cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resolution of Systemic Hypertension after Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

Hypertension is a well-recognized and treatable risk factor for coronary heart disease and is one of the most common comorbidities associated with obesity. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical outcome of a cohort of patients with documented hypertension who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass. Ninety-five obese patients with documented hypertension and being treated with antihypertensive medication(s) underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass. Main outcome measures included length of hypertensive condition, changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and changes in antihypertensive medication(s) at follow-up. There were 69 (72%) females with a mean preoperative body mass index of 47 kg/m2. The mean duration of hypertension was 73 ± 70 months. The mean excess body weight loss at 12 months was 66%. The mean systolic blood pressure significantly decreased from 140 ± 17 mmHg preoperatively to 120 ± 18 mmHg at 12 months (p < 0.01). The mean diastolic blood pressure also significantly decreased from 80 ± 11 mmHg preoperatively to 71 ± 8 mmHg at 12 months (p < 0.01). At 12 months follow-up, 44 (46%) patients had complete resolution of hypertension while 18 (19%) patients had improvement. Patients with complete resolution had a shorter duration of disease as compared to patients without resolution (53 vs. 95 months, respectively, p = 0.01). Weight loss associated with laparoscopic gastric bypass substantially improves and/or resolves hypertension in the majority of patients. Improvement of hypertension occurs as early as 1 month postoperatively and is more frequently in patients with a shorter preoperative duration of disease.
Verbal Skills, Finger Tapping, and Cognitive Tempo Define a Second-Order Factor of Temporal Information Processing

Abstract Adolescents with academic and social problems are often characterized as impulsive, having poor verbal skills, and having poor motor coordination. Language and skilled movements have long been hypothesized to share a common neural basis. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that verbal skills, fine motor tasks that require a continuous sequential response, and cognitive tempo (impulsiveness, time judgment) would interrelate to define a higher-order dimension of “temporal information processing.” Subjects were 155 males of high school age. The results confirmed the basic hypothesis.
Bladder exstrophy-epispadias-cloacal exstrophy complex: A contemporary overview

Bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex (BEEC) is a spectrum of rare congenital malformations involving the urinary, genital, and musculoskeletal systems in which the bladder remains open through a lower abdominal defect with wide pubic separation. Treatment is primarily surgical and usually is performed in multiple stages. Goals of treatment include closing the bladder and abdominal defect while maintaining renal function, achieving urinary continence, maintaining sexual function, and providing cosmetically appealing external genitalia. Several long-term complications of this challenging condition in pediatric urology require a multidisciplinary treatment approach.
Preparation and Chemical-reduction of Pt(iv) Chloride-gics - Supported Pt Vs Pt Inclusion Graphite Compounds

Different preparation methods of Pt(IV) chloride-graphite intercalation compounds from micrometer sized graphite powder and their subsequent chemical reduction are described. The reaction products were investigated by XRD, SEM, EDX and neutron activation analysis. Pt(IV) chloride-GIC was obtained by the isothermal vapour transport method of PtCl4 between 350 and 500 degrees C under a pressure of chlorine gas. Reduction of Pt(IV) chloride-GIC in a tetrahydrofuran (THF)-naphthalene-K solution led to a compound containing both included potassium and potassium chloride particles and a large proportion of well distributed platinum clusters supported on the graphite flakes. The latter originate from the unremovable excess of platinum chloride systematically observed in all samples prepared by this method. The reaction of H2PtCl6 with graphite in SOCl2 under an inert atmosphere also yields a Pt(IV) chloride-GIC of formula C74PtCl3.84. The hexachloroplatinic acid lost two HCl molecules during the intercalation process in thionyl chloride. This Pt(IV) chIoride-GIC prepared in SOCl2 was reduced either by potassium in a naphthalene-THF solution, by potassium in liquid ammonia, or by NaBHEt(3) in toluene. Irrespective of the reduction method, only Pt and KCl included in the graphite matrix were detected. The average diameter of the platinum particles was evaluated from the X-ray diffraction patterns and ranged from 27 to 38 Angstrom. When heated at 400 degrees C for 1 hour under a flow of argon, cubic KCl crystals and minute platinum particles emerged on the edges of the graphite flakes. It is concluded that the reduction occurs in the graphite galleries, and the reaction mechanism is discussed for each method.
Fully‐coupled electromechanical analysis of stress‐related failure in GaN HEMTs

A multi-dimensional model for simulating the electromechanics of GaN HEMTs under bias is presented and illustrated. The model’s equations are those of linear electroelasticity and diffusion-drift transport with full coupling of all variables included. The important benefit of not being restricted to one-dimension is that these simulations capture various field/stress concentrations that occur especially near corners. To illustrate the simulation tool, we discuss the potential importance of electron injection, the inverse piezoelectric effect, and SiN intrinsic stress in triggering electrical and mechanical failure. Among other things, we argue that stress concentration makes it likely that cracks, once initiated, will propagate and fracture the AlGaN barrier (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
FDG PET/CT in the management of colorectal and anal cancers.

OBJECTIVE. CT remains the imaging modality of choice in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and anal cancer. However, advances in imaging have expanded the role of MRI and PET/CT. This article focuses on the evolving role of FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis, radiation therapy planning, therapy assessment, and posttherapy monitoring of CRC and anal cancer. CONCLUSION. FDG PET/CT is a valuable imaging modality that impacts the clinical management of patients with CRC and those with anal cancer.
Hospitalization for Underage Drinkers in the United States

PURPOSE: Underage drinking is common in the United States. This article presents nationally representative data on hospitalizations for alcohol use disorder (AUD) in youth. METHODS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, discharge records of individuals between 15 and 20 years diagnosed with AUD were identified. Incidence rates of these hospitalizations were calculated based on population estimates from the US Census Bureau. RESULTS: In 2008, there were 699,506 nonobstetric discharges in 15- to 20-year-olds, of which 39,619 (5.6%) had an AUD diagnosis with or without an injury diagnosis. The overall annual incidence of AUD hospitalization was 18.3 per 10,000 boys and 12.3 per 10,000 girls. Native American boys in the Midwest had the highest incidence (101 per 10,000), and Asian/Pacific Islander girls in the South had the lowest (2 per 10,000). The estimated total charges for these hospitalizations were $755 million in 2008. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalization care for underage drinking is common, especially in certain race and in certain geographic regions and is associated with a substantial health care expenditure. Language: en
Cognitive unbinding in sleep and anesthesia.

I read with great interest the Report “Breakdown of cortical effective connectivity during sleep” by M. Massimini et al. (30 Sept., p. [2228][1]). As in the field of sleep research, the traditional view in anesthesiology has been that the brain is somehow “shut off” under general anesthesia
Acid dissociation constants of mono- and diprotonated species of some polyalkyl substituted 1,10-phenanthrolines and the peculiar effects of 2,9-dialkyl substituents

Abstract Acid dissociation constants of protonated species of some selected polyalkyl substituted 1,10-phenanthrolines were determined spectrophotometrically. The results confirm the existence of diprotonated species and indicate that polyalkyl substituents enhance both protonation steps, but not necessarily to the same degree. A peculiar effect, presumably steric in nature, was discovered for the 2,9-dialkyl substituted derivatives which suggests that a different mode of protonation is involved for these than for other substituted 1,10-phenanthrolines.
Multiple hemorrhoidal bandings in a single session

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the risks of multiple hemorrhoidal bandings in a single session. METHODS: We retrospectively examined all of the patients who had hemorrhoidal bandings from July 1989 to August 1992. RESULTS: Patients with multiple hemorrhoidal banding in a single session when compared with patients with single banding had greater discomfort and pain (29 percentvs.4.5 percent), but this discomfort was usually manageable with oral analgesia of limited duration. There were also more vasovagal symptoms (5.2 percentvs.0 percent), local swelling and edema (2.6 percentvs.0 percent), and urinary hesitancy and frequency (12.3 percentvs.0 percent) in the multiple-banded patients. No major complication such as massive delayed bleeding and perineal or pelvic sepsis was noted. CONCLUSION: Most patients tolerated multiple hemorrhoidal banding in a single session with acceptably low complications. Multiple banding in a single session is a safe and cost-effective alternative.
Phedre, Queen of Hearts, in the Classroom

In order to represent the basic structure and movement of drama (as seen in characters' stage presence and absence) and to move from written text to performative dynamics, a visual method of classroom presentation was needed. In Racinian tragedy, characters can be well represented by figures from playing cards, differentiated by a hierarchy of numerical value, while related (or also separated) by suit. A photographic slide can be made showing character presence in each scene, and the sequence of slides for the entire play presented for classroom explanation and discussion.
Learning the graph of epidemic cascades

We consider the problem of finding the graph on which an epidemic spreads, given only the times when each node gets infected. While this is a problem of central importance in several contexts -- offline and online social networks, e-commerce, epidemiology -- there has been very little work, analytical or empirical, on finding the graph. Clearly, it is impossible to do so from just one epidemic; our interest is in learning the graph from a small number of independent epidemics.For the classic and popular "independent cascade" epidemics, we analytically establish sufficient conditions on the number of epidemics for both the global maximum-likelihood (ML) estimator, and a natural greedy algorithm to succeed with high probability. Both results are based on a key observation: the global graph learning problem decouples into n local problems -- one for each node. For a node of degree d, we show that its neighborhood can be reliably found once it has been infected O(d2 log n) times (for ML on general graphs) or O(d log n) times (for greedy on trees). We also provide a corresponding information-theoretic lower bound of Ω(d log n); thus our bounds are essentially tight.Furthermore, if we are given side-information in the form of a super-graph of the actual graph (as is often the case), then the number of epidemic samples required -- in all cases -- becomes independent of the network size n.
Long-term remote monitoring of salt marsh biomass

Methods developed for monitoring salt-marsh biomass remotedly are considered in the framework of NASA's Biospheric Research Program. Satellite-derived estimates of the aboveground biomass is considered, and it is noted that a long-term program for long-term remote monitoring is only practical if the relationship between biomass and spectral data remains essentially constant from year to year. Emphasis is placed on ground-based sampling, satellite measurements of mean marsh live aboveground biomass, the spatial distribution of biomass within the marsh, and changes in marsh hydrography as seen from a satellite. Linking aboveground and belowground biomass is discussed, as well as the problem with obtaining cloud-free images and measuring dead biomass.
The Synthesis and Characterization of Tetrakis [thiocyanatotri-n-butylphosphinecopper(I)]

Abstract Tetrakis[thiocyanatotri-n-butylphosphinecopper(I)] has been prepared by the reaction between copper(I) thiocyanate, potassium thiocyanate and tri-n-butylphosphine in water. The complex is noteworthy in that it contains rare examples of thiocyanates which are triply-bridged via their sulfur atoms. The existence of this bonding mode is supported by both 13C NMR and VCN IR spectral data. Dissolution in chloroform results in the partial dissociation of the tetramer to form a dimer involving normal N,S-bonded bridging thiocyanates, as well as a small amount of disproportionation to isothiocyanato-bis(tri-n-butylphosphine)copper(I) and copper(I) thiocyanate. Lowering the temperature of the solution enhances the extent to which the disproportionation reaction takes place.
Social Referencing as a Function of Information Source: Mothers Versus Strangers*

This study tested the notion that infants selectively reference (i.e., seek and utilize information from) their mothers rather than strangers when faced with a novel event. Fourteen-month-old infants were exposed to an uncertainty-provoking stimulus (a toy spider). The infants' mothers or a female stranger then conveyed a joyful or fearful facial expression to help define the event. Consistent with prior research, infants responded differently to the spider in the two conditions. However, differential responding occurred only in the presence of mothers, supporting the notion that infant social referencing is selective. Furthermore, infants who initially expressed fear of the spider waited longer to look at the adults' affective display and were less influenced by the display than were infants who expressed uncertainty. This confirmed that uncertainty promotes referencing.
Carbon sequestration and the optimal management of New Hampshire timber stands

Abstract This paper explores the tradeoff between resource extraction and net carbon sequestration in managing representative timber stands in the state of New Hampshire in the northeastern United States. In the absence of policies to promote forest carbon storage, land owners have incentives to employ clear-cut harvesting regimes with relatively short rotation periods. Under conservative assumptions regarding the social benefits of carbon storage, optimal rotation periods are extended by between 16 and 133 years depending on the forest type under consideration. If policy-makers pursued a cost-effective strategy to stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations at twice the pre-industrial norm, optimal rotation periods would be extended by a full 180–347 years. The analysis suggests that partial harvesting regimes (in which approximately 35% of timber volume is removed at 15-year intervals after the timber stand reaches an initial age of 45 years) provide relatively high net benefits under a variety of circumstances. This finding is relevant because partial harvesting is an accepted and relatively common practice that could be adopted more widely.
Urokinase is required for the formation of mactinin, an α-actinin fragment that promotes monocyte/macrophage maturation

We have previously shown that lysates from HL-60 myeloid leukemia cells or from peripheral blood monocytes are able to degrade aactinin to form a 31-kDa amino-terminal fragment with monocyte/macrophage maturation promoting activity. In contrast, intact a-actinin, which is a 100-kDa actin-binding protein, has no differentiating activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the enzyme responsible for the degradation of a-actinin to form this fragment, named mactinin. The ability of cell lysates to degrade [ 125 I]a-actinin in the presence of various enzyme inhibitors, including inhibitors of metalloproteinases, cysteine proteinases, and serine proteases, was measured. Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) was the only inhibitor able to prevent formation of mactinin by cell lysate degradation of aactinin, suggesting that a serine protease is responsible for the digestion. Of the various serine proteases tested (thrombin, plasmin, and urokinase), only urokinase was able to produce a 31-kDa band. The urokinase-generated 31-kDa band promoted maturation in HL-60 cells. Amiloride, a specific inhibitor of urokinase, inhibited production of the 31-kDa a-actinin fragment by HL-60 cell lysates. For in vivo tests, inflammatory fluid (from bronchoalvelolar lavage) was collected from uPA (urokinase) knockout mice and their wild-type counterparts after intratracheal challenge with Pneumocystis carinii. Although most (6 of 8) wild-type mice had mactinin in their inflammatory fluid samples, none (0 of 8) of the uPA knockout mice had mactinin present (P<0.01). These results demonstrate that urokinase is necessary and sufficient for the formation of the monocyte/macrophage maturation promoting fragment, mactinin, in vitro and in vivo. These findings support the role of urokinase in the regulation of monocyte/macrophage functions, such as that occurring in inflammatory reactions. D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Co-occurrences between adolescent substance use and academic performance: School context influences a multilevel-longitudinal perspective

A growing body of literature has linked substance use and academic performance exploring substance use as a predictor of academic performance or vice versa. This study uses a different approach conceptualizing substance use and academic performance as parallel outcomes and exploring two topics: its multilevel-longitudinal association and school contextual effects on both outcomes. Using multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis and multilevel-longitudinal analyses, the empirical estimates relied on 7843 students nested in 114 schools (Add Health study). The main finding suggests that the correlation between substance use and academic performance was positive at the school level in contraposition to the negative relationship at the individual level. Additional findings suggest a positive effect of a school risk factor on substance use and a positive effect of academic pressure on academic performance. These findings represent a contribution to our understanding of how schools could affect the relationship between academic performance and substance use.
Examining the Effects of Language Brokering on Student Identities and Learning Opportunities in Dual Immersion Classrooms

In settings where speakers of two or more different languages coexist, language brokering, the act of interpreting and translating between culturally and linguistically different speakers, is commonly practiced. Yet the examination of language brokering and its implications in classroom settings have not received much attention in the literature. The purpose of this study is to better understand how language brokering functions as an organizational tool in dual immersion classroom interactions to position second language (L2) students in ways that support or constrain learning opportunities. Our data suggest that although language-brokering events enable L2 learners to gain access to critical information in learning contexts, they also work to position the language broker as being more “able” in relation to the student receiving the brokering services, whose opportunities to publicly construct an “able” student identity are restricted. However, in dual immersion programs, the continual shifting of linguis...
Models and Control of Fish-Like Locomotion

Inspired by the advanced capabilities of fish-like swimmers, we seek a greater understanding of the hydrodynamic mechanisms they employ. Borrowing tools from geometric mechanics, we develop a large-amplitude gait design technique for self-propelling deformable swimmers in potential flow and Stokes flow. Additionally, a heuristically-developed control algorithm is implemented to nearly optimize thrust-generation for a swimmer moving through its own nearly-periodic vortex wake.
Large-Eddy Simulation of Combustion Dynamics of Lean-Premixed Swirl-Stabilized Combustor

A comprehensive numerical study of the combustion dynamics in a lean-premixed swirl-stabilized combustor is described. The analysis treats the conservation equations in three dimensions and takes into account e niterate chemical reactions and variable thermophysical properties. Turbulence closure is achieved using a largeeddy-simulation technique. The compressible-e ow version of the Smagorinsky model is employed to describe subgrid-scale turbulent motions and their effect on large-scale structures. A level-set e amelet library approach is used to simulatepremixed turbulent combustion. The governing equationsand theassociated boundary conditions aresolvedbymeansofafour-stepRunge‐ Kuttaschemealongwithimplementationofthemessagepassinginterface parallel computing architecture. The analysis allows for a detailed investigation into the interaction between turbulent e ow motions and oscillatory combustion of a swirl-stabilized combustor. Several physical processes responsible for driving combustion instabilities in the chamber have been identie ed and quantie ed, including the mutual coupling between acoustic wave motions, vortex shedding, and e ame oscillations. In particular, the mechanisms of energy transfer from chemical reactions in the e ame zone to acoustic motions in the bulk of chamber are carefully studied.
Multicultural Counseling Meets Potentially Harmful Therapy: The Complexity of Bridging Two Discourses

This reaction includes an appraisal of contributions, limitations, and questions raised in Wendt, Gone, & Nagata’s major contribution regarding potentially harmful therapy (PHT) and multicultural counseling. The authors are commended for initiating a convergent dialogue between the PHT and multicultural counseling literatures, creating a strong argument for their integration, and contextualizing the prior division. Commentary is provided in response to the narrow emphasis on an ethnoracial domain of culture, and suggestions for broadening the PHT/multicultural counseling dialogue through inclusion of multiple identities and intersectionality are provided. Greater integration of specific ethics codes and guidelines is also encouraged. Finally, future directions for consideration and study are posited, including the practicalities of researching harm within an integrated PHT/multicultural counseling framework, the necessity of working toward a refined definition of harm, and the manner through which the mul...
Coherent Back Scattering and Other Optical Effects in Random Media

The propagation of light in a random medium is considered. Coherent back scattering in the region of weak localization and near the mobility edge is discussed and a scaling theory is presented. Results on the fluctuations and correlations in the transmitted light are presented. The effects of inelastic scattering arising from particle motion on the spectral distribution of the scattered light is discussed. It is pointed out that there is an interesting optical analog to the RKKY interaction in metals.
Pediatric Nutritional Assessment

Nutritional assessment is an important facet of the medical care of infants and children. An accurate assessment allows for the early detection and treatment of nutrient deficiencies. The traditional nutritional assessment includes anthropometric measurements, biochemical evaluation, clinical examination, and dietary evaluation. Newer techniques include the assessment of body composition using total body electrical conductivity or bioelectrical impedance. The sophistication of nutritional support makes it necessary to identify more sensitive methods for accurate nutritional assessment.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Cholesterol Gallstones, and the "Einstein Sign":

Between January, 1981, and De cember, 1986, 386 patients under went an elective abdominal aortic aneurysmorrhaphy of which 18 pa tients had a concomitant cholecystec tomy (6 other patients had had a cholecystectomy for biliary colic pre viously). The 24 patients (20 male and 4 female) had an average age of seventy-two years. All patients had cholesterol gallstones, and no patient had cholecystitis. There were no post operative complications and no mor tality attributable to having performed the combined procedures. The operative time was increased by only eighteen minutes and the length of hospital stay was not prolonged. Two patients with known cholelithia sis and abdominal aortic aneurysm presented with right-sided abdominal pain (Einstein sign), and emergency CT scans demonstrated retroperito neal hemorrhage. Cholecystectomy was not performed when a ruptured aneurysm was repaired. It is recom mended that concomitant cholecys tectomy and abdominal aortic aneurysmorrhaphy be performed if there are no mit...
Electron ionization mass spectral fragmentation study of sulfation derivatives of polychlorinated biphenyls

Polychlorinated biphenyls are persistent organic pollutants that can be metabolized via hydroxylated PCBs to PCB sulfate metabolites. The sensitive and selective analysis of PCB sulfate monoesters by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) requires their derivatization, for example, as PCB 2,2,2-trichloroethyl (TCE) sulfate monoesters. To aid in the identification of unknown PCB sulfate metabolites isolated from biological samples, the electron impact MS fragmentation pathways of selected PCB TCE sulfate diesters were analyzed and compared to the fragmentation pathways of the corresponding methoxylated PCBs. The most abundant and characteristic fragment ions of PCB TCE sulfate diesters were formed by releasing CHCCl3, SO3, HCl2 and/or CCl3 from the TCE sulfate moiety and Cl2, HCl, ethyne and chloroethyne from an intermediate phenylcyclopentadienyl cation. The fragmentation pattern depended on the degree of chlorination and the position of the TCE sulfate moiety (i.e., ortho vs. meta/para to the second phenyl ring), but were independent of the chlorine substitution pattern. These fragmentation pathways are similar to the fragmentation pathways of structurally related methoxylated PCBs. Knowledge of the fragmentation patterns of PCB TCE sulfate diesters will greatly aid in determining the position of sulfate moiety (ortho vs. meta/para) of unknown PCB sulfate metabolites isolated from environmental or laboratory samples.
The battle of the Granicus river

Historians have found the battle of the Granicus River the most puzzling of Alexander's battles. For this there are three reasons. First, the ancient sources are at variance over the time and purpose of Alexander's crossing of the river. Second, the purpose and the effect of Alexander's sideways movement in the river-bed have not been satisfactorily explained. Third, the topographical indications in the sources do not correspond fully with the present lie of the ground. It will be well to treat these matters in the same order.
Non-small cell lung cancer cells survived ionizing radiation treatment display cancer stem cell and epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotypes

Ionizing radiation (IR) is used for patients diagnosed with unresectable non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however radiotherapy remains largely palliative due to radioresistance. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), may contribute to drug and radiation resistance mechanisms in solid tumors. Here we investigated the molecular phenotype of A549 and H460 NSCLC cells that survived treatment with IR (5Gy) and are growing as floating tumor spheres and cells that are maintained in a monolayer after irradiation. Non-irradiated and irradiated cells were collected after one week, seeded onto ultra low attachment plates and propagated as tumor spheres. Bulk NSCLC cells which survived radiation and grew in spheres express cancer stem cell surface and embryonic stem cell markers and are able to self-renew, and generate differentiated progeny. These cells also have a mesenchymal phenotype. Particularly, the radiation survived sphere cells express significantly higher levels of CSC markers (CD24 and CD44), nuclear β-catenin and EMT markers (Snail1, Vimentin, and N-cadherin) than non-irradiated lung tumor sphere cells. Upregulated levels of Oct-4, Sox2 and beta-catenin were detected in H460 cells maintained in a monolayer after irradiation, but not in radiation survived adherent A459 cells. PDGFR-beta was upregulated in radiation survived sphere cells and in radiation survived adherent cells in both A549 and H460 cell lines. Combining IR treatment with axitinib or dasatinib, inhibitors with anti-PDFGR activity, potentiates the efficacy of NSCLC radiotherapy in vitro. Our findings suggest that radiation survived cells have a complex phenotype combining the properties of CSCs and EMT. CD44, SNAIL and PDGFR-beta are dramatically upregulated in radiation survived cells and might be considered as markers of radiotherapy response in NSCLC.
Investigation of frictional transfer films of PTFE by infrared emission spectroscopy and phase-locked ellipsometry

When a PTFE sheet was rubbed lightly and unidirectionally over a smooth surface of stainless steel an essentially monomolecular transfer film was formed. By special ellipsometric and emission infrared spectroscopic techniques it was possible to show that the film was 10–15 A thick and birefringent. From the intensity differences of infrared bands obtained with a polarizer passing radiation polarized in mutually perpendicular planes, it was possible to deduce transfer film orientation with the direction of rubbing. After standing in air for several weeks the transfer film increased in thickness by as much as threefold. At the same time both the index of refraction and the absorption index decreased. Examination of the surfaces by optical and electron microscopies showed that the films had become porous and flaky. These observations were consistent with previous tribological measurements. The coefficients of friction and were decreased with the formation of the transfer film but increased again as the film ...
Salvage therapy using FLT3 inhibitors may improve long-term outcome of relapsed or refractory AML in patients with FLT3-ITD.

To determine the long-term efficacy of FLT3 inhibitors (FLT3i) in the salvage setting for relapsed and refractory (rel/ref) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with FLT3 internal tandem duplication (AML FLT3-ITD), we conducted a retrospective study of 120 patients with rel/ref AML FLT3-ITD who received salvage therapy with either FLT3i-containing regimen (FLT3i group, N = 45) or conventional cytotoxic regimen (conventional group, N = 75). The median overall survival (OS) after the first salvage in the FLT3i group was 6.9 vs. 4.6 months in the conventional group (P = 0.17). The OS was better in the FLT3i group among patients with initial complete remission (CR) duration ≤12 months or with primary refractory disease (6.9 vs. 3.7 months; P < 0.01). The OS was better when FLT3i was combined with cytotoxic agents versus monotherapy (17 vs. 4.8 months; P = 0.017). Multivariate analysis revealed that the use of FLT3i was an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.38–0.88). Incorporating FLT3i into salvage strategies may improve long-term outcome of patients with AML FLT3-ITD. Prospective studies to validate this conclusion are warranted.
Underestimation of gluconeogenesis by the [U-13C6]glucose method: effect of lack of isotope equilibrium

Among the many tracer methods to indirectly estimate gluconeogenesis in humans, the [U-13C6]glucose method as proposed by Tayek and Katz (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 270: E709–E717, 1996; Am J Ph...
ESD investigation of pn junction diodes in silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor

The electrostatic discharge (ESD) characteristics of the pn junction diodes with different configurations in a silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT) based on a 0.18 /spl mu/m SiGe BiCMOS process is investigated. From the measured results, for the thin-base SiGe HBT, the base-collector junction diode shows the best ESD performance among all kinds of diode configurations owing to its large junction area.
Biogeography and conservation in Southeast Asia: how 2.7 million years of repeated environmental fluctuations affect today’s patterns and the future of the remaining refugial-phase biodiversity

Understanding the historical biogeography of this global biodiversity hotspot is as important to long-term conservation goals as ecology and evolution are to understanding current patterns and processes. Today’s geography is, however, misleading and typical of only ~2% of the last million years; >90% of that time the region’s land area was 1.5–2.0 times larger as mean sea levels were 62 m below today’s, climates were cooler, and extensive forests and savanna covered the emerged Sunda plains. The region’s land area varied two-fold as sea levels fluctuated up to ±50 m with each of ~50 Pleistocene glacial cycles, and forests expanded and contracted with oscillations in land area and seasonality. This dynamic geographic history is relevant to the development of biogeographic regionalism and shows that it is today’s forests that are refugial, not those of the Last Glacial Maximum. This history affects how species will adapt or shift their ranges in response to global warming and further decreases in land area (submergence of low-lying coastal areas) during the 21st century. The alternative is mass species extinction. The biota is also threatened by the continued destruction of forest, destruction of Mekong River flood-pulse based ecosystems, and continued human population growth. Human biogeography will become more important in conservation planning as tens of millions of people who depend on protected area forests, riverine ecosystems, and coastal habitats become environmental refugees. Conservation scientists need to become more involved in regional ecological education, environmental stewardship, and ecosystem-based adaptation to sustain as much as possible of this rich biota and the ecological services it provides.
Dose distribution for cobalt 60 tangential irradiation of the breast and chest wall.

The surface dose and the dose to underlying superficial layers for cobalt-60 tangential irradiation of the breast and chest wall areas have been measured. LiF-teflon disc dosimeters were used. Oblique incidence, surface curvature and the presence of special breast applicators influenced the dose distributions. (SW)
Invited: Reconciled gene trees and their applications

Phylogenetic trees describe the evolutionary history among various organisms. Studies on such trees have provided us with many valuable insights into a host of issues in biology, ecology, and medicine, and promise even more. As we enter the second decade of the post genomic era the enormous amount of genomic sequence information available provides us with an unprecedented opportunity for inferring novel phylogenetic trees that promise extensive implications for the future.
Formation of visual "objects" in the early computation of spatial relations

Perceptual grouping is the process by which elements in the visual image are aggregated into larger and more complex structures, i.e., "objects." This paper reports a study of the spatial factors and time-course of the development of objects over the course of the first few hundred milliseconds of visual processing. The methodology uses the now well-established idea of an "object benefit" for certain kinds of tasks (here, faster within-object than between-objects probe comparisons) to test what the visual system in fact treats as an object at each point during processing. The study tested line segment pairs in a wide variety of spatial configurations at a range of exposure times, in each case measuring the strength of perceptual grouping as reflected in the magnitude of the object benefit. Factors tested included nonaccidental properties such as collinearity, cotermination, and parallelism; contour relatability; Gestalt factors such as symmetry and skew symmetry, and several others, all tested at fine (25 msec) time-slices over the course of processing. The data provide detailed information about the comparative strength of these factors in inducing grouping at each point in processing. The result is a vivid picture of the chronology of object formation, as objects progressively coalesce, with fully bound visual objects completed by about 200 msec of processing.
Combined use of Solitaire FR and Penumbra devices for endovascular treatment of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in a child

A pre-teenager with newly diagnosed ulcerative colitis presented to an emergency department with acute headache, altered mental status and bilateral lower extremity weakness. Head CT demonstrated acute thrombus in the vein of Galen and straight sinus, and the patient was started on a heparin infusion. The patient clinically deteriorated and became unresponsive. In view of the rapid deterioration despite anticoagulation therapy, the patient was taken for endovascular treatment. A novel endovascular approach was performed with combined use of Solitaire FR and Penumbra devices to enhance access to the straight sinus and to limit intraprocedural blood loss. The post-treatment head CT demonstrated a decrease in hyperattenuation within the vein of Galen and straight sinus. The neurologic status improved within 24 h. The patient was discharged home with a normal neurologic examination.
Mapping behavioral landscapes for animal movement: a finite mixture modeling approach

Because of its role in many ecological processes, movement of animals in response to landscape features is an important subject in ecology and conservation biology. In this paper, we develop models of animal movement in relation to objects or fields in a landscape. We took a finite mixture modeling approach in which the component densities are conceptually related to different choices for movement in response to a landscape feature, and the mixing proportions are related to the probability of selecting each response as a function of one or more covariates. We combined particle swarm optimization and an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to obtain maximum-likelihood estimates of the model parameters. We used this approach to analyze data for movement of three bobcats in relation to urban areas in southern California, USA. A behavioral interpretation of the models revealed similarities and differences in bobcat movement response to urbanization. All three bobcats avoided urbanization by moving either parallel to urban boundaries or toward less urban areas as the proportion of urban land cover in the surrounding area increased. However, one bobcat, a male with a dispersal-like large-scale movement pattern, avoided urbanization at lower densities and responded strictly by moving parallel to the urban edge. The other two bobcats, which were both residents and occupied similar geographic areas, avoided urban areas using a combination of movements parallel to the urban edge and movement toward areas of less urbanization. However, the resident female appeared to exhibit greater repulsion at lower levels of urbanization than the resident male, consistent with empirical observations of bobcats in southern California. Using the parameterized finite mixture models, we mapped behavioral states to geographic space, creating a representation of a behavioral landscape. This approach can provide guidance for conservation planning based on analysis of animal movement data using statistical models, thereby linking connectivity evaluations to empirical data.
A biophysical model of synaptic plasticity and metaplasticity can account for the dynamics of the backward shift of hippocampal place fields.

Hippocampal place cells in the rat undergo experience-dependent changes when the rat runs stereotyped routes. One such change, the backward shift of the place field center of mass, has been linked ...
Management of severe osteoporosis

Introduction: Severe osteoporosis represents a disease of high mortality and morbidity. Recognition of what constitutes and causes severe osteoporosis and aggressive intervention with pharmacologic...
Empire Versus Empire: American Critiques of Japan’s Colonial Rule in Korea in the 1920s and 1930s

Many studies on U.S. -Korea relations describe the bilateral interactions to 1905 and the restored diplomatic relations after Korea’s liberation in 1945. This study focuses instead on the interwar years proceeding from the premise that American understandings of colonial Korea are important to grasp U.S. wartime planning for Korea’s future. It explores unofficial levels of interactions, representations, and perceptions of Japan and the United States regarding colonial Korea. On one hand, American writers and professionals portrayed Korea as a developing country needing critical help from Japanese colonizers that coincided with imperial imperatives. On the other hand, professional scholars and U.S. government officials began to look at Japan’s rule in Korea from a more critical perspective, observing problems with Japanese rule in Korea in economic, political, and social affairs. U.S. officials posted in Korea, in particular, saw how Koreans were suffering from Japan’s discrimination and harsh rule. This repressive colonial rule was creating appeal for communism among the Korean people. U.S. officials began to doubt the feasibility of Japan’s pan-Asian doctrine, questioning if it could be a successful ruler. These varied American views of colonial Korea became the basis of U.S. policy toward post-colonial Korea after 1945.
Military service and other socioecological factors influencing weight and health behavior change in overweight and obese Veterans: a qualitative study to inform intervention development within primary care at the United States Veterans Health Administration.

Obesity affects 37 % of patients at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers. The VHA offers an intensive weight management program (MOVE!) but less than 10 % of eligible patients ever attend. However, VHA patients see their primary care provider about 3.6 times per year, supporting the development of primary care-based weight management interventions. To address gaps in the literature regarding Veterans’ experiences with weight management and determine whether and how to develop a primary care-based weight management intervention to both improve obesity counseling and increase attendance to MOVE!, we conducted a qualitative study to assess: 1) Veterans’ personal experiences with healthy weight-related behavior change (including barriers and facilitators to behavior change and experiences with primary care providers, staff, and the MOVE! program), and 2) potential new approaches to improve weight management within primary care at the VHA including goal setting and technology. Overweight/obese VHA patients (aged 18–75, BMI greater than 30 or greater than 25 with at least 1 co-morbidity) were recruited for focus group sessions stratified by gender, MOVE! referral, and attendance. Each session was facilitated by a trained moderator, audio-recorded, and professionally transcribed. Using an iterative coding approach, two coders separately reviewed and coded transcripts, and met frequently to negotiate codes and synthesize emerging themes. Of 161 eligible patients, 54 attended one of 6 focus groups (2 female, 4 male, 9–11 participants per session): 63 % were male, 46 % identified as African-American, 32 % White/Caucasian, 74 % were college-educated or higher, and 61 % reported having attended MOVE!. We identified two major themes: Impact of Military Service and Promotion and Sustainability of Healthy Behaviors. After service in a highly structured military environment, Veterans had difficulty maintaining weight on their own. They perceived physical activity as having more impact than diet, but chronic pain was a barrier. We identified individual/interpersonal-, community/environment-, and healthcare system-related factors affecting healthy behaviors. We also received input about Veteran’s preferences and experiences with technology and setting health goals. Unique factors influence weight management in Veterans. Findings will inform development of a technology-assisted weight management intervention with tailored counseling and goal-setting within primary care at the VHA.
Development From the Margins? Mobile Technologies, Transnational Mobilities, and Livelihood Practices Among Ghanaian Women Traders

While several studies have explored mobile phone use in the global South, perspectives from Third World and African-centered feminist research that explores the intersection of gender, development, and mobile communication remain peripheral. This article uses a postcolonial feminist lens to examine how Ghanaian women transnational traders operating at the margins of global trade manage and negotiate glocal networks with their mobile phones. The research expands conceptions of the role of mobile phones in development (M4D) projects by drawing on ethnographic fieldwork to explore women's routine use of mobile phones in organizing and coordinating transnational trade. It examines how Ghanaian women traders attempt to move from the margins of global trade flows toward the center through their self-defined notions of progress.
Redirecting adenovirus to pulmonary endothelium by cationic liposomes

Somatic gene transfer to the pulmonary endothelium may be a useful strategy for modifying the phenotype of endothelium and/or vascular smooth muscle in disorders such as primary pulmonary hypertension, ARDS or pulmonary metastatic disease. Adenoviral (Ad) vectors, although highly efficient in liver gene transfer, have proven to be limited for pulmonary gene transfer with respect to efficiency, in part because of difficulty in assuring significant residence time in the lung and/or paucity of receptors for adenovirus on the endothelium. A recent study has shown that the use of a bispecific antibody to endothelial cells and Ad vectors efficiently redirects Ad vectors to pulmonary endothelium and improves gene expression in the lung. In this study, we report that pulmonary gene transfer by Ad vectors can also be improved significantly via the use of cationic liposomes. Preinjection of cationic liposomes followed by adenovirus led to a significant increase in the level of gene expression in the lung. The improvement in pulmonary gene transfer was associated with a decrease in the level of gene expression in the liver. Gene expression in the lung lasted for up to 2 weeks. This protocol, together with genetic modification of adenovirus, may prove to be useful for pulmonary gene transfer for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. This method may also be extended to pulmonary gene transfer using other types of viral vectors via vascular route.
Grammatical subjects, ‘Hell is other people’, and irreprehensible nature:

This piece takes the scholarly debate over the causes of environmental change in the Mezquital Valley of Mexico as a starting point from which to explore an understudied aspect of human-nature relations. I first inspect English grammar – grammatical subjects in particular – to reveal how scholars who reach discrepant conclusions about environmental change face the disruptive subjectivities of one another. The discussion then draws in Jean-Paul Sartre’s well-known statement that ‘Hell is other people’ to show how subjectivity has given rise to a class of negative sentiments that we apply to other people but not to nature or any element thereof. I conclude by describing an essential difference between our interpersonal relations and our individual relations with nature, what must happen for Sartre’s definition of Hell to broaden, and how nature emerges free of our judgment.