cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A framed, 16-image Kirkpatrick-Baez x-ray microscope.

A 16-image Kirkpatrick–Baez (KB)–type x-ray microscope consisting of compact KB mirrors [F. J. Marshall, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 10E518 (2012)] has been assembled for the first time with mirrors aligned to allow it to be coupled to a high-speed framing camera. The high-speed framing camera has four independently gated strips whose emission sampling interval is ∼30 ps. Images are arranged four to a strip with ∼60-ps temporal spacing between frames on a strip. By spacing the timing of the strips, a frame spacing of ∼15 ps is achieved. A framed resolution of ∼6-μm is achieved with this combination in a 400-μm region of laser-plasma x-ray emission in the 2- to 8-keV energy range. A principal use of the microscope is to measure the evolution of the implosion stagnation region of cryogenic DT target implosions on the University of Rochester’s OMEGA Laser System [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]. The unprecedented time and spatial resolutions achieved with this framed, multi-image KB microscope ...
Topographic wetness guided dairy manure applications to reduce stream nutrient loads in Central New York, USA

Abstract Study region Fall Creek Watershed in central New York, USA. Study focus Dairy manure is commonly applied to NY, USA agricultural fields as both a crop nutrient source as well as a means of waste disposal. Managing excess manure places an economic burden on small farm operations due the prohibitive cost of existing practices and regional dominance of saturation-excess hydrology. Through a SWAT modeling exercise we evaluate the efficacy of dairy manure application following the topographic wetness index (TI) as a means of reducing non-point source agricultural nutrient runoff. Next, we examine the efficacy of amending dairy manure with chemical N as a means of reducing the rate of soil TDP accumulation. New hydrological insights We observed that application of manure to drier pastures results in less TDP and NOX surface losses, but an undesirable increase soil TDP accumulation. Further, pastures receiving dairy manure are typically N limited during summer months, limiting plant P uptake. Manure N amendment reduced TDP accumulation and increases crop yield, but slightly increased NOX surface losses. Spreading dairy manure based on the TI concept represents a feasible path towards reduction of agricultural non-point nutrient runoff, although management strategies need to consider ways to also reduce the long-term accumulation of soil P, which could have consequences in the future that are difficult to mitigate.
Book Review: Feminist and Queer Information Studies Reader Edited by Patrick Keilty and Rebecca Dean

Book Review of Feminist and Queer Information Studies Reader Edited by Patrick Keilty and Rebecca Dean
Estimation and model identification for continuous spatial processes

SUMMARY Formal parameter estimation and model identification procedures for continuous domain spatial processes are introduced. The processes are assumed to be adequately described by a linear model with residuals that follow a second-order stationary Gaussian random field and data are assumed to consist of noisy observations of the process at arbitrary sampling locations. A general class of two-dimensional rational spectral density functions with elliptic contours is used to model the spatial covariance function. An iterative estimation procedure alleviates many of the computational difficulties of conventional maximum likelihood estimation for non-lattice data. The procedure is applied to several generated data sets and to an actual ground-water data set.
What Is a Teratogen

In the past decade there has been a growing recognition of the potential hazards to reproduction of our man-made environment, whether contributed by industry, agriculture, medicine, or war. Although scientists have come together with unusual urgency to meet this threat to the public health, each discipline has emerged as impotent, on its own, to prescribe adequately for the safety of future generations. There is the hope, however, that if a working partnership could be forged between clinicians, laboratory scientists, and public health professionals, the resources available for protection from environmental hazards could be at least as sophisticated as those available for their production.
Personalized Medicine for Hereditary Deafness

Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder around the world. Genetic factors account for at least 50 % of congenital or prelingual onset deafness. While the clinical phenotype, deafness, is shared and similar across different individuals, the substantial genetic heterogeneity makes the genetic etiology in individual cases rare. Identification of genetic causes has been central to a growing body of knowledge related to diagnostic tools, genetic testing and clinical categorization systems. We will provide an overview of the current state of knowledge and future directions that are guiding the concept of personalized medicine for the deaf individuals.
The impact of in-hospital P2Y12 inhibitor switch in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) varies after placement of drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Our aim was to study patient characteristics and predictors of switching, in-hospital or at discharge, from clopidogrel (CLO) to ticagrelor (TIC) or vice versa. METHODS/MATERIALS The study population included patients with ACS who had DES and initially received either CLO or TIC between January 2011 and December 2017. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on initial DAPT choice and whether DAPT was switched in-hospital or during discharge. Clinical outcomes of interest were bleeding events, need for anticoagulation, and need for in-hospital coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). RESULTS We identified 2837 patients who received DES and started on DAPT. DAPT switch from 1 P2Y12 inhibitor to another occurred in 9%, either in-hospital or at discharge. Of 1834 patients started on CLO, 112 were switched to TIC. Of 1003 patients started on TIC, 142 were switched to CLO. The need for in-hospital CABG was 7.8% in the TIC-CLO group compared to none in the CLO-TIC group (p = 0.002). Adjusted for covariates, the TIC-CLO group was 3 times more likely to need anticoagulation with warfarin than the CLO-CLO group (p < 0.001) and over 5 times more likely than the CLO-TIC group and the TIC-TIC group (p < 0.005 for both). CONCLUSIONS Switching from 1 generation P2Y12 inhibitor to another does occur in ACS patients. Clinical needs such as in-hospital CABG or oral anticoagulation upon discharge are real and dictate the switch from TIC to CLO. SUMMARY A single-center observational study of 2837 patients with acute coronary syndromes treated with drug-eluting stents found that some do get switched from one generation P2Y12 inhibitor to another. The switch from clopidogrel to ticagrelor is driven by clinical needs such as in-hospital coronary artery bypass grafting or the need for oral anticoagulation upon discharge.
Synthesis Enables a Structural Revision of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Produced Diterpene, Edaxadiene (I).

Revision of the spectral data of edaxadiene leads to proposal of a new structure, namely (I).
Optimal Flexibility Control of Large-Scale Distributed Heterogeneous Loads in the Power Grid

The rapid penetration of uncertain and unpredictable renewable energy resources into the power grid has made generation planning and real-time power balancing a challenge, thus rendering demand-side advanced control a necessity. In this paper, we introduce a distributed optimization framework for load flexibility control in the grid. The proposed scheme is based on Newton iteration to provide fast convergence and is scalable to a large number of loads at the aggregation level. The developed optimization framework is based on interior-point methods and concepts of model-predictive control. It uses load–aggregator communications to solve a large-scale optimization problem in a computationally distributed manner without geometric structural assumptions. We demonstrate the performance of the algorithm in a large-scale simulation comprising 10 000 grid-connected heterogeneous assets.
Right-to-Carry Laws and Firearm Workplace Homicides: A Longitudinal Analysis (1992–2017)

Objectives. To examine the impact of right-to-carry (RTC) firearm laws on firearm workplace homicides (WPHs) in the United States from 1992 to 2017.Methods. We employed 2 longitudinal methods to ex...
Evaluation of Inpatient Antimicrobial Regimens for Readmitted Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy Patients Receiving Daptomycin or Ertapenem for Ease of Administration.

Background Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) allows for long-course intravenous treatment of infections without lengthy hospital stays. Upon discharge, antimicrobial therapy may be broadened for "ease" of once-daily administration (EOA). Patients requiring subsequent readmission can be tailored to pre-OPAT regimens to minimize adverse effects. This study assessed continuation of EOA regimens upon hospital readmission during or immediately after OPAT. Methods This was a retrospective review of adults enrolled in OPAT and discharged on ertapenem or daptomycin for EOA, defined by the terms "convenience" or "EOA" in OPAT notes or by switching to ertapenem or daptomycin upon OPAT enrollment despite adequate therapy with narrower-spectrum agents. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients readmitted during or after their OPAT course and maintained on an EOA regimen. Secondary outcomes included inpatient therapy cost, rates of Clostridioides difficile infection, and adverse events. Results Of 188 patients receiving an OPAT EOA regimen, 71 were readmitted, representing 113 unique readmissions. Patients were mostly males (81%) aged 57 years. The EOA regimens were continued in 27% of hospital readmissions. The Infectious Diseases (ID) team was consulted in 48% of readmissions, and the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) intervened in 26%. Combined, this resulted in de-escalation in 28% of cases. Clostridioides difficile infections and adverse events occurred in 7% and 12% of readmissions, respectively. The median acquisition cost of inpatient EOA regimens was $150 per readmission. Conclusions The OPAT EOA regimens were continued in 27% of hospital readmissions indicating a role for improved indication documentation and collaboration between ID services, ASPs, and OPAT teams.
PCSK9 INHIBITION AND AORTIC STENOSIS IN THE FOURIER TRIAL

Despite recent advances in treatment of severe aortic valve stenosis (AS), AS remains a common, life-threatening condition with no proven preventive therapy. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and, particularly, lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) have been implicated in the pathobiology of AS. The
Containing the Surplus Rebellion: Prison Strike/Prison Riot

The 2016 and 2018 wave of prison strikes in the United States presents itself as an extraordinary flashpoint of the prisoner resistance movement. But how might these events be understood in relation to what has been broadly characterized as an “age of riots”? Following Joshua Clover’s characterization of the contemporary riot in Riot. Strike. Riot. as a “surplus rebellion” of racialized “surplus populations” and given the characterization of the contemporary carceral state as a warehouse to contain such racialized populations, this essay characterizes the contemporary wave of prison riots accordingly as a “surplus rebellion.” More specifically, it focuses on the Kinross prison strike-riot that broke out in September 2016 in Michigan’s Kinross prison in order to derive some general parallels between the surplus rebellion and the singularity of recent prison strikes.
The Vices and Virtues of Consensual Non-Monogamy:A Relational Dimension Investigation

The purpose of the present study was to examine associations between heterosexual consensually non-monogamous (CNM) and monogamous relationships and variables relating to relationship functioning a...
Evaluation of a Rapid Implementation of Telemedicine for Delivery of Obstetric Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ObjectiveThe aim of this evaluation was to assess the rapid implementation of obstetric telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Consolidated Framework in Implementation Research (CFIR) evaluation framework. Study DesignFollowing one month of telemedicine implementation, obstetric providers at the University of South Florida clinic completed qualitative surveys and in-depth interviews about the implementation of obstetric telemedicine in the clinic guided by the CFIR evaluation framework. ResultsOverall, providers considered obstetric telemedicine comparable to traditional in-person clinic visits and acknowledged that they were adequately prepared for the telemedicine implementation. Advantages included the simplicity of implementation, reduced exposure to COVID-19 infection, and convenience factors. Although obstetric telemedicine mostly met patient needs, a lack of access to at-home monitoring devices, physical examinations, reliable internet service, and privacy concerns posed as barriers. ConclusionThe implementation of the obstetric telemedicine care model was deemed a favorable, safe alternative option for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy at 32 weeks of pregnancy - A case report.

Abstract Introduction and importance During gestation, laparoscopic procedures, if needed, are generally considered most ideal within the second trimester. There are less reports of successful laparoscopic procedures in the third trimester of pregnancy due to performance hesitancy with concerns of preterm labor and/or other complications. While it is rare for laparoscopic cholecystectomy to be performed within the third trimester, it should not be delayed if needed, and excellent outcomes can be achieved with proper port placement and procedure. Case presentation We present the case of a 22-year-old female thirty-two weeks and six days into gestation who underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiogram after presenting with acute-on-chronic cholecystitis. The procedure was without complications, and both the patient and fetus remained stable following surgery, and were discharged on postoperative day 2. Clinical discussion The long-established belief is laparoscopic procedures should ideally be attempted in the second trimester to decrease the risk of preterm labor or spontaneous abortion in obstetric patients. Per SAGES guidelines, when clearly indicated, laparoscopic cholecystectomy should not be avoided in any trimester. Conclusion This case highlights the relative safety of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the third trimester of pregnancy with emphasis on standard technique and proper port placement based on uterus size.
Management of Jugular Bulb Stenosis in Pediatric Vein of Galen Malformation: A Novel Management Paradigm.

INTRODUCTION Pediatric vein of Galen malformations (VOGMs) are fistulous intracranial malformations arising congenitally within the choroidal fissure that can present with an array of neurological and cardiac sequelae. Associated venous stenosis may result in intracranial venous hypertension and ischemia leading to severe, irreversible cerebral injury. Management of neonatal VOGMs typically involves staged embolization and angioplasty/stenting for relief of venous stenosis. Rarely, jugular foraminal narrowing has been identified as causing jugular bulb stenosis. CASE PRESENTATION We present the case of a 22-month-old female diagnosed with VOGM prenatally who displayed persistent intracranial venous hypertension despite multiple neuroembolization procedures during the neonatal period. Following initial reduction in arteriovenous shunting, she once again developed venous hypertension secondary to jugular bulb stenosis for which angioplasty was attempted. Failure of angioplasty to relieve the venous hypertension prompted skull base imaging, which revealed jugular foraminal ossification and stenosis. Microsurgical jugular foraminotomy followed by balloon angioplasty and stenting significantly reduced jugular pressure gradients. Restenosis requiring re-stenting developed postoperatively at 9 months, but the patient has remained stable with significant improvement in cortical venous congestion. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION This case demonstrates the efficacy of microsurgical decompression of the jugular foramen and endovascular angioplasty/stenting as a novel treatment paradigm for the management of intracranial venous hypertension in the setting of VOGM.
Why are Indian Farmers Protesting the Liberalization of Indian Agriculture

Farmers in India fear that new laws will enable corporations to exploit them. The most vocal protests have been in the states of Punjab and Haryana. The roots lie in the Green Revolution of the 1960s.
Child Language: Brain and language development

Introduction Both rationalist and empiricist perspectives on language acquisition make predictions regarding the nature of biological foundations for language knowledge. As we saw in chapter 4, Chomsky hypothesizes that the brain predetermines how language knowledge is acquired, and represents this knowledge as distinct from other cognitive knowledge, i.e., as modular. In contrast, for empiricist perspectives, “distributed” representations of language knowledge in the brain are hypothesized to resemble “the organization of neural nets” (Bates and MacWhinney 1989, 33). Both predictions provoke us to look carefully at brain structure and function, although neither paradigm yet precisely predicts how brain development underlies language development. Such predictions may soon be addressed more precisely through recent technical advances in brain imaging methodologies. (See ERP, fMRI, MEG and electrical stimulation mapping in Glossary.) These new instruments will add evidence to decades of research on language pathologies caused by various forms of brain injury and allow us for the first time to study the normal brain engaged in normal language functions. Some can be extended to the study of normal children (e.g., Posner et al. 2001; Molfese et al. 2001; Casey 2002). Lenneberg 1967 laid foundations for scientific study of this area. His behavioral observations of “Developmental Milestones in Motor and Language Development” (appendix 1) implied a biological and maturational component in language development, similar to motoric development.
WHY ECONOMIES SLOW: U.S. Sclerosis?

The European Union, the European Central Bank, and other major institutions had some time ago come to believe that America's flexible labor markets were the sources of its rapid job creation since the 1970s. But, in the past few years, while gross domestic product has grown significantly, the number o f jobs in the United States has not. This European economist explains that it is not flexible markets but stringent macroeconomic policies that have most inhibited growth rates in Europe, and the United States cannot count on flexible job markets to produce new jobs now.
A Little Help: The Impact of On-Line Calculators and Financial Advisors on Setting Adequate Retirement-Savings Targets: Evidence from the 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey

For nearly a quarter century, the Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) has garnered a sense of American worker and retiree confidence about their financial prospects in retirement. This paper presents an analysis of the retirement savings targets set by individual respondents to the 2013 RCS, coupled with the EBRI Retirement Security Projection Model® (RSPM), and provides an assessment of how various household behaviors/beliefs are associated with the adequacy of retirement savings targets, as indicated by the modified Retirement Readiness Rating® (RRR) values. It finds that both the use of on-line calculators and seeking the advice of financial advisors result in estimated savings targets that not only increase the estimated probability of retirement income adequacy, but also result in double-digit percentage-point increases for many of the groups when analyzed by relative income quartiles and family/gender combinations. Those using an on-line calculator or asking a financial advisor appear to set more adequate savings targets, as measured by the probability of not running short of money in retirement. Those in the lowest-income quartile show a 9.1-12.6 percentage point improvement (depending on family/gender) in the probability of not running short of money in retirement if a financial advisor has been asked, and a 14.6-18.2 percentage point increase if an on-line calculator is used. On the other hand, those who “guessed” at those targets tended to underestimate their savings needs, as did the subset in this sampling that were somewhat or very confident in their prospects. The PDF for the above title, published in the March 2013 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another March 2013 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “’Post’ Script: What’s Next for Employment-Based Health Benefits?”
Autonomy Software: Va V Challenges and Characteristics

The successful operation ofunmanned air vehicles requires software with a high degree of autonomy. Only if high level functions can be carried out without human control and intervention can complex missions, in a changing and potentially unknown environment, be carried out successfully. Autonomy software is highly mission and safe. ty critical: failures, caused by flaws in the software cannot only jeopardize the mission, but could also endanger human life (e. g., a crash of an UAV in a densely populated area). Due to its large size, complex architecture, and use of specialized algorithms (planners, constraint-solvers, etc.), autonomy software poses specific challenges for its verification, validation, and certification. We have carried out a survey among researchers and scien tists at NASA to study these issues. In this paper, we will present major results of this study, discussing the broad spectrum of notions and characteristics of autonomy software and its challenges for design and development. A main focus of this survey was to evaluate verification and validation (V& V) issues and challenges, compared to the development of "traditional" safety-critical software. We will discuss important issues in V& V of autonomous software and advanced V& V tools which can help to mitigate software risks. Results of this concens in survey will help to identify and understand safety concem autonomy software and will lead to improved strategies for mitigation of these risks.
Shallow Deformation Along the Crittenden County Fault Zone Near the Southeastern Boundary of the Reelfoot Rift, Northeast Arkansas

The Crittenden County fault zone (CCFZ) is located near the southeast boundary of the Reelfoot rift in northeastern Arkansas. The southeastern boundary of the rift has been characterized as an 8-km-wide zone of down-to-the-northwest displacement. The CCFZ, however, shows significant down-to-the-southeast reverse faulting of Paleozoic and Cretaceous rocks and flexure and thinning within the Tertiary sedimentary section. We discuss four of nine Mini-Sosie seismic reflection profiles, each 1 to 2 km long, acquired over the surface projection of the CCFZ and Reelfoot rift boundary. One second of two-way traveltime data was recorded, which corresponds to a maximum depth of approximately 1.2 km. Sedimentary layers between 50 and 800 m are well imaged; deeper strata are evident but not well imaged. Well data at one site on the CCFZ indicate approximately 63 and 82 m of vertical displacement of Cretaceous and Paleozoic rocks, respectively. Proprietary seismic-reflection data show reverse displacement of these rock units, indicating compressional tectonics. From the Mini-Sosie profiles, we estimate structural relief across the CCFZ at the Paleocene (Fort Pillow Sand) level to range between 14 and 70 m. The overlying middle-to-late Eocene section shows a similar or slightly smaller amount of thinning, indicating that much of the movement on the CCFZ dates mid-to-late Eocene. Displacement, flexure, and thinning in the geologic section increases as the CCFZ converges with the Reelfoot rift boundary, in the southwest part of the area studied. Surface expression of the CCFZ has not been identified. Reflections from the Quaternary-Eocene unconformity, however, show warping, dip, or interruptions in places over the CCFZ, suggesting that the CCFZ may have experienced Quaternary or Holocene movement as well.
Galaxy Evolution in the Far Infrared

Using the new IRAS Faint Source Survey database at |b II | > 50°, we confirm the steep slope of the faint 60 μm source counts discovered by Hacking, Condon and Houck (1987). The slope of the faint number counts requires cosmological evolution at a rate higher than predicted by conventional models for passively evolving galaxies. Density evolution is also consistent with the infrared data. A scenario in which the percentage of galaxies undergoing a infrared luminous event evolves, caused by evolution of the galaxy-galaxy interaction rate, is attractive.
Theory of a Mach Effect Thruster II

According to Einstein, General Relativity contains the essence of Mach’s ideas. Mach’s principle can be summarized by stating that the inertia of a body is determined by the rest of the mass-energy content of the universe. Inertia here arises from mass-energy there. The latter, was a statement made by John Wheeler in his 1995 book, Gravitation and Inertia, coauthored by Ciufolini. Einstein believed that to be fully Machian, gravity would need a radiative component, an action-at-a-distance character, so that gravitational influences on a body from far away could be felt immediately. In 1960’s, Hoyle and Narlikar (HN) developed such a theory which was a gravitational version of the Absorber theory derived by Wheeler-Feynman for classical electrodynamics and later expanded upon by Davies and Narlikar for quantum electrodynamics. The HN-field equation has the same type of mass fluctuation terms as in the Woodward Mach effect thruster theory. The force equation, used to predict the thrust in our device, can be derived from the mass fluctuation. We outline a new method for deriving the force equation. We present new experimental tests of the thruster to show that the thrust seen in our device is not due to either heating or Dean Drive effects. Successful replications have been performed by groups in Austria and Canada, but their work is still pending in the peer review literature.
Service Quality In Accounting Firms: The Relationship Of Service Quality To Client Satisfaction And Firm/Client Conflict

This paper presents the results of a study using the marketing-based SERVQUAL scale to examine the relationship between service quality and both client satisfaction and firm/client conflict in an accounting firm setting. Using a sample of 154 clients, we confirm that service quality is positively related to clients’ satisfaction with their accounting firm and negatively related to firm/client conflict. We also examine the individual dimensions of service quality to provide insight into specific steps accounting firms can take both to increase client satisfaction and to decrease firm/client conflict.
Factors Affecting Pediatricians' Reporting of Suspected Child Maltreatment

Objective.—To identify factors associated with pediatricians' decision not to report suspected child maltreatment. Design.—A survey was distributed to a random sample of pediatricians in a single state. Participants were asked if they had ever suspected child abuse or neglect but did not report. In addition, all were asked to list all the considerations that pediatricians incorporate into their decisions not to report. Results.—One hundred ninety-five pediatricians completed the survey (56% of those eligible). Twenty-eight percent of respondents stated that they had considered reporting an incident of suspected child maltreatment but had chosen not to. Providers who had chosen not to report were more likely to be men (P = .006), to have been in practice longer (P = .001), to have reported more cases (P = .001), to have been deposed (P = .001) or to have testified (P = .01) in child maltreatment cases, and to have been threatened with lawsuit (P = .02) than were pediatricians who had never declined to report. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that male gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–4.49), years in practice (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.05–1.44), and experience reporting (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.02–1.60) were all independently associated with decisions not to report. Respondents who had declined to report were more likely to cite lack of knowledge about reporting laws and process (P = .05) and poor experiences with child service agencies (P = .03) as reasons for not reporting than were their counterparts who had never declined to report suspected maltreatment. Conclusions.—Many barriers exist to reporting suspected maltreatment. Specific educational interventions may be helpful in eliminating barriers to reporting.
Experimental measurement of a time-varying optical path difference by the small-aperture beam technique.

We discuss the use of time series of the jitter angle of multiple, small-aperture probe beams (the small-aperture beam technique, or SABT) as they emerge from a turbulent, optically active flow-field to quantify the time-varying optical path difference (OPD). The flow field studied is that for the transitionally turbulent region of a two-dimensional heated jet. Techniques to construct a complete time series of instantaneous realizations of the OPD are first applied to a numerically generated flow field and then to an experimental flow field. The SABT sensor’s measurement accuracy is assessed, and its application to flow fields that differ from the numerical heated jet is discussed.
Effects of Cortisol on Interferon Production by Mouse Peritoneal Leukocytes and Spleen in vitro and in vivo

SummaryInterferon production by mouse peritonea] leukocytes infected in vitro was unaffected by addition of Cortisol in vitro. Peritoneal cell explants from infected mice treated with Cortisol produced significantly greater amounts of interferon, although less interferon was produced by splenic tissue of the same mice. Enhanced interferon production by peritoneal cell explants from cortisol-injected animals was also observed when the cells were infected with virus in vitro. The possible significance of these data is discussed.
The effect of broken conjugation on the excited state: ether linkage in the cyano-substituted poly(p-phenylene vinylene) conjugated polymer poly(2,5,2',5'-tetrahexyloxy-8,7'-dicyano-di-p-phenylene vinylene).

We investigate the effect of broken conjugation on the excited state dynamics of excimers in cyano-substituted phenylene-vinylene polymers. We compare previous studies on the well-characterized poly(2,5,2′,5′-tetrahexyloxy-8,7′-dicyano-di-p-phenylene vinylene) (CN-PPV) with poly[oxa-1,4-phenylene-1,2-(1-cyano)-ethenylene-2,5-dioctyloxy-1,4-phenylene-1,2-(2-cyano)-ethenylene-1,4-phenylene] (CN-ether-PPV), in which the conjugation is disrupted by the insertion of an oxygen atom within the polymer backbone. Despite the broken conjugation, the spectroscopic behavior of the two materials is similar, indicating that the cyano group dominates the photophysics in these materials. The emission in CN-ether-PPV is due to a single-chain exciton in solution and due to an interchain excimer in thin film, as previously reported for CN-PPV; however, the excimer absorption and emission in thin film are blueshifted by ∼0.2eV relative to CN-PPV, implying that the excimer in CN-ether-PPV is less stable. Furthermore, substitu...
Circulating Tumor Cells

Much remains to be learned about CTCs and their clinical potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
First observation of the VNb molecule

Abstract The electronic spectrum of VNb has been studied for the first time, using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Two band systems, with origins at 637.4 nm and 640.0 nm, were investigated at 200 MHz resolution, and involve Ω=0←Ω=0 and Ω=1←Ω=1 transitions respectively. We tentatively assign them as the case (a) allowed subbands of a 3Σ− ← X 3Σ− transition, where the lower state is the ground electronic state. The ground state bond length is determined to be re=1.93896(44) A.
Transcriptional Activation by a Matrix Associating Region-binding Protein CONTEXTUAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FUNCTION OF BRIGHT

Abstract Bright (B cell regulator of IgH transcription) is a B cell-specific, matrix associating region-binding protein that transactivates gene expression from the IgH intronic enhancer (Eμ). We show here that Bright has multiple contextual requirements to function as a transcriptional activator. Bright cannot transactivate via out of context, concatenated binding sites. Transactivation is maximal on integrated substrates. Two of the three previously identified binding sites in Eμ are required for full Bright transactivation. The Bright DNA binding domain defined a new family, which includes SWI1, a component of the SWI·SNF complex shown to have high mobility group-like DNA binding characteristics. Similar to one group of high mobility group box proteins, Bright distorts Eμ binding site-containing DNA on binding, supporting the concept that it mediates Eμ remodeling. Transfection studies further implicate Bright in facilitating spatially separated promoter-enhancer interactions in both transient and stable assays. Finally, we show that overexpression of Bright leads to enhanced DNase I sensitivity of the endogenous Eμ matrix associating regions. These data further suggest that Bright may contribute to increased gene expression by remodeling the immunoglobulin locus during B cell development.
Thoughts on a new health care paradigm.

The insurance industry has removed the joy from health care delivery with authorizations, documentation, guidelines for evaluation and treatment, diminished reimbursement, reimbursement delays, and denied payments. Physicians are now paid for what they write on the chart, not for what they do for the patient. Failure to document may mean fines or criminal charges. The legal system has rendered the medical record an abomination by requiring every piece of paper to be saved. We, as physicians, have lost control of our profession. Patients are demanding quality health care. Health care practitioners need stability. If we allow the situation to go on, our government is sure to increase industry regulations. This may mean legislation expanding the scope of practice for allied health care providers, thereby circumventing physicians and undermining our control. If we do not want to become regulated government employees, we should initiate a major overhaul of health care delivery. Physicians must band together to recommend an improved health care paradigm. Medicine is a unique profession. Supply, demand, and competition run counterproductive to cost-effective quality health care. Individuals, groups, and medical organizations must stop lobbying for their own special interests, and present a single voice.
Patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma exhibit elevated levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells upon progression of disease

Elevated levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) induced by tumor-derived factors are associated with inhibition of immune responses in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. We hypothesized that pro-MDSC cytokines and levels of MDSC in the peripheral blood would be elevated in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients with progressive disease. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 16 pancreatic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and phenotyped for MDSC using a five antigen panel (CD33, HLA-DR, CD11b, CD14, CD15). Patients with stable disease had significantly lower MDSC levels in the peripheral blood than those with progressive disease (1.41 ± 1.12 vs. 5.14 ± 4.58 %, p = 0.013, Wilcoxon test). A cutoff of 2.5 % MDSC identified patients with progressive disease. Patients with ECOG performance status ≥2 had a weaker association with increased levels of MDSC. Plasma was obtained from 15 chemonaive patients, 13 patients undergoing chemotherapy and 9 normal donors. Increases in the levels of pro-MDSC cytokines were observed for pancreatic cancer patients versus controls, and the pro-MDSC cytokine IL-6 was increased in those patients undergoing chemotherapy. This study suggests that MDSC in peripheral blood may be a predictive biomarker of chemotherapy failure in pancreatic cancer patients.
A novel system involving exchange-coupling between a heme and an ironsulfur cluster

Abstract The β-subunits of E. coli sulfite reductase (SiR) contain an Fe-isobacteriochlorin, termed siroheme, and a [4Fe-4S] cluster. Mossbauer and EPR studies [1] of oxidized SiR have demonstrated that the siroheme and the ironsulfur cluster are exchange coupled. Such a coupling implies a covalent link between the two chromophores; it is reasonable to assume that the attached to the heme iron by an as yet unspecified bridging ligand. In oxidized SiR the iron-sulfur cluster is in the 2+ oxidation state, a state in which [4Fe-4S] clusters are normally diamagnetic. Through exchange interactions with the siroheme the cluster acquires paramagnetism; the experimental observations have been explained qualitatively in a model which involves isotropic exchange between the heme iron and one site of the cluster [2]. Recent studies [3] of one-electron and two-electron reduced SiR, a nitrate ‘turnover’ (ferroheme-NO) complex, and studies of SiR in chaotropic agents that the coupling is maintained in may oxidation-, spin-, and complexation-states of the enzyme. We have also studied SiR complexed to cyanide (in three oxidation states) and carbon monoxide. Exchange coupling is indicated in the oxidized cyano complex; in the reduced CN − and CO complexes the heme is low-spin ferrous and thus in a state unfavorable for the development of interatomic exchange.
Characterization and monitoring of photomask edge effects

An experimental technique for quantitatively characterizing edge effect contributions in transmission through thick photomasks is described and evaluated through electromagnetic simulation. The technique consists of comparing the 0 th order transmission for various duty cycles to the expected experimental behavior from a thin mask model. The real electric field component from the edges is proportional to the shift in the position of the minimum energy in the 0 th order field away from the expected thin mask location. The square root of the minimum 0 th order diffraction energy normalized to a clear mask gives the imaginary edge contribution. The results indicate that Alternating Phase Shifting Masks (ALT-PSM) and Attenuating Phase Shifting Masks (ATT-PSM) technologies have significant edge effects on the order of 0.1λ to 0.2λ per edge respectively, as well as polarization dependence. For periods of 2 wavelengths and larger these edge contribution values are nearly independent of pitch. The existence of an imaginary (or quadrature) phase component is shown to result in an additive linear variation of line edge shortening through focus. This tilt can be interpreted as a focus shift of the normal parabolic behavior and is about 0.5 Rayleigh units (RU). This focus shift depends to some extent on the surrounding layout as well as the feature itself.
Amino acid contribution to hapten specificity in delayed reaction to arsanilic acid conjugates.

Abstract Guinea pigs immunized with azobenzenearsonate (ABA) conjugates of N-acetyltyrosine, and N-acetylhistidine develop a delayed sensitivity that can be elicited by ABA groups attached to tyrosine or histidine containing polymers or proteins. There is some suggestion of an increased reactivity when the homologous amino acid is the major component of the eliciting carrier suggesting a contribution by the amino acid residue to the overall reactivity. Comparable reactions elicited by conjugates of D - or L -tyrosine present in L -amino acid carriers is indicative of the minor contribution by the α-amino acid portion of the ligand to the immunochemical specificity of the reaction.
Source of sexually dimorphic galanin-like immunoreactive projections in the teleost fish Poecilia latipinna.

A galaninlike peptide has a sexually dimorphic distribution in the teleost fish, the sailfin molly. An extensive system of galanin-like immunoreactive (GAL-LI) fibers has been described in the brainstem and spinal cord of the male molly, which is absent in the female (Cornbrooks and Parsons, companion paper). As GAL-LI in the mammalian spinal cord has been localized to neurons of origin in the dorsal root ganglia and dorsal and ventral horns, the present study was undertaken to determine whether the sexually dimorphic GAL-LI in the male molly may originate in part from corresponding sources in this species. Colchicine treatments of the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia did not result in GAL-LI staining in neuronal somata in these regions. Following complete transection of the spinal cord and at any level of the spinal cord, there was a complete absence of GAL-LI caudal to the lesion site. In fish that received unilateral spinal transection, there was a loss of GAL-LI ipsilateral and caudal to the lesion. Finally, in fish that received lesions in the rostral hypothalamus, there was a complete loss of GAL-LI in the sexually dimorphic fiber system in the brainstem and spinal cord, but not in non-dimorphic GAL-LI regions of the brainstem. Thus the sexually dimorphic fiber system in the male molly may originate in neurons of the preoptic nucleus that are sexually dimorphic for a GAL-LI peptide. This preoptico-spinal pathway may mediate sex-specific behaviors in this species.
Lack of hand preference in wild Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus)

Although there is a vast literature on laterality of hand-use in nonhuman primates, the Colobinae have been notably overlooked. Ten manual activities of differing complexity were studied in five male and five female adult Hanuman langurs (Presbytis entellus) from a well habituated, wild population at Ramnagar, in southern Nepal. The activities recorded were carry, eat, hit, hold, idle, manipulate, reach, retrieve, self-groom and social groom. This study aimed to examine handedness across tasks and across subjects in a natural population. The overall result was a lack of preference for subjects and patterns. Only in the eating activity did four individuals show significant hand preference, though they were not unidirectional. Eat seemed to be loosely associated with hold due to the requirements of the strata which the monkeys utilize. These results suggest that hand use is unlateralized in P. entellus. Those individuals exhibiting some hand preferences can be viewed as statistical exceptions or perhaps subject to experiential differences. The results are discussed in terms of their evolutionary significance and methodological implications. Am J Phys Anthropol 103:455–461, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Families versus peers: Developmental influences on drug use from grade 4–5 to grade 7–8

Abstract This study examined the relative influence of family and peers on abusable substance use, and whether relative influences on problem behaviors are behavior specific as children move from pre- to early adolescence. In 1988–1989, urban public school students in Grades 4–5 completed a substance abuse survey. The survey was repeated in each of the following 3 years into Grades 7–8; 1,802 students, of whom 91% were black, participated on all four occasions. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with cross-validation. Perceived family use was a stronger influence on abusable substance use relative to perceived peer use when the students were younger, whereas perceived peer use had more influence when they were older. Prior use predicted perceived family as well as perceived peer use. Varying direct and indirect pathways predicted licit drug use, illicit drug use, and other problem behaviors in Grades 7 and 8, although perceived peer use predicted all three. The results suggest that the relative shift from the influence of families to peers observed among adolescents is consistent among younger urban children. Drug use predisposes children toward greater perceptions of drug use among families and peers, and relative influences on problem behaviors may vary with the specific behavior. Interventions should begin in elementary school as the influence on students is shifting from family toward peers.
Tunicamycin produces TDP-43 cytoplasmic inclusions in cultured brain organotypic slices

The cellular distribution of TAR DNA binding protein (TDP-43) is disrupted in several neurodegenerative disorders, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U subtype) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In these conditions, TDP-43 is found in neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions, with loss of the normal nuclear expression. The mechanisms leading to TDP-43 redistribution and its role in disease pathophysiology remain unknown. We describe an in vitro neural tissue model that reproduces TDP-43 relocalization and inclusion formation. Two week-old coronal organotypic mouse brain slice cultures were treated with tunicamycin for 7 days. In cortical regions of treated slice cultures, cytoplasmic inclusions of TDP-43 immunoreactivity were observed, with loss of nuclear TDP-43 immunoreactivity. These inclusions were found in both astrocytes and neurons, and were of both skein-like and round morphologies. In contrast, TDP-43 cytoplasmic inclusions were not found in slices treated with staurosporine to induce apoptosis, or with trans-4-carboxy-l-proline (PDC) to induce chronic glutamate excitotoxicity. Furthermore, TDP-43 cytoplasmic inclusions did not co-localize with cleaved caspase-3, suggesting that TDP-43 mislocalization does not generally accompany caspase activation or apoptosis. The induction of TDP-43 cytoplasmic translocation in cerebrocortical slice cultures by tunicamycin provides a platform for further mechanistic investigations of pathological processing of TDP-43.
The molecular basis of fragile sites in human chromosomes

Fragile sites on chromosomes have been classified into a number of groups according to their frequency and the conditions required to induce them. A number of the rare folate-sensitive fragile sites have been characterized and shown to be amplified methylated CCG trinucleotide repeats. One common fragile site has been partly characterized and appears to be a region of fragility, rather than a single site.
A Lagrangean decomposition solution to a single line multiproduct scheduling problem

Abstract One of the major concerns in manufacturing is the cost and/or time of product changeovers on a production line. A changeover involves setting up the line to produce a different product. The problem of finding the schedule for producing products on a single level, capacitated line such that the best trade-off between changeover and inventory carrying costs is obtained can be complex. In this paper, we solve a mixed integer programming formulation of that problem utilizing Lagrangean decomposition for finding lower bounds, and a primal heuristic for generating feasible schedules from Lagrangean solutions. Compared to existing approaches, our procedure yields near optimum solutions to large problems faster.
Timing analysis for preemptive multitasking real-time systems with caches

In this paper, we propose an approach to estimate the worst-case response time (WCRT) of each task in a preemptive multitasking single-processor real-time system utilizing an L1 cache. The approach combines intertask cache-eviction analysis and intratask cache-access analysis to estimate the number of cache lines that can possibly be evicted by the preempting task and also be accessed again by the preempted task after preemptions (thus requiring the preempted task to reload the cache line(s)). This cache-reload delay caused by preempting task(s) is then incorporated into WCRT analysis. Three sets of applications with up to six concurrent tasks running are used to test our approach. The experimental results show that our approach can tighten the WCRT estimate by up to 32p (1.4X) over prior state-of-the-art.