cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inactivated tumor infiltrating CD8+ T cells in primary and metastatic osteosarcoma

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 216 Introduction: Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been documented in different types of tumors both in humans and mouse models. Many studies have found TILs to be favorable prognostic factors in patients with different tumors. Tumor cells may evade immune surveillance by different immunoregulatory strategies. Osteosarcoma, comprising 45% of all bone sarcomas, is a common solid tumor in adolescents and children. In the present study we determined the extent of TIL-infiltration in the tumor stroma in both primary osteosarcomas and metastatic osteosarcomas in lung using archival sections of metastatic lung osteosarcoma and a tissue microarray (TMA) generated from primary tumors. Methods: We performed immunohistochemical analysis of archival FFPE sections from patient-derived pulmonary metastatic osteosarcoma nodules (N=15) and a TMA of primary osteosarcomas (N=27) to assess the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and their activational status based on Granzyme-B positivity. We also assessed infiltration of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (T-regs) in tumor stroma in the same specimens. The data obtained from immunohistochemical analysis were correlated with the clinical outcomes and histological grades for individual patients. Results: 12 of 15 specimens (80%) of metastatic lung osteosarcoma showed infiltration by CD8+ T cells in the tumor stroma; while in only one sample (8.3%) did these cells express Granzyme-B. CD8+ T cells present in adjacent lung tissue expressed Granzyme-B, indicating functional responsiveness and serving as an internal positive control for each sample. In a tissue microarray of primary jaw osteosarcomas only 2 of 27 specimens (7.4%) showed intratumor CD8+ T cell infiltration; none were positive for Granzyme B. Of the 11 metastatic specimens showing inactivation of infiltrating CTLs, only 3 (27%) showed infiltrating FoxP3+ T-regs in tumor stroma. Thus concomitant infiltration of T-regs did not account for the CTL inactivation in all specimens. Discussion: Our data show that osteosarcoma evades immune response by specifically anergizing TILs by T-reg dependent and independent mechanisms. There have been multiple clinical trials attempting eradication of osteosarcomas by activating anti-tumor immune response, e.g. GM-CSF inhalation therapy and use of muramyl tripeptide-phosphatidylethanolamine (MTP-PE) for lung metastases of osteosarcoma. We envisage that these treatments may work by circumventing immunoregulatory strategies taken up by tumor cells. Elucidation of these mechanisms might thus prove to be extremely important in designing rational immunotherapeutic strategies.
An Overview of State Anti-Bullying Legislation and Other Related Laws

As a part of its collaboration with the Born This Way Foundation, the Berkman Center is publishing a series of papers that synthesize existing peer-reviewed research or equivalent scholarship and provide research-grounded insight to the variety of stakeholders working on issues related to youth empowerment and action towards creating a kinder, braver world. This series, called the The Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series (Danah Boyd and John Palfrey, editors), is presented by the Born This Way Foundation & the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and supported by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The first set of papers, which were intended to provide insights to the new foundation, involved topics related to Youth Meanness and Cruelty.This document provides an overview, as of January 2012, of existing state anti-bullying laws, pending state and federal anti-bullying legislation, and other relevant federal and state laws. It is meant to inform the discussion of legal policy issues around bullying, in particular at the Symposium on Youth Meanness and Cruelty being held at Harvard Law School on February 29, 2012 as part of the Kinder & Braver World Project.This document, including the Tables in Appendix 1, was created by analyzing the anti-bullying laws of the 48 states with such laws, as well as reviewing pending legislation and related laws. The document and tables break out provisions of the state statutes that the authors consider important to engender positive cross-disciplinary discussion at the Symposium. The language in the state statutes is incredibly varied and complex, and this area of the law is constantly evolving. Many additional areas of inquiry are sure to arise at the Symposium and beyond. Thus, this document is a working draft.
The Problem with Binaries: Coding for Gender and Sexuality

Gender has emerged as the primary social constraint in variation, but the complexities of correlations with a gender binary make it clear that gender must be examined as it interacts with other social constraints (e.g. class). Recent interest in sexuality as a social variable has emerged similarly to that found in studies of gender, with a problematic focus on a binary based on gender choice of sexual partner. This paper examines the problems with the binary treatment of gender and sexuality in variation studies, and considers the consequences and options for the coding and use of large corpora.
Gamma-Ray Bursts May Be Biased Tracers of Star Formation

Based on a simulation of galaxy formation in the standard cosmological model, we suggest that a consistent picture for Gamma-Ray Bursts and star formation may be found that is in broad agreement with observations: GRBs preferentially form in low metallicity environments and in galaxies substantially less luminous that L*. We find that the computed formation rate of stars with metallicity less than 0.1Zsun agrees remarkably well with the rate evolution of Gamma-Ray Bursts observed by Swift from z=0 to z=4, whereas the evolution of total star formation rate is weaker by a factor of about 4. Given this finding, we caution that any inference of star formation rate based on observed GRB rate may require a more involved exercise than a simple proportionality.
Cross pathway regulation of tyrosine and histidine synthesis in Bacillus subtilis. Biochemical, genetic, and transfer RNA studies.

Abstract A large number of mutants resistant to the histidine analog, 1,2,4-triazole-3-alanine or the tyrosine analogs, d -tyrosine and fluorotyrosine were isolated in the wild type or bradytrophic strains of Bacillus subtilis . Most of these mutants had elevated levels of enzymes in both the tyrosine and histidine biosynthetic pathways. These mutants could be divided into six different groups based on the levels of these enzymes in cells grown on minimal medium and on medium supplemented with tyrosine or histidine. The gene or genes conferring resistance to these analogs mapped near the purB locus by DNA-mediated transformation. The activating enzymes and chromatographic patterns of tRNA for histidine and tyrosine were compared in preparations from wild type cells and several mutant classes, but there were no detectable differences in these components. The possibility that the common element in the control of enzyme synthesis in the tyrosine and histidine pathways is an aporepressor is discussed.
Slow Oscillatory Discharge in the Primate Basal Ganglia

Oscillations with periods in the multisecond range have previously been recorded in basal ganglia neurons of awake paralyzed rats, and in these animals were shown to be increased by systemic dopaminergic stimulation, but not altered by depletion of the nigrostriatal dopamine supply. To determine whether oscillations with frequencies below 0.5 Hz also exist in the primate basal ganglia, the spontaneous neuronal activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and in the external and internal segments of the globus pallidus (GPe and GPi, respectively) was recorded with standard extracellular recording methods in two animals before and after treatment with the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Oscillations with mean periods around 80 s were identified in 30% percent of GPe neurons, 36% of STN neurons, and 48% of GPi neurons. After recording in the normal state, the animals were rendered parkinsonian by intracarotid application of MPTP. This treatment resulted in a 30% reduction of the average discharge rate in GPe, a 47% increase of the average discharge rate in STN, and a 15% increase of the average discharge rate in GPi. However, there were no changes in the proportion of cells with slow oscillatory discharge. The oscillation frequencies were slightly increased in STN but remained unchanged in GPe and GPi. The results demonstrate that multisecond oscillations commonly occur in primate basal ganglia neurons and are unchanged by treatment with MPTP. The oscillations may have roles in fundamental functions of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical network, such as the regulation of the state of arousal.
Reproductive consequences of oral arsenate exposure during pregnancy in a mouse model.

BACKGROUND: The second most common of all structural birth defects, neural tube defects (NTDs), affect approximately 2.6/1,000 births worldwide, and 1/1,000 births in the United States. Of the many environmental agents suspected of being teratogenic, arsenic (As) is capable of inducing NTDs in laboratory animals. METHODS: We evaluated the teratogenicity of oral exposure on embryonic day (E) 7.5 and E:8.5 to As 4.8, 9.6, or 14.4 mg/kg (as sodium arsenate) in an inbred mouse strain, LM/Bc/Fnn, that does not exhibit spontaneous neural tube malformations. Control and arsenic-treated dams (20 per treatment group) were weighed daily, and evaluated for signs of maternal toxicity. Fetuses were evaluated for soft tissue and skeletal malformations. RESULTS: There was no maternal toxicity as evidenced by losses in maternal body weight following As treatment. However, liver weights were lower in all As-treated groups, suggesting hepatotoxicity due to As exposure. The number of litters affected with an NTD (exencephaly) in each treatment group was: 0, 1, 5, and 9 for control, As 4.8, 9.6, or 14.4, respectively, which exhibited a positive linear trend. There was evidence for trends between As dose and the number of litters displaying vertebral (p<0.001) and calvarial (p<0.01) abnormalities, components of the axial skeleton. Mean fetal weight of all As-treated groups was significantly less than in control. DISCUSSION: In our model, maternal oral treatment with As induced NTDs. It also significantly increased the frequency of axial skeletal anomalies in the offspring exposed in utero, and reduced mean fetal weight, without evidence of maternal toxicity. Birth Defects Res (Part B). © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Quantitative Studies of Chicken Somatotrophs during Growth and Development by Morphometry, Immunocytochemistry, and Flow Cytometry

Changes in the male chicken somatotroph during growth and maturation have been examined by morphometric and immunocytochemical (ICC) analysis of serial sections of the anterior pituitary gland and by flow cytometry of dispersed anterior pituitary cells. ICC showed that somatotrophs are confined to the middle and caudal thirds of the anterior pituitary gland at all ages from 5 to 26 weeks. At a given age somatotrophs are of equal size at all positions along the cephalocaudal axis of the anterior pituitary gland. However, there are age-related changes: from 5 to 11 weeks rises occur in both the mean total somatotroph volume per gland (64%) and the mean number of somatotrophs (78%), while the mean volume of the single somatotroph is unchanged. From 11 to 18 weeks the mean volume of the single somatotroph decreases 41%. From 18 to 26 weeks the mean volume of the somatotroph, the mean total somatotroph volume, and the mean number per gland do not change. Flow cytometry studies suggested that somatotrophs from adults have less growth hormone (GH) than somatotrophs from young birds. The increases in total somatotroph volume and number from 5 to 11 weeks are consistent with the rise in anterior pituitary GH reported previously. Basic quantitative morphological information about age-related changes in somatotrophs is reported here. When combined with additional facts from future work, they may explain the well-documented sharp decline in circulating GH from 5 to 11 weeks.
Why women succeed, and fail, in the arts.

I examine and test hypotheses for the differential performance of men and women in the arts. I consider whether observed outcomes are best accounted for by differing innate and genetic endowments across the sexes, variations in training opportunities, maternal responsibilities, or discrimination in the marketplace. More generally, I also consider how social mechanisms can give rise to observed patterns of unequal achievement.
Patterns of River Influence and Connectivity Among Subbasins of Puget Sound, with Application to Bacterial and Nutrient Loading

Puget Sound is an estuarine inland sea fed by 14 major rivers and also strongly influenced by the nearby Fraser River. A comprehensive, particle-based reanalysis of an existing circulation model was used to map the area of influence of each of these rivers over a typical seasonal cycle. Each of the 131,000 particles released in the 15 rivers was associated with a freshwater volume, a nutrient load, and a fecal coliform load based on statistics from 10 years of Washington Department of Ecology monitoring data. Simple assumptions regarding mortality and nutrient utilization/export rates were used to estimate the decrease in bacterial and nutrient load as individual parcels of river water age. Reconstructions of basin-scale volume fluxes and salinities from the particle inventory provide consistency checks on the particle calculation, according to methods suitable for error analysis in a wide range of particle-based estuarine residence time studies. Results suggest that river contributions to total freshwater content in Puget Sound are highly nonlocal in spring and summer, with distant, large rivers (the Fraser and Skagit) accounting for a large fraction of total freshwater. However, bacterial mortality and nutrient export rates are relatively fast compared with transport timescales, and so significant loadings associated with major rivers are in most cases only seen close to river mouths. One notable exception is fecal coliform concentration in Bellingham Bay and Samish Bay, which lie north of Puget Sound proper; there, it appears that the Fraser River may rival local rivers (the Samish and Nooksack) as a pathogen source, with the much higher flow volume of the Fraser compensating for its remoteness.
OCR binarization and image pre-processing for searching historical documents

We consider the problem of document binarization as a pre-processing step for optical character recognition (OCR) for the purpose of keyword search of historical printed documents. A number of promising techniques from the literature for binarization, pre-filtering, and post-binarization denoising were implemented along with newly developed methods for binarization: an error diffusion binarization, a multiresolutional version of Otsu's binarization, and denoising by despeckling. The OCR in the ABBYY FineReader 7.1 SDK is used as a black box metric to compare methods. Results for 12 pages from six newspapers of differing quality show that performance varies widely by image, but that the classic Otsu method and Otsu-based methods perform best on average.
Live birth of healthy twins following transfer of re-cryopreserved blastocysts developed from frozen embryos recovered from a malfunctioning freezer

A computer-controlled cooling machine is the basic equipment required to perform slow freezing of human embryos. Although freezer malfunction is a rare event, it has been reported (HFEA press release. [1]). To date, there are no published reports regarding the fate of cryopreserved embryos encountered freezer malfunction during the slow cooling process. This case report describes our experience with a sudden temperature increase occurring during the slow cooling of human embryo cryopreservation. We successfully recovered cryopreserved embryos from the malfunctioning freezer by rapid thawing. Surviving embryos successfully developed to the blastocyst stage and were re-cryopreserved by vitrification. An ongoing twin pregnancy was achieved with two healthy twins following the transfer of two vitrified blastocysts.
Surgical management of secondary tricuspid valve regurgitation: annulus, commissure, or leaflet procedure?

Objectives Techniques employed today concomitantly with left-sided heart valve surgery address secondary tricuspid valve regurgitation at 3 anatomic levels—annulus, commissure, and leaflet—although success of these alone or in combination in eliminating tricuspid regurgitation is uncertain. Our objective was to assess the comparative effectiveness of these techniques in reducing or eliminating secondary tricuspid regurgitation. Methods From 1990 to 2008, 2277 patients underwent tricuspid valve procedures for secondary tricuspid regurgitation concomitantly with mitral (n = 1527, 67%), aortic (n = 180, 7.9%), or combined (n = 570, 25%) valve surgery. These included annulus (flexible prosthesis [n = 1052, 46%], rigid prosthesis [standard = 387, 3-dimensional = 197; 26%], Peri-Guard annuloplasty [Synovis Surgical Innovations, St Paul, Minn; n = 185, 8.1%], and De Vega suture [n = 129, 5.7%]), commissure (Kay [n = 248, 11%]), and leaflet (edge-to-edge suture [n = 79, 3.5%] ± annulus or commissural) procedures. A total of 4745 postoperative transthoracic echocardiograms in 1965 patients were analyzed. Results By 3 months after surgery, only 32% of patients overall had no tricuspid regurgitation. However, by 5 years, this had decreased to 22%, and 3+/4+ tricuspid regurgitation had increased from 11% at 3 months to 17%. Patients with rigid ring annuloplasty alone, either standard or 3-dimensional, had the least increase of 3+/4+ tricuspid regurgitation (to 12% at 5 years) compared with either a commissural or leaflet procedure. Conclusion Rigid prosthetic ring annuloplasty, standard or 3-dimensional, provides early and sustained reduction of tricuspid regurgitation secondary to left-sided valve disease without need for an additional leaflet procedure. However, results are imperfect, possibly because other anatomic levels (subvalvular, papillary muscle, and right ventricular) contributing to its pathophysiology are unaddressed.
Systems research challenges: a scale-out perspective

A scale-out system is a collection of interconnected, modular, low-cost computers that work as a single entity to cooperatively provide applications, systems resources, and data to users. The dominant programming model for such systems consists of message passing at the systems level and multithreading at the element level. Scale-out computers have traditionally been developed and deployed to provide levels of performance (throughput and parallel processing) beyond what was achievable by large shared-memory computers that utilized the fastest processors and the most expensive memory systems. Today, exploiting scale-out at all levels in systems is becoming imperative in order to overcome a fundamental discontinuity in the development of microprocessor technology caused by power dissipation. The pervasive use of greater levels of scale-out, on the other hand, creates its own challenges in architecture, programming, systems management, and reliability. This position paper identifies some of the important research problems that must be addressed in order to deal with the technology disruption and fully realize the opportunity offered by scale-out. Our examples are based on parallelism, but the challenges we identify apply to scale-out more generally.
Anaphylaxis following cystoscopy caused by Cidex®-OPA (ortho-phthalaldehyde) cold sterilization solution

Abstract Background Cidex®-OPA is a high level disinfectant commonly used for processing heat sensitive medical devices. Objective We report 4 patients who experienced 9 episodes of anaphylaxis following cystoscopy after a urology practice switched from using CIDEX® to CIDEX®-OPA for sterilizing their cystoscopes. Methods Allergic evaluations consisted of: skin testing to saline, histamine, lidocaine, and latex, Ciprofloxacin, Macrodantin, Cidex® and Cidex®-OPA. Total IgE and latex-specific IgE. Findings The 4 patients were evaluated after (3) had experienced two episodes of anaphylaxis and (1) three episodes following outpatient cystoscopy for ongoing evaluation of bladder cancer. Skin testing of subjects to Lidocaine, latex, Ciprofloxacin and Macrodantin, and specific IgE to latex were negative. Skin testing to Cidex® and Cidex®-OPA were performed on 5 "volunteers" and all tests were negative. Skin testing to Cidex® on the four patients were also negative. However, skin testing to Cidex®-OPA resulted an immediate wheal and flare reaction in all 4 patients within 20 minutes (avg. wheal 24.2 mm.) and late reaction between 6 and 24 hours (avg. induration 56.3 mm.). Subsequent to the testing, one of the patients returned for repeat cystoscopy but Cidex® was not used to sterilize the cystosope. The patient tolerated the procedure without any allergic manifestations. Conclusion Cidex®-OPA (ortho-phthaldahyde) solution should be considered as a cause of anaphylactic/allergic reactions following cystoscopy and possibly instrumentation with other medical devices.
Survival analysis of infected mice reveals pathogenic variations in the genome of avian H1N1 viruses

Most influenza pandemics have been caused by H1N1 viruses of purely or partially avian origin. Here, using Cox proportional hazard model, we attempt to identify the genetic variations in the whole genome of wild-type North American avian H1N1 influenza A viruses that are associated with their virulence in mice by residue variations, host origins of virus (Anseriformes-ducks or Charadriiformes-shorebirds), and host-residue interactions. In addition, through structural modeling, we predicted that several polymorphic sites associated with pathogenicity were located in structurally important sites, especially in the polymerase complex and NS genes. Our study introduces a new approach to identify pathogenic variations in wild-type viruses circulating in the natural reservoirs and ultimately to understand their infectious risks to humans as part of risk assessment efforts towards the emergence of future pandemic strains.
Distribution studies of 111in-oxine-labeled peritoneal mononuclear cells in tumor-bearing rats

We studied the distribution of 111In-labeled peritoneal mononuclear cells (PMC) in Sprague-Dawley rats with carcinosarcoma (CS) tumor. We obtained PMC from normal rats and rats pretreated with BCG or irradiated CS cells as antigenic stimulant. PMC were labeled in-vitro with 111In-oxine and transferred by tail-vein injection to rats bearing CS tumor. Twenty-four, 48 and 72 h after PMC transfer, we measured the accumulation of these cells in the CS tumor as a percentage of dose radioactivity per gram of tumor using an external gamma-ray camera. PMC from normal and BCG treated donor rats accumulated 0.4%, and 0.46% dose per gram of CS tumor respectively. PMC from donor rats given killed CS cells accumulated significantly greater concentrations of 111In (0.79% dose per gram of CS tumor, P < 0.025). Thus killed CS cells were able to sensitize the PMC of normal rats. 111In-oxine-labeling is an elegant procedure to study the distribution of mononuclear cells in tumors.
Monte Carlo simulation and dose distribution of low energy electron irradiation of an apple

Abstract The most difficult technical challenge for surface irradiation of fruits and vegetables is the need to achieve a uniform dose over the entire surface of convoluted shapes. The main goal of this research was to calculate the dose distribution produced by low energy electron irradiation of a typical complex shape, an apple, using Monte Carlo simulation. In this study, Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine the dose distribution at the surface of an apple irradiated with e-beam generated by a Van de Graaf accelerator (1–2 MeV). The dose distribution was used to develop the best irradiation angle while rotating an irregularly shaped food material (the apple) for uniform surface irradiation. A software package, Monte Carlo N -particle, was used to simulate an electron beam irradiation with a 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 MeV sources on an apple. The apple structure was simulated by creating 3-D apple-like shape geometry by joining two spheres of 3.2 cm of radius each. The entire body is centered at the origin and the spheres are centered at −1.2 and 1.2 cm on the y -axis in the z – y -plane. As the apple is tilted towards the source, the dose gets distributed mainly in the front top region of the apple. Likewise, as the apple is tilted against the source, the dose gets distributed primarily in the lower front portion of the apple. A combination irradiation treatment with the axis of the apple tilted 30° against and 30° towards the source irradiation position after one full revolution resulted in the most uniform dose distribution for the three energies source tested. The average dose at the surface of the front of the apple was in the range from 1.2 to 1.6 kGy and 3.6 to 4.0 kGy at the surface of the top and bottom.
Oral β-lactams in the treatment of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis

Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) is a well-known complication of viral upper respiratory tract infection and is associated with a significant socioeconomic burden. Difficulties in diagnosis, a substantial spontaneous resolution rate, and growing concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance make the proper management of ABRS quite challenging. Treatment guidelines have been developed, taking into account the major bacterial pathogens, rates of antimicrobial resistance, spontaneous resolution rates, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic considerations. Optimal choices for initial treatment of ABRS in patients without prior antibacterial exposure include the oral beta-lactam agents amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefdinir, cefpodoxime, and cefuroxime. Clinicians are encouraged to consider the local pathogen distribution and rates of antibacterial resistance in selecting therapy for ABRS.
Laser-layered microfabrication of spatially patterned functionalized tissue-engineering scaffolds

Understanding cell behavior inside complex, three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments with controlled spatiotemporal patterning of physical and biochemical factors would provide significant insights into the basic biology of organ development and tissue functions. One of the fundamental limitations in studying such behavior has been the inability to create patterned microenvironments within 3D scaffold structures. Here a simple, layer-by-layer stereolithography (SL) method that can precisely pattern ligands, extracellular-matrix (ECM) components, and growth factors, as well as controlled release particles inside a single scaffold, has been developed. The process also allows fabrication of predesigned internal architectures and porosities. Photocrosslinkable poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) was used as the basic structural component of these microfabricated scaffolds. PEG acrylates, covalently modified with the cell adhesive peptide arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) or the ECM component heparan sulfate, was incorporated within the scaffolds to facilitate cell attachment and to allow spatial sequestration of heparan-binding growth factors. Fluorescently labeled polymer microparticles and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) were chosen to illustrate the capability of SL to spatiotemporally pattern scaffolds. The results demonstrate that a precise, predesigned distribution of single or multiple factors within a single 3D structure can be created, and specific internal architectures can be fabricated. Functionalization of these scaffolds with RGD is demonstrated, and heparan sulfate allows efficient cell attachment and spatial localization of growth factors. Such patterned scaffolds might provide effective systems to study cell behavior in complex microenvironments and could eventually lead to engineering of complex, hybrid tissue structures through predesigned, multilineage differentiation of a single stem-cell population.
Role of Glyoxylate in Biosynthesis of Acids in Tomato Fruit

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Effects of experimentally altered life spans on the accumulation of fluorescent age pigment in the housefly, Musca domestica

Abstract The effects of experimentally alteredlife spans on the rate of fluorescent age pigment (FAP) accumulation were studied in the adult male houseflies. Two-fold differences in the median and the maximum life spans of the flies were achieved by varying the flight activity. The rate of FAP accumulation was significantly faster in the short-lived high activity flies than in the long-lived low activity flies. The maximum concentration of FAP reached was similar in both groups. The results strongly support the view that FAP accumulation is associated with physiological rather than chronological age of the houseflies. It is suggested that FAP be used as a cellular marker for physiological age.
The NEAR shoemaker mission to asteroid 433 eros

Abstract The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission inaugurated NASA's Discovery Program. It was the first mission to orbit an asteroid and made the first comprehensive scientific measurements of an asteroid's surface composition, geology, physical properties, and internal structure. NEAR was launched successfully on 17 February 1996 aboard a Delta II-7925. It made the first reconnaissance of a C-type asteroid during its flyby of the main-belt asteroid 253 Mathilde in June 1997. It became the first spacecraft to enter orbit around an asteroid, doing so at the large near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros in February 2000. The spacecraft, renamed NEAR Shoemaker, landed on Eros at 37.2 South by 278.4 West, ending its mission on February 12, 2001 with another spacecraft first. NEAR obtained new information on the nature and evolution of asteroids, improved our understanding of planetary formation processes in the early solar system, and clarified the relationships between asteroids and meteorites. The NEAR Mission Operations Center and Science Data Center were both located at APL. The latter maintained the entire NEAR data set on-line and made data from all instruments accessible over the Internet to every member of the NEAR science team.
Effect of age of rat on choline oxidation in vitro.

Summary(1) The DPN content and choline dehydrogenase activity were low in livers of young rats and increased with the age of the animal. (2) The DPN content approached the adult level when the animals were 9 weeks of age. (3) Choline dehydrogenase activity reached 85% of the adult level by the time the animals were 13 weeks old. (4) The betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in livers of newborn rats was 90% of that found in adult animals. (5) It appears that the low rate of oxidation of choline encountered in young rats may be due to a lack of choline apodehydrogenase. (6) The low level of DPN found in the livers of young rats may also be a limiting factor in the in vivo oxidation of choline to betaine.
Cortical connections of the inferior arcuate sulcus cortex in the macaque brain

Abstract Injections of the retrograde/anterograde tracers Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) into the cortex along the banks of the inferior limb of the arcuate sulcus in the cortex of 4 macaque monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were used to investigate its c corticocortical connections. All injections produced transported label within the sulcus principalis, the ventral lateral prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate sulcus and the dorsal insular cortex. The distribution of label within each of these areas differed slightly depending on the injection site. Injections along the caudal bank of the inferior arcuate sulcus label premotor, supplementary motor, and precentral motor areas but produce relatively sparse prefrontal labeling. Posteriorly label is transported to the inferior parietal cortex and the dorsal opercular bank of the Sylvian fissure. Injections along the rostral bank of the sulcus do not label motor areas but produce labeling in dorsal, lateral and orbital prefrontal areas, and in cortex along the ventral bank of the superior branch of the arcuate sulcus. Posteriorly label is transported to cortical areas in the superior temporal gyrus including the dorsal bank of the superior temporal sulcus. The more dorsal rostral bank injection produced both superior temporal and some sparse inferior parietal labeling and the more ventral rostral bank injection produced extensive superior temporal labeling but no parietal labeling. No labeling was ever seen in cortex ventral to the fundus of the superior temporal sulcus. Although other auditory recipient prefrontal areas have been reported, this is the first demonstration of a region chiefly devoted to auditory connections within the ventral frontal cortex. Its adjacency to areas associated with vocal muscle movement, and its connections to midline cortical areas associated with vocal functions in both primates and humans may provide important clues to the organization of Broca's language area.
Color design for an LCD projector

A simulation method for the color design of a LCD projector is described in this paper with a goal to achieve better color performance, such as a larger color gamut and color saturation, enough brightness and adequate color temperature.
Chronic hypoxia limits H2O2-induced inhibition of ASIC1-dependent store-operated calcium entry in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle

Our laboratory shows that acid-sensing ion channel 1 (ASIC1) contributes to the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension by augmenting store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) that is associated with enhanced agonist-induced vasoconstriction and arterial remodeling. However, this enhanced Ca2+ influx following chronic hypoxia (CH) is not dependent on an increased ASIC1 protein expression in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC). It is well documented that hypoxic pulmonary hypertension is associated with changes in redox potential and reactive oxygen species homeostasis. ASIC1 is a redox-sensitive channel showing increased activity in response to reducing agents, representing an alternative mechanism of regulation. We hypothesize that the enhanced SOCE following CH results from removal of an inhibitory effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on ASIC1. We found that CH increased PASMC superoxide (O2·−) and decreased rat pulmonary arterial H2O2 levels. This decrease in H2O2 is a result of decreased Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase expression and activity, as well as increased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) expression and activity following CH. Whereas H2O2 inhibited ASIC1-dependent SOCE in PASMC from control and CH animals, addition of catalase augmented ASIC1-mediated SOCE in PASMC from control rats but had no further effect in PASMC from CH rats. These data suggest that, under control conditions, H2O2 inhibits ASIC1-dependent SOCE. Furthermore, H2O2 levels are decreased following CH as a result of diminished dismutation of O2·− and increased H2O2 catalysis through GPx-1, leading to augmented ASIC1-dependent SOCE.
The relationship of teacher-rated social skills deficits and ADHD characteristics among kindergarten-age children

Research findings regarding the relationship of social skills deficits and behavioral characteristics associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among kindergarten-age children are presented. The Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) were utilized to identify the social skills attributes of young children with significant ADHD characteristics. An ADHD target group (N = 95) was constructed by selecting participants from a large nationwide sample who were rated by their teachers as being in the highest 5% on the PKBS Attention Problems/Overactive subscale. A matched non-ADHD comparison group (by gender and age) of 95 children was developed through a randomized block procedure using the same nationwide sample. The ADHD group was rated as having significantly poorer social skills than the comparison group, and could be classified with a very high degree of accuracy based on discriminant function analysis of their social skills scores. Although exhibiting comparative deficits in all social skill areas, the ADHD participants were especially lacking in social cooperation skills: the ability to follow rules, structure, and important social expectations of both children and adults. Children who were rated high in ADHD characteristics were between five and six times more likely than the comparison children to be rated as having significant deficits in social skills. Implications of these findings for assessment and treatment of young children are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Characterization and quantification of dynamic left atrioventricular valve regurgitation after atrioventricular septal defect correction with 4D Flow MRI and retrospective valve tracking

Background Regurgitation of the left atrio-ventricular valve (LAVV) is common after atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) correction and up to 15% of the patients require surgery of the LAVV during follow-up. Reliable quantification of LAVV regurgitation after AVSD correction is essential for indicating surgical correction, but has shown to be difficult using echocardiography. 4DFlow MRI with retrospective valve tracking allows visualization and quantification of trans-valvular blood flow. The aim of cuurent study was to describe dynamic behaviour of regurgitant jets of the LAVV after AVSD correction and to quantify severity of regurgitation using 4DFlow MRI with retrospective valve tracking. Methods
The emergence of 6-thioguanine-resistant lymphocytes in pediatric cancer patients

Abstract This paper describes a prospective study and a simultaneous longitudinal study of the frequency of 6-thioguanine- (6TG-) resistant peripheral blood lymphocytes in children with cancer and in controls. Thioguanine resistance was measured autoradiographically by the ability of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes to incorporate tirtiated thymidine in the presence of absenve of 2 × 10−4 or 2 × 10−5 M 6TGA. 5 of 29 untreated cancer patients had higher frequencies of 6TG-resistant lymphocytes than any of 116 controls. Patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy showed significantly higheer numbers of 6TG-resistant lymphocytes than controls, and in rare patients abnormally high frequencies of 6TG-resistant cells persisted after therapy was discontinued. Among 22 patients prospectively before and during therapy, the frequency of 6TG-resistant lymphocytes was significantly higher during therapy. From these results we conclude (1) that some cancer patients have abnormally high frequencies of 6TG-resistant lymphocytes, and (2) cancer therapy either causes selection of 6TG-resistant cells or causes a phenotypic or genotypic change leading to further increases in frequencies of 6TG resistance.
Alzheimer’s Disease, Sleep Apnea, and Positive Pressure Therapy

Numerous lines of evidence converge in suggesting that sleep apnea may play a causal role in severe cognitive impairment, most likely Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) but also including vascular dementia. Until recently, most of these studies have been based on small samples of clinic patients or population-based, descriptive studies of sleep apnea and cognition. Although randomized clinical trials have been completed for treating sleep apnea in middle-aged cognitively intact patients with sleep apnea using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), systematic intervention studies in well-characterized AD patients are very rare and have been published from only a single research group. Results suggest some very modest improvement in selected aspects of cognition over a very limited period of time. There is, thus, a lack of conclusive evidence that treating sleep apnea in AD is likely to have a major impact on dementia, although it may benefit daytime hypersomnolence, excessive napping, and lethargy so common in many dementia patients. In addition, anecdotal evidence suggests that in some selected cases, treatment can have relatively dramatic effects. At this point in time, the best indications for pursuing treatment for sleep apnea with nasal CPAP in AD patients would be factors promoting adherence, such as presence of a caregiver/family member invested in treatment, and a realistic appraisal of what goals of intervention should be expected (eg, increasing daytime functionality by enhancing alertness) over a reasonable window of time. Speculative factors implicating a potentially causal role for sleep apnea in dementing illness would be comorbid diseases well-established to be associated with both sleep apnea and dementia (cardiovascular disease, diabetes) and presence of the Apolipoprotein-E4 genotype. None of these factors have been shown conclusively to influence CPAP efficacy in dementia, but to the extent that they lie on a putative causal pathway for sleep apnea and dementia (either as moderators or mediators of CPAP efficacy), their presence might be expected to enhance, rather than mitigate, a more favorable response in the domain of cognition.
3D imaging and mechanical modeling of helical buckling in Medicago truncatula plant roots

We study the primary root growth of wild-type Medicago truncatula plants in heterogeneous environments using 3D time-lapse imaging. The growth medium is a transparent hydrogel consisting of a stiff lower layer and a compliant upper layer. We find that the roots deform into a helical shape just above the gel layer interface before penetrating into the lower layer. This geometry is interpreted as a combination of growth-induced mechanical buckling modulated by the growth medium and a simultaneous twisting near the root tip. We study the helical morphology as the modulus of the upper gel layer is varied and demonstrate that the size of the deformation varies with gel stiffness as expected by a mathematical model based on the theory of buckled rods. Moreover, we show that plant-to-plant variations can be accounted for by biomechanically plausible values of the model parameters.
Transformation of the amphibian oocyte into the egg: Structural and biochemical events

Amphibian oocytes, arrested in prophase I, are stimulated to progress to metaphase II by progesterone. This process is referred to as meiotic maturation and transforms the oocyte, which cannot support the early events of embryogenesis, into the egg, which can. Meiotic maturation entails global reorganization of cell ultrastructure: In the cell cortex, the plasma membrane flattens and the cortical granules undergo redistribution. In the cell periphery, the annulate lamellae disassemble and the mitochondria become dispersed. In the cell interior, the germinal vesicle becomes disassembled and the meiotic spindles form. Marked changes in the cytoskeleton and mRNA distribution also occur throughout the cell. All of these events are temporally correlated with intracellular signalling events: Fluctuations in cAMP levels, changes in pH, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, and ion flux changes. Evidence suggests that specific intracellular signals are responsible for specific reorganizations of ultrastructure and mRNA distribution.
Certification of total arsenic in blood and urine standard reference materials by radiochemical neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) was used to measure arsenic at four levels in standard reference material (SRM) 955c Toxic Elements in Caprine Blood and at two levels in SRM 2668 Toxic Elements in Frozen Human Urine for the purpose of providing mass concentration values for certification. Samples were freeze-dried prior to analysis followed by neutron irradiation for 3 h at a fluence rate of 1 × 1014 cm−2 s−1. After sample dissolution in perchloric and nitric acids, arsenic was separated from the matrix either by retention on hydrated manganese dioxide (urine) or by extraction into zinc diethyldithiocarbamate in chloroform (blood). 76As was quantified by gamma-ray spectroscopy. Differences in chemical yield and counting geometry between samples and standards were monitored by measuring the count rate of a 77As tracer added before sample dissolution. RNAA results were combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry values from National Institute of Standards and Technology and collaborating laboratories to provide certified values of 10.81 ± 0.54 and 213.1 ± 0.73 μg/L for SRM 2668 Levels I and II, and certified values of 21.66 ± 0.73, 52.7 ± 1.1, and 78.8 ± 4.9 μg/L for SRM 955c Levels II–IV, respectively. Because of discrepancies between values obtained by different methods for SRM 955c Level I, an information value of <5 μg/L was assigned for this material.
Common and Variable Contributions of Fis Residues to High-Affinity Binding at Different DNA Sequences

Fis is a nucleoid-associated protein that interacts with poorly related DNA sequences with a high degree of specificity. A difference of more than 3 orders of magnitude in apparent Kd values was observed between specific (Kd, ∼1 to 4 nM) and nonspecific (Kd, ∼4 μM) DNA binding. To examine the contributions of Fis residues to the high-affinity binding at different DNA sequences, 13 alanine substitutions were generated in or near the Fis helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif, and the resulting proteins were purified. In vitro binding assays at three different Fis sites (fis P II, hin distal, and λ attR) revealed that R85, T87, R89, K90, and K91 played major roles in high-affinity DNA binding and that R85, T87, and K90 were consistently vital for binding to all three sites. Other residues made variable contributions to binding, depending on the binding site. N84 was required only for binding to the λ attR Fis site, and the role of R89 was dramatically altered by the λ attR DNA flanking sequence. The effects of Fis mutations on fis P II or hin distal site binding in vitro generally correlated with their abilities to mediate fis P repression or DNA inversion in vivo, demonstrating that the in vitro DNA-binding effects are relevant in vivo. The results suggest that while Fis is able to recognize a minimal common set of DNA sequence determinants at different binding sites, it is also equipped with a number of residues that contribute to the binding strength, some of which play variable roles.