cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mechanism of action of BCG therapy for bladder cancer—a current perspective

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) has been used to treat non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer for more than 30 years. It is one of the most successful biotherapies for cancer in use. Despite long clinical experience with BCG, the mechanism of its therapeutic effect is still under investigation. Available evidence suggests that urothelial cells (including bladder cancer cells themselves) and cells of the immune system both have crucial roles in the therapeutic antitumour effect of BCG. The possible involvement of bladder cancer cells includes attachment and internalization of BCG, secretion of cytokines and chemokines, and presentation of BCG and/or cancer cell antigens to cells of the immune system. Immune system cell subsets that have potential roles in BCG therapy include CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes, natural killer cells, granulocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Bladder cancer cells are killed through direct cytotoxicity by these cells, by secretion of soluble factors such as TRAIL (tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand), and, to some degree, by the direct action of BCG. Several gaps still exist in our knowledge that should be addressed in future efforts to understand this biotherapy of cancer.
Climatology of the SKYHI Troposphere–Stratosphere–Mesosphere General Circulation Model

Abstract The long-term mean climatology obtained from integrations conducted with different resolutions of the GFDL “SKYHI” finite-difference general circulation model is examined. A number of improvements that have been made recently in the model are also described. The versions considered have 3° × 3.6°, 2° × 2.4°, and 1° × 1.2° latitude–longitude resolution, and in each case the model is run with 40 levels from the ground to 0.0096 mb. The integrations all employ a fixed climatological cycle of sea surface temperature. Over 25 years of integration with the 3° model and shorter integrations with the higher-resolution versions are analyzed. Attention is focused on the December–February and June–August periods. The model does a reasonable job of representing the atmospheric flow in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The simulated tropospheric climatology has an interesting sensitivity to horizontal resolution. In common with several spectral GCMs that have been examined earlier, the surface zonal-mea...
Texture segregation shows only a very small lower-hemifield advantage

Possible hemifield differences in texture segregation were investigated for both simple (Fourier, linear) and complex (non-Fourier, second-order) texture channels. There was only a very small lower-field advantage for texture segregation, consistent with the notion that the major processing in texture segregation is quite low level, perhaps V1. Complex-channel tasks do not show larger hemifield asymmetries than do simple-channel tasks, which suggests that the processes in complex texture channels are not higher level than those in simple.
MR spectroscopic imaging and diffusion‐weighted imaging of prostate cancer with Gleason scores

Purpose: To investigate functional changes in prostate cancer patients with three pathologically proven different Gleason scores (GS) (3+3, 3+4, and 4+3) using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Materials and Methods: In this study MRSI and DWI data were acquired in 41 prostate cancer patients using a 1.5T MRI scanner with a body matrix combined with an endorectal coil. The metabolite ratios of (Cho+Cr)/Cit were calculated from the peak integrals of total choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), and citrate (Cit) in MRSI. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were derived from DWI for three groups of Gleason scores. The sensitivity and specificity of MRSI and DWI in patients were calculated using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Results: The mean and standard deviation of (Cho+Cr)/Cit ratios of GS 3+3, GS 3+4, and GS 4+3 were: 0.44 ± 0.02, 0.56 ± 0.06, and 0.88 ± 0.11, respectively. For the DWI, the mean and standard deviation of ADC values in GS 3+3, GS 3+4, and GS 4+3 were: 1.13 ± 0.11, 0.97 ± 0.10, and 0.83 ± 0.08 mm2/sec, respectively. Statistical significances were observed between the GS and metabolite ratio as well as ADC values and GS. Conclusion: Combined MRSI and DWI helps identify the presence and the proportion of aggressive cancer (ie, Gleason grade 4) that might not be apparent on biopsy sampling. This information can guide subsequent rebiopsy management, especially for active surveillance programs. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:697–703. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Validation of the Totaled Health Risks In Vascular Events (THRIVE) score for outcome prediction in endovascular stroke treatment.

BackgroundWe recently developed the Totaled Health Risks In Vascular Events (THRIVE) score to predict outcomes after endovascular stroke treatment. The THRIVE score, which incorporates age, Nationa...
Thermal and optical properties of freestanding flat and stacked single-layer graphene in aqueous media

Graphene, a two-dimensional atomic layer of carbon atoms, represents a class of nanostructures whose physical properties are strongly dependent on their morphology as well as the environment in which they exist. Aqueous media is one of the most common environments that play an important role in influencing the performance of these materials. Here, we investigate the thermal and optical properties of suspended flat and stacked graphene ribbons that are typical structures in aqueous media. We demonstrate that stacked graphene structures thermalize much more rapidly than flat graphene and display unequilibrated electron and phonon temperatures upon laser excitation. The interface thermal conductivity between graphene and water of (7.2 + 1.4/−5.5) × 105 W m−2 K−1 is also obtained. We also show that graphene hot electron luminescence not only depends on Fermi energy, but also exhibit dramatic differences between flat and stacked regions. This indicates the morphology of a graphene structure may affect its optical and thermal properties.
Evaluation of an innovative plastic cube phantom designed to improve the efficiency of accelerator QA.

A new cubic phantom was designed to improve the efficiency on the QA measurement of accelerator. It has a variety of applications, such as dose constancy check, depth dose verifications, and symmetry and flatness evaluations. In particular, this new design makes it much easier to perform the check on output constancy vs. gantry angles as a cylindrical ion chamber positioned at the center of the phantom. The reproducibility of the setup using this phantom has been investigated. The charge effect of the phantom is found to be insignificant. It also reduces the monthly dosimetric QA time spent on a typical multimodality accelerator by approximately 40. 2000 American College of Medical Physics.
Flow cytometric determination of stem/progenitor content in epithelial tissues: an example from nonsmall lung cancer and normal lung

Single cell analysis and cell sorting has enabled the study of development, growth, differentiation, repair and maintenance of "liquid" tissues and their cancers. The application of these methods to solid tissues is equally promising, but several unique technical challenges must be addressed. This report illustrates the application of multidimensional flow cytometry to the identification of candidate stem/progenitor populations in non-small cell lung cancer and paired normal lung tissue. Seventeen paired tumor/normal lung samples were collected at the time of surgical excision and processed immediately. Tissues were mechanically and enzymatically dissociated into single cell suspension and stained with a panel of antibodies used for negative gating (CD45, CD14, CD33, glycophorin A), identification of epithelial cells (intracellular cytokeratin), and detection of stem/progenitor markers (CD44, CD90, CD117, CD133). DAPI was added to measure DNA content. Formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue samples were stained with key markers (cytokeratin, CD117, DAPI) for immunofluorescent tissue localization of populations detected by flow cytometry. Disaggregated tumor and lung preparations contained a high proportion of events that would interfere with analysis, were they not eliminated by logical gating. We demonstrate how inclusion of doublets, events with hypodiploid DNA, and cytokeratin+ events also staining for hematopoietic markers reduces the ability to quantify epithelial cells and their precursors. Using the lung cancer/normal lung data set, we present an approach to multidimensional data analysis that consists of artifact removal, identification of classes of cells to be studied further (classifiers) and the measurement of outcome variables on these cell classes. The results of bivariate analysis show a striking similarity between the expression of stem/progenitor markers on lung tumor and adjacent tumor-free lung.
Detection and monitoring of oil spills using hyperspectral imagery

Oil pollution is a very important aspect in the environmental field. Oil pollution is an important subject due to its capacity to adversely affect animals, aquatic life, vegetation and drinking water. The movement of open water oil spills can be affected by mind, waves and tides. Land based oil spills are often affected by rain and temperature. It is important to have an accurate management of the cleanup. Remote sensing and in particular hyper-spectral capabilities, are being use to identify oil spills and prevent worse problems. In addition to this capability, this technology can be used for federal and state compliance of petroleum related companies. There are several hyper-spectral sensors used in the identification of oil spills. One commonly use sensor is the Airborne Imaging Spectroradiometer for Applications (AISA). The main concern associated with the use of these sensors is the potential for false identification of oil spills. The use of AISA to identify an oil spill over the Patuxent River is an example of how this tool can assist with investigating an oil pipeline accident, and its potential to affect the surrounding environment. A scenario like this also serves as a good test of the accuracy with which spills may be identified using new airborne sensors.
Are grassland passerines especially susceptible to negative transmitter impacts

Assessing the impacts of manipulative research can be hard when few animals are affected in any one study. Collating information across studies, however, can identify vulnerable organisms and allow researchers to tailor research to reduce, and possibly eliminate, adverse effects. Relatively few studies have documented radiotransmitter impacts on passerine birds. We hypothesized that many studies do not publish problems, and that this lack of reporting hampers improvement of methods. We used an online survey to gather information from researchers about the species affected and the nature of any impacts. Sixty respondents provided information concerning � 63 passerine species. Negative transmitter impacts were reported for � 1 bird for 38% of species. Entanglement with vegetation or body parts and nonentanglement- related injuries affected 27% and 19% of species, respectively. Simultaneously, 29% and 33% of species were reported to have caused transmitter damage and lost transmitters, respectively. Only 2 respondents indicated that they had documented these problems in the peer-reviewed literature. The occurrence of negative transmitter effects was similar for adults and juveniles, for transmitters attached with glue or harnesses, and regardless of bird mass. Ground-foraging passerines were significantly more likely than other passerines to have experienced transmitter loss, entanglement, and nonentanglement injuries. Our study suggests a clustering of problems in grassland passerines. We make suggestions to identify and collate problems related to negative transmitter impacts in passerines to help reduce harmful effects on birds and wasted research effort. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of The Kidney With Inferior Vena Cava and Atrial Tumor Thrombus

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the kidney is a rare malignancy. We report a case of renal primitive neuroectodermal tumor with a level IV inferior vena caval thrombus that was managed successfully with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. CASE REPORT A 55-year-old woman presented with vague left lower quadrant discomfort. Physical examination and laboratory tests were unremarkable. Computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis revealed a 5.7 4.7 cm. heterogeneously enhancing right renal mass with thrombus noted in the right renal vein extending superiorly to the level of the right atrium (fig. 1). Transesophageal echocardiography confirmed a large right atrial thrombus. Chest CT showed a 2.5 cm. left lower lobe mass, which on biopsy demonstrated benign fibro-connective tissue. The patient underwent right radical nephrectomy and level IV inferior vena caval thrombectomy with cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Gross examination revealed a firm 5.2 cm. mass in the right kidney. Microscopically there were sheets and lobules of cells with round to oval nuclei and coarse chromatin, as well as Homer Wright rosette formation. Immunohistochemical analysis showed strongly positive staining for CD99 (fig. 2) and negative staining for other neuroendocrine markers such as synaptophysin and chromogranin. No molecular analysis was performed on the specimen. Presently the patient remains disease-free at limited followup 5 months postoperatively. Repeat CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis before starting chemotherapy was negative for metastatic disease, and the previously noted chest lesion was found to be unchanged in size. The patient has completed 2 cycles of ifosfamide, cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin, and has tolerated the chemotherapy well without significant side effects. DISCUSSION
Varus thrust and knee frontal plane dynamic motion in persons with knee osteoarthritis.

summary Objective: Varus thrust visualized during walking is associated with a greater medial knee load and an increased risk of medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Little is known about how varus thrust presence determined by visual observation relates to quantitative gait kinematic data. We hypothesized that varus thrust presence is associated with greater knee frontal plane dynamic movement during the stance phase of gait. Methods: Participants had knee OA in at least one knee. Trained examiners assessed participants for varus thrust presence during ambulation. Frontal plane knee motion during ambulation was captured using external passive reflective markers and an 8-camera motion analysis system. To examine the crosssectional relationship between varus thrust and frontal plane knee motion, we used multivariable regression models with the quantitative motion measures as dependent variables and varus thrust (present/absent) as predictor; models were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), gait speed, and knee static alignment. Results: 236 persons [mean BMI: 28.5 kg/m 2 (standard deviation (SD) 5.5), mean age: 64.9 years (SD
A primer on expanded newborn screening by tandem mass spectrometry

Newborn screening (NBS) for a wide variety of inborn errors of metabolism using the powerful tool of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is becoming widespread. This article provides the basic information that primary care clinicians need to help make rational decisions about urgent evaluation and appropriate follow-up of patients with abnormal expanded NBS tests. Also outlined are ways that the screening tests can be inaccurate. A normal MS/MS NBS result does not rule out the possibility of an inborn error of metabolism in an infant with acute illness, developmental abnormalities,or other clinically suggestive conditions. Primary care practitioners should identify the metabolic specialists in their area and develop a relationship with them to ensure clear communication when abnormal results arrive. Included in this article is a catalog of "thumbnail sketches" for reference by physicians when they receive an abnormal MS/MS NBS result.
Functional and comparative evaluation of flexible monopolar endoscopic scissors

The continued success of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic procedures requires reliable, accurate tissue dissection and suture cutting. This study aimed to evaluate a flexible endoscopic scissors prototype. An acute study of two domestic swine was conducted. Laparoscopic access provided an overview and allowed comparison of the flexible endoscopic scissors with laparoscopic shears. The endoscopic cautery-compatible scissors consists of cutting blades with a flexible wire catheter assembly (outer diameter, 3.1 mm) for use within a therapeutic endoscopic channel. A dual-channel colonoscope was advanced through a gastrotomy created for peritoneal access. With the aide of a grasping forceps, multiple peritoneal biopsies were obtained using the endoscopic scissors. Cautery (Monopolar 18–30 W) then was attached to the scissors, and gallbladder dissection proceeded. The device then was used to perform a small bowel enterotomy. A timed comparison of this function with laparoscopic enterotomy was made. Finally, 3–0 Polyglactin 910 suture was cut using the endoscopic scissors. Peritoneal biopsies 2 cm2 in size were obtained from multiple abdominal locations and endoscopic positions, including the retroflexed position. The scissors cut effectively and accurately. Cutting performance was enhanced with parallel countertraction provided by grasping forceps passed through the second endoscopic channel. The use of cautery with the scissors controlled small vessels (2–3 mm) and permitted partial dissection of the gallbladder from the hepatic bed. Small bowel enterotomy sufficiently large for stapler passage was created in 4 min and 54 s. Laparoscopically, this was completed in 1 min and 22 s. Suture was successfully cut at the first attempt in a controlled, reproducible fashion. Controlled tissue biopsy, dissection, enterotomy creation, and suture cutting can be performed with this endoscopic scissors. Endoscopic tissue dissection and enterotomy creation was completed effectively but less efficiently than with laparoscopy primarily due to parallel device use imposed by the dual-channel endoscope.
Organic Deposition During CO2 and Rich-Gas Flooding

Presentation of 17 stock-tank oil experimental data base on the effect of oil composition on CO 2 -induced organic decomposition. This paper also compares CO 2 to precipitating agents that are paraffinic and presents information on the topography of decomposition. The results offer insights on evaluating organic deposition during CO 2 and rich-gas flooding.
Motivation to improve work through learning in human resource development

Motivation in HRD has traditionally been conceptualized as motivation to learn or motivation to train. This paper argues that this concept of motivation is too limited because it does not incorpora...
Rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor-inspired transducer with all-optofluidic realization of self-digitization and pulse code modulation

We present a new mass-flow transducer generating pulse format outputs that are all-optofluidically encoded with information on the strength and origin of the stimulation. The transducer can also be configured to respond only transitional stimuli. These features closely mimic the rate coding, action potential labeling, and rapid adaptation of biological mechanoreceptors. Through transducer-level realization of these features, we could enable sharing of a single channel between multiple transducers and mitigate concerns on the channel noise. Experimentally, the pulse-to-pulse interval of the transducer's optical pulse train became 1.7 times shorter in response to a 2.2-fold increase in the mass-flow rate.
Systematic series of azacycl[3.3.3]azines of varying nitrogen content: Nitrogen-15 magnetic resonance spectra

Nitrogen-15 NMR spectra were obtained for a systematic series of azacycl[3.3.3]azines: 1,3,4,6,7,9-hexaaza-,1,3,4,6,7-pentaaza-,1,3,4,6-tetraaza-, 1,3,4,6,8-pentaaza-, and 1,3,6-triazacycl[3.3.3]azine. The magnetic resonance data were compared with other physical and spectroscopic properties available for the series relative to the diminishing number of peripheral nitrogens in alternating positions. The properties of 1,3,4,6,8-pentaazacycl[3.3.3]azine, which has a peripheral 1,4-diazine-type nitrogen, are distinct from those of the rest of the series.
The promotion of iron-induced generation of reactive oxygen species in nerve tissue by aluminum

Aluminum is suspected to play a role in several neurological disorders. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) lead to oxidative stress, which is thought to be a possible mechanism for neurological damage. Interactions between aluminum and iron, a known promoter of prooxidant events, were studied in cerebral tissues using a fluorescent probe to measure rates of generation of ROS. Al2(SO4)3 alone failed to stimulate ROS production over a wide range of concentrations (50–1000 μM). The aluminum-deferrioxamine chelate in the absence of iron could also not potentiate ROS formation. However, Al2(SO4)3 potentiated FeSO4-induced ROS, with a maximal effect at 10 μM Fe and 500 μM Al. Kaolin, a hydrated aluminum silicate, did not potentiate iron-induced ROS formation. Ferritin had a minor stimulatory effect on ROS generation, but this was not potentiated by the concurrent presence of Al2(SO4)3. Transferrin had no effect on basal rates of ROS generation, but when Al2(SO4)3 was also present, ROS production was enhanced. It is concluded that: 1. There is a potentiation of iron-induced ROS by aluminum salts; 2. Free or complexed aluminum alone is not a key producer of ROS; and 3. High rates of ROS production are unlikely to be owing to the displacement by aluminum iron from its biologically sequestered locations.
A Future for “Agricultural Economics”?

I shall preface my remarks with a relevant and deserved tribute to the late Professor Wilson Gee of the University of Virginia. Gee was a prophet without honor in his own university, and it is fitting that I pay him tribute here among some men who may have known him. Gee came to Virginia early in the 1920's and, after a dispute with other economists, he split off and established his own department which he called "Rural Social Economics." Almost single-handedly he developed a Ph.D. program which awarded some 20 degrees over a thirty-year span, some of whose recipients remain leading educators and public officials today. Apart from all this and complementary to it, Gee secured external funds, established an institute, published twenty-seven books through its auspices, and forced the state legislature in Virginia to include an annual appropriation for social science research. The latter remains a mighty achievement today; you can imagine the odds against Gee in the 1930's. My reference here to Wilson Gee is not opportunistic or passing. I shall argue that one future for "agricultural economics," as a scholarly subdiscipline worthy of continuing public and private support, and especially in land-grant universities, is provided in the approach that the title of Gee's now-defunct department suggests, "Rural Social Economics." Before getting into my central argument, however, let me clear the air by stating briefly my own views about disciplinary and subdisciplinary classifications. I have never considered these to be of much import, and one of my personal criteria for evaluating an administrative unit is its willingness to discard and forget about "fields" and "areas." I have never been impressed by the departmental chairman or recruiting officer who says that we must fill a vacancy in "labor," in "trade," etc. The various subdisciplines in economics seem to me more or less arbitrary, in any case, and dependent more on accidents in academic history than on anything else. Good economic theory can be taught, and students can be trained to apply it, under a host of rubrics, including many not yet dreamt of in our educational philosophies. Hence, I do not mind very much when new courses are proposed in areas that attract current topical interest, provided only that the economics is rigorous and that the instructor is competently and professionally trained, in attitude as well as in technique. I see no cause for alarm when proposals are made for courses and specializations in such things as "economics of poverty," "ghetto economics," or
“Population Politics” at the End of Empire: Migration and Sovereignty in Ottoman Eastern Rumelia, 1877–1886

This article explores the migrations of Turkish Muslims after the 1878 Peace Treaty of Berlin, which severed much of the Balkans from the Ottoman Empire as fully independent nation-states or as nominally dependent polities in the borderlands of the empire. I focus on one such polity—the administratively autonomous Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia—which, in wrestling to reconcile liberal principles of equality and political representation understood in ethno-religious terms, prompted emigration of Turkish Muslims while enabling Bulgarian Christian hegemony. Scholars have studied Muslim emigration from the Balkans as the Ottoman Empire gradually lost hold of the region, emphasizing deleterious effects of nationalism and aggressive state-building in the region. Here I look at migration at empire's end, and more specifically at the management of migration as constitutive of sovereignty. The Ottoman government asserted its suzerainty by claiming to protect the rights of Eastern Rumelia's Muslims. The Bulgarian dominated administration of Eastern Rumelia claimed not only administrative but also political autonomy by trying to contain the grievances of Turkish Muslims as a domestic issue abused by ill-meaning outsiders, all the while insisting that the province protected the rights of all subjects. Ultimately, a “corporatist” model of subjecthood obtained in Eastern Rumelia, which fused the traditional religious categorization of Ottoman subjects with an ethnic one under the umbrella of representative government. The tension between group belonging and individual politicization that began unfolding in Eastern Rumelia became a major dilemma of the post-Ottoman world and other post-imperial societies after World War I.
Effects of stress across generations: why sex matters.

n this issue of Biological Psychiatry, Saavedra-Rodriguez and Feig (1) demonstrated that the experience of social stress during a period spanning from adolescence to adulthood induces long- term increases in anxiety-like behavior and social deficits in mice. However, the consequences of stress are revealed to extend far beyond this initial effect. Using a breeding design in which stress- exposed males and females are mated with stressed or nonexposed mice (Figure 1), with no subsequent stress exposure, the effects of stress across generations are explored. Offspring (F1), grandoffspring (F2), and great-grandoffspring (F3) were observed to inherit the effects of parental (F0) stress, with females but not males exhibiting anxiety-like behavior and social deficits. Although males do not inherit the behavioral characteristics associated with stress exposure, the breeding design suggested that it is through males (and not females) that these effects can be transmitted to the F3 generation. Both mothers and fathers are capable of the transmission of the effects of social stress to their daughters; however, beyond this F1 generation, it is through stress-exposed fathers that both anxiety and social deficits can be observed in subsequent generations. This study highlights the complex pathways through which males and females may potentially influence the development of future generations and may contribute to a growing literature on the transgenerational consequences of adversity (2). The notion that the experiences of one generation can have an impact on the development of subsequent generations, lead- ing to vulnerability to psychopathology, has added a new level of complexity to the study of the origins of disease. The question raised by the persistence of environmentally induced effects across generations is regarding mechanism: What biologic and behavioral pathways can lead to the transgenerational continuity of phenotype? It is likely that there is no simple answer to this question, which will require a more in-depth understanding of the interaction between males and females during mating; the prenatal and postnatal interplay between mothers, fathers, and offspring; the molecular events characteristic of the maturation of gametes; and the potential heritability of biological information. Saavedra-Rodriguez and Feig (1) tackled the question of mechan- ism using a number of approaches. First, they demonstrated that postnatal cross-fostering of F1 offspring between stressed and control parents did not diminish the transmission of the effects of parental stress to offspring. Stress experienced at various times within the life span can result in decreased mother-infant interactions during the postnatal period. Thus, a possible route through which the effects of social stress become perpetuated across generations is through altered maternal care (3). However, it would appear that this behavioral mechanism of transmission does not account for the transgenerational impact of social instability in the current paradigm.
O VI Recombination Lines in Ultraviolet and Visible Spectra of RR Telescopii

Nineteen recombination lines of O VI are identified in ultraviolet and visible spectra of the symbiotic nova RR Telescopii at wavelengths between 1122 and 6203 A. Only three of the lines have previously been reported from astronomical spectra, and eight lines have never been reported from either astronomical or laboratory spectra. The lines represent transitions between levels with principal quantum numbers up to 13, and the strongest lines by flux occur at 1124.82, 2070.90, and 3434.66 A, corresponding to transitions 4-5, 5-6, and 6-7. As the lines are produced by recombination onto O VII, they potentially allow O VII emitting regions in astrophysical plasmas to be probed at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths that otherwise can only be studied at X-ray wavelengths.
Mesocortical dopaminergic neurons. 1. Electrophysiological properties and evidence for soma-dendritic autoreceptors.

Abstract Mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons were electrophysiologically identified by a variety of criteria, including antidromic activation from prefrontal or cingulate cortex, neostriatum, or nucleus accumbens in urethane-anesthetized rats. The mean firing rate of 98 mesocortical dopaminergic neurons was 2.9 ± 0.3 spikes/sec and did not differ from the mean firing rate found for nigrostriatal or nucleus accumbens dopaminergic neurons. Spontaneously active mesocortical dopaminergic neurons were inhibited by intravenous administration of either apomorphine (6 μg/kg) or amphetamine (0.25 mg/kg). Whereas most antidromic responses of nigrostriatal and mesoaccumbens neurons consisted of the initial segment spike only, cortically-elicited antidromic responses typically consisted of a full initial segment-soma-dendritic spike. These findings are discussed with regard to the presence of soma-dendritic autoreceptors on mesocortical dopaminergic neurons.
Superfluid Drops: Dynamics of Pinch-Off and Sliding Motion

We present high resolution and high speed (5 μs) photographs of 4 He drops undergoing pinch-off and sliding down a cesiated inclined plane. When a fluid drop is stretched and pulled apart by gravity, a balance of surface tension and inertia results in a striking icicle-shaped column of fluid which connects the two separating parts. The narrowest point of the icicle is an example of a finite-time singularity in the equations of motion. The tip radius of the icicle L obeys a power law L ∼ τ 2/3 , where τ is the time before the moment of pinch-off. We have verified this for both superfluid and normal drops. Because of the boundary condition requiring zero velocity at a solid wall, sliding and rolling motion of drops on a substrate is a subtle issue even for conventional fluids. For example, calculations of the dissipation yields nonphysical infinities. We have analyzed video images of sliding superfluid drop motion and measured the acceleration of 4 He droplets on a Cesium substrate.
Redrawing the imagined map of Europe: the rise and fall of the “center”

Abstract This article explores the assumptions and practices, especially the role of naming, involved in the geopolitical rhetoric promoting a spatial reordering of the European continent using the idea of Central Europe and its German counterpart, Mitteleuropa, during the 1980s and 1990s. Central to this discussion is the role of ideas, such as East and West or the ‘return to Europe,’ in forming an imagined geopolitical map of Europe’s regions. During this period of transition and realignment, the geopolitics of naming played an important role in discussions surrounding military strategies, national identity, political economy, and diplomacy in Europe. Although often framed as a means to overcome Europe’s East–West dichotomy, the idea of a central space in Europe has served primarily to facilitate movement from one region and identity, the East, to another, the West, by challenging the established imagined regional geography of Cold War Europe. In this respect, the idea of Central Europe has proven to be a powerful rhetorical devise in ultimately helping Poles, Czechs, and Hungarians redefine themselves as Western, and ultimately European, and therefore the leading candidates for membership in Western institutions.
COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL ABILITIES OF CHILDREN WITH HIV INFECTION IN GREECE

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to evaluate cognitive and behavioral abilities of HIV-positive children in Greece. METHODS: The cognitive and behavioral abilities of 20 HIV-positive children (B and C status; 8 boys and 12 girls; aged 3–18 years [mean: 11.5 years]) who were vertically infected and were receiving antiretroviral treatment were assessed twice within a 7-year period. Clinical indices (CD4 lymphocyte and viral load counts) were monitored systematically. A detailed developmental assessment was performed for all children twice within a 7-year period. Cognitive abilities were assessed by using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III and Griffiths Mental Abilities Scales. Behavioral abilities were assessed by using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, which provides individual scores for anxiety, emotional tension, conduct, hyperactivity, and social relations with peers and provides an overall index of behavioral difficulties (IBD). Detailed neurologic examination and brain imaging were performed for all children. RESULTS: HIV encephalopathy was evident in 3 children, and 5 of 20 children presented with coexisting diseases (2 neurofibromatosis encephalopathy, 1 brain aneurysm, and 2 autistic disorders). HIV-positive children with normal MRI findings and without signs of HIV encephalopathy scored within the normal range for their chronological age in all measures of general and specific domain cognitive abilities. Low IQ scores showed in 15 of 20 HIV-positive children in both assessments. Factors that were associated consistently with lower scores were positive MRI results, coexistence of an organic disease, maternal education, and gender. The IBD was raised in 7 children. In detail, 9 children had raised IBD scores in emotional tension, 6 seemed to have conduct disorders, 5 had hyperactivity, and 11 presented as having difficulties in social relations with their peers. Factors that were associated significantly and consistently with abnormal IBD scores were lower IQ, positive MRI findings, and coexistence of an organic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Although the sample was small, the findings of our study support the idea that HIV infection places children at increased risk for poor cognitive and behavioral outcomes only if they experience a severe illness of advancing disease stage or a coexisting disease.
Small Molecules and Big Killers: The Challenge of Eliminating the Latent HIV Reservoir

In this issue of Immunity, Shan et al. (2012) explore the elimination of cells latently infected with HIV and the potential implications for strategies to eradicate the virus from infected patients.
In vivo self-association of the Drosophila rel-protein dorsal

Abstract The Drosophila morphogen dorsal, KBF1, NF-kappa B, and the proto-oncogene c-rel belong to the rel family of transcription factors whose function is regulated post-translationally by selective nuclear import. In the early Drosophila embryo, dorsal protein is proposed to be retained in the cytoplasm through its interaction with cactus protein. The maternal dorsal group genes constitute a signal transduction pathway, which results in targeting cytoplasmic dorsal protein into the nuclei of the syncytial blastoderm embryo, in a ventral-to-dorsal gradient. The asymmetric transcriptional regulation of zygotic genes along the dorsoventral axis by the dorsal morphogen gradient establishes embryonic dorsoventral polarity. In the lymphocytes, the functional equivalent of cactus is I kappa B, which appears to retain NF-kappa B in the cytoplasm. This retention is relieved by extracellular signals in tissue culture. NF-kappa B and rel proteins each are known to function as oligomeric complexes. Here we present genetic and biochemical evidence for the existence and functional importance of an oligomeric dorsal complex in vivo.
Thermoregulatory Behavior of the North American Lizards Cnemidophorus velox and Sceloporus undulatus

The patterns of thermoregulation of Cnemidophorus velox and Sceloporus undulatus were compared and related to their foraging modes. In nature, C. velox are widely foraging lizards and most individuals actively shuttled in the temperature enclosures to regulate T b . Sceloporus undulatus are wait-and-ambush predators and were relatively inactive in the enclosures. The terms active and inactive thermoregulation were used to describe these categories of behavior. There were no intraspecific differences between active/ inactive individuals, either in choice of T b or precision of regulation of T b . Cnemidofihorus velox (T b = 37.2 C) was more thermophilic than S. ursdulatus (T b = 35.9 C), however, the other thermoregulatory attributes of the species were similar. Both species regulated T b with equal precision and the between individual variability in T b was essentially the same for the two species. The wave characteristics of the thermoregulation curves were similar in amplitude (a measure of precision), however, there were interspecific differences in period of the curve. Cnemidophorus velox shuttled more frequently in order to achieve the same precision as S. undulatus. Thermoregulation in two different temperature enclosures was compared, one a sun/shade enclosure, and the other an IR thermal gradient. Both species thermoregulated similarly in the two enclosures. Thus both species used the complex thermal environments with equal facility and no gradient specific characteristics were observed.
Lipolysis and gluconeogenesis from glycerol during weight reduction with very-low-calorie diets

The aim of this study was to determine if the rates of lipolysis and the conversion of glycerol into glucose are higher during weight reduction with a ketogenic than a nonketogenic very-low-calorie diet (VLCD). Sixteen obese women were randomly assigned to consume either a ketogenic or nonketogenic 615-kcal/d diet for 28 days while confined to a metabolic ward. Glycerol and glucose rates of appearance (Ras) and the conversion of glycerol into glucose were measured before and after 14 and 28 days of treatment with a simultaneous, primed, constant infusion of U-[14C]-glycerol and 6-[3H]-glucose. Resting energy expenditure (REE) and rates of substrate oxidation were measured by indirect calorimetry. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA. There were no diet or time effects on the plasma glycerol concentration or glycerol Ra. There was a modest but significant time effect on the glucose Ra and on the conversion of glycerol into glucose when expressed as a percentage of the glycerol or glucose Ra. However, even after 28 days of treatment, the conversion of glycerol into glucose accounted for only 16% and 58% of glucose and glycerol Ras, respectively. At day 28, plasma glucose and alanine concentrations were lower and the rate of protein oxidation was higher in the ketogenic than in the nonketogenic VLCD group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Transcription termination within the Escherichia coli origin of DNA replication, oriC.

Initiation of DNA replication from the Escherichia coli origin, oriC, is dependent on an RNA polymerase-mediated transcription event. The function of this RNA synthetic event in initiation, however, remains obscure. Since control of the synthesis of this RNA could serve a key role in the overall initiation process, transcription regulatory sites within and near oriC were identified using the galK fusion vector system. Our results confirm the existence of a transcription termination signal within oriC, first identified by Hansen et al. (1981), for the 16 kd transcript that is transcribed counterclockwise towards oriC. Termination is shown to be 92% efficient. A similar approach led to the detection of transcription termination within the chromosomal replication origin of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Approximately 50% of the E. coli 16 kd transcripts appear to terminate before reaching oriC between the XhoI (+416 bp) and the HindIII (+243 bp) sites. The predominant 3′ ends of RNA that enter oriC, as determined by SI nuclease mapping, were located at positions +20±2, +23±2, +37, +39, +52, +66, +92, and +107. These termination sites, which map close to RNA·DNA junctions identified by Kohara et al. (1985), appear as triplets and quadruplets. The E. coli oriC Pori-L promoter described in in vitro transcription studies by Lother and Messer (1981) was not detected in this study in either wildtype cells or isogenic dnaA mutants at the nonpermissive temperature. A new promoter activity, Pori-R1, was identified within the E. coli origin in the clockwise direction.
Screening Constants and Transition Energies

Atomic screening constants usually are derived by minimizing ground‐state energies or by comparing known system energies with those calculated with simple wavefunctions containing screening constants. One set was derived, however, by matching moments of simple wavefunctions containing screening constants to moments of Hartree–Fock wavefunctions. These screening constants represent the individual interactions of a given electron with each of the other electrons of the system. They are, therefore, particularly useful for calculating bound–bound and bound–free transition energies in ions. Neutral atom electron binding energies calculated using these screening constants disagreed with published best values. We adjusted the screening constants empirically to reproduce closely these best values of binding energies. Using the adjusted screening constants, we calculated K‐ and L‐shell transition energies in neutral atoms and ions and obtained good agreement with accepted values.
Bubbling Reactor Technology for Rapid Synthesis of Uniform, Small MFI-Type Zeolite Crystals

MFI-type zeolite is an important family of materials used in today’s industries as catalysts and adsorbents. Preparation of this type of zeolite material as uniform and pure crystals of sizes from tens of nanometer to hundreds of nanometer are not only desired by current catalytic and adsorption processes for enhanced reaction kinetics and/or selectivity, but also much needed by some new applications, such as CO2 capture adsorbents and composite materials. However, it has been a major challenge in the zeolite synthesis field to prepare small crystals of MFI-type zeolite over a range of Si/Al ratio with very high throughput. In this work, a gas-bubbling flow reactor is used to conduct hydrothermal growth of the zeolite crystals with controllable Si/Al ratio and crystal sizes. Distinctive, uniform ZSM-5 crystals are successfully synthesized within two hours of reaction time, exceptionally short compared to the conventional synthesis process. The crystals are small enough to form a stable milk-like suspension in water. The Si/Al ratio can be controlled by adjusting the growth solution composition and reaction conditions over a range from about 9 to infinity. Characterization by SEM/EDS, XRD, TEM, N2 adsorption/desorption, and NMR confirms ZSM-5 crystal structures and reveals presence of meso-porosity in themore » resulting crystals.« less
Gravity signatures of terrane accretion

Abstract In modern collisional environments, accreted terranes are bracketed by forearc gravity lows, a gravitational feature which results from the abandonment of the original trench and the initiation of a new trench seaward of the accreted terrane. The size and shape of the gravity low depends on the type of accreted feature and the strength of the formerly subducting plate. Along the Central American trench, the accretion of Gorgona Island caused a seaward trench jump of 48 to 66 km. The relict trench axes show up as gravity lows behind the trench with minimum values of −78 mgal (N of Gorgona) and −49 mgal (S of Gorgona) respectively. These forearc gravity lows have little or no topographic expression. The active trench immediately seaward of these forearc gravity lows has minimum gravity values of −59 mgal (N of Gorgona) and −58 mgal (S of Gorgona), respectively. In the north, the active trench has a less pronounced gravity low than the sediment covered forearc. In the Mariana arc, two Cretaceous seamounts have been accreted to the Eocene arc. The northern seamount is most likely a large block, the southern seamount may be a thrust slice. These more recent accretion events have produced modest forearc topographic and gravity lows in comparison with the topographic and gravity lows within the active trench. However, the minimum values of the Mariana forearc gravity lows are modest only by comparison to the Mariana Trench (−216 mgal); their absolute values are more negative than at Gorgona Island (−145 to −146 mgal). We speculate that the forearc gravity lows and seaward trench jumps near Gorgona Island were produced by the accretion of a hotspot island from a strong plate. The Mariana gravity lows and seaward trench jumps (or thrust slices) were the result of breaking a relatively weak plate close to the seamount edifice. These gravity lows resulting from accretion events should be preserved in older accreted terranes.
Hiroshima, Mon Amour: From iconography to rhetoric

This essay is an iconographic study of Alain Resnais’ classic film, Hiroshima, Mon Amour. The author argues that the meaning of the film can best be discerned by understanding the language and logic of cinematic form as that form becomes manifest through the introduction and development of specific iconic motifs. It is further argued that any construction of an overall meaning or interpretation must necessarily go beyond the confines of iconography proper to include consideration of the entire compositional process; that is, interpretation requires that one move from iconography to rhetoric.