cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Closure of the Right-Hand-Side Set for Systems of Nonlinear Inequalities

Consider the set of all vectors b such that the system gx â¦ b has a solution, where g: D â Rm, D â Rn. This paper presents necessary and sufficient conditions for this set to be closed, with special results on continuous and convex functions, and gives an application to mathematical programming.
Volumetric flattening: an interpretation tool

Volumetric flattening is a novel method for automatically flattening 3D seismic cubes that converts seismic volumes to volumes of horizon slices. With little or no effort, an interpreter can scan over the resulting horizon slices to see channels and other geologic features as they were laid down. Furthermore, the flattening transformation captures the shapes of all horizons in the cube. This transformation leads naturally to numerous interpretation applications ranging from isopach analysis to stratigraphic attributes. This algorithm is currently able to reconstruct across nearly vertical faults and incorporate hard constraints (such as manual picks and well ties). In summary, this data-driven method exploits the computer's ability to honor all of the data in all three dimensions to remap the data to a more geologically intuitive format.
Blocking mitochondrial permeability transition prevents p53 mitochondrial translocation during skin tumor promotion

The tumor suppressor p53 can translocate into mitochondria and activate apoptosis. Here we studied whether p53 mitochondrial translocation and subsequent apoptosis were affected by blocking mitochondrial permeability transition pore using cyclosporine A (CsA) and bongkrekic acid (BA) in skin epidermal JB6 cells and skin tissues. Our results demonstrated that CsA and BA blocked TPA-induced p53 translocation, leading to protection against the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and Complex I activity, and eventually suppression of apoptosis. Thus, our results suggest that mitochondrial permeability transition is required for p53 mitochondrial translocation.
Conjugated heat transfer from a strip heater with the unsteady surface element method

The unsteady surface element method is extended to conjugated heat transfer from a strip heater where the unsteadiness is caused by a step change in the heater output flux. The geometry is a model of a flush-mounted, hot-film anemometer for air flow. The numerical results for the heater temperature agree with the analytical solution for early times and the steady-state results for the Nusselt number agree with an existing numerical solution.
Production of mRNA in chinese hamster cells: Relationship of the rate of synthesis to the cytoplasmic concentration of nine specific mRNA sequences

Abstract We constructed cloned DNA sequences complementary to unselected mRNAs [poly(A) + cytoplasmic RNA] from Chinese hamster ovary cells and used them in RNA:DNA hybridization experiments. Each cloned DNA hybridized a single mRNA from 1.3–3.5 kb in length. The relative rates of labeling (transcription rates) of nuclear RNA complementary to each individual DNA segment varied approximately 10 fold. The relative cytoplasmic concentration of the same specific RNA sequences in the mRNA after an equilibrium labeling of the cells varied approximately 100 fold. In addition, we estimated the sizes of the nuclear RNA precursor molecules to these cytoplasmic mRNAs. Four main conclusions arise from these studies. First, the primary RNA transcripts, which range in size from 2.4–13.5 kb, are 2–6 times larger than the mRNAs; second, each cloned DNA segment is complementary to only one species of mRNA; third, for the RNA complementary to at least three of the nine cloned DNA segments, the relative cytoplasmic content is considerably different from the relative rate of nuclear RNA synthesis, suggesting that post-transcriptional events are involved in the determination of the cytoplasmic concentrations of some mammalian mRNAs; and fourth, the fraction of total nonribosomal nuclear RNA complementary to the nine cloned DNA segments is in most cases 10 fold less than the fraction of cytoplasmic mRNA complementary to the same cloned DNA segments, suggesting the synthesis of many hnRNA molecules that are qualitatively different from those which eventually contribute mRNA to the cytoplasm.
Planarian Resistance to Blades and Bugs

Planarians famously can regenerate after decapitation. In this issue, Abnave et al. (2014) find they resist infection by multiple bacterial species pathogenic to humans, Drosophila and C. elegans, including M. tuberculosis. These results identify a conserved gene controlling phagocytosis and establish planarians as a powerful system for analyzing host-pathogen interactions.
Studies on the effect of chronic consumption of moderate amounts of ethanol on male rat hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing activity

Weanling, male Sprague-Dawley rats given 10% ethanol in the drinking water and food ad lib. for up to 8 weeks consumed 17% of their calories as ethanol. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and liver histology by light microscopy were unaffected by this treatment. Similarly, hepatic microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, ethylmorphine N-demethylase and benzphetamine N-demethylase activities were also not affected by ethanol consumption. On the other hand, cytochrome P-450 content, aniline hydroxylase activity and acetaminophen metabolism as measured by both the cysteine conjugate and the [3H]acetaminophen covalently-bound to microsomal protein were increased significantly by ethanol consumption. The maximal effect was seen by 6 weeks. The 2- to 3-fold increase in aniline and acetaminophen metabolism, the absence of liver damage, and the similarity in weight gains and caloric intakes for controls and treated animals suggest that the rat on 10% ethanol in the drinking water is a reasonable model for studies of the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on specific biochemical pathways.
Electronic Structure of Vanadium Carbide

The electronic structure of stoichiometric vanadium carbide has been computed using the augmented-plane-wave (APW) method and the energy bands for nonstoichiometric phases have been determined with the APW---virtual-crystal approximation. The energy bands exhibit a very strong dependence on the relative sizes of the assumed APW-sphere radii for vanadium and carbon. Bands for the nonstoichiometric phases show a marked deviation from a rigid-band behavior as the composition is varied. The results of x-ray-emission, heat-capacity, magnetic-susceptibility, and Hall-effect measurements are discussed in terms of the computed bands.
A study of properties of plastics used for

Some water-ingress characteristics of 14-lead dual-in-line plastic packages have been studied at 85°C and 85% relative humidity. The materials studied were basically encapsulation-grade silicones and epoxies, some of which have had wide use by the semiconductor industry. Bulk water absorption by the silicones was much less than by epoxies and there were significant differences between two epoxies having similar basic chemistries but made by different manufacturers. The leads did not contribute to water absorption by silicone packages, but a contribution attributable to the leads was discernible in epoxy packages. An empirical correlation has been found between the measured properties of the materials and packages and available results of accelerated temperature-humidity-bias testing on live devices. A hypothesis is proposed which accounts for some of the observed differences in performance between silicone and epoxy encapsulants.
Symmetry in regular motion; Relation to chaos

Abstract Regular motion often appears to be less symmetric than chaotic motion. For the case of Hamiltonian systems, the reduced symmetry of bounded regular motion can be derived from the structure of the phase space orbit. The symmetry restrictions do not apply when the motion is chaotic, so higher symmetry is possible for chaotic motion. Numerical experiments clearly show symmetry for chaos which is not allowed for regular motion. The symmetry differences between regular and chaotic motion can be used to identify chaos.
A comparison of BSS algorithms in harsh environments

This paper compares the performance of several blind source separation (BSS) algorithms in environments of varying reverberation, noise, microphone spacing, and sparsity. Of particular interest are two frequency domain algorithms; one Cascaded ICA with Intervention Alignment (CICAIA), and one algorithm by Pham, Serviere, and Boumaraf. The former is found to work exceptionally well in high noise, low microphone spacing environments. The latter proves to work exceptionally well in high SNR and moderate- to widely-spaced arrays. In addition, while the literature on BSS algorithms is extensive, their performance under varying noise conditions has not been widely explored. Also, though usually BSS results for given reverberation times are provided, the sparseness of the room responses (with the same reverberation times) are not. Here we empirically demonstrate that the sparseness of the source-to-sensor impulse responses dramatically effects BSS performance and therefore should always be reported.
CALCIUM AND INORGANIC PHOSPHORUS IN THE BLOOD OF RABBITS : II. RESULTS OF SINGLE DETERMINATIONS ON NORMAL RABBITS FROM RECENTLY ACQUIRED STOCKS.

Determinations of calcium and inorganic phosphorus were made on the blood of a large series of rabbits as they were received from the dealer for the purpose of determining whether results obtained under these conditions differed from those obtained by repeated observations on animals living in the laboratory. It was found that the results differed in the two cases, due largely to a decided difference in the inorganic phosphorus content of the blood; but the values for calcium were also affected.
Dirichlet invariant processes and applications to nonparametric estimation of symmetric distribution functions

Abstract A class of random processes with invariant sample paths, that is, processes which yield (with probability one) probability distributions that are invariant under a given transformation group of interest, are introduced and their properties are studied. These processes, named Dirichlet Invariant processes, are closely related to the Dirichlet processes of Ferguson. These processes can be used as priors for Bayesian analysis of some nonparametric problems. As an application Bayes and Minimax estimates of an arbitrary distribution, symmetric about a known point, are obtained.
Transforming Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into Fuel via the Gasification/Pyrolysis Process

Municipal solid waste (MSW) gasification/pyrolysis enhancement using CO2 as gasification medium has been studied to understand the performance under various reaction conditions. MSW gasification/pyrolysis has been characterized thermo-gravimetrically under various atmospheres covering the gasification/pyrolysis process, which has been used as a basis for scale-up experimental work using a flow-through reactor (FTR) and drop tube reactor (DTR) (0.5 g/min of sample, 4–5 sec residence time, 500°C-1000°C). For example, FTR has been used to carry out the fast pyrolysis process having a nominal heating rate of 800°C/min. Oils produced from the FTR have been condensed and analyzed with GC/MS. Among identified chemical species in the pyrolysis sample, the 10 most abundant compounds (benzene, toluene, styrene, limonene, 2,3-dimethyl-1-heptene, benzoic acid, ethylbenzene, indole, xylene, and d-allose) in the pyrolysis oil sample were determined and quantified. These 10 abundant chemical species are substantially reduced in the presence of CO2 . This leads to a substantial increase of C1–5 hydrocarbons in gaseous (non-condensable) products and a reduction of pyrolysis oil (∼20%) as well. In addition, MSW samples have been tested in the DTR at a temperature range from 500°C and 1000°C under various atmospheres with CO2 concentrations of 0% and 30%. The release of all chemical species from the DTR was determined using μ-GC. For example, CO (∼30%), H2 (∼25%), and CH4 (∼10%) under the presence of CO2 were generated and introducing CO2 into the gasification process substantially enhanced syngas production. Finally, steam gasification using different ratios of biomass to polyethylene has been explored to better understand the enhanced steam gasification of MSW that is mostly composed of biomass and polymer. Overall thermal degradation trend is the similar, but steam gasification of MSW needs a relatively long residence time and high temperature as compared to biomass.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Maximum Temperature Limits for Chinook, Coho, and Chum Salmon, and Steelhead Trout in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract Wild salmon stocks in the Pacific Northwest are imperiled by a variety of anthropogenic environmental modifications, not the least of which is increasing maximum water temperatures. While many reports have been written on physiological or population-level influences of temperature in terms of the decline of wild salmon, synthesis of these diverse sources is needed for evaluation of numeric temperature criteria and their potential in salmon recovery planning. Various sensitive life stages and biological processes are impacted differently for different salmon species. This article reviews the literature for chinook, coho, chum, and steelhead, which are currently listed in the Columbia River Basin under the Endangered Species Act. Spawning, incubation and early fry development, juvenile rearing and growth, smoltification, and migration are considered. Swimming speed, disease susceptibility, chemical considerations, and lethality are also reviewed. Regional population growth and climate change will e...
Global Diabatic Heating during FGGE SOP-1 and SOP-2

With the increase in the observational data provided by FGGE and the use of global circulation models with full physics for the data assimilation, it is now becoming feasible to attempt to estimate globally the atmospheric diabatic heating. The thermodynamic equation in isobaric coordinates and the data generated by the FGGE III-b analysis of the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres (GLA) are employed to serve this purpose. The results of the present study generally agree with other previous investigations. However, some important differences are also revealed. (1) The diabatic heating obtained in the tropics in the present study is larger than that obtained elsewhere; (2) the relatively large heating over the mountainous areas shown in other studies does not appear; (3) no significant negative values of diabatic heating are found in the polar regions; and (4) unlike other studies, cooling is noted over parts of Eurasia in the summer.
Das Herabstarren, Eine Übersprungbewegung Bei Den Lariden

[Bei zahlreichen Lariden-Arten (Larus argentatus- und fuscus-Rassen, L. marinus, L. hyperboreus, L. canus, Hydrocolocus ridibundus, H. novae-hollandiae, Rissa tridactyla, Gelochelidon nilotica, Hydroprogne tschegrava, Sterna sandvicensis und Sterna hirundo) sowie bei Limicolen (z. B. Tringa totanus robtista) und vielleicht auch bei anderen Vogelordnungen kommt mehr oder weniger haufig eine charakteristische, jedoch haufig nicht weiter beachtete Bewegung resp. Haltung vor, die "Herabstarren" genannt wird. Da ihr Auftreten meist an eine Konfliktsituation gebunden ist (bei welcher die widerstreitenden Triebe anscheinend schwach sind), wird das "Herabstarren" vorlaufig fur den formalisierten Teil von Ubersprung-Aufpicken oder (und) Ubersprung-Putzen gehalten, in welche Bewegungen es haufig uberleitet oder mit denen es alterniert. Eine soziale Signalfunktion konnte beim "Herabstarren" nicht nachgewiesen werden., Bei zahlreichen Lariden-Arten (Larus argentatus- und fuscus-Rassen, L. marinus, L. hyperboreus, L. canus, Hydrocolocus ridibundus, H. novae-hollandiae, Rissa tridactyla, Gelochelidon nilotica, Hydroprogne tschegrava, Sterna sandvicensis und Sterna hirundo) sowie bei Limicolen (z. B. Tringa totanus robtista) und vielleicht auch bei anderen Vogelordnungen kommt mehr oder weniger haufig eine charakteristische, jedoch haufig nicht weiter beachtete Bewegung resp. Haltung vor, die "Herabstarren" genannt wird. Da ihr Auftreten meist an eine Konfliktsituation gebunden ist (bei welcher die widerstreitenden Triebe anscheinend schwach sind), wird das "Herabstarren" vorlaufig fur den formalisierten Teil von Ubersprung-Aufpicken oder (und) Ubersprung-Putzen gehalten, in welche Bewegungen es haufig uberleitet oder mit denen es alterniert. Eine soziale Signalfunktion konnte beim "Herabstarren" nicht nachgewiesen werden.]
Mechanisms of development of immunosuppression during Trypanosoma infections

Acute infection with Trypanosoma cruzi or its African relatives, including T. brucei rhodesiense, T. b. gambiense, T. b. brucei and T. congolense, is frequently accompanied by manifestations of immunological dysfunction. Initially investigators catalogued the ensuing immunologic alterations and identified a number of modifications in lymphoid or accessory cell properties. More recently, the emphasis has switched towards the molecular underpinnings of immunosuppression in these infections. In this article, Marcelo Sztein and Felipe Kierszenboum focus on recent progress made in the quest to delineate the mechanisms behind altered lymphocyte functions in tryponosomal infections, point out particular and common features of immunosuppression induced by T. cruzi and African trypanosomes, and outline possible directions for future research.
Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner aggression in the US: sex differences and similarities in psychosocial mediation

Six in ten people in the general population have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem in the US. The main objective of this study was to assess sex differences in the role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and depression as mediators in the association between ACEs and intimate partner aggression. Data were obtained from Wave 2 (2004–2005) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the mediational role of PTSD, substance abuse and depression in the association between ACE constructs (neglect, physical/psychological abuse, sexual abuse, parental violence, and parental incarceration/psychopathology) and intimate partner aggression. Among men, PTSD mediated the relationship between sexual abuse and intimate partner aggression. However, among men and women, substance abuse mediated the relationship between physical and psychological abuse and intimate partner aggression. IPV programs geared towards aggressors should address abuse (sexual, physical and psychological), which occurred during childhood and recent substance abuse and PTSD. These programs should be implemented for men and women. Programs aimed at preventing abuse of children may help to reduce rates of depression and PTSD in adulthood, and subsequent intimate partner aggression.
Global Supply Chain: A Conceptual Study of the Effect of Globalization on Product and Process Innovation

While successful performance in terms of cost savings for firms expanding beyond their home boundaries has been well noted in the literature. Other factors, such as product and process innovation gained through this global process, have not been well examined. The aim of this study is to answer four specific research questions: 1) What are the reasons for going global in today’s economy? 2) How can a global supply chain lead to increased innovation? 3) What are the specific ways that companies can gain product and process innovation in a global supply chain? 4) What is a model that can be examined for future research?This literature review examines areas of human resource management and supply chain management through the theory of absorptive capacity in a rapidly expanding global environment. In addressing the four main questions, this review will present emerging research issues for global supply chains.
On the k-layer planar subset and via minimization problems

An important problem in performance-driven routing is the k-layer planar subset problem which is to choose a maximum (weighted) subset of nets such that each net in the subset can be routed in one of k 'preferred' layers. Related to the k-layer planar subset problem is the k-layer topological via-minimization problem which is to determine the topology of each net using k routing layers such that a minimum number of vias is used. For the case k=2, the topological via minimization problem has been studied by CAD researchers for a long time because of its practical and theoretical importance. The authors show that both the general k-layer planar subset problem and the k-layer topological via minimisation problem are NP-complete. Moreover, they show that both problems can be solved in polynomial time for a large class of channels, called crossing channels. It can be shown that under a realistic assumption, all the channels for inter-block connections in the general cell design style are crossing channels. The authors algorithms are based on an efficient algorithm for computing a maximum weighted.k-cofamily in a partially ordered set. >
Development of technology foresight: integration of technology roadmapping and the Delphi method

This study examines the integration of the Delphi method with technology roadmapping as a new technology foresight process. The Delphi method and technology roadmapping have developed in different ways, and these two foresight methods are now attracting attention from both national governments and private companies. However, each method also has limitations when attempting to deal with accelerating technological complexity and sophistication and latent markets. This study reviews the merits and demerits of the Delphi method and technology roadmapping, and proposes a new method of technology foresight, which takes advantage of the strengths of both methods.
Crosslingual location search

Address geocoding, the process of finding the map location for a structured postal address, is a relatively well-studied problem. In this paper we consider the more general problem of crosslingual location search, where the queries are not limited to postal addresses, and the language and script used in the search query is different from the one in which the underlying data is stored. To the best of our knowledge, our system is the first crosslingual location search system that is able to geocode complex addresses. We use a statistical machine transliteration system to convert location names from the script of the query to that of the stored data. However, we show that it is not sufficient to simply feed the resulting transliterations into a monolingual geocoding system, as the ambiguity inherent in the conversion drastically expands the location search space and significantly lowers the quality of results. The strength of our approach lies in its integrated, end-to-end nature: we use abstraction and fuzzy search (in the text domain) to achieve maximum coverage despite transliteration ambiguities, while applying spatial constraints (in the geographic domain) to focus only on viable interpretations of the query. Our experiments with structured and unstructured queries in a set of diverse languages and scripts (Arabic, English, Hindi and Japanese) searching for locations in different regions of the world, show full crosslingual location search accuracy at levels comparable to that of commercial monolingual systems. We achieve these levels of performance using techniques that may be applied to crosslingual searches in any language/script, and over arbitrary spatial data.
Compensation and benefit sharing: Why resettlement policies and practices must be reformed

Abstract Many public and private sector projects, such as hydropower dams or mines, trigger forced population displacement but fail to resettle people sustainably and instead cause their impoverishment. Social science research has found that one root cause of such failures and of impoverishment is asset dispossession and the insufficient financing of resettlement. Most governments, however, state that (1) compensation alone is sufficient for restoring the income and livelihood of those displaced, and (2) resources to supplement compensation with additional financing are not available. The author critiques and rejects these positions. He offers a theoretical analysis of the limits and flaws of compensation payments for expropriated assets, and argues that resources are available for supplementing compensation with financial investments for resettlers' development. The sources for supplementary financing are the economic rent (windfall profits) generated by natural resource projects such as hydropower or mining and the regular stream of benefits generated by all projects that require resettlement. Further, the author argues that financial investments in resettlers' welfare are indispensable and that benefit sharing is feasible. Therefore, both should become basic principles of resettlement legislation and practice. In addition to theoretical analysis, the author documents with empirical evidence that some countries (China, Brazil, Canada, Columbia and Japan) already make investments additional to compensation for post-displacement reconstruction. The author sums up his argument in these key points: (1). Compensation alone cannot prevent the impoverishment of resettlers and cannot in itself restore and improve their livelihoods; (2). Additional financing is needed for direct investments in resettlement with development; (3). Compensation levels must be increased; (4). Financing resources are available in most cases for investing in resettlers' development, but allocation of investments depends on the political will of governments and project owners; (5). Firm opposition to displacement and under-compensation is growing in many countries and the strength of resettlers' demands and political opposition does influence allocation levels; (6). Mechanisms for benefit sharing and transfer are known and effective and these mechanisms can be adjusted to different country and economic sector conditions; (7). The introduction of benefit-sharing rules requires legislative enactment for robust application.
ALX-chemy: adding spice to the inflammatory soup of atherosclerosis.

This editorial refers to ‘The role of the FPR2/ALX receptor in atherosclerosis development and plaque stability’ by M.H. Petri et al. , pp. 65–74, this issue. Nature often presents complexities, for example the formyl peptide receptor (FPR) 2/ALX that curiously can mediate either pro-inflammatory or pro-resolution of inflammation responses depending on the ligand it encounters. Formyl peptides originate from bacteria. The formyl peptide receptor may not only respond to products derived from pathogenic organisms but also from commensals in the intestinal and other endogenous microbiomes, whose contribution to atherosclerosis has garnered considerable recent interest. The ALX designation derives from the response of this family of receptors to lipoxin A4. This receptor binds other ligands relevant to atherosclerosis, including serum amyloid A (SAA). Given this variety of agonists, the role of FPR2/ALX in atherogenesis has proved confusing. The study by Petri et al. provides a comprehensive re-evaluation of the role of FPR2/ALX in atherosclerosis.1 In a thorough series of investigations, these authors have established the presence of this receptor in specimens of human atherosclerosis, documenting its expression presence on inflammatory cells and intrinsic vascular wall cells in plaques but not in normal arteries. The messenger RNA encoding FPR2/ALX in the retrieved carotid endarterectomy specimens correlated with symptomatic cerebral ischaemia. Joined with these observations on human plaques, the authors showed delayed atherosclerosis and fewer inflammatory cells in LDL …
PTP1B regulates lymphocytes responses androgen deprivation

Meeting abstracts Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) synergizes with prostate cancer (PCa) immunotherapy through androgen receptor- (AR) mediated immunoregulation. We show that surgical castration of male mice induces dramatic alterations in CD4+ T cell transcriptome. Pathway analysis identified T
Automating logical file design

Data base design is currently a costly and time consuming activity. Part of this overall design is concerned with the logic of the underlying network structure, and this part is commonly called logical design. Logical design involves a tedium of calculations which can be automated on a program and used as a design tool. The basic approach is applicable to a wide variety of data base handlers, such as IMS, the DBTC proposal, CIS, and others. The approach has been prototyped and a version suitable for IMS is now being used (DBDA) as a program product.This paper describes the basic concepts and how they can be applied to IMS, DBTG or relational implementations. The data structure needed to support a particular application program is called the local view, and input to the design tool is the collection of all local views. Local views are constructedusing certain primitives which the integration of the local views.The diagnostics of the design tool program will partially depend on the data base handler. Each handler, (IMS, DBTG., etc.) has different network restrictions which limit the local views which can be generated from the network. Different network restrictions result in different diagnostics. There is no relational data base handler to evaluate for network restrictions.
Automatic configuration of internet services

Recent research has found that operators frequently misconfigure Internet services, causing various availability and performance problems. In this paper, we propose a software infrastructure that eliminates several types of misconfiguration by automating the generation of configuration files in Internet services, even as the services evolve. The infrastructure comprises a custom scripting language, configuration file templates, communicating runtime monitors, and heuristic algorithms to detect dependencies between configuration parameters and select ideal configurations. To demonstrate our infrastructure experimentally, we apply it to a realistic online auction service. Our results show that the infrastructure can simplify operation significantly while eliminating 58% of the misconfigurations found in a previous study of the same service. Furthermore, our results show that the infrastructure can efficiently determine the configuration parameters that lead to high performance as the service evolves through a hardware upgrade and the scheduled maintenance of a few nodes.
Multimodality Screening of High-Risk Women: A Prospective Cohort Study

Purpose Mammography has been established as the primary imaging screening method for breast cancer; however, the sensitivity of mammography is limited, especially in women with dense breast tissue. Given the limitations of mammography, interest has developed in alternative screening techniques. This interest has led to numerous studies reporting mammographically occult breast cancers detected on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound. In addition, digital mammography was shown to be more sensitive than film mammography in selected populations. Our goal was to prospectively compare cancer detection of digital mammography (DM), whole-breast ultrasound (WBUS), and contrast-enhanced MRI in a high-risk screening population previously screened negative by film screen mammogram (FSM). Methods During a 2-year period, 609 asymptomatic high-risk women with nonactionable FSM examinations presented for a prospective multimodality screening consisting of DM, WBUS, and MRI. The FSM examinations were reinterpret...
Nonlinearities in Threshold-Level Detection by Inner Ear Hair Cells

Auditory system is known for its exquisite sensitivity with sub-nanometer detection thresholds. Mechanical deflections due to external sound and ground vibrations are converted by inner ear hair cells into electrical signals. In some species, hair cell's stereociliary bundles exhibit spontaneous oscillations under in vitro conditions, a behavior that has been successfully reproduced by numerical models based on nonlinear dynamics. In this work, we study both numerically and experimentally the dynamics of individual hair bundles from the Bullfrog sacculus, at threshold levels of stimulation to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the sensitivity of detection by the sacculus. We measure the steady state response to small sinusoidal stimuli, as well as the time course of the phase locking transition in spontaneously oscillating bundles.
Investigating Heavy-metal Hyperaccumulation using Thlaspi caerulescens as a Model System

†Background Metal-hyperaccumulating plant species are plants that are endemic to metalliferous soils and are able to tolerate and accumulate metals in their above-ground tissues to very high concentrations. One such hyperaccumulator, Thlaspi caerulescens, has been widely studied for its remarkable properties to tolerate toxic levels of zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and sometimes nickel (Ni) in the soil, and accumulate these metals to very high levels in the shoot. The increased awareness regarding metal-hyperaccumulating plants by the plant biology community has helped spur interest in the possible use of plants to remove heavy metals from contaminated soils, a process known as phytoremediation. Hence, there has been a focus on understanding the mechanisms that metal-hyperaccumulator plant species such as Thlaspi caerulescens employ to absorb, detoxify and store metals in order to use this information to develop plants better suited for the phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils. †Scope In this review, an overview of the findings from recent research aimed at better understanding the physiological mechanisms of Thlaspi caerulescens heavy-metal hyperaccumulation as well as the underlying molecular and genetic determinants for this trait will be discussed. Progress has been made in understanding some of the fundamental Zn and Cd transport physiology in T. caerulescens. Furthermore, some interesting metal-related genes have been identified and characterized in this plant species, and regulation of the expression of some of these genes may be important for hyperaccumulation. †Conclusions Thlaspi caerulescens is a fascinating and useful model system not only for studying metal hyperaccumulation, but also for better understanding micronutrient homeostasis and nutrition. Considerable future research is still needed to elucidate the molecular, genetic and physiological bases for the extreme metal tolerance and hyperaccumulation exhibited by plant species such as T. caerulescens.
Retinoid and thiazolidinedione therapies in melanoma: an analysis of differential response based on nuclear hormone receptor expression

Metastatic melanoma has a high mortality rate and suboptimal therapeutic options. Molecular targeting may be beneficial using the rexinoid LGD1069, a retinoid × receptor selective agonist, and thiazolidinediones (TZD), PPARγ selective ligands, as novel treatments. Mouse xenograft models with human melanoma cell lines [A375(DRO) or M14(5–16)] were treated for 4 weeks with daily vehicle, RXR agonist (rexinoid, LGD1069, 30 mg/kg/d), PPARγ agonist (TZD, rosiglitazone, 10 mg/kg/d) or combination. A375(DRO) tumor growth was significantly inhibited by either ligand alone and the combination had an additive effect. M14(5–16) tumors only responded to LGD1069 100 mg/kg/day. A375(DRO) sublines resistant to rexinoid, TZD and combination were generated and all three sublines had reduced PPARγ expression but preserved RXR expression. shRNA knockdown of PPARγ or RXRγ attenuated the rexinoid, TZD and combination ligand-mediated decreased proliferation in A375(DRO) cells. Rexinoid (LGD1069) and retinoid (TTNPB) treatment of M14(5–16) cells resulted in decreased proliferation that was additive with combination of both rexinoid and retinoid. shRNA knockdown of RXRγ resulted in a decreased response to either ligand. A375 (DRO) melanoma cell growth is inhibited by rexinoid and TZD treatment, and this response is dependent on RXR and PPARγ receptor expression. M14 (5–16) melanoma cell growth is inhibited by rexinoid and retinoid treatment, and this response is dependent on RXR expression. These findings may help guide molecular-based treatment strategies in melanoma and provide insight for mechanisms of resistance to nuclear receptor targeted therapies in certain cancers.
EFFECTS OF POTASSIUM, SODIUM, AND AZIDE ON THE IONIC MOVEMENTS THAT ACCOMPANY ACTIVITY IN FROG NERVES

Stimulation of intact or desheathed frog sciatic nerves produced an increase in the sodium content and a decrease in the potassium content of this tissue. In desheathed preparations the magnitudes of the changes in ionic contents decreased as the concentration of the potassium in the bathing solution was increased, while changing the external sodium concentration produced small effects on the ionic shifts. During tetanization, the rate of decline of the compound action potential also decreased as the external potassium concentration increased. Eliminating the activity respiration with 0.2 mM azide did not greatly modify the changes in sodium and potassium distribution that accompanied activity in either intact or desheathed nerves.
Cubic and Spherical High-Moment FeCo Nanoparticles With Narrow Size Distribution

FeCo nanoparticles with controllable shapes and narrow size distribution were fabricated by using a plasma-gas-condensation technique. Either cubic shape or spherical shape were obtained when the magnetic field distribution above the sputtering target were well controlled. Meanwhile, the size distribution of these FeCo nanoparticles was also controllable, and a narrow size distribution of 4.9% was obtained at the optimized conditions. The Fe-Co nanoparticles with different shapes showed different magnetic behaviors.
The quality of information about laparoscopic bariatric surgery on the Internet

Background: Although easy access to the Internet can provide much information for patients, the quality and accuracy of information are uncertain. This investigation evaluated information concerning laparoscopic bariatric surgery available via the Internet. Methods: Searches on the six most popular search engines and two metasearch engines were performed. The first 20 “hits” for each separate search were included in the study. Results: A total of 602 “hits” were found. Only 119 unique Web sites were found. Although 63 of the 119 sites discussed some procedure related to laparoscopic obesity surgery, 18 of the 63 had biased or misleading information, 30 did not discuss the details of the procedure, 37 did not discuss other procedures, 30 did not discuss complications, 37 did not discuss death as a risk, and 7 did not discuss laparoscopic procedure as an option. Only 89 of the original 602 “hits” led to Web sites that discussed laparoscopic obesity surgery, details of the procedure, and complications in an unbiased manner. Conclusions: A large amount of information is available via the Internet. However, it is difficult for the patient to identify the unbiased information. The Internet is not a dependable source of information for patients.
Calcium accumulation by human uterine microsomal preparations: Effects of progesterone and oxytocin

A microsomal fraction was prepared from human pregnant uteri at term and at 6 to 19 weeks' gestation, and from nonpregnant uteri by differential centrifugation and purified on a discontinuous sucrose density gradient. This fraction bound calcium in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP-dependent calcium binding in microsomal preparations was found to increase with advancing pregnancy. Addition of progesterone increased the ATP-dependent calcium binding, while addition of oxytocin decreased the ATP-dependent calcium binding. In combination, oxytocin and progesterone counteracted each other. The progesterone effect was specific for progesterone; three biologically inactive analogues had no effects on calcium binding. The actions of progesterone and of oxytocin on ATP-dependent calcium binding were found to be consistent with their respective in vivo uterine relaxing and contracting actions.
Reflex stimulation of sympathetic outflow during rhythmic exercise in humans

The aim of this study was to determine whether a chemically generated reflex arising in nonischemic skeletal muscle normally increases sympathetic outflow during rhythmic exercise. To accomplish this aim, we recorded muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, peroneal nerve) in conscious humans during exercise interventions designed to alter the relationship between muscle blood flow and metabolic demand. Under normal conditions, MSNA increased during moderate but not during mild levels of rhythmic handgrip (0.67 Hz) and one-arm cycling (0.83 Hz). MSNA remained elevated when the moderate level of rhythmic handgrip was followed by forearm vascular occlusion, a maneuver that sustains muscle chemoreflex stimulation. Complete arm vascular occlusion was needed to increase MSNA during mild arm cycling, whereas even partial vascular occlusion greatly amplified the stimulation of MSNA normally produced by the moderate level of arm cycling. We conclude that a chemically generated reflex arising in nonischemic working muscle plays an important role in the normal activation of sympathetic discharge to nonexercising leg muscles during moderate but not during mild levels of rhythmic arm exercise.
Fractal Properties of “Disordered Surfaces” and The Termite Problem

In this second lecture, I shall turn to the topic of fractal surfaces, for which knowledge of only “the” fractal dimension df is not sufficient to describe the essential physics. In fact, we must distinguish between the entire external perimeter or “hull,” with its corresponding fractal dimension dh, and the unscreened portion of the external perimeter and its fractal dimension d. A very simple argument gives rise to an expression for du in terms of df and dp, the fractal dimension of the particles used to probe the surface. We shell see that the concept of the unscreened perimeter is at the heart of transport in a two-component random medium made up of superconductors and normal resistors. In particular, the exponent \(\tilde s = s/v\) for characterizing the divergence of the macroscopic conductivity at the percolation threshold pc is identically equal to du.
Structural Characterization of Carbon Materials Prepared at Low Temperature

High-capacity carbon electrodes for rechageable lithium-ion batteries were prepared by carbonization of thermosetting resins such as phenol-formaldehyde at temperatures between 500°C and 600°C. Their structures were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy, in-situ transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. These studies suggest that the carbons consist predominantly of disorganized (amorphous) phase. However evidence was found in carbon containing nickel cobalt oxide for the presence of organized graphite-like regions of parallel and curved layer planes. These graphitized structure usually appear as agglomerate particles which are composed of many smaller (100-nm diameter) particles. The high degree of graphitization is attributed to catalytic graphitization that occurs in the presence of the metal oxide.
Interfacial layer bonding and Dielectric properties of Hf-O-N gate dielectric thin films

The electrical response and interfacial layer characterization of nitrogen doped HfO2 gate dielectric thin films are reported. The films were processed at relatively low temperature (~ 400 oC) by pulsed laser deposition and ultra-violet radiation assisted oxidation technique. Nitrogen incorporation in the hafnia films led to O-N and Hf-Si-O-N bonding in the bulk and at hafnia-Si interface respectively. The nitrogen doped hafnia films exhibited a leakage current density lower than 10-5 A/cm2 at -1 V and a simulated equivalent oxide thickness of 9.4 A.
THE PRIME NUMBER THEOREM

This chapter discusses the prime number theorem. The subject of analytic number theory consists of the application of complex variable methods to the theory of numbers. The chapter discusses a connection between the Riemann zeta function and the properties of the prime numbers by means of the function L . The key property of the Riemann zeta function used in the proof of the prime number theorem is that ζ ( z ) ≠ 0 for Re z = 1. The Riemann zeta function is a special case of a Dirichlet series. The chapter also describes the connection between the Riemann zeta function and the gamma function.
Cost-sensitive decision tree model for optimal identification of need for right ventricular support

Right ventricular (RV) failure following implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a significant complication that is often difficult to predict. To address this problem, we developed a cost-sensitive decision tree to evaluate the risk of RV failure, hence the need for a right ventricular assist device (RVAD). The model was developed based on retrospective analysis of 183 patients who received an LVAD at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. It exhibited a specificity of 87% (identifying 136 out of 156 patients who did not receive an RVAD). With respect to the need for RVAD support, the model however identified 20 patients (13%) as RVAD-dependent which in fact did not receive an RVAD. These patients however exhibited significantly lower 90-day survival as those on which the model and expert agreed as RVAD independent. Future development of this model is intended to provide decision support to both aid and translate the judgment of clinical experts.
Histone 3 Methyltransferase (EZH2) Inhibition Enhances TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis In Mantle Cell Lymphoma Cells By Accelerated cFLIP Degradation

Introduction Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is characterized by the t(11:14)(q13:p32) translocation. MCL cells have altered cyclinD1 levels, impaired cell cycle regulation, DNA damage response, and likely defects in apoptosis signaling. Furthermore, up-regulated anti-apoptotic mediators such as the target of NF-κB c-FLIP were correlated with decreased apoptosis signaling. Also many cancer cells and malignant tumors show a prevalent resistance to apoptosis induction by TRAIL. Thus, by understanding the underpinnings of apoptosis resistance, we will be in a better position to develop strategies that improve TRAIL-induced killing of lymphoma cells. Methods/Results MCL cell lines (Mino, JeKo-1, JVM-2 and Z-138) were treated with DZNep (3-Deazaneplanocin A; 0.2-5µM) for 24 h followed by incubation with TRAIL (10-20ng/ml, 6-16h). Cell death, DNA fragmentation, and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) were determined by calcein staining, subG1 analysis, and TMRM staining, respectively. Neither DZnep alone nor in combination with TRAIL showed a significant induction of necrosis as determined by LDH-release levels, but DZNep alone showed strong antiproliferative properties at higher concentrations (Promega CellTiter 96 assay). Activation of the caspase signaling cascade (caspase-8, -9, -3, Bid, and PARP cleavage) was analyzed by Western blotting. TRAIL-induced signaling was significantly increased and caspase-8 processing enhanced in DZNep pretreated cells indicating a regulation at the TRAIL/DISC. Although a reduced expression of DR5 in total cell lysates of DZNep treated cell was observed, the surface receptor levels were not altered. Interestingly, downregulation of the well-known caspase inhibitor, cFLIP, correlated with the DZNep-induced increased TRAIL sensitivity in MCL cell lines. However, it appears that cFLIP levels are not reduced due to blocked NF-kB signaling but rather by an accelerated ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Conclusions This study reveals that inhibition of histone methyltransferase (EZH2) activity by DZNep has a profound positive impact on TRAIL signaling; it enhances TRAIL sensitivity by promoting processing of caspase-8 through enhanced cFLIP degradation. The capacity of DZNep to target stability of cFLIP, which represents a center piece in DISC regulation underscores its potential for enhancing efficacy of TRAIL-based cancer therapies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.