cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal antibodies and arthritis.

Monoclonal antibodies to certain cell surface constituents on lymphocytes, monocytes and macrophages have been administered to Lewis rats with developing, established or adoptively transferred arthritis, to determine any immunomodulatory properties. Anti-CD4 antibodies against helper T-lymphocytes produced a dose related inhibition of developing arthritis; high dose levels completely suppressed all symptoms of arthritis and these rats were resistant to further attempts to induce arthritis. Anti-Ia (MHCII) antibodies also inhibited arthritis in a dose related manner; anti-pan T antibodies delayed the onset of arthritis, but antibodies against CD8 and IL-2 receptor positive cells were without effect. Development of type II collagen-induced arthritis was also inhibited by anti-CD4 treatment. Established arthritis could be temporatily inhibited by anti-CD4 antibodies, but rebound of arthritis invariably occurred after stopping treatment, as is the case with cyclosporin A. Similar results with anti-CD4 antibodies were obtained during treatment of arthritis adoptively transferred by arthritogenic T-lymphocytes. From these experiments it is clear that CD4 positive T-lymphocytes have a major role in the induction of adjuvant arthritis and that interaction between CD4 and Ia bearing cells is important. The rebound of arthritis that occurred after withdrawal of anti-CD4 treatment during established disease infers that cells in addition to helper T-lymphocytes are involved in the chronicity of arthritis, but these remain to be elucidated. These findings are discussed in relation to results with monoclonal antibodies in other models of arthritis and human rheumatoid arthritis; the prospects for human therapy are also discussed.
Root membrane thermostability of Cornus florida L. provenances

Abstract Flowering dogwood seed collected from native trees in 3 USDA Hardiness Zones (6b, 7a, and 8a; American Horticultural Society (AHS) Heat-Zones 7, 7, and 8, respectively) were germinated and grown in containers prior to laboratory procedures to determine root cell membrane thermostability. Unsuberized, current season, fine root tissues were subjected to temperatures ranging from 20 to 60°C for 30 min and analyzed for cellular electrolyte leakage. Electrolyte leakage from root tissue exhibited a sigmoidal response to temperature for trees from each location. Critical midpoint temperature (Tm) was greater for seedlings native to USDA Hardiness Zone 6b (AHS Heat-Zone 7), 52.4±0.6°C, than Tm for seedlings originating from USDA Zone 7a (AHS Zone 7), 51.2±0.5°C. However, seedlings from USDA Zone 8a (AHS Zone 8), at 51.5±0.4°C, were similar to those collected in USDA Zones 6b (AHS Zone7) and 7a (AHS Zone 7). The results of this study find little genetic variability across this part of the native range of flowering dogwood regarding root thermotolerance. Although differences between two provenances were found, these differences may be of little ecological significance.
Histopathological changes induced in the normal thyroid and other tissues of the rat by internal radiation with various doses of radioactive iodine.

Previous investigations dealing with the histopathological changes induced by radiation in the normal thyroid gland may be grouped according to whether the radiation was applied externally by X-ray or internally by either the implantation of radium needles or the administration of radioactive iodine. The early studies dealing with X-ray and radium needle implants, which have been reviewed by Warren (1943), have served to emphasize the resistance of the normal thyroid gland to radiation. Destruction of variable amounts of the normal thyroid gland by the administration of radioactive iodine has been reported: in the dog, by Hamilton and Lawrence (1942) and by Hamilton (1942); in the rabbit, by Hamilton and Lawrence (1942); in the adult rat, by Findlay and Leblond (1948); in the new-born rat, by Goldberg and Chaikoff (1949); and in the mouse, by Gorbman (1947, 1949). The purpose of the present investigation was to provide, in some detail, a continuous picture of the progressive changes induced in the thyroid...
Novel cryptophycin antitumor agents: synthesis and cytotoxicity of fragment "B" analogues.

A general synthetic approach to novel cryptophycin analogues 6 is described. N-Hydroxysuccinimide active ester 15, a key common intermediate, was converted to β-epoxide 6 in three steps, via initial coupling with unprotected amino acid 9, followed by deprotection/macrolactamization of acyclic precursor 16, and final oxidation of styrene 7 to install the C7−C8 β-epoxide. Cryptophycin styrenes 7 and β-epoxides 6, bearing diverse side chains in fragment “B”, were evaluated for cytotoxic activity. β-Epoxides 6, in general, were significantly more potent than the corresponding α-epoxides 17 and styrenes 7. A benzyl side chain was required for potent activity, with β-epoxide 6u, possessing a 3-Cl,4-(dimethylamino)benzyl moiety, as the most potent cytotoxic agent prepared, with an IC50 = 54 pM, only 2-fold less than that of Cryptophycin-52 (3).
Atomic Force Microscope Designs and Applications

Atomic force microscopes (AFM) have been designed and tested. A simple reliable version with high resolving power is described here. Materials of construction and operational parameters are reported. Applications to a range of materials has confirmed the general usefulness of AFM technology to materials research.
Cobalt Content of Iron Compounds and Its Possible Relation to Treatment of Anemia

SummaryA selection of common laboratory compounds of iron has been analyzed and found to contain significant, though extremely variable, quantities of cobalt. The possible significance of this finding in the treatment of certain types of anemia is discussed.
CHINA'S EARLIEST INHABITANTS

Recent reevaluations of the absolute chronology of human ancestry in East Asia, particularly China and Indonesia, yield the not unexpected conclusion that eastern Eurasian Homo erectus may be synchronic with the earliest members of that hypodigm known from Africa. In the past decade, both archaeological and paleontological evidence has come to light in China suggesting the presence of human ancestors prior to the Matuyama [R] chron-Brunhes [N] chron boundary of ca. 730,000 BP. Preliminary chronometric data derived from several localities indicate ages in excess of one million years.
Charge exchange produced K-shell x-ray emission from Ar16+ in a tokamak plasma with neutral beam injection

High-resolution spectroscopy of hot tokamak plasma seeded with argon ions and interacting with an energetic, short-pulse neutral hydrogen beam was used to obtain the first high-resolution K-shell x-ray spectrum formed solely by charge exchange. The observed K-shell emission of Ar{sup 16+} is dominated by the intercombination and forbidden lines, providing clear signatures of charge exchange. Results from an ab initio atomic cascade model provide excellent agreement, validating a semiclassical approach for calculating charge exchange cross sections.
GIS and Environmental Decisionmaking to Aid Smelter Reclamation Planning

Abandoned mines and mining-related activities typically cause environmental problems related to erosion and pollutant transport. Traditional methods of smelter reclamation plan design are hampered by the lack of data integration and by time-consuming analysis. The proposed spatial decision-support system will minimize these problems as data integration and analysis are offered within one computerized environment. A geographical information system (GIS), remotely sensed data, erosion modeling, and multicriteria decisionmaking (MCDM) methods have been integrated to support reclamation procedures better. Integration of the digital data sources and analysis will produce more realistic, up-to-date models of damaged lands. This methodology is applicable to any number of damaged sites, including mine sites, smelter sites, widespread hazardous-waste sites, and areas negatively impacted by intense agriculture or forestry.The system has been tested at the Anaconda smelter site, an Environmental Protection Agency su...
The Social Construction of Intermediate Punishments

Intermediate sanctions have been said to provide judges with a wider range of sentencing options so that they might better match the severity of punishment with the seriousness of the crime, while diverting nonviolent offenders from prison without posing a risk to public safety. However, the social construction of intermediate sanctions assumes that government is a rational actor that wants to achieve just deserts and crime reduction. The authors argue that instead, intermediate sanctions are socially constructed via political symbolism that is meant to convince the public that government is continuing to be tough on crime while reducing prison costs. Through discussion of shock incarceration and intensive probation, the authors contend that a more favorable way of “doing criminology” and influencing public policy is through discourse about principles of social justice.
Simply-connected 4-manifolds with a given boundary

Abstract Let M be a closed, oriented, connected 3-manifold and let ( Z n,L) be a symmetric bilinear form which presents H∗(M; Z ). Lt V L(M) be the set of all oriented homeomorphism types of compact, 1-connected, oriented 4-manifolds with boundary M and intersection pairing isomorphic to ( Z n, L). We will give a complete description of the sets V L(M).
Study of “uncorrelated” radiation damage in Ni 111 In

With 1.5 MeV deuterons lattice defects have been introduced into diffused sources of111In in Ni. Defect structure and annealing behavior were found in all respects comparable to previous work in Groningen using ion-implantation. The results suggest that the defect structure in Ni and other fcc metals is not strongly dependent on the manner in which the defects are introduced.
Existence of multidimensional travelling wave solutions of an initial-boundary value problem

On considere le probleme suivant: u t =u xx +u yy +f(u), u(x,0,t)=u(x,L,t)=0, u(x,y,0)=u 0 (x,y), ou x∈R 1 , 0<y<L, et f(u)=u(u−1) (α-u) avec 0<α<1/2
Response and Stability of a Random Differential Equation: Part I—Moment Equation Method

A linear stochastic differential equation of order N excited by an external force and whose coefficients are white noise random processes is studied. The external force may be either white or colored noise random process. Given the statistical properties of the coefficients and of the force, equivalent statistics are obtained for the response. The present solution method is based on the derivation of the equation governing the response autocorrelation function
Multidecadal Variability of North Atlantic Temperature and Salinity during the Twentieth Century

Abstract Substantial changes occurred in the North Atlantic during the twentieth century. Here the authors demonstrate, through the analysis of a vast collection of observational data, that multidecadal fluctuations on time scales of 50–80 yr are prevalent in the upper 3000 m of the North Atlantic Ocean. Spatially averaged temperature and salinity from the 0–300- and 1000–3000-m layers vary in opposition: prolonged periods of cooling and freshening (warming and salinification) in one layer are generally associated with opposite tendencies in the other layer, consistent with the notion of thermohaline overturning circulation. In the 1990s, widespread cooling and freshening was a dominant feature in the 1000–3000-m layer, whereas warming and salinification generally dominated in the upper 300 m, except for the subpolar North Atlantic where complex exchanges with the Arctic Ocean occur. The single-signed basin-scale pattern of multidecadal variability is evident from decadal 1000–3000-m temperature and salin...
Magnetic Properties of Gadolinium-Yttrium-Iron-Indium Garnets

Polycrystalline garnets with the general composition Gd3-xYxFe5-yInuO12 were investigated. Ferrimagnetic resonance line widths at S- and X-bands and saturation induction are reported. The temperature dependence of the magnetization was determined on materials in which x= 0 to 3 and y = 0 to 1. Special emphasis is given to compositions having relatively stable magnetizations over the range 20° to 100°C.
Purification of a completely inactive renin from hog kidney and identification as renin zymogen

Abstract Hog renal inactive renin was separated from active renin and completely purified to an electrophoretically homogeneous state by using a new procedure which consisted of affinity chromatography on pepstatin-Sepharose, octyl-Sepharose, Affil-Gel blue and Con A-Sepharose columns, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. By this method a 3,000,000-fold purification was obtained with a 6% recovery from a crude kidney extract. This pure preparation was totally inactive and underwent marked activation by trypsin. It is a glycoprotein as judged by affinity to concanavalin A and has an apparent molecular weight of 50,000 as determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. Treatment of the inactive renin with guanidine, urea and Triton X-100 did not cause activation indicating that the inactive renin isolated in the present study is not a product of renin-inhibitor complex.
Predicting Misuse and Disuse of Combat Identification Systems

Two combat identification systems have been designed to reduce fratricide by providing soldiers with the ability to "interrogate" a potential target by sending a microwave or laser signal that, if returned, identifies the target as a "friend." Ideally, gunners will appropriately rely on these automated aids, which will reduce fratricide rates. However, past research has found that human operators underutilize (disuse) and overly rely on (misuse) automated systems (cf. Parasuraman & Riley, 1997). The purpose of this laboratory study was to simultaneously examine misuse and disuse of an automated decision-making aid at varying levels of reliability. With or without the aid of an automated system that is correct about 90%, 75%, or 60% of the time, 91 college students viewed 226 slides of Fort Sill terrain and indicated the presence or absence of camouflaged soldiers. Regardless of the reliability of the automated aid, misuse was more prevalent than disuse.
NMDA receptor antagonism in the ventral tegmental area impairs acquisition of reward-related learning

Mechanisms underlying reward-related learning presumably involve neural plasticity integrating signals representing unconditioned and conditioned stimuli in regions mediating reward. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) receives such signals and shows synaptic plasticity which is NMDA receptor-dependent. To test the hypothesis that NMDA receptor stimulation in the VTA is necessary for the acquisition of food-reinforced appetitive learning, Long-Evans male rats were prepared with bilateral VTA cannulae and tested in operant chambers with the opportunity to lever press for food for 10 sessions. Animals received microinjections of AP-5 or vehicle immediately before sessions 1-4 and 10. AP-5 impaired acquisition of lever pressing during sessions 1-4 (but not when injected dorsal to the VTA). All groups increased lever pressing across sessions 5-9. On session 10, lever pressing was not affected regardless of treatment. In separate experiments, AP-5 failed to reduce free feeding, food reward or motor activity, suggesting that impairment in acquisition was not due to reduced food motivation or activity. NMDA transmission in the VTA thus appears to be necessary for the acquisition, but not expression, of reward-related learning.
Malignant progression of harvey ras transformed normal human bronchial epithelial cells.

Metastasis is a complex process involving the physiology of cellular interactions with environmental factors such as growth factors and biological modifiers, membrane structures, local and humoral immunological effectors1–9. These interactions ordinarily shape the regulatory functions that coordinate the individual role of cells in the tissue and organ system. However, when metastasis occurs the following aberrant events must occur to cause this biological transition: 1) a genetic change in a cell within a primary tumor3 results in at least the following subsequent changes before metastasis of primary tumor cells to distal sites: a) the cell must be capable of growth to produce a clone capable of metastatic expression, b) the cells in this clone produce enzymes that hydrolyze surrounding structures constituting the basement membrane7–15, c) motility permits the cell to escape its local position and move through anatomical barriers to other locations in the host via the circulatory or lymphatic systems11,13,16, d) cells with the potential to develop tumors at distant locations must escape immune surveillance17,18 and e) finally cells from these metastatic clones establish themselves at distal locations and initiate development of a metastasized tumor that damages tissues and organs not associated with the primary tumor site19–24. Interestingly, these processes often involve the spread of primary tumors in a given location along fairly restricted guidelines of anatomical location for metastatic tumors1,5,8. This observation indicates a specificity of biological control of this process and suggests that the mechanisms regulating metastasis must result from specific changes at the genetic level to permit the development of defined phenotypic expression in these events. Therefore, the specific and consistent pattern of metastatic tumor spread suggests the existence of consistently altered genetic pathways that result in the aberrant physiology required to explain the observation of particular and specific patterns of tumor growth and spread during the metastatic phase of cancer.
Resistance to simian immunodeficiency virus low dose rectal challenge is associated with higher constitutive TRIM5α expression in PBMC

Background: At least six host-encoded restriction factors (RFs), APOBEC3G, TRIM5α, tetherin, SAMHD1, schlafen 11, and Mx2 have now been shown to inhibit HIV and/or SIV replication in vitro. To determine their role in vivo in the resistance of macaques to mucosally-acquired SIV, we quantified both pre-exposure (basal) and post-exposure mRNA levels of these RFs, Mx1, and IFNγ in PBMC, lymph nodes, and duodenum of rhesus macaques undergoing weekly low dose rectal exposures to the primary isolate, SIV/DeltaB670. Results: Repetitive challenge divided the monkeys into two groups with respect to their susceptibility to infection: highly susceptible (2–3 challenges, 5 monkeys) and poorly susceptible (≥6 challenges, 3 monkeys). Basal RF and Mx1 expression varied among the three tissues examined, with the lowest expression generally detected in duodenal tissues, and the highest observed in PBMC. The one exception was A3G whose basal expression was greatest in lymph nodes. Importantly, significantly higher basal expression of TRIM5α and Mx1 was observed in PBMC of animals more resistant to mucosal infection. Moreover, individual TRIM5α levels were stable throughout a year prior to infection. Post-exposure induction of these genes was also observed after virus appearance in plasma, with elevated levels in PBMC and duodenum transiently occurring 7–10 days post infection. They did not appear to have an effect on control of viremia. Interestingly, minimal to no induction was observed in the resistant animal that became an elite controller. Conclusions: These results suggest that constitutively expressed TRIM5α appears to play a greater role in restricting mucosal transmission of SIV than that associated with type I interferon induction following virus entry. Surprisingly, this association was not observed with the other RFs. The higher basal expression of TRIM5α observed in PBMC than in duodenal tissues emphasizes the understated role of the second barrier to systemic infection involving the transport of virus from the mucosal compartment to the blood. Together, these observations provide a strong incentive for a more comprehensive examination of the intrinsic, variable control of constitutive expression of these genes in the sexual transmission of HIV.
Robust and efficient incentives for cooperative content distribution

Content distribution via the Internet is becoming increasingly popular. To be cost-effective, commercial content providers are now using peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols such as BitTorrent to save bandwidth costs and to handle peak demands. When an online content provider uses a P2P protocol, it faces an incentive issue: how to motivate its clients to upload to their peers. This paper presents Dandelion, a system designed to address this issue. Unlike previous incentive-compatible systems, such as BitTorrent, our system provides non-manipulable incentives for clients to upload to their peers. A client that honestly uploads to its peers is rewarded in the following two ways. First, if its peers are unable to reciprocate its uploads, the content provider rewards the client's service with credit. This credit can be redeemed for discounts on paid content or other monetary rewards. Second, if the client's peers possess content of interest and have appropriate uplink capacity, the client is rewarded with reciprocal uploads from its peers. In designing Dandelion, we trade scalability for the ability to provide robust incentives for cooperation. The evaluation of our prototype system on PlanetLab demonstrates the viability of our approach. A Dandelion server that runs on commodity hardware with a moderate access link is capable of supporting up to a few thousand clients. The download completion time for these clients is substantially reduced due to the additional upload capacity offered by strongly incentivized uploaders.
Econometric analysis to evaluate the effect of community-based health insurance on reducing informal self-care in Burkina Faso

OBJECTIVE This study examines the role of community-based health insurance (CBHI) in influencing health-seeking behaviour in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Community-based health insurance was introduc ...
Behavioral characteristics of seroconverted intravenous drug users.

A total of 440 participants (218 in 1987 and 222 in 1988) were recruited from methadone maintenance clinics in New York City. After obtaining informed consent, a standardized questionnaire was administered. Also, sera were collected and tested for HIV antibody. The overall HIV infection rate was 60% in 1987 and 52% in 1988. In 1987 and 1988, respectively, 19 of 23 and 23 of 40 participants who admitted to a previous HIV seronegative result were found to test HIV seropositive. The behavioral factors which differentiated suspected seroconverters from participants who remained seronegative were frequencies of sharing needles (p < .01), sharing cookers (p < .02), and use of shooting galleries (p < .05) during the last 5 years. Needle-sharing behaviors continue to be associated with HIV seroconversion among IVDUs. More effective education to stop needle sharing among IVDUs is needed.
Unnatural Amino Acid Incorporation onto Adenoviral (Ad) Coat Proteins Facilitates Chemoselective Modification and Retargeting of Ad Type 5 Vectors

ABSTRACT Surface modification of adenovirus vectors can improve tissue-selective targeting, attenuate immunogenicity, and enable imaging of particle biodistribution, thus significantly improving therapeutic potential. Currently, surface engineering is constrained by a combination of factors, including impact on viral fitness, limited access to functionality, or incomplete control over the site of modification. Here, we report a two-step labeling process involving an initial metabolic placement of a uniquely reactive unnatural amino acid, azidohomoalanine (Aha), followed by highly specific chemical modification. As genetic modification of adenovirus is unnecessary, vector production is exceedingly straightforward. Aha incorporation demonstrated no discernible impact on either virus production or infectivity of the resultant particles. “Click” chemical modification of surface-exposed azides was highly selective, allowing for the attachment of a wide range of functionality. Decoration of human adenovirus type 5 (hAd5) with folate, a known cancer-targeting moiety, provided an ∼20-fold increase in infection of murine breast cancer cells (4T1) in a folate receptor-dependent manner. This study demonstrates that incorporation of unnatural amino acids can provide a flexible, straightforward route for the selective chemical modification of adenoviral vectors.
Near optimal two-tier target tracking in sensor networks

A distributed two-tier near optimal algorithm is proposed for target tracking in sensor networks. Tier one is a multiple hypothesis tracking (MHT) algorithm where the Viterbi algorithm is used. In this tier, only binary data is used to obtain a rough region around the target. Tier two improves the accuracy of the MHT decision by localized maximum likelihood. This reduces the computational complexity and the communication costs between sensors over the global maximum likelihood approach. It also results in higher sensor power efficiency, hence longer service time of the tracking network. This two-tier system is a distributed near optimal tracking algorithm. The localized maximum likelihood tracking can tolerate errors made by the Viterbi algorithm in tier one, hence the overall algorithm is robust.
Expression of focal adhesion kinase and phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx

Objectives: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is overexpressed in a variety of human cancers including those derived from the oral cavity. The purpose of this work is to determine the expression patterns of FAK and its activated form, FAK pY397, in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and to correlate FAK expression with tumor differentiation and clinical parameters. Study Design: A retrospective study using archival tissue. Methods: Thirty-five paraffin embedded tissue specimens of laryngeal carcinoma were obtained from the Department of Pathology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Immunohistochemical staining of the specimens for FAK and activated phospho-FAK (FAK pY397) was performed. Intensity of staining, distribution of staining, and percentage of cells stained was determined by one pathologist. Results: There was a statistically significant correlation between FAK staining intensity and tumor differentiation. Poorly differentiated tumors stained more intensely than moderately differentiated tumors (P < .001). There was no correlation between FAK pY397 staining and differentiation (P = .163). However, FAK pY397 staining was unexpectedly found in the nuclei of many specimens. FAK was present in the basal layer of cells within nontransformed squamous mucosa derived from tonsillectomy specimens and in blood vessels. A small amount of FAK pY397 was also localized to blood vessels in nontransformed squamous mucosa. Conclusion: FAK and phospho-FAK are overexpressed in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. FAK expression correlates with differentiation. Future investigations will examine the potential of FAK and FAK pY397 expression both as a prognostic indicator and a point of therapeutic inhibition.
The role of Hv1 and CatSper channels in sperm activation

Elevations of sperm intracellular pH and Ca2+ regulate sperm motility, chemotaxis, capacitation and the acrosome reaction, and play a vital role in the ability of the sperm cell to reach and fertilise the egg. In human spermatozoa, the flagellar voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 is the main H+ extrusion pathway that controls sperm intracellular pH, and the pH-dependent flagellar Ca2+ channel CatSper is the main pathway for Ca2+ entry as measured by the whole-cell patch clamp technique. Hv1 and CatSper channels are co-localized within the principal piece of the sperm flagellum. Hv1 is dedicated to proton extrusion from flagellum and is activated by membrane depolarisation, an alkaline extracellular environment, the endocannabinoid anandamide, and removal of extracellular zinc, a potent Hv1 blocker. The CatSper channel is strongly potentiated by intracellular alkalinisation. Since Hv1 and CatSper channels are located in the same subcellular domain, proton extrusion via Hv1 channels should induce intraflagellar alkalinisation and activate CatSper ion channels. Therefore the combined action of Hv1 and CatSper channels in human spermatozoa can induce elevation of both intracellular pH and Ca2+ required for sperm activation in the female reproductive tract. Here, we discuss how Hv1 and CatSper channels regulate human sperm physiology and the differences in control of sperm intracellular pH and Ca2+ between species.
GH improves growth and clinical status in children with cystic fibrosis -- a review of published studies.

Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) have problems with poor linear growth and inadequate weight gain. Nutritional augmentation has been the mainstay of therapy for improving both weight and height in CF; however, inadequate growth continues to be a problem. Furthermore, protein catabolism has been documented even in non-acutely ill adults and children with CF, and could adversely affect longitudinal growth. Human recombinant GH has positive effects on nitrogen balance, and multiple studies have demonstrated improved height and weight in children treated with GH. The purpose of this article is to summarize studies evaluating GH use in children with CF. All published studies of GH use in children with CF have demonstrated significant improvement in height velocity and height Z score. All studies but one, in which subjects were treated only three times per week with GH, have demonstrated improvement in weight as reported by weight velocity and/or weight Z score, and one trial has demonstrated a substantial improvement when GH was used to augment nutritional therapy. Several reports suggest that GH treatment results in improved forced vital capacity, and multiple studies have found improved clinical status as measured by decreased hospitalizations and courses of intravenous antibiotics. Furthermore studies to date also suggest that GH results in improvement in exercise tolerance and bone accumulation. To date significant side effects, including glucose intolerance, have not been reported. Thus mounting evidence suggests that human recombinant GH provides safe and effective therapy in children with CF. European Journal of Endocrinology 151 S81‐S85
Construction and engineering of positive feedback loops.

Artificial positive feedback loops (PFLs) have been used as genetic amplifiers for enhancing the responses of weak promoters and in the creation of eukaryotic gene switches. Here we describe the co...
The Motherland, the Godfather, and the Birth of a Basketball Dynasty: American Efforts to Promote Basketball in Lithuania

The United States transported basketball to other nations around the world in many different ways and with varying degrees of success during the early decades of the twentieth century. In Lithuania, the efforts of Lithuanian American star Frank Lubin and other Americans in Lithuania proved wildly successful and wove basketball into the fabric of Lithuanian national identity. Throughout the late 1930s, these members of the Lithuanian community in the United States spent a great deal of time in their motherland and changed local perceptions of basketball to the point at which it became Lithuania's national pastime.
Fabrication of a modular tissue construct in a microfluidic chip

By combining microfluidics and soft-lithographic molding of gels containing mammalian cells, a device for three-dimensional (3D) culture of mammalian cells in microchannels was developed. Native components of the extracellular matrix, including collagen or Matrigel™, made up the matrix of each molded piece (module) of cell-containing gel. Each module had at least one dimension below ∼300 μm; in modules of these sizes, the flux of oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic products into and out of the modules was sufficient to allow cells in the modules to proliferate to densities comparable to those of native tissue (108–109cells cm−3). Packing modules loosely into microfluidic channels and chambers yielded structures permeated with a network of pores through which cell culture medium could flow to feed the encapsulated cells. The order in the packed assemblies increased as the width of the microchannels approached the width of the modules. Multiple cell types could be spatially organized in the small microfluidic channels. Recovery and analysis of modules after 24 h under constant flow of medium (200 μL h−1) showed that over 99% of encapsulated cells survived this interval in the microfluidic chamber.
A population-based study of breast cancer-specific survival following mastectomy and immediate or early-delayed breast reconstruction.

: Immediate breast reconstruction allows for improved patient psychosocial outcomes after mastectomy. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to study the breast cancer-specific survival of patients treated with immediate or early-delayed breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Population-level de-identified data was abstracted from the SEER database. All female patients treated with mastectomy for a diagnosis of ductal and/or lobular breast cancer between 1998 and 2002 were included. Breast cancer-specific survival was reported as hazard ratios using multivariate analysis to control for patient demographic and oncologic covariates. Demographic covariates included age, race, marital status, income, education, and county metropolitan status; oncologic covariates included tumor stage, histology, grade, lymph node status, hormone receptor status, receipt of radiation therapy, and unilateral or bilateral mastectomy. A total of 52,249 patients were included in the study. Patients treated with mastectomy and reconstruction had a significantly lower hazard of death (HR 0.73, p < 0.0001) compared with patients treated with mastectomy only. Black patients had a significantly increased hazard of death (HR 1.42, p < 0.0001) compared with white patients. Receipt of radiotherapy did not significantly associate with hazard of death (HR 1.03, p = 0.3494). Additionally, bilateral mastectomy did not significantly associate with hazard of death (HR 0.98, p = 0.763). Our analysis shows that patients who undergo breast reconstruction after mastectomy have a higher breast cancer-specific survival than those undergoing mastectomy alone, when controlling for demographic and oncologic covariates. Further research is required to understand the nature of this relationship.
Intestinal cholesterol absorption is substantially reduced in mice deficient in both ABCA1 and ACAT2

The process of cholesterol absorption has yet to be completely defined at the molecular level. Because of its ability to esterify cholesterol for packaging into nascent chylomicrons, ACAT2 plays an important role in cholesterol absorption. However, it has been found that cholesterol absorption is not completely inhibited in ACAT2-deficient (ACAT2 KO) mice. Because ABCA1 mRNA expression was increased 3-fold in the small intestine of ACAT2 KO mice, we hypothesized that ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux sustains cholesterol absorption in the absence of ACAT2. To test this hypothesis, cholesterol absorption was measured in mice deficient in both ABCA1 and ACAT2 (DKO). Compared with wild-type, ABCA1 KO, or ACAT2 KO mice, DKO mice displayed the lowest level of cholesterol absorption. The concentrations of hepatic free and esterified cholesterol and gallbladder bile cholesterol were significantly reduced in DKO compared with wild-type and ABCA1 KO mice, although these measures of hepatic cholesterol metabolism were very similar in DKO and ACAT2 KO mice. We conclude that ABCA1, especially in the absence of ACAT2, can have a significant effect on cholesterol absorption, although ACAT2 has a more substantial role in this process than ABCA1.
Absolute polarization determinations of 33 pulsars using the Green Bank Telescope

Absolute polarimetry observations of 33 pulsars were carried out with the Green Bank Telescope in the 1100-1900-MHz band using the Green Bank Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument. This group was selected to help complete a larger sample for which accurate proper-motion measurements were available. A combination of profile analysis using the core/double cone model and polarizationangle fitting methods were applied to estimate the “fiducial” longitude of the magnetic axis for each star and refer the linear polarization angle at that point to infinite frequency. As had been found previously, a number of the pulsars are found to have fiducial polarization directions that fall either along or at right angles to their proper-motion directions, whereas upwards of a third of the stars studied show alignments that are neither parallel nor orthogonal.
Price distortions, financing constraints and second-best investment rules in the transportation industries

Abstract This paper analyzes the second-best pricing and investment rules to be followed in the transportation industries in the presence of intermodal competition, exogenous price distortions, and financing constraints, using both theoretical and simulation analysis. It shows that price distortions and financing constraints in one mode will not only affect the investment rules in that mode, but will also affect the pricing rules and investment decisions in all other modes. While the theoretical discussion indicates that the second-best pricing and investment rules are quite complex, the simulation analysis indicates that the benefit function is relatively flat, suggesting that the costs of using simpler first-best rules may be relatively small.
Ostracods as proxies for past seagrass: A review

Abstract Recently, attention has been drawn to the recognition of past seagrass for which a number of proxies have been proposed. Several studies have quoted ostracods as having some value as proxies, particularly Loxoconcha , Xestoleberis and Aurila . Although these may be found in a variety of marine environments, they are often found with faunas containing seagrass or which can be interpreted as in proximity to seagrass. In such situations, they may be found with other possible seagrass proxies such as sirenians, lucinid bivalves, soritid and other benthic foraminiferans. The presence of Loxoconcha , Xestoleberis and Aurila and other ostracods may be suggestive of past seagrass environments, the interpretation of which is strengthened by the presence of other proxies in some collections.
Modelling the 2008 financial economic crisis: triggers, perspectives and implications from systems dynamics

This paper presents a model of the interrelated systems that played a role in the 2008 economic crisis. The analysis was based on some detailed modelling of the banking, real-estate and stock market components of the financial system. The purpose of the study was to understand the interactions among multiple independent systems and also to draw preliminary predictions and policy recommendations that can help to increase the rate of recovery and prevent similar crises in the future. The model uses a 2000-2020 time horizon. Following model development, a systems dynamics (SD) simulation was performed to validate: 1) market recovery date using average US saving rates of the past 30 years; 2) determine effects of policy changes that made bankruptcy declarations more difficult; 3) report on the interest only loans and different 'what-if' scenarios. Actionable insights supporting utility of the model is provided along with future research directions are provided.
New Water Molds from Florida

Sporangia copiosa in culturis juvenibus. Ejectio sporarum typica generis. Oogonia copiosa, globosa, 29-66 A in diam., plerumque 33-51 A, excl. papillis. Papillae obtusae, parum recurvae, plerumque 14, longae. Ova subcentrica, singula, raro plura, 22-44 4 in diam., plerumque 26-37 /, non complentia oogonium. Antheridia copiosa, plerumque origine monoclina (60%) sed interdum androgyna et diclina, omnia vacua antequam ova matura sunt.
Ergodicity and Convergence of Fluctuations in Parrinello-Rahman Molecular Dynamics

Distortion and rotation of a molecular dynamics cell used in Parrinello-Rahman molecular dynamics are found to lead to slow convergence, or nonconvergence of fluctuations from thermodynamic averages. The variations are shown to be related to nonconservation of the total angular momentum and translational symmetry variance of the dynamics. A modified equation of motion is presented which eliminates these variations. It is shown that the ergodicity is achieved in the MD ensemble generated by the new equations of motion. However, the rate of convergence is strongly affected by the choice of the MD cell mass W . Simulation results show that not all values of W can be used to give a desired convergence of fluctuations from thermodynamic averages in finite simulations. The fastest convergence is achieved by using the optimal cell mass.
The Ostroms’ Commons Revisited

Elinor and Vincent Ostrom spent their careers working in fields outside third-sector studies, yet a significant body of their work has important implications for nonprofit organizations and the wid...
Mood Symptoms in Steroid Users: The Unexamined Role of Concurrent Stimulant Use.

AbstractResearch indicates that negative mood effects associated with anabolic-androgenic steroids (referred to as “steroids” here) are likely idiosyncratic, however, little is known about what factors might lead to higher risk for these effects. Research is lacking on the possible contribution of thermogenic/ergogenic drugs to this risk. As thermogenic/ergogenic drugs are stimulants with mood effects similar to those attributed to steroids, this study aimed to build on past research by disentangling the effects on mood from each drug class. An internet survey on current mood as well as steroid and stimulant use was completed by 122 male weightlifters aged 19–57. Current steroid users reported significantly less vigor (ES = 0.025, p = 0.021) than steroid abstainers. Current stimulant users reported significantly greater tension/anxiety (ES = 0.023, p = 0.019) than stimulant abstainers. Results support the theory that mood effects may be associated with stimulant use. There was no support for any mood effe...
Nonlinear stabilizing control of a rotary double inverted pendulum: a modified backstepping approach

Modified backstepping control is proposed for an under-actuated rotary double inverted pendulum. The system has actuated rotary base joint with which two unactuated links are attached. The proposed...
Oversampling Selective Accumulation Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry Coupled to FT-ICR MS: Fundamentals and Applications

In the present paper, we describe the fundamentals and analytical advantages of Oversampling Selective Accumulation Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry (OSA-TIMS) when coupled to ultrahigh resolution mass analyzers (e.g., FT-ICR MS). During TIMS analysis, ion packages are spatially resolved based on their mobilities along the TIMS analyzer axis and multiple strategies can be utilized during the trapping and elution of the ion population of interest. In the case of OSA-TIMS-FT-ICR MS, the TIMS operation sequence, trapping conditions, and operations are optimized to increase the signal-to-noise and the number of points across the mobility domain, which leads to more accurate mobility and mass measurements. Experimental results show that accurate ion-neutral collision cross sections (<1%) can be measured using OSA-TIMS-FT-ICR MS with high mobility resolving powers (RIMS up to 250), high mass accuracy (<1 ppm), and ultrahigh mass resolution (RMS up to 600–1200k at m/z 400) in a single analysis. The analytical a...
MO-A-207B-00: Segmentation & Feature Extraction Techniques

Image segmentation is one of the core problems for applying radiomics-based analysis to images. However, achieving repeatable and accurate segmentations for large datasets is challenging. The choice of segmentation method, the metrics used to evaluate the quality of such segmentations all depend on the specific clinical problem. This course will introduce three approaches, namely, fully automatic, interactive, and semi-automatic methods for generating segmentations. The pros and cons of each approach and when to choose a specific method will be discussed. Evaluation and assessment of the quality of a segmentation method is essential before it can be deployed for high-throughput analysis such as radiomics. This course will present some of the metrics that can be used for assessing quality of segmentations and highlight their advantages and deficiencies. Another important issue with respect to generating high quality segmentations and ultimately extracting robust radiomics features is image pre-processing. A few pre-processing techniques that can be used to improve the robustness of the analysis for MR and CT images will be presented. Learning Objectives: 1.Understand the difference and applicability of various segmentation methods. 2.Understand how pre-processing can be used to improve the robustness of feature extraction and segmentation 3.Understand some basics of evaluating the quality of segmentations and the relevance of such metrics for clinical problems.
Polymer nanoparticles by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer microemulsion polymerization

Polymer Latex Technology: An Overview, V. Mittal Synthesis of Polymer Particles with Core-Shell Morphologies, C. Sayer and P.H. Hermes de Araujo Advanced Polymer Nanoparticles with Nonspherical Morphologies, Y. Hu, J. Ge, J. Goebl, and Y. Yin Block, Graft, Star, and Gradient Copolymer Particles, H. Matahwa, E.T.A. van den Dungen, J.B. McLeary, and B. Klumperman Polymer Nanoparticles by Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Microemulsion Polymerization, J. O'Donnell and E. Kaler pH-Responsive Polymer Nanoparticles, J.V.M. Weaver Smart Thermo-Responsive Nanoparticles, P. Tian and Q. Wu Surface Tailoring of Polymer Nanoparticles with Living Polymerization Methods, K. Ishizu and D. Hoon Lee Effects of Nano-Sized Polymerization Locus on the Kinetics of Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization, H. Tobita Functional Polymer Particles by Emulsifier-Free Polymerization, V. Mittal Polymer Nanoparticles with Surface Active Initiators and Polymeric Stabilizers, K. Tauer Index
Simultaneous Confidence Bands for Restricted Logistic Regression Models

ABSTRACTThe hyperbolic 1−α confidence bands for one logistic regression model with restricted predictors have been considered in the statistical literature. At times, one wishes to construct simultaneous confidence bands for comparing several logistic regression models. It seems that Liu's book [Simultaneous Inference in Regression, Chapman & Hall, 2010, Chapter 8] is the only published work that has addressed this problem. Liu suggested simulation-based methods for constructing simultaneous confidence bands for comparing several logistic models, but further research was warranted to assess the conservativeness of the bands. In this paper, we propose a dimension-wise partitioning method to construct a set of simultaneous confidence bands for the comparisons of several logistic regression functions with a pre-specified function in a stepwise fashion. In addition, simulation studies cast new light on the assumption of predetermined testing order for the stepwise procedures presented in this paper and by Hsu...