cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes for pediatric patients with central nervous system germ cell tumors treated with proton therapy

Abstract Purpose We assessed outcomes after proton therapy (PT) for central nervous system germinomas or non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCTs) in children. Patients and methods We identified children with germ cell tumors of the central nervous system who received proton therapy in 2006–2009 and extracted information on tumor response, treatment failures, and toxicity. Results Of the 20 identified patients (median age 12years [range 3–16]), 9 had germinoma and 11 NGGCTs; 19 patients received three-dimensional conformal PT and 1 scanning-beam PT. Fourteen patients had craniospinal irradiation (CSI), 4 had ventricular irradiation that excluded the 4th ventricle, and 2 had whole-ventricle irradiation. All received involved-field boosts. At a median follow-up interval of 5.6years (range, 0.3–8.2years), 1 patient with germinoma had an out-of-field failure in the 4th ventricle and 2 with NGGCT died from disease progression after CSI. Rates of local control, progression-free survival, and overall survival at 5years were 89%, 89%, and 100% for patients with germinoma; corresponding rates for NGGCTs were 82%, 82%, and 82%. The most common late toxicity (9 patients [45%]) was endocrinopathy. Conclusions PT for CNS germ cell tumors is associated with acceptable disease control rates and toxicity profiles.
Abstract 3275: Early Neurological Improvement After Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Stroke Predicts Long-Term Functional Outcome

Background: Intravenously administered tissue plasminogen activator (IV-TPA) remains the only approved therapeutic agent for arterial recanalization in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Wide variations in the rates and timing of neurological recovery are observed in thrombolyzed patients. While all IV-TPA treated patients are routinely evaluated for neurological recovery at 24-hours, considerable improvement occurs in some cases within 2-hours of treatment initiation. We evaluated whether early neurological improvement at 2-hours after IV-TPA bolus (ENI-2) can predict functional outcomes in thrombolyzed AIS patients at 3-months. Methods: Data for consecutive stroke patients treated with IV-TPA within 4.5 hours of symptom-onset during 2007-2010 were prospectively entered in the thrombolyzed registry maintained at our tertiary care center. Data were collected for demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors, stroke subtypes and blood pressure levels before IV-TPA bolus. National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were obtained before IV-TPA bolus and at 2-hours. ENI-2 was defined as a reduction in NIHSS score by more than 10-points from baseline score or an absolute score of 4-points or less at 2-hours after IV-TPA bolus. Functional outcomes at 3-months were determined by modified Rankin scale (mRS). Data were analyzed by SPSS 19.0. Results: Of the 2238 AIS patients admitted during the study period, 240 (11%) received IV-TPA within 4.5-hours of symptom-onset. Median age was 65yrs (range 19-92), 63% males, median NIHSS 17points (range 3-35) and median onset-to-treatment time 149 minutes. Overall, 122 (50.8%) patients achieved favorable functional outcome (mRS 0-1) at 3-months. Factors associated with favorable outcome at 3-months on univariable analysis were younger age, female gender, presence of atrial fibrillation, baseline NIHSS, onset-to-treatment time (OTT) and ENI-2. However, multivariable analysis demonstrated NIHSS at onset (OR per 1-point increase 0.907, 95%CI 0.848-0.969) and ENI-2 (OR 4.926 95%CI 1.66-15.15) as independent predictors of favorable outcome at 3-months. Conclusion: Early Neurological improvement at 2-hours after IV-TPA bolus is a strong predictor of the functional outcome at 3-months in acute ischemic stroke patients.
Parental Distress Tolerance in Three Periods of Child Development: The Moderating Role of Child Temperament

Emotion regulation (ER) is essential to everyday, normative functioning. One aspect of ER is distress tolerance—the ability to persist in goal-directed activities when experiencing aversive states. Despite an assumption that ER improves with age, very little is known about ER across parenthood. Emotion regulation may be taxed by parenthood with implications for negativity in the family environment. The purpose of the current study was to describe levels of distress tolerance across periods of parenthood and to evaluate child temperament as a moderator of the relationship between child’s age and parents’ distress tolerance. A total of 602 parents (66.3% female, M age = 32.31 years, SD = 7.07) whose eldest child belonged to one of three developmental periods (i.e., infancy, n = 187; early childhood, n = 214; late childhood, n = 201) completed an online survey. While we found no evidence for a main effect of child’s age on parent distress tolerance, children’s negative affectivity moderated the association between period of parenthood and parent distress tolerance. Specifically, children who were higher in negative affectivity had parents who reported less distress tolerance between the developmental periods. The implications of the current study are discussed in the context of current and future research on emotional regulation among parents.
Testing the Question-Behavior Effect of Self-Administered Surveys Measuring Youth Drug Use.

Abstract Purpose Concern that asking about a specific behavior could elicit that behavior is often cited as a reason that communities and schools should not administer surveys about youth drug use. In this study, we investigated if this question-behavior effect exists related to substance use. We examined if simply asking a student about their current drug use leads to an increase in drug use 1 year later. Method This study tests the validity of the question-behavior effect on youth drug use in a longitudinal panel of 2,002 elementary school students. The sample of students was drawn from the Community Youth Development Study, a community-randomized test of the Communities That Care prevention system. If the prevalence of self-reported drug use in sixth grade in a sample surveyed in fifth and sixth grades was higher than in an accretion sample surveyed only in sixth grade, the difference could indicate a question-behavior effect. Results Results from logistic regression analyses did not provide any evidence of a question-behavior effect on 30-day or lifetime prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, inhalant, or marijuana use reported in sixth grade. Conclusions Asking youth about drug use in a survey did not increase the rates of self-reported drug use measured 1 year later. The absence of evidence of a question-behavior effect should ease concerns of communities and schools when administering surveys asking youth about their drug use.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: Nutritional Implications, Diagnosis, and Management

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), characterized by the presence of excessive bacteria in the small intestine, is typically described as a malabsorptive syndrome occurring in the context of gut stasis syndromes. SIBO is now considered to be a disorder associated with diverse clinical conditions without classic risk factors for SIBO and a cause of several nonspecific gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal symptoms. Because there is currently no gold standard for diagnosing SIBO, its prevalence and role in the pathogenesis of other diseases remain uncertain; as does optimal treatment of patients with relapsing symptoms.
Metastatic Lung Cancer Presenting During the Treatment Interval of an Acute Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Case Report.

Nonoperative management is the mainstay of treatment for acute lumbar disc herniation1,2. Studies have shown that, over the course of six to twelve weeks, the majority of radicular symptoms caused by an acute lumbar disc herniation will resolve spontaneously. Long-term data suggest that nonoperative treatment yields results that are equivalent or nearly equivalent to those of operative treatment without the risks of an operation3-7. In a minority of patients, the symptoms fail to resolve with these nonoperative measures, prompting operative management. Patients with lumbar disc herniation and concomitant secondary-gain issues, such as Workers’ Compensation, tend to have poorer surgical outcomes8 than patients without concomitant secondary-gain issues. The regression of herniated lumbar disc material over time is well documented9-11. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed for the mechanism by which this regression occurs: retraction by posterior longitudinal ligament tension, dehydration, disc degeneration, resorption by macrophage phagocytosis, and immunologic reaction12-16. Evidence of this regression on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is evident as early as six months from the time of the initial imaging study, with continued regression occurring for up to seven years17. Regression on imaging studies correlates with, but lags behind, clinical improvement18. As a result, most practitioners do not routinely perform repeat imaging of patients with MRI-documented disc herniation who have had an unsuccessful course of nonoperative management prior to disc surgery, unless the symptoms have lasted for more than six months. There are no current recommendations for a repeat MRI when a patient has persistent symptoms9-11. On the basis of the available literature, a repeat MRI within six months from the time of initial evaluation would be unnecessary and resisted in most scenarios. In …
Cytologic-histologic correlation of programmed death-ligand 1 immunohistochemistry in lung carcinomas.

Background Programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitors increasingly are being used to treat patients with advanced lung carcinomas. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemistry (IHC) in tumor cells (TCs) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (ICs) is used to select patients for programmed cell death protein 1 inhibition, but few studies have evaluated PD-L1 IHC in cytology specimens. The objective of the current study was to compare PD-L1 IHC in cytology cell blocks and matched surgical specimens. Methods A total of 56 cytology specimens obtained between 2013 and 2016 with matching surgical specimens were stained with anti-PD-L1. Membranous positivity was scored as a percentage of the TCs and ICs by 2 pathologists. Results were compared between cytology and surgical specimens, and interobserver concordance was assessed. Results The average PD-L1 positivity rate was 28% in TCs and 5% in ICs in surgical specimens (standard deviations of 37% and 7%, respectively), and 21% in TCs and 8% in ICs in cytology specimens (standard deviations of 33% and 15%, respectively). Interobserver concordance was high for TCs in surgical and cytology specimens (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.96 and 0.96, respectively), and was moderate for ICs in surgical and cytology specimens (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.47 and 0.67, respectively). There was moderate to high correlation between PD-L1 positivity in TCs between surgical and cytology specimens (Spearman correlation coefficient [Spearman r], 0.69), particularly among fine-needle aspiration specimens (Spearman r, 0.78), but not between PD-L1 positivity in ICs in surgical and cytology specimens (Spearman r, 0.14), including among fine-needle aspiration specimens (Spearman r, 0.23). Conclusions Tumor PD-L1 IHC positivity in cytology specimens appears to correlate strongly with results obtained from matching surgical specimens. PD-L1 IHC in ICs within cytology specimens does not reflect results in matched surgical specimens and should not be used in clinical decision making. Cancer Cytopathol 2018;126:253-63. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
On the cover time of random geometric graphs

The cover time of graphs has much relevance to algorithmic applications and has been extensively investigated. Recently, with the advent of ad-hoc and sensor networks, an interesting class of random graphs, namely random geometric graphs, has gained new relevance and its properties have been the subject of much study. A random geometric graph ${\mathcal G}(n,r)$ is obtained by placing n points uniformly at random on the unit square and connecting two points iff their Euclidean distance is at most r. The phase transition behavior with respect to the radius r of such graphs has been of special interest. We show that there exists a critical radius ropt such that for any $r \geq r_{\rm opt} {\mathcal G}(n,r)$ has optimal cover time of Θ(n log n) with high probability, and, importantly, ropt=Θ(rcon) where rcon denotes the critical radius guaranteeing asymptotic connectivity. Moreover, since a disconnected graph has infinite cover time, there is a phase transition and the corresponding threshold width is O(rcon). We are able to draw our results by giving a tight bound on the electrical resistance of ${\mathcal G}(n,r)$ via the power of certain constructed flows.
Information Technology and the Increasing Efficacy of Non-Legal Sanctions in Financing Transactions

This paper investigates the effect of advances in information technology on the private institutions that businesses use to resolve information asymmetries in financing transactions. It discusses four separate effects. First, in some cases information technology will permit direct verification of the information, obviating the problem entirely; the paper discusses the example of the substitution of the debit card for the check, which provides an immediate payment that obviates the need for the merchant to consider whether payment will be forthcoming when the check is presented to the bank on which it is drawn. Second, the paper discusses how advances in information technology improve the functioning of reputational verification systems, with a special emphasis on the dis-intermediation of securities issuance. Third, the paper discusses the rise of intermediation by pooling in the area of securitization. The paper closes by discussing the information merchant, which can sell information directly to those who need it for their transactions.
Dominance Relationships, Dominance Hierarchies and Rankings

Dominance implies a learned relationship such that the subordinate yields to the aggression of the dominant. It must be distinguished from territoriality and generalized losers. If one individual defeats another in every fight we witness, we can predict who will win the next fight but, if the sequence in every fight is the same as on the first fight, then there is no evidence that either of the participants have learned. Animals living in a group may learn their dominance relationship to every animal in the group, but these relationships need not be transitive, i.e., circular subgroups often exist where A defeats B, B defeats C and C defeats A, as in “Paper, Scissors, Rock”. We may observe rankings in a group despite some triangular relationships but efforts to produce ratio scales for rank systems have been problematic. Animals cannot do the complex mathematics in these models and group size may be limited by the number of relationships that animals can keep track of.
Barriers to Turnaround

“The conventions of school contexts” (Griffin, 1995, p. 44) and school social conditions exert a dramatic influence on turnaround. As Rosenholtz (1989) concluded in her landmark volume on teacher work: “Teachers like members of most organizations, shape their beliefs and actions largely in conformance with the structures, policies, and traditions of the workday world around them” (pp. 2–3).
Unusual intracranial foreign bodies. Report of five cases.

Five patients surgically treated for unusual intracranial foreign bodies are presented. They include representative cases of the three most commonly encountered types of these injuries: industrial accidents, suicidal attempts and the result of criminal assault.
Antiphospholipid Antibodies: Cognitive and Motor Decline, Neuroimaging and Neuropathology.

Background Few data are available on associations of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies with cognitive and motor decline in aging, and cerebrovascular disease on in vivo neuroimaging and postmortem neuropathology. Methods This longitudinal, clinical-pathologic study (aPL antibodies, brain infarcts, and cognitive and motor decline in aging), was derived from 2 ongoing community-based cohort studies. A panel of 3 aPL antibodies was assayed in serum from 956 older individuals (mean age = 81.1 years; 72% women). Serum was also tested in a subset for markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP]) and blood-brain barrier breakdown (matrix metalloproteinases, MMPs). Annual clinical evaluations documented cognitive (17 neuropsychological tests) and motor function including parkinsonism. Cerebrovascular disease data were derived from in vivo neuroimaging and postmortem neuropathologic evaluations (699 individuals). We examined associations of aPL with cognitive and motor decline, other serum markers, neuroimaging, and neuropathology. Results Of 956 individuals, 197 (20.6%) had aPL positivity, defined as positivity on any of the assays, at the time of first measurement. During a mean follow-up of 6.6 years (SD 4), overall aPL positivity was not associated with change in global cognition (estimate = -0.005, SE 0.011; p = 0.622) or parkinsonian signs (estimate = -0.003, SE 0.017; p = 0.860). aPL were not associated with serum CRP or MMPs (both p > 0.268). aPL were not associated with in vivo brain magnetic resonance imaging white matter hyperintensities or infarcts (both p > 0.376). Among those autopsied, aPL were not associated with pathologically confirmed brain infarcts, or cerebral atherosclerosis or arteriolosclerosis (all p≥ 0.447). Conclusions In older individuals followed longitudinally, aPL do not relate to cognitive or motor decline, inflammation, or cerebrovascular disease on in vivo neuroimaging or postmortem neuropathology.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND INTERNAL CONTROL FOR THE NATIONAL LAND SYSTEM OF THE USA

This paper examines the early accounting practices that were used to administer the United States' national land system. These practices are of significance because they provide insights on early governmental accounting and they facilitated an orderly settlement of the western territories. The analysis focuses on the record-keeping and control practices that were developed to meet the provisions of the Land Act of 1800 and to account for land office transactions. These accounting procedures were extracted from the correspondence between the Department of the Treasury and the various land officers.
A CALENDAR OF HUMAN CHANGE

ABSTRACT Like a natural calendar, a “Calendar of Human Change” forecasts futures to improve the quality of life. A human “year” has four “seasons” (Intuitive-Logical-Empirical-No value). These divide into “months” that parallel an “organic” growth and decay of society. A scientific, geometrical, mathematical structure is used.
Methylation-specific MLPA (MS-MLPA): Detection of CpG methylation and copy number changes of up to 40 sequences in one simple reaction

873 Copy number changes and CpG methylation of various genes are hallmarks of tumor development but are not yet widely used in diagnostic settings. The recently developed MLPA method has increased the possibilities for multiplex detection of copy number changes in a routine laboratory. Here we describe a novel robust method: the Methylation-Specific Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MS-MLPA) which can detect changes in both CpG methylation as well as copy number of up to 40 chromosomal sequences in one simple reaction. In MS-MLPA, the probes are designed similar to ordinary MLPA probes except that the sequences detected by these probes contain a recognition sequence for a methylation-sensitive endonuclease such as HpaII or HhaI. After hybridization of the probes with their targets, the genomic DNA-probe hybrid complexes are simultaneously ligated and digested. Only probes that recognize methylated DNA sequences will generate a signal. In contrast, if the sequences are unmethylated a probe signal will not be detected. Digestion of the genomic DNA-probe complex, rather than double stranded genomic DNA, allowed the use of DNA derived from formalin treated paraffin-embedded tissue samples, enabling retrospective studies. To validate this novel method, we used MS-MLPA to detect aberrant methylation in DNA samples of patients with Prader-Willy syndrome (PWS), Angelman syndrome (AS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
For Things to Remain (Sort of) the Same, Everything Must Change India’s First Generation Professional Elites & the Surreptitious Reproduction of Hierarchy

This Chapter aims to locate one newly minted strain of neoliberal elite in India – elite professionals. The literature on elites in India has, for good reason, predominantly focused on political and/or economic elites with a standing assumption of ascription. But with an increasing ideological commitment to the idea of meritocracy (Mehta 2011; Subramanian 2015) and new kinds of global work that valorize it afresh, individual social mobility in India has become an important site of understanding the rejuvenating composition of elites. As other accounts of contemporary elites attest, no such analysis is possible without an introspection of both the individuals that inhabit these elite spaces as well as the circulation networks and structures that reproduce them (Khan 2012; Pareto 1968). Tasked to this end, this research asks: Who are the inhabitants of these new spaces? And, to the extent they are new kinds of inhabitants, what kinds of resources and institutional structures buffer their entry and success? In this unfolding process through the experience of first generation elite professionals, this Chapter attempts to unpack a more latent structural tension between status mobility and stability in the Indian context.
Hyporheic secondary production and life history of a common Ozark stonefly

The hyporheic zone plays a key role in stream ecosystem function, but the quantity of biomass produced in this unique and rarely sampled habitat remains underappreciated. We measured hyporheic secondary production and life history characteristics of a stonefly, Leuctra tenuis (Pictet, 1841), in two Ozark streams with extensive gravel beds: a mainstem perennial stream and a tributary with ephemeral surface flow. L. tenuis nymphs were collected 30–45 cm below the streambed surface in both locations monthly for a year (2017–2018). Annual hyporheic secondary production of L. tenuis was 15.23 mg m−2 of streambed (95% CI 12.00–20.41) in the mainstem and 2.61 mg m−2 (95% CI 0.95–4.83) in the tributary. Annual benthic production of L. tenuis collected concurrently from the mainstem was 12.06 mg m−2 (95% CI 6.77–17.73). L. tenuis was univoltine and completed nymphal development in 8 months and approximately 3900 degree days (starting 20 January). This study is the first to measure hyporheic secondary production in the Ozarks, where many streams have deep hyporheic zones that could contribute substantial biomass to stream and riparian food webs. Our results, based on just one species of a diverse hyporheos, indicate the need for more ecological research in this habitat.
Viscoelastic voyages - Biophysical perspectives on cell intercalation during Drosophila gastrulation.

Abstract Developmental processes are driven by a combination of cytoplasmic, cortical, and surface-associated forces. However, teasing apart the contributions of these forces and how a viscoelastic cell responds has long been a key question in developmental biology. Recent advances in applying biophysical approaches to these questions is leading to a fundamentally new understanding of morphogenesis. In this review, we discuss how computational analysis of experimental findings and in silico modeling of Drosophila gastrulation processes has led to a deeper comprehension of the physical principles at work in the early embryo. We also summarize many of the emerging methodologies that permit biophysical analysis as well as those that provide direct and indirect measurements of force directions and magnitudes. Finally, we examine the multiple frameworks that have been used to model tissue and cellular behaviors.
On electrolyte wetting through lithium-ion battery separators

Abstract The wettability by electrolyte is a critical characteristic of lithium-ion battery separators since electrolyte absorption is essential for ionic transport. Most importantly, fast absorption of electrolyte facilitates the electrolyte filling and wetting processes during the battery assembly. However, theoretical or experimental investigation of separator wettability has rarely been reported, and thus very little quantitative data can be found in the existing literature. In this study, innovative experimental techniques and associated analytical models have been developed to fully characterize the electrolyte wetting behavior through battery separators. Both in-plane and through-plane imbibition processes are investigated. The results show that, electrolyte needs significantly longer time to wet separators than it does for commercial electrodes. The wetting rate depends significantly on the pore size, porosity, and micro-structure of the separators. Electrolyte in-plane wetting is only observed in the separators manufactured by the wet process. Increasing separator porosity and pore size is shown to be substantially increasing through-plane wetting rate. In addition, ceramic coating is shown to increase in-plane wetting but retard through-plane wetting.
Vulvar Aphthous Ulcer in an Adolescent With COVID-19.

ABSTRACT Background Vulvar aphthous ulcers have been associated with various prodromal viral illnesses. We describe the case of an adolescent girl who developed vulvar aphthous ulcers during infection with Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Case A 19-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with cough, sore throat, fevers, and rash, and tested positive for COVID-19. She re-presented 2 days later with vulvar pain and was found to have a vulvar aphthous ulcer. She was admitted for pain control and treated with oral steroids. Improvement in her vulvar pain was noted, along with resolution of fevers, cough, and rash. Summary and Conclusion This case illustrates the novel association of COVID-19 with vulvar aphthous ulcers in adolescents. Use of oral steroids for symptomatic management of COVID-19 led to rapid clinical improvement.
Severe lymphopenia predicts poorer survival in patients with rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

138Background: Chemoradiation (CRT) induced lymphopenia is common and associated with poorer survival in multiple solid malignancies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impa...
Limits of Fragmented Universalism: Local Agency in Healthcare

This chapter examines local agency in healthcare reform. The case of healthcare is particularly intriguing because it took the most dramatic turn from the pro-growth model due to the SARS crisis. In other words, healthcare seems to the most difficult case for the local agency as the “return of the state” has been less ambiguous in national reform rhetoric. The 2009 healthcare reform announced ambitious plans for expansion of coverage through the employment- and residence-based health insurance, as well as mandated increase in government spending in Medical Aid. Beyond the progress, nonetheless, there have been persistent variations in levels of stratification and service delivery patterns at the local level driven by growth considerations and political institutional constraints.
Transplantation of external oblique aponeurosis: an operation for prolapse of the vagina following hysterectomy.

s CHUBERTl in 1914 stated that the multiplicity of methods advocated for the treatment of uterine prolapse attested to the inadequacy of any one operation. Thirty-six years later the editor of the Year Book of Obstetrics and Gynecology2 reiterated this, as many others had done meanwhile. The treatment of prolapse of the vagina, with or without the cervical stump, following hysterectomy has been equally varied and the results less satisfactory. It is even more demanding of the resourcefulness of the surgeon. When the cervix is present in cases of prolapse, the preference of most operators, including the authors, has been the utilization of the supporting structures from below, such as modification of the Manchester operation or the interposition of the cervical stump after the method of Watkins. When the cervix has been removed, however, operation by the vaginal route may be more difficult. Miller3 has entered the peritoneal cavity through a posterior colpotomy and anchored the vaginal vault to the uterosacral ligaments. Colpocleisis after the method of LeFort is occasionally done. This is usually reserved for the very elderly or infirm woman in whom preservation of sexual function is of no great importance. Goodall and Power4 have attempted to extend the scope of colpocleisis to the younger woman with some degree of success. Of course the commonly associated cystocele, relaxed urethra, rectocele, and enterocele must receive due consideration in the management of any patient. Regardless of how desirable the operation from below may be, one not infrequently, either alone, or in addition to vaginal procedures, must resort to the abdominal approach to secure adequate support. Various methods of ventral fixation have been described. Ward5 used preserved ox fascia to suspend the vaginal vault from the anterior abdominal wall, the strips being passed subperitoneally over the bladder. Brady6 merely anchored the vagina to the anterior abdominal wall with braided silk sutures, reinforcing this with the plieated round ligaments.
Clinical and pathological characteristics of sporadic colorectal carcinomas with DNA replication errors in microsatellite sequences

DNA replication errors (RERs) in repeated nucleotide sequences due to defective mismatch repair genes have been reported in a subset of sporadic colorectal carcinomas and in the majority of tumors from patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome (HNPCC). We detected RER in 18 cases (13%) in a prospective series of 137 sporadic stage II and III (Dukes' B and C) colorectal carcinomas. The clinical and pathological features of the RER-positive cases differed from those without RER. The patients with RER-positive cancers tended to be somewhat younger (60 +/- 5 years, range 22-83, versus 66 +/- 1, range 27-90, P = 0.2 with unequal variances) and had a marked preponderance of tumors proximal to the splenic flexure (17/18, 94%, versus 41/119, 34%, P < 0.0001). Only two RER-positive patients (11%) had a family history of colorectal cancer. In comparison to the 41 RER-negative proximal colonic cancers, RER-positive cancers had more frequent exophytic growth (P = 0.04), large size (P = 0.03), poor differentiation (P = 0.0004), extracellular mucin production (P = 0.003) and Crohn's-like lymphoid reaction (P = 0.003), and a trend toward less frequent p53 gene product overexpression by immunohistochemistry (3/17, 18%, versus 18/41, 44%, P = 0.06). We conclude that a subset of sporadic colorectal carcinomas has unique biological features that may indicate inherited germline mutation, de novo germline mutation, or somatic mutations of the mismatch repair genes involved in HNPCC.
The Morrison Formation Extinct Ecosystems Project

The Morrison Extinct Ecosystem project is generating interesting results that, although preliminary in nature, are starting to converge on an integrated reconstruction of the Late Jurassic habitat in the Western Interior of the United States. A workshop in April, 1996, helped the participants learn where their data are in agreement and where remaining inconsistencies in the data exist. The workshop thus helped focus collective and individual efforts for the remaining field season so that additional field research and sample collection could be directed toward addressing the unresolved questions. A much more complete picture of the Morrison ecosystem is emerging, with such lines of evidence as the isotopic data confirming regional tectonic interpretations, and trace fossils adding subtle but significant clues to the interpretations of the ancient climate and water-table position and fluctuations. A mesic climate interpretation with a moderate amount of available moisture is derived from some of the plant fossils and, at first glance, contrasts with evidence of an arid to semi-arid climate based on the presence of saline, alkaline lake deposits; eolian strata; and evaporite deposits. Thus, the climate may have changed periodically or episodically, leaving evidence in the geologic record of the contrasting climate regimes-not all of which existed at the same time. A possible resolution of these discrepancies is that there was marked seasonality in which part of the year was relatively dry, as reflected by the arid to semiarid environmental indicators, whereas there may have been more precipitation during other parts of the year, as reflected by the more mesic environmental indicators. An additional factor that will need to be evaluated further is the role of the water table. The trace fossils suggest a fairly shallow water table that many of the plants, especially the larger ones, could tap throughout the year and therefore not be unduly affected by seasonal dryness. Also to be evaluated is the possibility that plants grew near stream courses or in overbank ponds in areas having a high water table, and that areas away from the streams were drier. These issues will be the focus of the remaining work, as outlined at the conclusion of the workshop.
Utilizing the Multidisciplinary Team to Facilitate a School-Family Systems Orientation

This article argues that the multidisciplinary team (MDT) can provide more effective and satisfying psycho-educational services by adopting a family systems orientation. A brief overview of family ...
Identification of a core member of the SWI/SNF complex, BAF155/SMARCC1, as a human tumor suppressor gene

Recent studies have established that two core members of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, BRG1 and SNF5/INI1, possess tumor-suppressor activity in human and mouse cancers. While the third core member, BAF155, has been implicated by several studies as having a potential role in tumor development, direct evidence for its tumor suppressor activity has remained lacking. Therefore, we screened for BAF155 deficiency in a large number of human tumor cell lines. We identified two cell lines, the SNUC2B colon carcinoma and the SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma, displaying a complete loss of protein expression while maintaining normal levels of mRNA expression. The SKOV3 cell line possesses a heterozygous 4 bp deletion that results in an 855AA truncated protein, while the cause of the loss of BAF155 expression in the SNUC2B cell line appears due to a post-transcriptional error. However, the lack of detectable BAF155 expression did not affect sensitivity to RB-mediated cell cycle arrest. Re-expression of full length but not a truncated form of BAF155 in the two cancer cell lines leads to reduced colony forming ability characterized by replicative senescence but not apoptosis. Collectively, these data suggest that loss of BAF155 expression represents another mechanism for inactivation of SWI/SNF complex activity in the development in human cancer. Our results further indicate that the c-terminus proline-glutamine rich domain plays a critical role in the tumor suppressor activity of this protein.
Burn patient characteristics and outcomes following resuscitation with albumin

Abstract Background Use of colloids in acute burn resuscitation may reduce fluid requirements, but effect on mortality is unknown. We hypothesized that patients who received albumin would have similar mortality to patients who did not receive albumin. Methods We performed a case-controlled study of inpatients who sustained burns of ≥20% total body surface area (TBSA). Patients who received albumin during resuscitation because of increased fluid requirements (ALB) were compared to a cohort of patients matched for age and TBSA who did not receive albumin (CON). Results Patients with inhalation injury were significantly more likely to receive albumin (OR 4.89, 95% CI 2.58–9.30). ALB patients had significantly higher mean initial lactate (3.64 versus 2.29, p = 0.01), longer mean time to resuscitation (52.8 h versus 36.3 h; p = 0.001), and higher resuscitation volume (9.4 mL/kg/%TBSA versus 6.4 mL/kg/%TBSA for CON). Mortality was not significantly different between the two groups (OR 1.90, 95% CI 0.85–4.22). Albumin was protective in a multivariate model of mortality (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.07–0.97). Conclusions Despite more severe systemic dysfunction, burn patients who received albumin did not suffer increased mortality. A novel finding is the decreased likelihood of mortality associated with the administration of albumin during burn resuscitation.
Binding of glycerol by microtubule protein.

Abstract When microtubules are purified by polymerization and depolymerization in a buffer containing glycerol, some glycerol becomes bound to the microtubule protein and is not removable by gel filtration or by prolonged dialysis. Both 6s tubulin and larger aggregates containing tubulin and accessory proteins bind glycerol. The 6s fraction has associated with it about 5 moles of glycerol per mole of tubulin dimer; 3 moles are exchangeable upon polymerization-depolymerization and 2 moles are not. The aggregate fraction has associated with it about 22 moles of glycerol per mole of tubulin dimer; approximately 11 moles are exchangeable and 11 moles are not.
Prenatal ethanol exposure reduces parvalbumin-immunoreactive GABAergic neuronal number in the adult rat cingulate cortex

The effect of prenatal ethanol exposure on the number of parvalbumin-immunoreactive (PA+) GABAergic neurons in the adult rat anterior cingulate cortex was determined. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were maintained on one of three diets throughout gestation: an ethanol-containing liquid diet, a similar, control liquid diet with the isocaloric substitution of sucrose for ethanol, or a lab chow control diet. Offspring were euthanized on postnatal day 60 and brains were prepared for parvalbumin immunocytochemistry. Rats exposed to the ethanol-containing diet contained 45% fewer PA+ neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex compared with sucrose and chow controls. This reduction occurred in the absence of changes in structure volume, and occurred in the absence of changes in PA+ neuronal size.
Diagnosis of the summertime warm and dry bias over the U. S. Southern Great Plains in the GFDL climate model using a weather forecasting approach

Weather forecasts started from realistic initial conditions are used to diagnose the large warm and dry bias over the United States Southern Great Plains simulated by the GFDL climate model. The forecasts exhibit biases in surface air temperature and precipitation within 3 days which appear to be similar to the climate bias. With the model simulating realistic evaporation but underestimated precipitation, a deficit in soil moisture results which amplifies the initial temperature bias through feedbacks with the land surface. The underestimate of precipitation is associated with an inability of the model to simulate the eastward propagation of convection from the front-range of the Rocky Mountains and is insensitive to an increase of horizontal resolution from 2{sup o} to 0.5{sup o} latitude.
Mathematical model of a cell size checkpoint

How cells regulate their size from one generation to the next has remained an enigma for decades. Recently, a molecular mechanism that links cell size and cell cycle was proposed in fission yeast. This mechanism involves changes in the spatial cellular distribution of two proteins, Pom1 and Cdr2, as the cell grows. Pom1 inhibits Cdr2 while Cdr2 promotes the G2 → M transition. Cdr2 is localized in the middle cell region (midcell) whereas the concentration of Pom1 is highest at the cell tips and declines towards the midcell. In short cells, Pom1 efficiently inhibits Cdr2. However, as cells grow, the Pom1 concentration at midcell decreases such that Cdr2 becomes activated at some critical size. In this study, the chemistry of Pom1 and Cdr2 was modeled using a deterministic reaction-diffusion-convection system interacting with a deterministic model describing microtubule dynamics. Simulations mimicked experimental data from wild-type (WT) fission yeast growing at normal and reduced rates; they also mimicked the behavior of a Pom1 overexpression mutant and WT yeast exposed to a microtubule depolymerizing drug. A mechanism linking cell size and cell cycle, involving the downstream action of Cdr2 on Wee1 phosphorylation, is proposed.
The spindle assembly checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint monitors proper chromosome attachment to spindle microtubules and is conserved from yeast to humans. Checkpoint components reside on kinetochores of chromosomes and show changes in phosphorylation and localization as cells proceed through mitosis. Adaptation to prolonged checkpoint arrest can occur by inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc2.
Direction-selective retinal ganglion cells arise from molecularly specified multipotential progenitors

Single progenitors can give rise to any and all of the main retinal cell types: photoreceptors, interneurons (horizontal, bipolar, and amacrine cells), retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and glia. Many of these types are divisible into multiple functionally, structurally, and molecularly distinct subtypes (e.g., ~25 for RGCs). It remains unknown when and how progenitors become committed to generate such subtypes. Here, we determine the origin of RGCs that respond selectively to vertical motion and express cadherin 6 (cdh6). Using Cre recombinase-based lineage tracing, we show that these RGCs arise from progenitors that themselves express cdh6. These progenitors are capable of generating all major retinal cell types, but the RGCs they generate are predominantly of the single direction-selective subtype. In contrast, cdh6-positive progenitors retain the ability to generate multiple subtypes of amacrine and bipolar cells. Our results demonstrate that type and subtype specification are regulated in different ways and suggest that multipotential but fate-restricted progenitors contribute to subtype specification in retina.
The economics of rural electrification projects

Abstract This paper focuses on the economics of rural electrification and project selection. The broad criteria for preliminary screening of RE projects are described in relation to national policy objectives. The economic justification is the key step in the project processing cycle, and depends on the present discounted value of benefits exceeding costs. A comprehensive analytical model for identifying benefits is presented and the practical problems of evaluating them are described. Finally, the paper contains the detailed economic evaluation of an RE project in Malaysia.
Observation of planar defects by reflection electron microscopy

Abstract The intersections of planar defects with crystal surfaces are studied by reflection electron microscopy. Two types of contrast may be involved in imaging of the intersections of planar defects with crystal surfaces. The first type of contrast is diffraction contrast. It originates from the difference of the diffraction conditions of the two parts on either side of the fault, or from lattice distortions associated with the strain fields in the vicinity of planar defects, such as twin boundaries. This type of contrast is observed and discussed for the 90° ferroelectric domain boundaries (twin boundaries in fact) in BaTiO 3 single crystals. The second type of contrast is the phase contrast produced by the surface steps associated with the defects such as stacking faults and slip faults. Examples of stacking faults on as-grown surfaces of Au spheres are discussed.
World Religions, the Earth Charter, and Sustainability

This article argues the global environmental crisis shows the need for a broad, inclusive definition of sustainability. It shows how religious traditions can help contribute to broader definitions, and describes how work from the field of Religion and Ecology has developed resources. It argues that the next step for the study of Religion and Ecology is to address sustainability, and then proposes that the Earth Charter provides an orienting framework for that engagement of religion and sustainability.
MOMENTUM TRANSFER IN THE MIXING OF PARTICLE CLOUDS PLUNGING INTO WATER

Abstract This work discusses certain fundamental aspects in the mixing of particle clouds plunging into water. In particular, the momentum transfer in the isothermal interaction is considered here, as part of a broader investigation involving very high-temperature particles and thus heat transfer and phase change, as related to the premixing phase of steam explosions. The focus is on the multifield behaviour, and the investigation is carried out experimentally in the MAGICO-2000 facility: we observe front advancements, mixing region evolution and water displacements. The effect of particle volume fraction, density, inlet velocity and pool geometry are analyzed. Measurements are taken by means of high-speed videos and X-ray radiography: the latter allows us to map the interior of the mixing region, highlighting interesting features of the interaction. All results are compared to the numerical simulations obtained with the PM-ALPHA code, and the exercise reveals good predictive capabilities for it.
A method for assaying the activity of the endopeptidase which excises the nonhelical carboxyterminal extensions from type I procollagen.

Abstract A new method for measuring the rate of enzymatic excision of the carboxy-terminal, nonhelical fragment from type I procollagen is presented. Human procollagen containing [ 3 H]tryptophan-labeled carboxy-terminal extensions was used as the substrate, and the enzyme was derived from the culture medium of mouse 3T6 fibroblasts. Incubation mixtures of substrate with enzyme were made 25% in ethanol which left the excised radiolabeled carboxy-terminal fragment in solution, whereas all other radiolabeled components were precipitated. Enzymatic activity was measured by radioactive counting of the ethanol supernatant. The assay is simple, rapid, sensitive and generates valid kinetic data.
Four-year contraception rates of mares treated with single-injection porcine zona pellucida and GnRH vaccines and intrauterine devices

We evaluated the multiyear contraceptive efficacy of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine GonaCon, the porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccine SpayVac and the human intrauterine device (IUD) 380 Copper ‘T’ in mustang mares provided by the State of Nevada. Eight untreated control mares were compared with 12 mares treated with SpayVac, 16 mares treated with GonaCon and 15 mares treated with the copper-containing IUD. Rates of contraception for Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively for SpayVac were 100% (12 of 12), 83% (10 of 12), 83% (10 of 12) and 83% (10 of 12), rates for GonaCon were 94% (15 of 16), 60% (9 of 15), 60% (9 of 15) and 40% (6 of 15) and rates for IUD-treated mares were 80% (12 of 15), 29% (4 of 14),14% (2 of 14) and 0% (0 of 14). Antibody titres against PZP and GnRH declined over the four-year study. For mares given SpayVac, uterine oedema was commonly observed. IUDs were visible by ultrasonography in non-pregnant mustang mares, suggesting that pregnant mares did not retain their IUD. IUD retention may be a function of uterine size: pony mares with IUDs had high retention and contraception rates for 4–5 years. We conclude that long-term contraception of mustang mares with a single shot of either the SpayVac or GonaCon vaccine is possible.