cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Precision Machining Vs Optical Process

High precision machining provides an extended fabrication capability for optical parts having geometries heretofore prohibitively expensive to achieve. The conventional optical fabrication process of "cut and try" makes complex optical parts exponentially more time consuming than simple flats and spheres and, therefore, expensive; yet a numerical control machine tool can cut complex contours easily. Combining this geometric capability of the numerical control machine tool with high precision machining technology makes possible a form accuracy and finish of optical quality. Moreover, the machining process allows added features such as mounting flanges and fittings to be designed as an integral part of the optical part usually not possible to accommodate on optical grinding and polishing machines. This means that the part can be held during the fabrication process as it will be held in the final assembly, reducing the changes of distortion that might otherwise occur during assembly.
Making the Connection: Seeking and Receiving Help by Elderly African Americans

The process of help seeking and help giving by older rural African Americans was studied using interviews, conversations, and participant observation of 41 informants, including 9 key informants. The author used an inductive analytical approach to examine the data, and a culturally constructed pattern of behavior was identified as help seeking. The circumstances under which, and language with which, help is sought and received was explained, and insight as to who is likely to receive help was provided. The elders believed that receiving help in late life is a reward for a good life. By understanding and following the rules of help seeking, formal helpers might more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of this vulnerable group.
Automated Creation of Complex Three-Dimensional Composite Mixtures for Use in Electromagnetic Simulation

The manual creation of complex three-dimensional structures for use in engineering analysis is a major obstacle to analyzing physically realistic structures. A bias is invariably imposed when a mixture is manually composed and the structure rarely is representative of the process by which composites are fabricated. Properties such as packing density and anisotropies that seem to easily occur in nature are very difficult to obtain with manual arrangements. This paper addresses the creation of complex three-dimensional mixtures, comprising crystals embedded in a matrix, for subsequent electromagnetic (EM) analysis. The physically realistic arrangement of the crystals is facilitated by the use of physics engine software, specifically the Bullet physics library, which renders the realistic effects in advanced computer games. A composite mixture of crystals is created by pouring a series of random crystals into a box with the crystals bouncing against each other and aligning just as they do in the real world. Higher packing densities are obtained than can be reasonably obtained with manual construction. The arrangement of the crystals obtained reflects the real world alignment of asymmetric crystals. A composite is created here and used with electromagnetic simulation software to investigate energy localization in materials.
Plutonium and “minor” actinides: safe sequestration

The actinides exhibit a number of unique chemical and nuclear properties. Of particular interest are the man-made actinides (Np, Pu, Cm and Am) that are produced in significant enough quantities that they are a source of energy in fission reactions, a source of fissile material for nuclear weapons and of environmental concern because of their long half-lives and radiotoxicity. During the past 50 yr, over 1400 mT of Pu and substantial quantities of the “minor” actinides, such as Np, Am and Cm, have been generated in nuclear reactors. There are two basic strategies for the disposition of these elements: (1) to “burn” or transmute the actinides using nuclear reactors or accelerators; (2) to “sequester” the actinides in chemically durable, radiation-resistant materials that are suitable for geologic disposal. There has been substantial interest in the use of isometric pyrochlore, A2B2O7 (A=rare earths; B=Ti, Zr, Sn and Hf), for the immobilization of actinides, particularly plutonium. Systematic studies of rare-earth pyrochlores have led to the discovery that certain compositions (B=Zr, Hf) are stable to very high doses of α-decay event damage. The radiation stability of these compositions is closely related to the structural distortions that occur for specific pyrochlore compositions and the electronic structure of the B-site cation. This understanding provides the basis for designing materials for the safe, long-term immobilization and sequestration of actinides.
Clinical outcomes resulting from telemedicine interventions: a systematic review

The use of telemedicine is growing, but its efficacy for achieving comparable or improved clinical outcomes has not been established in many medical specialties. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of telemedicine interventions for health outcomes in two classes of application: home-based and office/hospital-based. Data sources for the study included deports of studies from the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and HealthSTAR databases; searching of bibliographies of review and other articles; and consultation of printed resources as well as investigators in the field. We included studies that were relevant to at least one of the two classes of telemedicine and addressed the assessment of efficacy for clinical outcomes with data of reported results. We excluded studies where the service did not historically require face-to-face encounters (e.g., radiology or pathology diagnosis). All included articles were abstracted and graded for quality and direction of the evidence. A total of 25 articles met inclusion criteria and were assessed. The strongest evidence for the efficacy of telemedicine in clinical outcomes comes from home-based telemedicine in the areas of chronic disease management, hypertension, and AIDS. The value of home glucose monitoring in diabetes mellitus is conflicting. There is also reasonable evidence that telemedicine is comparable to face-to-face care in emergency medicine and is beneficial in surgical and neonatal intensive care units as well as patient transfer in neurosurgery. Despite the widespread use of telemedicine in virtually all major areas of health care, evidence concerning the benefits of its use exists in only a small number of them. Further randomized controlled trials must be done to determine where its use is most effective.
Method of insecticide delivery affects horizontal transfer of fipronil in the German cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae).

Horizontal transmission of insecticide occurs when foragers contact or ingest an insecticide, return to the aggregation or nest, and translocate the insecticide to the shelter and its vicinity. Relatively more sedentary members of the population then contact or eat the translocated insecticideanddie.WeevaluatedthreedifferentmethodsofdeliveringfiproniltoadultmaleGerman cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), for their potential to cause such secondary mortality in various developmental stages of the cockroach. Adult males topically treated with 5 ng of fipronil ('LD99) caused low mortality in untreated nymphs and no mortality in untreated adults within the same aggregation. Males exposed to residual fipronil on a glass surface translocated more insecticide, resulting in higher mortality of cockroaches they contacted, but only early instars were affected and no adult mortality was observed. Ingested fipronil bait, however, was most effectively translocated, and caused high mortality of untreated adults and nymphs. Ingestion of fipronil also caused greater secondary kill compared with a topical application of 25 ng, approximately the same amount recovered from the exterior of males that ingested 1 mg of 0.05% fipronil bait. Secondary mortality in the untreated population was significantly affected by the duration of contact between the treated and untreated cockroaches, the quantity and freshness of excretions from the treated insects, and the accessibility of the secretions to untreated cockroaches. The mechanisms that cause secondary kill may include ingestion of excreted fipronil residues, cannibalism of bait-fed cockroaches, as well as contact with fipronil-contaminated substrates.
A transformation approach for incorporating monotone or unimodal constraints.

SUMMARY Samples of curves are collected in many applications, including studies of reproductive hormone levels in the menstrual cycle. Many approaches have been proposed for correlated functional data of this type, including smoothing spline methods and other flexible parametric modeling strategies. In many cases, the underlying biological processes involved restrict the curve to follow a particular shape. For example, progesterone levels in healthy women increase during the menstrual cycle to a peak achieved at random location with decreases thereafter. Reproductive epidemiologists are interested in studying the distribution of the peak and the trajectory for women in different groups. Motivated by this application, we propose a simple approach for restricting each woman’s mean trajectory to follow an umbrella shape. An unconstrained hierarchical Bayesian model is used to characterize the data, and draws from the posterior distribution obtained using a Gibbs sampler are then mapped to the constrained space. Inferences are based on the resulting quasi-posterior distribution for the peak and individual woman trajectories. The methods are applied to a study comparing progesterone trajectories for conception and nonconception cycles.
Characteristics of an enzyme that inactivates angiotensin II (Angiotensinase C)

Abstract Angiotensinase C was partially purified from swine kidney cortex, where it occurs in a lysosomal fraction. The enzyme was also present in human urine, leucocytes and platelets, but absent from red blood cells or plasma. Angiotensinase C breaks bonds of proline at an acid pH provided the imino group of proline is protected and it is in the penultimate position. The C-terminal amino acid liberated from the proline link has to have a free carboxyl group. The substrates include angiotensin II and other peptides. A sensitive fluorometric assay technique was developed based on measuring the amount of DNS-Pro released by the enzyme from the dansylating prolyphenyl-alanine (DNS-Pro-Phe) substrate. The inhibition pattern and substrate specificity indicated that the enzyme is not identical with cathepsins, carboxypeptidase, kininases or other angiotensinases.
Thermal Stability of Barium Ferrite (BaFe12O19)

Compositions in the system Fe2O3-FeO-BaO in the vicinity of the compound BaFe12O19 were studied at temperatures from 1300° to 1550°C and oxygen pressures from 10−2 to 102 atm. Equilibrium relations involving several barium ferrous ferrites are described. Barium ferrite can be crystallized congruently from the melt at 40 atm oxygen pressure and 15400°C.
Imaging of amyloid burden and distribution in cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Objective Cerebrovascular deposition of β-amyloid (cerebral amyloid angiopathy [CAA]) is a major cause of hemorrhagic stroke and a likely contributor to vascular cognitive impairment. We evaluated positron emission tomographic imaging with the β-amyloid–binding compound Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) as a potential noninvasive method for detection of CAA. We hypothesized that amyloid deposition would be observed with PiB in CAA, and based on the occipital predilection of CAA pathology and associated hemorrhages, that specific PiB retention would be disproportionately greater in occipital lobes. Methods We compared specific cortical PiB retention in 6 nondemented subjects diagnosed with probable CAA with 15 healthy control subjects and 9 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). Results All CAA and AD subjects were PiB-positive, both by distribution volume ratio measurements and by visual inspection of positron emission tomographic images. Global cortical PiB retention was significantly increased in CAA (distribution volume ratio 1.18 ± 0.06) relative to healthy control subjects (1.04 ± 0.10; p = 0.0009), but was lower in CAA than in AD subjects (1.41 ± 0.17; p = 0.002). The occipital-to-global PiB ratio, however, was significantly greater in CAA than in AD subjects (0.99 ± 0.07 vs 0.86 ± 0.05; p = 0.003). Interpretation We conclude that PiB-positron emission tomography can detect cerebrovascular β-amyloid and may serve as a method for identifying the extent of CAA in living subjects. Ann Neurol 2007
The τ-Lepton Lifetime Discrepancy as Evidence for the Fourth Familya

Several world averages of the lifetime of the tau lepton reported over a period of two years seem to indicate that the tau lepton lives longer than its lifetime as predicted by the standard model1 with three families of conventional quarks and leptons. The reported lifetimes and their sources are the following
Advanced glycation end products and oxidative stress are increased in chronic allograft nephropathy

Abstract Background: The histologic picture of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) resembles early arteriosclerotic lesion. Oxidative stress and advanced glycation end products (AGES) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and progression of renal disease. Methods: The authors serially measured the plasma malonyldialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl protein (CP), pentosidine, and argpyramidine levels in 11 postrenal transplant patients with normal renal function (KPT) and 10 patients with biopsy proven CAN at 1, 3, 6, 9 through 12, and 18 through 24 months posttransplant. Data were also obtained in 16 controls and 13 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Results: Although serum creatinine, MDA, CP, pentosidine, and argpyrimidine levels decreased during follow-up in KPT, it progressively increased in patients with CAN. The mean serum creatinine level was higher in patients with CRF (3.3 ± 0.8 mg/dL [291.7 ± 70.7 μmol/L]) and CAN (2.4 ± 1.1 mg/dL [212.1 ± 96.6 μmol/L]) than in controls (1.2 ± 0.3 mg/dL [105.8 ± 26.7 μmol/L]) and KPT patients (1.2 ± 0.2 mg/dL [109.7 ± 17.7 μmol/L]; P P P P P
PET imaging of angiogenesis in a rat myocardial infarction model

354 Objectives Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death in the USA. The goal of this study was to assess the role of CD105 expression during MI-induced angiogenesis using 64Cu-NOTA-TRC105 positron emission tomography (PET), where TRC105 is an anti-CD105 antibody and NOTA is a chelator for 64Cu-labeling. Methods MI was induced in female rats by ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Echocardiography and 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) PET scans were performed on post-operative day 3 to confirm the presence of MI in the infarct group and intact heart in the sham group, respectively. Post-MI angiogenesis was non-invasively monitored with 64Cu-NOTA-TRC105 PET on post-operative days 3, 10, and 17. Histopathology was performed to detect CD105 expression following MI, and CD105-positive vessel counts from 3 different high power fields (hpf; 0.12 mm2) were calculated. Results Cardiovascular function assessed by ultrasound demonstrated that MI rats had an ejection fraction of 27 ± 11% (n = 3), significantly lower than that of the sham group. 18F-FDG uptake in the infarcted myocardial tissue of the MI group decreased significantly when compared with that of the sham group, confirming the successful generation of MI. 64Cu-NOTA-TRC105 uptake in the infarct zone was the highest on day 3 post-MI, which was significantly higher than that in the sham group (1.41 ± 0.45 %ID/g vs 0.57 ± 0.07 %ID/g; n = 3, p Conclusions This study indicated that CD105 plays an important role in post-MI angiogenesis and is a viable target for imaging and therapy of MI. PET of CD105 can be a useful tool for MI-related research, which may improve MI patient management in the future upon clinical translation of the optimized PET tracers.
When dogs look back: inhibition of independent problem-solving behaviour in domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) compared with wolves (Canis lupus).

Domestic dogs have been recognized for their social sensitivity and aptitude in human-guided tasks. For example, prior studies have demonstrated that dogs look to humans when confronted with an unsolvable task; an action often interpreted as soliciting necessary help. Conversely, wolves persist on such tasks. While dogs' ‘looking back’ behaviour has been used as an example of socio-cognitive advancement, an alternative explanation is that pet dogs show less persistence on independent tasks more generally. In this study, pet dogs, shelter dogs and wolves were given up to three opportunities to open a solvable puzzle box: when subjects were with a neutral human caretaker, alone and when encouraged by the human. Wolves were more persistent and more successful on this task than dogs, with 80% average success rate for wolves versus a 5% average success rate for dogs in both the human-in and alone conditions. Dogs showed increased contact with the puzzle box during the encouragement condition, but only a moderate increase in problem-solving success. Social sensitivity appears to play an important role in pet and shelter dogs' willingness to engage in problem-solving behaviour, which could suggest generalized dependence on, or deference to, human action.
The Influence of Neighborhood Crime on Increases in Physical Activity during a Pilot Physical Activity Intervention in Children

The purpose of this study was to examine whether neighborhood crime moderated the response (increases in steps) to a pilot intervention to increase physical activity in children. Twenty-seven insufficiently active children aged 6-10 years (mean age = 8.7 years; 56 % female; 59 % African American) were randomly assigned to an intensive intervention group (IIG) or minimal intervention group (MIG). Change in average daily number of steps from baseline was regressed against an index of neighborhood crime in a multilevel repeated-measures model that included a propensity score to reduce confounding. Safer neighborhoods were associated with higher increases in steps during the pilot intervention (interaction p = 0.008). Children in the IIG living in low-crime neighborhoods significantly increased their physical activity (5275 ± 1040 steps/day) while those living in high-crime neighborhoods did not (1118 ± 1007) (p for difference = 0.046). In the IIG, the increase in daily steps was highly correlated with neighborhood crime (r = 0.58, p = 0.04). These findings suggest the need for physical activity interventions to account for participants' environments in their design and/or delivery. To promote healthy behaviors in less-supportive environments, future studies should seek to understand how environments modify intervention response and to identify mediators of the relationship between environment and intervention.
Properties of the mantle cell and mantle cell lymphoma.

The major lymphoid inhabitant of the follicular mantle is the mantle cell, an immunologically naive B cell. It is the putative cell of origin of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), the cells of which have similar morphologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular characteristics to the normal B lymphocytes of the mantle zone. In the past year a number of advances have been made in the biology of the normal mantle cell, its interactions with the other constituents of the follicular and mantle zone microenvironments, and the development of neoplasia in this cell population. In addition, new developments in diagnostic molecular pathology have been used to more readily identify cases of MCL. The authors summarize these new advances in the understanding of the biology of the mantle cell and newer ancillary techniques in the diagnosis of lymphomas arising from this cell type.
The Influence of Disease Severity of Preceding Clinical Cases on Pathologists' Medical Decision Making.

Background. Medical decision making may be influenced by contextual factors. We evaluated whether pathologists are influenced by disease severity of recently observed cases. Methods. Pathologists independently interpreted 60 breast biopsy specimens (one slide per case; 240 total cases in the study) in a prospective randomized observational study. Pathologists interpreted the same cases in 2 phases, separated by a washout period of >6 months. Participants were not informed that the cases were identical in each phase, and the sequence was reordered randomly for each pathologist and between phases. A consensus reference diagnosis was established for each case by 3 experienced breast pathologists. Ordered logit models examined the effect the pathologists’ diagnoses on the preceding case or the 5 preceding cases had on their diagnosis for the subsequent index case. Results. Among 152 pathologists, 49 provided interpretive data in both phases I and II, 66 from only phase I, and 37 from phase II only. In phase I...
trans-Dibromo­bis(N,N′-dimethyl­ethane-1,2-diamine-κ2N,N′)nickel(II)

The title compound, [NiBr2(C4H12N2)2], is a mol­ecular nickel(II) complex. The nickel(II) center is pseudo-octa­hedral six-coordinate with a trans geometry and is located on an inversion center. The mol­ecules exhibit limited hydrogen bonding between the axial bromide ions and the secondary amine H atoms (each halide inter­acts with two H atoms) of adjacent mol­ecules.
Characteristics of fluorescence quenching by polystyrene microspheres in tissue-simulating phantoms

Polystyrene microspheres were previously reported to reduce fluorophore quantum yield via collisional quenching in fluorescein-based tissue-simulating phantoms. Here, we report decreases of fluorescence intensities and lifetimes of ~10-30% that are dependent on microsphere size.
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF KANEMITE, NAHSI2O5.3H2O, FROM THE ARIS PHONOLITE, NAMIBIA

Kanemite was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The mineral, ideally NaHSi 2 O 5 .3H 2 O, is orthorhombic (space group Pbcn); unit-cell parameters are a = 4.946(3), b = 20.502(15), c = 7.275(3) Aa, with Z = 4. The structure is solved and refined to an R value of 0.058 for 825 independent reflections. The arrangement of atoms consists of alternating (010) sheets of corrugated [Si 2 O 4 OH] (super n-) n and hydrated Na. The silicate sheets contain six-membered rings of HOSiO 3 -SiO 4 units. Sodium atoms coordinate to six water molecules, forming layers of distorted octahedra. Residual electron densities were located that give reasonable positions for four H atoms. One H is part of a silanol group, and the other three H atoms are associated with water bonded to Na. Bonding between the silicate and Na sheets is through hydrogen bonding from H of the Na layer to O of the silicate sheet.
Abstract B57: Modulation of prostaglandin E2 by statins in human bronchial epithelial cells harboring K-ras mutation: The potential advantage of combination therapy

Statin drugs, such as lovastatin and simvastatin, block cholesterol synthesis by inhibiting the function of HMG-CoA reductase in the cellular cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. In a recent large case-control study, statins reduced the risk of lung cancer suggesting the utility of statins for lung cancer chemoprevention. In our studies, while both lovastatin and simvastatin dose-dependently decreased proliferation in both histologically normal and K-ras mutated human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs), it also unexpectedly increased expression of PGE2 in mutated HBECs. The statin-mediated upregulation of PGE2 is most pronounced in K-ras mutated HBECs compared to P53 deleted or EGFR mutated HBECs. Treatment with the cholesterol precursor, mevalonic acid, inhibited statin mediated up-regulation of PGE2 indicating that the effect of the statins on PGE2 is sterol-dependent. We found that the suppression of proliferation by statins is also sterol dependent. Statins up-regulate the production of PGE2 by up-regulating mRNA and protein expression of COX-2. The addition of the MEK inhibitor (U0126) revealed the potential involvement of the ERK pathway for statin-mediated upregulation of PGE2 in HBECs. The combination of statins and a low dose of celecoxib (0.1 micro molar), a COX-2 inhibitor, suppressed the increased production of PGE2 by K-ras mutated HBECs. Studies are underway to determine the effect of statin-mediated upregulation of PGE2 on apoptosis resistance and invasion in K-ras mutated HBECs. Our studies suggest that the combination of statins with a low dose of celecoxib overcomes the upregulation of PGE2 induced by statins alone. Thus the combination represents a potentially effective lung cancer chemopreventative regimen worthy of further investigation. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):B57.
Digital Selective Communications

Digital techniques promise to be a major factor in future aerospace communications systems. Voice is cumbersome, slow and redundant, and does not make efficient use of the frequency spectrum. The digital approach permits the use of very narrow bandwidths, reduces redundancy and utilizes a constant loading factor. Selective addressing means that those not concerned with a message are not bothered by it, a very important factor in reducing distraction and fatigue of crew members in high performance aircraft. This paper describes terminal equipment developed for test and evaluation by the Air Force. The AN/URA-22 Control Monitor equipment provides for transmission of up to 456,976 different four-letter selective addresses, and recognition of individual, group and general calls, each of which can be any preassigned four-letter call. Remote switching is provided through the use of two mode characters, giving up to 676 possible combinations. The fieldata code is used. Mode characters and addressor call are displayed at the receive end. The AN/URA-29 Digital Data equipment adds message capability, using both words and alpha-numeric characters to provide three word messages, followed by up to 48 alpha-numeric characters in three lines of 16 characters each. Insertion is by simple push-button matrix and the message being composed is displayed. Received messages are displayed on receipt in plain language. The composed message is retained in storage until cleared. Operation of both equipments is explained in detail.
Characteristics of G156S,a Thermo-sensitive Genic Male Sterile (TGMS) Line,in KamphaengSaen,Thailand

The fertility of G156S,a thermo-sensitive genic male sterile(TGMS) line in rice,was complete sterility when it was planted in KamphaengSaen,Thailand under natural environment conditions in 2007.The growth days from sowing to heading of G156S with 14 leaves on the main stem in KamphaengSaen,Thailand was 20 d shorten than that in Guiyang,China and there was no significant difference in other agronomic characteristics between KamphaengSaen and Guiyang.The identification results from a artificial chamber showed that its critical sterility temperature increased by 0.5℃.
Diagnostic value of direct disk diffusion susceptibility test on positive blood culture isolates

Objective To explore the clinical value of direct disk diffusion susceptibility test on positive blood culture isolates.Methods 10 mL aliquots from Bact/Alert3D120 positive culture bottles were centrifuged,then collected suspension to perform direct disk diffusion susceptibility test,processed the samples with Vitek 2 simultaneously,compared susceptibility results with direct disk diffusion method.Results Of 325 positive blood cultures,for 153 gram-negative bacilli,there were 90.3% agreement between two methods,with 2.4% very major,0.9% major,6.3% minor error.For 172 gram-positive cocci,there were 92.6% agreement between two methods,with 2.4% very major,1.6% major,3.3% minor error.Conclusion The high rate of disagreement was observed with oxacillin and gentamicin in gram positive cocci,and with cefuroxime,amoxycillin/clavulanate,piperacillin/tazobatam in gram negative bacilli,the diagnostic value of direct disk diffusion susceptibility test on positive blood culture isolate is limited.
Genetic optimization of a bacteriophage-delivered alkaline phosphatase reporter to detect Escherichia coli

A large fraction of foodborne illnesses are linked to (∼46%) leafy green vegetables contaminated by pathogens harbored in agricultural water. To prevent this, accurate point-of-production detection tools are required to identify and quantify bacterial contaminants in produce before consumers are impacted. In this study, a proof-of-concept model was engineered for a phage-based Escherichia coli detection system. We engineered the coliphage T7 to express alkaline phosphatase (ALP) to serve as the signal for E. coli detection. Wild type phoA (T7ALP) and a dominant-active allele, phoA D153G D330N (T7ALP*) was inserted into the T7 genome, with engineered constructs selected by CRISPR-mediated cleavage of unaltered chromosomes and confirmed by PCR. Engineered phages and E. coli target cells were co-incubated for 16 hours to produce lysates with liberated ALP correlated with input cell concentrations. A colorimetric assay used p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) to demonstrate significant ALP production by T7ALP and T7ALP* compared to the vector control (T7EV) (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, T7ALP* produced 2.5-fold more signal than T7ALP (p ≤ 0.05) at pH 10. Due to the increase in signal for the modified ALP* allele, we assessed T7ALP* sensitivity in a dose-responsive manner. We observed 3-fold higher signal for target cell populations as low as ∼2 × 105 CFU mL−1 (p ≤ 0.05 vs. no-phage control).
Renal Cell Carcinoma, Surgical Treatment of The Primary Lesion

Our management of the surgical approach to renal cell carcinoma is essentially the same as that outlined by Kaufman and Mims (1) in “Current Problems in Surgery, 1966”. The most common approach was, with the patient in the flank position, to make an extraperitoneal, extrapleural, subdiaphragmatic approach through a flank incision below the twelfth rib. Although this is satisfactory, it does not really give good enough exposure for radical surgery, which is indicated in renal cell carcinoma which so frequently has extension or regional lymph node involvement. Modifications include removal of the twelfth rib or an incision between the eleventh and twelfth rib.
Body Mass Index as a Measure of Obesity: Racial Differences in Predictive Value for Health Parameters During Pregnancy.

Abstract Background: As a measure of obesity, body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) is an imperfect predictor of health outcomes, particularly among African Americans. However, BMI is used to guide prenatal care. We examined racial differences in the predictive value of maternal BMI for physiologic correlates of obesity, serum interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as cesarean section and infant birth weight. Methods: One hundred five pregnant women (40 European American, 65 African American) were assessed during the second trimester. BMI was defined as per prepregnancy weight. Electrochemiluminescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to quantify IL-6 and CRP, respectively. Birth outcomes were determined by medical record review. Results: Women of both races classified as obese had higher serum IL-6 and CRP than their normal-weight counterparts (ps ≤ 0.01). However, among women with overweight, elevations in IL-6 (p < 0.01) and CRP (p = 0.06) were observed among European Americans...
Fulminant Infectious Aortitis With Ascending Aortic Rupture.

Infectious aortitis is associated with a high rate of acute aortic adverse events. However, the nonspecificity of symptoms and low sensitivity of blood cultures may delay early recognition of this condition. A 77-year-old man was incidentally found to have aortitis. His disease took a fulminant course and was complicated by dissection and rupture only 4 days after the diagnosis. Serial computed tomographic angiography provided valuable information about the development of aortitis into dissection and rupture. Postdissection histologic analysis revealed gram-positive cocci in the aortic wall.
Results of Intensive Chemotherapy in 434 Adult Patients (pts) with Philadelphia-Negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): Predictive Prognostic Model for Survival

Introduction: Older age, poor performance status, diminished organ function and adverse genetic features are poor prognostic factors in treatment of ALL. Our goal is to develop prognostic models predicting complete response (CR), death in CR, 2-month mortality and survival in adult pts with ALL, which would be used to assist pts and oncologists to establish expectations with intensive chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 434 pts with ALL treated with intensive chemotherapy between 2000 and 2015 were analyzed. Frontline treatments included hyperCVAD alone (n=152) or in combination with rituximab (n=156) [Thomas D, et.al, JCO 2010], or ofatumumab (n=34), and Augmented-BFM (n=92) [Rytting ME, et al Cancer 2014]. Following clinical features were analyzed; age, gender, diagnosis (B or T-ALL), performance status (Zubrod), prior malignancy, prior chemotherapy, white blood cell count, platelet count, hemoglobin level, peripheral blood (PB) blast, bone marrow (BM) blast, mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements, albumin level, total bilirubin level, estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation) and chemotherapy type. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinical features associated with CR, death in CR, 2-month mortality and survival were performed. Results: Pts characteristics are summarized in Table 1. The overall CR rate, death in CR rate, 2-month mortality rate, 1-year and 5-year survival rates were 94%, 15%, 8%, 80%, and 47%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, we identified prognostic factors associated with CR, death in CR, 2-month mortality, and survival (Table 2). Age > 40 years, performance status ≥ 2, total bilirubin >1 mg/dL, GFR 2 , albumin 50 x10 9 /L and presence of MLL gene rearrangements were identified as independent adverse prognostic features for overall survival (OS). Because all predictive features identified had similar statistical impact, patients were divided into four different risk categories: 1) low (no adverse feature) 92 pts (21%), 2) intermediate-1 (1 adverse feature) 138 pts (32%), 3) intermediate-2 (2 adverse features) 111 pts (26%), and 4) high (≥ 3 adverse features) 93 pts (21%). Median OS survival was not reached in low and intermediate-1 categories, and it was 40 and 15 months for intermediate-2 and high risk categories respectively (p Conclusion: Prognostic model predicting survival in adult ALL pts were developed based on standard readily available baseline clinical features, which may assist in therapeutic and investigational decisions. This prognostic model is based on retrospective analysis, and further validation is needed in independent study groups. Disclosures Konopleva: Novartis: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Stemline: Research Funding; Calithera: Research Funding; Threshold: Research Funding.
#Engagement: use of Twitter chats to construct nominal participatory spaces during health crises

ABSTRACTAlthough Twitter chats and other forms of social media engagement events are idealized in the literature as opportunities for dialogic communication between organizations and individuals, less is known about how engagement is operationalized within these spaces. Using textual and content analysis, we conducted two studies to explore how health organizations engage with the public via Twitter chats during the Ebola and Zika outbreaks. In official records of Ebola chats, the organization addressed both hostile and neutral public questions that pressed for specification of disease characteristics and protocol. However, in a content analysis of all public tweets sent during a later Zika chat, we found that questions were privileged, and other tweet forms and themes were excluded from the participatory space. Specifically, public comments demonstrating expertise or extending the topic of the chat were not addressed by the organization. Our analysis provides insight into the implicit rules governing how...
No solid ground: Max Aub’s roots and routes

While Max Aub’s unique and prolific body of work has been the subject of numerous studies and monographs, his work remains undervalued in transnational contexts. An analysis of two of his plays, San Juan (1943) and El rapto de Europa (1946), and a collection of poems, Diario de Djelfa (1944), makes it possible to rethink the ways in which aesthetic projects, produced either during World War II or shortly afterwards, reveal a geography of the war’s forced displacements, in which the Spanish Civil War, European colonialism in North Africa, and its enduring postcolonial remainders become the most important landmarks. While the present analysis centers on Aub’s routes between Spain, France, Algeria, and, finally, Mexico, a persistent yearning for roots, for a sense of belonging, or, to use one of his characters’ words, for “solid ground” haunts his writing. The interplay between roots and routes therefore makes it possible to consider Aub’s work in a postcolonial context and within a transnational memory.
Using forests for climate mitigation: sequester carbon or produce woody biomass?

Forests can mitigate greenhouse gases by storing carbon (SEQU) and supplying woody biomass for burning in power plants with CCS (WBCCS). The paper uses GTM to understand the global dynamics of forests and WITCH to determine the most cost-effective mitigation methods to limit long-term radiative forcing. The analysis finds that both SEQU and WBCCS are effective but the most effective choice is to use them together. WBCCS + SEQU accounts for 23–28% of all mitigation. SEQU initially dominates while carbon prices are low while WBCCS becomes more important later with especially high carbon prices. Forest mitigation encourages land use to shift towards forests, increasing natural forests and especially managed forests. SEQU leads to larger trees and more natural forestland and WBCCS leads to faster growing trees and more managed stands.
Dark Higgs bosons at the ForwArd Search ExpeRiment

FASER, ForwArd Search ExpeRiment at the LHC, has been proposed as a small, very far forward detector to discover new, light, weakly-coupled particles. Previous work showed that with a total volume of just $\ensuremath{\sim}0.1--1\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{m}}^{3}$, FASER can discover dark photons in a large swath of currently unconstrained parameter space, extending the discovery reach of the LHC program. Here we explore FASER's discovery prospects for dark Higgs bosons. These scalar particles are an interesting foil for dark photons, as they probe a different renormalizable portal interaction and are produced dominantly through $B$ and $K$ meson decays, rather than pion decays, leading to less collimated signals. Nevertheless, we find that FASER is also a highly sensitive probe of dark Higgs bosons with significant discovery prospects that are comparable to, and complementary to, much larger proposed experiments.
Comment on “Climate legacies drive global soil carbon stocks in terrestrial ecosystems”

Delgado-Baquerizo et al. (Science Advances, 12 April 2017, e1602008) use statistical correlations to infer that paleoclimate (6000 to 22,000 years ago) is a more important driver of current soil organic carbon stocks than the current-day climate. On the other hand, a wealth of radiocarbon measurements indicates that the organic carbon in most topsoils is only a few decades to perhaps a few centuries old. These seemingly incongruous results can perhaps be reconciled by considering that the long-term pedogenic development of a soil strongly influences the physiochemical properties, which lead to stabilization of new carbon entering that soil regardless of current climate.
Ecological assessment of daily suicidal thoughts and attempts among suicidal teens after psychiatric hospitalization: Lessons about feasibility and acceptability.

Abstract Despite its potential to yield information about the dynamic course of suicidal ideation/behavior in individuals’ natural environment, Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) has been strikingly underutilized among suicidal teens. This study reports on feasibility and acceptability of ecological assessment of daily suicide risk-related outcomes (“daily diaries,” a special case of EMA) among adolescent inpatients in the critical post-discharge period. Thirty-four adolescents (76% female; ages 13–17) responded to daily electronic surveys for four weeks after discharge. Survey adherence was 69% (n = 650 days) and decreased each week. Adherence was half as likely among adolescents without attempt history (OR = 0.50, CI = 0.27–0.95). Mid- and end-point study responses indicated high acceptability of daily diaries. Most adolescents reported no change or more positive change in their thoughts/mood after daily surveys. Suicidal ideation was reported on 24.4% (n = 159) of the days. In the month post discharge, more teens reported suicidal thoughts using daily surveys (70.6%) compared to end-of-study assessment (45.2%) (Chi-square = 4.24, p = .039). Two participants (5.9%) reported an attempt. Ideation frequency and duration varied across time, suggesting utility of frequent assessments in this context. EMA data collection with high-risk adolescents offers a feasible approach to examining real-time suicidal ideation/behavior, yielding nuanced information that is critical to advancing suicide prevention efforts.
THE SOCIOMATERIALITY OF BOUNDARY - SPANNING ENTERPRISE IS DESIGN

The paper uses and extends upon a sociomaterial view of organizational IS by relating this to modalities of sensemaking across boundaries and levels of framing in managing the meaning of IS performativity. Data from a field study of Enterprise IS redesign at a US University are analyzed from an actor-network perspective to reveal a genealogy of IS design evolution. Three modalities of sociomaterial design - boundary objects, bridging operations and conscription devices – are examined at multiple levels of design-framing, to understand the emergence of enterprise IS redesign, its political alignment and associated business processes. The result is a conceptual framework which explains how the meanings attached to an enterprise IS emerges are temporally emergent in practice, demonstrating interactions between levels of sensemaking which create unexpected consequences for IS users and exposing backstage negotiations that enable the meaning of an IS design to be managed in practice.
Managing Threatening Behavior: The Role of Talk Down and Talk Up

Table 3 demonstrates a relationship between DSM-IV Axis I and Axis II diagnoses and hot and cold threats. Patients with an Axis I diagnosis who make hot threats are often emotionally and cognitively out of control, trying to get back into control by threatening. In contrast, patients with an Axis II personality disorder, like most normal people, periodically reach an emotional threshold when they seem to "lose it." That is, they become so frustrated that they discharge their frustration by verbally abusing or threatening others, often as a prelude to disrupting the physical environment or actually physically attacking someone. Although patients with an Axis II diagnosis lose emotional control at times, they are able, in calm moments, to use cold threats as a way to manipulate the clinician to achieve a goal. Understanding these general diagnostic differences and related management approaches can help clinicians work safely in any setting.
Calculation of X-ray Diffraction Patterns for Anisotropic Mineral Aggregates

By examining the density distribution of poles [hkl] over the reciprocal lattice sphere given idealized girdle and point distributions of a reference direction [hkl]o, a series of “anisotropy” coefficients have been derived which describe the density of any [hkl] at any point on the reciprocal lattice sphere. The coefficients are used in the calculation of diffraction intensities for an anisotropic mineral fabric whose [hkl]o pole figure can be described by a number of superimposed point and girdle maxima. Preferred orientation about [hkl]o is not accounted for in the theory. Calculations are made by simply combining the appropriate anisotropy coefficients with area-corrected pole density data obtained from the contour values of [hkl]o distributions, and standard calculated intensities for the given material. Calculated and observed diffraction patterns for apatite in tibia of bos taurus and for calcite in Yule marble are in good agreement.
Semantic-Aware Virtual Reality Video Streaming

Virtual reality (VR) technologies have huge potential to enable radically new applications, among which spherical panoramic (a.k.a., 360°) video streaming is on the verge of hitting the critical mass. Current VR systems treat 360° VR content as plain RGB pixels, similar to conventional planar frames, resulting in significant waste in data transfer and client-side processing. In this paper, we make the case that next-generation VR platforms can take advantage of semantics information inherent to VR content so as to improve the streaming and processing efficiency. To that end, we present SVR, a semantic-aware VR system that utilizes the object information in VR frames for content indexing and streaming. SVR exploits the key observation that end-users' viewing behaviors tend to be object-oriented. Instead of streaming entire frames, SVR delivers miniature frames that cover only the tracked visual objects in VR videos. We implement SVR prototype with a real hardware board and demonstrate that it achieves up to 34% network bandwidth reduction along with 21% device power saving.
Impact of Intensive Care Unit Discharge Delays on Patient Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study:

Objective:Patients often overstay in intensive care units (ICU) after they are deemed discharge ready. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of such discharge delays (DD) on subsequ...
Determination of pattern allowances for steel castings using the finite element inverse deformation analysis

In recent years, the development of computational models to predict casting distortions has led to improvements in efficiency and accuracy over traditional pattern design that relies on shrink rule...
Family, Gender, and Occupation in Industrial France: Past and Present*

This chapter first establishes that France, like other contemporary Western industrial nations, has a labor force that is segregated by sex. It reviews how large-scale structural change shaped the overall gender configuration of occupations in industrializing and industrial France. Industrialized textile production, garment making, and domestic service, all industries transformed indirectly or directly by industrialization, were the largest employers of females in nineteenth-century France. The chapter then turns to occupational structure and family strategies in French cities. Urban industrial economies differed in striking ways, as can be seen in the comparison of two cities, Roubaix and Amiens. The chapter examines the behavior of employers and families both through their own statements of what they were about and in the ensuing patterns of labor-force distribution. It concludes with a discussion of the implications of this historical evidence for understanding occupational segregation.