cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of biomarkers and genetic profiling on breast cancer prognostication: A comparative analysis of the 8th edition of breast cancer staging system

The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging guidelines combine traditional TNM system with biomarkers to reflect our current understanding of tumor biology and targeted therapy. In this study, we investigated the impact of the TNM + Biomarkers staging system and the additive value of Oncotype Dx™ genomic profile recurrence score (RS) (TNM + Biomarkers+RS <11) for the staging of breast cancer (BC) using data from two tertiary referral cancer centers. Compared to TNM alone, the TNM + Biomarkers system changed the stage group in 32.7% of BCs (27% downstage, 5.7% upstage). Most (98.3%) of the downstaged BCs were estrogen receptor (ER)+/progesterone receptor (PR)+, whereas 78% of the upstaged BCs were ER-/PR-/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-. Compared to TNM + Biomarkers staging, the addition of genetic profile data (TNM + Biomarker+RS <11) downstaged only <1% BCs. Our analysis suggests that for T1-T2N0 ER+/HER2- BCs, Oncotype Dx™ RS <11 provides added value as a staging parameter only in a very small group of cases compared to TNM + Biomarkers alone.
The impact of Vibrio fischeri strain variation on host colonization.

Strain-level epidemiology is a key approach to understanding the mechanisms underlying establishment of any host-microbe association. The squid-vibrio light organ symbiosis has proven to be an informative and tractable experimental model in which to discover these mechanisms because it involves only one bacterial species, Vibrio fischeri. In this horizontally transmitted symbiosis, the squid presents nutrients to the bacteria located in a bilobed light-emitting organ, while the symbionts provide bioluminescence to their host. To initiate this association, V. fischeri cells go through several distinct stages: from free-living in the bacterioplankton, to forming a multicellular aggregation near pores on the light organ’s surface, to migrating through the pores and into crypts deep in the light organ, where the symbiont population grows and luminesces. Because individual cells must successfully navigate these distinct regions, phenotypic differences between strains will have a strong impact on the composition of the population finally colonizing the squid. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of behavioral characteristics that differentially drive a strain’s success, including its effectiveness of aggregation, the rapidity with which it reaches the deep crypts, and its deployment of type VI secretion.
Associations between morphological and FHB traits in a soft red winter wheat population

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a destructive disease in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and other small grains. Morphological traits can act as barrier between pathogen and plant and provide a passive form of resistance to disease. The objectives were: (1) to phenotype 250 soft red winter wheat (SRWW) breeding lines and cultivars for morphological traits in 2015–2016; (2) to estimate their correlations with disease resistance; and (3) to identify QTL for morphological traits associated with FHB resistance through genome-wide association study (GWAS). Morphological traits measured were anther extrusion, plant height, peduncle length, spike length (SL), spikelet number (SN), spike density (SD), spike inclination (SI). Agronomic traits included heading date and yield. Disease traits were: FHB-rating, incidence, severity, FHB-index, Fusarium damaged kernels and deoxynivalenol (DON) concentration. There were significant (p < 0.01) differences among genotypes for all morphological traits measured. Moderate heritabilities (0.41–0.66) for spike traits were estimated. Morphological and disease traits were generally negatively correlated; e.g. there was a significant (p < 0.01) negative correlation between spike inclination and DON. GWAS identified 29 significant (p < 0.001) SNPs associated with morphological traits, ranging from − 3.54 to 9.58% of the trait mean. Potential SNPs for yield were located on chromosomes 1B, 3B and 6A. Despite the small effects identified for the SNPs, several morphological traits should be considered for phenotypic and/or genomic selection in FHB resistance breeding programs.
The questions they asked: Joseph Banks and naturalists in the Pacific Ocean

Did Arcadia actually exist as a place? How do species evolve? Would it be possible to harness and tame a whale for human use? Natural scientists and explorers pondered a range of fascinating – and ...
History's Shadow: Native Americans and Historical Consciousness in the Nineteenth Century

Review of: "History's Shadow: Native Americans and Historical Consciousness in the Nineteenth Century," by Steven Conn.
In Reply: Tirofiban Protocol Protects Against Delayed Cerebral Ischemia: A Case-Series Study.

Background There has not been any effective prophylaxis for delayed cerebral ischemia delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) since the introduction of nimodipine. Platelet inhibition may reduce the risk by preventing the formation of microthrombi. Tirofiban has been used as a single monotherapy bridge given its safety profile and controlled platelet inhibition. Objective To assess the risk of DCI in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages (aSAH) patients treated with the tirofiban protocol. Methods aSAH patients between December 2010 and March 2019 who were treated with stent assisted coiling or flow-diverting device were started on a continuous tirofiban infusion protocol and were compared with patients who underwent coil embolization without antiplatelet therapy. Safety analysis was performed to assess DCI, hemorrhagic, and ischemic events. Results A total of 21 patients were included in the tirofiban series and 81 in the control group. There was no statistical difference in age, gender, Hunt-Hess grade, and Fisher scale between the 2 groups except for a higher Fisher grade II in the tirofiban group. Multivariate analysis revealed tirofiban to reduce the risk of vasospasm by 72 percent (OR .28, P = .03), without affecting the risk of hemorrhagic complications (OR = 0.50, P = .26). Tirofiban reduced the risk of symptomatic stroke endovascular procedure but it did not reach significance (P = .06). DCI, older age, and postprocedural symptomatic stroke were significant predictors of mortality. Tirofiban reduced the mortality risk, but this association was not statistically significant. Conclusion The tirofiban protocol in aSAH patients reduces the risk of DCI without conferring additional risks. This supports previous findings were antiplatelet therapy reduced DCI in human and animal models.
An Improved Performance Test Method for UHF Sensors

Effective height is used as a characterization parameter in current ultra-high frequency (UHF) sensor performance test. It describes the sensitivity of sensors to different spectral components of the signals, but is incapable of reflecting the time domain response of sensors, making it inconvenient to carry out UHF detection based on time domain signals. An improved UHF sensor performance test method, including a test system and characterization parameters is proposed. The amplitude-frequency characteristic and phase-frequency characteristic of the effective height is obtained from scattering parameters measured using a vector network analyzer. Further, by calculating the analytic impulse response, extracting three time domain parameters, including peak value of the envelope,envelope width and ringing time. The effect of the test method is discussed after a comparison test of two UHF sensor with different time domain parameters detecting a simulated partial discharge signal. The study shows that the proposed characterization and measurement system is capable of measuring the time domain and frequency domain parameters of UHF sensors and representing their behaviors under partial discharge pulse signals.
Outcomes for the superior cavopulmonary connection in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome: a 30-year experience.

Objectives The objective of this study was to estimate hospital mortality and length of stay (LOS) for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome undergoing superior cavopulmonary connection (SCPC). Methods All hypoplastic left heart syndrome interstage survivors who underwent SCPC between 1 January 1988 and 31 December 2017 were included. The study period was divided into 4 eras based on changes in operative or medical management. Mortality rates were estimated using standard binomial proportions. Adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for mortality and LOS. Results The most common procedures for the cohort (n = 958) were Hemi-Fontan (57.3%) or Bidrectional Glenn shunt (35.7%). The mortality was 4.1% overall and decreased in all 3 later eras compared to era 1. Factors associated with mortality in a multiple covariate model included longer total support time, earlier gestational age, longer LOS at the Norwood Procedure and need for additional procedures. Overall, the median LOS was 7.0 days with a decrease from eras 1 to 2 and plateaued in eras 3 and 4. Predictors of longer LOS included genetic anomaly, longer Norwood LOS, additional procedures, lower weight at surgery and longer total support time. The type of SCPC was not associated with mortality or LOS. Conclusions In this large cohort of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome undergoing SCPC, hospital mortality has decreased significantly. LOS initially declined but plateaued in recent eras. The risk factors for mortality and longer LOS are related to patient and procedural complexity, especially the need for additional procedures at the time of SCPC.
A Small-RNA-Mediated Feedback Loop Maintains Proper Levels of 22G-RNAs in C. elegans.

Summary RNA interference (RNAi) is an essential regulatory mechanism in all animals. In Caenorhabditis elegans, several classes of small RNAs act to silence or license expression of mRNA targets. ERI-6/7 is required for the production of some endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and acts as a negative regulator of the exogenous RNAi pathway. We find that the genomic locus encoding eri-6/7 contains two distinct regions that are targeted by endogenous siRNAs. Loss of these siRNAs disrupts eri-6/7 mRNA expression, resulting in increased production of siRNAs from other small RNA pathways because these pathways compete with eri-6/7-dependent transcripts for access to the downstream siRNA amplification machinery. Thus, the pathway acts like a small-RNA-mediated feedback loop to ensure homeostasis of gene expression by small RNA pathways. Similar feedback loops that maintain chromatin homeostasis have been identified in yeast and Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting an evolutionary conservation of feedback mechanisms in gene regulatory pathways.
Dysfunctional tribalism in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises

This paper explores the cliquish behavior of the group of friends and acquaintances in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, arguing that sexual dysfunction is portrayed as part of a larger malais...
Prevalence and Distribution of Electronic Cigarette Use Before and During Pregnancy among Women in 38 States of the United States.

INTRODUCTION To examine the prevalence and the changing pattern of e-cigarette use from preconception to pregnancy. AIMS AND METHODS This is a cross-sectional study using data from the multi-site Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System in the United States, 2016-2017. All participating mothers with information on e-cigarette use before and during pregnancy were included. Self-reported information about e-cigarette use were assessed using questionnaires. Weighted prevalences of e-cigarette use before and during pregnancy were calculated. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the association between various demographic characteristics and e-cigarette use before or during pregnancy. RESULTS This study included 69 508 pregnant women from 38 states in the United States. The weighted prevalence of e-cigarette use before pregnancy and during the last 3 months of pregnancy was 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.4%-3.9%) and 1.1% (0.9%-1.2%), respectively. The prevalence varied across states, ranging from 1.3% to 8.3% for e-cigarette use before pregnancy and from 0.1% to 3.4% for e-cigarette use during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Among women who used e-cigarettes before pregnancy, 24.4% (21.7%-27.1%) continued to use e-cigarettes during pregnancy. Among women who used e-cigarettes during pregnancy, 62.3% (56.5%-68.0%) were dual users. In multivariable analyses, cigarette smoking was most strongly associated with e-cigarette use. The adjusted odds ratio comparing smokers with nonsmokers before pregnancy was 11.10 (95% CI 9.34-13.20) for e-cigarette use before pregnancy and 6.72 (95% CI 4.38-10.31) for e-cigarette use during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Using data from 38 states in the United States, we showed geographical variations in the prevalence of e-cigarette use before and during pregnancy. Among women who used e-cigarettes before pregnancy, a quarter of them continued to use e-cigarettes during pregnancy. Conventional cigarette use is a strong risk factor for e-cigarette use before and during pregnancy. The prevalence of e-cigarette use needs to be monitored continuously. IMPLICATIONS This study provides important information to understand the status and changing patterns of e-cigarette use in pregnant women in the United States. Among pregnant women in 38 states in the United States, 3.6% of them used e-cigarettes during the 3 months before pregnancy and 1.1% used them during the last 3 months of pregnancy. The prevalence varied across states. A quarter of women who used e-cigarettes before pregnancy continued to use e-cigarettes during pregnancy. Cigarette smoking is the strongest predictor of e-cigarette use. Future research about health effects of e-cigarette use during pregnancy is in urgent need.
Capturing pathogenic immune cells before they home to brain.

Summary In this issue, Kaufmann and colleagues 1 describe a population of immune cells that home to brain in multiple sclerosis (MS). Using an approved therapeutic, targeting α4β1integrin, they demonstrated how to trap these cells in blood, opening the possibility for their elimination before they cross into brain.
Study on Advancements in Neuromodulation

Recent advancements in neuromodulation such as spinal cord stimulation and neuromuscular stimulation in spinal cord injury have made it possible for patients with complete paralysis to recover motor function. In this mini-review, these recent studies were reviewed, possible mechanisms of such motor recovery were analyzed, and ways to further improve neuromodulation for function restoration were outlined. In addition, since complete paralysis is usually incurable, the progress of recent neuromodulation studies in spinal cord injury opens up new possibilities that neuromodulation may treat other incurable diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. This mini-review further discussed perspectives to release the full potential of neuromodulation to achieve significant clinical effectiveness and reduce adverse effects in the reestablishment of physiological homeostasis in order to bring cure to patients with incurable diseases and relieve them from suffering.
Purification and reconstitution of skeletal muscle calcium channels.

Publisher Summary L-type calcium channels mediate long-lasting calcium currents in response to strong depolarizations, and are the principal calcium channels in muscle tissues. This chapter focuses on purification and reconstitution of the L-type calcium channel from skeletal muscle. They are distinguished by their sensitivity to organic calcium channel modulators including the dihydropyridines (DHP), phenylalkylamines, and benzothiazepines. In skeletal muscle, L-type calcium channels mediate a slowly activated, long-lasting calcium current in the transverse tubules, which is blocked by DHP calcium channel antagonists. L-type calcium channel activity is observed at the single-channel level after reconstitution of purified channel preparations into planar bilayers. The results of ion flux, patch pipette, and macroscopic bilayer methods show that purified skeletal muscle calcium channels retain selective ion conductance activity that is modulated appropriately by calcium channel-modulating drugs and protein phosphorylation.
Transduction by ultraviolet-irradiated virulent bacteriophage.

Transduction of Salmonella typhimurium LT-2 recipients by temperate or virulent strains of phage PLT-22 was performed, and the transducted colonies were counted after 2 days of incubation at 37 deg C. The transduction frequencies obtained with the virulent mutant phages were markedly dependent on ultraviolet dosage. The maximal transduction frequency was obtained when tide plaque titer was reduced to 10/sup/-7/ with an ultraviolet dosage of 6000 ergs/mm/sup/ 2/. Transduction could not be demonstrated with ultraviolet irradiated virulent phages unrelated to known transducing phage. (P.C.H.)
Making decisions under uncertainty — Applications of a hierarchical approach in industrial practice

Abstract This work is concerned with production planning of manufacturing systems under uncertainty. The dynamic systems are formulated by differential equations with Markovian disturbances. The random demand and random production capacity are modeled by two finite-state continuous-time Markov chains. To obtain the optimal feedback policies requires minimizing a discounted cost function, for which numerical solutions may be infeasible for large-scale systems. To address the issue of “curse of dimensionality”, we resort to hierarchical approach and seek nearly optimal solutions. Application examples are provided for illustration.
Watershed Reanalysis of Water and Carbon Cycle Models at a Critical Zone Observatory

Terrestrial water and nutrient cycling are generally described as interacting hydrological and biogeochemi-cal processes with various assumptions about the degree of coupling. Biogeochemical processes are generally assumed to be relatively slow in comparison to rainfall-runoff dynamics. From a hydrologic point of view, the assumption is typically that biophysical properties of vegetation are fixed or simply respond to the seasonal changes in the energy-water conditions without long-term changes. This assumption may provide adequate short-term hydrological model performance, however, longer term vegetation and soil biophysical contributions to hydrological processes are not resolved with this approach [
As2S3/Sr(Ti0.7Co0.3)O3 and As2S3/Sr(Ti0.6Fe0.4)O3 strip-loaded waveguides for integrated magneto-optical isolator applications

Sr(Ti 0.6 Fe 0.4 )O 3 (STF) and Sr(Ti 0.7 Co 0.3 )O 3 (STC) room-temperature ferromagnetic oxides were grown epitaxially on LaAlO3(001), (LaSr)(AlTa)O 3 (001) and Si (001) substrates. Both materials were demonstrated to be magneto-optically active, and more optically transparent at 1550nm wavelength compared with other non-garnet ferromagnetic materials. As 2 S 3 /STF and As 2 S 3 /STC strip-loaded waveguides were fabricated on epitaxial STF or STC films grown on LSAT (001) substrates using thermal evaporation and lift-off processing. The absorption of STF at 1550 nm was measured by ellipsometry and by optical transmission spectrum measurements of the As 2 S 3 /STF waveguides, which gave similar results. A novel design for a Non-Reciprocal Phase Shift (NRPS) strip-loaded waveguide using chalcogenide glass (ChG) as the guiding layer is proposed. The NRPS and figure of merit of these waveguides are simulated. The ChG strip-loaded waveguide structure shows advantages both in fabrication and device performance according to the simulation results. Our study suggests the possibility of magneto-optical magneto-optical isolators monolithically integrated on a silicon platform.
Class and Object

Class and object are the fundamental concepts of object-oriented technologies. All other concepts are based on them. In this article, the concepts of class and object are defined. Their relationships are also discussed. Class and object diagrams are presented for modeling static and dynamic structures of object-oriented software systems. Keywords: static structure; attribute; operation; class diagram; object diagram; run time; dynamical structure
Diet quality and physical activity in relation to childhood obesity.

Objective Healthy lifestyles such as being physically active and eating a healthy diet help reduce the childhood obesity risk. However, population-level studies on the relationship between lifestyles and childhood obesity typically focus on either physical activity or diet but seldom both. This study examined physical activity and diet quality in relation to obesity in a nationally representative sample of U.S. children and adolescents. Methods The study sample of 2818 children 6-17 years old came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006 waves. A healthy eating index (HEI)-2010 was constructed based on two nonconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls. Participants at or above the 60th percentile of the HEI-2010 score were classified as consuming a healthy diet. Participants engaging in at least 60 min of moderate-vigorous physical activity daily measured by accelerometer were classified as being physically active. Adjusted average marginal effect of diet quality and physical activity on obesity was calculated based on estimates from logistic regressions. Results Compared with those consuming a healthy diet who are physically active, the estimated probabilities for overweight and obesity were 19.03 (95% confidence interval: 11.31, 26.74) and 15.84 (10.48, 21.21) percentage points higher among children consuming an unhealthy diet and who are physically inactive, 16.53 (7.58, 25.48) and 13.48 (5.68, 21.29) percentage points higher among children consuming a healthy diet but who are physically inactive and 3.22 (-3.43, 9.88) and 3.10 (-3.08, 9.29) percentage points higher among children consuming an unhealthy diet but physically active, respectively. Conclusion Healthy habit formation at an early age is essential in obesity prevention.
Chemical Agents from Occupational Sources

The sections in this article are: 1 Effective Physiological Activity 2 Acids and Alkalies 3 Chemical Carcinogens 4 Plastics 5 Production Hazards 6 Processing Hazards 7 Concluding Remarks
Comparing leaching of different copper oxide nanoparticles and ammoniacal copper salt from wood

Copper-based nanoparticle wood preservatives typically contain a mixture of nanoparticles. We test the effect of nanoparticle size on copper leaching, and if the leachate contains nanoparticles, by treating southern pine sapwood with copper oxide nanoparticles with uniform diameters of 10 and 50 nm. Significant numbers of nanoparticles are found in the leachate from the treated wood, and trends show that size is a major factor. The 50 nm nanoparticles leach slightly less than the control (ammonium copper salt), whereas 10 nm nanoparticles leach more. Effects of polymer stabilizers are also tested and they increase nanoparticle leaching compared to unstabilized nanoparticles.
Effects of exercise on cognition following chronic inflammation

Exercise enhances cognitive function and neural plasticity. Further, prior work indicates that exercise can attenuate the enhanced cognitive deficits seen in aged subjects in response to an immune challenge. Age-related changes in immune activity begin around middle age. However, whether exercise can attenuate the cognitive deficits following immune activation earlier in the aging process (i.e. middle age) is currently unknown. The present study examined whether exercise alleviates the exaggerated cognitive deficits and immune response in middle-aged mice following chronic exposure to lipopolysaccharide. Middle-aged (11–13 months) and adult (3–6 months) mice were housed in a standard cage or given free access to a running wheel for 8 weeks. Subsequently, mice were administered daily systemic saline or LPS injections for five consecutive days. During treatment, mice were evaluated for alterations in associative learning using a two-way active avoidance task. After the final day of testing, brain tissue and spleens were collected to assess proinflammatory cytokine expression. Preliminary data confirm that LPS disrupts associative learning. In addition, wheel running served as a cognitive enhancer in both adult and middle-aged animals. However, wheel running had no ameliorating effects on the behavioral response to LPS exposure in either adult or middle-aged animals. Analysis of the tissue samples will determine whether middle-aged mice show a differential immune response to chronic LPS compared to adults and whether exercise modifies this response.
Cognitive-behavioral treatments

The present paper provides an overview of the guiding theory and descriptive features of the cognitive-behavioral approach to psychosocial interventions for youths. Cognitive-behavioral treatment has been applied to various disorders including anxiety, aggression, depression, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, pain, and learning disabilities. Research on the nature of these disorders, a description of related treatment strategies, and an illustrative review of treatment outcome data is provided. Discussion focuses on a consideration of familial involvement, developmental factors, and methodological issues (i.e., comorbidity and normative comparisons) that require research attention.
A role for ADP-ribosylation factor 6 in the processing of G-protein-coupled receptors.

After agonist-induced internalization, the vasopressin V2 receptor (V2R) does not recycle to the plasma membrane. The ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) proteins initiate vesicular intracellular traffic by promoting the recruitment of adaptor proteins; thus, we sought to determine whether ARF6 could promote V2 R recycling. Neither the agonist-induced internalization nor the recycling of the V2 Rwas regulated by ARF6, but a constitutively active mutant of ARF6 reduced cell-surface V2Rs 10-fold in the absence of agonist treatment. Visualization of the ARF6 mutant-expressing cells revealed a vacuolar-staining pattern of the V2R instead of the normal plasmamembrane expression. Analysis of V2R maturation revealed that reduced cell-surface expression was due to the diminished ability of the newly synthesized receptor to migrate from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi network. The same mechanism affected processing of the V1aR and acetylcholine M2 receptors. Therefore, ARF6 controls the exit of the V2 and other receptors from the endoplasmic reticulum in addition to its established role in the trafficking of plasma-membrane-derived vesicles.
Structure-function relationship of parathyroid hormone: activation of phospholipase-C, protein kinase-A and -C in osteosarcoma cells.

Recent evidence indicates that after PTh interaction with its receptor, both protein kinase-A (PKA) and protein kinase-C (PKC) are activated. To investigate the relationship between PTH structure and protein kinase stimulation, we have analyzed the effects of synthetic PTH fragments on PKA and PKC in the rat osteogenic sarcoma cells, UMR 106-01. Activation of PKA by 10(-7) M bovine (b) PTH-(1-34) was maximal (2.7-fold of control) at 5 min and remained elevated 15 min after hormone exposure. bPTH-(2-34), at equimolar doses, also stimulated PKA, but with a lower potency (1.4-fold of control), whereas propionyl bPTH-(2-34) [pbPTH-(2-34)], bPTH-(3-34), [Tyr34]bPTH-(7-34) amide [bPTH-(7-34)], and bPTH-(30-34) were ineffective. On the other hand, translocation of PKC activity from the cytosol to the membrane after exposure to bPTH-(1-34) was transient, with a peak at 1 min (1.9-fold of control), and returned to basal levels after 5 min. Other fragments, bPTH-(2-34), pbPTH-(2-34), bPTH-(3-34), and bPTH-(7-34), w...
Point-contact diodes

Point-contact diodes based either on the mechanism of electronic tunnelling through an insulating barrier or on the thermoelectric effect of hot carriers in heavily doped semiconductors are described. The requirements necessary for these devices to be used as harmonic generators and mixers in the 2–200 THz region are emphasized, and some new developments are reported. Outstanding characteristics of the devices which use either the semimetal antimony or the semiconductors SnTe or Bi2Te3 as a diode base are high detection sensitivity and high mechanical stability over long periods of use either as harmonic generators or as mixers.
Understanding the diversity of trichloroethene co-oxidations

Abstract Trichloroethene (TCE) co-oxidation by bacteria has potential for application in bioremediation schemes. In recent years, therefore, considerable effort has gone into understanding the diversity of TCE co-oxidations. The past year has witnessed progress in efforts to understand these co-oxidations at the enzymatic, physiological and genetic levels, as well as the systems involved. A new area of exploration — the genetic engineering of bacterial strains with altered TCE-degradation capabilities — has grown out of these studies. Recent reports reveal the full scope of potential in this rapidly developing area.
ENHANCED SELECTION FOR MHC DIVERSITY IN SOCIAL TUCO-TUCOS

To explore the effects of behavior and demography on balancing selection at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci, we examined allelic diversity at exon 2 of the MHC class II DQbeta locus in a social and a solitary species of tuco-tuco (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae: Ctenomys), both of which occur in the same valley in southwestern Argentina. By comparing patterns of diversity at this MHC gene to the diversity evident at fifteen microsatellite loci, we demonstrate that balancing selection at the DQbeta locus is enhanced in the social species compared to its solitary congener. These findings have intriguing implications for the role of behavioral and demographic parameters in maintaining diversity at MHC loci.
Health-related quality of life in patients 7 months after a myocardial infarction: Factors affecting the short Form-12

We assessed patients’ health-related quality of life after myocardial infarction and identified related variables. Clinical data were obtained retrospectively from medical records of consecutive patients admitted to a Midwestern university-affiliated medical center with diagnosis of myocardial infarction from July 1999‐July 2000. Telephone interviews 7 months after discharge were made to administer the Short Form-12 (SF-12) and obtain patient, disease, drug, and intervention data. Complete information was obtained from 200 patients (mean age 63.4 ± 13.1 yrs, 68% men). The mean Physical Component Summary (PCS)-12 score was 40.6 ± 12.0, and the mean Mental Component Summary (MCS)-12 score was 52.1 ± 10.0. Based on univariate analyses, low PCS-12 scores were associated with women; non‐Q-wave infarctions; greater number of illnesses; history of myocardial infarction, chronic heart failure (CHF), transient ischemic attack (TIA), renal disease, peripheral vascular disease, or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); rehospitalization during the interim period; and unscheduled PCI since index myocardial infarction. Low MCS-12 scores were associated with age below 65 years, low overall self-reported drug therapy compliance, low self-reported compliance with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and lipid-lowering therapy, no history of coronary artery bypass graft, and no stress test since index myocardial infarction. A multivariate regression model for PCS-12 kept the following variables: greater number of illnesses, history of CHF or TIA, and rehospitalization since index myocardial infarction. The MCS-12 model contained age below 65 years, low overall compliance, and low compliance with lipid-lowering therapy. Further work is necessary to determine noncardiovascular predictors of quality of life and whether interventions for these patients will result in improved quality of life. (Pharmacotherapy 2002;22(12):1616‐1622)
Reflections: The impact of downsizing on survivors ‐ some findings and recommendations

Assesses the impact of downsizing and lay‐offs on the workers who remain with the company ‐ survivors. Argues that while the primary aim of downsizing is to improve efficiency and productivity, this is not always achieved owing to decreased motivation and job security among survivors. Outlines ways in which organizations can overcome these difficulties and suggests five possible strategies they can adopt to lessen any negative effects of lay‐offs. Concludes by stating that these will help companies achieve their goal of optimum efficiency.
The self-association of the giant hemoglobin from the earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris.

Abstract Background : The crystallographic structure of the gigantic hemoglobin (erythrocruorin) of the annelid worm, Lumbricus terrestris , provides a molar mass of 3.6 MDa for the hexagonal bilayer structure. Prior to this determination, some light-scattering and ultracentrifugal measurements indicated higher masses: 4.1–4.4 MDa. Values of 3.6 MDa were attributed to dissociation or subunit loss. However, early electron microscopy of the giant hemoglobin from a related annelid, Eumenia crassa by Oster Levin, showed that the hexagonal bilayer molecules were present mostly as oligomers; few were monomeric. Methods : Measurements by light-scattering of solutions of Lumbricus hemoglobin resolved by size-exclusion chromatography have been used to determine the weight-average molar mass of self-associating proteins. The X-ray structure has been re-examined. Results : Our measurements show that both 3.6 MDa monomers and self-association products are present as a mixture. Analysis of the X-ray structure indicates several different kinds of monomer–monomer interactions. Conclusions : We propose that the measured masses of Lumbricus hemoglobin as high as 4.4 MDa, result from oligomerization. These masses would result from the presence of an array of oligomers of various sizes together with monomers of 3.6 MDa. Furthermore, several different kinds of monomer–monomer interactions are clearly evident in the X-ray structure as well as in solution. General significance : The results demonstrate that self-association of monomers of the hemoglobin of Lumbricus terrestris explains the high molar masses of 4.1–4.4 MDa previously observed.
Passivation of carbon acceptors during growth of carbon-doped GaAs, InGaAs, and HBTs by MOCVD

Carbon dopedp-type GaAs and In0.53Ga0.47As epitaxial layers have been grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using CC14 as the carbon source. Low-temperature post-growth annealing resulted in a significant increase in the hole concentration for both GaAs and In0.53Ga0.47As, especially at high doping levels. The most heavily doped GaAs sample had a hole concentration of 3.6 × 1020 cm−3 after a 5 minute anneal at ≈400° C in N2, while the hole concentration in In0.53Ga0.47As reached 1.6 × 1019 cm−3 after annealing. This annealing behavior is attributed to hydrogen passivation of carbon acceptors. Post-growth cool-down in an AsH3/H2 ambient was found to be the most important factor affecting the degree of passivation for single, uncapped GaAs layers. No evidence of passivation is observed in the base region of InGaP/GaAs HBTs grown at ≈625° C. The effect ofn-type cap layers and cool-down sequence on passivation of C-doped InGaAs grown at ≈525° C shows that hydrogen can come from AsH3, PH3, or H2, and can be incorporated during growth and during the post-growth cool-down. In the case of InP/InGaAs HBTs, significant passivation was found to occur in the C-doped base region.
Self-administered and yoked nicotine produce robust increases in blood pressure and changes in heart rate with modest effects of behavioral contingency in rats

Experimenter-administered nicotine produces reliable increases in blood pressure and changes in heart rate. However, an extensive literature demonstrates that the effects of psychoactive drugs are dependent on whether administration is contingent on behavior. The present study assessed the cardiovascular effects of nicotine and whether those effects vary as a function of whether nicotine was self-administered or response-independent. Rats were divided into three groups according to a yoked design. The pattern of infusions for each triad was determined by the animal self-administering nicotine; the other two animals received either yoked nicotine or saline. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured during eighteen daily, 1h drug sessions by radiotelemetry. Each session was preceded and followed by a 20 minute period during which cardiovascular function was monitored in the operant chambers, but drug was not available. Acute exposure to yoked nicotine produced a rapid rise in blood pressure that was larger than the increase observed with self-administered nicotine. Additional infusions during the first session resulted in a similar sustained elevation in blood pressure in the nicotine groups. Over subsequent sessions, self-administered nicotine produced a larger effect on systolic blood pressure particularly early in each session, although for both self-administered and yoked nicotine the hypertensive effects waned partially with repeated test sessions. This decrease was fully accounted for by a pre-session decrease in pressure; relative to pre-session levels the strong hypertensive effects of nicotine persisted. Initial exposure to nicotine produced a short-lived bradycardia that in subsequent sessions was replaced with a longer-lasting nicotine-induced tachycardia; neither effect was related to the behavioral contingency of nicotine delivery. Together, these data provide a rich picture of the cardiovascular effects of nicotine. Effects of behavioral contingency were observed, but differences were limited. Other non-pharmacological factors such as baseline shifts potentially related to nicotine-associated cues deserve further attention.
Adenosinetriphosphatase activity of frog myosin B

Abstract 1. 1. Salt extraction, of ionic strength of 0·6, invariably resulted in an actomyosin rather than a myosin solution when applied to the striated muscle of Rana pipiens . Even extractants known to extract quite pure myosin from rabbit muscle yielded solutions with quite large ATP-viscosity drop. 2. 2. The intrinsic viscosity ranged from 0·17 to 0·34. From a single ultracentrifugation, sedimentation constants ( S 20 ) of 9·17 and 8·8 S.U. were determined. 3. 3. The partially purified (two precipitations by dilution) actomyosin had good ATPase activity. The enzyme was activated by Ca 2+ at all concentrations of KCl tested and inhibited by Mg 2+ under all conditions except in the presence of 15 mM EDTA at 0·63 M KCl. The pH optimum was about pH 9·0 and the optimal temperature appeared to be in the neighborhood of 30°C. The enzyme is specific for the terminal phosphate of ATP but does hydrolyze ITP. A K m of 2·88 × 10 −4 was calculated with ATP at pH 9·0, 5 mM CaCl 2 and 25°C. Substrate inhibition of this enzyme was quite pronounced.
What’s Social Capital Got to Do with It? The Ambiguous (and Overstated) Relationship between Social Capital and Ghetto Underemployment

This article draws on qualitative fieldwork with unemployed African-American men in St. Louis to demonstrate some of the manifold problems in attributing their marginality to ‘low social capital’. I show how Putnam’s extraordinarily popular formulation obscures the complex, double-edged effects of social capital across a segregated and highly unequal region. Extremely low levels of economic and educational capital blocked any conversion of the men’s broad web of friendship and acquaintance into prosperity. Much more effective was the high (white) social capital concentrated outside the city, which continued to reinforce the spatial and economic marginality of African-American St. Louis, leaving residents with little advancement to offer each other beyond the volatile and destructive local drug industry.
Utilization of air-conditioned feller-bunchers.

Abstract Forest equipment operators in the southern United States work in elevated temperatures for a significant portion of the year. The thermal work environment is a combination of climatic, metabolic, and mechanical heat loads. While air-conditioning forest machines would alleviate heat-related health and productivity problems, it is not commonly applied to southern forest machines. There is a general perception that air conditioning is a luxury option rather than an effective part of the man-machine system. This study examined the utilization of feller/bunchers to determine if air conditioning affected the way the equipment was used. Standard time study data and temperature measurements were collected on five air-conditioned and five nonair-conditioned machines. Analysis of the data indicated that length of workday and crew differences were the only factors that significantly affected machine utilization. Estimated cab WBGT temperatures in the nonair-conditioned machines exceeded NIOSH recommended guidelines, however.
The electromagnetic properties of Tm169

Abstract The rotations of the angular correlation of the 198-118 keV and of the 177-130 keV cascades observed in the decay of Yb169 into Tm169 have been measured in an external magnetic field. A source of YbCl3, dissolved in water was used. With a paramagnetic correction factor of 5.31 for the enhancement of the magnetic field at the nuclear site, and the experimental values for the lifetimes of the 5 2 and 7 2 rotational states in Tm169, the magnetic moments μ 5 2 = 0.61±0.12 n.m. and μ 7 2 = 1.31±0.18 n.m. have been derived. An analysis of all experimentally known electromagnetic properties of the ground state rotational band in Tm169 is presented and it is found that fifteen measured electromagnetic quantities can be represented by one set of the four rotational parameters Q0, gK, gR and b0.
New plant and controller order reduction results with weighted balancing

A frequency-response error analysis for frequency-weighted internally balanced (FWIB) truncation is extended and an exact error bound for a case of order reduction by one state is presented. An approximate error bound for a general case of order reduction by more than one state, assuming that only small controllability-observability measures are truncated, is considered. FWIB residualization is presented, and it is shown that a frequency-response error analysis yields results similar to those found for FWIB truncation. It is concluded that FWIB truncation and residualization can be used in a coordinated manner consistent with classical truncation and residualization in order to obtain accuracy higher than that possible from either technique used alone.
Unique topics and issues in rheumatology and clinical immunology

Clinicians are facing unexpected issues in everyday practice, and these may become counterintuitive or challenging. Illustrative examples are provided by the hypersensitivity to universally used immunosuppressants such as corticosteroids or antibiotics such as beta-lactam. Secondly, additional issues are represented by the discovery of new pathogenetic mechanisms involved in rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis or other chronic inflammatory diseases, genomic susceptibility to enigmatic diseases such as giant cell arteritis, or the shared role of specific mediators such as semaphorins. Third, the therapeutic armamentarium has dramatically changed over the past decade following the introduction of biotechnological drugs, and new mechanisms are being proposed to reduce adverse events or increase the drug effectiveness, particularly on cardiovascular comorbidities. Finally, rare diseases continue to represent difficult cases, as for Cogan's syndrome, with limited literature available for clinical recommendations. For these reason, the present issue of Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology is timely and dedicated to these and other unique topics in clinical immunology and allergy. The aim of this issue is thus to help clinicians involved in internal medicine as well as allergists and clinical immunologists while discussing new pathways that will prove important in the near future.
Computerized self-assessment of automated lesion segmentation in breast ultrasound: implication for CADx applied to findings in the axilla

We developed a self-assessment method in which the CADx system provided a confidence level for its lesion segmentations. The self-assessment was performed by a fuzzy-inference system based on 4 computer-extracted features of the computer-segmented lesions in a leave-one-case-out evaluation protocol. In instances where the initial segmentation received a low assessment rating, lesions were re-segmented using the same segmentation method but based on a user-defined region-of-interest. A total of 542 cases with 1133 lesions were collected in this study, and we focused here on the 97 normal lymph nodes in this dataset since these pose challenges for automated segmentation due to their inhomogeneous appearance. The percentage of all lesions with satisfactory segmentation (i.e., normalized overlap with the radiologist-delineated lesion >=0.3) was 85%. For normal lymph nodes, however, this percentage was only 36%. Of the lymph nodes, 53 received a low confidence rating (<0.3) for their initial segmentation. When those lymph nodes were re-segmented, the percentage with a satisfactory segmentation improved to 80.0%. Computerassessed confidence levels demonstrated potential to 1) help radiologists decide whether to use or disregard CADx output, and 2) provide a guide for improvement of lesion segmentation.
To eat or not to eat; is that really the question? An evaluation of problematic eating behaviors and mental health among bariatric surgery candidates

Problematic eating behaviors, such as emotional eating, and food addiction, may affect weight; however, little is known about these eating behaviors, especially among those seeking bariatric surgery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of problematic eating behaviors and to investigate their relationship with other eating behaviors, body mass index (BMI), and psychiatric symptoms. There were 142 patients who completed a required psychiatric evaluation prior to bariatric surgery. Of these, 16.9 % met criteria for a food addiction and 25.4–40.7 % endorsed emotional eating, depending on type of emotional eating. The number of food addiction symptoms endorsed was related to emotional eating. Both food addiction and emotional eating were related to anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, surprisingly, BMI was not related to a food addiction diagnosis, emotional eating scores, or psychiatric symptoms. Results from this study suggest that problematic eating behaviors are occurring among bariatric surgery candidates. Furthermore, this study may help to address the conflicting research regarding the effects of psychiatric symptoms on weight-loss outcomes. Perhaps it is the problematic eating behaviors (e.g., food addiction and emotional eating) that are associated with psychiatric symptoms that could be influencing outcomes. Future research should evaluate treatments for problematic eating behaviors and whether treatments improve weight-loss success.
Cliff's Nodes Concerning Plotting Nodal Lines for P, Sh and Sv

INTRODUCTION As earthquake seismologists, we routinely plot “beachball” focal mechanisms describing the pattern of P -wave first-motions for ordinary, garden-variety double-couple earthquakes. But, how does one plot the pattern for Sh and Sv waves or for earthquake sources with isotropic or compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) components? This is one of those questions that has always threatened me with a feeling of vague discomfort because I was sure I should know the answer, but I wasn't sure I did, even though I thought it was probably easy. Recently I needed to know the answer for two reasons: to check some software I had written for constructing synthetic seismograms and to determine whether observations of S waves at certain specific seismic stations had the same sign as the radiation predicted by the published Harvard centroid moment tensors (CMT). So, I resolved to spend a “few hours” writing a program to plot nodal...