cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drug Resistance in Glioblastoma: A Mini Review

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is recognized as the most common and lethal form of central nervous system cancer. Currently used surgical techniques, chemotherapeutic agents, and radiotherapy strategies have done very little in extending the life expectancies of patients diagnosed with GBM. The difficulty in treating this malignant disease lies both in its inherent complexity and numerous mechanisms of drug resistance. In this review, we summarize several of the primary mechanisms of drug resistance. We reviewed available published literature in the English language regarding drug resistance in glioblastoma. The reasons for drug resistance in glioblastoma include drug efflux, hypoxic areas of tumor cells, cancer stem cells, DNA damage repair, and miRNAs. Many potential therapies target these mechanisms, including a series of investigated alternative and plant-derived agents. Future research and clinical trials in glioblastoma patients should pursue combination of therapies to help combat drug resistance. The emerging new data on the potential of plant-derived therapeutics should also be closely considered and further investigated.
On the connexion between Hausdorff measures and generalized capacity

For any real function h(t) which is continuous and monotonic increasing for t > 0 with , Hausdorff (10) in 1918 denned a Caratheodory measure with respect to h(t) which has subsequently been known as Hausdorff measure. For analysing sets in Euclidean space, these measures have proved both useful and interesting. Given a real function Φ(t) which is continuous and monotonic decreasing for t > 0 with , Frostman(9) in 1935 denned capacity with respect to Φ(t). Lebesgue measure in Euclidean k-space is a special case of Hausdorff measure, and capacity with respect to Φ(t) becomes logarithmic capacity or Newtonian capacity in the cases , Φ(t)=1/t, respectively. The interrelationship between h-measure and Φ-capacity has been of interest in both directions: (i) in applications to function theory one may be able to determine whether or not a set has positive capacity by examining the h-measure for suitable h(t) (see, for example, (5)); (ii) it may be possible to determine the measure properties of a set from knowledge of its capacity (see, for example, (7) and (17)).
Small molecule conformation in the receptor‐bound state by the two‐dimensional spin exchange experiment

Pure absorption phase two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser spectrocopy (NOESY), using a short cycle time protocol, has been used to study cross-relaxation between protons of ligands bound to proteins. The 2D experiment is an accurate and efficient method for determining exchange transferred NOEs. Truncated NOESY data sets (obtained in less than 3 h) for the test systems—prostaglandin F2α bound to albumin and NAD+ bound to three different dehydrogenase enzymes—provide NOE estimates within experimental error of those obtained by the more time-consuming one-dimensional experiments. The 2D data matrix has within it spin-diffusion controls and cross-relaxation spectra useful for the subtraction of unwanted signals including spin transfer from coincidentally perturbed protein resonances and t1 streaks and ridges.
Position tracking control for robot manipulators driven by induction motors without flux measurements

In this paper, we present a voltage input controller for robot manipulators actuated by induction motors. The control is designed to compensate for the nonlinear dynamics associated with the mechanical subsystem and the electrical subsystems while only requiring measurements of link position, link velocity, stator winding currents, and exact model knowledge. Specifically, through the use of nonlinear observers for rotor flux and an observed integrator backstepping approach, we obtain semiglobal uniform ultimately bounded link position tracking. The result is semiglobal in the sense that a control parameter must be made sufficiently large relative to the electromechanical initial conditions in order to guarantee that control singularities are avoided. To provide insight into the design procedure, the controller is first presented for a one-link robot manipulator system. We then extend the controller from the one-degree of freedom system to the multidegree of freedom system. Experimental results are then presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed approach applied to a one-link robot. Finally, simulation results are presented to illustrate the tracking performance for the proposed controller applied to a two-link robot manipulator system.
Genetics of PICALM expression and Alzheimer's disease.

Novel Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk factors have been identified by genome-wide association studies. Elucidating the mechanism underlying these factors is critical to the validation process and, by identifying rate-limiting steps in AD risk, may yield novel therapeutic targets. Here, we evaluated the association between the AD-associated polymorphism rs3851179 near PICALM, which encodes a clathrin-coated pit accessory protein. Immunostaining established that PICALM is expressed predominately in microvessels in human brain. Consistent with this finding, PICALM mRNA expression correlated with expression of the endothelial genes vWF and CD31. Additionally, we found that PICALM expression was modestly increased with the rs3851179A AD-protective allele. Analysis of PICALM isoforms found several isoforms lacking exons encoding elements previously identified as critical to PICALM function. Increased expression of the common isoform lacking exon 13 was also associated with the rs3851179A protective allele; this association was not apparent when this isoform was compared with total PICALM expression, indicating that the SNP is associated with total PICALM expression and not this isoform per se. Interestingly, PICALM lacking exons 2–4 was not associated with rs3851179 but was associated with rs592297, which is located in exon 5. Thus, our primary findings are that multiple PICALM isoforms are expressed in the human brain, that PICALM is robustly expressed in microvessels, and that expression of total PICALM is modestly correlated with the AD-associated SNP rs3851179. We interpret these results as suggesting that increased PICALM expression in the microvasculature may reduce AD risk.
Scale dependence and the renormalization problem of quantum gravity

Abstract Although Einstein theory is obtainable from a Wey1 (scale) invariant model by a particular gauge choice, this imposes no conditions on its counterterms. The absence of certain non scale-invariant counterterms in Einstein-Yang-Mills (or Maxwell) theory is traced instead to invariance under vector field duality rotations.
The crystal and molecule structure of three 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene derivatives: α,α,α-trifluoro-2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (C7H2F3N3O6), 2,4,6-trinitrobenzamide (C7H4N4O7), 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid (C7H3N3O8)

The crystal and molecular structures of three 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene derivatives have been determined. Forα,α,α-trifluoro-2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (1): monoclinic,P21/n,a=7.510(2),b=9.273(2),c=14.984(0) A,β=99.02(2)°,V=1028.1(4)° A3,Z=4,D=1.816 g cm−3,R(F)=0.051, andR(wF)=0.055. For 2,4,6-trinitrobenzamide (2): orthorhombic,Pbca,a=9.248(3),b=14.377(6),c=17.729(4) A,V=1958(1) A3,Z=8,D=1.737 g cm−3,R(F)=0.073, andR(wF)=0.077. For 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid (3): orthorhombic,P212121,a=6.553(1),b=11.405(2),c=12.796(2) A,V=956.3(3) A3,Z=4,D=1.785 g cm−3,R(F)=0.045, andR(wF)=0.046.1 crystallizes as discrete molecules,2 as weakly hydrogen-bonded dimers and3 as a chiral polymer of hydrogen-bonded helices. In1, the presence of the nonplanar CF3 substituent causes a large twisting of theα-nitro groups out of the plane of the benzene ring, whereas the nearly planar C(O)NH2 and C(O)OH substituents in2 and3 are perpendicular to the benzene plane and do not cause a significant rotation of theα-nitro groups.
Free-Energy Difference Between Normal and Superconducting States

The Eliashberg expression for the free-energy difference between superconducting and normal states for an electron-phonon interaction model is evaluated so as to estimate the errors involved in expressions based on the weak-coupling limit. It is shown that the major correction comes from the difference in self-energy terms ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{1s}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{1n}$ and is relatively of order ${[(\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}})\mathrm{ln}(\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}})]}^{2}$, where ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is an average phonon energy. The correction may be appreciable for strong-coupling superconductors such as lead.
THE OPTIMAL LOCATIONS OF BRANCH FACILITIES AND MAIN FACILITIES WITH CONSUMER SEARCH

. This paper examines the socially optimal locations of branch facilities (or small stores) and main facilities (or large stores) on a finite linear market that is uniformly populated from position 0 to position 1. Each consumer has a probability w of finding the desired service (or product) at a branch facility, and a probability 1 of finding the desired service (or product) at a main facility. Two types of consumer search are considered: phone search and visit search. Different assumptions are made about the numbers of branch facilities and main facilities (each involving one or two facilities of each type). Under visit search, the socially optimal locations of branch facilities tend to be closer to main facilities than under phone search, and this tendency is more pronounced for smaller values of w.
Electrophoretically Uniform Fluorescent Dyes for Automated DNA Sequencing

A class of dyes, BODIPY fluorophores, has been identified for automated DNA sequencing that has improved spectral characteristics compared with conventional fluorescein and rhodamine dyes. Single and double BODIPY dye primers were characterized in commercially available DNA sequencers and showed uniform electrophoretic mobilities and high fluorescence intensities. The improved physical properties of BODIPY dye primers were demonstrated by direct base-calling from the unprocessed fluorescent signals and improved heterozygote analyses of mixed-base populations. The high sensitivity of BODIPY dye primers requires at least 33 percent less reagent consumed per reaction than conventional dye primers, which should affect the costs of large genome-sequencing efforts.
Outcome of anesthesia and surgery in hypothyroid patients.

• We retrospectively examined the outcome of anesthesia and surgery in 59 hypothyroid patients and in 59 paired euthyroid matched controls. Hypothyroid patients had more preoperative risk factors but did not differ as a group from controls with regard to duration of surgery or anesthesia, lowest temperature and BP recorded during surgery, need for vasopressors, time to extubation, fluid and electrolyte imbalances, incidence of arrhythmias, pulmonary and myocardial infarction, sepsis, need for postoperative respiratory assistance, bleeding complications, or time to hospital dismissal. Analysis of subsets of hypothyroidism (thyroxine level, ( Arch Intern Med 1983;143:893-897)
An update on the use of pantoprazole as a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic, recurrent disease that affects nearly 19 million people in the US. The mainstay of therapy for GERD is acid suppression. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the most effective medication for both initial treatment and maintenance therapy of GERD. Pantoprazole, a first-generation PPI, was approved by the FDA in 2000 for the treatment of erosive esophagitis associated with GERD. It has been used in more than 100 different countries worldwide. It is one of the few PPIs available in multiple forms: a delayed-release oral capsule, oral suspension, and intravenous. Pantoprazole been shown to improve acid reflux-related symptoms, heal esophagitis, and improve health-related quality of life more effectively than histamine-2 receptor antagonists. Evaluated in over 100 clinical trials, pantoprazole has an excellent safety profile, is as efficacious as other PPIs, and has a low incidence of drug interactions. It has also been shown to be safe and effective in special patient populations, such as the elderly and those with renal or moderate liver disease.
Infant pulmonary vascular model based on the pulmonary input impedance spectrum

A mathematical model of the infant pulmonary vascular system was developed by altering an adult model to fit the hemodynamic properties of an infant pulmonary vascular bed. The model was designed for infants between the ages of 1 and 2 years with both normal and high mean pulmonary artery pressures (PAPs). The resulting infant model was evaluated on the basis of the computed parameters of cumulative length, volume and resistance of the pulmonary vascular bed, as well as on the basis of comparisons of the model spectra with actual computed spectra for ventricular septal defect patients who were of comparable age, had comparable mean PAPs and were not diagnosed as having pulmonary vascular disease. It was observed that the first minimum and first maximum in the modulus of the input impedance spectrum of the infant model for both normal and high mean PAPs occurred at a higher frequency than in the adult model. These observations led to the conclusion that there is a natural, age-related shift in the input impedance spectrum of infants which is not necessarily indicative of pulmonary impairment.
In situ methane enrichment in methanogenic energy crop digesters

Abstract A simple in situ technique to enrich digester offgas, which normally contains 30–50% carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) by volume, was developed to take advantage of the differing solubilities of CO 2 and methane (CH 4 ). Dissolved CO 2 was removed from the digester in a recycled leachate stream and gas stripped in an external stripper. Bench-scale systems easily enriched the remaining digester offgas to over 95% CH 4 , and CH 4 purities in excess of 98% were achieved. Quantitative evaluation of system variables defined the effects of leachate recycle rates and alkalinity on the resulting offgas methane contents. Offgas CH 4 contents correlated well with the ratio of CO 2 transport capacity to CO 2 production. This ratio was termed the alkalinity/CO 2 ratio, a variable representing the cumulative effects of leachate recycle, leachate alkalinity and digester gas production. Operation at alkalinities of 2 and 4g l −1 (as CaCO 3 ) was more effective than 8 g l −1 for the specific mode of operation used in this study, as elevated alkalinities required extensive lag times between feeding and initiation of stripping, resulting in blow-by of CO 2 into the digester offgas, lowering the offgas CH 4 content. Excessively high recycle rates led to digester pH levels above 8.1, resulting in volatile fatty acid accumulation and lowered CH 4 production rates.
Constraints on grand unified superstring theories

Abstract We evaluate some constraints on the construction of grand unified superstring theories (GUSTs) using higher level Kac-Moody algebras on the world-sheet. In the most general formulation of the heterotic string in four dimensions, an analysis of the basic GUST model-building constraints, including a realistic hidden gauge group, reveals that there are no E 6 models and any SO(10) models can only exist at level-5. Also, any such SU(5) models can exist only for levels 4⩽ k ⩽19. These SO(10) and SU(5) models risk having many large, massless, phenomenogically troublesome representations. We also show that with a suitable hidden sector gauge group, it is possible to avoid free light fractionally charged particles, which are endemic to string derived models. We list all such groups and their representations for the flipped SU(5)×U(1) model. We conclude that a sufficiently binding hidden sector gauge group becomes a basic model-building constraint.
Smart bolts: An example of self-healing structures

Abstract Structural health monitoring has taken off as a research topic in the past ten years. Currently, there is at least one conference per year devoted to structural health monitoring and several biennial conferences. More importantly, many companies are looking to health monitoring as part of their new business plans to sell service rather than just products. Accordingly, companies have a keen interest in reducing maintenance schedules and downtime for failures causing an increased reliance on health monitoring. The field of structural health monitoring is a natural for combining with smart materials because many of the best algorithms require known or controlled excitation and sensing rather than just sensing. Thus, the actuation ability of smart materials becomes key in health monitoring and diagnostics. The actuation ability of smart materials also has the potential to provide force to a smart structure to counteract damage once it is detected, introducing the possibility of self-healing structures. This article focuses on the use of smart materials to create self-healing structures and provides an example of a self-healing system in the form of a smart bolt. The objective of this study is to reduce significantly resources that are dedicated to inspection routines of joint connections and allow systems to function longer between maintenance. We investigate the feasibility of creating smart structural bolted connections, which consist of structural members joined together by bolt and nut combinations equipped with piezoceramic and shape memory alloy elements. These combinations can be used to monitor bolt tension and connection damage. When damage occurs, temporary adjustments of the bolt tension can be achieved actively and remotely in order to restore lost torque for continued operation.
Take Five: Renaissance Literature and the Study of the Senses

In recent years scholars of various critical stripes have shown a keen interest in Renaissance literature and the study of the senses. I offer an overview of such sensory scholarship, detailing the contributions of social historians, of those who work on Renaissance allegory, and of those engaged in scholarship on faculty psychology and early modern embodiment. As I trace the contours of work by literary and cultural critics on the individual senses, I note that critical explorations of vision, the sense that many Renaissance philosophers ranked at the top of the sensory hierarchy, no longer eclipse scholarship on the other senses. Rather, work on aurality has blossomed in the past decade as scholars have investigated the history of hearing and listening and have recognized the privileged position of aurality in Renaissance sensory hierarchies. Before ending, I discuss recent discussions of smell, taste, and touch, and I suggest some ways in which recent scholarship on tactility might reinvigorate the study of Renaissance drama.
On the number of classes of (n,k) switching networks

Abstract An ( n , k ) switching network is defined as an n -input, k -output network such that associated with each output is a Boolean transmission function of the n -inputs. If we allow a group U on the inputs and a group b on the outputs, then the family of networks is decomposed into equivalence classes. In this paper the number of equivalence classes is derived for the important groups encountered in switching theory.
Continued monitoring of Landsat reflective band calibration using pseudo-invariant calibration sites

Though both of the current Landsat instruments, Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper+ (ETM+) and Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM), include on-board calibration systems, since 2001, pseudo-invariant calibration sites (PICS) have been added to the suite of metrics to assess the instruments' calibration. These sites do not provide absolute calibration data since there are no ground measurements of the sites, but in monitoring these PICS over time, the relative calibration can be tracked. The sites used by the Landsat instruments are primarily in the Saharan Desert. To date, the trending from the PICS sites has confirmed that most of the degradation seen in the ETM+ on-board calibration systems is likely not degradation of the instrument, but rather degradation of the calibration systems themselves. However, the PICS data show statistically significant degradation (at 2-sigma) in all the reflective spectral bands of up to −0.22%/year since July 2003. For the TM, the PICS were instrumental in updating the calibration in 2007 and now suggest two bands may require another update. The data show a statistically significant degradation (at 2-sigma) in Bands 1 and 3 of −0.27 and −0.15%/year, respectively, since March 1999. The data filtering and processing methods are currently being reviewed but these PICS results may lead to an update in the reflective band calibration of both Landsat-7 and Landsat-5.
The effect of temperature on the erosion-corrosion of 9Cr-1Mo steel

Abstract The effect of test temperature on the nature of the scale formation and the substrate metal thickness loss by combined erosion-corrosion was determined for 9Cr-1Mo steel (where the composition is given in approximate weight per cent) at temperatures up to 900°C in air and undried nitrogen gas streams containing 130 μm Al 2 O 3 particles. It was determined that the metal thickness loss increased with test temperature. Below approximately 750°C the scale loss mechanism was low loss rate chipping while above this temperature the mechanism changed to high loss rate periodic spalling. Combined erosion-corrosion caused an effective 150–200°C increase in the corrosion scale morphology compared with the structures that resulted from dynamic corrosion without particles in the stream.
Seasonal effects on microbial transformation rates of an herbicide in a freshwater stream: Application of laboratory data to a field site

Seasonal effects on microbial transformation rates of an herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophen-oxyacetic acid butoxyethyl ester (2,4-DBE), in a freshwater stream were investigated using low concentrations (less than 100 μg L−1) of the herbicide mixed with an inert dye, rhodamine WT, to correct for dilution. Although water temperatures decreased from 22 ± 0.5 to 8.0 ± 0.5°C and water velocities decreased from 0.09 ± 0.01 to 0.03 ± 0.003 m s−1, microbial transformation rates, as indicated by pseudo-first-order transformation rate coefficients, increased as much as threefold in the cold months over those in the spring and summer. The increased winter transformation rates were associated with leaf-litter accumulation, which provided additional colonized surface area in the stream. Therefore, the increased colonized surface area more than compensated for the effects of temperature and water velocity (under conditions of mass-transport limitation) that otherwise would have reduced microbial transformation rates in the winter months.
CEREBRAL ŒDEMA COMPLICATING TREATED NON-KETOTIC HYPERGLYCÆMIA

Abstract A case of cerebral oedema occurring during treatment of non-ketotic hyperglycaemia is reported. This complication apparently arose from an asynchronous decrease in the blood and cerebrospinal-fluid glucose with a lag in the latter and consequent shift of water from the plasma into the subarachnoid space and the cerebral cells. Cerebral oedema is reversible in this iatrogenic complication provided the condition is recognised and adequately treated.
Analysis of geologic strain data in strain-magnitude space

Abstract Strain-magnitude space is defined by an orthogonal coordinate system using the natural principal strains E x , E y , E z . Distance from the origin provides an invariant measure of total-strain magnitude E t , which can be decomposed into two orthogonal components: volume E v and deviatoric E d strain. The volume-strain axis E v is equidistant from the E x , E y , E z axes, and the E d component lies in an orthogonal section called the deviatoric section. E v and E d are independent of the rotational component of the deformation and are shown to be fundamental measures of strain magnitude. The deviatoric section contains the Flinn and Nadai diagrams, which are commonly used to identify strain symmetry (oblate vs prolate). The Nadai diagram is preferred because it provides an undistorted representation of the deviatoric section. Other sections that include the volume-strain axis are better suited for distinguishing strain type (flattening vs constriction). Strain-magnitude space ignores the directional information contained in strain-tensor data. This leads to a significant bias which is illustrated by comparing a strain-magnitude distribution with its average, as determined by a tensor-averaging method. The mode of the distribution will generally give an unbiased estimate of the average volume strain and an estimate of the average deviatoric strain on the high side.
True height analysis of oblique incidence HF radio wave data

Abstract A lamination method of true height analysis is proposed by which data obtained in oblique ionospheric sounding may be used to derive the electron distribution in the ionosphere remote from the sounding station. The application of the method to forward oblique and ground backacatter data is discussed and some preliminary results are presented.
Medical students' attitudes toward pain before and after a brief course on pain

The effectiveness of a brief clinical and basic science seminar on pain for 1st year medical students was examined by comparing attitudes about pain prior to the seminar to attitudes 5 months after the seminar. The 6-h course combined written materials conveying facts about behavioral, social and biological aspects of pain with clinical observations of an acute and a chronic pain treatment team. Examination of responses to a questionnaire assessing attitudes toward pain patients revealed that medical students have limited personal experience with pain and medications for pain, and limited knowledge about pain. Pre-course attitudes toward pain patients were dominated by perceived negative characteristics of pain patients and the belief that working with such patients is difficult. Attitudes measured 5 months after the course reflected increased complexity, greater emphasis that pain is real and not imaginary, and stronger belief that working with pain patients is rewarding. Five months after the seminar, students reported more accurate estimates of the frequency of problems with addiction stemming from acute pain treatment and exaggerated the prevalence of pain problems in the society. The importance of integrating clinical and basic science experiences in order to influence long-term clinical attitudes and produce lasting changes in clinically relevant knowledge is discussed.
Patient-Specific Finite Element Modeling of Mitral Valve Dynamic Deformation

Mitral valve is a two-leaflet valve that is located between the left atrium and the left ventricle of the heart. In order to successfully replace or repair mitral valve and develop effective prosthetic devices, it is critical to understand the in vivo mechanics of the normal mitral valve. Although research has been conducted to investigate animal mitral valve strains by in vivo experiments, it is still very challenging to obtain accurate in vivo stress and strain information of the human mitral valve.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Anatomic Demarcation by Positional Variation in Fibroblast Gene Expression Programs

Fibroblasts are ubiquitous mesenchymal cells with many vital functions during development, tissue repair, and disease. Fibroblasts from different anatomic sites have distinct and characteristic gene expression patterns, but the principles that govern their molecular specialization are poorly understood. Spatial organization of cellular differentiation may be achieved by unique specification of each cell type; alternatively, organization may arise by cells interpreting their position along a coordinate system. Here we test these models by analyzing the genome-wide gene expression profiles of primary fibroblast populations from 43 unique anatomical sites spanning the human body. Large-scale differences in the gene expression programs were related to three anatomic divisions: anterior-posterior (rostral-caudal), proximal-distal, and dermal versus nondermal. A set of 337 genes that varied according to these positional divisions was able to group all 47 samples by their anatomic sites of origin. Genes involved in pattern formation, cell-cell signaling, and matrix remodeling were enriched among this minimal set of positional identifier genes. Many important features of the embryonic pattern of HOX gene expression were retained in fibroblasts and were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. Together, these findings suggest that site-specific variations in fibroblast gene expression programs are not idiosyncratic but rather are systematically related to their positional identities relative to major anatomic axes.
The influence of subsurface species on desorption kinetics : /Zr(0001)

Abstract Isotopic oxygen ( 18 O 2 ) adsorption on Zr(0001) surfaces at 185 K is investigated with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). The surface region of zirconium is saturated by low exposures of oxygen as determined by AES and LEED. However, as the exposure increases, thermal desorption features of H2 18 O (20 amu) and H2 16 O (18 amu) grow, with more H2 16 O than H2 18 O desorbing after isotopic oxygen exposure. These results indicate that significant kinetic mixing of surface and subsurface oxygen species as well as hydrogen transport from the bulk is involved in water production by this surface during heating.
Poland syndrome with extracorporeal intercostal liver herniation and thoracic myelomeningocele

Poland syndrome is characterized by hypoplastic unilateral chest wall structures. These chest wall deformities may be associated with upper extremity anomalies. The association of Poland syndrome with either intercostal liver herniation or a spinocerebral deformity has been described, but there is no report of both findings encountered simultaneously. This is the first report of a newborn child with Poland syndrome associated with an intercostal liver segment herniation and thoracic myelomeningocele with features of an Arnold-Chiari II cerebral malformation.
Bernard Strehler-inspiration for basic research into the mechanisms of aging.

Bernard Strehler, who passed away recently, has provided inspiration and intellectual guidance for a generation of scientists interested in the biology of aging. My own career in this field was launched in large part by the ideas and concepts discussed by Dr Strehler in his book, Time, Cells, and Aging. Much of my scientific career has been devoted to studying one aspect of the aging process—the intracellular accumulation of autofluorescent lysosomal storage bodies (lipofuscin) during senescence. Work in my laboratory has contributed to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that underlie formation of lipofuscin in the retinal pigment epithelium of the eye. The challenge for the work on lipofuscin, and for much of the current research on aging, is to determine whether specific age-related changes such as lipofuscin accumulation, are involved in determining maximum life span. Bernard Strehler's eloquent statement of this challenge will hopefully continue to inspire new research to further our understanding of the aging phenomenon.
Cortical control of microtubule stability and polarization

In both dividing and interphase cells, microtubules are remodeled in response to signal transduction pathways triggered by a variety of stimuli. Members of the Rho family of small GTPases have emerged as key intermediates in transmitting signals to cortical factors that mediate capture of dynamic microtubules at specific sites. The specificity of cortical capture appears to be controlled by microtubule tip proteins and cortical receptors that bind these proteins. Recent studies suggest that some of the proteins interacting with microtubule tips behave as bridging proteins between the microtubule tip proteins and their cortical receptors. Such bridging proteins may enhance cortical capture of microtubules directly or indirectly through interactions with the actin cytoskeleton.
Simultaneous occurrence of renal cell adenocarcinoma and urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis in the same kidney diagnosed by preoperative angiography

An unusual case of dissimilar histologic neoplasms in the same kidney is presented. An 86-year-old man had renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma in the same kidney eight years after therapy for urinary bladder carcinoma. These two different types of neoplasms were identified preoperatively by angiography. A peculiar hamartoma was also found in the same kidney.
Intramolecular proton transfer.

Reversal of the normal kinetic protonation stereochemistry results as a consequence of intramolecular delivery.
A gap isolation method to investigate electrical and mechanical properties of fully contracting skeletal muscle fibers.

We describe here a single-gap isolation method that allows the simultaneous measurement of electrical activity and tension output from fully contracting segments of frog skeletal muscle fibers. By using single pulses and pulse trains of varying frequency (5-100 Hz), records obtained for both electrical and mechanical fiber response demonstrate that the physiological properties of the fiber segments have been preserved. Action potentials could be recorded free of movement artifacts, even while segments were in fused tetani and developing maximum tensions of more than 600 kN/m2. Single current pulses evoked action potentials that averaged 144 +/- 16 mV (mean +/- SD, n = 8) in amplitude and twitches that averaged 285 +/- 66 kN/m2 and 55 +/- 5 ms (mean +/- SD, n = 20) in magnitude and time to peak, respectively. Trains of action potentials elicited patterns of tension development that exhibited summation, unfused tetani, and fused tetani in a frequency-dependent manner. The AC and DC electrical properties of the single grease gap were modeled with a simple Thevenin equivalent circuit, which satisfactorily predicted the experimental results. Our methodology is easily implemented and potentially applicable to any muscle preparation in which fiber segments with an intact end attached to a piece of tendon can be dissected.
The role of turns in the structure of an α -helical protein

The turns joining segments of secondary structure have been proposed to be key elements in dictating the folded structures of native proteins. An alternative view assumes that turns play a passive role and are merely default structures that occur as a consequence of interactions between antiparallel segments of secondary structure, with chain reversal being dictated by the context surrounding the turn and not by the sequence of the turn itself. The solvent-exposure of turns and their tolerance to evolutionary variance suggests that they may have little or no effect on the formation of native structures. Previous investigations have focused on various types of beta-turns that connect antiparallel beta-strands with comparatively little reported on the structural role of interhelical turns. Here we probe the structural importance of such a turn in an antiparallel 4-helix bundle by randomly substituting an interhelical tripeptide in cytochrome b-562 with many different amino-acid sequences. Thirty-one of the resulting substituted proteins were characterized and all of them were shown to fold into stable, native-like structures. These results suggest that this interhelical turn does not does not play a dominant role in determining the folded structure of this antiparallel 4-helix bundle.
On generating hypotheses using computer simulations

Computational modeling is increasingly being used to do theory development. Computer simulation, numerical estimation, and emulation models are used to describe complex systems and generate a series of hypotheses about the behavior of these systems under different scenarios. These hypotheses can serve as guides to the design of human laboratory experiments and can suggest what data to collect in field and gaming situations. Models that are particularly useful in this venue are process models of nonlinear systems where multiple factors dynamically interact. This article describes these models and illustrates how they can be used to generate a series of hypotheses that guide future endeavors. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 2: 69–77, 1999
Computational recipes for electromagnetic inverse problems

SUMMARY The Jacobian of the non-linear mapping from model parameters to observations is a key component in all gradient-based inversion methods, including variants on Gauss–Newton and non-linear conjugate gradients. Here, we develop a general mathematical framework for Jacobian computations arising in electromagnetic (EM) geophysical inverse problems. Our analysis, which is based on the discrete formulation of the forward problem, divides computations into components (data functionals, forward and adjoint solvers, model parameter mappings), and clarifies dependencies among these elements within realistic numerical inversion codes. To be concrete, we focus much of the specific discussion on 2-D and 3-D magnetotelluric (MT) inverse problems, but our analysis is applicable to a wide range of active and passive source EM methods. The general theory developed here provides the basis for development of a modular system of computer codes for inversion of EM geophysical data, which we summarize at the end of the paper.
Jam-O-World: evolution of the Jam-O-Drum multi-player musical controller into the Jam-O-Whirl gaming interface

This paper discusses the Jam-O-Drum multi-player musical controller and its adaptation into a gaming controller interface known as the Jam-O-Whirl. The Jam-O-World project positioned these two controller devices in a dedicated projection environment that enabled novice players to participate in immersive musical gaming experiences. Players' actions, detected via embedded sensors in an integrated tabletop surface, control game play, real-time computer graphics and musical interaction. Jam-O-World requires physical and social interaction as well as collaboration among players.
Assessment of Drowsiness in Epilepsy Patients Receiving Chronic Antiepileptic Drug Therapy

Drowsiness is a common complaint among patients with epilepsy taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and may be of particular importance because of the potential effects on cognitive abilities. We used a novel EEG-based measure (the Awake Maintenance Task, AMT) to determine objectively whether patients on chronic, stable AED therapy had impaired ability to maintain wakefulness. Thirty patients receiving AEDs [carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PHT), phenobarbital (PB), valproate (VPA)] were compared to 35 healthy controls, 12 seizure patients not taking AEDs, and 16 patients with multiple sclerosis. A structured EEG recording was conducted under controlled conditions, and subjects were tested to determine their ability to maintain wakefulness during a 6-min unstimulated trial. Testing also included Digit Symbol, auditory reaction time, and subjective measures of fatigue or sleepiness [Profile of Mood States (POMS), Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS)]. Patients receiving AEDs had a mean total drowsiness score of 101 s compared with 120 s of drowsiness, in contrast to only 1 of 63 controls (p < 0.001). Among patients receiving AEDs, objective EEG drowsiness did not correlate with AED levels or performance measures. Untreated seizure patients had significantly greater complaints of lack of vigor despite a near absence of objective drowsiness on the AMT. These results suggest that epilepsy patients receiving chronic AED therapy have impaired ability to maintain wakefulness. Patient self-reports of AED-related sleepiness may not accurately represent this problem.
Analysis of Seismic Activity near Theodore Roosevelt Dam, Arizona, during the Occupation of the EarthScope/USArray Transportable Array

Online Material: Plot of viable focal mechanisms and table of regional seismic velocity model. Rate and distribution of seismic activity are important indicators of the overall state of tectonic stress within a region. In regions characterized by low levels of seismicity, active fault surfaces are rarely visible at the surface, and the analysis of small‐magnitude earthquakes at depth may be the most effective way to identify seismic hazard and risk from ambient tectonic activity. Further, studies of local and regional seismicity are also a direct way to examine geophysical and tectonic boundaries, although determining long‐term seismicity levels requires good knowledge of the earthquake cycle. A major challenge in monitoring regions with low seismicity levels, therefore, is that long‐term recording and/or deployment of sensitive instrumentation is required to provide adequate data. Seismicity patterns are of particular concern near large population centers and key infrastructure, such as power plants and dams. For instance, the Phoenix metropolitan area in south‐central Arizona receives its water through a network of canals fed by multiple man‐made reservoirs located throughout the state. Analysis of seismicity patterns in the vicinity of these reservoirs and their associated dam structures is important because (1) the occurrence of an unexpectedly large earthquake may result in the failure of the dam structure resulting in adverse consequences to nearby human populations and the environment, and (2) the reservoir itself may induce seismicity and increase earthquake activity above previously recorded background levels (Simpson et al. , 1986; Talwani, 1997; Gupta, 2002). The state of Arizona is a type example of a region where, until recently, …
Calpain activity in the rat brain after transient forebrain ischemia.

Abstract Activity of the Ca2+-dependent protease calpain is increased in neurons after global and focal brain ischemia, and may contribute to postischemic injury cascades. Understanding the time course and location of calpain activity in the post-ischemic brain is essential to establishing causality and optimizing therapeutic interventions. This study examined the temporal and spatial characteristics of brain calpain activity after transient forebrain ischemia (TFI) in rats. Male Long Evans rats underwent 10 min of normothermic TFI induced by bilateral carotid occlusion with hypovolemic hypotension (MABP 30 mm Hg). Brain calpain activitywas examined between 1 and 72 h after reperfusion. Western blot analysis of regional brain homogenates demonstrated a bimodal pattern of calpain-mediated α-spectrin degradation in the hippocampus, cortex, and striatum with an initial increase at 1 h followed by a more prominent secondary increase at 36 h after reperfusion. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that calpain activity was primarily localized to dendritic fields of selectively vulnerable neurons at one hour after reperfusion. Between 24 and 48 h after reperfusion neuronal calpain activity progressed from the dorsal to ventral striatum, medial to lateral CA1 hippocampus, and centripetally expanded from watershed foci in the cerebral cortex. This progression was associated with fragmentation of dendritic processes, calpain activation in the neuronal soma and subsequent neuronal degeneration. These observations demonstrate a clear association between calpain activation and subsequent delayed neuronal death and suggest broad therapeutic window for interventions aimed at preventing delayed intracellular Ca2+ overload and pathologic calpain activation.
Using geometric hashing with information theoretic clustering for fast recognition from a large CAD modelbase

We introduce a geometric hashing strategy to recognize CAD models from an organized hierarchy. Unlike most prior work in hashing using graph theoretic models, this work is a step closer to the classical, point based geometric hashing scheme. The geometric hashing strategy is used along with the hierarchical organization strategy defined by K. Sengupta and K.L. Boyer (1995). The combination of these two concepts can potentially reduce the recognition time considerably, especially versus the normal graph theoretic ideas, while retaining all of their benefits. We also present an error analysis of the hashing scheme considering the sensor noise and the scene clutter. Experiments with a CAD modelbase and both synthetic and real images indicate the potential of this scheme for fast recognition from large modelbases.
Beta-hairpin folding simulations in atomistic detail using an implicit solvent model.

Abstract We have used distributed computing techniques and a supercluster of thousands of computer processors to study folding of the C-terminal β-hairpin from protein G in atomistic detail using the GB/SA implicit solvent model at 300 K. We have simulated a total of nearly 38 μs of folding time and obtained eight complete and independent folding trajectories. Starting from an extended state, we observe relaxation to an unfolded state characterized by non-specific, temporary hydrogen bonding. This is followed by the appearance of interactions between hydrophobic residues that stabilize a bent intermediate. Final formation of the complete hydrophobic core occurs cooperatively at the same time that the final hydrogen bonding pattern appears. The folded hairpin structures we observe all contain a closely packed hydrophobic core and proper β-sheet backbone dihedral angles, but they differ in backbone hydrogen bonding pattern. We show that this is consistent with the existing experimental data on the hairpin alone in solution. Our analysis also reveals short-lived semi-helical intermediates which define a thermodynamic trap. Our results are consistent with a three-state mechanism with a single rate-limiting step in which a varying final hydrogen bond pattern is apparent, and semi-helical off-pathway intermediates may appear early in the folding process. We include details of the ensemble dynamics methodology and a discussion of our achievements using this new computational device for studying dynamics at the atomic level.
The nature of low anthropometry among low-income children screened in clinical settings.

Abstract Low anthropometric status based on height and weight is commonly used as a sign of malnutrition. In developing countries low anthropometry is prevalent, due to poor dietary intake, infectious disease, or both. In the U.S., where the prevalence is low, the underlying reasons as to why children exhibit low anthropometry are not clear. This study documents the prevalence of low anthropometry and examines the characteristics of children with low anthropometric status. This is a descriptive study of two case series (inpatients and outpatients) of children with low anthropometry from Grady Memorial Hospital and its five satellite clinics, an urban hospital complex in Atlanta, GA. The subjects are predominantly low-income African American infants and children between the ages of 3 months and 10 years. Low anthropometry is defined as a