cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large-scale dendritic spine extraction and analysis through petascale computing

The synapse is a central player in the nervous system serving as the key structure that permits the relay of electrical and chemical signals from one neuron to another. The anatomy of the synapse contains important information about the signals and the strength of signal it transmits. Because of their small size, however, electron microscopy (EM) is the only method capable of directly visualizing synapse morphology and remains the gold standard for studying synapse morphology. Historically, EM has been limited to small fields of view and often only in 2D, but recent advances in automated serial EM (i.e. connectomics) have enabled collecting large EM volumes that capture significant fractions of neurons and the different classes of synapses they receive (i.e. shaft, spine, soma, axon). However, even with recent advances in automatic segmentation methods, extracting neuronal and synaptic profiles from these connectomics datasets are difficult to scale over large EM volumes. Without methods that speed up automatic segmentation over large volumes, the full potential of utilizing these new EM methods to advance studies related to synapse morphologies will never be fully realized. To solve this problem, we describe our work to leverage Argonne leadership-scale supercomputers for segmentation of a 0.6 terabyte dataset using state of the art machine learning-based segmentation methods on a significant fraction of the 11.69 petaFLOPs supercomputer Theta at Argonne National Laboratory. We describe an iterative pipeline that couples human and machine feedback to produce accurate segmentation results in time frames that will make connectomics a more routine method for exploring how synapse biology changes across a number of biological conditions. Finally, we demonstrate how dendritic spines can be algorithmically extracted from the segmentation dataset for analysis of spine morphologies. Advancing this effort at large compute scale is expected to yield benefits in turnaround time for segmentation of individual datasets, accelerating the path to biology results and providing population-level insight into how thousands of synapses originate from different neurons; we expect to also reap benefits in terms of greater accuracy from the more compute-intensive algorithms these systems enable.
The Penn State Protein Ladder system for inexpensive protein molecular weight markers

We have created the Penn State Protein Ladder system to produce protein molecular weight markers easily and inexpensively (less than a penny a lane). The system includes plasmids which express 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100 kD proteins in E. coli. Each protein migrates appropriately on SDS-PAGE gels, is expressed at very high levels (10–50 mg per liter of culture), is easy to purify via histidine tags and can be detected directly on Western blots via engineered immunoglobulin binding domains. We have also constructed plasmids to express 150 and 250 kD proteins. For more efficient production, we have created two polycistronic expression vectors which coexpress the 10, 30, 50, 100 kD proteins or the 20, 40, 60, 80 kD proteins. 50 ml of culture is sufficient to produce 20,000 lanes of individual ladder protein or 3750 lanes of each set of coexpressed ladder proteins. These Penn State Protein Ladder expression plasmids also constitute useful reagents for teaching laboratories to demonstrate recombinant expression in E. coli and affinity protein purification, and to research laboratories desiring positive controls for recombinant protein expression and purification.
Genetic and genomic resources in guar: a review

Guar, [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub] is an annual summer legume that is widely grown in arid and semi-arid regions. It is a diploid legume (2n = 2x = 14) with a genome size of approximately 560 Mb. Guar can fix atmospheric nitrogen via a symbiotic process with rhizobial bacteria, thus enhancing soil fertility and decreasing the need for the use of expensive nitrogen (N) fertilizers. Guar is a drought- and heat-tolerant crop and can be grown using minimal agricultural inputs. Guar can be used as vegetable, feed/fodder, or green manure. One of the primary driving factors for guar cultivation is galactomannan gum, known as guar gum, found in the seed endosperm. Guar gum has various industrial uses that range from cosmetic applications, food ingredients, to the oil industries. India is the lead guar production and accounts for more than 80% of the world production. The U.S. is the world largest guar market. This review discusses the status of genomic resources in guar, the progress made for germplasm evaluation of various agronomic traits, and the genetic engineering efforts in guar.
HAMPered Hopes for Homeowners: An Analysis of How Litigation Trends Have Exposed the Home Affordable Modification Program's Weaknesses

I. A PORTRAIT OF HAMP “HELL” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 R II. UNDERSTANDING HAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 R III. LESSONS FROM HAMP: WHERE DID THINGS GO WRONG? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 R A. Homeowners Have No Due Process Rights Under HAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 R B. Homeowners Are Not Third-Party Beneficiaries to the Service Participation Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 R C. HAMP Does Not Provide an Express or Implied Private Right of Action . 306 R D. State-Law Claims May Exist Without a Private Right of Action . . . . . . . . . 307 R E. Is the Trial Period Plan a Contract? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 R 1. THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT FINDS A CONTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 R 2. WIGOD’S STRENGTH IS TESTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 R F. Consumer Protection Actions Show Mixed Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 R IV. THE FUTURE OF HAMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 R
SU-E-T-498: Initial Characterization of the New EBT XD Gafchromic Film

Purpose To assess the dosimetric accuracy of the new EBT XD (eXtended Dose) Gafchromic film and to compare the lateral scan effect between EBT XD and EBT3 film. Methods: All films were exposed in solid water using a 6 MV beam and were analyzed with FilmQA Pro software and an Epson 10000 XL scanner. Calibration was performed using films exposed to 8 known doses from 0–3000 cGy. To assess dosimetric accuracy, a 15×18 cm2 60° EDW delivered a dose range of 200–2900 cGy to 4 separate EBT XD films. Comparison to treatment planning system (TPS) predictions was made using a gamma analysis with 2%/2mm passing criteria. To assess the lateral scan effect, 21 × 21 cm2 open fields delivered doses of 1000, 2000, and 3000 cGy isocentrically to both EBT3 and EBT XD films at 10 cm depth. Films were centered and scanned such that the widest parts of the exposed film extended lateral to the center of the scanner bed in order to maximize the lateral scan effect. Ratios of measured to TPS predicted doses for EBT3 and EBT XD film were calculated at 5 cm and 8 cm lateral from the center of the scanner bed to quantitatively assess the lateral scan effect. Results The average gamma passing rate for the EDW was 98.9% (range 98.7 – 99.1%). EBT XD film exhibited minimal lateral scan effect (<1%) up to 30 Gy. In contrast, EBT3 showed an under-response of 13% and 25% at lateral positions of 5 cm and 8 cm respectively for the 30 Gy exposure. Conclusion EBT XD can accurately measure dose over a wide dynamic range. The non-polarizing structure of its active ingredient essentially eliminates the lateral scan effect up to at least 30 Gy. EBT XD film is therefore well suited for SRS/SBRT verification measurements.
Abstract 3931: A novel canine histiocytic sarcoma cell line provides a potential path to effective treatments with relevance for translational and comparative studies in humans

Histiocytic sarcoma in people is an uncommon and highly aggressive hematopoietic malignancy that accounts for less than 1% of all non-Hodgkin9s lymphomas. Regardless of treatment, patients invariably carry a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. The low number of cases limits investigations for more efficacious forms of treatment for this disorder. To date, there is no human histiocytic sarcoma cell line available for research purposes. Therefore, the establishment of a representative cell line would be highly beneficial. In the present study, we established a cell line from a tumor in a Bernese mountain dog that was morphologically characterized as a malignant histiocytic sarcoma. The diagnosis was further supported by the positive cellular expression of CD18 and vimentin by immunohistochemistry, and CD11c and MHC II by flow cytometry techniques. Together, the expression of these markers indicated a dendritic cell origin, in accordance to the cell type observed in the majority of histiocytic sarcoma cases in dogs. The established cell line has been maintained in tissue culture for a minimum of 50 passages over 12 months in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 15% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum. Results from a pHrodo™ E. coli Bioparticles® assay indicated that the cells had phagocytic behavior. Furthermore, the cell line was successfully transplantable as a xenograft in immunodeficient mice when injected subcutaneously. A palpable tumor was observed within two weeks of injection and the tumor retrieved from the mice was histopathologically similar to the primary tumor. Finally, we performed cytotoxic assays in vitro with classical chemotherapeutic agents and novel therapeutic drugs, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The results from these assays demonstrated that dasatinib, a receptor tyrosine kinase pan-inhibitor, was able to significantly inhibit the growth of the cells in vitro within a clinically achievable, and tolerable plasma concentration. Interestingly, the antiproliferative response to dasatinib was augmented when combined to doxorubicin, a classical chemotherapeutic agent, indicating the potential benefits of drug combination for the treatment of this malignancy. In this study we successfully established a canine histiocytic sarcoma cell line that can be used as model for translational studies for similar disorders in humans. In addition, studies that require a cell line derived from dendritic cells can also benefit from this new established cell line. Citation Format: Marilia Takada, Maciej Parys, Emmalena Gregory-Bryson, Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan. A novel canine histiocytic sarcoma cell line provides a potential path to effective treatments with relevance for translational and comparative studies in humans. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3931. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3931
UCC Survey - Sales 2009

This Article is a survey of the highlights of noteworthy sales cases from 2008 decided under Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Particular Article 2 highlights include the mixed goods case of Florists' Mutual Insurance Co. v. Lewis Taylor Farms, Inc. and the good faith case of Bellco Drug Corp. v. Global Supply Force, Inc.
The role of verb argument structure in sentence processing: Distinguishing between syntactic and semantic effects

This paper describes an ongoing research program designed to investigate how syntactic and semantic aspects of lexical information become available to the sentence processing system. The two experiments described here distinguished between syntactic and semantic representations by using cross-modal naming and lexical decision in a new way. The relationship between the main verb and the probe word was varied such that the probe word met either the syntactic criteria to be an argument, the semantic criteria, neither, or both the syntactic and semantic criteria. Lexical decision times were sensitive to both syntactic and semantic congruity, while naming times were sensitive only to syntactic congruity. The two tasks were then used to investigate syntactic and semantic representations when verb argument structure was ambiguous. Subcategorized structures were constructed without regard for biasing context, but the contextually inappropriate thematic frame was ruled out while the inappropriate syntactic frame was still available.
A design method for multiple tube gas-cooled electrical leads for the g-2 superconducting magnets

This report presents a method for designing 5300 A gas cooled electrical leads for the g-2 solenoids and 2850 A leads for the g-2 self shielded inflector dipole magnet. Empirical design equations for annular tube gas cooled leads are presented. The leads are bundled tube leads which are cooled by helium flowing in annular cooling passages between tubes. Each tube in the bundle consists of nested circular copper tubes that can be cooled on both sides. Multiple current carrying tubes will increase the lead current capacity and cooling the tubes on both sides will increase lead efficiency for a given helium flow pressure drop. The design method presented here can applied to leads made from a variety of materials.
Simulation of static and dynamic wrinkles of skin

Wrinkles are an extremely important contribution for enhancing the realism of human figure models. We present an approach to generate static and dynamic wrinkles on human skin. For the static model, we consider micro and macro structures of the skin surface geometry. For the wrinkle dynamics, an approach using a biomechanical skin model is employed. The tile texture patterns in the micro structure of skin surface are created using planar Delaunay triangulation. Functions of barycentric coordinates are applied to simulate the curved ridges. The visible (macro) flexure lines which may form wrinkles are predefined edges on the micro structure. These lines act as constraints for the hierarchical triangulation process. Furthermore, the dynamics of expressive wrinkles-controlling their depth and fold-is modeled according to the principal strain of the deformed skin surface. Bump texture mapping is used for skin rendering.
Control of a Biaxial Test Using Calculated Input Signals and Cascade Control.

Control of a single-channel material test is relatively straightforward with modern servocontrollers. During this type of test, the center of the specimen moves as the specimen length changes. Although normally not a problem, this motion is not acceptable for some tests, such as planar biaxial tests. Relative motion of the specimen center will introduce unwanted stresses in the test piece and make visual monitoring of the specimen difficult. This paper describes a control technique to minimize specimen motion in the planar biaxial test application. It utilizes calculated input signals for the feedback. The control architecture is a cascade control loop. Description of the basic control method is provided and actual test results showing specimen motion with and without the control are presented.
Robotic management of genitourinary injuries from obstetric and gynaecological operations: a multi-institutional report of outcomes

Objective To evaluate the utility of robotic repair of injuries to the ureter or bladder from obstetrical and gynaecological (OBGYN) surgery Patients and Methods A retrospective review of all patients from four different high-volume institutions between 2002 and 2013 that had a robot-assisted (RA) repair by a urologist after an OBGYN genitourinary injury. Results Of the 43 OBGYN operations, 34 were hysterectomies: 10 open, 10 RA, nine vaginally, and five pure laparoscopic. Nine patients had alternative OBGYN operations: three caesarean sections, three oophorectomies (one open, two laparoscopic), one RA colpopexy, one open pelvic cervical cerclage with mesh and one RA removal of an invasive endometrioma. In all, 49 genitourinary (GU) injuries were sustained: ureteric ligation (26), ureterovaginal fistula (10), ureterocutaneous fistula (one), vesicovaginal fistula (VVF; 10) and cystotomy alone (two). In all, 10 patients (23.3%) underwent immediate urological repair at the time of their OBGYN RA surgery. The mean (range) time between OBGYN injury and definitive delayed repair was 23.5 (1–297) months. Four patients had undergone prior failed repair: two open VVF repairs and two balloon ureteric dilatations with stent placement. In all, 22 ureteric re-implants (11 with ipsilateral psoas hitch) and 15 uretero-ureterostomies were performed. Stents were placed in all ureteric cases for a mean (range) of 32 (1–63) days. In all, 10 VVF repairs and two primary cystotomy closures were performed. Drains were placed in 28 cases (57.1%) for a mean (range) of 4.1 (1–26) days. No case required open conversion. Two patients (4.1%) developed ureteric obstruction after RA repair requiring dilatation and stenting. The mean (range) follow-up of the entire cohort was 16.6 (1–63) months. Conclusions RA repair of GU injuries during OBGYN surgery is associated with good outcomes, appears safe and feasible, and can be used successfully immediately after injury recognition or as a salvage procedure after prior attempted repair. RA techniques may improve convalescence in a patient population where quick recovery is paramount.
Memory Maps: The State and Manchuria in Postwar Japan – By Mariko Asano Tamanoi

Over the past several years, Japan specialist Mariko Asano Tamanoi, a professor of anthropology, has made a name for herself writing at the nexus of two topics with broad appeal. Although Paul Fuss...
On single-nucleon energies for singular potentials

Abstract Some single-nucleon models for a many-body system are investigated. In particular the singularities are considered which appear in a single-nucleon potential when the nucleonnucleon interaction has an infinitely hard core. It is demonstrated, in terms of a perturbation expansion, that these singularities occur in the particle density of the single-nucleon potential (the so-called particle-particle energies) or, in terms of Green functions, that they are caused by the singular behaviour of the derivative G ′( t ) in the limit t → +0. Various definitions of rearrangement energies are discussed.
The shifting balance of facilitation and competition affects the outcome of intra- and interspecific interactions over the life history of California grassland annuals

Trait-based resource competition in plants, wherein more similar plants compete more strongly for resources, is a foundation of niche-based explanations for the maintenance of diversity in plant communities. Alternatively, neutral theory predicts that community diversity can be maintained despite equivalent resource requirements among species. We examined interactions at three life history stages (germination, survival, and juvenile-adult growth) for three native and three exotic California annual species in a glasshouse experiment. We varied plant density and species composition in small pots, with pots planted with either intraspecific seeds or in a three species mix of intra- and interspecific neighbors. We saw a range of facilitative, neutral, and competitive interactions that varied significantly by species, rather than by native or exotic status. There were more competitive interactions at the emergence and juvenile-adult growth stages and more facilitative interactions for survival. Consequently, the relative strength of competition in intraspecific versus mixed-species communities depended on whether we considered only the juvenile-adult growth stage or the entire life history of the interacting plants. Using traditional analysis of juvenile-adult growth only, all species showed negative density-dependent interactions for final biomass production. However, when the net effect of plant interactions from seed to adult was considered, which is a prediction of population growth, two native species ceased to show negative density dependence, and the difference between intraspecific and mixed-species competition was only significant for one exotic species. Results were consistent with predictions of neutral, rather than niche, theory for five of six species.
Sebaceous Gland Differentiation: II. The Isolation, Separation and Characterization of Cells from the Mouse Preputial Gland

Viable cells have been isolated, by enzyme digestion, from mouse preputial glands and have been separated, by isopycnic centrifugation, into populations of different buoyant densities. The separated cells have been evaluated by morphological and biochemical criteria to assess the success of the separation procedure in terms of the stage of differentiation of each cell population. Use of Ficoll as gradient medium for the isopycnic centrifugation proved unsuccessful, but good separations were obtained when Metrizamide was used. The separated cells from the Metrizamide gradient were shown to be in different stages of differentiation. Techniques are described for the special handling of these cells as well as suitable assay procedures. Some of the properties of the separated cells are described.
Evolution and Effectiveness of Palliative Care

Objective What is the evidence for the effectiveness of palliative medicine? Method A search of the PubMed database for clinical trials using search terms "Palliative Care" or "Palliative Medicine" or "Hospice" or "end of life" and "effectiveness" was conducted, and 63 articles were returned. Of these, 10 were related to outcomes of interest related to components of palliative medicine such as quality of life, length of life, or healthcare utilization. None were randomized, controlled trials looking at a global measure of effectiveness of palliative medicine. Consequently, additional searches using Google and Google Scholar, and searching bibliographies of published articles and presentations, were conducted. Results There were not enough studies with which to perform a structured review. The findings from single trials of satisfactory methodological quality are summarized and presented. Conclusion Palliative care has been proven to be more effective than standard approaches to care. The thrust of research must now turn to ways to ensure that palliative care is part of standard care.
Annealing dynamics of interstitial complexes in a dilute Al-Li alloy with Fe.

Previous ultrasonic measurements of a dilute Al-Li alloy irradiated by 2.3-MeV electrons gave strong evidence that self-interstitial atoms trapped by Li atoms form mixed dumbbells with tetragonal symmetry. The dumbbell is detected through its relaxation, which anneals away by 130 K. In this work, Fe is added to the alloy to determine whether this annealing stage represents migration of the defect to a trap or its dissociation. Fe atoms are known to trap self-interstitials, forming a complex stable to stage III that gives a set of relaxations different from the Al-Li relaxation. If Al-Li complexes dissociate, then self-interstitials would be released and captured by Fe atoms, resulting in larger Al-Fe relaxations. This result is not seen for this annealing stage. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the annealing is due to a change of configuration of the defect, since the anisotropy of the diaelastic effect remains constant during the annealing. Therefore, the Al-Li complex migrates as a unit without dissociating during this annealing stage. However, Al-Li complexes are observed to dissociate at 200 K, or about 20 K below stage III.
Mitochondrial swelling and uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation by lysosomes

Abstract Lysosomes catalyze a rapid disruption of mitochondrial structure and function in which oxidative phosphorylation is uncoupled and mitochondrial ATPase is activated. There is a concomitant irreversible high amplitude swelling of mitochondria which is independent of substrate availability. This swelling is not due to lipid peroxidation or digestion by proteolytic enzymes but closely parallels that produced by free fatty acids, in that it is inhibited by low levels of bovine serum albumin. The swelling factor, which is most active in the lysosomal membrane, is associated with the activity of lysosomal lipolytic enzymes. A phospholipid-hydrolyzing enzyme has been found in the lysosome, which liberates free fatty acids from lecithin. Disruption of mitochondrial membranes by these fatty acids, coupled with direct hydrolysis of the membranes by a lysosomal phospholipase, may initiate the digestion of mitochondria by lysosomes.
zFabric: How to Virtualize Lossless Ethernet?

Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) is a crucial step in embracing storage, cluster, and high-performance com- puting fabrics under a common network. However, the adoption of lossless CEE in virtualized clusters is hindered by the lack of network hypervisor software that addresses the major issues of losslessness, i.e., head-of-line blocking and saturation trees. Our objective is to design a hypervisor that prevents miscon- figured or malicious virtual machines from filling the lossless network with stalled packets, thus compromising tenant isola- tion. Furthermore, we observe that current hypervisors perform compulsory isolation, management, and mobility functions, but introduce new bottlenecks on the data-path. By taking advantage of the lossless fabric, we deconstruct the existing virtualized networking stack into its core functions and consolidate them into zFabric, an efficient hypervisor that meets our aforementioned goals. To demonstrate zFabric's benefits, we evaluate a prototype implementation on a datacenter testbed. Besides resolving head- of-line blocking, zFabric improves throughputs for long flows by up to 56%, lowers CPU utilization by up to 63%, and shortens completion times by up to 7x for partition-aggregate queries when compared with current virtualized TCP stacks.
PARylation: Strengthening the Connection between Cancer and Pluripotency

Pluripotency and tumorgenicity appear fundamentally linked. Recent investigations into the role of PARylation in chromatin remodeling (Ahel et al., 2009; Gottschalk et al., 2009), combined with the demonstration that p53 serves as a barrier to pluripotency (Banito et al., 2009), further strengthen this connection.
Serious Sustainability Challenge Game to Promote Teaching and Learning of Building Sustainability

AbstractThis paper presents ongoing research aimed at improving building sustainability education through the use of serious games. With the growth of the population worldwide and the increased demand on resources, there has been a growing emphasis on sustainable buildings. As architects, engineers and construction professionals are educated for the future, the complex area of building sustainability must be included in the curriculum; however, the literature shows no clear consensus on teaching methods or curriculum design. Growing evidence suggests that computer games could be effective tools in construction education as they can provide students with both theoretical and applied knowledge. In this paper we describe the development and initial evaluation of a serious game for learning sustainable building design principles and practices. The game is aimed at undergraduate students enrolled in Civil Engineering, Architecture and Building Construction Management programs. Findings from a formative study w...
42-Year-old male methamphetamine user with dysarthria and facial droop

A 42-year-old man presented to the emergency department after the sudden onset of left hand numbness and tingling, dysarthria, and right-sided temporal region pain that began 30 minutes previously. On his way to the hospital, the patient had developed bilateral flank pain. He denied any significant medical history or history of similar symptoms and stated he had been in his usual state of health until the sudden onset of symptoms that brought him to the emergency department. He denied taking any medications and had no history of stroke, head trauma, recent bleeding, chest pain, back pain, palpitations, fevers, or chills. On direct questioning, he admitted to methamphetamine use. He usually administered methamphetamine intravenously; his most recent use was 2 days before presentation. He denied any history of sexually transmitted diseases. He stated that he regularly lifted weights but had not had any neck strains.
O atom etching of graphite in low earth orbit

Abstract Samples of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite were placed aboard the space shuttle Atlantis (mission STS46) and exposed to the atmosphere present in low earth orbit to observe the effects of chemical etching by atomic oxygen on carbon-based materials. During the 43 h exposure, approximately 2.25 μm of graphite were removed from the sample, which corresponds to an etch yield of one C atom for every eight incident O atoms. The topography of the etched samples was analyzed quantitatively within the framework of scaling theory, and the experimental data agree with the static scaling behavior predicted for a model in which surface diffusion and reaction at step edges dominates the etching mechanism.
C-Glycosylflavones from Zea mays that inhibit insect development

Abstract A new C-glycosylflavone isolated from corn silk inhibits the growth and development of the corn earworm, Heliothis zea. This new compound was shown to be a 2″-O-α- l -rhamnosyl-6-C-(6-deoxy-xylo-hexos-4-ulosyl)luteolin. Also found co-occurring in corn silk were minor amounts of the corresponding 6-C-glycosylated analogs of chrysoeriol and apigenin.
Peroxidase-and nitrite-dependent metabolism of the anthracycline anticancer agents daunorubicin and doxorubicin

Oxidation of the anticancer anthracyclines doxorubicin (DXR) and daunorubicin (DNR) by lactoperoxidase(LPO)/H2O2 and horseradish peroxidase(HRP)/H2O2 systems in the presence and absence of nitrite (NO2-) has been investigated using spectrophotometric and EPR techniques. We report that LPO/H2O2/NO2- causes rapid and irreversible loss of anthracyclines' absorption bands, suggesting oxidative degradation of their chromophores. Both the initial rate and the extent of oxidation are dependent on both NO2- concentration and pH. The initial rate decreases when the pH is changed from 7 to 5, and the reaction virtually stops at pH 5. Oxidation of a model hydroquinone compound, 2,5-di-tert-butylhydroquinone, by LPO/H2O2 is also dependent on NO2-; however, in contrast to DNR and DXR, this oxidation is most efficient at pH 5, indicating that LPO/H2O2/NO2- is capable of efficiently oxidizing simple hydroquinones even in the neutral form. Oxidation of anthracyclines by HRP/H2O2/NO2- is substantially less efficient relat...
Symptom improvement after upgrade from right ventricular apical to biventricular pacing: Role of right and left ventricular volumes assessed with single-photon emission computed tomographic equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography

Background In patients with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the effect of upgrading from right ventricular (RV) apical to biventricular pacing on RV and left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fraction (EF) is unknown. Also, the relationship of symptom improvement after biventricular upgrade to RV and LV volumes and EF has not been clarified.
FUSE Observation of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy RE 1034+39: Dependence of Broad Emission Line Strengths on the Shape of the Photoionizing Spectrum*

We present an analysis from simultaneous FUSE, ASCA, and EUVE observations, as well as a reanalysis of archival HST spectra, from the extreme narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxy RE 1034+39 (KUG 1031+398). RE 1034+39 has an unusually hard spectral energy distribution (SED) that peaks in the soft X-rays. Its emission lines are unusual in that they can all be modeled as a Lorentzian centered at the rest wavelength with only a small range in velocity widths. In order to investigate whether the unusual SED influences the emission-line ratios and equivalent widths, we present three complementary types of photoionization analysis. The FUSE spectrum was particularly important because it includes the high-ionization line O VI. First, we use the photoionization code CLOUDY and the SED developed from the coordinated observations to confirm that the emission lines are consistent with observed hard SED. The best model parameters were an ionization parameter log U ≈ -2 and a hydrogen number density log nH = 9.75 (cm-2). Second, we present a locally optimally emitting cloud model. This model produced enhanced O VI as observed, but also yielded far too strong Mg II. Third, we develop a series of semiempirical SEDs, run CLOUDY models, and compare the results with the measured values using a figure of merit (FOM). The FOM minimum indicates SED and gas properties similar to those inferred from the one-zone model using the RE 1034+39 continuum. Furthermore, the FOM increases sharply toward softer continua, indicating that a hard SED is required by the data in the context of a one-zone model.
Temporal variation of adenine ribonucleotides during the cell cycle of Chinese hamster fibroblasts in culture.

Abstract Chinese hamster fibroblasts in monolayer culture (Don-C cell line) were synchronized by selective detachment of metaphase cells after brief treatment with colcemid. Replicate monolayer cultures were harvested at intervals after synchronization and ethanolic extracts were prepared for the determination of adenine ribonucleotides with the luciferin-luciferase assay. The level of ATP increased approx. 145% during the cell cycle, with the most rapid increase occurring during the G1 phase. One hour after synchronization (early G 1 phase), 1.3 nmoles of ATP 10 6 cells were observed; a maximum of 3.2 nmoles of ATP 10 6 cells was reached at 12 h (G 2 phase). The adenylate energy charge, ( ATP + 1 2 ADP )/( ATP + ADP + AMP ) was lowest during the G 1 phase (0.7) and increased to 0.9 during the late S and G 2 phase. A slight decrease of energy charge was observed during the second mitosis.
The use of modern statistical theories in the assessment of earthquake hazard, with application to quiet regions of eastern North America

Abstract It is generally accepted that both deterministic and statistical approaches are useful for the characterization of earthquake hazard. Although the most reliable estimates of seismic hazard can only be based on an improved understanding of the earthquake mechanism, efficient utilization of the appropriate methods provided by recent statistical theories is also important in seismic risk analysis. This is especially true in regions where the connection between seismicity and geologic structure is tenuous at best. We are particularly interested in developing better statistical treatments of data for regions with little known seismic activity. To this end, we have applied three statistical methods to the historical record of seismicity in relatively quiet regions of eastern North America. These are: (1) the threshold method for tail inference, a new theory for modeling earthquakes with sizes above a given threshold, (2) the ‘bootstrap’ technique in which the characteristics of an unknown population are simulated by replacing the true population by an estimated one, and (3) a technique to estimate the number of earthquakes below a given size, in order to compensate for the under-reporting of small earthquakes in most catalogs. A combination of these techniques has been used to estimate the probabilities of future large earthquakes for the regions studied. Because of limitations imposed by existing catalogs, the size estimate used has been maximum intensity.
Noise and intensity invariant moments

Abstract Moments and moment invariants can be normalized such that they become completely insensitive to the absolute intensity of the studied image. When this normalization is applied, moments as well as moment invariants become highly insensitive to noise. This will be shown by computer simulations of noisy bi-level images. Up to high levels of noise the normalized invariants of noisy silhouettes hardly differ from those of perfect silhouttes. The distribution of invariants for a given noise level can be calculated by computer simulations and can be used to further improve the recognition algorithm.
The Five Assessment Issues You Meet When You Go to Heaven

In this article, based on an invited Master Lecture to the Society for Personality Assessment, I describe my wishes and predictions for the future of assessment. These include an outline and elaboration of the optimally written psychological report, use of actuarial procedures, treatment planning, model for a revised Rorschach, and use of higher technology procedures. I present a case to illustrate how the various issues can be translated into a client evaluation.
Linker histone H1 modulates nucleosome remodeling by human SWI/SNF

Chromatin, a combination of nucleosomes and linker histones, inhibits transcription by blocking polymerase movement and access of factors to DNA. ATP-dependent remodeling complexes such as SWI/SNF and RSC alter chromatin structure to increase or decrease this repression. To further our understanding of how human SWI/SNF (hSWI/SNF) "remodels" chromatin we examined the octamer location, nature, and template specificity of hSWI/SNF-remodeled mononucleosomes when free or bound by linker histone H1. We find that, in the absence of H1, hSWI/SNF consistently moves nucleosomes to DNA ends, regardless of template sequence. On some sequences the repositioned histone octamer appears to be moved approximately 45 bp off the DNA edge, whereas on others it appears to be normal, suggesting that the nature of the remodeled nucleosome can be influenced by DNA sequence. By contrast, in the presence of histone H1, hSWI/SNF slides octamers to more central positions and does not promote nucleosome movement off the ends of the DNA. Our results indicate that the nature and position of hSWI/SNF products may be influenced both by DNA sequence and linker histone, and shed light on the roles of H1 and hSWI/SNF in modulating chromatin structure.
Thermal analysis of polymers

Results of research on the quantitative thermal analysis of polymers by calorimetry are reviewed. Adiabatic and scanning calorimeters are briefly described and data obtained are discussed in terms of current theories. Heat capacities, glass transition phenomena and melting of macromolecules are treated.
Equilibrium in dynamic models with an infinity of agents

In this paper, I investigate the existence of a competitive equilibrium in a dynamic model of pure exchange with a countable number of agents and a countable number of goods. The assumptions I employ are of the same level of generality as those generally used to establish the existence of equilibrium in classical competitive models. The commodity space is represented by the set of all non-negative sequences which contains the endowment of each agent. The preferences of each agent are assumed to satisfy a convexity requirement and to be continuous in the product topology.There is free disposal and the economy must satisfy a certain resource relatedness condition. Under these assumptions, I then establish the existence of a competitive equilibrium in two special cases: (1) when the endowment of each agent is positive for only a finite number of goods; (2) when the aggregate endowment of some finite subset of agents is greater than some fixed fraction of the economy-wide endowment in each period. In all other cases, the most that I can establish is the existence of a special kind of equilibrium with transfer payments. Specifically, I show that a set of market clearing prices will exist if we permit those agents endowed with a positive quantity of an infinite number of goods to augment the value of their endowment by a finite non-negative amount. The existence of a competitive equilibrium when there is only a finite set of agents has already been demonstrated by Bewley [3].’ Recently Balasko and Shell [ 1 ] and Balasko et al., [2] have established the same result for pure exchange economies composed of an infinite number of finite-lived agents. Although the assumptions which I adopt in this paper are not quite as general in every respect as the assumptions used by either of these authors, it is possible to modify my assumptions so that the theorem demonstrated here implies both Bewley’s theorem (for discrete-good, pure-
Contemporary results and current strategies in the management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

The treatment of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is clearly evolving. Over the last few years, the standard surgical approach has been modified by the application of the right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit and regional perfusion techniques. Even more radical conceptual changes are now occurring. New treatment paradigms, such as the “hybrid” procedure, are dramatically altering the approach to treatment, whereas fetal intervention aims to impact the developmental biology responsible for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This institutional review presents contemporary surgical results from Children’s Hospital Boston between 2001 and 2006. An overview for stage 1 palliation will be presented, as well as the outcomes obtained from the initial experience with these new treatment schemes.
Contribution ofSynechococcus spp. to size-fractioned primary productivity in three water masses in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

The distribution of phycoerythrin-richSynechococcus spp. relative to eukaryotic algae and the contribution ofSynechococcus spp. toin situ primary production were compared at a neritic front, in warm-core eddy 84-E, and at Wilkinson's Basin, during a cruise to the Northwest Atlantic Ocean in July/August 1984. Immunofluorescence analyses ofSynechococcus strains demonstrated the restricted distribution of the tropical oceanic serogroup to the warm-core eddy, while strains of the neritic serogroup and those labelled by antiserum directed against a motile strain, were abundant in all three water masses. Although the majority ofSynechococcus spp. cells were observed in the 0.6 to 1 μm fraction, an increasing proportion of the totalSynechococcus spp. cells were found in the 1 to 5 μm fraction as nitrate concentrations increased near the base of the thermocline. From immunofluorescence analyses, we determined that the increasing proportion of largerSynechococcus spp. cells at depth was not the result of a change in strain composition, and may therefore be associated with increasing cell volume due to the enhanced nutrient supply. The contribution of the different size fractions to the total standing crop of chlorophyll and thein situ rate of photosynthesis was distincty different for the three water masses. At the neritic front, the larger photoautotrophs of the 1 to 5 μm and >5 μm fractions were the major contributors to chlorophyll concentrations and primary production.Synechococcus spp. appeared to provide only 6% of the dawn-to-duskin situ primary production at the neritic front. In modified Sargasso water in the warm-core eddy,Synechococcus spp. contributed 25% to thein situ rate of integrated primary production. In this warm-core eddy, the 0.2 to 0.6 μm fraction made a major contribution to the standing crop of chlorophyll and primary production that equalled or exceeded that of the larger sze categories. Furthermore, at the bottom of the euphotic layer, eukaryotes numerically dominated the 0.2 to 0.6 μm fraction, which contributed 61% of the primary productivity. At Wilkinson's Basin, theSynechococcus spp.-dominated 0.6 to 1.0 μm fraction made the greatest contribution to the standing crop of chlorophyll an primary production, while smaller photoautotrophs (0.2 to 0.6 μm) accounted for little of the chlorophyll or photosynthetic rates measured over the euphotic layer. Largest numbers ofSynechococcus spp. (2.9x108 cells l-1) occurred at the 18% isolume, coincident with a shoulder in the chlorophyll fluorescence profile and the site of maximumin situ primary productivity. At Wilkinson's Basin,Synechococcus spp. contributed 46% to thein situ photosynthesis integrated over the water-column.
Biology teachers' perceptions of subject matter structure and its relationship to classroom practice

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the nature of biology teachers' global content understandings (herein called subject matter structure-SMS), the sources and formation of SMSs, and the variables that differentially affected teachers' abilities to translate SMSs into classroom practice. Case studies of 5 experienced biology teachers were constructed through interviews, classroom observations, and analysis of instructional materials. The data were qualitatively analyzed to describe the SMS exhibited by the teacher in the classroom and compared to SMSs provided by the teachers in postobservation interviews. The teachers' SMSs for biology were based on discrete content topics rather than conceptually integrated themes. Though most teachers recognized the integrated nature of biology, few used such conceptions to guide practice purposefully. The initial formation of SMSs were typically credited to college content courses and modified by the act of teaching. Opportunities for reflection and reinforcement seemed critical for the formation of coherent SMSs. The relationship of SMSs to classroom practice was complex and varied. The most direct form of translation occurred in the scope of course content. Variables that differentially affected SMS translation (typically through mitigation) included teacher intentions, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, students, teacher autonomy, and time.
Object Recognition via Information-Theoretic Measures/Metrics

Discrimination of friendly or hostile objects is investigated using information-theory measures/metric in an image which has been compromised by a number of factors. In aerial military images, objects with different orientations can be reasonably approximated by a single identification signature consisting of the average histogram of the object under rotations. Three different information-theoretic measures/metrics are studied as possible criteria to help classify the objects. The first measure is the standard mutual information (MI) between the sampled object and the library object signatures. A second measure is based on information efficiency, which differs from MI. Finally an information distance metric is employed which determines the distance, in an information sense, between the sampled object and the library object. It is shown that the three (parsimonious) information-theoretic variables introduced here form an independent basis in the sense that any variable in the information channel can be uniquely expressed in terms of the three parameters introduced here. The methodology discussed is tested on a sample set of standardized images to evaluate their efficacy. A performance standardization methodology is presented which is based on manipulation of contrast, brightness, and size attributes of the sample objects of interest.