cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Evidences of Circulating Inflammatory Markers Associated with Symptom Development In Patients with Multiple Myeloma During Induction Therapy

Abstract 4734 Background: Disease progression in multiple myeloma (MM) is highly related to cytokines, particularly interleukin (IL)-6, which promotes the growth of MM and is essential for the proliferation of malignant plasma cells. However, there are few reports delineating the relationship between levels of circulating cytokines and the severity of symptoms that patients experience during induction therapy. Methods: Thirty-four patients with MM were enrolled in this ongoing study before or within 2 cycles of induction therapy (with majority of bortezomib based and few thalidomide based). Multiple symptoms were measured by M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory – MM module (MDASI-MM) twice a week during induction therapy. Sera were collected at baseline and during every cycle of induction therapy to measure cytokines by Luminex Multiplex Bead Array assay. Using ordinal regression models, we examined the hypothesis that concentration of serum inflammatory cytokines would be associated with symptom burden in patients with MM during induction therapy, especially therapy induced symptoms. The modeling was adjusted for time from induction therapy, age, sex, staging, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS), opioid use, and body mass index (BMI). Symptom severity ratings were treated as ordinal responses. A log scale of cytokine concentrations was used for modeling. Results: From longitudinal symptom profile modeling, in general, female patients and patients with poor PS (PS ≥ 2) reported significantly higher level of symptoms than male patients and those with good PS. Overall, the most severe symptoms included fatigue, muscle weakness, sleep disturbance, pain, drowsiness, numbness and bone aches during the induction period. Several sickness symptoms show a trend, although not statistically significant, of decrease during the first cycle of induction therapy. By the end of the first cycle of induction therapy, we observed significant increases in therapy induced symptoms which included numbness, muscle weakness, difficulty remembering, poor attention and diarrhea (all P Conclusion: Soluble cytokine receptors can play an important role in the development of MM and treatment-related symptoms. Hierarchical dynamic modeling can be used to assess the statistical relationship between biomarkers and the severity of symptoms. With a larger sample, the symptom and cytokine profile by patient9s tumor response will be analyzed to address the interaction between cytokines and disease as well as therapy-driven symptom burden. The results of these studies that yield empirical information on expected symptom burden could be very useful for the management of symptoms and improved clinical management of patients. Figure 1. Symptom severity profile during induction therapy in MM patients Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Neurocognitive Deficits, Negative Symptoms, and Insight in Schizophrenia

The symptom domains of primary negative symptoms, insight and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia appear to overlap on a number of aspects. These domains are: (1) relatively independent of the psychotic, affective and secondary negative symptoms domains; (2) relatively persistent; (3) show only marginal improvement with the available antipsychotic treatments; (4) are strongly correlated in cross sectional measures, and (5) associated with outcome measures. Despite such similarities the relationship between insight, negative and cognitive symptoms is yet to be clarified. Are we looking at independent categories of symptoms, at a primary versus secondary symptoms type of correlation – e.g. insight deficits secondary to cognitive deficits – or maybe at a common neuropathological “lesion” or endophenotype with multiple manifestations? Is the functional deficit an effect, a cause or just another category that correlates with insight, negative and cognitive symptoms? In this chapter we will selectively review cross-sectional and longitudinal data to clarify the relationship between these schizophrenia domains. We conclude that the evidence to date suggests that we are in fact looking at independent symptoms domains. This conclusion has important applications. At a theoretical level the implication is that, similarly to its clinical presentation, the underlying neurocircuitry and pathophysiology of schizophrenia is diffuse and heterogeneous rather than localized and homogeneous. At a more pragmatic level the relative independence of the cognitive and negative symptoms suggests that effective interventions might need to selectively target each of the domains.
Acute care in glioblastoma: the burden and the consequences.

Background The utilization of inpatient medical services by patients with glioblastoma (GBM) is not well studied. We sought to describe causes, frequency, and outcomes of acute care visits in GBM. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of 158 GBM patients at the University of Rochester over 5 years. Electronic medical records were reviewed to identify all local and outside acute care visits. Acute care visits were defined as any encounter resulting in an emergency department visit or inpatient admission. Results Seventy-one percent (112/158) of GBM patients had 235 acute care visits corresponding to 163 hospitalizations (69%) and 72 emergency department visits (31%). Sixty-three percent of patients had multiple visits. Admission diagnoses were seizure (33%), neurosurgical procedure (15%), infection (12%), focal neurologic symptoms (9%), and venous thromboembolism (VTE, 9%). Forty-six patients had 1 or more visits for seizures. Median time to first acute care visit was 65.6 days and 22% of patients had an acute care visit within 30 days of diagnosis. Median length of stay was 5 days. Thirty-five percent of admitted patients were discharged home; 62% required a higher level of care than prior to admission (23% were discharged home with services, 17% to a nursing facility, 16% to hospice, 6% to acute rehab) and 3% died. Thirty-eight percent of patients had ACV within 30 days of death. Median survival was 14 months for patients who had acute care visits and 22.2 months for patients who did not. Conclusion The majority of GBM patients utilize acute care, most commonly for seizures. The high number of emergency department visits, short length of stay, and many patients discharged home suggest that some acute care visits may be avoidable.
A Quantitative Study of the Intracellular Fate of pH-responsive Doxorubicin-Polypeptide Nanoparticles

Nanoscale carriers with an acid-labile linker between the carrier and drug are commonly used for drug delivery. However, their efficacy is potentially limited by inefficient linker cleavage, and lysosomal entrapment of drugs. To address these critical issues, we developed a new imaging method that spatially overlays the location of a nanoparticle and the released drug from the nanoparticle, on a map of the local intracellular pH that delineates individual endosomes and lysosomes, and the therapeutic intracellular target of the drug-the nucleus. We used this method to quantitatively map the intracellular fate of micelles of a recombinant polypeptide conjugated with doxorubicin via an acid-labile hydrazone linker as a function of local pH and time within live cells. We found that hydrolysis of the acid-labile linker is incomplete because the pH range of 4-7 in the endosomes and lysosomes does not provide complete cleavage of the drug from the nanoparticle, but that once cleaved, the drug escapes the acidic endo-lysosomal compartment into the cytosol and traffics to its therapeutic destination-the nucleus. This study also demonstrated that unlike free drug, which enters the cytosol directly through the cell membrane and then traffics into the nucleus, the nanoparticle-loaded drug almost exclusively traffics into endosomes and lysosomes upon intracellular uptake, and only reaches the nucleus after acid-triggered drug release in the endo-lysosomes. This methodology provides a better and more quantitative understanding of the intracellular behavior of drug-loaded nanoparticles, and provides insights for the design of the next-generation of nanoscale drug delivery systems.
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Measurement of Uranium in Molten Salt.

In this current study, the molten salt aerosol-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system was used to measure the uranium (U) content in a ternary UCl3-LiCl-KCl salt to investigate and assess a near real-time analytical approach for material safeguards and accountability. Experiments were conducted using five different U concentrations to determine the analytical figures of merit for the system with respect to U. In the analysis, three U lines were used to develop univariate calibration curves at the 367.01 nm, 385.96 nm, and 387.10 nm lines. The 367.01 nm line had the lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 0.065 wt% U. The 385.96 nm line had the best root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 0.20 wt% U. In addition to the univariate calibration approach, a multivariate partial least squares (PLS) model was developed to further analyze the data. Using partial least squares (PLS) modeling, an RMSECV of 0.085 wt% U was determined. The RMSECV from the multivariate approach was significantly better than the univariate case and the PLS model is recommended for future LIBS analysis. Overall, the aerosol-LIBS system performed well in monitoring the U concentration and it is expected that the system could be used to quantitatively determine the U compositions within the normal operational concentrations of U in pyroprocessing molten salts.
The Indirect Effect of Justice Perceptions on Job Satisfaction Among Hispanic Employees

The notion that justice perceptions greatly influence behaviors and attitudes at work has been supported in the organizational behavior literature. Given the significant increase of Hispanic employ...
The Effect of Season and Weather on Orthopaedic Trauma: Consult Volume Is Significantly Correlated with Daily Weather.

Introduction. On-call orthopedic clinicians have long speculated that daily consult volume is closely correlated with weather. While prior studies have demonstrated a relationship between weather and certain fracture types, the effect of weather on total orthopaedic consult volume has not yet been examined. The aim of this study was to investigate this relationship. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed orthopaedic consult data from 405 consecutive days at an urban, level one trauma center. The number, mechanism of injury, and type of consult were collected, along with daily weather data (temperature, wind, and precipitation). Statistical analysis was then performed to determine the relationship between weather and orthopaedic trauma consults. Results. A total of 4543 consults were received during the study period. There was a significant difference in total number of consults between months of the year (p<0.001). A post hoc analysis revealed that this was due to increased volume in the summer months relative to the winter months (i.e., August 13.7 consults/day; January 9.3 consults/day). Average daily temperature and consult volume were also positively correlated (p<0.001, r= 0.30). While there was no significant association between precipitation and total consult volume, when there was over 0.25 inches of rain, there were less penetrating trauma (p=0.034) and motorcycle collision consults (p=0.013). Conclusion. Weather parameters, specifically average temperature and precipitation, were found to be associated with daily orthopedic consult type and volume. Additionally, consult volume varies significantly between months of the year. Because trauma centers are often resource scarce, this is an important relationship to understand for proper resource allocation.
Reaction: Toward Organic-Solvent-free Synthetic Chemistry

John A. Gladysz is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Texas A&M University, where he holds the Dow Chair in Chemical Invention. He began his academic career at the University of California, Los Angeles and has also held appointments at the University of Utah and Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg. His group’s current research centers around organometallic chemistry and branches into catalysis, organic synthesis, enantioselective reactions, stereochemistry, mechanism, and materials and green chemistry.
Assessing Usable Life of Pressurized, Environmentally Sealed Aerospace Equipment

Leakage Conductance, a function of leak rate, which “can be thought of as the volume of gas that enters a leak per time” [1] is dependent on volume and pressure of the gas internal to the enclosure at any given time and the differences in partial pressures between the gases inside the enclosure and the gases outside the enclosure. Leak rate is dependent on leak site geometry and for the hardware being analyzed leakage could occur through seals, defects, connectors and porosity in the housing all with varying geometries. There may also be several different versions of the hardware fielded with different gaseous volumes.
Corneal neurotisation by great auricular nerve transfer and scleral-corneal tunnel incisions for neurotrophic keratopathy.

Background/Aims Medical management of neurotrophickeratopathy is challenging and costly. Supra-orbital nerve transfer to thecornea has proven effective for management of keratopathy, but yieldsconsiderable donor site morbidity. Herein, a novel technique for reinnervationof the anaesthetic cornea is presented and early results characterised. Methods Sensory fibres of the ipsilateral greatauricular nerve were directed via an interposition graft to the anteriorcorneal stroma using scleral-corneal tunnel incisions in two patients withgrade III neurotrophic keratopathy. Results Improvements in visual acuity, cornealpachymetry, corneal esthesiometry, and corneal neurotisation as assessed by invivo confocal microscopy were observed within nine months of surgery in bothpatients. Conclusion Corneal neurotisation by interposition grafttransfer of great auricular nerve fibres via scleral-corneal tunnel incisionsappears effective in the management of neurotrophic keratopathy.
Why Does Prevention of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection not Result in Less Renal Scarring? A Deeper Dive into the RIVUR Trial

Purpose:The RIVUR (Randomized Intervention for Children with Vesicoureteral Reflux) trial reported that antibiotic prophylaxis reduced recurrent urinary tract infection but antibiotic prophylaxis w...
Framework Development of Performance-Based Striping Maintenance Contracts

AbstractState DOTs have been using traditional contracts with prescriptive specifications to procure road maintenance work. However, performance-based contracts (PBCs) have been used for design-bui...
Applications of Conflict Probes for Detect and Avoid Systems

Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems are integral to an Unmanned Aircraft System's (UAS) ability to Remain Well Clear (RWC) of other aircraft; they are an enabling technology for UAS to integrate into the National Airspace System (NAS). “Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Detect and Avoid (DAA) Systems” (RTCA DO-365 [1]) specifies requirements criteria for displaying conflict predictive information to the UAS Pilot in Command (PIC). General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), in conjunction with Information Systems Delft, developed an additional conflict predictive display mechanism called conflict probes. Current GA-ASI implementations of DAA have conflict probes displayed whenever a DAA heading band (a band generated on a traffic display to indicate hazardous headings) is displayed. Conflict probes predict the state of an intruder for a given heading, climb rate, and look ahead time. Effectively, rather than displaying the headings and altitudes/climb rates that will result in a DAA Loss of Well Clear (LoWC), they convey to the PIC the volume in space that correlates to a LoWc. This gives the PIC an area on their traffic display to avoid, rather than merely a heading. This allows the PIC more options to avoid a conflict, such as airspeed adjustment in certain geometries. These features may be helpful as a supplement to pre-existing guidance algorithms, or used as a DAA alerting and guidance algorithm on its own. The possibilities for implementation of conflict probes and the results on the effectiveness of DAA alerting and guidance are discussed. Anecdotal feedback from PICs utilizing this augmentation have preferred DAA heading bands with conflict probes. Subjective PIC data have corroborated that conflict probes are useful to the PIC in situations where Air Traffic Control (ATC) is not providing separation services, such as uncontrolled airspace. Further human factors studies are recommended.
The role of myeloid cells in prevention and control of group A streptococcal infections

Abstract Group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes) is one of the most versatile bacteria among human pathogens. Non-invasive GAS infections can cause common diseases, such as pharyngitis and impetigo. Severe invasive GAS infections can lead to rapid progressive and life-threatening manifestations, including necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome with high mortality rates ranging from 30% to 70%. Therefore, GAS is also known as “killer microbes” or “flesh-eating bacteria”. During severe invasive GAS infections, anti-bacterial immunity is impeded by attenuation of the cellular components of innate immune responses. However, this loss of protection is compensated for by interferon-γ-producing immature myeloid cells, which are recruited upon severe invasive GAS infections in mouse models. In this review, we discuss and summarize the current knowledge on the role of interferon-γ-producing myeloid cells and other myeloid cells in the prevention and control of severe invasive GAS infections.
Safety of photosynthetic Synechococcus elongatus for in vivo cyanobacteria-mammalian symbiotic therapeutics.

The cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus (SE) has been shown to rescue ischaemic heart muscle after myocardial infarction by photosynthetic oxygen production. Here, we investigated SE toxicity and hypothesized that systemic SE exposure does not elicit a significant immune response in rats. Wistar rats intravenously received SE (n = 12), sterile saline (n = 12) or E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, n = 4), and a subset (8 SE, 8 saline) received a repeat injection 4 weeks later. At baseline, 4 h, 24 h, 48 h, 8 days and 4 weeks after injection, clinical assessments, blood cultures, blood counts, lymphocyte phenotypes, liver function tests, proinflammatory cytokines and immunoglobulins were assessed. Across all metrics, SE rats responded comparably to saline controls, displaying no clinically significant immune response. As expected, LPS rats exhibited severe immunological responses. Systemic SE administration does not induce sepsis or toxicity in rats, thereby supporting the safety of cyanobacteria-mammalian symbiotic therapeutics using this organism.
Tunable Nonlinear Activation Functions for Optical Neural Networks

We introduce an electro-optic hardware platform for realizing optical nonlinearities and demonstrate that, as a nonlinear activation function, it can substantially improve the classification performance of optical neural networks.
The role of top management teams in firm responses to performance shortfalls

Past research rooted in the Behavioral Theory of the Firm has extensively examined the impact of performance feedback on organizational change and risk taking, finding robust effects that performan...
Sim2Real2Sim: Bridging the Gap Between Simulation and Real-World in Flexible Object Manipulation

This paper addresses a new strategy called Simulation-to-Real-to-Simulation (Sim2Real2Sim) to bridge the gap between simulation and real-world, and automate a flexible object manipulation task. This strategy consists of three steps: (1) using the rough environment with the estimated models to develop the methods to complete the manipulation task in the simulation; (2) applying the methods from simulation to realworld and comparing their performance; (3) updating the models and methods in simulation based on the differences between the real world and the simulation. The Plug Task from the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals is chosen to evaluate our Sim2Real2Sim strategy. A new identification approach for building the model of the linear flexible objects is derived from real-world to simulation. The automation of the DRC plug task in both simulation and real-world proves the success of the Sim2Real2Sim strategy. Numerical experiments are implemented to validate the simulated model.
Free Flap Reconstruction of the Anterior Skull Base: A Systematic Review

Objectives Given the limitations in the available literature, the precise indications, techniques, and outcomes of anterior skull base free flap reconstruction remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of published literature and evaluate indications, methods, and complications for anterior skull base free flap reconstruction. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed using a set of search criteria to identify patients who underwent free flap reconstruction of the anterior skull base. Articles were reviewed for inclusion based on relevance, with the primary outcome being surgical complications. Results After a comprehensive search, 406 articles were obtained and 16 articles were ultimately found to be relevant to this review—79 patients undergoing free flap reconstruction were identified. Overall complication rates were 17.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.6–33.1%) for major complications and 19.0% (95% CI: 17.8–35.5%) for minor complications. Conclusion Microvascular reconstruction of the anterior skull base is feasible with high reliability reported in the literature.
Pipeline Defects Detection and Classification Based on Distributed Fiber Sensors and Neural Networks

An integrated approach is presented to detect pipeline defects using distributed acoustic sensors and machine learning. Over 80% accuracy for defected pipe identification was achieved with defect depth classifications with error less than 1-mm.
Association between Fat-enlarged Axillary Lymph Nodes on Screening Mammography and Cardiometabolic Disease

Objective: This study examined the association between the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease and fat-enlarged lymph nodes (LNs), identified on digital screening mammography. Methods: A cross-sectional study on 834 women presenting for full-field digital screening mammography was conducted. The status of fat-enlarged LNs was assessed based on the size and morphology of axillary LNs from the mammograms. The prevalence of cardiometabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, dyslipidemia, high blood glucose, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, were retrieved from the electronic medical records. Results: Fat-enlarged axillary LNs were associated with a high prevalence of T2DM among all women (adjusted odds ratio: 3.92, 95% CI: [2.40, 6.60], p-value < 0.001), and in subgroups of women with and without obesity. Utilizing the status of fatty LNs improved the classification of T2DM status in addition to age and BMI (1.4% improvement in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve). Conclusion: Fat-enlarge axillary LNs visualized on screening mammograms were associated with the prevalence of T2DM. If further validated with larger datasets from external institutions, fat-enlarged axillary LNs may become a novel imaging biomarker in clinical practice to improve the risk assessment of T2DM for women with screening mammography.
Screening Mammography Recovery After COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Closures: Associations of Facility Access and Racial and Ethnic Screening Disparities.

Background: Screening mammography facilities closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Recovery of screening volumes has varied across patient subgroups and facilities. Objective: We compared screening mammography volumes, as well as patient and facility characteristics, between pre-COVID-19 periods and early and later post-closure recovery periods. Methods: This retrospective study included screening mammograms performed in the same 2-month period (May 26-July 26) in 2019 (pre-COVID-19), 2020 (early recovery) and 2021 (late recovery, following targeted interventions to expand access), across multiple facility types (urban, suburban, community health center). Suburban sites had highest proportion of White patients as well as greatest scheduling flexibility and expanded appointments during initial reopening. Findings were compared across years. Results: For White patients, volumes decreased 36.6% from 6550 in 2019 to 4384 in 2020, and then increased 61.0% to 6579 in 2021; for patients with races other than White, volumes decreased 53.9% from 1321 in 2019 to 609 in 2020, and then increased 136.8% to 1442 in 2021. Percentage of mammograms in patients with races other than White was 16.9% in 2019, 12.2% in 2020, and 18.0% in 2021. Proportion performed at the urban center was 55.3% in 2019, 42.2% in 2020, and 45.9% in 2021; proportion at suburban sites was 34.0% in 2019, 49.2% in 2020, and 43.5% in 2021. Pre-COVID-19 volumes were reached by the sixth week after reopening for suburban sites, but not reached during early recovery for other sites. Proportion performed on Saturdays for suburban sites was similar across periods, while for the urban site was 7.6% in 2019, 5.3% in 2020, and 8.8% in 2021; the community health center did not offer Saturday appointments during recovery. Conclusion: After reopening, screening shifted from urban to suburban settings, with disproportionate screening decrease in patients with races other than White. Initial delayed access at facilities serving underserved populations exacerbated disparities. Interventions to expand access resulted in late recovery volumes exceeding prepandemic volumes in patients with races other than White. Clinical Impact: Interventions to support equitable access across facilities serving diverse patient populations may mitigate potential widening disparities in breast cancer diagnosis during the pandemic.
Structural insights into aspartoacylase deficiency in Canavan disease (769.4)

Canavan disease (CD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder with impaired N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid (NAA) metabolism. This disease is caused by mutations in the ASPA gene, leading to a deficiency in the aspartoacylase (ASPA) enzyme that hydrolyzes NAA in the brain. The majority of the defects are missense mutations found remote from the active site, resulting in decreased stability and activity. To study the possible structural perturbations triggered by these mutations, ASPA mutants associated with different disease severities have been cloned, purified, and crystallized. E285A, one of the most common mutants shows that loss of the hydrogen bond interaction with Asp 285 disturbs the active site architecture leading to altered substrate binding. The loss of a hydrophobic interaction in the F295S mutant leads to a local collapse of the structure, contributing to low protein stability. But K213E, a mutant associated with a mild disease phenotype, has minimal structural differences compare to the native enzyme...
Wavelet-based denoising using hidden Markov models

Hidden Markov models have been used in a wide variety of wavelet-based statistical signal processing applications. Typically, Gaussian mixture distributions are used to model the wavelet coefficients and the correlation between the magnitudes of the wavelet coefficients within each scale and/or across the scales is captured by a Markov tree imposed on the (hidden) states of the mixture. This paper investigates correlations directly among the wavelet coefficient amplitudes (sign/spl times/magnitude), instead of magnitudes alone. Our theoretical analysis shows that the coefficients display significant correlations in sign as well as magnitude, especially near strong edges. We propose a new wavelet-based HMM structure based on mixtures of one-sided exponential densities that exploits both sign and magnitude correlations. We also investigate the application of this for denoising the signals corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise. Using some examples with standard test signals, we show that our new method can achieve better mean squared error, and the resulting denoised signals are generally much smoother.
The Influence of Binding Domains on the Nature of Subunit Interactions in Oligomeric Proteins: APPLICATION TO UNUSUAL KINETIC AND BINDING PATTERNS

Abstract The fact that individual protein subunits must have different regions in contact with neighboring subunits in any oligomeric assembly greater than a dimer is considered in relation to the nature of subunit interactions. Binding equations for this model have been derived for various different tetrameric arrangements and compared with the equations given by other models. Methods of distinguishing between models on the basis of binding curves alone are discussed, including the relationships which each model requires between the association constants for successive molecules of ligand. It is found that certain features of a binding curve, such as its symmetry or asymmetry, and the degree of cooperativity between sites, can be used to discriminate between models. Data in the literature which appear to contradict simple models for ligand binding have been re-examined and found to be consistent with the general ligand-induced model for subunit interactions.
A glutamine-dependent enzyme for the synthesis of carbamyl phosphate for pyrimidine biosynthesis in fetal rat liver.

Abstract Experiments with the soluble supernatant fraction of fetal rat liver indicate that it contains a glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase. This enzyme can utilize ammonia or glutamine as substrate, but the Km for glutamine is low (approximately 10-5 m) while the Km for ammonium ion-ammonia is at least 100 times higher. The ATP saturation curve for the enzyme appears to be sigmoidal. The pH optimum is 7.4. Glutamine analogues inhibit the ability of either glutamine or ammonia to serve as substrate. Comparisons of the change in the amounts of the glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase and aspartate transcarbamylase in the soluble fraction of the cell and in the amounts of acetylglutamate-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase and ornithine transcarbamylase in the particulate fraction of the cell with development from 4 days prior to gestation to 2 days after birth are reported. They suggest that the new enzyme provides carbamyl phosphate for the pyrimidine pathway. The same enzyme activity has also been found in the soluble fraction of a pigeon liver homogenate.
Neutron-diffraction studies of UBe13and ThBe13.

Neutron-diffraction measurements have been made on polycrystalline samples of ${\mathrm{UBe}}_{13}$ and ${\mathrm{ThBe}}_{13}$ at several temperatures between 10 and 250 K. Refinement of the powder patterns using the Rietveld method of profile analysis yields structural parameters in substantial agreement with previous work [space group ${O}_{g}^{6}$ (Fm3c); 8 U in 8(a); 8 Be(I) in 8(b); 96 Be(II) in 96(i)]. Values for the (y,z) coordinates of the 96 Be(II) are (0.1763, 0.1150) and (0.1745, 0.1129) for ${\mathrm{UBe}}_{13}$ and ${\mathrm{ThBe}}_{13}$, respectively. They correspond very closely to those values required for regular snub-cube coordination of the Be(II) around the uranium atoms.
A combinatorial auction for collaborative planning

When rational, utility-maximizing agents encounter an opportunity to collaborate on a group activity they must determine whether to commit to that activity. We refer to this problem as the initial-commitment decision problem (ICDP). The paper describes a mechanism that agents may use to solve the ICDP. The mechanism is based on a combinatorial auction in which agents bid on sets of roles in the group activity, each role comprising constituent subtasks that must be done by the same agent. Each bid may specify constraints on the execution times of the subtasks it covers. This mechanism permits agents to keep most details of their individual schedules of prior commitments private. The paper reports the results of several experiments testing the performance of the mechanism. These results demonstrate a significant improvement in performance when constituent subtasks are grouped into roles. They also show that as the number of time constraints in bids increases, the probability that there is a solution decreases, the cost of an optimal solution (if one exists) increases, and the time required to find an optimal solution (if one exists) decreases. The paper also describes several strategies that agents might employ when using this mechanism.
Reconceptualizing non‐formal education

The paper seeks to present a reconceptualization of non‐formal education (NFE). The argument is based on developing nations of Asia, Africa and the Pacific. The reconceptualization is based on bringing together three different types of NFE: NFE as complement, alternative and supplement to the formal education system. The first type represents the role of NFE in providing a means of satisfying unfulfilled provision from the school system; the second type is equated with the use of traditional or indigenous learning; the third is related to the sorts of educational activities associated with development activities following the end of the Cold War. While it is argued that NFE is nation and culture specific, analytic tools are suggested that allow NFE in its three types to be discussed across nations as well as for any individual developing nation. The tools used for the analysis consist of methods to describe the providers of the various forms of NFE‐agencies and institutions‐and three concepts to examine t...
Rejection Sensitivity and Depressive Symptoms in Women

It is proposed that interpersonal loss that communicates rejection increases the risk for depression specifically in individuals who not only expect rejection but are also concerned about preventing it. Accordingly, the role of rejection sensitivity (RS)—the disposition to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to rejection—in women’s depressive reactions to rejection by a romantic partner was examined. A 6-month longitudinal study of college women revealed that women high in RS compared with those who are low became more depressed when they experienced a partner-initiated breakup but not when they experienced a self-initiated or mutually initiated breakup. By contrast, RS was not associated with increased depression in response to failing to achieve an academic goal. These results support the view that depression in high-RS women is a reaction to a loss in a valued goal domain, that is, failure to prevent rejection in an important relationship.
A Tcf4-Positive Mesodermal Population Provides a Prepattern for Vertebrate Limb Muscle Patterning

Abstract Naive myogenic cells migrate from the somites into the developing vertebrate limb, where they simultaneously differentiate into myotubes and form distinct anatomical muscles. Limb signals have been hypothesized to direct the pattern of muscles formed, but the molecular nature of these signals and the identity of the cells that produce them have remained unclear. We have identified a population of lateral plate-derived limb mesodermal cells in both chick and mouse that expresses the transcription factor Tcf4 in a muscle-specific pattern independently of the muscle cells themselves. Functional experiments in the chick demonstrate that TCF4 and the Wnt-β-catenin pathway in these limb mesodermal cells are critical for muscle patterning. We propose that Tcf4 -expressing cells establish a prepattern in the limb mesoderm that determines the sites of myogenic differentiation and thus establishes the basic pattern of limb muscles.
The Effect of Package Shape on Apparent Volume: An Exploratory Study with Implications for Package Design

We examine a range of standard package shape types and test their effects on volume perception. Results show that consumers group most existing standard packages into four distinct shape categories, including cylinders, kegs, bottles, and spatulates. Each shape type has characteristic effects on volume appearance. Geometrically complex forms appear smaller than simple forms, suggesting that containers displaying different levels of geometric complexity evoke different consumer estimation strategies. For compound complex forms, composed of the conspicuous joining of two or more simple parts, including necks, shoulders, bodies, and feet, consumers key on the body as a sole indicator of volume.
Limitations in the Applicability of the Simplified Bernoulli Relation to Aortic Stenosis

Transvalvular pressure gradients (TPG) may be directly measured by invasive catheterization of the heart or indirectly estimated by echocardiography through Doppler measurement of fluid velocity. A significant body of work has recently shown that pressure recovery distal to the point of maximum velocity must be taken into account in the evaluation of aortic flows. Supported by this new work, conceptual arguments are presented here that challenge the common computation of pressure gradient across a restricting orifice from measurements of maximum fluid velocity, V. We argue that ideal, quasi-steady flow proximal to and highly dissipative flow distal to the orifice are inappropriate simplifications. Rather, the relationship, TPG ≃K× V2, which frequently provides an acceptable estimate of TPG for values of K near 4, should be viewed as an empirical estimate of pressure drop due to loss mechanisms. Calculations of energy losses using one particular flow model demonstrate this. Such a reorientation in the interpretation of Doppler data provides critical insights into valve and patient variations, which heretofore have been assigned to measurement uncertainties. Based upon this analysis, the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Device Evaluation now asks that the coefficient K be determined in vitro for new prosthetic heart valves prior to human implantation.
Microfluidic circulatory flows induced by resonant vibration of diaphragms

Piezoelectric elements coupled to thin diaphragms in contact with a fluid chamber are useful to induce fluid motion. These devices are typically operated at the first resonant mode of the coupled piezoelectric/diaphragm composite with low electrical power excitation to achieve large microscale mode shape displacement. Experimental studies of hydrodynamics within the diaphragm coupled chamber at the first and the higher resonant modes have revealed the expected bulk fluid motion associated with the mode shapes, and a coupled set of two complex flow phenomena that drive particle migration to modal nodes and direct bulk flow circulation within the chamber. The phenomena are believed to be acoustic in origin with a focusing force that drives particles to the nodal lines of the mode shapes, and a net directional flow believed to be attributable to acoustic streaming. A diaphragm driven acoustic chamber 6 mm in diameter, 30 μm in depth with 0.2 mm thick lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) actuator was fabricated for an experimental survey. A quantitative flow field characterization was performed with particle image velocimetry (PIV) using a laser scanning confocal microscope with 2-μm resolution. Complicated in-plane velocity profiles were found near the interface of circulations, where acoustic intensity was considered large. One dominant contributor to observed particle focusing has been associated with flow stagnation regions within the flow chamber. Acoustic streaming regions were successfully identified near the interface between circulation partitions, coincident with particle focusing. Possible applications of the flow phenomena presented include active mixing, pumping, and particle focusing.
32P-Postlabeling/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis: application to the detection of DNA adducts.

32P-Postlabeling analysis is a powerful technique to detect DNA adducts. Polyethylenimine−cellulose TLC plates are generally used to separate 32P-labeled adducts using several different buffers. Ho...
On effective dose for radiotherapy based on doses to nontarget organs and tissues

Purpose: The National Council for Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP) published estimates for the collective population dose and the mean effective dose to the population of the United States from medical imaging procedures for 1980/1982 and for 2006. The earlier report ignored the effective dose from radiotherapy and the latter gave a cursory discussion of the topic but again did not include it in the population exposure for various reasons. This paper explains the methodology used to calculate the effective dose in due to radiotherapy procedures in the latter NCRP report and revises the values based on more detailed modeling. Methods: This study calculated the dose to nontarget organs from radiotherapy for reference populations using CT images and published peripheral dose data. Results: Using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 60 weighting factors, the total effective dose to nontarget organs in radiotherapy patients is estimated as 298 ± 194 mSv per patient, while the U.S. population effective dose is 0.939 ± 0.610 mSv per person, with a collective dose of 283 000 ± 184 000 person Sv per year. Using ICRP 103 weighting factors, the effective dose is 281 ± 183 mSv per patient, 0.887 ± 0.577 mSv per person in the U.S., and 268 000 ± 174 000 person Sv per year. The uncertainty in the calculations is largely governed by variations in patient size, which was accounted for by considering a range of patient sizes and taking the average treatment site to nontarget organ distance. Conclusions: The methods used to estimate the effective doses from radiotherapy used in NCRP Report No. 160 have been explained and the values updated.
The line between potential and working machines: Cesar nicolas leblanc and patent engravings, 1811–1835

Abstract This paper examines mechanical drawings made between 1811 and 1835 by Cesar Nicolas Leblanc, draftsman and engraver for the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers, for publication by the French patent ministry. It compares Leblanc's engravings with the original drawings of the same machines, drawings which mechanics and inventors had submitted with their patent applications and upon which Leblanc based his published copies. The paper further compares Leblanc's patent engravings with his engravings of other machines, ones of proven utility. Leblanc developed a visual vocabulary to accompany Conservatoire Director Gerard‐Joseph Christian's philosophy of industrial mechanics, and used it to expose a crucial ambiguity in French patenting practice. Patented machines were unproven machines, Leblanc's patent engravings argued, while his other engravings endorsed machines of known value.
On the Mechanical Efficiency of Deep, Tropical Convection

Abstract A heuristic model of deep, tropical convection duplicates many of the results obtained by Pauluis and Held from studies of a numerical model of a tropical convective ensemble, and offers insights into and explicit parametric relationships for the reversible and irreversible terms.
Perceptions of oral health in Appalachian Kentucky: implications for message design.

We conducted three studies to investigate Appalachian college students’ perceptions and behavior concerning oral health for the purpose of identifying salient factors to consider in designing persu...
TEMPORAL TRENDS IN REVASCULARIZATION AND OUTCOMES OF ST-ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN YOUNGER ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES

Older females presenting with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) are less likely to receive revascularization and have higher in-hospital mortality compared to their male counterparts. Data on gender differences and temporal trends in revascularization and outcomes of STEMI in younger adults
Hardness of Thin-Film Media: Scratch Experiments and Finite Element Simulations

Experiments and finite element simulations are presented pertaining to the effective hardness and the mechanics of indentation and sliding contact on elastic-plastic layered media. Hardness measurements obtained from scratch experiments are presented for thin-film rigid disks with 30 nm carbon overcoats. Reproducible results are obtained for residual scratch depths greater than approximately 8 nm. A simple force balance model is used to calculate the effective hardness of the layered medium. Hardness values for the surface layer are calculated by fitting a relationship between the hardness, scratch geometry, and layer thickness to the experimental data. The experimental results are compared with three-dimensional finite element simulations of rigid spherical indenter sliding over a half-space with a stiffer and harder surface layer. The finite element results are used to verify the hardness model applied to the experimental data and to provide insight into the observed experimental behavior in the context of the associated elastic-plastic deformation characteristics of the layered medium.
Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles, 2d ed.

Robert Arking has given his colleagues a valuable book for teaching the biology of aging. This second edition builds from the solid foundation of the first, nicely capturing most of the major action of the past 6 years. Its organization and content are well suited to an entry-level course in the biology of aging. However, unlike many entry-level texts, Arking's book will oblige the lecturer to consult the main papers cited in the illustrative examples, so as not to oversimplify. This is a tall order, because the field of biogerontology is vast.Consider the vast range of concepts and factual material in the book: DNA repair, endocrinology, cell-cycle regulation, and human pathology, not to mention genetic studies in invertebrates, studies of life span in human twins, the genetics of Alzheimer and other diseases, and the rising costs of health care in an aging society. The field of biogerontology, despite its remarkable progress during this decade, is still far from having a set of well-recognized canonical principles. It is fair to say that most mechanisms that underlie aging processes are still far from resolved.Some nicely written background is provided for each special topic, and sections of the book are relatively independent. The book may be considered as a chimera of a textbook and an encyclopedia on aging. Prospective users may wish to know that this is the only entry-level general text on the biology of aging written by an active molecular geneticist. Arking's research centers on the genetics of longevity in fruit flies and on artificial selection for life span by selecting for individuals that reproduce at later ages. This paradigm has been exploited most vigorously by Michael Rose, but Arking's own contributions are appropriately described.The book is well provided with nicely organized figures, anatomical sketches, and tables. The bibliography includes ∼1,000 full references, and the index works well. My few criticisms include the need for more-careful editing. For example, several tables did not include items of like kind cited in the text, and I identified some misspelled names in the text and bibliography. There is also no mention of estrogen-replacement therapy, which reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures, heart attacks, and, quite possibly, Alzheimer disease and which represents a major emerging intervention into human aging. But these small nicks do not mar an overall strong book.