cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth Potential of Human Leukemia Blast Cells in SCID Mice and Association with Prognosis of Human Acute Leukemias.

Abstract We have described a severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse model that permits the subcutaneous growth of primary human acute leukemia blast cells into a measurable subcutaneous nodule which may be followed by the development of disseminated disease. Utilizing the SCID mouse model, we examined the ability of patient-derived leukemic blasts to generate leukemic growth in the animals after subcutaneous inoculation without conditioning treatment. Leukemia blasts derived from 133 patients with acute leukemias, (67 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 66 acute myeloid leukemia (AML)), were inoculated into SCID mice. The leukemias displayed three distinct growth patterns: "aggressive", "indolent", or "no tumor growth". Out of 133 patients, leukemia samples 46 (34.5%) displayed an aggressive growth pattern, 14 (10.5%) indolent growth and 73 (55.0%) did not grow in SCID mice. The growth probability of leukemias from relapsed and/or refractory disease was 3 fold higher than that from patients with newly diagnosed disease. Serial observations found that leukemic blasts from the same individual, which did not initiate tumor growth at initial presentation and/or at early relapse, may engraft and grow in the later stages of disease, suggesting that the ability of leukemia cells for engraftment and proliferation was gradually acquired following the process of leukemia progression. Nine autonomous growing leukemia cell lines were established in vitro. These displayed an aggressive proliferation pattern, suggesting a possible correlation between the capacity of human leukemia cells for autonomous proliferation in vitro and an aggressive growth potential in SCID mice. It was demonstrated that patients whose leukemic blasts displayed an aggressive growth and dissemination pattern in SClD mice had a poor clinical outcome in patients with ALL as well as AML. Patients whose leukemic blasts grew indolently or whose leukemia cells failed to induce growth had a significantly longer DFS and more favorable clinical course.
Neural immunoglobulin superfamily interaction networks.

The immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) encompasses hundreds of cell surface proteins containing multiple immunoglobulin-like (Ig) domains. Among these are neural IgCAMs, which are cell adhesion molecules that mediate interactions between cells in the nervous system. IgCAMs in some vertebrate IgSF subfamilies bind to each other homophilically and heterophilically, forming small interaction networks. In Drosophila, a global ‘interactome’ screen identified two larger networks in which proteins in one IgSF subfamily selectively interact with proteins in a different subfamily. One of these networks, the ‘Dpr-ome’, includes 30 IgSF proteins, each of which is expressed in a unique subset of neurons. Recent evidence shows that one interacting protein pair within the Dpr-ome network is required for development of the brain and neuromuscular system.
A Propensity-Score-Weighted Population-Based Study of the Health Benefits of Dogs and Cats for Children

There is a widely held belief that children’s general and psychological health benefits from owning and/or interacting with pets. In our study, we aimed to determine whether children who live with ...
On integrating insights from human speech perception into automatic speech recognition.

In spite of the effort and progress made during the last few decades, the performance of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems still lags far behind that achieved by humans. Some researchers think that more speech data will be sufficient in order to bridge this performance gap. Others think that radical modifications to the current methods need to be made, and possible inspirations for these modifications should come from human speech perception (HSP). This paper focuses on two issues: first, it presents a comparison between HSP and ASR emphasizing some insights from HSP that could still be applied in ASR; second, it presents some ideas for extracting useful non-linguistic information from the speech signal, the so called ‘rich transcription’, which could help in selecting specialized acoustic-linguistic models that offer higher accuracy than the general models.
What Threatens, Defines: Tracing the Symbolic Boundaries of Contemporary Masculinity

A robust literature ties emasculation to a range of compensatory behaviors. The present study shifts focus away from the effects of masculinity threat toward an understanding of young adult men’s experiences of emasculation in their own words. Drawing on 42 in-depth interviews with undergraduate men attending a selective U.S. university, we examine the behaviors, situations, and narratives—both experienced and hypothetical—that privileged young men perceive as threatening. We use these data not only to contribute to the empirical literature on masculinity threat, but also as a novel approach for theorizing about the meaning and structure of masculinity more broadly. This is an important task given recent social and economic changes that may have altered contemporary definitions of masculinity. Emasculation accounts provide unique analytical leverage for revealing men’s often unspoken understandings of acceptable masculine behavior. We find that, while many interviewees superficially espoused egalitarian and anti-homophobic beliefs, their emasculation narratives implicitly call for the subordination of women and other men. These performances consequently obscure and maintain traditional, hegemonic power relations. We discuss the implications of our finding for scholars, practitioners, and individual men who desire a more equitable gender structure.
Protein-Derived Cofactors Revisited: Empowering Amino Acid Residues with New Functions.

A protein-derived cofactor is a catalytic or redox-active site in a protein that is formed by post-translational modification of one or more amino acid residues. These post-translational modifications are irreversible and endow the modified amino acid residues with new functional properties. This Perspective focuses on the following advances in this area that have occurred during recent years. The biosynthesis of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone cofactor is catalyzed by a diheme enzyme, MauG. A bis-FeIV redox state of the hemes performs three two-electron oxidations of specific Trp residues via long-range electron transfer. In contrast, a flavoenzyme catalyzes the biosynthesis of the cysteine tryptophylquinone (CTQ) cofactor present in a newly discovered family of CTQ-dependent oxidases. Another carbonyl cofactor, the pyruvoyl cofactor found in classes of decarboxylases and reductases, is formed during an apparently autocatalytic cleavage of a precursor protein at the N-terminus of the cleavage product. I...
Assessing health-related quality of life in HIV disease: key measurement issues.

The reliable and valid assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinical research presents both familiar and unique challenges. Consistent with HRQoL research in general, measures of HRQoL in HIV disease must meet a set of standard psychometric properties, produce interpretable results, and be responsive to relatively small treatment effects. Furthermore, as clinical research for a range of diseases and conditions becomes increasingly global, HRQoL investigators are confronted with the formidable task of developing measures that are applicable across a range of cultures and languages within and across national boundaries. In this paper, we present a model of HRQoL to be applied across diseases and conditions, with a discussion of the key measurement issues. We then briefly consider the natural history and treatment aspects of HIV that are relevant to HRQoL research. In the final sections of the paper, we describe the elements needed in an 'ideal' HRQoL/HIV instrument and propose a method for evaluating the degree to which current HRQoL measures address the challenges posed by HIV clinical research.
A First Look at the Known Universe

Among the foundational questions in physics and cosmology today is the deep mystery of why we live in a space–time of 3 space dimensions and 1 time dimension? Nowadays physicists ask seriously whether there are more space or time dimensions, and go further to suggest ways in which extra dimensions could play a role in determining the properties of the universe we observe today.
Undo for operators: building an undoable e-mail store

System operators play a critical role in maintaining server dependability yet lack powerful tools to help them do so. To help address this unfulfilled need, we describe Operator Undo, a tool that provides a forgiving operations environment by allowing operators to recover from their own mistakes, from unanticipated software problems, and from intentional or accidental data corruption. Operator Undo starts by intercepting and logging user interactions with a network service before they enter the system, creating a record of user intent. During an undo cycle, all system hard state is physically rewound, allowing the operator to perform arbitrary repairs; after repairs are complete, lost user data is reintegrated into the repaired system by replaying the logged user interactions while tracking and compensating for any resulting externally-visible inconsistencies. We describe the design and implementation of an application-neutral framework for Operator Undo, and detail the process by which we instantiated the framework in the form of an undo-capable e-mail store supporting SMTP mail delivery and IMAP mail retrieval. Our proof-of-concept e-mail implementation imposes only a small performance overhead, and can store days or weeks of recovery log on a single disk.
Myeloproliferative neoplasm with ABL1/ETV6 rearrangement mimics chronic myeloid leukemia and responds to tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Abstract Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) associated with ABL1-ETV6 fusions are rare and poorly characterized. To date, less than 20 cases of ABL1-ETV6+ MPN have been reported. We report a 47-year-old man who presented with MPN with clinicopathologic features resembling chronic myeloid leukemia, but there was no evidence of t(9;22)(p34.1;q11.2) or BCR-ABL1 fusion. Conventional cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed ins(12;9)(p13;q34q34) that led to ETV6-ABL1 fusion. The patient responded well to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy and achieved remission for 7 years.
Four-Gland Exploration Versus Focused Parathyroidectomy for Hyperparathyroidism Jaw Tumor Syndrome

Primary hyperparathyroidism, a common endocrine disorder, is associated with familial disease in about 10% of cases. These syndromes include multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1, 2A and 4 (MEN1, MEN2A, MEN4), familial isolated hyperparathyroidism (FIHP), and the hyperparathyroidism jaw tumor (HPT-JT) syndrome. HPT-JT syndrome, an autosomal dominant disease with incomplete penetrance, results from a germline inactivating mutation in the HRPT2 gene. HPT-JT manifests with about 20% of patients having multiple enlarged parathyroid glands and/or parathyroid carcinoma. Furthermore, 28% of patients will have a recurrence during follow-up. Since these patients have a high rate of multiple enlarged parathyroid glands, parathyroid carcinoma, and recurrence, it is controversial as to what is the optimal initial surgical approach for parathyroidectomy. Clinical evidence for the optimal initial surgical approach for HPT-JT syndrome is limited to case series and retrospective small cohort studies. Furthermore, there is scant data on the clinical utility of localization studies to select the optimal operative approach. Only one study reported the results of localization studies and showed a lack of benefit due to high rates of multigland disease that would have been missed if a focused parathyroidectomy approach was used. Given the high rates of multigland disease, parathyroid carcinoma, risk of recurrence, and the possibility of missing additional enlarged glands not seen on preoperative localizing studies, bilateral neck exploration with identification of all four glands and removal of enlarged glands would be the best surgical approach given our current knowledge.
Analysis of National Presentations of Surgical Case Series Discussions: What Matters to Surgeons?

Abstract Background Although the surgical case series is a useful study design for surgical disciplines, elements of its presentation have not been standardized with a widely accepted reporting guideline. Hence, case series may not include all components necessary for surgeons to best interpret their results. We aimed to determine core elements of case series through qualitative analysis of discussions after presentations at national meetings. Methods Case series with accompanying discussions in three high-impact journals from 2010 to 2015 were analyzed with conventional content analysis. All interrogative sentences were selected for analysis and were classified by a redundant iterative process into descriptive categories and subcategories. Results Two hundred twenty-one case series were identified, 56 of which included discussion transcripts. Four hundred seventy six unique interrogatives were classified into 4 categories and 13 subcategories. The main categories identified were “Application of Results to Patient Care,” “Clarification of Study Methodology,” “Facilitation of Author Insight,” and “Request for Additional Study-Specific Data.” The most frequent subcategories of inquiry pertained to the changes to current standard of care, clarification of study variables, and subgroup data and outcomes. Conclusions We determined major themes of inquiry that reflected core elements surgeons use to evaluate case series for relevance and applicability to their own practice. Discussants frequently questioned how the study's results changed the author's standard of care. Specifically encouraging surgical case series authors to comment on changes they made to their practice as a result of their findings would allow the surgical audience to quickly assess potential clinical applicability.
A high-order Lagrangian discontinuous Galerkin hydrodynamic method for quadratic cells using a subcell mesh stabilization scheme

Abstract We present a Lagrangian discontinuous Galerkin (DG) hydrodynamic method that is up to third-order accurate using subcell mesh stabilization (SMS) for compressible flows on quadratic meshes in two-dimensional (2D) Cartesian coordinates. Similar to the second-order accurate Lagrangian DG method with linear meshes, the physical evolution equations for the specific volume, velocity, and specific total energy are discretized using a modal DG method with Taylor series polynomials. The Riemann velocity at the vertices of a curvilinear cell, and the corresponding surface forces, are calculated by solving a multidirectional approximate Riemann problem. Curvilinear cells (e.g., quadratic quadrilateral meshes in this work) have many deformational degrees of freedom, and with these cells, they can deform in unphysical ways. Likewise, the Riemann solution at an edge vertex differs from the one at the corner of a cell. With SMS, each quadratic quadrilateral cell is decomposed into four quadrilateral subcells, that move in a Lagrangian manner. The edge vertex is surrounded by four subcells so that it is similar to the vertex at the cell corner. SMS can detect inconsistent density fields between the cell and subcells. The difference between these two density fields is used to correct the stress (pressure) input to the Riemann solver. This SMS scheme enables stable mesh motion and accurate solutions in the context of a Lagrangian high-order DG method that is up to third-order with quadratic cells. We also present effective limiting strategies that ensure monotonicity of the primitive variables with the high-order DG method. This Lagrangian DG hydrodynamic method with SMS conserves mass, momentum, and total energy. A suite of test problems are calculated to demonstrate the designed order of accuracy (up to third-order accurate) of this method, and that the Lagrangian DG method using SMS preserves cylindrical symmetry on 1D radial flow problems with an equal-angle polar quadratic mesh.
The Reign of Childhood in Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom

In her analysis of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2012), Mendez Troutman examines Anderson’s disruption of internalized conceptions about childhood and adulthood, which color their representations in media. Moonrise Kingdom has largely been received as a film for teenagers and adults, in spite of the narrative and emotional focus on the children in the story; this chapter therefore attempts to challenge the notion that the film necessarily precludes a young audience by marking the ambiguities in Anderson’s characterizations of childhood and adulthood. In addition to integrating paratextual materials, including advertisements and reviews of the film, Mendez Troutman focuses the majority of her study on Anderson’s complicated, subjective portrayals of children and adults in Moonrise Kingdom.
Graduate student misunderstandings of wave functions in an asymmetric well

Many misunderstandings about wave functions in quantum mechanics persist throughout students' graduate study in physics.
Is Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction a Kidney Disorder

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous syndrome of exertional intolerance, cardiac dysfunction, and fluid overload and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As our understanding of this syndrome has evolved, we are beginning to recognize the similarities and associations with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Salt and fluid retention are common in CKD and may be the sentinel event leading ultimately to the syndrome of HFpEF. Mechanisms linking both disease states include hypervolemia, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction, which are also common to comorbidities that drive both HFpEF and CKD. In this review, we will discuss recent clinical research focusing on HFpEF, CKD, and comorbidities including hypertension and diabetes mellitus. We will review strategies for volume management and novel therapeutic approaches with new classes of drugs, including sodium-glucose cotransporters and angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitors, which may work through targeting of both the heart and the kidney. Lastly, we emphasize why focusing on the alleviation of factors provoking renal injury and slowing the progression of renal dysfunction may provide the most therapeutic benefit in patients who have been diagnosed with HFpEF.
Charting How Wealth Shapes Educational Pathways from Childhood to Early Adulthood: A Developmental Process Model

Wealth plays a pervasive role in sustaining inequality and is more inequitably distributed than household income. Research has identified that wealth contributes to children’s educational outcomes. However, the specific mechanisms accounting for these outcomes are unknown. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and its supplements, SEM was used to test a hypothesized longitudinal chain of mediating processes. Framed by the parent investment model, this study tracks children and their parents over twenty-seven years, from pre-birth to early adulthood. The analytic sample was comprised of 1247 young people who were between 6–12 years of age (M= 5.66, SD= 2.12) in 1997, the first wave of the PSID’s Child Development Supplement. This analytic sample was roughly equivalent by gender (N= 774; 53% identified as female and N= 693; 47% identified as male). The racial/ethnic background of participants was nearly an equal split between individuals who identified as White (N= 666; 45%) or Black (N= 634; 43%), with an additional 7% (N= 97) who identified as “Hispanic,” 2% (N= 40) as “Other,” 1% (N= 20) as Asian or Pacific Islander, and less than 1% (N= 6) who identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native. The results indicated that wealth (a) engenders parental and child processes—primarily expectations and achievement—that promote educational success, (b) plays a different role across the life course, and (c) that pre-birth wealth has a significant mediated relationship to educational attainment seventeen years later. These findings advance understanding of specific mediating mechanisms by which wealth may foster children’s educational success across the life course, as well as how wealth may differentially shape educational outcomes in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.
EXAFS STUDIES OF THE FERROELECTRIC PHASE TRANSITIONS INDUCED BY OFF-CENTER IONS IN PbSxTe1−x and ZnxCd1−xTe ALLOYS

Using the Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) technique, we have investigated the local structure of disordered PbSxTe1−x and ZnxCd1−xTe alloys at temperatures below and above the reported ferroelectric transition temperatures. For the PbSxTe1−x alloys (x=0.10, 0.18, and 0.30), the sulphur ions are found to be off-center in both the high and the low temperature phase and Pb sublattice and Te sublattice shift relative to one another below the transition temperature. For ZnxCd1−xTe alloys (x=0.10 and 0.20), the zinc ions are found in a slightly asymmetric site in the cages formed by four NN Te ions and no relative shift between the cation and anion sublattice is observed. We discuss our results concerning the ferroelectric phase transitions (FPT) induced by off-center ions in these two systems.
Design and Optimization Methodology of Coplanar Waveguide Test Structures for Dielectric Characterization of Thin Films

This paper describes an accurate design method of coplanar waveguide (CPW) test structures on characterizing dielectric properties of thin films with arbitrary thickness. Current CPW measurement method has difficulty in providing accurate dielectric properties of films with extremely small thickness. To address this issue, an optimized algorithm is presented to generate proper geometric parameters of CPW test structures for films with different thickness. To validate the accuracy of the proposed design methodology, various test cases of CPW structures with different dimensions have been designed and implemented, the extracted dielectric properties (e.g., dielectric constant and loss tangent) from the S-parameters of the different test cases are compared to the benchmark results simulated by accurate electromagnetic tool Ansys HFSS. It demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed optimized method on quickly producing correct dimensions of CPW test lines for accurate properties characterization of thin films.
An FDA analysis of the association of tumor growth rate and overall and progression-free survival in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

9541Background: Previous studies have suggested that tumor growth rate (g), estimated using prostate-specific antigen values, is associated with overall survival (OS) in prostate cancer (Wilkerson,...
Neuroimaging of inflammation in alcohol use disorder: a review

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a global health concern associated with several comorbidities. Various health problems related to AUD, such as cognitive deficits, have been linked to neuroinflammation. Alcohol use has been associated with changes in neuroimmune activity, although current literature has yielded mixed results. For example, markers of gliosis, including translocator protein 18-kDa (TSPO), pro-inflammatory cytokines, glutamate (Glu), and myo-inositol (mI), are disrupted in the alcohol-dependent brain. Further, neuroinflammatory-related phenomena including membrane turnover, blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and adenosine release have also shown alterations in AUD. However, current literature remains inconclusive about the directionality of these changes. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have provided insight on the relationship between alcohol use and neuroinflammatory processes, suggesting considerable treatment potential for alcohol use disorder and its inflammatory comorbidities. Here, we review current neuroimaging literature assessing the impacts of alcohol use on neuroimmune activity in the brain.
OR39: UTILITY OF ASSESSING THE C1Q BINDING ABILITY OF HLA ANTIBODIES IN MAXIMIZING DONOR POOLS AND PREDICTING RISK OF TRANSPLANT-RELATED MORBIDITY IN HEART TRANSPLANT

Pre-transplant (txp) sensitization in patients awaiting heart transplants put them at an increased risk post-txp of mortality, rejection, and chronic allograft vasculopathy and also reduces the pool of available donors. Many of the deleterious effects of the HLA antibodies (abs) are associated with their ability to activate the complement cascade. Recent reports have highlighted the correlation between C1q-binding donor-specific HLA abs (DSA) and the increased incidence of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and graft loss. It has been suggested that pre-txp identification of DSA that bind C1q will allow for better prediction of the suitability of a potential donor. We present a case report of a broadly sensitized heart txp patient (cPRA = 88%; MFI cutoff = 3,000). Based on the patient’s critical condition and to maximize opportunities for receiving suitable donor offer, MFI levels for unacceptable antigens were raised to 6,000 and a prospective flow cytometric crossmatch requirement was instituted. A low positive T- and B-cell crossmatch was observed with all sera specimen tested and was likely due to the presence of DSA against B49 and B57 (MFI = 4,000–5,000). Patient underwent intraoperative IVIG/plasmapheresis and the txp surgery proceeded without incident. Three weeks post-txp patient developed biopsy proven (strongly and diffusely C4d+) AMR without any concomitant increase in the titers of the DSA. Retrospective study was initiated to compare of the ability of the detected, pre-txp and post-txp HLA abs to bind C1q using single-HLA-antigen-coated beads. Results indicated that HLA abs observed in the pre-txp specimen did not bind C1q, even in the presence of AHG. Significantly and in sharp contrast, isotype switching was evident in the post-txp specimen. Several HLA abs including the DSA (B49) displayed an increased ability to bind C1q. This study highlights 2 important facets of assessing the relevance of identifying the complement-activating ability of HLA abs. Firstly, it suggests that evaluating the presence/absence of C1q binding HLA abs may provide important information to analyze the suitability of a potential donor. Secondly and in contrast, it suggests that evaluating pre-transplant isotype of potential DSA are of limited efficacy in predicting the AMR-free duration post-txp.
An Unusual Pattern of Premature Cervical Spine Degeneration in STAT3-LOF

Loss of function mutations in STAT3 (STAT3-LOF; autosomal dominant hyper-IgE (Job’s) syndrome) are associated with a variety of musculoskeletal manifestations, including scoliosis, osteoporosis, and minimal trauma fractures. This retrospective magnetic resonance (MR) imaging study sought to characterize an unusual pattern of cervical spine degeneration among a cohort of STAT3-LOF patients. Cervical spine MR images of the STAT3-LOF cohort (n = 38) were assessed for a variety of degenerative changes and compared to age-matched groups of controls (n = 42) without known immune or musculoskeletal abnormalities. A unique pattern of premature cervical spine degeneration was identified among the STAT3-LOF cohort which included straightening and eventual reversal of the normal cervical lordosis, mainly due to multi-level spondylolisthesis, as well as early development of spinal canal narrowing, cord compression, and myelomalacia. Cervical spine degeneration in the STAT3-LOF cohort was significantly worse than controls in both the 30–45 and 45 + age groups. Moderate to severe degenerative changes were present after age 30, and markedly worsened over time in several cases. Bone mineral density (BMD) had a moderate negative correlation with cervical degeneration severity and a strong negative correlation with age among STAT3-LOF participants. Cervical degeneration in STAT3-LOF appears to be progressive and could result in cord compromise if left unaddressed. Focused history and physical examination for signs of neurologic compromise as well as periodic MR imaging are thus recommended for the evaluation of premature cervical spine degeneration in STAT3-LOF patients after age 30 so that timely surgical interventions may be considered to prevent spinal cord damage and permanent neurological deficits.
The CEO’s tenure life cycle, corporate social responsibility and the moderating role of the CEO’s political orientation

Abstract Despite scholarly attention on CEOs’ influence on corporate social responsibility (CSR), the CEO-CSR relationship has generally been assumed as linear, and we know little about what factors explain variation in firm CSR participation over time. Taking into consideration the power and motivation of CEOs during their tenure life cycle, we argue that there is a curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between tenure and CSR. We further argue that CEOs’ political orientation will moderate this relationship. Our results show that CSR activity varies with CEO tenure in the inverted U-shaped relationship but the association between tenure and CSR changes dramatically with CEO political orientation. Liberal CEOs maintain higher CSR in their late tenure compared to conservative CEOs who reduce CSR.
Using Yeast to Study Exchange of Macromolecules between the Cytoplasm and the Nucleus

Research over the past ten years has yielded information about the mechanism and some of the factors required for the specific uptake of certain proteins by the nucleus (see, for example, Garcia-Bustos et al., 1991; Silver, 1991; Stochaj and Silver, 1992 for recent review). Proteins move from their site of synthesis in the cytoplasm to the nuclear envelope. Specific targeting to the nucleus is accomplished in some cases by the presence of a short stretch of amino acids on the nuclear-destined proteins, termed an NLS for nuclear localization sequence. The NLS may mediate the interaction of the transported protein with cytoplasmic carriers or “receptors.” We know that proteins enter the nucleus via an aqueous channel formed by a complex of proteins in the nuclear envelope (termed the NPC for nuclear pore complex [Feldherr et al., 1984]). NLS-containing proteins may pass through the pore in association with the receptor or released from the receptor at the pore entry. The import process has been shown to require ATP in animal cells, Xenopus oocytes and yeast (Newmeyer and Forbes, 1988; Richardson et al., 1988; Breeuwer and Goldfarb, 1990; Garcia-Bustos et al., 1991).
Intravernal changes in the level of parasitization of the southern green stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), by the feather-legged fly (Diptera: Tachinidae): host sex, mating status, and body size as correlated factors.

In 1989, the number of eggs of the parasitoid, Trichopoda pennipes (F.), on the cuticle of southern green stink bugs, Nezara viridula (L.), increased throughout the spring for the cohort emerging f...
Patterns of Relationship Recognition by Same-Sex Couples in the United States

Since 1997, 19 states and the District of Columbia have extended legal recognition to the relationships of same-sex couples. The form of legal recognition has varied to include marriage, civil unions, state-registered domestic partnerships, and limited-rights statuses, such as reciprocal beneficiary relationships. These varied forms of recognition entail different packages of legal rights and responsibilities for the couples entering them. This study provides a demographic analysis of the same-sex couples who marry, enter civil unions, or register their partnership in these states, covering the full range of legal statuses.
A case study of pediatric tetanus in Rural Zambia

Background: Health care professionals from industrialized nations often travel to work in developing countries as volunteers during natural disasters, as part of short-term medical missions, or to work as members of armed forces and non-governmental organizations. When providing direct patient care, these clinicians are more likely to encounter vaccine-preventable diseases that they may rarely observe in a developed country. In addition, many children who do not have adequate vaccine coverage enter developed nations through international adoption processes or as political refugees. Additionally, despite much debunking of immunization myths, there is a sizable community of parents who choose to withhold immunizations from their children because of fear of unproven side effects. Methods and Results: This case study highlights a case of a globally-common, vaccine-preventable disease (tetanus), which rarely occurs in developed nations but is more common in Africa and Asia. Diagnosis and management of a 7-year old boy is presented with differential diagnoses and adaptation of optimal disease management within the context of an undeveloped nation. All cases of tetanus are diagnosed clinically, with laboratory testing used to rule out other causes of neurological impairment. The management of acute tetanus infection includes vaccination, antibiotics, immunoglobulin or antitoxin, and nutritional support. Even with optimal treatment, tetanus infection has a high fatality rate and requires prompt recognition for best possible outcomes. Conclusion: Educating caregivers about the importance and safety of immunizations and maintaining the appropriate vaccination schedule is vital to control these preventable diseases.
Selective inhibition of reovirus ribonucleic acid synthesis by cycloheximide.

Abstract Cycloheximide, at a concentration of 10 μg/ml, rapidly blocked protein synthesis in L cells infected with reovirus. When the drug was added before 5 hr postinfection, synthesis of both single- and double-stranded varieties of virus-specific ribonucleic acid (RNA), which normally commences between 6 and 7 hr after infection, was blocked. When the cycloheximide was added at 9 hr after infection, uptake of uridine-H3 into RNA, for the succeeding 6 hr at least, was similar to that of an infected culture without the drug. This latter uptake of uridine-H3 in the presence of cycloheximide was largely into single-stranded RNA, since double-stranded RNA synthesis was rapidly and markedly inhibited by the cycloheximide. Single-stranded RNA formed in the presence of cycloheximide was found not to be a precursor of viral progeny, double-stranded RNA. Synthesis of double-stranded RNA in the infected cell probably requires prior synthesis of a new protein, which has a rapid rate of turnover. The possibility that formation of single-stranded RNA is preceded by synthesis of a second new protein is discussed.
Mid-IR tissue ablation using a solid-state 5-7 /spl mu/m tunable source

This study investigates IR tissue ablation in the 5-7 /spl mu/m region using a solid-state tunable source operating at a wavelength range of 4.5-8 /spl mu/m. Preliminary light microscopy evaluations show that the ablation craters generated in gelation tissue phantoms using optical parametric oscillator (OPO) look very similar in appearance to those generated by free-electron laser (FEL). Therefore, this suggests that the ablation mechanism at 6.45 /spl mu/m is thermal in nature.
A perspective on use of neural-net computing in training simulator design

The authors explore and demonstrate the feasibility of combined artificial intelligence/neural-net methodology for carrying out dynamic power system analysis in real-time. This methodology will be capable of characterizing the near term transient stability of the system, as well as perform mid-term and long term dynamic security analyses. In the transient stability analysis, the authors are principally concerned with a question whether the system can return to the steady state. In the mid-term and long-term-security analysis, they are also concerned with a manner in which the final steady state is reached, whether system performance constraints are violated on the way and whether further protective actions might be triggered unexpectedly with undesired actions. >
Electromagnetic modeling of objects with curved edges and surfaces using the conformal FDTD

In this paper, we present two illustrative applications of a software package based on the Conformal Finite Difference Time Domain (CFDTD) method. The examples include objects with either a curved edge, or a curved surface, that are not easily simulated accurately using the conventional FDTD technique. We show that the CFDTD simulation results agree well with the published data.
Decoupling the effects of heating and flaming on chemical and sensory changes during flambé cooking

Abstract Anecdotal and literature accounts on the combustion, or flaming, of high-proof spirits during food preparation (flambe) have reported ethanol losses, browning and sensory changes of the final product. In this work, the effects of heating and combustion were decoupled by preparing model flambe (heated-and-ignited) systems alongside similar systems which were heated but not ignited. In a simple flambe systems consisting only of vodka, we observed a 24.7% loss of ethanol in the heated-and-ignited treatments and a 34.7% loss in the heated-not-ignited systems. In a model caramel sauce containing butter, sugar, and vodka, no significant difference in ethanol loss was observed between the ignited (13.2%) and not-ignited (14.1%) treatments. In both systems, the majority of ethanol loss was due to heating rather than combustion. No significant difference was observed in Hunter lightness (L) values between heated-and-ignited and heated-not-ignited treatments for the butter–sugar–vodka system, suggesting that the effect of flambe on browning was minimal. Maximum surface and flame temperatures were then measured in the vodka system by thermocouples. While maximum flame temperatures up to 532 °C were observed during 15 s of flaming, the maximum temperature at 1 cm above the pan surface was 67 °C, below temperatures typically required for significant Maillard or caramelization reactions on this time scale. In triangle tests using the vodka system, panelists were able to discriminate heated-and-ignited from the unheated control and, in one experiment, from the heated-not-ignited sample, even when treated samples were reconstituted with water and ethanol lost. However, for the butter–sugar–vodka system, the majority of panelists could not discriminate between ignited and not-ignited treatments.
The core-walras equivalence

The equivalence of cores and competitive equilibrium sets in the very general framework of Boolean rings and algebras is proved. The results include most previous results as special cases. In particular, it is shown that Theorems 1 and 2 of M. K. Richter (J. Econom. Theory 3 (1971), 323–334) remain true without the usual assumptions of δ-algebras for coalitions and δ-additive measures for allocations. This permits economies with countably many agents, rather than requiring continuumly many.
The nature and extent of body-image disturbances in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A meta-analysis

Objective Although body-image disturbance is among the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the nature and extent of this disturbance have not been precisely identified. This is the purpose of this first meta-analysis of extant research on body image and eating disorders. Method: Using contemporary techniques, the meta-analysis systematically examined 66 studies (from 1974 to 1993) of perceptual and attitudinal parameters of body image among anorexics and bulimics relative to control groups. Results: Attitudinal body dissatisfaction, both questionnaire and self-ideal discrepancy measures, produced substantially larger effect sizes than did perceptual size-estimation inaccuracy. Body dissatisfaction measures, whether global or weight/shape related, differentiated bulimic and anorexic groups (with bulimics having more dissatisfaction), whereas perceptual distortion indices did not. Somewhat larger effects occurred with whole-body than with body-part size-estimation assessments. Size distortion among patients with eating disorders appears unlikely to reflect a more generalized sensory/perceptual deficit. Discussion: Scientific, conceptual, and clinical implications of these findings are delineated. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 22: 107–125, 1997.
Cruel And Unusual Punishment: A Slowly Metamorphosing Concept

Newly appointed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas criticized his colleagues for turning the Constitution into a national code of prison regulation and for misapplying the Eighth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment of the Bill of Rights forbids the imposition of cruel and unusual punishment, a concept vaguely defined by the Constitution's authors. Court interpretations of the concept reveal that it draws its meaning from an evolving standard of decency that represents the progress of a maturing society. The idea of "cruel and unusual punishment" was first applied by the U.S. Supreme Court to state statutes in 1961 and to the prison system in 1976. Currently, there is no consensus on the application of the concept to state statutes in determining constitutional punishments. In prisons, however, the application of it has stalled and narrowed considerably, making prisoners less likely to prevail successfully in the courtroom. This paper concludes that Justice Thomas's characterization of the Court's inte...
Introduction to the OR Forum Article: “The Cost of Latency in High-Frequency Trading”

Comment on “The Cost of Latency in High-Frequency Trading” by Ciamac C. Moallemi and Mehmet Saglam.
Analysing the novice analyst: cognitive models in software engineering

Abstract Cognitive problem-solving by novice systems analysts during a requirements analysis task was investigated by protocol analysis. Protocols were collected from 13 subjects who analysed a scheduling problem. Reasoning, planning, conceptual modelling and information gathering behaviours were recorded and subject's solutions were evaluated for completeness and accuracy. The protocols showed an initial problem scoping phase followed by more detailed reasoning. Performance in analysis was not linked to any one factor although reasoning was correlated with success. Poor performance could be ascribed to failure to scope the problem, poor formation of a conceptual model of the problem domain, or insufficient testing of hypotheses. Good performance concorded with well-formed conceptual models and good reasoning/testing abilities. The implication of these results for structured systems development methods and Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools are discussed.
Cerebrospinal fluid changes in two horses with central nervous system nematodiasis (Micronema deletrix).

Two horses with cerebrospinal nematodiasis (Micronema deletrix) had signs similar to those of other neurologic diseases resulting from parasitic (fly larvae, protozoa, or other helminths) migration through the central nervous system (CNS). In one horse (horse 1), a 13-year-old Paso Fino stallion, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was slightly xanthochromic (1+), with a pleocytosis (25 nucleated cells/μl) and a normal protein level (69 mg/dl). A CSF differential cell count showed 15% neutrophils, 56% lymphocytes, 22% macrophages, 5% eosinophils, and 2% basophils. In the other horse (horse 2), a 19-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse stallion, the CSF was modestly xanthochromic (2+), with a pleocytosis (81 nucleated cells/μl) and a modestly elevated protein concentration (114 mg/dl). A CSF differential cell count showed 9% neutrophils, 41% lymphocytes, and 50% macrophages. The CSF changes were consistent with those described for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis and verminous encephalitis. The microscopic lesions in both brains contained multifocal areas of malaria and granulomatous inflammation. Meningeal vessels throughout the brain were greatly thickened and inflamed, and they contained parasites. The CSF changes were not specific and histopathologic examination was required for a definitive diagnosis. (Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 1988; 2:201–205)
A study of strength of relationship between music groups and their external service providers: impacts on music group success.

Abstract Very little academic research exists on the marketing and management of musical groups. Music is a service industry, but it has some special characteristics in terms of its relationship with external service providers that make this study particularly critical. What are the relationships between music groups and their external service providers like? Are these service providers doing a good job in the eyes of the musicians? The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes of musical groups toward external service providers, and test whether more successful musical groups share the same attitudes with less successful groups.
Multiple Internal Rate of Return Revisited: Frequency of Occurrences

Research in multiple internal rate of return (MROR) has mainly focused on three areas: uniqueness, conditions where MROR occur, and solutions to MROR. In an attempt to solve for MROR, researchers have assumed that the occurrence of MROR is prevalent and thus a solution is direly needed. This article examines the probability that positive MROR would occur when variation is incorporated into the cash flow and the probability of getting positive MROR when multiple sign-change cash flow is generated. Results show that the probability of positive MROR occurring in multiple sign-change cash flows is relatively low and potentially a rare event.
The pediatric challenge of heart surgery

Advances in the surgical management of children, in particular neonates with complex and previously lethal congenital heart disease has led to a dramatic improvement in survival. Nevertheless, complex heart surgery is sometimes associated with significant multi-organ disorders. These may originate from an adverse pre-operative condition, from post-operative circulatory failure and from the adverse effects of long-term intensive supportive therapy. Therefore, each neonate with a congenital heart defect must have a thorough workup for associated or genetically determined defects. Metabolic disturbances must be corrected before surgery as far as possible. After surgical correction, organ failure is almost exclusively the result of circulatory failure. Cardiac tamponade, also tamponade without pericardial fluid but by swelling of the heart within the pericardium and closed thorax, must be considered. If circulatory instability persists in spite of adequate heart rate and rhythm, optimized pre- and afterload and optimal myocardial support, the patient must be scrutinized for residual heart defects and surgical reintervention may be strongly indicated. Respiratory failure may be a sign of heart failure. Renal support therapy may facilitate fluid management and may be a lifesaving bridge to total or partial recovery of renal function, provided heart failure is overcome. However, there is no evidence for routine renal replacement therapy to prevent postsurgical multi-organ failure. Children with congenital heart defects can be treated appropriately only within a multidisciplinary team in which pediatric intensivists, heart surgeons, cardioanaesthesiologists, and pediatric cardiologists can rely on a high standard of care from other pediatric disciplines.
Recreating past separations and the employment pattern of nurses, 1900–1940

This article explores the roots of nursing's ongoing definitional struggle, during the formative period 1900 to 1940, by examining changes in the employment pattern of early nurses.
Tuberculosis: What nurses need to know to help control the epidemic

Professional nursing must demonstrate leadership for controlling the epidemic of tuberculosis.