cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with more anemia and perioperative blood transfusions than primary debulking surgery in women with advanced stage ovarian cancer

Abstract Objective The purpose of this case-controlled study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and incidence of perioperative blood transfusions in patients undergoing treatment for advanced ovarian cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) or primary debulking surgery (PDS). Methods We performed a single institution review of patients diagnosed with stage IIIB-IVB epithelial ovarian cancer between 2010 and 2013 undergoing either NACT or PDS. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration of ≤11.5 g/dL. Continuous variables were compared by student t-test and binary variables compared via chi square analysis. Results One hundred thirty-one women were included, 66 treated with NACT and 65 treated with PDS. Average Hgb prior to surgery was lower in women who received NACT (10.7 g/dL vs 12.8 g/dL, p Conclusion Women selected for NACT were more likely to be anemic at diagnosis and became progressively anemic during NACT. Despite less blood loss during debulking surgery, NACT patients receive more blood transfusions perioperatively than patients undergoing PDS. This represents a potential opportunity for therapeutic intervention during NACT to correct anemia prior to interval debulking surgery.
Burn Care for Children

1. Robert L. Sheridan, MD* 1. *Burn Service, Boston Shriners Hospital for Children; Division of Burns, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Burn injuries are common in children. Management of these injuries and their consequences will be part of most busy general pediatric practices. Although most burns in children are small and can be managed with care provided in the outpatient setting, there is a significant number of children with more serious burn injuries whose acute and long-term management will involve a collaboration between the regional burn program and the child’s pediatrician. An understanding of the practice of outpatient small burn care is important. Also useful is a grasp of the concepts of inpatient burn care and long-term burn aftercare. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Understand the local and systemic physiologic changes caused by burns so that they can best understand therapeutic options. 2. Describe the essential components of outpatient care of small burns. 3. Grasp the essential components of inpatient care of more serious burns. 4. Develop an awareness that long-term physical and emotional outcomes can be enhanced through participation in burn aftercare programs that include scar management, burn-specific physical and occupational therapy, ready access to burn reconstruction, emotional counseling, and family and peer support. 5. Have an awareness of the nonburn conditions commonly treated in burn units. The first objective of this review is to familiarize the reader with the local and systemic changes caused by burns and relate these to the immediate and long-term practical needs of children who have experienced such injuries. The …
NEUTRON SCATTERING STUDY OF THE MAGNETIC TRANSITION IN THE REENTRANT SUPERCONDUCTOR Ho0.6Er0.4Rh4B4

Publisher Summary The pseudoternary system is a good testing ground for experimental and theoretical studies of re-entrant superconducting behavior. The specific heat anomalies and neutron-scattering results obtained for this system are of particular interest. HoRh4B4 becomes a ferromagnet at low temperatures, ordering directly from the paramagnetic normal state. In this chapter, most of the measurements are made using a pyrolytic graphite monochromator and an incident wavelength of 2.348A. Pyrolytic graphite filters are used to remove order contamination. Diffraction patterns are obtained with a Be monochromator, which made the measurement of additional reflections possible. The temperature was measured with a Ge resistor. The magnetic scattering intensity is proportional to the magnetic moment, as a fast rise in the magnetic intensity signifies a rapid increase in the ordered moment. A little hysteresis is found in the transition temperature, but hysteresis is also found in the magnetization that is developed at a given temperature. The fast rise in magnetic order at 3.60 K and the magnetization hysteresis suggest a first-order transition.
Turing's computable real numbers and why they are still important today

Although every undergraduate in computer science learns about Turing Machines, it is not well known that they were originally proposed as a means of characterizing computable real numbers. For a long time, formal verification paid little attention to computational applications that involve the manipulation of continuous quantities, even though such applications are ubiquitous. In recent years, however, there has been great interest in safety-critical hybrid systems involving both discrete and continuous behaviors, including autonomous automotive and aerospace applications, medical devices of various sorts, control programs for electric power plants, and so on. As a result, the formal analysis of numerical computation can no longer be ignored. In this talk, we focus on one of the most successful verification techniques, temporal logic model checking. Current industrial model checkers do not scale to handle realistic hybrid systems. We believe that the key to handling more complex systems is to make better use of the theory of the computable reals, and computable analysis more generally. We argue that new formal methods for hybrid systems should combine existing discrete methods in model checking with new algorithms based on computable analysis. In particular we discuss a model checker we are currently developing along these lines.
Waste Treatment Plant Support Program: Summaries of Reports Produced During Fiscal Years 1999-2010

The Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) being built on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site will be the largest chemical processing plant in the United States. Bechtel National Inc. (BNI) is the designer and constructor for the WTP. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has provided significant research and testing support to the WTP. This report provides a summary of reports developed initially under PNNL’s “1831” use agreement and later PNNL’s “1830” prime contract with DOE in support of the WTP. In March 2001, PNNL under its “1831” use agreement entered into a contract with BNI to support their research and testing activities. However, PNNL support to the WTP predates BNI involvement. Prior to March 2001, PNNL supported British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. in its role as overall designer and constructor. In February 2007, execution of PNNL’s support to the WTP was moved under its “1830” prime contract with DOE.
Comment on "Correlated z-values and the accuracy of large-scale statistical estimates" by Bradley Efron.

In a series of recent articles, Bradley Efron has pointed out that in large-scale multiple testing problems, the observed distribution of the test statistics often does not match the theoretical null distribution (Efron, 2004, 2007a,b, 2008). The correction, which he termed “empirical null”, has been a subject of controversy in the statistical community. In Efron (2007a), he made the case that, even when the theoretical model is correct, the observed distribution of the test statistics can look different from the theoretical null distribution simply because of correlation between the test statistics. Efron’s present article represents an important step forward in the understanding of this problem. As opposed to previous papers, where the the effect of correlation was treated within the context of multiple testing problems and false discovery rates, Efron’s present article breaks through the confusion by separating these two concepts and focusing on the core issue, which is the behavior of a large collection of correlated normal variables. Only then, as applications, he presents the implications for false discovery rate analysis when the correlated normal variables are z-scores in a large-scale multiple testing problem. I think this separation is crucial and helps get us nearer a new theory of inference for high-dimensional data. In what follows, I present my own interpretation of Efron’s results on how correlation affects the empirical distribution of normal variables. As a shortcut, I work in the countinous domain directly rather than with histogram bins and avoid the inclusion of unnecessary constraints such as normalization, which applies very specifically to microarray data. For simplicity, I assume all the variables are standard normal rather than belonging to a mixture model, but may have an arbitrary correlation structure. Using these results, I hope to answer the question raised in Efron (2007a) of whether large-scale correlation can substantially widen the observed histogram, as in Figure 1 in that paper and Efron’s current one. The theoretical arguments below indicate that this is unlikely. On the contrary, large-scale correlation has to be mostly positive in order to satisfy positive definite contraints, and as a result, correlation will most likely narrow and shift the observed histogram rather than widen it. An important implication is that a wide histogram may be an indication of the presence of true signal, rather than an artifact of correlation. Having a model for the observed distribution under correlation, I will suggest a new way of fitting an empirical null, which may be more appropriate in cases where the observed widening is larger than could be explained by correlation alone. I will conclude commenting briefly on the possibility of performing this kind of analysis with χ2 variates rather than normal. I will try to keep the notation close to that of Efron, but some discrepancies in notation will be inevitable.
Direct approaches to vascular lesions in the cavernous sinus via the medial triangle

Vascular lesions in the cavernous sinus were radically operated on under normal body temperature in a semi-sitting position which reduced pressure in the sinus. In this series of 17 cases of various kinds of vascular lesions in the cavernous sinus, the approach leads by a fronto-latero-basal craniotomy to the superior and lateral walls of the cavernous sinus. Via an ispilateral approach, the medial triangle in the superior wall was opened for repair of the vascular lesions of the C 3 and C 4 portions of the internal carotid artery, and Parkinson’s triangle in the lateral wall was opened for lesions of the C 5 portion. Via a contralateral approach, the medial side of the medial triangle was opened for clipping of the aneurysm originating from the medial wall of the C 3 portion. Both the ipsilateral and the contralateral approaches to the vascular lesions in the cavernous sinus are presented in this paper.
The Handiwork of Nature: Patentable Subject Matter and Laboratory Corporation v. Metabolite Labs

The patent statutes establish that any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof [can be patented.] Whereas, the wording of the statute is broad, it is nonetheless well-established that mathematical algorithms, laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas cannot be patented. The Supreme Court, in interpreting the patent statutes, has consistently held that such discoveries are not the kind of 'discoveries' that the statute was enacted to protect. In a recent Federal Circuit case, Metabolite Labs., Inc. v. Laboratory Corp. of Am. Holdings, the court held claim 13 of Metabolite's 4,940,658 patent valid. The claim has two limitations: [1] assaying a body fluid for an elevated level of total homocysteine; and [2] correlating an elevated level of total homocysteine in said body fluid with a [vitamin B] deficiency . . . . The Federal Circuit ruled that [t]he correlating step is a simple conclusion that a [vitamin B] deficiency exists vel non based on the assaying step. The court also found that every time a doctor orders any total homocysteine level assay, whether it is patented by Metabolite or is part of the prior art, and merely thinks about the natural relationship between elevated homocysteine level and vitamin B deficiencies, she directly infringes claim 13. The Supreme Court has granted certiorari on this case and should overturn the decision. As it stands, the ruling would set a precedent that those who discover laws of nature can obtain patents on methods comprising [1] collecting data related to a law of nature and [2] thinking about the law of nature. Such patents, especially when taken in aggregate, have the potential to stifle the practical application of science. Such a result would be antithetical to the patent system's goal of promotion of the useful arts. In this paper, I argue that Metabolite's claim 13 is unpatentable because it is drawn to a law of nature in view of Parker v. Flook and Diamond v. Diehr. I then argue that, even if claim 13 were not a patent on the law of nature, it precludes all practical use of the law of nature and therefore is unpatentable under Gottschalk v. Benson and Diamond v. Diehr. I further argue that claim 13 is unpatentable because it merely claims what the Funk Bros. Seed Co. v. Kalo Inoculant Co. and Diamond v. Chakrabarty courts termed the handiwork of nature.
Queer Anomalies: Reading Contemporary Argentinian Literature

This article contrasts the identity politics that took place in the last decades in Argentina with the passing of the Civil Marriage Law and Gender Identity Law with the literary imagination of tex...
Association of socioeconomic status with incidence and outcomes of gastric cancer in a Michigan cohort.

25Background: The purpose of this study is to examine the association between socioeconomic factors and gastric cancer (GC) outcome in a cohort of patients in Michigan. Methods: We reviewed data fo...
Chapter 2 – Acute and Chronic Inflammation Induces Disease Pathogenesis

The recognition of pathogenic insults can be accomplished by a number of mechanisms that function to initiate inflammatory responses and mediate clearance of invading pathogens. This initial response, when functioning optimally, will lead to minimal leukocyte accumulation and activation for the clearance of the inciting agent and have little effect on homeostatic function. However, often the inciting agent elicits a very strong inflammatory response, either due to host recognition systems or due to the agent's ability to damage host tissue. Thus, the host innate immune system mediates the damage and tissue destruction in an attempt to clear the inciting agent from the system. These initial acute responses can have long-term and even irreversible effects on tissue function. If the initial responses are not sufficient to facilitate the clearance of the foreign pathogen or material, the response shifts toward a more complex and efficient process mediated by lymphocyte populations that respond to specific residues displayed by the foreign material. Normally, these responses are coordinated and only minimally alter physiologic function of the tissue. However, in unregulated responses the initial reaction can become acutely catastrophic, leading to local or even systemic damage to the tissue or organs, resulting in degradation of normal physiologic function. Alternatively, the failure to regulate the response or clear the inciting agent could lead to chronic and progressively more pathogenic responses. Each of these potentially devastating responses has specific and often overlapping mechanisms that have been identified and lead to the damage within tissue spaces. A series of events take place during both acute and chronic inflammation that lead to the accumulation of leukocytes and damage to the local environment.
Evidence-Based Cardiovascular Risk Management in Diabetes.

Multipronged risk management in diabetes has contributed to the recent decline in cardiovascular mortality. Few antihyperglycemic drugs have been conclusively shown to have cardioprotective effects. These include metformin, liraglutide, semaglutide, dulaglutide, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors. Statins are the cornerstone of treatment for people with established coronary artery disease (CAD) or at risk of CAD. In patients with persistent low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels > 70 mg/dL, the addition of ezetimibe or proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors is recommended. In general, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers should be included in the treatment regimen. The goal is to have blood pressure 1 g/day). Aspirin antiplatelet therapy should be restricted for people with established CAD or those with multiple CAD risk factors. While antiobesity medications have a modest role in managing obesity, bariatric surgery in people with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities can substantially affect quality of life and may reduce cardiovascular risks. Prescribing therapeutic agents should take into consideration a variety of factors, including the patient’s preferences and the drug’s affordability, side effect profile, and proven cardiovascular benefit.
When groups experience conflict: intersection among undergraduates’ individual and group motivational goals, project commitment, and emotions

AbstractGiven the prevalence of group project assignments in college coursework, it is surprising that the extensive literature on achievement goal orientations has rarely included students’ experi...
Role of Hepatic Artery Infusion Pump Chemotherapy for Unresectable Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

Although liver metastasis develops in over half of patients with colorectal cancer, only 15–20% of these patients are resectable at presentation. Moreover, patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) who progress on first-line systemic chemotherapy have limited treatment options. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC), in combination with systemic chemotherapy, leverages a multimodality approach to achieving hepatic disease control and/or expanding resectability in patients with liver-dominant disease. Intra-arterial delivery of agents with high first-pass hepatic extraction (e.g., floxuridine [FUDR]) limits systemic toxicity and allows for administration of systemic chemotherapy at near-full doses. HAIC in conjunction with systemic chemotherapy augments response rates up to 92% in chemotherapy-naive, and up to 85% in pretreated, patients with unresectable CRLM. In turn, these responses translate into encouraging rates of conversion to resectability (CTR). Prospective trials of HAIC have reported CTR rates as high as 52% in heavily pretreated patients with extensive hepatic disease burden. As such, CTR is a compelling indication for liver-directed chemotherapy in this subset of patients. This chapter discusses the rationale for HAIC, evolution of rational combinations with systemic chemotherapy, contemporary evidence for CTR using HAIC and systemic chemotherapy, juxtaposition with CTR rates using systemic chemotherapy alone, and the morbidity and toxicity profiles of HAI chemotherapy. Finally, the argument is made for consideration of both earlier initiation of HAIC in chemotherapy-naive patients with unresectable CRLM and adoption of HAIC strategies to augment resectability rates in patients who have failed first-line systemic chemotherapy before proceeding to second-/third-line regimens.
Teaching and Learning the Skill of Intubation Using Telehealth Glasses

Abstract Background Endotracheal intubation using direct laryngoscopy is a fundamental skill for health care professionals who are tasked with the job of securing a patient's airway. Teaching this skill is often challenging because of the inability of a faculty member to share the same vantage point as the learner. The aim of this study was to determine feasibility and acceptability of the use of telehealth glasses to guide teaching the skill of endotracheal intubation. Method This study used a qualitative descriptive design through transcript analysis of open-ended survey questions completed by 14 nurse practitioner students in the Southeastern United States. Results Three categories emerged from the students’ responses regarding use of the telehealth glasses: advantages, disadvantages, and recommendations. Conclusions Although the findings were mixed, the researchers learned powerful lessons that could be helpful to educational researchers who would like to use a form of glasses.
Direction-optimizing label propagation and its application to community detection

Label Propagation, while more commonly known as a machine learning algorithm for classification, is also an effective method for detecting communities in networks. We propose a new Direction Optimizing Label Propagation Algorithm (DOLPA) that relies on the use of frontiers and alternates between label push and label pull operations to enhance the performance of the standard Label Propagation Algorithm (LPA). Specifically, DOLPA has parameters for tuning the processing order of vertices in a graph, which in turn reduces the number of edges visited and improves the quality of solution obtained. We apply DOLPA to the community detection problem, present the design and implementation of the algorithm, and discuss its shared-memory parallelization using OpenMP. Empirically, we evaluate our algorithm using synthetic graphs as well as real-world networks. Compared with the state-of-the-art Parallel Label Propagation algorithm, we achieve at least two times the F-Score while reducing the runtime by 50% for synthetic graphs with overlapping communities. We also compare DOLPA against state of the art parallel implementation of the Louvain method using the same graphs and show that DOLPA achieves about three times the F-Score at 10% the runtime.
Loss of Circadian Protection in Adults Exposed to Hyperoxia as Neonates

Adverse early life exposures having a lasting negative impact on health. For examples, neonatal hyperoxia which is a risk factor for chronic lung disease of prematurity or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) confers susceptibility to respiratory infections like Influenza A (IAV) later in life. Given our previous findings that the circadian clock exerts a protective effect on injury from IAV, we asked if the long-term impact of neonatal hyperoxia includes disruption of circadian rhythms. We show here that neonatal hyperoxia abolishes the circadian clock mediated time of day protection from IAV, not through the regulation of viral burden, but through host tolerance pathways. We further discovered that that this dysregulation is mediated through the intrinsic clock in the lung, rather than through central or immune system clocks. Loss of circadian protein, Bmal1, in AT2 cells of the lung recapitulates the increased mortality, loss of temporal gating and other key features of hyperoxia-exposed animals. Taken together, our data suggest a novel role for the circadian clock in AT2 clock in mediating long-term effects of early life exposures to the lungs.
Connected, intelligent, automated: the definitive guide to digital transformation and quality 4.0 (Book Review): Nicole Radziwill. 2020. Milwaukee, WI: Quality Press. 480 pages.

In her new book Connected, Intelligent, Automated quality and strategy expert Nicole Radziwill skillfully writes on the topic of effective digital transformation. Written for the practitioner and t...
Association between having a family member with dementia and perceptions of dementia preventability

One’s experience with dementia may affect their perceptions about dementia preventability, which in turn could influence preventive health behaviors. We aimed to examine how having a family history...
Missed cerebrovascular events during prolonged sedation for COVID-19 pneumonia

Cerebrovascular complications among critically ill patients with COVID-19 have yet to be fully characterized. In this retrospective case series from a single academic tertiary care referral center in New York City, we present 12 patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes that were found on imaging after a period of prolonged sedation in the setting of COVID-19 pneumonia. This series demonstrates a pattern of cerebrovascular events clinically masked by deep sedation required for management of COVID-19 related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Of the 12 patients included, 10 had ischemic stroke, 4 of which had hemorrhagic conversion, and 2 had primary intracerebral hemorrhage. Ten patients were on therapeutic anticoagulation prior to discovery of their stroke, and the remainder received intermediate dose anticoagulation (in a range between prophylactic and therapeutic levels). Additional studies are needed to further characterize the counterbalancing risks of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, as well as the optimal management of this patient population.
Large-scale association analysis of gene signatures links pathways, mechanisms, diseases, and drugs

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 5679 Several varieties of genome-scale analysis have been applied to the study of human biology and disease, including DNA microarrays used for global gene expression profiling. The Oncomine cancer profiling database represents a concerted effort to collect, standardize and analyze the global collection of cancer profiling data. In addition, researchers have profiled a wide variety of biological perturbations including drug treatments and the activated or repressed pathways. Here, we have attempted to collect and integrate all relevant gene signatures in the in the oncology knowledge space for large-scale association analysis. This work compares signatures representing thousands of cancer types and subtypes, biological perturbations, drug treatments, manually annotated pathways and protein interaction networks, predicted regulatory networks, gene ontologies and protein families. Our analysis integrates and builds upon Oncomine, the Connectivity Map and the work of the profiling and annotation communities to systematically connect pathways, mechanisms, diseases and drugs. We designated this project as the Molecular Concept Map, as the focus is on biological concepts that are represented by molecular signatures. First, we present an analysis of the Myc pathway, demonstrating that an in vitro Myc signature generated in mammary epithelial cells shares strong similarity with Myc signatures generated in alternative systems as well as disease subtypes with obvious Myc involvement, such as Ig-Myc positive lymphoma and n-Myc positive neuroblastoma. In addition, we identify a number of cancer types and subtypes displaying coordinate activation of the Myc pathway. Finally, we identified a class of compounds capable of indirectly repressing the Myc program in vitro, suggesting that such compounds could be used to treat the identified malignancies with Myc pathway activation. Second, we examined signatures of relapse in estrogen receptor (ER) positive and negative breast cancers. We found that distinct molecular concepts characterized ER+ and ER- tumors prone to relapse. The ER+ relapse-positive breast cancer signature was linked to cell cycle concepts, E2F and NF-Y promoter binding sites, 17q, 8q and 20q chromosome arms and inversely related to cell-cycle modulating compounds such as resveratrol. In contrast, the ER- relapse-positive breast cancer signature was linked to actin-binding genes, YY1 promoter binding sites, the Xp chromosome arm, the c-Src pathway and inversely related to valproic acid treatment, a histone deacetylase inhibitor. These analyses suggest that largely distinct pathways mediate relapse in ER- and ER+ tumors and furthermore suggest that different treatment strategies may be necessary.
Destino Manifiesto y el Sur más allá del Mississippi: las leyes naturales y la extensión de la esclavitud hacia México

Tema del articulo es la controversia acerca del expansionismo norteamericano en la posguerra de 1848. Se analizan las actitudes que prevalecian entre la poblacion del sur de los Estados Unidos hacia Mexico en dicha coyuntura, asi como los argumentos racistas, que se basaban en la “ley natural” y el destino manifiesto y que asignaban a los africanos el tropico como habitat natural. Los “surenos” se valieron de estos argumentos para continuar la expansion y con ellos justificaron la creencia de que la esclavitud debia extenderse hacia Mexico. El trabajo se basa en fuentes periodisticas de la epoca poco conocidas y de dificil acceso.
The Composition of Warm Giants in M 71 and M 5

In 1979 a disturbing controversy arose in the field of globular cluster research when Cohen (1980) and Pilachowski, Canterna, and Wallerstein (1980) announced the results of the first high dispersion studies of the composition of giants in the globular clusters M 71 and 47 Tucanae. In contrast to earlier studies, which found metallicities of typically -0.3 and -0.5 dex, these investigators obtained values of -1.3 and -1.1. Since then, many have attempted to redetermine the abundances of M 71 and 47 Tuc to explain the discrepant results. These efforts have all suffered from the absence of high signal-to-noise, high resolution spectra of stars with temperatures above 4300 K.
The Ice Giant Systems of Uranus and Neptune

The current state of knowledge of the Ice Giants, Uranus and Neptune, is presented. The changing appearance of the atmosphere of Uranus is discussed, and its current cloud patterns and zonal winds are reviewed. Highlights of recent uranian ring and satellite observations are presented, along with a brief discussion of the ionosphere as deduced from ground-based observations. For the Neptune system, the rapidly evolving atmosphere is assessed, with a discussion of the longterm record to put recent observations into context. Also discussed are advances in characterizing the clumpy ring system of Neptune. Remarkable changes in the atmosphere of Neptune’s moon Triton are described, and the ever-growing number of smaller satellites is reported. Concluding remarks include a synopsis of future exploration of these dynamic planetary systems.
Changes in fungi and mycotoxins in pearl millet under controlled storage conditions

Pearl millet is increasingly being grown as a premium-value grain for the recreational wildlife and poultry industries in the southern US. We conducted three experiments to assess grain mold development in storage conditions typically encountered in the region of production. Variables included production year, temperature, relative humidity, atmosphere, and grain moisture content. In the first experiment, grain was stored for 9 weeks at 20 or 25� C and maintained at 86% or 91% relative humidity (r.h.). In the second exper- iment, grain was stored for 9 weeks at 20 or 25� C in either air (aerobic) or N2 (anaerobic), and maintained at 100% r.h. In the third experiment, high-moisture grain was stored for 3 weeks at 20 or 25� C and maintained at 100% r.h. Grain was sampled at weekly intervals and plated to determine changes in fungal frequency. Fungi isolated included Fusarium chlamydosporum (19% of grain), Curvularia spp. (14%), F. semitectum (16%), Alternaria spp. (9%), Aspergillus flavus (8%), ''Helminthosporium''-type spp. (6%), and F. moniliforme sensu lato (3%). Year of grain production significantly affected isolation frequency of fungi. Isolation frequencies from low-moisture grain were rarely affected by temperature, relative humidity, or atmosphere treatments, but was affected by storage duration for some fungi. Changes in isolation of toxigenic fungi occurred in high-moisture grain. Isolation frequency of F. chlamydosporum increased in grain stored at 86% and 91% r.h. Incidence of A. flavus increased in high-moisture grain treatments, particularly at 25� C. Incidence of deoxynivalenol was not affected by storage treatment. Low concentrations of nivale- nol were detected in most grain incubated at 100% r.h. Zearalenone was detected only when grain moisture content was 20-22%. Aflatoxin contami- nation averaged 174 ng g 1 over all treatments, and increased up to 798 ng g 1 in high-moisture grain
Can we define a good teacher

(1976). Can we define a good teacher? Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 53, No. 3, pp. 201-207.
Pharmacological preconditioning with the adenosine triphosphate–sensitive potassium channel opener pinacidil

Abstract Background . Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) decreases infarct size after global or regional ischemia. Potassium channel openers also precondition but are subject to dose-limiting vasodilation. We compared the mechanical and electrophysiological effects of ischemic and pharmacological preconditioning in an isolated rabbit heart model. Methods . Rabbit hearts were preconditioned with either 10 μmol/L pinacidil alone (P−), 10 μmol/L pinacidil with 10 μmol/L phenylephrine (P+), or two cycles of global ischemia and reperfusion (IPC) before 1 hour of LAD occlusion. Left ventricular pressure, epicardial monophasic action potential duration (APD) and coronary flow were monitored throughout. Infarct size was determined at the end of reperfusion. Results . Regional ischemia uniformly decreased APD ( p p p = 0.001), whereas IPC and P+ did not. However, IPC and P− significantly decreased systolic function ( p p p Conclusions . Pinacidil presents a safe and effective alternative to IPC for preserving the heart during regional ischemia. Its coronary vasodilatory effects are safely and effectively reversed by the addition of phenylephrine.
Catalytic upgrading of lactic acid to fuels and chemicals by dehydration/hydrogenation and C–C coupling reactions

Aqueous solutions of lactic acid can be catalytically processed over Pt(0.1%)/Nb2O5 into a spontaneously-separating organic layer that can serve as source of valuable chemicals (propanoic acid and C4–C7 ketones) and/or can be used to produce high energy-density liquid fuels (C4–C7 alcohols). The niobia support plays a key role in the synthesis by catalyzing dehydration and C–C coupling reactions.
Comparative study of hydrothermal stability experiments: Application to simulated nuclear waste forms☆

Abstract The hydrothermal dissolution behavior of two simulated nuclear waste forms, a borosilicate glass and a tailored ceramic, was investigated by three types of high pressure apparatus: sealed gold capsules in cold seal pressure vessels, a rocking autoclave apparatus, and a fluid injection, flow-through type apparatus. Saturation of the solutions was observed in both cold seal and rocking autoclave apparatus which provide information about limiting solubilities, solid reaction products, and kinetic data near saturation. The flow-through system provides kinetic data at high undersaturations and gives the hydrothermal dissolution rates that are most comparable to leach rates determined with atmospheric pressure measurements.
Career Assessment and Psychological Impairment: Integrating Inter-Domain and Work Dysfunctions Theory

This article addresses issues of career assessment among individuals with psychological dysfunctions. It integrates the author's inter-domain (interest-ability-personality) theory of career assessment (Lowman, 1991) and his theory of work dysfunctions (Lowman, 1993, 1996) for purposes of career assessment and counseling with persons experiencing psychological problems. Hypotheses are generated consistent with the interaction of the two theories. Specifically, certain psychological conditions are predicted to be more commonly associated with particular occupational profiles. Implications for career assessment and counseling practice are suggested.
Large signal, power MOSFET switching times in PWM, zero-current-switched and zero-voltage-switched DC/DC converters

The large signal switching times of MOSFETs in pulse-width-modulated (PWM), zero-current-switched and zero-voltage-switched DC/DC converters contribute to higher losses at increased frequencies of operation. These switching times determine the high frequency limits of the converters. Simple and analytical expressions for these switching times are obtained and the results are verified against SPICE simulations. The important effect of the non-linear drain-to-source capacitance is accounted for. The expressions derived are design oriented, providing the switching times directly from the parameters of the device and its application.
Prodrug enzymes and their applications in image-guided therapy of cancer: tracking prodrug enzymes to minimize collateral damage

Many cytotoxic therapies are available to kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, these also inflict significant damage on normal cells. Identifying highly effective cancer treatments that have minimal or no side effects continues to be a major challenge. One of the strategies to minimize damage to normal tissue is to deliver an activating enzyme that localizes only in the tumor and converts a nontoxic prodrug to a cytotoxic agent locally in the tumor. Such strategies have been previously tested but with limited success due in large part to the uncertainty in the delivery and distribution of the enzyme. Imaging the delivery of the enzyme to optimize timing of the prodrug administration to achieve image-guided prodrug therapy would be of immense benefit for this strategy. Here, we have reviewed advances in the incorporation of image guidance in the applications of prodrug enzymes in cancer treatment. These advances demonstrate the feasibility of using clinically translatable imaging in these prodrug enzyme strategies.
Proposal of Metastable Spin-Polarized He as a Probe of Antiferromagnetic Transition Metal Oxide Surfaces

We suggest a new application for elastic scattering of a metastable spin-polarized atomic helium beam at thermal energy. We demonstrate how angle-resolved measurements of the Bragg peaks of scattered surviving metastable atoms can give information about the spin-ordering of an antiferromagnetic (AF) transition metal oxide surface. In this paper, we discuss the feasibility of such measurements for NiO(100) and MnO(100), based on available information about their electronic structure and the properties of spin-polarized metastable helium. On impact with a surface, the survival probability of metastables is generally very low (<10-2). There are two possible decay mechanisms for metastables, a resonance ionization followed by auger neutralization, or an auger de-excitation process. For AF surfaces which fulfill certain requirements on their electronic structure, spin-selection rules will inhibit the decay of the metastable atoms from a favourably aligned magnetic sublattice. The survival probability will then be dramatically enhanced from the chosen sublattice, and the coherently scattered surviving metastables will reflect the periodicity of that magnetic sublattice. In contrast to other methods currently applied to magnetic systems, this method does not rely on difference spectra. Consequently, reversal of spinorientation is not necessary for the observation of magnetic ordering.
The elephant trunk technique for staged repair of complex aneurysms of the entire thoracic aorta.

Background Extensive thoracic aortic aneurysms that involve the ascending, arch, and descending segments require challenging repairs associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this report is to evaluate contemporary outcomes after surgical repair of extensive thoracic aortic aneurysms using a two-stage approach with the elephant trunk technique. Methods During a 15½-year period, 148 consecutive patients underwent total aortic arch replacement using the elephant trunk technique. Seventy-six of these patients (51%, 76/148) returned for second-stage repair of the descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aorta 4.9 ± 7.5 months after the first stage. Results Operative mortality after the proximal aortic stage was 12% (18/148). Seven patients (5%) had strokes. Among the patients who subsequently underwent distal aortic repair, operative mortality was 4% (3/76). Two patients (3%) developed paraplegia. Long-term survival after completing the second stage of repair was 70 ± 6% at 5 years and 59 ± 7% at 8 years. Conclusions Contemporary management of extensive thoracic aortic aneurysms using the two-stage elephant trunk technique yields acceptable short-term and long-term outcomes. This technique remains an important component of the surgical armamentarium.
Flux measurements from a SWATH ship in SWADE

Abstract The Surface Wave Dynamics Experiment (SWADE) took place east of the U.S. Coast in the winter of 1990–1991. A major objective of the research program is to refine our understanding of the relationship between fluxes to the sea surface and the sea state as determined from directional wave spectra. Simultaneous measurements of turbulent fluxes of mass, momentum and energy between sea and air, with the directional wave spectra, were required to meet this objective. In this short article we describe the process of obtaining turbulent flux measurements from a small water-plane-area twin hull (SWATH) ship. We measured turbulent fluxes of momentum, heat and water vapor from a tall mast at the bow of the SWATH ship Frederick G. Creed by the eddy correlation method, while the ship was moving into the wind. Directional wave spectra were obtained from a wave staff array ahead of the bow of the ship. The motion of the ship was recorded and a coordinate rotation was performed for each data sample. After all instrument response and motion corrections have been accounted for, we compare our calculated turbulent fluxes with values computed from another standard method, viz. the inertial dissipation method. This approach is not susceptible to platform motion but relies on assumptions that are not always valid. However, the two methods agree on average within 12%, 20% and 31% for momentum, water vapor and heat fluxes, respectively.
Differential changes in ornithine aminotransferase self-affinity produced by exposure to basic amino acids and increases in the intrinsic electronegativity of the enzyme monomer

Abstract In a previous study we showed that ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) exhibits concentration-dependent self-association in two stages (45,000 Mr monomers aggregate to form 140,000–150,000 Mr trimers; the trimers then aggregate to form higher-molecular-weight complexes). In an attempt to characterize further the molecular mechanisms involved in OAT aggregation, the present study examined the effects of basic amino acids and keto acids on the aggregation process. These experiments showed that basic amino acids (ornithine and lysine) inhibit the association of monomers to form trimers, apparently by interaction with carboxyl groups on the surfaces of the monomers. The aggregation of trimers to form higher-molecular-weight assemblies is not affected by basic amino acids, and neither aggregation stage is affected by the keto acids, α-ketoglutarate, or oxaloacetate. We also found that two different OAT preparations (one fresh, the other 18 months old) differed in aggregation characteristics; the older preparation showed reduced self-affinity at both aggregation stages, but both preparations had similar catalytic efficiencies. Electrophoretic studies indicated that the older preparation contained variants of the enzyme monomer with greater electronegativity than did the fresh preparation. We conclude, therefore, that OAT purification exposes ionically labile but catalytically insignificant domains on the monomer surface, and the loss of positively charged groups from such regions diminishes the OAT aggregation potential.
The introduction and recovery in the United States of Anaphes diana (Hym.: Mymaridae), an egg parasite of Sitona weevils (Col.: Curculionidae).

Anaphes diana (Girault) (=Patasson lameerei Debauche), a mymarid egg parasite ofSitona spp., was introduced from Europe beginning in 1976 and is now tentatively established in the United States. Techniques are described for the separation of eggs ofSitona spp. from soil, using a series of fine-mesh sieves, water, and a saturated salt solution. Data from 9 years of sampling in an alfalfa field at Newark, Del. (>19,300 host eggs extracted), showed that the mean peak density of viable overwintering eggs ofSitona hispidulus (F.) was 14.6 per 100 cm3 of 1 cm deep surface soil. At the study site,Sitona egg densities consistently increased during the fall as a result of oviposition, peaked during January and February and decreased during the spring as a result of egg hatch. Although the incidence of parasitism byA. diana remained surprisingly low (0.29%), the fact that the species was recovered during 3 years and up to 7 years after the last release, indicates that it has colonized at the Delaware release site.
Measurement of the Phase of the CP -Nonconservation Parameter η + − and the K S Total Decay Rate

The interference of ${K}_{S}$ and ${K}_{L}$ in the decay ${K}_{S,L}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ has been studied by use of the ${K}_{S}$ regeneration technique. With utilization of the results for the regeneration phase presented in the preceding Letter, the phase of ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{+\ensuremath{-}}$ has been determined as a function of the ${K}_{L}\ensuremath{-}{K}_{S}$ mass difference: ${\ensuremath{\phi}}_{+\ensuremath{-}}=(45.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})+120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\frac{(\ensuremath{\Delta}m\ensuremath{-}0.5348)}{\ensuremath{\Delta}m}$. The data also provide an accurate measurement of the ${K}_{S}$ total decay rate: ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{S}=[(1.122\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004)+0.16\frac{(\ensuremath{\Delta}m\ensuremath{-}0.5348)}{\ensuremath{\Delta}m}]\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{10}$ ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.
Synthesis of Binaphthyl-Oligothiophene Copolymers with Emissions of Different Colors: Systematically Tuning the Photoluminescence of Conjugated Polymers

Copolymers of 1,1-binaphthyl and oligothiophenes have been synthesized by using the Suzuki coupling reaction. These polymers are soluble in organic solvents such as chloroform and THF. The higher molecular weight polymers have shown high thermal stability. These binaphthylthiophene copolymers have well-defined conjugation that is independent of their polymer chain length. With the increase of the number of thiophene units in the repeating unit, both the absorption and emission wavelengths of these polymers undergo a red shift. Materials that can emit different intense colors have been obtained. This study demonstrates that the luminescence properties of binaphthyl-based conjugated polymers can be systematically tuned.
Active life expectancy estimates for the U.S. elderly population: A multidimensional continuous-mixture model of functional change applied to completed Cohorts, 1982–1996

An increment-decrement stochastic-process life table model that continuously mixes measures of functional change is developed to represent age transitions among highly refined disability states interacting simultaneously with mortality. The model is applied to data from the National Long Term Care Surveys of elderly persons in the years 1982 to 1996 to produce active life expectancy estimates based on completed-cohort life tables. At ages 65 and 85, comparisons with extant period estimates for 1990 show that our active life expectancy estimates are larger for both males and females than are extant period estimates based on coarse disability states.