cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetic ordering in Tb2 (SO4)3·8H2O at 150 mK☆

Abstract The magnetic susceptibilities of monoclinic Tb2(SO4)3·8H2O have been measured between 0.04 and 5K and its zero-field heat capacity determined from 0.09 to 0.7K. The onset of ferromagnetic order among induced moments at T c ⋍0.15 K is inferred from the divergence of χc and the occurrence of a very sharp anomaly in CH. The phase transition in this strongly coupled electron-nucleus system may be of first order.
The expression of HLA-DO (H2-O) in B lymphocytes.

HLA-DO (H2-O in mice) is a nonpolymorphic transmembrane αβ heterodimer encoded in the class II region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). It is expressed selectively in B lymphocytes and thymic medullary epithelial cells. DO forms a stable complex with the peptide-loading catalyst HLA-DM in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); in the absence of DM, DO is unstable. During intracellular transport and distribution in the endosomal compartments, the ratio of DO to DM changes. In primary B cells, only approx 50% of DM molecules are associated with DO. DO appears to regulate the peptide-loading function of DM in the MHC class II antigen-presentation pathway. Although certain di screpancies are present, results from most studies indicate that DO (as well as H2-O) inhibits DM (H2-M) function; this inhibition is pH-dependent. As a consequence, DO restrains presentation of exogenous antigens delivered through nonreceptor-mediated mechanisms, in addition, DO alters the peptide repertoire that is associated with cell-surface class II molecules. The biological function of DO remains obscure, partially because of the lack of striking phenotypes in the H2-O knockout mice. Results from recent studies indicate that DO expression in B cells is dynamic, and highly regulated during B-cell development and B-cell activation, suggesting that the physiological role of DO is to tailor the antigen presentation function of the B-line age cells to meet their primary function at each stage of B-cell development and maturation. Further investigations are needed in this direction.
Interferences in sampling atmospheric particulate nitrate

Abstract The vast majority of atmospheric data on particulate nitrate concentrations is based on filter collections employing glass fiber filters. Recent laboratory studies indicate that these data may be in error due to collection of gaseous nitrates and nitrate precursors on the filters. This communication documents the severity of the interference under ambient sampling conditions. Two types of glass fiber filters in widespread use were found to collect 10–20 times as much artifact nitrate as actual particulate nitrate.
Magnetic source images of human brain functions

The advent of large arrays of superconducting magnetic field sensors makes it possible to properly sample the topography of the magnetic field pattern across the human scalp with a temporal resolution of a few milliseconds. These capabilities can be exploited for computing a best estimate of the spatiotemporal evolution of electrical currents within coherently active neural populations distributed across the cerebral cortex. Data from 200 sensors can be interpreted by the method of singular value decomposition to compute a best estimate for the strengths of more than 9,000 current elements that define the magnetic source image moment by moment. Recently, an extension of this technique has been developed to characterize the cortical sources of alpha rhythm. This holds promise for providing a means of identifying the cortical regions that participate in cognitive functions such as mental imagery.
Theory Succession, the CAPM, and the APT

Philosophers and historians of science, along with scientists themselves, have long been interested in the problem of theory succession: “How does one theory supersede another?” Concern with this general topic has led to the development of two major recent theories regarding the issue. These theories of theory succession have emerged principally from reflection on physics. In the eyes of most scientists, this is probably appropriate, since physics seems to offer (at least to most observers) science in its purest form.
Phenolic mediated anti-inflammatory properties of a maple syrup extract in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages

Abstract The in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of a phenolic-enriched Canadian maple syrup ethyl acetate extract (MS-EtOAc) and 15 purified phenolic constituents were evaluated in a LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell model. MS-EtOAc decreased nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) production at 10–100 μg/mL concentrations. The observed NO inhibition was a direct result of reduced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein and gene expression through suppression of NF-κB transcriptional activation. In addition, MS-EtOAc upregulated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA and protein expression. Among the 15 pure isolates, (E)-3,3′-dimethoxy-4,4′-dihydroxystilbene was most effective in decreasing both NO and PGE2 levels. However, 4-acetylcatechol, tyrosol, and protocatechuic acid only reduced PGE2 levels. Thus, the potential anti-inflammatory activity of MS-EtOAc can be attributed to its unique combination of compounds and not as a result of a single purified phenolic constituent alone. Future research on the purified phenolic compounds will be useful in understanding the overall in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of maple syrup.
Evolution of the GaN x P 1 − x alloy band structure: A ballistic electron emission spectroscopic investigation

The evolution of the band structure of the ${\mathrm{GaN}}_{x}{\mathrm{P}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$ alloy, under dilute nitrogen concentrations $(x=0,$ 0.0028, 0.0086, 0.0210, and 0.0310), is investigated using ballistic electron emission spectroscopy (BEES). The observation of fine structure in the BEES spectra of GaNP samples is discussed in terms of a possible splitting in the degeneracy of the X valley due to the nitrogen induced intense perturbation in the GaP lattice. For an incorporation of 3% of N, the reduction in the band gap is approximately measured to be 300 meV. The data are qualitatively described by the recent perturbed host states model of Kent and Zunger.
Software radio performance improvement through combined RF and digital design

In this presentation, we describe the overall philosophy and implementation of combined digital/RF design. The authors present three examples of designs that have been implemented in this fashion. A fourth design is proposed that combines components from each of the first three. The three design aspects that are explored are the computational preconditioning of baseband components, the incorporation of feedback to the digital system of the RF performance in real-time, and the digital switching of RF elements to adapt operating limits.
Time of day affects episodic memory in older adults.

The neuropsychological test scores of 2,030 cognitively normal older adults were examined to evaluate performance patterns as they related to time of day (TOD) at which testing was initiated. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the association of TOD with scores on seven neuropsychological tests used in the clinical evaluation of dementia. Episodic memory performance was significantly related to TOD, while memory span and verbal fluency were not. Best performance occurred during early morning hours and late afternoon; worst performance occurred mid-day (i.e., noon). These findings may have implications for clinical assessment, the design of research on dementia, and the daily functioning of older adults.
Directed expression of NGF to pancreatic β cells in transgenic mice leads to selective hyperinnervation of the islets

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is implicated in the differentiation of neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. As a new approach to its role in neuronal development, we have used transgenic mice to selectively overexpress NGF in an innervated peripheral tissue, the islets of the pancreas. In two lines of mice, directed expression of NGF in the beta cells elicits a dramatic increase in the innervation of the islets, but not the surrounding exocrine tissue, by one class of sympathetic neurons. In contrast, the innervation by sensory and parasympathetic neurons appears unchanged. The results indicate that expression of NGF by a target tissue during neuronal development selectively influences the characteristics of its innervation.
Purification and characterisation of a prominent polygalacturonase isozyme produced by Phomopsis cucurbitae in decayed muskmelon fruit

Phomopsis cucurbitae is a latent infection fungus which causes muskmelon fruit decay only after harvest. It can cause severe losses during fruit storage and marketing in the U.S.A., Japan and some Central American countries. Previous studies showed that P. cucurbitae produced polygalacturonase (PG) in both culture and muskmelon fruit tissue. In this study, a prominent PG isozyme (PG1) produced by P. cucurbitae in decayed fruit was purified to homogeneity by a procedure of extraction, ultrafiltration, preparative isoelectric focusing, anion exchange, and gel filtration chromatography. The isozyme had a primary endo-activity, a relative molecular weight of 54 kD according to SDS-PAGE, and a pl of 4.2 based on IEF-PAGE. The isozyme was active in a low pH range from 2 to 6, and was optimum at pH 5. Optimum temperature for the activity of PG1 was 40—45 °C. The K m and V max on polygalacturonic acid were 44.7 μg ml −1 and 0.14 μg −1 enzyme, respectively. The purified PG1 effectively macerated mature fruit tissue, suggesting that the isozyme may be involved in the pathogenesis of Phomopsis fruit rot of muskmelon.
Relationship Between Duration of Untreated Psychosis and Outcome in First-Episode Schizophrenia: A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE: The duration of untreated psychosis may influence response to treatment, reflecting a potentially malleable progressive pathological process. The authors reviewed the literature on the association of duration of untreated psychosis with symptom severity at first treatment contact and with treatment outcomes and conducted a meta-analysis examining these relationships. METHOD: English-language articles on duration of untreated psychosis published in peer-reviewed journals through July 2004 were reviewed. Studies that quantitatively assessed the duration of untreated psychosis; identified study subjects who met the criteria for nonaffective psychotic disorders at or close to first treatment; employed cross-sectional analyses of duration of untreated psychosis and of baseline symptoms, neurocognition, brain morphology, or functional measures or prospectively analyzed symptom change, response, or relapse; assessed psychopathology with clinician-rated instruments; and reported subjects’ diagnoses (a ...
Effects of fish chemical cues on vertical migration behavior of Chaoborus

I quantified the diel vertical distributions of Chaoborus (phantom midge) larvae in water that had been conditioned by fish or not exposed to fish, using flow-through laboratory columns and reciprocal transfers of larvae between a pond with fish and another without fish. The larvae that received fish-conditioned water underwent a significantly greater intensity of migration than did those that received fish-free water. Results support the hypothesis that Chaoborus larvae alter their vertical migration behavior in response to the presence of planktivorous fish, in particular, to associated chemical cues. Their behavioral flexibility in migrating permits response to a patchy environment that is variable both seasonally and between habitats.
Effect of parity on productivity and sustainability of Lotka–Volterra food chains

Hairston, Slobodkin, and Smith conjectured that top down forces act on food chains, which opposed the previously accepted theory that bottom up forces exclusively dictate the dynamics of populations. We model food chains using the Lotka–Volterra predation model and derive sustainability constants which determine which species will persist or go extinct. Further, we show that the productivity of a sustainable food chain with even trophic levels is predator regulated, or top down, while a sustainable food chain with odd trophic levels is resource limited, which is bottom up, which is consistent with current ecological theory.
Metric invariance in object recognition: a review and further evidence.

Phenomenologically, human shape recognition appears to be invariant with changes of orientation in depth (up to parts occlusion), position in the visual field, and size. Recent versions of template theories (e.g., Ullman, 1989; Lowe, 1987) assume that these invariances are achieved through the application of transformations such as rotation, translation, and scaling of the image so that it can be matched metrically to a stored template. Presumably, such transformations would require time for their execution. We describe recent priming experiments in which the effects of a prior brief presentation of an image on its subsequent recognition are assessed. The results of these experiments indicate that the invariance is complete: The magnitude of visual priming (as distinct from name or basic level concept priming) is not affected by a change in position, size, orienta- tion in depth, or the particular lines and vertices present in the image, as long as representations of the same components can be activated. An implemented seven layer neural network model (Hummel & Bicderman, 1992) that captures these fundamental properties of human object recognition is described. Given a line drawing of an object, the model activates a viewpoint-inva riant structural descrip- tion of the object, specifying its parts and their interrelations. Visual priming is interpreted as a change in the connection weights for the activation of: a) cells, termed geon feature assemblies (GFAs), that conjoin the output of units that represent invariant, independent properties of a single geon and its relations (such as its type, aspect ratio, relations to other geons), or b) a change in the connection weights by which several GFAs activate a cell representing an object.
Direct Costimulation of Tumor-reactive CTL by Helper T Cells Potentiate Their Proliferation, Survival, and Effector Function

The survival and proliferation of CTL during the effector phase of the immune response is critical for the elimination of infectious agents and tumor cells. We report here that in an in vitro model system, the expansion and cytolytic function of tumor-reactive human CTL can be enhanced by CD4(+) helper T lymphocytes through costimulatory signals that are mediated by cell surface molecules. The results presented here suggest that costimulatory receptors on CTL such as CD27, CD134 (4-1BB), and MHC class II are capable of directly interacting with the corresponding ligands on T-helper lymphocytes resulting in enhanced proliferation and survival of the CTL during the effector phase of antitumor immune responses. These findings underline the importance of antigen-specific helper T lymphocytes for the regulation and maintenance of CTL immunity, and have implications for the design of therapeutic vaccines for cancer.
A new convergent recursive identification algorithm

Presented in this paper is a least-squares based recursive algorithm for system parameter identification free of the usual positive-real conditions required by many similar recursive algorithms. The algorithm is globally asymptotic convergent and robust. Simulation studies have also demonstrated that the new algorithm has a faster converging rate than similar algorithms. Comparison results with the RELS and Landau's algorithms are presented.
Moonflower Intoxication in Kansas

Psychiatric emergencies are a common and serious problem,1 and the primary goals of intervention are rapid evaluation, containment, and referral. Clinicians are usually called on to assess and mana...
Designing a national currency: antebellum payment networks and the structure of the national banking system

As reflected in the April 2006 issue of the Financial History Review, monetary historians remain divided over the central features of the US monetary union and their contribution to US economic development. In that issue – which focused on the monetary union formed by the Constitution and early federal monetary legislation – Ronald Michener and Robert E. Wright focused on the creation of a uniform unit of account defined in terms of specie. The establishment of a uniform unit of account ‘simplified domestic and international transactions’ compared with the colonial period when ‘[e]conomic calculations across regions were complicated by the fact that people had to reckon with different units of account, without the aid of electronic calculators’. By contrast, Richard Sylla emphasised the role the Bank of the United States played in reducing the costs and risks of clearing and settling interregional payments. An institution, like the Bank, that operated on a national scale was particularly important in the United States because of the limited geographical scope of state bank operations. The Bank's notes and deposits became a truly national monetary standard, and the Bank helped to maintain the value of state bank notes, the principal means of cash payment in the antebellum economy, by enforcing par redemption.
Repurposing Turing's "Human Brake"

1945, Alan Turing theorized one of the major stumbling blocks to computing technology's potential, coining the term "the human brake." The human brake slowed computing processes by delegating actions to human operators that should ideally reside within the capabilities of a machine and its programming. Turing went on to outline a stored program computer that aimed to revolutionize the current state of the art. Holding programmatic instructions for data manipulation within the machine would vastly increase the rate of speed at which input and output could be run through the central processor. Eliminating "all that is done by the normal human operator" and transferring these functions to the machine, not only increased speed but also would, it was hoped, reduce the level of error.1 In the strictest sense, Turing's human brake as then articulated is barely recognizable today as an impediment to computing speed and efficacy. But in a broader sense, the human brake has never left the field of electronic computing. It has become transformed over the course of its historical trajectory, becoming increasingly abstract rather than being outright eliminated. This essay aims to provide a brief historical discussion of incarnations of the human brake throughout the 20th century. My hope is that by slightly stretching and reorienting the concept functionally, while trying to remain true to its theoretical roots, we can create a useful tool for rethinking aspects computing's future as well as its past, as Turing did in 1945.
Depletion of Bmp2, Bmp4, Bmp7 and Spemann organizer signals induces massive brain formation in Xenopus embryos

To address the patterning function of the Bmp2, Bmp4 and Bmp7 growth factors, we designed antisense morpholino oligomers (MO) that block their activity in Xenopus laevis. Bmp4 knockdown was sufficient to rescue the ventralizing effects caused by loss of Chordin activity. Double Bmp4 and Bmp7 knockdown inhibited tail development. Triple Bmp2/Bmp4/Bmp7 depletion further compromised trunk development but did not eliminate dorsoventral patterning. Unexpectedly, we found that blocking Spemann organizer formation by UV treatment or beta-Catenin depletion caused BMP inhibition to have much more potent effects, abolishing all ventral development and resulting in embryos having radial central nervous system (CNS) structures. Surprisingly, dorsal signaling molecules such as Chordin, Noggin, Xnr6 and Cerberus were not re-expressed in these embryos. We conclude that BMP inhibition is sufficient for neural induction in vivo, and that in the absence of ventral BMPs, Spemann organizer signals are not required for brain formation.
Efficient High-Resolution Stereo Matching Using Local Plane Sweeps

We present a stereo algorithm designed for speed and efficiency that uses local slanted plane sweeps to propose disparity hypotheses for a semi-global matching algorithm. Our local plane hypotheses are derived from initial sparse feature correspondences followed by an iterative clustering step. Local plane sweeps are then performed around each slanted plane to produce out-of-plane parallax and matching-cost estimates. A final global optimization stage, implemented using semi-global matching, assigns each pixel to one of the local plane hypotheses. By only exploring a small fraction of the whole disparity space volume, our technique achieves significant speedups over previous algorithms and achieves state-of-the-art accuracy on high-resolution stereo pairs of up to 19 megapixels.
Effect of sediment on estimates of diquat toxicity in laboratory microcosms

Abstract The influence of sediment on the toxicity of the herbicide diquat to microbial communities was examined in laboratory microcosms. Microbial communities collected on polyurethane foam (PF) substrata were used to establish replicate microcosms with and without sediment. After a single application of diquat, microbial community structure and function were evaluated. Three weeks after diquat treatment, communities in microcosms without sediment exhibited decreased biomass production, increased alkaline phosphatase activity, decreased dissolved oxygen production and altered protozoan species richness and composition at maximum allowable toxicant concentrations (MATCs) of 0.04–21.9 mg diquat 1−1. In microcosms amended with natural lake sediments, communities were initially affected by diquat treatment, but, by 2 weeks, dosed communities were indistinguishable from controls. Diquat disappeared rapidly in sediment-amended microcosms and could not be detected ( mg diquat 1−1) in any but the highest treatment after 1 week. In microcosms without sediment, 44–75% of the diquat remained in the three highest treatments after 3 weeks. Results stress the consideration of the environmental fate of chemicals in different ecosystems when designing conditions under which the toxicity of a chemical is tested. Simplistic experimental designs for toxicological studies may overestimate adverse environmental effects.
Physiological Ecology and Regulation of N2 Fixation in Natural Waters

Biological nitrogen fixation, the enzyme (nitrogenase)-catalyzed process by which certain procaryotes reduce atmospheric dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3), is of fundamental importance in mediating the availability of utilizable nitrogen in the biosphere (Delwiche, 1970; Carpenter and Capone, 1983; Howarth et al., 1988). This process is of particular relevance in ecosystems exhibiting deficiencies in nitrogen availability; in this regard, it is well established that geographically and trophically diverse freshwater lakes, rivers, and reservoirs as well as estuarine, coastal, and oceanic habitats exhibit chronic nitrogen deficiencies (Ryther and Dunstan, 1971; Eppley et al., 1973; Parsons et al., 1977; Mann, 1982; Goldman and Horne, 1983; Wetzel, 1983). Among these waters, newly formed combined nitrogen inputs attributable to N2 fixation may regulate productivity and fertility (Horne and Fogg, 1970; Horne and Viner, 1971; Horne and Goldman, 1972; Brezonik, 1973; Mague and Holm-Hansen, 1975; Wiebe et al., 1975; Lean et al., 1978; Paerl et al., 1981; Martinez et al., 1983).
Nanoscale Structure of Biomass

Plant biomass is a renewable source that can be processed to produce biofuels and biomaterials. The plant cell walls are the major material in biomass. Depending on plant species and the time of harvest, biomass varies in its anatomical structure and chemical composition. This chapter summarizes general structure of the plant cell walls in different plant tissues and plant species, and updates are given from new findings in in situ imaging at nanoscale resolution and real-time changes during biomass deconstruction processes. The physicochemical properties of biomass that affect the efficiency of thermochemical pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis are also discussed.
Mechanical Behavior and Microstructural Evolution during Superplastic Deformation of Ti–6Al–4V

The superplastic deformation of fine grained Ti-6Al-4V has been studied under uniaxial tensile test condition at temperatures of 750, 800 and 850 o C and at strain rates in the range of 5×10 -6 -2×10 -4 s -1 . Constant strain rate and stepped true strain rate tensile tests were performed to determine the mechanical behavior of this alloy. Strain hardening and softening have been observed in these tensile tests. At high temperatures and/or low strain rates, the stress-strain curves showed strain hardening
Stepping Through the Looking Glass: the Future for Women in Sport

Although the opportunities for women in sport in the USA have grown exponentially since Title IX became a law, there are areas of significant loss and persistent stalls in women’s advancement in sport as the papers in this issue further discuss. Our title, Stepping Through the Looking Glass, suggests that we need to go beyond conventional discussions of female athletes and uncover new directions for women in sport and physical activity in countries around the world. Only then can we discover the future for women’s sport. The papers in this special issue presented a variety of topics including nine papers that address gender issues in sport, microaggessions that take place in sport for women, the media’s role in reporting the status of sport for women and sexual identity in sport.
Prognostic relevance of ribonucleotide reductase small subunit p53R2 in pancreatic cancer

e15655 Background: Pancreatic cancer has the worst survival of any solid tumor, with most patients presenting with metastatic disease. Even after surgical resection the median survival is only 20 months suggesting micrometastatic disease. Ribonucleotide reductase is a critical enzyme in DNA synthesis and repair. Previous studies have shown that ribonucleotide reductase M2 (RRM2) subunit is associated with invasion and metastasis. Even though p53R2 has 80% homology to RRM2, its role is quite different. Here we report on the prognostic relevance of p53R2 in pancreatic cancer. Methods: Archived pathology specimens were obtained from 30 patients and immunohistochemistry for p53R2 performed on an IRB approved protocol (#06253). Clinical data was obtained by chart review and log-rank and Cox hazard proportional models were used to analyze overall and disease-free survival. Cell culture analysis was performed to further evaluate the role of p53R2. Utilizing a Matrigel chamber, invasive MiaPaCa-2 cells were colle...
THE SKULL AND TAXONOMY OF MIXOSAURUS (ICHTHYOPTERYGIA)

Mixosaurus, a Middle Triassic ichthyopterygian, has traditionally been recognized as a typically primitive ichthyopterygian, but this view was recently questioned. Examination of the skull of Mixosaurus revealed many features to confirm this doubt. Its cranial characters, such as the parietal ridge and short supratemporal process of the parietal, are shared with derived ichthyopterygians from the Jurassic. Mixosaurus also has features that are derived within the Ichthyopterygia and unique to the genus, such as a long sagittal crest reaching the nasal, and an expanded anterior terrace of the upper temporal fenestra that also reaches the nasal. Phalarodon, Contectopalatus, and Sangiorgiosaurus are all considered as junior synonyms of Mixosaurus. The supratemporal, squamosal, and quadratojugal are all present in Mixosaurus atavus, as in basal ichthyopterygians. Because all basal ichthyopterygians, and even some derived ichthyopterygians from the Jurassic, have these three elements, the absence of the squamosal in Ichthyosaurus and Platypterygius should be considered derived if it is not preservational.
Calorimetric Estimation of Catalase Activity.

SummaryA method is described for estimating catalase activity by the amount of heat liberated. The latter is estimated from the temperature rise of the solution, the maximum temperature being conveniently recorded by a clinical thermometer. The average temperature rise of the solution to which 0.01 ml of human blood was added was found to be about 12°C, corresponding to a liberation of 0.4 M or 14 g of H2O2 by each ml of blood. Some comparisons are made of the time course of the liberation of heat with that of the evolution of O2 and the disappearance of H2O2 as estimated by titration.
Method for Rearing the Pear Psylla

Psylla pyricola Foerster was readily cultured throughout the year on 1-year-old pear shoots cut from late August until January. The shoots were refrigerated for 6 weeks to break dormancy and then were placed in aerated tap water at 25°C and 16-h photoperiod to force the foliage. Shoots cut during the winter pruning season and refrigerated at 3 to 5°C remained viable for the 8- to 9-month period before new shoots become available. Pear psylla population densities on the shoots were readily adjusted by controlling the number of ovipositing females on the shoots.
Effect of a low sodium diet on aldosterone-stimulating activity of angiotensin II in dogs.

SummaryThe effect of various doses of angiotensin II on adrenocortical secretion of aldosterone and 17-hydroxycorticoids was determined in dogs fed a low sodium diet for 14 days and in control dogs. The increments in aldosterone secretion produced by angiotensin II in the animals fed the low sodium diet were greater than the corresponding increments in controls. No changes in the increments in 17-hydroxycorticoids or blood pressure were observed.Angiotensin II (1-L-asparaginyl-5-L-valyl angiotensin octapeptide) was provided by Ciba Pharmaceutical Co., Summit, N. J. ACTH was provided by Upjohn Co., and Lonalac for preparation of low sodium diets by Mead Johnson Co. We wish to thank Mr. Roy Shackelford and Miss Margaret Saari for technical assistance.
ENZ-Inspired Optical Tunneling through Arbitrarily-Shaped Plasmonic Narrow Channels and Sharp Bends

We suggest an alternative mechanism for optical tunneling, based on subwavelength waveguides at cut-off. Such novel setup for enhanced transmission is only weakly dependent of the channel length and geometry, including arbitrary abruptions and bends.
Personal care product use among adults in NHANES: associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and phenols and use of mouthwash and sunscreen

Personal care product use is a well-established pathway of exposure for notable endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), including phthalates, parabens, triclosan, benzophenone-3 (BP3), and bisphenol-A. We utilized questionnaire data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2012 cycles to examine the associations between use of sunscreen and mouthwash and urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and phenols in a nationally representative population of US adults (n=3529). Compared with individuals who reported "Never" using mouthwash, individuals who reported daily use had significantly elevated urinary concentrations of mono-ethyl phthalate, methyl and propyl parabens, and BP3 (28%, 30%, 39%, and 42% higher, respectively). Individuals who reported "Always" using sunscreen had significantly higher urinary concentrations of triclosan, methyl, ethyl, and propyl parabens, and BP3 (59%, 92%, 102%, 151%, and 510% higher, respectively) compared with "Never" users of sunscreen. Associations between exposure biomarkers and sunscreen use were stronger in women compared with men, and associations with mouthwash use were generally stronger in men compared with women. These results suggest that sunscreen and mouthwash may be important exposure sources for EDCs.
Neuroimaging in multiple sclerosis

INTRODUCTION Multiple sclerosis is currently considered to be a destructive disorder, and a certain degree of alteration in immunity is considered to occur in genetically susceptible persons. DEVELOPMENT Magnetic resonance (MR) has become the basic technique for diagnosis and evaluation of the response to treatment. The key factor in the information obtained form MR images is the water content. There are several technical situations to be taken into account when using MR in multiple sclerosis: phase T1, phase T2, FLAIR, phase T1 with gadolinium, MR with spectroscopy, cerebral parenchymatous fraction and magnetization transfer MR. Apart from magnetic resonance, immunological changes of multiple sclerosis are seen in the CSF in over 50% of the patients with the disorder. Use of evoked potentials, with the important advantage of detecting lesions not visible on MR and asymptomatic lesions, may also be useful for establishment of the diagnosis. CONCLUSION In this article we describe the use of neuroimaging in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
Text-to-speech inspired duration modeling for improved whole-word acoustic models.

In the construction of whole-word acoustic models, we have previously demonstrated substantial gains by using MAP estimation to introduce a simple prior model of phonetic timing. Based solely on the word’s phonetic (dictionary) pronunciation, this simple model included no information about the individual durations of constituent phones. However, the problem of modeling segmental duration has long been studied in the textto-speech (TTS) community. We draw upon this work to develop a classification and regression tree (CART) approach for constructing prior models of phonetic timing which considers factors such as syllable stress, syllable position, adjacent phone class and voicing. This improved prior model closes 33% of the gap in keyword spotting performance between highly supervised whole-word models and those estimated without any examples.
Binding of trifluoperazine to the calcium-dependent activator of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase.

The activity of one form of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase is increased over 10-fold by the addition of an endogenous, calcium-dependent protein activator. This activation of phosphodiesterase is selectively inhibited by phenothiazine antipsychotics such as trifluoperazine. To gain insight into the specific mechanism of this inhibition, we examined the binding of trifluoperazine to various proteins, including the endogenous cyclic nucleotide activator prepared from bovine brain. Using equilibrium dialysis, we found that trifluoperazine binds to proteins at two distinctly different types of sites: a high-affinity, calcium-dependent binding site (Kd = 1 µM, N = 2) and a low-affinity, calcium-independent binding site (Kd = 5 mM, N = 24). All proteins examined, including catalase, cytochrome c, aldolase, chymotrypsinogen, egg albumin, bovine serum albumin, and the cyclic nucleotide activator, gave evidence of having low-affinity sites for trifluoperazine. However, only the activator had the calcium-dependent, high-affinity binding sites for the phenothiazine. At low concentrations of trifluoperazine (less than 1 µM), binding to the activator was 10-fold higher in the presence of calcium than in its absence. The binding of trifluoperazine to the other proteins showed no calcium dependence, and the degree of binding to these proteins was similar to the binding of trifluoperazine to activator when measured in the absence of calcium. The binding of trifluoperazine to activator in the presence of calcium markedly decreased when the pH was raised from 7.5 to 8.0, whereas the nonspecific binding was not altered by changes in pH between 6.5 and 8.5. A study of other divalent cations showed that calcium could be replaced by strontium, nickel, cobalt, zinc, and manganese in promoting the binding of trifluoperazine to activator; barium and magnesium were ineffective. These results suggest that the selective inhibition of the activatable form of phosphodiesterase by trifluoperazine is due to specific binding of the phenothiazine to the calcium-dependent protein activator of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. Since this activator apparently is identical with the activator of adenylate cyclase, our results might also provide the mechanism by which phenothiazines inhibit adenylate cyclase activity and might, in fact, provide a common explanation for some of the diverse physiological and pharmacological actions of the phenothiazine antipsychotics.
Congenital Stationary Night Blindness

Congenital stationary night blindness (CNSB) is a clinically and genetic diverse group of nonprogressive retinal disorders that is characterized by stable poor vision in low light (night blindness). CNSB can be classified either functionally by electrophysiology or fundus phenotypes. ERG can distinguish a “complete” form or CNSB type 1 with absent rod function, from an “incomplete” form or CNSB type 2 with reduced rod and cone function. Phenotypically, CNSB can have a normal appearing fundus or an abnormal fundus (includes Oguchi’s disease and fundus albipunctatus).
Group A and group B streptococcal vaccine development. A round table presentation.

Over the last decade, tremendous progress has been made in the development of vaccines to prevent streptococcal diseases. The following summarizes the presentations of the round table at the International Lancefield Symposium in Paris. Dr. Kasper describes the most recent data from phase I clinical trials of conjugate group B polysaccharide vaccines. The remaining presentations outline five different strategies being used to develop group A streptococcal vaccines.
3D Printing in Complex Congenital Heart Disease: Across a Spectrum of Age, Pathology, and Imaging Techniques

We applied 3-dimensional (3D) printing in patients with congenital heart disease to precisely visualize complex anatomy, plan surgical procedures, and teach trainees and patients. Cases presented range from infants to adults with congenital heart disease. A variety of pathologies are shown,
Behavioral responses of male lobsters to Ecdysones

Four ecdysones with molting hormone activity, β‐ecdysone, inokosterone, ponasterone A, and cyasterone were tested for their capacity to elicit behavioral responses, especially sexual responses in the male lobster (Homarus americanus). Of these ecdysones, only β‐ecdysone elicited a low key alerting response. However, no particular type of behavior, such as feeding, aggressive or sexual behavior could be observed. A role of β‐ecdysone as a crustacean sex pheromone is not supported by these experiments and the general validity of this notion is discussed.
River-plume sedimentation and 210Pb/7Be seabed delivery on the Mississippi River delta front

To constrain the timing and processes of sediment delivery and submarine mass-wasting events spanning the last few decades on the Mississippi River delta front, multi-cores and gravity cores (0.5 and <3 m length respectively) were collected seaward of the Mississippi River Southwest Pass in 25–75 m water depth in 2014. The cores were analyzed for radionuclide activity (7Be, 210Pb, 137Cs), grain size, bulk density, and fabric (X-radiography). Core sediments are faintly bedded, sparsely bioturbated, and composed mostly of clay and fine silt. Short-term sedimentation rates (from 7Be) are 0.25–1.5 mm/day during river flooding, while longer-term accumulation rates (from 210Pb) are 1.3–7.9 cm/year. In most cores, 210Pb activity displays undulatory profiles with overall declining activity versus depth. Undulations are not associated with grain size variations, and are interpreted to represent variations in oceanic 210Pb scavenging by river-plume sediments. The 210Pb profile of one gravity core from a mudflow gully displays uniform basal excess activity over a zone of low and uniform bulk density, interpreted to be a mass-failure event that occurred 9–18 years before core collection. Spatial trends in sediment deposition (from 7Be) and accumulation (from 210Pb) indicate that proximity to the river mouth has stronger influence than local facies (mudflow gully, depositional lobe, prodelta) over the timeframe and seabed depth represented by the cores (<40 years, <3 m length). This may be explained by rapid proximal sediment deposition from river plumes coupled with infrequent tropical cyclone activity near the delta in the last 7 years (2006–2013), and by the location of most sediment failure surfaces (from mass flows indicated by parallel geophysical studies) deeper than the core-sampling depths of the present study.
Abstract B27: CDK inhibition impairs homologous recombination and induces PARP inhibitor sensitivity via loss of c-myc expression in TNBC

The c-myc oncogene is a “master regulator” amplified in several types of cancer including ovarian, breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. C-myc controls several cellular processes during tumor maintenance including the cell cycle, metabolism, and DNA damage repair while also playing an essential role in transforming normal cells during tumorigensis. C-myc amplification correlates with poor survival and a higher frequency of relapse in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. C-myc amplification promotes deregulation of the cell cycle, via transcriptional activation of G1-S-phase cell cycle and DNA replication genes. CDK inhibition has been shown to down regulate c-myc expression in cancer cells, in vitro. Therefore, we hypothesize that transient CDK inhibition downregulates c-myc expression and increases susceptibility to DNA damaging agents in TNBC cells. We observed the long-term response of several c-myc overexpressing TNBC cells to Dinaciclib, a potent CDK inhibitor (CDK 1, 2, 5, 9) in vitro. High Throughput Survival Assay (HTSA) analysis revealed that c-myc expressing TNBC cells have a potent response to CDK inhibition via Dinaciclib (IC50 10-20nM). Dinaciclib induces an S-phase arrest and downregulation of the c-myc/E2F1 pathway in both normal (MCF10A) and TNBC (MB231, SUM149, HCC1937) breast cancer cells. Loss of c-myc expression correlates with increased apoptosis in TNBC cells but not HMECs. C-myc downregulation also correlates with increased γH2AX DNA damage and downregulation of BRCA1 foci formation. The resultant impaired homologous recombination (HR) pathway in TNBC cells treated with Dinaciclib proposed an increased susceptibility to PARP inhibitor induced DNA damage. Combination Dinaciclib + PARP inhibition exhibited a Dinaciclib dose dependent synergistic growth inhibition of BRCA1 wild-type and mutant TNBC cells to PARP inhibitors. Dinaciclib also increased susceptibility of PARP inhibition in resistant BRCA1 mutant cell lines (HCC1937, SUM149). Dinaciclib + PARP Inhibitor combination therapy induced increased apoptosis, γH2AX DNA damage and decreased BRCA1, RAD51 foci formation. These results demonstrate that Dinaciclib + PARP inhibition induces growth arrest and induction of apoptosis in c-myc overexpressing cancer cells. C-myc is frequently amplified in TNBC tumors and may serve as a biomarker for CDK + PARP inhibitor combination therapy. Citation Format: Jason Patrick Carey, Khandan Keyomarsi. CDK inhibition impairs homologous recombination and induces PARP inhibitor sensitivity via loss of c-myc expression in TNBC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Myc: From Biology to Therapy; Jan 7-10, 2015; La Jolla, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2015;13(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B27.
BMP Signaling Is Crucial for Regulation Vascular Progenitor Development in Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Abstract Abstract 3037 Poster Board II-1013 The generation of vascular cells from pluripotent stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, may facilitate tissue transplantation, reperfusion of ischemic tissues, and treatment of pathologies in which endothelial cell dysfunction exists. The signals that direct pluripotent stem cell differentiation into lineage-specific cells remain largely unknown. To identify vascular progenitor cells during hESC differentiation, we characterized various subpopulations that may differentiate into endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). In our newly established serum-free medium, hESCs sequentially differentiated into CD34+CD31-, CD34+CD31+, and then CD34-CD31+ cells. Real-time PCR analysis indicated that EC- and SMC-specific genes, including VEGFR2, Tie2, VE-Cad, vWF, SMA, SM22-alpha, calponin, and caldesmon, were expressed significantly high in CD34+CD31+ cells. Furthermore, the CD34+CD31+ cells that were cultured in EC or SMC growth medium had high differentiation potential to become ECs and SMCs. These data suggested that CD34+CD31+ cells contain vascular progenitor cells. By treating hESCs with various factors at different time points, we found that BMP4 was critical to initiate hESC differentiation into CD34+CD31+ progenitor cells, whereas VEGF and FGF2 facilitated CD34+CD31+ cell development in the later stage. Conversely, TGFbeta promoted CD34+CD31- cells that were unable to give rise to ECs and SMCs. In addition, TGFbeta blocked the development of CD34+CD31+ cells induced by BMP4, suggesting that TGFbeta signaling negatively regulates the development of CD34+CD31+ cells during hESC differentiation. DNA microarray analysis indicated that a number of mesodermal genes were increased in BMP4-induced CD34+ cells, and a number of ectodermal genes were increased in TGFbeta-induced CD34+ cells. Therefore, the roles of BMP and TGFbeta signals in lineage differentiation may be inversely reflected in mesoderm and ectoderm. In addition, several pluripotent genes were expressed in TGFbeta-induced CD34+ cells, suggesting that TGFbeta signaling affects maintenance of stem cell pluripotency. The BMP-Smad inhibitor, dorsomorphin, inhibited phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8, and blocked hESC differentiation to CD34+CD31+ progenitor cells, suggesting that BMP Smad-dependent signaling is critical for CD34+CD31+ vascular progenitor development. Our findings provide new insight into how pluripotent hESCs differentiate to generate vascular cells. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Response to Open Peer Commentaries on "Irrational Exuberance: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation as Fetish".

We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the numerous open peer commentaries in response to our article, “Irrational Exuberance: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation as Fetish” (Rosoff and Schneiderman...
Accuracy of bispectral index for monitoring depth of sevoflurane anesthesia in children of different ages

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of bispectral index (BIS) for monitoring the depth of sevoflurane anesthesia in children of different ages.Methods One hundred and five children (0-14 yr) undergoing abdominal surgery were divided into 3 age groups (n=35 each): group Ⅰ 4-14 yr (older children); group Ⅱ 1-3 yr (young children) and group Ⅲ 6 months. Each C_(ET)Sev was maintained for at least 15 min. MAP, HR, P_(ET)CO_2 and BIS were monitored and recorded before anesthesia (T_1, baseline), at loss of consciousness (T_2), immediately after tracheal intuhation (T_3), at the 4 C_(ET)Sev (T_(4-7)), recovery of pharyngeal reflex (T_8), extubation (T_9) and emergence of anesthesia (T_10). Results BIS values were significantly higher in children of 1-3 yr (group Ⅱ) than in children of 3-14 yr (group Ⅰ) at T_(4,6,7). BIS values were significantly lower in infants (group Ⅲ) than in children of 3-14 yr (group Ⅰ) at T_(5-9). BIS values were significantly lower in infants (group Ⅲ) than in children of 1-3 yr (groupⅡ) at T_(3-10). There was significant negative correlation between BIS and C_(ET)Sev in all 3groups(γ=-0.768,-0.709,-0.357).Conclusion BIS can accurately reflect the depth of sevoflurane anesthesia in children (> 1 yr). BIS should be interpreted cautiously in infants (< 1 yr). Key words: Electroencephalography; Monitoring; intraoperative; Child; Sevoflurane