cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sagittal plane deformity: Evaluation and management

Abstract Sagittal alignment is a critical component of the evaluation and management of adult spinal deformities. Loss of sagittal alignment may be the result of iatrogenic-induced deformity, metabolic bone problems, progression of idiopathic or neuromuscular deformities, posttraumatic, or de novo. Goals of reconstruction involve restoration of global sagittal balance and lumbopelvic harmony. Treating the deformity often involves long construct fusion to the sacropelvis. Often times, multilevel osteotomies as well as circumferential approaches are needed to adequately address the deformity. Failure to address sagittal plane deformities has been linked to poor patient reported outcomes from surgical management. However, even with correction, postoperative complications are common. These included proximal and distal junctional failure, pseudoarthrosis, and the need for future surgery.
Nutritional Ecology of Agalma Okeni (Siphonophora: Physonectae)

Siphonophores are among the 10 major groups of zooplankton collected by plankton tows in the upper 200 m of the Sargasso Sea (Grice and Hart, 1962; Deevey and Brooks, 1971) and they comprise 45–67% of the macroplankton (i. e., siphonophores, medusae, molluscs, chaetognaths, and thaliaceans) in areas of the Mediterranean (Boucher and Thiriot, 1972). Their widespread occurrence in the open ocean suggests that siphonophores are important components of oceanic ecosystems. However, most are extremely delicate and are rarely seen alive. None have been studied in their natural environment, and because of their fragility little information has been available on their metabolism and production.
A new insight into meat toughness of callipyge lamb loins - The relevance of anti-apoptotic systems to decreased proteolysis.

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine associations of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) in tenderness development of loins from callipyge and normal genotype lambs. Loins (M. longissimus lumborum) from sixteen lambs across four genotypes were collected throughout 9 days of postmortem aging. The loins from callipyge lambs had more intact desmin and troponin T throughout aging periods, as well as less μ-calpain autolysis and more calpastatin compared to loins from other genotypes (P
Four-year study of university athletes’ dietary intake

Baseline dietary intake data were collected for four years on 10 men's and 6 women's university athletic teams. Caloric intake means for specific teams were higher than those stated in nutrition textbooks (5,270 kcal for football, with a 14,000 kcal per day maximum). Athletes' caloric intakes cannot be grouped, as some athletes (wrestlers and gymnasts) have low intakes (400 kcal per day). Protein intake of all athletes except wrestlers and gymnasts is high (in many cases more than twice any recommendation). The diets of teams with high caloric intakes had a high (more than 50%) fat content. The fat content of the diets of other athletes ranged from 30% to 40%. The wrestling team had more members with poor nutrient intake (less than two-thirds of recommendations) than any other team. Poor vitamin A intakes were noted for all athletic teams studied. Low potassium intakes also were common. Members of women's teams had low iron intakes even though their protein and caloric intakes were high.
Assessment of Flushing Flow Recommendations in a Steep, Rough, Regulated Tributary

Alteration of stream flow regime and sediment loading from water development activities can result in both short- and long-term changes in channel morphology and conveyance capacity. Subsequently, the condition of the aquatic habitat can be affected. In recent years, much research and development effort has been directed toward the determination of suitable instream flows to maintain fisheries habitat in regulated streams (Stalnaker & Arnette 1976; Wesche & Rechard 1980). However, there are several facets of the instream flow problem which have not been adequately investigated, one involving the recommendation of flushing flows to simulate the peak runoff hydrograph characteristics of most unregulated streams (Reiser et al. 1985).
AN ANALYSIS OF CURRENT AND FUTURE WIND ENERGY GAIN POTENTIAL FOR CENTRAL IOWA

Using a significant quantity of fossil fuels has adverse impacts on our lives and will affect future generations. Additionally, there are limited and decreasing numbers of nonrenewable resources around the world. In contrast, renewable resources are not depleted and provide energy with negligible pollution. Wind energy is one of the more common renewable energy resources. This project aims to evaluate Iowa's wind energy potential and to provide suggestions to improve the future well ‐being of this state. A preliminary analysis shows that Iowa has great potential for wind energy. Based on the preliminary analysis, Ames, Iowa, is selected as a case study of its potential in terms of wind energy. Some important characteristics of wind energy, such as mean wind speed, wind distribution, and wind direction are evaluated for Ames. It is observed that although Iowa has the greatest wind power capacity density in the U.S., there are some untapped places in Iowa that can be utilized to harvest wind power. Results indicate that the city of Ames is one of the places that have strong wind speeds. According to the results, if a wind farm is installed in the city of Ames, reliance on non-renewable energy resources will be considerably decreased.
Ultrastructure of Treponema pallidum Nichols following lysis by physical and chemical methods

1. Normal cells of the Nichols non-pathogenic strain of Treponema pallidum were disrupted by one or a combination of physical and chemical procedures. Cells and cellular fragments were then observed in the electron microscope by means of three techniques: negative staining, thin sectioning, and freeze-etching. Changes in typical morphology were noted and individual organelles were isolated for detailed structural analysis. 2. The cell envelope, a triple-layered structure, was sensitive to trypsin, sodium deoxycholate, sodium lauryl sulfate, diethyl ether, hyaluronidase and a combination of lysozyme and rapid freeze-thawing. The envelope contained polygonal subunits that consisted of at least three components. 3. The cover of the protoplasmic cylinder was composed of two unit membranes interpreted to be the cell wall and cell membrane. The cell wall, which retained its spiral shape after removal of the cell envelope, was sensitive to lysozyme. The cell membrane was the site of attachment of the axial filaments. 4. A band of parallel fibrils, attached to the innermost layer of the cell membrane, wrapped around the protoplasmic cylinder in a spiral fashion. The fibrils, sensitive to trypsin, were released from the cell membrane by sodium lauryl sulfate
TissueEnrich: Tissue-specific gene enrichment analysis.

Summary RNA-Seq data analysis results in lists of genes that may have a similar function, based on differential gene expression analysis or co-expression network analysis. While tools have been developed to identify biological processes that are enriched in the genes sets, there remains a need for tools that identify enrichment of tissue-specific genes. Therefore, we developed TissueEnrich, a tool that calculates tissue-specific gene enrichment in an input gene set. We demonstrated that TissueEnrich can assign tissue identities to single cell clusters and differentiated embryonic stem cells. Availability and implementation The TissueEnrich web application is freely available at http://tissueenrich.gdcb.iastate.edu/. The R package is available through Bioconductor at https://bioconductor.org/packages/TissueEnrich. Both the web application and R package are for non-profit academic use under the MIT license. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Trust improves during one-day resident operating room management course preceded by directed study of required statistical content

Abstract Study objective Evaluate feasibility of 1-day OR management course for anesthesiology residents and determine if course content increases trust in OR management science. Design Pre- and post-course survey evaluations. Setting OR management course. Patients University of Florida anesthesiology residents. Interventions OR management course adapted for anesthesiology residents. Measurements Course preparation required statistical review, learning scientific vocabulary, and reading 2 peer-reviewed articles. Pre-course, participants were surveyed on course preparation and rated their confidence on statistical application to management sciences. Pre-and post-course, participants completed a 9-item survey assessing trust in course content with 3 different facets (reliability, quality and usefulness). Main results 17 residents participated. Pre-course trust survey scores (total of 3 scales) and preparation items were not significantly correlated (all p ≥ 0.30). Confidence scales were correlated with each other (τb = 0.67, p Overall trust increased from pre- to post-course (mean change = 0.63, SD = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.23–1.04, t = 3.34, df = 16, p = 0.005). Controlling for each participant's pre-course trust, both confidence in statistics (β = −0.24, SE = 0.10, p = 0.033) and management sciences (β = −0.27, SE = 0.10, p = 0.018) significantly effects change in trust. For both scales, participants with lower initial confidence showed the greatest increases in trust. Conclusions The 1-day course increases resident trust in OR course management content. Participants with less pre-course confidence in statistical application and decision making had greater increases in trust.
Transforming regulatory safety evaluations using New Approach Methodologies: A perspective of an industrial toxicologist

Abstract Spurred by the vision articulated in the National Academy of Sciences report Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century (2007) and the availability of advanced methods for biological profiling of chemicals, large volumes of data describing in vitro effects have been generated over the last 10 years for thousands of chemicals. Additional important drivers in transforming toxicity testing and safety evaluation include the National Academy of Sciences report Using 21st Century Science to Improve Risk-Related Evaluations (2017) and the passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the Toxic Substances Control Act to require development and implementation of tiered approaches for risk-based safety evaluations and for the Environmental Protection Agency to develop, evaluate, and use New Approach Methodologies. Considerable efforts are now being devoted to interpreting results, determining how these relate to potential health effects, and integrating bioactivity with predicted or measured human exposures for product safety evaluations. This article presents a number of my perspectives on the transformation that New Approach Methodologies are catalyzing in regulatory safety evaluations and product stewardship of commodity and consumer product chemicals.
The Social Media Party: Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), Social Media Intensity, Connection, and Well-Being

The human need to belong is an innate drive that dictates much of our behavior. Informed by The Belongingness Hypothesis and Information Foraging Theory, the present study examines the relationship...
Pathobiology and diagnosis of clostridial hepatitis in animals

Clostridia can cause hepatic damage in domestic livestock, and wild and laboratory animals. Clostridium novyi type B causes infectious necrotic hepatitis (INH) in sheep and less frequently in other species. Spores of C. novyi type B can be present in soil; after ingestion, they reach the liver via portal circulation where they persist in phagocytic cells. Following liver damage, frequently caused by migrating parasites, local anaerobic conditions allow germination of the clostridial spores and production of toxins. C. novyi type B alpha toxin causes necrotizing hepatitis and extensive edema, congestion, and hemorrhage in multiple organs. Clostridium haemolyticum causes bacillary hemoglobinuria (BH) in cattle, sheep, and rarely, horses. Beta toxin is the main virulence factor of C. haemolyticum, causing hepatic necrosis and hemolysis. Clostridium piliforme, the causal agent of Tyzzer disease (TD), is the only gram-negative and obligate intracellular pathogenic clostridia. TD occurs in multiple species, but it is more frequent in foals, lagomorphs, and laboratory animals. The mode of transmission is fecal-oral, with ingestion of spores from a fecal-contaminated environment. In affected animals, C. piliforme proliferates in the intestinal mucosa, resulting in necrosis, and then disseminates to the liver and other organs. Virulence factors for this microorganism have not been identified, to date. Given the peracute or acute nature of clostridial hepatitis in animals, treatment is rarely effective. However, INH and BH can be prevented, and should be controlled by vaccination and control of liver flukes. To date, no vaccine is available to prevent TD.
Best Practices of the CFD Trade

A strong attempt is made to provide practical guidelines for CFD meshes. Dozens of mesh metrics are described in detail, and a mathematically-driven, physics-based set of “golden” mesh metrics is recommended. General CFD boundary and initial conditions are described, including boundary compatibility. Time step, stability, domain, and calculation speed-up guidelines are provided. Detailed guidelines for modeling laminar and turbulent natural circulation are discussed. The chapter concludes with dozens of data visualization recommendations for generating figures, movies, and other presentation media, with the goal of more effectively conveying the CFD results.
Abstract MP68: The Association Of Long-term Air Pollution Exposure With Left Ventricular Structure And Function In The Multi-ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis

Background: Air pollution contributes to cardiovascular morbidity, including heart failure. Exposure to pollutants has been associated with hypertension and inflammation, which contribute to cardia...
Why Learning on the Move: Intersecting Research Pathways for Mobility, Learning and Teaching

Mobility provides the fabric of everyday life but is rarely considered part of learning and is almost never used as relevant, experiential content in teaching. This special issue integrates ideas a...
Mortality among workers employed in the mining industry in the United States: A 29-year analysis of the National Health Interview Survey-Linked Mortality File, 1986-2014.

Background Working in the mining industry increases the risk of chronic diseases and mortality. We investigated overall and cause-specific mortality rates among workers employed in the mining sector in the United States. Methods We pooled 29 years of National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) public-use data from 1986 to 2014, with mortality follow-up until 31 December 2015. We grouped respondents into the mining and nonmining sectors based on the responses given at the time of the NHIS interview. We compared the overall and cause-specific mortality rates using standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) adjusted for the competing cause of death. Results From 1986 to 2014, an estimated 14 million deaths were recorded among subjects eligible for mortality follow-up. Of these, an estimated 50,000 deaths occurred among those working in the mining sector. A significantly higher overall mortality (SMR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.17-1.36), and mortality from heart diseases (adjusted SMR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.31-1.83), cancer (adjusted SMR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.14-1.48) and unintentional injuries (adjusted SMR = 1.41, 95%CI: 1.03-1.85) were observed among those employed in the mining sector. When the analyses were restricted to men, only the SMRs for heart disease and cancer remained statistically significant. No elevated SMR for deaths from chronic lower respiratory disease was observed in the study. Conclusion Workers employed in the mining sector have a significantly increased total death rate and death rates from heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries.
An Umbrella Review of Qualitative Research on Teen Mothering.

The sheer volume of qualitative research on teen mothering over three decades has generated numerous scientific reviews. This umbrella review synthesizes the findings of these reviews and describes...
Measurement and Evaluation of Total Neutron Cross-Section Minima in Elemental Iron from 24 to 750 keV

Low resolution transmission experiments on 14- and 20-in.-thick samples of iron have been conducted at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s linear accelerator to evaluate the adequacy of various data...
COVID-19 response in Ethiopia: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract Ethiopia implemented public health measures to curve COVID pandemics earlier than many countries. Airport screening, followed by partial closure of international flights and quarantine of all international travelers have slowed the trajectory of COVID-19 pandemics in its early phase. Early adoption of Public health measures including hand hygiene and use of facemask have also contributed to the slow trajectory seen in the early days of the pandemics. Unfortunately, early gains have been beset by slow scale-up of public health measures, recent lifting of the state of emergency and public fatigue. Hospitals are already at capacity and not equipped to handle even the lowest estimate the country expects at the peak of the pandemic. To mitigate the impact of the pandemics, Ethiopia must return to the basics of public health measures: increase testing, upscale contact tracing, social distancing and universal use of face mask quickly and across the country. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2020; 34(4):307-309]
Combination Therapies with Y90: Immunoradiation

While much progress has been made in oncologic care, metastatic solid organ cancer still carries a poor prognosis. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach, though in most patients, does not control disease when given as a monotherapy. Combining immunotherapy with locoregional therapy is one approach to boost the efficacy of treatments and potentially prolong survival. Most of the researches regarding combination therapies have involved external radiation. This review describes the immunologic effects of external radiation and radioembolization, and how these effects provide a rationale for combining hepatic radioembolization with immunotherapy.
Biodiesel from microalgae

Abstract Microalgae have been widely researched and are proven to be a promising feedstock for biodiesel production. Tremendous efforts have been made on microalgal biology, strain screening, cultivation, harvesting, and postharvest processing. Strategies for commercialization are under development by optimizing the overall utilization of microalgae for both biofuels and value-added bioproducts. In this chapter, the fundamentals of microalgae as a feedstock for biodiesel production are illustrated. Strain selection and cultivation requirements are considered from the processing aspects. Methods and technologies of preconversion preparation, including dewatering and drying, cell rupture and lipid extraction, are discussed. Novel processing processes, such as in situ methanolysis under sub/supercritical methanol conditions, are also covered to reflect the advancement in microalgal biodiesel production. This chapter is intended for readers who have had some technical background in microalgal lipids-based biodiesel, and as a reference for college students and other technical personnel in the fields of biofuels, bioresources, and other related fields.
Chemical control of multidomain acetyltransferase activity.

Chromatin-modifying lysine acetyltransferases employ multiple protein domains to regulate transcription. In this issue, Vannam et al. (2021) describe dCBP-1, a small molecule degrader of the multidomain acetyltransferases EP300 and CREBBP. This provides a new tool for interrogating EP300/CREBBP function and also suggests a strategy for pharmacological differentiation of acetyltransferase paralogs.
Changes in the Gut Microbiota Following Bariatric Surgery Are Associated with Increased Alcohol Intake in a Female Rat Model.

Aims We aimed to investigate if differences in gut microbiota diversity and composition are associated with post-operative alcohol intake following bariatric surgery in a rat model. Methods Twenty-four female rats were randomized to three treatment groups: sham surgery, vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Stool was collected pre- and post-operatively and 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing was performed. Analysis focused on correlating microbial diversity, type of surgery and alcohol (EtOH) intake. Results Pre-operative stools samples on regular diet showed similar taxonomic composition and Shannon diversity among the three treatment groups. There was a significant decrease in Shannon diversity and a change in taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota after rats was fed high fat diet. Post-operatively, the RYGB group showed significantly lower taxonomic diversity than the VSG and sham groups, while the VSG and sham groups diversity were not significantly different. Taxonomic composition and function prediction based on PICRUSt analysis showed the RYGB group to be distinct from the VSG and sham groups. Shannon diversity was found to be negatively associated with EtOH intake. Conclusions Changes in the taxonomic profile of the gut microbiota following bariatric surgery, particularly RYGB, are associated with increased EtOH intake and may contribute to increased alcohol use disorder risk through the gut-brain-microbiome axis.
Immunosuppression in solid organ transplant recipients with Covid-19: More data, but still complicated.

"Outcomes of COVID-19 in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients: a matched cohort study" by Pereira et al found similar 28 day mortality among hospitalized SOT recipients and comorbidity matched controls, shedding light on the relationship between immunosuppression and Covid-19 outcomes.
Dual ferrohydrodynamic and electrohydrodynamic flow instabilities and patterns in uniform dc, ac and rotating fields

Continuum electromechanics of ferrohydrodynamic interactions in magnetic liquids (ferrofluids) and dual electrohydrodynamic interactions with polarizable dielectric liquids are described and compared. Simple dual experiments presented include: the rise of ferrofluid around a current-carrying wire and the rise of dielectric liquid between diverging electrodes; ferrohydrodynamic and electrohydrodynamic peaking interfacial instability with a perpendicular magnetic or electric field; and electric and magnetic labyrinth instability when a thin layer of magnetic or dielectric fluid is stressed by a uniform magnetic or electric field parallel to the thin dimension of the interface. New spiral and droplet patterns that form in combined DC and rotating uniform magnetic fields are presented for magnetic liquids.
Buying into the food system: Trends in food retailing in the US and implications for local foods

The contemporary US food systemis characterized by both an unprecedentedconcentration of corporate control as well as afragmentation of sourcing and marketingprocesses, introducing both new constraints andnew opportunities for more localized foodsystems. The purpose of our study is to explorethese issues by investigating three keyquestions. First, what are the key trends inthe US grocery industry? Second, how dodifferent kinds of food outlets choose,procure, and promote food products? Finally,what are the implications of recent trends inthe food retailing process for strengtheninglocal flows of the production, distribution,and consumption of food? Background informationon the grocery industry and the results ofseven open-ended interviews conducted withowners and managers of grocery stores in oneupstate New York county indicate that theretailing process differs in complex ways fromstore to store and in most aspects cannot beinferred from store type. The paper concludeswith a discussion of the implications of ourfindings for local food system efforts,specifically in terms of new collaborationsamong producers, distributors, retailers, andshoppers, who play an indispensable role indeveloping viable alternatives to increasingcorporate control.
Developing Knowledge-Based Systems: An Object-Oriented Organizational Approach

This article proposes the implementation of organizational corporate-wide object oriented knowledge-based expert systems OOOKBS. It discusses the limitations of the present way to develop and maintain knowledge-based system KBS, justifies the need for an OOOKBS approach and illustrates the development process for an OOOKBS with a case study. The many company benefits from the new paradigm are presented and recommendations are made for IS managers to proceed in this important area.
Identification and characterization of biomarkers of organophosphorus exposures in humans.

Over 1 billion pounds of organophosphorus (OP) chemicals are manufactured worldwide each year, including 70 million pounds of pesticides sprayed in the US. Current methods to monitor environmental and occupational exposures to OPs such as chlorpyrifos (CPS) have limitations, including low specificity and sensitivity, and short time windows for detection. Biomarkers for the OP tricresyl phosphate (TCP), which can contaminate bleed air from jet engines and cause an occupational exposure of commercial airline pilots, crewmembers and passengers, have not been identified.
Debate heats up over U.S. Energy Policy, as Senate Bill is introduced

Wrapping their proposal for a national energy policy in the cloak of national security and economic prosperity a group of mostly Republican U.S. senators introduced legislation on February 26 that was praised by numerous industry groups as far-reaching, long overdue, and striking a balance between energy production and environmental protection. The bill was panned by some other senators and conservation groups as short-sighted because of what they said are its measures to continue relying on fossil fuels that could produce increased greenhouse gas emissions, its inadequate focus on energy-use efficiency and alternative energies, and—perhaps most controversially—its call for opening parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil drilling.
DIFFERENTIAL FORMS AND LIE ALGEBRA COHOMOLOGY FOR ALGEBRAIC LINEAR GROUPS

In the study of the rational cohomology theory of algebraic linear groups, the differential forms, constructed from the algebra of the rational representative functions on the group, play a major role in providing the link between the group cohomology and the Lie algebra cohomology [5]. Moreover, the cohomology of the differential forms has some significance as an algebraic geometric invariant. For instance, it follows from [5, Theorem 4.1] that, if R is the algebra of the rational representative functions on an irreducible algebraic linear group G over a field F of characteristic 0, the cohomology of the differential forms of R is trivial (if and) only if R is an ordinary polynomial algebra over F.
Applying principles of formulary management to blood banking

The pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committee or its equivalent has been a long-standing committee of the medical staff in almost every institution. The P&T committee is typically defined as the body that recommends policy to the medical staff and the administration of the organization on matters related to the safe and therapeutic use of medications as well as other matters relating to medication use. The Food and Drug Administration definition of a drug includes blood and blood components, and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists guidelines suggest including blood derivatives in their definition of a drug. Clinicians and other health care providers have needed to become more familiar with blood and blood component therapy as more prescription blood products have become available. As such, the P&T committee could work collaboratively with blood bank personnel, who are experts in this area, to help ensure that blood derivative products undergo the same evidence-based formulary review process as other medications.
A Case Study of the Changing U.S. Defense Industry

Abstract This paper reviews how the defense industrial base has responded financially to the changing defense environment. This is done by analyzing financial information and ratios for a sample of defense and non-defense business segments from firms that do business with the Department of Defense (DoD). The volume of defense business has declined since 1988 as indicated by reductions in defense sales, company assets identified to be used for defense contracts, and capital expenditures for defense business segments. However, the profitability and cash flow of defense business segments has improved since 1988 even though the volume of defense business has declined.
EGFR Mutations in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Find, Divide, and Conquer

Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), most commonly deletions in exon 19 affecting the amino acid motif LREA (delE746-750) or substitution of arginine for leucine at position 858 (L858R) in exon 21, are present in approximately 17% of tumors in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma and lead to constitutive activation of the EGFR tyrosine kinase. 1 These activating EGFR mutations are associated with high response rates to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy, with combined results from 21 studies from 2004 to 2006 showing responses in 210 of 268 patients (78%). 2 These response rates observed in patients with EGFR-mutant tumors receiving TKIs were much higher than what had been described in patients treated with standard platinum-doublet chemotherapy. Follow-up studies directly comparing the 2 treatment strategies in patients with advancedstage non–small-cell lung cancer harboring activating EGFR mutations confirmed the superiority of EGFR TKI therapy to chemotherapy in this patient population as described herein. In the Iressa Pan-Asia Study (IPASS), patients with previously untreated advanced-stage pulmonary adenocarcinoma who were never or light smokers were randomized to receive the EGFR TKI gefitinib or standard chemotherapy with carboplatin plus paclitaxel. 3 Progression-free survival (PFS), the primary end point of the study, was significantly improved with gefitinib therapy among patients with EGFRmutant tumors (hazard ratio [HR], 0.48; P < .001) but worse in those without EGFR mutations (HR, 2.85; P < .001). An updated analysis of the trial defined EGFR mutation as the strongest predictive biomarker for response to EGFR TKI therapy and median PFS. 4 Subsequent studies in Asia comparing the first-generation EGFR TKIs gefitinib or erlotinib to chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancer showed similar results, with increased response rates and PFS for patients treated with targeted therapy. 5-7 The European Tarceva vs Chemotherapy (EURTAC) trial was the first study comparing targeted therapy with an EGFR TKI to chemotherapy in a non-Asian population. 8 In this multicenter phase 3 trial, 173 patients with activating EGFR mutations were randomized to receive erlotinib or a platinumbased chemotherapy doublet. Erlotinib therapy was associated with improved median PFS, the primary end point of the study, compared with chemotherapy (9.7 vs 5.2 months; HR, 0.37; P < .001). There were no significant differences in the median overall survival (OS) in these studies, most likely as a result of crossover at progression.
The Convergence of Terrorism and Transnational Crime in Central Asia

This article examines the convergence among ethnic groups, narco-traffickers, insurgents, and terror organizations in Central Asia. It analyzes the lucrative business of drug trafficking and the diffusion of globalization, which have undoubtedly brought these once disparate groups together. It will explore how the increasing movement of illicit goods and people, proliferation of transportation technology, growing infrastructure, cooperative ethnicities, as well as a shared need for funding, have provided these groups with an opportunity to consolidate their efforts in ways that were not possible in the past.
The Effect of Cigarette Price Increases on Smoking Cessation in California

We investigated whether smoking cessation increased in California after a cigarette manufacturer’s retail price increase and an increase in the state cigarette excise tax. The sample for this study was drawn from the 1996 and 1999 California Tobacco Surveys. The rate of unsuccessful and successful quit attempts and the rate of abstinence were calculated for each month of the 14-month period preceding each survey administration. We combined the monthly rates for both surveys and used multiple regression modeling to test whether the proportion of smokers reporting a quit attempt and the proportion of smokers reporting abstinence increased during the period following the price increases. We included several covariates in our models to control for factors other than the price increases that could account for any increases observed in quit attempts and abstinence. Because smokers recall quits occurring closer to the date of the survey better than quits occurring further back in time, we included a term in the models representing the number of months elapsed between the survey administration and the reported quit. We also included terms in the models representing the months before and after the over-the-counter (OTC) availability of the nicotine patch and nicotine gum in 1996 to control for the increase in smoking cessation observed following the availability of OTC nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Lastly, in order to control for increased quits made in January as a result of New Year’s resolutions, we included a term in our models for quit attempts and successful quits (abstinence) made during this month. Results of the regression analyses indicated a significantly greater proportion of smokers reported quit attempts (p < 0.05) in the months immediately following the cigarette price increases (after November 1998); however, a significant increase in abstinence was only observed from December 1998 through March 1999 (p < 0.05) relative to abstinence occurring before the price increases.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Metoprolol and α-Hydroxymetoprolol Concentrations in Human Serum, Urine, and Cerebrospinal Flaid

A sensitive and simplified high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure was developed for the simultaneous quantification of metoprolol and alpha-hydroxymetoprolol in human serum, as well as cerebrospinal fluid and urine. Following protein precipitation with trichloroacetic acid, the sample was alkalinized with 1 M NaOH and extracted with dichloromethane. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water (50:50) containing 0.005 M 1-heptanesulfonic acid in 0.001% acetic acid. Using pronetalol as an internal standard, compounds were quantitated using fluorescence detection at 230 nm with a 300-nm emission filter and 0.02 AUFS. Extraction recovery is approximately 80% for both compounds. The lower limits of detection are 5 ng/mL and 4 ng/mL for metoprolol and alpha-hydroxymetoprolol, respectively.
Use of cardiac enzymes identifies patients with acute myocardial infarction otherwise unrecognized in the emergency department

Recognition of an acute myocardial infarction in the patient with chest pain is a frequent challenge to the clinician. Previous studies suggest that cardiac enzymes are of limited value in identifying patients with acute MI in the emergency department. Such studies have not evaluated the use of cardiac enzyme tests to complement decision making in the population of patients clinically designated for ED release. We studied 773 ED visits by patients age ⩾ 30 years presenting with chest pain unexplained by thoracic trauma or radiographic abnormalities. Cardiac enzyme levels were not available to the clinicians at the time of the initial visit and disposition of these patients was determined solely by clinical and ECG evaluation. Of the 291 admitted patients, 46 had an MI; 22 of the MI patients had a normal creatine kinase (CK) level. Of the 482 patients released from the ED, 181 patients had an elevated CK level. Among the released patients were five patients with MI. Four released MI patients had a CK level ⩾ 200 IU/L and three had an elevated CK-MB fraction (⩾ 12 IU/L). In the population of patients scheduled for release, an elevated CK-MB had sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for MI of 60%, 100%, and 60%, respectively. Although cardiac enzymes cannot be used in isolation to make admission decisions, selective use of CK-MB for final screening of patients otherwise scheduled for ED release may enhance the initial admission of patients with MI at risk for unintentional release.
Orbital Apex Syndrome

A case is presented of a 16-year-old anticoagulated, immunocompromised male presenting with a blind, proptotic left eye, total ophthalmoplegia, and central retinal artery occlusion. Ophthalmic examination revealed other features of the orbital apex syndrome. Mucormycosis misdiagnosed as a traumatic orbital hemorrhage led to the patient's death. In this review, differential diagnosis of the orbital apex syndrome (loss of cranial nerves II, III, IV, ophthalmic division of V, and VI) is outlined, and features, diagnosis, and treatment of mucormycosis are discussed. Although mucormycosis is most commonly seen in diabetics, it should be considered in any immunocompromised patient presenting with the constellation of features of orbital apex syndrome.
Efficient SRAM Failure Rate Prediction via Gibbs Sampling

Statistical analysis of SRAM has emerged as a challenging issue because the failure rate of SRAM cells is extremely small. In this paper, we develop an efficient importance sampling algorithm to capture the rare failure event of SRAM cells. In particular, we adapt the Gibbs sampling technique from the statistics community to find the optimal probability distribution for importance sampling with a low computational cost (i.e., a small number of transistor-level simulations). The proposed Gibbs sampling method applies an integrated optimization engine to adaptively explore the failure region in a Cartesian or spherical coordinate system by sampling a sequence of 1-D probability distributions. Several implementation issues such as 1-D random sampling and starting point selection are carefully studied to make the Gibbs sampling method efficient and accurate for SRAM failure rate prediction. Our experimental results of a 90 nm SRAM cell demonstrate that the proposed Gibbs sampling method achieves 1.4-4.9× runtime speedup over other state-of-the-art techniques when a high prediction accuracy is required (e.g., the relative error defined by the 99% confidence interval reaches 5%). In addition, we further demonstrate an important example for which the proposed Gibbs sampling algorithm accurately estimates the correct failure probability, while the traditional techniques fail to work.
The effect of young age on tumor recurrence in the treated breast after conservative surgery and radiotherapy.

Abstract Prognostic factors for local recurrence following conservative surgery and radiation therapy for patients with early breast cancer have not been fully established. To evaluate the importance of young age as a prognostic factor for local recurrence, we reviewed the results of treatment of 597 patients with 607 UICC-AJCC Stage I or II breast cancer , 47 of which were diagnosed when the patient was less than 35 year old. All were treated with excisional biopsy and a total dose to the site of the primary tumor of 60 Gy or more. The median follow-up in survivors was 63 months. Patient age and the presence of an extensive intraductal component (EIC) were both highly associated with the likelihood of tumor recurrence in the treated breast. Patients under 35 had an actuarial 5-year recurrence rate of 26%, compared to 10% for older patients ( p = 0.002). Patients with an EIC had a breast recurrence rate of 25%, compared to 5% when EIC was absent ( p p = 0.0003). We conclude that the age of the patient is an important prognostic factor for local recurrence following conservative surgery and radiation therapy. This finding is in part attributed to the observation that younger women are more likely to have tumors with an EIC than older women, but even when an EIC is absent, they may be at an increased risk of local recurrence. However, caution is required in interpreting these findings with regard to selecting among treatment options until further data are available comparing the results of conservative surgery and radiation therapy to those of mastectomy in younger patients.
Comparative genetic diversity of Lyme disease bacteria in Northern Californian ticks and their vertebrate hosts.

Abstract Vector-borne pathogens are transmitted between vertebrate hosts and arthropod vectors, two immensely different environments for the pathogen. There is further differentiation among vertebrate hosts that often have complex, species-specific immunological responses to the pathogen. All this presents a heterogeneous environmental and immunological landscape with possible consequences on the population genetic structure of the pathogen. We evaluated the differential genetic diversity of the Lyme disease pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi, in its vector, the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus), and in its mammal host community using the 5S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer region. We found differences in haplotype distribution of B. burgdorferi in tick populations from two counties in California as well as between a sympatric tick and vertebrate host community. In addition, we found that three closely related haplotypes consistently occurred in high frequency in all sample types. Lastly, our study found lower species diversity of the B. burgdorferi species complex, known as B. burgdorferi sensu lato, in small mammal hosts versus the tick populations in a sympatric study area.
Visible and near-IR fluorescence of aromatic radical cations in micellar solutions, BF3—trifluoroacetic acid, γ-Al2O3 and SiO2Al2O3

Abstract This paper describes studies of the fluoresence spectra of radical cations. Direct visible excitation of the radical cations of 1-pyrenecarboxaldehyde produced on γ-Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 surfaces leads to an identical visible emission band at 520 nm. The radical cations of N , N , N ′, N ′-tetramethylbenzidine in a micellar solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate and on γ-Al 2 O 3 exhibit near-IR emission spectra with maxima at 1100 and 1250 nm. The radical cations of perylene in 22 mol.% (BF 3 H 2 P)—trifluoroacetic acid, γ-Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 exhibit two emission bands at 820 and 910 nm. The radical cation of tetracene exhibits emission bands at 910 and 1030 nm. Emission spectra of these radical cations all exhibit good mirror images of their corresponding absorption spectra. The studies provide an additional sensitive means of identifying radical cations on solid surfaces.
Design of local fuzzy models using evolutionary algorithms

The application of local fuzzy models to determine the remaining life of a unit in a fleet of vehicles is described. Instead of developing individual models based on the track history of each unit or developing a global model based on the collective track history of the fleet, local fuzzy models are used based on clusters of peers-similar units with comparable utilization and performance characteristics. A local fuzzy performance model is created for each cluster of peers. This is combined with an evolutionary framework to maintain the models. A process has been defined to generate a collection of competing models, evaluate their performance in light of the currently available data, refine the best models using evolutionary search, and select the best one after a finite number of iterations. This process is repeated periodically to automatically update and improve the overall model. To illustrate this methodology an asset selection problem has been identified: given a fleet of industrial vehicles (diesel electric locomotives), select the best subset for mission-critical utilization. To this end, the remaining life of each unit in the fleet is predicted. The fleet is then sorted using this prediction and the highest ranked units are selected. A series of experiments using data from locomotive operations was conducted and the results from an initial validation exercise are presented. The approach of constructing local predictive models using fuzzy similarity with neighboring points along appropriate dimensions is not specific to any asset type and may be applied to any problem where the premise of similarity along chosen attribute dimensions implies similarity in predicted future behavior.
A comparison of the mitogenic effects of a phorbol ester on lymphocytes from bovine spleen, lymph node and peripheral blood

Abstract A comparison of the mitogenic effects of a phorbol ester on lymphocytes from bovine spleen, lymph node and peripheral blood. Bovine lymphocytes from three tissues, lymph node, spleen and peripheral blood were compared for their mitogenic responses to 12- O -tetraecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a phorbol ester tumor promoter. TPA alone was found to be either not mitogenic or caused only a weak response when compared with the mitogenic lectin phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Of the three lymphocyte preparations, blood cells showed the greatest proliferative response to TPA. However, all three, lymph node, blood and spleen cells, showed a co-mitogenic response to TPA. That is, TPA synergistically enhanced DNA synthesis in cells stimulated with a suboptimal concentration of PHA.
Proportionate mortality among unionized roofers and waterproofers.

Background The United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers (UURWAW) is one of the 15 building and construction trades departments in the AFL-CIO. The U.S. roofing industry, including both roofing and waterproofing applications, both unionized and nonunionized, comprises about 25,000 firms, employing approximately 300,000 people, about 200,000 of whom are involved in the application of roofs. The specific toxins to which roofers may be exposed at the job site include, among others, bitumens (asphalt and/or coal tar pitch) as well as asbestos and fiberglass from roof removal operations. Excess deaths from occupational injuries are also of concern. Methods This study evaluated causes of mortality among 11,144 members of the UURWAW. Age-adjusted proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) were computed with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using U.S. age-, gender-, and race-specific proportional mortality rates for the years of the study, 1950–1996. Results Statistically significant increased PMRs were found for all injuries (PMR = 142, CI = 134–150), especially falls (PMR = 464, CI = 419–513) and other injuries (PMR = 121, CI = 107–137), cancers of the lung (PMR = 139, CI = 131–148), bladder (PMR = 138, CI = 111–170), esophagus (PMR = 134, CI = 107–166), larynx (PMR = 145, CI = 106–193), and cancers of other and unspecified sites (PMR = 130, CI = 112–149), pneumoconioses and other nonmalignant respiratory diseases (PMR = 115, CI = 103–128), and homicides (PMR = 153, CI = 135–172). The occupational exposures which may have contributed to the excess risks of malignant and nonmalignant respiratory diseases include, among others, asphalt fumes, coal tar pitch volatiles and asbestos; however, cigarette smoking must also be considered a contributing factor. Conclusions The present study underscores the need to control airborne exposures to hazardous substances and especially to examine fall prevention efforts within the roofing industry. Am. J. Ind. Med. 37:478–492, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.