cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alsin and the Molecular Pathways of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Autosomal recessive mutations in the ALS2 gene lead to a clinical spectrum of motor dysfunction including juvenile onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS2), primary lateral sclerosis, and hereditary spastic paraplegia. The 184-kDa alsin protein, encoded by the full-length ALS2 gene, contains three different guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor-like domains, which may play a role in the etiology of the disease. Multiple in vitro biochemical and cell biology assays suggest that alsin dysfunction affects endosome trafficking through a Rab5 small GTPase family-mediated mechanism. Four ALS2-deficient mouse models have been generated by different groups and used to study the behavioral and pathological impact of alsin deficiency. These mouse models largely fail to recapitulate hallmarks of motor neuron disease, but the subtle deficits that are observed in behavior and pathology have aided in our understanding of the relationship between alsin and motor dysfunction. In this review, we summarize recent clinical and molecular reports regarding alsin and attempt to place these results within the larger context of motor neuron disease.
How effective are neural networks at forecasting and prediction? A review and evaluation

Despite increasing applications of artificial neural networks (NNs) to forecasting over the past decade, opinions regarding their contribution are mixed. Evaluating research in this area has been difficult, due to lack of clear criteria. We identified eleven guidelines that could be used in evaluating this literature. Using these, we examined applications of NNs to business forecasting and prediction. We located 48 studies done between 1988 and 1994. For each, we evaluated how effectively the proposed technique was compared with alternatives (effectiveness of validation) and how well the technique was implemented (effectiveness of implementation). We found that eleven of the studies were both effectively validated and implemented. Another eleven studies were effectively validated and produced positive results, even though there were some problems with respect to the quality of their NN implementations. Of these 22 studies, 18 supported the potential of NNs for forecasting and prediction. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of mevalonate kinase on studies of the MgATP-dependent inactivator of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase.

Abstract The nature of the MgATP-dependent inactivator of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase has been studied. Several observations suggest that reductase inactivator preparations from both microsomes and cytosol possess mevalonate kinase activity. (1) Reductase inactivator (reductase kinase) activity copurified with mevalonate kinase activity. (2) Inactivator activity was inhibited by geranyl pyrophosphate and farnesyl pyrophosphate, known to be potent inhibitors of mevalonate kinase. (3) Addition of an excess of mevalonate completely prevented inhibition of reductase activity. (4) Formation of phosphomevalonate fully accounted for the decreased amount of mevalonate formed in the presence of inactivator and MgATP. (5) When reductase activity was measured by NADPH oxidation, no inhibition was observed. Clearly, the presence of mevalonate kinase in reductase inactivator preparations can lead to misinterpretations concerning whether reductase activity is regulated by phosphorylation-dephosphorylation. In this paper, we present several methods and approaches which can be used to critically evaluate this possibility.
Pharmacokinetics of DX‐8951 in pediatric cancer patients

Background/Aim To characterize the pharmacokinetics (PK) of DX-8951 in pediatric cancer patients. Methods Plasma PK parameters for DX-8951 were calculated using noncompartmental and population (NONMEM®) PK analyses. Design Phase I dose escalation study of intravenous (i.v.) DX-8951f. Settings Patients (Pts) were treated at the hospital. Participants 59 Pts aged less than 25 years of age. Intervention Five patient cohorts received a 30 min i.v. infusion daily, for five days, at doses of 0.25, 0.35, 0.45, 0.55 and 0.65 mg/m2. Results A 2-compartment PK model explained the PKs of DX-8951 in plasma. Clinical parameters used as covariates to explain the PKs of DX-8951 were gender, age, weight and calculated creatinine clearance (CCL) on CL, and gender and weight on the central volume of distribution (Vc). Of these covariates, age seems to be the clinically relevant one for the clearance of DX-8951. Clearance (CL) was faster in Pts≤ 10 years of age, and fell by approximately 50% after that age, attaining adult CL values. Conclusions Dose adjustments based on weight for i.v. administered DX-8951f could be required for patients aged less than 10 years of age. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P86–P86; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.223
Evaluation of single- and multi-metric benthic macroinvertebrate indicators of catchment disturbance over time at the Fort Benning Military Installation, Georgia, USA

Stream benthic macroinvertebrates are useful indicators of the impacts of disturbances on catchment and stream conditions because they integrate many catchment-scale ecological processes. We tested the ability of macroinvertebrate assemblages over a 3-year period to indicate the impacts of a range of disturbances resulting from military training at the Fort Benning Military Installation, Georgia. We studied seven small streams that drained catchments spanning disturbances that ranged from light infantry movements to heavy disturbances from tracked vehicle movements. The main disturbance to streams was influx of sediment associated with training and use of unpaved roads. We quantified disturbance level as the % of catchment occurring as bare ground on slopes >3% and as unpaved road cover. Disturbance level values ranged from about 3 to 15%. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordinations revealed macroinvertebrate assemblages were associated with catchment disturbance. Irrespective of season, several richness measures (e.g., number of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera taxa and richness of Chironomidae) negatively corresponded with catchment disturbance, however except for chironomid richness all measures showed high variation among seasons and annually. Compositional and functional feeding group measures also showed high seasonal and annual variation, with only the % of macroinvertebrates clinging to benthic habitats (=% clingers) corresponding with disturbance. Both tolerance metrics tested, the Florida index and North Carolina biotic index, showed little seasonal and annual variation, however only the Florida index related to disturbance. A regional multimetric, the Georgia stream condition index, consistently corresponded with catchment disturbance and showed the least temporal variability. Our results further suggest a threshold at 8‐10% of the catchment as bare ground and unpaved road cover, a disturbance threshold similar to that reported for other land uses. # 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The inability of bromocriptine to inhibit prolactin secretion by transplantable rat pituitary tumors: observations on the mechanism and dynamics of the autofeedback regulation of prolactin secretion.

The effect of several ergot alkaloids on the growth of transplantable rat PRL- and GH-secreting tumors MtTW15 and 7315α was measured. In vivo administration of ergotamine and ergocryptine caused a significant decrease in tumor growth and decreased the serum PRL concentration. Tumor regression was not blocked by the concomitant administration of haloperidol, a dopamine antagonist. The administration of bromocriptine (0.8-40 mg/kg daily) did not cause tumor regression nor did it suppress the elevated serum PRL levels. Since ergotamine and ergocryptine but not bromocriptine are potent vasoconstrictor agents, it is suggested that the former ergot derivatives decrease the capillary blood supply to the tumors and thereby decrease tumor growth and PRL secretion. High serum PRL concentrations are known to produce atrophy of the hosts' pituitary gland and to decrease its synthesis and release of PRL. Since ergotamine significantly decreased the PRL secretion by the tumor, less of a tonic inhibitory signal was pres...
Anharmonic phonons and superconductivity in Pd H(D)

Abstract The inverse isotope effect in PdH(D) is analyzed with a simple model of anharmonic phonons. The model is based on a fit to an ab initio frozen phonon calculation which provides an interionic potential that can reproduce the experimental values for T c .
Superoxide radicals are mediators of the effects of methamphetamine on Zif268 (Egr-1, NGFI-A) in the brain: evidence from using CuZn superoxide dismutase transgenic mice.

Administration of methamphetamine (METH) to mammals is known to cause deleterious effects to brain monoaminergic systems. These toxic effects are thought to be due to oxidative stress. Acute administration of METH causes activation of immediate-early genes (IEGs) such as c-fos and Zif268 mRNA in rodent brains. However, the exact mechanisms involved in these changes have not been completely clarified. As a first step towards assessing a possible role for free radicals in METH-induced changes in IEGs, we have used CuZn superoxide dismutase (SOD) transgenic (Tg) mice and have quantified the effects of METH on c-fos and Zif268 mRNAs by in situ hybridization techniques. Mice were injected with 25 mg/kg of METH and sacrificed at various time points afterwards. There were significant METH-induced increases in both c-fos and Zif268 mRNAs in the frontal cortex and striatum of both strains of animals. Interestingly, the increases in Zif268 were markedly attenuated in the CuZn SOD-Tg mice; the increases in c-fos were also attenuated, but to a significantly lesser degree. These results indicate that superoxide radicals might play an important role in the activation of Zif268 after METH administration. Because IEGs are modulators of gene expression, these results also raise the possibility that oxidative mechanisms might be important factors in neuroadaptive changes caused by stimulant drugs.
Induction of UV-resistant DNA replication in Escherichia coli: Induced stable DNA replication as an SOS function

The striking similarity between the treatments that induce SOS functions and those that result in stable DNA replication (continuous DNA replication in the absence of protein synthesis) prompted us to examine the possibility of stable DNA replication being a recA + lexA +-dependent SOS function. In addition to the treatments previously reported, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation or treatment with mitomycin C was also found to induce stable DNA replication. The thermal treatment of tif-1 strains did not result in detectable levels of stable DNA replication, but nalidixic acid readily induced the activity in these strains. The induction of stable DNA replication with nalidixic acid was severely suppressed in tif-1 lexA mutant strains. The inhibitory activity of lexA3 was negated by the presence of the spr-51 mutation, an intragenic suppressor of lexA3. Induced stable DNA replication was found to be considerably more resistant to UV irradiation than nromal replication both in a uvrA6 strain and a uvr + strain. The UV-resistant replication occurred mostly in the semiconservative manner. The possible roles of stable DNA replication in repair of damaged DNA are discussed.
Citrate ions enhance behavioral and cellular responses to taste stimuli

Behavioral and electrophysiological experiments have been performed on male Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate the effectiveness of citrate ions as taste enhancers. In two- and four-day two bottle preference tests (vs. water), citrate (1-25 mM) significantly enhanced preference for sweet compounds and the amino acid glycine over control (non-citrate containing) solutions. Under conditions in which animals were "forced" to choose between test solutions with or without citrate, saccharin, sucrose, glycine and NaCl solutions containing citrate were significantly preferred over controls. In addition to its effects on sweet, glycine and NaCl taste, short term preference tests following water deprivation revealed that citrate modulated acid taste preference, as well. Bitter taste preference remained insensitive to citrate in all behavioral assays. As a preliminary attempt to elucidate the target of citrate's actions, electrophysiological responses of isolated fungiform taste receptor cells (TRCs) to saccharin and glycine were recorded using patch clamp techniques. Saccharin (20 mM) and glycine (50 mM) elicited action potentials from TRCs in current clamp mode. Addition of citrate caused a significant increase in number of action potentials generated per 30 s stimulation. Citrate caused a slight but significant depolarization from resting potentials in most TRCs, independent of tastant effects. Taken together, these results suggest that citrate acts at the receptor cell level to enhance only those responses to tastants which depolarize TRCs (i.e. sweet, salt, glycine, acid) while leaving unaffected those which do not depolarize TRCs (bitter).
Atomic collisions with relativistic heavy ions. II. Light-ion charge states.

The influence of excited states of the projectile on the charge states of relativistic heavy ions with Zl20 in solid targets is investigated. A four-state model for the dynamics of electron capture, ionization, and excitation of heavy ions by target atoms is formulated, and a simpler three-state model is solved analytically which explains gas-solid charge-state differences and metastable-state formation. Numerical calculations are compared with data of Crawford et al. for 140\char21{}2100-MeV/amu C, Ne, and Ar ions. The ionization, excitation, and radiative capture cross sections can be calculated accurately in this regime with use of the plane-wave Born approximation and the impulse approximation. Nonradiative capture cross sections are extracted from the data and are compared with theory.
Analyzing characteristics of information propagation on social network graphs

Social networking sites, such as YouTube, Flickr, Livejournal and Okrut, are becoming very popular with a large number of Internet users. As a consequence, information propagation on social network sites is becoming more important and has been studied by many researchers. However, most of the researches have been focused on statistical analysis to understand the static characteristics of social network graphs. In this paper, we will employ simulation based empirical study to better understand information diffusion process on social networking sites. According to our limited experiments, online social network graphs are more dense than the traditional social networks. It requires only three time steps to cover 90% nodes of the networks with two or three initial nodes.
Dimeric ligands define a role for transcriptional activation domains in reinitiation

EUKARYOTIC transcriptional activators mediate transcriptional induction through stabilization of the preinitiation complex1–4, probably through direct interactions with basal transcription factors5–7. In vitro studies on the role of an activator in the maintenance of on-going transcription (reinitiation) have been contradictory, suggesting that, after formation of a preinitiation complex, an activator may8 or may not9 be necessary for transcription to be maintained. We have developed a means of regulating transcription in living cells through the use of both homodimeric and heterodimerizing synthetic ligands that allow the ligand-dependent association and disassociation of a transcriptional activation domain with a promoter. Here we report that maintaining the transcription of endogenous genes in vivo, in both yeast and human cells, requires the continuous presence of the activation domain. The use of synthetic ligands as a transcriptional on–off switch represents a powerful means of controlling the transcription in vitro and in vivo for both experimental and therapeutic purposes.
Infrared transmission resonances in double-layered, complementary-structure metallic gratings

A double-layered metallic grating (metal-dielectric-metal) with a complementary capacitive (isolated discs) / inductive (connected film with apertures) structure exhibits multiple infrared transmission resonances peaks with up to 70% at wavelength ranges corresponding to local modes for geometric dimensions less than a wavelength. The period, dielectric thickness, refractive index and unit cell size of the periodic structure modulate the local mode positions and amplitudes. The electromagnetic field distribution and energy flow in the structure explain the relation of transmission resonance, local modes, and distributed surface plasma wave modes.
Twinning in cryomilled nanocrystalline Mg powder

Nanocrystalline (nc) Mg powder was synthesized via cryomilling. Extension twins were identified with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy in the cryomilled powders and the study presents the first evidence of twinning in unalloyed nc Mg. The formation of twins in the nc Mg is attributed to a high strain rate, the low (cryogenic) temperature and high local shear stresses present around the grain boundaries during deformation by cryomilling.
The synthesis and structure of nanocrystalline materials produced by mechanical attrition: A review

Abstract The evolution of the structure of nanophase materials prepared by mechanical attrition is reviewed. Fundamental studies of the microstructural development in ball-milled pure elements have defined the sequence of events leading to nanocrystalline grains (average grain diameter 2 to 20 nm). The grain sizes are found to decrease with milling time down to a constant value which appears to scale with the melting temperature of the given element. This implies a balance between defect creation and recovery during deformation. The prominent observation for the mechanical attrition of binary immiscible systems is the very large metastable solid solubilities that are attained. These solubilities are presumably related to solute segregation at the nanocrystalline grain boundaries. Recent evidence from Mossbauer spectroscopy and EXAFS experiments supports this assumption. Although the problems of 1) contamination from milling media and/or atmosphere, and 2) powder consolidation—without coarsening—need to be solved, mechanical attrition offers the possibility of production of nanocrystalline materials in tonnage quantities.
Engineering Relief for Haiti

In January of 2010, Haiti suffered a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that killed 220,000 people, injured 300,000, and left over 1.5 million homeless. Recognized as the poorest country in the western hemisphere, the country has limited resources to rebuild the cities and villages damaged by the natural disaster. Since the earthquake, thousands of Haitians have continued to live in unsafe housing. A team of eight undergraduate students from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT) Summer 2014 Grand Challenge Program team developed a project that addressed this housing crisis: plastic "lumber." The Grand Challenge course is a teamtaught multidisciplinary design, build, and document class, with professors from the Mechanical Engineering, Physics and Optics, and Humanities and Social Sciences departments. While the three professors presented the students with the task of developing and designing a project for Haiti disaster relief, the concepts, solutions, ideas, and designs originated with the student team in just nine weeks.
Sweet’s syndrome in a patient with idiopathic progressive bilateral sensorineural hearing loss☆☆☆

Abstract Acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, or Sweet's syndrome, was first described in 1964 and consists of a triad of erythematous cutaneous plaques infiltrated by neutrophils in association with fever and leukocytosis. Sweet's syndrome has been reported to be associated with conditions ranging from upper respiratory tract infections to inflammatory bowel disease to rheumatoid arthritis. We report a patient with a 2-year history of Sweet's syndrome in whom idiopathic progressive bilateral sensory neural hearing loss (IPBSNHL) developed. IPBSNHL is a suspected immunologically mediated hearing loss first described by McCabe in 1979. On the basis of this association, hearing evaluation should be considered in the initial and subsequent examinations of the patient with Sweet's syndrome. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;42:932-5.)
A comment on the properties of multipole lenses

Summary The use of dipole or other multipole lenses for focusing electron beams may have some practical value so that it becomes important to understand how they function. Previous work has shown that they have remarkably simple properties and we present a simple argument why this should be the case.
Evaluation of the Philips Hb oximeter.

F. J. Janssen (1972) described in Med. & Biol. Engng. the principle, design and features of the Philips Hb Oximeter. In order to examine its performance, we tested the Philips Hb Oximeter under varying experimental conditions. The oxygen saturation percentages were compared with those indicated by a Radiometer OSM 1. The Hb concentration measurements were compared with those obtained by the haemiglobincyanide method.
Intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of 1,2,4-triazines: Synthesis of tricyclic condensed pyridines and pyrazines☆

Abstract Syntheses of several 6,6,6-tricyclic condensed pyridines and pyrazines utilizing intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of 1,2,4-triazines with alkyne and nitrile dienophiles are detailed. The cyclizations are facilitated by the presence of conformationally restrictive planar aromatic rings in the chain tethering the diene and the dienophile.
Equity Theory: The Recent Literature, Methodological Considerations, and New Directions

Organizational theorists have advanced models of individuals' determination of equitable payment for work. Current demands by minority and women's groups stress equitable treatment by formal organizations. This article reviews primary areas in which the concept of equitable treatment has centered, notes findings, and discusses significant theoretical/methodological issues. The relationship of the equity concept and behavioral models is discussed, and frameworks for future research are presented.
Detection and Differentiation of Phytoplasmas Associated with Diseases of Strawberry in Florida

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne) plants with symptoms suggestive of phytoplasmal disease were identified in commercial fields and a breeder's plot in west central Florida during the 1995 to 1996 winter growing season. Affected plants were all conspicuously stunted and unproductive. Primary symptoms on cvs. Rosa Linda and Carlsbad and on a breeder's accession resembled those of strawberry green petal (SGP). Plants displayed sparse clusters of virescent flowers with enlarged sepals and phylloid receptacles that failed to develop fully into fleshy structures or redden on ripening. Symptoms on cv. Oso Grande were more typical of multiplier disease and included a proliferation of branch crowns producing numerous small leaves with spindly petioles. Oso Grande and Carlsbad originated as transplants from a nursery in Montreal, Canada, whereas Rosa Linda transplants were from Nova Scotia. Plants were assessed for phytoplasma infection by polymerase chain reaction with total DNAs from leaves and petioles as template and phytoplasma-specific ribosomal RNA primers P1 and P7 (3), or mollicute-specific ribosomal protein (rp) gene primers rpF1 and rpR4 (2). Amplification of a 1.8-kb rDNA or 1.2-kb rp gene product, respectively, confirmed infection of Rosa Linda (7 of 7 plants), Carlsbad (3 of 7), Oso Grande (4 of 4), and a single breeder's accession. No products were amplified from DNAs of healthy plants. Restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of rDNA digested with AluI, EcoRI, HaeIII, HhaI, HpaII, KpnI, ScaI, or Tru9I endonucleases, or of rp gene products digested with AluI, DraI, RsaI, TaqI, or Tru9I, revealed no differences among phytoplasma strains affecting both Rosa Linda and Carlsbad. Collectively, patterns were comparable to those of clover phyllody and SGP phytoplasmas, two Canadian strains previously classified as members of phytoplasma 16S rRNA (rr)-ribosomal protein (rp) group 16S rI, subgroup C (16S rI-C (rr-rp)) (1). Similarly, no differences were evident among phytoplasmas associated with all four diseased Oso Grande plants. Both rDNA and rp fragment profiles associated with this cultivar were characteristic of strains such as tomato big bud and eastern aster yellows delineated as 16S rI-A (rr-rp) subgroup members (1). However, AluI rDNA and TaqI rp fragment patterns were unique, identifying Oso Grande-infecting strains as representatives of a new subgroup within the larger 16S rI (rr-rp) group. Cumulative rDNA and rp fragment profiles of the phytoplasma associated with the breeder's accession matched those of the Mexican periwinkle virescence phytoplasma, identifying this strain as a 16S rI-I (rr-rp) subgroup member (1) and a second possible etiological agent of SGP. This is the first report of phytoplasmas infecting strawberry in Florida. References: (1) D. E. Gundersen et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 46:64, 1996. (2) P.-O. Lim and B. B. Sears. J. Bacteriol. 174:2602, 1993. (3) C. D. Smart et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62:2988, 1996.
Being careful about theory combination

One of the main shortcomings of traditional methods for combining theories is the complexity of guessing the arrangement of variables shared by the individual theories. This paper presents a reformulation of the Nelson-Oppen method that takes into account explicit equality propagation and can ignore pairs of shared variables that the theories do not care about. We show the correctness of the new approach and present care functions for the theory of uninterpreted functions and the theory of arrays. The effectiveness of the new method is illustrated by experimental results demonstrating a dramatic performance improvement on benchmarks combining arrays and bit-vectors.
The fine structure of daphnid supraesophageal and optic ganglia, and its possible functional significance

Neurosecretory activity and fine structure of the supraesophageal and optic ganglia of Daphnia schodleri Sars were studied. The relative amount of paraldehyde fuchsin stainable material present was determined at “daylight” and at one and three hours following for animals maintained under photoperiods of 7.5, 10.5, 13.5, and 16.5 hours. More material was found after one hour in both ganglia and there was a tendency for more in the optic ganglion under 7.5- and 10.5-hour photoperiods. Sections made at two levels in the supraesophageal ganglion and one level in the optic ganglion were examined with an electron microscope. Posterior and anterior parts of the supraesophageal ganglion contain apparent nerve processes at the edge of the ganglion, parallel to the anterior-posterior axis; these have large granules. Neurons in both areas contain patches of presumed polysaccharide granules. In the posterior region are a dorsolateral and a ventrolateral glandular cell, presumably these occur on both sides of the brain. They have very well-developed endoplasmic reticulum and some large granules. The dorsal cell is usually at the tip of a glial attenuation. Concentric lamellar systems are located in dilated nerve processes of the first optic ganglion neuropile. Large whorls (about 3.5 μ) are composed of concentric lamellae. When lamellae do not form complete rings, they end in loops or in dilated tubules that are sometimes constricted as vesicles. Small whorls (1.5 μ) typically have lamellae joined into two or three thick layers. Mitochondria are frequently associated with the whorls. It is proposed that the whorls are active in synthesis, possibly neurohumor production.
Incorporating known information into image reconstruction algorithms for transmission tomography

We propose an alternating minimization (AM) image estimation algorithm for iteratively reconstructing transmission tomography images. The algorithm is based on a model that accounts for much of the underlying physics, including Poisson noise in the measured data, beam hardening of polyenergetic radiation, energy dependence of the attenuation coefficients and scatter. It is well-known that these nonlinear phenomena can cause severe artifacts throughout the image when high-density objects are present in soft tissue, especially when using the conventional technique of filtered back projection (FBP). If we assume no prior knowledge of the high-density object(s), our proposed algorithm yields much improved images in comparison to FBP, but retains significant streaking between the high-density regions. When we incorporate the knowledge of the attenuation and pose parameters of the high-density objects into the algorithm, our simulations yield images with greatly reduced artifacts. To accomplish this, we adapted the algorithm to perform a search at each iteration (or after every n iterations) to find the optimal pose of the object before updating the image. The final iteration returns pose values within 0.1 millimeters and 0.01 degrees of the actual location of the high-density structures.
Cooperativity of adaptive and innate immunity: implications for cancer therapy

The dichotomy of immunology into innate and adaptive immunity has created conceptual barriers in appreciating the intrinsic two-way interaction between immune cells. An emerging body of evidence in various models of immune rejection, including cancer, indicates an indispensable regulation of innate effector functions by adaptive immune cells. This bidirectional cooperativity in innate and adaptive immune functions has broad implications for immune responses in general and for regulating the tumor-associated inflammation that overrides the protective antitumor immunity. Mechanistic understanding of this two-way immune cross-talk could provide insights into novel strategies for designing better immunotherapy approaches against cancer and other diseases that normally defy immune control.
Parental age at birth and risk of breast cancer in daughters: a prospective study among US women

We examined the relation between parental age at birth and risk of breast cancer among daughters in a population of 118,309 US women who were 30 to 55 years of age in 1976 and without prior diagnosis of cancer. During 1,140,239 person-years of follow-up, we documented 1,799 incident cases of breast cancer in this population. After adjusting for established breast cancer risk factors, we observed only a weak and nonsignificant trend in risk of breast cancer with increasing maternal age at birth and no relation for paternal age. After adjusting for other risk factors, the chi trend was 1.10, P = 0.27 for increasing maternal age at birth. Daughters born to mothers 30 to 34 years of age had an age-adjusted relative risk of breast cancer of 1.11 (95% confidence interval: 0.89, 1.37) compared to daughters born to mothers less than 20 years of age. The weak positive trend in risk with increasing maternal age was present among both pre- and postmenopausal women. These findings suggest that there is little or no association between maternal age and risk of breast cancer, and that paternal age is not related to risk of breast cancer.
Ionospheric modification by high power radio waves

Abstract Powerful, high frequency (HF) radio waves can be used to temporarily modify the ionosphere. These controlled, active experiments have proven useful both for studies of the natural upper atmosphere through observations of ionospheric response to HF induced perturbations, and for basic physics investigations exploiting the ionosphere as a large, natural plasma laboratory-without-walls. This experimental diversity has attracted the attention and participation of physicists from a wide range of disciplines. As a result, HF ionospheric modification research continues to be strongly motivated by its many applications in the fields of aeronomy, space physics, plasma physics, and telecommunications science.
Array diagnostic monitor-a DRAM technology development vehicle

An array diagnostic monitor (ADM) is described which is useful in the early stages of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) technology development. The ADM's unique feature is that it has key diagnostic capabilities designed in parallel with full AC testability. This enables the monitor to be used for defect identification and diagnostic, electrical cell characterization, and process line monitoring. The value of the ADM is demonstrated in early defect detection before sufficient quality hardware is available and in providing rapid feedback to the process development line. >
Novel FDG-PET Findings in Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis A Case Based Report

The clinical manifestation and nuclear imaging findings in a 15-year-old boy with anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis are described in this case report. The previously healthy patient presented with new onset hallucinations, seizure, and within a week, his mental status rapidly deteriorated to nonverbal with oro-lingual-facial dyskinesias. An extensive laboratory work-up for encephalopathy was negative. Repeated brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies were normal. On day 26 of admission, nuclear imaging using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) showed global hypometobolism with a prominent focally intense hypermetabolic lesion in the right cerebellar cortex. Diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis was confirmed with quantitative serology. The patient showed clinical signs of improvement after 2 courses of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy over 4 weeks. On day 46, repeat brain FDG-PET showed overall improvement but in contrast to the previous, the right cerebellar cortex showed focal hypometabolism. This is the first reported case of such findings using FDG-PET in anti-NMDAR encephalitis.
Stochastic differential equations with jump reflection at the boundary

A unique solution is shown to exist of a stochastic differential equation where the solution is subject to random kicks whenever it reaches or crosses a pre-selected boundary. The driving terms are arbitrary semimartingales, and the solutions are shown not to have explosions, even with essentially no restrictions on the stochastic kicking process.
ANC foreign policy making during the Mbeki period: More democratic or less?

The African National Congress, as an entity distinct from government, served during the 1994–2008 period as an independent forum for debate about South Africa's foreign policy, particularly in the National Executive Committee's Subcommittee on International Relations. This debate retained the oligarchic character of the movement in exile, with few voices – Thabo Mbeki's most prominent among them – dominating the discussion, inputs from subnational party structures almost non-existent, and dissenters expected to keep quiet publicly. That said, participants in these discussions largely dismissed characterisations of Mbeki as a dictator in the foreign policy debate, noting that the predominance of his views stemmed mostly from his strong argumentation and knowledge rather than bullying. Senior ANC leaders also claimed that limited interest in foreign policy, outside of national party structures, hindered efforts to broaden participation in foreign policy formulation.
On Sense, Reference, and Tone in History

This paper tries to show how the Fregean semantic framework, especially the notions of sense and tone, can be used to explain certain features of history. Following Michael Dummett’s interpretation of Gottlob Frege’s notion of meaning, it is possible to conceive of historical works as proposing particular modes of presentation of past events. In fact, alternative historical works about the same past events could be viewed as differing in what sense and tone they express. In this paper, I first outline some of the points and distinctions made by Frege. Second, I examine how the notions of sense, reference, and tone can be applied in semantic analysis of historical work. Finally, I point to a certain similarity between the Fregean framework and some of the views presented in the recent philosophy of history. My account suggests how to make use of some of the classical insights of Frege when dealing with the semantic issues of historical work.
Précis of Bias in Mental Testing

Most standard tests of intelligence and scholastic aptitude measure a general factor of cognitive ability that is common to all such tests – as well as to all complex tasks involving abstraction, reasoning, and problem-solving.The central question addressed by this inquiry is whether such tests are culturally biased in their discrimination between majority and minority groups in the United States with respect to the traditional uses of such tests in schools, college admissions, and personnel selection in industry and the armed forces.The fact that such tests discriminate statistically between various subpopulations does not itself indicate test bias. Acceptable criteria of bias are based on (1) the test's validity for predicting the performance (in school, on the job, and so on) of individuals from majority and minority groups, and (2) the internal consistency of the test with respect to relative item difficulty, factorial composition, and internal consistency/reliability.A review of empirical studies relevant to these two criteria reveals that the preponderance of evidence contradicts the popular belief that the standard tests most widely used at present are culturally biased against minorities. The tests have the same predictive validity for the practical uses of tests in all American-born, English-speaking racial and social groups in the United States.Factors in the test situation, such as the subject's “test-wiseness” and the race of the tester, are found to be negligible sources of racial group differences.
The Return of the Text: A Welcome Challenge for Less Commonly Taught Languages

requirement sequence for possible later advances in acquiring the language. In the current programmatic environment for FL study, it is unrealistic to expect that teachers can meet both the now prevalent communicative goals and the goals proposed here. At the same time, it would be unwise and educationally unsound to revert to instructional approaches that exclusively talk about the language (in English!) and never use it for actual communicative purposes, particularly because a number of studies have shown that students value the communica-
Restoration of continence by pessaries: magnetic resonance imaging assessment of mechanism of action

Objective The objective of the study was to determine incontinence pessaries' mechanism of action by measuring changes on urodynamic studies (UDS) and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without pessaries in place. Study Design Women with stress incontinence had UDS and MRI performed with and without incontinence dish pessaries. Results Fifteen women were evaluated. Pessary insertion resulted in increased urethral resistance; detrusor pressures increased (33-45 cm H 2 O) and maximal flow rates decreased (30 to 19 mL/second). With Valsalva on MRI, pessaries were associated with decreased posterior urethrovesical angles (175-130°), bladder neck elevation (0.3 below to 0 .8 cm above the pubococcygeal line) and increased urethral lengths (2.4 to 2.97 cm). Bladder neck funneling with cough occurred in 14 patients without pessaries and 3 with pessaries. Conclusion On UDS and MRI following pessary placement, continence restoration was associated with decreased posterior urethrovesical angles, bladder neck descent and funneling, and increased urethral lengths and resistance to urine flow.
Bond Activation, Substrate Addition and Catalysis by an Isolable Two-Coordinate Pd(0) Bis-Isocyanide Monomer

Mg metal reduction of the divalent precursor PdCl(2)(CNAr(Dipp2))(2) (Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) provides the isolable, two-coordinate Pd(0) bis-isocyanide, Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2), which is the first stable monomeric isocyanide complex of zerovalent palladium. Variable temperature (1)H NMR and FTIR studies on Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2) in the presence of added CNAr(Dipp2) revealed that free and coordinated isocyanide undergo rapid exchange, but the components do not form a stable tris-isocyanide complex. Bis-isocyanide Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2) is active for oxidative addition reactions and readily reacts with benzyl chloride and mesityl bromide to form Pd(Cl)(Bz)(CNAr(Dipp2))(2) and Pd(Br)(Mes)(CNAr(Dipp2))(2), respectively. Room-temperature Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions are mediated by Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2). Coordinatively and electronically unsaturated substrates also react with Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2). Addition of thallium(I) triflate (TlOTf) to Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2) results in the salt [TlPd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2)]OTf, while addition of O(2) results in the peroxo complex (eta(2)-O)Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2). Most remarkably, 2 equiv of nitrosobenzene react with Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2) to form the square planar complex (kappa(1)-N-PhNO)(2) Pd(CNAr(Dipp2))(2), the geometry of which strongly suggests the formation of a divalent Pd center. With the aid of density functional theory calculations, this valence change is rationalized in terms of a formal reduction of the bond order in each NO unit to 1.5.
The accumulation and retention of 65Zn and 54Mn by the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L

Abstract Studies of the uptake and loss of 65Zn and 54Mn by plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L., have shown that direct accumulation from water plays only a minor role relative to food in the metabolism of these metals. Accumulation of both isotopes from water was followed at tissue level and their levels of accumulation were related to stable element concentrations. Biological half-times were also calculated for accumulation and loss to water, for loss of activity following an intraperitoneal injection and, using calculations of feeding rate and assimilation of the isotopes, from food. Some comparative studies were carried out with fed and starved fish. In view of the relatively minor role of direct accumulation from water it was considered that the concentrations of these metals would decrease at this level of the marine food chain. The relevance of such observations to toxicity testing is also discussed.
Delivering diabetes self-management education (DSME) in primary care: The pittsburgh regional initiative for diabetes education (PRIDE)

Background Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is a critical component of the clinical management of diabetes mellitus. Although DSME is recognized as important, the number of patients with diabetes who receive education is disproportionately small. Several barriers to receiving diabetes education exist, including access and DSME delivery approaches.
THE CREATION OF CENTRALITY

Received theory has departed considerably from Christaller's original conception of centrality and is an inadequate account of the achievement of centrality. A new framework is similar to a classical economic perspective rather than the neoclassical structure typical of received central place theory. Crucial elements of the alternative include the importance of exchange to the creation of centrality, the pivotal role of the entrepreneur, and the addition of a source of economic value related directly to this agent's role. The alternative portrays economic transactions institutionally; it is a technologically and historically sensitive interpretation of the achievement of centrality. Data on the economic activities and growth of colonial New England towns show that empirical interpretation within the preconceptions of standard theory is problematic. The modified classical framework is both conceptually and empirically more adequate to understanding these data as well as to answer questions raised by other selected studies of past and present urban patterns.
Spontaneous occurrence of tetraploidy and near-haploidy in mammalian peripheral blood.

Abstract In short-term peripheral blood cultures of a phenotypically normal male opossum, Didelphys virginiana, it was observed that many of the cells were tetraploid or near-haploid amid a majority of the diploid ones. Cytological events, that might result in tetraploidy and near-haploidy in vivo, have been discussed in the text. The most probable interpretation, tenuous as it may be, is that the diploid proliferating bone marrow nuclei fused to form tetraploid “hybrid-cell-types” which subsequently gave rise to near-haploid daughter cells by a process of double reduction division.
Development and validation of school-based asthma and allergy screening questionnaires in a 4-city study.

Background Asthma and allergies are commonly undiagnosed in children. Schools provide settings for potentially accessing almost all children for asthma and allergy screening. Objective To evaluate the feasibility and validity of using a questionnaire-based screening tool to identify undiagnosed asthma and respiratory allergies in children in kindergarten to grade 6. Methods A student questionnaire (SQ) and a parent questionnaire (PQ) were developed, administered in 4 diverse communities, and validated against standardized clinical assessments. Children without diagnosed asthma and representing a range of symptoms participated in a validation study that consisted of independent, standardized, clinical assessments. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for questionnaire items were evaluated against expert consensus designations. Results A total of 190 children (age range, 7–13 years) completed the validation study. Affirmative responses to individual questions from either the SQ or PQ regarding asthma and allergy were modestly to moderately predictive of the clinical assessments (odds ratios, generally 2.5–5.0). When considering a positive asthma screen as affirmative responses to 3 of the best 7 SQ asthma questions, the odds ratio for asthma was 9.3 (95% confidence interval, 4.1–21.1), with 80% sensitivity and 70% specificity. Considering the allergy screen as positive based on affirmative response to either of the 2 SQ allergy questions yielded 81% sensitivity and 42% specificity. Conclusions Either a 9-item SQ or a 10-item PQ can be used in diverse settings to screen for asthma and respiratory allergies. The SQ, obtained by directly screening students, may provide a sensitive approach for detecting children with previously undiagnosed asthma and allergies.
DETERMINANTS, PERMANENTS AND BIPARTITE GRAPHS,

Abstract : The combinatorial properties of a nonnegative matrix M are captured by that binary matrix A = A(M) in which the entries are 1 whenever those of M are positive. If A is a square matrix, then it can be regarded as the adjacency matrix of a directed graph (digraph). If A is rectangular, a bipartite graph (bigraph) can be associated with A; of course this can also be done for A square. The determinant of the adjacency matrix of a graph or digraph has been expressed in terms of its structure, and so has the permanent. The purposes of this report are to express the permanent of a square or rectangular binary matrix in terms of the associated bigraph, and to formulate the determinant of a square matrix in terms of its bigraph. (Author)