (Twelvemile Creek, SC). We analyzed sediment, four types of organic matter, 27 macroinvertebrate taxa, and 25 fish species from six sites spanning 25 stream km. SigmaPCBs were high across sites (mean fish = 2505 ng g(-1) wet), with little spatial variation in concentrations within a trophic level. SigmaPCBs (wet weight) were significantly positively correlated with TP (r2 = 0.56) and lipids (r2 = 0.44), and concentrations increased 1-2 orders of magnitude among trophic levels. After adjusting for lipids, we calculated a food web magnification factor of 1.6 for SigmaPCBs, which is low compared to marine and lentic food webs. The predictive power of TP for individual congeners increased with Kow (octanol-water partition coefficient), with regression slope approximately 0.48 and r2 approximately 0.70 for Kow > 6.5. The proportion of high Kow compounds increased with distance from the source and with trophic position. Spatial variation in congener patterns was high, in contrast to marine and lentic systems where variation is typically low.
Guest Editorial: High Heat Flux Optical Engineering

This PDF file contains the editorial “Guest Editorial: High Heat Flux Optical Engineering” for OE Vol. 34 Issue 02
Esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance and manometry (MII-EM) in 2 patients with eosinophilic esophagitis: can it help the diagnosis?

Esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance and manometry (MII-EM) in 2 patients with eosinophilic esophagitis: can it help the diagnosis?
Histochemical characterization of secretions in the reproductive systems of two species of branchiobdellidans (Annelida: Clitellata): a new character for the phylogenetic matrix?

The species description of Cambarincola holti was emended to include variations in appearance of the peristomium, a description of the jaws, the shape of a normal spermatheca, and the correct description of the glandular atrium, granular rather than vacuolar. The glandular atrium contained a single type of secretion granule characterized as mucoprotein or glycoprotein, with an alkaline protein component. The vacuolar prostate gland secretions are uncharacterized as no stains would attach to the material. Spermatozoa were sometimes found in the spermathecal duct, but usually they were clumped together in the spermathecal bulb, or randomly distributed with each acrosome being in contact with a lining cell. The digitiform, glandular atrium of Xironogiton victoriensis is composed of nine regions based on the staining reaction of the granules. The granules were characterized as neutral mucoprotein, nonsulfated acid mucosubstance, glycoproteins, a combination of sulfated and nonsulfated acid mucosubstances, and totally non-staining granules. Spermatophores were observed only in X. victoriensis in depressions on the clitellum. The spermatozoa were separated from the cuticle by a layer of PAS staining material and covered by a lighter, PAS staining cap with a foamy outer layer that stains lightly with AB2.5. Further studies to characterize the secretions of the male reproductive organs may produce an additional character to add to the data matrices for phylogenetic analyses of these clitellates.
Short and long-run elasticities in US residential electricity demand: a co-integration approach

Abstract Co-integration techniques show promise in the analysis of short- and long-run effects of economic variables on energy use. We use these techniques to develop an error correction model of annual US residential electricity demand. We construct equipment stock indices and estimate the model for 1949–1993. Our analysis suggests a structural shift in consumption during the 1960s. We discuss reasons for this shift, report the short- and long-run elasticities, provide forecasts for 1994–1995, and compare the model's forecasts with other published forecasts.
Problem‐based learning in a higher education environmental biotechnology course

Problem‐based learning (PBL) is a teaching/learning strategy through which students learn course content by solving real‐world problems associated with the course material. Although the benefits of PBL have been amply demonstrated in the medical field and other selected subject areas, few studies have examined PBL’s potential contributions in subjects that combine content from multiple disciplines. To address this issue, the current study explored the differential effects of PBL versus lecture‐based learning on the achievement, problem‐solving skills, and attitudes toward instructional strategies of undergraduate students enrolled in a newly created environmental biotechnology course. Data collected through quizzes, scenarios, surveys, and interviews revealed greater achievement, problem‐solving skills, and positives attitudes toward the learning process of students exposed to PBL. Potential implications are discussed.
Some effects on turkeys of nitrate in the drinking water.

Abstract INTRODUCTION EXPERIMENTAL evidence was presented in a previous report suggesting the poult is more susceptible to nitrate toxicity than the chick and laying hen (Adams et al., 1966). Arends et al. (1967) reported that sodium nitrate, at a level equivalent to 675 p.p.m. nitrate, caused heavier body weights at subsequent ages, when added to the drinking water of two strains of Broad Breasted Bronze to four weeks of age. The effect was more pronounced in males than females. However, a similar response was not obtained from poults receiving an equivalent level of nitrate as potassium nitrate in the water or sodium nitrate in the feed equivalent to 1,000 p.p.m. nitrate. More recently Marrett and Sunde (1968) reported that chicks up to five weeks old were more tolerant to nitrate and nitrite in the feed than poults. They also found that mortality and rate of respiration were increased and growth reduced…
The determination of neuronal fate in the cerebral cortex

During the embryonic development of the cerebral cortex, young neurons migrate out into characteristic laminar positions and form specific axonal connections with other neurons. The birthdate of a neuron, and its tangential location in the ventricular zone, can serve as markers that predict its normal laminar fate and pattern of connectivity. In order to test whether cells of the developing cerebral cortex are committed to their normal fates, several types of transplantation experiment have challenged young cortical neurons to alter their identities or connections in novel environments. Other recent experiments have employed retroviral vectors to trace neuronal lineages in the cortex. Together, these studies suggest that phenotypic commitment involves a series of decisions. Certain developmental restrictions--for example, commitment to a laminar identity--may occur at or around the time of the cell's final mitotic division, whereas the refinement of area-specific axonal projections occurs as the neuron differentiates within the cortex.
Preliminary analysis of a trial of pulse cyclophosphamide in IFN-β-resistant active MS

Abstract This was a randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, multicenter trial in MS patients with a history of active disease during IFN-β treatment. Patients were randomized to either cyclophosphamide 800 mg/m2 plus methylprednisolone 1 g IV (CY/MP) or methylprednisolone (MP) once monthly for 6 months then followed for an additional 18 months. All patients received IFN-β1a for the 24-month study period. The primary endpoint was mean change from baseline in the number of gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) lesions. Secondary endpoints included the percentage of patients with Gd+ lesions, change in T2 lesion burden, change in brain parenchymal fraction (BPF), time to treatment failure, and cumulative probability of relapse. Safety was assessed by the incidence of adverse events and the results of blood and urine testing. A higher number of patients completed the study in the pulse cyclophosphamide group because approximately half as many of these patients became treatment failures (26% vs. 52%, p=0.03). During the infusion phase, the mean number of Gd+ lesions declined 70–80% from baseline in the CY group vs. a small increase in MP (p=0.02 and 0.04 at 3 and 6 months). We conclude that pulse cyclophosphamide appears to be well tolerated in combination with IFN-β1a. Pulse cyclophosphamide decreases the number of Gd+ lesions in patients with active disease on IFN-β compared to pulse methylprednisolone alone. Six doses of pulse cyclophosphamide in combination with IFN-β1a both prevent and delay clinical disease activity in patients with previously active disease on IFN-β alone. Pulse cyclophosphamide is a therapeutic option as rescue therapy for patients thought to be interferon non-responders.
Exploiting parallelism on a fine-grained MIMD architecture based upon channel queues

We present techniques for exploiting fine-grained parallelism extracted from sequential programs on a fine-grained MIMD system. The system exploits fine-grained parallelism through parallel execution of instructions on multiple processors as well as pipelined nature of individual processors. The processors can communicate data values via globally shared registers as well as dedicated channel queues. Compilation techniques are presented to utilize these mechanisms. A scheduling algorithm has been developed to distribute operations among the processors in a manner that reduces communication among the processors. The compiler identifies data dependencies which require synchronization and enforces them using channel queues. Delays that may result by attempting write operations to a full channel queue are avoided by spilling values from channels to local registers. If an interprocessor data dependency does not require synchronization, then the data value is passed through a shared register or shared memory.
Characterization of c-myc 3′ to 5′ mRNA Decay Activities in an in Vitro System *

The levels of mRNA and protein encoded by the c-myc protooncogene set the balance between proliferation and differentiation of mammalian cells. Thus, it is essential for the cell to tightly control c-myc expression. Indeed, cells utilize many mechanisms to control c-myc expression, including transcription, RNA processing, translation, and protein stability. We have focused on turnover of c-myc mRNA as a key modulator of the timing and level of c-mycexpression. c-myc mRNA is labile in cells, and its half-life is controlled by multiple instability elements located within both the coding region and the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR). Much work has focused on the protein factors that bind the instability elements, yet little is known about the enzymatic activities that effect the degradation of c-myc mRNA. Here I have utilized a novel cell-free mRNA decay system to characterize the c-myc mRNA decay machinery. This machinery consists of 3′ to 5′ mRNA decay activities that are Mg2+-dependent, require neither exogenous ATP/GTP nor an ATP-regenerating system, and act independently of a7mG(5′)ppp(5′)G cap structure to deadenylate an exogenous mRNA substrate in a c-myc 3′-UTR-dependent fashion. Following deadenylation, nucleolytic decay of the 3′-UTR occurs generating 3′ decay intermediates via a ribonucleolytic activity that can assemble on the c-myc 3′-UTR in a poly(A)-independent manner.
Diffusion and Reaction of Nitric Oxide in Suspension Cell Cultures

A reaction-diffusion model was developed to predict the fate of nitric oxide (NO) released by cells of the immune system. The model was used to analyze data obtained previously using macrophages attached to microcarrier beads suspended in a stirred vessel. Activated macrophages synthesize NO, which is oxidized in the culture medium by molecular oxygen and superoxide (O2-, also released by the cells), yielding mainly nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) as the respective end products. In the analysis the reactor was divided into a "stagnant film" with position-dependent concentrations adjacent to a representative carrier bead and a well-mixed bulk solution. It was found that the concentration of NO was relatively uniform in the film. In contrast, essentially all of the O2- was calculated to be consumed within approximately 2 microm of the cell surfaces, due to its reaction with NO to yield peroxynitrite. The decomposition of peroxynitrite caused its concentration to fall to nearly zero over a distance of approximately 30 microm from the cells. Although the film regions (which had an effective thickness of 63 microm) comprised just 2% of the reactor volume and were predicted to account for only 6% of the NO2- formation under control conditions, they were calculated to be responsible for 99% of the NO3- formation. Superoxide dismutase in the medium (at 3.2 microM) was predicted to lower the ratio of NO3- to NO2- formation rates from near unity to <0.5, in reasonable agreement with the data. The NO3-/NO2- ratio was predicted to vary exponentially with the ratio of O2- to NO release rates from the cells. Recently reported reactions involving CO2 and bicarbonate were found to have important effects on the concentrations of peroxynitrite and nitrous anhydride, two of the compounds that have been implicated in NO cytotoxicity and mutagenesis.
Protein design for non-aqueous solvents.

Abstract Improving protein stability in unnatural and suboptimal environments is a promising application of protein engineering technology. Carefully designed amino acid alterations may lead to dramatic positive effects on the stability of proteins under highly perturbing conditions, such as in non-aqueous solvents. Applications of biocatalysts and proteins with specific binding capabilities in the chemical industry have been severely limited by constraints placed on the solvent environment. With the advent of convenient methods for altering the amino acid composition and even synthesizing entirely new protein molecules, it is worthwhile to consider engineering proteins for stability in non-aqueous solvents. In order to identify the features that a protein would need for stability in organic media, we have been studying the structure and properties of the hydrophobic protein crambin. Crambin is unique in that it is soluble and stable in very high concentrations of polar organic solvents. Crambin and its water-soluble homologs offer a powerful demonstration of protein engineering for non-aqueous solvents. This paper describes the structural features that contribute to crambin's special properties. Based on these observations and consideration of how non-aqueous solvents affect the interactions important in protein folding, a set of rules for designing non-aqueous solvent-stable proteins is proposed.
Physical processes in Comet Kohoutek

Observational results are brought together to establish the mass loss of Comet Kohoutek (1973 XII) in H2O, solid particles, and other molecules. The production rate of molecules is seen to have flattened prior to peaking near perihelion passage, and then fell below the rate for the incoming branch of the orbit. The total mass loss was about 10 to the 14th power gm. All abundances are consistent with a clathrate-dominant form of water. Comparison of the sizes of the nucleus as calculated from photometry and the rate of water loss requires that either an unrealistically high albedo be assumed or that only a portion of the nucleus was covered by water, in contrast with previous expectations for a new and probable first-passage comet. Moreover, if the preperihelion estimates of the nuclear brightness are rejected as being contaminated, the resulting values indicate an ice-covered nucleus with a radius of 2.1 km.
Comparison of surgical techniques for early-stage thymoma: feasibility of minimally invasive thymectomy and comparison with open resection.

Objective The minimally invasive, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) approach to resection of the thymus is frequently practiced for benign disease; however, a VATS approach for thymoma remains controversial. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of VATS thymectomy for the treatment of early-stage thymoma and to compare the outcomes with those after open resection. Methods A retrospective review of 40 patients who underwent surgical resection of early-stage thymoma during a 12-year period was conducted. Data on patient characteristics, morbidity, recurrence, and survival were collected. The primary endpoint studied was overall survival. Results Of the 40 patients, 14 underwent thymectomy for stage I and 26 for stage II thymoma; 19 were men and 21 were women (median age, 64 years; range, 35–86 years). Open thymectomy was performed in 22 patients, and VATS was performed in 18. The operative mortality rate was 0%. The tumor stage and number of patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy were comparable in both surgical groups. The median length of hospital stay was shorter in the VATS group (3 days) than in the open group (5 days) ( P = .0001). The median follow-up was 36 months. No significant differences were found in the estimated recurrence-free and overall 5-year survival rates (83%–100%) between the 2 groups. Conclusions VATS of early-stage thymoma appears safe and feasible and was associated with a shorter hospital stay. The oncologic outcomes were comparable in the open and VATS groups during intermediate-term follow-up. Additional follow-up is required to evaluate the long-term results of thoracoscopic thymectomy for early-stage thymoma.