cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphine causes rapid increases in glial activation and neuronal injury in the striatum of inducible HIV‐1 tat transgenic mice

HIV encephalitis (HIVE) is accompanied by brain inflammation, leukocyte infiltration, and glial activation, and HIV patients who abuse opiates are more likely to develop HIVE. To better understand how opiates could alter HIV-related brain inflammation, the expression of astrocyte (GFAP immunoreactivity) and macrophage/microglial (F4/80 or Mac1 immunoreactivity) markers in the striatum, and the percentage of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) positive macrophages/microglia, was determined following a 2 day exposure to morphine (5 mg/kg/day via time-release, subcutaneous implant) and doxycycline in GFAP-driven, doxycycline-inducible HIV-1 Tat transgenic mice. Data show that both morphine and Tat induction via doxycycline increased astrocyte activation, with significant additive increases achieved with combined morphine and doxycycline exposure. By contrast, combined Tat induction and morphine exposure, but neither manipulation alone, significantly increased the proportion of macrophages/microglia present in the striatum of transgenic mice, although morphine exposure was necessary to elevate 3-NT co-detection in Mac1-positive macrophages/microglia. Finally, Tat induction increased the percentage of neurons expressing active caspase-3, and this was even more significantly elevated by co-administration of morphine. In spite of elevations in caspase-3, neuronal TUNEL reactivity was unchanged in all groups, even after 10 days of Tat induction. Importantly, co-administration of naltrexone completely antagonized the effects of morphine. These findings indicate that morphine rapidly and significantly increases the activation of astrocytes and macrophages/microglia in the brains of inducible Tat transgenic mice, supporting the theory that early inflammatory changes in glia could underlie the development of HIVE in opiate-abusing AIDS patients.
Induction of therapeutic abortion with a single dose of intra-amniotically administered prostaglandin F2α

Abstract To determine the abortifacient effectiveness and complications of a single intra-amniotic injection of 50 mg of Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), 40 gravidas were studied. While all subjects received a 50 mg dose of PGF2α at the initiation of the trial with no additional oxytocics or surgical intervention until they had aborted or until the end of the 48-hour trial period, they received intramuscularly administered prochlorperazine by one of two dose schedules. Twenty-five Group I subjects received 10 mg of prochlorperazine whenever they requested medication for alleviation of nausea or vomiting, while 15 Group II subjects received 10 mg one-half hour prior to the administration of PGF2α and at 6-hour intervals until they had aborted. Within the initial 24 hours, 77% of the subjects aborted while within the 48-hour trial period, 95% of the subjects aborted with a mean induction-to-abortion time of 19.1 hours for those aborting. Sixty-eight percent aborted completely, 28 percent aborted incompletely, and 5 percent failed to abort within the trial period. No serious complications were observed. The proportion of patients having no vomiting and the mean number of episodes of vomiting were significantly less in the Group II subjects than in the Group I subjects. No significant differences in the mean abortion times, cumulative abortion rates, or intra-amniotic pressures were noted between the two groups of subjects. It appears that the single intra-amniotic administration of 50 mg of PGF2α results in practicable rates of abortion and the associated vomiting can be significantly attenuated with prochlorperazine without significantly altering the abortifacient or oxytocic effect of PGF2α.
Stretch and Shear Interactions Affect Intercellular Junction Protein Expression and Turnover in Endothelial Cells

Complex hemodynamics plays a role in the localization and development of atherosclerosis. Endothelial cells (ECs) lining blood vessel walls are directly influenced by various hemodynamic forces: simultaneous wall shear stress (WSS), normal stress, and circumferential stress/strain (CS) due to pulsatile flow, pressure, and diameter changes. ECs sense and transduce these forces into biomolecular responses that may affect intercellular junctions. In this study, a hemodynamic simulator was used to investigate the combined effects of WSS and CS on EC junctions with emphasis on the stress phase angle (SPA), the temporal phase difference between WSS and CS. Regions of the circulation with highly negative SPA, such as the coronary arteries and carotid bifurcation, are more susceptible to the development of atherosclerosis. At 5 h, expression of the tight junction (TJ) protein zonula occludens-1 was significantly higher for the atheroprotective SPA = 0° compared to the atherogenic SPA = −180° while the apoptosis rate was significantly higher for SPA = −180° than SPA = 0°. This decrease in TJ protein and increase in apoptosis and associated leaky junctions suggest a decreased junctional stability and a higher paracellular permeability for atherogenic macromolecules for the atherogenic SPA = −180° compared to SPA = 0°.
Influence of Hydrothermal Pressure during Crystallization on the Structure and Electron-Conveying Ability of TiO2 Colloids for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

This study synthesizes TiO2 anatase colloids at 250 °C under varying pressures of 57−120 bar by adjusting the residual volume in the autoclaving chamber. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the amorphous phase content of TiO2 powders and films obtained from calcining the colloids increased with the pressure during crystallization, whereas the Ti vacancy in the crystalline phase decreased. This illustrated a trade-off between lattice distortion and vacancy reduction as a result of an increase in pressure during crystallization. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic analysis showed that the coordination number of the Ti4+ sites in the TiO2 increased with the pressure during crystallization to reach a maximum value at 100 bar and then decreased with further increases in pressure. A dye-sensitized solar cell assembled with a TiO2 film from a 100-bar synthesis exhibited the highest solar energy conversion efficiency. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysi...
The diffusivity of hydrogen in the noble metals at low temperature

Abstract An electrolytic method has been used to measure the diffusivity of hydrogen in the noble metals Pt, Au, and Ag in the low-temperature range 280–330 K. The data obtained have been considered in conjunction with those for other noble metals (Pd and Cu) in order to draw conclusions concerning the interactions between dissolved H-atoms and lattice vacancies. It has been concluded that, at least in Pd, Cu, and Au, the H-vacancy interaction energy is too low to render diffusion anomalies observable at high temperatures. This is in accord with theoretical calculations based on the effective medium technique.
Facial emotion recognition by persons with mental retardation: A review of the experimental literature

This paper provides an exhaustive review of emotion research in mental retardation, namely the recognition of facial emotion expressions. 21 experimental studies were identified and reviewed for methodological characteristics. The literature was further explored for evidence concerning the relationships between emotion recognition skills and the severity of mental retardation, gender, chronological age, and concurrent mental illness.
Soviet Motives in the Partition of Palestine, 1947-48

Russian involvement in the Middle East follows a national tradition that has survived all the problems of internal struggles, ideology, religious differences, and innumerable failures interrupted by occasional dazzling success which mark the course of Russian history. After the revolution in 1917, however, territorial annexation ceased to be a prime motivating factor of Russian policy, and emphasis shifted to ideological conversion as an instrument for the extension of political influence.' At the end of World War II, though, after exactly three decades of ambivalence and mild interest in the lower Middle East, interrupted only briefly by her transient concern with the 1929 Palestinian riots, a smaller uprising in 1933, and the great Arab revolt of 1936-1939, Soviet Russia found herself without a single ally in the potentially explosive area. In 1946 and early 1947, Moscow supported, albeit half-heartedly, Arab independence movements and their demands for the withdrawal of Western troops from the area. In May 1947, the Soviet Union then astonished the diplomatic world by reversing her three decade support of the Arab world and placing herself on record as a supporter of Zionist aspirations for the establishment and consolidation of a Jewish state in Palestine. Equally astonishing was her ideological rationalization of this move in support of the Zionist movement, hitherto a major focal point of Soviet distrust as an ideology
Thrust modulation methods for a subsonic V/STOL aircraft

Low speed wind tunnel tests were conducted to assess four methods for attaining thrust modulation for V/STOL aircraft. The four methods were: (1) fan speed change, (2) fan nozzle exit area change, (3) variable pitch rotor (VPR) fan, and (4) variable inlet guide vanes (VIGV). The interrelationships between inlet and thrust modulation system were also investigated using a double slotted inlet and thick lip inlet. Results can be summarized as: (1) the VPR and VIGV systems were the most promising, (2) changes in blade angle to obtain changes in fan thrust have significant implications for the inlet, and (3) both systems attained required level of thrust with acceptable levels of fan blade stress.
Steroids as Immunosuppressants in Pregnancy

In considering the potential of known reproductive hormones to act as immunoregulatory substances during pregnancy, progesterone clearly is an attractive candidate for the following reasons: 1) progesterone is a primitive hormone occurring in virtually all species; 2) it is the only hormone which has been shown to be absolutely essential for maintenance of pregnancy in a variety of mammals, including the human; 3) it has demonstrable in vivo and in vitro immunosuppressive effects when present in concentrations known to be present in the human placenta; 4) it has weak systemic effects compared to cortisol; 5) in many species including primates, it is produced by trophoblastic cells: potential targets of the maternal immune system. Inhibitory effects of progesterone on immune cells have been demonstrated despite the absence of classical steroid receptors for progesterone (Lippman 1979). Specific functions of human T-lymphocytes and macrophages are inhibited by concentrations of progesterone known to occur in the placenta (10(-6)-10(-5) M). Although similar effects are produced by cortisol, clear-cut differences exist in the mechanisms by which cortisol and progesterone act on immune cells. The results suggest, but do not prove, that progesterone does not act on immune cells by binding to the glucocorticoid receptor. This can be considered to be advantageous, for otherwise pregnancy could be associated with glucocorticoid toxicity. Remarkable local anti-inflammatory activity of progesterone has been observed in vivo, although the mechanism of this effect is poorly understood. The striking absence of inflammatory cells in the pregnant uterus until a few days before birth is consistent with known effects of progesterone from animal studies. Whether this regulatory effect on cell traffic is exerted directly by progesterone or by secondary mediators produced within the uterus remains to be determined. In either case, appropriate timing of the removal of progesterone's influence may constitute an integral part of the process of parturition. Post-partum resolution of the placental attachment-site has many of the cellular characteristics of transplant rejection. Furthermore, it has recently been proposed that inflammatory cells which invade the cervix may generate prostaglandins which mediate the biochemical changes that are essential for its dilation to allow escape of the fetus (Liggins 1981). If the processes begin prior to delivery as a consequence either of progesterone withdrawal or inhibition of its activity, parturition may in fact be considered as a delayed rejection process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Estimation of kinetic parameters from thermochemical data.

Abstract A method is described by which kinetic parameters may be calculated from the measured temperature changes caused by the heat produced during a chemical reaction. An isoperibol titration calorimeter with an ampoule-breaking facility is used to obtain the temperature data. The temperature changes resulting from the reaction between tri-isopropyl phosphite and sulphur (S8) are used as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. The temperature changes are used to calculate an enthalpy of reaction. From the enthalpy of reaction and intermediate heats, instantaneous concentrations of the reactants may be calculated.
First-principles study of water on copper and noble metal (110) surfaces

Water structure and dissociation kinetics on a model open metal surface: Cu(110), has been investigated in detail based on first-principles electronic structure calculations. We revealed that in both monomer and overlayer forms, water adsorbs molecularly, with a high tendency for diffusion and/or desorption rather than dissociation on clean surfaces at low temperature. Studying water on other noble metal (110) surfaces confirms that Cu(110) is the borderline between intact and dissociative water adsorption, differing in energy by only 0.08 eV. This may lead to promising applications in hydrogen generation and fuel cells.
Demographics, job satisfaction, and propensity to leave of industrial salesmen

Abstract An extremely important and expensive promotional tool used by industrial marketers is personal selling. One of the major costs of personal selling is the cost associated with sales personnel turnover. Past studies in the sales management area have focused on the effect of organizational and psychological factors on the satisfaction of salespeople and their propensity to leave their organizations. However, no study has examined the interrelationships among salespeople's demographic variables, job satisfaction, and propensity to leave, even though such relationships have been studied for nonselling occupations. An empirical study done to at least partly fill this research void is described. The results provide new insights for researchers and practitioners with an interest in the sales management area.
A recombination suppressor contributes to ecological speciation in OSTRINIA moths

Despite unparalleled access to species’ genomes in our post-genomic age, we often lack adequate biological explanations for a major hallmark of the speciation process—genetic divergence. In the presence of gene flow, chromosomal rearrangements such as inversions are thought to promote divergence and facilitate speciation by suppressing recombination. Using a combination of genetic crosses, phenotyping of a trait underlying ecological isolation, and population genetic analysis of wild populations, we set out to determine whether evidence supports a role for recombination suppressors during speciation between the Z and E strains of European corn borer moth (Ostrinia nubilalis). Our results are consistent with the presence of an inversion that has contributed to accumulation of ecologically adaptive alleles and genetic differentiation across roughly 20% of the Ostrinia sex chromosome (~4 Mb). Patterns in Ostrinia suggest that chromosomal divergence may involve two separate phases—one driving its transient origin through local adaptation and one determining its stable persistence through differential introgression. As the evolutionary rate of rearrangements in lepidopteran genomes appears to be one of the fastest among eukaryotes, structural mutations may have had a disproportionate role during adaptive divergence and speciation in Ostrinia and in other moths and butterflies.
A nanoparticle label/immunochromatographic electrochemical biosensor for rapid and sensitive detection of prostate-specific antigen

We present a nanoparticle (NP) label/immunochromatographic electrochemical biosensor (IEB) for rapid and sensitive detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in human serum. This IEB integrates the immunochromatographic strip with the electrochemical detector for transducing quantitative signals. The NP label, made of CdSe@ZnS, serves as a signal-amplifier vehicle. A sandwich immunoreaction was performed on the immunochromatographic strip. The captured NP labels in the test zone were determined by highly sensitive stripping voltammetric measurement of the dissolved metallic component (cadmium) with a disposable-screen-printed electrode, which is embedded underneath the membrane of the test zone. Several experimental parameters (e.g., immunoreaction time, the amount of anti-PSA-NP conjugations applied) and electrochemical detection conditions (e.g., preconcentration potential and time) were optimized using this biosensor for PSA detection. The analytical performance of this biosensor was evaluated with serum PSA samples according to the "figure-of-merits" (e.g., dynamic range, reproducibility, and detection limit). The results were validated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and showed high consistency. It is found that this biosensor is very sensitive with the detection limit of 0.02ngmL(-1) PSA and is quite reproducible (with a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 6.4%). This method is rapid, clinically practical, and less expensive than other diagnostic tools for PSA; therefore, this IEB coupled with a portable electrochemical analyzer shows great promise for simple, sensitive, quantitative point-of-care testing of disease-related protein biomarkers.
Numerical Treatment of Polar Coordinate Singularities

The treatment of the geometrical singularity in cylindrical and spherical coordinates has for many years been a difficulty in the development of accurate finite difference (FD) and pseudo-spectral (PS) schemes. A variety of numerical procedures for dealing with the singularity have been suggested. For comparative purposes, some of these are discussed in the next sections, but the reader is referred to several books and review papers [3, 7, 10] for more detailed references. Generally, methods discussed in the literature use pole equations, which are akin to boundary conditions to be applied at the singular point. The treatment of the pole as a computational boundary can lead to numerical difficulties. These include the necessity of special boundary closures for FD schemes (e.g., [11]), undesirable clustering of grid points in PS schemes (e.g., [12]), and, in FD schemes, the generation of spurious waves which oscillate from grid point to grid point (so-called two-delta or sawtooth waves, see [4, 26]). In the present paper we investigate a method for treating the coordinate singularity whereby singular coordinates are redefined so that data are differentiated smoothly through the pole, and we avoid placing a grid point directly at the pole. This eliminates the need for any pole equation. Despite the simplicity of the present technique, it appears to be an effective and systematic way to treat many scalar and vector equations in cylindrical and spherical coordinates. A similar technique was used by Merilees [17] for the south and north pole singularities of spherical coordinates but appears not to have been applied more generally. Here we show that the technique leads to excellent results for a number of model problems. The main application we consider is the compressible unsteady Euler and Navier–Stokes equations in cylindrical coordinates (Section 3). For comparison with other methods, we also treat the solution of Bessel’s equation in Section 4. Several
Integrated Leak Rate Testing of Containments: A Regulatory Perspective

Appendix J of 10 CFR 50, “Primary Reactor Containment Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Power Reactors,” sets the testing requirements for preoperational and periodic verification of the leak-tight integrity of the primary reactor containment, including systems and components which penetrate containment of light water-cooled power reactors, and establishes the acceptance criteria for such tests. The purposes of the tests are to assure that leakage through the primary reactor containment and systems and components penetrating primary containment would not exceed allowable leakage rate values as specified in the plants’ technical specifications. The current Appendix J requirements provide two options for performing the tests. Option A (fully deterministic) requires that after the preoperational leakage rate tests, a set of three integrated leak rate tests (ILRT — termed as Type A tests) shall be performed, at approximately equal intervals during each 10-year service period. Option B does not provide a quantitative requirement for scheduling the periodic Type A tests. However, NEI 94-01, “Industry Guideline for Implementing Performance-Based Option of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J,” and NRC Regulatory Guide (RG). The containment is a vital engineering safety feature of a nuclear power plant. It encloses the entire reactor and reactor coolant system and serves as a final barrier against the release of radioactive fission products to the environment under various accident conditions. Containment design is based on pressure and temperature loadings associated with a loss-of-coolant-accident resulting from a double-ended rupture of the largest pipe in the reactor coolant system. Recently, it has been reported that in certain 1.163, “Performance-Based Containment Leak Test Program,” provide guidelines for determining the frequencies of preoperational and periodic leak rate tests using a performance based approach. The Option B requirements and NEI 94-01 guidance are based on NUREG-1493, “Performance Based Containment Leak-Test Program.” Based on the information provided by the operating data and their risk significance, the study calculated the change in risk (in person-rem) to public for the 15 alternatives considered in the study. However, recognizing the non-sensitivity of risk to change in Type A leak rate testing frequencies, as depicted in NUREG-1493, a number of licensees are proposing changes to their Type A test frequencies using NRC risk-informed guidance in RG 1.174, “An Approach for Using Probabilistic Risk Assessment in Risk-Informed Decisions on Plant-Specific Changes to the Licensing Basis.” The paper discusses certain key deterministic aspects of the risk-informed decision for the plant-specific changes in the ILRT frequencies.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Interrelationships of Circulating Maternal Steroid Concentrations in Third Trimester Pregnancies. III. Effect of Intravenous Cortisol Infusion on Maternal Concentrations of Estriol, 16α-Hydroxyprogesterone, 17α-Hydroxyprogesterone, Progesterone, 20α-Dihydroprogesterone, Δ5-Pregnenolone, Δ5-Pregnenolone Sulfate, Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate, and Cortisol

The effect of a large dose (1000 mg) of iv cortisolhemisuccinate on circulating steroid concentrations in five women, 28–34 weeks gestational age, is reported. Maternal concentrations of estriol, 16α-hydroxyprogesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone, 20α-dihydroprogesterone, △5-pregnenolone, △5-pregnenolone sulfate, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and cortisol were measured by RIA before and at 8 and 12 h after iv cortisol infusions at 0 and 8 h. Data were evaluated by repeated measure analysis of variance. Estriol and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone suppressed initially (P ¼ 0.05) and suppressed further with retreatment and increased treatment time (P ¼ 0.05). Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and progesterone suppressed initially (P 0.05) but did not suppress further with retreatment and increased treatment time (P > 0.05). △5-Pregnenolone and △5-pregnenolone sulfate increased initially (P ¼ 0.05) but did not increase further (P > 0.05). Concentrations of 16α-hydroxyprogesterone and 20α-dihydroprogesteron...
High-resolution three-dimensional Talairach labels for human brain mapping using shape-based interpolation

Since the 1810 cranioscopy claims of F.J.Gall, human brain mapping has evolved into a challenging but fascinating scientific endeavor. The works of Jean Talairach in stereotaxic neurosurgery has revolutionized the use of brain atlases to identify the spatial locations of brain activations derived from functional images. The availability of digital print atlases, standardization of Talairach coordinates as means of reporting activation spots and the availability of Talairach daemon has led to the proliferation of publications in human brain mapping. However, the VOTL database used in the Talairach daemon employs nearest-neighbor interpolation of the sparse and unevenly spaced Talairach atlas. This exacerbates the already existing errors in brain mapping. This paper introduces the use of a shape based interpolation algorithm to derive a high resolution three dimensional Talairach Atlas. It uses a feature-guided approach for shape-based interpolation of porous and tortuous binary objects. The feature points are derived from the boundaries of the candidate sources and matched non-linearly using a robust outlier rejecting, non-linear point matching algorithm based on thin plate splines. The proposed scheme correctly handles objects with holes, large offsets and drastic invagination and significantly enhances the sparse Talairach Atlas. A similar approach applied to Schalten-brand and Wahren atlas would add appreciable value to functional neurosurgery.
Agency, Initiative, and Obstacles to Health Among Indigenous Immigrant Women From Oaxaca, Mexico:

Multi-ethnic, indigenous Mexican immigrants from Oaxaca, the poorest state in Mexico, have engaged in transnational migration to the United States in increasing numbers since the early 1980s and the economic crisis in Mexico. Indigenous women migrants constitute a significant segment of this population, significant to nursing because of their major role in watching over the health of their families. This article reports selected research findings of an exploratory study of the migration and health experiences of Mexican indigenous women from Oaxaca that focus on their strengths while recognizing their vulnerabilities for health problems. Implications for nursing practice and praxis are identified.
Feedback transformations on tori

Here we investigate the problem of transforming a nonlinear system on the torusT n by using global feedback and global changes of coordinates into an invariant system (i.e., a control system $$\dot x = f(x) + \sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^m {g_i (x)u_i }$$ of whichf andg i are (left and right) invariant vector fields whenT 2 is considered as a Lie group). We provide a complete answer whenn=2 and give a sufficient condition and necessary conditions in the more general case.
On the Performance of Compressive Video Streaming for Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks

This paper investigates the potential of the compressed sensing (CS) paradigm for video streaming in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks. The objective is to study performance limits and outline key design principles that will be the basis for cross-layer protocol stacks for efficient transport of compressive video streams. Hence, this paper investigates the effect of key video parameters (i.e., quantization, CS samples per frame, and channel encoding rate) on the received video quality of CS images transmitted through a wireless channels. It is shown that, unlike JPEG-encoded images, CS-encoded images exhibit an inherent resiliency to channel errors, caused by the unstructured image representation; this leads to basically zero loss in image quality for random channel bit error rates as high as 10&#8722;4, and low degradation up to 10&#8722;3. Furthermore, it is shown how, unlike traditional wireless imaging systems, forward error correction is not beneficial for wireless transmission of CS images. Instead, an adaptive parity scheme that drops samples in error is proposed and shown to improve image quality. Finally, we present our initial investigations on a low-complexity, adaptive video encoder that performs low-complexity motion estimation.
Electrostatic Surface Potential of a Lipid Monolayer Containing Slightly Soluble Molecules

A theoretical expression is given for the electrostatic potential (ΔV) of a monolayer consisting of long-chain surfactant molecules, water molecules, and adsorbed 3-phenylindole (3PI) molecules of a slightly soluble compound. The theory incorporates the effect of bending of the surfactant chains, due to which a portion of the chain is immersed in water and preferentially orients nearby water molecules by molecular interaction. Since water molecules have a large electric dipole moment, the bending thus affects the value of ΔV. The length of the immersed portion depends on surface pressure (II), so that the change in ΔV also depends on II. Experimental data obtained in the liquid expanded state with long-chain lipids (phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol) but without 3PI molecules indicate a good fit of the theoretical expression of ΔV as a function of II. However, a unique model has to be introduced in order to account for the influence on ΔV of 3PI molecules added at various bulk concentrations to the two-component system over a wide range of II. Namely, lipid polar heads create a strong trapping potential for 3PI molecules at the air-water interface as well as beneath the polar heads. 3PI molecules also have a large electric dipole moment and thus affect ΔV.
The reaction of benzotropenium ion, 1,2-benzocycloheptatriene-7-methyl ether and 3,4-benzocycloheptatriene-7-methyl ether with methyl and 2-propyl grignard reagents

Abstract Benzotropenium ion reacts with sodium methoxide to give only 1,2-benzocycloheptatriene-7-methyl ether. This sole product results from an equilibrium and not a kinetic controlled process. The reaction of benzotropenium ion with MeMgI leads to approximately an equal mixture of 7-methyl-1,2-and 7-methyl-3,4-benzocycloheptatriene. Essentially the same product ratio is derived from the reaction of 3,4-benzocycloheptatriene-7-methyl ether with MeMgI, while 1,2-benzocycloheptatriene-7-methyl ether gives predominantly 7-methyl-1,2-benzocycloheptatriene.
Can anticancer therapy be improved by sequential use of cytotoxic and cytostatic (differentiating or immunomodulating) agents to suppress tumor cell phenotypic diversification

The inherently heterogeneous characteristics of most tumor cells and their abilities to undergo rapid phenotypic change represent two of the most formidable obstacles to effective antineoplastic therapies. Most neoplasms, by the time they are diagnosed, are comprised of heterogeneous cell subpopulations expressing a wide range of different properties [l-4], including many of those once thought to be uniformly expressed among different neoplastic cells [5]. Such heterogeneity (and the possible rapid appearance of tumor cell clones exhibiting significant differences in cellular phenotype) also extends to therapeutic sensitivities and malignant properties. Thus, tumors that exhibit an initial sensitivity to a particular therapeutic agent can become highly resistant to it and to a variety of other agents, including those that act by mechanisms distinct from the initial treatment. Such tumors can also become more malignant. When this occurs, completely successful therapeutic interventions are rare. The dynamic emergence of tumor cells with diverse phenotypes ensures that some cells will arise in the tumor cell population with enhanced metastatic potential and resistance to a variety of physical and chemical agents. Another important aspect of antineoplastic therapy is that the treatments themselves can modify tumor cell phenotype and cellular heterogeneity and the rates at which variant cell subpopulations are generated. This is due partly to the cytotoxic and mutagenic natures of most antineoplastic therapies and the selection of therapy-resistant tumor cell subpopulations, but it is also attributable to nonmutagenic changes, such as gene amplification and recombination [6], and to the high rates of diversification of surviving cells that often possess unstable phenotypes [4,7,8]. In the latter example, in vitro studies with malignant animal tumors have demonstrated that restricting the diversity of tumor cell subpopulations by treatment with cytotoxic agents under conditions that allow some cell survival leads to enhanced generation of new variant tumor cells, including those that are much more metastatic than the original neoplastic cells [9]. In heterogeneous
Abstract P5-01-07: Oxyhemoglobin Flare after the First Day of Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Predicts Overall Response

Background: Breast cancer patients who do not respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy undergo months of unwarranted side effects. Early, non-invasive markers of response would provide physicians a valuable tool to make evidence-based changes to treatment strategies. Methods: Diffuse Optical Spectroscopic Imaging (DOSI) was used to measure hemodynamic and metabolic information from tumors and surrounding normal tissue in 23 breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. DOSI uses temporally modulated near-infrared light to determine absolute tissue molar concentrations of oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, as well as water and lipid content and requires no exogenous contrast agent. Measurements are made using a simple handheld probe placed on the skin. Each measurement takes less than one minute and multiple measurements are made in a grid pattern over the tumor and surrounding normal areas of the breast. Functional images of the breast tissue are made and compared over sequential time points. Measurements were made before the start of treatment and during the first week after the first infusion. Patients received either doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide (AC) or paclitaxel + carboplatin at their first infusion. Overall response to therapy was determined by the decrease in anatomic tumor size. Results: A flare in tumoral oxyhemoglobin concentration occurred on day 1 after the start of chemotherapy in patients achieving a partial (PR) or pathologic complete response (pCR). Oxyhemoglobin concentration increased 44.5% (± 46.1% SD) in PR patients (n=11) and 41.4% (± 39.1% SD) in pCR patients (n=8) (see figure 1). Nonresponding (NR) patients (n=5) exhibited no oxyhemoglobin flare and an average decrease in concentration of -22.5% (± 5.10% SD) was observed on day 1. This flare was sufficient to perfectly discriminate non-responding patients from responding patients in this study cohort. Additionally, the spatial extend of elevated oxyhemoglobin over the anatomic tumor location increased during the flare. The oxyhemoglobin flare was observed in all responding patients regardless of specific chemotherapy regimen received, receptor status, age, tumor size and tumor grade. Discussion: We have shown, in this patient cohort, that a non-invasive optical measure can discriminate non-responding tumors on the first day after the start of neoadjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy. The observed flare in oxyhemoglobin may be due to either decreased cellular metabolism and subsequent decrease in conversion of oxy to deoxyhemoglobin, or to a transient increase in perfusion to the tumor. Increased perfusion may be due to an acute inflammatory response, characterized by vessel dilation and increased vascular permeability, and triggered by tumor cell-damage. Future studies will confirm these initial findings and help to elucidate the biological causes of the observed oxyhemoglobin flare. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-01-07.
Assessing the Permeability of Engineered Capillary Networks in a 3D Culture

Many pathologies are characterized by poor blood vessel growth and reduced nutrient delivery to the surrounding tissue, introducing a need for tissue engineered blood vessels. Our lab has developed a 3D co-culture method to grow interconnected networks of pericyte-invested capillaries, which can anastamose with host vasculature following implantation to restore blood flow to ischemic tissues. However, if the engineered vessels contain endothelial cells (ECs) that are misaligned or contain wide junctional gaps, they may function improperly and behave more like the pathologic vessels that nourish tumors. The purpose of this study was to test the resistance to permeability of these networks in vitro, grown with different stromal cell types, as a metric of vessel functionality. A fluorescent dextran tracer was used to visualize transport across the endothelium and the pixel intensity was quantified using a customized MATLAB algorithm. In fibroblast-EC co-cultures, the dextran tracer easily penetrated through the vessel wall and permeability was high through the first 5 days of culture, indicative of vessel immaturity. Beyond day 5, dextran accumulated at the periphery of the vessel, with very little transported across the endothelium. Quantitatively, permeability dropped from initial levels of 61% to 39% after 7 days, and to 7% after 2 weeks. When ECs were co-cultured with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or adipose-derived stem cells (AdSCs), much tighter control of permeability was achieved. Relative to the EC-fibroblast co-cultures, permeabilities were reduced 41% for the EC-MSC co-cultures and 50% for the EC-AdSC co-cultures after 3 days of culture. By day 14, these permeabilities decreased by 68% and 77% over the EC-fibroblast cultures. Co-cultures containing stem cells exhibit elevated VE-cadherin levels and more prominent EC-EC junctional complexes when compared to cultures containing fibroblasts. These data suggest the stromal cell identity influences the functionality and physiologic relevance of engineered capillary networks.
On Bayesian bounds

We show that several important Bayesian bounds studied in machine learning, both in the batch as well as the online setting, arise by an application of a simple compression lemma. In particular, we derive (i) PAC-Bayesian bounds in the batch setting, (ii) Bayesian log-loss bounds and (iii) Bayesian bounded-loss bounds in the online setting using the compression lemma. Although every setting has different semantics for prior, posterior and loss, we show that the core bound argument is the same. The paper simplifies our understanding of several important and apparently disparate results, as well as brings to light a powerful tool for developing similar arguments for other methods.
Kinematics and kinetics of gait on stilts: Identification of risk factors associated with construction stilt use

This study investigated kinematics and kinetic strategies and identified risk factors associated with gait on stilts. A six-camera motion-analysis system and two force platforms were used to test 20 construction workers for straight walking or turning, with or without carrying tools while wearing safety shoes or stilts at different heights. The results indicated that gait on stilts is characterised by increases in stride length, step width and the percentage of double support period, decreases in cadence, minimum foot clearance and a weaker heel-strike and push-off. Stilts place greater joint loadings on lower extremities to compensate for the added weight and limitation in joint mobility. Smaller foot clearances found for gait on stilts constitute an increased risk for tripping over obstacles. Workers may need to avoid prolonged use of stilts to alleviate stresses on the joints. This study was conducted to determine to what extent stilts alter the gait strategies and to explain the compensatory movements. Prior to this study, there has been little substantive research to evaluate the stresses and potential injuries associated with stilts.
Some basic observations on Kelly's conjecture for graphs

P.J. Kelly first mentioned the possibility of determining a graph from subgraphs obtained by deleting several points. While such problems have received a great deal of attention in the case of deletions of single points, the problem for several points is virtually untouched. This paper contains some basic results on that problem, including the negative observation that for every k, there exist two non-isomorphic graphs with the same collection of k-point subgraphs.
Antinuclear antibodies in sera of patients with recurrent pregnancy wastage

Four groups of women were studied to determine whether low-level antinuclear antibody titers are associated with a higher risk for pregnancy loss. Group A consisted of 30 patients with a history of unexplained fetal losses. Group B consisted of 30 women with "explained" fetal losses (e.g., uterine septum or luteal phase defect). Ages and number of losses were comparable between the women in groups A and B. Group C consisted of 61 healthy pregnant women. Group D involved 61 healthy nonpregnant women of reproductive age. In groups A and B, 40% and 53.3% of the respective patients had antinuclear antibody titers greater than or equal to 1:40. In groups C and D the frequencies of positive antinuclear antibody titers were 8.2% and 5.6%, respectively. This study demonstrates a high prevalence of low-titer antinuclear antibody-positive serum in patients with explained and unexplained pregnancy losses.
Ancient Maya commercial systems: A research design for the island of Cozumel, Mexico

Abstract In 1972 the authors inaugurated the Cozumel Archaeological Project to study the material structure of a port‐of‐trade in order to better understand the nature of its behaviour as a total system. This paper presents a model which relates the internal structure of ports‐of‐trade to the centralization of resource control among the site‐level components which use its facilities. This dynamic model provides a framework upon which to view the process of culture change on the island of Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico, and to organize the collection and presentation of data from the 1972 and 1973 field seasons.
Vasculitis in the lung

Pulmonary vasculitis occurs most commonly in the collagen vascular diseases and in granulomatous pulmonary disease. In the collagen vascular group, vasculitis causes diffuse interstitial inflammation and subsequent fibrosis, resulting in interstitial radiographic patterns, especially in the lower lung fields. Vasculitis accompanied by granulomatosis typically produces focal inflammation and is, therefore, manifested as nodules and masses. The more typical collagen vascular diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and dermatomyositis. The most common vasculitis granulomatosis is Wegener's, with similar radiographic abnormalities occurring in lymphomatoid granulomatosis. Atypical examples of vasculitis pulmonary disease include ankylosing spondylitis, in which upper-lung field fibrobullous changes are seen. Periarteritis nodosa and Behcet's syndrome include abnormalities of large vessels and thromboembolic phenomena. Bronchocentric granulomatosis and allergic granulomatosis involve airway abnormalities as well as vasculitis and granuloma formation.
4D-fingerprints, universal QSAR and QSPR descriptors

An elusive goal in the field of chemoinformatics and molecular modeling has been the generation of a set of descriptors that, once calculated for a molecule, may be used in a wide variety of applications. Since such universal descriptors are generated free from external constraints, they are inherently independent of the data set in which they are employed. The realization of a set of universal descriptors would significantly streamline such chemoinformatics tasks as virtual high-throughout screening (VHTS) and toxicity profiling. The current study reports the derivation and validation of a potential set of universal descriptors, referred to as the 4D-fingerprints. The 4D-fingerprints are derived from the 4D-molecular similarity analysis. To evaluate the applicability of the 4D-fingerprints as universal descriptors, they are used to generate descriptive QSAR models for 5 independent training sets. Each of the training sets has been analyzed previously by several varying QSAR methods, and the results of the models generated using the 4D-fingerprints are compared to the results of the previous QSAR analyses. It was found that the models generated using the 4D-fingerprints are comparable in quality, based on statistical measures of fit and test set prediction, to the previously reported models for the other QSAR methods. This finding is particularly significant considering the 4D-fingerprints are generated independent of external constraints such as alignment, while the QSAR methods used for comparison all require an alignment analysis.
Scaling laws of nonlinear silicon nanophotonics

Scaling properties of two photon absorption, free carrier scattering, Raman scattering and Kerr effect in silicon waveguides is reported. It is shown that the dependence of minority carrier lifetime on waveguide dimensions has a profound impact on the performance of nonlinear optical devices built using silicon waveguides.
Results of a web-based health survey of retired racing Greyhounds

Background: Adoption of retired racing Greyhounds has become increasingly popular during the past decade. To date, research has focused on the physiologic and clinicopathologic peculiarities of Greyhounds but there is little published information on disease prevalence in the breed. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of disease in retired racing Greyhounds. Animals: In this study, 747 Greyhounds were used. Methods: A standardized survey method was used, and survey responses were collected by an Internet survey. Owners could answer a survey for every Greyhound that they had owned since January 1, 2005. Results: Of the 692 eligible participants, 441 (63.7% response rate) completed surveys for 747 Greyhounds. The mortality rate for Greyhounds within the 2-year period was 15% (113 of 747 died). The most common cause of death reported was cancer (66 dogs, 58%), and the most common type of cancer listed as the cause of death was osteosarcoma (28 dogs, 25%). The most commonly reported groups of diseases or disorders were skeletal (232 dogs, 33%), skin (197 dogs, 28%), digestive (132 dogs, 18%), cancer (94 dogs, 13%), and endocrine (85 dogs, 11.9%). Forty-five percent of Greyhounds diagnosed with cancer and 6% of the overall population had osteosarcoma. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The results of this study can be used by veterinary researchers to continue to investigate the most common diseases in this population. As more retired racing Greyhounds enter the pet population, the results of this study will help educate veterinarians and owners about the most prevalent diseases in the breed.
Do the groups to which I belong make me me?: Reflections on community and identity

This article discusses the implications of some current philosophical thinking about groups, culture and the politics of identity (exploring the views of Anthony Appiah, Amartya Sen and Nel Noddings, among others) for education generally, and for issues of classroom organization in particular. My basic thesis is that, when we understand the pressures and tensions which confront individuals — especially children — as they struggle to define themselves in the context of an increasingly complex and divided society, we should also realize that the organizational dimensions of schools and classrooms deserve at least as much attention as the standard concerns about literacy and numeracy. Seeking to forge a path between the well-known extremes of individualism and collectivism, the article looks critically at some prominent types of groups and associations — particularly the `large' ones of specific cultures, religions and nations — not with a view to imagining their non-existence but, rather, with a prescriptio...