cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ligand-Specific Transcriptional Mechanisms Underlie Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Mediated Developmental Toxicity of Oxygenated PAHs

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are priority environmental contaminants that exhibit mutagenic, carcinogenic, proinflammatory, and teratogenic properties. Oxygen-substituted PAHs (OPAHs) are formed during combustion processes and via phototoxidation and biological degradation of parent (unsubstituted) PAHs. Despite their prevalence both in contaminated industrial sites and in urban air, OPAH mechanisms of action in biological systems are relatively understudied. Like parent PAHs, OPAHs exert structure-dependent mutagenic activities and activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and cytochrome p450 metabolic pathway. Four-ring OPAHs 1,9-benz-10-anthrone (BEZO) and benz(a)anthracene-7,12-dione (7,12-B[a]AQ) cause morphological aberrations and induce markers of oxidative stress in developing zebrafish with similar potency, but only 7,12-B[a]AQ induces robust Cyp1a protein expression. We investigated the role of the AHR in mediating the toxicity of BEZO and 7,12-B[a]AQ, and found that knockdown of AHR2 rescued developmental effects caused by both compounds. Using RNA-seq and molecular docking, we identified transcriptional responses that precede developmental toxicity induced via differential interaction with AHR2. Redox-homeostasis genes were affected similarly by these OPAHs, while 7,12-B[a]AQ preferentially activated phase 1 metabolism and BEZO uniquely decreased visual system genes. Analysis of biological functions and upstream regulators suggests that BEZO is a weak AHR agonist, but interacts with other transcriptional regulators to cause developmental toxicity in an AHR-dependent manner. Identifying ligand-dependent AHR interactions and signaling pathways is essential for understanding toxicity of this class of environmentally relevant compounds.
Endothelial cell tolerance to lipopolysaccharide challenge is induced by monophosphoryl lipid A.

Prior exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produces a reduced or “tolerant” inflammatory response to subsequent challenges with LPS, however the potent pro-inflammatory effects of LPS limit its clinical benefit. The adjuvant Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) is a weak toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist that induces negligible inflammation but retains potent immunomodulatory properties. We postulated that pre-treatment with MPLA would inhibit the inflammatory response of endothelial cells to secondary LPS challenge. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), were exposed to MPLA (10 µg/ml), LPS (100 ng/ml) or vehicle control. HUVECs were then washed and maintained in culture for 24 hours before being challenged with LPS (100 ng/ml). Supernatants were collected and examined for cytokine production in the presence or absence of siRNA inhibitors of critical TLR4 signaling proteins. Pretreatment with MPLA attenuated IL-6 production to secondary LPS challenge to a similar degree as LPS. The application of MyD88 siRNA dramatically reduced MPLA-induced tolerance while TRIF siRNA had no effect. The tolerant phenotype in endothelial cells was associated with reduced IKK, p38 and JNK phosphorylation and enhanced IRAK-M expression for LPS primed HUVECs, but less so in MPLA primed cells. Instead, MPLA-primed HUVECs demonstrated enhanced ERK phosphorylation. In contrast to leukocytes in which tolerance is largely TRIF-dependent, MyD88 signaling mediated endotoxin tolerance in endothelial cells. Most importantly, MPLA, a vaccine adjuvant with a wide therapeutic window, induced tolerance to LPS in endothelial cells.
Simultaneous monitoring of PET image resolution, noise, uniformity and quantitative accuracy using uniform cylinder phantom measurements in the multi-center setting

We have proposed and implemented simultaneous monitoring of image resolution and noise, as well as image uniformity and quantitative accuracy, in a multi-center study of vascular dementia, only utilizing cylinder phantoms. Three centers were enrolled within the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities)-PET study involving amyloid imaging using F-18 Florbetapir. Weekly uniform phantom scans involving ∼1mCi of F-18 were conducted for the study duration in each of the three centers. The acquisition protocol consisted of 4×5min frames, consistent with the subject scans (4×5min, 50–70min post-injection). Image resolution was extracted by analyzing the blurring extent of the phantom edges. Specifically, the effective point-spread function (PSF) was obtained by taking the derivative of edges, followed by fitting with a Gaussian function. Noise was extracted by analysis of two back-to-back dynamic images, subtracted from one another, to remove the impact of any spatial non-uniformity, followed by computation of the standard deviation, which was then corrected by sqrt(2) given the difference operation. The phantom was also used to assess uniformity, using ratio of mean uptake within an inner circle to uptake within an outer annulus. Having knowledge of the exact dose, times of injection and scan, as well as phantom volume, enabled measurements of the true concentration, which in turn allowed assessment of quantitative accuracy. Our proposed framework enables feasible and routine multi-center monitoring of image quality, which also allowed us to arrive at a number of interesting observations and conclusions.
Effects of Different Methods and Severity of Growing Period Feed Restriction on Growth and Laying Performance of White Leghorns

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of different methods of feed restriction and severity of feed restriction during the growing period on pullet growth and laying performance of White Leghorns. In Experiment 1, ad libitum feeding of the low protein diet (supplemented with amino acids) was the only treatment among four feed restriction treatments that did not significantly (P greater than .05) influence growing period feed consumption and body weight gain. The smallest body weight gain was obtained among birds subjected to the daily restrictive feeding (DRF) treatment. Ad libitum feeding of the low energy diet resulted in a significantly (P less than .05) poorer growing period feed efficiency than any other treatment. Both energy and protein utilization efficiencies for body weight gain were significantly (P less than .05) hindered by the skip feeding treatment. Although DRF birds consistently had higher egg production from 36 to 76 weeks of age than birds in any other group, overall average percent hen-day egg production from 20 to 76 weeks of age was not significantly (P greater than .05) improved by the DRF treatment. Also, in Experiment 2, various levels of DRF during the growing period did not significantly (P greater than .05) improve average percent hen-day egg production. Laying house mortality, feed efficiency, and egg weight were not significantly (P greater than .05) different among treatments (Experiments 1 and 2). Results of these experiments indicate that DRF was the most effective method of controlling growth rate and that neither method of feed restriction nor severity of feed restriction during the growing period significantly (P greater than .05) improved laying performance.
A confirmatory factor analysis of the MATRICS consensus cognitive battery in severe mental illness.

Abstract Background A recent factor analysis of Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) data in a sample of schizophrenia-spectrum patients described a three factor model representing processing speed, attention/working memory, and learning; the social cognition measure was excluded from the analysis. The current analyses sought to replicate a three factor structure of the MCCB in a larger, more diagnostically diverse sample of participants. Methods Confirmatory factor analyses were performed to evaluate the factor structure of the MCCB in 300 outpatients with severe mental illness (54.3% schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses) who were participants in three studies of cognitive remediation. Exploratory analyses were conducted to evaluate the concurrent prediction of symptoms from MCCB factor scores. Results The three factor structure of the MCCB demonstrated stronger model fit (χ2 = 14.53, p = 0.75, SRMR = 0.02, RMSEA = 0.0, CFI = 1.00, NNFI = 1.01) than the unifactoral structure. Poorer cognitive performance across all three MCCB factors was significantly correlated with more severe overall and disorganization symptoms from the PANSS and BPRS, and less severe affective symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) in the overall sample. Conclusions A three factor structure of the MCCB—composed of processing speed, attention/working memory, and learning—was replicated in a heterogeneous sample of persons with severe mental illness. Cognitive performance on the MCCB factors is associated with clinical symptoms.
The effect of the MFM obesity protocol on cesarean delivery rates

Background Obesity in pregnancy has an impact on both the mother and the fetus. To date, no universal protocol has been established to guide the management of pregnancy in obese woman. In April 2011, the Geisinger Maternal-Fetal Medicine Department implemented an obesity protocol in which women meeting the following criteria were delivered by their estimated due dates: (1) class III obese or (2) class II obese with additional diagnoses of a large-for-gestational-age fetus or pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes or (3) class I obese with large-for-gestational-age and gestational diabetes. Objective We sought to assess the impact of this protocol on the rate of cesarean deliveries in obese women. Study Design We performed a retrospective cohort study of 5000 randomly selected women who delivered at Geisinger between January 2009 and September 2013, excluding those who delivered in 2011. The data were stratified into obese and nonobese and divided into before protocol and after protocol. Comparison across all groups was accomplished using Wilcoxon rank sum and Pearson's χ 2 tests. Potential confounders were controlled for using logistic regression. Results The cesarean delivery rate in the obese/after protocol group was 10.8% lower than in the obese/before protocol group (42.4% vs 31.6%, respectively; P P Conclusion Implementation of a maternal-fetal medicine obesity protocol did not increase the rate of cesarean deliveries in obese women. On the contrary, obese women were less likely to have a cesarean delivery after implementation of the protocol.
Adult CHD: the ongoing need for physician counselling about heredity and contraceptive options.

Purpose Current guidelines recommend that patients with CHD receive age-appropriate counselling on reproduction, pregnancy, and risk of heredity. Our aim was to examine patient knowledge of reproductive health and explore the association between patient knowledge of CHD transmission risk and earlier physician counselling in adults with CHD. Methods We performed a cross-sectional survey of patients with CHD aged 18 years and older in a paediatric hospital. Results Of the 100 patients who completed the questionnaire, most did not report counselling on heredity (66%) or contraception (71%). Of the 54 women, 25 (46%) identified their contraceptive options correctly; 42 (78%) women were classified as being at significantly increased risk for an adverse outcome during pregnancy, and of these 20 (48%) identified this risk correctly. Of all patients surveyed, 72% did not know that having CHD placed them at increased risk for having a child with CHD. On multivariate analysis, factors associated with correct knowledge about risk of recurrence were correct identification of CHD diagnosis (p=0.04) and patient-reported counselling (p=0.001). Conclusions Knowledge about heredity, pregnancy risk, and contraceptive options is inadequate among adults with CHD followed-up in a paediatric subspecialty clinic. The majority of patients did not report a history of counselling about reproductive health. There is a strong correlation between history of counselling by the patient’s cardiologist and correct knowledge about recurrence risk, suggesting that effective reproductive counselling can positively impact this knowledge gap.
Optimized measurements for kernel compressive sensing

Certain classes of signals can be well approximated using a few principal components in the feature space, that is obtained by a non-linear transformation of the input signal space. Compressive sensing of such signals with random measurements can be performed using the kernel trick. In this paper, we propose a procedure to compute optimized measurement vectors for kernel compressive sensing. We show that the optimized measurements correspond to the data samples that have the highest energy when projected onto the kernel principal components. Simulation results obtained with handwritten digits and the sculpted faces dataset show that the proposed measurement system results in a substantially better recovery when compared to using the same number of random measurements.
Intestinal Microbiota in Bone Marrow Transplantation

Abstract Abstract SCI-51 Regulators of the intestinal flora include diet, antibiotics, and importantly, intestinal inflammation. As a result, the cause-effect relationships between intestinal inflammation and changes in microbiota have been difficult to define. The success of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo BMT), a standard therapy for conditions including hematopoietic malignancies and inherited hematopoietic disorders, is limited by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) morbidity and mortality. With GVHD, vigorous activation of donor immune cells, most importantly T cells, leads to damage of the skin, liver, hematopoietic system, and gut. The major sources of immune activation are histocompatibility complex differences between donor and recipient. Combinations of chemotherapy and radiation also contribute, as damage to the intestinal epithelium results in systemic exposure to microbial products normally sequestered in the intestinal lumen. We have demonstrated in murine and human recipients of allo BMT that intestinal inflammation secondary to GVHD is associated with major shifts in the composition of the intestinal microbiota. The microbiota, in turn, can modulate the severity of intestinal inflammation. In mouse models of GVHD we observed loss of overall diversity and expansion of Lactobacillales and loss of Clostridiales. Eliminating Lactobacillales from the flora of mice prior to BMT aggravated GVHD, while reintroducing the predominant species of Lactobacillus mediated significant protection against GVHD. We then characterized the gut flora of patients during onset of intestinal inflammation due to GVHD and found patterns mirroring those in mice. We also identified increased microbial chaos soon after allo BMT as a potential risk factor for subsequent GVHD. Together, these data demonstrate regulation of flora by intestinal inflammation, and suggest that flora manipulation may reduce intestinal inflammation and improve outcomes for allo BMT recipients. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Tennyson's Poems ‘The Lady of Shalott’ And ‘Mariana’ Represent Fallen Women of Victorian Period

The Victorian Age marked an era where a rise of oppositional creations ruled literary and social exemplifications of gender. These new rules divided men and women into two distinct worlds in which they performed different roles. While men were able to go about their business and indulge in politics in public, women faced exclusion from any social and public participation. The ideal woman in the Victorian Age had to stay at home, lack any sexual initiative, be selfless, and be morally accountable. She was to be the pillar of the home in both the physical and moral sense. Femininity during the Victorian Age was secondary to masculinity. The submission of women to men represented the enduring feature of the Victorian Age. A woman, deemed as a fallen one, showed signs of disregard of the set norms, expressed sexual aggressiveness, and ignored the need to be submissive to the men in her life (Gilmour 18). The theme of a fallen woman became a popular topic in literary circles during this age. In my paper, I will use these two poems to explain a number of strategies that had utilization by the Victorians to treat women and their sexuality. The center of my discussion is the establishment of Victorian views of fallen women and the way the text endorses or condemns conventional Victorian views. Do they support or challenge these views? Moreover, the essay would illustrate how these two poems represent the fallen women of the Victorian society who deviated from the feminine virtue of their society.
PARP Activation and Necrotic Cell Death

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) protein family consists of at least 17 members. They catalyze the chemical reaction termed polyADP-ribosylation, which functions to cleave nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide into ADP-ribose and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NAM), and transfer ADP-ribose to glutamate, aspartate, or lysine residues on substrate proteins to form poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated chains. PARP proteins play an essential role in chromatin organization, DNA repair, replication, and transcriptional regulation. Upon excessive DNA damage, PARP is hyperactivated and causes cell death. This chapter summarizes the molecular regulation of cell death by PARP.
Constraining the subsoil carbon source to cave-air CO 2 and speleothem calcite in central Texas

Abstract Canonical models for speleothem formation and the subsurface carbon cycle invoke soil respiration as the dominant carbon source. However, evidence from some karst regions suggests that belowground CO 2 originates from a deeper, older source. We therefore investigated the carbon sources to central Texas caves. Drip-water chemistry of two caves in central Texas implies equilibration with calcite at CO 2 concentrations (P CO2_sat ) higher than the maximum CO 2 concentrations observed in overlying soils. This observation suggests that CO 2 is added to waters after they percolate through the soils, which requires a subsoil carbon source. We directly evaluate the carbon isotope composition of the subsoil carbon source using δ 13 C measurements on cave-air CO 2 , which we independently demonstrate has little to no contribution from host rock carbon. We do so using the oxidative ratio, OR, defined as the number of moles of O 2 consumed per mole of CO 2 produced during respiration. However, additional belowground processes that affect O 2 and CO 2 concentrations, such as gas-water exchange and/or diffusion, may also influence the measured oxidative ratio, yielding an apparent OR (OR apparent ). Cave air in Natural Bridge South Cavern has OR apparent values (1.09 ± 0.06) indistinguishable from those expected for respiration alone (1.08 ± 0.06). Pore space gases from soils above the cave have lower values (OR apparent = 0.67 ± 0.05) consistent with respiration and gas transport by diffusion. The simplest explanation for these observations is that cave air in NB South is influenced by respiration in open-system bedrock fractures such that neither diffusion nor exchange with water influence the composition of the cave air. The radiocarbon activities of NB South cave-air CO 2 suggest the subsoil carbon source is hundreds of years old. The calculated δ 13 C values of the subsoil carbon source are consistent with tree-sourced carbon (perhaps decomposing root matter), the δ 13 C values of which have shifted during industrialization due to changes in the δ 13 C values and concentrations of atmospheric CO 2 . Seasonal variations in P CO2_sat in most of the drip waters suggest that these waters exchange with ventilated bedrock fractures in the epikarst, implying that the subsoil CO 2 source contributes carbon to speleothems.
PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN PERITONEAL DIALYSIS PATIENTS

BackgroundPhysical functioning (PF) and physical activity (PA) are low in patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Little information exists on this topic in patients treated with peri...
A thiocyanopalladation/carbocyclization transformation identified through enzymatic screening: stereocontrolled tandem C–SCN and C–C bond formation

Herein we describe a formal thiocyanopalladation/carbocyclization transformation and its parametrization and optimization using a new elevated temperature plate-based version of our visual colorimetric enzymatic screening method for reaction discovery. The carbocyclization step leads to C–SCN bond formation in tandem with C–C bond construction and is highly stereoselective, showing nearly absolute 1,2-anti-stereoinduction (5 examples) for substrates bearing allylic substitution, and nearly absolute 1,3-syn-stereoinduction (16 examples) for substrates bearing propargylic substitution. Based upon these high levels of stereoinduction, the dependence of the 1,2-stereoinduction upon cyclization substrate geometry, and the generally high preference for the transoid vinyl thiocyanate alkene geometry, a mechanistic model is proposed, involving (i) Pd(II)-enyne coordination, (ii) thiocyanopalladation, (iii) migratory insertion and (iv) β-elimination. Examples of transition metal-mediated C–SCN bond formation that proceed smoothly on unactivated substrates and allow for preservation of the SCN moiety are lacking. Yet, the thiocyanate functionality is of great value for biophysical chemistry (vibrational Stark effect) and medicinal chemistry (S,N-heterocycle construction). The title transformation accommodates C-, O-, N- and S-bridged substrates (6 examples), thereby providing the corresponding carbocyclic or heterocyclic scaffolds. The reaction is also shown to be compatible with a significant range of substituents, varying in steric and electronic demand, including a wide range of substituted aromatics, fused bicyclic and heterocyclic systems, and even biaryl systems. Combination of this new transformation with asymmetric allylation and Grubbs ring-closing metathesis provides for a streamlined enantio- and diastereoselective entry into the oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octyl core of the natural products massarilactone and annuionone A, as also evidenced by low temperature X-ray crystal structure determination. Utilizing this bicyclic scaffold, we demonstrate the versatility of the thiocyanate moiety for structural diversification post-cyclization. Thus, the bridging vinyl thiocyanate moiety is smoothly elaborated into a range of derivative functionalities utilizing transformations that cleave the S–CN bond, add the elements of RS-CN across a π-system and exploit the SCN moiety as a cycloaddition partner (7 diverse examples). Among the new functionalities thereby generated are thiotetrazole and sulfonyl tetrazole heterocycles that serve as carboxylate and phosphate surrogates, respectively, highlighting the potential of this approach for future applications in medicinal chemistry or chemical biology.
Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzo[b]furan with activated cyclopropanes catalyzed by a calcium(II) complex

Abstract The synthesis of γ-benzo[b]furanyl malonates was achieved through the addition of benzo[b]furan to activated cyclopropanes. These Friedel-Crafts reactions were catalyzed by calcium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide), Ca(NTf2)2 with tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphine as a co-catalyst. The additions proceeded with complete regioselectivity and in good to excellent yield. Optimization of the reaction conditions and investigation into the scope of the methodology with regards to substitution on the cyclopropane are reported.
Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), although only rarely are they caused by active organ system involvement from SLE itself. Rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment of lupus enteritis and other GI manifestations of SLE are critical, because of the potential for organ and life-threatening complications. The 3 main variants of lupus enteritis are lupus mesenteric vasculitis, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and protein-losing enteropathy. These GI manifestations and others in patients with SLE are reviewed here.
Field Sanitation in U.S. Agriculture: Evidence from NAWS and Future Data Needs.

Objectives: We studied relationships between demographic and work-related characteristics and exposure to health-related risk associated with field sanitation within the population of U.S. farmwork...
Decision tree for the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Clinicians managing patients with bipolar disorder confront a myriad of complex treatment decisions. This complexity limits the practicality of treatment guidelines, which attempt to be comprehensive. A user-friendly guide can, however, be constructed by considering only the most common early critical decision points likely to be encountered in the management of bipolar patients: new onset of an acute manic or mixed episode, interepisode treatment entry, and initial treatment for acute bipolar depression. Three general treatment principles, i.e., use proven treatments first, use a mood stabilizer in every phase of the illness, and use a multiphase treatment strategy to link current assessment with an appropriate treatment plan, can be applied to guide decision making at critical decision points that follow entry into clinical care. To guide the selection of appropriate therapeutic agents, a simple grading system can be used to evaluate the weight of evidence supporting use of various options. Multiple high-quality studies with positive results support the use of lithium, divalproex, carbamazepine, olanzapine, and haloperidol as initial intervention for acute mania; other agents with positive results in one double-blind mania trial are reasonable first-line alternatives. In the absence of high-quality evidence to guide treatment selection for nonacutely ill bipolar patients, guidelines recommend maintenance mood-stabilizer treatment. Standard antidepressant medications do not appear to add statistically significant benefit beyond that of mood stabilizers alone; lithium and lamotrigine have shown some benefit, and promising preliminary data have been presented on the antidepressant benefit of divalproex and topiramate as well.
Refugee Education as a Gauge of Liberal Multiculturalism

Will Kymlicka (2007) writes of a global “veritable revolution” in relations between states and ethnocultural minorities, as advanced by new multicultural models of state and citizenship. Schools represent key transformational sites in this revolution, as they constitute spaces where minority groups might receive greater school access, identity recognition and accommodation for their particular needs.
Polymeric Controlled Release Systems: New Methods for Drug Delivery

Controlled release delivery systems are playing an ever-increasing role in drug therapy. By means of polymeric devices, drugs with a variety of physicochemical properties can be released predictably in therapeutic dosages.
Cognition Research in Practice: Engineering and Evaluating a Middle School Math Curriculum

How can research findings from cognitive and learning sciences be meaningfully applied in authentic settings to improve student learning outcomes in mathematics? Decades of basic research on how pe...
Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning in IoT for Authentication and Authorization of Edge Devices

Internet of Things (IoT) is progressing at a fast pace. Issues of security and privacy, emerged with introduction of IoT in late nineties, are still amongst the main challenges. In security issues, authentication and authorization of edge devices are main concerns due to resource constrained nature of edge devices. Various solutions have been proposed in the past to address said concerns but most of the solutions are based on increasing the computational capacity, storage and power in edge devices. However, said solutions are not practical since these solutions are either not possible due to small size of edge devices of IoT or not economical for their wide spread adoption. Some of the solutions also suggest the use of light weight cryptographic primitives. However, same are also not practical since all edge devices do not have requisite resources to implement these solutions. This paper proposes use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ machine learning in addressing the issues of authentication and authorization in edge devices. Proposed solution is based on fog computing model within a framework of a smart house but without reliance on computational capacity, storage or power of edge devices.
Expanding the Options Through Nine Steps

The nine levels of Stepped Care 2.0 are designed to maximize choice. They also facilitate care adaptations as needs, motivation and readiness evolve. Their arrangement on dimensions of stakeholder engagement, and both treatment intensity and client autonomy, enables full transparency. Providers and help-seekers are able to see the forest and the trees. The steps support more meaningful organization of both new and existing resources. They can be tailored to the needs and unique circumstances of any jurisdiction. Each of the nine steps is defined to incorporate recovery values and principles in order to maximize efficiency and client empowerment.
Laser/tissue interaction

When laser light impinges on tissue, it can reflect, scatter, be absorbed, or transmit to the surrounding tissue. Absorption controls to a great degree the extent to which reflection, scattering and transmission occur, and wavelength is the primary determinant of absorption. The CO2 laser is consistently absorbed by most materials and tissues and the Nd-YAG laser wavelength is preferentially absorbed in pigmented tissues. The factors which determine the initial tissue effect include the laser wavelength, laser power, laser waveform, tissue optical properties, and tissue thermal properties. There are almost an infinite number of combinations of these factors possible, many of which would result in unacceptable damage to the tissues. This underscores the need to thoroughly test any particular combination of these factors on the conceptual, in-vitro, and in-vivo level before a treatment is offered.
Approbation and the Desire to Better One's Condition in Adam Smith

Adam Smith is often associated with the idea that the desire to better one's condition makes an individual better off and also, unintentionally, makes society better off. This paper asks whether for Smith there are circumstances under which the same desire to better one's condition ultimately betters neither one's condition nor society's condition. The answer proposed here is that in Smith's works, the presence of significant wealth may generate perverse incentives misaligning the betterment of the individual and of society, either because the individual may be worse off while society is better off, or because the individual is better off while society is worst off. This result is achieved by analyzing the role of approbation. For Smith, approbation is gained through proper moral conduct as well as through bettering one's material condition. But wealth can trump moral conduct as a means to achieve approbation. In a world with "police, revenue, and arms" the more prosperous society is, the more powerful the incentives to rely upon wealth to gain approbation, rather than upon virtuous conduct. In the presence of wealth generated by commerce and the government power of granting monopolies, the desire to better one's condition can curb moral behaviors and bring ruin to either individuals or society.
Make or Take: An Active Learning Game of Organic Synthesis

The educational game Make or Take is designed to approach the notoriously challenging topic of organic synthesis in an entertaining and engaging way. In this unique, two-part game, teams of students are given identical lists of several synthetic transformations, each requiring multiple steps to complete. During the first part of the game, teams race to devise and post a sound synthetic sequence for one of the transformations. In the second part of the game, rival teams peer review the posted syntheses. This game is designed to test knowledge of organic reactions, promote the use of retrosynthetic analysis, and improve critical evaluation skills. Student response is exceptionally positive, and improved performance on synthesis questions on subsequent assessments was observed after playing the game. Make or Take is best implemented in second-year undergraduate organic chemistry courses with small-to-medium class sizes. This game is highly versatile and can be altered to include more challenging material for advanced classes.
Contemporary Management of Urinary Tract Infection in Children

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in children, and girls are at a significantly higher risk, as compared to boys, except in early infancy. Most cases are caused by Escherichia coli Collection of an uncontaminated urine specimen is essential for accurate diagnosis. Oral antibiotic therapy for 7 to 10 days is adequate for uncomplicated cases that respond well to the treatment. A renal ultrasound examination is advised in all young children with first febrile UTI and in older children with recurrent UTI. Most children with first febrile UTI do not need a voiding cystourethrogram; it may be considered after the first UTI in children with abnormal renal and bladder ultrasound examination or a UTI caused by atypical pathogen, complex clinical course, or known renal scarring. Long-term antibiotic prophylaxis is used selectively in high-risk patients. Few patients diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux after a UTI need surgical correction. The most consequential long-term complication of acute pyelonephritis is renal scarring, which may increase the risk of hypertension or chronic kidney disease later in life. Treatment of acute pyelonephritis with an appropriate antibiotic within 48 hours of fever onset and prevention of recurrent UTI lowers the risk of renal scarring. Pathogens causing UTI are increasingly becoming resistant to commonly used antibiotics, and their indiscriminate use in doubtful cases of UTI must be discouraged.
Light Scattering from Plasmons in Semiconductors

Light scattering with high-power CW lasers has proved to be an extremely powerful way to study some of the fundamental collective and single-particle excitations in solids. This lecture will discuss recent experimental and theoretical work1–3 carried out at Lincoln Laboratory on light scattering from plasmons in semiconductors, particularly GaAs. Not only have these studies confirmed that plasmons exist and couple to phonons as predicted,4 but they have allowed the various photon scattering mechanisms to be determined as well. Brief mention will also be made of some current work on light scattering from single-particle excitations.5–7
Preoperative Oral Hydration in Gynecologic Laparoscopy

Abstract Background: Having patients fast for at least 8 hours prior to surgery to decrease aspiration risk continues today in most institutions despite literature supporting the benefits of intake of clear liquids before surgery. National guidelines, in the United States and Europe, recommend an 8-hour fast from fatty foods but allow clear liquids up to 2 hours prior to surgery. This ingestion has been shown to have no effect on residual gastric volume, even in obese patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative oral hydration with a commercial, clear-liquid nutritional supplement, Nestle's Breeze (Nestle HealthCare Nutrition, Inc., Florham Park, NJ), on the gastric volume and pH of patients awaiting laparoscopic gynecologic surgery, compared to the same effects of standard preoperative fasting. Materials and Methods: For this pilot study, at a tertiary care hospital, 60 patients were studied. Thirty study patients ingested the product and ad libitum clear liquids ...
Effect of selenite, vitamin E and N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine on liver organic solvent-soluble lipofuscin pigments in mice

The present experiment was designed to investigate the effect of selenium (Se) supplementation, as sodium selenite, on organic solvent-soluble lipofuscin pigment (OLP) accumulation and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the livers of mice fed varying levels of vitamin E or N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPPD). Four groups of 16 female, weanling mice each were fed either a vitamin E-deficient diet, a diet supplemented with 30 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg vitamin E (as RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate), or a diet supplemented with 30 mg/kg DPPD. Each diet contained 0.05 ppm Se. At 5 months of age, eight animals from each dietary group were supplemented with an additional 0.1 ppm Se, as sodium selenite, in their drinking water. The remaining animals were fed their original diets through the 9-month experimental period. Selenite supplementation resulted in a significant increase in OLP concentration and GSH-Px activity in the liver of mice fed vitamin E- or DPPD-supplemented diets. Normal levels of vitamin E and DPPD (30 mg/kg) were not sufficient to protect against the oxidative effects of selenite; however, 10 times the normal level of vitamin E (300 mg/kg) markedly suppressed this oxidative effect.
Analysis of Event Synchronization in Parallel Programs

The increase in the number and complexity of parallel programs has led to a need for better approaches for synchronization error detection and debugging of parallel programs. This paper presents an efficient and precise algorithm for the detection of nondeterminacy (race conditions) in parallel programs. Non determinacy exists in a program when the program yields different outputs for different runs with the same input. We limit our attention to nondeterminacy due to errors in synchronization and to race conditions due to these unsynchronized accesses to shared variables. A directed acyclic graph called a task graph is used to represent the accesses to shared variables in a parallel program with edges representing guaranteed ordering. The algorithm proposed here constructs an augmented task graph, and then uses a modification of depth-first search to classify the edges in the augmented task graph. The edges are analyzed and the nodes that are guaranteed to execute before an event are linked to these events by edges representing guaranteed ordering among events. This ordering is used to detect any race conditions in parallel programs.
Cre Activated and Inactivated Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors for Neuronal Anatomical Tracing or Activity Manipulation

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) transcriptionally activated by Cre recombinase (Cre-On) are powerful tools for determining the anatomy and function of genetically defined neuronal types in transgenic Cre driver mice. Here we describe how rAAVs transcriptionally inactivated by Cre (Cre-Off) can be used in conjunction with Cre-On rAAVs or genomic Cre-reporter alleles to study brain circuits. Intracranial injection of Cre-On/Cre-Off rAAVs into spatially intermingled Cre(+) and Cre(-) neurons allows these populations to be differentially labeled or manipulated within individual animals. This comparison helps define the unique properties of Cre(+) neurons, highlighting the specialized role they play in their constituent brain circuits. This protocol touches on the conceptual and experimental background of Cre-Off rAAV systems, including caveats and methods of validation.
Quantitative Fractography of a Fatigued Ti-28V Alloy

A quantitative fractographic analysis was undertaken in order to relate important microstructural and fractographic features to fatigue fracture in a Ti-28V alloy. Special emphasis is placed on facet characteristics and subsurface cracking in the single-facet and multifacet regions. The stereological treatment of this problem develops methodologies and relationships based primarily on vertical sections cut through the fracture surface and parallel to the crack propagation direction. The evaluation of fracture profiles (in terms of true length, roughness, and degree of orientation) permits calculation of fracture surface characteristics (such as true surface area, roughness, and type of surface). True mean facet areas, A f a c e t s , are calculated from combined measurements on scanning electron microscope photographs and two parallel, vertical sections along the edge and center of the fracture surface. The values of A f a c e t s for the single-facet and multifacet regions are 22.2 ′ 4.9 and 12.7 ′ 4.0 nm 2 , respectively, with indicated 95 percent confidence intervals. True mean subsurface crack lengths, L c r a c k s , in the edge section are 0.05 ′ 0.07 and 0.16 ′ 0.07 mm for the single-facet and multifacet regions, respectively, whereas in the center section the corresponding values are 0.13 ′ 0.08 and 0.34 ′ 0.13 mm. Based on an upper-lower bound approach, the fracture surface is found to conform most closely to a partially oriented surface with strong planar elements. The results obtained here are consistent with the fatigue crack growth model of Chakrabortty.
Potential Theory in Gravity and Magnetic Applications: The Geomagnetic Field

Magnus magnes ipse est globus terrestris. [The whole earth is a magnet.] (William Gilbert) It has always been and still is [my] impression that a magnetometer survey is just as much a means of mapping geology as are the air photograph and the surface geological traverse. (Norman R. Pater son) The previous chapter discussed the steps by which gravity measurements are converted into gravity anomalies that reflect geological sources. The present chapter treats magnetic anomalies in a similar vein. Whereas the gravity field of the earth is largely time invariant, except for relatively minor or long-term changes due to redistribution of mass (tides, moving magma, glacial rebound, erosion, mountain building, and so forth), the geomagnetic field varies in both direction and intensity over time scales ranging from milliseconds to millennia. It would seem that this added complexity would make the reduction of magnetic measurements significantly more difficult than that for gravity data, but in practice the calculation of magnetic anomalies is relatively straightforward. Our intent in this chapter is to characterize the global magnetic field in order to isolate the magnetic field caused by crustal sources. This agenda glosses over a large body of information that ordinarily would be included in a chapter of this title, such topics as the origins of the geomagnetic field (magnetohydrodynamic theories); the behavior of the field in the geologic past (paleomagnetic studies); reversals of geomagnetic polarity; the magnetic properties of the sun, moon, meteorites, and other planets; and the interaction of the earth's magnetic field with solar phenomena.
Sun, sea, and surplus value : Steven Gregory, The Devil Behind the Mirror: Globalization and Politics in the Dominican Republic. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 2007, 298 pp ()

Gregory's excellent ethnography of the tourist industry in a small town close to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is a brilliant analysis and expose of the disastrous impact of global capitalism on the developing world. Taking to task those who strongly argue that the world has become deterritorialized, thus ignoring or under analyzing the political economy of space and the reproduction of culture in both the local and global spheres and the inevitable sharpening of race, class and gender relations which accompany new and continuing modes of exploitation and capital accumulation, Gregory offers a slew of data and robust new theorizing. From finely observed processes of daily social and occupational life in the official and unofficial tourist zones to layered accounts of the corporate-dominated tourist machine at work in the neo-liberal era (i.e., as it disburses its agents of corrupt officials, co-opted architects, and slick PR teams to sell empty promises to the locals), Gregory draws us into a grounded narrative of super exploitation, poverty, survivalism and resistance. Describing his mission as opposing those who treat "space as a container in which things happen and into which people, things and media move" (p. 5), Gregory aims to highlight and analyze the "space-forming and space-contingent character of the relations of production" (p. 5), showing how "struggles against sex or gender inequalities, racial discrimination, contemporary imperialism and economic restructuring itself" constitute the everyday in the dependent state. Gregory's ability to get close to the heart beat of the community, in this case the small town of Andres just outside the infamous sex tourist resort of Boca Chica, a five minute drive from Santo Domingo's international airport, is a testimony to his finely honed research skills, which include a working knowledge of both Spanish and Haitian Krey?l (allowing him to provide one of the rare up close accounts of Haitian social and economic relations in the barrios and bateyes of the Dominican
Testing of Reinforced Plastics

Tests are conducted to determine the suitability of the materials, process(es), and/or design for the intended application (see Table 24.1). The five major causes of product failure are 1) misapplication of the product, 2) poor design, 3) inadequate control of materials, 4) poorly controlled manufacturing techniques, and 5) misapplication of materials. Adequate testing is required as means for preventing such failures.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided real-time fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the pancreas in cancer patients with pancreatic lesions.

BACKGROUNDEndoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is an important new tool in the staging of pancreatic malignancies. Using new curved linear-array instruments, real-time fine-needle aspiration biopsy (RTFNA) of pancreatic lesions can be performed.METHODSForty-five patients with pancreatic lesions (22 males and 23 females) underwent staging with the Olympus EUM-20 (Olympus America Corp, Melville, NY) followed by EUS-RTFNA with the Pentax FG-32PUA (Pentax-Precision Instrument Corp, Orangeburg, NY) and the 22-gauge GIP needle (GIP Medizin Technik, Grassau, Germany).RESULTSEUS tumor stages were as follows: TO, n = 1; T1, n = 8; T2, n = 9; and T3 n = 27. Aspiration attempts were unsuccessful in four patients (two technical failures and two inadequate specimens). The remaining 41 lesions (mean size, 3.3 cm) were aspirated under EUS guidance (median passes, three) and the cytologic diagnoses were 25 definite adenocarcinoma, five suspicious for adenocarcinoma (three subsequently confirmed and two clinical course consistent ...
Heterocyclic amines. A convenient synthesis of 3,5‐diamino‐1,2,4‐triazine derivatives

A facile synthesis of 3, 5-diamino-1, 2,4-triazines (I) via condensations in acidic media of acylnitriles with aminoguanidine and subsequent base-catalyzed cyclization of the resulting acylnitrile amidinohydrazones (IV) is described.
Optimal soft-decision decoding for a 1-bit A/D channel

An R/sub 0/ analysis for a noncoherent DPSK channel that includes a 1-bit A/D converter in the receiver front-end is presented. The analysis results are used to obtain probability of error bounds that characterize the channel when a rate R=1/2, constraint length L=7 convolutional code is used. The advantage of the R/sub 0/ approach is that quantization thresholds for the soft-decision decoder can be optimized analytically, without relying on lengthy simulations. However, once the thresholds are optimally chosen, simulations are used to verify the validity of the bounds.