cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early onset colon cancer affected by Lynch syndrome

Abstract Lynch syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder in which one's DNA mismatch repair mechanism is impaired, resulting in an increased risk of developing colon and endometrial cancers, as well as other malignancies. With such an increased risk of colorectal cancer, patients diagnosed with Lynch syndrome should undergo colonoscopy screening every 1–2 years beginning at ages 20 to 25 or two to five years prior to earliest diagnosis of colorectal cancer in their family members. In patients with Lynch syndrome, colorectal cancer usually presents after the fourth decade of life. Few cases have been reported in pediatric patients with early onset colorectal cancer. We report here a 16-year-old patient who presented initially with symptoms characteristic of appendicitis. Following a CT scan suggesting perforated appendicitis, the patient was treated with intravenous antibiotics with a scheduled interval appendectomy three months later. Pathology reports from the interval appendectomy showed that the specimen contained a well-to-moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. The patient then underwent robot assisted right hemicolectomy as definitive management, which demonstrated that the tumor originated in the cecum with invasion into the submucosa and focally infiltrating the muscularis propria. This case illustrates the need to be cognizant that cancer can present similarly to appendicitis, to be aware of the increasing incidence of colon cancer in younger patients, and to catalyze the acceptability of robotics for minimally invasive surgery.
Human Nutrition: Malnutrition and Diet

Humans have survived on a wide variety of foodstuffs over time supporting the flexibility of eating patterns in omnivores. Two goals of optimum nutrition include variety and moderation. Variety assures that humans avoid toxic levels of compounds in particular foods as no one food is eaten every day in large quantities. Variety also assures that humans obtain all the essential nutrients they need as no one food can provide all of these nutrients. Successful diets over time have allowed adequate digestion and absorption of nutrients, contained adequate calories for growth and development, and included foods with adequate protein quantity and quality. Malnutrition is most often found when foods are scarce, such as famine, or the staple food is too low in protein to sustain growth.
Characterization of Particulate Products of Biomass Combustion

Biomass burning, one of the most important global sources of particulate matter, produces both airborne particles that may influence global and regional climate, and particles incorporated into sediments that provide records of past local, regional, and global impacts of biomass burning. Determining the mass concentrations, chemical compositions, and physical properties of these particles is a prerequisite for assessing the environmental effects of biomass burning. In this Chapter we describe methods for chemical and physical characterization of airborne and sedimentary particles used in biomass burning studies, with particular emphasis on the carbonaceous material. For each method we review the principles, problems and uncertainties and, when possible, discuss analytical features presently or potentially applicable to characterizing both airborne and sediment particles.
How to Fight Fair Use Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt: The Experience of One Open Educational Resource

At the launch of one of the early online open educational resources (OER) in 2002, the approach to addressing copyright was uncertain. Did the university or the faculty own their material? How would the third-party material be handled? Was all of its use considered fair use under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code) because of its educational purpose? Or was permission-seeking necessary for this project to succeed and protect the integrity of faculty and university? For many years, this OER was conservative in its approach to third-party material, avoiding making fair use claims on the theory that it was too risky and difficult to prove in the face of an infringement claim. Additionally, being one of the early projects of its kind, there was fear of becoming a target for ambitious copyright holders wanting to make headlines (and perhaps win lawsuits). It was not until 2009 that the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for OpenCourseWare was written by a community of practitioners who believed that if fair use worked for documentary film makers, video creators, and others (including big media), it worked in open education as well. Once this Code was adopted, universities and institutions were able to offer more rich and complete course content to their users than before. This paper explains how it happened at this early open educational resource offering.
THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: A "Green New Deal" for Farm and Food Policy

First paragraphs: I made the case for a “new mandate for farm and food policy” in a 2015 Economic Pamphleteer column—concluding that “Food sovereignty is the logical public policy mandate to support agricul­tural sustainability and a sustainable future for humanity” (Ikerd, 2015, p. 13). The Green New Deal, a 2019 congressional resolution, now pro­vides a logical framework for a policy mandate to secure food sovereignty (116th Congress, 2019). The Green New Deal obviously will confront vigorous opposition. Already, claims have been made that it would decimate animal agriculture in order to mitigate climate change. It has also been widely characterized as socialism and a threat to democracy. Support and opposition likely will be divided along political party lines. They shouldn’t be. The core values reflected in Green New Deal and in food sovereignty are Democratic, Repub­lican, and America values. . . . See the press release for this article.
Affective Mathematics Engagement: a Comparison of STEM PBL Versus Non-STEM PBL Instruction

The integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Project-Based Learning (STEM PBL) into educational curriculum has received much attention because of its strength in improving students’ affective engagement. We designed the present study to investigate the effectiveness of STEM PBL lessons on 9th grade students’ development of affective mathematics engagement. The affective mathematics engagement of two groups of participants (STEM PBL and non-STEM PBL) were compared (N = 147). The results showed group differences in STEM PBL versus non-STEM PBL lessons were statistically significant (t = 5.587, p < .001, d = .960). In particular, STEM PBL students had greater positive affective mathematics engagement in terms of mathematical self-acknowledgement and value as compared to the non-STEM PBL students. The results of the study indicate that highly situated and integrated instruction has a positive impact on students’ perceptions of their affective mathematics engagement.
On-Line Inspection of Ferromagnetic Materials Using Magnetic NDE Methods

Mechanical properties of metals depend strongly on the grain size. The yield strength, for example, is generally inversely proportional to the square root of the grain diameter (Hall-Petch equation) [1]. For this reason, steel and other industries spend a great deal of effort in measuring and ensuring the desired grain size. In a common practical technique, samples are cut from the actual product and the number of grains per unit area are measured by optical methods. This method is time consuming and a hundred-percent inspection is impossible because the delay would affect the product’s net output. Thus, there is an interest to develop a nondestructive, on-line technique capable of rapid measurement of grain size.
Subdural Pneumocephalus Aspiration Reduces Recurrence of Chronic Subdural Hematoma

Background Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is a common neurosurgical condition, with symptoms ranging from headaches to coma. Operative evacuation is the treatment of choice. Subdural reaccumulation leading to reoperation is a vexing postoperative complication. Objective To present a novel technique for intraoperative aspiration of pneumocephalus via a subdural drain following SDH evacuation as a method of reducing potential subdural space and promoting cerebral expansion, thereby decreasing SDH recurrence. Methods In this retrospective study, 15 patients who underwent operative evacuation of cSDH between 2008 and 2015 were assessed. Six patients underwent a small craniotomy with intraoperative pneumocephalus aspiration. These patients were matched by age, gender, and anticoagulation status to 9 patients who underwent evacuation of SDH without pneumocephalus aspiration. Quantitative volumetric analysis was performed on the preoperative, postoperative, and 1-mo follow-up computed tomography scan to assess the subdural volume. Results In the immediate postoperative period, there was no difference in the percentage of residual subdural fluid between the aspiration and control groups (0.291 vs 0.251; P = 1.00). There was a decrease in amount of pneumocephalus present when the aspiration technique was applied (0.182 vs 0.386; P = .041). At 1-mo follow-up, there was a decrease in the residual cSDH volume between the aspiration and the control groups (28.7 mL vs 60.8 mL; P = .011). The long-term evacuation rate was greater in the aspiration group (75.4% vs 51.6%; P = .015). Conclusion Intraoperative aspiration of cSDH cavity is a safe technique that may enhance cerebral expansion and reduce likelihood of cSDH recurrence.
Feedback Control of Rotary Blood Pump for Preventing Left Ventricular Suction

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have been used as a treatment option for end-stage heart failure patients, which can assist an ailing heart to pump blood into human body to meet body's circulatory demand. For long-term use an LVAD as a destination therapy, the device must be able to automatically adjust its pump speed to meet the cardiac demands at different levels of activity without inducing suction. Suction happens when an LVAD seeks to pump out more blood from the left ventricle than the available blood, which can collapse the heart and result in death. In this work, a new control system was developed, which involves two consecutive steps, i.e., the calculation of a pulsatility control index and the adjustment of pump speed to meet the blood flow requirement at different physiological conditions. The control strategy can prevent suction, while maintaining a desired cardiac output. The performance of the feedback controller has been tested with computer simulations, which demonstrates the feasibility and the efficiency of the proposed control algorithm.
Volume and value recovery comparison of processor and conventional systems in pine stands of the U.S. South

Some sawmills in the U.S. South have begun purchasing prime length sawtimber processed by processors instead of, or in addition to, tree-length sawtimber produced by pull-through delimbers and slas...
Cross Reactivity of Natural Hirudin Compared to the Recombinant Hirudins with Sheep Anti Hirudin Antibody

Abstract 4321 Recombinant versions of hirudin such as lepirudin (Refludan®) and desirudin (Iprivask®) are currently used as parenteral anticoagulants for various indications. The recombinant hirudin preparations differ from the natural hirudin in lacking a sulfate group on tyrosine at the 63 rd position and a single amino acid substitution. It is hypothesized that these minor differences in the natural and recombinant versions of hirudins contribute to a differential immunogenic behavior. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the relative immunoreactivity of the three forms of hirudin to a sheep antin–hirudin antibody. Antibodies (anti-n-hirudin) were generated in sheep treated with natural hirudin isolated from the medicinal leech ( Hirudo medicinalis ). SDS-PAGE immunoblot and Western transfer were conducted using the native hirudin and two recombinant hirudins against the sheep anti-n-hirudin IgG antibodies. Cross-reactivity was quantified by measuring total optical density of the bands using a UVP densitometric scanning system and chemiluminescence detection, by comparing the protein-antibody complex band density from the western blot showed a comparable behavior of the Desirudin and Lepirudin in contrast to the normal or native hirudin which exhibited a much higher band density (2-fold increase). Moreover, the native hirudin exhibited specific bands representing mono, di- and tetra-meric forms, whereas the two recombinant forms exhibited primarily monomeric and dimeric forms. Interestingly several other preclinical versions of recombinant hirudins exhibited fifferent immunoblotting patterns. Although, the structural differences and the molecular weight represent relatively minor variations in the natural and recombinant hirudins, these studies strongly suggest a differential behavior of natural and recombinant hirudins in terms of their cross-reactivity with anti-n-hirudin antibodies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
TASO: optimizing deep learning computation with automatic generation of graph substitutions

Existing deep neural network (DNN) frameworks optimize the computation graph of a DNN by applying graph transformations manually designed by human experts. This approach misses possible graph optimizations and is difficult to scale, as new DNN operators are introduced on a regular basis. We propose TASO, the first DNN computation graph optimizer that automatically generates graph substitutions. TASO takes as input a list of operator specifications and generates candidate substitutions using the given operators as basic building blocks. All generated substitutions are formally verified against the operator specifications using an automated theorem prover. To optimize a given DNN computation graph, TASO performs a cost-based backtracking search, applying the substitutions to find an optimized graph, which can be directly used by existing DNN frameworks. Our evaluation on five real-world DNN architectures shows that TASO outperforms existing DNN frameworks by up to 2.8X, while requiring significantly less human effort. For example, TensorFlow currently contains approximately 53,000 lines of manual optimization rules, while the operator specifications needed by TASO are only 1,400 lines of code.
Map Development and Generalization

Abstract The map development process can entail drawing maps, by hand, from field-collected coordinates or distances and directions. The map development process can also entail creating maps through the use of a geographic information system or online mapping program. One challenge in the map development process involves the quality of the map: one map developed for a publication or for some official (perhaps contractual) use is generally expected to be of higher quality than other maps developed simply for short-term utilitarian uses. This chapter discusses issues related to the map development process, how maps might be drawn by hand or with a computer, and why the generalization of mapped features may be necessary.
Relation of Retinal Oxygen Measures to Electrophysiology and Survival Indicators after Permanent, Incomplete Ischemia in Rats.

Studies in experimental ischemia models by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) have reported reduced retinal electrophysiological function, coupled with inner retinal degeneration and gliosis. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that long-term (up to 14 days) BCCAO impairs oxygen delivery (DO2), which affects oxygen metabolism (MO2) and extraction fraction (OEF), electrophysiological function, morphology, and biochemical pathways. Twenty-one rats underwent BCCAO (N = 12) or sham surgery (N = 9) and were evaluated in separate groups after 3, 7, or 14 days. Electroretinography (ERG), optical coherence tomography, blood flow and vascular oxygen tension imaging, and morphological and biochemical evaluations were performed in both eyes. Reduced ERG b-wave amplitudes and delayed implicit times were reported at 3, 7, and 14 days following BCCAO. Total retinal blood flow, MO2, and DO2 were reduced in all BCCAO groups. OEF was increased in both 3- and 7-day groups, while no significant difference was observed in OEF at 14 days compared to the sham group. At 14 days following BCCAO, total and inner retinal layer thickness was reduced, while the outer nuclear layer thickness and gliosis were increased. There was an increase in nuclei containing fragmented DNA at 3 days following BCCAO. The compensatory elevation in OEF following BCCAO did not meet the tissue demand, resulting in the subsequent reduction of MO2. The associations between retinal MO2, DO2, and retinal function were shown to be significant in the sequelae of persistent ischemia. In sum, measurements of DO2, MO2, and OEF may become useful for characterizing salvageable tissue in vision-threatening pathologies.
Ambulatory Status Is Associated With Successful Discharge Home in Survivors of Critical Illness

BACKGROUND: Survivors of prolonged ICU admissions are bedridden and immobilized for an extended period of time. These patients often are discharged to long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) for continued medical care and rehabilitation. Early ambulation has been associated with improved functional outcomes and lower readmission rates in hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to determine the association between ambulatory status and discharge disposition in survivors of prolonged ICU stays who were admitted to an LTACH. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 285 survivors of prolonged ICU stays who were admitted to a university-affiliated LTACH facility from 2010 to 2013. Outcomes of interest included comparing the relationship between ambulatory status and disposition status (ie, home vs acute rehabilitation facility, nursing home, readmission to an ICU, or death). RESULTS: The mean age of our cohort was 59.0 ± 15.3 y, with 129 (45%) males, 148 (52%) African-American, 123 (43%) white, and 14 (5%) of subjects other races. Most of these subjects were transferred from a medical ICU (68%). The median ICU and LTACH lengths of stay were 25.5 (13–38.8) d and 34.0 (14–64) d, respectively. Thirty-eight (13.3%) subjects were discharged home, 25 (8.7%) to an acute rehabilitation facility, 70 (24.6%) to a nursing home, 139 (48.8%) were readmitted to an ICU, and 13 (4.6%) died. Of 285 total subjects, 74 (26%) ambulated during physical therapy, while 211 (74%) subjects never ambulated. Of those who ambulated, 24 (32.4%) went home, whereas 14 of 211 (6.6%) subjects who did not ambulate went home (P CONCLUSIONS: The ability to ambulate was associated with a greater likelihood of being discharged home in survivors of prolonged ICU stays who were admitted to an LTACH. These results suggest that mobility training for survivors of prolonged ICU stays in LTACH facilities should be strongly emphasized to improve their likelihood of being discharged home.
Utilization of a Librarian in a Pharmacy Laboratory Course

This report describes utilization of a librarian in a pharmacy laboratory course over two academic years. Library instruction evolved from a simple drug information review session to case-based, hands-on instruction, collaboratively taught with pharmacy faculty. Additionally, LibChat, an online chat service, was piloted in the pharmacy laboratory course so the librarian could be available to students at their point-of-need. Development of the drug information review sessions across both years, student utilization of LibChat, lessons learned, and ideas for improvement for future iterations of the course are described.
Biome-scale woody encroachment threatens conservation potential and sustainability of U.S. rangelands

Abstract Rangelands of the United States provide ecosystem services that sustain biodiversity and rural economies. Native tree encroachment is a recognized and long-standing conservation challenge to these landscapes, but its impact is often overlooked due to the slow pace of tree invasions and the positive public perception of trees. Here we show that tree encroachment is a dominant change agent in U.S. rangelands; tree cover has increased by more than 77,000 km2 over 30 years, and more than 25% of U.S. rangelands are now experiencing sustained tree cover expansion. Further, we use machine learning methods to estimate the potential herbaceous production (forage) lost to tree encroachment. Since 1990 roughly 300 Tg of herbaceous biomass has been lost, totaling some $5 billion in foregone revenue to agricultural producers. These results suggest that tree encroachment is similar in scale and magnitude to row-crop conversion, another primary cause of rangeland loss in the U.S. Prioritizing conservation efforts to prevent tree encroachment in rangelands can bolster ecosystem and economic sustainability of these landscapes, particularly among privately-owned lands threatened by land-use conversion. Significance Statement Rangeland biomes are being rapidly lost and degraded due to expansion of row-crop agriculture, the built environment, and a proliferation of exotic plants. Tree expansion in rangelands exacerbates these losses but has been difficult to track at large scales due to the slow, incremental pace of tree spread. Here we use improved satellite technology to map the scale of tree cover expansion and its impact on forage production across U.S. rangelands. We reveal that the pace of tree expansion is similar in magnitude to grassland cultivation (tillage) and establish that forage losses from tree encroachment may threaten the economic sustainability and conservation value of working rangelands that are critical habitat to some of the most imperiled species in North America.
Toward Elucidating the Physiological Impacts of Residual Stresses in the Colorectum.

Irritable bowel syndrome afflicts 10-20% of the global population, causing visceral pain with increased sensitivity to colorectal distension and normal bowel movements. Understanding and predicting these biomechanics will further advance our understanding of visceral pain and complement the existing literature on visceral neurophysiology. We recently performed a series of experiments at three longitudinal segments (colonic, intermediate, and rectal) of the distal 30 mm of colorectums of mice. We also established and fitted constitutive models addressing mechanical heterogeneity in both the through-thickness and longitudinal directions of the colorectum. Afferent nerve endings, strategically located within the submucosa, are likely nociceptors that detect concentrations of mechanical stresses to evoke the perception of pain from the viscera. In this study, we aim to: (1) establish and validate a method for incorporating residual stresses into models of colorectums, (2) predict the effects of residual stresses on the intratissue mechanics within the colorectum, and (3) establish intratissue distributions of stretches and stresses within the colorectum in vivo. To these ends we developed two-layered, composite finite element models of the colorectum based on our experimental evidence and validated our approaches against independent experimental data. We included layer- and segment-specific residual stretches/stresses in our simulations via the prestrain algorithm built into the finite element software febio. Our models and modeling approaches allow researchers to predict both organ and intratissue biomechanics of the colorectum and may facilitate better understanding of the underlying mechanical mechanisms of visceral pain.
Reg4 interacts with CD44 to regulate proliferation and stemness of colorectal and pancreatic cancer cells.

Regenerating Gene 4 (Reg4) is highly upregulated in gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies including colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Numerous studies demonstrated an association between higher Reg4 expression and tumor aggressiveness, intrinsic resistance to apoptotic death, and poor outcomes from GI malignancies. However, the precise receptor and underlying signaling mechanism have remained unknown. Although we previously reported a Reg4-mediated induction of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, a direct interaction between Reg4 and EGFR was not observed. The present study is focused on identifying the cell surface binding partner of Reg4 and dissecting its role in CRC and pancreatic cancer (PC) growth and stem cell survival. In vitro models of human CRC and PC were used to evaluate the results. Results of this study find: i) Reg4 interacts with CD44, a transmembrane protein expressed by a population of CRC and PC cells, ii) Reg4 activates regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) of CD44 resulting in γ-Secretase-mediated cleavage and release of the CD44 intracytoplasmic domain (CD44ICD) that functions as a transcriptional activator of D-type cyclins involved in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation and Klf4 and Sox2 expression involved in regulating pluripotency of cancer stem cells; and iii) Reg4 significantly increases CRC and PC cell proliferation and their clonogenic potential in stem cell assays. Implications: These results suggest that pro-proliferative and pro-stemness effects of Reg4 are mediated through γ-Secretase-mediated CD44/CD44ICD signaling, hence strategies to disrupt Reg4-CD44-γ-Secretase-CD44ICD signaling axis may increase cancer cell susceptibility to chemo and radiotherapeutics.
Glutamate Synthase: Properties of the Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide-Dependent Enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-dependent glutamate synthase has been detected and partially purified from crude extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzyme is specific for NADH, glutamine, and alpha-ketoglutarate (K(m) values of 2.6 muM, 1.0 mM, and 140 muM, respectively) and has a pH optimum between 7.1 and 7.7. The stoichiometry of the reaction has been determined as 2 mol of glutamate synthesized per mol of glutamine consumed. Glutamate synthase can be distinguished from either of the glutamate dehydrogenases of yeast on the basis of its substrate requirements and behavior during agarose gel and ion exchange chromatography. Variations in the specific activity of glutamate synthase, which occur in response to changes in the growth medium, are similar in character to those observed with the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent (anabolic) glutamate dehydrogenase.
Can Employers Solve the Adverse Selection Problem For Insurers

Establishing the existence of equilibrium in insurance markets has always been a challenging task for economists due to imperfect information. As illustrated by Rothschild and Stiglitz (1976), imperfect information may lead to complete market failure. This paper extends the standard model of adverse selection by introducing employers that choose the set of policies that are offered to consumers. Introducing employers allows for the existence of multiple pooling and a unique separating equilibrium. The key to these results is that the financial incentives of the employers in the model differ from the financial incentives of the insurance companies. Data on age and insurance premiums from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey provides evidence of pooling in the employer-provided health insurance market. JEL classification: D82; I18
The Story of Pepper v. Hart: Examining Legislative History Across the Pond

Pepper v. Hart transformed the way judges and lawyers in Britain approach statutory interpretation by overruling more than 200 years of precedent and allowing courts to consult legislative history when construing enacted laws. The case involved teachers at a private school whose children were educated at one-fifth the fees charged to parents of other students. The question was how that employee benefit should be valued for income tax purposes under an ambiguously worded statute. The 1992 decision by the Law Lords (Britain’s highest court), relying heavily on legislative history, drew sharp academic criticism and triggered spirited debate among leading members of the judiciary. Eighteen years later, the rule of Pepper v. Hart survives relatively intact. Professor James J. Brudney makes use of lower court decisions, parliamentary materials, contemporary media accounts, and interviews with key participants to present the story of the case in depth. The chapter then assesses subsequent developments in the Law Lords and explains why - based on differences in legislative process and structure - the U.S. Supreme Court continues to rely on legislative history more often than do the Law Lords. The story of Pepper v. Hart offers important lessons for ongoing U.S. practice. The British legislative-history debate since 1992, involving issues of weight rather than admissibility, has been enlightening and productive when contrasted with the indeterminate disagreements over “pure textualism” that have characterized federal judicial approaches for twenty-five years. As the Law Lords have come to appreciate, legislative history is valuable as a selectively invoked resource - both to clarify ambiguous statutes in ways that further the design of Parliament and as a confirmatory aid to reinforce textual construction.
Insulin human (rDNA origin) inhalation powder

Generic Name: INSULIN HUMAN (rDNA ORIGIN) INHALATION POWDER Proprietary Name: Exubera (Pfizer/Nektar Therapeutics) Approval Rating: 3S Therapeutic Class: Insulin Similar Drugs: Regular Human Insulin, Insulin Lispro, Insulin Aspart Soundor Look-Alike Names: Axid AR, Hepsera INDICATION(S) Insulin human (rDNA origin) inhalation powder (Exubera) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with diabetes mellitus for the control of hyperglycemia. Inhaled insulin has an onset of action similar to rapidacting insulin analogs and a duration comparable with subcutaneous (subQ) regular human insulin. In patients with type 1 diabetes, inhaled insulin should be administered with a regimen including a longer-acting insulin. In patients with type 2 diabetes, inhaled insulin may be used as monotherapy or in combination with oral agents or longer-acting insulin.
Association of subsurface radon changes in Alaska and the northeastern United States with earthquakes

Abstract Changes of radon concentration in the ground have been reported to correlate with seismic activity in many places over widely varying distances from the earthquake epicenters, sometimes over 100's and occasionally over 1000's of km depending on the magnitude M of the earthquakes. For proper use of such correlations in forecasting the location and size of impending earthquakes, it would be useful to establish a relation between M and the maximum distance x M at which radon can be significantly altered by preseismic effects. We have monitored radon in the ground continuously at Blue Mountain Lake, NY starting Dec. 3. 1975 and at three locations in Alaska—Icy Bay, Yakataga, and Sand Point (starting Nov. 12, 1979; March 5, 1980; and June 29, 1980 respectively). Sample correlations from visual examination of the recent radon record and tentative use of a proposed scaling relation show a number of possible earthquake-related signals at these locations. The data are compatible with scaling relations that were derived from two separate models of premonitory elastic strains. In this work x M = 10 0.48 M , where x M is in units of km and M ≥ 3. Since tilt and strain signals correlate similarly with magnitude and distance, it is likely that most earthquake-related radon signals are mechanically induced.
A technique for facilitating visualization of skull sutures in the rat.

Abstract A simple technique is described to facilitate visualization of the intersection of the coronal and sagittal sutures (bregma) in the rat skull. After preparation for surgery according to standard surgical procedure, a food coloring dye is injected onto the skull. The food coloring is differentially absorbed by the sutures which facilitates visualization of bregma. No adverse effects on behavior were observed over extended periods of time.
Symbolic timing simulation using cluster scheduling

We recently introduced symbolic timing simulation (STS) using data-dependent delays as a tool for verifying the timing of full-custom transistor-level circuit designs, and for the functional verification of delay-dependent logic. While STS leverages efficient symbolic encodings to yield huge gains over conventional simulation methodologies, it still suffers from a problem known as event multiplication. We discuss this problem and present an event-list management technique based on event-clusters, and a new simulator which utilizes this technique. Finally, we demonstrate substantial speedups on a wide range of test cases, including exponential improvement on a simple logic chain.
Role of nitrite reductase in the ammonia-oxidizing pathway of Nitrosomonas europaea.

Metabolism of ammonia (NH3) and hydroxylamine (NH2OH) by wild-type and a nitrite reductase (nirK) deficient mutant of Nitrosomonas europaea was investigated to clarify the role of NirK in the NH3 oxidation pathway. NirK-deficient N. europaea grew more slowly, consumed less NH3, had a lower rate of nitrite (NO2−) production, and a significantly higher rate of nitrous oxide (N2O) production than the wild-type when incubated with NH3 under high O2 tension. In incubations with NH3 under low O2 tension, NirK-deficient N. europaea grew more slowly, but had only modest differences in NH3 oxidation and product formation rates relative to the wild-type. In contrast, the nirK mutant oxidized NH2OH to NO2− at consistently slower rates than the wild-type, especially under low O2 tension, and lost a significant pool of NH2OH–N to products other than NO2− and N2O. The rate of N2O production by the nirK mutant was ca. three times higher than the wild-type during hydrazine-dependent NO2− reduction under both high and low O2 tension. Together, the results indicate that NirK activity supports growth of N. europaea by supporting the oxidation of NH3 to NO2− via NH2OH, and stimulation of hydrazine-dependent NO2− reduction by NirK-deficient N. europaea indicated the presence of an alternative, enzymatic pathway for N2O production.
Blessings, Banes, and Possibilities in the Study of Childhood Personality

In this commentary I make three points. First, the four articles presented in this special issue are critical examples of the viability and importance of the idea of childhood personality. Second, I identify several concerns, including the narrow scope of the study of childhood personality, the lack of focus on environmental factors that might facilitate development in childhood personality, and the con-ceptual overlap between measures of childhood personality and outcomes such as externalizing behavior. Third, I recommend that the gap between childhood and adult personality be bridged more systematically so that we can detail the path of development across the life course.
Small bowel dissemination of coccidioidomycosis.

Gastrointestinal coccidioidomycosis is extremely rare, with less than 10 cases reported in the literature. We report a case of small bowel dissemination of coccidioidomycosis in a 21-year-old African American male with a history of living in San Joaquin Valley. The patient presented with one week of abdominal pain, nausea, shortness of breath, intermittent fever, and sweat, and one month of abdominal distention. A chest radiograph revealed complete effusion of left lung. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed diffuse small bowel thickening and enhancement, as well as omental and peritoneal nodules, and ascites. The coccidioidal complement fixation titer was 1 : 256. The duodenal biopsy revealed many spherules filled with round fungal endospores. Later, blood fungal culture showed positivity for Coccidioides immitis. The final diagnosis is disseminated coccidioidomycosis involving lungs, blood, and duodenum. Despite aggressive antifungal therapy, the patient’s clinical situation deteriorated and he succumbed to multisystem organ failure one and half months later. A high index of suspicion for gastrointestinal coccidioidomycosis should be maintained in patients from an endemic area presenting as abdominal distention and pain.
AIDS Prevention Outreach Among Injection Drug Users: Agency Problems and New Approaches*

Drawing on original field research and agency theory, we examine the operations and internal workings of community-based outreach projects to combat AIDS among out-of-treatment injection drug users (IDUs). We show that even though these projects suffered from a host of organizational problems, the response from ID Us was positive and vigorous. Based on these findings and recent developments in the theoretic understanding of collective action, we describe new approaches to AIDS prevention that build on traditional outreach prevention efforts but rely more heavily on an active collaboration between IDUs and service providers. These approaches fulfill the call by many AIDS researchers for the development of future prevention projects that capitalize on the unexpected responsiveness IDUs exhibited to traditional outreach efforts. Finally, we consider other public health areas in which such interventions might be effectively applied.
Performance evaluation and improvement of the CPU-CAN controller interface for low-jitter communication

The effectiveness and quality of several distributed control loops are heavily affected by the ability to reduce jitters. This goal can hardly be achieved without understanding all possible causes that can introduce time fluctuations in the communication path between the processor, running the control algorithms, and the (remote) peripheral devices. This is because any of them, in fact, may worsen the timing accuracy of the system as a whole. After the most well-known sources of jitters are put under control, other aspects become more and more important for the overall behavior of the system. This paper tackles the problem of time fluctuations introduced by the interface between the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and the CAN controller in a typical off-the-shelf, single-chip microcontroller and shows why and how they should be considered and handled carefully.
3425 Digital capture of eus video using mpeg-2 compression: preliminary experience.

Background: Archiving EUS examinations traditionally requires SVHS or Betacam formats to capture sufficient detail. Greater use of networked computers and databases, however, suggests a trend toward digital storage of endoscopic data, including video.We report preliminary experience with capture and storage of EUS video using MPEG-2 compression, an international standard encoding digital video, including the DVD format. Methods: Video was captured using a WIndows NT Pentium II 400 w/128MB RAM and the Pinnacle Systems DC1000 capture card. Capture resolution was 720×480 pixels with a variable data bit rate to 25 Mbits/s and a frame rate of 29.97 fr/sec. EUS images were collected from the Olympus EU-M30 and Envision Plus processors via a throughput on a Sony Betacam SP recorder connected to the RGB outputs on each ultrasound processor. Twelve video segments were captured, ranging from 14 sec. to 3 min 11 sec. Segments captured were stored on the workstation hard drive then sent to a file server on the network. Files were viewed from the remote server to determine if video quality would be impaired when transmitted over the network. Video was reviewed for overall image quality, with resolution rated better, worse, or the same as Betacam, VHS videotape (1st generation tape from a Betacam master), and live exam. Clips were viewed by one endoscopist and two nonendoscopists. The number of dropped frames during capture was also recorded. Results: All clips were considered equivalent to Betacam images in resolution by all observers. Clips were considered equivalent to images seen during live examinations as well. VHS images were judged inferior by all observers. Average capture rate was 2.99MB/second, ranging from 2.84 - 3.11MB/sec. Longer clips had better compression. Two of 12 clips had 1 dropped frame, one in a 31 second clip and another in a 90 second clip. Dropped frames was not noticeable on playback in either case. No difficulties were noted in viewing images stored on a remote file server and quality was indistinguishable from video generated from the hard drive on the local computer. Conclusion: Initial experience with MPEG-2 compression demonstrates Betacam-quality video. The quality and compression ratio achieved with MPEG-2 suggests that DVD will qualify as a digital solution for diagnostic-quality EUS video archiving. Our success in networked viewing implies that video clips can be stored and retrieved centrally on a network. Further study of other compression formats, input sources, and capture cards will be forthcoming.
Direct-MUSIC on sparse arrays

Nested and coprime arrays are sparse arrays which can identify O(m2) sources using only m sensors. Systematic algorithms have recently been developed for such identification. These algorithms are traditionally implemented by performing MUSIC or a similar algorithm in the difference-coarray domain. This paper considers the use of nested and coprime arrays for the case where the number of sources is less than m. It will be demonstrated that there are some important advantages even in this case. With the number of sources limited like this, it is possible to use MUSIC directly on the nested or coprime array rather than in the coarray domain. But owing to array sparsity, the unambiguous identifiability property has to be revisited. This paper first mentions two results for such identifiability. Second, the improvement in the Cramer-Rao bound (over uniform linear arrays or ULAs) is analyzed. One conclusion is that the CRB improvements of nested and coprime arrays are comparable to those of other known sparse arrays such as MRAs. It is also observed that nested and coprime arrays have higher resolvability than the ULA, for a fixed number of sensors.1
High-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for metastatic breast cancer: a therapy whose time has passed.

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for metastatic breast cancer: a therapy whose time has passed
CORONAGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS OF AN ENHANCED CORONAL REGION. I. FeXII AND NiXV EMISSION LINE DATA.

Observation of nine coronal emission lines representing five stages of Fe ionization and one stage of Ni in an enhanced coronal region. The data from these observations are presented along with a density model of the enhanced region obtained from the Fe XIII and Ni XV emission line ratios as a function of position angle. The electron densities obtained from Fe XIII lines range from 10 to the 8th to 10 to the 9th per cu cm, and are slightly lower for Ni XV line data. Estimates of the variation of temperature over the enhanced region are inferred from the observed line intensities.
Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Complete Tumor Extirpation Improves Survival Benefit Despite Larger Tumors for Patients Who Undergo Distal Pancreatectomy and Splenectomy

Patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma have poor survival. Presumably, tumors in the body or tail of the pancreas, due to paucity of symptoms, present later than patients with tumors in the head of the pancreas. This study was undertaken to determine if tumors amenable to complete extirpation by distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy have worse survival when compared to their proximal counterparts. Since 1992, patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy or distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been prospectively followed. The impact of resection was evaluated using a survival curve analysis (Mantel–Cox). Data are presented as median, mean ± SD. Two hundred twenty patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and 33 patients underwent distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Comparing overall survival, there was not a significant difference between patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (16.8 months, 25.6 ± 26) and distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy (15.2 months, 19.7 ± 18.6), p = 0.34. Patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy had significantly larger tumors (4 cm, 5 ± 2.3) compared to patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (3 cm, 3 ± 1.4), p = 0.005. Long-term survival after resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is poor despite the location within the pancreas. Complete tumor extirpation continues to be an independent predictor of survival, regardless of operation undertaken, despite larger tumors for patients who undergo distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy.
Amiodarone pulmonary toxicity: Prospective evaluation of serial pulmonary function tests

Pulmonary toxicity developed in 15 (17%) of 89 patients treated with amiodarone during a follow-up period of 2 weeks to 54 (mean 20 +/- 15) months. Prospective evaluation of serial pulmonary function tests in 67 patients demonstrated both a significant decrease from baseline in three of six variables in patients with toxicity at the time of diagnosis and a significant difference compared with the same variables in patients without toxicity. The most significant of these was the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). An individual decrease in DLCO greater than or equal to 15% gave an optimal sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 89% for the diagnosis of pulmonary toxicity. However, a decrease in DLCO greater than or equal to 15% did not alone warrant a change in therapy in asymptomatic patients. Although higher maintenance doses of amiodarone appeared to be related to the development of this complication, an abnormal baseline DLCO (less than 60% of predicted) with or without an initial abnormal chest roentgenogram did not predispose to pulmonary toxicity.
Ultrasound acoustic wave energy transfer and harvesting

This paper investigates low-power electricity generation from ultrasound acoustic wave energy transfer combined with piezoelectric energy harvesting for wireless applications ranging from medical implants to naval sensor systems. The focus is placed on an underwater system that consists of a pulsating source for spherical wave generation and a harvester connected to an external resistive load for quantifying the electrical power output. An analytical electro-acoustic model is developed to relate the source strength to the electrical power output of the harvester located at a specific distance from the source. The model couples the energy harvester dynamics (piezoelectric device and electrical load) with the source strength through the acoustic-structure interaction at the harvester-fluid interface. Case studies are given for a detailed understanding of the coupled system dynamics under various conditions. Specifically the relationship between the electrical power output and system parameters, such as the distance of the harvester from the source, dimensions of the harvester, level of source strength, and electrical load resistance are explored. Sensitivity of the electrical power output to the excitation frequency in the neighborhood of the harvester’s underwater resonance frequency is also reported.
Is Patient Safety Improving? National Trends in Patient Safety Indicators: 1998–2007

Context Emphasis has been placed on quality and patient safety in medicine; however, little is known about whether quality over time has actually improved in areas such as patient safety indicators (PSIs).