cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A phase I study of weekly doxorubicin and oral topotecan for patients with relapsed or refractory small cell lung cancer (SCLC): A Fred and Pamela Buffet Cancer Center Clinical Trials Network study

Abstract Background Relapsed/refractory small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a poor prognosis, with no good options. We evaluated a novel combination of topotecan and doxorubicin, providing sequential topoisomerase I and II inhibition, in this setting. Materials and methods Adult patients (>19 years) with relapsed/refractory SCLC, who had received at least one prior chemotherapy regimen were eligible. Patients received escalating doses of oral topotecan on days 1–5 of each three week cycle (maximum - 5 cycles). The dosing cohorts were: 0.85 mg/m2, 1.05 mg/m2, 1.35 mg/m2, 1.65 mg/m2 and 2.30 mg/m2. All patients received weekly doxorubicin 20 mg/m2 intravenously starting day 6 of the first cycle and continued weekly for a maximum of 15 weeks. In the absence of pre-specified dose limiting toxicities (DLT), patients were enrolled serially to escalated dose level cohorts. Results Twenty-two patients were enrolled, of which 20 were evaluable. Median age was 61 years; 74% were male and 95% were Caucasian. Hematologic side effects were the most common adverse events. There were no therapy-related Grade 5 toxicities. Incidence of DLT based on cohorts were: DL2: 1/6 (Grade 4 thrombocytopenia), DL3: 1/6 (AST elevation) and DL4: 2/4 (Grade 4 thrombocytopenia). Response rate was 20% (4/20) and disease control rate (SD + PR) was 36%. The median progression free and overall survival were 3.6 months and 6 months, respectively. Conclusions The combination of topotecan and doxorubicin was safe and effective in relapsed/refractory SCLC. The maximum tolerated dose of oral topotecan was 1.35 mg/m2 when given concurrently with weekly doxorubicin.
Introduction: “Proliferations of Being: The Persistence of Magical Realism in Twenty-First Century Literature and Culture”

In this chapter, Perez and Chevalier explore the continuing importance of magic realism as a mode of reading and representation in global literatures of the twenty-first century. For Perez and Chevalier, magical realism manifests harbored presences and practices that subvert colonial ways of Being. This proliferation of Being reveals a tear in the fabric of social existence. Thus, this essay discusses how magic reveals an assertive and irrepressible element of Being in the twenty-first century unwilling to yield to colonial imaginaries. Magical realism in this new century serves as an ongoing phenomenon, harboring and preserving traditions in a layered present from which a future, ineluctably informed by multiple global traditions in dynamic conversation, emerges. The essay also provides chapter summaries of the twenty-six essays that make up the anthology.
Motion Planning by Sampling in Subspaces of Progressively Increasing Dimension

This paper introduces an enhancement to traditional sampling-based planners, resulting in efficiency increases for high-dimensional holonomic systems such as hyper-redundant manipulators, snake-like robots, and humanoids. Despite the performance advantages of modern sampling-based motion planners, solving high dimensional planning problems in near real-time remains a considerable challenge. The proposed enhancement to popular sampling-based planning algorithms is aimed at circumventing the exponential dependence on dimensionality, by progressively exploring lower dimensional volumes of the configuration space. Extensive experiments comparing the enhanced and traditional version of RRT, RRT-Connect, and Bidirectional T-RRT on both a planar hyper-redundant manipulator and the Baxter humanoid robot show significant acceleration, up to two orders of magnitude, on computing a solution. We also explore important implementation issues in the sampling process and discuss the limitations of this method.
Intravenous fluids for pain management in head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation.

Background Pain due to oral mucositis affects the majority of patients receiving chemoradiation (CRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC), and often results in dehydration. Anecdotally, intravenous (IV) fluids administered during treatment for the resultant dehydration was found to alleviate this pain. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of IV fluids as a method pain management in this patient population. Methods Patients with oral mucositis pain, secondary to CRT for HNC, were given IV fluids according to standard clinic protocol. Patients were evaluated using orthostatic vital signs and prospectively surveyed pre- and post-IV fluid administration, which included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain. Difference in pain pre- and post-IV fluid administration was evaluated using a two-tailed paired Student's t-test. Results Twenty-four patients with a total of 31 fluid administrations was available for analysis. Twenty-three patients were receiving or had recently completed CRT. One patient was receiving radiation alone. Six instances of fluid administration were excluded due to: refusal to complete the survey, concurrent pulmonary embolism, concurrent pain medication, and drug seeking behavior. Average pain score decreased from 6.5 [standard deviation (SD) 2.1] prior to IV fluids to 4.0 (SD 2.4) following fluid administration (P<0.001). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report directly correlating IV fluid administration with pain relief, even in the absence of orthostasis. Our findings indicate that in patients undergoing CRT for HNC, the use of IV fluids alone was effective in acutely and significantly reducing pain secondary to oral mucositis.
A Decision Analytics Model to Optimize Investment in Interventions Targeting the HIV PrEP Cascade of Care

ABSTRACT Background Gaps between recommended and actual levels of HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use remain among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Interventions can address these gaps within a PrEP cascade framework. However, it is unknown how public health initiatives like the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) plan should invest prevention funds into these interventions to maximize their population impact. Methods We used a stochastic network-based HIV transmission model for MSM in the Atlanta area paired with an economic budget optimization model. The model simulated MSM particpating in up to three real-world PrEP cascade interventions designed to improve initiation, adherence, or persistence. The primary outcome was infections averted over 10 years. The budget optimization model identified the investment combination under different budgets that maximized this outcome given intervention costs from a payer perspective. Results From the base 15% PrEP coverage level, the three interventions could increase coverage to 27%, resulting in 12.3% of infections averted over 10 years. Uptake of each intervention was interdependent: maximal use of the adherence and persistence interventions depended on new PrEP users generated by the initiation intervention. At lower budgets, investment entirely in the persistence intervention was optimal. As the budget increased, optimal investment strategy involved a mixture of the initiation and persistence interventions, but not the adherence intervention. However, if adherence intervention costs were halved, the optimal investment distribution was roughly equal across interventions at the highest budget level. Conclusions Investments into the PrEP cascade through initiatives like the EHE plan should account for the interactions of the interventions as they are collectively deployed. Optimal funding depends on measuring service capacity against user demand. Given current intervention efficacy estimates, the total population impact of each intervention may be improved with greater total budgets or reduced intervention costs.
Landscape in Middle English Romance: The Medieval Imagination and the Natural World

Our current ecological crises compel us not only to understand how contemporary media shapes our conceptions of human relationships with the environment, but also to examine the historical genealogies of such perspectives. Written during the onset of the Little Ice Age in Britain, Middle English romances provide a fascinating window into the worldviews of popular vernacular literature (and its audiences) at the close of the Middle Ages. Andrew M. Richmond shows how literary conventions of romances shaped and were in turn influenced by contemporary perspectives on the natural world. These popular texts also reveal widespread concern regarding the damaging effects of human actions and climate change. The natural world was a constant presence in the writing, thoughts, and lives of the audiences and authors of medieval English romance – and these close readings reveal that our environmental concerns go back further in our history and culture than we think.
Effects of chronic dietary grape seed extract supplementation on aortic stiffness and hemodynamic responses in obese/overweight males during submaximal exercise.

We investigated the effect of chronic grape seed extract (GSE) on blood pressure and aortic stiffness (AoS) among overweight and obese males. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure...
Resolving the argument about volcanic bedrock under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and implications for ice sheet stability and sea level change

Abstract We provide a test for recent arguments that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is underlain by an extensive outcrop of volcanic rock (mainly basalt) by examining the non-clay and clay mineral composition of sediments collected in front of and under the Ross Ice Shelf. If the proposed large volume were present, then we posit that glacial erosion and transport would deliver sediments to the Ross Sea enriched in minerals diagnostic of alkaline basalt, namely olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase, and no quartz. Using quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis, we determine the weight percent of minerals in West Antarctic alkaline basalt, dolerite, gneiss, and granite bedrock, and compare these with a suite of 49 surface and near-surface sediment samples from a 1400 km west to east transect across the Ross Sea. Fifty percent of the samples had quartz percentage values >25% and had very small wt percentages of diagnostic basalt minerals. A sediment unmixing algorithm, with basalt, dolerite, gneiss and granite bedrock, end members, showed that the sediment contained virtually no basalt, was dominated by granite compositions, but did show some samples with an admixture of material derived from the Ferrar dolerite, which crops out extensively in the Transantarctic Mountains. Indicators of possible late Cenozoic volcanic bedrock – pyroxene, forsterite, and smectite weight percentages – decrease from west to east across the Ross Sea opposite to the trend of the quartz weight percent. Our study provides no support for the presence of extensive basalt outcrop under the WAIS, hence indicates that any changes in ice stream stability will not be influenced by basal heat regime.
How to do an Altemeier perineal rectosigmoidectomy for full-thickness rectal prolapse.

Here, we offer a step-by-step description of the technique for an Altemeier perineal rectosigmoidectomy, which is our institution's preferred perineal approach for patients with full-thickness rectal prolapse. This article is supplemented by a series of high-quality clinical images that are available in Figs S1-S11. The principles of this technique are to excise the rectal prolapse and improve structural support of the pelvic floor.
Web-based Programming for Low-cost Gaming Handhelds

Low-cost microcontroller boards like the BBC micro:bit are used to engage and inspire students worldwide to learn more about computing. Easy-to-use web-based programming environments and low-cost hardware allow novices to build physical computing systems with the micro:bit – systems that sense and respond to the real world. However, devices such as the micro:bit may not capture the attention of every student, as the interests of some may lie in graphic design, animation, or other areas that are not the main focus of physical computing. Video game creation offers the opportunity for students to engage with computing concepts from a different angle, while keeping open the possibilities for physical computing. To date however, there is no game creation platform that has both the same low-barrier to entry and low-cost hardware as the BBC micro:bit. We present MakeCode Arcade, a web app for creating video games for gaming handhelds, built on the same technologies as the BBC micro:bit, extended to support multiple microcontrollers and including a 2D game engine and easy-to-use sprite and music editors. We also designed a simple hardware specification that resulted in five different companies creating seven Arcade-compatible handhelds. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation demonstrates that Arcade enables a modern and fully web-based programming experience for low-cost microcontroller-based gaming handhelds.
Increasing Pediatric Audiology Services via Telehealth

Telehealth as a means to deliver health care services has been used by physicians for many years, but the use of telehealth in audiology, specifically in pediatrics, has been minimal. Barriers such as licensure, reimbursement, technology, and equipment have been cited as reasons for audiologists not participating in telehealth. However, the COVID-19 pandemic created the need for telehealth services to be widely used to safely increase access to healthcare, and emergent orders helped reduce previous barriers so that audiologists could participate in telehealth service delivery. This article details three cases where audiologists delivered telehealth services to children. These case studies demonstrate portions of the Division of Audiology Telehealth Program of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and how they increased access to hearing healthcare in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Darwin’s Literary Theory

A serious, pious view of literature (that is the general concept of verbal human art) as eternally the same obsessed and inhibited many writers of the 18th century. The authoritarian example of the “ancients” was indeed one of the “ghosts” of innate verities that Lockean analysis could not dismiss. Darwin himself could not help but pay devote homage to the general ideas about the mimetic power of literature to hold the mirror up to truth and nature. But Darwin had much more ability and inclination to speculate than, like Pope, to polish epigrammatic condensations of inherited traditions. Thus, even though the nervous tone of his writing seems in part forced out under the burden of the past, what is interesting about his literary theory is its daring speculation about the physiological explanation of literary art.
In SYNC [synchronising applications with MV drives]

Pumps or fans often exist in multiples or configurations that are interdependent within a process Without applying a drive to each unit, it, is still possible to achieve the benefits of drive control by taking advantage of synchronization and using one drive to control several pumps within a process. Several benefits may be realized while keeping capital outlays reasonable. Possible applications must be identified and evaluated separately to ensure economic payback and benefits. The method and configuration chosen will impact the evaluation. A synchronous transfer system of pump control for series or parallel arrangements of pumps can be very beneficial from process or economic standpoints. Along with reduced initial capital outlay and installation costs, savings can also be realized in operating costs since the process is now continuously variable and does not require throttling. The AFD will provide improved process control as well as the benefit of soft starts and reduced voltage drops. A closed transition is preferred for synchronizing and desynchronizing to provide accurate phase alignment at the moment of connection to the second source. Minimizing the voltage phase difference will reduce current and torque transients important to providing a long motor life.
A model for high-energy inelastic processes

The problem of expressing the high-energy inelastic amplitudes in terms of the elastic amplitudes that couple through unitarity is discussed. A solution to this problem is given by approximately solving the unitarity equations with assumptions similar to the ones usually made in the absorptive model, together with a high-energy factorization property. The surprising result is obtained that the inelastic amplitudes are completely expressible in terms ofall the elastic ones that have the correct quantum numbers to couple through unitarity. Some general properties of this solution are investigated for π−p and K−p charge exchange by using an exact Fourier-Bessel representation which is derived by means of techniques previously developed. Similarly to what happens in the Byers and Yang droplet model, the high-energy inelastic amplitudes in the forward direction show an exponentially decreasing peak (as function of the momentum transfer), if this is present in at least one of the elastic (initial and final) channels. The question of whether the forward peak of the inelastic amplitude is narrower or wider or comparable to the elastic one is seen to require a very detailed parametrization of the elastic data. In principle, in our model, there are no arbitrary parameters left since the inelastic amplitudes are completely determined from the knowledge ofall the elastic ones. In practice, however, the limitation of experimental information at our disposal forces us to introduce an empirical energy-dependent factor. Within the framework of our model, little can be said about this energy-dependent factor. If, however, one makes the extra assumption that all the elastic channels are comparably equal and that the number of channels open at a given (high) energy have the same energy dependence as the multiplicity, then it can be seen that very good agrement is obtained, in this approximation, for π−→π0n which is the only case for which a sufficiently large statistics exists. No detailed numerical comparison of the theory with experimental data is attempted in this preliminary paper.
Collection fluid helps preservation in voided urine cytology

Objectives: Degenerative change caused by delay in processing contributes to false-negative and false-positive diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma in cytology. The aim of the study was to see if the use of a collection fluid for urine samples made a significant difference to urine cytology diagnosis, and if one was better suited for routine use in the hospital laboratory. Three cell collection fluids were evaluated by analysing the preservation and degeneration of cells in urine samples, as was the routine preparation which did not use a collection fluid. Methods: In the design study 50 voided urine specimens were taken at random from the hospital haematuria clinic. Three commercially available collection fluids cytolytTM, cytospin® and cytoRich®Blue and the hospital's routine conventional preparation of urine were compared. The degree of degeneration, and so preservation, was assessed by a table of chosen criteria; then ranked and analysed by Friedman's nonparametric test, at P = 0.05. A second table showing the cell content of each slide was also made. Results: These showed no significant diagnostic difference between the collection fluids, but there was a significant difference between the collection fluids and the routine preparation. Minor differences that do not affect diagnosis, such as crystals and ghost red blood cells, were noted in cytospin® and cytoRich®Blue. Conclusion: It is recommended that a collection fluid is used. This choice should be made after health and safety issues and cost are considered.
Notes on Heidegger's Authoritarian Pedagogy

To examine Heidegger's pedagogy is to be invited into a particular era and cultural reality—starting in Weimar Germany and progressing into the rise and fall of the Third Reich. In his attempt to reform the German university in a strictly hierarchical, authoritarian and nationalistic mold, Heidegger addressed one group of students and professors and not another. The petit‐bourgeois student and the future philosophers he invited with his ‘logic of recruitment’ into the corps of instructors, would share his coded language with its built‐in taboos and censorship. The result was a rhetoric of absolute self‐reference and a semiotic of pure propaganda, based on the evocation of the ancient Greeks in which the philosopher meant to project all that was properly Germanic. Heidegger's rhetoric is exclusionary; its politics and its philosophy are interpenetrating. His lecture courses grew increasingly poeticized, and thus mired in ambiguity, evasion, elision, avoidance, grandiloquence. Parallels are drawn in this es...
Corrigendum: Behavior of the NORTA method for correlated random vector generation as the dimension increases

As part of their analysis of the NORTA method, Ghosh and Henderson [2003] developed an algorithm for generating a random correlation matrix. The derivation of the algorithm is correct up until the discussion of the parameters of the beta distribution on page 288. The parameters α1 and α2 were reported to take the values (k − 1)/2 and (d − k)/2 respectively. The value of α2 is incorrect, and should instead equal (d − k)/2 + 1. The error is repeated in the recap of the generation steps reported on the same page. One should instead sample y from a beta distribution with parameters α1 = (k − 1)/2 and α2 = (d − k)/2 + 1, so that the correct density for y is proportional to y (k−3)/2 (1 − y) (d−k)/2
Compartment syndromes of the hand and forearm

Abstract The diagnosis and treatment of compartment syndrome remains a challenging problem in orthopedic surgery. Compartment syndrome defines a condition that occurs when the interstitial tissue pressures increase within an enclosed fascial space, preventing adequate tissue oxygenation leading to cellular necrosis of the compartments contents. The broad spectrum of causes and associated limb trauma may make assessment difficult with variable treatment outcomes. Poor outcomes of delayed treatment have contributed to compartment syndrome being one of the most common causes of litigation. We provide an overview of the history, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of compartment syndrome of the hand and forearm.
Excited state dynamics of H2CN radicals

Abstract The photodissociation of H2CN radicals at 274–288 nm was studied using high-n Rydberg H-atom photofragment translational energy spectroscopy. A slight preference for H-atom scattering perpendicular to the laser polarization axis (β=−0.10±0.03) indicates that the near-UV transition corresponds to a "forbidden" 2 B 1 ← 2 B 2 electronic transition made weakly allowed for excitation to A2 vibronic levels. Of the total excess energy (≈77 kcal/mol), on average approximately 65% appears as HCN internal excitation. Dissociation proceeds via an indirect mechanism likely involving the ground electronic state.
Neonatal deaths and pulmonary dysplasia due to D-penicillamine in the rat.

D-penicillamine, added to a low copper diet fed through pregnancy or given by gavage to pregnant rats which were on a copper-deficient or a normal diet produced fetal resorptions and malformations. Doses of 300 to 400 mg per day for 6 days (days 9–14 of gestation) with a diet normal for copper prevented maternal weight gain and at 350 or 400 mg/day caused fetal death on day 16 or 17. Forty percent of offspring had tracheobronchomegaly and 42% had cystic lungs. Associated abnormalities included pleural hemorrhages, dilated esophagi, and unaerated lungs. The lungs had large, poorly formed, thick-walled acini without partitioning and a thick rim of connective tissue around vessels and bronchi. At the higher doses, all members of one of 12 litters had angulation of the spine and half the members of another litter had cleft palates. A postulated mechanism for these alterations in pulmonary connective tissue productive of malformations which model human tracheobronchomegaly and cystic lungs, is interference with lysyl oxidase, a copper-requiring enzyme, which cross-links elastin.
H/D Exchange Centroid Monitoring is Insufficient to Show Differences in the Behavior of Protein States

Differential hydrogen/deuterium exchange (H/DX) coupled with mass spectrometry (H/DX-MS) offers a rapid and sensitive characterization of changes in proteins following perturbations induced by changes in folding, ligand binding, oligomerization, and modification. The characterization of H/DX rates by software tools and automated data processing often relies on the centroid mass calculation and, thereby, the deuterium distribution in the mass spectra is neglected. Here we present an example demonstrating the clear limitation of using only a centroid approach to characterize the H/DX rate, in which the change in protein is not reflected as the difference in deuterium uptake based on centroid calculation.
The association of comorbid conditions with patient-reported outcomes in Veterans with hip and knee osteoarthritis

There is limited understanding of how comorbid health conditions affect osteoarthritis (OA)-related outcomes. This study examined associations of different comorbidity measures with baseline OA-related patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among patients with hip and knee OA. Data were from patients (N = 300, 9 % female, mean age = 61.1; SD = 9.2) enrolled in a randomized control trial at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Separate multivariable regression models, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics, examined the association of each comorbidity measure with baseline PROs: pain, physical function, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and insomnia. Comorbidity measures included the Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire (SACQ), conditions reported as activity-limiting (SACQ-AL), and indicators of depression, diabetes, hypertension, and back pain. Mean (SD) numbers of comorbid conditions and activity-limiting conditions were 3.4 (1.8) and 1.6 (1.4), respectively. Comorbidity scores (SACQ overall and SACQ-AL) and individual comorbidity conditions were each associated with worse OA-related PROs adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. Worse SACQ overall and SACQ-AL scores were associated with worse mean scores for pain, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and insomnia (p values <0.01). Additionally, increasing SACQ-AL scores were associated with worse mean scores for function (p < 0.01). Depression was associated with worse pain (p = 0.03), fatigue, and insomnia (p values <0.01). Diabetes was associated with worse fatigue (p = 0.01), depressive symptoms (p = 0.02), and insomnia (p = 0.03). Back pain was associated with worse pain scores (p = 0.02). Results provide evidence that comorbidity burden, particularly activity-limiting conditions, is associated with worse OA-related PROs. Interventions for patients with OA need to address comorbid conditions and their impact on key outcomes.
Ethnoracial differences in anxiety sensitivity: examining the validity of competing anxiety sensitivity index subscales.

Abstract Despite the increasing number of Americans who are considered to be a part of an ethnoracial minority group, there have been few investigations of the cross-cultural validity of measures of psychopathology. The limited existing literature suggests potential differences between African American (AA) and European American (EA) individuals with respect to the utility of self-report measures, including anxiety sensitivity. Physical, mental, and social domains of anxiety sensitivity are measured using subscales derived from a 3-factor model reported in EA samples despite evidence suggesting that anxiety sensitivity in AA samples is characterized by more distinct physical concerns. The current study compared the concurrent and predictive validity of the traditional anxiety sensitivity subscales representing 3 domains and a 4-subscale formulation based on predictions about the construct in AA samples. Comparisons of both AA ( N = 41) and EA ( N = 298) samples are included. Findings suggest some ethnoracial group differences in the concurrent and predictive validity of anxiety sensitivity subscales, specifically supporting the appropriateness and specificity of the 4-factor model of anxiety sensitivity in AA samples. Implications are discussed, including identification of sociocultural mechanisms that might influence psychometric properties of measures of anxiety.
Effect of the Protein Denaturants Urea and Guanidinium on Water Structure: A Structural and Thermodynamic Study

The mechanism of the denaturing effects of urea and the guanidinium ion on proteins is still an unsolved and important problem in protein chemistry. Changes in the hydrogen bond network of water in the first hydration shell of urea and guanidinium were analyzed in terms of the random network model using Monte Carlo simulations. Bulk water consists of two populations of hydrogen bonds: a predominantly linear population and a small but significant population of slightly longer and more bent hydrogen bonds. In the first shell of urea, hydrogen bonds between waters solvating the amino groups were shorter and more linear on average than those in bulk water. These changes are caused by a depletion of the more distorted hydrogen bonds. These changes in hydration water structure have previously been seen only around nonpolar solutes of solute groups. Thus urea, being entirely polar, is anomalous in this regard. Hydrogen bonds around guanidinium were longer and more bent than those in bulk water. These distortion...
Choroid plexus cysts diagnosed prenatally as an independent risk factor for cytogenetic abnormality.

Zerres et al. (1992) state on the basis of six cases reported in the literature with trisomy 21 and choroid plexus cysts that "prenatally diagnosed choroid plexus cysts should in all cases be regarded as an indication for prenatal chromosomal diagnosis because additional abnormalities in trisomy 21 are sometimes absent in the second trimester" (emphasis added). But the fact that some reported trisomy 21 cases have choroid plexus cysts but no other ultrasonically detectable abnormalities is of uncertain relevance to clinical practice. One needs pertinent data on controls. The authors' reported data indicate only that the presence of choroid plexus cyst is at best an equivocal finding. They report that of 823 fetuses exhibiting developmental abnormalities defined as "growth retardation/malformation," 168 (20.4%) had a cytogenetic disorder. In the 25 of the 823 in which choroid plexus cysts were diagnosed, they report 5 (20%) in which there was a cytogenetic disorder. Thus, one may calculate that in those without choroid plexus cyst but with growth retardation/malformation, the proportion with cytogenetic abnormally actually is 163/798 = 20.4%, or actually slightly higher than in those with such cysts. This result casts significant doubt on the clinical utility of observation of the cyst, or the authors' conclusion cited above. Their data do tend, however, to support the inference that the presence of "abnormalities" in addition to choroid plexus cyst in those with "growth retardation," is suggestive of a cytogenetic defect, but primarily trisomy 18. Of the 11 with such additional abnormalities 5 (45%) had a cytogenetic defect, (4 with 47 + 18, one with 47 + 21), whereas one may calculate from the authors' data that none (0/14) of those without other defects had normal karyotype. This difference has a two-tailed probability of about 0.002, and is thus nominally significant. Unfortunately, interpretation of even these data from a clinical perspective requires knowledge of the level of intensity with which they scanned the ultrasound after finding choroid plexus cysts, and when in gestation malformation was noted. The likelihood of recognition of fetal malformation in ultrasound varies markedly with the size of the lesion, knowledge of the region likely to be affected, and the age of the fetus. Some abnormalities may be very difficult to diagnose and only recognized retrospectively on ultrasound after knowledge of presence of the malformation, or only at late stages of pregnancy, when, in many jurisdictions, a patient may no longer have the option to terminate pregnancy. At best the results suggest that in a conceptus with choroid plexus cyst and growth retardation, the presence of another malformation on ultrasound may increase the likelihood that a karyotypic abnormality is present. The precise nature of this increase in likelihood cannot be evaluated from the data.
Teaching the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology using Jewelry

”Cracking the Code” is an activity developed to demonstrate the processes of transcription and translation. This hands-on activity helps students understand the relationship between form (base pairing) and function (information storage and transfer) of nucleic acids. In this activity, students go through the processes of transcription and translation of a DNA molecule to create jewelry; a beaded bracelet or necklace is used as a tactile representation of a chain of amino acids. To determine the correct order of “amino acid” beads, students must first decode a strand of DNA using complementary base pairing rules. The decoding is a two-step process that illustrates transcription (the copying of DNA to RNA) and translation (using tRNAs to match the genetic code to the correct amino acid). This teaches the relationship between structure (base pairs) and function (information storage and transfer) in nucleic acids.
On the orbital dependence of compact, weight-selected configuration interaction and coupled-cluster wave functions

We recently reported that very compact coupled-cluster wave functions may be generated by selecting the most important configurations, by weight, from the full coupled-cluster wave function. Here, we consider how the choice of orbitals may affect these wave functions in the case of the symmetric dissociation of H2O. We employ unrestricted Hartree–Fock and complete-active-space self-consistent-field orbitals, as well as natural orbitals derived from a coupled-cluster singles and doubles wave function. For a given accuracy, some choices of orbitals can reduce the size of configuration interaction wave functions, but they have little effect on the weight-selected coupled-cluster wave functions.
The Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling System: Model Description and Selected Simulations

The Mars regional atmospheric modeling system (MRAMS) is introduced, and selected model results are presented and compared with landed meteorological data when possible. MRAMS is descended from a nonhydrostatic Earth mesoscale and cloud-scale model that is widely used for forecasting weather and simulating atmospheric systems over complex terrain. Mesoscale models such as MRAMS are ideal tools for making use of the high-resolution data sets arriving from Mars Global Surveyor experiments. Simulation of the Mars Pathfinder (MPF) landing site at LsD 142 using 1=2 degree Mars orbiter laser altimeter (MOLA)-derived topography and thermal emission spectrometer thermal inertia is shown to be in good agreement with observed near-surface temperature, pressure, and wind direction. Simulations of topographically induced thermal circulations and mountain-induced gravity waves are shown to be consistent with theory and earlier studies that tie large-amplitude mountain waves to strong winds capable of producing dust streaks and local dust-lifting events. A large eddy simulation of the convective boundary layer provides estimates of vertical profiles of heat flux, momentum flux, turbulent kinetic energy, and vertical velocity variance. The model results suggest that the martian atmosphere is roughly two to three times more turbulent than the terrestrial atmosphere during the afternoon, but fluxes are roughly an order of magnitude smaller due to the lower density. Dust-devillike circulations are also predicted in the large eddy simulation. Finally, a simulation that examines atmosphere‐surface interactions near Big Crater is discussed. Predicted surface wind stress patterns are consistent with aeolian processes inferred through Mars Orbiter Camera imagery of Big Crater, located near the MPF landing site. c ∞ 2001 Academic Press
Redox regulation of the intrinsic pathway in neuronal apoptosis.

Abstract Two principal pathways exist by which cells can undergo apoptotic death, known as the extrinsic and the intrinsic pathways. Binding of a ligand to a death receptor activates the extrinsic pathway. In the intrinsic pathway, an apoptotic stimulus, such as neurotrophin withdrawal or exposure to a toxin, causes a proapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, such as Bax, to permeabilize the outer mitochondrial membrane. This allows redistribution of cytochrome c from the mitochondrial intermembrane space into the cytoplasm, where it causes activation of caspase proteases and, subsequently, cell death. A dramatic increase occurs in mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the apoptotic death of sympathetic, cerebellar granule, and cortical neurons. These ROS lie downstream of Bax in each cell type. Here I review possible mechanisms by which Bax causes increased ROS during neuronal apoptosis. I also discuss evidence that these ROS are an important part of the apoptotic cascade i...
A framework for Morse theory for the Yang-Mills functional

On explique comment la theorie de Morse pour la fonctionnelle de Yang Mills peut se retrouver en examinant la restriction de la fonctionnelle a un ensemble denombrable de varietes non compactes de dimension finie
Anticytokine therapies in systemic lupus erythematosus

The dysfunctional immune response that characterizes systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) associates with an unbalanced production of soluble mediators that are crucial in promoting and sustaining chronic inflammation. The successful use of biologics in several autoimmune diseases has led to studies in SLE aimed at contrasting the proinflammatory responses that contribute to tissue and organ damage in the disease. Several approaches have been developed and tested as potential therapeutic agents in SLE in preclinical studies and in clinical trials. This article provides an overview on antibody-based approaches in SLE that, although preliminary, have the potential to expand the current therapeutic possibilities in the disease.
Effect of substitutional doping on the Néel temperature of Cr 2 O 3

First-principles calculations are used to explore the possibility of enhancing the N\'eel temperature ${T}_{N}$ of the magnetoelectric antiferromagnet Cr${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$ by substitutional doping. We describe the electronic structure of transition metal (V, Ti, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) and anion (N and B) impurities and evaluate their effect on the exchange interaction. We find that, although transition-metal impurities and N are likely to reduce ${T}_{N}$, substitution of O by B is likely to increase it. Both N and B impurities introduce impurity states mediating strong hybridization and magnetic interaction between the neighboring Cr ions. For N impurities, this leads to magnetic frustration, but in the case of B substitution, the stability of the ground antiferromagnetic state is enhanced.
A stochastic scheme of approximation for ordinary differential equations

In this note we provide a stochastic method for approximating solutions of ordinary differential equations. To this end, a stochastic variant of the Euler scheme is given by means of Markov chains. For an ordinary differential equation, these approximations are shown to satisfy a Large Number Law, and a Central Limit Theorem for the corresponding fluctuations about the solution of the differential equation is proven.
Federal grants and the flight to the suburbs

Abstract Migration to the suburbs is a long-standing problem for cities in the United States. A central question in the literature is whether the improvement in public goods and services in the central cities will stop the flight to the suburbs. We would expect that if cities offer better services, it would persuade affluent residents to stay in the city. We find, paradoxically, that even if these reforms are exclusively financed by the federal or state government, and even if the grant money indeed goes towards improving the quality of public goods and not towards redistribution, the city may end up with more flight to the suburbs.
Sex‐linked control of sex pheromone behavioral responses in European corn‐borer moths (Ostrinia nubilalis) confirmed with TPI marker gene

In two races of European corn-borer moths (ECB), the E-race females emit and males respond to 99:1 sex pheromone blend of (E)/(Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetates, whereas the Z-race females and males produce and respond to the opposite 3:97 pheromone blend of (E)/(Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetates, respectively. We previously have shown that female production of the final blend ratio is under control of a major autosomal locus but that the sequence of male upwind flight responses to the blend is controlled by a sex-linked (Z-linked) locus. This sex-linked control of behavioral responses in crosses of E and Z ECB now is confirmed by use of sex-linked TPI (triose phosphate isomerase) allozyme phenotypes to determine the origin of the sex chromosomes in F2 populations. F1 males from reciprocal E × Z crosses generate similar behavioral-response profiles in wind-tunnel studies, with moderate numbers responding to the Z pheromone and intermediate blends (35%–65% Z), but very few responding to the E pheromone. The F2 behavioral-response profiles indicate that they are composed of 1:1 mixtures of hybrids and paternal profiles. Analysis of TPI allozyme differences allowed us to separate male F2 populations into individuals whose Z chromosomes both originated from their grandfathers, and individuals who had one Z chromosome originating from each grandparent. With these partitioned F2s, the TPI homozygotes exhibited behavioral-response profiles very much like their grandfathers, whereas the TPI hybrids produced response profiles similar to their heterozygous F1 fathers. These results demonstrate incontrovertibly that the response to sex pheromone in male ECB is controlled by a sex-linked gene that is tightly linked to the TPI locus and therefore is independent of the locus controlling pheromone blend production in females.
İSí Se Puede! Latino Candidates and the Mobilization of Latino Voters

Traditional studies of political participation assume an electoral environment in which voters decide between two White candidates, and find Latino citizens less politically engaged. Given the growth in the number of Latino candidates for office over the past 20 years, this article tests whether ethnicity impacts Latino voting behavior. I argue that the presence of a Latino candidate mobilizes the Latino electorate, resulting in elevated voter turnout and strong support for the co-ethnic candidates. Although some research provides a theoretical basis for such a claim, this article brings together a comprehensive body of empirical evidence to suggest that ethnicity is salient for Latinos and provides a coherent theory that accounts for the empowering role of co-ethnic candidates. Analysis of recent mayoral elections in five major U.S. cities reveals that Latinos were consistently mobilized by co-ethnic candidates.
Individual-based modeling of populations with high mortality: A new method based on following a fixed number of model individuals

Abstract Individual-based modeling of populations that undergo high mortality can be problematic Large numbers of model individuals must be followed to ensure adequate numbers of survivors at the end of the simulation, but following large numbers of individuals can require excessive computer memory and computational time. Following a sample of individuals from the population partially addresses these problems for short-term simulations but not for model applications requiring long-term predictions. In this paper, we describe a resampling algorithm that permits the long-term simulation of populations undergoing high mortality. A fixed number of model individuals are followed, with each representing some number of identical population individuals. As each model individuals dies, a donor individual by the donor individual is adjusted to represent the loss of individuals due to mortality. The dead individual's attributes are then replaced with those of the donor individual. The high accuracy, reduced memory requirement, and comparable computational costs of the resampling algorithm are demonstrated using an individual-based population model of young-of-the-year striped bass. Differences between predictions without and with resampling were
Lethal Osteogenesis Imperfecta–Like Condition with Cutis Laxa and Arterial Tortuosity in MZ Twins Due to a Homozygous Fibulin-4 Mutation

This case report involved male infants of a size consistent with the estimated gestational age of 31 weeks. The mother of the twins was a 27-year-old, G4P3 woman with limited prenatal care who presented for cesarean delivery. Resuscitation efforts were initiated and continued until the infants became asystolic. Postmortem radiographs showed innumerable fractures of the limbs, ribs, and skull in various states of healing with callus formation; hence, the fractures were of prenatal origin. Despite the fractures, the growth of the long bones was not impaired. The radiographic findings were initially thought to represent osteogenesis imperfecta type IIC. However, there were also vascular anomalies not explained by this phenotype. Grossly, all arteries were elongated, thickened, and tortuous. The carotids, descending aorta, and iliac arteries were redundant to such an extent that they produced corkscrew patterns. There was also cutis laxa with loose, redundant skin over the entire body. Collagen genes did not show any mutations; however, when it was suggested Fibulin-4 be studied because of overlap with the condition described by Dasouki and colleagues in 2007, a homozygous premature stop codon mutation was found in that gene.
The relationship between respiratory syncytial virus infections and the development of wheezing and asthma in children.

Purpose of review The relationship between respiratory syncytial virus lower-respiratory-tract infections in early childhood and asthma has been the subject of much debate. Most, but not all, previous cohort studies have failed to identify a link between early respiratory syncytial virus infection and atopic asthma. Recent studies have helped clarify some apparently contradictory findings. Recent findings Cohort studies focusing on wheezing in early childhood have indicated that this is associated with an increased incidence of atopic asthma but that this risk is not increased by respiratory syncytial virus infection. Indeed, wheeze associated with rhinovirus infection may be a better marker for possible asthma. In contrast, there is no increased risk of atopic disease in infants with respiratory syncytial virus ‘acute bronchiolitis’, a phenotype characterized by widespread crepitation. Post-bronchiolitic symptoms are associated with intercurrent viral infections in particular and the incidence of symptoms falls rapidly during infancy. Summary These studies confirm earlier suggestions that the phenotype of respiratory illness and hence the host response rather than the infecting organism is the best predictor of the future pattern of respiratory illness. Such considerations must be central to the design of any future intervention or cohort studies.
A pressure vessel for the simultaneous determination of oxygen consumption and swimming speed in zooplankton

A pressure vessel suitable for the simultaneous determination of oxygen consumption and swimming speed in zooplankton is described. The relationship between respiratory rate (y; μ1 O2 mg DW−1 h−1) and swimming speed (x; m h−1) for the euphausiid Thysanoessa spinifera at 12°C is described by the equation y = 0.015 ± 0.003x + 0.620. The data suggest that increased swimming speed results in a substantial increase in oxygen consumption rate, indicating that locomotion can be energetically costly for zooplankton.