cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increasing cessation motivation and treatment engagement among smokers in pain: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Tobacco smokers with co-occurring pain report greater difficulty quitting, face unique cessation challenges, and may benefit from targeted smoking interventions. We developed and tested a brief motivational intervention aimed at increasing knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations, motivation to quit, and cessation treatment engagement among smokers in pain. Nontreatment seeking daily cigarette smokers with chronic pain (N = 76, 57.9% women, 52.6% White) were randomized to the targeted or ask, advise, refer (AAR) intervention. The targeted intervention included personalized feedback and pain-smoking psychoeducation to help participants develop discrepancy between continued smoking and desired pain outcomes. At postintervention, the targeted intervention (vs. AAR) increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations and several indices of motivation to quit smoking (ps < .01). Participants who received the targeted intervention were also more likely to accept information about and report intention to engage evidence-based cessation treatments (ps < .05). Increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations mediated postintervention effects on motivation to quit and willingness to learn about treatments. At 1-month follow up, gains in knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations were maintained (p = .009). Participants who received the targeted intervention were more likely to report having subsequently engaged cessation treatment (p = .019), but this was not mediated by increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations. Smokers with chronic pain may benefit from targeted interventions that address smoking in the context of pain. Smokers in pain may become increasingly motivated to quit and engage cessation treatment as they become aware of how smoking may exacerbate their pain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
MRI-Guided APBI Using Brachytherapy PTV Margins is Well Tolerated With Low Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence Risk.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) External beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) utilizes Planning Target Volume (PTV) expansions of 2 to 2.5 cm beyond the surgical cavity to assure treatment of target breast tissue. Decreasing the volume of irradiated breast with external beam accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a potential way to minimize dose to organs at risk and adverse cosmetic outcomes. Magnetic resonance guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) allows detailed pre-fraction imaging and continuous intrafraction monitoring which allows for external beam APBI treatments using a brachytherapy-style 1 cm surgical bed to PTV margin. We have previously shown that MRgRT APBI results in an average 52% reduction in PTV. In this study we report the outcomes of patients treated with reduced-margin APBI via MRgRT. MATERIALS/METHODS Patients included women with early stage, node negative breast cancers treated with breast conserving surgery and adjuvant MRgRT APBI from March 2014 to July 2019. PTV was defined as the surgical cavity plus a uniform 1-cm margin of breast tissue (excluding chest wall, pectoral muscles, and 5mm from skin). The PTV received 38.5 Gy in ten fractions over five treatment days. Volumetric MR imaging was acquired prior to each fraction to localize the surgical cavity and a sagittal cine MR imaging during each treatment to monitor intrafraction motion; gating to the surgical bed was used as needed. RESULTS 242 patients were treated with MRgRT APBI with reduced margins. Eighty-one (33.5%) patients had pure DCIS and 161 (66.5%) patients had pT1N0 disease. Seventy-three (90.1%) patients with pure DCIS had hormone sensitive disease and 141 (87.6%) patients with invasive disease had hormone sensitive, her2/neu negative disease. Stratifying by ASTRO APBI Consensus guidelines, 36% of patients were categorized as Cautionary and one patient was Unsuitable solely due to age < 40. At a median follow up of 36 months (range, 14 - 82), two patients (0.8%) had biopsy-proven in-breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), both of whom were successfully salvaged. Per the Aaronson-modified Harris scale, providers reported 100% of patients had good/excellent cosmesis prior to APBI and at last follow-up. Nearly two thirds of patients experienced no acute skin toxicity with the remaining having small regions of grade 1 erythema. There were no observed CTCAEv4.0 grade 3+ toxicities following APBI. CONCLUSION APBI with reduced margins using MR-IGRT is safe and has excellent cosmetic outcomes with acceptably low initial rates of IBTR.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Radiation Oncology Residency Applicant Away Rotations, Interviews, and Rank Lists: A Comparison Between the 2020 Match and 2021 Match.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic modified the Residency Match process for fourth-year medical students. In-person away rotations were discouraged, interviews were virtual, and traditional factors used to rank programs were absent. Here, we compare survey results administered to both the 2020 and 2021 Match applicants to assess the influence of the pandemic on the RO Match process. Methods: An Institutional Review Board approved prospective cross-sectional study was conducted. The 2020 and 2021 RO Match applicants at a large RO program were invited to participate. Descriptive summary statistics were assessed. Results: The 2020 and 2021 Matches each had seventy-six applicants complete the survey with response rates of 54% and 57%, respectively. The two groups were predominantly white, cisgender male, single, and without children. While 11% of 2020 applicants did not complete away rotations, 45% of 2021 applicants did not. For 2021 Match applicants, 65% of away rotations were performed virtually while 51% were not for medical school credit. 84% of applicants were satisfied with virtual interviews and 72% felt cost savings were worth not having in-person interviews. While 49% of Match 2020 applicants spent >$5,000 in interview costs, 0% of the Match 2021 applicants did so, with 45% spending <$100. Post-interview communications from programs increased during the pandemic from 36% to 42% in 2020 Match and 2021 Match, respectively. While program culture was the most common factor influencing 2021 Match applicants program rankings, half of applicants did not gain a sense of program culture during virtual interviews. Conclusions: We find 2021 Match applicants completed fewer away rotations, were satisfied with virtual interviews/reduced costs, and did not gain a sense of program culture through virtual rotations/interviews despite it being the most important ranking factor reported. This study supports further exploration of virtual away rotations and virtual interviews moving forward beyond the pandemic.
Religions of the Ancient Near East

1. Defining time and space 2. Early inklings 3. Gods, gods, gods 4. Cities, states, and god 5. The lure of Egypt, 4000-1400 BCE 6. The gods of Egypt 7. The Akhenaten dream, 1350-1300 BCE 8. Practice in Egypt 9. The international age, 1400-1000 BCE 10. Gods and people 11. The Lord is one - Israel in its environment 12. The turning 13. The good god and the bad god 14. The lands of Baal 15. Greece, Etruria, Rome and conveying traditions 16. The dead hand of the past and the living God 17. Experiencing Mesopotamian religion.
Physical Evidence for Entry of Nucleic Acids

The fact of transfection, and the fact that viral replication sites are intracellular, together convincingly indicate that huge viral NA molecules can enter cells; and general genetical considerations strongly suggest that the viral NA molecules which do transfect successfully have not suffered any major degradation before, during, or after entry. We cannot, however, exclude the possibility that at least some of such successful NA molecules have suffered minor degradations, such as the removal of one, or several, terminal nucleotides, which for the reason of redundancy, or for some other reason, may be nonessential.
Damping mechanisms and phenomenology in materials

Definition of damping. Sensitive Theological measurements reveal that perfect elasticity is almost never observed in materials and structures even at low stress. Under cyclic loading inelasticity leads to a stress-strain relation that is not a single-valued function but instead forms a hysteretic loop (see Fig. 1 and Table 1). The area within the loop is proportional to the energy dissipated per cycle of loading, a property identified by the term “damping” or “internal friction” in this paper. This definition of damping specifically excludes energy transfer devices such as dynamic absorbers or so-called dynamic “dampers”; energy must be absorbed within the specified system before the term damping is applicable.
Effect of Additives on the Valence Transition of Cerium

In previous papers,(1) we reported on the mean field character of the Cerium γ-α valence transition in the Ce1-XThX system. It was suggested that long range forces arising from anharmonic strain effects dominate the critical behavior. In order to elucidate more information on the mechanisms which drive the transition, we have undertaken a study of the effects of the other rare earth additives on it. Specifically, we wanted to determine if other solute systems show the same critical behavior as the Ce1-XThX system, and also to distinguish between effects due to solute size and valence.
The Ribosome-Sec61 Translocon Complex Forms a Cytosolically Restricted Environment for Early Polytopic Membrane Protein Folding *

Transmembrane topology of polytopic membrane proteins (PMPs) is established in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by the ribosome Sec61-translocon complex (RTC) through iterative cycles of translocation initiation and termination. It remains unknown, however, whether tertiary folding of transmembrane domains begins after the nascent polypeptide integrates into the lipid bilayer or within a proteinaceous environment proximal to translocon components. To address this question, we used cysteine scanning mutagenesis to monitor aqueous accessibility of stalled translation intermediates to determine when, during biogenesis, hydrophilic peptide loops of the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channel are delivered to cytosolic and lumenal compartments. Results showed that following ribosome docking on the ER membrane, the nascent polypeptide was shielded from the cytosol as it emerged from the ribosome exit tunnel. Extracellular loops followed a well defined path through the ribosome, the ribosome translocon junction, the Sec61-translocon pore, and into the ER lumen coincident with chain elongation. In contrast, intracellular loops (ICLs) and C-terminalresidues exited the ribosome into a cytosolically shielded environment and remained inaccessible to both cytosolic and lumenal compartments until translation was terminated. Shielding of ICL1 and ICL2, but not the C terminus, became resistant to maneuvers that disrupt electrostatic ribosome interactions. Thus, the early folding landscape of polytopic proteins is shaped by a spatially restricted environment localized within the assembled ribosome translocon complex.
The ALS6 and ALS7 genes of Candida albicans

ALS genes of Candida albicans encode a family of cell-surface glycoproteins that are composed of an N-terminal domain, a central domain of a tandemly repeated motif, and a relatively variable C-terminal domain. Although several ALS genes have been characterized, more ALS-like sequences are present in the C. albicans genome. Two short DNA sequences with similarity to the 5′ domains of known ALS genes were detected among data from the C.albicans genome sequencing project. Probes developed from unique regions of these sequences were used to screen a genomic library from which two full-length genes, designated ALS6 and ALS7, were cloned. ALS6 and ALS7 encode features similar to other genes in the ALS family and map to chromosome 3, a chromosome previously not known to encode ALS sequences. ALS6 and ALS7 are present in all C. albicans strains examined. Additional analysis suggested that some C. albicans strains have another ALS gene with a 5′ domain similar to that of ALS6. Characterization of ALS7 revealed a novel tandemly repeated sequence within the C-terminal domain. Unlike other ALS family tandem repeats, the newly characterized ALS7 repeat does not appear to define additional genes in the ALS family. However, our data and information from the C. albicans genome sequencing project suggest that there are additional ALS genes remaining to be characterized. Gene sequences of ALS6 (Accession No. AF075293) and ALS7 (Accession Nos. AF075294 and AF201684) were deposited in the GenBank database. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Early Voting in Florida

In 2011, the State of Florida proposed a series of changes in how it conducts elections, most notably for this paper, reducing the days and hours allowed for early in-person voting. We analyze the impact of these changes on the Florida early electorate using statewide voter registration, voter history, and county early voting files, tracking the voting behavior of Floridians from 2006 to 2012, with a particular focus on African-Americans. We demonstrate that while shortening the time of early voting does not appear to have hindered the earliest of early voters, it does appear to have dissuaded turnout among the latest early voters, especially those who previously voted on the final Sunday before Election Day. We further show that African-American voters showed a substantially higher preference for voting on that final Sunday, but this preference is far less evident in 2012 after the changes to the law.
Efficient discovery of spatial associations and structure with application to asteroid tracking

The problem of finding sets of points that conform to a given underlying spatial model is a conceptually simple, but potentially expensive, task that arises in a variety of domains. The goal is simply to find occurrences of known types of spatial structure in the data. However, as we begin to examine large, dense, and noisy data sets the cost of finding such occurrences can increase rapidly. In this thesis I consider the computational issues inherent in extracting model-based spatial associations and structure from large amounts of noisy data. In particular, I discuss the development of new techniques and algorithms that mitigate or eliminate these computational issues. I show that there are several different types of structure in both the data and the problem itself that can often be exploited to this end. Primarily, I describe a new type of tree-based search algorithm that uses a variable number of tree nodes to adapt to both structure in the data and search state itself. While the problem of finding known types of spatial structure arises in a wide range of domains, the primary motivating problem throughout this thesis is the task of asteroid linkage and tracking. Here the goal is to link together individual point observations in order to find and extract new asteroid trajectories in the data. Ultimately, the goal is to identify and track all asteroids that are large enough to penetrate the earth's atmosphere and cause significant damage upon impact. Future astronomical surveys will provide a wealth of observational data to this end, greatly increasing both the ability to find new objects and the scale of the problem. Thus efficient algorithms are vital to effectively handle the massive amount of data that is expected.
The glucocorticoid dexamethasone inhibits synthesis of interferon by decreasing the level of its mRNA.

Human fibroblasts were induced to secrete interferon (IFN) by treatment with the double-stranded RNA poly(inosinic).poly(cytidylic) acid or by infection with Newcastle disease virus. Treatment with 0.1-1 microM dexamethasone reduced the amount of IFN secreted by approximately 40-70%, respectively. A similar decrease in secretion of human IFN-beta was detected in dexamethasone-treated murine C127 cells that carry an IFN expression vector. These cells transcribe constitutively human IFN-beta under the control of a viral thymidine kinase promotor. Secretion of murine IFN induced by double-stranded RNA was also reduced in dexamethasone-treated C127 cells. The amount of IFN-beta mRNA present in fibroblasts and C127 cells was measured by hybridization to complementary RNA. Treatment with dexamethasone markedly reduced the level of IFN-beta mRNA present in both cells. The time course of this decrease was measured in C127 cells; 50 and 80% loss of IFN mRNA was observed after approximately 7.5 and 12 h, respectively. Murine IFN mRNA was also decreased in dexamethasone-treated C127 cells induced with double-stranded RNA. However, the rate of transcription of human IFN mRNA measured by run-on assays in isolated nuclei of dexamethasone-treated C127 cells was found to be comparable to that of control untreated cells. The finding that dexamethasone reduces the level of IFN mRNA transcribed under the control of both its own promotor and an unrelated promotor, together with the observation that dexamethasone does not apparently alter the rate of transcription of this mRNA, suggest that glucocorticoids may regulate IFN production by decreasing the level of its mRNA.
Liquid Crystalline Materials

Liquid crystals are a state of matter in which the molecules diffuse randomly as in liquids but retain some orientational order as is typical of solids. Many thousands of organic compounds, including rigid-rod polymers and other macromolecules, exhibit liquid crystallinity, either in their pure form or when mixed with a liquid solvent. Liquid crystalline materials are studied both for the basic scientific understanding of this phase of matter and for the possibility of practical applications. To date, the most important application is the low power consuming liquid crystal display (LCD). Topics covered in the article include orientational and positional order in fluids, thermotropic liquid crystals, lyotropic liquid crystals, polymorphism, synthesis, polymer liquid crystals, liquid crystals in biological systems, and applications. Keywords: Liquid crystalline (LC) materials; Orientation distribution; Positional distribution; Bond orientational order; Thermotropic LCs. Nonlinear liquid crystals. Smetic LCs; Lyotropic LCs; Polymorphism; Polymer LCs; Biological systems; Displays; Sensors; Diseases
A Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) Observatory

Abstract : The long-term goal of this project is to develop an understanding of coastal systems such that optical properties of complex coastal waters can be retrieved and predicted from remote sensing and modeling efforts. This project focuses on establishing a moderate-scale observatory to develop watershed and coastal ocean models and remote sensing algorithms and extending this knowledge to a larger system. The specific objectives of the project are as follows: (1) design and deploy Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) observatory components in the Neponset Estuary and Boston Harbor; (2) refine remote sensing algorithms for CDOM in the Neponset Estuary, Boston Harbor, and Massachusetts Bay based on high resolution and/or hyperspectral satellite imagery ground-truthed within the CDOM Observatory; (3) refine a predictive watershed model for CDOM sources based on a Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Geographical Information Systems to predict sources of CDOM to the estuary; (4) refine the existing Boston Harbor physical/biogeochemical model to provide a 3-day forecast of CDOM distributions in Boston Harbor; (5) observe CDOM distributions and processes in the Neponset Watershed and Estuary and Boston Harbor for at least 12 months and refine observation protocols and predictive modeling capabilities; (6) develop a "smart" network to respond to episodic events; and (7) extend and deploy the CDOM observatory in the Hudson Estuary for a 2-week period to show the general applicability of its observation and prediction capabilities.
Aragonite saturation state dynamics in a coastal upwelling zone

[1] Coastal upwelling zones may be at enhanced risk from ocean acidification as upwelling brings low aragonite saturation state (ΩAr) waters to the surface that are further suppressed by anthropogenic CO2. ΩAr was calculated with pH, pCO2, and salinity-derived alkalinity time series data from autonomous pH and pCO2 instruments moored on the Oregon shelf and shelf break during different seasons from 2007 to 2011. Surface ΩAr values ranged between 0.66 ± 0.04 and 3.9 ± 0.04 compared to an estimated pre-industrial range of 1.0 ± 0.1 to 4.7 ± 0.1. Upwelling of high-CO2 water and subsequent removal of CO2 by phytoplankton imparts a dynamic range to ΩAr from ~1.0 to ~4.0 between spring and autumn. Freshwater input also suppresses saturation states during the spring. Winter ΩAr is less variable than during other seasons and is controlled primarily by mixing of the water column.
H 4 O and other hydrogen-oxygen compounds at giant-planet core pressures

Water and hydrogen at high pressure make up a substantial fraction of the interiors of giant planets. Using ab initio random structure searching methods we investigate the ground-state crystal structures of water, hydrogen, and hydrogen-oxygen compounds. We find that, at pressures beyond 14 Mbar, a novel phase with H${}_{4}$O stoichiometry is stable relative to separate water ice and hydrogen phases. We also predict two new ground-state structures, $P{2}_{1}/m$ and $I4/mmm$, for post-$C2/m$ water ice.
Characterization of the lipid acyl hydrolase activity of the major potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber protein, patatin, by cloning and abundant expression in a baculovirus vector

Patatin is a family of glycoproteins that accounts for 30-40% of the total soluble protein in potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers. This protein has been reported not only to serve as a storage protein, but also to exhibit enzymic activity. By using a baculovirus system to express protein from the patatin cDNA clone pGM01, it was unambiguously shown that the patatin coded by this DNA has lipid acyl hydrolase and acyltransferase activities. The enzyme is active with phospholipids, monoacylglycerols and p-nitrophenyl esters, moderately active with galactolipids, but is apparently inactive with di- and tri-acylglycerols.
Detection of Delayed Hypersensitivity in Mice Injected with Ribonucleic Acid-Protein Fractions of Salmonella typhimurium

Abstract Manifestations of delayed hypersensitivity (cell-mediated immunity) were found to be present in mice immunized with virulent Salmonella typhimurium SR-11 subfractions which contained appreciable concentrations of bacterial protein and in mice immunized with the living, attenuated RIA strain of S. typhimurium. Delayed hypersensitive responses were measured by footpad sensitivity in the immunized mice and in vitro by inhibition of spleen cell migration and by increase in 3H-thymidine uptake by lymphoid cell populations when exposed to bacterial fractions rich in protein content.
¿Compañero o Extranjero? Anti‐Immigrant Nativism among Latino Americans*

Objective This study develops and tests a model of anti-immigrant nativism among Latino Americans in the United States. Methods Several variables unique to Latinos (e.g. ancestral country of origin, panethnicity, and American assimilation) are incorporated into a model of Latino-American anti-immigrant nativism. Results In brief, Latino nativism is driven largely by American cultural assimilation and geographic proximity to other Latino Americans. Conclusion These results suggest that as the Latino-American population in the United States continues to grow and assimilate, the pro-immigrant bias of the Latino population will decline and perhaps eventually disappear altogether.
Reducing aquatic hazards of industrial chemicals: Probabilistic assessment of sustainable molecular design guidelines

Basic toxicological information is lacking for the majority of industrial chemicals. In addition to increasing empirical toxicity data through additional testing, prospective computational approaches to drug development aim to serve as a rational basis for the design of chemicals with reduced toxicity. Recent work has resulted in the derivation of a "rule of 2," wherein chemicals with an octanol-water partition coefficient (log P) less than 2 and a difference between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the highest occupied molecular orbital (ΔE) greater than 9 (log P 9 eV) are predicted to be 4 to 5 times less likely to elicit acute or chronic toxicity to model aquatic organisms. The present study examines potential reduction of aquatic toxicity hazards from industrial chemicals if these 2 molecular design guidelines were employed. Probabilistic hazard assessment approaches were used to model the likelihood of encountering industrial chemicals exceeding toxicological categories of concern both with and without the rule of 2. Modeling predicted that utilization of these molecular design guidelines for log P and ΔE would appreciably decrease the number of chemicals that would be designated to be of "high" and "very high" concern for acute and chronic toxicity to standard model aquatic organisms and end points as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency. For example, 14.5% of chemicals were categorized as having high and very high acute toxicity to the fathead minnow model, whereas only 3.3% of chemicals conforming to the design guidelines were predicted to be in these categories. Considerations of specific chemical classes (e.g., aldehydes), chemical attributes (e.g., ionization), and adverse outcome pathways in representative species (e.g., receptor-mediated responses) could be used to derive future property guidelines for broader classes of contaminants.
Dynamics of Kink Bands in Layered Liquids: Theory and in Situ SAXS Experiments on a Block Copolymer Melt

We consider the dynamics of an isolated kink band within an otherwise well-aligned lamellar block copolymer (or other smectic A liquid crystal) subjected to a macroscopic shear flow. We find on geometrical grounds that normal relative motion of the tilt boundaries that delineate such a band, relative to the normal velocity of the fluid, can occur only if there is jump in the tangential component of the fluid velocity across the boundary. We show that such tangential slippage should be negligible for well-developed bands with narrow boundaries. These observations lead to a simple description of the evolution of an idealized kink band, in which the kink bandwidth remains constant after the formation of narrow tilt boundaries, and the tilt boundaries rotate as material surfaces in a shear flow. The resulting prediction for the rate of rotation of the layers within such a band is confirmed by in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)-steady shear experiments, which measure the evolution of the distribution ...
An analytic calculation of the weak field limit of the static color dielectric constant

Abstract We analyze the Dyson equation/Ward identity system for the axial gauge n · A = 0 gluon propagator Δ μν ( q )whenn · q = 0. The solution behaves like ( q −4 + ( q 2 ) ν−1 ) for small q 2 , and we are able to calculate the power ν analytically. It turns out to be 0.1737. This analytic calculation verifies our earlier numerical solutions to these equations. For static problems, n · q = 0 is the temporal gauge, and in this gauge the gluon propagator is directly related to the color dielectric constant. We can thus calculate the dielectric constant in the infrared limit.
A Tunable Ionic Liquid Based RC Filter Using Electrowetting: A New Concept

RC filters are used to discriminate unwanted frequency elements of a specific signal. Here we report a new concept for a tunable RC filter. The concept was demonstrated by developing a tunable RC filter “consisting of an ionic liquid drop placed on a dielectric layer.” Cut-off frequency of the filter can be altered and controlled by changing the drop shape via electrowetting. The dielectric layer and the solid−liquid interface behave as serially connected capacitors, where the total capacitance is a function of drop shape (or contact angle). The drop shape and hence the total capacitance can be instantly controlled by electrowetting. The change in the capacitance will change the cutoff frequency of the filter. For a 5 μL ionic liquid drop, the achieved “tunability range” was 4.5−9.8 kHz. This demonstrates that the new concept is attainable. This RC filter system could potentially be used as a detecting technique.
Reprogramming Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell (ESC)–like state by being forced to express genes such as Oct4 , Sox2 , c-Myc , and Klf4 . iPSCs have been made from skin cells, immune cells, and other stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells and mobilized CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, iPSCs have not been made from nonmobilized CD34+ HSCs in the peripheral blood until now. Merling et al. derived iPSCs from a small volume of fresh or cryopreserved peripheral blood by reprogramming with an excisable loxP-flanked polycistronic lentiviral or nonintegrating Sendai viral vector. The loxP-flanked lentiviral vector resulted in 1 to 10 iPSC colonies from 20 mL of blood that were almost completely (>95%) reprogrammed. The Sendai viral vector gave variable colony yields (6 to >500) that were variably reprogrammed (10 to 80%). These iPSCs were capable of differentiating into all three germ layers in vitro and in vivo in teratoma assays. After excision of the loxP vectors by use of a transiently expressed Cre recombinase, the iPSCs retained the pluripotency markers, capacity for three germ layer formations, and their sample identity and origin. They also exhibited a normal karyotype and similar DNA methylation profiles to reference human ESC lines. Importantly, Merling and colleagues found that these iPSCs were not derived from lymphocytes or monocytes in the blood because they do not have the characteristic markers of these cells. The authors described an efficient method of generating transgene-free iPSCs from nonmobilized CD34+ HSCs in peripheral human blood using two different viral vector systems. HSCs are attractive targets for iPSC reprogramming because they may maintain greater genomic stability than that of mature cells and may be predisposed to redifferentiate to HSCs via epigenetic memory, which would be a useful alternative source of stem cells for treating leukemias and lymphomas. Furthermore, the small number of CD34+ HSCs needed to use this method is an advantage over other methods that require mobilization to obtain a larger number of CD34+ HSCs. R. Merling et al. , Transgene-free iPSCs generated from small volume peripheral blood non-mobilized CD34+ cells. Blood , published online 5 February 2013 (10.1182/blood-2012-03-420273). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23386128?dopt
Toxicity of Phenothiazine Derivatives Excreted in the Milk of Dairy Cows Treated with Massive Doses of the Drug

Summary 1. Oral administration of 125 grams of commercial phenothiazine, over twice the maximum recommended therapeutic dose, to healthy adult lactating cows produced no detectable deleterious effects other than a temporary repression of milk production. 2. Derivatives of phenothiazine were detected in the milk for periods of 36 to 60 hours following administration of the drug. 3. Young rats restricted to diets of the milk collected at the 12-hour and the 24-hour periods after dosage manifested no discernible symptoms of toxicity.
Is preoperative manometry necessary for evaluating reflux symptoms in sleeve gastrectomy patients

Abstract Background The effect of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is controversial. However, it has been reported that up to 22% of patients presented with symptomatic GERD after LSG. The aim of our study was to evaluate the necessity of preoperative manometric testing in LSG patients. Methods We prospectively collected the data on LSG candidate patients who underwent preoperative manometric testing. The normal range for the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure is 10.0–45.0 mmHg. Each patient was interviewed for the GERD score questionnaire (scaled severity and frequency of heartburn, regurgitation, epigastric pain, epigastric fullness, dysphagia and cough) at the time of the manometric study. Results Forty-nine patients were studied. The mean preoperative LES pressure was 13.2±7.7 mmHg (range, 1.0–34.4). Eleven patients responded that they had 1 or more moderate to severe GERD symptoms >2–4 times a week, of which 9 had competent LES pressures. Thirteen (26.5%) patients had decreased LES pressures, and only 3 (23.1%) of these reported moderate to severe symptoms of GERD. In 26 LSG patients with postoperative results, the mean preoperative LES pressure was 14.8±8.0 mmHg (range, 3.5–34.4), and the mean GERD score did not show a significant difference at 9 months after LSG. Twenty-two had normal LES pressures, and 16 (72.8%) of these patients reported reflux symptoms preoperatively. Only 2 (12.5%) of these symptomatic patients reported a higher GERD score postoperatively, but the difference was not significant. Of the 4 patients who had low LES pressures, only 1 patient complained of mild GERD symptoms preoperatively. However, this patient and another without preoperative symptoms developed severe GERD symptoms postoperatively. Conclusion Manometric study may be necessary in LSG patients to accurately evaluate GERD and the LES pressure.
The fate of primary cations in radiolysis of alkanes as studied by ESR

Abstract The structures and reactions of alkane cations (RH+) have been studied by ESR to elucidate the fate of primary cations in radiolysis of alkanes. Radical cations of prototype alkanes such as C2H6, C3H8, iso-C4H10 and neo-C5H12 etc. as well as their partially deuterated analogues were stabilized in irradiated frozen matrices such as SF6, CFCl2CF2Cl and CFCl3 having a higher ionization potential than that of these alkanes contained as dilute solutes. RH+ in SF6 and in CFCl2CF2Cl converts into alkyl radicals by deprotonation probably through bimolecular reactions, whereas RH+ in CFCl3 unimolecularily decomposes into olefinic cations by H2 and/or CH4 elimination reactions. It is further found that the electronic structures of propane and isobutane cations in halocarbon matrices are different from those in SF6 and the difference is drastically reflected in the site preference of their deprotonation reactions. The results are discussed in relation to the mechanisms of pairwise formation of alkyl radicals in low temperature radiolysis of neat alkanes and its suppression by addition of electron scavengers.
Strain differences in rotating wheel activity of the rat

Parametric comparisons of activity in a wheel were made for 694 rats from 12 inbred strains: ACI, A990, A35322, F344, INR, IR, MNR, MNR-a, MR, TS1, WAG. Where comparable, the data were consistent with the data of previous studies, though pointing toward different interpretations.
Separate Societies: Negotiating Race and Class in the 90s

Abstract American society has moved away from the two societies, black and white, separate and unequal that highlighted the 1967 Presidential Commission Report – evolving instead into a profusion of worlds reflecting various combinations of races, ethnicities and classes. This paper analyzes two groups – the black middle class and the white underclass – that emerged and grew after the report and defy much of the theorizing sociologists have produced on race and class. It argues that the black middle class and the white underclass reflect “interlocking categories of experience” that are unfamiliar. It encourages a new understanding that captures the reality of these race / class groups.
Synthesis and kinetic stability studies of progesterone derivatives

Abstract The 3-potassium salt of carbomethoxyl amine derivative along with the betaine and pyridinium hydrazide chloride derivatives of progesterone were synthesized and their kinetics of decomposition in aqueous solution was studied. The rates of hydrolysis yielding progesterone was determined at 25°C over the pH range of 1–13 at an ionic strength of 0.5. The pH-rate profiles were accounted for by the specific acid-, base- and water-catalyzed spontaneous decomposition of these prodrugs. Maximum stability occurred at pH 6–7 in which region water was the principal catalyst in the decomposition pathway. Various buffer and temperature effects were also evaluated. In the slightly alkaline to basic medium the principal mode of prodrug degradation may be the cleavage of the carbon nitrogen bond by direct neucleophilic attack of the water molecule or the hydroxide ion at the 3-carbon of the A ring.
Chlorin distribution and degradation in sediments within and below the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone

The concentration of chlorophyll a degradation products, i.e. chlorins, preserved in deep-sea sediments is a function of the amount of primary production input and the rate at which it is subsequently degraded. Sedimentary chlorins can be used as a proxy for paleoproductivity; however, our understanding of the factors controlling their preservation is limited. To study the effects of changes in export of primary production from the euphotic zone and of differences in depositional conditions on chlorin concentration in marine sediments, chlorins were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography from sediments taken within and below the oxygen minimum zone on the Oman margin in the Arabian Sea. Among five stations at water depths between 400 and 1250 m, variation in chlorin concentration in surface sediments (0–0.5 cm) was significantly related to water depth (used here as a proxy for chlorin fluxes to the sediments) and bottom-water oxygen concentration; the more important control on chlorin concentration of surficial sediments measured in this study is the amount of chlorins reaching the sediment. Chlorins decayed exponentially downcore (0–20 cm). The degradation of sedimentary chlorins was better described by a model in which chlorins decayed at different rates within and below the sediment mixed layer. The degradation rates within the mixed layer were 0.0280±0.0385 yr−1 (yr). Below the mixed layer, degradation rates were one to two orders of magnitude less, ranging from 0.0022±0.0025 yr−1 (yr). Many stations had subsurface chlorin concentration peaks between 6 and 10 cm depth. The most likely explanation for these peaks is a period of increased deposition of chlorins in the past. This could result from changes in local depositional environment or a more general increase in surface production resulting in an increased sedimentation of chlorins to the sediments 500–1000 years ago. Chlorins are a useful indicator of the magnitude of chlorin deposition; however their usage as indicators of paleoproductivity is more complicated.
Rehospitalization of children with asthma.

Background Although some children with asthma experience multiple admissions, asthma is considered a preventable cause of hospitalization. Objective To assess whether components of medical histories, ambulatory care prior to hospitalization, or ambulatory care after discharge are associated with repeated hospitalizations for children admitted with asthma. Design Nested case-control study of a cohort of children hospitalized for asthma, comparing those who were rehospitalized within 1 year with those not rehospitalized. Setting Urban pediatric primary care clinic. Participants and Methods Subjects were 119 children, aged 0 to 14 years, who had an inpatient admission with a diagnosis of asthma between July 1, 1993, and June 30, 1995 (index hospitalization). Data sources included medical charts, computerized patient records, and administrative data. Use of health care services was compared among children who were rehospitalized within 1 year of the index admission and those who were not. Main Outcome Measure Repeated hospitalizations. Results The proportions of children who received general pediatric, allergy, or pulmonary care in the year prior to the index hospitalization were 86%, 7%, and 8%, respectively. By report, half of all children did not receive prescribed therapies, more than half were exposed to cigarette smoke at home, and one fourth were not up-to-date with immunizations at the time of admission. Thirty-five of the 119 children hospitalized with asthma were subsequently readmitted with asthma within 1 year of the index hospitalization. Children readmitted did not differ from those with a single admission in terms of the above characteristics. However, significantly more children subsequently readmitted had a pulmonary consultation during the index admission (23% vs 4%; P =.001) or in the year following discharge (37% vs 12%; P =.002). In addition, children readmitted were more likely to have other chronic conditions (69% vs 49%; P =.048). Conclusion Among low-income urban children, readmission for asthma is not associated with receipt of prescribed therapies or pediatric care.
Reduction of selenite by Neurospora.

Abstract When selenite was added to wild type Neurospora crassa cultures, selenium was deposited inside mycelium as red droplets. No methylated selenium compound was recovered. Methionine-less mutants which were blocked after homocysteine were unable to reduce selenite in the absence of methionine. Some differences were observed between different strains. A genetic factor was found, preventing the reduction without having other known effects on the mycelium. Methionine-less mutants blocked before homocysteine and other randomly chosen mutants were able to reduce selenite in the presence or absence of necessary growth factors. Exceptions were the tryptophan-less mutant which was not studied further, and the p -aminobenzoic acidless mutant, which needed p -aminobenzoic acid or methionine to give optimal reductions.
Rigid particles suspended in time-dependent flows: irregular versus regular motion, disorder versus order

An experimental and analytical investigation is conducted into the dynamics of small, non-spherical, rigid particles suspended in a flow that is time-dependent from the point of view of the particle, which may be moving. The particles are unaffected by Brownian forces. Of special interest in this study are flows that are time-periodic in the Lagrangian frame; this allows for the use of mathematical tools that have been developed for periodically forced differential equations, and for precise and well-characterized experiments. For some classes of periodic flows, it is shown that there exists a global periodic attractor for the orientation dynamics of particles that follow a given particle path, i.e. there is 1:1 phase locking of the orientation dynamics with the forcing. This is an important situation because it leads to a strong ordering of an ensemble of particles that follow the same particle path as the flow; such order has significant ramifications for stress and birefringence. In other classes of periodic flows, no such attractor exists; therefore, an ensemble of random initial orientations of the particles on a particle path will not converge and disorder is maintained. Experiments are performed using a computer-controlled four-roll mill to create well-characterized flows in which these various types of dynamical behaviour are realized.
A study of singular points and supports of measures in reverse mathematics

Abstract Arithmetical comprehension is proved to be equivalent to the enumerability of singular points of any measure on the Cantor space. It is provable in ACA 0 that any perfect closed subset of [0, 1] is the support of some continuous positive linear functional on C [0, 1].
The liver in heart failure

Severe congestive heart failure is associated with two distinct forms of liver dysfunction: jaundice that is related to passive congestion and acute hepatocellular necrosis that is caused by impaired perfusion. Cardiac cirrhosis (fibrosis) may result from prolonged recurrent congestive heart failure. Ischemic hepatitis (shock liver) usually manifests as asymptomatic elevation of the serum aminotransferase levels after an episode of hypotension, although the clinical presentation may mimic that of acute viral hepatitis. In most cases, ischemic hepatitis is of little clinical consequence and is self-limited. Acute liver failure may occur in patients with preexisting cirrhosis, severe chronic heart failure, or sustained hepatic ischemia.
Uncertainties in differential thermodynamic (Gibbs' method) P-T paths

A combined analytical and numerical evaluation of the uncertainties in P-T paths is made for three assemblages that propagates errors in the parameters: initial pressure, initial temperature, initial composition, change of composition of monitor parameters, endmember entropy, and endmember volume. Propagated errors along an isobaric heating path (ΔT=77°C) for assemblage 1 (Grt-Bt-Pl-Qtz-Ms-Chl-H2O), using as monitor parameters the mole fractions of almandine, spessartine, grossular, and anorthite, and ignoring uncertainties in thermodynamic properties, are approximately ±320 bars (1σ) and ±8.3°C (1σ) if rim compositional uncertainties of 5% in major cations are assumed, or ±2.5°C (1σ) and ±50 bars (1σ) if electron microprobe analytical uncertainties are assumed for compositions. The largest source of uncertainty is from the errors in the monitor parameters, and P-T path uncertainties can depend critically on which monitor parameters are used. If the mole fraction of annite is used as a monitor parameter in place of the anorthite content of plagioclase, then propagated uncertainties are worse than ±29°C (1σ) and ±5800 bars (1σ). P-T path uncertainties also depend on assemblage. 1σ precisions in assemblages 2 (Grt−Bt−Pl−Qtz−Ms−Sil−H2O) and 3 (Grt−Bt−Qtz−Kfs−Sil−H2O) using as monitor parameters the mole fractions of almandine, spessartine, grossular, and anorthite are calculated to be ±267 bars and ±43.4°C and ±372 bars and ±8.2°C respectively. Estimates of the accuracies in P-T paths that include potential errors in endmember entropy of ±1 J/mol·K and in endmember volume of ±1 cm3/mol are: ±324 bars and ±8.5°C (assemblage 1), ±341 bars and ±48.6°C (assemblage 2), and ±388 bars and ±9.7°C (assemblage 3). Use of different garnet, plagioclase, and muscovite activity models can change the length of a P-T path by as much as 15%, but does not typically change directions in P-T space significantly. Models that incorporate changes of fluid composition shorten P-T paths in assemblages 1 and 3 but do not change trajectories significantly. Assemblage 2 is virtually unaffected by fluid phase models. For the mineral assemblages considered here and using appropriate monitor parameters, propagated errors are small compared to the total path length, suggesting that the differential thermodynamic approach is a precise and accurate method for determining amounts of heating or thickening during metamorphism, and hence for interpreting orogenic processes.
Antiviral activity and host gene induction by tamarin and marmoset interferon-α and interferon-γ in the GBV-B primary hepatocyte culture model

GBV-B induces hepatitis in tamarins and marmosets and is a surrogate model for HCV infections. Here, we cloned and characterized the antiviral activity of tamarin and marmoset interferon (IFN)α and IFNγ. Potent antiviral activity was observed for tamarin and marmoset IFNα in primary hepatocyte cultures infected with GBV-B. The antiviral activity was greater in cultures exposed to IFNα prior to GBV-B infection, suggesting that either GBV-B was capable of inhibition of the antiviral activity of exogenous IFNα or that the preexisting endogenous IFN response to the virus reduced efficacy to exogenous IFNα. IFNγ also exhibited antiviral activity in GBV-B infected hepatocytes. The transcriptional response to IFNα in marmoset hepatocytes was characterized using human genome microarrays. Since the GBV-B hepatocyte culture model possesses a functional innate immune response, it will provide opportunities to explore the nature of the antiviral response to a virus closely related to HCV.