cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of large LGB detectors for antineutrino detection

Abstract A detector material or configuration that can provide an unambiguous indication of neutron capture can substantially reduce random coincidence backgrounds in antineutrino detection and capture-gated neutron spectrometry applications. Here we investigate the performance of such a material, a composite of plastic scintillator and Li 6 nat 6 Gd ( BO 3 10 ) 3 : Ce (LGB) crystal shards of ≈ 1 mm dimension and comprising 1% of the detector by mass. While it is found that the optical propagation properties of this material as currently fabricated are only marginally acceptable for antineutrino detection, its neutron capture identification ability is encouraging.
The University of Florida radiosurgery system.

Abstract A new, linear accelerator based radiosurgical system has been designed and tested. It incorporates a mechanical system of precision bearings to control all patient and accelerator movements. The dosimetry system allows near real-time examination of the isodose distributions in any computed tomography plane such that any treatment plan can be quickly optimized. Extensive testing shows a radiation beam accuracy of .2 ± .1 mm. The dose gradient between the 90% and 10% isodose distributions compares favorably with any previously published radiosurgical method
Doc, what are my chances? A conversation about prognostic uncertainty.

Patient: Doc, what are my chances? Doctor: If I had 100 men identical to you, I would expect about 70 to be alive 5 years later. I have no ideawhether you will be one of the 70. Patient: Thanks, that is pretty clear. Doctor: By the way, the 95% confidence interval for this prediction is 62% to 78%. Patient: What does that tell me? Doctor: It means that I don’t know exactly howmany of the 100 men will be alive 5 years later, but I expect between 62 and 78 will. My best guess is still 70, but this is a range for my guess. Patient:Does thatmean at least 62 but nomore than 78will be alive? Doctor: No, but fewer than 62 or more than 78 is quite unlikely. Patient: Where does the 95% come in? Doctor: The casual interpretation is that there is only a 5% chance that fewer than 62 ormore than 78menwill be alive in 5 years. Technically, that’s not correct. Instead, all I can say is that if I repeated my work of estimating that interval an infinite number of times, 95% of my infinite attempts would successfully include the true risk that you face. Of course, I can’t make a definitive statement about the particular interval I just quoted for you.
Introduction Hospitality: Imagining the Stranger

This introductory essay sets forth the meaning of hospitality as a matter of philosophical reflection ever wedded to concrete experience. Drawing upon approaches from recent work in phenomenology, psychoanalysis, aesthetics, and hermeneutics, the event or scene of encounter with the stranger or other is positioned as a moment of profound interrogation and imagination. The introduction to this special section of articles on hospitality is set forth as an invitation to join in the renewal of this longstanding interdisciplinary issue for our time.
Can elastic stresses in gels cause the elongation and division of a cell

Some metabolites present in the cell may affect its colloidal structure. If the cytoplasm is in the state of a gel, elastic stresses may appear as a result of non-uniform concentration of some metabolites which affect mechanical properties of gels. This paper investigates the question whether mechanical stresses, thus produced, can result in such a deformation of the cell which may lead to a division. The result of this study indicates that this is not possible. Elastic stresses, produced by non-uniformities of concentration of metabolites which affect the colloidal structures of the cytoplasm, may produce only a general dilation or contraction of the system, without change in shape.
Processing and mechanical testing of strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite/glass composites

Sr-HA/Glass composites were produced. Phase composition of composites was evaluated. Their physical and mechanical properties were determined. Sintered composites mainly consisted of Sr-HA/β-TCP, or β-TCP/Ca 2 ZnSi 2 O 7 . The composites had porosity up to 4 times those of undoped Sr-HA. Compared to undoped Sr-HA, the Sr-HA/Glass composites had lower biaxial flexural strength and hardness. The Weibull modulus for the composites ranged from 2.77 to 18.74.
Pressureless sintering of carbon-coated zirconium diboride powders

Abstract Carbon-coated zirconium diboride powders were sintered to near theoretical density at temperatures as low as 1900 °C without an external pressure. Relative density increased from ∼70% for uncoated ZrB2 to >99% for ZrB2 coated with at least 1.0 wt% carbon. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that carbon reacted with and removed oxide impurities (ZrO2 and B2O3) that were present on the particle surfaces, which promoted densification by minimizing grain coarsening. The effects of initial particle size and carbon content on densification, microstructure, and properties were investigated.
Chevalley group theory and the transfer in the homology of symmetric groups

51. INTRODUCHON IF L is a subgroup of a finite group G, let W,(L) denote the group N,(L)/L, where b/c(L) is the normalizer of L in G. Recall that W,(L) acts on the right of the group cohomology If*(L) and the inclusion i : L 4 G induces a map to the W,(L) invariants: i* : H* (G) + H* (L) '+'G(? Here, and in the rest of the paper, the coefficients are E/p for a fixed prime p. Now suppose that K is a subgroup of G containing L. We can define transfer maps: the inclusion K cr G induces tr* : H*(K) + H*(G) while the inclusion W,(L) 4 W,(L) induces r*:H*(L) wK(L)+ H*(L) wG(L),
Status of lattice gauge theory calculations

Abstract This paper gives a very brief summary of the aims and general methods of lattice gauge theory Monte Carlo calculations. Then it summarizes the current status of lattice gauge theory results in various areas, such as hadron and meson specroscopy, thermodynamics, and Higgs models, concentrating on recent work which includes the effects dynamical fermions. It discusses whether current computations are being carried out on lattices fine enough to well approximate continuum OCD, yet large enough to be physically interesting. Finally, it discusses the algorithms which have been developed for fermionic simulations, and their implementation on various computer architectures.
The Use of 14C-FIAU to Predict Bacterial Thymidine Kinase Presence: Implications for Radiolabeled FIAU Bacterial Imaging

Abstract Currently available infectious disease imaging techniques cannot differentiate between infection and sterile inflammation or between different types of infections. Recently, radiolabeled FIAU was found to be a substrate for the thymidine kinase (TK) enzyme of multiple pathogenic bacteria, leading to its translational use in the imaging of bacterial infections. Patients with immunodeficiencies, however, are susceptible to a different group of pathogenic bacteria when compared to immunocompetent subjects. In this study, we wanted to predict the usefulness of radiolabeled FIAU in the detection of bacterial infections commonly occurring in patients with immunodeficiencies, in vitro , prior to attempting in vivo imaging with 124 I-FIAU-PET. Methods We obtained representative strains of bacterial pathogens isolated from actual patients with genetic immunodeficiencies. We evaluated the bacterial susceptibility of different strains to the effect of incubation with FIAU, which would implicate the presence of the thymidine kinase (TK) enzyme. We also incubated the bacteria with 14 C-FIAU and consequently measured its rate of incorporation in the bacterial DNA using a liquid scintillation counter. Results Unlike the other bacterial strains, the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was not halted by FIAU at any concentration. All the tested clinical isolates demonstrated different levels of 14 C-FIAU uptake, except for P. aeruginosa. Conclusion Radiolabeled FIAU has been successful in delineating bacterial infections, both in preclinical and pilot translational studies. In patients with immunodeficiencies, Pseudomonas infections are commonly encountered and are usually difficult to differentiate from fungal infections. The use of radiolabeled FIAU for in vivo imaging of those patients, however, would not be useful, considering the apparent lack of TK enzyme in Pseudomonas . One has to keep in mind that not all pathogenic bacteria possess the TK enzyme and as such will not all retain FIAU. Our technique is simple, and can be easily used to assess whether a certain bacterial strain of interest can or cannot be visualized using radiolabeled FIAU.
Flexible redox-active binuclear macrocycles formed via the weak-link approach and novel hemilabile ligands with N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine units.

A method that utilizes the “weak-link synthetic approach” to binuclear macrocycles and a hemilabile ligand derived from Wurster's reagent (N,N,N‘,N‘-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (TMPD)) to prep...
High-resolution imaging demonstrates dynein-based vesicular transport of activated Trk receptors.

Target-derived neurotrophins signal from nerve endings to the cell body to influence cellular and nuclear responses. The retrograde signal is conveyed by neurotrophin receptors (Trks) themselves. To accomplish this, activated Trks may physically relocalize from nerve endings to the cell bodies. However, alternative signaling mechanisms may also be used. To identify the vehicle wherein the activated Trks are located and transported, and to identify associated motor proteins that would facilitate transport, we use activation-state specific antibodies in concert with immunoelectron microscopy and deconvolution microscopy. We show that the activated Trks within rat sciatic nerve axons are preferentially localized to coated and uncoated vesicles. These vesicles are moving in a retrograde direction and so accumulate distal to a ligation site. The P-Trk containing vesicles, in turn, colocalize with dynein components, and not with kinesins. Collectively, these results indicate activated Trk within axons travel in vesicles and dynein is the motor that drives these vesicles towards the cell bodies. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 51: 302–312, 2002
Sensitivity of greenhouse summer dryness to changes in plant rooting characteristics

A possible consequence of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere is “summer dryness,” a decrease of summer plant-available soil water in middle latitudes, caused by increased availability of energy to drive evapotranspiration. Results from a numerical climate model indicate that summer dryness and related changes of land-surface water balances are highly sensitive to possible concomitant changes of plant-available water-holding capacity of soil, which depends on plant rooting depth and density. The model suggests that a 14% decrease of the soil volume whose water is accessible to plant roots would generate the same summer dryness, by one measure, as an equilibrium doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Conversely, a 14% increase of that soil volume would be sufficient to offset the summer dryness associated with carbon-dioxide doubling. Global and regional changes in rooting depth and density may result from (1) plant and plant-community responses to greenhouse warming, to carbon-dioxide fertilization, and to associated changes in the water balance and (2) anthropogenic deforestation and desertification. Given their apparently critical role, heretofore ignored, in global hydroclimatic change, such changes of rooting characteristics should be carefully evaluated using ecosystem observations, theory, and models.
Feasibility checking in Horn constraint systems through a reduction based approach

Abstract In this paper, we detail a new algorithm for the problem of checking linear and integer feasibility in a system of Horn constraints. For certain special cases, the proposed algorithm is faster than the “Lifting Algorithm” for Horn constraint feasibility described in [2] . Moreover, the new approach is based on different ideas and in fact exploits several properties of Horn constraint systems (HCS) which were heretofore unknown, to the best of our knowledge. In the case of constraints of bounded width (corresponding to “loosely coupled” systems), our algorithm can be modified to run in O ( n 3 + m ⋅ n + m ⋅ n 2 log ⁡ ( max ⁡ ( m , n ) ) ) time, where n and m represent the number of variables and the number of constraints respectively, in the input HCS. Our main result establishes that checking the feasibility of an HCS can be reduced to three subproblems: negative-cost cycle detection in networks (NCCD), matrix–vector multiplication (MV), and the conversion of an HCS to a non-redundant set of difference constraints (H2D). The MV problem and the NCCD problem have both been studied extensively, as per the literature and there exist specialized, fast algorithms for the cases that are relevant to feasibility checking in Horn constraint systems. We have identified a new problem, viz., H2D, which warrants future research, since improved algorithms for the H2D problem could be implemented in our algorithm to decrease its running time even further.
Bring the Salmon Home! Karuk Challenges to Capitalist Incorporation

With capitalism's introduction, Karuk people have experienced radical declines in the productivity of Klamath River salmon fisheries, dire impoverishment, and a new order of threats in the form of hunger and diet related diseases. We use interview, survey, medical and archival data to describe how capitalism has been an unsustainable system in the case of the Karuk because it is organized around market extraction and destroys cultural knowledge and behaviors that served to keep fish harvests sustainable. Using world-systems theory, we propose a fifth frontier exists, that of health. Despite the impacts of 150 years of direct genocide, Karuk people continue to survive and are revitalizing culture and community, which supports the idea that capitalist incorporation is not fully complete but partial. Karuk resistance and revitalization is epitomized in the campaign to remove four dams on the Klamath River and thereby 'Bring the Salmon Home' to the upper basin.
Subgrade Contact Pressures under Rigid Pavements

Subgrade contact pressures under rigid pavements were analyzed using the finite element method for concrete slabs on liquid and elastic subgrades. It was found that when the maximum bending stress in the slab is made in agreement in the two analyses, the deflections and subgrade contact pressures are much greater for elastic than for liquid subgrades. Although initial bending stresses in the concrete slab are well below the concrete strengths, excessive subgrade pressures undoubtedly cause large permanent deformations in the subgrade soil, possibly increasing the stresses in the concrete slab rapidly and eventually leading to early failure of the concrete pavement. The computation of large subgrade pressures at slab edges only in pavements with weak subgrade soil supports the Corps of Engineers design practice of reduction of pavement thickness for pavements with high subgrade k values, although bending stresses in the concrete slab are only slightly affected by variations in k values. Once initial cracki...
Symbolic Moment Calculus I: Foundations and Permutation Pattern Statistics

The old workhorse called linearity of expectation, by which it is often very easy to compute the expectation (alias first moment) of interesting combinatorial quantities, can also be used to compute higher moments, as well as correlations, but then things get very soon too complicated for mere humans. The computer, used as a symbol-cruncher, can go much further (alas, only by a few orders of magnitude). In this article, a methodology for using Computer Algebra Systems to automatically derive higher moments of interesting combinatorial random variables is described, and applied to Pattern Statistics of permutations. This would be hopefully followed by sequels applied to other combinatorial objects like graph-colorings, Boolean functions, and Random Walks. In addition to the intrinsic interest that the actual results might have, it is also hoped that this work will serve as as an illustrative example for conducting reliable mathematical experiments that lead to completely rigorous results, by an Overlapping Stages approach.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF OPEN BOUNDARY PROBLEMS USING FINITE ELEMENT SUBSTRUCTURING AND GALERKIN BOUNDARY ELEMENTS

A hybrid formulation is proposed that incorporates finite element substructuring and Galerkin boundary elements in the numerical solution of Poisson's or Laplace's equation with open boundaries. Substructuring the problem can dramatically decreases the size of matrix to be solved. It is shown that the boundary integration that results from application of Green's first theorem to the weighted residual statement can be used to advantage by imposing potential and flux continuity through the contour which separates the interior and exterior regions. In fact, the boundary integration is of exactly the same form as that found in Galerkin boundary elements.
Extracapsular dissection technique with the cotton swab for pituitary adenomas through an endoscopic endonasal approach -- how I do it.

Background Pituitary adenomas are often encased in a histological pseudocapsule that separates the tumor from the normal gland. Transsphenoidal adenoma resection may be performed either in an intra- or an extracapsular technique. The extracapsular fashion offers anatomical orientation, removal of a security margin, reduced risk of opening the arachnoid layer with subsequent CSF flow and identification of invasion.
Inference on covariance matrices under rank restrictions

In reduced-rank regression, a matrix of expectations is modeled as a lower rank matrix. In factor analysis, a covariance matrix is modeled as a linear function of a diagonal matrix and a lower rank matrix. A common set of test procedures can be applied to both models when the following conditions are met: the rank of the lower rank matrix is small, the diagonal matrix in the factor model is an identity, and the reduced-rank regression model is not replicated. This paper gives three results for making inferences under these conditions: (1) It is shown that locally best invariant test of sphericity in the factor analysis model is identical to the locally best invariant test of rank-O against rank-r in the reduced-rank model, provided that r is small. (2) An extended table of null percentiles of the likelihood ratio test statistic for rank-1 alternatives in both models is computed. (3) Confidence intervals for parameters in a rank-1 alternative are given. The performance of the proposed methods is evaluated in a simulation study. The methods are illustrated on two-way fixed and mixed effects classifications.
Nanowire integrated microelectrode arrays for lab-on-a-chip applications

The monitoring of biological signals generated during nerve excitation and cell-to-cell communication are important for design and development of novel materials and methods for laboratory analysis. In-vitro biological applications such as drug screening and cell separation also require cell-based biosensors. The sensing technology is based on the optical or electrical read-out from the lab-on-a-chip. The electrophysiological activity of certain cells such as neurons and cardiac cells are monitored using planar microelectrode arrays integrated with microfluidic devices. One of the main issues of the current microelectrode array design is the difficulty in selective integration and the size dependency of its impedances along with a large amount of noise in the circuit due to this mismatch. It is quite evident that nanotechnology can solve these problems and an efficient electrical interconnection is possible using nanodevices. This paper presents the design and development of planar microelectrode arrays integrated with vertically aligned nanowires for lab-on-a-chip device applications. The higher surface area densities of such nanowire integrated microelectrode arrays show promising results in impedance control for the integration of lab-on-a-chip devices. We have fabricated microelectrode arrays on silicon and flexible polymer substrates and vertically aligned nanowires were fabricated onto it using template method. High degree of specific growth is obtained by controlling the nanowire growth parameters.
Land-use/land-cover change and its impacts on weather and climate

Land-use and land-cover changes (LULCC) significantly affect weather and climate as iswell documented in the scientific literature. These impacts include changes in air temperature, precipitation, atmospheric moisture content, energy fluxes, and mesoscale and potentially large-scale circulations. Recently, the United States National Research Council (2005) highlighted the importance of LULCC and recommended the broadening of the climate-change issue to include land-use/land-cover processes as an important climate forcing. The report noted that, “Regional variations in radiative forcing may have important regional and global climatic implications that are not resolved by the concept of global mean radiative forcing. Tropospheric aerosols and landscape changes have particularly heterogeneous forcings. To date, there have been only limited studies of regional radiative forcing and response. Indeed, it is not clear how best to diagnose a regional forcing and response in the observational record; regional forcings can lead to global climate responses, while global forcings can be associated with regional climate responses. Regional diabatic heating can also cause atmospheric teleconnections that influence regional climate thousands of kilometres away from the point of forcing. Improving societally relevant projections of regional climate impacts will require a better understanding of the magnitudes of regional forcings and the associated climate responses.” Therefore, it is critical that we further investigate and understand the impacts of LULCC on weather and climate predictability. In this context, an National Science Foundation (NSF) funded workshop was organized in Boulder, Colorado, USA in 2007 to further highlight the importance of LULCC, to present results of new research in LULCC, and to discuss the challenges of the monitoring and modelling of LULCC at various temporal and spatial scales. The articles included in this
Waveforms of Time-Resolved Film-Cooling Parameters on a Leading-Edge Model

It is necessary to understand how film cooling both reduces the adiabatic wall temperature and influences the heat transfer coefficient in order to predict its benefit to a gas turbine hot gas path component. Although a great number of studies have considered steady film-cooling flows, unsteadiness has only recently been considered. Unsteadiness in the freestream flow or the coolant flow can cause fluctuations in both the adiabatic effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient, the dynamics of which have been difficult to measure. In previous studies, only time-averaged effects have been measured. The present study has determined time-resolved η and h waveforms using a novel inverse heat transfer methodology. Unsteady interactions between η and h were examined near a coolant hole on the leading-edge region of a circular cylinder simulating the leading edge of a turbine blade. The coolant plume is shown to shift back and forth as the jet’s momentum fluctuates, resulting in an increased spread of coolant cove...
Perturbation theories for quadrupolar fluids

Abstract A new second-order perturbation expansion is derived for the angular pair correlation function of quadrupolar fluids, and calculations were made, to first order, for dense quadrupolar fluids with reduced quadrupole moments Q∗ from 0.5 to 1.0. Both spherical and nonspherical references were used with the latter giving better results.
Innovations in Neuroimaging of Skull Base Pathology

Recent advances in CT and MR technology have allowed detailed imaging of the skull base with greater diagnostic accuracy. Innovations such as multidetector volumetric CT scanners with 3-D reconstructions provide soft tissue and bony detail with very high resolution for small structures such as the neural foramina. CT angiography can assess vascular structures noninvasively, and CT perfusion can help differentiate between malignant and benign tumors. MR technology has provided high-resolution, rapid volumetric sequences that are useful in skull base imaging. MR angiography and MR venography can also assess vascular structures noninvasively. PET scanning and CT/PET scanning will increasingly become a mainstay of head and neck tumor imaging for initial staging, monitoring response to therapy,and detecting recurrent disease or metastases. Many more diagnostic imaging options are available to the head and neck surgeon today than ever before.
Effects of excitation level on the stability of an axisymmetric mixing layer

The effect of various levels of excitation on the stability and development of an axisymmetric mixing layer was studied experimentally. The flow was excited axisymmetrically by a single speaker placed at the base of the plenum chamber. Measurements of mean and phase‐averaged velocity profiles were made using an array of hot‐wire probes. The measured profiles were compared to eigenfunctions calculated from linear, viscous stability theory. It is shown that the theoretical predictions, based on measured profiles of mean velocity, compare very well with the phase‐averaged measurements, even when the local disturbance reaches levels as high as 24% of the jet speed. The cumulative effect of excitation on the mean flow is examined as a function of local Strouhal number as well as excitation level.
Genetic hitch-hiking in a subdivided population

The problem of genetic hitch-hiking in a geographically subdivided population is analysed under the assumption that migration rates among populations are relatively small compared with the selection coefficient for a newly arising advantageous allele. The approximate method used in the paper is valid when the number of emigrants per generation (Nm) is less than one. The approximate analysis shows that hitch-hiking can result in substantial differences among populations in the frequencies of neutral alleles closely linked to the advantageous allele. Thus, in cases for which genetic hitch-hiking is thought to be responsible for low levels of genetic variability in regions of the genome with restricted crossing over, it might be possible to find confirmatory evidence for that hypothesis by finding unusual patterns of geographic differentiation in the same regions of the genome.
Neighborhood-level differences in police discrimination and subcultural violence: a multilevel examination of adopting the code of the street

Although evidence of Elijah Anderson's (1999) code of the street thesis has received a great amount of attention, researchers have rarely investigated the intricate process in which individuals adopt the street code. Using two waves of data from 763 African American adolescents, the current study examined (1) whether individuals who have experienced racial discrimination from police are more likely to adopt the street code, and (2) whether this relationship is more robust across different neighborhood-level factors. Using multilevel modeling techniques, our results offer support for Anderson's arguments. Specifically, we found that perception of police discrimination is significantly related to adopting the street code. In addition, this relationship was conditioned by neighborhood-level violence. Findings from the current research are discussed, along with implications for future research in this area.
Historical Geology of the Pacific: ABSTRACT

The development over the past few years of a high-resolution biostratigraphic scheme based on joint occurrences of Radiolaria, nannofossils, and planktonic Foraminifera enables us to make new progress on problems of paleogeography, paleoceanography, sedimentation, and tectonics in the Pacific. Results from the Deep Sea Drilling Project, combined with other geologic and geophysical data, suggest the following post-Jurassic history for the Pacific plate. Sedimentary facies patterns reflect a northward motion of the plate relative to the equatorial zone of high biologic fertility, as well as progressively increasing sea-floor depths as newly formed crust moves away from the East Pacific Rise. Superimposed on these gross patterns are evidences of fluctuations in the width of the zone of high productivity, changes in the calcium carbonate compensation depth, and variations in the intensity of bottom-water circulation. Extensive Early Cretaceous volcanism inundated much of the older western part of the plate and was succeeded by the building and subsidence of long chains of seamounts as the plate moved northwestward, possibly over hot spots beneath the lithosphere. Comparison of plate motion, as indicated by equatorial-zone sediments, with motion indicated by trends and age progressions in seamount chains leads to the hypothesis of a south-moving counter flow in the asthenosphere. End_of_Article - Last_Page 440------------
System partitioning to maximize sleep time

Abstract: Partitioning of a system to maximize exploitable sleep time for low-power synthesis is discussed. The motivation is to deactivate the memory refresh circuitry, apply power down or disable the clock signals during the inactive periods of operation of circuit elements, and thus minimize the power consumption. Since it is impractical to have a separate set of control signals for each circuit element (otherwise, the control itself would consume a lot of power), it is advisable to partition a circuit based on the activity patterns of its elements so that the partitions can be switched into sleep mode for long periods of time. In this paper, we formulate this partitioning problem and show that it is NP-hard. We present Geo-Part, a geometric partitioning heuristic for this problem. An efficient implementation of Geo-Part using segment tree data structure is discussed. Experimental results are encouraging.
Predicting symptom scores for abdominal pain, bloating and nausea in controls and pts with functional dyspepsia (FD): a psychophyiologic regression model

Purpose: Symptom generation and reporting in FD is incompletely understood. We used results of psychological and physiological measures to develop a model that predicted symptom scores for nausea, bloating and upper abdominal pain in patients.with FD and controls.
The role of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) in skeletogenesis.

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a 38kDa, cysteine rich, extracellular matrix protein composed of four domains or modules. CTGF has been shown to regulate a diverse array of cellular functions and has been implicated in more complex biological processes such as angiogenesis, chondrogenesis, and osteogenesis. A role for CTGF in the development and maintenance of skeletal tissues first came to light in studies demonstrating its expression in cartilage and bone cells which was dramatically increased during skeletal repair or regeneration. The physiological significance of CTGF in skeletogenesis was confirmed in CTGF-null mice, which exhibited multiple skeletal dysmorphisms as a result of impaired growth plate chondrogenesis, angiogenesis, and bone formation/mineralization. Given the emerging importance of CTGF in osteogenesis and chondrogenesis, this review will focus on its expression in skeletal tissues, its effects on osteoblast and chondrocyte differentiation and function, and the skeletal implications of ablation or over-expression of CTGF in knockout or transgenic mouse models, respectively. In addition, this review will examine the role of integrin-mediated signaling and the regulation of CTGF expression as it relates to skeletogenesis. We will emphasize CTGF studies in bone or bone cells, and will identify opportunities for future investigations concerning CTGF and chondrogenesis/osteogenesis.
9 Studies of Left Ventricular Function in Children by Increasing Peripheral Resistance with Angiotensin

9 Studies of Left Ventricular Function in Children by Increasing Peripheral Resistance with Angiotensin
Biocidal performance of acrylated glyphosate in a model photopolymerizable coating formulation

Acrylated glyphosate was blended into a model polyolacrylate formulation and copolymerized. The resulting copolymer retains herbicidal activity similar to that of the monomer as indicated by the results of biological tests. No release of biocide from the coating was observed. The potential value of these biologically active acrylic formulations as biofouling compositions has been demonstrated by field trials.
Prediction of imbibition from grain-scale interface movement

Abstract Processes in porous media governed by capillary forces, such as drainage or imbibition of wetting phase, are of great importance in different branches of soil science, petroleum engineering and hydrology. In this work we describe a new way of modeling imbibition by considering the movement and merger of interfaces at the pore level. The model is based upon a physically consistent dynamic criterion for the imbibition of a single pore originally proposed by Melrose. The approach can be applied to any porous medium whose grain-scale geometry is well characterized, such as stochastic reconstructions and 3D microtomographic images. Here we illustrate it in a simple but physically representative porous medium, the “ideal soil” (a dense random packing of equal spheres). The spatial location of each sphere is accurately known. Delaunay tessellation of the sphere centers defines the location and geometry of each pore throat in the packing. We simulate imbibition as a quasi-static displacement, so that at any stage of the simulation the geometry of menisci in pore throats and of pendular rings at grain contacts can be determined from the Young–Laplace equation. This approach provides a natural and mechanistic way to account for different values of contact angle and different initial conditions (for example, different drainage endpoints). Predicted capillary pressure curves are consistent with experimental data presented in the literature. This provides strong (though indirect) support for the physically consistent dynamic criterion for the imbibition of a single pore. We illustrate two important and non-trivial consequences of the criterion that also agree with experiments: its implications when wettability (value of contact angle) of the medium varies, and its consistency with the Mayer–Stowe–Princen criterion for drainage at the level of individual pores. We then explore novel features of the criterion. For example, the percolation threshold for imbibition is a manifestation of two kinds of accessibility of the wetting phase, rather than one. Another feature is the strong coupling between the criterion and the spatial correlation of pore-level geometric features, which significantly affects the topology and connectivity of the wetting phase.
Molecular genotyping of papillary thyroid carcinoma follicular variant according to its histological subtypes (encapsulated vs infiltrative) reveals distinct BRAF and RAS mutation patterns

The follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma usually presents as an encapsulated tumor and less commonly as a partially/non-encapsulated infiltrative neoplasm. The encapsulated form rarely metastasizes to lymph node, whereas infiltrative tumor often harbors nodal metastases. The molecular profile of the follicular variant was shown to be close to the follicular adenoma/carcinoma group of tumors with a high RAS and very low BRAF mutation rates. A comprehensive survey of oncogenic mutations in the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma according to its encapsulated and infiltrative forms has not been performed. Paraffin tissue from 28 patients with encapsulated and 19 with infiltrative follicular variant were subjected to mass spectrometry genotyping encompassing the most significant oncogenes in thyroid carcinomas: 111 mutations in RET, BRAF, NRAS, HRAS, KRAS, PIK3CA, AKT1 and other related genes. There was no difference in age, gender, tumor size and angioinvasion between encapsulated or infiltrative tumors. Infiltrative carcinomas had a much higher frequency of extrathyroid extension, positive margins and nodal metastases than encapsulated tumors (P A mutation was found in 5 of 19 (26%) of the infiltrative tumor and in none of the encapsulated carcinomas (P=0.007). In contrast, RAS mutations were observed in 10 of 28 (36%) of the encapsulated group (5 NRAS_Q61R, 3 HRAS_Q61, 1 HRAS_G13C and 1 KRAS_Q61R) and in only 2 of 19 (10%) of infiltrative tumors (P=0.09). One encapsulated carcinoma showed a PAX8/PPARγ rearrangement, whereas two infiltrative tumors harbored RET/PTC fusions. Encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinomas have a molecular profile very close to follicular adenomas/carcinomas (high rate of RAS and absence of BRAF mutations). Infiltrative follicular variant has an opposite molecular profile closer to classical papillary thyroid carcinoma than to follicular adenoma/carcinoma (BRAF>RAS mutations). The molecular profile of encapsulated and infiltrative follicular variant parallels their biological behavior (ie, metastatic nodal and invasive patterns).
Determination of sulfur and moisture in coal using capture gamma-rays

Samples of coal weighing approximately 200 g placed in a collimated beam of neutrons from the thermal column of the Ames Laboratory Research Reactor produce capture gamma-rays which can be used for the determination of sulfur in the presence of iron, a potential source of interference. Spectra from NaI(Tl) detectors were used with the help of Ge(Li) spectra to locate interferences. Corrections for iron interference was made by the use of a higher energy iron peak. A linear relation was found between the area of the hydrogen capture peak at 2.23 MeV and the amount of water added to coal.
The Research Triangle Park particulate matter panel study: modeling ambient source contribution to personal and residential PM mass concentrations

Abstract The Research Triangle Park (RTP) Particulate Matter (PM) Panel Study represented a 1-year investigation of personal, residential and ambient PM mass concentrations across distances as large as 70 km in central North Carolina. One of the primary goals of this effort was to estimate ambient PM 2.5 contributions to personal and indoor residential PM mass concentrations. Analyses indicated that data from the two distinct non-smoking subject populations totaling 38 individuals and 37 residences could be pooled. This resulted in nearly 800 data points for each variable. A total of 55 measurements believed to have been potentially influenced by personal or residential exposure to passive environmental tobacco smoke were not included in the analysis database. Variables to be examined included C ig (concentration of indoor generated PM), E ig (personal exposure to indoor generated PM), F inf (ambient PM infiltration factor), and F pex (personal exposure to PM of ambient origin factor). Daily air exchange rates (AER) were measured and statistical modeling to derive estimates of particle penetration ( P ) and particle deposition ( k ) factors was performed. Seasonality, cohort grouping, participant or combinations of these variables were determined not to be significant influences in estimating group infiltration factors. The mean (±std) mixed model slope estimates were AER=0.72±0.63, P =0.72±0.21, k =0.42±0.19, and F inf =0.45±0.21. These variables were then used in a number of mixed effects models having varying features of single, random or fixed intercepts and/or slopes to determine the most appropriate means of estimating ambient source contributions to personal and residential settings. A mixed model slope for F pex (±SE) was 0.47±0.07 using the model with the highest degree of fit.
Cloud condensation nuclei associated with arctic haze

Abstract Measurements are reported of the cloud condensation nucleus spectrum of Arctic haze from which it has been possible to deduce that a large fraction of the cloud active nuclei are soluble salts. On the basis of these findings, maximum supersaturation during the formation of Arctic stratiform clouds is expected to be around a third of a percent (for updrafts of 10 cm s−1). Soluble nuclei down to 3–4 × 10−6 radius would be nucleated under these conditions. These inferences suggest that clouds forming in polluted Arctic air may contain relatively small (i.e. 10–30 cm−3) cloud droplet concentrations.
PHYLOGENY OF THE GENUS CHLOROCOCCUM: A STUDY OF 18S AND 26S rRNA GENE SEQUENCES

Phylogenetic studies of 18S rRNA gene sequence data support an alliance of the green algal genus, Chlorococcum, with other chlamydomonadalean taxa that produce walled, motile stages. Moreover, these phylogenetic studies indicate that Chlorococcum is not monophyletic, but rather falls into two distinct lineages. However, these molecular phylogenetic studies were based on only a few taxa in a genus that exhibits marked habitat diversity. In particular, numerous species of Chlorococcum currently in the UTEX collection have been isolated from naturally acidic environments. Except for a few groups (e.g., desmids), acidic environments are not generally regarded as niches for widespread exploitation by green algae. A new investigation of diversity among species of Chlorococcum included broader taxon and data sampling schemes. Sequence data from both the nuclear-encoded 18S and 26S rRNA genes were collected from 17 different UTEX and SAG isolates of Chlorococcum. In addition, controlled growth experiments at varying acidity (pH 5.0, 6.0, and 8.0) were conducted. Results of these investigations suggest that the Chlorococcum-like morphology has evolved in at least three lineages. Furthermore, these data suggest that the ability to grow optimally at low pH has independently evolved in several lineages.
Long-Term Outcomes of Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Compared to Shock Wave Lithotripsy and Conservative Management

Purpose: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is successful at achieving stone-free status but long-term safety data are lacking. We report our long-term experience with percutaneous nephrolithotomy and compare these results with other treatment modalities.Materials and Methods: We identified 87 patients treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy from 1983 to 1984 who continue to receive care at our institution. Retrospective chart review was performed. Long-term results were compared to those of a group of 288 patients with stones treated nonsurgically (controls) and a group of 288 patients treated with shock wave lithotripsy followed for 19 years.Results: Average followup was 19.2 years (range 12.7 to 23.0). After percutaneous nephrolithotomy new onset renal insufficiency was noted in 9 patients (10.6%), hypertension in 29 (34.1%), diabetes mellitus in 20 (23.5%) and ureteropelvic junction obstruction in 3 (3.5%). Stone recurrence occurred in 32 patients (36.8%). Recurrent stone events were associated with resid...
Atmospheric lifetimes of long-lived halogenated species

The atmospheric lifetimes of the fluorinated gases CF4, C2F6, c-C4F8, (CF3)2c-C4F6, C5F12, C6F14, C2F5Cl, C2F4C12, CF3Cl, and SF6 are of concern because of the effects that these long-lived compounds acting as greenhouse gases can have on global climate. The possible atmospheric loss processes of these gases were assessed by determining the rate coefficients for the reactions of these gases with O(1D), H, and OH and the absorption cross sections at 121.6 nanometers in the laboratory and using these data as input to a two-dimensional atmospheric model. The lifetimes of all the studied perfluoro compounds are >2000 years, and those of CF3Cl, CF3CF2Cl, and CF2ClCF2Cl are >300 years. If released into the atmosphere, these molecules will accumulate and their effects will persist for centuries or millennia.
Pain in sickle cell disease: the future of acute treatment

Severe, disabling pain among children and adults with sickle cell disease (SCD), an autosomal recessive red blood cell disorder affecting those of African, Mediterranean and Asian descent [1], ofte...
Novel Drug Delivery Strategies in Neuro-Oncology

Treatment of malignant gliomas represents one of the most formidable challenges in oncology. Despite treatment with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, the prognosis remains poor, particularly for glioblastoma, which has a median survival of 12 to 15 months. An important impediment to finding effective treatments for malignant gliomas is the presence of the blood brain barrier, which serves to prevent delivery of potentially active therapeutic compounds. Multiple efforts are focused on developing strategies to effectively deliver active drugs to brain tumor cells. Blood brain barrier disruption and convection-enhanced delivery have emerged as leading investigational delivery techniques for the treatment of malignant brain tumors. Clinical trials using these methods have been completed, with mixed results, and several more are being initiated. In this review, we describe the clinically available methods used to circumvent the blood brain barrier and summarize the results to date of ongoing and completed clinical trials.
Cell-specific production and antimicrobial activity of naphthoquinones in roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon

Pigmented naphthoquinone derivatives of shikonin are produced at specific times and in specific cells of Lithospermum erythrorhizon roots. Normal pigment development is limited to root hairs and root border cells in hairy roots grown on "noninducing" medium, whereas induction of additional pigment production by abiotic (CuSO4) or biotic (fungal elicitor) factors increases the amount of total pigment, changes the ratios of derivatives produced, and initiates production of pigment de novo in epidermal cells. When the biological activity of these compounds was tested against soil-borne bacteria and fungi, a wide range of sensitivity was recorded. Acetyl-shikonin and beta-hydroxyisovaleryl-shikonin, the two most abundant derivatives in both Agrobacterium rhizogenes-transformed "hairy-root" cultures and greenhouse-grown plant roots, were the most biologically active of the seven compounds tested. Hyphae of the pathogenic fungi Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium aphanidermatum, and Nectria hematococca induced localized pigment production upon contact with the roots. Challenge by R. solani crude elicitor increased shikonin derivative production 30-fold. We have studied the regulation of this suite of related, differentially produced, differentially active compounds to understand their role(s) in plant defense at the cellular level in the rhizosphere.
Yttrium-90 (90Y) ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) induces long-term durable responses in patients with relapsed or refractory B-Cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Aim: Yttrium-90 (90Y) ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin®) radioimmunotherapy is an effective treatment for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), with overall response rates ranging from 74% to 82%. This retrospective analysis was conducted to determine the number of patients achieving long-term durable responses with 90Y ibritumomab tiuxetan treatment. Materials and Methods: The medical records of patients (n = 211) with relapsed, refractory, or transformed indolent CD20+ B-cell NHL who were treated with 90Y ibritumomab tiuxetan were reviewed. Time to progression (TTP) of ≥12 months was noted in 78 patients (37%), who were identified as long-term responders and were further characterized. Results: Median age of the long-term responders was 58 years (range, 24–80 years) with 44% over 60 years, and 55% were male. Notably, 59% of patients had received ≥2 prior regimens, 33% had received ≥3 prior regimens, and 37% had failed to respond to immediate prior therapy. Median response duration was...