cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Absolute Lymphocyte Count at Diagnosis and Mortality Among Patients With Localized Bone or Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Importance Host-related immune factors have been implicated in the development and progression of diverse malignant neoplasms. Identifying associations between immunologic laboratory parameters and overall survival may inform novel prognostic biomarkers and mechanisms of antitumor immunity in localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma. Objective To assess whether lymphopenia at diagnosis is associated with overall survival among patients with localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma. Design, setting, and participants This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients from the Stanford Cancer Institute with localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma between September 1, 1998, and November 1, 2018. Patients were included if laboratory values were available within 60 days of diagnosis and, if applicable, prior to the initiation of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Statistical analysis was performed from January 1, 2019, to November 1, 2020. Exposures Absolute lymphocyte count within 60 days of diagnosis and antimicrobial exposure, defined by the number of antimicrobial agent prescriptions and the cumulative duration of antimicrobial administration within 60 days of diagnosis. Main outcomes and measures The association between minimum absolute lymphocyte count at diagnosis and 5-year overall survival probability was characterized with the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. Multivariable logistic regressions were fitted to evaluate whether patients with lymphopenia were at greater risk of increased antimicrobial exposure. Results Among 634 patients, the median age at diagnosis was 53.7 years (interquartile range, 37.5-66.8 years), and 290 patients (45.7%) were women, with a 5-year survival probability of 67.9%. There was a significant inverse association between lymphopenia at diagnosis and overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.82; 95% CI, 1.39-1.40), resulting in a 13.5% 5-year survival probability difference compared with patients who did not have lymphopenia at diagnosis (60.2% vs 73.7% for those who never had lymphopenia). In addition, poorer survival was observed with higher-grade lymphopenia (grades 3 and 4: HR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.68-3.55; grades 1 and 2: HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.18-2.18). In an exploratory analysis, patients with increased antibiotic exposure were more likely to have lymphopenia (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.26-3.07 for total number of antimicrobial agents; odds ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.10-2.57 for antimicrobial duration) than antimicrobial-naive patients. Conclusions and relevance This study suggests that an abnormally low absolute lymphocyte count at diagnosis is associated with higher mortality among patients with localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma; therefore, lymphopenia may serve as a reliable prognostic biomarker. Potential mechanisms associated with host immunity and overall survival include a suppressed antitumor response and increased infectious complications, which merit future investigation.
Charged Advocacy: A Critical Review of Emily Bazelon’s Charged

This is a critical review of Emily Bazelon’s 2019 book, Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration. This review primarily focuses on the book’s negative aspects, but overall, Charged is an effective advocacy piece. While the book covers a variety of criminal justice topics and at times makes strong points, this review is primarily limited to critiquing the book’s problematic aspects. Although there are issues with the overall structure, the most severe problem is that the book is not a neutral assessment of potential criminal justice reforms. Rather, Bazelon uses the book to promote her preferred criminal justice policies. Her approach results in frequently presenting misleading information and ignoring important counterarguments.
Cognitive analysis of metabolomics data for systems biology

Cognitive computing is revolutionizing the way big data are processed and integrated, with artificial intelligence (AI) natural language processing (NLP) platforms helping researchers to efficiently search and digest the vast scientific literature. Most available platforms have been developed for biomedical researchers, but new NLP tools are emerging for biologists in other fields and an important example is metabolomics. NLP provides literature-based contextualization of metabolic features that decreases the time and expert-level subject knowledge required during the prioritization, identification and interpretation steps in the metabolomics data analysis pipeline. Here, we describe and demonstrate four workflows that combine metabolomics data with NLP-based literature searches of scientific databases to aid in the analysis of metabolomics data and their biological interpretation. The four procedures can be used in isolation or consecutively, depending on the research questions. The first, used for initial metabolite annotation and prioritization, creates a list of metabolites that would be interesting for follow-up. The second workflow finds literature evidence of the activity of metabolites and metabolic pathways in governing the biological condition on a systems biology level. The third is used to identify candidate biomarkers, and the fourth looks for metabolic conditions or drug-repurposing targets that the two diseases have in common. The protocol can take 1–4 h or more to complete, depending on the processing time of the various software used. This protocol describes how to use natural language processing software to analyze metabolomics data to prioritize metabolites for further study, identify candidates for unique disease biomarkers and elucidate their function on a pathway level.
Norm manipulation as a condition of friendship

Cathy Mason (2020) argues – against my position in Phelan (2019) – that significant norm-manipulation is unnecessary for friendship. Instead, she holds that norm manipulation is a, perhaps omnipres...
Microstructure and electrochemical properties of high performance graphene/manganese oxide hybrid electrodes

Hybrids consisting of 2D ultra-large reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets (∼30 μm long) and 1D α-phase manganese oxide (MnO2) nanowires were fabricated through a versatile synthesis technique that results in electrostatic binding of the nanowires and sheets. Two different hybrid (RGO/MnO2) compositions had remarkable features and performance: 3 : 1 MnO2/RGO (75/25 wt%) denoted as 3H and 10 : 1 MnO2/RGO (90/10 wt%) denoted as 10H. Characterization using spectroscopy, microscopy, and thermal analysis provided insights into the microstructure and behavior of the individual components and hybrids. Both hybrids exhibited higher specific capacitance than their individual components. 3H demonstrated excellent overall electrochemical performance with specific capacitance of 225 F g−1, pseudocapacitive and electrochemical double-layer capacitance (EDLC) contributions, charge-transfer resistance <1 Ω, and 97.8% capacitive retention after 1000 cycles. These properties were better than those of 10H; this was attributed 3H's more uniform distribution of nanowires enabling more effective electronic transport. Thermal annealing was used to produce reduced graphene oxide (RGO) that exhibited significant removal of oxygen functionality with a resulting interlayer spacing of 0.391 nm, higher D/G ratio, higher specific capacitance, and electrochemical properties representing more ideal capacitive behavior than GO. Integrating ultra-large RGO with very high surface area and MnO2 nanowires enables chemical interactions that may improve processability into complex architectures and electrochemical performance of electrodes for applications in electronics, sensors, catalysis, and deionization.
Rational Choice and Decision Heuristics

Deterrence is best understood as a type of subjective or expected utility theory. Subjective utility theory assumes that individuals are rational decision makers in that they select among options on the basis of perceived net utility where utility is a function of benefits, costs, and probabilities associated with each.
Capitellum Fracture Fragment Excision: A Case Series:

Background Fractures of the capitellum are rare injuries, and few studies have reported the results of fragment excision.
Privacy vs. Security: Why Privacy is Not an Absolute Value or Right

In this essay, I consider the relationship between the rights to privacy and security and argue that, in a sense to be made somewhat more precise below, that threats to the right to security outweighs comparable threats to privacy. My argument begins with an assessment of ordinary case judgments and an explanation of the important moral distinction between intrinsic value (i.e., value as an end) and instrumental value (i.e., value as a means), arguing that each approach assigns more moral value, other things being equal, to security interests than to privacy interests. I then consider the issue from with a number of mainstream approaches to normative theories of state legitimacy, including social contract theories (new and old), utilitarian theories, Scanlon's contractualism, and various communitarian theories assign security rights a higher place on the moral hierarchy than privacy rights. I then conclude that, under ordinary intuitions and each of these theories, security interests trump (or outweigh) privacy interests when the two come into "direct" conflict - although I make no attempt to give an algorithm or theory for answering the important question of when these interests come into direct conflict and how to weigh them when, say, minor interests in security conflict with major interests in privacy.
Invisible barriers to dispersal

Climate change is causing organisms to migrate into new geographic areas, with most organisms tracking the movement of suitable temperatures poleward ( 1 ). The movements appear to be more rapid for marine than for terrestrial fauna ( 2 ), perhaps because marine organisms have fewer barriers to dispersal ( 3 ), but many marine organisms do encounter barriers that inhibit their ability to colonize new habitats. On page 1135 of this issue, Muir et al. ( 4 ) show that low wintertime irradiance limits the poleward expansion of staghorn corals. On page 1132, Deutsch et al. ( 5 ) identify another barrier to marine species: the ratio of oxygen supply and metabolic demand, which determines in which parts of the ocean fish and invertebrates have enough oxygen to support their metabolic needs. These two studies remind us that climate change will reshape marine species habitats but not necessarily expand them.
Source and Type of Support for In-School Physical Activity: Differential Patterns for Demographic Subgroups

Background: Results of prior research on social support (SS) for physical activity (PA) have been inconsistent. Purpose: The study aim was to expand the SS and PA literature by focusing on children, examining associated variables such as weight, race/ethnicity, and sex, and use objectively measured PA and inclusive targets of SS. Methods: Participants were 347 children (girls = 199; mean age = 9.4 years) enrolled in 6 schools across a large Midwestern area. Primary racial/ethnic backgrounds were African American and Caucasian. Data collection included questionnaires and accelerometry. Results: Parents provided greatest overall amount of support; however, the principal was the source most associated with in-school PA, and talking with the child about PA was the most important type of support associated with in-school PA. Though level of perceived support was similar across subgroups, SS was associated with PA for children of a higher weight status only. Discussion: SS for in-school PA may differentially be...
A four-coordinate thionitrosyl complex of vanadium

Addition of elemental sulfur to the vanadium nitride [(nacnac)VN(OAr)] forms the first thionitrosyl complex of vanadium, [(nacnac)V(NS)(OAr)]. Single crystal X-Ray diffraction studies and DFT calculations reveal an almost linear thionitrosyl ligand resulting from an extended π-resonance across the VNS moiety.
PETROLOGIC EVIDENCE FOR K-FELDSPAR METASOMATISM IN GRANULITE FACIES ROCKS

Abstract We present evidence for K-feldspar metasomatism in charnockitic granulites from two well-known terranes: the Shevaroy Hills Massif, S. India (750°C, 8 kbars) and the Bamble Sector, S.E. Norway (790°C, 7.5 kbars) in the form of K-feldspar veins principally along plagioclase and quartz grain boundaries and in the form of highly variable antiperthitic patches of K-feldspar in an uneven scattering of plagioclase grains. With one exception, orthopyroxene or amphibole grains in contact with these K-feldspar veins show no alteration to secondary biotite, indicating that the H 2 O activity of the fluids responsible for these veins must have been relatively low. A high Ba concentration in these veins also suggests a metasomatic origin. Point counted, back-scattered electron photomicrographs, along with microprobe analyses, provide reintegrated K-feldspar and plagioclase compositions for 8 to 12 predetermined random areas per thin section for three samples from Bamble and three samples from the Shevaroy Hills. These reintegrated feldspar compositions plot over a range of temperatures on the feldspar ternary for each sample, and indicate saturation temperatures above the mean temperature for either region with a few reintegrated compositions above the 1000°C isotherm and with the lower cut-off temperatures at 700°C and 600°C for the Shevaroy and Bamble samples, respectively. These patterns suggest that exsolution alone could not have been responsible for the formation of the K-feldspar veins and patches in these rocks. We suggest that these veins are due to the influx of complex, supercritical, low H 2 O activity brines shortly after peak metamorphic conditions, that this influx continued during the initial phases of post-peak metamorphic uplift and that these fluids represent the first stage in a series of fluid influxes in which the H 2 O activity increased as uplift continued. Reaction of these brines with potassium-undersaturated plagioclase grains formed K-feldspar veins along grain boundaries and fractures, as well as diffusing into the plagioclase, which became supersaturated, and exsolved K-feldspar as antiperthite patches during uplift and cooling. Formation of secondary biotite halos around orthopyroxene in one sample associated with these K-feldspar veins can be explained by heightened H 2 O activity in the brines due to enrichment in H 2 O, emplacement of the veins at lower pressure during uplift or both compared to the other Shevaroy and Bamble samples.
The longevity of seagrass seeds

The greatest longevity of seagrass seeds is reported for Syringodium filiforme Kutz. Seefs of Syringodium from Texas continued to germinate for 4 years and 1 month. Halodule wrightii Aschers. seeds from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, continued to germinate for 3 years and 10 months and Halodule uninervis (Forsk.) Aschers. seeds from Australia for 3 years and 5 months. Seeds of Halophila engelmannii Aschers. from Texas germinated after 2 years and storage under dark conditions.
2010 Special Issue: Social gating and pedagogy: Mechanisms for learning and implications for robotics

It seems self-evident that human responsiveness to social input enhances learning, yet the details of the social forces at play are only beginning to come into focus. Recent research on language and cognitive development in preschoolers and infants illuminates mechanisms such as social gating and natural pedagogy, and specific ways in which they benefit learning. We review such advances and consider implications of this research for designing robotic systems that can harness the power of social forces for learning.
Synthesis of a μ3-η1 isocyanide triangular nickel cluster: X-ray crystal structure of [Ni3(μ3-CNMe)(μ3-I)(dppm)3][I]

Abstract The reaction of the trinickel cluster [Ni 3 (μ 3 -CNMe)(μ 3 -I)(CNMe) 2 (dppm) 2 ][I] ( 1 ), which contains the first example of a linear, symmetrically triply-bridging (μ 3 -η 1 ) isocyanide, with one equivalent of dppm (PPh 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) in acetonitrile under reflux conditions, results in the formation of a more stable trinickel cluster, [Ni 3 (μ 3 -CNMe)(μ 3 -I)(dppm) 3 ][I] ( 2 ), which also possesses a linear μ 3 -η 1 isocyanide ligand. The structure of 2 was established by X-ray crystallography.
How parents decide to participate and save in their children's asset-building accounts: Implications for practice, policy, and theory

Abstract Asset-based social welfare programs focus on helping low to moderate income citizens accumulate wealth in the form of home ownership, savings, small businesses, and higher education. Individual development accounts, savings accounts in which account holders' deposits are matched, are a vehicle often used in these programs. In a national demonstration of children's savings accounts (individual development accounts for children) parents participated in focus groups to discuss how they decided to enroll in this asset-building program, how they decided to open accounts for their children, and how they saved in these accounts. Findings from this study have implications for assetbuilding policy and practice, and institutional theories of saving.
Mechanism of ATPase-mediated Cu+ Export and Delivery to Periplasmic Chaperones THE INTERACTION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI CopA AND CusF

Cellular copper homeostasis requires transmembrane transport and compartmental trafficking while maintaining the cell essentially free of uncomplexed Cu2+/+. In bacteria, soluble cytoplasmic and periplasmic chaperones bind and deliver Cu+ to target transporters or metalloenzymes. Transmembrane Cu+-ATPases couple the hydrolysis of ATP to the efflux of cytoplasmic Cu+. Cytosolic Cu+ chaperones (CopZ) interact with a structural platform in Cu+-ATPases (CopA) and deliver copper into the ion permeation path. CusF is a periplasmic Cu+ chaperone that supplies Cu+ to the CusCBA system for efflux to the extracellular milieu. In this report, using Escherichia coli CopA and CusF, direct Cu+ transfer from the ATPase to the periplasmic chaperone was observed. This required the specific interaction of the Cu+-bound form of CopA with apo-CusF for subsequent metal transfer upon ATP hydrolysis. As expected, the reverse Cu+ transfer from CusF to CopA was not observed. Mutation of CopA extracellular loops or the electropositive surface of CusF led to a decrease in Cu+ transfer efficiency. On the other hand, mutation of Met and Glu residues proposed to be part of the metal exit site in the ATPase yielded enzymes with lower turnover rates, although Cu+ transfer was minimally affected. These results show how soluble chaperones obtain Cu+ from transmembrane transporters. Furthermore, by explaining the movement of Cu+ from the cytoplasmic pool to the extracellular milieu, these data support a mechanism by which cytoplasmic Cu+ can be precisely directed to periplasmic targets via specific transporter-chaperone interactions.
Coat color aberrations inPresbytis johnii: A founder effect?

Individuals ofPresbytis johnii with coats of brown hair, rather than of the normal black color, are reported from a population inhabiting forest fragments at a low elevation in the Western Ghats of South India. It is suggested that this coat color aberration is due to a relatively rare recessive allele, occurring homozygously as a result of inbreeding in small, isolated populations. Because similar color aberrations in other colobine monkeys seem most frequent in isolated populations, they too may be the result of founder effects rather than recent mutation.
Numerical solution techniques to the time-dependent Maxwell equations for highly scattering media

We discuss how a spectral-domain method in combination with a split-operator technique can be used to calculate exact solutions of the time-dependent Maxwell equations. We apply this technique to study the propagation of a light pulse through an inhomogeneous medium consisting of practically arbitrarily shaped dielectric and metallic materials.
A Beaker workshop area in the rock shelter of Son Matge, Mallorca

Abstract The results of recent investigations in the Balearic Islands offer a great deal of new artefact and chronological information concerning the islands’ early settlement and the external cultural and trade influences that affected them, along with the development of the indigenous technological, economical, social and religious activities during prehistoric times. The current article presents some of the new information emerging from a Beaker workshop area in the Rock Shelter of Son Matge (6°’ 25’ E, 390 35’ N), Valldemosa, Mallorca, which is pertinent to early metal working in the Balearics during the second and first millennia B.C. It also presents chronological evidence in the form of a series of fifteen radiocarbon dates for the local Pretalayotic Period (culture of the caves) from c. 2700 b.c. to 1400 b.c., thirteen of which concern local Beaker contexts. Also included are the first results of electron microscopic analysis on samples of Balearic bronzes, part of a proposed series of some two hu...
Oxygen-18 tracer studies of enzyme reactions with radical/cation diagnostic probes.

This review considers reactions of enzymes with the cyclopropanoid radical/cation diagnostic probes norcarane, 1,1-dimethylcyclopropane, and 1,1-diethylcyclopropane as elaborated by the use of {sup 18}O{sub 2} and {sup 18}OH{sub 2} to trace the origin of O-atoms incorporated during catalysis. The reactions of soluble and integral membrane diiron enzymes are summarized and compared to results obtained from cytochrome P450 studies. Norcarane proved to be an excellent substrate for the diiron enzyme toluene 4-monooxygenase and its engineered isoforms, with k {sub cat} and coupling between NADH utilization and total hydroxylated products comparable to that determined for toluene, the natural substrate. Results obtained with toluene 4-monooxygenase show that the un-rearranged and radical-rearranged alcohol products have a high percentage of O-atom incorporation (>80-95%) from O{sub 2}, while the cation-derived ring-expansion products have O-atom incorporation primarily derived from solvent water. Mechanistic possibilities accounting for this difference are discussed.
A triangular cut-cell adaptive method for high-order discretizations of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations

This paper presents a mesh adaptation method for higher-order (p>1) discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretizations of the two-dimensional, compressible Navier-Stokes equations. A key feature of this method is a cut-cell meshing technique, in which the triangles are not required to conform to the boundary. This approach permits anisotropic adaptation without the difficulty of constructing meshes that conform to potentially complex geometries. A quadrature technique is proposed for accurately integrating on general cut cells. In addition, an output-based error estimator and adaptive method are presented, appropriately accounting for high-order solution spaces in optimizing local mesh anisotropy. Accuracy on cut-cell meshes is demonstrated by comparing solutions to those on standard, boundary-conforming meshes. Robustness of the cut-cell and adaptation technique is successfully tested for highly anisotropic boundary-layer meshes representative of practical high Re simulations. Furthermore, adaptation results show that, for all test cases considered, p=2 and p=3 discretizations meet desired error tolerances using fewer degrees of freedom than p=1.
A Precision Velocity Study of Photometrically Stable Stars in the Cepheid Instability Strip

Results of a precision Doppler velocity survey of 15 stars that lie in or near the Cepheid instability strip are presented. Previous studies have shown that these stars are photometrically stable. Long-term radial velocity precision of 15 m s-1 has been achieved with the use of an iodine absorption cell and a high-resolution cross-dispersed echelle spectrometer. The stars show a variety of behavior from stability (at the level of 30 m s-1) to variability from 50 m s-1 to a few km s-1. Periodograms of many of the program stars show significant peaks at 50-80 days that are not associated with radial pulsation. Previously undetected binary companions have been found around two of the stars. Line profiles are compared to δ Cep.
Role of solute-transport models in the analysis of groundwater salinity problems in agricultural areas

Abstract Undesirable salinity increases occur in both groundwater and surface water and are commonly related to agricultural practices. Groundwater recharge from precipitation or irrigation will transport and disperse residual salts concentrated by evapotranspiration, salts leached from soil and aquifer materials, as well as some dissolved fertilizers and pesticides. Where stream salinity is affected by agricultural practices, the increases in salt load usually are attributable mostly to a groundwater component of flow. Thus, efforts to predict, manage, or control stream salinity increases should consider the role of groundwater in salt transport. Two examples of groundwater salinity problems in Colorado, U.S.A., illustrate that a model which simulates accurately the transport and dispersion of solutes in flowing groundwater can be (1) a valuable investigative tool to help understand the processes and parameters controlling the movement and fate of the salt, and (2) a valuable management tool for predicting responses and optimizing the development and use of the total water resource.
The Choctaw Nation: Changing the Appearance of American Higher Education, 1830–1907

In September 1830 the U.S. government negotiated the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek with some leaders of the Choctaw Nation. The treaty reinforced the congressional Indian Removal Act of 1830, which paved the way for the large-scale physical removal of tens of thousands of tribal people of the southeast, including many of the Choctaw. It provided for the "removal" of the Choctaw from their traditional homeland in Mississippi to Indian Territory. Over a two-year period, from 1831 to 1833, roughly thirteen thousand to fifteen thousand Choctaw, or about half of the tribe, moved to the region we now call southeastern Oklahoma.1 The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek proved to be a mixed blessing. If it paved the way for tribal removal, which the Choctaw viewed as something negative, it also had other provisions, which benefited them. One was a higher education provision. Article Twenty directed the President of the United States to provide for the education of "forty Choctaw youths for twentyyears."2 Although the treaty did not specify a collegiate education, both the treaty negotiators and the tribal leaders understood that advanced education was an ultimate goal of the Choctaw Nation. After all, the Choctaw people, as noted in the treaty, were "in a state of rapid advancement in education" and wanted a delegate sitting in the U.S. House of Representatives.3 Political
Shared memory mirroring for reducing communication overhead on commodity networks

This paper proposes using shared memory for caching latency sensitive distributed data structures on symmetric multiprocessor nodes of clusters connected with commodity networks. Shared memory mirroring is a hybrid approach that replicates data across cluster nodes and distributes data within each node. The user is responsible for managing consistency of the data cached within the mirrored data structures. The method is shown to be very effective in improving the performance of a real scientific application on clusters equipped with Ethernet, Myrinet, or quadric networks.
Enamel cavosurface bevels finished with ultraspeed instruments

Rating scores ranked the straight fissure bur first for producing the smoothest and most distinct bevel. The 40-fluted and 12-fluted finishing burs ranked second and third, respectively, and the superfine diamond stone was judged to produce the roughest and least distinct bevel. In selecting an instrument for finishing an external enamel cavosurface bevel, the results of this study suggest that a straight fissure bur will produce the most distinct and smoothest bevel when ultrarotational speeds are used. Results also indicated the superfine diamond stone to be the least desirable instrument for preparing a bevel in enamel.
Approaching polymetallic ‘Assemblies of Assemblies’ using ligands with multiple functionality – novel Mn10M2 (M = alkali metal) chains with ‘ionophoric’ end cavities

A tri-functional ligand with hydrazone, oxime and o-vanillin subunits uses separate encoded coordination instructions to create a novel extended spin-coupled cluster where the hydazone oxygen and oxime groups of three ligands combine to create bridges linking ten Mn ions together, leaving organized O6 end cavities capable of coordinating oxo-philic cations.
Agglutination by concanavalin A of urothelial cells of heterotropically transplanted rat urinary bladders: effect of bladder carcinogens and urine

N-butyl-N-(3-carboxypropyl)nitrosamine (BCPN) has been considered to be a carcinogenic urinary metabolite of N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine. No tumor developed, however, in the heterotropically transplanted rat urinary bladders (HTBs) following repeated instillation of BCPN dissolved in physiological saline. In the present study, the possibility that BCPN dissolved in urine may induce tumors was explored using a short-term screening assay. When tested with the concanavalin A agglutination assay with which a close correlation between increase in cell agglutinability and carcinogenicity of test compounds has been well demonstrated, no significant increase in agglutinability attributable solely to BCPN was observed in HTB cells whether it was dissolved in saline or urine. Based on the current findings together with other available data, it is suggested that urothelial cells have a very limited capability to activate BCPN to the ultimate carcinogen, and require continuous contact with the carcinogen to respond with tumor formation.
Carbon emissions from deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Region

Abstract. A simulation model based on satellite observations of monthly vegetation greenness from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was used to estimate monthly carbon fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems of Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado regions over the period 2000–2002. The NASA-CASA (Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) model estimates of annual forest production were used for the first time as the basis to generate a prediction for the standing pool of carbon in above-ground biomass (AGB; g C m−2) for forested areas of the Brazilian Amazon region. Plot-level measurements of the residence time of carbon in wood in Amazon forest from Malhi et al. (2006) were interpolated by inverse distance weighting algorithms and used with CASA to generate a new regional map of AGB. Data from the Brazilian PRODES (Estimativa do Desflorestamento da Amazonia) project were used to map deforested areas. Results show that net primary production (NPP) sinks for carbon varied between 4.25 Pg C yr−1 (1 Pg=1015 g) and 4.34 Pg C for the region and were highest across the eastern and northern Amazon areas, whereas deforestation sources of CO2 flux from decomposition of residual woody debris were higher and less seasonal in the central Amazon than in the eastern and southern areas. Increased woody debris from past deforestation events was predicted to alter the net ecosystem carbon balance of the Amazon region to generate annual CO2 source fluxes at least two times higher than previously predicted by CASA modeling studies. Variations in climate, land cover, and forest burning were predicted to release carbon at rates of 0.5 to 1 Pg C yr−1 from the Brazilian Amazon. When direct deforestation emissions of CO2 from forest burning of between 0.2 and 0.6 Pg C yr−1 in the Legal Amazon are overlooked in regional budgets, the year-to-year variations in this net biome flux may appear to be large, whereas our model results implies net biome fluxes had actually been relatively consistent from year to year during the period 2000–2002. This is the first study to use MODIS data to model all carbon pools (wood, leaf, root) dynamically in simulations of Amazon forest deforestation from clearing and burning of all kinds.
Squamous papilloma of the urinary tract is unrelated to condyloma acuminata.

BACKGROUND To the authors' knowledge, there is no previous report of squamous papilloma of the urinary tract. It is uncertain whether there is a correlation between squamous papilloma, condyloma acuminatum, and verrucous carcinoma. METHODS The authors evaluated the clinical and pathologic features of squamous papilloma (5 of the bladder, 2 of the urethra), condyloma acuminatum (3 cases), and verrucous carcinoma (3 cases) of the urinary bladder and performed human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in situ hybridization studies to determine whether HPV was a common feature shared by these lesions. In addition, DNA ploidy evaluation by image cytometry and p53 immunohistochemical staining were performed. RESULTS Squamous papilloma of the urinary tract occurred in elderly women and followed a benign clinical course with infrequent recurrence. All squamous papillomas were HPV DNA negative and DNA diploid with no or minimal p53 nuclear accumulation. Condyloma acuminata of the bladder contained HPV DNA, increased p53 protein expression, and aneuploid DNA content. All three cases of condyloma acuminata were associated with coexistent condylomata of the external genitalia, and two required pelvic exenteration for uncontrolled expansile growth. Verrucous carcinoma of the bladder occurred in elderly patients. All three cases of verrucous carcinoma were negative for HPV DNA and DNA aneuploid, and they exhibited consistent p53 expression. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that squamous papilloma is a distinct entity not related to condyloma or verrucous carcinoma. These lesions are benign, HPV DNA negative, DNA diploid, and they lack p53 overaccumulation. Cancer 2000;88:1679–86. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
ASSESSMENT OF FOLLICLE DESTRUCTION IN CHEMICAL-INDUCED OVARIAN TOXICITY

The ovary plays a pivotal role in the regulation of reproductive function in females. Development, maturation, and ovulation of oocytes occur within ovarian follicles. Females are born with a finite number of undeveloped, primordial follicles. Chemicals that destroy oocytes contained in these follicles can produce premature ovarian failure (menopause) because once a primordial follicle is destroyed, it cannot be replaced. This article focuses on chemicals that have been shown to destroy these small follicles in laboratory animals. An ovotoxic compound of particular interest is 4-vinylcyclohexene (VCH) and its epoxide metabolites. The specific information discussed here relates to various aspects of VCH-inuced ovarian toxicity. This includes species specificity, disposition and metabolism, direct follicular effects, bioactivity of metabolites, and long-term responses to exposure. Using these studies as a model approach, a method for evaluation of the ovotoxic potential of other chemicals can be designed.
Mach's principle and Newtonian mechanics

The union of Mach's principle and Newtonian mechanics gives rise to Relational Mechanics. We find that the characteristics of the revised mechanics are: (1) freedom from any reference to absolute space; (2) the identity of inertial and gravitational mass; (3) the relative acceleration of a body in a gravitational field dependent on the mass of the body. All these results are valid in the context of a Newtonian mechanics which is being developed in the center-of-mass system of all the particles. The conservation of linear momentum, energy, angular momentum are expressed in relational terms, i.e., no reference is made to absolute space. Relational Mechanics is a classical relativistic theory which can be formulated to satisfy Einsteinian relativistic requirements. The Hamiltonian formalism for Relational Mechanics is discussed.
FGF and ERK signaling coordinately regulate mineralization-related genes and play essential roles in osteocyte differentiation

To examine the roles of FGF and ERK MAPK signaling in osteocyte differentiation and function, we performed microarray analyses using the osteocyte cell line MLO-Y4. This experiment identified a number of mineralization-related genes that were regulated by FGF2 in an ERK MAPK-dependent manner. Real-time PCR analysis indicated that FGF2 upregulates Ank, Enpp1, Mgp, Slc20a1, and Dmp1 in MLO-Y4 cells. Consistent with this observation, the selective FGF receptor inhibitor PD173074 decreased Ank, Enpp1, Slc20a1, and Dmp1 mRNA expression in mouse calvaria in organ culture. Since Dmp1 plays a central role in osteocyte differentiation and mineral homeostasis, we further analyzed FGF regulation of Dmp1. Similar to FGF2, FGF23 upregulated Dmp1 expression in MLO-Y4 cells in the presence of Klotho. Furthermore, increased extracellular phosphate levels partially inhibited FGF2-induced upregulation of Dmp1 mRNA expression, suggesting a coordinated regulation of Dmp1 expression by FGF signaling and extracellular phosphate. In MLO-Y4 osteocytes and in MC3T3E1 and primary calvaria osteoblasts, U0126 strongly inhibited both basal expression of Dmp1 mRNA and FGF2-induced upregulation. Consistent with the in vitro observations, real-time PCR and immunohistochemical analysis showed a strong decrease in Dmp1 expression in the skeletal elements of ERK1 −/− ; ERK2 flox/flox ; Prx1-Cre mice. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopic analysis revealed that no osteocytes with characteristic dendritic processes develop in the limbs of ERK1 −/− ; ERK2 flox/flox ; Prx1-Cre mice. Collectively, our observations indicate that FGF signaling coordinately regulates mineralization-related genes in the osteoblast lineage and that ERK signaling is essential for Dmp1 expression and osteocyte differentiation.
Optimal Occulter Design for Finding Extrasolar Planets

One proposed method for finding terrestrial planets around nearby stars is to use two spacecraft: a telescope and a specially shaped occulter that is specifically designed to prevent all but a tiny fraction of the starlight from diffracting into the telescope. As the cost and observing cadence for such a mission will be driven largely by the separation between the two spacecraft, it is critically important to design an occulter that can meet the observing goals while flying as close to the telescope as possible. In this paper, we explore this tradeoff between separation and occulter diameter. More specifically, we present a method for designing the shape of the outer edge of an occulter that is as small as possible and gives a shadow that is deep enough and large enough for a 4 m telescope to survey the habitable zones of many stars for Earth-like planets. In particular, we show that in order for a 4 m telescope to detect in broadband visible light a planet 0.06'' from a star shining 1010 times more brightly than the planet requires a specially shaped occulter 50 m in diameter positioned about 72,000 km in front of the telescope.
Pre-emptive placement of a presealant for amniotic access.

Objective Amniotic access for fetal diagnosis and therapy can lead to membrane leaks, separation, and preterm premature rupture of membranes. Morbidity limits the beneficial effects of fetal intervention. We propose to examine a novel preventive "presealant" membrane puncture technique and evaluate it in vitro. Study design Fetal membranes from normal term deliveries were fastened to a pressure controlled pump and punctured after presealant placement. Distinct bioadhesives were then compared for sealing efficacy by the measurement of leak pressures. Membranes were also evaluated for changes in tensile rupture strength after treatment. Results Preemptive sealing by 2 of the presealants achieved significantly higher leak pressures compared with control membranes (85 and 78, respectively, vs 27 cm of water; P P 2 ; P >.05). Conclusion The application of a presealant is effective for the prevention of iatrogenic rupture in an in vitro model and may be beneficial for clinical application. Further studies with different bioadhesives are needed, given the limitations of the glues that are described in this study.
Diagnosing mobile applications in the wild

There are a lot of applications that run on modern mobile operating systems. Inevitably, some of these applications fail in the hands of users. Diagnosing a failure to identify the culprit, or merely reproducing that failure in the lab is difficult. To get insight into this problem, we interviewed developers of five mobile applications and analyzed hundreds of trouble tickets. We find that support for diagnosing unexpected application behavior is lacking across major mobile platforms. Even when developers implement heavy-weight logging during controlled trials, they do not discover many dependencies that are then stressed in the wild. They are also not well-equipped to understand how to monitor the large number of dependencies without impacting the phone's limited resources such as CPU and battery. Based on these findings, we argue for three fundamental changes to failure reporting on mobile phones. The first is spatial spreading, which exploits the large number of phones in the field by spreading the monitoring work across them. The second is statistical inference, which builds a conditional distribution model between application behavior and its dependencies in the presence of partial information. The third is adaptive sampling, which dynamically varies what each phone monitors, to adapt to both the varying population of phones and what is being learned about each failure. We propose a system called MobiBug that combines these three techniques to simplify the task of diagnosing mobile applications.
Genome-wide association analysis identified SNPs closely linked to a gene resistant to Soil-borne wheat mosaic virus

Using association and linkage mapping, two SNP markers closely linked to the SBWMV resistance gene on chromosome 5D were identified and can be used to select the gene in breeding. Soil-borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV) disease is a serious viral disease of winter wheat growing areas worldwide. SBWMV infection can significantly reduce grain yield up to 80 %. Developing resistant wheat cultivars is the only feasible strategy to reduce the losses. In this study, wheat Infinium iSelect Beadchips with 9 K wheat SNPs were used to genotype an association mapping population of 205 wheat accessions. Six new SNPs from two genes were identified to be significantly associated with the gene for SBWMV resistance on chromosome 5D. The SNPs and Xgwm469, an SSR marker that has been reported to be associated with the gene, were mapped close to the gene using F6-derived recombinant inbred lines from the cross between a resistant parent ‘Heyne’ and a susceptible parent ‘Trego’. Two representative SNPs, wsnp_CAP11_c209_198467 and wsnp_JD_c4438_5568170, from the two linked genes in wheat were converted into KBioscience Competitive Allele-Specific Polymerase assays and can be easily used in marker-assisted selection to improve wheat resistance to SBWMV in breeding.
The use of PET/CT in evaluating disease recurrence following Ewing's tumour resection of the chest wall

Limitations exist with the use of computer tomography (CT) in evaluating tumour recurrence at the site of previous chest wall reconstruction due to poor differentiation between inflammatory change and tumour recurrence. This case highlights the value of combined positron emission tomography and CT, which generates detailed anatomical and metabolic profiles in this diagnostic dilemma.
Implications of Super-Channels on Colorless, Directionless and Contentionless (CDC) ROADM Architectures

This paper proposes CDC ROADM architecture compatible with emerging DWDM super-channel technology. A real world network model is used to quantify that this architecture requires fewer network components leading to less capital and operational costs.
Cardiac operations in patients aged 70 years and over: Mortality, length of stay, and hospital charge

Background. With emphasis today on cost containment in health care, the results and costs of cardiac operations in elderly patients are being scrutinized. Methods. Our computerized database was used to obtain the characteristics of patients undergoing cardiac operations from January 1990 to July 1994. A study group of 628 patients aged 70 years and over was identified, and comparisons were made between them and adult patients less than 70 years of age. Results. In the elderly group the 30-day mortality was 33 of 628 (5.3%), and the overall hospital mortality was 40 (6.4%). During this time the 30-day mortality for all adult patients less than 70 years old was 49 of 1787 (2.7%; p p p Conclusions. Although mortality, length of stay, and hospital charge are increased in patients 70 years of age and over, they are not excessively so. The results support the continued performance of cardiac surgical procedures in select elderly patients.
Bump-mapped vector fields

We present alternative ways of looking at vector fields that complement existing flow visualization methods. These techniques are based on bump mapping and are simple, easy to compute, and fast to render. For example, in one of the techniques a surface from the vector field is extracted and the directions of the vector values on the surface are normalized and used as surface normals. The shading of the surface provides directional information. By manipulating the position and color of light sources, different regions with particular vector directions can be highlighted or hidden allowing direction based selection. Since the technique simply uses the directions of the vector as surface normals to bump the surface, it can also be used on irregularly sampled flow fields as well as for visualizing flow directions on curved surfaces. The magnitudes of the vector values can be optionally mapped to color.
Serum proteins of wild turkey vultures (Cathartes aura)

Abstract 1. 1. We separated and identified the major serum proteins of turkey vultures ( Cathartes aura ): albumin, HDL, LDL, IgG and M, transferrin, α 2 M and putatively, IgA, ceruloplasmin and fibronectin. 2. 2. Turkey vulture HDL and LDL had similar electrophoretic mobility and solution properties as those from gallinaceous birds. 3. 3. Turkey vulture IgG and M, and their subunits, had molecular weights comparable to other birds. 4. 4. Serum IgG and M levels in wild turkey vultures were within the range of values reported for domestic avian species.