cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Invasive fusariosis masquerading as extramedullary disease in rapidly progressive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Invasive fusariosis (IF) most commonly occurs in patients with hematologic malignancies and severe neutropenia, particularly during concomitant corticosteroid use. Breakthrough infections can occur in high-risk patients despite Aspergillus-active antifungal prophylaxis. We describe a patient with rapid acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) progression who presented with multifocal skin nodules thought to be choloromatous disease. These lesions were ultimately diagnosed as IF and the patient had two simultaneously active disease processes. This case highlights the importance of pathologic diagnosis of new skin lesions in ALL patients, even during leukemia progression, and demonstrates that IF can occur despite normal neutrophil counts and Aspergillus-active prophylaxis.
Empirical implementation of entropy risk factor model: A test on Chilean peso

Abstract Currencies are used by many investors as a speculative or investment instrument. Their movements are complex and there are exchange rate models which suggest how to predict long and short-term fluctuations. In this paper we investigate the predictability of an exchange rate with an entropy risk factor model. Considering that recent studies find complex systems characteristics of financial markets, we explore the usefulness of sample entropy as a risk factor for currency fluctuations. The empirical testing of sample entropy is based on the data of the Chilean peso (CLP) exchange rate for the period of January 1, 2005 and November 25, 2016. We find evidence that Chilean peso market has enough market inefficiencies that can be profitably exploited by the sample entropy based prediction algorithm developed in this paper.
Epidemiology of Infectious and Noninfectious Catheter Complications in Patients Receiving Home Parenteral Nutrition: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) as their primary source of nutrition are at high risk for both infectious and noninfectious catheter complications (catheter-related infections, catheter occlusion, and venous thrombosis). The aim of this review was to synthesize and evaluate what is known about catheter complications and prevention strategies in the PN population. Three electronic databases (Medline, Embase, and CINAHL) were screened for studies published between January 2012 and February 2019 regarding infectious and noninfectious catheter complications in patients receiving PN. Rates of infectious and noninfectious catheter complications, prevalence of causative pathogens, potential risk factors, and prevention strategies via the use of antimicrobial lock therapy (ALT) were assessed. Fifty-three catheter complication studies and 12 ALT studies were included. Studies were grouped by definition of complication: catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) or central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). Random effects summary rates per 1000 catheter days were 0.85 CRBSI episodes (95% CI 0.27-2.64) and 1.65 CLABSI episodes (95% CI 1.09-2.48). Use of taurolidine or ethanol ALT was efficacious in reducing infectious catheter complications; however, several studies had concerns for adverse mechanical complications. Potential risk factors for catheter complications were highly varied and often contradictory between studies. The rates of catheter complications were higher among catheterized patients receiving PN compared with nationally reported rates of complications in all catheterized patients. Risk factors for catheter complications need to be better understood for targeted prophylactic use of ALT. Future studies are warranted; however, they should be conducted using more standardized definitions and criteria.
The Future of Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Cancer.

Abstract Objectives To discuss future direction and present an overview of the evolution of immunotherapy long-term toxicity issues, financial toxicity, and new emerging survivorship considerations. Data Sources Peer-reviewed manuscripts, Web sites. Conclusion Cancer treatments involving immunotherapy have had a major impact on long-term survival, toxicity, and survivorship issues. Implications for Nursing Practice Nurses play a pivotal role in the care of the cancer patient across the continuum. With the unique toxicities associated with immunotherapy, it is essential that nurses be keenly aware of all aspects of management, from physical to financial care.
RATIONAL EXPECTATIONS, IRRATIONAL EXUBERANCE: LINKAGE BETWEEN U.S. INVESTORS AND PACIFIC-BASIN STOCK RETURNS

We shed new light on the relevance of rational expectations and irrational exuberance of U.S. individual and institutional investors on Pacific-Basin stock returns. We find insignificant effects of irrational exuberance and significant effect of rational expectations on Asian markets with varying degrees of intensity. There are greater responses of Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore while weaker linkages with Taiwan, Thailand, and Korea. Overall evidence suggests that rational expectations of institutional investors are transmitted to a greater extent than those of individual investors. These results are consistent with the view that international effects of the U.S. market can be attributed to rational investor sentiments.
The role of Northeast Pacific meltwater events in deglacial climate change.

Columbia River megafloods occurred repeatedly during the last deglaciation, but the impacts of this fresh water on Pacific hydrography are largely unknown. To reconstruct changes in ocean circulation during this period, we used a numerical model to simulate the flow trajectory of Columbia River megafloods and compiled records of sea surface temperature, paleo-salinity, and deep-water radiocarbon from marine sediment cores in the Northeast Pacific. The North Pacific sea surface cooled and freshened during the early deglacial (19.0-16.5 ka) and Younger Dryas (12.9-11.7 ka) intervals, coincident with the appearance of subsurface water masses depleted in radiocarbon relative to the sea surface. We infer that Pacific meltwater fluxes contributed to net Northern Hemisphere cooling prior to North Atlantic Heinrich Events, and again during the Younger Dryas stadial. Abrupt warming in the Northeast Pacific similarly contributed to hemispheric warming during the Bolling and Holocene transitions. These findings underscore the importance of changes in North Pacific freshwater fluxes and circulation in deglacial climate events.
Abstract 93: Trends in Intravenous Alteplase Use and Mortality Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Acute Stroke: A Eight-Year Retrospective Analysis

Timely stroke treatment with intravenous alteplase (IV-tPA) reduces functional dependence and mortality. Therefore, communities have taken tremendous efforts to increase IV t-PA use through better ...
Pediatric facial reanimation: An algorithmic approach and systematic review

Facial palsy has a broad clinical presentation and the effects on psychosocial interaction and facial functions can be devastating. Pediatric facial palsy, in particular, introduces unique familial and technical considerations as anatomy, future growth potential, and patient participation influence treatment planning. Though some etiologies of pediatric facial palsy are self-limiting, congenital and long-standing facial palsies pose difficult challenges that require a combination of surgical, adjunctive, and rehabilitative techniques to achieve facial reanimation. Given the spectrum of ages and symptom severity, as well as the various surgical options available for facial palsy, a tailored approach needs to be developed for each child to restore facial balance and function. Here, we review the etiologies, workup, and treatment of pediatric facial palsy and present our novel algorithmic approach to treatment.
The Role of Immunization in Controlling Antigen Uptake from the Small Intestine

The intestinal absorption of intact macromolecules (1–2), and the ability of such molecules to induce both a local and systemic immune response has been demonstrated under natural and experimental conditions (2–4). Patients lacking secretory IgA frequently display elevated levels of serum antibodies to ingested antigens suggesting that in the absence of secretory IgA, excessive absorption of antigen has occurred giving rise to the greater serum antibody response (5). We have been concerned for several years with the mechanism of uptake of antigen from the intestine and with the role of immunization in controlling such uptake.
Laryngeal Mask Airways (LMAs)

Laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) are a common airway device often used for short surgeries. It is also an essential part of the American Society of Anesthesiology’s Difficult Airway Algorithm. In a patient who cannot be mask ventilated and cannot be intubated, the next step is placement of a laryngeal mask airway. This chapter reviews absolute and relative contraindications to LMA placement and reviews some of the most common types of LMAs on the market. It also discusses techniques for placing LMAs and common ways to troubleshoot suboptimally functioning LMAs.
The chaperone Tsr2 regulates Rps26 release and reincorporation from mature ribosomes to enable a reversible, ribosome-mediated response to stress

Summary Although ribosome assembly is quality controlled to maintain protein homeostasis, different ribosome populations have been described. How these form, especially under stress conditions that impact energy levels and stop the energy-intensive production of ribosomes, remains unknown. Here we demonstrate how a physiologically relevant ribosome population arises during high Na+ and pH stress via dissociation of Rps26 from fully assembled ribosomes to enable a translational response to these stresses. The chaperone Tsr2 releases Rps26 in the presence of high Na or pH in vitro and is required for Rps26 release in vivo. Moreover, Tsr2 stores free Rps26 and promotes re-incorporation of the protein, thereby repairing the subunit after the stress subsides. Our data implicate a residue in Rps26 involved in Diamond Blackfan Anemia in mediating the effects of Na+. These data demonstrate how different ribosome populations can arise rapidly, without major energy input, and without bypass of quality control mechanisms. Graphical Abstract Highlights Tsr2 releases Rps26 from mature ribosomes to remodel ribosome populations Tsr2 stores released Rps26 and allows for ribosome repair after stress Rps26 exploits a Mg binding site linked to Diamond Blackfan Anemia (DBA) Chaperone-mediated ribosome remodeling might be common for chaperoned RPs
Outcomes of an Inter-Professional Education Event for Social Work and Allied Health Professional Students Working with Families in Poverty: Implications for Social Work Education.

Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to introduce students to the importance of team-based decision making. This article presents evaluation data from an IPE poverty simulation event. The goals o...
Characterization of Autonomic Dysfunction Among Migraineurs With and Without Complaints of Orthostatic Intolerance

Purpose and Hypothesis: To identify and distinguish central autonomic dysfunction from peripheral autonomic dysfunction (or both) in migraineurs suffering from orthostatic intolerance (OI) compared to migraineurs not suffering from OI. We hypothesize that OI manifests from a predominantly central autonomic component. Methods: We studied two populations of migraineurs, one group complaining of symptoms of OI for 6 months or longer and a group without OI symptoms, using a 70-degree, 45-minute passive head-up tilt-table test (HUT), R-R interval measurements during deep breathing, blood pressure and heart rate monitoring during Valsalva maneuver and release, Quantitative Sudomotor Axon Reflex Test (QSART), and skin biopsy for intraepidermal nerve fiber density. Categorical differences between the two populations were compared using exact likelihood ratio chi-square tests, and 95% confidence intervals for sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated. Results: Thirty-seven migraineurs with OI (Group 1) and 22 migraineurs without (Group 2) were studied and were demographically similar except for a greater representation of migraines with brainstem auras in Group 1 (27% v 5%; p= 0.032). Ninety-seven percent of Group 1 patients, versus 68% Group 2, manifested abnormal 45-minutes HUT, a significant difference (p=0.020, Fisher’s exact test). The first 5-minute evaluation of the HUT exhibited high specificity (1.00; 95% CI: 0.85-1.00) for the diagnosis of postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) with a positive predictive value of 1.00 (0.59, 1.00; p=0.037). The HUT extended to 45-minutes however showed greater sensitivity compared with the 10-minute HUT (0.95; 95% CI:0.82-0.99; p=0.020). We found no differences between groups in autonomic laboratory or skin biopsy findings. Fifty-seven percent of Group 1 and 50% of Group 2 exhibited biopsy-proven small fiber neuropathy (SFN), a difference that did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: We failed to confirm our hypothesis that OI is a manifestation of a central autonomic dysfunction in migraineurs. The finding of SFN in a majority of subjects points to peripheral autonomic contributions and raises the possibility of an underlying systemic disorder. Extending HUT table testing to 45-minutes increases diagnostic sensitivity and better reflects life events. Funding Statement: This study was supported by a grant from the Bakken Heart-Brain Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Declaration of Interests: We declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Cleveland Clinic’s Institutional Review Board. Informed consent was obtained from all participants in the study.
Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke Detection in the Prehospital Environment

Endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion (LVO) is time-dependent. Prehospital patients with suspected LVO stroke should be triaged directly to specialized stroke centers for endovascular therapy. This review describes advances in LVO detection among prehospital suspected stroke patients. Clinical prehospital stroke severity tools have been validated in the prehospital setting. Devices including EEG, SSEPs, TCD, cranial accelerometry, and volumetric impedance phase-shift-spectroscopy have recently published data regarding LVO detection in hospital settings. Mobile stroke units bring thrombolysis and vessel imaging to patients. The use of a prehospital stroke severity tool for LVO triage is now widely supported. Ease of use should be prioritized as there are no meaningful differences in diagnostic performance amongst tools. LVO diagnostic devices are promising, but none have been validated in the prehospital setting. Mobile stroke units improve patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness analyses are underway.
The Principle and Politics of Equal Value

An unfamiliar equality principle is gaining prominence in constitutional discourse. Equal value prohibits government from regulating protected activities while exempting other activities to which the government’s interest applies just as readily. Although the principle is being developed in the context of free exercise, it has implications for other guarantees in constitutional law. I offer two arguments in this Article. First, a version of equal value holds real attraction, not only within religious freedom law but also in other areas, such as freedom of expression and even equal protection for racial minorities. Second, however, the rule is operating in a patterned manner, favoring traditional religions at a moment when their social status is facing contestation and extending to decisions concerning free exercise and free speech but not nonestablishment or equal protection. This implementation of the concept promotes a problematic political program. If my account is correct, then equal value promises not an antidote to excessive judicial deference, as some have claimed, but instead a controversial politics.
Factors Influencing Why Children and Their Families Choose Surgery for Ganglion Cysts.

Purpose Ganglion cysts of the hand/wrist are frequently managed without surgery but can be treated with surgical excision if there is pain or dysfunction. No studies have examined the specific factors predictive of surgical treatment for pediatric patients. Methods This was a study of pediatric patients (≤18 years) with ganglion cysts of the hand/wrist seen between 2017 and 2019 at 2 institutions. Baseline demographic data were collected in addition to cyst characteristics, Wong-Baker pain scores, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scores (pain, depression, upper extremity function, anxiety). Multivariable regression was used to determine the factors predictive of surgical intervention at ≥6 months of eligible follow-up. Results A total of 167 patients with a mean age of 10.1 ± 5.3 years were included for analysis. Forty-three (25.7%) underwent surgical excision of their ganglion cyst at means of 2.3 months after the initial visit and 12.6 months after cyst appearance. Sex and cyst location were similar between cohorts. Surgical patients were older (12.1 vs 9.4 years, respectively) and presented to the clinic later after an appearance (10.9 vs 6.5 months, respectively) compared to nonsurgical patients. Surgical patients also had higher pain scores at presentation (median, 3 vs 0, respectively). Cysts receiving surgery were larger than those without surgery (81.4% vs 55.3% >1 cm, respectively). Pain interference Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scores were higher in the surgical than the nonsurgical group (45.2 vs 39.6, respectively). In a multivariable analysis, pain scores ≥4 (odds ratio, 3.4) were predictive of surgery for patients ≥3 years, whereas older age (odds ratio, 1.1) and a cyst size >1 cm (odds ratio, 3.3) predicted surgery across all patients. Conclusions Pediatric patients with ganglion cysts who initially present at older ages with moderate/severe pain scores and larger cysts are more likely to ultimately choose surgical excision. Surgeons may observe a preference for earlier surgery in this subset of patients. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
Deep ocean sound speed profile estimation using matched autoproduct processing

Sound speed profile (SSP) estimation from acoustic measurements alone in ocean environments is often a highly undetermined problem. Many methods have been developed which match arrival times or acoustic pressure observations to estimate a reduced-order SSP described with shape functions or empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). These EOFs are commonly derived from multiple in situ measurements. This presentation describes an alternative method that matches autoproduct fields to invert for deep ocean SSPs without knowledge of the source waveform. The inverted SSPs are parameterized with EOFs derived from synthetic SSPs extracted from HYCOM (hybrid coordinate ocean model). This method is developed and illustrated using simulated long-range deep-ocean propagation data for frequencies in the 100s of Hz. The technique is also assessed with measured propagation data from the PhilSea10 experiment. [Sponsored by ONR]
Moral Hazard, Governing Culture and Localized Christian Right Gay Panic in Indiana

I examine a moment in conservative Christian political action producing the revocation of a specialty automobile license plate of the Indiana Youth Group (IYG), a support organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teenagers. After a brief introduction to the Christian Right’s anti-gay ideology, I examine the political opportunities of the Right’s agenda at national and local scales. While the Right was successful in preventing inclusion of gays in federal civil rights laws, there existed dissatisfaction with the absence of government efficacy to promote their ideological goals. Thus the Right turned to local or state political institutions to further their governing culture power which paralleled the rise of Republican Party majorities in state legislatures beginning in the 1980s, especially in the Midwest and the South. Attention turns to an examination of practices and discourses of conservative Christian non-state and state actors to target and revoke the newly adopted and “pro-homosexual” IYG specialty license plate. A well networked group of Christian Right non-state actors distributed flyers to churches and state legislators to prevent in their worldview the spread of secular humanism across the state. Twenty state senators were successful in pressuring the state’s license plate issuing agency to revoke the license plate after legislative attempts had failed. Those twenty were generally older white males, represented largely rural districts, and possessed life experiences as small business owners, and members of the military or law enforcement. To traditionalists, the banal and quotidian nature of specialty license plates constituted a moral hazard by normalizing an “immoral” culture in public spaces whereas those adopting the IYG specialty license plate are proclaiming their stakeholder citizenship rights to govern culture. What constitutes moral hazard changes based on larger scale cultural and social transformations?
Probabilities associated with a built-in-test system, focus on false alarms

This paper shows that some built-in-test (BIT) systems have an intrinsic 50 percent false alarm rate. The paper also shows how Bayes' theorem can be used to analyze how variation of BIT characteristics can increase or decrease the intrinsic false alarm rate.
Immigration, Sovereignty, and the Constitution of Foreignness

It is a central premise of modern American immigration law that immigrants, by virtue of their non-citizenship, are properly subject to an extra-constitutional regulatory authority that is inherent in national sovereignty and buffered against judicial review. The Supreme Court first posited this constitutionally exceptional authority, which is commonly known as the “plenary power doctrine,” in the 1889 Chinese Exclusion Case. There, the Court reconstructed the federal immigration power from a form of commercial regulation rooted in Congress’s commerce power, to an instrument of national self-defense against invading hordes of economically and racially degraded foreigners.Today, generations after the United States abandoned overtly racist immigration policies, such as Chinese exclusion and national origins quotas, the Supreme Court continues to reaffirm Congress and the President’s virtually unchecked authority over the admission, exclusion, and removal of non-citizens, as though such authority were a logical concomitant of national sovereignty. Accordingly, modern judicial defenders of the plenary power doctrine generally turn a blind eye to the indecorous racial reasoning deployed by its architects. This Article argues that although the language of race and invasion has been purged from the vocabulary, and perhaps worldview, of most modern policymakers and judges, the logic of foreign aggression remains indispensible in accounting for a power unmoored from the Constitution and shielded from judicial scrutiny. Throughout the nation’s first century, the Supreme Court found nothing constitutionally exceptional about a statute that governed foreigners engaged in the process of immigration. Immigrants’ non-citizenship was incidental to the nature of the regulatory authority to which they were subject. Non-citizenship became a trigger for extra-constitutional authority only in the final decades of the nineteenth century, as Chinese and “new” European migrants alike increasingly became understood as fundamentally and permanently alien to the national character. This Article demonstrates that it was precisely this perception of immigrants’ essential, indelible foreignness — their racial difference, their inability to assimilate, their corrosive effect on American citizenship — that gave substance to the metaphor of racial invasion, and thus to the Court’s analogy between immigration regulation and war. The Court’s intemperate defense of American citizenship against invading foreign races cannot, therefore, be swept aside as anachronistic dicta cluttering the otherwise logically sound foundation of immigration exceptionalism; rather, it is the cornerstone of the entire edifice.
Sonographic detection of trisomy 13 in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine sonographic findings in fetuses with trisomy 13. Methods A retrospective review of the cytogenetic laboratory databases at 6 tertiary referral centers identified all cases of trisomy 13. The prenatal sonographic studies in fetuses of less than 22 weeks' gestation, done before invasive testing for karyotype, were reviewed for anatomic and biometric findings. We defined abnormal fetal biometric findings as a biometric measurement (biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, or femur length) below the fifth percentile in the second trimester. Results There were 8 cases of trisomy 13 found in the first trimester and 54 cases found in the second trimester, a total of 62 in all. In the first trimester, 6 of 8 had an anomaly identified (4 with cystic hygroma). In the second trimester, 49 of 54 were identified by sonography; 45 had an anomaly, and 4 had an abnormal fetal biometric measurement without an anomaly. The 5 missed diagnoses had early gestational age (<17 weeks; n = 3) or an inadequate survey secondary to poor visualization. Overall, 22 of 54 fetuses with trisomy 13 had an abnormal biometric measurement. The most common anomalies detected in the second trimester were heart defects (n = 34), central nervous system anomalies (n = 30), facial clefts (n = 19), abnormal hands (n = 13), and genitourinary anomalies (n = 9). Conclusions Targeted sonography identified abnormal fetal anatomy or abnormal biometric measurements in 95% of fetuses with trisomy 13 in the second trimester after 17 weeks' gestation. A biometric measurement below the fifth percentile was noted in nearly half of cases in the second trimester.
Calcium Dependence of Retrograde Inhibition by Endocannabinoids at Synapses onto Purkinje Cells

Many types of neurons release endocannabinoids from their dendrites in response to elevation of intracellular calcium levels. Endocannabinoids then activate presynaptic cannabinoid receptors, thereby inhibiting neurotransmitter release for tens of seconds. A crucial step in understanding the physiological role of this retrograde signaling is to determine its sensitivity to elevations of postsynaptic calcium. Here we determine and compare the calcium dependence of endocannabinoid-mediated retrograde inhibition at three types of synapses onto cerebellar Purkinje cells. Previous studies have shown that Purkinje cell depolarization results in endocannabinoid-mediated retrograde inhibition of synapses received from climbing fibers, granule cell parallel fibers, and inhibitory interneurons. Using several calcium indicators with a range of affinities, we performed a series of in situ and in vitro calibrations to quantify calcium levels in Purkinje cells. We found that postsynaptic calcium levels of approximately 15 microM are required for half-maximal retrograde inhibition at all of these synapses. In contrast, previous studies had suggested that endocannabinoid release could occur with slight elevations of calcium above resting levels, which implies that inhibition should be widespread and continuously modulated by subtle changes in intracellular calcium levels. However, our results indicate that such small changes in intracellular calcium are not sufficient to evoke endocannabinoid release. Instead, because of its high requirement for calcium, retrograde inhibition mediated by calcium-dependent endocannabinoid release from Purkinje cells will occur under more restricted conditions and with greater spatial localization than previously appreciated.
An Estimate of Basin-Wide Denitrification Based on Floodplain Inundation in the Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana

Maximizing the reduction of nitrate to dinitrogen gas (denitrification) has been advocated as a means to decrease nitrate pollution that causes eutrophication and hypoxia in estuaries worldwide. Managing this flux in bottomland forest wetlands of the Mississippi River could potentially reduce the world's second largest hypoxic zone. We used published denitrification rates, geospatial data on habitat area and inundation frequency, water level records (1963–2011), and average monthly temperatures to estimate annual denitrification in the Atchafalaya River Basin, the principal distributary of the Mississippi River. Denitrification rates ranged from 5394 kg N year−1 (3.07 kg N km−2 year−1) in 1988 to 17 420 kg N year−1 (9.92 kg N km−2 year−1) in 1981, and rates were consistently higher in fall compared with those in spring. Total NO3− denitrified in the basin was negligible compared with total NO3− entering the Gulf of Mexico. If all N denitrified in the basin instead entered the Gulf, the hypoxic zone was predicted to increase only 5.07 km2 (0.06%). This negligible effect of the basin on N dynamics in the Gulf agrees with other mass balance and isotopic studies in the region. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of Ag on the microstructure and properties of Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu oxide/Ag superconducting microcomposites produced by oxidation of metallic precursor alloys

Abstract Metallic alloy ribbons of Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu with nominal compositions of 1.4-0.6-2-3-4 were made by vacuum induction melting followed by melt-spinning. Ag was added to aid in the processes of alloy melting and metallic ribbon formation. These ribbons were then subjected to a controlled atmosphere oxidation and annealing to produce superconducting oxide/Ag microcomposites. All of the alloys with up to 85 wt.% Ag can be processed into superconducting ribbons with zero resistance at T =104– 110 K and a critical current density of 200–600 A/cm 2 at 77 K in zero field. The relationship of the Ag content, microstructure and superconducting properties of these oxide/Ag microcomposites was studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and electron probe microanalysis. The Ag addition was found to alter the optimum oxidation and annealing conditions, promote the formation of the so called “2223” superconducting phase, reduce the porosity of the microcomposites, increase the critical current density and improve the mechanical properties of the metallic precursor ribbons and superconducting composites.
The Carbon Dioxide Exchange

One key to accurately predicting future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is understanding how land and atmosphere exchange CO2. Each year, photosynthesizing land plants remove (fix) one in eight molecules of atmospheric CO2, and respiring land plants and soil organisms return a similar number. This exchange determines whether terrestrial ecosystems are a net carbon sink or source. Two papers in this issue contribute to understanding the land-atmosphere exchange by elegantly analyzing rich data sets on CO2 fluxes from a global network of monitoring sites. On page 834, Beer et al. ( 1 ) estimate total annual terrestrial gross primary production (GPP) in an approach more solidly based on data than previous simple approximations. On page 838, Mahecha et al. ( 2 ) assess how ecosystem respiration (R) is related to temperature over short (week-to-month) and long (annual) time scales, and find a potentially important but difficult-to-interpret relationship.
INTERACTION OF THE ENANTIOMERS OF 3-0-METHYLDOBUTAMINE, A METABOLITE OF DOBUTAMINE, WITH α- AND β-ADRENORECEPTORS IN THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM OF THE PITHED RAT

The pharmacological activities of the enantiomers of 3-0-methyldobutamine, a metabolite of dobutamine, were investigated at alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptors in the cardiovascular system of pithed rats. Neither enantiomer of 3-0-methyldobutamine produced vasoconstriction in pithed rats, indicating a lack of alpha 1- or alpha 2-adrenoreceptor agonist activity. However, both enantiomers of 3-0-methyldobutamine were found to be alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonists. The alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist activity of the enantiomers of 3-0-methyldobutamine was selective, since neither enantiomer antagonized alpha 2-adrenoreceptors at doses up to 10 mg/kg, i.v. The alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist activity of (+)- and (-)-3-0-methyldobutamine was studied in detail in pithed rats. Based on a Schild analysis of the antagonism of the alpha 1-adrenoreceptor mediated pressor effects of cirazoline, (+)-3-0-methyldobutamine had a DR2 value (i.e., dose required to produce a two-fold rightward shift in the dose-response curve of cirazoline) of 0.16 mg/kg, i.v., whereas the DR2 value for (-)-3-0-methyldobutamine was 10.3 mg/kg, i.v. Thus, the potent alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist activity of 3-0-methyldobutamine resides predominantly in the (+)-enantiomer, the latter being approximately 64-fold more potent than the (-)-enantiomer. Both enantiomers of 3-0-methyldobutamine were weak beta 1-adrenoreceptor antagonists that, at high doses, inhibited the chronotropic effect of isoprenaline. In addition, both enantiomers were weak beta 2-adrenoreceptor agonists that produced modest decreases in diastolic blood pressure at high doses. The beta 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist and the beta 2-adrenoreceptor agonist effects of the enantiomers of 3-0-methyldobutamine occurred at doses in excess of 3 mg/kg, i.v. attesting to their weak activity, and neither effect was stereoselective. It is hypothesized that of the potent alpha 1-adrenoreceptor blocking activity of 3-0-methyldobutamine, which resides predominantly in the (+)-enantiomer, may contribute, in part, to the reduction in total peripheral vascular resistance observed following infusion of dobutamine.
Octopus sucker-arm coordination in grasping and manipulation*

In natural settings octopuses use their arms and suckers in a variety of dexterous manipulation tasks, such as extracting prey from crevices and burrows, opening bivalve shells, and arranging middens in front of den entrances. Octopuses use multiple suckers on a single surface for a power grasp that supports their locomotion or permits the animal to carry or move small objects. Similar to squids engaged in prey capture, octopuses can project an arm from their body, attach a group of distal suckers, and pull an object toward themselves by shortening the arm. I investigated octopuses' use of suckers in similar tasks under controlled, reproducible laboratory conditions. Because larger suckers can generate larger adhesion forces, I hypothesized that the larger suckers toward the base of the arm would be preferred in tasks requiring the arm to employ greater forces. Octopuses did not use the strategy found in squid tentacles: applying suckers of appropriate force generation to a surface and lifting or pulling ...
Identification of a c-myb attenuator-binding factor

Abstract Expression of the c-myb proto-oncogene is developmentally regulated at the level of transcription elongation. In pre-B cells, complete c-myb transcripts are produced, whereas transcripts are attenuated near or within a 300-base pair (bp) interval of the first c-myb intron in mature cells. Hypothesizing that transcription attenuation results from a protein complex that physically impedes the progress of RNA polymerase II through the intron, we used electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) to search for DNA-binding activities that correlated with downregulation of c-myb transcription. We identified a stage-specific DNA binding activity, termed ABF, present in mature B cells but not in pre-B cells. ABF binds to a 15-bp DNA element located within a 300-bp BstEII–XbaI fragment. DMSO-treatment of murine erythroleukemia cells results in rapid downregulation of c-myb transcription and upregulation of ABF DNA binding activity. Thus, ABF binding activity correlates with downregulation of c-myb transcription in two systems. Preliminary biochemical characterization of ABF from mature B cells demonstrates that its primary DNA-binding component is a 64-kDa-protein. We hypothesize that this factor may represent a member of the transcriptional attenuation complex.
Station level gasoline demand in an Australian market with regular price cycles

Regular and frequent gasoline price cycles are being observed in many Australian and Canadian markets. What is driving these price cycles has been the subject of academic studies and government investigations. The existing explanations for these price cycles all rely on the presumption that drivers are intensively sensitive to gasoline price differentials at the station level. However, no empirical evidence exists in the literature to support this presumption. This paper provides the first piece of empirical evidence. This paper uses a unique price and quantity data set and novel instruments to estimate the station level gasoline demand in the cycling market of Perth, Australia. The elasticity estimates confirm that drivers in the Perth area are indeed very sensitive to gasoline price differentials.
Emerging applications of gene transfer in the hematopoietic cancers.

Purpose: Originally conceived as a means to replace or correct defective genes in patients with inherited disorders, gene transfer has shown broad potential for medical intervention in the hematopoietic cancers and for study of hematopoietic stem cell biology. The purpose of this article is to review emerging applications of gene therapy with special reference to hematopoietic neoplasia. Results: Gene transfer strategies now under investigation in the hematopoietic cancers focus on (a) repair of one or more genetic defects associated with the malignant process, (b) delivery of a prodrug-metabolizing enzyme that causes tumor cells to become sensitive to the corresponding anticancer drug, (c) modification of immune responses to the cancer, or (d) introduction of drug resistance genes to increase the therapeutic index of cytotoxic agents. Finally, by marking normal or malignant cells with readily detectable genes, one can monitor the efficacy of therapy or study the dynamics of stem cell behavior in vivo. Conclusion: Despite their undisputed contributions to our knowledge of the hematopoietic cancers, gene transfer studies have been limited by the quality of vector technologies. As transduction efficiencies and gene regulatory mechanisms improve, gene transfer can be expected to evolve into a major therapeutic modality in its own right.
Design of the Galileo scan platform control

Design of the scan platform control for the Galileo spacecraft is presented. Emphasis is placed on the inertial pointing of the scan platform when the spacecraft is in the dual-spin configuration. The various methods of operation used for Galileo scan pointing are outlined. Major design considerations, such as spacecraft flexibility and separation of actuator and sensor by a flexible structure, are discussed. The pointing requirements imposed on the scan platform control are explained. A high-level description of the relevant scan pointing algorithms is included. The performance of the design is demonstrated by a sample slew test case.
Nanoscratch and nanofriction behavior of hafnium diboride thin films

Abstract Hafnium diboride (HfB 2 ) offers an excellent combination of high bulk hardness (29 GPa), high melting point (3295 °C) and high wear resistance, thus making it an attractive material for wear resistant coatings. In this work, the nanoscale friction response of as-deposited and annealed HfB 2 films is reported. The films were subjected to nanoscratch experimentation and the material response was investigated by measuring lateral forces to obtain friction coefficient, and by calculating Hertzian contact pressures. Both as-deposited and annealed films show favorable friction behavior with respect to TiN. While as-deposited HfB 2 and TiN deform plastically at all normal loads used in the experiments, annealed HfB 2 , which is nanocrystalline in contrast to the X-ray amorphous as-deposited coatings, responds elastically at lower loads. The friction behavior of the films shows no significant dependence on sliding velocity indicating negligible effect of frictional heating. The films, however, exhibit a prolonged effect of running-in which is present over the entire duration of the experiments and leads to increase in the friction coefficient with number of passes. Annealed films display narrower and shallower scratch grooves, leading to a higher nanoscratch resistance. The excellent overall response of annealed HfB 2 films to nanoscratch testing confirms the potential of these films for wear resistant coatings.
Through a Glass Darkly: Images of the Dead in Dreams

This study examined dreams about the dead. There were four categories of activities reported in these: the deceased described the state of death, delivered messages to the living, sought to change the circumstances of their death, or gave loved ones a chance to say ‘goodbye.’ Some of these categories occurred at a particular point in the grief process; others occurred at any time after the death. A remarkably large number of the dead telephoned. These dreams are discussed in terms of what they illuminate about attitudes toward mortality and loss.
The influence of early mother—child interaction on preschool cognitive/linguistic outcomes in a high-social-risk group

In this paper, elements of early mother—child interaction are related to later cognitive and linguistic outcomes in a sample of 53 high social risk mothers and their preschoolers. Mother—child interaction was observed longitudinally when the children were 13 and 20 months old. Multiple regression analyses were used to predict cognitive and linguistic outcomes at 3 and 5 years from measures of early mother—child interaction. The results indicated that the quality of early mother—child interaction was a significant predictor of preschool cognitive and linguistic outcomes. This was shown to be true regardless of the contribution of the mother's IQ.
Linking quantal absorption rate to the visual response

A photochemical system is proposed that offers a possible link between the rate of quantal absorption and the visual response. In the proposed system the time courses of the concentrations of certain photoproducts turn out to be equal to the quantal absorption rate passed through various linear filters. The proposed system is consistent with the cone pigment kinetics proposed by Rushton (1958). The system produces afterimages and can provide Weber's law behavior.
Trends in Total Laryngectomy in the Era of Organ Preservation: A Population-Based Study

ObjectiveTo describe time trends in total laryngectomy health services utilization across the United States, such as rates of surgery, cost, length of stay, and insurance payer, and to compare this to important milestones in recommendations for laryngeal cancer treatment.Study DesignPopulation-based cohort studySettingHealthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) 1997-2008: stratified sample of all US hospital discharges.Subjects and MethodsAll patients with the principal procedure of complete laryngectomy. The unit of analysis was the discharge.ResultsBetween 1997 and 2008, the number of laryngectomies done in the United States decreased by 48%. New cases of laryngeal cancer decreased 33% during the same time. The proportion of patients older than 65 years decreased from 48% to 43%. Mortality for the procedure was 1.4% in 1997 and 1.1% in 2008. Mean length of stay over the study period increased from 13 days to 14 days. Mean hospital charges rose from $58,000 in 1997 to $...
A rapid and simple PCR-based method for isolation of cDNAs from differentially expressed genes.

Abstract Recently two techniques have been reported which use arbitrarily primed RT-PCR amplification of cDNA fragments from subsets of mRNAs to detect cDNA fragments from differentially expressed mRNAs. Here we report a simple and rapid PCR-based protocol to both detect and isolate cDNA fragments of up to 3000 base pairs from differentially expressed genes in two easy steps. To generate cDNAs from most mRNAs, the first step consisted of reverse transcription using a fully degenerated 6-mer oligonucleotide as primer. The second step consisted of PCR amplification of internal regions of the cDNAs with two or three longer primers with arbitrary but defined sequences. DNA fragments were easily displayed by agarose gel electrophoresis and then excised for direct use in cloning, sequencing, and Northern blot analysis. By repeating the PCR amplification (second step) on the same cDNA templates (first step) ten times with different sets of primers, over 170 discrete cDNA fragments were obtained from a single tissue. By combining the two-step procedure with 3'-RNA-anchored cDNA extension, additional DNA fragments can be generated from the same mRNA. The new procedure was used here to define 3600 bp of a new brain-specific mRNA.
Two amino acid substitutions convert a guanylyl cyclase, RetGC-1, into an adenylyl cyclase

Guanylyl cyclases (GCs) and adenylyl cyclases (ACs) have fundamental roles in a wide range of cellular processes. Whereas GCs use GTP as a substrate to form cGMP, ACs catalyze the analogous conversion of ATP to cAMP. Previously, a model based on the structure of adenylate cyclase was used to predict the structure of the nucleotide-binding pocket of a membrane guanylyl cyclase, RetGC-1. Based on this model, we replaced specific amino acids in the guanine-binding pocket of GC with their counterparts from AC. A change of two amino acids, E925K together with C995D, is sufficient to completely alter the nucleotide specificity from GTP to ATP. These experiments strongly validate the AC-derived RetGC-1 structural model and functionally confirm the role of these residues in nucleotide discrimination.
Molecular systematics, hybridization, and phylogeography of the Bufo americanus complex in Eastern North America.

Abstract We reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among a well-studied group of toads and find relationships that differ greatly from the current taxonomic understanding. We use mitochondrial sequences encoding ND1, tRNALeu(UUR), and part of 16S to infer relationships among members of the Bufo americanus complex. Focusing on the four taxa that historically have been most problematic due to morphological similarity and hybridization in sympatry, we sample 150 individuals from multiple populations across each species' geographic range. Our evidence conflicts with previous taxonomic hypotheses that were based on ability to hybridize, geographic distribution, and call variation. First, sequences from B. fowleri do not comprise the sister clade to sequences of B. woodhousii; therefore the previous classifications of B. fowleri as sister species to, or eastern subspecies of, B. woodhousii are both called into question. Second, sequences from B. americanus are more closely related to those of B. woodhousii than to those of B. terrestris, indicating that similar advertisement call characteristics evolved independently. Third, sequences of B. fowleri are paraphyletic, with sequences of B. terrestris embedded within. Lastly, sequences from B. fowleri cluster into three distinct mitochondrial clades, with some divergences corresponding to greater than 2 mya. These clades are somewhat geographically structured, suggesting divergence in allopatry during the Pleistocene. These mitochondrial divergences are not accompanied by known phenotypic differences, however, suggesting either evolutionary stasis in morphology and behavior, cryptic phenotypic evolution, or that hybridization in secondary contact has homogenized phenotypic differences that may have arisen in allopatry.