cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can the world economy afford American tax cuts and military buildup

Abstract The United States is uniquely placed in the world economy. The dollar is a universal medium of international exchange and is definitive money in the settlement of international debts. Thus, the US can run current account deficits and go into dollar denominated debt to foreigners indefinitely without provoking a currency attack requiring immediate repayment. However, this soft borrowing constraint and continued large current-account deficits erode America’s industrial base provoking an upsurge in US protectionism — while draining scarce capital from poorer countries around the world.
Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of p-GaAs surfaces and AlGaAs/GaAs interfaces supported by numerical modeling

Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (PLE) can be a very useful in-line metrology tool for photovoltaic manufacturing of III–V and chalcogenide-based, direct gap solar cells. We report on the experiment and numerical modeling of PLE measurements on GaAs-based test structures. Strong suppression of the band edge photoluminescence (PL) intensity is observed in bare, unpassivated GaAs samples, compared to an AlGaAs/GaAs double heterostructures (DH). Similarly, an observed reduction of PL intensity of the unpassivated samples with increasing excitation energy is associated with surface defects. A numerical drift-diffusion model is developed and two frameworks to describe the surface quality are studied, one involving the surface recombination velocity and one including a single trap level. For lightly-doped samples, where the effect of interface trap charging becomes important, the two simulation approaches lead to different spectroscopic response. For the examined samples, an estimated trap density of N T ∼1013 /cm2 is deduced.
Simulating fecal coliform bacteria loading from an urbanizing watershed.

Abstract The fate and transport of fecal coliform bacteria in the urbanizing Polecat Creek watershed, located in Virginia, was simulated using the Hydrological Simulation Program—FORTRAN (HSPF). Both point and nonpoint sources of fecal coliform were included in the simulation. Hydrologic and water quality parameters of HSPF were calibrated and validated using observed data collected from October 1994 to June 2000 at three monitoring stations. The percent errors in total runoff volumes between observed and simulated values ranged from 0.4 to 4.2% for the calibration period, and 0.4 to 6.7% for the validation period. The geometric mean of simulated fecal coliform concentrations at the outlet of the watershed was 10% lower than that of observed values for the calibration period. HSPF moderately under-predicted the geometric mean concentration by 16.4% for one sub-watershed and slightly over-predicted by 7.3% for another. Observed fecal coliform concentrations were compared with the range defined by the minim...
Integrative Review of the Literature on Adults With Limited Education and Skills and the Implications for Human Resource Development

Adults with limited education and skills—those who lack the education and skills needed for full participation in U.S. culture and economy—are increasing in numbers. However, the knowledge base add...
Tissue fluorescence changes and protein coagulation after Nd:YAG interstitial laser photocoagulation

In attempting to identify a tissue response suitable for monitoring interstitial laser photocoagulation (ILP) during treatment, we observed that the lesions produced in tissue by interstitial irradiation with the 1064 nm radiant energy produced by an Nd:YAG laser fluoresce when exposed to the long-wave ultraviolet light produced by a handheld UV fluorescent lamp. The visual extent of the fluorescence was correlated to the irradiation time and energy fluence rate. Fluorescence spectra of four tissue chromophores, serum albumin, Type 1 collagen, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) exhibited similar spectra to the fluorescence of solubilized tissue. No significant changes in the fluorescent spectra were observed upon heating to 70°C for 5 minutes the chromophores or tissue sample prior to solubilization. In another experiment, the tissue was thermally damaged by immersion in phosphate buffered saline from 60-100°C for 30-90 seconds. The reflectance from 400-800 nm of the intact tissue was noted to increase with increasing thermal damage up to 80°C, and the decrease at 90°C and 100°C. Activation energies calculated from this data was suggestive of thermal damage to blood and other tissue constituents. In order to see if changes in electrophoretic mobility occurred upon heating, nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (native PAGE) was done on heated that were solubilized by ultrasonication. The gels showed a quantitative loss of tissue proteins with increasing thermal damage, and the irreversible formation of heavy protein coagulums.
Regulation of the inhibitor-of-apoptosis family member survivin in normal cord blood and bone marrow CD34(+) cells by hematopoietic growth factors: implication of survivin expression in normal hematopoiesis.

The inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein survivin is expressed in most cancers and leukemias and during fetal development, but not in most normal adult tissues. Survivin expression was analyzed in umbilical cord blood (UCB) and adult bone marrow CD34+cells and in the factor-dependent MO7e cell line; also investigated was whether survivin expression was regulated by hematopoietic growth factors. Survivin messsenger RNA (mRNA) and protein were expressed in fresh UCB and marrow CD34+ cells. The combination of thrombopoietin, Flt3 ligand, and stem cell factor upregulated survivin expression in CD34+ cells within 24 hours; survivin expression was cell-cycle related and highest during G2/M, whereas growth-factor withdrawal resulted in decreased survivin expression. Cell-cycle fractionation of UCB CD34+ with Hoechst-33342/pyronin-Y demonstrated that survivin message was undetectable in freshly isolated G0 cells, but present in G1 cells. After cytokine stimulation, survivin mRNA and protein expression were observed in both G0 and G1 CD34+ cells as well as in cells that had progressed to S and G2/M phase, indicating that survivin expression is regulated in all phases of the cell cycle. This contrasts with the expression of survivin predominantly during G2/M in cancer cells. In CD34+ cells and MO7e cells, growth factor–mediated upregulation of survivin was associated with inhibition of apoptosis, and downregulation of survivin was coincident with increased apoptosis. Furthermore, an inverse correlation between survivin and active caspase-3 was observed in CD34+ cells. These findings demonstrate that survivin is not a cancer-specific antiapoptotic protein and plays a regulatory role in normal adult hematopoiesis.
From contemporary rehabilitation to restorative neurology

Recent years have witnessed significant advances in the treatment of neurological injuries such as stroke, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and spinal cord injuries (SCI). The current approach includes acute intervention to curb the primary insult, prevention of secondary complications and early rehabilitation to optimize residual function to ultimately enhance quality of life and independence. While this is effective in providing a degree of independence to many patients, we believe that further functional gains are possible for many patients who have plateaued followed a contemporary rehabilitation program. Complementary methods are available today that are not widely used, but have demonstrated great promise in augmenting function and quality of life in patients who cannot benefit further from currently available treatment options.
Calibration of mass ranges up to m/z 10,000 in electrospray mass spectrometers

We report that the cesium salts of monobutyl phthalate, heptafluorobutyric acid, tridecafluoroheptanoic acid, and perfluorosebacic acid generate salt/cluster ions that provide calibration peaks for electrospray mass spectrometers. In the case of the cesium salt of tridecafluoroheptanoic acid ions are available up to m/z 10,000.
Theoretical investigation of colloid separation from dilute aqueous suspensions by oppositely charged granular media

Abstract A theoretical investigation of removal of colloidal particles from aqueous suspensions by oppositely charged granular (porous) media is presented in th
A Phylogenomic Reconstruction of the Protein World Based on a Genomic Census of Protein Fold Architecture

The protein world has a hierarchical and redundant organization that can be specified in terms of evolutionary units of molecular structure, the protein domains. The Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) has unified domains into a comparatively small set of folding architectures, the protein fold families and superfamilies, and these have been further grouped into protein folds. In this study, we reconstruct the evolution of the protein world using information embedded in a structural genomic census of fold architectures defined by a phylogenomic analysis of 185 completely sequenced genomes using advanced hidden Markov models and 776 folds described in SCOP release 1.67. Our study confirms the existence of defined evolutionary patterns of architectural diversification and explores how phylogenomic trees generated from folds relate to those reconstructed from fold superfamilies. Evolutionary patterns help us propose a general conceptual model that describes the growth of architectures in the protein world. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 12: 27– 40, 2006
Determination of the number concentration of polydisperse colloidal spheres by light scattering

Abstract A method for determining the number concentration of polydisperse colloidal spheres from measurements of Rayleigh ratios is proposed. The method requires but a single measurement of a Rayleigh ratio along with a known integral of the Mie theory intensity function weighted over the size distribution. Although the method has been developed on colloidal systems, the general principle may be applied by making absolute measurements on any system with a significant angular intensity distribution. The accuracy and reproducibility of the method has been checked on sulfur sols and polystyrene latexes by comparison with independent determinations such as sedimentation, Coulter Counter, and dry-weight determinations and appear to be limited only by the absolute reliability of the light-scattering measurements, which is on the order of 10% as suggested by the standard deviation from the mean of thirty-six measurements for a typical determination.
Evaluation of Nitrogen Supplements for Bioconversion of Municipal Solid Waste to Lactic Acid

Previous studies conducted by the authors showed that the ingredients of Elliker broth could be used as fermentation adjuncts for the bioconversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) acid hydrolysate to lactic acid. Five kinds of inexpensive organic nitrogen supplements were evaluated for their potential to replace more expensive nitrogen sources derived from tryptone and yeast extract, which are the nitrogenous components of Elliker broth. At a soluble nitrogen concentration of 0.28%, which is equivalent to that supplied by tryptone and yeast extract, soybean meal and cottonseed meal were the best alternative nitrogen sources and compared favorably to tryptone and yeast extract in terms of lactic acid production. Soybean meal nitrogen of 0.21% was the minimum nitrogen requirement for maximum production of lactic acid. When soybean meal was used as the nitrogen source, the addition of 1.91% phosphate as monobasic potassium phosphate significantly improved lactic acid production, but no improvement occurred below 1.91%. Ascorbic acid and sodium acetate are also components of Elliker broth, and the omission of these from the fermentation substrate did not affect lactic acid production. When 0.21% soluble soybean meal nitrogen and 0.4% sodium chloride were supplied to double-sugar MSW (DSMSW) hydrolysate, the amount of carbohydrate used, the percent of carbohydrate converted, the amount of lactic acid produced, and the percent yield after 3 d of fermentation were 78.3 mg/mL, 91%, 68.7 mg/mL, and 88%, respectively.
S-sulfhydration/desulfhydration and S-nitrosylation/denitrosylation: A Common Paradigm for Gasotransmitter Signaling by H2S and NO

Sulfhydryl groups on protein Cys residues undergo an array of oxidative reactions and modifications, giving rise to a virtual redox zip code with physiological and pathophysiological relevance for modulation of protein structure and functions. While over two decades of studies have established NO-dependent S-nitrosylation as ubiquitous and fundamental for the regulation of diverse protein activities, proteomic methods for studying H2S-dependent S-sulfhydration have only recently been described and now suggest that this is also an abundant modification with potential for global physiological importance. Notably, protein S-sulfhydration and S-nitrosylation bear striking similarities in terms of their chemical and biological determinants, as well as reversal of these modifications via group-transfer to glutathione, followed by the removal from glutathione by enzymes that have apparently evolved to selectively catalyze denitrosylation and desulfhydration. Here we review determinants of protein and low-molecular-weight thiol S-sulfhydration/desulfhydration, similarities with S-nitrosylation/denitrosylation, and methods that are being employed to investigate and quantify these gasotransmitter-mediated cell signaling systems.
Vector field following for quadrotors using differential flatness

This paper proposes a differential flatness-based method for maneuvering a quadrotor so that its position follows a specified velocity vector field. Existing planning and control algorithms often give a 2D or 3D velocity vector field to be followed by a robot. However, quadrotors have complex nonlinear dynamics that make vector field following difficult, especially in aggressive maneuvering regimes. This paper exploits the differential flatness property of a quadrotor’s dynamics to control its position along a given vector field. Differential flatness allows for the analytical derivation of control inputs in order to control the 12D dynamical state of the quadrotor such that the 2D or 3D position of the quadrotor follows the flow specified by a given vector field. The method is derived mathematically, and demonstrated in numerical simulations and in experiments with a quadrotor robot for three different vector fields.
Helgon: extending the retrieval by reformulation paradigm

People who attempt to use a complex information store on a computer encounter a number of problems: They do not know what information exists or how to find information, they get no support in articulating a question, and they are unable to phrase their question in terms that the system understands. Helgon, an intelligent environment that supports limited cooperative problem solving, helps people deal with complex information stores. Helgon supports retrieval and editing by reformulation with multiple specification techniques, and it acquaints the user with the system model of the information store. Within the current Helgon system, a number of different information stores have been implemented. Empirical evaluations have shown that Helgon supports effective communication. In addition, the evaluations have shown interesting extensions for future work.
Quantitative studies of acid β-glycerophosphatase activity in developing rat teeth and bones

Abstract Biochemical characterization of the acid phosphatase activity in hard tissues was carried out using hydrolysis of β-glycerophosphate (β-GP), pyrophosphate (P-P i ) and p -nitrophenylphosphate ( p -NPP) by homogenates and extracts of molar tooth buds and tibiae. The activity in tooth buds with β-GP (β-GPase activity) was increased by Triton X-100, was relatively stable at 50 °C, was inhibited by tartrate and MES buffer, and was as high as the p -NPPase activity. In contrast, p -NPPase activity was not affected by Triton X-100 or MES, was only partially inhibited by tartrate, and was very labile at 50 °C. The activity with P-P i was much lower than that with β-GP and p -NPP and showed more similarity with p -NPPase activity than with β-GPase activity. It is suggested that acid phosphatase activity in odontogenic tissue is provided by at least two enzymes: (1) a tartrate-sensitive enzyme that provides most of the activity seen with β-GP and some of the activity with p -NPP; (2) a tartrate-resistant enzyme that accounts for some of the activity with p -NPP and all of the activity with P-P i . As activity with both p -NPP and β-GP was higher in 2nd molars than in 1st molars, from which the pulps had been removed, it is suggested that both enzymes are primarily concerned with matrix formation rather than with matrix resorption or mineralization of the enamel. For bone extracts, the observations indicated striking similarities between p -NPPase activity and P-P i ase activity and marked differences when activities with β-GP and p -NPP were compared, which support the conclusion by others that the enzyme hydrolyzing β-GP in bone is different from that hydrolyzing p -NPP and P-P i .
More evidence on the effectiveness of seat belt laws

A state cross-sectional model of traffic fatalities estimates the effectiveness of seat belt laws. Seat belt laws have no statistically significant effect on total or occupant fatalities. However, the results suggest that seat belt laws lead to increased non-occupant deaths possibly as a result of more dangerous driving. In an indirect fashion, the zero effect of seat belt laws on total fatalities may provide an argument for a favourable occupant effect that is offset by the unfavourable non-occupant effect.
What happened if various kinds of postconditioning working on the preconditioned ischemic skin flaps.

Objective: Ischemic pre-conditioning and post-conditioning are useful manipulations to reduce the undesirable effects of ischemia-reperfusion skin flap each. But the impact of post-conditioning on the pre-conditioning skin flap is not manifested. Here we investigated the influence of ischemic post-conditioning in a preconditioned axial pattern skin flap model. Method: We used the skin flap in 40 rabbits and divided them into 5 groups randomly. At first we induced the ischemic pre-conditioning of the flap which was applied by 2 periods of 15 minutes of ischemia/15 minutes of reperfusion cycle. Next post-conditioning was performed by 6 cycles of 10 seconds of repeated ischemia/reperfusion periods at different times of just after the reperfusion,5 minutes after the reperfusion,10 minutes after the reperfusion. The animals were allocated into 5 groups: group 1 (Ischemia Group); group 2: (Pre-conditioning Group); group 3: (Pre-conditioning+ Post-conditioning Group); group 4 (Pre-conditioning+ Post-conditioning 5 minutes later Group); group5 (Pre-conditioning+ Post-conditioning 10 minutes later). The neutrophil count was assessed with histologic analysis before the dissection of the skin flap. Flap viability was assessed 1 week after the operation, and surviving flap area was recorded as a percentage of the whole flap area. LSD test was used for statistical analysis among different groups to evaluate the effects of ischemic pre-conditioning against ischemia. Result: Among the varying groups, the neutrophil count varied: Group 1 was50.12±5.91; Group 2, 30.00±2.00, and Group 3, 18.87±3; Group 4, 22.50±1.92; Group 5, 30.12±1.88.The mean± SD surviving areas of the flaps for groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were 31.76±4.59, 51.26±3.24,82.18±5.28,66.85±3.87 and 51.13±2.90 respectively. Spearman correlation analysis shows an increase relation between neutrophil count and flap survival rate in the different groups (P <0.05). Conclusion: Ischemic post-conditioning has protective effect on ischemic preconditioned skin flaps, but the post-conditioning should be performed within 5 minutes after the end of ischemia.
Quantitative Evaluation of Nuclear System Reliability and Safety Characteristics

This essay treats aspects of quantitative evaluation of nuclear system reliability and safety. The implications extend to analysis in other industries. The article reflects an attitude stemming from experience in analyzing systems containing highly reliable hardware. The factors that contribute to the unavailability of standby safety systems at nuclear power plants are identified and are illustrated by a tutorial example. Pitfalls of quantitative analysis are discussed.
OXIDATION-REDUCTION EQUILIBRIA IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS : II. POTENTIALS OF AEROBIC CULTURES OF B. TYPHOSUS.

1. The reduction potentials of B. typhosus in culture in bouillon which is given access to atmospheric oxygen show a negative drift that attains the values found in sterile bouillon when deaerated with nitrogen: Eh -0.085 to -0.095 volt at pH 7.6. The potential reaches this level after 6 to 8 hours incubation, and is maintained at this point for several hours. A slow decline to more negative values is then observed and continues for at least 48 hours, when a potential of -0.145 volt may be attained. 2. The bacteria influence the potentials in the first period of their growth by exhaustion of oxygen from the culture, thus permitting the characteristic potential of the culture medium to become manifest, and do not contribute the substances responsible for the observed potentials. The decline in potential to values more negative than those of the culture medium occurs during the time that the rate of dying of the bacteria approaches and exceeds the rate of multiplication; it is suggested that dissolution of bacteria liberates reductive substances. 3. Cultures in 0.5 per cent dextrose medium show a somewhat more , negative potential after 18 hours growth than cultures in medium without dextrose. This may be due to the more rapid "turn-over" of the bacteria and the liberation of larger amounts of reductive material from dissolution of larger numbers of bacteria. 4. The potential of cultures through which oxygen is passed continuously does not show a negative drift at any time. This indicates that reductive substances of bacterial origin in the case at least of the typhoid bacillus do not influence the electrode potentials in the presence of oxygen and confirms the importance of bacterial respiration as the means for the removal of oxygen and the consequent establishment of characteristic reduction potentials in cultures.
Low Concentrations of Salicylic Acid Stimulate Insect Elicitor Responses in Zea mays Seedlings

Salicylic acid (SA) generally is thought to suppress jasmonic acid (JA) related signaling events. However, when we treated the roots of corn seedlings overnight with low physiological concentrations of SA (50 μM), we found a priming effect of this pretreatment on typical insect elicitor (IE)-induced responses in the leaves of these plants. IE-induced JA was more than 2-fold up regulated in SA-pretreated plants. Consequently, IE-induced volatile organic compounds (VOC) release also was significantly increased. In contrast, when corn seedlings were treated with SA overnight and then mechanically damaged, we found no significant differences in JA accumulation. We also found that the application of even lower concentrations of SA (5 μM) had no significant effect on IE-induced responses, while higher concentrations (500 μM) inhibited IE-induced JA accumulation. Likewise, shorter exposure to SA did not affect subsequent JA accumulation induced by IE or mechanical wounding. These results provide evidence for the existence of non-compatible defense priming by signaling molecules that usually are involved in a conflictive defense signaling pathway and suggests common elements in the regulation of priming plant defense responses.
Trample the weak, hurdle the dead: the tribulations of integrating research into clinical practice.

The slogan, Trample the weak, hurdle the dead, embosses my son's high school cross-country team's practice uniforms. Faithfully adorned by each cross-country runner, this aphorism expresses the individualism and difficulty of their sport. Ask each and they will proudly express that the demands of cross-country are consistent and inflexible, allowing no time outs, endorsing no rest periods or half times, and advocating one man or woman alone against the challenges of themselves and unpredictable yet always challenging terrain. It is my impression, that translating research into clinical practice is a real world representation of the worst and best of the quintessence of cross-country. Only, it's much, much more difficult. Only recently have scientists began to examine the translation of evidence based knowledge to actual clinical practice1. Practicing evidence based research requires application of knowledge gained through clinical research and at present there is a wealth of information available to practitioners (both good and bad) in all healthcare domains2. Nonetheless, a disappointingly consistent finding is the gap between what is considered best practice and actual clinical care performed worldwide3. Although the process of dissemination of best practice knowledge is poorly understood, studies have outlined notable barriers to translation4. All parties, whether centered in clinical practice, administration of patient care, academic exploration of knowledge, or dedicated to clinical research, contribute to a delayed or restrictive transition of knowledge. Either willingly or unwillingly, a clinician's or researcher's knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviors mold the transition of evidence to practice. Three barriers have previously been identified and deserve further exploration4,5.
Crystal structure of a non-canonical low-affinity peptide complexed with MHC class I: A new approach for vaccine design

Peptides bind with high affinity to MHC class I molecules by anchoring certain side-chains (anchors) into specificity pockets in the MHC peptide-binding groove. Peptides that do not contain these canonical anchor residues normally have low affinity, resulting in impaired pMHC stability and loss of immunogenicity. Here, we report the crystal structure at 1.6 A resolution of an immunogenic, low-affinity peptide from the tumor-associated antigen MUC1, bound to H-2Kb. Stable binding is still achieved despite small, non-canonical residues in the C and F anchor pockets. This structure reveals how low-affinity peptides can be utilized in the design of novel peptide-based tumor vaccines. The molecular interactions elucidated in this non-canonical low-affinity peptide MHC complex should help uncover additional immunogenic peptides from primary protein sequences and aid in the design of alternative approaches for T-cell vaccines.
Interannual variability of a salt-marsh ecosystem

Data from Great Sippewissett Salt Marsh are used to gauge the extent of change of Spartina alterniflora marsh during periods of several to 22 yr. Our data all relate to plant production: from aboveground, maximum plant biomass measured over the entire period; from belowground, live root and rhizome biomass measured in 1974 and 1983, CO2 evolution from the sediments for 7 yr, and pore-water concentrations of dissolved sulfide for 6 yr. All the measures indicated a relatively low degree of interannual change in salt-marsh areas vegetated by tall- and short-form S. alterniflora. The similarity in both plant and biogeochemical parameters between years is likely related to the regular, high-frequency tidal flooding of grass stands. These interannual comparisons of each quantified parameter support the contention that measurements made in any single year can be applied to other years with suitable precautions to account for seasonal cycles. Our data also illustrate the importance of long time series for establishing sound correlations in environmental data.
Controllability, observability, and optimality in hereditary systems of neutral type

Control systems governed by linear functional differential equations of neutral type are considered. Attention is given to some problems of controllability, observability, and optimization for such systems under constraints. Necessary and sufficient optimality conditions are obtained for nonautonomous neutral systems with convex cost functionals. Then a variational approach to controllability and observability of linear hereditary systems is developed. Using this approach, the author proves a duality principle between some concepts of controllability for neutral systems under constraints and ideal observability of dual systems governed by the Volterra integro-functional equations. This duality principle shows that, in the case of continuous initial states, the controllability studied is dual to the physically visual concept of observability connected with the one-valued evaluation (prediction) of the system motion in the future on the basis of current values of output data. >
Subcooled Flow Film Boiling Across a Horizontal Cylinder: Part II—Comparison to Experimental Data

In this paper, the results of a rigorous heat transfer analysis of subcooled flow film boiling over a heated cylinder are compared to experimental data. The analysis includes both the influence of the front part of the heater and the wake region behind the heater. Experiments using Freon-113 were conducted at subcooling levels up to 58[degree]C and at velocities up to 3.81 m/s. The configuration was upflowing Freon-113 in crossflow over a 0.635-cm electric heater. A comparison of these data as well as other available experimental data to the analysis of Chou and Witte showed good agreement as long as the subcooling level of the liquid was substantial - that is, for liquid Jakob numbers above about 0.04. This represents a considerable improvement over other models that have been developed to predict subcooled flow boiling heat transfer. A method using a temperature correction to a constant-property heat transfer solution that corresponds to the full variable-property solution is also presented, and applied to water and Freon-113. 11 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.
The existential plight in cancer: significance of the first 100 days.

The Existential Plight in cancer is a poorly recognized but significant period. It starts with the definite diagnosis and continues for two to three months into the illness, approximately 100 days....
Use of 5-trifluoromethyldeoxycytidine and tetrahydrouridine to circumvent catabolism and exploit high levels of cytidine deaminase in tumors to achieve DNA- and target-directed therapies

5-Trifluoromethyl-2'-deoxycytidine (F3methyl-dCyd), when coadministered with tetrahydrouridine (H4Urd), surpasses the efficacy of 5-trifluorothymidine and 5-trifluoromethyl-2'-deoxycytidine when administered alone as demonstrated with adenocarcinoma 755 and Lewis lung carcinoma as solid tumors implanted in C57BL X DBA/2 F1 mice. It appears that the reason for the heightened efficacy of F3methyl-dCyd, when coadministered with low concentrations of H4Urd, is decreased systemic deamination and subsequent systemic catabolism by pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylases, which do not act on deoxycytidine and its analogues. Furthermore, the elevated levels of cytidine deaminase in these mouse tumors may result in selective conversion of F3methyl-dCyd to 5-trifluorothymidine at the tumor site. This suggests an approach to the treatment of human tumors possessing elevated levels of cytidine deaminase such as certain leukemias, bronchogenic carcinoma of the lung, adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum, astrocytomas, and certain tumors which are refractory to chemotherapy with 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine. In contrast to fluorinated pyrimidines in current use, F3methyl-dCyd + H4Urd potentially allows an exclusive DNA-, rather than both a DNA- and RNA-, directed approach. The major mechanism of the antitumor activity of F3methyl-dCyd appears to be via inhibition by 5-trifluorothymidine-5'-monophosphate of thymidylate synthetase, the target enzyme of fluoropyrimidine analogues in current use. However, the established and potential differences in the mode of action, anabolism, nature of incorporation into DNA, repair and cofactor requirements of F3methyl-dCyd and its anabolites, compared to that of the commonly utilized fluorinated pyrimidines, indicate that F3methyl-dCyd + H4Urd is a novel combination of agents. In comparative studies with Lewis lung carcinoma, F3methyl-dCyd (+ H4Urd) was shown to surpass the efficacies of 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluorodeoxyuridine and to be essentially equal in efficacy to 5-fluorodeoxycytidine (+ H4Urd). The optimum established protocol against Lewis lung carcinoma is F3methyl-dCyd, 175 mg/kg, + H4Urd, 25 mg/kg, once per day for 7 days. Studies utilizing high concentrations of H4Urd coadministered with F3methyl-dCyd indicate that the major pathway of tumor inhibition is via conversion of F3methyl-dCyd to 5-trifluorothymidine in view of the fact that tumor inhibition diminishes at doses of H4Urd which result in extensive (93%) inhibition of tumor cytidine deaminase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Assessment of Passive Elastic Stiffness for Isolated Heart Muscle and the Intact Heart

A sensitive method was developed for detecting stiffness changes in the left ventricle. Stress-strain relationships (σ--e) were obtained in the form dσ/de = kσ + c from published studies on eight normal canine hearts, five infarcted canine hearts, and seven isolated cat papillary muscles. Utilizing pressure-volume relationships, the elastic stiffness (dσ/de) and the stiffness constant ( k ) were also evaluated in patients with normal ventricles, inappropriate hypertrophy, and congestive cardiomyopathy. The k values were 35.0 ± 1.7 (isolated muscle, 30°C), 37.3 ± 1.9 (normal canine, 23°C), and 23.9 (infarcted). For the patient groups, k and the passive elastic stiffness were 15.8 ± 0.3 and 249 ± 22.4 g/cm 2 for 13 normal patients, 26.4 ± 1.7 and 286 ± 32.0 g/cm 2 for 7 patients with inappropriate hypertrophy, and 20.1 ± 1.2 and 1360 ± 209 g/cm 2 for 6 patients with congestive cardiomyopathy. The results indicate that (1) k is sensitive to stiffness changes due to infarction, (2) hypertrophy causes an increase in the value of k although elastic stiffness remains within normal limits, and (3) k for the intact human heart is lower than it is for isolated muscle.
Stem cell homing and angiomyogenesis in transplanted hearts are enhanced by combined intramyocardial SDF-1α delivery and endogenous cytokine signaling

We used a heterotopic transplanted working heart model to probe the collaborative role of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells (BPCs) and stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1α in attenuating tissue ...
Psychological Testing in Epilepsy

Summary I. This review indicates that: a. There is no cognitive deficit which is characteristic of all epileptics, i.e., of seizures. b. There is no clear–cut evidence of an impairment which differentiates deterioration in epilepsy from deterioration in other disorders. c. The correlation of focal cerebral dysfunction with specific seizure phenomena is becoming the basis of clinical diagnosis in the epilepsies. Investigations of psychological deficit in relation to these variables suggest that different kinds of deficit may be associated with specific foci of cerebral dysfunction in epileptics. d. Further investigation is needed to establish whether these deficits are related to deterioration in epilepsy. 2. It is recommended that: a. Epileptics be subdivided on the basis of cerebral dysfunction and seizure phenomena. b. Since all clinicians do not use the same criteria in differentiating between idiopathic and symptomatic epilepsy, the investigator of cognitive functioning, instead of accepting these labels at face value, should investigate what the criteria are and specify them in describing his groups. c. A test, or battery of tests, covering a range of intellectual processes, including memory, should be used in order to evaluate patterns of cognitive deficit. d. Control groups should be more extensively used in order to establish diagnostic value for an observed deficit. e. Epileptic groups, defined as in a and b, when followed over a period of time, may contribute to our knowledge of deterioration in epilepsy. f. Only by investigating cognitive deficits along with other areas of functioning– personality, and general social efficiency – can we arrive at an overall concept of the consequences of the epilepsies.
Untapped Richness in Erik H. Erikson’s Rootstock

Erik H. Erikson published his groundbreaking theory of 8 stages of lifelong psychosocial development in 1950. His theory expanded psychoanalytic concepts of psychosexual development to include the importance of social dynamics; it transcended then-current thinking that psychological development culminated in early adulthood, acknowledging that systematic human development continues throughout the entire life cycle. The theory made Erikson a pioneer in developmental psychology. His last authored book, Vital Involvement in Old Age, rearticulated and elaborated 3 principles that, in different words, are rooted in his original theory of healthy life cycle development: (1) Dynamic Balance of Opposites; (2) Vital Involvement; and (3) Life in Time. Using a lens informed by knowledge gained over the past 30 years and by reflections of one of the original researchers on that project, the current manuscript seeks to spark new interest in Erikson's late-life contribution. It explains the principles in new detail, links them to relevant research, and suggests ways they could enable Erikson's ideas to further enrich gerontological practice and research.
Learning Accurate, Compact, and Interpretable Tree Annotation

We present an automatic approach to tree annotation in which basic nonterminal symbols are alternately split and merged to maximize the likelihood of a training treebank. Starting with a simple X-bar grammar, we learn a new grammar whose nonterminals are subsymbols of the original nonterminals. In contrast with previous work, we are able to split various terminals to different degrees, as appropriate to the actual complexity in the data. Our grammars automatically learn the kinds of linguistic distinctions exhibited in previous work on manual tree annotation. On the other hand, our grammars are much more compact and substantially more accurate than previous work on automatic annotation. Despite its simplicity, our best grammar achieves an F1 of 90.2% on the Penn Treebank, higher than fully lexicalized systems.
Solute-Driven Melting Kinetics in the Sn-Bi System

The goal of the present study was to gain insight into the mechanisms and behavior of solute driven melting processes. Solute-driven melting refers to melting whose driving force originates from a change in composition, i.e., solute content, rather than a change in temperature. This kind of melting has been known to cause casting defects in superalloys and other metals. An experimental apparatus was designed and a series of experiments were carried out on Sn-Bi alloys. The apparatus involved diffusing Bi into solid Sn cast inside a glass capillary to cause it to melt. The Bi source was an enriched liquid Sn-Bi alloy contained in a reservoir. The Sn in the capillary was kept at a constant temperature below its melting point so that the melting was caused by the increasing Bi composition. The progression of the interface was monitored by quenching the process at various times for the same conditions. The apparatus was successful in delivering data for the displacement of the interface against time. It was found that interface position was approximately proportional to the square root of time, and so the process may be diffusion controlled as conjectured in previous literature. Rough calculations are made relating the temperature and supersaturation to the displacement coefficient A in the equation z = At ½ where z is displacement and t is time. By comparing data at different temperatures with the same supersaturation, an activation energy Q of ~60,000J/mol is calculated. This value is between the activations energies for diffusion of Bi through the liquid and the solid. Suggestions for modification of the apparatus to include in-situ interface monitoring are made.
Optimal compressed sensing reconstructions of fMRI using 2D deterministic and stochastic sampling geometries

Compressive sensing can provide a promising framework for accelerating fMRI image acquisition by allowing reconstructions from a limited number of frequency-domain samples. Unfortunately, the majority of compressive sensing studies are based on stochastic sampling geometries that cannot guarantee fast acquisitions that are needed for fMRI. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive optimization framework that can be used to determine the optimal 2D stochastic or deterministic sampling geometry, as well as to provide optimal reconstruction parameter values for guaranteeing image quality in the reconstructed images. We investigate the use of frequency-space (k-space) sampling based on: (i) 2D deterministic geometries of dyadic phase encoding (DPE) and spiral low pass (SLP) geometries, and (ii) 2D stochastic geometries based on random phase encoding (RPE) and random samples on a PDF (RSP). Overall, we consider over 36 frequency-sampling geometries at different sampling rates. For each geometry, we compute optimal reconstructions of single BOLD fMRI ON & OFF images, as well as BOLD fMRI activity maps based on the difference between the ON and OFF images. We also provide an optimization framework for determining the optimal parameters and sampling geometry prior to scanning. For each geometry, we show that reconstruction parameter optimization converged after just a few iterations. Parameter optimization led to significant image quality improvements. For activity detection, retaining only 20.3% of the samples using SLP gave a mean PSNR value of 57.58 dB. We also validated this result with the use of the Structural Similarity Index Matrix (SSIM) image quality metric. SSIM gave an excellent mean value of 0.9747 (max = 1). This indicates that excellent reconstruction results can be achieved. Median parameter values also gave excellent reconstruction results for the ON/OFF images using the SLP sampling geometry (mean SSIM > =0.93). Here, median parameter values were obtained using mean-SSIM optimization. This approach was also validated using leave-one-out. We have found that compressive sensing parameter optimization can dramatically improve fMRI image reconstruction quality. Furthermore, 2D MRI scanning based on the SLP geometries consistently gave the best image reconstruction results. The implication of this result is that less complex sampling geometries will suffice over random sampling. We have also found that we can obtain stable parameter regions that can be used to achieve specific levels of image reconstruction quality when combined with specific k-space sampling geometries. Furthermore, median parameter values can be used to obtain excellent reconstruction results.
Paclitaxel-loaded tocopheryl succinate-conjugated chitosan oligosaccharide nanoparticles for synergistic chemotherapy

Although countless work on the synthesis, encapsulation and toxicity of paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) has been reported, there have been few reports on the development of the nano-carrier materials of the paclitaxel (PTX) delivery system with therapeutic effects. In this study, we synthesized PTX-loaded tocopheryl succinate-conjugated chitosan oligosaccharide (CSO–TOS) NPs for synergistic chemotherapy. The resultant PTX-loaded CSO–TOS NPs were about 116 nm in diameter with spherical shape and high encapsulation efficiency. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry studies showed that PTX-loaded CSO–TOS NPs had excellent cellular uptake ability by human glioma U87 cells. In vitro cytotoxicity studies revealed that the PTX-loaded CSO–TOS NPs were more potent than free PTX. The therapeutic effects of carrier materials were also studied and a synergistic effect between TOS and PTX was achieved. Cytoarchitecture studies demonstrated a similar cytoskeleton pattern before and after PTX-NPs were loaded into bone marrow derived macrophages. In vivo pharmacokinetic results indicated that the PTX-loaded CSO–TOS NPs had a longer systemic circulation time and slower plasma elimination rate than those of Taxol®. These results suggested that CSO–TOS could be a potential vehicle for delivering hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drugs to tumors.
Identifying hydrologically sensitive areas: Bridging the gap between science and application

Researchers have noted that current water quality protection strategies, like nutrient management plans, lack a sound hydrological underpinning for pollutant transport processes. This is especially true for areas like the northeastern U.S. where copious research has shown that variable source area hydrology largely governs runoff generation. The goal of this study was to develop a scientifically justified method to identify the locations that generate overland flow. Furthermore, this methodology must be computationally simple enough that it can be utilized or incorporated into nutrient management plans and other established water quality tools. We specifically tested the reliability of the ‘distance from a stream,’ Ds, and the ‘topographic index,’ l, to predict areas with a high propensity for generating overland flow, i.e. hydrologically sensitive areas (HSA). HSAs were defined by their probability of generating runoff, Psat, based on 30 year simulations using a physically based hydrological model. Using GIS, each location’s Psat was correlated with Ds and l. We used three Delaware Co., NY watersheds in the New York City watershed system with areas varying in size from 1.6 to 37 km 2 and with forested and agricultural land uses. The topographic index gave stronger, more regionally consistent correlations with Psat than did Ds. Equations correlating l and Psat for each month are presented and can be used to estimate hydrological sensitivity in the region surrounding our study watersheds, i.e. in Delaware Co. This work is currently being incorporated into an Internet Mapping System to facilitate user-friendly, on-line identification of HSAs. q 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A VLSI design methodology for SOI technology

An effective development strategy recognizes the interdependency of product cost, performance, technology, tools, schedule, skills, and other controllable but limited quantities. An efficient design methodology enables tradeoffs between these quantities such that the resulting design point can be implemented in a hardware that is competitive and reaches the marketplace when it is most profitable. SOI technology can provide a competitive edge over a bulk design if the development strategy and design methodology is properly positioned to take full advantage of what SOI offers.
Radiographic Parameters Associated with Pain Following Total Hip and Surface Arthroplasty

Pain following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and surface arthroplasty (SRA) remains a significant source of patient dissatisfaction. Two hundred twenty-four SRA and 196 THA patients completed a pain drawing questionnaire and postoperative radiographic measurements of component positioning were performed. In the SRA cohort, 11 of 21 patients (52%) with acetabular uncoverage of ≥5 mm versus 43 of 147 (29%) with acetabular uncoverage of ≤4.9 mm reported groin pain (P=.03). In the THA cohort, an increased distal-third canal fill ratio and a lower canal calcar ratio trended towards a higher incidence of thigh pain (P=.10 and .06), while a decreased mid-third canal fill ratio was associated with increased severity of thigh pain (P=.04). This study identifies associations between radiographic findings and pain following THA and SRA.
The ROMK potassium channel is present in mammalian urinary tract epithelia and muscle.

There is increasing evidence that mammalian urinary tract epithelial cells utilize membrane channels and transporters to transport solutes across their apical (luminal) and basalateral membranes to...