cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Microbiome in Lung Cancer Tissue and Recurrence-Free Survival

Background: Human microbiota have many functions that could contribute to cancer initiation and/or progression at local sites, yet the relation of the lung microbiota to lung cancer prognosis has not been studied. Methods: In a pilot study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on paired lung tumor and remote normal samples from the same lobe/segment in 19 patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We explored associations of tumor or normal tissue microbiome diversity and composition with recurrence-free (RFS) and disease-free survival (DFS), and compared microbiome diversity and composition between paired tumor and normal samples. Results: Higher richness and diversity in normal tissue were associated with reduced RFS (richness P = 0.08, Shannon index P = 0.03) and DFS (richness P = 0.03, Shannon index P = 0.02), as was normal tissue overall microbiome composition (Bray–Curtis P = 0.09 for RFS and P = 0.02 for DFS). In normal tissue, greater abundance of family Koribacteraceae was associated with increased RFS and DFS, whereas greater abundance of families Bacteroidaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae were associated with reduced RFS or DFS (P Conclusions: We demonstrate, for the first time, a potential relationship between the normal lung microbiota and lung cancer prognosis, which requires confirmation in a larger study. Impact: Definition of bacterial biomarkers of prognosis may lead to improved survival outcomes for patients with lung cancer.
Linear Instability of the Peregrine Breather: Numerical and Analytical Investigations

Abstract We study the linear stability of the Peregrine breather both numerically and with analytical arguments based on its derivation as the singular limit of a single-mode spatially periodic breather as the spatial period becomes infinite. By constructing solutions of the linearization of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation in terms of quadratic products of components of the eigenfunctions of the Zakharov–Shabat system, we show that the Peregrine breather is linearly unstable. A numerical study employing a highly accurate Chebychev pseudo-spectral integrator confirms exponential growth of random initial perturbations of the Peregrine breather.
Dilute Waveguide Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifier for 3D Hybrid Silicon Photonics Integration

A dilute waveguide reflective semiconductor optical amplifier for alignment tolerant hybrid silicon photonics integration was demonstrated with emitting wavelength of $1.55\ \mu \mathrm{m}$ . Far field divergence angle at fast diverge axis was 11.8° compares to conventional waveguide of 28.2°. The dilute waveguide demonstrated 45% alignment tolerance improvement with mode size of $84\ \mu \mathrm{m}^{2}$ .
Internalized weight bias and loss-of-control eating following bariatric surgery.

Objective: Internalized weight bias (IWB), or negative weight related self-evaluation, is associated with eating-disorder psychopathology and common among patients seeking bariatric surgery, but li...
A Matched-Samples Comparison of Pre-Arrest and Post-Booking Diversion Programs in Florida’s Second Judicial District

Pre-arrest diversion programs have the potential to reform the front-end of the criminal justice system and reduce the stigma associated with a low-level arrest, but little evaluation work has been...
Abnormal Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Values That Are Not due to Common Causes of Primary Hypothyroidism or Thyrotoxicosis

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels are now commonly used as the initial screening lab to assess thyroid function in patients. However, it is important for the clinician to remember that not all abnormal serum TSH values are due to common causes of primary hypothyroidism or thyrotoxicosis. Some are due to normal physiology, like TSH level variability due to age and ethnicity, or due to issues surrounding laboratory measurement of serum TSH. Other abnormal values can be transient and do not require thyroid replacement or ablative treatment, such as nonthyroidal illness. Still other causes, such as central hypothyroidism or a TSH secreting pituitary adenoma, once diagnosed will require further hormonal evaluation and possible genetic workup. It is important to have the correct differential diagnosis so that the appropriate diagnostic workup and treatment plan can be pursued. This chapter will give an overview of the different causes of abnormal serum TSH values not due to primary thyroid dysfunction (several of which are outlined in Fig. 6.1). It will also briefly discuss the clinical symptoms, biochemical findings, and treatment for these conditions.
Application of fiberbronchoscope in the diagnosis and treatment of newborn respiratory disease

Objective To study the effects of fibrobrochoscope in the diagnosis and treatment of newborn respiratory disease. Methods OLYPUS BFXP40 - fiberbronscope (external diameter 2.8 mm,internal diameter 1.2 mm) made in Japan was used in newborn with intubation difficulties, weaning and extubation difficulities, preoperative suspectmeconium aspiration pneumonia, atelectasis and difficult to absorb the shadow of the lungs pneumonia, with no improving of hypoxemia and hypercapnia after adjuge-ment ofbreathing machine parameters and strengthening respiratory care. Results After using fiberbron-scope, diagnosis cleared, hypoxemia and hypercapnia corrected and all chest films were back to normal after treating of pneumonia and atelectasis. Conclusions OLYPUS BFXP40 - fiberbronscope' s external diameter is swall and supply a tube to help oxygen - suctioning and treatment. Endotracheal tube would be used immediately to intubate mechanical ventilation when respiratory or cardiovascular abnormal, impro-ving safety of newborn fiberbronscope examination and treatment. Key words: Fiberbronscope; Nesborn respiratory disease
System-level performance and degradation of 21 GWDC of utility-scale PV plants in the United States

We assess the performance of a fleet of 411 utility-scale (i.e., >5 MWAC and ground-mounted) photovoltaic (PV) projects totaling 21.1 GWDC (16.3 GWAC) of capacity, which achieved commercial operations in the United States from 2007 to 2016. This fleet of projects contributed more than 50% of all solar electricity generated in the United States in 2017. Using detailed information on individual project characteristics, in conjunction with modeled irradiance data, we assess the extent to which actual first-year performance has lived up to both modeled and stated expectations. We then analyze system-level performance degradation in subsequent years by employing a “fixed effects” regression model to statistically isolate the impact of age on system performance. We find that this fleet of utility-scale PV projects has generally lived up to ex ante expectations for first-year performance but that subsequent system-level degradation—found to be −1.3%/year (±0.2%)—has, on average, been worse than both ex ante expectations (commonly −0.5%/year) and results from past studies (ranging from −0.8%/year to −1.0%/year). We emphasize that −1.3%/year is a system-level estimate that captures more than just module degradation (e.g., including soiling, balance of plant degradation, and downtime for maintenance and/or other events). A side analysis of a variety of project characteristics suggests that system-level degradation rates tend to be of lower magnitude among newer projects and larger projects and at sites with lower long-term average temperatures.
The Challenges of Pediatrics Cohort Discovery in the Age of the Transition to International Classification of Disease Version 10 Clinial Modification (ICD-10-CM)

Background: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated transition to International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10-CM) on October 1, 2015. This transition provided an increase in the number of codes, proving a greater clinical detail for diagnostic codes in the area of Pediatrics. The transition however leads to a miscommunication of definitions when translating from ICD-10-CM to ICD-9-CM for studies using retrospective data. This study evaluates the transition. Methods: A search for ICD-9-CM codes was conducted by analyzing journal articles from Pediatrics that utilized ICD-9-CM codes for research purposes over a 26-month period from August 2012 to November 2014. Thirty articles were found …
Small Bowel Intussusception Secondary to Metastatic Spindle Cell Sarcoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Intussusception of the small or large intestine is defined by the telescoping of a segment of bowel on itself.
Effect of Fluoroethylene Carbonate Additives on the Initial Formation of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase on an Oxygen-Functionalized Graphitic Anode in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The formation of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at the electrode/electrolyte interface substantially affects the stability and lifetime of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). One of the methods to improve the lifetime of LIBs is by the inclusion of additive molecules to stabilize the SEI. To understand the effect of additive molecules on the initial stage of SEI formation, we compare the decomposition and oligomerization reactions of a fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive on a range of oxygen-functionalized graphitic anodes to those of an ethylene carbonate (EC) organic electrolyte. A series of density functional theory (DFT) calculations augmented by ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations reveal that EC decomposition on an oxygen-functionalized graphitic (1120) edge facet through a nucleophilic attack on an ethylene carbon site (CE) of an EC molecule (S2 mechanism) is spontaneous during the initial charging process of LIBs. However, decomposition of EC through a nucleophilic attack on a carbonyl carbon (CC) site (S1 mechanism) results in alkoxide species regeneration that is responsible for continual oligomerization along the graphitic surface. In contrast, FEC prefers to decompose through an S1 pathway, which does not promote alkoxide regeneration. Including FEC as an additive is thus able to suppress alkoxide regeneration and results in a smaller and thinner SEI layer that is more flexible toward lithium intercalation during the charging/discharging process. In addition, we find that the presence of different oxygen functional groups at the surface of graphite dictates the oligomerization products and the LiF formation mechanism in the SEI.
Almost Linear Time Density Level Set Estimation via DBSCAN

In this work we focus on designing a fast algorithm for lambda-density level set estimation via DBSCAN clustering. Previous work (Jiang ICML’17, and Jang and Jiang ICML’19) shows that under some natural assumptions DBSCAN and its variant DBSCAN++ can be used to estimate the lambda-density level set with near-optimal Hausdorff distance, i.e., with rate O~(n^{-1/(2 * beta+D)}). However, to achieve this near-optimal rate, the current fastest DBSCAN algorithm needs near quadratic running time. This running time is not very practical for giant datasets. Usually when we are working with very large datasets we desire linear or almost linear time algorithms. With this motivation, in this work, we present a modified DBSCAN algorithm with near optimal Hausdorff distance for density level set estimation with O~(n) running time. In our empirical study, we show that our algorithm provides significant speedup over the previous algorithms, while achieving comparable solution quality.
Remembering Taziyeh in Iraq

Taziyeh means literally "mourning," the expression of condolence. For the Shiite sect of Islam, it has a further meaning: lamentation for martyred imams, or leaders of the faith. In particular taziyeh means mourning for Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein was leader of the opposition movement, Shiat Ali, which fought for dominance in the early Muslim community. Hussein was slain in battle on the plains of Karbala, Iraq, in , and the forces of Yazid, son of Muawiyah, triumphed; the Shiat ("the partisans of ") Ali were put down, and the Muslim world divided forever into two great sects: Sunnite, the majority still, and Shiite, the minority. Thus among the Shiites, mourning for Hussein be- comes mourning for lost leadership and power, and a symbolic statement of per- ceived injustice. The third definition of taziyeh concerns the shabih, or passion play that is performed in Shiite communities on Ashura, the th day of the month of Muharram, when Hussein fell in Karbala. On Ashura the passion play is performed all over the Shiite Muslim world, in communities ranging from Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan to India, south Lebanon, Ana- tolia in Turkey, and among immigrants in other areas throughout the world, such as Jamaica and Trinidad. In Iraq, however, the taziyeh is not simply the passion play and surrounding episodes, but rather a two-part drama. Part one is performed locally in most Shia communities during the month of Muharram, climaxing on Ashura. Part two is performed on Arbain, the th day after the death of Hussein, and brings together scores of communities, members of which perform the taziyeh, or mourning cer- emony together. In addition, thousands of pious Shiites recognize that Arbain is the propitious time to make the pilgrimage to Karbala and pay their respects per- sonally at the tomb of Imam Hussein. For, though all Muslims have the duty to perform the hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in their lifetime (if at all financially possible), Shiite Muslims have a further duty: to make pilgrimages or ziyaras to the tombs of the imams identified as moving forces in the religious his- tory of the Shiite community. These practices—of taziyeh and of pilgrimages to the tombs of the imams—are far less common in Sunnite ritual observances; hence they serve to define Shiism itself, which many scholars, including Gustav Thaiss, believe is based on a worldview of persecution, actually unjust persecution (:). Thaiss points out further that the community has until recently viewed itself as a passive community; that is no longer the case. Recent events in Iraq would seem to support the latter view, that the Shiites no longer view themselves as passive. In , according to the lunar calendar, Ashura fell on  March and for days beforehand pilgrims had been gathering in Karbala to mark that fateful day. This was the first time in many years they were able to per- form taziyeh, since Saddam Hussein had banned all such gatherings. But before
Clinical features and biological implications of acute mixed lineage (hybrid) leukemias.

The composite phenotype of a population of leukemic blast cells is derived through analysis of morphology, cytochemistry, cytogenetics, surface antigens, and gene structure. When analyzed in such a fashion, approximately 10-25% of childhood acute leukemias will show markers of more than one lineage; these may be coexpressed on individual cells (biphenotypic) or appear on two distinct blast populations (bilineal or biclonal). Occasionally, there is conversion from one leukemic phenotype at diagnosis to another phenotype at relapse (lineage shift). Mixed lineage features appear to have biologic and prognostic significance. Some specific mixed lineage leukemia syndromes have been identified; among them are acute nonlymphoid leukemia with T-lymphoid features, CD7+, CD4-, CD8- acute leukemia, CD2+/CD19+ acute lymphoid leukemia, and acute leukemias associated with specific cytogenetic markers, e.g., t(4;11) and t(9;22). In general, these forms of acute leukemia along with others with mixed lineage markers have a poor prognosis, and new therapeutic approaches appear to be indicated.
Microvascular decompression operations

Moving a blood vessel off the intracranial portion of the auditory nerve can successfully cure some individuals with specific forms of subjective tinnitus. This operation, known as microvascular decompression (MVD) is in general use to treat other hyperactive disorders such as hemifacial spasm (HFS) and trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) where the operation has a success rate of approximately 85%. MVD for tinnitus has lower success rate. MVD operations have also been used to treat some forms of vestibular disorders, disabling positional vertigo (DPV). In a study of treatment of a selected group of 72 patients with severe tinnitus and signs of change in the conduction properties of the auditory nerve 13 (18.2%) had total relief from tinnitus after MVD, 16 (22.2%) had marked improvement, 8 slight improvement and 33 (45.8%) no improvement. Two patients became worse (2.8%). There were 40 men and 32 women in the study group and there was considerable difference in the success rate for men and women. Fifty-five percent of the women and 29% of men showed relief or improvement. The success of the operation depended on the length of time the participants in the study had had their tinnitus and it was best for those who had had tinnitus for less than 3 years. The success rate for bilateral tinnitus was much lower than for unilateral tinnitus.
Low-Dimensional Intermittent Chaos on a Catalytic Wafer

The chaotic distributed dynamics of an exothermic reaction on a catalytic wafer is shown to evolve on a low-dimensional invariant manifold. The dominant spatial patterns during CO oxidation on a Rh black/SiO 2 wafer is obtained by carrying out a statistical Karhunen-Loeve (KL) analysis on the recorded IR thermograph in video images. The entire video sequence is then projected onto the phase space spanned by the 5 leading "empirical eigenfunctions" from the analysis. Statistical properties of the projected trajectories, such as the Lyapunov exponent, is of low dimensions (n≪5) and is fully captured by the KL technique. The more conventional delayed-embedding phase-space reconstruction technique from a point measurement is shown to be far less robust.
A C o -anisoparametric three-node shallow shell element

Abstract A highly desirable three-node shallowly curved shell element is proposed for general shell analysis. Constrained-type C 0 - anisoparametric interpolations are derived for the membrane and transverse displacement fields by the use of explicit edge constraints. Pertinent issues on shell theory and finite element approximations are addressed. Several numerical studies are carried out which demonstrate the effectiveness of this new triangular element in the regime of thin and moderately thick shells.
Teenage Indulgence in Cigarettes, Alcohol and Marijuana: Evidence of a "Gateway" Effect

We examine the possible existence of a 'gateway' effect between the consumption of three different substances--cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana--among adolescents. A gateway effect exists when consumption of one substance increases the likelihood of subsequent initiation of consumption of other substances. We find evidence that smoking and/or alcohol consumption serve as 'gateways' for initiating marijuana-use, and each of smoking and alcohol use serve as 'gateways' for initiating the other. After controlling for unobserved heterogeneity, we also find that marijuana-use serves as a 'gateway' for initiating alcohol and smoking. The results thus indicate complementarities in the use of addictive substances, and suggest that policies aimed at preventing adolescents' usage of one addictive substance can have beneficial effects of reducing adolescents' initiation of other addictive substances.
Columnar specificity of intrinsic horizontal and corticocortical connections in cat visual cortex

A prominent and stereotypical feature of cortical circuitry in the striate cortex is a plexus of long-range horizontal connections, running for 6-8 mm parallel to the cortical surface, which has a clustered distribution. This is seen for both intrinsic cortical connections within a particular cortical area and the convergent and divergent connections running between area 17 and other cortical areas. To determine if these connections are related to the columnar functional architecture of cortex, we combined labeling of the horizontal connections by retrograde transport of rhodamine-filled latex microspheres (beads) and labeling of the orientation columns by 2-deoxyglucose autoradiography. We first mapped the distribution of orientation columns in a small region of area 17 or 18, then made a small injection of beads into the center of an orientation column of defined specificity, and after allowing for retrograde transport, labeled vertical orientation columns with the 2-deoxyglucose technique. The retrogradely labeled cells were confined to regions of orientation specificity similar to that of the injection site, indicating that the horizontal connections run between columns of similar orientation specificity. This relationship was demonstrated for both the intrinsic horizontal and corticocortical connections. The extent of the horizontal connections, which allows single cells to integrate information over larger parts of the visual field than that covered by their receptive fields, and the functional specificity of the connections, suggests possible roles for these connections in visual processing.
Association Analysis for Visual Exploration of Multivariate Scientific Data Sets

The heterogeneity and complexity of multivariate characteristics poses a unique challenge to visual exploration of multivariate scientific data sets, as it requires investigating the usually hidden associations between different variables and specific scalar values to understand the data's multi-faceted properties. In this paper, we present a novel association analysis method that guides visual exploration of scalar-level associations in the multivariate context. We model the directional interactions between scalars of different variables as information flows based on association rules. We introduce the concepts of informativeness and uniqueness to describe how information flows between scalars of different variables and how they are associated with each other in the multivariate domain. Based on scalar-level associations represented by a probabilistic association graph, we propose the Multi-Scalar Informativeness-Uniqueness (MSIU) algorithm to evaluate the informativeness and uniqueness of scalars. We present an exploration framework with multiple interactive views to explore the scalars of interest with confident associations in the multivariate spatial domain, and provide guidelines for visual exploration using our framework. We demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of our approach through case studies using three representative multivariate scientific data sets.
An Optimization approach to the design of frequency sampling filters implemented with finite word length architectures

Many digital signal processing applications require linear phase filtering. Under certain conditions, a frequency sampling filter can implement a linear phase filter more efficiently than an equivalent filter implemented by a direct convolution structure. However, frequency sampling filter structures require pole-zero cancellations on the unit circle. For practical implementations of frequency sampling filters, finite word length effects usually prevent exact pole-zero cancellation. An uncancelled pole on the unit circle causes the filter to be unstable. Therefore, designers move the filter's poles and zeros off the unit circle and onto a circle of radius r where r < 1, by replacing z−1 with rz−1 in the filter's system function. As a result of this modification, the frequency response of the new filter using rz−1 where r < 1 is different from the frequency response of the original filterwhere r = 1. As r decreases, the frequency response of the modified frequency sampling filter increasingly differs from the frequency response of the original filter, and thus values of r close to 1 are usually chosen. However, it has been shown that the filter's output roundoff noise decreases as r decreases. Thus, there is a need for a design technique which chooses a value of r which renders an acceptable roundoff noise level while satisfying various frequency response design constraints. This paper develops an optimization method for designing a frequency sampling filter with r < 1 such that a linear combination of the mean square error between the desired and actual frequency responses in the passband and stopband and the sum of the square error of the impulse response symmetry is minimized while the stopband frequency samples are constrained to zero.
A new device for balloon inflation during valvuloplasty: a preliminary report

A new device using a lever concept has been designed to facilitate rapid inflation and deflation of balloons during valvuloplasty. This report summarizes and illustrates the design features of the balloon inflation device as well as in vitro results of testing of times for balloon inflation, deflation, and bursting.
Human neutrophil peptide in lung chronic allograft dysfunction.

Context: Our previous case-control study identified human neutrophil peptide (HNP) as a potential biomarker for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) in lung transplant recipients.Objective: To prospectively validate HNP as a biomarker for BOS.Materials and methods: HNP was measured by ELISA in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in lung transplant recipients.Results: The first HNP measurement after reaching baseline pulmonary function was predictive of developing BOS ≥2 (p = 0.0419). HNP remained elevated in those that developed BOS. The effect of potential confounders did not significantly impact BOS-free survival time.Conclusion: HNP levels are elevated early and persistently in those that develop BOS.
Carnal economies: the commodification of food and sex in Kathmandu.

This article is not about Nepals current political scene nor is it about these new "dance restaurants" per se but about larger cultural trends in the commodification of food and sex. The question of why these new leisure venues were thriving in such a grim sociopolitical context is probably worth a study of its own. However I am interested in these new "Restaurants with Dance" more as a continuation of an earlier pattern in Kathmandu namely the frequent link between restaurants and prostitution. Since I first began doing research in the city in the late 1980s I had been perplexed by the fact that local restaurants were often associated with prostitution. This puzzle launched my inquiry into the commercialization of food and sex in Kathmandu. Initially I wondered why these two consumer services--in their modern market-driven manifestations--should have become so often intertwined on Kathmandu streets and in the imaginations of middle-class patrons. A search for comparative data soon made it clear that a close symbiotic relationship between prostitution and restaurants (and other similar public commercial venues) has in fact been a hallmark of emergent capitalist social economies for centuries worldwide (a topic that I consider in more detail later). Yet these same comparative studies often served to highlight by way of contrast the very different historical and cultural dynamics at work in the South Asian context. In a society in which food and sex are extraordinarily marked and regulated cultural categories (often through minutely determined rules regulating with whom one may share food and sexual relations) both the history and contemporary cultural experience of sexual and culinary exchange unfold as unique local manifestations of broader patterns of commodification and market formation. This article traces the South Asian cultural themes of commensality and endogamy in their local Nepali variants through the processes of cultural renegotiation that have accompanied the shift in Kathmandus middle-class culture from a moral economy of caste to a moral economy of class. Kathmandus new "Restaurants with Dance" are only the most recent development in the process whereby food and sex commensality and endogamy are brought in line with a new logic of social value based in new patterns of market-oriented social relations. (excerpt)
Amino acid incorporation into protein by cell-free preparations of sheep thyroid glands: the microsomal system.

Abstract Some characteristics of the incorporation of amino acid carbon into protein by microsomal preparations of sheep thyroid glands are described. Amino acid incorporation was dependent on an ATP-generating system, guanosine triphosphate, glutathione, cell sap (100 000 × g supernatant) and Mg 2+ and was inhibited by puromycin. Chloramphenicol inhibited the incorporation of 14 C of [ 14 C]leucine but had no effect on that of phenylalanine carbon. Amino acid incorporation into protein by sheep thyroid microsomes was not sensitive to actinomycin D or deoxyribonuclease (EC 3.1.4.5). Because actinomycin D did not inhibit the incorporation of amino acid carbon into protein, the presence of a stable messenger RNA in the microsomal preparations of the sheep thyroid gland is suggested.
Effect of right atrial pacing and nitroglycerin on myocardial oxygen balance.

Abstract The direct effects of right atrial pacing and nitroglycerin on myocardial oxygen balance were studied in isolated canine hearts. Whereas atrial pacing produced an increase in myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO 2 ) and no change in the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen (P-50), an intracoronary infusion of nitroglycerin decreased both MVO 2 and the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen (increased P-50) in coronary venous blood. Under conditions of a constant coronary blood flow, nitroglycerin may benefit a hypoxic myocardium by reducing oxygen demand and by increasing availability of oxygen for rapid diffusion to tissue by increasing P-50.
Viruses and embryos.

A number of viruses are capable of producing intrauterine infection and damage. Both rubella and cytomegalovirus may cause malformations. For rubella the most frequent defects are those involving the heart, eyes, brain, and ears. With cytomegalovirus, children may be microcephalic, small, and mentally retarded. The mechanism of teratogenesis for rubella is apparently related to the direct infection of the virus in certain tissues of the developing fetus. Indirect effects may also be caused by vascular occlusion due to damage of blood vessels. Studies of rubella in experimental animals have not been particularly successful. Isolated reports have suggested that congenital damage can be produced in monkeys and rats. Further studies, however, are necessary. A number of “model systems” are available for the study of viruses in experimental animals. It is now possible to utilize basic guidelines in consideration of experimental teratogenesis in these systems. These guidelines include: 1. Infection should be produced in the adult and fetus or newborn animal. 2. In most cases the virus used should be low passage, well adapted to the animal, and preferably passaged in the living animal. 3. Several different intervals during gestation should be studied, including the inoculation of newborn young. Several dosages and routes should be tried. 4. Indirect effects on the mother or infant, environmental factors, mating patterns, and genetic background variables should be considered. 5. The effects should be prevented by specific neutralization of the virus.
Simulating networks of wireless sensors

Recent advances in low-power embedded processors, radios, and micro-mechanical systems (MEMs) have made possible the development of networks of wirelessly interconnected sensors. With their focus on applications requiring tight coupling with the physical world, as opposed to the personal communication focus of conventional wireless networks, these wireless sensor networks pose significantly different design, implementation, and deployment challenges. In this paper, we present a set of models and techniques that are embodied in a simulation tool for modeling wireless sensor networks. Our work builds up on the infrastructure provided by the widely used ns-2 simulator, and adds a suite of new features and techniques that are specific to wireless sensor networks. These features introduce the notion of a sensing channel through which sensors detect targets, and provide detailed models for evaluating energy consumption and battery lifetime.
X-Ray Crystal Structure of the Ancestral 3-Ketosteroid Receptor–Progesterone–Mifepristone Complex Shows Mifepristone Bound at the Coactivator Binding Interface

Steroid receptors are a subfamily of nuclear receptors found throughout all metazoans. They are highly important in the regulation of development, inflammation, and reproduction and their misregulation has been implicated in hormone insensitivity syndromes and cancer. Steroid binding to SRs drives a conformational change in the ligand binding domain that promotes nuclear localization and subsequent interaction with coregulator proteins to affect gene regulation. SRs are important pharmaceutical targets, yet most SR-targeting drugs have off-target pharmacology leading to unwanted side effects. A better understanding of the structural mechanisms dictating ligand specificity and the evolution of the forces that created the SR-hormone pairs will enable the design of better pharmaceutical ligands. In order to investigate this relationship, we attempted to crystallize the ancestral 3-ketosteroid receptor (ancSR2) with mifepristone, a SR antagonist. Here, we present the x-ray crystal structure of the ancestral 3-keto steroid receptor (ancSR2)-progesterone complex at a resolution of 2.05 A. This improves upon our previously reported structure of the ancSR2-progesterone complex, permitting unambiguous assignment of the ligand conformation within the binding pocket. Surprisingly, we find mifepristone, fortuitously docked at the protein surface, poised to interfere with coregulator binding. Recent attention has been given to generating pharmaceuticals that block the coregulator binding site in order to obstruct coregulator binding and achieve tissue-specific SR regulation independent of hormone binding. Mifepristone’s interaction with the coactivator cleft of this SR suggests that it may be a useful molecular scaffold for further coactivator binding inhibitor development.
Radiation‐Injured CIostridium Botulinurn Type E Spores: OutGrowth and Repair

Spores of Clostridium botulinum type E surviving irradiation doses of 0.1–0.4 Mrad were injured as evidenced by their inability to form typical macrocolonies at 10°C in the presence of polymyxin and neomycin, antibiotics which did not similarly affect growth of unirradiated spores. Several degrees of severity of injury were demonstrated. Radiation injury was not associated with the germination lytic system but with the post germination growth system. Radiation-injured spores formed aseptate filaments during outgrowth in microcultures. Some of these filaments lysed; others divided and formed microcolonies less dense than those formed by unirradiated cells. Radiation-injured spores repaired when incubated at 30°C for ca. 15 hr on TP-EY agar medium with polymyxin and neomycin, and formed typical macrocolonies when shifted to 10°C.
WE-G-BRCD-01: A Procedure for Efficient Large-Scale Retrospective Clinical Studies for Online Adaptive Radiotherapy.

Purpose: Online adaptive radiotherapy(ART) is promising for handling inter‐fraction variations of patient's geometry. Before a clinical implementation of this advanced technology, it is necessary to study its potential clinical gains and optimal frequencies to be used for various tumor sites. The goal of this work is to establish and examine a procedure for efficient large‐scale retrospective clinical studies for online ART using a GPU‐based re‐planning platform. Methods: The proposed procedure utilizes an in‐house developed GPU‐based replanning software called SCORE. SCORE starts by applying deformable registration from CT to CBCT and correcting CBCT artifacts and intensities. However, the CBCTimage may not cover the whole treatment region due to the limited field of view. In that case, we use deformed CT for replanning and dose calculation. The final optimized fractional dose is calculated using the optimized fluence maps and a finite size pencil beam model. We also use the deformed CT to calculate the delivered fractional dose using the fluence maps from the original plan. The delivered fractional dose is compared to the optimized fractional dose to estimate the daily gain of replanning. To compare accumulated optimized dose and delivered dose, the delivered and optimized doses are mapped back to the original CT geometry using the deformation vector fields.Results: We tested this procedure using prostate cancerIMRT cases and found that the re‐optimized and delivered DVHs and dose distributions can be generated in a couple of minutes. Conclusions: We have developed a procedure using a GPU‐based replanning software to retrospectively study the clinical gains of online ART in an efficient and large scale manner.
Double branched flicker fusion curves from the all-rod skate retina

Electrical responses from the skate retina will only follow flicker up to frequencies of 5 hertz when intensities are below rod saturation. At greater luminances, the eye responds to rates as high as 30 hertz. As a result, a plot of critical flicker fusion as a function of intensity is a double branched curve. It seems that prolonged stimulation of skate rods, at high intensities, permits them to change their temporal response characteristics so that they follow high frequencies much as cones do in the duplex retina.
A Review on Synthesis and Characterization of Lead Zirconate Titanate Nanofibers through Electrospinning

This paper reviews our previous work on synthesis and characterization of ferroelectric lead zircornate titanate nanofibers through electrospinning. It addresses the synthetic procedure and mechanism, process and material characterization using viscometery, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersion spectrometery, Auger electron spectrometery, scanning probe microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infra-red spectrometery, Raman micro-spectrometery and piezo-response imaging techniques. It also looks into numerical analysis on the electrostatic field distribution during the electrospinning and piezo-response imaging processes.
Control system design for recycle systems

Abstract This paper considers the control system design for recycle systems. We derive a condition which quantifies the effect of recycling on closed-loop performance. The condition is independent of control/controller structure. With insight from this condition, we develop a set of heuristics for properly designing a controller without detailed knowledge of recycle dynamics for the important special case where the system is represented by a first-order-plus-time-delay model and where the IMC tuning rules are used. The heuristics require only a minimal amount of information on the recycle dynamics. Their effectiveness is illustrated on a reactor/feed-effluent heat exchanger/furnace process under various conditions.
Emergency Hospitalizations for Unsupervised Prescription Medication Ingestions by Young Children

BACKGROUND: Emergency department visits and subsequent hospitalizations of young children after unsupervised ingestions of prescription medications are increasing despite widespread use of child-resistant packaging and caregiver education efforts. Data on the medications implicated in ingestions are limited but could help identify prevention priorities and intervention strategies. METHODS: We used nationally representative adverse drug event data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System–Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance project and national retail pharmacy prescription data from IMS Health to estimate the frequency and rates of emergency hospitalizations for unsupervised prescription medication ingestions by young children (2007–2011). RESULTS: On the basis of 1513 surveillance cases, 9490 estimated emergency hospitalizations (95% confidence interval: 6420–12 560) occurred annually in the United States for unsupervised prescription medication ingestions among children aged CONCLUSIONS: Focusing unsupervised ingestion prevention efforts on medications with the highest hospitalization rates may efficiently achieve large public health impact.
The mesangial response to injury: Mechanisms of progression and repair

Summary: Mesangial injury accompanies many glomerular diseases and diabetic nephropathy. Whereas in some diseases the injury resolves, in other cases it may progress to sclerosis. We have studied mesangial injury in the Thy 1 model in rats. In this model, the injection of anti-Thy 1 antibody results in complement-mediated killing of <95% of the mesangial cells by 24h. Subsequently there is a migration of mesangial cell ‘precursors’ from the hilus which proliferate inside the glomerulus to reconstitute the mesangium. Mesangial cell proliferation is dependent on several growth factors, including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and endothelin-1, and is accompanied by a phenotypic change of the mesangial cell to a myofibroblast. A transforming growth factor (TGF)-β mediated matrix expansion also occurs. Both the proliferation and matrix expansion subsequently resolve, and the hypercellularity returns to normal by apoptosis. However, if repeated doses of anti-Thy 1 antibody are administered, resolution does not occur and progressive mesangial sclerosis develops. This appears to be mediated by both a lack of proliferation and excess apoptosis, which lead to hypocellularity, and to continued TGF-β expression. Understanding how to prevent these changes could have potential therapeutic impact.
Apoptotic impact of alpha1-blockers on prostate cancer growth: a myth or an inviting reality?

BACKGROUND Pharmacological manipulation or genetic targeting of the major apoptosis regulators, such as bcl-2, caspases, and inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs), represent clinically attractive avenues towards effective therapeuti strategies for advanced prostate cancer. A wealth of evidence established the α1-adrenoceptor antagonists to be clinically effective in relieving the symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by relaxing prostatic smooth muscle tone. This action alone however does not fully account for the long-term clinical response to these drugs in BPH patients. METHODS Experimental and retrospective clinical studies provided new evidence supporting a differential growth-suppressing function of two α1-adrenoceptor antagonists against prostate cancer, independent of an α1-adrenoceptor mechanism. RESULTS The quinazoline-based antagonists, doxazosin and terazosin, induce apoptosis, inhibit cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (by activating anoikis), and prevent cell invasion and migration of prostate tumor epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells. Tamsulosin, a sulphonamide-based, clinically effective α1-adrenoceptor antagonist for BPH treatment, fails to exert a similar apoptotic action against prostate cells. Furthermore, at pharmacologically relevant doses, doxazosin suppresses benign and malignant prostate growth in in vivo experimental models. The effect is characterized by three intriguing features: (a) it is mediated by an α1-adrenoceptor-independent action, (possibly related to the quinazoline nucleus); (b) it is targeted at the apoptotic process without affecting cell proliferation; and (c) the elevated apoptotic index correlated with symptom score improvement in BPH patients. CONCLUSIONS This evidence challenges conventional knowledge of the mechanism of action of α1-adrenoceptor antagonists, and points to a new therapeutic value for these drugs by providing a differential molecular basis for their anti-tumor efficacy. The present review focuses on the characterization of the apoptotic/anti-angiogenic effect of quinazoline-based α1-adrenoceptor antagonists against prostate cancer cells and discusses the clinical significance of this action in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Remaking race, class, and region in a tourist town

As Cartagena, Colombia becomes more enmeshed in transnational cultural and economic circuits, a discourse of Caribbean identity has emerged. Elites promote this identity as part of their effort to attract foreign tourism and intensify the city's involvement in the international market. The discourse also helps mask racial discrimination, renders blackness nearly invisible, and attempts to “domesticate” blacks for service in the tourist industry. Thus, emphasizing a hybrid Caribbean identity forms part of a strategy of domination. At the same time, some middle‐class intellectuals and sectors of the popular class have appropriated this discourse to engage in cultural politics. However, the liberatory impact of these (potentially) oppositional visions is limited by the political, economic, and military power of the state and the dominant classes. This case study of the discourse of hybrid Caribbean identity in Cartagena serves as a critique of postmodern thinking that celebrates hybrid identities and the lib...
International Trade between Gold and Silver Countries: China, 1885–1913

I. Statement of theory, 509. — The propositions to be subjected to verification in the Chinese case, 601. — II. The gold price of silver, 605. — The periods 1891–94 and 1903–06, 608. — III. Export and import prices, 609. — IV. The merchandise trade and trade balances, 619. — V. Silver movements, 626. — Gold movements, 629. — VI. Recapitulation and conclusion, 631. — Verification of theory during the periods 1891–94 and 1903–06, 632. — The general course of prices and silver movements in accordance with expectation, 632. — The failure of verification in the general course of the trade, 633. — The explanation of the failure, 633. — A final comment on the theory, 640.
Avian trypanosomes as models of hemoflagellate evolution.

Abstract In the 15 years since the last review on avian trypanosomes 1 , there has been a steady accrual of information on the distribution and dynamics of trypanosome infections in wild bird populations. Recent immunological and biochemical studies provide evidence that several trypanosome species can parasitize an ecological guild of host species but the relative roles of avian host phylogeny and vector ecology remain unanswered. In this article, Victor Apanius reviews the habitat preferences and behavior of trypanosomes within the avian host and attempts to draw similarities in the strategy employed by the parasite for persistence in different vertebrate classes. Next, the question of host specificity is raised and recent evidence on the subject is examined with an eye toward understanding the distribution of trypanosome species in host communities.
Attraction of scarab beetle populations (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to Japanese beetle lures in the Republic of Korea

Abstract Collections of scarab beetles using chemical lures in Korea consisted of 21 species. The species collected in the greatest numbers were Anomala corpulenta Motschulsky, Anomala sp., Holotrichia morosa Waterhouse, Popillia uchidai Niijimi et Kinoshita and P. indigonacea Motschulsky. Population density and activity varied according to location, with earlier emergence on the southern island of Cheju-do. P. japonica Newman were not captured in Korea even though dense populations are common in Japan and previous publications indicated its presence. However, males of a closely related species, P. uchidai, were present in high numbers throughout the country. These responded to Japanese beetle sex lures and combinations of floral lures, phenethyl propionate and eugenol and geraniol (PEG), much as P. japonica is known to do, but P. uchidai did not respond to PEG, and unlike P. japonica no female response was observed. Anomala corpulenta and Anomala sp. males were attracted to P. japonica sex lures in great numbers. This is the first report of this type of response by beetles outside the genus Popillia to this lure.