cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing Fluent, Efficient, and Automatic Repertoires of Athletic Performance

Some years back, the first author was conversing with a catcher for a minor league baseball team and asked the naive question, “So what do you think about when deciding where to throw the ball to make a play?” The catcher immediately replied, “There’s no time to think, I just react automatically. If you have to think, then it’s already too late.” This statement captures the essence of much of the research reviewed in this chapter. Namely, accomplished athletes in a variety of domains (e.g., fast ball sports, team sports, martial arts) are able to execute complex chains of behavior so accurately and quickly in response to changing situations that their performance appears both effortless and automatic. In interactive sports, master athletes seem at times to move in unison with their opponents as if in a coordinated dance, rather than in response to the other’s actions (Ueshiba, 1987). In individual sports such as golf, elite players are known for their ability to consistently execute difficult shots under seemingly impossible conditions (e.g., Phil Mickelson’s 200+ yard shot from behind a tree on pine straw during the 2010 Masters Tournament that landed only feet away from the 13th pin).
Is It the Wind in the Tall Trees or Just the Distant Buzz of Electricity?: Sound and Music as Portent in Twin Peaks’ Season Three

Burt examines how David Lynch and his collaborators design Twin Peaks’ third season soundtrack to create a sense of uneasiness and serve as a portent for narrative changes. Lynch and his collaborators use music and sound to emphasize shifts between scenes, locations, and scenarios, and the chapter explores how the season uses different techniques from earlier seasons, such as the incorporation of the Roadhouse bands, to emphasize tonal shifts between worlds and scenes. Burt explores how sound, reverse speech, familiar motifs, and new songs play key roles in the transportation of characters between these worlds and articulates how sound indicates portals and connections. Music in the season consistently serves as a portent of things to come.
Repetition Rate Stabilization of a Mode-Locked Laser-PIC Optical Frequency Comb using Harmonic Injection Locking

We present an all-optical technique to divide millimeter-wave range (20–80GHz) optical frequency combs down to microwave regime (10GHz) using harmonic injection locking of a chip-scale MLL achieving a repetition rate stability of 10−10 at 1s.
Aspects of Calcium Phosphate Crystallization under Urinary Conditions

Two of the most frequently observed calcium-containing minerals in renal stones are the oxalates and phosphates. Formation of concretions of the calcium phosphates is complicated by the precipitation of precursors during the overall crystallization process. Although the calcium phosphate precipitate is usually referred to as hydroxy-apatite [Ca5(PO4)3OH, HAP], there is still considerable uncertainty as to the nature of the phases which form in the early stages of the precipitation reactions. In many studies aimed at understanding the spontaneous precipitation reactions, experiments have been carried out using solutions supersaturated with respect to at least five phases in order of increasing solubility: HAP; β-tricalcium phosphate [Ca3(PO4)2, TCP]; octacalcium phosphate [Ca4H(PO4)3 2.5H2O, OCP]; dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (CaH PO4, DCPA); and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (CaH PO4 • 2H2 O, DCPD). Interpretations of the results of these experiments usually assume the attainment of equilibrium and involve thermodynamic solubility products of the phases. However, it is now well established that kinetic factors may be much more important in determining the nature of the solids which formed initially (1). The paricipation of these phases during the crystallization of calcium phosphates to a large extent accounts for the difficulties in elucidating the overall mechanism of the process. The problem is best illustrated by plotting the solubility isotherms as pH functions of the product of total calcium and total phosphate molar concentrations, as in Figure 1. It is important to note that the positions of the curves and the singular points in this figure are functions both of the ionic strength and of the background electrolyte.
Nano-FTIR Spectroscopy of Intersubband Polaritons in Single Nanoantenna

We demonstrate observation of infrared (IR) intersubband (ISB) polaritons in an isolated subwavelength size nanoantenna using near-field Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the evanescent fields on the nanoantenna surface. The near-field approach enables detection of the distinctive polariton splitting of the nanoantenna resonance in the amplitude and phase spectra, as well as mapping of the ISB polariton dispersion. The nano-FTIR spectroscopy approach opens doors for investigations of light-matter interaction in the single subwavelength nanoantenna regime.
Supplemental Appendix - Factors that Fit the Time Series and Cross-Section of Stock Returns

The Supplemental Appendix to "Factors that Fit the Time Series and Cross-Section of Stock Returns" provides additional tables and figures supporting the main text. Among others it includes robustness results for the large cross-section of all decile portfolios and the extended cross-section with 49 anomalies. We also collect the results for a large number of double-sorted portfolios.
Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 mediates fear behavior in mice

A subset of people exposed to a traumatic event develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is associated with dysregulated fear behavior. Genetic variation in SLC18A2, the gene that encodes vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), has been reported to affect risk for the development of PTSD in humans. Here, we use transgenic mice that express either 5% (VMAT2-LO mice) or 200% (VMAT2-HI mice) of wild-type levels of VMAT2 protein. We report that VMAT2-LO mice have reduced VMAT2 protein in the hippocampus and amygdala, impaired monoaminergic vesicular storage capacity in both the striatum and frontal cortex, decreased monoamine metabolite abundance and a greatly reduced capacity to release dopamine upon stimulation. Furthermore, VMAT2-LO mice showed exaggerated cued and contextual fear expression, altered fear habituation, inability to discriminate threat from safety cues, altered startle response compared with wild-type mice and an anxiogenic-like phenotype, but displayed no deficits in social function. By contrast, VMAT2-HI mice exhibited increased VMAT2 protein throughout the brain, higher vesicular storage capacity and greater dopamine release upon stimulation compared with wild-type controls. Behaviorally, VMAT2-HI mice were similar to wild-type mice in most assays, with some evidence of a reduced anxiety-like responses. Together, these data show that presynaptic monoamine function mediates PTSD-like outcomes in our mouse model, and suggest a causal link between reduced VMAT2 expression and fear behavior, consistent with the correlational relationship between VMAT2 genotype and PTSD risk in humans. Targeting this system is a potential strategy for the development of pharmacotherapies for disorders like PTSD.
Near-contact grasping strategies from awkward poses: When simply closing your fingers is not enough *

Grasping a simple object from the side is easy — unless the object is almost as big as the hand or space constraints require positioning the robot hand awkwardly with respect to the object. We show that humans — when faced with this challenge — adopt coordinated finger movements which enable them to successfully grasp objects even from these awkward poses. We also show that it is relatively straight forward to implement these strategies autonomously. Our human-studies approach asks participants to perform grasping task by either “puppetteering” a robotic manipulator that is identical (geometrically and kinematically) to a popular underactuated robotic manipulator (the Barrett hand), or using sliders to control the original Barrett hand. Unlike previous studies, this enables us to directly capture and compare human manipulation strategies with robotic ones. Our observation is that, while humans employ underactuation, how they use it is fundamentally different (and more effective) than that found in existing hardware.
Acting on the invisible: Computational tools and community action in the landscapes of air quality:

This article proposes that designers and planners can better manage wicked problems by developing a strategic alignment of computational technology with a theory of change. Together with an underst...
Demonstration of an amplitude filter cavity at gravitational-wave frequencies

Quantum vacuum fluctuations fundamentally limit the precision of optical measurements, such as those in gravitational-wave detectors. The injection of a conventional squeezed vacuum can be used to reduce quantum noise in the readout quadrature, but this reduction is at the cost of increasing noise in the orthogonal quadrature. For detectors near the limits imposed by quantum radiation pressure noise (QRPN), both quadratures impact the measurement, and the benefits of conventional squeezing are limited. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of a critically coupled 16 m optical cavity to diminish antisqueezing at frequencies below 90 Hz, where it exacerbates QRPN, while preserving beneficial squeezing at higher frequencies. This is called an amplitude filter cavity, and it is useful for avoiding degradation of detector sensitivity at low frequencies. The attenuation from the cavity also provides technical advantages such as mitigating backscatter.
Posterior segment abnormalities in posterior microphthalmos

Abstract Purpose We report a case of posterior microphthalmos with characteristic papillomacular retinal folds, pigmentary retinopathy, and optic disc drusen. Observations A 19-year-old female presented with decreased visual acuity and was found to have bilateral posterior microphthalmos with the presence of papillomacular retinal folds, crowded optic nerves with buried disc drusen, and peripheral retinal pigmentary changes. Optical coherence tomography showed presence of retinal folds involving the inner retinal layers and loss of foveal contour. Conclusions and Importance: Posterior microphthalmos can present with an array of unique clinical findings involving the posterior segment. It is important to recognize these findings as these patients often have decreased visual acuity and are at risk for the development of other posterior complications.
Molecular structures in flames: A comparison between SNapS2 and recent AFM results

Abstract Models capturing the growth of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and nanoparticles in combustion have always faced a large degree of uncertainty due to the paucity of detailed direct experimental validation. In particular, data on molecular structures, chemical composition, size, cross-linking, and aliphatic chains is still very limited. In the past few years, we have developed an atomistic code, SNapS2, that models the formation of PACs in combustion conditions, providing information on the chemical and structural evolution of these compounds. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the compounds formed in a premixed ethylene-air flame that was previously characterized experimentally by AFM (Commodo et al. 2019). The comparison is based on molecular structures and extends to other properties of PACs. The results demonstrate that SNapS2 is able to capture the vast array of PACs in terms of a large variety of functional groups. The simulations, confirmed to a large extent by the experimental data, show the presence of different types of oxygenated (e.g., phenol, ketone) and cyclic (acenaphthylene-type, acenaphthene-type, and fluorene-type five-membered rings) functional groups. Moreover, the structures that were not observed in the simulations (indane-type five-membered rings or six-membered rings containing oxygen) are missing due to the lack of formation pathways, highlighting the fact that important kinetic mechanisms are still missing in the literature. Finally, we observed that a preponderant number of high molecular mass PACs are curved, which may have an impact on their aggregation and sampling. Overall, while some discrepancies remain due to the inherent limitation of the model and the AFM techniques, this work demonstrates the unique capabilities of the SNapS2 code to provide insights on the structures and chemical pathways of PACs.
Tourism and Disasters: A Systematic Review from 2010–2019

Disaster and climate change have impacted tourism around the world. Tourist areas are often hit by extreme events, and respective damages severely affect regions and their economies. Disasters, dir...
The nature and implications of acquisition goodwill

We investigate the conditions under which the accounting-based acquisition goodwill represents an economic asset. Analysis of the stock market reaction to 2123 acquisitions suggests that although i...
Nopol-Based Quinoline Derivatives as Antiplasmodial Agents

Malaria remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. While clinical antimalarials are efficacious when administered according to local guidelines, resistance to every class of antimalarials is a persistent problem. There is a constant need for new antimalarial therapeutics that complement parasite control strategies to combat malaria, especially in the tropics. In this work, nopol-based quinoline derivatives were investigated for their inhibitory activity against Plasmodium falciparum, one of the parasites that cause malaria. The nopyl-quinolin-8-yl amides (2–4) were moderately active against the asexual blood stage of chloroquine-sensitive strain Pf3D7 but inactive against chloroquine-resistant strains PfK1 and PfNF54. The nopyl-quinolin-4-yl amides and nopyl-quinolin-4-yl-acetates analogs were generally less active on all three strains. Interesting, the presence of a chloro substituent at C7 of the quinoline ring of amide 8 resulted in sub-micromolar EC50 in the PfK1 strain. However, 8 was more than two orders of magnitude less active against Pf3D7 and PfNF54. Overall, the nopyl-quinolin-8-yl amides appear to share similar antimalarial profile (asexual blood-stage) with previously reported 8-aminoquinolines like primaquine. Future work will focus on investigating the moderately active and selective nopyl-quinolin-8-yl amides on the gametocyte or liver stages of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.
"Don't be afraid to speak up": Communication advice from parents and clinicians of children with cancer.

BACKGROUND Parents and clinicians of children with cancer can provide advice to improve communication that reflects lessons learned through experience. We aimed to identify categories of communication advice offered to parents of children with cancer from clinicians and other parents. PROCEDURE (1) Semi-structured interviews with 80 parents of children with cancer at three sites; (2) single-item, open-ended survey administered following 10 focus groups with 58 pediatric oncology clinicians at two sites. We asked participants for communication advice to parents, and analyzed responses using semantic content analysis. RESULTS Parents provided five categories of communication advice to other parents. Advocacy involved asking questions, communicating concerns, and speaking up for the child. Support involved pursuing self-care, seeking and accepting help, and identifying supportive communities. Managing information involved taking and organizing notes, remaining open to difficult truths, and avoiding inaccurate information. Partnership involved establishing open lines of communication with clinicians, making the family's values and priorities known, and trusting the clinical team. Engaging and supporting the child involved, understanding and incorporating the child's preferences and values, and creating a loving environment. Clinicians' advice addressed similar categories, although only one clinician described engaging and supporting the child. Furthermore, parental advice expanded beyond interactions with the clinical team, whereas clinician advice focused more on the role of clinicians. CONCLUSIONS Parents and clinicians of children with cancer provided five categories of communication advice. With these data, clinicians, health care organizations, support groups, and patient advocates could offer experience-informed advice to parents who are seeking information and support.
Radioimmunotherapy in lymphoma and the role of FDG-PET in assessment of response

1676 Objectives: Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is being used for the treatment of resistant /recurrent or transformed CD 20 positive B cell lymphomas. Two regimens currently in use are Zevalin (Y-90 ibritumomab Tiuxitan) and Bexxar (I-131 tositumomab). The aim of our study was to evaluate the response patterns to RIT in patients with lymphoma treated at our center and determine the role of FDG-PET imaging in assessing response. Methods: Medical Records of 79 patients (42 male & 37 female) with lymphoma who had undergone RIT were reviewed. Fifty patients were treated with Zevalin and 29 with bexxar. Clinical, imaging, and histopathological data were reviewed to the most recent follow-up in office or disease progression/recurrence. Response rates were determined as per the international working group tumor response criteria, which use anatomical data by CT scan and clinical parameters. Patients were classified as complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and no response (NR). Pre and Post therapy PET scans (within 4-6 weeks of treatment) were available in 21 patients. The histopathology was relapsed/refractory low-grade CD 20+ lymphoma in 33 patients, transformed in 12, and mantle cell in 5 patients in the Zevalin group. The corresponding figures for bexxar group were 16 with refractory/relapsed, Transformed lymphoma 6 and 7 with mantle cell. Results: In the Zevalin group, 31 out of 50 (62%) were classified as responders (22% CR and 40% PR) and 19 (38%) were classified as non- responders. In the bexxar group 18 of 29 (63 %) were responders (CR 28 % and PR 35%) and 11 (27%) were classified as non- responders. Twenty one patients had pre- and post- therapy PET scan. Those who showed improvement in post therapy PET (n=12) had mean response duration of 9 months vs. 2 months for those who had no change (n=9) on their PET scan. The median Disease free interval for those with resolution on PET was 15 months. This was independent of the anatomical response assessed by CT scan. Conclusions: The overall response rate was equivalent in both Zevalin and Bexxar groups. As a group transformed lymphomas tended to have a better response and mantle cell lymphomas had the least response. FDG PET is useful to predict response and outcome in patients treated with RIT independent of anatomical criteria.
Patient Reported Outcomes in Pediatric Cancer Registration Trials: A U.S. Food and Drug Administration Perspective.

Pediatric patient-reported outcome (PRO) data can help inform the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) benefit-risk assessment of cancer therapeutics by quantifying symptom and functional outcomes from the patient's perspective. This study assessed use of PROs in commercial pediatric oncology trials submitted to FDA for regulatory review. FDA databases were searched to identify pediatric oncology product applications approved between 1997 and 2020. Sponsor-submitted documents were reviewed to determine whether PRO data were collected, which instruments were used, and the quality of collected data (sample size, completion rates, and use of fit-for-purpose instruments). The role of PROs in each trial (endpoint hierarchy) was also recorded, along with whether any PRO endpoints were included in product labeling. Seventeen pediatric oncology applications were reviewed, 4 included PRO data: Denosumab, Tisagenlecleucel, Larotrectinib, and Selumetinib. In these 4 instances, PROs served as exploratory endpoints and were not incorporated in product labeling. Trials collecting PRO data were Phase II or Phase I/II single-arm studies with sample sizes of 28 to 88 patients. Symptomatic Adverse Events were characterized using clinician-reported Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) without additional patient self-report. PROs were infrequently utilized in pediatric cancer registration trials. When used, PRO data were limited by lack of a clear research objective and corresponding prospective statistical analysis plan. Contemporary PRO symptom libraries such as the National Cancer Institute's Pediatric PRO-CTCAE may provide an opportunity to better evaluate the occurrence and impact of symptomatic Adverse Events, from the patient's perspective, in pediatric oncology trials.
A general form of Macheret–Fridman classical impulsive dissociation model for nonequilibrium flows

The rate of dissociation behind a strong shock in thermochemical nonequilibrium depends on the vibrational excitation of the molecules, hence the rates become a function of translational-rotational and vibrational temperatures. The Macheret–Fridman (MF) model provides analytical expressions for nonequilibrium dissociation rates assuming the collision of molecules to be in the impulsive limit. However, the original form of the model was limited to the dissociation of homonuclear molecules. In this work, we present a general form of the Macheret–Fridman classical impulsive model by considering the dissociation of a heteronuclear molecule and present macroscopic rates applicable for modeling dissociation in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The nonequilibrium dissociation rates from the MF-CFD model compared well with the available quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) data for some important reactions in the air. Additionally, we also present a comparison of the average vibrational energy removed in a dissociation reaction predicted by the MF-CFD model with QCT data for several reactions in air and propose some improvements to the model. The developed MF-CFD model was used to investigate various nonequilibrium flow problems and the results were compared with available experimental data. In general, the results from the MF-CFD model are promising and the model shows a possibility of becoming the standard tool for investigating nonequilibrium flows in CFD.
Chalmers, Beverley. Birth, Sex and Abuse: Women’s Voices Under Nazi Rule. Tolworth, Surrey, UK: Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd, 2015.

Review of Chalmers, Beverley. Birth, Sex and Abuse: Women’s Voices Under Nazi Rule.Tolworth, Surrey, UK: Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd, 2015.
Effect of climate and seasonality on depressed mood among twitter users

Abstract Location-based social media provide an enormous stream of data about humans' life and behavior. With geospatial methods, those data can offer rich insights into public health. In this research, we study the effect of climate and seasonality on the prevalence of depression in Twitter users in the U.S. Text mining and geospatial methods are used to detect tweets related to depression and their spatiotemporal patterns at the scale of Metropolitan Statistical Area. We find the relationship between depression rates, climate risk factors and seasonality are varied and geographically localized. The same climate measure may have opposite association with depression rates at different places. Relative humidity, temperature, sea level pressure, precipitation, snowfall, weed speed, globe solar radiation, and length of day all contribute to the geographic variations of depression rates. A conceptual compact map is designed to visualize scattered geographic phenomena in a large area. We also propose a three-stage framework that semi-automatically detects and analyzes geographically distributed health issues using location-based social media data.
Visual rheological studies of slurries

A study of the flow behavior of colloidal aqueous dispersions was conducted by measuring and observing visually their rheological properties. A Weissenberg Rheogoniometer (Model R-17) was used for the rheological measurements and was modified for the visualization studies. The dispersions showed shear thinning and thixotropic properties over most of the shear rate range studied.
Packet transmission and switching in advanced wireless information networks

The author looks ahead to third-generation wireless networking. The vision is a single set of standards that can meet a wide range of wireless access applications. Third-generation systems, in harmony with broadband integrated services digital networks, will use shared resources to convey many information types. A single network architecture will serve its users efficiently in many environments, including moving vehicles, indoor and outdoor public areas, residences, offices, and factories. A switching architecture referred to as a cellular packet switch, and a packet transmission technique referred to as packet reservation multiple access, are being studied. The author describes both techniques and shows how they can work together to meet the demands of third-generation wireless networking. >
A Doubletime Nuclear Localization Signal Mediates an Interaction with Bride of Doubletime to Promote Circadian Function

Doubletime (DBT) has an essential circadian role in Drosophila melanogaster because it phosphorylates Period (PER). To determine if DBT antagonism can produce distinct effects in the cytosol and nucleus, forms of a dominant negative DBTK/R with these 2 alternative localizations were produced. DBT has a putative nuclear localization signal (NLS), and mutation of this signal confers cytosolic localization of DBT in the lateral neurons of Drosophila clock cells in the brain. By contrast, addition of a strong NLS domain (e.g., SV40 NLS) to DBT’s C terminus leads to more nuclear localization. Expression of DBTK/R with the mutated NLS (DBTK/R NLS−) using a timGAL4 driver does not alter the circadian period of locomotor activity, and the daily oscillations of PER detected by immunoblot and immunofluorescence persist, like those of wild-type flies. By contrast, expression of DBTK/R with the strong NLS (DBTK/R stNLS) using the timGAL4 driver lengthens period more strongly than DBTK/R, with damped oscillations of P...
Devices for Low-Resource Health Care

Most of the world receives health care in low-resource settings (see the figure), yet medical technologies are designed to be used mainly in high-resource settings, where designers take for granted basic infrastructure that supports their safe use and effective distribution. The corridors of many hospitals in low-resource settings are lined with donated medical equipment, but up to three-quarters of these devices do not work, often due to lack of spare parts or consumables ( 1 ). As a result, most of the world's population lacks access to life-saving technologies developed decades ago, including infant incubators, oxygen concentrators, and simple laboratory diagnostics. In this Perspective, we review the challenges of developing and translating medical technologies and highlight promising new technologies to improve health in low-resource settings.
Ultrafast sample transfer electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (esca) for catalytic research

Abstract We have demonstrated with a “breadboard” arrangement the feasibility of sample transfer from a catalytic reactor at atmospheric pressure and elevated temperature to an Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) instrument attached to the reactor. Spectra were obtained of powder catalysts from a fluidized-bed reactor and from catalysts on metallic tape with transit times between reactor and ESCA instrument of seconds to fractions of a second. Design of an instrument based on these breadboard results could further reduce the time lapses and thereby permit the study of catalysts in an essentially live, reacting state.
The homotopy limit problem for Hermitian K-theory, equivariant motivic homotopy theory and motivic Real cobordism

Abstract The homotopy limit problem for Karoubiʼs Hermitian K-theory (Karoubi, 1980) [26] was posed by Thomason (1983) [44] . There is a canonical map from algebraic Hermitian K-theory to the Z / 2 -homotopy fixed points of algebraic K-theory. The problem asks, roughly, how close this map is to being an isomorphism, specifically after completion at 2. In this paper, we solve this problem completely for fields of characteristic 0 (Theorems 16, 20). We show that the 2-completed map is an isomorphism for fields F of characteristic 0 which satisfy cd 2 ( F [ i ] ) ∞ , but not in general.
Normal Molecular Weight of Type VII Collagen Produced by Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Keratinocytes

Studies of the recessive dystrophic form of epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) have suggested that an abnormality in type VII collagen may be involved in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Indirect immunofluorescence studies have shown that the staining for type VII collagen along the dermal-epidermal junction is markedly reduced or absent in all but rare cases of severe, generalized RDEB. These findings imply that the genetic defect may involve type VII collagen but do not exclude the possibility that the alterations demonstrated are secondary, for example, to nonspecific proteolysis of type VII collagen. To evaluate the ability of cells of affected patients to produce type VII collagen, we cultured keratinocytes from a severely affected patient and immunoprecipitated type VII collagen from the cells. Keratinocytes were metabolically labelled with 35S-methionine, and solubilized cell extracts were reacted with antibody to type VII collagen. The results indicate that the patient's keratinocytes synthesize type VII collagen and that the Mr of the protein synthesized does not differ from that of an unaffected control. Because cultured cells from a patient severely affected with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa produce type VII collagen, the genetic defect, at least in this patient, is unlikely to reside in a major truncation of the type VII collagen molecule.
The effect of storage on the metastatic potential of tumor cells collected in autologous blood. An animal model.

Malignancy in a potential autologous blood donor is considered by some as a relative contraindication for the collection of autologous blood. There is, however little experimental information regarding the safety of transfusion of autologous blood that may contain viable tumor cells. The purpose of this study was to determine if tumor cells seeded into autologous blood retain their metastatic potential and, if so, for how long. A well-established model of the pulmonary metastasis of B16/F10 (F10) melanoma in C57BL/6 mice was used. Equal numbers of F10 cells were seeded into CPDA-1 blood from the mice or into saline, and the number of lung tumors was evaluated 14 days after infusion of blood or saline. The CPDA-1 blood seeded with F10 cells was stored for up to 21 days in transfer packs at 4 to 6° C, and the metastatic potential of F10 cells in the stored blood was ascertained as above. F10 cells seeded into autologous blood that was then transfused without storage gave rise to the same number of metastatic foci (404 ± 32 metastases) as did those cells transfused in saline (374 ± 38, p = 0.5). In contrast, the number of metastatic foci resulting from the transfusion of blood containing F10 cells decreased progressively after storage of the blood (7 days = 124 ± 14 metastases; 14 days = 7 ± 1; 21 days = 2 ± 1; all p values <0.001 vs fresh blood). Also, the predilection of F10 cells to metastasize to the lung was unchanged by storage in blood. These studies show that, in this animal model, 1) the infusion of F10 cells coincident with the transfusion of autologous blood is not associated with a greater number of metastases than would have been expected from the same number of circulating tumor cells in the absence of the autologous blood transfusion, and 2) the storage of autologous blood containing F10 cells is associated with a progressive decrease in the metastatic potential of the F10 cells after their reinfusion. These findings support the currently accepted practice of including patients with cancer as autologous blood donors.
Systematic review of immunotherapy for chronic rhinosinusitis

Background Immunotherapy (IT) has been well established as an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis (AR), but little is known about the benefits of IT on clinical outcomes of comorbid chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The goal of this publication is to systematically review the literature regarding outcomes of IT in patients with atopic CRS. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted including studies that assessed the efficacy of IT on clinical outcome measures in CRS including without polyp, with polyp, and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis subgroups. Excluded articles were those only reporting outcomes specific to asthma or AR. Results Seven studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this review, none of which were randomized controlled trials. Generally, symptom scores improved in patients treated with IT when compared with baseline data and control patients. Objective endoscopic exam measures improved with IT treatment in short-term studies. Significant improvements were observed in radiographic assessments, and there was a decreased necessity for revision surgery, interventional office visits, and intranasal and oral steroid use. Conclusion Conclusions are limited by the paucity of available data on the efficacy of IT for treating CRS-specific outcome measures. There is weak evidence to support the use of IT as an adjunctive treatment in CRS patients, particularly in the postoperative period.
Mixed-Pattern Immune Deposit Glomerulonephritis in a Child With Inherited Deficiency of the Third Component of Complement

The renal histopathology of a 7-year-old Laotian male with inherited deficiency of the third component of complement, recurrent infections, and persistent hematuria and proteinuria is described. The histologic changes are predominantly those of mesangiopathic disease with isolated changes resembling type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and transmembranous glomerulonephritis. IgG, IgA, IgM, C4, and fibrinogen, but not C3, were detected by immunofluorescence in mesangial zones and in segments of capillary walls. A normal distribution of C3b receptors was present along all capillary walls. This report provides additional support for the association of congenital C3 deficiency and immune deposit glomerulonephritis.
MUTATION OF THE ACTIVE SITE CARBOXY-LYSINE (K70) OF OXA-1 β-LACTAMASE RESULTS IN A DEACYLATION-DEFICIENT ENZYME

Class D beta-lactamases hydrolyze beta-lactam antibiotics by using an active site serine nucleophile to form a covalent acyl-enzyme intermediate and subsequently employ water to deacylate the beta-lactam and release product. Class D beta-lactamases are carboxylated on the epsilon-amino group of an active site lysine, with the resulting carbamate functional group serving as a general base. We discovered that substitutions of the active site serine and lysine in OXA-1 beta-lactamase, a monomeric class D enzyme, significantly disrupt catalytic turnover. Substitution of glycine for the nucleophilic serine (S67G) results in an enzyme that can still bind substrate but is unable to form a covalent acyl-enzyme intermediate. Substitution of the carboxylated lysine (K70), on the other hand, results in enzyme that can be acylated by substrate but is impaired with respect to deacylation. We employed the fluorescent penicillin BOCILLIN FL to show that three different substitutions for K70 (alanine, aspartate, and glutamate) lead to the accumulation of significant acyl-enzyme intermediate. Interestingly, BOCILLIN FL deacylation rates (t(1/2)) vary depending on the identity of the substituting residue, from approximately 60 min for K70A to undetectable deacylation for K70D. Tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy was used to confirm that these results are applicable to natural (i.e., nonfluorescent) substrates. Deacylation by K70A, but not K70D or K70E, can be partially restored by the addition of short-chain carboxylic acid mimetics of the lysine carbamate. In conclusion, we establish the functional role of the carboxylated lysine in OXA-1 and highlight its specific role in acylation and deacylation.
Effects of actinomycin D on ACTH-induced corticosteroidogenesis.

Actinomycin D was found to abolish completely the in vitro steroidogenic effect of ACTH during incubations of cow adrenal slices. The antibiotic had no effect on base line (control) corticosteroid production or on the enhanced production of corticosteroids due to addition of glucose-6-PO4, plus TPN. The inhibitory effects of actinomycin D were reversible and were evident only if the antibiotic was present during the preincubation and incubation with ACTH. In contrast to the results obtained with bovine adrenal tissue slices, actinomycin D had little or no effect on ACTH-induced corticosteroid production during incubations of rat adrenal quarters, despite inhibition of precursor incorporation into RNA. The latter, however, was not complete, and, while a role for RNA synthesis was not apparent in the rat adrenal, it could not be fully excluded. The incorporation of orotic acid-6-14C into cow adrenal (but not rat adrenal) RNA was enhanced by ACTH, and a linear relationship between orotic acid incorporation a...
Raman spectrum and structure of solid P2Cl4

The Raman spectrum of liquid and solid polycrystalline P2Cl4 has been recorded from 30 to 700 cm−1. The far infrared spectrum of the solid has also been reinvestigated. From these data, it is necessary to reassign the P-P stretch (ag), the PC12 rock (au) and the PCl wag (bu). Three lattice modes were observed in the Raman spectrum whereas none was found in the infrared spectrum. No correlation field splitting was observed for any of the intramolecular fundamentals. Although the vibrational data for the crystalline state is best interpreted in terms of atrans (C2h, ≡ 2/m) conformation, there is some evidence that another form may be present, in small amounts, in the fluid states. Furthermore, no evidence for the torsional mode, previously assigned at 91 cm−1, has been found and calculations have been made which indicate that such a frequency would lead to an un-acceptably high barrier to internal rotation of the asymmetric PC12 rotor.
Recent Climate Variability in Antarctica from Satellite-Derived Temperature Data

Recent Antarctic climate variability on month-to-month to interannual time scales is assessed through joint analysis of surface temperatures from satellite thermal infrared observations (T(sub IR)) and passive microwave brightness temperatures (T(sub B)). Although Tw data are limited to clear-sky conditions and T(sub B) data are a product of the temperature and emissivity of the upper approx. 1m of snow, the two data sets share significant covariance. This covariance is largely explained by three empirical modes, which illustrate the spatial and temporal variability of Antarctic surface temperatures. T(sub B) variations are damped compared to TIR variations, as determined by the period of the temperature forcing and the microwave emission depth; however, microwave emissivity does not vary significantly in time. Comparison of the temperature modes with Southern Hemisphere (SH) 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies demonstrates that Antarctic temperature anomalies are predominantly controlled by the principal patterns of SH atmospheric circulation. The leading surface temperature mode strongly correlates with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) in geopotential height. The second temperature mode reflects the combined influences of the zonal wavenumber-3 and Pacific South American (PSA) patterns in 500-hPa height on month-to-month timescales. ENSO variability projects onto this mode on interannual timescales, but is not by itself a good predictor of Antarctic temperature anomalies. The third temperature mode explains winter warming trends, which may be caused by blocking events, over a large region of the East Antarctic plateau. These results help to place recent climate changes in the context of Antarctica's background climate variability and will aid in the interpretation of ice core paleoclimate records.
Asymptotic risk behavior of mean vector and variance estimators and the problem of positive normal mean

Asymptotic risk behavior of estimators of the unknow variance and of the unknown mean vector in a multivariate normal distribution is considered for a general loss. It is shown that in both problems this characteristic is related to the risk in an estimation problem of a positive normal mean under quadratic loss function. A curious property of the Brewster-Zidek variance estimator of the normal variance is also noticed.
Occult penetrating injury to the suprarenal aorta: a case report

A thirty-three year old white male presented with a single gunshot wound to the body of T10-11 with resultant paraplegia. Vascular examination was unre markable. In the work up of the paraplegia, the patient was found to have suprarenal aortic traumatic pseudoaneurysm, successfully repaired with tube graft replacement. This represents a rare presentation of an occult suprarenal penetrating aorta injury.
The Changing Tide of Professional Print Media and Teaching Patriotism: 1916–1956

Abstract The events of September 11, 2001, provoked an awakening of patriotic sentiment in Americans from all walks of life. Reflecting representation from the most diverse of political, social, and economic quarters, this patriotic movement included most everyone from across the spectrum, from politicians, religious leaders, and teachers on the one hand, to firemen, construction workers, and students on the other. Not since long before most Americans could remember had the United States experienced such an outpouring of support for those things associated with patriotism. Dormant in many respects for over forty years—especially on the pages of professional print media—the strong support for patriotism seemed fresh and almost exhilarating, and, as many claimed, long overdue. But was this feverish pitch truly unique? Or had similar responses occurred in America's past under similar circumstances? And perhaps most important, if the patriotic zeal was actually nothing more than an emotional response to certa...
Franchising Opportunities and Threats in Russia

Abstract This article pertains to franchising in Russia, a post-Communist economy with one of the largest market potentials for American business. The authors focus on the environmental factors associated with international franchising in Russia and examine the four Ps and the entry strategies available to prospective franchisors, which provides the background for a franchising marketing plan. In addition, this research provides rules of thumb to potential market entrants into Russia.
Live Imaging Reveals the Link Between Decreased Glucose Uptake in Ovarian Cumulus Cells and Impaired Oocyte Quality in Female Diabetic Mice

Maternal diabetes has been demonstrated to adversely affect preimplantation embryo development and pregnancy outcomes. Emerging data suggest that these effects are associated with compromised oocyte quality. However, direct evidence of a pathway by which maternal diabetes exerts its effects on the oocyte is still lacking. Cumulus cells are metabolically coupled to oocytes, and bidirectional communication between them is essential for the development and functions of both compartments. The primary focus of this work was to evaluate the connection between glucose uptake in cumulus cells and oocyte quality in diabetic mice. This experiment has been difficult, because cumulus cells need to be separated from oocytes and labeled with isotope in the process of measuring glucose uptake. Here, we report a method for live imaging glucose transport in single cumulus-oocyte complexes using a fluorescent glucose analog (6-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol- 4-yl)amino)-6-deoxyglucose). By tracking the ATP content and spindle/chromosome status in individual oocytes surrounded by cumulus cells with differing glucose uptake activity, we reveal that compromised oocyte quality in diabetic mice is linked to decreased glucose uptake in cumulus cells.
Surface properties of carbon fibres modified by electrodeposition of polyamic acid

The objective of this work is to study the surface property changes of carbon fibres resulting from the electrodeposition of polyamic acid. Unsized but surface oxidized carbon fibres were successfully coated with polyamic acid by non-aqueous electrodeposition. The surface property changes due to the electrodeposition were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTi.r.), dynamic contact angle analysis (DCA) and thermogravimetric analysis (t.g.a.). The SEM analysis showed smooth, continuous and thick polyamic acid coatings. The electrodeposition of polyamic acid on graphite fibres did not result in a self-limiting film growth.FTi.r. spectroscopy confirmed that the electrodeposited coatings possessed the same chemical structure and functionality as the bulk polymer, indicating that electrodeposition did not result in alteration of the polymer structure. The surface energy of the coated T650/35 and T-300 fibres was found to be about 15% and 20% respectively, lower than that of the uncoated fibres. T.g.a. study showed that the cured polyimide has excellent thermal stability up to 540°C.
The effects of exclusion of epithelium from healing periodontal pockets.

Epithelium was excluded experimentally from artificially induced periodontal pockets by cutting off the crowns of vital teeth and covering the roots with mucoperiosteal flaps. This procedure was carried out on 58 teeth in eight rhesus monkeys and specimens recovered at from five to 36 weeks postoperatively. Thirty-eight (66%) of the teeth remained completely covered by soft tissue for the duration of the experiment. Up to 4.4 mm (mean = 0.9 mm) of new attachment with cementum and attached collagen fibers was found on both the sides of the roots and the cut ends, but root resorption and downgrowth of epithelium over root surfaces were about equally common. Thus, even when epithelium is excluded from healing periodontal pockets, reattachment with new cementum and attached collagen fibers is not consistently achieved, even after periods of 36 weeks. Root resorption and ankylosis are major complications. Although most new attachment appears to result from cells originating in the periodontal ligament, it can ...
Watching Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics: 2-D IR Chemical Exchange Spectroscopy

Ultrafast 2-D IR vibrational echo chemical exchange spectroscopy is described. The measurements enable observation of molecule processes under thermal equilibrium conditions. Applications to molecular isomerization, hydrogen bond dynamics, and proteins structural substate switching are presented.
Microfluidic systems for chemical kinetics that rely on chaotic mixing in droplets

This paper reviews work on a microfluidic system that relies on chaotic advection to rapidly mix multiple reagents isolated in droplets (plugs). Using a combination of turns and straight sections, winding microfluidic channels create unsteady fluid flows that rapidly mix the multiple reagents contained within plugs. The scaling of mixing for a range of channel widths, flow velocities and diffusion coefficients has been investigated. Due to rapid mixing, low sample consumption and transport of reagents with no dispersion, the system is particularly appropriate for chemical kinetics and biochemical assays. The mixing occurs by chaotic advection and is rapid (sub-millisecond), allowing for an accurate description of fast reaction kinetics. In addition, mixing has been characterized and explicitly incorporated into the kinetic model.
Microbiology: Resurrecting a broken genome

A remarkable bacterium can survive extraordinary doses of ionizing radiation that shatter its genome into thousands of pieces. How does it accurately reassemble these DNA fragments into an intact genome?