cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conservation of Amino Acid Sequences in Albumin: Is Albumin an Essential Protein?

Albumin, the most abundant protein in vertebrate serum, is thought to be a nonessential protein because other serum proteins take over albumin’s actions to bind and transport hydrophobic ligands such as fatty acids, bilirubin, and steroids and to maintain osmotic pressure in blood in “analbuminemic” humans (Gitlin and Gitlin 1975; Bowman et al. 1976) and rats (Nagase et al. 1979). Additional support for this idea comes from a recent analysis (Minghetti et al. 1985) of the amino acid sequences of rodent and human albumin and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a paralogue of albumin (Alexander-Eiferman et al. 198 1; Jagodzinski et al. 198 1; Morinaga et al. 1983). This analysis shows that albumin and AFP are accumulating amino acid changes about twofold and threefold, respectively, faster than does hemoglobin. In fact, the rate of change in AFP is about half that of pseudogenes and approaches that of fibrinopeptides (Minghetti et al. 1985). When segments of a protein undergo relatively rapid changes in their amino acid sequences, they are thought to be nonessential to the biological functioning of the protein. Thus, if most of albumin is undergoing rapid change, and if the absence of albumin does not lead to an obvious disease state, then it would seem that albumin no longer has an essential biological function in the organism. Here, I show that both of these premises are invalid, and I propose that albumin has essential, albeit still unelucidated, biological function(s). First, it has not truly been demonstrated that humans or rats can survive without albumin, because “analbuminemic” humans and rats have - lo-25 pg albumin/ml. Even though this concentration is > 1,000 fold less than the normal albumin concen- tration, it still is high when compared with the concentration of growth factors or other essential proteins in serum. Second, as shown in table 1, exons 12- 14, the last three coded exons in domain III of human albumin, are 50% identical to human AFP. Figure 1 shows the alignment of the 58 residues of exons 13 and 14 in human albumin and AFP. To put these numbers in perspective, note that alignment of human hemoglobin alpha and beta chains, a paralogous system, reveals 45% identities (Feng and Doolittle 1987). These genes diverged -400-450 Mya (Goodman et al. 1988), a date similar to that for the divergence of albumin and AFP. Thus, a 133-residue part of the human albumin and AFP (exons 12- 14) is changing more slowly than the alpha and beta chains of human hemoglobin-and clearly much less than fibrinopeptides and pseudogenes. From table 1 it is clear that other subdomains of human albumin and AFP, such as subdomains I-C, II-A, II-C, and II-D, also are under constraints as far as changes in amino acid sequences are concerned. Table 1 reveals that some albumin and AFP subdomains (e.g., I-A, I-D, II-B, and III-A) differ by 65%-77%, which serves to further emphasize that there are indeed constraints on changes in the sequences of other parts of albumin and AFP, parts that I suggest are involved in essential biological actions of albumin and AFP.
The Multiple Laboratories of Democracy

Notice that in South Carolina, one cannot buy alcohol on Election Day. South Carolina’s General Statutes make it clear:
Surface Chemical Composition and Morphology

Abstract Understanding the structure, composition, and reactivity of the silicon surface is critical to the preparation of high-quality interfaces necessary in device manufacturing. Mitigating contamination during surface preparation is essential for subsequent oxidation and growth steps later in the fabrication process. Here, methods for cleaning and passivating silicon surfaces and some of the metrology used to characterize them are reviewed. For oxide-terminated Si surfaces, the effects of cleaning procedures on the surface morphology and the interface stability in different environments are discussed. For H-terminated Si surfaces, wet chemical methods for preparation are reviewed and control over the resulting surface morphology is discussed.
The Black catalyst to tweet: the role of discrimination experience, group identification, and racial agency in Black Americans’ instrumental use of Twitter

The strong presence of Blacks on Twitter has attracted scholarly attention, but few empirical studies have provided a clear, theory-driven answer to the question of how Blacks use Twitter. Drawing ...
Pharmacokinetic and toxicology comparator testing of biosimilar drugs - Assessing need.

A key element in the development of a biosimilar molecule is the comparability of the biological activity/nonclinical similarity to the innovator drug. Although some regulatory guidelines are encouraging little or no in vivo testing, currently a common practice is to perform at least one toxicology and/or one pharmacokinetic (PK) study to assess if any different findings occur for in-life, clinical pathology and histopathological parameters or in exposure. An exercise was performed in which the results of such testing were evaluated. It was found that 10 PK comparison studies in the cynomolgus monkey across 4 monoclonal (Mab) classes showed similar exposure in all cases. In 17 toxicology comparison studies with 5 Mab classes performed in the same species and in 7 toxicology comparison studies with non-Mab biosimilars in the rat, no new/unexpected findings were seen and drug exposure measurement gave comparable values in all cases. Overall, although this work does not rule out possible utility of some in vivo testing (notably in the form of stand-alone PK testing) to confirm similar exposure between the 2 molecules tested, it is unclear what benefit can be gained from toxicology testing, especially if comparability has been demonstrated from physiochemical and in vitro characterisation.
Psychiatric and Palliative Care in the Intensive Care Unit

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on patients with serious illness and their families. In the intensive care unit (ICU), palliative care encompasses core skills to support patients and their families throughout their ICU course and post-ICU stays. Psychiatric symptoms are common among patients approaching the end of life and require particular attention in the setting of sedating medications, typically used when patients require ventilators and other life-sustaining treatments. For patients with preexisting severe mental illness who have a concurrent serious medical illness, a palliative psychiatric approach can address complex symptom management and support ethical and value-based shared decision making.
Stigma, Partners, Providers and Costs: Potential Barriers to PrEP Uptake among US Women.

Background: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use has remained low among US women while significantly increasing among men who have sex with men. Besides lack of awareness, women face several social and structural barriers in gaining access to and using PrEP. Methods: Four focus group discussions with 20 HIV-negative women who live in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Results: The women expressed concerns about social and structural barriers to PrEP use. They were afraid that stigma related to using “HIV medicines” could affect PrEP use as well. They are worried that family and friends may question their reasons for taking anti-retrovirals and suspect that they were HIV-positive. They expected hostile reactions from male partners, including accusations of infidelity and introducing mistrust in their relationships. Communicating with health care providers about sexual matters in general and their need for PrEP in particular were identified as further barriers. Women reported that providers rarely ask about risk behaviors related to HIV acquisition; that short visits hinder establishing a trusting relationship to discuss sensitive matters. They were concerned that disclosure of risk behaviors may result in judgmental responses and harsh treatment from providers. Lastly, women were concerned that PrEP costs, including insurance coverage and copays, would keep PrEP out of their reach. While cognizant of the potential barriers, women were unwavering in their determination to find ways to circumvent challenges to PrEP access. Conclusion: Social and structural barriers may impede women’s access to PrEP despite their own reported interest. Continued efforts to reduce HIV stigma, improve patient-provider relationships and ensure affordability of PrEP may increase the likelihood that women will use this important prevention modality.
The relationship between esophageal acid exposure and the esophageal response to volumetric distention

Background Increased esophagogastric junction (EGJ) distensibility is thought to contribute to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Using the functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP), we aimed to assess the esophageal response to distension among patients undergoing esophageal pH monitoring. Methods 25 patients (ages 22-73; 13 females) who underwent ambulatory wireless esophageal pH testing while off proton-pump inhibitors were evaluated with FLIP during sedated upper endoscopy. Esophageal reflux was quantified by total percent acid exposure time (AET; <6% was considered normal). FLIP studies were analyzed using a customized program generate FLIP topography plots to identify esophageal contractility patterns and to calculate the EGJ-distensibility index (DI). Reflux symptoms were assessed with the GERDQ. Values reflect median (interquartile range). Results Among all patients, the AET was 7.2% (3.7-11.1) and EGJ-DI was 4.2 (2.5-7.6) mm2/mm Hg. Repetitive antegrade contractions (RACs) were induced in 19/25 (76%) of patients; AET was lower among patients with (6.1%, 3-7.8) than without (14.9, 8.5-22.3) RACs (P = .009). Correlation was weak and insignificant between AET and EGJ-DI, GERDQ and AET, and GERDQ and EGJ-DI. Patients with abnormal AET (n = 16) and normal AET (n = 9) had similar EGJ-DI, 4.6 mm2/mm Hg (2.9-9.2) vs 3.2 (2.2-5.1), P = .207 and GERDQ, P = .138. Conclusions Abnormal esophageal acid exposure was associated with an impaired contractile response to volume distention of the esophagus. This supports that acid exposure is dependent on acid clearance mechanisms.
An analytical model of the melt pool and single track in coaxial laser direct metal deposition (LDMD) additive manufacturing

An analytical model was developed for the melt pool and single scan track geometry as a function of process parameters. For computational efficiency, the developed model has simple mathematical forms with essential physics taken into account, without the need for complicated numerical simulation. In this research, a non-diverging Gaussian laser beam and coaxial diverging Gaussian powder stream combination is used to represent the coaxial laser direct metal deposition (LDMD) process. Analytical laser-powder interaction model is used to obtain the distribution of attenuated laser intensity and temperature of heated powders at the substrate. On the substrate, the melt pool is calculated by integrating Rosenthal’s point heat source model. An iterative procedure is used to ensure the mass–energy balances and to calculate the melt pool and catchment efficiency. By assuming that the assimilated powder will reshape due to surface tension before solidification, a simple clad geometry model is established. The proposed model is used to simulate the geometry of single track depositions of Ti6Al4V, which shows a good agreement between model prediction and experimental results. This work demonstrates that the developed model has the potential to be used to narrow the parameter space for process optimization.
Treating and Preventing HIV with Generic Drugs — Barriers in the United States

Treating and Preventing HIV with Generic Drugs Most of the discussion about the availability of generic HIV drugs focuses on low- and middle-income countries. In the United States, numerous legal, clinical, and market factors create barriers to the adoption of generics as well as uncertainty about cost savings.
Parasocial Interaction in the Digital Age: An Examination of Relationship Building and the Effectiveness of YouTube Celebrities

Since its inception in 2005, YouTube has allowed users to publish video content. Many have capitalized on the platform by amassing large followings and becoming bonafide YouTube celebrities. The beauty celebrity has become one of the most popular types of YouTuber, with some boasting over 7 million subscribers. Many brands have turned to YouTube celebrities to entice them to create user generated content that will serve as product endorsements aimed at a highly segmented audience. Viewers subscribe to watch the celebrities discuss a variety of beauty and lifestyle products or services. The interaction goes beyond simple product placement and branded entertainment, instead, viewers socialize with YouTube celebrities, whom may also serve as a product ambassador. In a sense, YouTube celebrities become a friend sharing their opinion. The traditional word-of-mouth opinion sharing is now on a grander scale, and in a more intimate setting. This study explored the interaction between YouTube beauty celebrity and viewer, and celebrity influence. Participants reported feelings of knowing and familiarity with speakers, thus revealing the occurrence of parasocial interaction. YouTube celebrities were also viewed as credible sources who were trustworthy. Findings provide insight for organizations to channel YouTube celebrities as they attempt to build relationships with highly targeted publics.
Basic Quantities and Models

In this chapter, we consider the basic parameters used in modeling survival data. We shall define these quantities and show how they are interrelated in sections 2.2–2.4. In section 2.5, some common parametric models are discussed. The important application of regression to survival analysis is covered in section 2.6, where both parametric and semiparametric models are presented.
5 – CONTRACT LAW

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the basic legal premises of contract law, its performance defences, the notion of anticipatory repudiation and damages rules, and strategies to reduce transactions costs. Contract law has developed over the centuries as a means of facilitating economic exchanges. By providing guidelines for transactions other than those involving real property, it helps increase the wealth of the nation. Contract law provides guidelines by which voluntary exchanges of initial entitlements are expeditiously carried out and disputes in case of breach are settled. The process of contracting goes through a contract-formation stage followed by contract performance and during each phase, specified conditions serve as legal defenses. Financial equivalent performance and quantum meruit are the dominating damages rules. An economic analysis of contract law concentrates on the efficiency with which exchanges take place and on whether they are in fact voluntary. In connection with the former, strategies to reduce transaction costs is of interest and in connection with the latter, the unconscionable behavior of merchants and their use of form contracts and contracts of adhesion is of interest.
Yartos: Kernel Support for Efficient, Predictable Real-Time Systems

Abstract YARTOS is an experimental real-time operating system kernel that provides guaranteed response times to tasks. It is currently used as a vehicle for research in the design, analysis, and implementation of realtime applications. It is a micro-kernel with an underlying formal model based on sporadic tasks with response time requirements and shared software resources. It is distinguished by the programming model it supports and by its use of a novel processor scheduling and resource allocation policy. The implementation of YARTOS is outlined and two real-time applications that run under YARTOS are described.
High-speed raster-scanning synchrotron serial microcrystallography with a high-precision piezo-scanner.

The Frontier Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography (FMX) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II with its 1 µm beam size and photon flux of 3 × 1012 photons s−1 at a photon energy of 12.66 keV has reached unprecedented dose rates for a structural biology beamline. The high dose rate presents a great advantage for serial microcrystallography in cutting measurement time from hours to minutes. To provide the instrumentation basis for such measurements at the full flux of the FMX beamline, a high-speed, high-precision goniometer based on a unique XYZ piezo positioner has been designed and constructed. The piezo-based goniometer is able to achieve sub-100 nm raster-scanning precision at over 10 grid-linepairs s−1 frequency for fly scans of a 200 µm-wide raster. The performance of the scanner in both laboratory and serial crystallography measurements up to the maximum frame rate of 750 Hz of the Eiger 16M's 4M region-of-interest mode has been verified in this work. This unprecedented experimental speed significantly reduces serial-crystallography data collection time at synchrotrons, allowing utilization of the full brightness of the emerging synchrotron radiation facilities.
Measuring inter-layer edge placement error with SEM contours

For advanced technology nodes, the patterning of integrated circuits requires not only a very good control of critical dimensions but also a very accurate control of the alignment between layers. These two factors combine to define the metric of inter-layer edge placement error (EPE) that quantifies the quality of the pattern placement critical for yield. In this work, we consider the inter-layer EPE between a contact layer with respect to a poly layer measured with SEM contours. Inter-layer EPE was measured across wafer for various critical features to assess the importance of dimensional and overlay variability. Area of overlap between contact and poly as well as contact centroid distribution were considered to further characterize the interaction between poly and contact patterns.
Teachers Explore the Complexity of Learners’ Lives through Ethnographic Projects

Chapter 8, by Maria Dantas-Whitney, describes an assignment designed to prepare ELT teachers in the USA to best serve their bilingual students. Using a critical pedagogical framework, teachers are encouraged to adopt an asset orientation that views home languages and cultures as valuable resources for learning at school and to work against discourses that frame children’s home languages as obstacles to English acquisition and assimilation. The assignment requires teachers to conduct ethnographic research to examine the situated experiences of particular bilingual learners and their families through multiple approaches such as observations, interviews, and critical reflection. As the teachers explore the complexity of their learners’ lives, the teachers begin to question school practices and plan for advocacy and change. This chapter showcases the reflections and collaborative exchanges of 75 teachers conducting such projects. The teachers’ narratives can inspire other educators within and outside the USA to adopt similar ethnographic projects in their own contexts.
CARDIAC CHANGES IN PEDIATRIC CANCER SURVIVORS

Cardiac damage from chemotherapy is a known phenomenon. Identifying high risk pediatric patients early is challenging, leading to significant morbidity and mortality in the cancer surviving population. We aimed to identify these patients by correlating known and new risk factors (oncologic, serum,
Successive magnetic transitions of the kagome plane and field-driven chirality in single-crystal BaMn 2.49 Ru 3.51 O 11

The magnetization of single-crystal ${\text{BaMn}}_{2.49}{\text{Ru}}_{3.51}{\text{O}}_{11}$ exhibits anomalies at temperatures ${T}_{1}=183\text{ }\text{K}$, ${T}_{2}=171\text{ }\text{K}$, and ${T}_{3}=128\text{ }\text{K}$, which signal complex magnetic order induced by competing ferro- and antiferromagnetic correlations, and magnetic frustration within the kagome (hexagonal $\mathbf{a}\mathbf{b}$) plane. The ${T}_{2}$ and ${T}_{3}$ anomalies and unconventional transverse magnetoresistance are observed only for magnetic field $\mathbit{H}$ applied in the kagome plane. We conclude a topological Hall effect is generated by nonzero scalar chirality of spins canted out of the kagome plane but is suppressed in a collinear structure induced by only modest in-plane fields.
The invention and dissemination of the spacer gif: implications for the future of access and use of web archives

Over the last two decades publishing and distributing content on the Web has become a core part of society. This ephemeral content has rapidly become an essential component of the human record. Writing histories of the late 20th and early 21st century will require engaging with web archives. The scale of web content and of web archives presents significant challenges for how research can access and engage with this material. Digital humanities scholars are advancing computational methods to work with corpora of millions of digitized resources, but to fully engage with the growing content of two decades of web archives, we now require methods to approach and examine billions, ultimately trillions, of incongruous resources. This article approaches one seemingly insignificant, but fundamental, aspect in web design history: the use of tiny transparent images as a tool for layout design, and surfaces how traces of these files can illustrate future paths for engaging with web archives. This case study offers implications for future methods allowing scholars to engage with web archives. It also prompts considerations for librarians and archivists in thinking about web archives as data and the development of systems, qualitative and quantitative, through which to make this material available.
To strike or not to strike? House-staff attitudes and behaviors during a hospital work action.

Work actions by house staff are an infrequent response to sometimes difficult working conditions, but they can have a notable effect on institutional cohesiveness and represent a challenge to traditional notions of medical ethics. To determine the extent of participation in a hospital-wide doctors' strike and factors associated with participation, we surveyed 432 house officers at a university-affiliated public hospital where a contract dispute had recently led to a 4-day work action. Of 257 respondents, 69% approved of the strike and 50% participated in it. Both strikers and nonstrikers agreed that quality of care and specific contract issues were important precipitants of the event. By logistic regression, factors independently associated with strike participation (P less than .05) included being unmarried, training in internal medicine or psychiatry, being in earlier stages of training, being assigned to an outpatient service at the time of the strike, holding a favorable view of physician activism, and perceiving nurses, faculty, peers, and the public to have favored the strike. These associations may provide a basis for understanding the individual and social determinants of house-staff strike activity.
Can Unconventional Oil and Gas Reduce the Rural Mortality Penalty? A Study of U.S. Counties

Rural places in the United States increasingly face seemingly intractable problems—perhaps the most severe of these is the ‘rural mortality penalty’ wherein rural places have higher mortality rates than suburban and urban places. The boom in unconventional oil and gas production in the mid-2000s brought with it the promise of rural renewal, and the potential to address rural America’s long-standing development challenges. In this analysis, we ask how the oil and gas boom has impacted the rural mortality penalty. Our results imply that oil and gas development will not improve or damage mortality rates. Implications for rural populations are discussed. Keywords: Rural mortality penalty; oil and gas development; multilevel model --------------------------------------------------- Est-ce que le petrole et le gaz non conventionnels peuvent reduire la penalite pour la mortalite rurale? Une etude des comtes americains Resume Aux Etats-Unis, les zones rurales sont de plus en plus confrontees a des problemes apparemment insolubles - le plus grave d'entre eux est peut-etre la « peine de mortalite rurale » dans laquelle les zones rurales ont des taux de mortalite plus eleves que les zones suburbaines et urbaines. L'essor de la production de petrole et de gaz non conventionnel au milieu des annees 2000 a apporte avec lui la promesse d'un renouveau rural et le potentiel de relever les defis de developpement de longue date de l'Amerique rurale. Dans cette analyse, nous nous demandons comment le boom petrolier et gazier a eu un impact sur la peine de mortalite rurale. Nos resultats impliquent que le developpement du petrole et du gaz n'ameliorera ni n'endommagera les taux de mortalite. Les implications pour les populations rurales sont discutees. Mots-cles: Peine de mortalite rurale; developpement petrolier et gazier; modele a plusieurs niveaux
Adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes among women with preeclampsia with severe features <34 weeks gestation with versus without comorbidity.

Abstract Objectives To determine adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes among women with preeclampsia with severe features who delivered Study design A retrospective analysis from the U.S. Consortium on Safe Labor Study of deliveries Main outcomes Maternal outcome: eclampsia, thromboembolism, ICU admission, and/or death; and neonatal outcome: intracranial/periventricular hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy/periventricular leukomalacia, stillbirth, and/or perinatal death. Results Among 2217 deliveries, 50% had a comorbidity, namely chronic hypertension (30%), pregestational diabetes (8%), gestational diabetes (8%), twin gestation (10%), and fetal growth restriction (7%). Adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes occurred in 10% and 12% of pregnancies, respectively. Pregnancies with preeclampsia with severe features delivered Conclusions Preeclampsia with severe features
The Need to Consider Pregnancy As a Biological Variable to Reduce Preventable Suffering Related to Pregnancy

Maternal morbidity and mortality constitute a national health crisis, and pain is a significant component of maternal morbidity. One important way to reduce maternal morbidity is to reduce the pain associated with pregnancy. Unfortunately, our understanding of how to reduce pain in women is hampered because, historically, mostly male subjects have been used in the study of pain. However, more recently, females increasingly have been included in pain research studies, and astounding differences in how males and females process pain have been uncovered. Moreover, pain in nonpregnant women differs in many ways from pain experienced by pregnant women. We argue here that to better address maternal morbidity, we must better address the pain associated with pregnancy. Furthermore, just as it is important to include both men and women in pain research to better understand pain in both sexes, conducting pain research in pregnant women is essential to finding ways to reduce pain in pregnant women.
Discovery of z = 0.0912 and z = 0.2212 Damped Lyα Absorption-Line Systems Toward the Quasar OI 363: Limits on the Nature of Damped Lyα Galaxies

The discovery of a zabs=0.0912 damped Lyα absorption-line system in the Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph ultraviolet spectrum of the quasar OI 363 (0738+313) is reported. This is the lowest redshift quasar-damped Lyα system known. Its neutral hydrogen column density is N(H I) =1.5 ± 0.2 × 1021 atoms cm-2, which easily exceeds the classical criterion for damped Lyα of N(H I) ≥2 × 1020 atoms cm-2. Remarkably, a zabs=0.2212 damped system with N(H I) =7.9 ± 1.4 × 1020 atoms cm-2 has also been discovered in the same spectrum. In the past, the standard paradigm for damped Lyα systems has been that they arise in galactic or protogalactic H I disks with low impact parameters in luminous galaxies. However, WIYN imaging of the OI 363 field shows that none of the galaxies visible in the vicinity of the quasar is a luminous gas-rich spiral with low impact parameter, either at z=0.0912 or z=0.2212. Thus, these damped systems are among the clearest examples yet of cases that are inconsistent with the standard damped Lyα-H I-disk paradigm.
TAGO: Rethinking Routing Design in High Performance Reconfigurable Networks

Many reconfigurable network topologies have been proposed in the past. However, efficient routing on top of these flexible interconnects still presents a challenge. In this work, we reevaluate key principles that have guided the designs of many routing protocols on static networks, and see how well those principles apply on reconfigurable network topologies. Based on a theoretical analysis of key properties that routing in a reconfigurable network should satisfy to maximize performance, we propose a topology-aware, globally-direct oblivious (TAGO) routing protocol for reconfigurable topologies. Our proposed routing protocol is simple in design and yet, when deployed in conjunction with a reconfigurable network topology, improves throughput by up to $2.2 \times$ compared to established routing protocols and even comes within 10% of the throughput of impractical adaptive routing that has instant global congestion information.
Association Between Treatment Modality and Probability of Second Malignancy in Localized Prostate Cancer Patients.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Prostate radiotherapy has been associated with an increased risk of developing a second malignancy (SM). Relative SM probabilities following stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) or moderately hypofractionated radiation (HF-IMRT) remain unknown. We hypothesized that the probability of SM following SBRT or HF-IMRT would differ compared with conventionally fractionated intensity modulated radiotherapy (CF-IMRT). MATERIALS/METHODS Cohort analysis of men from a nationally representative database with localized prostate cancer with at least 60 months of follow-up compared SM probability amongst men receiving either radical prostatectomy (RP), CF-IMRT, HF-IMRT, brachytherapy (BT), or SBRT, using multivariable logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate differences in SM stratified by year of treatment and follow up length. Propensity score-adjusted pairwise assessments of modalities were also performed. RESULTS For 303,432 patients, median follow-up was 9.08 years (IQR 7.01 - 11.21), and median age was 64 years (IQR 58-69). Crude rates of SM by treatment modality were: 5.2% for RP, 8.9% for CF-IMRT, 7.7% for HF-IMRT, 7.9% for BT, and 5.3% for SBRT. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for development of SM (referent: RP) were: CF-IMRT vs. RP 1.20 (95% CI 1.14-1.25, P < 0.001), HF-IMRT vs. RP 1.25 (95% CI 1.01-1.55, P = 0.045), BT vs. RP 1.11 (95% CI 1.07-1.16, P < 0.001), and SBRT vs. RP 0.95 (95% CI 0.81-1.12, P = 0.567). Sensitivity analyses confirmed higher probability of SM comparing CF-IMRT to RP (P < 0.01 for all) and no statistically significant difference comparing SBRT to RP at all year and follow-up length groupings (P = NS for all). On propensity score-adjusted analysis, SBRT was associated with lower probability of SM compared to CF-IMRT (AOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.66-0.93, P = 0.005); no significant difference was found when SBRT was compared to RP (AOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.73-1.03, P = 0.102). CONCLUSION Conventionally fractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy, moderately hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, but not stereotactic body radiotherapy, were associated with increased probability of a second malignancy compared to radical prostatectomy. Our findings underscore the need for assessment of second malignancy risk in prospective studies of SBRT.
Help-seeking comfort and receiving social support: The role of ethnicity and context of need.

Examined help-seeking comfort and receiving social support among Latinos, African Americans, and European Americans across two contexts: in a communitywide emergency (Hurricane Andrew) and 2 years later in a nonemergency situation. In general, help-seeking comfort was a strong predictor of received support. Notwithstanding many similarities between the groups, the effects of ethnicity differed according to the context. In emergency, all groups reported similarly high levels of help-seeking comfort and received support. In nonemergency, help-seeking comfort declined for blacks and whites but not for Latinos. Although all ethnic groups reported receiving less social support in nonemergency, the decline in received support across contexts was most dramatic for Latinos. Situational, cultural, and differential resource loss explanations are offered to account for the findings.
Food Safety for the 21st Century: Managing HACCP and Food Safety Throughout the Global Supply Chain

To minimize foodborne illness requires the implementation and administration of effective food safety programs that are ever more complex and difficult to maintain because of the growing human popu...
Diverticulitis of the Colon

Summary A summary of the manifestations, morbidity, mortality of 434 diverticulitis patients in Dallas hospitals is presented. There are case reports and mention of symptoms and physical and prognostic signs. Diverticulitis often originates in the pelvic colon where infection is well tolerated for days or weeks with only minor vague abdominal or systemic symptoms. Thus, only after the fulminant signs of generalized peritonitis were well advanced did a number of these patients first consult their doctors. Clinical and autopsy material suggests that either singly or in combination the three factors of duodenal suction, intestinal fistulae, the requirements to form large amounts of pus may result in marked changes of proteins, fluids, electrolytes. Such changes appeared to have influenced the downward course of at least two patients, even after what seemed adequate control of infection by the antibiotics. 12 In 4 of the fatal cases sulfanilamide and Prontosil given prior to 1943 seemed inadequate to control the infections. Eight patients were practically moribund on admission and died, three before, five soon after an attempt at surgical treatment. Other associated complications as noted above accounted for the remaining 9 of the 23 fatalities.
Low clonogenic potential of circulating angiogenic cells is associated with lower density of capillaries in skeletal muscle in patients with impaired glucose tolerance.

Background Reduced density of capillaries in skeletal muscle can limit insulin, glucose, and oxygen supply to the muscle, thereby contributing to worsening metabolism in older adults. The lower skeletal muscle capillarization in impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) may partially be due to circulating angiogenic cell dysfunction. Circulating angiogenic cells maintain the vasculature and promote angiogenesis, but circulating angiogenic cell number and function may be reduced in IGT. The goal of this study was to determine whether the clonogenic potential of circulating angiogenic cells is lower in IGT compared with normal-glucose-tolerant (NGT) controls and is associated with skeletal muscle capillarization. Methods Glucose tolerance, endothelial cell colony-forming unit (CFU-EC) number, and vastus lateralis capillary density were measured in sedentary, older (62 ± 1 years, mean ± SEM) men and women with NGT (n = 16) and IGT (n = 12). Results Adults with IGT had 43% lower CFU-EC number (11.4 ± 2.3 versus 20.1 ± 2.0 colonies, p < 0.01) and 12% lower capillary density (291 ± 11 versus 330 ± 9 capillaries/mm2, p < 0.01) compared with those with NGT. In regression analyses, CFU-EC number inversely correlated with 120-min postprandial glucose in all subjects (r = −0.47, p < 0.05), and capillary density was directly associated with CFU-EC number (r = 0.53, p < 0.05). Conclusions We conclude that the clonogenic potential of circulating angiogenic cells is lower in sedentary older adults with IGT and is associated with lower skeletal muscle capillarization. Low circulating angiogenic cell clonogenic potential in IGT suggests a state of impaired angiogenesis occurring prior to overt type 2 diabetes that may mediate early microvascular changes in the development and progression of IGT to type 2 diabetes. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Why Sum Scores May Not Tell Us All About Test Takers

Abstract This article introduces a number of examples demonstrating the importance of going beyond the observed sum of positive or correct responses when analyzing responses from clinical rating scales or educational test or psychological assessment data. Recent developments that allow more in-depth analysis of test data using modern psychometric methods based on statistical models for binary or ordered response data are discussed.
Results of a phase I trial of 12 patients with locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma combining gefitinib, paclitaxel, and 3-dimensional conformal radiation: report of toxicity and evaluation of circulating K-ras as a potential biomarker of response to therapy.

Objective:To evaluate the toxicity of daily gefitinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, with concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) in patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma and prospectively evaluate plasma k-ras as a potential marker of response to gefitini
Fate of Triclosan and Evidence for Reductive Dechlorination of Triclocarban in Estuarine Sediments

The biocides triclosan and triclocarban are wastewater contaminants whose occurrence and fate in estuarine sediments remain unexplored. We examined contaminant profiles in 137Cs/7Be-dated sediment cores taken near wastewater treatment plants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CB), Maryland and Jamaica Bay (JB), New York. In JB, biocide occurrences tracked the time course of biocide usage and wastewater treatment strategies employed, first appearing in the 1950s (triclocarban) and 1960s (triclosan), and peaking in the late 1960s and 1970s (24 ± 0.54 and 0.8 ± 0.4 mg/kg dry weight, respectively). In CB, where the time of sediment accumulation was not as well constrained by 137Cs depth profiles, triclocarban was only measurable in 137Cs-bearing sediments, peaking at 3.6 ± 0.6 mg/kg midway through the core and exceeding 1 mg/kg in recent deposits. In contrast, triclosan concentrations were low or not detectable in the CB core. Analysis of CB sediment by tandem mass spectrometry produced the first evidence for c...
Reserve pool neuron transmitter respecification: novel neuroplasticity

The identity of the neurotransmitters expressed by neurons has been thought to be fixed and immutable, but recent studies demonstrate that changes in electrical activity can rapidly and reversibly reconfigure the transmitters and corresponding transmitter receptors that neurons express. Induction of transmitter expression can be achieved by selective activation of afferents recruited by a physiological range of sensory input. Strikingly, neurons acquiring an additional transmitter project to appropriate targets prior to transmitter respecification in some cases, indicating the presence of reserve pools of neurons that can boost circuit function. We discuss the evidence for such reserve pools, their likely locations and ways to test for their existence, and the potential clinical value of such circuit-specific neurotransmitter respecification for treatments of neurological disorders.
Detection of Chiral Analytes through Adduct Formation with Chiral Films Coated onto Emissive Cadmium Selenide Substrates

A film of [N,N‘-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine]manganese(III) chloride, 1, adsorbed onto an n-type CdSe single-crystal substrate acts as a stereoselective transducer for ...
Selective suppression of intrinsic but not afferent fiber synaptic transmission by baclofen in the piriform (olfactory) cortex

The GABAB agonist baclofen has been shown to suppress synaptic transmission in subregions of the hippocampus and in the piriform (olfactory) cortex. Here we report a laminar selectivity of suppression of synaptic potentials in the olfactory cortex. In brain slice preparations, baclofen suppresses extracellularly recorded field potentials at the intrinsic fiber synapses proximal to the superficial pyramidal cell bodies (layer Ib) while leaving the af ferent fiber synaptic potentials recorded at the distal dendrites (layer Ia) little affected. This dose-dependent selective suppression of intrinsic fiber synaptic transmission is also correlated with an increase of paired-pulse facilitation. These results suggest that afferent and intrinsic synaptic inputs may be differentially modulated by the activation of GABAB receptors and that this selective suppression is at least partially mediated via a presynaptic mechanism.
Multiple Sclerosis: Association with HL—A3

The incidence of HL—A3 among 94 patients with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) was significantly higher than for 871 normal persons. In addition, some increase in Te58 and decrease in HL—A2 and Te60 frequencies was noted. The well-known higher incidence of MS among Caucasians than among Orientals is paralleled by the higher incidence of HL—A3 and Te58 among Caucasians and a lower incidence of Te60.
Global localization and relative pose estimation based on scale-invariant features

The capability of maintaining the pose of the mobile robot is central for basic navigation and map building tasks. In This work we describe a vision-based hybrid localization scheme based on scale-invariant keypoints. In the first stage the topological localization is accomplished by matching the keypoints detected in the current view with the database of model views. Once the best match has been found, the relative pose between the model view and the current image is recovered. We demonstrate the efficiency of the location recognition approach and present a closed form solution to the relative pose recovery for the case of planar motion and unknown focal length of the camera. The approach is demonstrated on several examples of indoor environments.
Caffeine inhibition of cytokinesis: Ultrastructure of cell plate formation/degradation

Caffeine is a potent inhibitor of cell plate formation in dividing plant cells. Previous studies living cells reveal that the drug always permits the cell plate to arise and grow normally until about 80% complete, but then causes it to break down. In the present investigation we examine this formation/degradation cycle at the ultrastructure level. Our results show that during the formation phase the caffeine treated plate is indistinguishable from untreated controls. Phragmoplast microtubules arise and align in the interzone, Golgi vesicles are produced and aggregate in a line that defines the young cell plate, and considerable fusion of these vesicles occurs to form islands of plate material. However, under the influence of caffeine these islands do not fuse to form the enlarged lamellar expanses characteristic of maturing cell plates. Instead, the partially fused material reverts to small vesicles which appear to become resorbed by the cellular membrane systems. The resorption process continues leaving no evidence of the previously developing plate, although occasionally we observe a stub of fused vesicles attached to the parent wall. Following cell plate disintegration the reformed nuclei move close together and occupy the central region of the cell. These observations focus attention on the consolidation phase of cell plate formation as the one being maximally affected by caffeine.
The SMC family: from chromosome condensation to dosage compensation

Recent genetic analyses in yeasts and biochemical studies in vertebrate cells have led to the discovery of a family of putative ATPases that play a fundamental role in chromosome condensation and segregation in mitosis. One of the members was also found to be involved in dosage compensation in Caenorhabditis elegans, providing a new link between global regulation of gene expression and chromosome structure. This unique family of proteins may control higher-order chromosome dynamics by regulated self-assembly or mechanochemical activity.
B Cells in Autoimmune Diseases

The role of B cells in autoimmune diseases involves different cellular functions, including the well-established secretion of autoantibodies, autoantigen presentation and ensuing reciprocal interactions with T cells, secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and the generation of ectopic germinal centers. Through these mechanisms B cells are involved both in autoimmune diseases that are traditionally viewed as antibody mediated and also in autoimmune diseases that are commonly classified as T cell mediated. This new understanding of the role of B cells opened up novel therapeutic options for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. This paper includes an overview of the different functions of B cells in autoimmunity; the involvement of B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes; and current B-cell-based therapeutic treatments. We conclude with a discussion of novel therapies aimed at the selective targeting of pathogenic B cells.
Designing biomimetic reactive polymer gels

Materials of the future will exhibit bio-inspired behavior that enables a range of novel applications. We review computational studies on reactive gels that reveal how to tailor the gels and external stimuli to impart this biomimetic functionality. For example, photo-responsive gels can be ‘molded’ by light into various three-dimensional shapes, permitting a single sample to have multiple uses. Reactive gels undergoing the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction ‘communicate’ to form self-rotating gears, which could perform autonomous work. Finally, nanorod-filled reactive gels effectively regenerate the gel matrix when a layer of the material is sliced-off and thus, dramatically extend the material's life time.
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE STUDIES OF A PARAMAGNETIC METALLO DNA COMPLEX

Standard nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy exploits the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) to obtain interproton distance restraints. Structures of RNA and DNA are relatively imprecisely determined, due to the shortage of medium and long-range NOEs compared to those of proteins. Longrange constraints are ideally needed to define the structures more precisely. We report here on the NMR study of a ternary paramagnetic complex consisting of a DNA oligomer, a drug, and a divalent cation. The purpose of the study is to utilize pseudocontact shifts as structural restraints in solution NMR of macromolecules.1,2 By assigning the paramagnetic spectrum of the DNA complex, we have obtained long-range constraints out to 25 A from the metal ion. The complex consists of d(TTGGCCAA)2 bound to two molecules of chromomycin-A3 (I) in the minor groove at the G4C5 step.3-5 A single Co2+ cation is strongly bound to the O1 and O9 atoms of two chromomycins and to two water molecules, forming a pseudo-octahedral coordination site.6 The
The Radheshyam Ramayan and the Sanskritizationof Khari Boli Hindi

This paper charts the linguistic shifts in a popular iteration of the story of Lord Ram, commonly known as the ‘Radheshyam Ramayan’ (composed in the first quarter of the twentieth century), across four versions of the text published in the devanāgarī script, between 1939 and 1969. It argues that the author, Radheshyam Kathavachak, likely revised his text over the course of many years, in large part to bring its language closer to śuddh (pure) Hindi on the Hindi-Urdu spectrum—a labour that was in the service of the Hindi language movement, if not also Hindu nationalism. Whilst the language in the 1939 printing is a mixed register of Hindi-Urdu, by 1959, the language has undergone a process of ‘Sanskritization’. That is, much of the vocabulary of Persian and Arabic origin, and also much vocabulary associated with the Braj tradition, have been replaced with words from Sanskrit. The progressive editing of text also shows a deep concern for the standardization and occasionally, elevation of literary Hindi, and simultaneously, the correction of defects in meter and style. The example of Kathavachak's ‘many Radheshyam Ramayans’ offers insight into the timing and pace of the Sanskritization of Hindi letters, suggesting that for some, the process may have been more protracted and anguished than is often thought.