cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Mysterious Paratracheal Mass: Parathyroid Carcinoma

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. We detail a 60-years-old gentleman who was otherwise healthy presented to the hospital due to acute encephalopathy. He was subsequently found to have parathyroid carcinoma as the cause of the acute encephalopathy with impressive serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels. The parathyroid carcinoma was later surgically resected with the diagnosis confirmed via pathology specimen. The patient was safely discharged from the hospital with recommendations of close routine outpatient followup.
Intracorporeal versus extracorporeal urinary diversion following robot-assisted radical cystectomy: a meta-analysis, cumulative analysis, and systematic review.

Over the last decade, the increased utilization of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) in the surgical treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer has led to an uptrend in intracorporeal urinary diversions (ICUD). However, the operative results comparing ICUD to extracorporeal urinary diversion (ECUD) have varied widely. We performed a meta-analysis to analyze perioperative outcomes and complications of ICUD compared to ECUD following RARC. This study is registered at International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42020164074. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases in August 2019. A total of six studies comparing ICUD vs ECUD were identified and meta-analysis was conducted on these studies. In addition, a cumulative analysis was also performed on 83 studies that reported perioperative outcomes after RARC and ICUD or ECUD. The Weighed Mean Difference of operative time and blood loss between ICUD and ECUD group was (16; 95% confidence interval − 34 to 66) and (− 86; 95% confidence interval − 124 to − 48), respectively. ICUD and ECUD had comparable early (30-day) and mid-term (30–90-day) complication rate (RR 1.19; 95% confidence interval 0.71–2.0; p = 0.5) and (RR 0.91; 95% confidence interval 0.71–1.15 p = 0.4) respectively. In the 83 studies that were included in the cumulative analysis, the mean operative time for ileal conduit and neobladders by ICUD were 307 and 428 min, respectively, compared to ECUD 428 and 426 min, respectively. ICUD and ECUD have comparable short- and mid-term complication rate. The ICUD group has lower blood loss and lower rate of blood transfusion compared to ECUD.
Addressing Health Inequities for Limited English Proficiency Patients: Interpreter Use and Beyond.

* Abbreviation: LEP — : limited English proficiency The limited English proficiency (LEP) status of parents is associated with poor health care outcomes in children.1–3 The use of professional interpretation has been associated with improvement in communication errors, patient comprehension, health care use, clinical outcomes, and patient satisfaction.4,5 Yet, professional interpretation continues to be underused.6,7 In this issue of Pediatrics, Lion et al8 aim to understand interpreter underuse, with a deeper look into factors associated with interpreter use among health care providers in the pediatric emergency department. They found that physicians and nurse practitioners used interpreters more often than registered nurses and that interpreters were used more frequently for detailed history taking and discharge, in comparison with … Address correspondence to Mindy Ju, MD, MA, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Box 0106, San Francisco, CA 94158. E-mail: mindy.ju{at}ucsf.edu
Treating the most vulnerable: A discursive review of experimental pain in Alzheimer's disease.

Aim The purpose of this manuscript is to summarize research on how experimental pain is experienced by adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to translate results into implications for nurses. Design This discursive review synthesizes the results of three previous research studies exploring experimental pain in adults with AD. Methods Using a series of fictional clinical vignettes, the authors discuss how the results from three previous papers using acute experimental pain can potentially be translated into clinical practice. The authors also introduce the reader to the concept of research-related psychophysics using introductory definitions and concepts with the impetus to encourage other nurses to consider this research methodology. Results Pain characteristics in AD that differ from cognitively intact controls must be explored to properly address pain in this population. Nurses are well positioned to address these issues in order to provide a high quality of care to adults with AD.
Robotic Transaxillary Thyroidectomy

Robotic transaxillary thyroid surgery is safe and feasible, when performed in a high-volume practice setting. Knowledge of indications, contraindications, advantages, and disadvantages ensures proper patient selection and optimal shared decision-making. These elements are necessary to achieve successful outcomes. Robotic transaxillary thyroidectomy offers excellent cosmetic outcomes and oncologically adequate surgery and results in improved patient satisfaction and quality of life.
Read & Let Read: An Alternative to the Transformative Agreement

In March 2021, the University of California (UC) and Elsevier announced a new so-called “transformative agreement” that included slightly discounted article processing charges as UC’s route to open access in Elsevier journals. Librarians and researchers expressed immediate concern that this deal upheld inequities in the research system. The UC/Elsevier deal, however, is just one of many that include expensive pay-to-publish structures. This commentary proposes an alternative contract between libraries and publishers that would enable wider reading and lower costs, called Read & Let Read. The three main points of a Read & Let Read deal include a half-dollar valuation of individual journal articles, prepayment on a university’s estimated usage, and an equal payment made for usage outside of the university. If a Read & Let Read deal were implemented at UC, UC would pay a slightly higher amount of money to Elsevier than they are expected to at present, and they would not flip any articles to open access. Instead, they would contribute toward a more equitably distributed system of scholarly readership.
Physical Activity, Exercise, and Physical Rehabilitation

Enhancing physical activity promotes positive health trajectories throughout the life course. Physical activity should be tailored and graded to suit older adults’ capacities and needs and can be combined with rehabilitation interventions to manage geriatric syndromes and disability. This chapter provides a summary of current evidence about the role of physical activity for older adults, emphasizing nutritional aspects. We also present strategies to help health-care professionals to enhance physical activity participation.
Terc Gene Cluster Variants Predict Liver Telomere Length in Mice.

Variants in a gene cluster upstream-adjacent to TERC on human chromosome 3, which includes genes APRM, LRRC31, LRRC34 and MYNN, have been associated with telomere length in several human populations. Currently, the mechanism by which variants in the TERC gene cluster influence telomere length in humans is unknown. Given the proximity between the TERC gene cluster and TERC (~0.05 Mb) in humans, it is speculated that cluster variants are in linkage disequilibrium with a TERC causal variant. In mice, the Terc gene/Terc gene cluster are also located on chromosome 3; however, the Terc gene cluster is located distantly downstream of Terc (~60 Mb). Here, we initially aim to investigate the interactions between genotype and nicotine exposure on absolute liver telomere length (aTL) in a panel of eight inbred mouse strains. Although we found no significant impact of nicotine on liver aTL, this first experiment identified candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the murine Terc gene cluster (within genes Lrrc31, Lrriq4 and Mynn) co-varying with aTL in our panel. In a second experiment, we tested the association of these Terc gene cluster variants with liver aTL in an independent panel of eight inbred mice selected based on candidate SNP genotype. This supported our initial finding that Terc gene cluster polymorphisms impact aTL in mice, consistent with data in human populations. This provides support for mice as a model for telomere dynamics, especially for studying mechanisms underlying the association between Terc cluster variants and telomere length. Finally, these data suggest that mechanisms independent of linkage disequilibrium between the Terc/TERC gene cluster and the Terc/TERC gene mediate the cluster’s regulation of telomere length.
On Convergence of Training Loss Without Reaching Stationary Points.

It is a well-known fact that nonconvex optimization is computationally intractable in the worst case. As a result, theoretical analysis of optimization algorithms such as gradient descent often focuses on local convergence to stationary points where the gradient norm is zero or negligible. In this work, we examine the disconnect between the existing theoretical analysis of gradient-based algorithms and actual practice. Specifically, we provide numerical evidence that in large-scale neural network training, such as in ImageNet, ResNet, and WT103 + TransformerXL models, the Neural Network weight variables do not converge to stationary points where the gradient of the loss function vanishes. Remarkably, however, we observe that while weights do not converge to stationary points, the value of the loss function converges. Inspired by this observation, we propose a new perspective based on ergodic theory of dynamical systems. We prove convergence of the distribution of weight values to an approximate invariant measure (without smoothness assumptions) that explains this phenomenon. We further discuss how this perspective can better align the theory with empirical observations.
Where are They Now? Reflections on the Past Five Years

The genesis of ABC at General Motors Corporation and at what is now the Chrysler Group of Daimler-Chrysler AG can be traced to the mid and late 1980’s, respectively. As researchers, we were privileged to observe and interact with these firms throughout the 1990’s, when ABC was rolled out to all manufacturing locations and some administrative functions. Our most intensive interactions occurred in 1995, with extensive Visits to 21 ABC implementation sites and interviews with 265 managers and ABC team members. Using these data and historical archives from the ABC systems, the preceding chapters provide a piercing look at the first decade of ABC through the lens of two large companies that chose to adopt and implement it. However, we would be remiss if we did not consider how events of recent years --- including dramatic changes in the boundaries and ownership of both firms, advances in information technology, and a booming U.S. consumer market --- have affected the ABC initiative. In this chapter we provide an update on the ABC initiatives. With the help of experienced corporate managers who have been involved for many years with ABC, we reflect on what ABC was, what it is today, what is envisioned for the future.
Stereochemistry and the Mechanism of Hydrogenation of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the stereochemistry and the mechanism of hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons. The chapter reviews the development of the concepts and methods pertinent to the application of stereochemistry to the study of the mechanism of the surface-catalyzed reactions of hydrogen with unsaturated hydrocarbons. Explanations of the stereochemistry of hydrogenation have been dominated by ideas concerning the manner in which a given unsaturated compound may best be fitted onto a planar surface from which hydrogen is abstracted. The chapter discusses the development of techniques that permit the identification of different product-controlling reactions that directs one to consider the stereochemical consequences of various postulated reaction sequences. The similarity between heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation has been emphasized recently by the demonstration that platinum–tin complexes catalyze the homogeneous hydrogenation of acetylene and ethylene at room temperature and certain complexes of rhodium are effective for the hydrogenation of 1-hexene.
Underwater explosion response of curved composite plates

Abstract The effect of plate curvature, plate thickness, and thickness distribution on the response of curved composite plates subjected to far field underwater explosion (UNDEX) loading has been studied through computational simulations. In this study five panels with increasing radii of curvature are considered. Furthermore, the effect of plate thickness is considered by investigating three plate thicknesses for a given radii of curvature. Finally, a comparison is made between a plate with a uniform thickness and a plate with equal mass but a thicker outer boundary and thinner midsection. The effects are assessed using the plate center point deflection, full field deformation evolution, and fluid structure wave interaction. The results show that when subjected to shock pressure loading the deformation mechanics of the plate is significantly affected by the amount of curvature, thickness, and thickness distribution.
Audio-assisted scene segmentation for story browsing

Content-based video retrieval requires an effective scene segmentation technique to divide a long video file into meaningful high-level aggregates of shots called scenes. Each scene is part of a story. Browsing these scenes unfolds the entire story of a film. In this paper, we first investigate recent scene segmentation techniques that belong to the visual-audio alignment approach. This approach segments a video stream into visual scenes and an audio stream into audio scenes separately and later aligns these boundaries to create the final scene boundaries. In contrast, we propose a novel audio-assisted scene segmentation technique that utilizes audio information to remove false boundaries generated from segmentation by visual information alone. The crux of our technique is the new dissimilarity measure based on analysis of statistical properties of audio features and a concept in information theory. The experimental results on two full-length films with a wide range of camera motion and a complex composition of shots demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique compared with that of the visual-audio alignment techniques.
Double-tip effects on scanning tunneling microscopy imaging of 2D periodic objects: unambiguous detection and limits of their removal by crystallographic averaging in the spatial frequency domain

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) images can be obscured by signals from blunt and multiple probe tips. We show why crystallographic image processing (CIP) techniques may be utilized to restore obscured images that are periodic in two dimensions. The image-forming current for double tips in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is derived in a more straightforward manner than prior approaches. The Fourier spectrum of the tunneling current for p4mm Bloch surface wave functions and a pair of delta function tips reveals the tip-separation dependence. Our analysis clarifies why crystallographic averaging works well in removing such effects from the recorded 2D periodic images and also outlines the limitations of this image processing technique for certain spatial separations of STM double-tips. Classical simulations of double tip effects in STM images (that ignore electron interference effects) may be understood as modeling double tip effects in images that were recorded with other types of SPMs. Appendix A demonstrates how double tip effects on scanning probe microscope images are detected unambiguously.
COMPUTER MEDIATED WORK: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF STRUCTURED AND SEMI-STRUCTURED JOBS IN SAVINGS BANKS

It is argued that the consistent evidence of psychosomatic stressproblems associated with the use of computer systems in offices may bethe result of the redesign of work stemming from the implementation ofthese systems. This proposition is tested with samples of mortgageloan servicing clerks (N=1282) and financial investment officers(N=131) in 78 Mutual Savings Banks.Evidence is presented that workers, in the structured job, makingmore intense use of computer systems do have a poorer task environmentthan those making less use of systems. This occurs because theresulting job tends to be more interdependent and involve greaterdemands than without an application system, although several otherfactors interact reducing these affects somewhat. Productivity isalso increased, and the task environment interacts in complex wayswith the characteristics of the system. Various strategies aresuggested for correcting the negative effects including providingworkers with more decision latitude in the selection of work methodsand making it easier to obtain problem solving assistance.No relationship is found between productivity, performance, orthe task environment and system use or characteristics for thesemi-structured job. It is concluded that although applicationsystems have considerable negative consequences for office workenvironments, the strength of these affects depend upon the level ofthe job.
A competition mechanism for a homeotic neuron identity transformation in C. elegans.

Neuron identity transformations occur upon removal of specific regulatory factors in many different cellular contexts, thereby revealing the fundamental principle of alternative cell identity choices made during nervous system development. One common molecular interpretation of such homeotic cell identity transformations is that a regulatory factor has a dual function in activating genes defining one cellular identity and repressing genes that define an alternative identity. We provide evidence for an alternative, competition-based mechanism. We show that the MEC-3 LIM homeodomain protein can outcompete the execution of a neuropeptidergic differentiation program by direct interaction with the UNC-86/Brn3 POU homeodomain protein. MEC-3 thereby prevents UNC-86 from collaborating with the Zn finger transcription factor PAG-3/Gfi to induce peptidergic neuron identity and directs UNC-86 to induce an alternative differentiation program toward a glutamatergic neuronal identity. Homeotic control of neuronal identity programs has implications for the evolution of neuronal cell types.
Designing quantum rod morphology and surface chemistry for optimum bioluminescence resonance energy transfer

We have investigated the role that quantum rod (QR) morphology, composition, and surface chemistry play in resonance energy transfer phenomena. By fine-tuning the synthetic conditions, it is possible to tailor the aspect ratio of CdSe/CdS core-shell QRs from 2–8. The aspect ratio, as well as initial core diameter, determines the spectral properties of the QR, and the emission was tuned between 600–700 nm. These QR were then studied in resonance energy transfer studies with molecular fluorophores, fluorescent proteins, and bioluminescent enzymes. In order to accomplish functionalization, the biomaterials were attached to the QR interface via the N-terminus histag. The results indicate that the QR are ideal candidates for resonance energy transfer, due in large part to the increased stoichiometry provided by the rod morphology, and better spectral matching. The results also indicate that core location within the QR is particularly important when interpreting the energy transfer.
JENERGY: A Fault Tolerant Stateless Architecture for High Performance Computing

Large scale HPC (high performance computing) applications require thousands of nodes for computing parallel scientific applications. At this scale, hardware and software failures, network congestion or disconnections are frequent faults experienced by compute nodes. This introduces high levels of volatility which reduces the Mean Time between Failures (MTBF) of the whole system down to hours or minutes. To deal with this kind of failure rates, traditional point-to-point transmission semantics can be ill-fitted and cumbersome to re-engineer to support distributed partial failures. In this paper, we propose an application dependent network design that focuses on the sustainability of High Performance Computing (HPC) applications using packet-switching-inspired statistical multiplexing of semantic data tuples and decoupled computations. We report the design and implementation of a distributed tuple space using Cassandra and Zookeeper for tunable spatial and temporal redundancies without negative impact on application performance. We detail the various failure scenarios that can be handled seamlessly by our system and provide a description of the advantages of Stateless Parallel Processing for HPC applications. We report the preliminary results on performance, reliability and overall application scalability. We found that our system can provide high levels of sustained performance, while providing a reliable computing architecture that can withstand a range of failure types without manual checkpoint-restart, in a portable and non-intrusive manner.
Invariant amplitudes and low-energy photon theorems

The classical Compton theorems for low-energy scattering of photons on pions or nucleons are proved and in addition certain recent results of Choudhury and Freedman derived. The only assumptions are Lorentz and gauge invariance, with of course the usual analyticity properties. Invariant amplitudes are used everywhere and crossing is never employed. Using the same methods, we have derived the Kroll-Ruderman theorem for photoproduction and certain superconvergence relations.
Globalized Arts: The Entertainment Economy and Cultural Identity

Globalized Arts: The Entertainment Economy and Cultural Identity. By J. P. Singh. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010. 240 pp., $39.50 hardcover (ISBN-13 978-0231147187). Globalization, and debates surrounding its impact, have gone through a variety of forms, phases, and iterations throughout history. Whether it is through impulse, initiative, or patronage, global interactions and transactions for trade, commerce, and cultural forays can be traced to the European Renaissance and voyages leading up to the charting of naval routes leading to the discovery of the New World and other explorations. During more modern historical times, globalization took other routes as well. Among others, these spanned the process of colonization and its vehicles such as the East India Company, the spread of capitalism to rival that of communism and vice versa , outsourcing for cheap labor, and the struggle to uphold fair labor standards and sociopolitical and cultural identities. Alongside, globalization and its effects have ushered in much debate in international relations (Stiglitz, 2003). A notable feature of the recent phase of the spread of globalization is its impact on cultural artifacts and expressions, and the cultural politics that surrounds them. J.P. Singh's Globalized Arts tackles this timely and important phenomenon through a nuanced analysis. This well-documented volume adds to the works associated with the cultural aspects of the spread of globalization. In 1993, Samuel Huntington sounded the clarion call of the Clash of Civilizations , unleashing concerns about whether ideas and culture would actually serve more of a divisive role ushering in a sentiment of “us” vs “them” in a globalized world (1993). Benjamin Barber also emphasized the forces of tribalism and universalism generated by “Jihad” and global market forces, represented by a McWorld (1995). While events surrounding 9/11 arguably reinforced notions of such opposing forces, the debate has persisted over the last decade. Apparently, it has quieted temporarily with recent world events of global recession, the Arab spring movement, and the killing of bin Laden, …
Filterability of Streptococcal L-Forms

The filterability of the broth-grown stable L-form derived from Streptococcus faecium F24 was tested by filtration under the influence of varying amounts of applied pressure. A decrease in the pore size of the filter resulted in a corresponding decrease in viable count, but no major effect was noted due to the different pressures applied. Serial filtration of a deoxyribonuclease-treated L-form culture in the mid-logarithmic phase of growth resulted in recovery of viable L-forms from the 0.45-μm filtrate but not from the 0.22-μm filtrate. It is possible that disruption of the L-form bodies with release of small viable elements had occurred. Protoplasts, diluted in an osmotic stabilizer, were filtered similarly; L-forms could be grown from the filtrate passing through the filters of 0.45 μm or greater. Filtration of the parent streptococci gave rise to streptococcal colonies from the 1.2-μm filtrate only.
Glucose-6-Phosphate-Dehydrogenase Blockers Attenuate Inositol Triphosphate Mediated Constriction of Pulmonary Arteries via Activation of Protein Kinase G

The aim of this study was to determine novel-signaling pathways involved in Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) mediated vascular function. Using immunoprecipitation combined with proteomic ap...
Cell Wall Composition in Corynebacterium bovis and Some Other Corynebacteria

The cell wall compositions of two strains of Corynebacterium bovis were found to differ: one contained lysine, rhamnose, mannose, and glucose, the other meso-α, e, diaminopimelic acid (DAP), arabinose, galactose, and mannose. The walls of a strain of C. nephridii were characterized by l-DAP and galactose. Those of a strain of C. paurometabolum and of two strains of “lipophilic diphtheroids” contained meso-DAP, arabinose, galactose, and mannose as did walls of a reference strain of C. xerosis. The results are discussed in relation to the taxonomy of the organisms examined.
In vivo natural-abundance17O/1H MRI of rhesus monkey brain with whole-body scanner and homebuilt multinuclear accessory

The construction of an accessory to commercial whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners that provides multinuclear capability is described. The multinuclear system has access to all clinical pulse sequences and is not limited by the frequency range of the commercially available “spectroscopic package.” The accessory was used for17O studies with a homebuilt birdcage resonator and a low-noise preamplifier. In vivo17O images of a rhesus monkey brain were obtained. The homebuilt birdcage was transparent to radio-frequency irradiation of the scanner’s body coil at1H frequency allowing consecutive acquisitions of1H and17O images and their superposition. The results demonstrate the potential of17O/1H imaging with whole-body scanners.
Maceral/microlithotype partitioning through triboelectrostatic dry coal cleaning

Abstract Three eastern Kentucky and two Illinois Basin coals were tested in a bench scale triboelectrostatic separation unit. The three eastern Kentucky samples provided a rank series of petrographically comparable coals. The Illinois Basin bituminous coals were lower rank and had high vitrinite ( ∼ 80%) and sulfur contents in comparison to the other three coals. Triboelectrostatic beneficiation provides efficient maceral and mineral partitioning in the high volatile A and B bituminous coals tested, with vitrinite, as vitrite and vitrinite-enriched microlithotypes, reporting to the clean fractions and the inertinites, liptinites, and minerals reporting to the tails. The high volatile C bituminous Springfield coal had a lower separation efficiency than the petrographically similar, but higher rank, Herrin coal. The decreased separation efficiency in the behavior of the Springfield coal may be a response to its higher moisture content. Compared to bench-scale fuel oil agglomeration of some of the same coals, triboelectrostatic separation provides clearer partitioning of mineral matter, sulfur, and macerals.
Formality of Chain Operad of Little Discs

We prove that the chain operad of little disks is formal in characteristic zero, and discuss briefly the relation with Kontsevich formality in deformation quantization.
Instructional gaming as a means to achieve skill in selecting ideas relevant for solving a problem

Two pilot studies investigated the effects of using IMP (Instructional Mathematics Play) kits, pamphlets with which individuals may play the mathematical game EQUATIONS against a computer programme. The highly‐branched 105‐kit series presents a total of 21 mathematical ideas ‐‐ five versions of each idea. Twenty‐nine junior high school students in a high‐ability mathematics class completed varying numbers of the kits in five 48 min sessions during a 2 week period; 10 junior high school mathematics teachers in a leadership training programme worked through the entire series at their individual paces during a 21/2 month period. Pre‐ and post‐tests focusing on the IMP kit ideas were designed by the investigators to evaluate the subjects’ abilities to detect the relevance of a particular idea for purposes of solving a problem and to evaluate a mathematical expression involving that idea. On the relevance/selecting pre‐test the students achieved solutions to 3.86 (mean) of the 21 problems; teachers achieved so...
Neutralino relic density in a supersymmetric U(1)' model

Abstract We study properties of the lightest neutralino ( χ 0 ) and calculate its cosmological relic density in a supersymmetric U ( 1 ) ′ model with a secluded U ( 1 ) ′ breaking sector (the S -model). The lightest neutralino mass is smaller than in the minimal supersymmetric standard model; for instance, m χ 0 ≲ 100 GeV in the limit that the U ( 1 ) ′ gaugino mass is large compared to the electroweak scale. We find that the Z χ 0 χ 0 coupling can be enhanced due to the singlino components in the extended neutralino sector. Neutralino annihilation through the Z -resonance then reproduces the measured cold dark matter density over broad regions of the model parameter space.
Estrogen receptor subtype-selective ligands: asymmetric synthesis and biological evaluation of cis- and trans-5,11-dialkyl- 5,6,11, 12-tetrahydrochrysenes.

We have recently reported that racemic 5,11-cis-diethyl-5,6,11,12-tetrahydrochrysene-2,8-diol (THC, rac-2b) acts as an agonist on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and as a complete antagonist on estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) (Sun et al. Endocrinology 1999, 140, 800−804). To further investigate this novel ER subtype-selective estrogenic activity, we have synthesized a series of cis- and trans-dialkyl THCs. cis-Dimethyl, -diethyl, and -dipropyl THCs 2a−c were prepared in a highly enantio- and diastereoselective manner by the acyloin condensation of enantiomerically pure α-alkyl-β-arylpropionic esters, followed by a Lewis acid-mediated double cyclization under conditions of minimal epimerization. ERα and ERβ binding affinity of both cis and trans isomers of dimethyl, diethyl, and dipropyl THCs was determined in competitive binding assays, and their transcriptional activity was determined in reporter gene assays in mammalian cells. Nearly all THCs examined were found to be affinity-selective for ERβ. All these TH...
Use of epidemiologic studies to assess human risk from exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

Abstract Risk assessment for dioxin and other toxicants should be based on the best available scientific information. In the past, animal studies have provided the overwhelming majority of the scientific information used for risk assessment of organic compounds. During the past decade, a series of epidemiologic studies have been completed which provide useful human information which should decrease the uncertainty in dioxin risk assessment. In this article, we present the key trends and findings in epidemiologic studies of dioxin exposure and health effects that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has conducted or in which CDC collaborated.
A turbulence model for iced airfoils and its validation

A turbulence model based on the extension of the algebraic eddy viscosity formulation of Cebeci and Smith developed for two dimensional flows over smooth and rough surfaces is described for iced airfoils and validated for computed ice shapes obtained for a range of total temperatures varying from 28 to -15 F. The validation is made with an interactive boundary layer method which uses a panel method to compute the inviscid flow and an inverse finite difference boundary layer method to compute the viscous flow. The interaction between inviscid and viscous flows is established by the use of the Hilbert integral. The calculated drag coefficients compare well with recent experimental data taken at the NASA-Lewis Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) and show that, in general, the drag increase due to ice accretion can be predicted well and efficiently.
Comparison of -MOSFET lifetime estimates based on GIDL enhancement and transconductance degradation as criteria

Abstract A comparison of MOSFET lifetimes based on gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) enhancement and transconductance degradation as criteria is presented. Analysis of damage mechanisms indicates that degradations related to interface state generation limit the MOSFET lifetime at reduced voltage operations. In conventional gate oxide MOSFETs, GIDL enhancement due to band-to-defect tunneling and transconductance degradation limit the lifetime at reduced voltage. For MOSFETs with reoxidized nitrided gate oxides, our results show that GIDL enhancement due to band-to-defect tunneling is a better reliability monitor than transconductance degradation at low operating voltages.
A cryostat for semi-conductor gamma-ray detectors☆

Abstract Cryostats for lithium-drifted germanium gamma-ray detectors have been designed and constructed using routine machine shop practices. These holders feature liquid nitrogen replenishment cycles of up to three weeks and activated charcoal sorption pumping which eliminates the need for external vacuum pumps. Low rates of liquid nitrogen consumption have been attained by using thin walled stainless components in heat leakage paths, by utilizing commercially available super-insulated Dewars and by maintaining a sufficiently high vacuum.
ANALYSIS OF THE MODIFYING EFFECT OF DIETARY IODINE LEVELS ON THE THYROIDAL RESPONSE OF HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED RATS TO THYROTROPHIN

VANDERLAAN and Caplan (1954) and Halmi (1954b) have shown that the response of the thyroidal iodide concentrating mechanism of hypophysectomized rats to exogenous thyrotropin (TSH) is influenced by the iodine content of the diet. The same dose of TSH was found to be more effective in raising the thyroid: serum radioiodide gradient when iodine intake was low than when when it was high. A priori this phenomenon is amenable to three interpretation: a) the stable iodide of the diet, being the substrate of the concentrating mechanism, could diminish the gradient of the subsequently administered radioiodide by overloading the iodide concentrating mechanism, whose capacity is limited; b) prolonged elevation of serum iodide levels per se may actually depress the iodide concentrating mechanism and/or inhibit its responsiveness to TSH, or c) a rise in the level of serum iodide may exert such an influence indirectly by enhancing the concentration of organic iodinecontaining compounds in the thyroid.
The fornix and mammillary bodies in older adults with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and cognitive complaints: a volumetric MRI study.

Abstract The fornix and mammillary bodies are important limbic structures that have not been systematically investigated in the earliest stages of preclinical dementia. The present study examined volumetric changes in the fornix and mammillary bodies and improved previously established tracing guidelines to increase reliability and provide more comprehensive measurements. Volumetric measurements were made in euthymic older adults, including 16 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), 20 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 20 individuals with cognitive complaints (CC) but normal neuropsychological test performance, and 20 demographically matched healthy controls (HC). Structural magnetic resonance imaging included a T1-weighted 1.5-mm coronal volume, acquired on a GE 1.5 T LX scanner. After adjustment for total intracranial volume (ICV), significant volume reductions were observed in the fornix and mammillary bodies in patients with AD as compared with HC, CC, and MCI participants. No volume differences were seen between the HC, CC, and MCI groups. Study findings are consistent with previous research showing volume decreases of the fornix and mammillary bodies in AD, and provide new data on the relative preservation of these structures in preclinical disease stages. Results suggest that atrophy of the fornix and mammillary bodies becomes apparent at the point of conversion from MCI to AD. Longitudinal assessments are needed to delineate the time course and extent of the observed volumetric changes.
Allele-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Imatinib-Resistant KIT D816V and D816F Mutations in Mastocytosis and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Oncogenic mutations of the receptor tyrosine kinase KIT contribute to the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors, systemic mastocytosis (SM), and some cases of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). The D816V substitution in the activation loop of KIT results in relative resistance to the kinase inhibitor imatinib (Gleevec). Because this mutation occurs in 80 to 95% of adult SM, its detection has diagnostic and predictive significance. Unfortunately, the fraction of mutation-positive cells in clinical SM samples is often below the 20 to 30% threshold needed for detection by direct DNA sequencing. We have developed an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction assay using a mutation-specific primer combined with a wild-type blocking oligonucleotide that amplifies D816V at the level of 1% mutant allele in DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. There were no amplifications among 64 KIT wild-type tumors and cell lines, whereas all D816V-mutant samples (eight AML and 11 mast cell disease) were positive. Other D816 substitutions associated with resistance to imatinib in vitro are rare in SM. Among these D816F was detectable with the assay whereas D816H, D816Y, and D816G did not amplify. Nine biopsies (bone marrow, skin, or colon) with suspected SM were negative by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography and/or DNA sequencing but positive by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Thus, the assay may be useful in confirming the diagnosis of SM.
A high-quality, low-cost, internet/intranet-based teaching file.

High quality images from clinical CT, MRI and angiography were available to remote desktop computers at virtually no cost. Film queue data files were relatively small and represented the findings of interest. No proprietary software was required for viewing. Residents were able to transfer images into the file server after only a few minutes of training.
The responsive C and N biogeochemistry of the temperate forest floor

Soil organic matter is often viewed as comprising large pools of carbon and nitrogen with long residence times. However, the organic horizon that lies on the soil surface in temperate forests is a dynamic component of ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycling. Responses to elevated inputs of nitrogen in this organic layer are emerging as key facets of ecosystem retention or loss of dissolved nitrogen. Research along nitrogen deposition gradients in the USA and Europe reveals a link between the ratio of organic carbon:nitrogen in the forest floor and nitrogen turnover rates, nitrification and leaching losses. Characteristics and processes in the forest floor are now recognized as key indicators or determinants of ecosystem 'nitrogen status'.
Image Comparison by Compound Disjoint Information with Applications to Perceptual Visual Quality Assessment, Image Registration and Tracking

In this paper, we study (normalized) disjoint information as a metric for image comparison and its applications to perceptual image quality assessment, image registration, and video tracking. Disjoint information is the joint entropy of random variables excluding the mutual information. This measure of statistical dependence and information redundancy satisfies more rigorous metric conditions than mutual information, including self-similarity, minimality, symmetry and triangle inequality. It is applicable to two or more random variables, and can be computed by vector histogramming, vector Parzen window density approximation, and upper bound approximation involving fewer variables. We show such a theoretic advantage does have implications in practice. In the domain of digital image and video, multiple visual features are extracted and (normalized) compound disjoint information is derived from a set of marginal densities of the image distributions, thus enriching the vocabulary of content representation. The proposed metric matching functions are applied to several domain applications to demonstrate their efficacy.
THERMAL INACTIVATION OF Clostridium sporogenes PA 3679 AND Bacillus stearothermophilus 1518 IN LOW‐ACID HOME‐CANNED FOODS

One of the requirements for establishing thermal processes for canning low-acid foods is the confirmation of the calculated processes obtained from heat penetration data by carrying out an inoculated pack study. The results presented in this paper confirm the processes for home canning low-acid foods at 15 psig suggested by Zottola et al. (JFS-1978) and Nordsiden et al. (JFS-1978). Two heat resistant spore suspensions were used in the inoculated pack, Bacillus stearothermophilus 1518 and Clostridium sporogenes PA 3679. Results obtained using four representative low-acid foods showed the following times at 15 psig were such that no recovery of the test spores, inoculated at 10,000 per container, was observed; peas 10 mm, carrots 7 min, cream-style corn 5.5 min and beef stew with vegetables 15 min.
Fast evaluation and interpolation at the Chebyshev sets of points

Abstract Stable polynomial evaluation and interpolation at n Chebyshev or adjusted (expanded) Chebyshev points is performed using O(nlog2n) arithmetic operations, to be compared with customary algorithms either using on the order of n2 operations or being unstable. We also evaluate a polynomial of degree d at the sets of n Chebyshev or adjusted (expanded) Chebyshev points using O(d log d log n) if n ≤ d or O((d log d + n) log d) arithmetic operations if n > d.
Economics in the Junior Colleges: Terminal or Transfer?.

Responding to the call for further research in economic education in the two-year colleges, the authors report on the relative effectiveness of economics instruction for transfer and terminal courses. They attempt to answer the question: Do the two types of courses often found in junior colleges produce different learning outcomes? Furthermore, the researchers compare student performance in the two-year colleges with that of students in a four-year institution. Among the variables taken into account are age, type of school, student's class standing, precourse interest in economics, sex, and high school economics background. In a concluding section, the policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Complementary and alternative medicine for allergic rhinitis.

Purpose of reviewOtolaryngologists and other physicians who diagnose and treat allergic rhinitis encounter patients who use complementary medicine and alternative remedies. This article reviews the recent literature regarding complementary and alternative therapies for the treatment of allergic rhin
The phoenix? Jewish studies in post-communist Europe

In the two decades since the collapse of Communist systems in the USSR and Eastern Europe, change in economies and polities has been greater in some countries than in others. Thus, while Belarus an...
Incorporation of clinical data into a computerized method for the assessment of mammographic breast lesions

We previously developed a computerized method to classify mammographic masses as benign or malignant. In this method, mammographic features that are similar to the ones used by radiologists are automatically extracted to characterize a mass lesion. These features are then merged by an artificial neural network (ANN), which yields an estimated likelihood of malignancy for each mass. The performance of the method was evaluated on an independent database consisting of 110 cases (60 benign and 50 malignant cases). The method achieved an Az of 0.91 from round-robin analysis in the task of differentiating between benign and malignant masses using the computer-extracted features only. As the most important clinical risk factor for breast cancer, age achieved a performance level (Az equals 0.79) similar to that (Az equals 0.77 and 0.80) of the computer-extracted spiculation features, which are the most important indicators for malignancy of a mass, in differentiating between the malignant and benign cases. In this study, age is included as an additional input feature to the ANN. The performance of the scheme (Az equals 0.93) is improved when age is included. However, the improvement is not found to be statistically significant. Our results indicated that age may be a strong feature in predicting malignancy of a mass. For this database, however, the inclusion of age may not have a strong impact on the determination of the likelihood for a mammographic mass lesion when the major mammographic characteristics (e.g., spiculation) of a mass are accurately extracted and analyzed along with other features using an artificial neural network.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Prevalence of HIV infection and sexual risk behaviors among individuals having heterosexual sex in low income neighborhoods in Baltimore, MD: the BESURE Study.

Data from the 2007 heterosexual wave at the Baltimore site of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System, a cross-sectional, venue-based sample survey targeting high-risk heterosexuals, are presented on risks associated with reporting unprotected sex with casual/exchange partners. Recruitment areas were 10 census tracts within Baltimore City categorized as being in the top 20% of tracts most affected by poverty and AIDS in the Baltimore-Towson metropolitan statistical area. Recruitment venues were not attended for the sole purpose of finding sexual partners. The study population was 301 men and women, aged 18-50, who reported sexual intercourse with a member of the opposite sex in the past 12 months. HIV prevalence was 3% overall. Factors independently associated with reporting sex with a casual or exchange partner in the past 12 months were homelessness, age, 4 or more sex partners during the past 12 months, concurrent sex partners in the past 12 months, binge drinking during the past 30 days, and history of sexually transmitted disease diagnoses. HIV testing results suggest that a generalized epidemic is occurring among the population having heterosexual sex in these areas. Furthermore, sexual risk behaviors were widespread in this population, suggesting that HIV prevention efforts in these geographic areas are needed.