cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seeds of hope: blossoms of meaning.

Susan Bauer-Wu, DNSc, RN, is the director of Research in Nursing and Patient Care Services at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. As the recipient of the 2005 ONS Foundation Mara Mogensen Flaherty Memorial Lectureship, Bauer-Wu presented this article at the Oncology Nursing Society 30th Annual Congress in Orlando, FL. Bauer-Wu is the 24th recipient of this lectureship, which recognizes a healthcare provider who has made a substantial contribution to the psychosocial aspects of cancer care.
Exploring the Limits of Autonomy

Abstract Background: The ethical principle of autonomy is explored as it applies to situations in which patients' capacities to make decisions are questionable. Case Report: A 40-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with an epidural hematoma, and refused to undergo emergent surgical treatment. Considering the acutely life-threatening nature of his problem and the inability to confirm the patient's capacity in the presence of a traumatic brain injury, the decision was made to proceed with emergent surgical treatment without consent. Discussion: The concept of conditional autonomy is introduced, defined, and employed to defend the process whereby a select group of patients may be treated without full knowledge of their wishes.
Hardened Subtidal Stromatolites, Bahamas

Hardened, high-relief stromatolites have been discovered along the margins of some Bahamian platforms. They occur in high-energy (tidal) oolitic sand environments in waters ranging in depth from about 1 to 5 meters. Physical stress produced by actively migrating bed forms of oolitic sand appears to exclude grazing gastropods and subsequent community successions, permitting stromatolite growth.
Some implications of an intensity measure of envy

This article proposes a cardinal or an intensity measure of interpersonal envy by directly measuring the distance between the envied person's consumption bundle and the envious person's equilibrium indifference curve. The individual's intensity of envy is aggregated to form a social envy index, which in turn is combined with the Pareto criterion to form a social choice rule. This social choice rule generates a non-empty choice set with the fair set (envy-free and Pareto efficient social states) as a proper subset of the choice set. The intensity measure of envy is then applied to the Rawlsian problem of the “worst-off” person. It turns out that the person with the greatest envy need not be the poorest person. Finally, it is shown that if individuals have homothetic and identical preferences the measure of envy collapses into a measure of income inequality. This measure of income inequality satisfies soem appealing axioms.
DC Slice Imaging of CH3Cl Photolysis at 193.3 nm

The DC slice imaging method is used to record energy- and angle-resolved distributions for both ground-state Cl (2P3/2) and spin−orbit excited Cl* (2P1/2) photofragments produced from the A-band photolysis of CH3Cl at 193.3 nm. The dissociation is found to be highly impulsive, with ∼90% of the available energy being released into translation. The angular distributions are predominantly perpendicular in the case of both the ground state and spin−orbit excited chlorine atom fragments, as characterized by recoil-energy averaged values of β = −0.46 and β* = −0.74 respectively, although we find considerable variation in both channels as a function of CH3 internal energy. In contradiction with previous measurements, we conclude that the transition to the 1Q1 state dominates much of the A-band profile, and this has significant implications for the description of the dissociation dynamics. Our findings are rationalized in terms of similar measurements performed with other methyl halides and their H atom substitut...
Hypo-osmotic challenge stimulates transepithelial K+ secretion and activates apical IsK channel in vestibular dark cells.

Volume regulation of vestibular dark cells from the gerbilline inner ear in response to a hypoosmotic challenge depends on the presence of cytosolic K+ and Cl−. The present study addresses the questions: (i) whether and by what mechanism K+ is released during volume regulation, (ii) whether the osmolarity of the basolateral medium has an effect on the steady-state rate of transepithelial K+ transport and (iii) whether there is cross-talk between the basolateral membrane responsible for K+ uptake and the apical membrane responsible for K+ release. K+ secretion \((J_{{\text{K}}^{\text{ + }} ,{\text{probe}}} )\) and current density (Isc,probe) were measured with vibrating probes in the vicinity of the apical membrane and the transepithelial potential (Vt) and resistance (Rt) were measured in a micro-Ussing chamber. The equivalent short-circuit current (Isc) was calculated. The current (IIsK), conductance (gIsK) and inactivation time constant (τIsK) of the IsK channel and the apparent reversal potential of the apical membrane (Vr) were obtained with the cell-attached macropatch technique. Vrwas corrected (Vrc) for the membrane voltage (Vm) measured separately with microelectrodes. A hypo-osmotic challenge (294 to 154 mosm by removal of 150 mm mannitol) on the basolateral side of the epithelium increased \(J_{K^{\text{ + }} ,{\text{probe}}} \) and Isc,probe by a factor of 2.7 and 1.6. When this hypo-osmotic challenge was applied to both sides of the epithelium Vtand Isc increased from 5 to 14 mV and from 189 to 824 μA/cm2 whereas Rtdecreased from 27 to 19 Ω-cm2. With 3.6 mm K+ in the pipette IIsK was outwardly directed, τIsK was 267 msec and the hypo-osmotic challenge caused IIsK and gIsK to increase from 14 to 37 pA and from 292 to 732 pS. Vrc hyperpolarized from −44 to −76 mV. With 150 mm K+ in the pipette IIsK was inwardly directed, τIsK was 208 msec and the hypo-osmotic challenge caused IIsK and gIsK to increase in magnitude from 0 to −21 pA and from 107 to 1101 pS. Vrc remained unchanged (−2 vs. 1 mV). These data demonstrate that a hypo-osmotic challenge stimulates transepithelial K+ secretion and activates the apical IIsK channel. The hypoosmotically-induced increase in K+ secretion exceeded the estimated amount of K+ release necessary for the maintenance of constant cell volume, suggesting that the rate of basolateral K+ uptake was upregulated in the presence of the hypo-osmotic challenge and that cross-talk exists between the apical membrane and the basolateral membrane.
Relationship of stomatal resistance to sulfur dioxide and ozone injury in grapevines

Abstract Both SO 2 and O 3 were found to induce stomatal closure in grape leaves ( Vitis labrusca L., cv. ‘Ives’). Vines treated with 0.5 p.p.m. O 3 , in the absence of SO 2 , for 2 hours, had a stomatal resistance approximately 30% higher than plants treated with filtered air. Vines treated with 0.5 p.p.m. SO 2 , in the absence of O 3 , for 2 hours, had a stomatal resistance approximately 190% higher than plants treated with filtered air. The interaction between the 2 pollutants did not significantly alter stomatal response. In vines treated with a mixture of 0.5 p.p.m. O 3 and 0.5 p.p.m. SO 2 , correlation of vine injury with changes in stomatal resistance revealed 2 separate forms of resistance to pollutant injury, a resistance to SO 2 injury correlated with stomatal closure during pollutant exposure, and a resistance to O 3 injury correlated with greater stomatal opening prior to pollutant exposure.
Possible role of H1 histone in replication timing

AT-rich repetitive DNA sequences become late replicating during cell differentiation. Replication timing is not correlated with LINE density in human cells (Ryba et al. 2010). However, short and properly spaced runs of oligo dA or dT present in nuclear matrix attachment regions (MARs) of the genome are good candidates for elements of AT-rich repetitive late replicating DNA. MAR attachment to the nuclear matrix is negatively regulated by chromatin binding of H1 histone, but this is counteracted by H1 phosphorylation, high mobility group proteins or, indirectly, core histone acetylation. Fewer MAR attachments correlates positively with longer average DNA loop size, longer replicons and an increase of late replicating DNA.
Hybrid Methods To Compute Image Moments

Three hybrid optical/digital methods for computing the geometric moments are reviewed. These methods have an optical processor producing the transform of the input image and a digital processor computing the various spatial derivatives of the observed optical transform intensity. Algorithms are provided to obtain the geometric moments from these various derivatives.
2-pass crossassembler for the 8080 microprocessor

Abstract Systems and applications software for microcomputer systems are in relatively early stages of development. Because of this, there is a need for making available as early as possible tools which can enable software at the microlevel to incorporate a high degree of structure, providing for ease of understanding for testing, maintenance and modification. The use of control structure primitives such as the DO WHILE, DO UNTIL and IF-THEN-ELSE is known to contribute to the accomplishment of these goals. The 8080 crossassembler presented incorporates these structures, thus providing the convenience of direct implementation of algorithms utilizing these structures into the microcomputer environment.
Glutathione and bile acid synthesis. II. Effect of hepatic glutathione content on the activity and mRNA levels of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase in the rat

Hepatic cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CH-7 alpha) activity in intact rats depleted of glutathione (GSH) was reduced significantly (P < 0.007) compared with that in untreated controls. Northern blot analysis of poly A+ mRNA isolated from GSH-depleted and control rat livers showed that there was a reduction in mRNA for CH-7 alpha in treated rats that was commensurate with the reduction in CH-7 alpha activity. The fact that the level of transferrin mRNA was unaltered by the depletion of GSH suggests that the change in steady-state CH-7 alpha mRNA content is specifically sensitive to GSH content. This observation extends previous in vitro findings and provides strong justification for a more detailed biochemical investigation into the interaction between GSH levels and the regulation of CH-7 alpha mRNA levels.
Occurrence of Lymphedema Continues To Increase Twelve to Thirty Months after Breast Cancer Treatment.

Introduction:Breast cancer (BC) survivors are at lifetime risk for developing lymphedema (LE), the accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the interstitial spaces of the affected body part due to a blockage or malfunction in the lymph system. This is different than swelling which may occur immediately after surgery and may be present at the post-op visit, and the physical and psychological aspects of the condition greatly impact the daily lives of LE patients (Geller et al., 2003, Hull, 1998). Of those affected by breast cancer, up to 40% will develop LE, potentially comprising 1 to 5 million survivors. However, all breast cancer survivors are considered at risk for the condition (American Cancer Society, 2007).While numerous studies have reported LE incidence during the first 12 months following breast cancer treatment, little is known regarding long-term LE diagnosis. Very few studies have examined LE incidence past 1 year post-treatment, and many that have are retrospective or cross-sectional, not prospective, in nature. In fact, in one analysis of existing literature the study with the shortest follow-up (12 months) reported the lowest LE incidence (Ball et al., 1992) and the study with the longest follow-up (11 years) reported the highest incidence (Schunemann and Willich, 1997).Methods:Participants were enrolled following diagnosis of BC but before treatment and followed every 3 months for 12 months, then every 6 months until 2.5 years post-surgery. Limb volume changes (LVC) were measured using: (a) circumferences via tape measure at 4 cm intervals, (b) infra-red laser perometry, and (c) symptom experience (SS) via interview. Four diagnostic criteria for LE were used: (i) 2 cm circumferential change; (ii) 200 mL perometry LVC; (iii) 10% perometry LVC; and (iv) report of limb heaviness/swelling, 9now9 or 9in the past year9. Standard survival analysis methods were applied to identify when the LE criteria were met.Results:At 30 months post-treatment, LE incidence using the four criteria ranged from 41%- 91% and had continued to increase over time, with 2 cm being the highest estimation method and SS the lowest.Conclusions:These preliminary findings provide additional evidence that BC survivors continue to be at risk for developing LE beyond the first year following treatment. LE identification, regardless of the criteria used, continued to increase past the initial 12 months post-treatment. From month 12 to month 30, LE identification increased by an additional 10-27%, depending on the criteria used. While identification of LE via symptom experience in the initial 12 months occurred in 31% of participants, only an additional 10% met the criteria at 30 months, by far the lowest incidence rate among all criteria. Overall, this analysis finds 2 cm criteria as the most liberal definition of LE (91%), while self-report of heaviness and swelling, along with 10% LVC, represent the most conservative definitions (41% and 45%, respectively). Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 2070.
A plasmapheresis protocol for refractory pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung disease characterized by the accumulation of proteinaceous material within the lungs. While typically managed with whole lung lavage (WLL), more recent PAP therapies aimed at reducing granulocyte–macrophage colony stimulating factor autoantibodies (anti-GM-CSF) have reduced symptoms and improved lung function. We present a patient with PAP refractory to WLL, exogenous GM-CSF and rituximab who underwent a novel plasmapheresis protocol as a therapeutic trial. While previously reported regimens have utilized plasmapheresis sessions distributed over months, our patient underwent five consecutive days of plasmapheresis, followed by rituximab. Anti-GM-CSF levels decreased from 24.8 to 2.7 mcg/mL post-plasmapheresis. This reduction of autoantibody correlated with reduction in WLL frequency, increase in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, and subjective improvement in dyspnea. Our case suggests that five consecutive days of plasmapharesis results in increased clearance of anti-GM-CSF and may be potentially efficacious in cases of refractory PAP.
Serotonergic Hallucinogens and Emerging Targets for Addiction Pharmacotherapies

Only time will tell if serotonergic hallucinogen-assisted psychotherapy treatment paradigms for SUDs will prove to be safe and effective in double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. If they are, they would truly constitute a novel psychopharmacologic-psychosocial treatment paradigm to treat addictive disorders, although the risk of adverse psychological events would have to be controlled through a careful screening process and the risk of misuse of the substances or developing use syndromes would have to be considered, although the overall risk would be low because, as mentioned, SHs are unlike all other drugs of abuse in that they do not appear to produce dependence syndromes. There effects on the NA and DA range from inhibition to slight activation, all this without producing addiction. The ability of these medicinal tools to treat a range of addictive, psychiatric, and existential disorders is remarkable in scope and possibility. They truly represent a potential paradigmatic shift within the field of psychiatry, too interesting to not explore further.
Three Dimensional Modelling Of HV Systems

The Numerical Electromagnetics Code (NEC) is applied to frequency-domain modelling of HV systems. This application results in an improved model in comparison with the lumped-distributed approach. The new model not only takes into account the geometry of each individual piece of apparatus but also includes the effect of coupling between different components of the HV system. The model additionally incorporates the effects of parasitic elements such as the inductance of a resistive divider or ground plane losses. The limitations and capabilities of the user-oriented implementation of the NEC in the analysis of HV systems are presented by modelling a few of the following problems: the electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by discharging an RV impulse generator, the transfer function of a resistive divider, and the electromagnetic (EM) field distribution of a resistive divider.
Design of a telescope control system interface

A telescope control system interface provides a means of communication between a telescope and its operator. This communication link has historically been unfriendly to the average user, often relying upon very basic graphics, text-based screens, or command-line interfaces.In this paper, we present a design for the telescope control system interface using graphical technology. Specifically, we intend to code an application in C++ that employs the OpenGL application programming interface. By taking graphical tools often used for video games and applying them to our user interface, we are able to present information in an aesthetically pleasing manner that is intuitive, concise, and flexible. When fully implemented, our interface will allow operators to control a telescope precisely by using visual cues.
Interaction of DNA polymerase and nucleotide analog triphosphates.

Abstract The properties of virus and host DNA polymerases are important factors in determining the selectivity of deoxynucleotide analogs used in antiviral chemotherapy. The high affinity of herpes DNA polymerase for nucleotide analogs may be particularly important in CMV and EBV-infected cells, since these viruses do not induce the synthesis of a virus-specified thymidine kinase. In general, the effect of nucleotide analog incorporated into DNA may be summarized as follows: analogs with modifications at the base moiety do not affect the rate of DNA chain elongation whereas those modified at the sugar moiety will inhibit the rate of chain elongation. ACGTP and DHPGTP competitively inhibit incorporation of dGTP into DNA; however, steric freedom of the acyclic phosphate may allow these nucleotides to bind virus enzyme in a conformation similar to that assumed by dGTP only at the transitional stage of the enzyme reaction. This may explain the high affinity of virus enzyme for these inhibitors. The interaction of aphidicolin with virus enzyme differs from that with host enzyme. These differences suggest new strategies for antiviral chemotherapy using aphidicolin derivatives.
Pitfalls in dosing vancomycin.

Abstract Background Vancomycin is a frequently used antibiotic for the treatment of methicillin-resistant gram-positive bacteria. Newer guidelines suggest dosing vancomycin to achieve a trough concentration between 15 and 20 mg/L. Achieving this higher concentration requires greater doses of the antibiotic. Even when using a nomogram, these higher doses often result in excessively elevated trough levels and increase the risk for vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury. We undertook this quality improvement project to better understand the reasons contributing to a toxic vancomycin trough level. Methods Over a 9-month period, we examined all vancomycin trough concentrations greater than 25 mg/L to determine their cause. Results Fifty-four elevated levels were identified in 38 patients. In 47 instances, adequate data were available for analysis. We could classify the etiology of the excessive levels into 4 groups: (1) incorrect timing of the blood collection, (2) improper dosing, (3) changing renal function and (4) abnormal pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. Conclusions Educational programs could correct the first 3 problems. However, only more frequent therapeutic drug monitoring or use of another, less toxic, antibiotic would remedy the last one.
Interaction of Sonic Booms with Isolated and Multiple Buildings

The sonic boom an aircraft generates when it travels faster than the speed of sound is the last environmental obstacle to the economic viability and widespread development of a commercial supersonic transport. One important aspect to consider in this problem is the impact of sonic booms at the ground level, and in particular their interactions with buildings. With this objective in mind, acoustic data was collected at Virginia Tech around and on the exterior surfaces of a simplified building structure exposed to simulated sonic booms, where an explosive technique was used to generate the desired pressure waveforms. These experiments were simulated with a three-dimensional numerical model by combining the image-source method for the reflected field with an extension of the Biot-Tolstoy-Medwin method for the diffracted field. This numerical model is verified against a boundary element solution and validated against experimental data. The key advantages of this modeling approach are pointed out such as the a...
National Estimates of Antidepressant Medication Use among U.S. Children, 1997-2002.

Objective A threefold increase in the use of antidepressants has been reported among children (18 years old and younger) between 1987 (0.3%) and 1996 (1.0%). The aim of this study was to determine whether pediatric use of antidepressants continued to rise at a national level during the period 1997-2002. Method The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) database for the years 1997-2002 was analyzed. The MEPS is a yearly survey of a nationally representative sample of civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. households, conducted by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Overall response rate ranged between 64% and 68%. Results An estimated 1.4 million (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-1.7) children received antidepressant medication in 2002 as compared to 0.9 million (95% CI 0.7-1.2) in 1997 (p = .01). The percentage of users increased from 1.3% (95% CI 0.9-1.6) in 1997 to 1.8% (95% CI 1.5-2.1) in 2002 (p Conclusions Nationwide, the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant medications continued to increase in adolescents in the late 1990s and until the year 2000, with no further increase through 2002, and remained stable in prepubertal children.
Pyruvate potentiates beta-adrenergic inotropism of stunned guinea-pig myocardium.

Abstract This study tested the hypotheses that the sensitivity of stunned myocardium to β -adrenergic stimulation is diminished, and that metabolic intervention with pyruvate can restore β -adrenergic responsiveness to pre-ischemic levels. Isolated working guinea-pig hearts metabolizing 10 m M glucose were stunned by 45 min of low flow ischemia, and pyruvate and/or isoproterenol treatments were initiated 15 and 30 min after reperfusion, respectively. The dose:response for cardiac power from 0.1–100 n M isoproterenol was significantly shifted to the right in stunned hearts: EC 50 (n M ) increased from 0.3±0.06 to 5.2±1.86. Pyruvate (5 m M ) largely restored isoproterenol responsiveness of stunned myocardium, lowering EC 50 to 1.1±0.34 n M . Maximum power was similar in each group. Additional stunned hearts were treated with intermediate (2 n M ) or high (30 n M ) isoproterenol concentrations with or without pyruvate. Combining treatments produced a significant interaction at the low dose of isoproterenol, increasing cardiac power (mJ·min −1 ·g −1 ) to 149±20, twice the sum of the individual treatments (2 n M isoproterenol: 34±11; pyruvate: 33±8). Cyclic AMP content was unaltered by isoproterenol or pyruvate alone but was increased 41% by the combination. Power was maximized by 30 n M isoproterenol, which tripled cyclic AMP content; pyruvate did not augment these responses, but lessened the isoproterenol-induced decline in cytosolic phosphorylation potential. Conclusions: β -adrenergic inotropism is attenuated in stunned myocardium, although the maximal response is unchanged. Pyruvate potentiated the effects of sub-maximal doses of isoproterenol without depleting cellular energy reserves further, and attenuated energy depletion by high doses of isoproterenol. Pyruvate may allow restoration of contractile performance with lower, energetically less costly doses of β-adrenergic agents.
The Nomination of Hubert Humphrey for Vice-President

T HE NOMINATION of Hubert Humphrey as the 1964 Democratic candidate for Vice-President constituted one of the most unusual incidents in recent political history. It was achieved through an active campaign, but one of limited public involvement. Humphrey's designation was achieved ostensibly through the deliberate choice of one individual, Lyndon Johnson, but only after an extensive effort to direct his choice to the Minnesota Senator. All of the participants in the decision were greatly influenced by the presence of Robert Kennedy, who was not even a candidate by the time of the Atlantic City convention. Moreover, the Vice-Presidential nominating contest was remarkable in that it existed at all. The office involved is one which has been the object of ridicule for almost all of American history. The common evaluation of the "second counsel" was most bitingly expressed by the famous Mr. Dooley:
Testing the messinian salinity crisis biodynamically: An introduction

Abstract The discovery of thousands of cubic kilometers of evaporites of Messinian age in the Mediterranean has posed the question of the effects of their formation on the evolution of the biologic systems that were present. Did the Tethyan faunas survive the “salinity crisis” whole or in part; or did new allopatric faunas repopulate the Mediterranean? Were there noticeable changes in rates of evolution, or in the developments of new adaptive forms — as compared to “normal” rates outside in the normal oceans? Even more fundamentally, how do faunas react to crises and the subsequent normalization in events of such magnitude, and yet short duration? To begin, to answer some of these questions of how and why biologic change occurred during the crisis, if indeed it did, the problem of demonstrating faunal continuity or discontinuity was proposed to several micropaleontologist colleagues. They have responded in the papers of this volume and their answers form the first approximations of a biodynamic model of the crisis. If short of the goal of a complete model, their answers will help others view and attack the problem better or perhaps differently.
An investigation of finding and refinding information on the web

Refinding electronic information is a common problem, yet it has received less study than the problem of how to find information for the first time. In this dissertation, I examine how people approach tasks to refind information they have seen on the Web and factors that may affect refinding. I conducted a controlled, laboratory study in which participants participated in two sessions: one to find information for a set of 18 tasks and a second session, about a week later, to attempt a set of counterpart refinding tasks. Results indicate that finding and refinding do have differences, but not for all types of tasks. The use of Web search engines was not observed to change significantly from the first session to the second. However, for tasks that participants were more familiar with, search engines were used less. Tasks that involved refinding a subset of the information that was found in the first session took longer to complete and were perceived as more difficult. Participants often went directly to known resources on the Web to start their searches. These sets of known resources included many on-line counterparts of paper resources such as telephone directories, dictionaries, and newspapers. For many tasks, participants used the same starting strategy to refind the information that they used find it, indicating strong patterns of access. This work contributes to the base of knowledge about how people refind information and the factors that affect refinding. It also contributes to the research field of information refinding and personal information management by identifying dimensions and factors that affect refinding. The results reported have implications for the design of Web sites and information repositories, the design of tools to help users find and refind information, and for the research community studying personal information management.
Integrative taxonomy and phylogeny-based species delimitation of Philippine water monitor lizards (Varanus salvator Complex) with descriptions of two new cryptic species.

We describe two new species of morphologically cryptic monitor lizards (genus Varanus) from the Philippine Archipelago: Varanus dalubhasa sp. nov. and V. bangonorum sp. nov. These two distinct evolutionary lineages are members of the V. salvator species complex, and historically have been considered conspecific with the widespread, northern Philippine V. marmoratus. However, the new species each share closer phylogenetic affinities with V. nuchalis (and potentially V. palawanensis), than either does to one another or to V. marmoratus. Divergent from other recognized species within the V. salvator Complex of water monitors by as much as 3.5% pairwise genetic distance, these lineages are also distinguished by unique gular coloration, metrics of body size and scalation, their non-monophyly with “true” V. marmoratus, and insular allopatric distributions, suggesting biogeographically distinct and unique evolutionary histories. We compare the new species with the most geographically proximate and phenotypically relevant lineages. Although we show that these new taxa are nearly indistinguishable morphologically from V. marmoratus, both species can be readily distinguished from their closest relatives (each’s respective sister taxon, V. palawanensis and V. nuchalis ) by traditional morphological characters. Our findings underscore the high herpetological diversity and biogeographical complexity of vertebrates in the Philippines, and further emphasize the need for detailed study of species-level diversity, mechanisms of reproductive isolation, gene flow, and biologically relevant boundaries between taxa within the V. salvator Complex.
Retrievable stents, “stentrievers,” for endovascular acute ischemic stroke therapy

Endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke continues to evolve to improve both efficacy and safety. In the late 1990 s, intra-arterial chemical thrombolysis with prourokinase was shown to be effective in achieving partial recanalization and improving clinical outcome, in comparison with intra-arterial heparin administration. However, this was at the expense of an increase in the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage to 10%. To improve the rate of recanalization, expand the time window, and reduce the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, mechanical thrombectomy was introduced, with initial approval of the Merci clot retriever, a corkscrew-like device, and then more recently with approval of the Penumbra thromboaspiration system. Both devices are associated with a high rate of recanalization (total, partial, and complete). However, time to recanalization was on average 45 minutes, with a low rate of complete clot resolution, given that the majority of patients achieved only partial recanalization. More recently, retrievable stents have shown promise in reducing the time to recanalization, and they achieve a higher rate of complete clot resolution with improved feasibility. The retrievable stent can be opened within the clot to engage it within the stent struts, and subsequently it is retrieved by pulling it under flow arrest. The retrievable stents provide a new tool in the armamentarium of devices that can be used to achieve safe and timely clot removal. This review provides the historical evolution of endovascular therapy to use of stentreivers.
Constitutional Consequentialism: Bargain Democracy versus Median Democracy

Depending on how people respond to it, a constitution can cause suffering on a vast scale or lay the foundation for a nation’s liberty, prosperity, and equality. As currently practiced, constitutional theory and interpretation especially concern the meaning, history, and philosophy of constitutional texts. These approaches cannot predict the responses of people to constitutions. Constitutional consequentialism, which I advocate, is a research program that aims to predict the effect of alternative forms and interpretations of constitutions on policy values, especially liberty, prosperity, and equality. This paper discusses two constitutional processes. “Median democracy,” which empowers the median voter, is implemented by referenda and ballot initiatives, special districts (water district, school board, etc.), and winner-take-all elections. “Bargain democracy,” which lubricates bargaining among factions and regions, is implemented by legislatures, comprehensive governments, and proportional representation. I show that median democracy causes stability, whereas bargain democracy ideally causes efficiency and often causes corruption or instability.
A Study Assessing the Potential of Negative Effects in Interdisciplinary Math-Biology Instruction.

There is increasing enthusiasm for teaching approaches that combine mathematics and biology. The call for integrating more quantitative work in biology education has led to new teaching tools that improve quantitative skills. Little is known, however, about whether increasing interdisciplinary work can lead to adverse effects, such as the development of broader but shallower skills or the possibility that math anxiety causes some students to disengage in the classroom, or, paradoxically, to focus so much on the mathematics that they lose sight of its application for the biological concepts in the center of the unit at hand. We have developed and assessed an integrative learning module and found disciplinary learning gains to be equally strong in first-year students who actively engaged in embedded quantitative calculations as in those students who were merely presented with quantitative data in the context of interpreting biological and biostatistical results. When presented to advanced biology students, our quantitative learning tool increased test performance significantly. We conclude from our study that the addition of mathematical calculations to the first year and advanced biology curricula did not hinder overall student learning, and may increase disciplinary learning and data interpretation skills in advanced students.
Inhibition of HIV derived lentiviral production by TAR RNA binding domain of TAT protein.

Background A critical step in the production of new HIV virions involves the TAT protein binding to the TAR element. The TAT protein contains in close proximity its TAR RNA binding domain and protein transduction domain (PTD). The PTD domain of TAT has been identified as being instrumental in the protein's ability to cross mammalian cell and nuclear membranes. All together, this information led us to form the hypothesis that a protein containing the TAR RNA binding domain could compete with the native full length TAT protein and effectively block the TAR RNA binding site in transduced HIV infected cells.
The health and psychosocial status of HIV-seropositive youth in Minnesota

Objective: To describe the health outcomes and health care utilization of nonhemophiliac adolescents diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Subjects: All state residents without hemophilia, 13-21 years of age at the time of HIV infection diagnosis, reported to the Department of Health through April 1992. Setting: A state where HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are reportable conditions. Methods: Structured interviews. Results: The survey response rate was 67%. Most subjects reported preexisting and current psychosocial problems. In 35% of cases, subjects did not recall giving consent for HIV antibody testing; and many reported that seropositive results were delivered inappropriately. Eighty-seven percent of subjects reported recent medical care, without statistically significant differences related to gender, race, or mode of transmission. Within 3.5 years (median) of the diagnosis of HIV infection, 55% of participants reported having physical limitations that were found only to be associated with duration of illness. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for better understanding of the progression and comorbidities of HIV disease during adolescence, counseling and testing practices, and expanded access to supportive services.
Resonant symmetry lifting in a parametrically modulated oscillator

We study a parametrically modulated oscillator that has two stable states of vibration at half the modulation frequency F. Fluctuations of the oscillator lead to interstate switching. A comparatively weak additional field can strongly affect the switching rates because it changes the switching activation energies. The change is linear in the field amplitude. When the additional field frequency d is F/2, the field makes the populations of the vibrational states different, thus lifting the states symmetry. If d differs from F/2, the field modulates the state populations at the difference frequency, leading to fluctuation-mediated wave mixing. For an underdamped oscillator, the change of the activation energy displays characteristic resonant peaks as a function of frequency.
Coherent and differentially coherent multiuser detectors for asynchronous CDMA frequency-selective channels

The authors consider an asynchronous CDMA (code-division multiple-access) frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channel in which a central receiver has knowledge of the signature waveforms of all users. Low-complexity coherent and differentially coherent multiuser detectors are analyzed for this scenario. The receivers consist of a bank of matched filters followed by a multipath decorrelating detector, appropriate multipath diversity combining, and demodulation. The performance of the derived detectors is expressed by the single-user error rate. The conventional single-user RAKE receiver suffers from near-far effects in the multiuser scenario, due to the fading nature of the channel. This results in an error probability floor for high signal-to-noise ratios and limits the multiple-access capability of the system. In contrast, both multiuser detectors alleviate the near-far problem, providing significant performance improvement in the CDMA frequency-selective fading channel. >
On Skew-Symmetric Splitting and Entropy Conservation Schemes for the Euler Equations

The Tadmor type of entropy conservation formulation for the Euler equations and various skew-symmetric splittings of the inviscid flux derivatives are discussed. Numerical stability of high order central and Pade type (centered compact) spatial discretization is enhanced through the application of these formulations. Numerical test on a 2-D vortex convection problem indicates that the stability and accuracy of these formulations using the same high order central spatial discretization are similar for vortex travel up to a few periods. For two to three times longer time integrations, their corresponding stability and accuracy behaviors are very different. The goal of this work is to improve treatment of nonlinear instabilities and to minimize the use of numerical dissipation in numerical simulations of shock-free compressible turbulence and turbulence with shocks.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva in pregnancy

Two women presenting with invasive squamous cell cancer of the vulva during pregnancy are reported. The first patient was successfully treated by radical vulvectomy 2 weeks after cesarean section delivery; the second patient died of disseminated cancer despite radical vulvectomy and postoperative radiation therapy. In the second case the diagnosis was not established until 3 months after delivery. Only 12 cases of invasive squamous cell vulvar cancer during pregnancy have been previously reported. Liberal use of punch biopsy for any suspicious vulvar lesions is mandatory to enhance the potential for early diagnosis and successful treatment.
Adenovirus-mediated delivery of p53 results in substantial apoptosis to myeloma cells and is not cytotoxic to flow-sorted CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells and normal lymphocytes.

Abstract Objective Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable disease; therefore, there is a need for new modalities of treatment for this disease. We designed a study to test the sensitivity of MM cell lines, freshly isolated myeloma cells, and CD34 + hematopoietic progenitor cells to adenovirus-mediated delivery of wild-type p53 (Ad-p53). Materials and Methods Replication-deficient Ad-p53, previously used in phase I–II clinical trial for treatment of patients with solid tumors, was used in this study. Myeloma cells from seven MM cell lines with mutated or w.t. p53 and varying expression of bcl-2 were used. Fresh myeloma cells (CD38 bright CD45 − ) and fresh CD34 + hematopoietic stem cells and CD34 − cells were purified by flow sorting of apheresis collections of MM patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell rescue. The effect of Ad-p53 on colony-forming unit granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) and burst-forming unit erythroid (BFU-E) colony formation in methylcellulose was tested on purified CD34 + and CD34 − cells to evaluate bone marrow toxicity. Results Myeloma cells from cell lines, or freshly isolated myeloma cells, were sensitive to Ad-p53 only if they had mutated p53 and had low expression of bcl-2. CD34 + cells were resistant to Ad-p53–mediated apoptosis, and CFU-GM and BFU-E colony formation was not affected by treatment with Ad-p53. Conclusions Ad-p53 is a potent inducer of apoptosis in MM cell lines and in freshly isolated myeloma cells expressing low levels of bcl-2. Ad-p53 is not overtly cytotoxic to normal hematopoietic stem cells or normal lymphocytes; therefore, it could be considered for a phase I clinical trial of MM patients with mutated p53.
Model Applications to Solid-Fuel Ramjet Combustion

A PREVIOUSLY developed model for solid-fuel ramjet combustion with negligible radiation was applied to the combustion behavior of all-hydrocarb on fuels which exhibit significant gas-phase radiation. Theoretical predictions were compared to temperature field data taken by other investigators.
2.45 GHz power and data transmission for a low-power autonomous sensors platform

This paper describes a power conversion and data recovery system for a microwave powered sensor platform. A patch microwave antenna, a matching filter and a rectifier make the system front-end and implement the RF-to-DC conversion of power carrier. The efficiency of the power conversion is as high as 47% with an input power level 250 /spl Omega/W at 2.45 GHz. Then, a 0.18 /spl Omega/m CMOS integrated circuit extracts the clock and the digital data. A modified pulse amplitude modulation scheme is used to modulate the data on the 2.45 GHz carrier frequency for combined data and power transmission; this scheme allows very low power consumption of the entire IC to be less than 10 /spl Omega/W and making the system suitable for an autonomous wireless connected sensor module.
Parental response and adolescent adjustment to the september 11, 2001 terrorist attacks†

This study examined adolescents' adjustment following the attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11). A Web-based survey was administered 2 weeks and 7 months postattacks to a national sample of adolescents (N = 104). A randomly selected parent also completed a survey at the 7-month assessment. Although exposure to the attacks was indirect, over half the participants felt threatened. Adolescents' posttraumatic stress symptoms were associated with their acute stress symptoms, parental distress, parental coping advice, parental availability to discuss the attacks, and reports that 9/11-related discussions were unhelpful. Adolescents' distress symptoms were associated with a history of mental health problems, acute stress symptoms, and parental unavailability to discuss the attacks.
Transmitting Identity: Radio in Barcelona

This examination of radio broadcasting in Barcelona, Spain explores how the characteristics of radio and its embeddedness in daily life may contribute to the maintenance of collective identity. Three months of monitoring Barcelona radio stations for markers of neighborhood, regional (Catalonian), Spanish and European identity revealed that Barcelona radio listeners hear little reinforcement of themselves as Europeans, continuous reminders that they are part of Spain, frequent allusions to the Catalonia region, and varied references to their town or neighborhood. The study indicates that radio, as a background medium, is suited to conveying the everyday messages that underpin collective identity.
Presolar isotopic and chemical signatures in hibonite-bearing refractory inclusions from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite

The mineralogy and the major-element composition of phases within individual hibonite-bearing inclusions were determined, using SEM with EDAX analysis, for 37 hibonite-bearing inclusions which comprised 26 spinel-hibonite-perovskite inclusions, ten platy hibonite crystal fragments, and one blue hibonite aggregate. Results from all inclusions studied indicated the presence of correlations in hibonite isotopic systematics and chemistry. Namely, no inclusion had both a large Ti-50 anomaly and radiogenic Mg-26, and inclusions that were depleted in the ultrarefractory elements had radiogenic Mg-26 with the exception of those which a had a large Ti-50 anomaly. These features establish a relationship between chemical and isotopic characteristics of the inclusions which must predate their formation. It is suggested that depletions in ultrarefractory elements observed in these inclusions may be a memory of stellar condensation and are not necessarily related to a condensation event in the solar nebula.