cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel delivery of SN38 markedly inhibits tumor growth in xenograft models, including a CPT-11 refractory model.

C117 Background: Examination of the clinical utility of SN38 (10-hydroxy-7-ethyl-camptothecin), the highly active metabolite of CPT-11, has not been possible to date due to extremely poor solubility of SN38. Here, we describe the preclinical development of EZN-2208, a novel, water-soluble, polyethyleneglycol (PEG)-SN38 conjugate made by linking 4 SN38 molecules reversibly with a 4-arm high molecular weight PEG via a glycine linker. Methods: The in vitro cytotoxicity of EZN-2208 was tested in colorectal, breast, pancreatic, lung and ovarian cell lines using the MTS dye reduction assay. The therapeutic efficacy of EZN-2208 was evaluated in xenograft models of breast (MX-1), colorectal (HT-29), pancreatic (MiaPaCa-2), non small cell lung cancer (Calu 6) and prostate (DU145) tumors. For evaluating efficacy in CPT-11 refractory and sensitive tumors, HT-29 xenografts were treated with an 8-day course of CPT-11. On day 15, mice were divided into resistant and sensitive groups on the basis of whether or not they responded to CPT-11 treatment. In biodistribution studies, tumor and blood concentration of EZN-2208, CPT-11 and SN38 was determined by HPLC. Results: In vitro, EZN-2208 was 10- to 245-fold more potent than CPT-11 in a panel of human tumor cell lines. In xenograft models, treatment with either a single dose or multiple injections of EZN-2208 was more efficacious (and in some cases produced tumor eradication for >90 days) compared with CPT-11 at their respective MTDs or corresponding dose intensity (P 1000 mm 3 ). EZN-2208 also demonstrated marked antitumor activity in mice that failed to respond to an initial course of multiple-dose therapy with CPT-11. Additionally, treatment outcome with EZN-2208 was significantly better than treatment with CPT-11 as a second round therapy in animals who initially responded to CPT-11. Biodistribution studies suggested that the tumor area under the curve (AUC) of EZN-2208 was significantly higher than that of CPT-11 when the drugs were dosed at their respective MTDs. Further, higher tumor AUC of free SN38 is achieved in mice administered EZN-2208 compared to those administered CPT-11. Conclusions: EZN-2208 is a novel water soluble drug that has broad spectrum antitumor activity in CPT-11 sensitive and refractory xenograft models. EZN-2208 accumulates in tumors possibly via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and subsequently releases SN38 in a sustained manner. Ongoing clinical trials will determine safety as well as optimal dose and schedule of EZN-2208.
Effects of anxiety and stress on children’s paired-associate learning

Anxiety or stress was varied in two studies of verbal paired-associate learning, yielding within-Ss comparisons of performance on word pairs of different levels of interpair competition. While neither anxiety nor stress had a reliable effect on low-competition (high association) pairs, learning on high-competition (low initial association and high intrusion) pairs was reliably poorer for high-anxious and for high-stress Ss, The error mechanisms underlying responses to the low-association pairs, however, were different for the anxiety and stress conditions.
Modeling stumpage markets using vector error correction vs. simultaneous equation estimation approach: A case of the Louisiana sawtimber market

Abstract In this paper, we compare the estimation results obtained from the multivariate vector error correction (VEC) method with the traditional simultaneous equations estimation approach. We found that the traditional simultaneous equations estimation approach produces similar demand and supply coefficients in the Louisiana stumpage market as the VEC method.
Epidemiology of the acute fevers of unknown origin in South Vietnam: effect of laboratory support upon clinical diagnosis.

Acute fevers among American servicemen in South Vietnam were studied for a two-year period. The population included 524 patients with an acute fever of unknown origin (acute FUO) of at least four days' duration, and 269 patients who were given a tentative diagnosis of leptospirosis, scrub typhus or an arbovirus infection. Fifty-four per cent of the clinical diagnoses were serologically confirmed and 31 % of the patients with acute FUO were found to be infected with these same agents. Leptospirosis accounted for 20% of these acute fevers; scrub typhus and Japanese encephalitis were also common. Results of viral isolations and serologic testing for enteroviruses, rickettsiae, Toxoplasma, and influenza virus were of limited usefulness in the remaining patients. A correlation between the etiology of the acute FUO, seasonal incidence and environmental exposure was established. Epidemiologic data and laboratory reinforcement of clinical impressions resulted in a marked improvement in the accuracy of the attending physician's clinical diagnoses as the study progressed.
TU-FG-204-02: An Overview of the CT Protocol Optimization Team at Johns Hopkins

The role of a medical physicist involved with clinical CT activities is changing rapidly. No longer is the physicist responsible for simply ensuring scanner QA. This shift is evident by looking at the trend to regulate more and more aspects of what activities must be performed to keep a CT practice within compliance. In this symposium, new guidelines from the ACR, Joint Commission, and several states will be addressed. An overview of these regulations will be provided. Then, three speakers will provide an in-depth account of how their CT protocol Optimization team functions. Lastly, a representative from the Joint Commission will provide recent surveyor education, experience, and trend information. Learning Objectives: 1.Understand the ACR, Joint Commission, and aspects of several state regulations/guidelines related to the clinical practice of CT. 2.Learn how a CT protocol optimization is organized and what tasks physicists perform from the perspective of four different institutions. T. Szczykutowicz, TPS provides CT protocols to GE Healthcare under a license agreement. TPS receives grant support from GE Healthcare.
Entry mechanism of murine and SARS coronaviruses; Similarity and dissimilarity

The Coronaviruses consist of human and animal viruses that infect a variety of animal species, as well as different organs in the hosts. Since the causative agent of a life-threatening pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), was revealed to be a member of the coronavirus group, much attention has been focused on these viruses, from both the academic and non-academic societies. SARS is a new type of infectious pneumonia that emerged in the Gangdong province of China in November 2002. It spread around the world through an outbreak in Hong Kong in March 2003. Patients were reported in 29 countries, and around 800 people died, although a majority of these cases were in Asian countries. Within a month after the virus that causes SARS was isolated, its entire genome sequence became available, which is attributable to the collaboration between many institutes around the world. The result is the acknowledgement of a novel coronavirus, now called SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), that is different from other already known existing human and animal coronaviruses. Since a number of scientists from distinct fields have participated in the research on this emerging virus,
Photochemical behavior of the quadruply metal-metal bonded [Tc2Cl8]2− anion in acetonitrile

Abstract The photochemical behavior of [Tc 2 Cl 8 ] 2− was investigated in acetonitrile. The speciation of Tc before and after irradiation at 254 nm was performed by UV–vis spectroscopy. Upon irradiation at 254 nm, [Tc 2 Cl 8 ] 2− was unstable, the scission of the Tc Tc unit occurred and the complex [TcCl 4 (CH 3 CN) 2 ] was identified. The disappearance rate of [M 2 Cl 8 ] 2− (M = Tc, Re) under irradiation has been measured and was ∼7.5 time faster for Tc than for Re.
Racial Assumptions Color the Mental Representation of Social Class.

We investigated the racial content of perceivers’ mental images of different socioeconomic categories. We selected participants who were either high or low in prejudice toward the poor. These participants saw 400 pairs of visually noisy face images. Depending on condition, participants chose the face that looked like a poor person, a middle-income person, or a rich person. We averaged the faces selected to create composite images of each social class. A second group of participants rated the stereotypical Blackness of these images. They also rated the face images on a variety of psychological traits. Participants high in economic prejudice produced strongly class-differentiated mental images. They imagined the poor to be Blacker than middle-income and wealthy people. They also imagined them to have less positive psychological characteristics. Participants low in economic prejudice also possessed images of the wealthy that were relatively White, but they represented poor and middle-class people in a less racially differentiated way. We discuss implications for understanding the intersections of race and class in social perception.
New tools for understanding coping and resilience

In humans, many of the factors determining vulnerability and resilience to the impact of an adverse event revolve around coping factors. This mini-review focuses on the neural mechanisms by which coping reduces the impact of adverse events, as studied in an animal model, and discusses some of the challenges of linking neural circuit activity with stressor outcome. We highlight several approaches for probing circuit function with cell-type and pathway-specificity that overcome some of the limitations of traditional neuroscience techniques and will likely yield a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of how the brain regulates stress-responsive structures when coping behaviors are engaged.
In the ovine pituitary, CXCR4 is localized in gonadotropes and somatotropes and increases with elevated serum progesterone

Abstract The pituitary is the central endocrine regulator of reproduction and in addition to various hormones regulating its actions, other molecules, such as chemokines, influence pituitary physiology as well. Despite reports over 2 decades ago that chemokines regulate the pituitary, much of the basic biology discerning chemokine action in the pituitary is unclear. A small number of chemokines and their receptors have been localized to the pituitary, yet chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) and its receptor, CXCR4, have received the most attention as both are increased in human pituitary adenomas. This chemokine duo was also reported in normal human and rat pituitary, suggestive of a functional role and that this chemokine axis might function in pituitaries from other mammalian species. To date, reports of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in pituitary from livestock are lacking, and research on pituitary during pregnancy in any mammalian species is limited. Moreover, progesterone regulates CXCR4 expression in a tissue-dependent manner, but whether differing concentrations of progesterone reaching the pituitary modulate CXCL12 or CXCR4 is not known. To address these gaps, our first objective was to determine if CXCL12 and CXCR4 expression and protein abundance differ in sheep pituitary during early gestation (days 20, 25, and 30 of gestation) compared to nonpregnant ewes. The second objective was to determine if CXCL12 or CXCR4 production was altered in the ovine pituitary when circulating progesterone concentrations are elevated. The expression of CXCL12 messenger RNA decreased on day 20 of gestation compared to nonpregnant ewes; CXCL12 protein was similar across all days tested. In nonpregnant and pregnant ewes, CXCR4 was localized to somatotropes and gonadotropes on all days tested. Abundance of CXCR4 increased in the pituitary tissue of pregnant ewes with elevated circulating progesterone compared with pregnant ewes with normal circulating progesterone concentrations (control). The present study details CXCL12 and CXCR4 in normal ovine pituitary and reveals that gonadotropes and somatotropes may be regulated by CXCL12/CXCR4, underscoring this signaling axis as a potential new class of modulator in endocrine functions.
Blackwell's informativeness theorem using diagrams

Abstract This paper gives a simple proof of Blackwell's theorem on the ranking of information structures. The proof extends naturally to environments where information arrives over time (leading to the notion of adapted garbling) and environments where information is diffused among multiple players (leading to the notion of independent garbling).
A Numerical Investigation of Classical Approximations Used in VLF Propagation

A computer program based on formalism developed by Budden will be used to evaluate the adequacy of some approximations that have been used in VLF waveguide propagation studies. The program makes allowance for the inhomogeneity and anisotropy of the lowest part of the ionosphere, allows for earth curvature, and may be used for arbitrary direction of propagation at any latitude. The results of this program will be compared with calculations of Wait and Spies who used a model ionosphere consisting of an exponential variation for both electron density and collision frequency. This comparison will allow us to demonstrate a close numerical equivalence between the modified refractive index formulation and the spherical coordinate formulation as implemented by Wait and Spies. Also, it will be shown that an approximation introduced by Wait and Spies during the course of applying the effective surface impedance concept, though quite valid for first-order mode calculations, is inadequate for daytime second-order mode calculations.
The Effect of Price Discount Disconfirmation on Customers’ Perceptions

Research on price promotions suggests that higher discounts often result in more favorable evaluation. However, price signals more information than just monetary cost, and dramatic price changes impact consumers’ negative perceptions of the product. Customers perceive discounter prices as high or low relative to their own internal standard.
Phonon density of states of α-and δ-plutonium by inelastic x-ray scattering

Inelastic x-ray scattering measurements of the phonon density of states (DOS) were performed on polycrystalline samples of pure $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{-Pu}$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}{\text{-Pu}}_{0.98}{\text{Ga}}_{0.02}$ at room temperature. The heat capacity of $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{-Pu}$ is well reproduced by contributions calculated from the measured phonon DOS plus conventional thermal-expansion and electronic contributions, showing that $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{-Pu}$ is a ``well-behaved'' metal in this regard. A comparison of the phonon DOS of the two phases at room temperature showed that the vibrational entropy difference between them is only a quarter of the total entropy difference expected from known thermodynamic measurements. The missing entropy is too large to be accounted for by conventional electronic entropy and evidence from the literature rules out a contribution from spin fluctuations. Possible alternative sources for the missing entropy are discussed.
Ultrasonic Evaluation of CFRP-Concrete Interface for Specimens under Temperature and Water-Immersion Aging Effects

Ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques are widely used for structural health monitoring of concrete/FRP structures. In this study, experimental and processing schemes of surface acoustic waves (SAW) are described for assessing concrete/CFRP specimens subjected to accelerated aging conditions. Ultrasonic waves are generated and received at one side using narrow-band transducers of 110 kHz center frequency. The received signals are filtered and amplified then digitized and processed to extract various parameters in both time and frequency domains. These parameters include ultrasound propagation speed, maximum amplitude, total power, and the slope at maximum power spectrum. Changes in these parameters due to water immersion aging at different temperatures were monitored over 10 weeks. Results indicated a notable decrease in measured ultrasonic parameters over time, particularly after the first 2 weeks. This may indicate a debonding or deterioration in the concrete/FRP samples. This behavior showed good agreement with the findings of a parallel destructive study on Mode-II fracture loading of CFRP-concrete samples, tested to obtain fracture energy and define traction-separation response under temperature and water-immersion aging effects.
The psychodynamics of transference--a virtual reality model.

Objective: Virtual reality is not only being utilized increasingly as an enhancement for diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric illness, but it also can be used to model theories, generate hypothes...
Experimental investigation of the influence of pore pressure and porosity on the deformation of granular salt

Abstract The influence of pore pressure and porosity on the ductile deformation of granular salt was experimentally investigated under a isostatic compression at elevated temperatures. Confining and pore pressures were independently controlled while granular salt samples exhibited rate-dependent deformation that resulted in large decreases of sample volume and porosity. Over the experimental durations, which ranged from one to seven days, volumetric strain rates generally ranged from 10 − 2 down to 10 − 10 s − 1 . The sample deformation rates were observed to correspond with both the sample porosity and the pressure difference between the confining and pore pressures. Experimental results show that the volumetric strain rate decreased when either the sample porosity or the pressure difference were decreased. Post-test observations revealed that the reduced porosity was caused by the solid particles deforming in a ductile manner into the pore volume. Insight into the cause of ductile deformation under isostatic compression was gained by considering the local stress distribution within a sample, which was approximated with the use of a representative volume element. Analysis of the local stress distribution showed how the magnitude of localized shear stress depends on both porosity and the pressure difference, which is consistent with the experimental results.
Relations between mode of birth delivery and timing of developmental milestones and adiposity in preadolescence: A retrospective study.

Abstract Background Cesarean delivery (CS) is an increasingly common mode of delivery comprising over 30% of all deliveries in the U.S. The long-term impact of this delivery mode on child development remains unclear. Aims We investigated the relationship between mode of delivery (vaginal vs. CS) and timing of developmental milestones and adiposity in preadolescence, as well as additional milestones beyond motor/language development including toilet training, dressing, and feeding self. Study design This study utilized a retrospective survey given to a parent/guardian and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in preadolescence, respectively. A composite z-score was calculated based on nine questions pertaining to developmental milestones i.e., parent-reported age for supporting head by self, rolling over, sitting up, standing, walking, talking, toilet-training, dressing, and feeding self. Subjects 7–10-year-old (N = 104) children in East-Central Illinois. Outcome measures Composite z-score for timing of attainment of developmental milestones, mode of delivery, and preadolescent adiposity. Results Vaginally-born children had a lower composite z-score, signifying earlier attainment of developmental milestones, relative to both emergency and planned CS-born children. Further, elective CS-born children had greater adiposity in preadolescence, relative to vaginal and emergency cesarean-section born children. Conclusions These findings suggest relationships between delivery mode, developmental milestones, and obesity in preadolescence. Additionally, they provide novel insights into the differential impact of elective versus emergency CS.
“Look Like You Have It Together”: Examining Mental Illness Stigma and Help Seeking Among Diverse Emerging Adults:

Individuals transitioning through emerging adulthood endure various challenges that impact their mental health and well-being. Mental illness stigma interferes with the willingness to seek professi...
Artificial Intelligence in Lung Cancer Pathology Image Analysis.

Objective: Accurate diagnosis and prognosis are essential in lung cancer treatment selection and planning. With the rapid advance of medical imaging technology, whole slide imaging (WSI) in pathology is becoming a routine clinical procedure. An interplay of needs and challenges exists for computer-aided diagnosis based on accurate and efficient analysis of pathology images. Recently, artificial intelligence, especially deep learning, has shown great potential in pathology image analysis tasks such as tumor region identification, prognosis prediction, tumor microenvironment characterization, and metastasis detection. Materials and Methods: In this review, we aim to provide an overview of current and potential applications for AI methods in pathology image analysis, with an emphasis on lung cancer. Results: We outlined the current challenges and opportunities in lung cancer pathology image analysis, discussed the recent deep learning developments that could potentially impact digital pathology in lung cancer, and summarized the existing applications of deep learning algorithms in lung cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Discussion and Conclusion: With the advance of technology, digital pathology could have great potential impacts in lung cancer patient care. We point out some promising future directions for lung cancer pathology image analysis, including multi-task learning, transfer learning, and model interpretation.
Deriving Elastic Parameters from Lattice Vibrations in Copper (II) Acetylacetonate

Terahertz frequency vibrations exhibit characteristics that can be related to mechanical elastic parameters and yield insight into bulk physical properties. Through a combination of experimental low-frequency spectroscopy and solid-state density functional theory, specific vibrations can be used to determine elastic moduli. Applying this technique to a small metal-organic system, copper (II) acetylacetonate, provides new understanding of its unusual elastic behavior.
Connecting the learning of advanced mathematics with the teaching of secondary mathematics: Inverse functions, domain restrictions, and the arcsine function

Abstract Prospective secondary mathematics teachers are typically required to take advanced university mathematics courses. However, many prospective teachers see little value in completing these courses. In this paper, we present the instantiation of an innovative model that we have previously developed on how to teach advanced mathematics to prospective teachers in a way that informs their future pedagogy. We illustrate this model with a particular module in real analysis in which theorems about continuity, injectivity, and monotonicity are used to inform teachers’ instruction on inverse trigonometric functions and solving trigonometric equations. We report data from a design research study illustrating how our activities helped prospective teachers develop a more productive understanding of inverse functions. We then present pre-test/post-test data illustrating that the prospective teachers were better able to respond to pedagogical situations around these concepts that they might encounter.
FIVE METER WALK TEST IS AN INDEPENDENT PREDICTOR OF MORTALITY IN TRANSCUTANEOUS AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT

Frailty in elderly patients is a key determinant of outcomes of patients undergoing major cardiac procedures. Five-meter walk time (5MWT) has been shown to predict mortality risk following surgical aortic valve replacement, but its association with outcomes in patients undergoing transcutaneous
Sexual objectification in #MeToo and #WhyIDidntReport tweets: Links to sentiment and emotions

Sexual objectification affects women negatively in a many ways (e.g., increased focus on appearance and safety), especially if they are not provided the opportunity to cope effectively. Social medi...
Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction for Energy and Environmental Materials: The Current Role and Future Directions of Total Scattering Beamlines in the Functional Material Scientific Ecosystem

Synchrotron light sources are no strangers to studying materials for energy and environmental science. With a breadth of capabilities to study materials from large-scale imaging down to atomic-leve...
Abnormal Microarray, Clinical Outcomes, and Surgical Risk Scores in Young Children with Cardiac Disease.

The clinical implications of abnormal chromosomal microarray (CMA) remain unclear for children less than 1 year of age with critical heart disease. Our objective was to determine whether abnormal CMA was related to surgical severity scores or to pre-determined clinical outcomes, including cardiac arrest. Retrospective review of children under 1 year of age admitted to a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit from December, 2014 to September, 2017. Associations between CMA result and cardiac arrest, syndromic abnormalities, and extracardiac anomalies were evaluated. A simple and multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze associations between STAT mortality category and CMA result. The overall prevalence of abnormal microarray was 48/168 (29%), with peak prevalence in AV septal defects and left-sided obstructive lesions. There was no statistical association between surgical severity scores and abnormal CMA (STAT 1/2 vs. 3+, odds ratio 0.56, p = 0.196). Abnormal CMA was associated with a higher prevalence of cardiac arrest (5/48 abnormal CMA vs. 2/120 normal CMA, p = 0.02). Abnormal CMA was associated with a higher frequency of syndromic abnormalities (18/48 abnormal CMA vs. 13/120 normal CMA, p < 0.001). There was a high prevalence of abnormal CMA findings in the pediatric cardiac population less than 1 year of age (29%), associated with cardiac arrest, but not associated with surgical risk score. The absence of a standardized protocol for ordering a CMA in the setting of congenital heart disease results in a highly variable prevalence data.
Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged Mothers

Working parents in are struggling to balance the demands of their occupation with those of childcare and homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, studies show that women are shouldering more of the burden and reporting greater levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression relative to men. However, research has yet to show that increases in psychological symptoms are linked to changes in stress during the pandemic. Herein, we conduct a small-N study to explore the associations between stress and psychological symptoms during the pandemic among mothers using structural equation modeling, namely latent change score models. Thirty-three mothers completed questionnaires reporting current anxious and depressive symptoms (Beck Anxiety and Depression Index, respectively), as well as stressful life experiences prior to-versus during the pandemic (Social Readjustment Rating Scale). Women endorsed significantly more stressful events during the pandemic, relative to the pre-pandemic period. Additionally, 58% of mothers scored as moderate-to-high risk for developing a stress-related physical illness in the near future because of their pandemic-level stress. Depressive symptoms were associated with the degree of change in life stress, whereas anxiety symptoms were more related to pre-pandemic levels of stress. The present study preliminarily sheds light on the nuanced antecedents to mothers' experiences of anxious and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although further work is needed in larger, more diverse samples of mothers, this study highlights the potential need for appropriate policies, and prevention and intervention programs to ameliorate the effects of pandemics on mothers' mental health.
Peter Mark. “Portuguese” Style and Luso-African Identity: Precolonial Senegambia, Sixteenth–Nineteenth Centuries . Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. 224 pp. Photographs. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $24.95. Paper.

Peter Mark. "Portuguese" Style and Luso-African Identity: Precolonial Senegambia, Sixteenth-Nineteenth Centuries. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. 224 pp. Photographs. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $24.95. Paper. Postmodernism and related intellectual movements of the late twentieth century have provided both the tools and-even more important-the gumption to challenge conventional wisdom concerning even the most basic of institutions such as social identity. Peter Mark's "Portuguese" Style and Luso-Afncan Identity develops innovative approaches to ethnicity that would not have been possible a decade or two ago. The quotation marks within the book's title are a tip-off as to Mark's contention that in the course of three centuries of Senegambian history, being "Portuguese" was not necessarily the "natural" or national identity one might presume. Indeed, when the author asserts that "whether or not an individual was considered 'white' had nothing to do with their skin color" (107), it is clear that all social categories and definitions will be up for grabs in Mark's discussion. Ostensibly, this is a book about Senegambian architecture and associated material culture, and Mark makes significant contributions to this oddly underrepresented field of African and African diaspora studies. Of especial interest is his attention to buildings and built environments that are not "traditional," as that problematic term is often understood, that is, "African" to the exclusion of outside influences. Mark's point is that such a static definition of an isolated Africa is absurdly romantic at best. As he discerns the history of two-story buildings and impluvium dwellings of the Casamance, for example, Mark is careful to appraise historical sources while suggesting plausible hypotheses concerning the architecture's mixed origins, technological borrowings, and local contributions. he then weaves such accounts into the historical record of what emerge as "Portuguese" prototypes, while further tracing the porches, verandas, and vestibules typical of "Portuguese" construction to far-flung lands from Reunion to Brazil, detailing the flow of ideas and practical solutions throughout African diasporas. More significant than his discussion of the material record is Mark's consideration of the dynamics of social identity. Luso-Africans along the Senegambian coast may have been people of mixed heritage, but more significantly, they were individuals who participated in the great globalizing forces of their times by adapting aspects of Christianity, mercantile capitalism, and other strategies and paradigms to their own purposes. Development of a distinctive "Portuguese" architectural style was one way to "construct" (to borrow Mark's pun) such a politically expedient identity. …
An evaluation of statistical methods for DNA methylation microarray data analysis

DNA methylation offers an excellent example for elucidating how epigenetic information affects gene expression. β values and M values are commonly used to quantify DNA methylation. Statistical methods applicable to DNA methylation data analysis span a number of approaches such as Wilcoxon rank sum test, t-test, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, permutation test, empirical Bayes method, and bump hunting method. Nonetheless, selection of an optimal statistical method can be challenging when different methods generate inconsistent results from the same data set. We compared six statistical approaches relevant to DNA methylation microarray analysis in terms of false discovery rate control, statistical power, and stability through simulation studies and real data examples. Observable differences were noticed between β values and M values only when methylation levels were correlated across CpG loci. For small sample size (n=3 or 6 in each group), both the empirical Bayes and bump hunting methods showed appropriate FDR control and the highest power when methylation levels across CpG loci were independent. Only the bump hunting method showed appropriate FDR control and the highest power when methylation levels across CpG sites were correlated. For medium (n=12 in each group) and large sample sizes (n=24 in each group), all methods compared had similar power, except for the permutation test whenever the proportion of differentially methylated loci was low. For all sample sizes, the bump hunting method had the lowest stability in terms of standard deviation of total discoveries whenever the proportion of differentially methylated loci was large. The apparent test power comparisons based on raw p-values from DNA methylation studies on ovarian cancer and rheumatoid arthritis provided results as consistent as those obtained in the simulation studies. Overall, these results provide guidance for optimal statistical methods selection under different scenarios. For DNA methylation studies with small sample size, the bump hunting method and the empirical Bayes method are recommended when DNA methylation levels across CpG loci are independent, while only the bump hunting method is recommended when DNA methylation levels are correlated across CpG loci. All methods are acceptable for medium or large sample sizes.
Listening to Clients

Abstract Qualitative research can be used to influence policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Three focus group studies dealing with implementation of a county's welfare reform programs are presented to illustrate the ways that qualitative research can be used. The paper discusses results of the studies and presents strategies for exertinginfluence. Processes used to develop and change policy are explicated.
Gas discharge switch evaluation for RHIC Beam Abort Kicker application

A gas discharge switch EEV HX3002 is being evaluated at Brookhaven National Laboratory as a possible candidate of RHIC Beam Abort Kicker modulator main switch. At higher beam energy and higher beam intensity, the switch stability becomes very crucial. The hollow anode thyratron used in the existing system is not rated for long reverse current conduction. The reverse voltage arcing caused thyratron hold-off voltage de-rating has been the main limitation of the system operation. To improve the system reliability, a new type of gas discharge switch has been suggested by Marconi Applied Technology for its reverse conducting capability.
The Antibacterial Activity of 3-Decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine: INHIBITION IN VIVO OF β-HYDROXYDECANOYL THIOESTER DEHYDRASE

Abstract β-Hydroxydecanoyl-thioester dehydrase is known to be the enzyme responsible for the introduction of the double bond into the unsaturated fatty acids of Escherichia coli, and is known to be vital for bacterial growth. The powerful inhibitor in vitro of the dehydrase, 3-decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine, possesses antibacterial activity in vivo; at 10-5 m, it completely inhibits the growth of E. coli. The following evidence suggests that this growth inhibition is due to the inactivation of β-hydroxydecanoyl-thioester dehydrase. (a) Only those acetylenic compounds which block the activity of the isolated dehydrase are effective in vivo. (b) The growth inhibition is reversible by oleic but not by palmitic acid. (c) The inhibitor causes a rapid and total cessation of the formation of unsaturated acids, well before the first noticeable decline in the growth rate. (d) The inhibitor is not active against yeast or mammalian cells, cells, which form their olefinic acids by a mechanism not involving the dehydrase.
Non-adiabatic current densities, transitions, and power absorbed by a molecule in a time-dependent electromagnetic field

The energy of a molecule subject to a time-dependent perturbation separates completely into adiabatic and non-adiabatic terms, where the adiabatic term reflects the adjustment of the ground state to the perturbation, while the non-adiabatic term accounts for the transition energy [A. Mandal and K. L. C. Hunt, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 164109 (2012)]. For a molecule perturbed by a time-dependent electromagnetic field, in this work, we show that the expectation value of the power absorbed by the molecule is equal to the time rate of change of the non-adiabatic term in the energy. The non-adiabatic term is given by the transition probability to an excited state k, multiplied by the transition energy from the ground state to k, and then summed over the excited states. The expectation value of the power absorbed by the molecule is derived from the integral over space of the scalar product of the applied electric field and the non-adiabatic current density induced in the molecule by the field. No net power is absorbed due to the action of the applied electric field on the adiabatic current density. The work done on the molecule by the applied field is the time integral of the power absorbed. The result established here shows that work done on the molecule by the applied field changes the populations of the molecular states.
A representation of cuts within 6/5 times the edge connectivity with applications

Let G be an undirected c-edge connected graph. In this paper we give an O(n/sup 2/)-sized planar geometric representation for all edge cuts with capacity less than 6/5c. The representation can be very efficiently built, by using a single run of the Karger-Stein algorithm for finding near-mincuts. We demonstrate that the representation provides an efficient query structure for near-mincuts, as well as a new proof technique through geometric arguments. We show that in algorithms based on edge splitting, computing our representation O(log n) times substitute for one, or sometimes even /spl Omega/(n), u-/spl nu/ mincut computations; this can lead to significant savings, since our representation can be computed /spl theta//spl tilde/(m/n) times faster than the currently best known u-/spl nu/ mincut algorithm. We also improve the running time of the edge augmentation problem, provided the initial edge weights are polynomially bounded.
Voxel-based Gaussian naïve Bayes classification of ischemic stroke lesions in individual T1-weighted MRI scans

Abstract Background Manual lesion delineation by an expert is the standard for lesion identification in MRI scans, but it is time-consuming and can introduce subjective bias. Alternative methods often require multi-modal MRI data, user interaction, scans from a control population, and/or arbitrary statistical thresholding. New method We present an approach for automatically identifying stroke lesions in individual T1-weighted MRI scans using naive Bayes classification. Probabilistic tissue segmentation and image algebra were used to create feature maps encoding information about missing and abnormal tissue. Leave-one-case-out training and cross-validation was used to obtain out-of-sample predictions for each of 30 cases with left hemisphere stroke lesions. Results Our method correctly predicted lesion locations for 30/30 un-trained cases. Post-processing with smoothing (8 mm FWHM) and cluster-extent thresholding (100 voxels) was found to improve performance. Comparison with existing method Quantitative evaluations of post-processed out-of-sample predictions on 30 cases revealed high spatial overlap (mean Dice similarity coefficient = 0.66) and volume agreement (mean percent volume difference = 28.91; Pearson's r = 0.97) with manual lesion delineations. Conclusions Our automated approach agrees with manual tracing. It provides an alternative to automated methods that require multi-modal MRI data, additional control scans, or user interaction to achieve optimal performance. Our fully trained classifier has applications in neuroimaging and clinical contexts.
Correction of restricted extraocular muscle motility in surgical management of strabismus in graves' ophthalmopathy.

Abstract Objective To compare the success rates for strabismus surgery designed to correct limitation of duction with surgery designed to correct deviation in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy. Design Retrospective nonrandomized comparative trial. Participants One hundred thirty-seven patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy who had undergone at least one extraocular muscle surgery were divided into two groups: those whose first surgery occurred before June 1997 (control group) and those whose first surgery occurred in June 1997 or thereafter (case group). Interventions Extraocular muscle surgery primarily directed at either correcting deviation (control group) or correcting limitation of ductions (case group). Main outcome measures Postoperative deviations in the primary position were measured in prism diopters 30 to 180 days after surgery. A postoperative deviation of less than 5 diopters was considered a successful surgical outcome. Results Patients undergoing strabismus surgery specifically designed to correct limitation of duction achieved a 74% success rate compared with a 44% success rate in the control group (P Conclusions Compared with surgery aimed primarily at the correction of deviation, extraocular muscle surgery tailored to address restriction of ductions in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy is associated with improved surgical success of initial realignment and with a lower rate of reoperation
Rethinking the Islam/Modernity Binary: Ali Shariati and Religiously Mediated Discourse of Sociopolitical Development

In much of the academic literature on the modern processes of sociopolitical change in Muslim-majority societies, Islam and modernity have been described in oppositional terms. This article examines the development of a religiously mediated discourse of indigenous modernity by prominent twentieth-century Iranian thinker Ali Shariati and his contemporary intellectual followers in post-revolutionary Iran. It asks how Shariati's thought and its new readings by neo-Shariatis may contribute to the current rethinking of the Islam/modernity binary. A case is made that, by giving simultaneous recognition to mobilizational and inspirational capacities of public religion, the discourses of Shariati and neo-Shariatis challenge both Eurocentric and culturalist discourses of social and political change, while also presenting a social democratic alternative to the vision of indigenous modernity advanced by the advocates of Islamic liberalism.
NITRIC OXIDE DEGRADATION OF HEPARIN AND HEPARAN SULFATE † 889

Nitric oxide (NO) has functions other than its well-known ability to relax vascular smooth muscle. Under conditions of inflammation, NO combines with superoxide to produce peroxynitrite, an agent that can alter proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids by free-radical, oxidative reactions. Our group has previously reported that nitric acid gas, under acidic conditions, can depolymerize heparin (H) independent of peroxynitrite. An additional glycosaminoglycan (GAG) similar to H is heparan sulfate (HS), which is a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The present report describes further reactions of H and HS with a slow-release NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetyl- penicillamine (SNAP). Degradation of H and HS by SNAP was assessed by the resulting gel filtration chromatography pattern, and compared to untreated H or HS controls. The percent degradation of these GAGs by 2 mM SNAP after 7 day incubations at various pH conditions is shown in the following table:
Income Inequality and Wellbeing

This study investigates the effect of income inequality (gini) on health outcomes across U.S. counties using recent data. Health outcomes are both subjective and objective: mentally and physically unhealthy days, years of potential life lost and low birth weight. Regression models control for many county-level characteristics: county size, per capita income, persistent poverty, percent uninsured, percent unemployed, percent college, and percent Black. In addition, state dummies are included to account for state-level differences. This is a more extensive set of controls than that used in any study so far. Results show that inequality is associated with worse health in terms of all the above measures. The magnitude of the effect is comparable to, or even higher than that of the per capita income. The reason may be that, as suggested in the literature, the level of contextual income does not matter for health in the rich countries, such as the United States. What matters is the distribution of income. This is an ecological study, and hence, it does not claim causal relationship.
An adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator capable of continuous cooling at 10 mK and below

Abstract Upcoming far-IR space missions are faced with a very challenging requirement: to make detectors with sufficient sensitivity to be limited by the photon noise present in the darkness of space. At long wavelengths (>100 μm), where the Zodiacal light is insignificant and the sky brightness corresponds to only ∼100 aW, detectors must have noise equivalent powers of –19 W/√Hz. For fundamental reasons, this can only be achieved with detectors operating at ∼20 mK, giving rise to the need for coolers operating as low as 10 mK. Only adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators (ADR) have demonstrated both zero-g operation and the capacity for cooling into this regime. We have recently developed a multi-stage ADR that can produce continuous cooling at temperatures of 35 mK or lower, and have begun developing additional stages that will enable 10 mK operation. We describe the design and development program for this ADR.
Hypotonicity Stimulates Potassium Flux through the WNK-SPAK/OSR1 Kinase Cascade and the Ncc69 Sodium-Potassium-2-Chloride Cotransporter in the Drosophila Renal Tubule

The ability to osmoregulate is fundamental to life. Adult Drosophila melanogaster maintain hemolymph osmolarity within a narrow range. Osmolarity modulates transepithelial ion and water flux in the Malpighian (renal) tubules of the fly, which are in direct contact with hemolymph in vivo, but the mechanisms causing increased transepithelial flux in response to hypotonicity are unknown. Fly renal tubules secrete a KCl-rich fluid. We have previously demonstrated a requirement for Ncc69, the fly sodium-potassium-2-chloride cotransporter (NKCC), in tubule K+ secretion. Mammalian NKCCs are regulated by a kinase cascade consisting of the with-no-lysine (WNK) and Ste20-related proline/alanine-rich (SPAK)/oxidative stress response (OSR1) kinases. Here, we show that decreasing Drosophila WNK activity causes a reduction in K+ flux. Similarly, knocking down the SPAK/OSR1 homolog fray also decreases K+ flux. We demonstrate that a hierarchical WNK-Fray signaling cascade regulates K+ flux through Ncc69, because (i) a constitutively active Fray mutant rescues the wnk knockdown phenotype, (ii) Fray directly phosphorylates Ncc69 in vitro, and (iii) the effect of wnk and fray knockdown is abolished in Ncc69 mutants. The stimulatory effect of hypotonicity on K+ flux is absent in wnk, fray, or Ncc69 mutant tubules, suggesting that the Drosophila WNK-SPAK/OSR1-NKCC cascade is an essential molecular pathway for osmoregulation, through its effect on transepithelial ion flux and fluid generation by the renal tubule.
Pathways for the mutagenesis of 1-nitropyrene and dinitropyrenes in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2.

The mutagenicity, metabolism, DNA adduction and induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) of 1-nitropyrene and 1,8-dinitropyrene were investigated in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2. Previous...