cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving outcomes in patients with prediabetes through a lifestyle modification program.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Type 2 diabetes and obesity are prevalent throughout the United States, and they occur at even higher rates in some southern states. This project aimed at improving outcomes for overweight/obese patients with prediabetes, thus reducing their risk of progression to type 2 diabetes. METHODS Twenty-four adults with a diagnosis of prediabetes and body mass index ≥ 25 completed this 3-month program. The Rapid Eating Assessment for Patients (REAPs) tool was used to assess eating habits and physical activity levels. The Single-Item Literacy Screener was used to screen for limited reading ability. The following preintervention and postintervention data were obtained: weight, A1c, REAP score, and REAP Physical Activity question (REAP-PA). INTERVENTION Monthly group educational sessions were conducted followed by individualized goal setting. The content of the sessions encompassed a lifestyle modification program based on the first five sessions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Prevent T2"curriculum, incorporating the Southern-style diet, food choices, and activity resources available in the local community. RESULTS Results revealed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in weight (average 4.0 ± 4.2 kg), REAP score (average 17.6 ± 16.6), and REAP-PA (average 0.6) after intervention. A1c values decreased slightly but were not statistically significant, which may be due to the limited sample size. Those with limited reading ability showed a slightly greater A1c loss than those with adequate literacy. CONCLUSIONS A 3-month lifestyle modification program resulted in improvement in weight, eating habits, physical activity level, and A1c in overweight/obese patients at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Performance evaluation of a cost-sensitive differential evolution classifier using spark – Imbalanced binary classification

Abstract Nowadays, the amount of data that has been collected or generated in many sectors has been growing exponentially because of the rapid development of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT). Additionally, the nature of this data is imbalanced. The need for extracting valuable information for decision support from this data poses a challenge to the scientific community to find a solution to cope with large imbalanced data. In previous work, our cost-sensitive differential evolution classification algorithm showed efficient performance for handling highly imbalanced data sets. However, our algorithm shows inefficient performance when applied to big data sets, thus lacking to scale with data size increases. In this paper, we design and implement a parallel version of our cost-sensitive differential evolution classifier using the Apache Spark framework (SCDE). The aim is to handle large and binary imbalanced data. The main idea of the algorithm is to find the optimal centroid for each target label using differential evolution by minimizing the total misclassification cost and then assign unlabeled data points to the closest centroid. Our experiments include a real data set that is based on intrusion detection in order to evaluate our algorithm's scalability and performance. The experimental results show that SCDE efficiently handles imbalanced binary data and scales very well with data size increases. Moreover, the speedup and scaleup results that are obtained by SCDE are close to linear.
Quantification, Dynamic Visualization, and Validation of Bias in ATAC-Seq Data with ataqv.

Summary The assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) has become the preferred method for mapping chromatin accessibility due to its time and input material efficiency. However, it can be difficult to evaluate data quality and identify sources of technical bias across samples. Here, we present ataqv, a computational toolkit for efficiently measuring, visualizing, and comparing quality control (QC) results across samples and experiments. We use ataqv to analyze 2,009 public ATAC-seq datasets; their QC metrics display a 10-fold range. Tn5 dosage experiments and statistical modeling show that technical variation in the ratio of Tn5 transposase to nuclei and sequencing flowcell density induces systematic bias in ATAC-seq data by changing the enrichment of reads across functional genomic annotations including promoters, enhancers, and transcription-factor-bound regions, with the notable exception of CTCF. ataqv can be integrated into existing computational pipelines and is freely available at https://github.com/ParkerLab/ataqv/ .
Novel Methods for In-situ Direct Magnetic Loss Measurement in a DC-DC Converter

Timing skew between measurement channels can introduce an unacceptable error in power loss measurement, making in-situ magnetic loss measurement one of the most difficult engineering problems. This paper develops a mathematical model and provides two novel methods to realize insitu direct magnetic loss measurement. The mathematical model is first established to study the effects of timing skew on the measured/observed magnetic loss in a DC-DC converter. The first method, called Intersection method, is proposed and analyzed in detail. This method will illustrate how the actual timing skew and actual magnetic loss in circuit can be obtained with the aid of the mathematical model. The second method, called Derivative method, will be shown that it greatly enhances the accuracy and repeatability of the same measurements. The proposed methods are verified in simulation and experimentally validated in a conventional step-down DC-DC buck converter under various operating conditions and design parameters.
SvFUL2, an A-class MADS-box transcription factor, is necessary for inflorescence determinacy in model panicoid cereal, Setaria viridis

Abstract Inflorescence architecture in cereal crops directly impacts yield potential through regulation of seed number and harvesting ability. Extensive architectural diversity found in inflorescences of grass species is due to spatial and temporal activity and determinacy of meristems, which control the number and arrangement of branches and flowers, and underlie plasticity. Timing of the floral transition is also intimately associated with inflorescence development and architecture, yet little is known about the intersecting pathways and how they are rewired during development. Here, we show that a single mutation in a gene encoding an AP1 A-class MADS-box transcription factor significantly delays flowering time and disrupts multiple levels of meristem determinacy in panicles of the C4 model panicoid grass, Setaria viridis. Previous reports of A-class genes in cereals have revealed extensive functional redundancy, and in panicoid grasses, no associated inflorescence phenotypes have been described. In S. viridis, perturbation of SvFul2, both through chemical mutagenesis and CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing, converted a normally determinate inflorescence habit to an indeterminate one, and also repressed determinacy in axillary branch and floral meristems. Our analysis of gene networks connected to disruption of SvFul2 identified regulatory hubs at the intersect of floral transition and inflorescence determinacy, providing insights into the optimization of cereal crop architecture.
Energy and the Environment II: Nuclear and Renewables

This chapter describes energy resources that are low carbon and renewable. The fossil fuels mentioned in chapter 4 could be made low carbon in some cases, but these here mostly avoid carbon altogether. In 2020, these technologies comprise 20–30% of global energy demand depending on how it’s measured. Globally, power demand is on the order of 20 terawatts. Solar and wind energy combined passed a total of 1 terawatt installed in 2018 according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF 2018), and the second terawatt will be here in 2023. Hydropower is the most widely deployed renewable energy resource in 2020, followed by wind and solar power.
Kobe Bryant, Memento Mori: Death, Religion, Philosophy, Basketball

The memento mori is a profoundly important aspect of religious reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the need to prepare spiritually for the inevitability of death. This essay considers two recent examples--the deaths of a world-renowned athletic celebrity and an obscure academic philosopher--and explores the contrasting images of death and its meaning found in religious and secular philosophical understandings.
Nothing for nothing: edging as filmic structure in the films of Jerry Douglas

Porn scholars have focused on the money shot (or cum shot) as the primary force around which feature-length visual pornography organizes its narratives. But not all such films work in this fashion....
Hypophysitis from immune checkpoint inhibitors: challenges in diagnosis and management.

Purpose of review This review will summarize the most recent and pertinent evidence regarding immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced hypophysitis to describe diagnostic and management algorithm with the help of a case report. Recent findings Hypophysitis is the most common endocrine adverse event from CTLA-4 inhibitors and much less with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Its pathophysiology appears to be lymphocytic, predominantly affecting the anterior pituitary. The utility of high-dose glucocorticoids for treatment has been questioned, as they do not influence recovery of hypopituitarism and may reduce survival. A survival benefit with hypophysitis has been suggested. Summary The nonspecific nature of symptoms underlies the importance of clinical and hormonal monitoring especially in the first 6 months of CTLA-4 inhibitor cancer therapy. Adrenal insufficiency can be a diagnostic and management challenge, which persists in most cases; hence, a multidisciplinary team of oncologists and endocrinologists is essential for providing high-quality care to these patients. High-dose glucocorticoids should be reserved for mass effect or optic chiasm impingement. The ICI may need to be temporarily withheld but not discontinued. A survival advantage in cancer patients that develop ICI-induced hypophysitis may be a silver lining, especially as ICIs are being investigated for advanced endocrine malignancies.
Second Primary Tumors in Patients Presenting With Unilateral HPV-Associated Tonsillar Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective To describe and compare rates of metachronous and synchronous second primaries of the contralateral tonsil in patients with primary HPV(+) tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Study design Retrospective cohort study. Materials and methods This is a single tertiary care center retrospective case series, from 2006 to 2019, of HPV(+) tonsillar SCC patients who underwent primary surgical resection with unilateral wide-field tonsillectomy or bilateral tonsillectomy for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. A metachronous second primary is one diagnosed >6 months after completion of surgical treatment. A synchronous second primary is one diagnosed during bilateral tonsillectomy for unilateral HPV(+) tonsillar SCC. Rates of second primary and patient characteristics were compared using chi-square tests. Results About 303 patients underwent unilateral surgical resection +/- adjuvant therapy for HPV(+) tonsillar SCC. One (0.3%) developed a metachronous second primary in the contralateral tonsil 11.9 years following treatment. Fifty-seven patients with HPV(+) tonsillar SCC underwent bilateral tonsillectomy, and 37/57 (65%) had no clinical signs for contralateral disease. Of these, only 1/37 (2.7%) was incidentally found to have a synchronous second primary. Twenty patients underwent bilateral tonsillectomy due to clinical concern for contralateral disease. Of these, 3/20 (15%) were found to have a synchronous HPV(+) SCC in the contralateral tonsil. Conclusions The prevalence of metachronous second primary after appropriate treatment of HPV(+) tonsillar SCC is very low (0.3%) and so is the chance of incidentally discovering a synchronous second primary during bilateral tonsillectomy (2.7%). We do not recommend bilateral tonsillectomy as a part of the routine algorithm in the surgical management of these patients. Level of evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 2021.
Medical management of anginal symptoms in women with stable angina pectoris: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Abstract Background Medical therapies are used to improve stable anginal symptoms and quality of life in clinical practice however the evidence for the use of antianginal medication in women is largely unknown. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the extent of the evidence-base for the medical management of anginal symptoms in women with stable angina. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched to the end of December 2019. Retrieved papers were hand searched. Included were randomised controlled trials with at least one week of follow-up that included women with stable angina pectoris, with or without significant coronary atherosclerosis, randomised to conventional antianginal medication or/and a comparator, with a primary or secondary endpoint of angina frequency or glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) consumption. Results A total of 397 eligible publications were included in a qualitative analysis, with women comprising up to 20–30% of the study populations. No publication that included women and men reported all data separately for each sex. Twenty-six publications reported any female data separately from male data but only 18 reported angina data for women, 12 of which included fewer than 10 women. Conclusions Substantially fewer women than men were included in randomised trials of antianginal medications reporting effects on anginal symptoms, and reporting of data by sex was infrequent. As a result, there is little evidence on which to base treatment recommendations for anginal symptoms in women. Our results provide a platform for future studies to fill this void in the evidence.
Religious Involvement, Health Locus of Control, and Sleep Disturbance: A Study of Older Mexican Americans

Over the past three decades, numerous studies have shown that religious involvement—indicated by observable identities, feelings, beliefs, activities, and experiences in relation to the spiritual, divine, or super-natural—is associated with better health across the life course. The data have been remarkably consistent across indicators of health-related behavior, mental health, physical health, and mortality risk (Ellison & Levin, 1998; George, Ellison, & Larson, 2002; Hill, Burdette, & Idler, 2011; Idler, 2004, 2011; Koenig, King, & Carson, 2012; Krause & Hayward, 2016). In contrast to these more established literatures, researchers have virtually ignored possible links between religious involvement and sleep-related outcomes (Ellison, Bradshaw, Storch, Marcum, & Hill, 2011; Ellison, Deangelis, Hill, & Froese, 2019; Hill, Deangelis, & Ellison, 2018; Koenig et al., 2012). In fact, one recent review revealed only seven population-based studies of religious involvement and sleep (Hill et al., 2018). Although the evidence base is thin, the weight of the data demonstrates that religious adults (indicated by religious attendance, religious importance, frequency of prayer, sacred body view, and God-mediated control) tend to exhibit healthier sleep outcomes (sleep duration, overall sleep quality, sleep initiation, and sleep medications) than their less religious counterparts (Ellison et al., 2011; Hill, Burdette, Ellison, & Musick, 2006; Hill, Ellison, & Musick, 2020; Krause & Ironson, 2017).
AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON DESIGN PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURE: PERSPECTIVE OF CREATIVITY

Any design challenge could be solved by identifying systemic complexity in the issue before following any problem-solving process. Designers approach problems in different forms but historically worked effectively to build a template or phase sequence. The design process can be used by designers virtually in any project which plays a crucial role in designing innovative architectural projects for many architects. Many studies were conducted to analyze, review, compare and recommend several creative approaches to problem management that allow designers to recognize their work and propose new solutions. However, there are not many studies on the stages to follow to undergo a comprehensive design process in architecture. This study aims to review the various stages involved in the design process. Firstly, it addresses the conceptualization phase of design critically examining the creativity and ideation process with creative and strategic thinking. Secondly, it discusses the representation of the design process expressing through storyboards and animatic, computer-aided design and building information modeling, and virtual reality and augmented environments. Thirdly, it discusses design assessment stage where the techniques for assessment of creativity in design and simulation for analyzing users’ perspective is explained. In the conclusions of the paper, a discussion has been made on an inter-relationship between the various stages in the design process and its relevance for a comprehensive understanding of the architectural integrative design process to address any design challenge both as a studio project for architecture students or in live projects by the practicing architects.
Introduction: Technology and the Demands of Democracy

To meet the challenges of a new technological society and culture, we must develop a critical theory of technology which criticizes uses or types of technology as tools of domination, rejects the hype and pretensions of new media and technologies, and that calls for appropriate restructuring of technology to democratize politics, society, and everyday life. A critical theory of media and technology sees how new technologies can be used, and perhaps redesigned and restructured, for positive purposes such as enhancing education, democracy, and overcoming the divide between haves and have nots, while enabling individuals to democratically and creatively participate in a new economy, society, and culture. The following essays collect Douglas Kellner’s articles on these topics and provide a comprehensive overview of his critical theory of technology for the first time.
The Effects of Bedding Pack Clean-out in Hoop Barns for Feedlot Cattle

Each pen was bedded with large round bales of cornstalks. Each pen’s bedding was managed distinctly. One pen was cleaned out twice during the 92-day feeding period, approximately every 30 days. One pen was cleaned out once, about midway or 50 days after the trial began. The third pen was not cleaned out during the feeding period, but cornstalk bales were added as needed. At clean-out, all manure and cornstalk bedding was removed to the concrete floor and new bales were added. All pens received the same total amount of cornstalk bedding. At cleanout dates, all cattle in all pens were removed from the hoop barn during cleaning.
Life cycle assessment and economic analysis of residential air conditioning in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Buildings consume 79% of Saudi electricity, of which 70% is consumed by air conditioning (AC) systems as a result of the high ambient temperatures during the long summer season and heavily subsidized cost of electricity. Fossil fuels are burned as the primary energy source in power plants causing environmental impacts. A cradle-to grave regional life cycle assessment (LCA) of residential building air conditioning has been performed to evaluate these impacts. The results show that the use phase is responsible for largest share of the environmental impacts, and that the type of primary fuel used influences the magnitude of the impacts in each region. Copper and steel production dominate the manufacturing phase impact and the end-of-life (EOL) phase results in environmental benefits by reduction in the need for virgin materials. The overall contribution of transportation is minor. Economic considerations influence decisions more than environmental concerns in a developing country like Saudi Arabia. To evaluate the relationship of economics to environmental effects, life cycle cost (LCC), and payback period (PBP) are included with the use of Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) to model the effect of the variability in input prices on the uncertainty associated with the final results.
Psoralea Esculenta As a Prairie Resource: An Ethnographic Appraisal

The role of the prairie turnip, Psoralea esculenta Pursh, in the economy of Prairie and Plains cultures is examined through ethnographic and early eyewitness accounts. Results suggest that these ec...
A class A/B low power amplifier for wireless sensor networks

In a dense ad-hoc wireless sensor network, the transmit power is comparable to the circuit power. Linear power amplifiers, which require lower drive power as compared to their switching counterparts, now become viable candidates. This paper presents a class A/B low power amplifier suitable for an ad-hoc wireless sensor network. The amplifier is implemented in a 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS process and operates with a nominal 1.2 V supply. A capacitive transformer is used to match the antenna to the power amplifier for maximum efficiency. The amplifier achieves 35% drain efficiency while delivering 2.6 mW at 1.92 GHz. With 1.5 V supply, the power amplifier delivers 4.8 mW with 38% drain efficiency.
GLUT1 glucose transporter expression in colorectal carcinoma: a marker for poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND Malignant cells exhibit increased glycolytic metabolism, and in many cases increased glucose transporter gene expression. The authors hypothesized that GLUT1 glucose transporter expression is increased in colorectal carcinoma, and that the degree of expression might have prognostic significance. METHODS GLUT1 glucose transporter immunostaining was studied in normal colon and benign colon adenomas and in 112 colorectal carcinomas from patients for whom long term clinical outcome was known. RESULTS GLUT1 immunostaining was absent in normal colorectal epithelium and tubular adenomas, and absent or only weakly apparent in tubulovillous adenomas. The majority of carcinomas (101 of 112; 90%) had GLUT1 immunostaining. Tumors from 92 patients had low GLUT1 expression ( 50% of cells were GLUT1 positive) and 9 of these patients (45%) died of disease during follow-up. Disease specific mortality was greater in patients with high GLUT1 tumors (relative risk of 2.4; P = 0.02). In a multivariate analysis to assess whether high GLUT1 staining correlated with increased mortality independently of Dukes stage, the risk of death from colon carcinoma in the group with high GLUT1 staining was 2.3 times that in the group with low GLUT1 staining, a difference that approached statistical significance (P = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS GLUT1 glucose transporter expression is associated strongly with neoplastic progression in the colon, and assessment of the extent of GLUT1 immunostaining in colorectal carcinoma identifies patients with a poorer prognosis. Cancer 1998;83:34-40. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
Embodied environmental emissions in U.S. international trade, 1997-2004.

Significant recent attention has been given to quantifying the environmental impacts of international trade. However, the United States, despite being the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases and having large recent growth in international trade, has seen little analysis. This work uses a multi-country input−output model of the U.S. and its seven largest trading partners (Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, Germany, the UK, and Korea) to analyze the environmental effects of changes to U.S. trade structure and volume from 1997 to 2004. It is shown that increased import volume and shifting trade patterns during this time period led to a large increase in the U.S.' embodied emissions in trade (EET) for CO2, SO2, and NOx. Methodological uncertainties, especially related to uncertainties of international currency conversion, lead to large differences in estimation of the total EET, but we estimate that the overall embodied CO2 in U.S. imports has grown from between 0.5 and 0.8 Gt of CO2 in 1997 to between 0.8...
Therapeutic Trial of Thromboxane Synthesis Inhibition in the Hepatorenal Syndrome

Abstract Urinary excretion of the vasoconstrictor metabolite thromboxane B 2 is increased in some patients with the hepatorenal syndrome. To define the role of thromboxanes in this syndrome and to evaluate a potential treatment for the renal impairment, we administered the thromboxane synthetase inhibitor dazoxiben to 5 patients with alcoholic hepatitis and rapidly progressive renal failure. Dazoxiben 200 mg/ day followed by 400 mg/day reduced urinary thromboxane B 2 by ~50% without altering prostaglandin E 2 or 6-keto prostaglandin F 1α and without improving creatinine clearance (6 ± 2 to 6 ± 3 ml/min). In 3 additional patients, a higher dose of dazoxiben of 600 mg/day reduced thromboxane B 2 by ~75% without consistent improvement in renal function. Thus, as judged by selective thromboxane inhibition with dazoxiben, thromboxanes are unlikely to be the key renal vasoconstrictor factor in the hepatorenal syndrome.
Self-determination as a Technology of Imperialism: The Soviet and Russian Experiences

AbstractSelf-determination is widely understood as an anti-imperial norm responsible in significant part for the global break-up of empires. But self-determination norms have been utilized as well to justify Great Power territorial expansion. This essay examines the ways in which self-determination norms have been wielded by the Soviet Union and Russia to justify overriding sovereignty norms, challenge the territorial integrity of weaker states, and rationalize an expansion of power and influence—despite opposition by a majority of inhabitants of the affected areas, the conflicting self-determination claims of indigenous populations, massive Russian settler colonization, and the opinions of the international community.
When Good Animals Love Bad Habitats: Ecological Traps and the Conservation of Animal Populations

The concept of the ecological trap, a low-quality habitat that animals prefer over other available habitats of higher quality, has appeared in the ecological literature irregularly for over 30 years, but the topic has received relatively little attention, and evidence for traps remains largely anecdotal. Recently, however, the ecological trap concept has been the subject of a flurry of theoretical activity that is likely to raise its profile substantially, particularly in conservation biology. Ecological trap theory suggests that, under most circumstances, the presence of a trap in a landscape will drive a local population to extinction. A number of empirical studies, almost all of birds, suggest the existence of traps and demonstrate the difficulties of recognizing them in the field. Evidence for ecological traps has primarily been found in habitats modified by human activities, either directly (e.g., through the mowing of grassland birds' nests) or indirectly (e.g., via human-mediated invasion of exotic species), but some studies suggest that traps may occur even in relatively pristine areas. Taken together, these theoretical and empirical results suggest that traps may be relatively common in rapidly changing landscapes. It is therefore important for conservation biologists to be able to identify traps and differentiate them from sinks. Commonly employed approaches for population modeling, which tend to assume a source-sink framework and do not consider habitat selection explicitly, may introduce faulty assumptions that mask the effects of ecological traps and lead to overly optimistic predictions about population persistence. Given the potentially dire consequences of ecological traps and the accumulating evidence for their existence, greater attention from the community of conservation biologists is warranted. In particular, it is important for conservation biologists and managers to incorporate into conservation planning an explicit understanding of the relationship between habitat selection and habitat quality.
Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life Decision Making in Dialysis: A Randomized Controlled Trial Targeting Patients and Their Surrogates

Background Few trials have examined long-term outcomes of advance care planning (ACP) interventions. We examined the efficacy of an ACP intervention on preparation for end-of-life decision making for dialysis patients and surrogates and for surrogates' bereavement outcomes. Study Design A randomized trial compared an ACP intervention (Sharing Patient's Illness Representations to Increase Trust [SPIRIT]) to usual care alone, with blinded outcome assessments. Setting & Participants 420 participants (210 dyads of prevalent dialysis patients and their surrogates) from 20 dialysis centers. Intervention Every dyad received usual care. Those randomly assigned to SPIRIT had an in-depth ACP discussion at the center and a follow-up session at home 2 weeks later. Outcomes & Measurements Primary outcomes: preparation for end-of-life decision making, assessed for 12 months, included dyad congruence on goals of care at end of life, patient decisional conflict, surrogate decision-making confidence, and a composite of congruence and surrogate decision-making confidence. Secondary outcomes: bereavement outcomes, assessed for 6 months, included anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic distress symptoms completed by surrogates after patient death. Results Primary outcomes: adjusting for time and baseline values, dyad congruence (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.1-3.3), surrogate decision-making confidence (β=0.13; 95% CI, 0.01-0.24), and the composite (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.0-3.2) were better in SPIRIT than controls, but patient decisional conflict did not differ between groups (β=−0.01; 95% CI, −0.12 to 0.10). Secondary outcomes: 45 patients died during the study. Surrogates in SPIRIT had less anxiety (β=−1.13; 95% CI, −2.23 to −0.03), depression (β=−2.54; 95% CI, −4.34 to −0.74), and posttraumatic distress (β=−5.75; 95% CI, −10.9 to −0.64) than controls. Limitations Study was conducted in a single US region. Conclusions SPIRIT was associated with improvements in dyad preparation for end-of-life decision making and surrogate bereavement outcomes.
Optical backscattering in the Arabian Sea—continuous underway measurements of particulate inorganic and organic carbon

Abstract Continuous surface measurements of temperature, salinity, fluorescence and optical backscattering were made during R/V Thompson cruise no. TN053 in the northern Arabian Sea (“Bio-Optical cruise”; October–November, 1995). The cruise covered the early NE monsoon period. Optical measurements involved alternate estimates of total backscattering and acidified backscattering approximately every 1.5–2 min (measured after addition of a weak acid to dissolve calcium carbonate). The difference between total and acidified backscattering equals “acid-labile backscattering”. Total and acid-labile backscattering were converted to the concentration of particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate inorganic carbon (PIC; calcium carbonate), respectively, and discrete samples taken along the cruise track were used for calibration. Backscattering data were frequently coherent with temperature, salinity, and density variability. Acid-labile backscattering values revealed that calcium carbonate accounted for 10–40% of the total optical backscattering in the region, and the semi-continuous records demonstrated distinct patches of coccolith-rich water. The northern Arabian Sea had the highest acid-labile backscattering. Results suggest that PIC : POC ratios can vary over about four orders of magnitude. Highest surface values of PIC : POC approached one in several places. We also report qualitative observations of phytoplankton community structure made aboard ship, on fresh samples.
Multimodality treatment of melanoma brain metastases incorporating stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

BACKGROUND. Brain metastases are a frequent complication in advanced melanoma. A 3.6 to 4.1-month median survival has been reported after treatment with whole brain radiotherapy. We performed a retrospective analysis of our institutional experience of multimodality treatment utilizing linear accelerator (Linac)-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). METHODS. Forty-four melanoma patients with brain metastases underwent 66 SRS treatments for 156 metastatic foci between 1999 and 2004. Patients were treated with initial SRS if ≤5 brain metastases were present. All patients had Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≥70, but 37 patients had active systemic metastases (Recursive Partition Analysis Class 2). Survival was calculated from the time of diagnosis of brain metastases. Minimum follow-up was 1 year after SRS. The potential role of prognostic factors on survival was evaluated including age, sex, interval from initial diagnosis to brain metastases, surgical resection, addition of whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), number of initial metastases treated, and number of SRS treatments using Cox univariate analysis. RESULTS. The median survival of melanoma patients with brain metastases was 11.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.2–14.9 months) from diagnosis. One-year and 2-year survivals were 47.7% and 17.7%, respectively. There was no apparent effect of age or sex. Surgery or multiple stereotactic radiotherapy treatments were associated with prolonged survival. Addition of WBRT to maintain control of brain metastases in a subset of patients did not improve survival. CONCLUSIONS. Our results suggest that aggressive treatment of patients with up to 5 melanoma brain metastases including SRS appears to prolong survival. Subsequent chemotherapy or immunotherapy after SRS may have contributed to the observed outcome. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Error-free pathology: Applying lean production methods to anatomic pathology

The current state of our health care system calls for dramatic changes. In their pathology department, the authors believe these changes may be accomplished by accepting the long-term commitment of applying a lean production system. The ideal state of zero pathology errors is one that should be pursued by consistently asking, "Why can't we?" The philosophy of lean production systems began in the manufacturing industry: "All we are doing is looking at the time from the moment the customer gives us an order to the point when we collect the cash. And we are reducing that time line by removing non-value added wastes". The ultimate goals in pathology and overall health care are not so different. The authors' intention is to provide the patient (customer) with the most accurate diagnostic information in a timely and efficient manner. Their lead histotechnologist recently summarized this philosophy: she indicated that she felt she could sleep better at night knowing she truly did the best job she could. Her chances of making an error (in cutting or labeling) were dramatically decreased in the one-by-one continuous flow work process compared with previous practices. By designing a system that enables employees to be successful in meeting customer demand, and by empowering the frontline staff in the development and problem solving processes, one can meet the challenges of eliminating waste and build an improved, efficient system.
In situ infrared spectroscopy study of the interface self-cleaning during the atomic layer deposition of HfO2 on GaAs(100) surfaces

In situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was utilized to study the interface evolution during the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of HfO2 on GaAs surfaces using of tetrakis (dimethylamino) hafnium and H2O. The experiments were performed on chemical oxide and hydrogen fluoride etched GaAs(100) starting surfaces. For the deposition of HfO2 on chemical oxide GaAs surfaces at 275 °C, which corresponds to the optimal ALD process temperature, continuous arsenic oxide removal was observed for the first 20 ALD cycles. The oxide removal was more pronounced at the initial 1-2 cycles but nonetheless persisted, at a reduced rate, up to the 20th cycle. The substrate temperature was confirmed to affect the arsenic oxide removal; the rate was significant at temperatures above 250 °C while negligible below 200 °C.
Tonic analgesic effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol as measured with the formalin test

The analgesic effects of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marihuana, were tested using the formalin test. Rats were treated with either THC (5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) or a placebo by gavage 4 h before the formalin test for analgesia was initiated. THC produced a highly significant analgesic effect against both phasic pain and tonic pain. THC is discussed as a model for the development of new analgesics or as a suitable analgesic if used with another potentiating drug.
VOC composition of current motor vehicle fuels and vapors, and collinearity analyses for receptor modeling

The formulation of motor vehicle fuels can alter the magnitude and composition of evaporative and exhaust emissions occurring throughout the fuel cycle. Information regarding the volatile organic compound (VOC) composition of motor fuels other than gasoline is scarce, especially for bioethanol and biodiesel blends. This study examines the liquid and vapor (headspace) composition of four contemporary and commercially available fuels: gasoline (<10% ethanol), E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline), ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), and B20 (20% soy-biodiesel and 80% ULSD). The composition of gasoline and E85 in both neat fuel and headspace vapor was dominated by aromatics and n-heptane. Despite its low gasoline content, E85 vapor contained higher concentrations of several VOCs than those in gasoline vapor, likely due to adjustments in its formulation. Temperature changes produced greater changes in the partial pressures of 17 VOCs in E85 than in gasoline, and large shifts in the VOC composition. B20 and ULSD were dominated by C(9) to C(16)n-alkanes and low levels of the aromatics, and the two fuels had similar headspace vapor composition and concentrations. While the headspace composition predicted using vapor-liquid equilibrium theory was closely correlated to measurements, E85 vapor concentrations were underpredicted. Based on variance decomposition analyses, gasoline and diesel fuels and their vapors VOC were distinct, but B20 and ULSD fuels and vapors were highly collinear. These results can be used to estimate fuel related emissions and exposures, particularly in receptor models that apportion emission sources, and the collinearity analysis suggests that gasoline- and diesel-related emissions can be distinguished.
Comment: Applications of robotics in the clinical laboratory.

The implementation of a robotic workstation in the clinical laboratory involves considerations and compromises common to any instrument design and development activity. The trade-off between speed and flexibility not only affects the way the instrument interacts with human operators and other devices (the ‘real-world interface’), but also places limitations on the adaptation of chemistries to the given instrument. Mechanical optimization for speed and reproducibility places restrictions on the imprecision of consumables. Attempts to adapt a robot to a constrained system may entail compromises that either degrades the theoretically-attainable quality of results, or requires human interaction to compensate for physical or mechanical limitations. The general considerations of function and workflow, programming and support, and reliability place practical limits on the implementation of robotic workstations in the clinical laboratory.
Role of androgens in the developmental biology of the pilosebaceous unit

The growth and development of pilosebaceous units in their characteristic pattern depends on the interaction of androgens and diverse biologic factors. Stromal-epithelial interactions are essential features. Considerable evidence suggests that androgens stimulate the growth of sensitive pilosebaceous units primarily by acting on specific stromal cells and that androgens and retinoic acid interact to regulate specific stages of sebocyte differentiation.
Mapping of hydrothermally altered rocks using airborne multispectral scanner data, Marysvale, Utah, mining district

Abstract Multispectral data covering an area near Marysvale, Utah, collected with the airborne National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 24-channel Bendix multispectral scanner, were analyzed to detect areas of hydrothermally altered, potentially mineralized rocks. Spectral bands were selected for analysis that approximate those of the Landsat 4 Thematic Mapper and which are diagnostic of the presence of hydrothermally derived products. Hydrothermally altered rocks, particularly volcanic rocks affected by solutions rich in sulfuric acid, are commonly characterized by concentrations of argillic minerals such as alunite and kaolinite. These minerals are important for identifying hydrothermally altered rocks in multispectral images because they have intense absorption bands centered near a wavelength of 2.2 μm. Unaltered volcanic rocks commonly do not contain these minerals and hence do not have the absorption bands. A color-composite image was constructed using the following spectral band ratios: 1.6μm/2.2μm, 1.6μm/0.48μm, and 0.67μm/1.0μm. The particular bands were chosen to emphasize the spectral contrasts that exist for argillic versus non-argillic rocks, limonitic versus nonlimonitic rocks, and rocks versus vegetation, respectively. The color-ratio composite successfully distinguished most types of altered rocks from unaltered rocks. Some previously unrecognized areas of hydrothermal alteration were mapped. The altered rocks included those having high alunite and/or kaolinite content, siliceous rocks containing some kaolinite, and ash-fall tuffs containing zeolitic minerals. The color-ratio-composite image allowed further division of these rocks into limonitic and nonlimonitic phases. The image did not allow separation of highly siliceous or hematitically altered rocks containing no clays or alunite from unaltered rocks. A color-coded density slice image of the 1.6μm/2.2μm band ratio allowed further discrimination among the altered units. Areas containing zeolites and some ash-fall tuffs containing montmorillonite were readily recognized on the color-coded density slice as having less intense 2.2-μm absorption than areas of highly altered rocks. The areas of most intense absorption, as depicted in the color-coded density slice, are dominated by highly altered rocks containing large amounts of alunite and kaolinite. These areas form an annulus, approximately 10 km in diameter, which surrounds a quartz monzonite intrusive body of Miocene age. The patterns of most intense alteration are interpreted as the remnants of paleohydrothermal convective cells set into motion during the emplacement of the central intrusive body.
MicroRNA and cancer--a brief overview.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs with a length of ∼22 nucleotides, involved in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. Until now, over 2588 miRNAs have been identified in humans and the list is growing. MicroRNAs have an important role in all biological processes and aberrant miRNA expression is associated with many diseases including cancer. In the year 2002 the first connection between cancer and miRNA deregulation was discovered. Since then, a lot of information about the key role which miRNAs play in cancer development and drug resistance has been gained. However, there is still a long way to go to fully understand the miRNA world. In this review, we briefly describe miRNA biogenesis and discuss the role of miRNAs in cancer development and drug resistance. Finally we explain how miRNAs can be used as biomarkers and as a novel therapeutic approach in cancer.
Molecular and biochemical characterization of benzalacetone synthase and chalcone synthase genes and their proteins from raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)

Abstract Two new members of the polyketide synthase (PKS) gene family ( RiPKS4 and RiPKS5 ) were cloned from raspberry fruits ( Rubus idaeus L., cv Royalty) and expressed in Escherichia coli . Characterization of the recombinant enzyme products indicated that Ri PKS4 is a bifunctional polyketide synthase producing both 4-hydroxybenzalacetone and naringenin chalcone. The recombinant R i PKS4 protein, like the native protein from raspberry fruits [W. Borejsza-Wysocki, G. Hrazdina, Plant Physiol. 1996;110: 791–799] accepted p -coumaryl-CoA and ferulyl-CoA as starter substrates and catalyzed the formation of both naringenin chalcone, 4-hydroxy-benzalacetone and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-benzalacetone. Although activity of Ri PKS4 was higher with ferulyl-CoA than with p -coumaryl-CoA, the corresponding product, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenylbutanone could not be detected in raspberries to date. Sequence analysis of the genes and proteins suggested that this feature of Ri PKS4 was created by variation in the C-terminus due to DNA recombination at the 3′ region of its coding sequence. Ri PKS5 is a typical chalcone synthase (CHS) that uses p -coumaryl-CoA only as starter substrate and produces naringenin chalcone exclusively as the reaction product.
Spontaneous Alternation Behavior in Rats as a Function of Brightness Cues

Brightness cues as a determinant of spontaneous alternation behavior were investigated in a maze that has been assumed to induce high probability visual attention. Rats were shown to demonstrate above chance level alternation behavior to brightness stimuli; spatial cues had no effect on alternation rates.
Dip‐moveout processing for depth‐variable velocity

In dip‐moveout (DMO) processing, the seismic velocity is often assumed to be constant. While several approximate techniques for handling vertical velocity variation have recently become available, here we propose a method for computing the kinematically exact DMO correction when velocity is an arbitrary function of the depth. While not known in advance, the raypath from source to receiver and the corresponding zero‐offset raypath satisfy several relationships, which are used to form a system of nonlinear equations. By simultaneously solving the equations via Newton‐Raphson iteration, we determine the mapping that transforms nonzero‐offset data to zero‐offset. Unlike previous schemes that approximately handle vertical velocity variation, this method makes no assumptions about the offset, dip, velocity function, or hyperbolic moveout. Tests using both synthetic and recorded seismic data demonstrate the effectiveness of this variablevelocity DMO. These tests show this method accurately handles vertical veloc...
An in-channel micro check valve fabricated using a simple two-mask process

Check valves play a pivotal role in many microfluidic and lab-on-chip systems. Many of these check valves are out of plane and are not integrated with microchannels. To address this issue we proposed an in-channel micro check valve design which enables a simple fabrication process and provides easy integration with other microfluidic devices. Parylene C was used as the structural material of the gate for the check valve. Due to the high flexibility of the parylene C gate, we can achieve a high flow rate with a relatively low pressure. Also due to the perfect position of our parylene gate, only minimal reverse flow (∼1nl/min) was observed at reverse pressures as high as 50kPa.
Class Size Matters: Heterogeneous Effects of Larger Classes on College Student Learning

Colleges want to increase retention and graduation rates, but they are also under pressure to control costs. Increasing class size is a common method to reduce per student costs. This paper examines the relationship between class size and student achievement. Using data from a selective liberal arts college, we show that grades of students decrease as class size increases. Moreover, relatively vulnerable students such as first-years or those with low SAT scores experience on average larger negative effects from increases in class sizes. The findings suggest that attempts to control costs may harm students, particularly those least likely to graduate.