cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hematochezia: An Uncommon Presentation of Colonic Tuberculosis.

Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is an uncommon entity in the United States. Colonic TB is reported in 2-3% of patients with abdominal TB. It is frequently misdiagnosed as Crohn’s disease or carcinoma of the colon due to their shared clinical, radiographic, and endoscopic presentations. We present a case of a 72-year-old male with colonic tuberculosis presenting as hematochezia. Our patient presented with shortness of breath and weight loss. Chest X-ray demonstrated ill-defined bilateral parenchymal opacities in the perihilar, mid, and lower lung zones. The patient was diagnosed and treated for community acquired pneumonia, with no improvement. Hematochezia complicated by symptomatic hypotension developed later in the course of admission. Colonoscopy revealed multiple ulcers at the anus and transverse and ascending colon as well as the cecum with stigmata of bleeding. Biopsy of a sigmoid ulcer was consistent with colonic tuberculosis. Antitubercular therapy was initiated, but the patient passed away secondary to multiorgan failure 29 days into admission.
Abstract B45: Endometrial cancer microbiome signature and its implications for carcinogenesis

Endometrial cancer studies have led to a number of well-defined but mechanistically unconnected genetic and environmental risk factors. One of the emerging modulators between environmental triggers and genetic expression is the microbiome. Because of the inflammatory display in endometrial cancer, we set out to inquire about the composition of the uterine microbiome and its putative role in endometrial cancer. We undertook a pilot study of the microbiome in 238 samples taken from different locations along the entire female reproductive tract in hysterectomy patients with endometrial cancer (n=17), patients with endometrial hyperplasia (n=4) and patients afflicted with a benign uterine condition (n=10). Samples were collected aseptically both in the operating room and the pathology laboratory. Following DNA extraction, the 16S rDNA (V3-V5 region) microbial gene was amplified and sequenced to identify the microbiota present. The microbiome sequencing revealed a structural microbiome shift in the cancer and hyperplasia cases, distinguishable from the benign cases (p=0.01). Several taxa were found to be significantly enriched in samples belonging to the endometrial cancer cohort: Firmicutes (Anaerostipes, ph2, Dialister, Peptoniphilus, 1-68, Ruminococcus, and Anaerotruncus), Spirochaetes (Treponema), Actinobacteria (Atopobium), Bacteroidetes (Bacteroides and Porphyromonas), and Proteobacteria (Arthrospira). Of particular relevance, the simultaneous presence of Atopobium vaginae and an uncultured representative of the Porphyromonas sp. (99% match to P.somerae) were found to be predictive of the disease status (sensitivity 73-93%; specificity 67-90%, AUC 0.918). Sensitivity is increased to 100% if combined with a high vaginal pH (>4.5), although specificity is decreased to 60%. Although our numbers are low, the microbiome signature of hyperplasia was even more distinct from benign disease than endometrial cancer itself. This is suggestive of an early microbiome role in the disease. Given the pathogenic profile of the identified microorganisms these findings raise the possibility of a microbiome role in the etiology or progression of endometrial cancer that should be further investigated. Citation Format: Marina Walther-Antonio, Jun Chen, Francesco Multinu, Alexis Hokenstad, Tammy Distad, Heidi Cheek, Gary Keeney, Douglas Creedon, Heidi Nelson, Andrea Mariani, Nicholas Chia. Endometrial cancer microbiome signature and its implications for carcinogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Targeting the Vulnerabilities of Cancer; May 16-19, 2016; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(1_Suppl):Abstract nr B45.
Pediatric Ventricular Assist Devices: Current Challenges and Future Prospects

The field of mechanical circulatory support has made great strides in the preceding 2 decades. Although pediatric mechanical circulatory support has lagged behind that of adults, the gap between them is expected to close soon. The only device currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in children is the Berlin Heart EXCOR ventricular assist device (VAD). The prospective Berlin Heart Investigational Device Exemption Trial demonstrated good outcomes, such as bridge to transplantation or recovery, in ~90% of children supported with this device. However, a high incidence of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications was also noted. As a result, pediatric centers have just started implanting adult intracorporeal continuous-flow devices in children. This paradigm shift has opened a new era in pediatric mechanical circulatory support. Whereas children on VAD were previously managed exclusively in hospital, therapeutic options such as outpatient management and even destination therapy have been becoming a reality. With continued miniaturization and technological refinements, devices currently in development will broaden the range of options available to children. The HeartMate 3 and HeartWare MVAD are two such compact VADs, which are anticipated to have great potential for pediatric use. Additionally, a pediatric-specific continuous-flow VAD, the newly redesigned Jarvik Infant 2015, is currently undergoing preclinical testing and is expected to undergo a randomized clinical trial in the near future. This review aims to discuss the challenges posed by the use of intracorporeal adult continuous-flow devices in children, as well as to provide our perspective on the future prospects of the field of pediatric VADs.
Disclosing Audit Risk to Taxpayers

When taxpayers file their tax returns, they are often worried about the prospect of an Internal Revenue Service (Service) audit. To date, the position of the Service and of professional organizations has been that tax return preparers cannot take into account audit risk in evaluating the merits of a return position. Some practitioners have broadly — and incorrectly — interpreted this regulation as a mandate against talking about audit risk with their clients. Taxpayers therefore often make their own assessment of their audit risk, relying on information sources such as the Internet and tax return preparation software. Given the uncertain reliability of such sources, it is appropriate to encourage more communication between tax return preparers and taxpayers on the subject of audit risk. This article argues that the Treasury Department and professional organizations should make it clear that tax return preparers may make full disclosure of Service audit risks to the extent this information is known. While this information cannot be used to evaluate the substantive merit of a particular tax return position, readily dispensing it would be emblematic of a transparent tax system and satisfy taxpayers’s quest to more fully understand the tax return filing process. As such, the availability of Service audit risk information would be a marked improvement over the existing status quo.
Stress-responsive signal transduction: emerging concepts and biological significance

In the past few years, substantial evidence has been put forth that suggests increasing complexity of the mechanism of action of cytotoxic, mutagenic or carcinogenic agents, commonly known as stress-inducers. The developing theme in a stress-induced cellular response is stimulation of a signal transduction pathway regulated by either cell growth and proliferation-related (survival) factors or programmed cell death-related (apoptotic) factors. The balance between the survival and apoptotic signals depends on the cell type, and dictates the fate of the cell. This review summarises current knowledge of the intracellular signal transduction responses elicited by ionising radiation in rodent and mammalian cells, and focuses on the involvement of Raf-1 protein serine-threonine kinase in the signalling pathways initiated by diverse stress-inducers including ionising radiation, ultraviolet radiation, growth factor-deprivation, and cytokines.
Yeast Infections in Solid Organ Transplantation

Invasive candidiasis (IC) remains the most common invasive fungal infection following solid-organ transplant (SOT), but risk factors are evolving. Current challenges include infection due to drug resistant non-albicans and emerging novel species such as Candida auris. Preventive antifungal use in SOT needs to be re-examined in light of these current challenges. Cryptococcosis is the second most common IFI following SOT. Cryptococcus gattii is an emerging pathogen that can have reduced in-vitro susceptibility to antifungal agents. Cryptococcus associated IRIS in SOT is a clinical entity that warrants heightened awareness for timely recognition and management.
Genetic Analysis Workshop 14: Introduction to Workshop Summaries†

Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 (GAW14) was held September 7–10, 2005, in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands. The overarching theme was the comparison of microsatellite and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for genome-wide scans, and the statistical methods that can best exploit the information provided in such scans for linkage and association studies. The 183 contributions submitted to GAW14 were organized into 18 presentation groups of 7–15 papers each. GAW14 participants had the choice of two data sets to analyze. COGA generously donated extensive family data on alcoholism, related phenotypes, pertinent covariates, and a set of previously analyzed genomescan microsatellite marker genotypes. The simulated data were designed to have similarities to the real data set. Extensive new SNP genotyping was performed on DNA provided by COGA for the previously genotyped families. Illumina, Affymetrix, and the Center for Inherited Disease Research performed this work and donated these data to GAW14 and to COGA. The group summary papers collected in this issue present the major findings from GAW14. Genet. Epidemiol. 29(Suppl. 1):S1–S6, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Adriamycin-associated cardiomyopathy: where are we now? updates in pathophysiology, dose recommendations, prognosis, and outcomes.

Purpose of review Advances in cancer treatments have resulted in significant improvements in survival. Anthracycline chemotherapeutics play a major role in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors; however, there is a risk of anthracycline cardiomyopathy in survivors. This focused review will provide a historical context on anthracycline cardiomyopathy and will also review pathophysiologic mechanisms of cardiotoxicity, dosage recommendations, prognosis, and outcomes. Recent findings Anthracycline inhibition of topoisomerase 2β in cardiomyocytes is believed to be the dominant mechanism of anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity. Emerging data suggest that downregulation of the RNA-binding protein quaking 5 may also be contributing. There is continued lack of agreement regarding what dosage of anthracycline is associated with the highest risk of cardiotoxicity. Summary Ongoing research into the mechanisms of anthracycline cardiotoxicity is warranted to allow for the development of targeted preventive therapies. A consensus definition of anthracycline cardiomyopathy will facilitate analyses of existing data and allow for the conduction of prospective clinical trials in this area.
Ideological Congruence and Social Media Text as Data

Earlier studies on ideological congruence mostly rely on public opinion surveys to measure voter ideology, while politicians' ideology is measured by instruments such as roll call votes, expert sur...
History and Stories of Mestizaje in the Spanish Caribbean: Rosario Ferre's Maldito Amor/sweet Diamond Dust

This article offers a critical overview of the discourse of mestizaje and its relationship to national and individual identities in the Spanish Caribbean, particularly in Puerto Rico. Through a close analysis of Rosario Ferre’s novel Sweet Diamond Dust, I examine the discursive mechanisms that the rhetoric of empire and later the movements of independence and nationalism employed to affirm mestizaje in order to unify cultural identity and gloss over differences in race, gender, and class. I argue that Sweet Diamond Dust revises the notion of mestizaje, challenging its totalizing rhetoric with a multiplicity of stories that emphasize diverse social, gender, and racial perspectives. Polyphony and heteroglossia in the novel demystify mestizaje as the cultural symbol of national unison and underscore the conflicts and discontinuities of the Hispanic Caribbean as the basis of its historical and cultural reality.
Pathology and probability. Likelihood ratios and receiver operating characteristic curves in the interpretation of bronchial brush specimens.

Diagnoses in pathology often are qualitative, such as atypical or suspicious, and consequently are thought to have limited clinical value. To investigate the utility of a qualitative diagnostic system, seven pathologists retrospectively evaluated 100 bronchial brush specimens using the following categories : definitely benign, probably Benign, possibly malignant, probably malignant, and definitely malignant. The likelihood ratio (LR) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, two statistical probabilistic measurements, were used to calculate diagnostic accuracy among individuals and groups. The results show : (1) the LR for individual diagnostic categories varied among observers, resulting in different clinically malignant probabilities ; (2) observer experience did not appear to play a role in overall diagnostic accuracy, except in the diagnosis of small cell carcinoma ; (3) observers operate at higher levels of diagnostic accuracy with, rather than without, clinical history. The authors conclude that qualitative diagnoses contain important information and can be interpreted effectively with LR and ROC. (Key words : Statistics ; Anatomic pathology ; Cytology ; Diagnosis ; Quality assurance/control) Am J Clin Pathol 1995 ;103 :588-593.
Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation: Knowledge and Attitudes of a National Sample of Organ Procurement Organization Professionals

With the emergence of vascularized composite allografts (VCAs) for transplantation, donation professionals' ability to obtain authorization for these anatomical gifts has become paramount for its continued practice. Our national study examines the experience of organ procurement organization (OPO) professionals responsible for presenting the opportunity to donate VCAs to families of deceased donor-eligible patients. Semi-structured telephone interviews conducted with 157 OPO staff assessed experience with VCA discussions, VCA knowledge, and comfort, confidence, and feeling prepared with discussions about different VCA types. Standard procedures were used to code and analyze the qualitative data and summarize the quantitative data. Most respondents (70.1%) never held a VCA donation discussion, but those with experience reported overall low levels of knowledge, comfort, and confidence talking with families about VCA. Although 44.4% of the sample had VCA-related training, many felt unprepared, with most (75.0%) stating the training was insufficient. Participants without experience indicated even lower ratings of the aforementioned constructs. Findings support extant work demonstrating that no standardized procedures exist for VCA donation discussions; however, donation professionals are willing to adopt new VCA-related skills. This report concludes that sustained and content-specific training will elevate donation professionals' ability to augment the supply of VCAs available for transplantation.
Metagenomic sequencing to identify alternative infections and co-infections in persons under investigation for COVID-19

Background: Broad testing for respiratory viruses among persons under investigation (PUI) for SARS-CoV-2 is performed inconsistently, limiting our understanding of alternative infections and co-infections in these patients Here, we used unbiased metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to assess the frequencies of 1) alternative viral infections in SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR negative PUIs and 2) viral co-infections in SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive PUIs Methods: A convenience sample set was selected from PUIs who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 in the Emory Healthcare system during the first 2 months of the pandemic from 02/26-04/23/20 Laboratory results were extracted by chart review;Flu/RSV and multiplex respiratory pathogen PCRs had been performed at the discretion of treating physicians Excess nasopharyngeal swab samples were retrieved within 72 hours of collection and underwent RNA extraction and SARS-CoV-2 testing by triplex RT-PCR mNGS was performed by DNAse treatment, random primer cDNA synthesis, Nextera XT tagmentation, and high-depth Illumina sequencing Reads underwent taxonomic classification by KrakenUniq, as implemented in viral-ngs Results: 53 PUIs were included, 30 negative and 23 positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR Among SARS-CoV-2 negative PUIs, 28 (93%) underwent clinical testing for alternative infections, and 8 (29%) tested positive for another respiratory virus In all cases, mNGS identified the same virus (Table 1) In another 3 PUIs, mNGS identified two viruses that were not tested for and one that was missed by routine testing No SARS-CoV-2 was detected by mNGS among RT-PCR negative PUIs Among SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive PUIs, 18 (69%) underwent clinical testing for co-infections, and none were detected mNGS did not identify any viral co-infections but did detect SARS-CoV-2 in all 23 PUIs Conclusion: Unbiased mNGS offers the powerful opportunity to streamline testing for PUIs by assessing for SARS-CoV-2 and alternative infections simultaneously;this technique can also be used to identify co-infections, but none were observed in our study population Interestingly, many PUIs had no infection identified on routine testing or mNGS, which may reflect inadequate sampling, rapid virus clearance, or a non-viral process (Table Presented)
The Growing and Broad Nature of Legal Financial Obligations: Evidence from Alabama Court Records

In 2010, Harriet Cleveland was imprisoned in Montgomery, Alabama for failing to pay thousands of dollars in fines and fees stemming from routine traffic violations. More than thirty years after a series of Supreme Court rulings outlawed debtor's prisons, Ms. Cleveland's case brought national attention to both the sheer amount of legal financial obligations (LFOs) that could be accrued, even in cases without a criminal conviction, and the potential consequences of non-payment. But it has been nearly impossible to know how common Ms. Cleveland's experience is because of a general lack of individual-level data on the incidence and payback of LFOs, particularly for non-felonies. In this vein, we gather about two hundred thousand court records from Alabama over the last two decades to perform the most comprehensive exploration of the assessments and payback of LFOs to date across an entire state. Consistent with conventional wisdom, we demonstrate that the median LFOs attached to a case with a felony conviction nearly doubled between 1995 and 2005, after which it has remained roughly steady. But a felony-centric view of criminal justice underestimates the extent of increasing LFOs in the United States. Our systematic comparison of LFOs in felony, misdemeanor, and traffic cases across Alabama demonstrates how the significant debt Ms. Cleveland accumulated for a series of minor traffic offenses is not such an aberration. We show that only a minority of LFOs are assessed in cases where someone was convicted of a felony and incarcerated. Rather, most LFOs are assessed in cases without an imposed sentence, in cases with a misdemeanor or traffic violation, or even in cases that did not result in a conviction at all. These case records also reveal substantial heterogeneity in the assessment of LFOs - both within and across local judicial districts — even in cases in which defendants were convicted on exactly the same charge.
Different transformations underlie blowhole and nasal passage development in a toothed whale (Odontoceti: Stenella attenuata) and a baleen whale (Mysticeti: Balaenoptera physalus).

Reorientation of the nasal passage away from the anteroposterior axis has evolved rarely in mammals. Unlike other mammals, cetaceans (e.g., whales, dolphins, and porpoises) have evolved a "blowhole": posteriorly repositioned nares that open dorsad. Accompanying the evolution of the blowhole, the nasal passage has rotated dorsally. Neonatal cetaceans possess a blowhole, but early in development, cetacean embryos exhibit head morphologies that resemble those of other mammals. Previous workers have proposed two developmental models for how the nasal passage reorients during prenatal ontogeny. In one model, which focused on external changes in the whole body, dorsad rotation of the head relative to the body results in dorsad rotation of the nasal passage relative to the body. A second model, based on details of the cartilaginous nasal skull, describes dorsad rotation of the nasal passage itself relative to the palate and longitudinal axis of the skull. To integrate and revise these models, we characterized both external and internal prenatal changes in a longitudinal plane that are relevant to nasal passage orientation in the body and head of the pantropical spotted dolphin (Odontoceti: Stenella attenuata). These changes were then compared to those in a prenatal series of a baleen whale, the fin whale (Mysticeti: Balaenoptera physalus), to determine if they were representative of both extant cetacean suborders. In both species, the angle between the nasal passage and the sagittal axis of the foramen magnum decreased with age. In S. attenuata, this was associated with basicranial retroflexion and midfacial lordosis: the skull appeared to fold dorsad with the presphenoid as the vertex of the angle. In contrast, in B. physalus, alignment of the nasal passage and the sagittal axis of the plane of the foramen magnum was associated with angular changes within the posterior skull (specifically, the orientations of the supraoccipital and foramen magnum relative to the posterior basicranium). With these results, we propose a new developmental model for prenatal reorientation of the odontocete nasal passage and discuss ways in which mysticetes likely deviate from this model.
Active Modification of Wave Reflection and Transmission in Flexible Structures

A theory for active control of elastic wave propagation in structures is developed. Attention is focused on active modification of the scattering behavior of discrete locations in a structural network. The wave mode input/output relation at a structural junction containing control actuators can be altered in two ways. First, the closed loop reflection and transmission coefficients can be specified, and the necessary feedback to achieve these coefficients determined. Second, an optimal wave controller can be formulated which maximizes the average power dissipation at a junction. If the open loop structure is stable, then the optimal control guarantees stability, since energy is actively dissipated at the junction. Sample controllers are derived and simulated for a free-free beam to demonstrate the techniques and indicate the achievable performance.
Local autonomy and sustainable development: Testing import substitution in more localized food systems

Community initiatives to create more localized food systems ofteninclude the strategy of import substitution, i.e., increasing local foodproduction for local consumption. The purpose of this policy iseffectively to supplant some level of imported food into the region. Weargue that such action can carry social and environmental risks as wellas benefits and we have developed research parameters to measure theimpact of such strategies. Harriet Friedmann's seminal work (1991) onthe employment of import substitution by transnational corporationsprovides a framework to identify possible advantages and disadvantagesof the same approach locally. We propose local autonomy and sustainabledevelopment as positive indicators of a more localized food system.Three units of analysis are proposed to measure changes in localautonomy and sustainable development as a result of import substitutionschemes: fair labor trade, equity and democracy, and environmentalstewardship. We propose that this flexible framework of analysisincreases our ability to describe the shifting and integrated balancebetween more local and more global food systems.
Equity Basis Selection in Allocation Environments: An Empirical Analysis

Successful formation and long-term stability of cooperative ventures is often linked to the perceived fairness of the cost and resource allocations that these ventures employ. Indeed, the lack of a consensus over what basis should be used for gauging equitable allocation can undermine the prospects for collaboration. We use irrigation cost sharing as a context for examining the equity basis selections of cooperative ventures that successfully form and endure. Our analysis reveals that these selections are explained by features of the cooperative environment and inequities in the derived benefits from the irrigation water.
Stimulation of mitochondrial superoxide in lung epithelial cells using a novel stretching device (869.5)

Mechanical ventilation of patients with acute lung injury can cause further damage to the lung epithelium, leading to ventilator-associated lung injury. We and others have previously demonstrated that cyclic stretch of bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells stimulates increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other proinflammatory cytokines, but the mechanism is not completely understood. To investigate, we designed a motor-driven device to apply linear strains up to 20% on cells grown on an elastic substrate while imaging under a confocal microscope. We hypothesized that distention of the lung epithelium triggers an oxidative stress response of mitochondrial superoxide through deformation of the mitochondria and actin filaments. Cultures of an immortalized human airway epithelial cell line (16HBE) and human alveolar type II cell line (A549) were tonically stretched while the production of mitochondrial superoxide was measured using MitoSox. Stretch in 16HBE cells caused a significant inc...
LASER RADIATION PROTECTION

Abstract Although most health physicists and others in the field of radiation protection have confined their efforts primarily to the hazards from the so-called ionizing radiations (X-rays, gamma-rays, neutrons, high energy particles, etc.), an increasing number of workers in this field are being called upon to protect personnel from laser radiation. The phenomenal development of laser technology during the past three years has introduced new hazards for industry, for governmental agencies, particularly the military and space agencies, and for universities and medical schools. The necessity for such criteria will be examined. Since the eye is the most vulnerable organ of man to laser radiation, the effects of wavelength, pulse duration, intensity of irradiation (power density), energy density, and other factors on the eye will be given. Current data from several laboratories will be reviewed briefly. Finally, protective practices and equipment in current use in the United States will be discussed.
An algebraic method and a genetic algorithm to the identification of fuzzy measures based on Choquet integrals

There are different nonlinear integrals that could be used as an aggregation tool in information fusion and data mining. The Choquet integral with respect to fuzzy measures is one of them. We present some methods to identify fuzzy measures based on the Choquet integral in this paper. An iterative method introduced by Grabisch is discussed with some counterexamples. Furthermore, after removing some restrictions which are used in Grabisch's model, we introduce an algebraic method and a genetic algorithm to identify fuzzy measures and present some experimental results on both artificial and real-world data sets to show their effectiveness.
Infrared Signatures of a Water Molecule Attached to Triatomic Domains of Molecular Anions: Evolution of the H-bonding Configuration with Domain Length

We present mid-IR argon predissociation spectra for a series of complexes, M-·H2O (M = CS2-, OCS-, SO2-, CH3NO2-, CH3CO2-, and NO2-), chosen to explore how changes in the triatomic binding site affect the H-bonding configuration of the attached water molecule. With the exception of NO2-, the calculated global minima on the potential surfaces of all of the complexes occur in a configuration where both OH groups are attached to the anion. The observed spectra, on the other hand, fall into three distinct categories. Simple spectra characteristic of the double ionic H-bonding arrangement are observed for the monohydrates of SO2-, OCS-, and CS2-, whereas the CH3NO2-·H2O and CH3CO2-·H2O spectra are complicated, displaying a progression of closely spaced bands with a broad, bell-shaped envelope beginning several hundred wavenumbers below the calculated fundamentals. Although the spectrum of the NO2-·H2O complex is the most red-shifted, it is again simple, reflecting the expected asymmetric (single ionic H-bonded...
Light microscopic study of GluR1 and calbindin expression in interneurons of neocortical microgyral malformations.

Abstract Rat neocortex that has been injured on the first or second postnatal day (P0–1) develops an epileptogenic, aberrantly layered malformation called a microgyrus. To investigate the effects of this developmental plasticity on inhibitory interneurons, we studied a sub-population of GABAergic cells that co-express the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid receptor GluR1 subunit and the calcium-binding protein, calbindin (CB). Both malformed and control cortex of adult (P40–60) animals contained numerous interneurons double-stained for CB and GluR1. Immunoreactivity (IR) for CB was up-regulated in perikarya of interneurons within supragranular layers of control cortex between P12 and P40. However, in malformed adult (P40) cortex, CB-IR levels were significantly lower than in adult controls, and fell midway between levels in immature and adult control animals. Between P12 and P40, GluR1-IR was down-regulated in perikarya of interneurons in control cortex. Somatic GluR1-IR levels in malformed adult (P40) cortex were not different from adult controls. These neurons formed a dense plexus of highly GluR1-positive spiny dendrites within layer II. The dendritic plexus in the malformation was more intensely GluR1-immunoreactive than that in layer II of control cortex. This was due to apparent changes in thickness and length of dendrites, rather than to significant changes in the number of interneuronal perikarya in the microgyral cortex. Results indicate that the population of GluR1/CB-containing interneurons is spared in malformed microgyral cortex, but that these cells sustain lasting decreases in their somatic expression of calbindin and alterations of dendritic structure. Potential functional implications of these findings are discussed.
Graphic design and religion

Kantor, D. (2007). Chicago, IL: GIA Publications. 272 pp. $39.95 (paperback). If faith has inspired some of the most enduring works of music, art and architecture—Bach's Mass in b minor, Chagall's ...
Solute and water transport in forward osmosis using polydopamine modified thin film composite membranes

Abstract Forward osmosis is a rapidly emerging technology that has potential to enable low cost water treatment and desalination. Previous investigations have found that reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were unsuitable for forward osmosis in part due to their hydrophobic support layers, which inhibit wetting. Poor wetting hinders water and solute transport in the support layer, dramatically increasing the severity of internal concentration polarization. In this study, RO membrane support layers were modified with polydopamine (PDA) to increase their hydrophilicity and promote wetting. The results indicate that the modified RO membranes exhibited a four to six fold increase in forward osmosis (FO) water flux under test conditions relative to unmodified membranes. Additional tests were performed under model desalination conditions using an ammonia–carbon dioxide draw solution with a sodium chloride feed. The sodium and chloride rejections were measured independently and in some instances substantial differences were observed. Additionally sodium and chloride rejections were lower than anticipated with a peak rejection of 90%. The substantial difference between sodium and chloride rejections was attributed to a cationic exchange effect between the draw and feed solutions.
Fast Computation of MIMO Equalizers and Cancellers in 1Ogbase-T Channels

This paper presents an efficient method for computing the optimal tap coefficients of the MIMO equalizers and cancellers from the channel impulse responses (CIR). The proposed method provides an insight of the minimum mean-square error (MMSE) solution in a general MIMO system and shows that the MSE optimization problem in a M-input N-output system can be decomposed into N independent minimization problems each with smaller size. Solving each separate problem in MMSE sense is computationally efficient, thus leading to substantial savings in overall computational complexity. Compared with a prior method, this new method is exact and much faster.
Family-centered approaches to understanding and preventing coronary heart disease

Family history represents the contributions and interactions of unique genomic and ecologic factors that affect the metabolic profile and life course of a family and its members. It is well known that a family history of coronary heart disease (CHD) is a significant predictor of an individual's risk for CHD even after adjusting for an individual's own established risk factors, such as hypertension, smoking, and abnormal lipoprotein levels. The explanation for the observed familial disease aggregation is not well understood except for the general knowledge that genetic and environmental factors predisposing to CHD also aggregate in families. Given the multifactorial nature of an individual's risk, it can be argued that an individual's familial risk of disease may, in fact, be a better indicator of the many complex interactions among predisposing genetic and environmental factors than can be captured by an individual's own risk factors. Issues of how to assess, quantitate, and apply family history information in clinical settings still need to be resolved. Some clinical risk indicators, such as the National Cholesterol Education Program III guidelines, take into account family history, while others, such as the Framingham Risk Score, do not. Moreover, several family-centered intervention studies have demonstrated the particular advantages of focusing on families rather than just individuals. Although there has been tremendous progress in primary prevention of CHD over the last 20 years, substantial advancements may still be achieved by focusing on the family as its own unit of inference and as a specific target for disease prevention.
A grounded organizational communication theory derived from qualitative data

Communicative “incidents” in a research and development organization were recorded from interviews and observation. These incidents were assigned to “categories,” and the categories to three theoretical “clusters”: the Power‐Advancement cluster, the Power‐Pressure cluster, and the Central Figure cluster. The clusters were used to produce predictive generalizations about organizational communication.
Agronomic response of cool-season grasses to low-intensity harvest management and low potassium fertility

Species selection, fertilization, and harvest management can have a major impact on forage K concentration, and low K is critical for nonlactating dairy cow forage. Our objective was to determine if selection of grass species, along with appropriate fertilization and harvest management, will result in minimizing forage K concentration for nonlactating dairy cows while maintaining stand persistence. Three K fertilizer treatments were applied to reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinaceae L.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) for 6 yr on a Williamson silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Fragiudepts) soil type in Ithaca, NY. All grass species persisted through the completion of the experiment, without visible K deficiency symptoms. Yield of dry matter (DM) was 5.6% higher (P < 0.05) under split applications of K fertilizer compared with the 0 K fertilizer treatment. Annual K uptake was increased 17.2% with split application of K fertilizer although apparent recovery of K averaged less than 20%. Forage quality was not greatly impacted by K fertilization although the K concentration of forage increased by 12% due to K fertilization. Fertilization with K tended to reduce the forage concentration of P, Ca, Mg, B, and Na. Application of K fertilizer to 0 K fertilizer plots at the conclusion of the experiment overcame any negative effects on DM yield due to prolonged absence of K fertilization. It was possible to achieve sufficiently low forage K concentrations for nonlactating dairy cow forage in all five cool-season grasses and maintain stand persistence, with lowest forage K concentrations in timothy.
Influence of cigarette smoking during pregnancy on maternal body mass index and fetal growth

Objective: Maternal cigarette smoking causes decreased birth weight. Our objective was to investigate the effects of cigarette smoking during pregnancy on maternal body mass index (BMI), maternal weight gain, amniotic fluid index, and fetal growth. Methods: The study comprised 37 pregnant women (20 nonsmokers, 17 smokers) who registered for ultrasonographic evaluation. Maternal BMI (pregravid and gravid) and fetal weight were compared between the subject groups. Results: The median pregravid BMI (21 versus 24) and the mean gravid BMI at delivery (27.5 ± 1.3 versus 32.3 ± 1.3) were lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. The maternal weight gain was significantly less in the smokers than in the nonsmokers (10.2 ± 1.6 versus 14.7 ± 1.5 kg, P <0.05). Fetal weight was lower in the smoking versus the nonsmoking group (2.7 ± 0.2 versus 3.3 ± 0.2 kg, P = 0.05), but amniotic fluid index was not significantly different (12.3 ± 1.5 cm versus 12.2 ± 1.2 cm). Conclusions: Decreased pregravid BMI and maternal weight gain during pregnancy in smokers may contribute to decreased fetal growth. Our data indicate that cessation-of-smoking programs should be initiated before conception.
Stability and DNA Binding of the Phd Protein of the Phage P1 Plasmid Addiction System

The plasmid addiction module of bacteriophage P1 encodes two proteins, Doc, a toxin that is stable to proteolytic degradation, and Phd, the toxin's antidote that is proteolytically unstable. Phd has been shown to autoregulate its expression by specific DNA binding. Here, we investigate the secondary structure and thermal stability of Phd, the effect of operator DNA binding on the structure and stability of Phd, and the stoichiometry, affinity, and cooperativity of Phd binding to operator subsites and intact operator DNA. Phd folds as a monomer at low temperatures or in the presence of osmolytes but exists predominantly in an unfolded conformation at 37 °C. The native state of Phd is stabilized by operator binding. Two Phd monomers bind to each operator subsite, and four monomers bind to the intact operator. The subsite binding reaction shows a second-order dependence on protein concentration and monomer-bound DNA species are unpopulated, suggesting that two Phd molecules bind cooperatively to each operator subsite. In intact operator binding experiments, both dimer-bound and tetramer-bound DNA species are populated, and binding occurs at protein concentrations similar to those required for subsite binding, suggesting that there is no significant dimer-dimer cooperativity.
Multiscale analysis of compartment models with dispersal.

The characterization of the population dynamics of animal populations and dispersal provides the underlying setting of this article. Novel results emerge from our exploration of the role of disease in this context. We focus on the study of the impact of dispersal on the dynamics of populations that account for (a) induced Allee effects; (b) disease dynamics; and (c) spatial heterogeneity, using deterministic and stochastic models. Specifically, the models incorporate disease-driven effects on the individuals’ competitive ability to acquire resources as well as on their ability to move or reproduce. The results bring to the forefront the role of initial conditions and patch quality as well as ‘topological’ structure or connectivity landscape structure (the physical space where individuals move, reproduce, get sick, die, or compete for resources). The emphasis is placed on the dynamics of populations when disease is an important selective force. This article surveys the appropriate literature while includin...
Release of metal impurities from carbon nanomaterials influences aquatic toxicity.

Few studies have considered the environmental impacts of impurities and byproducts associated with low-efficiency nanomanufacturing processes. Here, we study the composition and aquatic toxicity of low-purity, as-produced fullerenes (C60) and metallofullerene waste solids, both of which were generated via arc-discharge synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) were used to characterize the metals composition of the solid test materials and of aqueous leachates prepared by mixing test materials with waters of varying pH, hardness, and salinity. The aquatic toxicity of the leachates was determined using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended aquatic bioassay protocols with two standard test organisms-Pimephales promelas and Ceriodaphnia dubia. Results indicated that metals associated with the solid test materials became mobilized in our test system upon interaction with waters of circumneutr...
Morphogenesis in sea urchin embryos: linking cellular events to gene regulatory network states.

Gastrulation in the sea urchin begins with ingression of the primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) at the vegetal pole of the embryo. After entering the blastocoel the PMCs migrate, form a syncitium, and synthesize the skeleton of the embryo. Several hours after the PMCs ingress the vegetal plate buckles to initiate invagination of the archenteron. That morphogenetic process occurs in several steps. The non-skeletogenic cells produce the initial inbending of the vegetal plate. Endoderm cells then rearrange and extend the length of the gut across the blastocoel to a target near the animal pole. Finally, cells that will form part of the midgut and hindgut are added to complete gastrulation. Later, the stomodeum invaginates from the oral ectoderm and fuses with the foregut to complete the archenteron. In advance of, and during these morphogenetic events an increasingly complex gene regulatory network controls the specification and the cell biological events that conduct the gastrulation movements.
Extracting Thermodynamic Parameters from Site-Specific Observables: Chi-Value Analysis

Interactions between different structural domains are important determinants of the function and regulation of allosteric proteins. Prevalent theories to understand the thermodynamic basis of cooperativity have frequently constrained the interactions between the different domains to come up with a mathematical model which can reproduce the complex behavior of a global thermodynamic observable such as ligand binding or enzyme activity. Such simple phenomenological models, in general, are not amenable to molecular description of cooperative interactions. Here, we provide the theoretical framework of a method, the chi-value analysis, which can elucidate the thermodynamic effect of molecular level perturbations. The chi value analysis involves extracting a site-specific parameter (chi value) associated with a structural domain and observing how the chi value is altered by a mutation. Through this formalism, based on classical statistical mechanics, we show that the chi value analysis can be used to deconstruct and quantify the energetic effects of mutations even in a complex macromolecular system consisting of a large number of structural units interacting via a complex network of interactions. Using models of the multi-domain voltage-dependent sodium and large-conductance calcium activated potassium channels, we have performed extensive numerical simulations to probe the validity of the chi value analysis. Our theory may provide a general approach to understand the detailed energetics underlying cooperative behavior of multi-domain proteins.
Vibrational frequencies and structural determination of [1.1.1]propellane

Abstract The normal mode frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of [1.1.1]propellane are examined theoretically using the gaussian 98 set of quantum chemistry codes. All normal modes were successfully assigned to one of seven types of motion predicted by a group theoretical analysis (C–H stretch, C–C stretch, CH2 scissors, CH2 rock, CH2 wag, CH2 twist, and C–C–C bend) utilizing the D3h symmetry of the molecule. Calculated infrared intensities and Raman activities are reported. Selected molecular orbitals of [1.1.1]propellane are presented.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin is markedly decreased following pulmonary F. tularensis challenge.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin, a small glycoprotein clade A serpine serine protease inhibitor of neutrophil elastase has been shown to increase in humans following bacterial and viral infection. However, we report here significant reduction of this major inhibitor of elastase in plasma of F. tularensis LVS and SCHU S4 (Type A strain) following pulmonary challenge. Consistent with an imbalance of protease-antiprotease function at the alveolar level in lungs of infected animals, increased elastase activity was observed in lung lavage fluids accompanied by decrease lung function, i.e., loss of lung elastance with concomitant increase of pulmonary hysteresistivity. These data are suggestive of targeted tissue destruction via unchecked neutrophhil elastase activity in infected animals.
Finite-time blow-up and blow-up rates for the Gierer–Meinhardt system

In this paper, we consider the Gierer–Meinhardt system (1.1), shown below, on a bounded smooth domain () with a homogeneous Neumann boundary condition. Under suitable conditions on the exponents , , , and , we establish sufficient conditions for finite-time blow-up and obtain blow-up rates for blow-up solutions. This work is a continuation of our earlier result in this direction. The Gierer–Meinhardt system was introduced in to model activator–inhibitor systems in pattern formation in ecological systems.
Defects and oxygen diffusion in PuO2-x

Abstract A thermochemical model of defects formation is proposed. Using this model, defect species concentrations are determined. The model allows for the calculation of the non-stoichiometry of PuO2−x, as functions of temperature and oxygen pressure. A model of oxygen diffusion is proposed and the oxygen self and chemical diffusivities are calculated for temperatures in the (900–1400 °C) range and partial pressure of oxygen PO2 ∈ (1–10−25 atm). This work shows that, given appropriate parameters, the model is able to describe the non-stoichiometry and oxygen diffusivity in a reasonable way.
Enhancement of optoacoustic tissue contrast with absorbing nanoparticles

Laser induced phase transition in the water surrounding absorbing nanoparticle results in dramatic enhancement of the thermoacoustic efficiency and excitation of high- amplitude pressure waves. Feasibility study was performed in tissue phantoms. Experiments supported with theoretical model demonstrated possibility to increase the efficiency of optoacoustic generation in tissue up to two orders of magnitude by application of absorbing carbon and gold nanoparticles.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.