cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1084: Triple-negative breast cancer displays a unique subset of macrophages dependent on CCL5 signaling

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer. While five-year survival rates have reached 98% in patients treated with anti-ER or anti-HER2 therapies, patients with TNBC have a five-year survival rate of only 24%. Currently, the only form of therapy for these patients is surgery and platinum based chemotherapy. However, patient outcome is generally poor. Additionally, this disease disproportionately affects African-American women and lower income women, with rates seen approximately three times higher in African-American women compared to the rest of the population. An alternative strategy for treating TNBC patients involves targeting the tumor stroma. Here we have used an RNA sequencing approach that utilizes species information to precisely resolve tumor- and stroma-specific gene expression in a xenograft system. We employed a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) model in which primary tumor invasiveness is controlled by the metastasis suppressor Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein (RKIP). RKIP expression, which converts invasive tumors to noninvasive tumors, dramatically inhibits macrophage infiltration. The mechanism, which is dependent on Let-7 suppression of HMGA2, involves decreased expression of the chemokine CCL5. Furthermore, overexpression of CCL5 partially rescued the infiltration of macrophages into the tumor and intravasation of tumor cells into the blood stream. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was used to characterize the TNBC-infiltrating macrophages. Together, these studies identify targetable pathways involving tumor-macrophage crosstalk that potentiate TNBC cell invasion and metastasis. Citation Format: Daniel C. Rabe, Casey Frankenberger, Russell Bainer, Yoav Gilad, Marsha Rich Rosner. Triple-negative breast cancer displays a unique subset of macrophages dependent on CCL5 signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1084. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1084
Dynamics of Fruiting Body Morphogenesis

Myxobacteria build their species-specific fruiting bodies by cell movement and then differentiate spores in specific places within that multicellular structure. New steps in the developmental aggregation of Myxococcus xanthus were discovered through a frame-by-frame analysis of a motion picture. The formation and fate of 18 aggregates were captured in the time-lapse movie. Still photographs of 600 other aggregates were also analyzed. M. xanthus has two engines that propel the gliding of its rod-shaped cells: slime-secreting jets at the rear and retractile pili at the front. The earliest aggregates are stationary masses of cells that look like three-dimensional traffic jams. We propose a model in which both engines stall as the cells' forward progress is blocked by other cells in the traffic jam. We also propose that these blockades are eventually circumvented by the cell's capacity to turn, which is facilitated by the push of slime secretion at the rear of each cell and by the flexibility of the myxobacterial cell wall. Turning by many cells would transform a traffic jam into an elliptical mound, in which the cells are streaming in closed orbits. Pairs of adjacent mounds are observed to coalesce into single larger mounds, probably reflecting the fusion of orbits in the adjacent mounds. Although fruiting bodies are relatively large structures that contain 105 cells, no long-range interactions between cells were evident. For aggregation, M. xanthus appears to use local interactions between its cells.
Two-step switching of saturable reactors

The fundamental problem in the analysis and design of magnetic amplifiers is the determination of the unsaturated impedance of the reactor by some test less specialized than insertion in the actual circuit. For tape and ferrite cores driven by very large currents, such as are encountered in computer applications, fairly successful approaches have been developed, although they are still incapable of explaining some observed phenomena.1?3 Unfortunately, cores operating at normal magnetic-amplifier frequencies are not correctly described by these representations, and the designer has been forced to use either extremely idealized models or fairly limited extrapolations from specific measurements.
A SEMI-IMPLICIT CALCULATION PROCEDURE FOR FLOWS DESCRIBED IN BOUNDARY-FITTED COORDINATE SYSTEMS

A semi-implicit numerical procedure is described for solving the Navier-Stokes equations in boundary-fitted coordinate systems. The procedure solves the steady-state equations directly without marching in time, and in the current study it is applied to flows with a predominant flow direction. Two illustrative flow situations have been analyzed and are reported. The required computing times are modest, and are less than those for fully explicit schemes, when the steady-state behavior is of prime concern.
An in vitro investigation of the wear of enamel on porcelain and gold in saliva

Abstract This study compared enamel wear against low-fusing porcelain (Procera All-Ceramic) with the wear against feldspathic porcelain (Ceramco) and gold alloy (Olympia). Human enamel abraders were polished to a 3 μm variance on silicon carbide paper. Five enamel abraders were abraded against five disks that were fabricated from (1) gold alloy polished to 1 μm variance, (2) autoglazed feldspathic porcelain, and (3) autoglazed low-fusing porcelain. The enamel sample was tested in human saliva in a wear machine with a constant load of 1 pound during 10,000 rotational cycles. The amount of wear was determined with a stereomicroscope at magnification x64. Significant differences in mean enamel wear were found when abraded against Olympia gold (9 μm), Procera All-Ceramic (60 μm), and Ceramco feldspathic porcelain (230 μm). Significant differences in restorative material wear were found between Olympia gold (0.32 μm) and the porcelain materials, Procera All-Ceramic (4.3 μm) and Ceramco feldspathic porcelain (3.7 μm).
Mover Destination Selectivity and the Changing Suburbanization of Metropolitan Whites and Blacks

Recent writings of scholars concerned with urban population shifts suggest that post-1970 patterns of population suburbanization have begun to operate in different and less predictable ways than in the past (Alonso, 1980; Pettigrew, 1980). One radical view suggests that declining central cities are becoming more attractive to a large and select segment of the metropolitan area's white population and that the black population has begun to embark on a redistribution process that is reminiscent of the earlier suburbanization of metropolitan whites. It is my intent here to shed light on such speculations by examining trends in the intrametropolitan destination selectivity of movers over three postwar periods and by estimating their effects on the evolving suburbanization process. Trends in mover destination selectivity, as indicated by changes in movers' destination propensity rates, directly measure the changing attraction of city and suburb locations for whites and blacks of different social categories. Part of this analysis will compare mover destination propensity rate patterns for a set of the nation's oldest metropolitan areas across periods to determine change in the suburban selectivity of white and black movers in the post-1970 period. Of course, the destination selectivity of movers and its associated population redistribution, registered over a given period of observation, does not necessarily bring about a significant change in aggregate population distribution. Therefore, a second portion of this analysis will employ the Frey (1978a) population redistribution framework to estimate the change in aggregate suburbanization levels that can be uniquely attributed to changes in movers' destination propensity rates observed over three postwar periods.
Unsteady mass transfer near fluid-liquid interfaces

Abstract Methods are proposed and illustrated for solving time dependent convective diffusion equations having the form They consist in two types of contraction of Eq. (1). Introducing a variable X  X (x,t), satisfying the equation Eq. (1) is contracted to Introducing a variable T = (t,x) satisfying the equation Eq. (1) is contracted to Equations (9) and (36) are solved by means of similarity transformations. The solution of Eq. (9) is not able to satisfy the boundary condition for x = O, and that Eq. (36) the one for t = O. Both solutions (each of them being valid in a certain range) provide however a complete solution satisfying all the boundary and initial conditions. A number of cases are presented for illustration.
Cyanate intercalation in nickel hydroxide

α-Ni(OH)2 and Ni−Al layer double hydroxides (LDHs) precipitated by urea were investigated with FTIR and XPS. Possible modes of cyanate (CNO-) coordination during the nucleation and growth of precipitates is discussed. In the early stages, cyanate ion in α-Ni(OH)2 is found mainly to be N-bonded to Ni2+ ions in the layers, whereas later in the growth stages, it is bonded through oxygen. In LDHs cyanate remains N-bonded. These changes in the coordinations modes are related to the decreasing supersaturation levels during digestion. XPS results support the FTIR results.
Interpersonal Influences on the Self-management Skills of the Rural Asthmatic Adolescent

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to understand how self-management behaviors of the adolescent with asthma are influenced by the perceived expectations (normative beliefs/subjective norms) for self-management behaviors from healthcare providers, school nurses, teachers, family and friends. SAMPLE: Seven rural adolescents (five males and two females with an age range of 13-17 years) METHOD: Focus groups were conducted with analysis for common themes influencing management behaviors. RESULTS: The majority of participants perceived provider and parental expectations for asthma management as only consisting of medication compliance. The students did not report any perceived expectations from the school nurse except independent inhaler use. There was no expectation to report use to the school nurse. The participants felt that their teachers were not aware of their asthma diagnosis; therefore, no expectations were noted. Expectations from peers had no influence on self-management behaviors. CONCLUSION: The results from this study demonstrate the influence of the expectations for asthma self-management by significant people in the adolescents’ life. The adolescents in this study were unable to identify what behaviors they needed to perform in order to control their asthma. Except for taking their prescribed medications, no other behaviors were addressed by their health care provider, parents, friends or school nurse. The lack of expectation for other self-management behaviors that are essential for asthma control, such as knowledge of asthma symptoms, trigger avoidance and when to seek help during an asthma attack may be a leading contributor for uncontrolled asthma. Asthma action plans, if consistently used by health care providers, parents and schools, can reinforce the expectation for behaviors that will result in good asthma outcomes.KEYWORDS: Asthma, Adolescent, Self-management, Theory of Planned Behavior, PolicyDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v14i2.281
Synaptic inputs to GABAA and GABAB receptors originate from discrete afferent neurons

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibits neurons by acting at GABAA and GABAB receptors but it is not known whether the two receptors are associated with discretely separate afferent inputs or whether GABA released from a single presynaptic neuron activates both receptors. Intracellular recordings were used to show that, in the lateral amygdala and ventral tegmental area of the rat, distinct sets of GABA-containing neurons provide the synaptic input to GABAA and GABAB receptors. Synaptic potentials resulting from GABAA receptor activation (blocked by bicuculline) and from GABAB receptor activation (blocked by 2-hydroxysaclofen) occurred spontaneously but as unrelated events. Furthermore, the two components of evoked synaptic potentials were differentially inhibited by agonists acting presynaptically (muscarine and 5-hydroxytryptamine). The finding that GABA acting at GABAA and GABAB receptors originates from distinct sets of presynaptic fibers suggests that two groups of GABA-containing neurons might be generally distinguishable in the mammalian nervous system.
Longitudinal pathways of victimization, substance use, and delinquency: Findings from the National Survey of Adolescents.

Using a nationally representative sample of 3614 adolescents, age 12 to 17 years, this study examines longitudinal associations among interpersonal victimization (i.e., sexual abuse, physical abuse and/or assault, and witnessed community and domestic violence) and high risk behavior (i.e., alcohol use, drug use, and delinquent behavior). A bidirectional relationship was hypothesized between high risk behavior and victimization for the full sample. Descriptive results indicated that a high correlation between types of high risk behavior, with over 50% of adolescents having engaged in at least one type of high risk behavior by Wave 2 in the study. Results suggested strong links between victimization and high risk behaviors, whereas sequential order of the constructs across time was dependent on gender and type of victimization. Specifically, hypotheses concerning victimization and high risk behavior were fully supported with boys, but different patterns emerged in the data for girls.
THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS IN NINE CALIFORNIA COUNTIES

This study examined the association between mean daily apparent temperature and hospital admissions for several diseases in nine California counties from May to September, 1999 to 2005. We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study limited to cases with residential zip codes located within 10 km of a temperature monitor. County-specific estimates were combined, using a random effects meta-analysis. The analyses also considered the effects of ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5). We found that a 10°F increase in mean apparent temperature was associated with a 3.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5–5.6] increase in ischemic stroke and increases in several other disease-specific outcomes including all respiratory diseases (2.0%, 95% CI 0.7–3.2), pneumonia (3.7%, 95% CI 1.7–3.7), dehydration (10.8%, 95% CI 8.3–13.6), diabetes (3.1%, 95% CI 0.4–5.9), and acute renal failure (7.4%, 95% CI 4.0–10.9). There was little evidence that the temperature effects we found were due to confounding by either PM2.5 or ozone. Our results indicate that increases in ambient temperature have important public health impacts on morbidity.
The forecasting attributes of trend‐ and difference‐stationary representations for macroeconomic time series

We analyse the forecasting attributes of trenc and diffence-stationary representations of the U.S. macroeconomic time series sudied by Nelson and Plosser (1982). Predictive densities based on models estimated for these series (which terminate in 1970) are compared with subsequent realizations compiled by Schotman and van Dijk (1991) which terminate in (1988). Predictive densities obtained using the, extended series are also derived to assess the impact of the subsequent realization on long-range forecasts. Of particular interest are comparisons of the average intervals of predictive densities corresponding to the competing specifications In general, we find that coverage intervals based on diference-stationary specifications are far wider than those based or. trend-stationary specifications for the real series, and slightly wider for the nominal series. This additional width is often a virtue in forecasting nuninal series over the 1971-1988 period, as the inflation experienced durnig this time was unprecedented in the 1900s. However, the evolution of the real series has been relatively stable in the 1900s, hence the uncertainty associated with difference-stationary specifications generally seems excessive for these data.
Probabilistic accuracy bounds for fault-tolerant computations that discard tasks

We present a new technique for enabling computations to survive errors and faults while providing a bound on any resulting output distortion. A developer using the technique first partitions the computation into tasks. The execution platform then simply discards any task that encounters an error or a fault and completes the computation by executing any remaining tasks. This technique can substantially improve the robustness of the computation in the face of errors and faults. A potential concern is that discarding tasks may change the result that the computation produces.Our technique randomly samples executions of the program at varying task failure rates to obtain a quantitative, probabilistic model that characterizes the distortion of the output as a function of the task failure rates. By providing probabilistic bounds on the distortion, the model allows users to confidently accept results produced by executions with failures as long as the distortion falls within acceptable bounds. This approach may prove to be especially useful for enabling computations to successfully survive hardware failures in distributed computing environments.Our technique also produces a timing model that characterizes the execution time as a function of the task failure rates. The combination of the distortion and timing models quantifies an accuracy/execution time tradeoff. It therefore enables the development of techniques that purposefully fail tasks to reduce the execution time while keeping the distortion within acceptable bounds.
Mechanisms of Peroxynitrite Decomposition Catalyzed by FeTMPS, a Bioactive Sulfonated Iron Porphyrin

Abstract Peroxynitrite is a known cytotoxic agent that plays a role in many pathological conditions. Various peroxynitrite decomposition catalysts and pathways are being explored to develop efficient therapeutic agents that can safely remove peroxynitrite from cells and tissues. Water-soluble porphyrins, such as iron(III) meso -tetra(2,4,6-trimethyl-3,5-disulfonato)porphine chloride (FeTMPS) and iron(III) meso -tetra( N -methyl-4-pyridyl)porphine chloride (FeTMPyP), have been shown to react catalytically with peroxynitrite (ONOO − ). However, their mechanisms are yet to be fully understood. In this study, we have explored the reactivity of FeTMPS in the catalytic decomposition of peroxynitrite. The mechanism of this complex process has been determined. According to this mechanism, Fe(III)TMPS is oxidized by peroxynitrite to produce oxoFe(IV)TMPS and NO 2 ( k 1 = 1.3 × 10 5 M −1 s −1 ). The porphyrin is then reduced back to Fe(III)TMPS by nitrite, but this rate ( k 2 = 1.4 × 10 4 M −1 s −1 ) is not sufficient to maintain the catalytic process at the observed rate. The overall rate of peroxynitrite decomposition catalysis, k cat , was determined to be 6 × 10 4 M −1 s −1 , under typical conditions. We have postulated that an additional reduction pathway must exist. Kinetic simulations showed that a reaction of oxoFe(IV)TMPS with NO 2 ( k 3 = 1.7 × 10 7 M −1 s −1 ) could explain the behavior of this system and account for the fast reduction of oxoFe(IV)TMPS to Fe(III). Using the kinetic simulation analysis, we have also shown that two other rearrangement reactions, involving FeTMPS and peroxynitrite, are plausible pathways for peroxynitrite decay. A “cage-return” reaction between the generated oxoFe(IV)TMPS and NO 2 ( k 8 = 5.4 × 10 4 M −1 s −1 ), affording Fe(III)TMPS and nitrate, and a reaction between oxoFe(IV)TMPS and peroxynitrite ( k 7 = 2.4 × 10 4 M −1 s −1 ) that affords oxoFe(IV)TMPS and nitrate are presented. The mechanism of FeTMPS-catalyzed peroxynitrite decay differs markedly from that of FeTMPyP, providing some insight into the reactivity of metal centers with peroxynitrite and biologically important radicals such as NO 2 .
Antibiotic treatment of mastitis: comparison of intramammary and intramammary plus intramuscular therapies.

Abstract Efficacy of two therapy regimens for subclinical Staphylococcus aureus bovine mastitis was evaluated. Forty-nine lactating cows with a total of 78 subclinically infected quarters were included. Cows were divided into two treatment groups. Group 1 received intramammary infusion at each milking for six milkings with a commercial lactating cow product containing 62.5mg of amoxicillin. Group 2 received the same intramammary infusion regimen plus one intramuscular injection daily of 9,000,000 U procaine penicillin G for 3 d. The combination of intramammary and intramuscular treatment resulted in bacteriologic cure of 51.4% of quarters and 48% of cows compared to 25% of quarters and 30.4% of cows for intramammary infusion alone. Quarters where infections were not cured supported more growth of S. aureus during treatment than glands that were cured. Mean antibiotic concentration in foremilk samples during treatment were lower in quarters that were cured. Somatic cell counts of milk from quarters that were not cured were higher prior to initiation of treatment than those cured. Data suggest that further evaluation of new regimens for treatment of subclinical S. aureus mastitis is warranted.
The original basal stem section influences rooting in Pinus banksiana cuttings

We tested the hypothesis that, during propagation, the basal stem of Pinus banksiana Lamb, cuttings contains a nonauxin endogenous root-forming stimulus (ERS) whose effects are not replaced by auxin treatment; i.e., that auxin treatment of cuttings and surgical removal of their basal stems during propagation act additively on rooting, without significant interaction, as determined by analyses of variance. We studied the effects of ERS by severing the original basal (1 cm) stem from cuttings at days 3, 6 and 9 of a 30-day period of propagation. To study treatment interaction, we applied the auxin N-phenyl indolyl-3-butyramide to some surgically treated cuttings. Results for all variables (proportion of rooted cuttings, number of roots per cutting and fresh weight of basal stem plus roots, if any) indicated that removing the basal stem reduced rooting and that auxin treatment increased rooting, without significant treatment interaction. The results thus supported the hypothesis that P. banksiana seedling cuttings contain ERS. However, neither the present nor previous tests have shown that ERS is a chemical stimulus rather than, for example, a biophysical or anatomical one.
Control of phenotypic expression of cultured melanoma cells by melanocyte stimulating hormones.

STUDIES of the mechanism through which MSH acts in mammals have been restricted to intact animals or to melanomas grown in animals1,2. We describe here a mouse melanoma cell line cultivated in monolayer which when exposed to MSH shows large increases in tyrosinase activity and melanin content, as well as changes in growth characteristics and cellular morphology. In addition, we have found that adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) or its analogue N6,O2'-dibutyryl cyclic AMP (diB cyclic AMP) will substitute for MSH, supporting previous evidence that MSH probably acts through cyclic AMP in mammals1,3.
Improved extubation rates and earlier liberation from mechanical ventilation with implementation of a daily spontaneous-breathing trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Daily spontaneous-breathing trials (SBTs) are promulgated as the best method for assessing readiness for discontinuation of mechanical ventilation. SBT protocols have also been shown to improve outcomes as opposed to wild-type implementation of daily SBT recommendations. Here we determine whether implementation of a mandatory, protocol-driven daily SBT on all ventilated patients in the ICU improves extubation rates and accelerates liberation from mechanical ventilation. STUDY DESIGN: A daily 30-minute SBT protocol was introduced into an academic surgical ICU in July 2005 and followed through September 2006. Decisions about next steps (continued mechanical support versus liberation) after each trial were recorded. Owing to the low liberation rate, physicians began (in January 2006) recording the reasons for continuing mechanical ventilation after a passing SBT. Differences in patient outcomes were compared for the first and last 8 weeks of the study period, corresponding to similar times in the academic and calendar years. RESULTS: Four hundred eighty-eight patients experienced 547 mechanical ventilation episodes from July 2005 to September 2006. A total of 2,835 safety evaluations for SBTs were completed. Rate of extubations of passing patients after the first 8 weeks of implementation (n = 73 patients) was 27% (35 extubations of 131 passed trials). This rate improved in the last 8 weeks to 42% (42 of 101) (p < 0.02) (n = 57 patients). Reintubation rate was similar at 6% for the first 8 weeks and 8% for the final 8 weeks (p = 0.65), including self-extubations. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a daily SBT protocol resulted in improvement of extubation rates during the year of implementation without a change in the reintubation rate. Requesting that physicians enumerate reasons for continuing mechanical ventilation in the face of a passing breathing trial was associated with a sustained improvement in extubation rate.
Quench Propagation and Training in Simulated Superconducting Magnet Windings

Training behavior similar to that which occurs in full scale superconducting accelerator magnets has been observed in small test windings. The test coils are formed from approximately 20 meters of conductor wound non-inductively, in Bifilar fashion. The resulting racetrack shaped coil is molded at elevated temperature to simulate the construction techniques used for the ISABELLE dipoles. The quench current of such windings has been measured as a function of applied field and the effect of parameters such as mechanical loading and porosity have been investigated. The velocity of propagation of the normal front has been measured both along and transverse to the direction of current flow for several test windings. The minimum energy required to produce a self propagating normal zone has also been determined in an attempt to quantify the relative stability of the coils.
An 80 mW dual video-codec SoC for seamless playback of digital terrestrial television and mobile broadcasting services

A mobile digital-terrestrial-television SoC with two multi-standard video codec is integrated on a 5.3×5.4 mm2 die in 45 nm CMOS. The dual video codec with dynamic frequency selection and advanced tile-based address translation consumes 80 mW in real-time playback of full-HD MPEG-2 and SD H.264 streams from 64 bits width low-power DDR-SDRAM at 1.1V.
Investigation of genetic factors influencing duration of copulation in "eastern" and "western" Drosophila athabasca.

Observations of mating behaviour were made on ‘eastern’ and ‘western’ Drosophila athabasca and on flies of mixed genetic background. Duration of copulation in mixed combinations of D. athabasca is determined by the male. In F1 males the source of X-chromosome, whether eastern or western, partly determined duration of copulation. However, durations of copulation of backcross males suggest autosomal influence, in that males derived from an eastern backcross demonstrate significantly shorter durations than males derived from a western backcross. In addition, durations of copulation from F2 combinations exhibit greater variance than the F1 and thereby represent evidence of F2 segregation.
Monoclonal antibodies against Manduca sexta heemocytes bind Aedes aegypti hemocytes: Characterization of six monoclonal antibodies that bind hemocytes from both species

Abstract The mechanisms by which hemocytes mediate a mosquito's defense response to parasites or pathogens are not well understood. This is due in part to difficulty in collecting intact mosquito hemocytes for experiments and to a lack of reagents, such as antibodies. Our objectives were to collect adult Aedes aegypti hemocytes under conditions suitable for immunofluorescence microscopy, and to test whether monoclonal antibodies, generated against larval Manduca sexta hemocytes, bind adult Ae. aegypti hemocytes. We present immunofluorescence micrographs of M. sexta and Ae. aegypti hemocytes stained by six monoclonal antibodies. Two antibodies, MS11 and MS32, immunolocalized to hemocyte nuclei in both species. On Western blots, these antibodies generate one signal at ~ 40 kDa and four others between 10 and 25 kDa. Immunofluorescence staining patterns of the other four antibodies were more complex. That these antibodies bind hemocytes from both species suggests significant molecular similarities exist between hemocytes from evolutionarily divergent species.
Effect of tryptophan derivatives on the phase properties of bilayers

Binding of several tryptophan derivatives and tryptophan-containing peptides to bilayers is examined by monitoring fluorescence enhancement as a function of lipid concentration. The thermodynamic and spectral parameters of the solutes in the bilayers of vesicles and liposomes do not exhibit any anomalous dependence upon the gel or the liquid-crystalline phase state of the bilayer. Effects of these solutes on the phase-transition profiles of the bilayers of liposomes and vesicles are examined, and the lowering of the phase-transition temperature is correlated with the mole fraction of the solute in the bilayer. The partition coefficients do not change at the main phase-transition temperature. These observations contradict the thermodynamic explanation of the solute-induced lowering of the phase-transition temperature which is based on the Van't Hoff relationship for distribution of the solute in the two coexisting phases at the phase-transition temperature. It is postulated that solute molecules bound to defect sites in bilayers modulate the phase properties of bilayers. These defect sites are induced in the gel phase of bilayers of liposomes above the subtransition temperature.
A need to expand our thinking about “repeat” abortions

Abstract Background Women who have more than one abortion are often the ���targets��� for social and clinical interventions geared at preventing ���repeat abortions.��� Such an approach ignores the unique circumstances that may surround each abortion. Study Design We qualitatively analyzed the history of 10 women who have had more than one abortion who were participating in a larger study of women's emotional experiences following abortion. Women were recruited following their initial contact with a postabortion support talk line and from a previously completed study. Results Overall, women in the sample reported that each abortion was different and some abortions were more emotionally difficult than others, suggesting that the phrase ���repeat��� can be a misnomer and discounts the unique circumstances surrounding each abortion. Conclusion Rather than use the term ���repeat abortions,��� we advocate for the use of the less loaded term ���multiple abortions,��� in which each abortion is understood as a unique experience.
Community Reinvestment Act Enforcement and Changes in Targeted Lending

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) encourages banks and savings and loan associations to meet the credit needs of local communities. Controversies surrounding implementation of the CRA, however, have challenged its effectiveness as a tool for increasing loan activity. To determine whether the CRA influences lending, the authors compare the low-income mortgage loans of banks that experience CRA downgrades to those of other banks that are not downgraded. The authors find no evidence consistent with the hypothesis that downgraded banks, in an attempt to reestablish an acceptable rating, increase lending.
Correlates of genetic risk for non‐syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate

Multivariate analysis was used to determine which characteristics: sex of the proband, sibling sex, severity of the proband's defect or family history, are the best predictors of recurrence risk among siblings of individuals with non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL +/- P). Sibling recurrence risks are not significantly related to the sex of the proband. Severity of the proband's defect, classified by the extent of the lip defect (unilateral versus bilateral), was found to be a significant predictor of sibling recurrence, whereas involvement of the palate in the proband's defect was not. A positive family history of clefting (i.e. at least one affected first-degree relative in addition to the proband) and the sex of the sibling were also found to be significant predictors of sibling recurrence. The associations between sibling risk and family history, and sibling risk and bilaterality of the proband's defect appear to be mildly confounded. After adjusting for the effects of family history, the risk to siblings of probands with bilateral lip defects is twice the risk to siblings of probands with unilateral defects (O.R. = 2.00; 95% C.I. 1.25-3.19). A positive family history of clefting increases the risk to siblings by greater than 4-fold (O.R. = 4.49; 95% C.I. 2.74-7.35), after adjusting for the extent of the proband's lip defect. These results provide a rational strategy for identifying subsets of the 'at risk' population which have markedly different recurrence risks. This information is important for genetic counseling, since it allows for more precise estimation of sibling recurrence risks in individual cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Tuberculosis among foreign-born children in the State of Florida, 1993--1999: a re-emergence phase after a sustained decline?

Study objective To determine the temporal trend of tuberculosis disease among foreign-born children in the State of Florida.
Product design partitions with complementary components

Abstract This paper combines work on modularity-in-design with results from economics on supermodular functions. I develop a model of product design in which a set of complementary components is partitioned for the purposes of product development. The model focuses on how the extent of the complementarity between components affects the optimal partitioning of components. The primary findings of the analysis are as follows: (1) Reductions in the cost of across-design-group communication make finer product design partitions more attractive, while reductions in the cost of within-group communication favor coarser partitions. (2) Firms should group components for which the next-generation design is relatively more uncertain together. (3) Firms can learn about the extent of the complementarity between components by choosing an arbitrary partition of the components and using the mix-and-match feature of `modular' design [Baldwin, C.Y., Clark, K.B., 1994. Modularity-in-design: an analysis based on the theory of real options. Working Paper 93-026, Harvard Business School] to infer the interactions between the performance dimensions. (4) The problem of selecting an optimal partition of components is NP-complete.
New facets of space medicine.

When a human body enters the micro-gravity environment during the early stage of space flight, the otolith endorgans, which are the prime gravity receptors, input uncharacteristic modes of peripheral afferents to the central nervous system. How the otolith endorgans function is still a question often asked. Most probably, the direct neural recording in experimental animals in space may be able to draw some answer. In any respect, regardless of whether or not the response pattern is similar to that under 1 g, the otolith endorgans basically function as accelerometers. Most probably, the afferent input is somewhat distorted; therefore, it will produce some intra-labyrinthine dyssynergy with semicircular canal afferents, and then ones from other modalities. Moreover, unusual visual directionality and unusual motor function will further accelerate disorientation. Thus, the normal sensory synergy could be disrupted, and conflict could be established as these unusual signals reach the central memory store, wher...
Taking a bite out of Wnts

Proper control of intercellular communication through the Wnt signaling pathway is of critical importance for many aspects of biology, including head formation during vertebrate embryogenesis. A recent Cell paper describes the discovery of a novel protein, TIKI, which controls head size through a surprising new mechanism of Wnt antagonism.
Buoyancy and surface tension driven flows in float zone crystal growth with a strong axial magnetic field

Abstract The buoyancy driven flow due to the temperature gradient in the melt of a float zone and the surface tension driven flow due to the non-uniform temperature distribution along the free surface of the zone are studied in the presence of a strong axial magnetic field. The non-cylindrical shape of the zone is found to have a profound effect on the melt motion. The results indicate that the regions near the free surface are controlled mainly by the thermocapillarity, while the inner region is dominated by the buoyancy driven flow. Some implications for the mass transport of dopants in the molten float zone are discussed.
Thermoregulatory deficits in the monkey produced by 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine injected into the hypothalamus☆

Abstract In 7 male rhesus monkeys (Macaco mulatta), an array of 4–8 guide cannulae was implanted stereotaxically so that the tips rested just above the intended sites of microinjection in the rostral and other regions of the hypothalamus. To examine the thermoregulatory capacity of each monkey, the air in their chair chamber was elevated to 40°C or cooled to 4°C by a stream of warm or cold air, respectively, for an interval of 3 hr. After a baseline temperature was recorded colonically, serotonin was microinjected in 1.0–1.5 μl volumes in doses of 3.5 to 7.5 μg at a total of 96 sites in order to determine the sensitive loci at which the indoleamine evoked hyperthermia. 5,6-Dihydroxytryptamine (5,6-DHT), an agent which destroys serotonergic nerve endings, was injected on a different day, in doses of 2–7 to 12. μg in a similar volume at the serotonin-sensitive sites. The initial effect of 5,6-DHT was dose-dependent hyperthermia similar to that evoked earlier by serotonin. Severe thermoregulatory deficits in response to the cold challenge were observed on subsequent days after low doses of 5,6-DHT were injected primarily in the region of the anterior hypothalamus. Impairment in thermoregulation to the warm temperature also occurred after higher doses of the neurotoxin were given. However, serotonin still evoked a temperature response nearly identical to that seen before 5,6-DHT treatment. These results support the theory that serotonergic neurones in the hypothalamus are involved in the central control of body temperature in the primate.
Radiosurgery for primary motor and sensory cortex arteriovenous malformations: outcomes and the effect of eloquent location.

BACKGROUND Eloquent intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) located in the primary motor or somatosensory cortex (PMSC) carry a high risk of microsurgical morbidity. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the outcomes of radiosurgery on PMSC AVMs and compare them with radiosurgery outcomes in a matched cohort of noneloquent lobar AVMs. METHODS Between 1989 and 2009, 134 patients with PMSC AVMs underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery with a median radiographic and clinical follow-up of 64 and 80 months, respectively. Seizure (40.3%) and hemorrhage (28.4%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Pre-radiosurgery embolization was performed in 33.6% of AVMs. Median AVM volume was 4.1 mL (range, 0.1-22.6 mL), and prescription dose was 20 Gy (range, 7-30 Gy). Cox regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with obliteration. RESULTS The overall obliteration rate, including magnetic resonance imaging and angiography, after radiosurgery was 63%. Obliteration was achieved in 80% of AVMs with a volume less than 3 mL compared with 55% for AVMs larger than 3 mL. No previous embolization (P = .002) and a single draining vein (P = .001) were independent predictors of obliteration on multivariate analysis. The annual post-radiosurgery hemorrhage risk was 2.5%. Radiosurgery-related morbidity was temporary and permanent in 14% and 6% of patients, respectively. Comparing PMSC AVMs with matched noneloquent lobar AVMs, the obliteration rates and clinical outcomes after radiosurgery were not statistically different. CONCLUSION For patients harboring PMSC AVMs, radiosurgery offers a reasonable chance of obliteration with a relatively low complication rate. Eloquent location does not appear to confer the same negative prognostic value for radiosurgery that it does for microsurgery.
Polymeric waveguide electro-optic beam-steering device with DNA biopolymer conductive cladding layers

A polymer electro-optic (EO) waveguide beam-steering device with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biopolymer conductive cladding layers and a core layer of the commercially available EO polymer SEO100 is demonstrated with 100% relative poling efficiency. This demonstration device exhibits a deflection efficiency of 99 mrad/kV with a corresponding in-device EO coefficient r33 of 124 pm/V at 1550 nm. When the DNA biopolymer bottom cladding layer is replaced by the commonly used cladding polymer UV15, the deflection efficiency and in-device r33 drop to 34 mrad/kV and 43 pm/V, respectively.
Identification of trauma patients at risk of thoracic aortic tear by mechanism of injury.

Objective: We sought to identify potential measurable onscene information that would assist clinicians in the identification of patients at risk for thoracic aortic tear (AT) after vehicular trauma. Methods: Data were prospectively collected at the scene of 295 motor vehicle crashes from 1995 to 1999. There were 34 cases (12%) with AT. Scene data consisted of vehicle maximal crush, maximal intrusion into the occupant compartment, change in velocity (Delta V) and principal direction of force. Thoracic aortic injuries were confirmed radiographically or at autopsy. Crash factors were analyzed for correlation with AT by logistic regression. Results: Delta V ≥ 20 mph and near-side impact were the factors having the strongest correlation with thoracic aortic injury. Delta V ≥ 20 mph (n = 32 with AT) had an odds ratio = 6.4, (p < 0.01). Near impact (n = 20 with AT) had an odds ratio = 2.3, (p < 0.05) and intrusion ≥ 15 inches had an odds ratio = 3.2,p < 0.05. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the presence of near impact, Delta V ≥ 20 mph, or both, were 100%, 34%, and 64%. The positive and negative predictive values were 16% and 100%, respectively. There was no relationship of AT to use of seat belts or airbags. Conclusion: Thoracic aortic injury after vehicular collision can be reliably excluded if near-impact, Delta V ≥ 20 mph, or intrusion ≥ 15 inches are not present. Mechanism of injury in the form of crash scene information may aid clinicians in identifying individuals at risk for thoracic aortic tear after vehicular trauma.
Models of Diffusion in Lyotropic Liquid Crystals

Abstract The asymmetric diffusion of small molecules in a liquid crystal host is examined via three models. The small molecules are represented by spheres and the liquid crystal host by aligned cylinders. DASH is a continuum model which allows one to use the results of electrical conductivity problems to calculate the diffusion coefficient. LASH is an extension of polymer lattice counting models. CASH is a molecular dynamics computer simulation which provides experimental data to check the analytical models. It is found that DASH is a better representation of the diffusion asymmetry than LASH for the low liquid crystal densities examined on the computer. The cylinder sphere pair correlation function is also calculated in CASH and this gives evidence for liquid order around the liquid crystals.
Life history and population dynamics of whitetop (Scolochloa festucacea) shoots under different levels of flooding and nitrogen supply

Abstract Tagged shoots of the perennial grass whitetop (Scolochloa festucacea (Wild.) Link) were followed in a seasonally flooded prairie marsh at Delta, Manitoba, Canada, under different treatments of flooding and nitrogen (N) addition to examine how these factors influenced the timing and magnitude of shoot emergence, flowering and mortality. Deep flooding (10–20 cm of water during most of the growing season) increased the total number of shoots that emerged during early spring, the number and percentage of flowering shoots, and total biomass and net primary production compared with shallow flooding (flooded for only several days with less than 5 cm of water). Shoot emergence during July and August was high under deep flooding, but absent under shallow flooding. These new shoots produced during late summer under deep flooding accounted for 56% of the total difference in annual production of unfertilized marsh between shallow and deep flooding. Shoot mortality was low during early summer and increased during July and August at both levels of flooding. Shoot turnover was similar (19–22%) between flooding treatments in the absence of fertilization. Nitrogen increased shoot mortality under both levels of flooding, but effects were greater under shallow flooding and generally restricted to late summer. Nitrogen availability enhanced shoot growth, but did not change the basic pattern of shoot dynamics, indicating that environmental factors other than N availability were largely responsible for controlling differences in production between deep- and shallow-flooding regimes.
Chiral symmetry breaking and effective Lagrangians for softly broken supersymmetric QCD

We study supersymmetric QCD with ${N}_{f}l{N}_{c}$ in the limit of small supersymmetry-breaking masses and smaller quark masses using the weak-coupling K\"ahler potential. We calculate the full spectrum of this theory, which manifests a chiral symmetry breaking pattern similar to that caused by the strong interactions of the standard model. We derive the chiral effective Lagrangian for the pion degrees of freedom, and discuss the behavior in the formal limit of large squark and gluino masses and for large ${N}_{c}.$ We show that the resulting scalings of the pion decay constant and pion masses in these limits differ from those expected in ordinary nonsupersymmetric QCD. Although there is no weak coupling expansion with ${N}_{f}{=N}_{c},$ we extend our results to this case by constructing a superfield quantum modified constraint in the presence of supersymmetry breaking.
Direct Numerical Simulation of Liquid Films with Large Interfacial Deformation

Liquid films are important in many industrial applications, but also from a fundamental point of view, they are important two-phase flow systems. In this paper, we develop a sharp interface/level set method for the Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of liquid films with large interfacial deformations, and large density ratio between the liquid and the gas phase. We use the ghost fluid method to capture the interface motion without smoothing properties across it, and adopt a maximization scheme for the implicit treatment of the viscous term in the Navier‐Stokes equations. Because liquid films have very low average depth compared to the distance between waves, several innovations are required to handle solving the equations on grid structures of high aspect ratio. Two-dimensional (2D) calculations for wavy films falling down a vertical wall are presented, and good agreement is found when numerical solutions are directly compared with the experiments of Nosoko et al. [1]. Some results are also presented for falling liquid films transitioning naturally from 2D to 3D surface wave structures demonstrating the potential of the method for 3D fully coupled two-phase liquid films simulations.