cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poetic Drama as Civic Discourse: Troilus and Cressida, an Allegory of Elizabeth I's “Common Weal”

An allegoresis of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida illuminates this drama as the playwright's act of mythopoesis that characterizes and interprets the second half of Elizabeth I's reign as an historical and political journey through adversities, crises, and conflict to a moment of unified redemption. Action and dialogue allegorically represent the diverse and disparate civic voices of this journey. The drama is Shakespeare's own civic voice morally and ethically arguing and assessing the period as an arrival to national unification, self-identity, and well-being.
Temporal backward planar projection of acoustic transients

Backward projection schemes use data in front of a transmitter to reconstruct a field at closer points. Existing techniques have concentrated propagating radial and temporal information along constant planar cross sections in front of a planar source. This approach requires a careful consideration of evanescent waves, as the transfer function used to backproject in space causes evanescent wave solutions to increase exponentially with the projected distance. Erroneous signals may result from exponentially increasing noise, experimental error or roundoff error. A method is presented that is designed to work with imaging methods that record three-dimensional spatial data at constant times. Several widely used optical methods are of this type. Our algorithm projects the field backward in time via linear wave theory. The approach is similar to previously reported methods but is designed to work with time-constant data and avoids problems associated with evanescent waves.
PELVIC MASS CAUSED BY POLYETHYLENE WEAR AFTER UNCEMENTED TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Abstract A 50-year-old man developed a pelvic mass following uncemented total hip arthroplasty. The mass communicated with the hip via an acetabular defect after loosening of the acetabular component. Operative and histologic findings revelaed a foreign body reaction to polyethylene debris. Revision arthroplasty and excision of the pelvic mass were performed successfully through a single incision. A mass adjacent to a loose prosthesis may present as polyethylene failure following total hip arthroplasty. Revision arthroplasty and excision of the mass after an accurate diagnosis are recommended.
Autologous antibodies eluted from membrane fragments isolated from the effusions of human ovarian epithelial neoplasms

Abstract Cyst and ascites fluids from patients with ovarian epithelial neoplasms contain large amounts of soluble immunoglobulins without detectable antibody activity against human ovarian tumor cell lines by indirect immunofluorescence. Membrane fragments were prepared from 56 human ovarian effusions, and the oresence of membrane-bound IgG, IgA, and IgM was demonstrated. The predominant membrane-bound immunoglobulin class was IgG, which ranged from 18 to 4275 ng/ml on samples tested, whereas IgA was present in the range of 5 to 52 ng/ml. The autologous membrane-bound antibodies strongly recognized cell-surface antigens on four human ovarian cell lines and four surgical specimens of human ovarian adenocarcinoma but did not react with normal human ovaries, nonovarian normal and neoplastic tissues, or nonovarian human cell lines by indirect immunofluorescence assay. These studies indicate that patients with ovarian cancer have the capability of recognizing and forming antibodies against autologous ovarian tumor-associated antigens.
Impact of Comorbid panic and posttraumatic stress disorder on outcomes of Collaborative care for late-life depression in primary care

Objective Comorbid anxiety disorders may result in worse depression treatment outcomes. The authors evaluated the effect of comorbid panic disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on response to a collaborative-care intervention for late-life depression in primary care. Methods A total of 1,801 older adults with depression were randomized to a collaborative-care depression treatment model versus usual care and assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months, comparing differences among participants with comorbid panic disorder (N=262) and PTSD (N=191) and those without such comorbid anxiety disorders. Results At baseline, patients with comorbid anxiety reported higher levels of psychiatric and medical illness, greater functional impairment, and lower quality of life. Participants without comorbid anxiety who received collaborative care had early and lasting improvements in depression compared with those in usual care. Participants with comorbid panic disorder showed similar outcomes, whereas those with comorbid PTSD showed a more delayed response, requiring 12 months of intervention to show a significant effect. At 12 months, however, outcomes were comparable. Interactions of intervention status by comorbid PTSD or panic disorder were not statistically significant, suggesting that the collaborative-care model performed significantly better than usual care in depressed older adults both with and without comorbid anxiety. Conclusions Collaborative care is more effective than usual care for depressed older adults with and without comorbid panic disorder and PTSD, although a sustained treatment response was slower to emerge for participants with PTSD. Intensive and prolonged follow-up may be needed for depressed older adults with comorbid PTSD.
983 POLYDRUG VS. METHADONE USE IN PREGNANCY: STUDIES ON OFFSPRING

Twenty-one neonates of drug-dependent mothers were studied prospectively. Of 19 mothers on methadone (M), 13 were polydrug abusers (PD); 2 mothers were heroin-dependent. Mean birth weight was 2675 grams ± 580 (SD); mean gestational age was 38.0 weeks ± 2.7 (SD). Eighteen of 21 had birth weights appropriate for dates; 3 were small for dates. All lengths were between 10th and 90th percentile. Eighteen of 21 head circumferences were between the 10th and 90th percentile; 3 fell below the 10th percentile. Mean maximal weight loss in the first postnatal week was 7.25% of body weight ± 3.67% (SD). From 7 to 30 days of age, 16 infants gained weight normally, 3 subnormally and 2 excessively. Weight gain corrected for caloric intake was inversely related to severity of withdrawal on day 14 (p<.05), but not on days 7 or 21. Drug withdrawal was assessed twice daily by standardized score. Mean time of symptom onset was 13.5 hours ± 0.7 (SD). No difference in withdrawal severity was seen between the M and PD groups. No correlation was found between withdrawal severity and maternal M dosage late in pregnancy or at delivery. Term infants showed more severe withdrawal than preterm infants. Infants randomly treated for moderate to severe symptoms with paregoric or phenobarbital showed no difference in modification of withdrawal severity or treatment time required.
Laser-induced acoustic desorption/ atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD) was successfully coupled to a conventional atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source in a commercial linear quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer (LQIT). Model compounds representing a wide variety of different types, including basic nitrogen and oxygen compounds, aromatic and aliphatic compounds, as well as unsaturated and saturated hydrocarbons, were tested separately and as a mixture. These model compounds were successfully evaporated into the gas phase by using LIAD and then ionized by using APCI with different reagents. From the four APCI reagent systems tested, neat carbon disulfide provided the best results. The mixture of methanol and water produced primarily protonated molecules, as expected. However, only the most basic compounds yielded ions under these conditions. In sharp contrast, using APCI with either neat benzene or neat carbon disulfide as the reagent resulted in the ionization of all the analytes studied to predominantly yield stable molecular ions. Benzene yielded a larger fraction of protonated molecules than carbon disulfide, which is a disadvantage. A similar but minor amount of fragmentation was observed for these two reagents. When the experiment was performed without a liquid reagent (nitrogen gas was the reagent), more fragmentation was observed. Analysis of a known mixture as well as a petroleum cut was also carried out. In summary, the new experiment presented here allows the evaporation of thermally labile compounds, both polar and nonpolar, without dissociation or aggregation, and their ionization to predominantly form stable molecular ions.
Scale up of lifters in ball mills

Abstract Liner design and lifter geometry in tumbling mills are very important in comminution kinetics and energy consumption. In terms of the parameters of the batch grinding model, the breakage rate function decreases as lifter size increases while the breakage distribution function is independent of the lifter size. However, the specific energy consumption is not a function of lifter size. Reducing the lifter height from 2.54 cm to 0.32 cm increases the production from this mill by 37%. When the mill is operated without any lifters, the charge apparently slips inside the shell resulting in lower breakage kinetics and higher energy consumption.
Antibodies directed against the pancreatic islet cell plasma membrane detection and specificity

Rabbits were immunised with suspensions of viable, insulin-producing islet cells prepared from collagenase-isolated rat or ob/ob mouse pancreatic islets. Antibodies reactive with the surface of dispersed rat islet cells were present in both the rabbit anti-rat and the rabbit anti -ob/ob mouse islet sera as revealed by indirect immunofluorescence or by a radioligandassay using 125I-Protein A as a measure of cell bound IgG. In a competition assay the binding of 125I-Protein A was displaced in a concentration dependent manner by non-radioactive Protein A. Maximal displacement was found at concentrations of Protein A higher than 0.1 μg. added to 105 islet cells. Although not always detected by immunofluorescence there was a several-fold increase above normal rabbit serum of 125I-Protein A-binding to rat hepatocytes and spleen lymphocytes incubated with the islet cell antisera. Conversely, rabbit antisera against rat spleen lymphocytes or against a rat liver plasma membrane preparation reacted with rat islet cells. The rabbit anti-rat islet cell antiserum was absorbed to both spleen lymphocytes and hepatocytes until there was no binding of 125I-Protein A to either cell type. Islet specific antibodies were still present since this doubly absorbed antiserum induced cell surface immunofluorescence as well as 125I-Protein A-binding to rat islet cells. It is concluded that apart from common antigenic determinants immunisation with viable islet cells induces formation of antibodies directed against specific islet cell surface components.
Nerve rootlet and fascicular biopsy in patients with hypertrophic inflammatory neuropathy.

Background: The differential diagnosis of hypertrophic mononeuropathy includes multiple diagnoses with significantly differing treatments and prognosis. The value of pathologic confirmation of the disease entity is critical in defining optimal patient care. Review Summary: This report is an analysis of 2 unusual cases of progressive neuropathy with radiographic evidence of peripheral nerve enlargement. The clinical presentation of the patients and diagnostic value of the nerve biopsy are discussed. The aim of this report is to alert and emphasize the importance of a peripheral nerve biopsy in patients with hypertrophic mononeuropathies and carefully selected patients with hypertrophic polyradiculopathies. Both patients were treated with immunomodulatory agents with modest improvement in their symptoms. Conclusion: Pathologic confirmation of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy in these patients led to the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Surgical excisional biopsy of a lumbar nerve rootlet and fascicular biopsy of the sciatic nerve were necessary to secure proper diagnosis in these cases. Neither patient had any complications or sequelae from the procedures.
Increased Error-Related Brain Activity Distinguishes Generalized Anxiety Disorder With and Without Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are so frequently comorbid that some have suggested that the 2 should be collapsed into a single overarching “distress” disorder. Yet there is also increasing evidence that the 2 categories are not redundant. Neurobehavioral markers that differentiate GAD and MDD would be helpful in ongoing efforts to refine classification schemes based on neurobiological measures. The error-related negativity (ERN) may be one such marker. The ERN is an event-related potential component presenting as a negative deflection approximately 50 ms following an erroneous response and reflects activity of the anterior cingulate cortex. There is evidence for an enhanced ERN in individuals with GAD, but the literature in MDD is mixed. The present study measured the ERN in 26 GAD, 23 comorbid GAD and MDD, and 36 control participants, all of whom were female and medication-free. Consistent with previous research, the GAD group was characterized by a larger ERN and an increased difference between error and correct trials than controls. No such enhancement was evident in the comorbid group, suggesting comorbid depression may moderate the relationship between the ERN and anxiety. The present study further suggests that the ERN is a potentially useful neurobiological marker for future studies that consider the pathophysiology of multiple disorders in order to construct or refine neurobiologically based diagnostic phenotypes.
Least squares problems with inequality constraints as quadratic constraints

Abstract Linear least squares problems with box constraints are commonly solved to find model parameters within bounds based on physical considerations. Common algorithms include Bounded Variable Least Squares (BVLS) and the Matlab function lsqlin. Here, the goal is to find solutions to ill-posed inverse problems that lie within box constraints. To do this, we formulate the box constraints as quadratic constraints, and solve the corresponding unconstrained regularized least squares problem. Using box constraints as quadratic constraints is an efficient approach because the optimization problem has a closed form solution. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is investigated through solving three benchmark problems and one from a hydrological application. Results are compared with solutions found by lsqlin, and the quadratically constrained formulation is solved using the L-curve, maximum a posteriori estimation (MAP), and the χ 2 regularization method. The χ 2 regularization method with quadratic constraints is the most effective method for solving least squares problems with box constraints.
A probabilistic graphical model based stochastic input model construction

Abstract Model reduction techniques have been widely used in modeling of high-dimensional stochastic input in uncertainty quantification tasks. However, the probabilistic modeling of random variables projected into reduced-order spaces presents a number of computational challenges. Due to the curse of dimensionality, the underlying dependence relationships between these random variables are difficult to capture. In this work, a probabilistic graphical model based approach is employed to learn the dependence by running a number of conditional independence tests using observation data. Thus a probabilistic model of the joint PDF is obtained and the PDF is factorized into a set of conditional distributions based on the dependence structure of the variables. The estimation of the joint PDF from data is then transformed to estimating conditional distributions under reduced dimensions. To improve the computational efficiency, a polynomial chaos expansion is further applied to represent the random field in terms of a set of standard random variables. This technique is combined with both linear and nonlinear model reduction methods. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the probabilistic graphical model based stochastic input models.
Increased intramuscular lipid synthesis and low saturation relate to insulin sensitivity in endurance-trained athletes.

Intramuscular triglyceride (IMTG) has received considerable attention as a potential mechanism promoting insulin resistance. Endurance-trained athletes have high amounts of IMTG but are insulin sen...
EnRAGEd about death in type 1 diabetes.

Keywords Advanced glycation end-products.Mortality.Renal disease.Skin fluorescence.Soluble RAGE.Type 1 diabetesAbbreviationsCAD Coronary artery diseaseEDC Epidemiology of Diabetes ComplicationsFinnDiane Finnish Diabetic NephropathyRAGE Receptor for AGEsRAGE Soluble receptor for AGEThe mortality rate for those with type 1 diabetes hasdeclined quite remarkably over the last decades. Recentdata from Allegheny County (PA, USA) suggest a 33% fallin the 30-year mortality rates for those diagnosed with type1 diabetes as children in the late 1970s, compared with thosediagnosed in the early 1960s [1]. Declines have also beenreported from Europe [2, 3]. Much of this improvementprobably reflects better diabetes management, spurred on bythe demonstration of the long-term value of intensiveglycaemic management [4, 5] and the advent of self-monitoring of blood glucose and HbA
Spatial Prescriptions and Social Realities: New Urbanism and the Production of Northwest Landing

In this paper I analyze the popularity and proliferation of New Urbanism within the context of a post-industrial urban political economy. By looking at the production of Northwest Landing, a New Urban development, I consider the post-industrial company town as one way to understand how political and economic processes are structured into the landscape. Because it focuses solely on spatial arrangements, and therefore on those who design particular configurations of space, New Urbanism effectively ignores the broader social and economic processes that both constrain and enable particular agents. I suggest that by attending to the broad appeal of New Urbanism without losing sight of the specific context within which projects such as Northwest Landing are created, our focus shifts from simply imagining what a better way of life might look like to critically analyzing the processes that prevent or facilitate the attainment of New Urbanism's normative ideals.
Attentional coding of categorical relations in scene perception: Evidence from the flicker paradigm

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether the positions of objects in a scene are coded relative to one another categorically (i.e.,above, below, or side of; Experiment 1) and to determine whether spatial position in scene perception is coded preattentively or only under focused attention (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, participants viewed alternating versions of a scene in which one of the objects in the scene changed its categorical relationship to the closest object in the scene, changed only its metric relationship to the closest object in a scene, or appeared and disappeared. Participants were faster at detecting changes that disrupted categorical relations than at detecting changes that disrupted only metric relations. In Experiment 2, this categorical advantage still occurred even when participants were cued to the location of the change. These results suggest that categorical spatial relations are being coded in scene perception and that attention is required in order to encode spatial relations.
Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research: An Interview with Dr. John Kessler

John A. Kessler, an eminent researcher, clinician, and educator at Northwestern University was interviewed by Teresa A. Savage, Associate Director of the Donnelley Family Disability Ethics Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. The topic is the ethical issues in stem cell research, but Kessler also comments on the funding of stem cell research, research oversight, criticism by some in the disability community that stem cell research diverts resources for improving the lives of people with disabilities, and his personal knowledge of spinal cord injury through his daughter’s experience.
Do prior abdominal operations alter the outcome of laparoscopically assisted right hemicolectomy

Background: Adhesions can increase the difficulty of both laparoscopic surgery and laparotomy. The aim of this study was to compare the results of laparoscopically assisted right hemicolectomy in patients after prior abdominal operations (PAOs) with the results in patients without prior abdominal operations (NPAOs). Methods: Between August 1991 and September 1998, 85 patients underwent laparoscopically assisted right hemicolectomy. The Mann-Whitney test or Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis. Results: In this study, 36 patients (21 women and 15 men), with an average age of 57.5 years (range, 15–87 years) had undergone a mean of 1.25 (range, 1 to 3) PAOs, whereas 49 patients (20 women and 29 men), with an average age of 60.0 years (range, 16 to 87 years) (p= 0.44) had undergone NPAOs. Overall in the PAO and NPAO groups, respectively, there were no significant differences in the incidence of intraoperative complications (3 versus 4 ; p= 1.0). The mean operative time was 151 min (range, 90 to 260 min) versus 148 min (range, 70 to 270 min) (p= 0.66), and the mean length of stay was 6.8 days (range, 3 to 18 days) versus 7.6 days (range, 3 to 19 days) (p= 0.13). The procedure was converted to laparotomy (p= 0.754) for six patients in the PAO group (5 because of adhesions) and 6 patients in the NPAO-group (1 because of adhesions; p= 0.078). In the PAO group 17 patients (47%) had 22 postoperative complications: 11 general medical and 4 wound-related complications. Seven patients (19%) had prolonged postoperative ileus. In the NPAO-group 18 patients (38%) had a total of 22 complications: 7 general medical problems, 6 wound-related complications, and 8 prolonged postoperative ileus, none of which were statistically significant. One patient in the NPAO group had an anastomotic leak. During a mean follow-up period of 41 months (range, 3 to 89 months), three patients in the PAO group and four in the NPAO group developed incisional hernias. Conclusions: Although there is a trend toward more conversions because of adhesions in patients with a history of prior abdominal operations (p= 0.078), no increase in morbidity resulted. Therefore, laparoscopically assisted right hemicolectomy can be offered to patients with PAO, whose rate of adhesions can be expected to equal that of patients with NPAO.
Antiplatelet agents, warfarin, and epidemic intracranial hemorrhage

Background Atrial fibrillation prophylaxis with warfarin and strong antiplatelet agent use in cardiovascular diseases has increased the incidence of anticoagulation in the elderly. We studied traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (TICH) in patients ≥55 years of age on anticoagulation and antiplatelet agents in a stable population. Methods We used a Level 1 Trauma Center registry study comparing TICH in patients on anticoagulation drugs during the index periods 1999 to 2000 (T1) and 2007 to 2008 (T2). Results A total of 526 TICH patients were seen in T1 and T2 (age, 77.6 vs 77.5 years; not significant [NS]), with the rate doubling from 6.2% to 12.3% of all trauma activations (P Conclusion TICH in patients on anticoagulants is epidemic in patients ≥55 years of age. Despite national trends, our well-served population has not seen an increase in warfarin use for atrial fibrillation. Instead, use of antiplatelet agents has increased and is associated with an increased incidence of TICH.
Impact-Induced Delamination—A View of Bending Stiffness Mismatching

Fiber-reinforced composite materials are very susceptible to impact loading. The damage characteristics of a composite material subjected to subperforation impact can be classified as indentation, fiber breakage, matrix cracking, fiber-matrix debonding and delamination. Among these damage modes, delamination has been found to be important for all cases of loading. In this study, the damage characteristics of many composite plates made of glass/epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy, and graphite/epoxy were investigated. Delaminations in the impacted composite plates were inspected by high-intensity light, X-ray radiog raphy, ultrasonic imaging system and edge replication. It was found that delamination in every interface of impacted composite plates had a peanut-like shape. Since membrane ef fect could be ignored in this study, stresses caused by bending were the major stresses which should be responsible for the delamination. Although the interlaminar stresses had been analyzed by many investigators for the determination o...
Predictors of hopelessness among clinically depressed youth.

Background: Factors that distinguish depressed individuals who become hopeless from those who do not are poorly understood. Method: In this study, predictors of hopelessness were examined in a sample of 439 clinically depressed adolescents participating in the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). The total score of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) was used to assess hopelessness at baseline. Multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the extent to which variables were associated with hopelessness and determine which cluster of measures best predicted clinically significantly hopelessness. Results: Hopelessness was associated with greater depression severity, poor social problem-solving, cognitive distortions, and family conflict. View of self, view of the world, internal attributional style, need for social approval, positive problem-solving orientation, and family problems consistently emerged as the best predictors of hopelessness in depressed youth. Conclusions: Cognitive and familial factors predict those depressed youth who have high levels of hopelessness.
Comparison of wavelength splitting for transverse VCSEL modes

Summary form only given. Recently we reported high-power single-fundamental mode operation of an 850-nm vertical cavity laser using a hybrid ion implanted/selectively oxidized structure. By using two types of apertures, the current can be selectively injected through the smaller implant aperture into the fundamental mode producing lasing in a single transverse mode. In this paper, we characterize the behavior of hybrid VCSELs through the wavelength splitting between the fundamental mode (LP/sub 01/,) and the first higher order mode (LP), and compare to those found in selectively oxidized and proton implanted VCSELs grown on the same wafer.
INEQUALITY AND MARKETS: Some Implications of Occupational Diversity

This paper studies income distribution in an economy with borrowing constraints. Parents leave both financial and educational bequests; these determine the occupational choices of children. Occupational returns are determined by market conditions. If the span of occu- pational investments is large, long-run wealth distributions display persistent inequality. With a "rich" set of occupations, so that train- ing costs form an interval, the distribution is unique and the aver - age return to education must rise with educational investment. This finding contrasts with the usual presumption of diminishing returns to human capital. It is the central testable proposition of this paper. (JEL D14, D31, J24)
Fabrication of metallic nanowires on a ferroelectric template via photochemical reaction

Fabrication of silver nanowires on a domain-patterned lithium niobate template by inducing a photochemical reaction in an aqueous solution is reported. Silver deposition occurs preferentially along the domain boundaries which separate antiparallel domains. The nanowires can reach lengths of hundreds of micrometres, and their location can be controlled by generating domain patterns of a desired configuration while their width depends on deposition conditions, such as temperature, solution concentration and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure time. The selective deposition process is explained by a combination of the inhomogeneous distribution of the electric field in the vicinity of the domain wall and the polarization screening mechanism of the template material. Controllable and selective deposition of metal species onto nanoscale domain-patterned ferroelectric templates may provide an alternative bottom-up route to lithographic fabrication methods.
Learning, Realism, and Alliances: The Weight of the Shadow of the Past

This article presents and tests a theory of learning in international politics. Drawing primarily from social psychology and organization theory, the learning theory proposes that lessons tend to be drawn only from high-impact events in world politics, such as large wars and economic depressions. Lessons drawn tend to be simple and are oriented around the question of which policies are likely to be successful and which policies are likely to fail. This learning theory is tested on the alliance choices of small powers in the twentieth century. The predictions of two learning hypotheses are compared with those of a leading realist explanation of alliance choices, balance of threat theory. Quantitative analysis of small powers' alliance choices reveals that a small power's experience in the previous world war is a very powerful explanation of its peacetime alliance choices after that war, whereas the level of threat in the international environment has only marginal effects on the small power's alliance choices. Further, these threat effects may be in the opposite direction of that predicted by balance of threat theory.
Body image and sports participation of the intellectual elite.

Body image, either as an independent phenomenon or in relation to participation in sports or in fitness programs, has become a much discussed topic. The present study investigates the body image and sports participation of the American intellectual elite. The evidence is drawn from the "personals" of the New York Review. The data are also compared to those from the "personals" of Die Zeit.
Warwick Mules, With Nature: Nature Philosophy as Poetics Through Schelling, Heidegger, Benjamin and Nancy

Review by Frederick Gregory (University of Florida) of Warwick Mules, With Nature: Nature Philosophy as Poetics Through Schelling, Heidegger, Benjamin and Nancy. Chicago: Intellect, 2014. Pp. 272. $43. ISBN 9781841505732.
Phase I Study of Oblimersen Sodium, an Antisense to Bcl-2, in Untreated Older Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Clinical Activity

Purposes Pharmacologic downregulation of Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic protein overexpressed in cancer, might increase chemosensitivity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Herein, we investigated the feasibility of this approach in untreated elderly AML patients by administering oblimersen sodium (G3139), an 18-mer phosphorothioate antisense to Bcl-2, during induction and consolidation treatments. Patients and Methods Untreated patients with primary or secondary AML (stratified to cohort 1 or 2, respectively) who were ≥ 60 years received induction with G3139, cytarabine, and daunorubicin at one of two different dose levels (45 and 60 mg/m2) and, on achievement of complete remission (CR), consolidation with G3139 and high-dose cytarabine. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) –based assay was used to measure plasma and intracellular concentrations (IC) of G3139. Bcl-2 mRNA and protein levels were quantified by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and ELISA, respectively, in bone marrow s...
Integration of X-ray crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy in the analysis of virus structure and function

Atomic models of small icosahedral RNA viruses were first derived from X-ray crystal structures between 1978 and 1990. In that same period, electron cryo-microscopy with image reconstructions (cryoEM) was being developed, and viruses were among the early successful subjects of study. By 1990 it was clear that many important virus-related structures (e.g. antibodies and receptor molecules bound to viruses) would be difficult or impossible to crystalize but could be imaged by cryoEM at low to moderate resolution. Combining crystal structures of Fab fragments, receptor molecules and virus particles with cryoEM structures of the complexes allowed accurate ‘pseudo-atomic' models to be derived and resulted in a fundamental understanding of the chemistry for complex formation. Later, cryoEM produced structures of enveloped viruses that could not be crystallized, but the ecto domains of subunits forming the capsids were crystallized and fitted into the cryoEM density as rigid models. This created highly informati...
Relationships Among Whole-and Part-Lactation Gross Feed Efficiency, Feed Consumption, and Milk Yield

Abstract Milk production, feed consumption, and feed efficiency data were collected on 425 first lactation cows by 31 sires to determine if a part-lactation measure of feed efficiency would effectively predict total lactation efficiency. The data were summarized by ten 30 day periods (1 to 30, 31 to 60…, 271 to 300), and a 300-day lactation total basis. Three periods (two, five, and seven) were examined to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations. Phenotypic correlations among measures of feed efficiency in adjacent periods ranged from .82 to .88. Correlations between the 10 part-lactation measures and total ranged from .64 to .87 with the highest occurring in Periods 4 and 5. The highest phenotypic correlation between part-lactation efficiency and total fat-corrected milk yield occurred during Period 5 (.72). Correlations between feed consumed in each of the 10 periods and total fat-corrected milk and total efficiency ranged from .10 to .69 and −.29 to .32. The highest genetic correlation of the three part-lactation efficiency measures with total occurred during the fifth period (1.00). The genetic correlation between fifth period efficiency and total fat-corrected milk yield was higher (.91) than the other two part-lactation measures but similar to that for total (.93). Heritabilities of the three part-lactation measures of feed efficiency were .44, .44, and .34 as compared to .56 for total lactation efficiency. Selection for efficiency during Period 5 would be 89% as effective as direct selection for total efficiency. Selection for yield during Period 5 would improve efficiency in the same period more rapidly than direct selection
A finite-state Markov chain model for statistical loss across a RED queue

In this paper, we present an analytical study targeted at statistically capturing the loss behavior of a RED queue. We utilize a finite-state Markov chain model. Starting from recursive equations of the model, we derive equivalent closed-form equations. We numerically validate the matching of recursive and closed-form equations. Further, we apply our model to monitor the average RED queue size in a number of sample topologies illustrating their practicality. Based on our results, we argue that our model can adapt to the changing network conditions.
Importance of endogenous tumor necrosis factor alpha and gamma interferon in host resistance against Pneumocystis carinii infection

C.B-17 scid/scid (SCID) mice that have acquired natural pulmonary infection with Pneumocystis carinii clear these organisms by 19 days after reconstitution with spleen cells from immunocompetent mice and therefore serve as a model for studying the pathogenesis of and immunity to P. carinii pneumonia. The present study examined the importance of endogenous tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in the clearance of P. carinii by treatment of reconstituted SCID mice with anti-TNF-alpha and anti-IFN-gamma immunoglobulin G (IgG). Treatment of reconstituted mice with monospecific rabbit anti-TNF-alpha IgG almost completely inhibited the clearance of P. carinii from the lungs. In contrast, treatment with either anti-IFN-gamma antibody (polyclonal or monoclonal) or control IgG had no detectable effect on the clearance of P. carinii. The importance of endogenous TNF-alpha in the clearance of P. carinii was further supported by the finding of TNF-alpha but not IFN-gamma in lung homogenate supernatants from reconstituted SCID mice. Further study revealed that for the complete clearance of P. carinii, TNF-alpha must be present at the early stage of reconstitution, since clearance could be blocked by a single injection of anti-TNF-alpha IgG into SCID mice at day 0 but not at day 6 and/or day 12 after reconstitution. These results strongly suggest that, in reconstituted SCID mice, endogenous TNF-alpha is important in host resistance against P. carinii infection, whereas IFN-gamma appears not to play a significant role.
Adjustment of Daily Precipitation Data at Barrow and Nome Alaska for 1995-2001

Abstract Systematic errors in precipitation measurements are known to affect all types of precipitation gages. These errors are more sensitive for solid precipitation than for rain. In arctic regions, these systematic errors become significantly more pronounced than for other regions due to the relatively slow precipitation rates, low temperatures, high winds, and low annual precipitation amounts that are characteristic of the arctic climate. This study performed the daily adjustments of measured precipitation data for the National Weather Service (NWS) stations at Barrow and Nome, Alaska, over a 7-year study period, from 1995 through 2001. The results of this study indicate that the bias adjustments increase the average monthly gage-measured precipitation by approximately 20%–180% for Barrow and 30%–380% for Nome, with the larger percentages occurring in winter months. The average gage-measured annual precipitation amounts are increased by approximately 70% for Barrow and 130% for Nome. It is expected th...
An 8bit, 2.6ps two-step TDC in 65nm CMOS employing a switched ring-oscillator based time amplifier

An 8bit two-step time-to-digital converter (TDC) with a novel digital switched ring-oscillator based time amplifier (TA) is demonstrated in 65nm CMOS. The proposed TA achieves a predictable and programmable gain without requiring any calibration. The implemented 8bit two-step TDC with a 16x TA gain achieves a time resolution of 2.6ps at 80MS/s conversion rate while consuming 2mW. The measured DNL and INL are 1.84LSB and 2.36LSB, respectively. The TDC area is 0.07mm2.
Pragmatic Strategies for Adopting Model-Based Design for Embedded Applications

When transitioning to Model-Based Design for embedded systems development, it is essential to consider an overall plan spanning people, development processes, and tools. A common sense approach when beginning any process improvement activity is to first identify the problem to be solved and then develop a plan to implement the solution. When transitioning to Model-Based Design, performing the transition in an iterative manner – do, learn, adjust, and repeat – has been shown to be most effective. The end goal is a development process where the model is the design, verification is done throughout the development process using simulation, and the implementation of the entire application onto target hardware is highly automated. Faced with design and organizational complexity, time, quality, and cost pressures, the transition is akin to changing a flat tire while moving down the highway. Choosing the right first steps are key to a successful transition. This paper presents a set of practical strategies for determining the first steps when deploying Model-Based Design and code generation in production development processes.
A sensory system initiating swimming activity in the medicinal leech.

1. 1. Water-wave stimulation, which was previously shown to elicit swimming in intact leeches, can initiate swimming in a semi-intact leech preparation via activation of the sensillar movement receptors (SMRs), provided that 50μ-serotonin is added to the physiological saline. 2. 2. The neuronal responses resulting from near-field stimulation of the leech body wall with a vibrating probe were recorded in peripheral nerves and in nerve-cord connectives. The response in the dorsal posterior nerve to a single vibratory pulse consists of a graded compound action potential. The units contributing to this action potential have a much lower threshold for near-field stimulation than do touch cells. They appear to be the same sensory units, the SMRs, that mediate leech sensitivity to water waves. 3. 3. The frequency domain of the SMR sensitivity extends as low as 1 Hz. Thus, leeches could receive self-stimulation from the water vibrations created by their own swimming movements. 4. 4. Leech physiological saline containing 20–40 m-Mg2 does not eliminate the SMR response to near-field stimulation recorded in the DP nerve; however, elevated Mg2 concentrations do eliminate the neuronal responses in the nerve cord connectives. Thus, while no chemical synapse occurs between the peripherally situated SMRs and nerve cord ganglia, a synapse may be interposed between the SMRs and the intersegmental neurones activated by near-field stimulation. 5. 5. The swim-facilitating action of serotonin occurs at unidentified sites within the ventral nerve cord, since serotonin does not alter the sensitivity of the SMRs.
Linkage relations of dumpy, a recessive mutant on chromosome 13 of the mouse

A mutant characterized by small size, short snout, short middle and inner metatarsals and hallux, low vigor, and poor reproduction appeared in F2 from a cross of BALB/c in 1965. It proved recessive and was named dumpy, with symbol dpy. After some 10 years of maintenance, the stock showed much improved vigor and reproduction, but it is not carried on a pure-strain background. Linkage was found with satin (sa) in linkage group XIV, chromosome 13. Data from female heterozygotes gave about 16 percent crossing over, and from males about 10 percent. Three-point tests involving XtJ showed the map order XtJ-sa-dpy, again with sex difference in crossing over, confirming results of studies by others for this region of chromosome 13.
Thickness dependence of exchange coupling in (111)-oriented perovskite oxide superlattices

Epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO)/La0.7Sr0.3FeO3 (LSFO) superlattices on (111)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates with sublayer thicknesses ranging from 3 to 60 unit cells (u.c.) were synthesized and characterized. Detailed analysis of their structural, electronic, and magnetic properties were performed to explore the effect of sublayer thickness on the magnetic structure and exchange coupling at (111)-oriented perovskite oxide interfaces. In the ultrathin limit (3-6 u.c.), we find that the antiferromagnetic (AF) properties of the LSFO sublayers are preserved with an out-of-plane canting of the AF spin axis, while the ferromagnetic (FM) properties of the LSMO sublayers are significantly depressed. For thicker LSFO layers (>9 u.c.), the out-of-plane canting of the AF spin axis is only present in superlattices with thick LSMO sublayers. In conclusion, exchange coupling in the form of spin-flop coupling exists only in superlattices which display both robust ferromagnetism and out-of-plane canting of the AF spin axis.
Oral Candidiasis: An Opportunistic Infection of AIDS

Copyright: © 2014 Jabra-Rizk MA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Candida albicans (C. albicans) is an opportunistic fungal species commonly colonizing human mucosal surfaces. However, when host defenses are weakened, C. albicans can proliferate causing an array of infections ranging from mucosal to systemic infections that are often life-threatening. Specifically, oral candidiasis is considered an AIDSdefining opportunistic infection with up to 80% of HIV+ individuals suffering recurrent episodes during the course of their HIV disease progression. As a dimorphic microbial species, C. albicans is capable of switching morphology between yeast and hyphal forms. Where the yeast form is responsible for systemic disease, hyphae are invasive filaments and therefore are adept at causing mucosal infections. The mouse model is the most suitable animal model to study the development of oral candidiasis due to the similarity to the disease process in humans. (A) Following anesthesia, animals are infected sublingually using swabs saturated with C. albicans cell suspensions. (B) Five days post-infection, white lesions are seen on tongue surface rapidly developing into overt candidiasis characterized by white plaques covering the tongue and other oral surfaces. In order to visualize the process of tissue invasion by C. albicans, animals are euthanized and the tongues are harvested and subjected to histopathology analysis where tongue tissue are embedded in paraffin, sectioned and stained with Periodic Acid Schiff stain then examined by light microscopy. (C) Microscopic images of tissue sections demonstrate the extensive presence and penetration of epithelial tissue by the invasive C. albicans hyphae (white arrows) with massive influx of host immune cells (yellow arrows). Tongues were also subjected to scanning electron microscopy analysis. (D) Magnified (5000x) images of the tongue surface demonstrate penetration of hyphae from the sublingual area where C. albicans is inoculated leaving sizable gaps at sites of emergence of the hyphae through the tongue surface (red arrows). This extensive tissue invasive process by C. albicans hyphal elements is manifested clinically as white lesions characterizing oral candidiasis. A
Circle-to-Line Transformations [1]

(1945). Circle-to-Line Transformations [1] The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 52, No. 8, pp. 425-433.
Food intake alters muscle protein gain with little effect on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and myosin isoforms in suckled rats

Biochemical maturation accompanies the rapid accretion of skeletal muscle in early life. We wished to determine whether changes in muscle protein accretion, induced by variations in food intake, altered the biochemical maturation of the soleus and the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. Rat pups were suckled in litters of 4, 10, or 16 to induce differences in food intake. At 21 days of age, muscle protein and DNA were quantitated and biochemical maturation was assessed from measurement of [3H]ouabain-binding site abundance and myosin isoform composition. Differences in food intake produced a twofold range in body and muscle weights and protein and DNA contents. Protein accretion was more sensitive to nutrient intake in the soleus than in the EDL. Serum 3-5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and insulin concentrations decreased with a reduction in food intake. Total ouabain-binding sites were not altered in either muscle and were independent of muscle size. Differences in myosin isoform composition were more pronounced for the soleus than the EDL, but were relatively small in magnitude. These results demonstrate that, whereas postnatal muscle protein accretion and circulating hormone concentrations are sensitive to food intake, the biochemical maturation is resilient. The immature muscle does not exhibit the fiber type-specific responses to malnutrition typical of mature muscle.