cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synovial sarcoma of the thoracic spine.

Abstract Background context Synovial sarcoma is an uncommon malignant neoplasm occurring chiefly in young adults. It often presents as a solid well-circumscribed soft-tissue mass in the extremities of young adults. Despite its proximity to joints, it has been well established that the tumor cells do not display features of synovial differentiation but instead appear to have a primitive epithelial phenotype. There is no report of a lower thoracic paravertebral synovial sarcoma in an adult male. Purpose To describe our management in a patient with a synovial sarcoma of the thoracic spine and to review previously published cases. Study design Case report. Methods A 60-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of right upper quadrant abdominal pain radiating to his back in a band-like fashion; shortness of breath on exertion; and increasing pain when standing, sitting, or walking. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a large right-sided paraspinal mass sitting on the eighth and ninth ribs, pressing on the T9 vertebrae and abutting the T7 and T8 vertebral level exhibiting “Triple Intensity.” Plain films demonstrated a right-sided paraspinal mass extending from the T7–T8 level to T10. Bone scintigraphy showed increased uptake on the right thoracic spine at T7–T8 to T10. Computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed a right paraspinal mass with lytic changes in the T9 vertebral bodies. A right-sided thoracotomy was performed, and the patient underwent subsequent radiation therapy. Absence of the tumor was shown by an MRI scan after the operation. Results Complete resolution of the patient's complaints was achieved. The diagnosis is supported by plain radiographs, bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance and CT imaging studies, and histologic and immunohistochemical evidence. Conclusions Synovial sarcomas are rarely present in the paravertebral region of the thoracic spine. A careful radiographic study of the tumor permitted early preliminary diagnosis, confirmed upon histopathologic analysis. Despite lytic changes, removal of a periosteal layer permitted sparing of the vertebral bodies.
Topological control of optical nonlinearities in quantum-confined systems

We manipulate the topology of geometrically similar quantum graphs (networks of quantum wires) to discover configurations with large increases in their optical nonlinearities.
7.3.2 Optimization of Research and Development Investment Strategies

An enterprise must make up-front investments in applied research and development (R&D) to mature technologies to a point where they can be successfully deployed. These decisions are based on expected return from the investment and the cost, schedule and technical risks facing each R&D project. Periodically, the decisions are revisited to see if changes in project performance and cost/schedule/risk estimates warrant a change in project funding. Common approaches to this problem involve either Monte Carlo simulation of outcomes for a decision policy, or optimization of decision variables based on some objective. This paper outlines an approach to R&D project selection where both simulation and optimization are used to determine an investment strategy, given project interdependencies and uncertainties in utility, cost, schedule and technical performance. The problem is formulated as a discrete sequential stochastic decision problem and uses heuristics to narrow the solution space and find a reasonable (though non-optimal) solution.
Changes in Correlation Coefficients with Spatial Scale and Implications for Water Resources and Vulnerability Data

Previous studies of correlation coefficients between paired observations using census, hydrologic, and remote sensing data abound. It is well established that bivariate relationships at coarser spatial resolutions are often stronger than at finer resolutions. No assessment as yet, however, corroborates this tendency with water resources variables. In this study, multiscale correlations between water use or water availability and population are presented in three river basins—the Missouri (United States), Danube (Europe), and Ganges (South Asia). High-resolution gridded data sets were obtained at 0.5° and resampled to fourteen different geographic scales to examine the effects of scale on the strength and trends of correlations. Correlation coefficients between most variable pairs increased at coarser scales. Smoothing fine-scale spatial patterns in the data at coarser scales is posited as a possible explanation. The increase was not often linear, however, nor was there always an increase. The Missouri Bas...
Egg production and efficiency of food conversion of khaki campbell ducks under different management systems

1. Thirty‐two Khaki Campbell laying ducks were divided into two equal groups and housed either in floor pens or in cages in an environmentally controlled building. The food for two replicate groups of four birds each in each management system was rationed by weight and two other replicate groups were fed ad libitum. Housing and feeding treatment effects were assessed by measuring efficiency of food conversion into eggs and egg production. 2. Housing ducks in cages did not reduce egg production or efficiency of food conversion compared with the more conventional floor‐pen housing system. Egg production and egg size were adversely affected by the restricted feeding programme. 3. Caging in a controlled environment with unrestricted food appears to be a potentially feasible management system for laying ducks, comparable with such systems for laying fowls.
On Discontinuous Galerkin Approximations of Boltzmann Moment Systems With Levermore Closure

Abstract This work considers the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) finite element discretization of first-order systems of conservation laws derivable as moments of the kinetic Boltzmann equation with Levermore [C.D. Levermore, Moment closure hierarchies for kinetic theories, J. Statist. Phys. 83 (5–6) (1996) 1021–1065] closure. Using standard energy analysis techniques, a new class of energy stable numerical flux functions are devised for the DG discretization of Boltzmann moment systems. Simplified energy stable numerical fluxes are then constructed which replace exact state space integration in the numerical flux with Gauss–Lobatto quadrature. Numerical results for supersonic flow over a cylinder geometry in the continuum and transitional regimes using 5 and 10 moment approximations are presented using the newly devised DG discretizations.
Effects of repeated burning on species richness in a Florida pine savanna: A test of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis

We studied the effect of burning frequency on the density and species richness of understory flowering stems in a Florida sandhill. Flowering stems were censused weekly for 54 weeks in six sites that had been burned one to six times in the previous 16 years. We concurrently measured overstory characteristics such as species composition, density and basal area. We used maximum likelihood and Akaike's Information Criterion to compare linear, quadratic, saturating, and null models of community response to repeating burning. We did not find a relationship between species richness, diversity or flowering stem density and fire frequency. Tree density was related to fire frequency and may represent an indirect path- way for fire effects on understory characteristics. While we found no support for the Intermediate Disturbance Hypoth- esis, an analysis of our experimental design indicated that we had low statistical power. We develop the hypothesis that a saturating model of response to fire best describes understory species richness in our system. We test this hypothesis using the most extensive published fire data set we are aware of and find support for a saturating model.
The Association for the Teaching of English (Ireland)

(1969). The Association for the Teaching of English (Ireland) English in Education: Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 74-77.
The effect of timing of glycosaminoglycan removal on decellularization and recellularization of cartilage

The intricate architecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) may play an important role in providing the mechanical strength necessary to cushion and lubricate the joints. Therefore, one approach to cartilage tissue engineering is to decellularize cartilage so as to preserve the complex collagen network while removing immunogenic chondrocytes and use the remaining structure as a scaffold. In this study, porcine articular cartilage plugs were subjected to freeze-thaw cycles and detergent cycles to decellularize the ECM. Three variations of this protocol were tested, with chondroitinase ABC (chABC) added at a different time point in each protocol. ChABC was added to degrade glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) that may block cell exit, infiltration, or both. Decellularized samples were seeded with synoviocytes then cultured for 72 h. Later chABC treatment generally resulted in more GAG removal without affecting the DNA or collagen content significantly. H&E staining showed some successful chondrocyte removal from lacunae across all groups, but cellular remains were still present in the ECM.
Increased number of [125I] BH-substance p receptors in schizophrenia

Abstract 1. 1- This study used quantitative receptor autoradiography to evaluate if the hyperdopaminergic state in the striatum of schizophrenics is associated with decreased NK1 receptor density. 2. 2- A significant increase of NK1 sites was detected in caudate and nucleus accumbens of schizophrenic patients as compared to controls. No statistical difference was observed for the putamen. 3. 3- Neuroleptics used in the treatment of schizophrenia may be responsible for the observed increase in NK1 receptors.
Effects of a single injection of methylprednisolone acetate on serum biochemical parameters in 11 cats.

Background: Therapeutic use of corticosteroids has been implicated in a variety of serum biochemical abnormalities in dogs; however, the effects in cats are less well characterized. Objective: The objective of this brief communication is to report serum biochemical changes in response to methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) in adult cats. Methods: Serum biochemical profiles were performed on 11 cats with dermatologic diseases at baseline, 3–6 days, and 16–24 days after a single intramuscular dose of 5 mg/kg MPA. Results: Median serum albumin and bicarbonate concentrations and amylase activity were increased compared to baseline at both post-treatment time points; aspartate aminotransferase activity and magnesium concentration were increased at 3–6 days post-treatment only; and alkaline phosphatase activity and total calcium concentration were increased at 16–24 days post-treatment only. Median serum creatinine concentration was decreased compared to baseline at both post-treatment time points. Examination of data from individual cats revealed significant variability in serum biochemical changes in response to MPA. No adverse clinical reactions to the drug were reported. Conclusions: A single dose of MPA results in significant changes in some serum biochemical values in cats, although individual responses will vary.
Chapman Conference on Generation of the Oceanic Lithosphere

On April 6–10, 1981, the Chapman conference on Generation of the Oceanic Lithosphere was held at Airlie House, Warrenton, Virginia. It was convened by D.C. Presnall, A.L. Hales (both at the University of Texas at Dallas), and F.A. Frey (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). The purpose of the conference was to bring together scientists with diverse specialties to develop a better understanding of the constraints imposed by geophysics, geochemistry, petrology, and tectonics on processes of oceanic lithosphere generation. Sessions were held on the nature of the crust and upper mantle at spreading centers; trace elements and isotopes; experimental petrology; magma chamber dynamics, melt migration, and mantle flow; slow versus fast spreading ridges; Atlantic spreading centers; Pacific spreading centers; and hydrothermal activity, metasomatism, and metamorphism. Fifty-four oral papers and 47 poster papers were presented. One hundred twenty-eight scientists attended from Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States, and the USSR.
Inhibition of Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase by Aminoimidazole Carboxamide Ribotide Prevents Growth of Salmonella enterica purH Mutants on Glycerol

The enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP) is key regulatory point in gluconeogenesis. Mutants of Salmonella enterica lacking purH accumulate 5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide ribotide (AICAR) and are unable to utilize glycerol as sole carbon and energy sources. The work described here demonstrates this lack of growth is due to inhibition of FBP by AICAR. Mutant alleles of fbp that restore growth on glycerol encode proteins resistant to inhibition by AICAR and the allosteric regulator AMP. This is the first report of biochemical characterization of substitutions causing AMP resistance in a bacterial FBP. Inhibition of FBP activity by AICAR occurs at physiologically relevant concentrations and may represent a form of regulation of gluconeogenic flux in Salmonella enterica.
A human-computer collaborative approach to identifying common data elements in clinical trial eligibility criteria

Objective: To identify Common Data Elements (CDEs) in eligibility criteria of multiple clinical trials studying the same disease using a human-computer collaborative approach. Design: A set of free-text eligibility criteria from clinical trials on two representative diseases, breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases, was sampled to identify disease-specific eligibility criteria CDEs. In this proposed approach, a semantic annotator is used to recognize Unified Medical Language Systems (UMLSs) terms within the eligibility criteria text. The Apriori algorithm is applied to mine frequent disease-specific UMLS terms, which are then filtered by a list of preferred UMLS semantic types, grouped by similarity based on the Dice coefficient, and, finally, manually reviewed. Measurements: Standard precision, recall, and F-score of the CDEs recommended by the proposed approach were measured with respect to manually identified CDEs. Results: Average precision and recall of the recommended CDEs for the two diseases were 0.823 and 0.797, respectively, leading to an average F-score of 0.810. In addition, the machine-powered CDEs covered 80% of the cardiovascular CDEs published by The American Heart Association and assigned by human experts. Conclusion: It is feasible and effort saving to use a human-computer collaborative approach to augment domain experts for identifying disease-specific CDEs from free-text clinical trial eligibility criteria.
A HiFi 3D simulator for humanoid robot soccer

A HiFi 3D simulation platform for humanoid robot is a high fidelity simulation system, which is composed of server module, client module and debugger module. Its main functions include the 3D/2D real-time display, strategy-loader, human-computer interaction and intelligent referee. The platform simulates almost all the processes in a real humanoid robot soccer competition, including accurate physics model, realistic 3D collision effect, real-time decision-making, etc. The proposed simulation platform for humanoid robot soccer is validated as a simulator with high accuracy and high fidelity.
Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: a guide to the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet (1999). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pp. ix+204.

As stated in its Foreword, the Handbook is a ‘user’s manual’ for the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). It provides a variety of information about the philosophy and practice of IPA usage and in so doing, confronts a number of current issues in phonetics. But the goal of the Handbook remains resolutely practical, the intention being to give just ‘the information needed for getting to grips with the IPA’ (p. viii). Nonetheless, it provides much more information and discussion about transcription than the previous official source of information about the IPA, the 1949 Principles of the International Phonetic Association. The decision to produce a new Handbook was made at the 1989 Kiel Convention of the International Phonetic Association.
Direct passive navigation: Analytical solution for planes

In this paper, we derive a closed form solution for recovering the motion of an observer relative to a planar surface directly from image brightness derivatives. We do not compute the optical flow as an intermediate step, only the spatial and temporal intensity gradients at a minimum of 8 points. We solve a linear matrix equation for the elements of a 3×3 matrix. The eigenvalue decomposition of its symmetric part is then used to compute the motion parameters and the plane orientation.
Cellular Suicide Therapy of Malignant Disease

Adoptive cellular therapy is developing as a supplement or alternative to chemotherapy and/or radiation for malignant disease. Our focus is two ongoing clinical studies with transgeneic (genetically altered) cellular therapy; one uses allogeneic (from another person) lymphocytes to treat leukemia, and the second uses xenogeneic (from another species) fibroblast cells genetically altered to contain a toxin-producing suicide gene to treat ovarian cancer. Allogeneic donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) are known to induce remission of hematologic malignancies. However, the toxicity associated with DLI is related to graft-versus-host-disease, which is due to donor lymphocytes attacking normal tissue in the recipient. Therefore, we have taken the approach of infusing DLI that have been modified to contain a latent suicide gene to treat leukemia. To treat ovarian cancer, we used xenogeneic nonimmune fibroblast-derived cells to deliver a tumor-directed cytotoxic gene to carcinoma cells. These cells release HStk transgene retroviruses that in turn transduce replicating tumor cells but not quiescent epithelium, rendering the tumor selectively susceptible to ganciclovir-mediated killing. These initial trials summarize the early stage of allogeneic/xenogeneic adoptive cellular therapy for cancer, and although the data are limited, it is encouraging to see some patients with evidence of antitumor responses. Advances in our understanding of the basic science of these treatments, together with improvements in the technology of vector design, will be required to streamline these methodologies into broader application.
Modeling flow in disordered packed beds from pore-scale fluid mechanics

Network models are an effective means of incorporating pore-scale heterogeneity into flow models of porous materials. The drawback to these models used to be the inability to obtain quantitative macroscopic parameters representing larger (experimental-scale) media. However, recently developed modeling techniques, combined with more widely available computational resources, make the simulation of macroscopic parameters from a network approach viable. A network model for the slow flow of an incompressible fluid in disordered packed beds is presented. Fundamental fluid mechanics equations are solved at the pore scale and then translated to macroscopic behaviour using a network approach. The results reproduce experimental permeabilities and show excellent quantitative fits to residence time distributions for mechanical dispersion in real beds. Simulations of the RTD are of special interest, because they are definitive links between pore-scale flow behavior and macroscopic responses.
Improving Estimation of Vehicle's Trajectory Using the Latest Global Positioning System With Kalman Filtering

This paper proposes several extensive methods to predict the future location of an automobile. The goals of this paper are to find a more accurate way to predict the future location of an automobile by 3 s ahead, so that the prediction error can be greatly reduced with the innovative idea of merging global-positioning-system (GPS) data with geographic-information-system (GIS) data. The improvement starts by applying existing techniques to extrapolate the current GPS location. Comprehensive Kalman filters (KFs) are implemented to deal with inaccuracy in the different identified possible states an automobile could be found in, which are identified as constant locations, constant velocity, constant acceleration, and constant jerks. Then, the KFs are set up to be part of a interacting-multiple-model (IMM) system that provides the predicted future location of the automobile. To reduce the prediction error of the IMM setup, this paper imports an iterated geometrical error-detection method based on GIS data. The assumption that the automobile will remain on the road is made; therefore, the predictions of future locations that fall outside are corrected accordingly, making a great reduction to the prediction error. The actual experimental results validate our proposed system by reducing the prediction error to around half of what it would be without the use of GIS data.
Remote Monitoring of Selected Ground-Water Dominated Lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills

: The Landsat-Muitispectral Scanner (MSS) data were used to measure lake area fluctuations (1972–1989) for 130 ground-water dominated lakes in the Western Lakes Region of the Nebraska Sand Hills. In general, the pattern shown in lake area hydrographs was similar to that for in-situ lake elevations. In-situ lake-elevation data verify that remote monitoring of surface-area fluctuations, even at relatively coarse spatial resolution, is not only practical and useful, but also it elucidates the hydrologic characteristics of groundwater-dominated lakes of the Sand Hills. The apparent differences in behavior between lakes in the northern and southern portions of the study area may be related to both their location in the regional ground water system and the substantial local hydrologic complexity.
CTnDOT integrase performs ordered homology-dependent and homology-independent strand exchanges

Although the integrase (IntDOT) of the Bacteroides conjugative transposon CTnDOT has been classified as a member of the tyrosine recombinase family, the reaction it catalyzes appears to differ in some features from reactions catalyzed by other tyrosine recombinases. We tested the ability of IntDOT to cleave and ligate activated attDOT substrates in the presence of mismatches. Unlike other tyrosine recombinases, the results revealed that IntDOT is able to perform ligation reactions even when all the bases within the crossover region are mispaired. We also show that there is a strong bias in the order of strand exchanges during integrative recombination. The top strands are exchanged first in reactions that appear to require 2 bp of homology between the partner sites adjacent to the sites of cleavage. The bottom strands are exchanged next in reactions that do not require homology between the partner sites. This mode of coordination of strand exchanges is unique among tyrosine recombinases.
Co-evolution between an Endosymbiont and Its Nematode Host: Wolbachia Asymmetric Posterior Localization and AP Polarity Establishment

While bacterial symbionts influence a variety of host cellular responses throughout development, there are no documented instances in which symbionts influence early embryogenesis. Here we demonstrate that Wolbachia, an obligate endosymbiont of the parasitic filarial nematodes, is required for proper anterior-posterior polarity establishment in the filarial nematode B. malayi. Characterization of pre- and post-fertilization events in B. malayi reveals that, unlike C. elegans, the centrosomes are maternally derived and produce a cortical-based microtubule organizing center prior to fertilization. We establish that Wolbachia rely on these cortical microtubules and dynein to concentrate at the posterior cortex. Wolbachia also rely on PAR-1 and PAR-3 polarity cues for normal concentration at the posterior cortex. Finally, we demonstrate that Wolbachia depletion results in distinct anterior-posterior polarity defects. These results provide a striking example of endosymbiont-host co-evolution operating on the core initial developmental event of axis determination.
Physicochemical Changes in Some Frozen Foods

SUMMARY The pH of peas and of poultry meat frozen pre- and post-rigor was measured during frozen storage at −10°C for up to 6 months. In peas it decreased sharply from 6.7 to as low as 6.0 during the first 3 days of storage, increased to 7.0 during the next 2-3 weeks, decreased to 6.4 in another 3 weeks, and remained there with only small fluctuations during the rest of the storage time. Breast and leg meat of poultry resembled each other in pH changes after freezing: increases and decreases of about 0.2–0.3 unit occurred in all samples at about the same time. Meat frozen pre-rigor differed from meat frozen post-rigor, however, the latter increasing 0.2–0.3 pH unit during freezing, and the former changing little or decreasing slightly under these conditions. Differences in pH between samples at a given time were related to differences in initial pH. Studies with salt solutions as similar as possible in composition to the foods tested, and with gelatin solutions, showed that pH changes in frozen foods were caused mainly by increasing concentration of food components, including proteins, in the unfrozen phase, by precipitation of salts, by interaction of proteins with ionic substances, and by enzymatic activity (e.g. lactic acid formation) during frozen storage.
A Coupled Atmosphere–Ocean GCM Study of the ENSO Cycle

Abstract This study examines interannual variability produced by a recent version of the University of California, Los Angeles, coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model (CGCM). The CGCM is shown to produce ENSO-like climate variability with reasonable frequency and amplitude. A multichannel singular spectrum analysis identifies the simulated ENSO cycle and permits examination of the associated evolution of atmospheric and oceanic states. During the cycle, the evolution of upper-ocean heat content in the tropical Pacific is characterized by a zonal oscillation between the western and eastern equatorial Pacific and a meridional oscillation between the equator and 10°N. The zonal oscillation is related to the amplification of the cycle, and the meridional oscillation is related to the transition between phases of the cycle. It is found that the north–south ocean heat content difference always reaches a threshold near the onset of a warm/cold event. The three-dimensional evolution of ocean temperatu...
The Dual-Specificity Phosphatase CDC14B Bundles and Stabilizes Microtubules

The Cdc14 dual-specificity phosphatases regulate key events in the eukaryotic cell cycle. However, little is known about the function of mammalian CDC14B family members. Here, we demonstrate that subcellular localization of CDC14B protein is cell cycle regulated. CDC14B can bind, bundle, and stabilize microtubules in vitro independently of its catalytic activity. Basic amino acid residues within the nucleolar targeting domain are important for both retaining CDC14B in the nucleolus and preventing microtubule bundling. Overexpression of CDC14B resulted in the formation of cytoplasmic CDC14B and microtubule bundles in interphase cells. These microtubule bundles were resistant to microtubule depolymerization reagents and enriched in acetylated α-tubulin. Expression of cytoplasmic forms of CDC14B impaired microtubule nucleation from the microtubule organization center. CDC14B is thus a novel microtubule-bundling and -stabilizing protein, whose regulated subcellular localization may help modulate spindle and microtubule dynamics in mitosis.
Regional variations in the relative sensitivity to UV light in the mouse retina

About 3% of all mouse photoreceptors are cones. An earlier electrophysiological study indicated that there were two classes of cone in the mouse retina having peak sensitivities (lambda max) of about 360 nm and 511 nm. Recent immunocytochemical results show there are two types of cones that have distinctive regional segregation patterns. We used regional stimulation of the retina in conjunction with electroretinogram (ERG) flicker photometry to see if the two cone types identified electrophysiologically are regionalized in a fashion suggested by the anatomical results. We find they are. Relative sensitivity to ultraviolet and visible light stimulation qualitatively parallels that predicted by immunocytochemical labelling. One result of this remarkable regionalization of cone types is that the mouse retina is relatively more sensitive to ultraviolet light stimulation when that light is directed toward the ventral half of the retina.
Experimental evolution of Ebg enzyme provides clues about the evolution of catalysis and to evolutionary potential.

The ebg (evolved β-galactosidase) operon of Escherichia coli has been used since 1974 as a model system to dynamically study the evolutionary processes which have led to catalytic efficiency and substrate specificity in enzymes. Wild-type ebg β-galactosidase, encoded by ebgA, is a catalytically feeble enzyme that does not hydrolyze lactose or other β-galactosides efficiently enough to permit growth on those substrates. Each of two specific base substitutions at widely separated sites increases catalytic activity sufficiently to permit growth, and the combination of the two mutations further increases catalytic effectiveness and expands the substrate range of the enzyme in a non-additive fashion. Experimental studies suggested that in the 3126 bp coding region those two substitutions were the only mutations capable of increasing activity toward lactose sufficiently to permit growth. Alignment of EbgA with the LacZ β-galactosidase showed that both mutations were in active site amino acids. Multiple alignment and phylogenetic analysis of EbgA, LacZ, and 12 other related β-galactosidases showed that EbgA and LacZ diverged from a common ancestor at least 2.2 billion years ago, that they belonged to different subclasses of the family of 14 β-galactosidases, that the two subclasses differed at 12 of the 15 active site residues, and confirmed that the two previously identified mutations in ebgA are the only ones that can lead to enzyme with sufficient activity on lactose to permit growth. Studies of the catalytic mechanism of Ebg β-galactosidase have allowed the widely accepted Albery and Knowles model for the evolution of catalysis to be rejected.
Economic Development Perspectives and the Policy Process: The Case of Railroad Revitalization Versus Rails-to-Trails

State and local governance operates in the context of multiple competing economic development perspectives. This article highlights three perspectives: Thomas Friedman’s flat world metaphor, Richar...
Aging, Cellular Senescence, and Cancer

For most species, aging promotes a host of degenerative pathologies that are characterized by debilitating losses of tissue or cellular function. However, especially among vertebrates, aging also promotes hyperplastic pathologies, the most deadly of which is cancer. In contrast to the loss of function that characterizes degenerating cells and tissues, malignant (cancerous) cells must acquire new (albeit aberrant) functions that allow them to develop into a lethal tumor. This review discusses the idea that, despite seemingly opposite characteristics, the degenerative and hyperplastic pathologies of aging are at least partly linked by a common biological phenomenon: a cellular stress response known as cellular senescence. The senescence response is widely recognized as a potent tumor suppressive mechanism. However, recent evidence strengthens the idea that it also drives both degenerative and hyperplastic pathologies, most likely by promoting chronic inflammation. Thus, the senescence response may be the result of antagonistically pleiotropic gene action.
Neural network performance metrics for biomedical applications

Neural network performance measurements are discussed. Included are percent correct, average sum-squared error, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve measurements, other measurements based on ROC curve parameters, and the chi-square goodness-of-fit metric. The specific measure chosen depends on the type of system and other more loosely defined parameters such as the level of technical sophistication of the system end user. >
The Columbia University proton-induced soft x-ray microbeam

A soft X-ray microbeam using proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) of characteristic titanium (Ka 4.5 keV) as the X-ray source has been developed at the Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF) at Columbia University. The proton beam is focused to a 120 lm � 50 lm spot on the titanium target using an electrostatic quadrupole quadruplet previously used for the charged particle microbeam studies at RARAF. The proton induced X-rays from this spot project a 50lm round X-ray generation spot into the vertical direction. The X-rays are focused to a spot size of 5 lm in diameter using a Fresnel zone plate. The X-rays have an attenuation length of (1/e length of � 145 lm) allowing more consistent dose delivery across the depth of a single cell layer and penetration into tissue samples than previous ultrasoft X-ray systems. The irradiation end station is based on our previous design to allow quick comparison to charged particle experiments and for mixed irradiation experiments.
Particle acceleration processes on auroral field lines observed by dynamics explorers

Abstract The study of auroral potential structures is one of the primary objectives of the Dynamics Explorer (DE) program. Instrumentation was specifically designed and orbits selected for the two spacecraft to measure directly and indirectly the plasma parameters in regions of expected potential structures. Observations at ionospheric altitudes and at several earth radii indicate the existence of both parallel and perpendicular acceleration processes for ions. Either the ion sources or the acceleration processes are mass dependent. Ions injected into the magnetosphere at auroral latitudes are found at conjugate points, but convected to lower latitudes and into the Central Plasma Sheet region. Inverted-V electron precipitation structures can remain reasonably stable for many minutes, though others may cease to exist on this time scale. Surrounding the implied auroral potential structure, a region of stochastic electron acceleration is often found. Within an inverted-V event only a small amount of energy diffuses out of the primary beam as it is accelerated. Besides acceleration processes within the auroral oval, electrons and positive ions can be accelerated within the polar cap, either in discrete events or over widespread regions. Data from the two Dynamics Explorer (DE) satellites pertaining to particle acceleration processes have been analyzed and interpreted by members of the DE Science Team. Work from the following sources will be reviewed:
Molecular growth pathways in silica sol-gel polymerization

Capillary gas chromatography has been used to monitor the stoichi-ometries, structures, and abundances of low molecular weight polysilicate esters formed by partial hydrolysis of methanolic tetramethylorthosili-cate and redistribution of methanolie hexamethyoxydisiloxane under acidic (HC1) and basic (KOH) conditions. The polysilicate molecular size distributions, expressed in terms of mole percent of total silicon present as a function of degree of polymerization, show maxima near the number average degree of polymerization under acidic conditions. Under basic conditions, the distribution has its maximum at the monomer percent and extends to very high molecular weights, yielding a distribution far broader than the one observed under acidic conditions. These features are in agreement with covalent network theories of silica gelation, as opposed to particle aggregation theories. Weight fraction distributions of the type observed under acidic conditions are characteristic of linear polymers with a low degree of crosslinking and weight fraction distributions of the type observed under basic conditions are characteristic of branched polymers with high degree of crosslinking. The low degree of crosslinking obtained under acidic conditions is observed to arise from steric crowding that discourages branching in polysilicate structures.
Direct and controllable nitric oxide delivery into biological media and living cells by a pin-to-hole spark discharge (PHD) plasma

Nitric oxide has great potential for improving wound healing through both inflammatory and vascularization processes. Nitric oxide can be produced in high concentrations by atmospheric pressure thermal plasmas. We measured the physical characteristics and nitric oxide production of a pin-to-hole spark discharge (PHD) plasma, as well as plasma-produced nitric oxide delivery into liquid and endothelial cells. The plasma temperature was calculated as 9030 ± 320 K by the Boltzmann method, which was adequate to produce nitric oxide, although the average gas temperature was near room temperature. The plasma produced significant UV radiation and hydrogen peroxide, but these were prevented from reaching the cells by adding a straight or curved tube extension to the plasma device. Plasma-produced nitric oxide in gas reached 2000 ppm and rapidly diffused into liquid and cells. Cells remained viable following plasma treatment and showed a linear increase in cGMP concentration with plasma treatment, indicating an intracellular functional response to PHD plasma NO. These data suggest that this plasma may provide a novel method for delivering NO locally and directly for enhanced wound healing.
The mitochondrial genome of Paraminabea aldersladei (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Octocorallia) supports intramolecular recombination as the primary mechanism of gene rearrangement in octocoral mitochondrial genomes.

Sequencing of the complete mitochondrial genome of the soft coral Paraminabea aldersladei (Alcyoniidae) revealed a unique gene order, the fifth mt gene arrangement now known within the cnidarian subclass Octocorallia. At 19,886 bp, the mt genome of P. aldersladei is the second largest known for octocorals; its gene content and nucleotide composition are, however, identical to most other octocorals, and the additional length is due to the presence of two large, noncoding intergenic regions. Relative to the presumed ancestral octocoral gene order, in P. aldersladei a block of three protein-coding genes (nad6–nad3–nad4l) has been translocated and inverted. Mapping the distribution of mt gene arrangements onto a taxonomically comprehensive phylogeny of Octocorallia suggests that all of the known octocoral gene orders have evolved by successive inversions of one or more evolutionarily conserved blocks of protein-coding genes. This mode of genome evolution is unique among Metazoa, and contrasts strongly with that observed in Hexacorallia, in which extreme gene shuffling has occurred among taxonomic orders. Two of the four conserved gene blocks found in Octocorallia are, however, also conserved in the linear mt genomes of Medusozoa and in one group of Demospongiae. We speculate that the rate and mechanism of gene rearrangement in octocorals may be influenced by the presence in their mt genomes of mtMutS, a putatively active DNA mismatch repair protein that may also play a role in mediating intramolecular recombination.
Mood, Force and Truth

There is a big difference between saying Maya is singing , Is Maya singing? and Sing Maya! This paper examines and criticizes two attempts to rigorously explain this difference: Searle’s speech act theory and the truth-conditional reductionism advocated by Davidson and Lewis. On the speech act analysis, each utterance contains a marker which says what kind of speech act the utterance counts as performing. The truth-conditional reductionists try to reanalyze the non-declaratives (Is Maya singing? and Sing Maya!) as complex declarative forms. The former analysis fails to recognize the indirect relationship between sentence (or clause) type and utterance force. The latter analysis fails to recognize the distinctive and thoroughly compositional contribution that the imperative, interrogative and declarative mood make to sentences containing them.
Strain, Psychological Conflicts, Aspirations-Attainment Gap, and Depressive Tendencies among Youth of Mexican Immigrants

Using Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), this study examined the links between strain, psychological conflicts, aspiration-attainment gap, and depressive tendencies of 755 youth of Mexican origin. Two research questions were raised: (a) What types of strain and psychological conflict induced depressive tendencies? (b) What types of aspirations were relevant to these depressive symptoms? Overall, this study showed that factors implicated by collision of values, perceived discrepancies between aspiration and attainment, and negative appraisal of self could induce depressive mood, feelings, and behaviors, an important finding revealing that this underserved population can benefit from better public health services.
The LCSH Century: A Brief History of the Library of Congress Subject Headings, and Introduction to the Centennial Essays

SUMMARY The history of the Library of Congress Subject Headings is traced, from its beginnings with the implementation of a dictionary catalog at the Library of Congress in 1898 to the present day. The author describes the most significant changes which have occurred in LCSH policies and practices during the 100-year period. Events noted near the end of the century indicate an increased willingness on the part of the Library of Congress to involve the larger library community in the creation or revision of subject headings and other decision-making regarding the LCSH system. Finally, the author provides a summary of the other contributions to this collection of essays, a collection which celebrates the “centennial” of the world's most popular library subject heading language.
Assay and Characterization of Ovarian Testosterone Receptor

AbstractOvarian cytosol from immature, hypophysectomized rats was used to characterize the biochemical properties of ovarian androgen receptor and to develop a reliable and convenient assay procedure for its measurement in small quantities of tissue. The results show that Sephadex G-25 columns provide a rapid and reliable method to separate bound from free testosterone for assay of androgen receptor in the ovarian tissue. The binding affinity (KD=0.6 nM) and sedimentation value (ES) for the ovarian androgen receptor are similar to other steroid receptors and is saturable. It is inactivated by heat and protease digestion and the binding is specific for potent androgens. The ovary contains approximately equal quantities of androgen and estrogen receptor. A physiological role for the presence of androgen receptor in the ovarian tissue is proposed.
Nuclear lobulation and cytoplasmic fibrils in leukemic plasma cells.

The ultrastructure of circulating plasma cells from a man with multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia was studied. The most outstanding features were: (a) the frequent bilobulation of the nucleus and (b) the presence of bundles of fibrils in the cytoplasm of all cells. Frequently, these fibrils occurred around the nucleus, and they might have played a role in the production of the nuclear lobulation. We considered the possibility that they represented intracellular amyloid, but their morphologic characteristics did not support this. The significance of these findings remains to be established.
Relating DSM-5 section II and section III personality disorder diagnostic classification systems to treatment planning.

Abstract Background Beginning with DSM-III, the inclusion of a “personality” axis was designed to encourage awareness of personality disorders and the treatment-related implications of individual differences, but since that time there is little accumulated evidence that the personality disorder categories provide substantial treatment-related guidance. The DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group sought to develop an Alternative Model for personality disorder, and this study examined whether this model is more closely related to clinicians' decision-making processes than the traditional categorical personality disorder diagnoses. Procedures A national sample of 337 clinicians provided complete personality disorder diagnostic information and several treatment-related clinical judgments about one of their patients. Findings The dimensional concepts of the DSM-5 Alternative Model for personality disorders demonstrated stronger relationships than categorical DSM-IV/DSM-5 Section II diagnoses to 10 of 11 clinical judgments regarding differential treatment planning, optimal treatment intensity, and long-term prognosis. Conclusions The constructs of the DSM-5 Alternative Model for personality disorders may provide more clinically useful information for treatment planning than the official categorical personality disorder diagnostic system retained in DSM-5 Section II.
Triplet combination chemotherapy and targeted therapy regimens.

Current agents for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer include gemcitabine (Gemzar), paclitaxel (Taxol), docetaxel (Taxotere), vinorelbine (Navelbine), and irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar). Experimental agents include
Malignancy: A New Approach to the Analysis of Apoptosis in the Leukemic Subpopulation by Flow Cytometry Using a CD45 Gating Strategy.

Bone marrow and peripheral blood are heterogeneous tissues containing cells of different hematopoietic lineages. It is possible to detect leukemic cells by flow cytometry using a gating strategy, which combines CD45 expression on the cell surface with right angle light scatter (SS). This approach was applied to 15 cases of AML. Myeloblasts had the lowest CD45 fluorescence intensity of any of the cells in the myeloid series and also had the lowest SS, approximately equivalent to monocytes, but greater than lymphoblasts and lymphocytes. Using this gating strategy in each sample we could identify up to 5 separate cell compartments. Our results showed good correlation between the flow differential and the manual differential cell count. However in some cases, especially when a sample became hypocellular, the flow differential was more sensitive in identifying leukemic blasts. Total apoptosis (i.e. apoptosis in all cell populations combined) varied during the treatment between 0-34%. In the blood, the highest percentage of total apoptotic cells usually occurred between day 3-5 of treatment. The percentage of apoptotic cells varied depending on the cell type on a percentage basis. The leukemic population was lesslikely to undergo apoptosis compared to the lymphocytes, monocytes and more mature myeloid cells. In normal cells, apoptosis occurred mostly in G(1) and S phases of the cell cycle. Apoptosis among CD45-blasts usually varied between 0-5%. Myeloblasts also had a tendency to undergo apoptosis in G(1) and S phases of the cell cycle. The CD45-blast apoptotic peak in the blood occurred between day 5-7 of treatment. Analysis of drug-induced apoptosis in bone marrow seems to provide more information than such measurements in peripheral blood.