cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prophylactic Retrograde Distal Common Femoral Access as a Bail-out Strategy in Patients with Increased Risk for Femoral Access Complication During Transfemoral Aortic Valve Replacement

Abstract Objective Several patients undergoing transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have complex peripheral arterial disease (PAD) that increases risk of vascular complications and failure of vascular closure device (VCD). Endovascular bailout of failed VCD is performed through contralateral femoral access. Further due to multiple different anatomic reasons the contralateral femoral access and “up and over” approach is unavailable for endovascular bailout of the VCD failure. We evaluated a novel bailout technique of obtaining an additional access in ipsilateral common femoral artery (CFA) or superficial femoral artery (SFA) distal to the main CFA access used for TAVR device. Methods We prospectively identified patients who were at high risk for VCD failure and had unavailable contralateral CFA approach from the pre-TAVR evaluation with multislice CT angiography . The data was collected prospectively for the TVT registry and retrospectively reviewed. All patients had an additional distal access obtained in the CFA or proximal SFA under direct fluoroscopy guidance after achieving main CFA access for TAVR. Using an inner 0.021″ micro-dilator from the 4-Fr micropuncture mini stick max access kit (AngioDynamics, Marlborough, MA) and a 200 cm long 0.018″ wire, the distal access was secured in place through the TAVR procedure. After completing the TAVR if the VCD gained successful hemostasis , the 0.021″ dilator was removed with manual pressure. If the VCD failed to achieve hemostasis, the distal access was upsized to a 7 Fr sheath for carrying out endovascular repair of the TAVR access. If the distal access was upsized to 7 Fr, that access was treated with VCD. The patients were monitored for acute in-hospital complication and followed for 6 months. Results During 2017 & 2018, 97.4% of 186 TAVRs were performed via femoral approach at our center. Six patients met the criteria for high-risk access and non-availability of the contralateral “up and over” approach. Of the 6 patients enrolled in this prospective study, 3 required endovascular management of TAVR access because of failed VCDs and were treated with covered stents using the distal ipsilateral access. The remaining 3 patients had successful use of VCDs for the TAVR access and the prophylactic access with 0.021″ dilator was managed with manual pressure. None of the six patients suffered any further vascular complication or bleeding. At the 6-month follow up no vascular complications or clinically driven events were identified from the TAVR access or additional distal ipsilateral access. Conclusion This novel technique of prophylactic ipsilateral distal femoral access can provide an alternative bailout strategy for patients at high risk of closure device failure and unavailable contralateral femoral approach during transfemoral TAVR.
Neointimal Proliferation and Restenosis Following Angioplasty are Inhibited by Dietary Potassium Supplementation in Experimental Models

The observation of potassium’s effectiveness to markedly reduce neointimal development in the rat carotid artery and swine circumflex artery following angioplasty are consistent with our previous findings of potential vascular protective effects inin vitroexperiments (94,95,101,106), during short-termin vivoexperiments in dogs (93), and in long-term studies in rabbits (119). The mechanisms of potassium’s effects may include inhibition of thrombus formation and a direct inhibitory effect on proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. This series of positive results in a wide range of models and time courses provides strong support for the long-term protective actions of elevation of potassium intake.
Centroid of Age Neighborhoods: A New Approach to Estimate Biological Age

Estimation of human biological age is an important and difficult challenge. Different biomarkers and numerous approaches have been studied for biological age prediction, each with its advantages and limitations. In this paper, we propose a new biological age estimation method, and investigate the performance of the new method. We introduce a centroid based approach, using the notion of age neighborhoods. Specifically, we develop a model, based on which we compute biological age using blood biomarkers, by considering the centroid or mediod of specially selected age neighborhoods. Experiments were performed on the National Health and Human Nutrition Examination Survey dataset with biomarkers (21 451 individuals). Compared with current popular methods for biological age prediction, our experiments show that the proposed age neighborhood model results in an improved performance in human biological age estimation.
HH Human-I-Cosmos (HHH)

The H kernel of HH includes four elements: human supremacy, fair balance, karma, and duty. Human supremacy is fundamental, as it sets HH apart from most extant cultures in the world. Fair balance and karma represent core beliefs about the world in which humans operate as supreme beings.
SEX-BASED DIFFERENCES IN CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF SGLT-2 INHIBITORS IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Studies show that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduce major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It is unknown whether there are sex-based differences in their cardioprotective role. We sought to investigate if sex differences
Anesthesia Management and Postanesthetic Recovery Following Endoscopic Sinus Surgery.

OBJECTIVES Delayed anesthesia recovery following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) can be an indicator of immediate complications and negatively impact healthcare efficiency. This study aims to examine clinical factors with a focus on improving clinical practice. METHODS Medical records of patients undergoing ESS under general anesthesia from 2014 to 2018 were reviewed. Based on the interquartile range of anesthesia recovery for the cohort, patients in the upper quartile were categorized as "prolonged" and the lowest three quartiles as "goal" recovery. Patient and surgical characteristics were investigated. RESULTS Analyzing 416 patients who underwent ESS, the median anesthesia recovery time was 48 [35-66] minutes. Prolonged recovery was associated with higher body mass index (odds ratio 1.50 [95% confidence interval 1.03-2.18] per 10 kg/m2 , P = .03) and surgical duration (1.37 [1.10-1.72] per hour, P < .01). Inversely, goal recovery was associated with preoperative acetaminophen (0.61 [0.38-0.98], P = .04) and intraoperative remifentanil (0.55 [0.32-0.93], P = .03). Patients with prolonged recovery had higher rates of severe pain (33 (31.7%) vs. 25 (8.0%), P < .01), respiratory depression (7 [6.7] vs. 2 [0.6], P < .01), oversedation (39 [37.5] vs. 39 [12.5], P < .01), and the need for rescue opioids (52 [50] vs. 71 [22.8], P < .01). In addition to reduced postanesthesia recovery time, patients who were administered preemptive acetaminophen had lower rates of severe pain (OR 0.55 [0.31-0.98], P = .04) and nausea and vomiting (0.39 [0.17-0.87], P = .02). CONCLUSION Our findings substantiate the use of acetaminophen and remifentanil in ESS, facilitating anesthesia recovery. Broadly consideration of preemptive acetaminophen could further increase postoperative comfort in ESS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 - Retrospective. Laryngoscope, 131:E815-E820, 2021.
The tale of two flaviviruses: subversion of host pathways by RNA shapes in dengue and hepatitis C viral RNA genomes

Pathogenic RNA viruses continue to emerge owing to their rapid evolutionary rates. The family of the Flaviviridae contains enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that include mosquito borne viruses such as dengue virus and the blood-borne hepatitis C virus. Upon infection, the genomic viral RNA needs to first compete with a sea of host mRNAs for host ribosomes that synthesize the viral proteins. Then, the positive-sense template needs to be amplified and packaged into newly assembled virions. To accomplish these tasks, the virus subverts several biochemical machineries from the host. The participation of specific structures in the viral RNA mediates specific RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions that dictate many viral subversion strategies. In this review, we shall focus on the various mechanisms by which RNA elements in the dengue virus and hepatitis C virus untranslated regions aid the viral infectious cycle and contribute to viral fitness.
Development of computational framework for titanium alloy phase transformation prediction in laser powder-bed fusion additive manufacturing

Abstract In conjunction with bare metal single laser track validation experiments, a computational framework is proposed to accelerate the design and development of new additive manufacturing (AM) specific alloys. Specifically, Additive Manufacturing-Computational Fluid Dynamics (AM-CFD) and Calculation of Phase Diagram (CALPHAD), were combined to predict location-specific β→α phase transformation for a new Ti-Al-Fe-alloy. This modeling work was validated by rigorous spatially resolved synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction measurements. This framework reasonably predicts the melt pool and heat affected zone features in the experiment and reveals their significance in actual AM conditions. This framework can be applied for rapid and comprehensive evaluation of location-specific thermal history, phase, microstructure, and properties for new AM titanium alloy development.
Brandeis’s I.P. Federalism: Thoughts on Erie at Eighty

Justice Brandeis is, in intellectual property law’s precincts, most famous for his lone dissent in International News Service v. Associate Press, the misappropriation case one can find in virtually every i.p. survey casebook (and many property law casebooks as well). But in the wider legal world, Brandeis is likely most famous for his earthquake opinion in Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins. Do Brandeis’s opinions in these two cases speak to each other? Can considering them together inform broader reflections on the texture of our federalism in the i.p. context? This piece, prepared in connection with an “Erie at Eighty” conference in fall 2018, makes the case that the answer to both questions is “yes.”
Individual and seasonal variation in the movement behavior of two tropical nectarivorous birds.

Movement of animals directly affects individual fitness, yet fine spatial and temporal resolution movement behavior has been studied in relatively few small species, particularly in the tropics. Nectarivorous Hawaiian honeycreepers are believed to be highly mobile throughout the year, but their fine-scale movement patterns remain unknown. The movement behavior of these crucial pollinators has important implications for forest ecology, and for mortality from avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum), an introduced disease that does not occur in high-elevation forests where Hawaiian honeycreepers primarily breed. We used an automated radio telemetry network to track the movement of two Hawaiian honeycreeper species, the ʻapapane (Himatione sanguinea) and ʻiʻiwi (Drepanis coccinea). We collected high temporal and spatial resolution data across the annual cycle. We identified movement strategies using a multivariate analysis of movement metrics and assessed seasonal changes in movement behavior. Both species exhibited multiple movement strategies including sedentary, central place foraging, commuting, and nomadism , and these movement strategies occurred simultaneously across the population. We observed a high degree of intraspecific variability at the individual and population level. The timing of the movement strategies corresponded well with regional bloom patterns of ‘ōhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha) the primary nectar source for the focal species. Birds made long-distance flights, including multi-day forays outside the tracking array, but exhibited a high degree of fidelity to a core use area, even in the non-breeding period. Both species visited elevations where avian malaria can occur but exhibited little seasonal change in elevation (< 150 m) and regularly returned to high-elevation roosts at night. This study demonstrates the power of automated telemetry to study complex and fine-scale movement behaviors in rugged tropical environments. Our work reveals a system in which birds can track shifting resources using a diverse set of movement behaviors and can facultatively respond to environmental change. Importantly, fidelity to high-elevation roosting sites minimizes nocturnal exposure to avian malaria for far-ranging individuals and is thus a beneficial behavior that may be under high selection pressure.
Infections of the Liver

The portal vein carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver and in so doing carries microbes as well. The liver may therefore be involved in infections with a myriad number of microbial organisms. While some of these infections most commonly occur in the immunocompromised host, others affect the immune competence. Hepatic infections may be primary in nature or secondary, as part of systemic or contagious disease. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the various infections of the liver in the pediatric patient.
Uterine leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the thyroid

Abstract BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyosarcoma is an aggressive tumor that has a propensity for distant metastasis. Distant sites of spread include the lung, liver, brain, and bone. CASE: A woman in her 5th decade was diagnosed with stage IV leiomyosarcoma of the uterus. Distant metastasis in the chest was confirmed by thoracotomy at the time of her original diagnosis. She subsequently experienced multiple episodes of metastasis including metastatic disease to her thyroid. She survived 71 months after diagnosis of stage IV disease. CONCLUSION: Our case represents the first reported experience with uterine leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the thyroid. Additionally the case is notable because the patient experienced multiple episodes of asymptomatic stable disease after repetitive chemotherapeutic regimens.
A linewidth-insensitive coherent AM optical link: a comparison of direct and external modulation formats

In this paper we investigate experimentally the effect of the modulation methods on the AM-WIRNA (wide bandpass filter-rectifier-narrow lowpass filter) system. We use two modulation methods: external modulation and direct modulation. Direct modulation is simpler, has a more linear response and requires smaller RF input power as compared to external modulation. >
Excitation of Simple Atoms by Slow Magnetic Monopoles

We present a theory of excitation of simple atoms by slow moving massive monopoles. Previously presented results for a monopole of Dirac strength on hydrogen and helium are reviewed. The hydrogen theory is extended to include arbitrary integral multiples of the Dirac pole strength. The excitation of helium by double strength poles and by dyons is also discussed. It is concluded that a helium proportional counter is a reliable and effective detector for monopoles of arbitrary strength, and for negatively charged dyons.
Trifluoroacetylation of Amines and Amino Acids under Neutral, Mild Conditions: N‐Trifluoroacetanilide and N‐Trifluoroacetyl‐L‐Tyrosine

Trifluoroacetylation of amines and amino acids under neutral, mild conditions: N-trifluoroacetanilide and N-trifluoroacetyl-L-tyrosine reactant: 21.5 g. (0.0998 mole) of 1,1,1-trichloro-3,3,3-trifluoroacetone product: N-trifluoroacetanilide product: N-trifluoroacetyl-l-tyrosine reactant: 35.0 g. (0.192 mole) of chloropentafluoroacetone (b.p. 7.8°; available from PCR, Inc., or Allied Chemical Corp.) product: TFA-Aniline product: TFA-l-Valine product: TFA-dl-Phenylalanine product: TFA-l-Phenylalanine product: TFA-l-Leucine product: TFA-l-Tyrosine product: TFA-l-Proline product: TFA-dl-Alanine product: TFA-Glycylglycine product: TFA-l-Prolyglycine, ethyl ester product: TFA-l-Asparagine product: TFA-Dehydroabietylamine Keywords: acylation; 1,1,1-trichloro-3,3,3-trifluoroacetone, preparation of
Restoration of active transport of glycosides in Escherichia coli by a component of a phosphotransferase system.

The ability of Escherichia coli W2244 to concentrate methyl-β-thiogalactoside and methyl-α-glucoside was substantially reduced when the cells were subjected to osmotic shock. The shocked cells contained only a fraction of their normal content of a heat-stable protein, previously characterized as a component of a phosphotransferase system. When the shocked cells were incubated with the purified heat-stable protein, the ability to accumulate the glycosides was restored. The results suggest that the phosphotransferase system may be an important component of the glycoside permease systems.
Ovarian hormones and gingivitis.

Elevated plasma concentrations of the ovarian hormones--estrogen and progestins--during pregnancy puberty the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive (OC) use are associated with an increased incidence of gingival inflammation and exudate. Gingivitis is induced by the micro- organisms that compose subgingival plaque particularly anaerobic organisms. The ovarian hormones both stimulate bacterial growth and promote the inflammatory process. In the presence of sex hormones the metabolic breakdown of folate is increased leading to a folate deficiency that enhances the inflammatory destruction of oral tissue. Gingivitis occurs in an estimated 60-75% of pregnancy women but the numbers of gingivitis-producing bacteria decrease toward the end of pregnancy and the gingival tissues return to their previous state. In OC users on the other hand inflammation of the gingiva is chronic and may increase over time. If gingivitis is already present at the onset of pregnancy or OC use the inflammation will become progressively more severe. Although these effects cannot be avoided ovarian hormone- induced gingivitis can be substantially minimized of low plaque levels exist at the beginning of pregnancy or pill initiation.
Adding GPS-Control to Traditional Thermostats: An Exploration of Potential Energy Savings and Design Challenges

Although manual and programmable home thermostats can save energy when used properly, studies have shown that over 40% of U.S. homes may not use energy-saving temperature setbacks when homes are unoccupied. We propose a system for augmenting these thermostats using just-in-time heating and cooling based on travel-to-home distance obtained from location-aware mobile phones. Analyzing GPS travel data from 8 participants (8-12 weeks each) and heating and cooling characteristics from 5 homes, we report results of running computer simulations estimating potential energy savings from such a device. Using a GPS-enabled thermostat might lead to savings of as much as 7% for some households that do not regularly use the temperature setback afforded by manual and programmable thermostats. Significantly, these savings could be obtained without requiring any change in occupant behavior or comfort level, and the technology could be implemented affordably by exploiting the ubiquity of mobile phones. Additional savings may be possible with modest context-sensitive prompting. We report on design considerations identified during a pilot test of a fully-functional implementation of the system.
Rome, Postmodern Narratives of a Cityscape

When we think of postmodern cities, Los Angeles and Las Vegas come to mind; Rome does not. As Dom Holdaway and Filippo Trentin remind us, Rome is most often viewed as either the Eternal City whose ...
Newborn intensive care survivors: a review and a plan for collaboration in Texas

Neonatal intensive care is a remarkable success story with dramatic improvements in survival rates for preterm newborns. Significant efforts and resources are invested to improve mortality and morbidity but much remains to be learned about the short and long-term effects of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) interventions. Published guidelines recommend that infants discharged from the NICU be in an organized follow-up program that tracks medical and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Yet, there are no standardized guidelines for provision of follow-up services for high-risk infants. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network and the Vermont Oxford Network have made strides toward standardizing practices and conducting outcomes research, but only include a subset of developmental follow-up programs with a focus on extremely preterm infants. Several studies have been conducted to gain a better understanding of current practices in developmental follow-up. Some of the major themes in these studies are the lack of personnel and funding to provide comprehensive follow-up care; feeding difficulties as a primary issue for NICU survivors, families, and programs; wide variability in referral and follow-up care practices; and calls for standardized, systematic developmental surveillance to improve outcomes. We convened a one-day summit to discuss developmental follow-up practices in Texas involving four academic and three nonacademic centers. All seven centers described variable age and weight criteria for follow-up of NICU patients and a unique set of developmental practices, including duration of follow-up, types and timing of developmental assessments administered, education and communication with families and other health care providers, and referrals for services. Needs identified by the centers focused on two main themes: resources and comprehensive care. Participants identified key challenges for developmental follow-up, generated recommendations to address these challenges, and outlined components of a quality program. The long-term goal is to ensure that all children maximize their potential; a goal supported through quality, comprehensive developmental follow-up care and outcomes research to continuously improve evidence-based practices. We aim to contribute to this goal through a statewide working group collaborating on research to standardize practices and inform policies that truly benefit children and their families.
Analysis and optimization in design of randomized PWM switching patterns in DC/DC converters

The paper addresses synthesis aspects of randomized modulation. While this switching technique attracted considerable interest of power electronic engineers over the last fifteen years, a large majority of references addresses the analysis aspect of randomization - given a randomization procedure the task is to quantify its effects on the power spectrum. The paper addresses the dual problem in which an objective function for the power spectrum is specified first, and then the task is to select the best randomization scheme from a given family. The synthesis problem is difficult because spectral formulas are nonlinear and quite involved. We concentrate on randomized PWM for DC/DC converters, and introduce analytical and optimization tools that lead to a novel representation of tradeoffs involved. The paper points out fundamental limitations in achieving total spectrum reduction over wide frequency bands, presents numerical results for various duty ratios, and develops a heuristic that well approximates the feasible operating region for all values of the duty ratio.
Chloro[1,3‐dihydro‐1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)‐2H‐imidazol‐2‐ylidene] [(1,2,3,4,5‐η)1,2,3,4,5‐pentamethyl‐2,4‐cyclopentadien‐1‐yl]ruthenium

[223415-60-9] C31H39ClN2Ru (MW 548.17) InChI = 1S/C21H25N2.C10H15.ClH.Ru/c1-14-9-16(3)20(17(4)10-14)22-7-8-23(13-22)21-18(5)11-15(2)12-19(21)6;1-6-7(2)9(4)10(5)8(6)3;;/h7-13H,1-6H3;1-5H3;1H;/q;;;+1/p-1 InChIKey = PUBLGVUYWPFQOI-UHFFFAOYSA-M (catalyst for carbon-carbon coupling of terminal alkynes under mild conditions) Alternate Name: Cp*Ru(IMes)Cl. Solubility: soluble in THF, hexane, toluene, ether and most organic solvents. Analysis of Reagent Purity: elemental microanalysis, NMR spectroscopy. Preparative Methods: under an inert atmosphere3 utilizing dry, oxygen-free solvents,4 treat [(η5-C5Me5)RuCl]45 with a slight molar excess of carbene [IMes, 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene]6, 7 in THF, followed by removal of solvent, extraction into warm hexanes and filtration (86% yield).1 Alternatively, react [(η5-C5Me5)Ru(OMe)]28 with 2.5 equiv of IMes in THF at 45 °C, remove solvent and extract into diethyl ether (89%), or treatment of [(η5-C5Me5)RuCl]n with 1.5 equiv IMes in THF.2 Purification: recrystallization from hexane. Wash with cold pentane. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: fairly air-stable in solid state. Air- and moisture-sensitive in solution. Handle and store under inert atmosphere. Thermally stable. No toxicity or hazard data available. Disposal is as metal waste.
Evangelical Christians and English Language Teaching

Evangelical Christians are an enduring and growing presence in the field of English language teaching worldwide and in the TESOL organization in particular. Yet to date, hardly any empirical research has been done on this population of teachers or on the links between English teaching, religious beliefs, and missionary work. This article reports on a qualitative study of ten English language teachers-in-training at two evangelical Christian colleges in the United States. Using interview data, the study explores the religious beliefs of the participants and the complex, varied, and often still developing ways in which these beliefs relate to their perspectives on missionary work and on the relationship between religious faith and English language teaching (ELT). We conclude by identifying a key moral dilemma raised by the participants' values as related to several of the dominant discourses present in ELT.
Efficient support for enterprise delegation policies

Delegation, whereby an entity gives some of its rights to other entities, is considered the cornerstone of decentralized authorization, and many access control frameworks proposed recently make delegation its central tenet. In these frameworks, delegation is commonly viewed as a transfer between two autonomous agents---the grantor and the grantee. But the situation can be considerably more complex, and more challenging, in the case the grantor belongs to an organization. Generally, employees are not autonomous agents, but their actions are subject to the regulations of their enterprise. In particular, if an employee transfers his rights to another agent, this transfer is subject to the enterprise delegation policies.In delegation frameworks, authorizing a request requires finding a valid chain of credentials that delegates the authority from the source (the local policy of the entity that serves the request) to the requester. Unfortunately, chain discovery is a computationally expensive and time consuming task. It was shown that, in the general case, chain discovery is undecidable, and in more restrictive cases, it is polynomial in the number of credentials available to the server. Verifying compliance with the terms of a delegation policy adds a considerable overhead to request authorization.This paper presents a framework that considerably reduces the time required to authorize a request. In this framework, a delegation chain is condensed into a single credential, called chained delegation certificate (CDC). A CDC attests that the owner has a certain right, and serves as proof that every link in the chain complies with the policy governing delegation of the right in question. When CDCs are used for authorization, a server does not need to verify compliance with the delegation policy, nor does it need to perform the chain discovery step, and therefore requests are served considerably faster.
Force transducers for the evaluation of labial, lingual, and mandibular motor impairments

Three transducers were developed for evaluating lip, tongue, and jaw muscle force control in individuals with motor speech disorders. The rationale for the development of these transducers was base...
Low-temperature activation conditions for PAMAM dendrimer templated Pt nanoparticles.

Surface immobilized polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer templated Pt nanoparticles were employed as precursors to heterogeneous catalysts. CO oxidation catalysis and in situ infrared spectroscopy were used to evaluate conditions for dendrimer removal. Infrared spectroscopy showed that PAMAM dendrimer amide bonds begin decomposing at temperatures as low as 75 °C. Although the amide stretches are completely removed after 3 h of oxidation at 300 °C, 16 h were required to reach maximum catalytic activity. Further treatment under oxidizing or reducing atmospheres did not cause substantial changes in activity. Infrared spectroscopy of the activated materials indicated that organic residues, probably surface carboxylates, are formed during oxidation. These surface species passivate the Pt NPs, and their removal was required to fully activate the catalyst. Substantially less forcing activation conditions were possible by employing a CO/O2/He oxidation treatment. At appropriate temperatures, CO acts as a protecting g...
Combined treatment with cisplatin and sirolimus to enhance cell death in human mesothelioma.

Objective Although platinum-based chemotherapy is widely used in malignant pleural mesothelioma, its modest therapeutic effect warrants identification of enhancing agents. As with many cancers, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway is often activated in malignant pleural mesothelioma and has been implicated in the tumor's aggressiveness. Sirolimus is a well-established inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin. We sought to determine whether combination treatment with sirolimus and cisplatin would enhance cell death in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Methods Human malignant pleural mesothelioma cell lines were incubated with sirolimus or cisplatin alone or in combination and assayed for cell viability. To characterize phosphorylation status after treatment, Akt and downstream proteins of mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, p70 S6 kinase and 4E-BP1, were analyzed by Western blot. Effect of combination treatment was also analyzed with extreme drug resistance assay in 12 human malignant pleural mesothelioma tumors with varying resistance to cisplatin. Results Individual malignant pleural mesothelioma cell lines exhibited a range of sensitivities to each drug without correlation with subtype. Sirolimus and cisplatin significantly (P = .029) increased cell death versus either drug alone in 4 cell lines. Combined treatment caused dephosphorylation of Akt, 4E-BP1, and p70 S6 kinase. Cell proliferation was significantly decreased in tumors subjected to sirolimus and cisplatin versus cisplatin or sirolimus alone. Conclusions Sirolimus appears to enhance the cytotoxicity of cisplatin in malignant pleural mesothelioma cell lines through the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. These results provide a basis for the clinical evaluation of combined sirolimus and cisplatin chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Social responsibility and stakeholder influence: Does technology matter during stakeholder deliberation with high-impact decisions?

When organizations face potentially threatening situations, stakeholders with diverse viewpoints influence decision-making processes and outcomes using different communication media. We apply theories from social influence, group polarization, majority-minority influence and deindividuation to investigate how computer-mediated communication (CMC) affects stakeholders' decisions, satisfaction, and personal preferences. Our experiment finds that CMC is a viable alternative to face-to-face (FTF) deliberation involving judgment tasks. Stakeholders in CMC deliberation did not compromise their personal conviction, whereas stakeholders in FTF deliberation were more influenced by opposing positions. Stakeholders in both media conditions made similar group choices, but reported higher satisfaction in FTF deliberation or holding majority position.
Effect of promoting Rh/SiO2 with TiO2 on the reduction of nitric oxide

The current study examines the effect of adding TiO2 as a promoter to a Rh/SiO2 catalyst on the activity for NO reduction by H2 or CO. The results show that TiO2- promoted Rh/SiO2 results in an enhancement in the activity for NO reduction by H2 or CO, and the resulting activity and rate parameters are very similar to that for Rh/TiO2. The cause for the increase in activity was studied by in situ infrared spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption spectroscopy. The results from both of these techniques support a mechanism in which the reduced TiOX species are catalytically active for NO reduction.
Enhancing the financial performance of small meat processors

Abstract The small firms examined produce meats in the State of Texas and emphasize such products as sausage, jerky, brisket, and fresh meats. The authors test hypotheses with the intent to identify operational factors associated with firm financial success. A quartile model and an econometric model are both used for this purpose. Results generally suggest important factors for firms to be profitable include product selection, pricing strategies, special equipment, and location.
Analysis and Evaluation of Clinical Communication in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit

For decades, emergency departments have become increasingly unable to meet escalating patient demands. In order to allow emergency departments to operate beyond their designed capacity, major eﬀorts have gone into improving their work-ﬂow, eﬃciency, and quality of care. Many studies have show that ineﬃciencies and error in a clinical setting are linked to communications. As a means to improve the quality of care for trauma patients, this study examines the present communication systems for diﬀerent admission pathways to the University of Virginia’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and recommends a new design for critical operations. The evaluation and analysis of this new design will identify critical factors, including potential communication modalities, implementation details, potential key clinician roles, and in which processes the new system will be useful. Our objective is to design a real-time communication infrastructure for operations within a critical care unit by an informed design process.
Deodorization of swine manure using minced horseradish roots and peroxides.

Public concerns about offensive odors from livestock manures are on the rise and so is the pressure to develop practical ways to reduce the odors. The use of minced horseradish (Armoracia rusticana L) roots (1:10 w/v plant tissue to swine slurry ratio), with calcium peroxide (CaO 2 at 26 or 34 mM) or hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 at 34, 52, or 68 mM) for the deodorization of swine manure, was evaluated through a series of laboratory experiments. The principle underlying this deodorization method is the oxidation of odorants by the concerted action of horseradish peroxidase (present in the plant tissue) and peroxide that serves as an electron acceptor, followed by polymerization of phenolic odorants with a possible copolymerization or adsorption of other odorant compounds. The deodorization effect was assessed by a human panel and gas chromatography (GC). In the case of the GC method, 12 compounds commonly associated with malodor (7 volatile fatty acids or VFAs, 3 phenolic compounds, and 2 indolic compounds) were used as odor indicators. Malodor assessment of the treated slurry by a human panel indicated a 50% reduction in odor intensity. GC results showed 100% removal of all phenolic odorants without reoccurrence for at least 72 h. In view of these data, using plant materials as enzyme carriers and peroxides as electron acceptors emerges as an effective approach to phenolic odor control in animal manure.
An Educational Administration Internship Model at One Historically Black University: A Problem-Based Approach

The doctorate in educational administration is a relatively new degree at many small colleges, including some historically Black universities and colleges. The advent of such a program has allowed for innovations in higher education for the predominantly minority populations who attend these universities; furthermore, using problem-based learning as a pedagogical approach for the yearlong administrative internship has proven to be a sound method for this clientele. The elements and characteristics of problem-based learning provide the context that suited candidates in the program of focus here. These candidates had established the practice of working together in the classroom such that it was a natural progression to the field internship as a problem-solving activity that gave them autonomy and control, as well as the chance to practice the collaborative skills garnered during the classroom activities with fellow students. This article presents examples of three case studies drawn from projects identified...
A Preliminary Investigation of Emotional and Behavioral Screening Practices in K–12 Schools

Recently, the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) highlighted the need to “actively screen for those in need of mental health services.” Questions remain, however, about the prevalence of screening and associated processes. The purpose of this study was to gather initial evidence through an electronic survey about current screening practices such as the types of screeners being used in K-12 schools and barriers to implementation. Participants in the study were 454 school or district-level administrators representing a range of school levels, locales, and socioeconomic levels. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test of goodness-of-fit statistic. Only 12.6% of respondents indicated their school or district conducted schoolwide emotional or behavioral screening (SEBS), with access-and awareness-related issues cited as reasons for not conducting SEBS. Results of this preliminary investigation are discussed in terms of CCBD’s goals, and with caution, recommendations for research and practice are offered.
Neural conduction of the myo-monitor stimulus : a quantitative analysis

Abstract With the introduction of the Myo-Monitor to dentistry, the question has arisen whether the stimulus is neurally mediated 13 or results from direct depolarization of only the fibers of the masseter muscle. 12 Intensity-duration curves recorded for 10 subjects quantified the relationship between stimulus intensity and the duration of the stimulus required to elicit a consistent contraction response to transcutaneous stimulation via the Myo-Monitor. Individual chronaxies ranged from 0.125 to 0.180 msec., with a mean calculated at 0.158 msec. Stimulating the muscle fibers directly, without transmission of the signal across the neuromuscular junction, would have produced chronaxy values at least 50 to 100 times greater. The distinction is clear-cut. The chronaxy values unequivocally establish transmission of the stimulus across the neuromuscular junction. In all 10 subjects, contraction of muscles remote from the site of stimulation was evident by inspection and palpation. These data lend support to the conclusion of Choi and Mitani 13 that the Myo-Monitor stimulates the fifth and seventh cranial nerves. The data derived here correlate with those of other investigations and clearly establish that the transmission of the Myo-Monitor stimulus is accomplished by trans-cutaneous neural stimulation.
PAC Probes as Diffusion Tracers in Solids

Perturbed angular correlation (PAC) probe atoms have been used as tracers to study diffusion in solids. The method works for diffusion on a sublattice for which the point symmetry is noncubic and the electric field gradient (EFG) at the probe nucleus reorients in each jump. Such motion leads to relaxation of the nuclear quadrupole interaction. Precise values of the tracer jump frequency have been obtained from fits of measured PAC perturbation functions. Results obtained to date are reviewed for Cd tracer atoms in rare-earth indides such as LaIn3 that have the L12 crystal structure, for which each jump on the In-sublattice reorients the EFG by 90-. New results are presented for LaSn3 and prospects for future studies are outlined.
Mayo's Older African Americans Normative Studies: Normative Data for Commonly Used Clinical Neuropsychological Measures

This report describes the methodology and sample characteristics of Mayo's Older African Americans Normative Studies (MOAANS). These studies reflect a multidisciplinary, collaborative effort by investigators at Mayo Clinic to provide age-appropriate normative data for African American elders on commonly used neuropsychological tests. A sample of 309 community-dwelling individuals over age 55 contributed to the MOAANS sample. Norms were calculated for midpoint age groups, based on percentile scores derived from cumulative frequencies of raw test scores. Demographic, medical, and sociocultural data were also collected, and are summarized to assist clinicians in making determinations regarding the appropriateness of these norms for individual patients. In most cases, the use of MOAANS norms should improve diagnostic accuracy in dementia evaluations of African American elders.
Correlated equilibria and the dynamics of rational deliberation

De Finetti and Ramsey showed how rational decision is founded on coherence. This should be true in game theoretic contexts just as much as in other ones. If followed to their logical conclusion considerations of coherence can lead to dynamic deliberation and in this context introduce a natural Bayesian equilibrium concept. Such deliberational equilibria are intimately connected with game theoretic equilibria in games played by Bayesian deliberators. In the simplest cases deliberation is trivial; one calculates expected utility and maximizes. But in more interesting cases, the very process of deliberation may generate information which is relevant to the evaluation of the expected utilities.2 Then, processing costs permit? ting, a Bayesian deliberator will feedback that information and recal? culate the expected utilities in light of the new knowledge.3 In such an interesting decision problem, deliberation can be modeled as a dynamic system. The decision maker starts in a state of indecision; calculates expected utility; moves in the direction of max? imum expected utility; feeds back the information generated and recalculates; etc. In this process, his probabilities of doing the various acts evolve until, at the time of decision, his probabilities of doing the selected act become virtually one. Dynamic deliberation carries with it an equilibrium principle for individual decision. The decision maker cannot decide to do an act
Effect of Certain Drugs on Perfused Human Placenta IV: Detection of Specific Receptor Sites

The effects of three adrenergic blocking agents (phentolamine, tolazoline, and hydralazine) on the action of epinephrine, norepinephrine, l -epinephrine, histamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine in placental vessels were investigated. The results indicated that phentolamine not only diminished and/or blocked the vasoconstricting action of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and histamine but also caused a reversal of their effects. However, phentolamine could only diminish the vasopressor action of 5-hydroxytryptamine. From the results obtained in this investigation, it appears that the placental vessels have both alpha and beta receptors.
A Machine Learning Approach for Prediction of Lipid-Interacting Residues in Amino Acid Sequences

Lipids perform many vital functions in the cell. Cellular levels of lipids are tightly regulated, and alterations in lipid metabolism can cause various human diseases such as inflammation, cancer and neurological disorders. Here, we present a method that takes an amino acid sequence as the only input and predicts lipid-interacting residues using support vector machines (SVMs). Protein sequence datasets with known lipid-interacting residues were chosen from the protein data bank (PDB). SVM classifiers were then constructed using data instances encoded with three sequence features. The results suggest that lipid-interacting residues can be predicted at 52.78% sensitivity and 70.84% specificity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that utilizes a machine learning approach to predict lipid-interacting residues based on amino acid sequence data. Our study provides useful information for understanding protein-lipid interactions, and may lead to advances in drug discovery.
Mutations in Type I and Type IV Pilus Biosynthetic Genes Affect Twitching Motility Rates in Xylella fastidiosa

Xylella fastidiosa possesses both type I and type IV pili at the same cell pole. By use of a microfluidic device, the speed of twitching movement by wild-type cells on a glass surface against the flow direction of media was measured as 0.86 (standard error [SE], 0.04) μm min−1. A type I pilus mutant (fimA) moved six times faster (4.85 [SE, 0.27] μm min−1) and a pilY1 mutant moved three times slower (0.28 [SE, 0.03] μm min−1) than wild-type cells. Type I pili slow the rate of movement, while the putative type IV pilus protein PilY1 is likely important for attachment to surfaces.
Channeling in Zinc-Blende Lattices: Energy-Loss Studies for Hydrogen and Helium Ions in InAs, GaSb, AlSb, and InSb

The energy losses of ions channeled in InAs, GaSb, AlSb, and InSb were investigated. The average number of electrons/atom participating in the stopping of channeled particles is about the same for GaSb and InAs. The minimum energy losses along the [111] and [$\overline{1}\overline{1}\overline{1}$] directions were investigated for GaSb and AlSb and were found to be independent of this asymmetry. The lattice parameter has a stronger influence on the minimum energy losses in channeling of zinc-blende compounds than the $A$ or $Z$ of the host-lattice atoms. The $Z$ dependence of incident light ions channeled in a given host lattice is the same as that for normal energy losses. The energy losses of axial channeling were investigated for GaSb and appear to be characterized by the energy losses of the plane having the largest interplanar spacing in the axial intersection.
Über die Häufigkeit des Carcinoms bei Epilepsie

Den vorliegenden Untersuchungen, die sich auf alle hiesigen epileptischen. Krankheitsformen beziehen, wurden von 1600 Gesamttodesfallen 575 Sterbefalle uber 40 Jahre zugrunde gelegt, die eine Krebsmorbiditat bzw. Mortalitat von nur 3,1% ergaben. Diese Prozentzahl stellt ungefahr 1/3 derjenigen Prozentzahlen dar, die einerseits in der Literatur fur die Krebsmortalitat angegeben sind, andererseits bei nichtepileptischem Vergleichsmaterial am Pflegepersonal der Anstalt gewonnen worden waren. Hinsichtlich des Verlaufes und des anatomischen Befundes der Neubildungen ist bei den Epileptikern, abgesehen von einem spontanen geheilten Falle, nichts Besonderes festzustellen; keiner der Falle wies Gehirnmetastasen auf. Die geringere Krebsmorbiditat der Epileptiker wird darauf zuruckgefuhrt, das die humoralen und Stoffwechselvorgange bei der Mehrzahl der Epileptiker anscheinend einen noch starkeren Reiz ausuben, als es der Tumor selbst vermag, wodurch ein therpeutischer Effekt erzielt wird. Das verschiedenartige und wechselvolle Verhalten der biologischen Vorgange in jedem einzelnen epileptischen Organismus wird als Grund dafur angesehen, das die epileptische Erkrankung die Carcinomentstehung nicht verhindert, wohl aber deutlich herabmindert und das die gegenseitigen Beziehungen von Epilepsie und Carcinom keine einheitlichen und gleichmasigen sind.
Magnetic evidence for the existence of RCoz with z ≈ 7 (R = La, Ce, Pr and Nd)

Abstract RCo5 alloys (R = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm and Y) in fine particle form were examined magnetically. The cast materials were observed to develop additional phases during comminution by ball milling. The compositions of the phases were inferred from the measured Curie temperatures. A component having a Curie temperature between those of RCo5 and R2Co17 was present in the fine powders and was identified as R3Co22 or R4Co27. A component in the La-Co system having Tc ≈ 825°C was identified as La2Co17. The R3Co22, R4Co27 and La2Co17 compounds, which have not been reported previously, are apparently formed from the RCo5 compounds during the comminution process. There is no evidence of the formation of these phases for R = Sm or Y.