cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increase in Human Exposure to Methylamine Precursors of N-Nitrosamines after Eating Fish

Consumption of fish has been encouraged recently because it may prevent mortality due to heart disease. Fish contains methylamines, which are precursors of N-nitrosamines. Nitrosamines can act as potent carcinogens in a wide variety of animal species, and there is no reason to assume that humans are resistant. Human subjects (n = 5) ingested a diet of known methylamine content for 2 days. On Day 3, they ate fish at the luncheon and dinner meals. On Day 4, they again ate the control diet. A single portion of fish contained as many methylamines as were normally excreted by the human in 2 days. Urinary excretion of monomethylamine remained constant (1.3 to 1.5 mumol/24 h/kg of body weight) throughout the study. Dimethylamine excretion increased more than 4-fold after fish was eaten (from 5.6 to 24.1 mumol/24 h/kg of body weight), while trimethylamine excretion increased more than 8-fold (from 0.2 to 1.6 mumol/24 h/kg of body weight). We conclude that the consumption of fish significantly increased exposure to methylamines, particularly to dimethylamine. Although there is potential for the in vivo conversion of dimethylamine to nitrosodimethylamine, a carcinogen, we know of no studies that have determined that the ingestion of fish increases the risk of cancer. This should be carefully investigated prior to recommending that humans change their eating habits.
Space Vehicle Communication and Networking

Space missions range from Earth-orbiting satellites to deep space and planetary surface missions. Issues such as time delay, blackout periods, bandwidth limitations, and power constraints make space-based communication a unique challenge. This chapter overviews the challenges associated with spacecraft communication and solutions adopted and advanced for spaceflight. These challenges have motivated the development and deployment of strategically placed relay stations on the Earth and in space. Spacecraft communications structure and protocols will be overviewed, and associated engineering considerations with ground systems. Data compression and onboard processing will be introduced as methods with potential to better utilize available bandwidth. Keywords: spacecraft; network; space; space network; communication; ground station; tracking; CCSDS; protocol; telecommunications
Pathological Response of Northern Bobwhites to Oxyspirura petrowi Infections

Abstract: The effects of Oxyspirura petrowi infections in northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) are not well understood. While studies have reported O. petrowi infections, none has histopathologically examined the eye surface and intraorbital glands to assess cellular-level impacts associated with infection. This study is the first to document the histopathology associated with O. petrowi infections. Oxyspirura petrowi occurred on the eye surface as well as in the conjunctiva, lacrimal ducts, lacrimal glands, and Harderian glands. Histopathology showed infections of O. petrowi caused cellular damage to these tissues, scarring and interstitial keratitis of the cornea, and acinar atrophy of the Harderian gland.
Blanket energy multiplication enhancement without afterheat safety hazards

An approach to augmenting the energy multiplication of fusion reactor blankets is proposed. It consists of including, in the blanket, a high-Q element in a fluid state, thereby allowing removal of its contribution to afterheat in case of a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). The two general design approaches proposed are including Mn or Cr-containing particles within a gas coolant, and using MnF/sub 2/ or CrF/sub 2/ in a molten salt system. A preliminary feasibility study indicates that both approaches could be practical, so that a more thorough assessment is recommended. >
Global Earth structure: inference and assessment

Summary A suite of compressional and shear phase arrival times (P, S, PP, PcP, SS, ScS, PKPab, PKPbc, PKPdf, SKSac) and two sets of differential times (SS−S410S, SS−S660S) are used to infer lateral variations in P and S velocity structure in the entire Earth (crust, mantle and core). Volumetric heterogeneity is parametrized by 22 depth layers, each of which is subdivided into a grid of cells. In addition to volumetric hetero-geneity, we determine topography on the major internal velocity discontinuities, station corrections, event relocation parameters and inner core anisotropy, a total of 96 300 unknowns. The model parameters are estimated using an iterative Lanczos algorithm to obtain a partial singular value decomposition. A total of 5000 Lanczos values and vectors are used to construct model parameter estimates as well as measures of model parameter resolution and covariance. The Lanczos resolution estimates provide lower bounds on conventional SVD-based measures. Throughout most of the mantle we find that regions beneath the continents, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, are well resolved. With the exception of Africa, velocity variations are moderately well resolved in that portion of the outer core lying beneath the continents. Velocity heterogeneity is poorly resolved in the inner core where cell dimensions are small and deviations in velocity heterogeneity trade off with variations in anisotropy. Variations in the uppermost mantle (2–3 per cent) are correlated with surface tectonics, while at greater depths high-velocity variations coincide with regions of past and present subduction. The high-velocity anomalies extend into the lower mantle, although with a reduced amplitude (0.5–1.0 per cent) until the lowest mantle (2.5 per cent). At the base of the outer core a large-scale pattern of heterogeneity (0.8 per cent) is observed, slower at the poles. In the inner core we infer a peak anisotropy of 2–3 per cent which varies laterally and with depth. However, the magnitude and distribution of the anisotropy trades off strongly with velocity heterogeneity.
A non-symmetric parametric equation of state for the extended critical region of carbon dioxide

Abstract A semi-empirical parametric of state that incorporates correction terms to lowest order scaling is presented. Series expansions derived from this model are similar to corresponding theoretical expansions. Numerical estimates of the leading order expansion coefficients for CO 2 are presented.
Using Artificial Neural Networks and Feature Saliency Techniques for Improved Iris Segmentation

One of the basic challenges to robust iris recognition is iris segmentation. This paper proposes the use of a feature saliency algorithm and an artificial neural network to perform iris segmentation. Many current Iris segmentation approaches assume a circular shape for the iris boundary if the iris is directly facing the camera. Occlusion by the eyelid can cause the visible boundary to have an irregular shape. In our approach an artificial neural network is used to statistically classify each pixel of an iris image with no assumption of circularity. First, a feed-forward feature saliency technique is performed to determine which combination of features contains the greatest discriminatory information. Image brightness, local moments, local orientated energy measurements and relative pixel location are evaluated for saliency. Next, the set of salient features is used as the input to a multi-layer perceptron feed-forward artificial neural network trained for classification. Testing showed 96.46 percent accuracy in determining which pixels in an image of the eye were iris pixels. For occluded images, the iris masks created by the neural network were consistently more accurate than the truth mask created using the circular iris boundary assumption. Post-processing to retain the largest contiguous piece in the iris mask increased the accuracy to 98.2 percent.
Number sense across the lifespan as revealed by a massive Internet-based sample

It has been difficult to determine how cognitive systems change over the grand time scale of an entire life, as few cognitive systems are well enough understood; observable in infants, adolescents, and adults; and simple enough to measure to empower comparisons across vastly different ages. Here we address this challenge with data from more than 10,000 participants ranging from 11 to 85 years of age and investigate the precision of basic numerical intuitions and their relation to students’ performance in school mathematics across the lifespan. We all share a foundational number sense that has been observed in adults, infants, and nonhuman animals, and that, in humans, is generated by neurons in the intraparietal sulcus. Individual differences in the precision of this evolutionarily ancient number sense may impact school mathematics performance in children; however, we know little of its role beyond childhood. Here we find that population trends suggest that the precision of one’s number sense improves throughout the school-age years, peaking quite late at ∼30 y. Despite this gradual developmental improvement, we find very large individual differences in number sense precision among people of the same age, and these differences relate to school mathematical performance throughout adolescence and the adult years. The large individual differences and prolonged development of number sense, paired with its consistent and specific link to mathematics ability across the age span, hold promise for the impact of educational interventions that target the number sense.
Multiple snapshot direct data domain approach and ESPRIT method for direction of arrival estimation

In this study, the performance of the matrix pencil (MP) method and the estimation of signal parameters using rotational in-variance technique (ESPRIT) method have been compared under varying number of snapshots taken. The matrix pencil method applies the technique directly to the data to estimate the poles, and works well under the correlated signal case, as opposed to ESPRIT, a statistical subspace based estimation technique, which will work after applying some additional spatial smoothing techniques to tackle the ill conditioning problem of the covariance matrix. Simulation results are provided to show the performance of these two methods.
Mental Representations Formed from Educational Website Formats

The increasing popularity of web-based distance education places high demand on distance educators to format web pages to facilitate learning. However, limited guidelines exist regarding appropriate writing styles for web-based distance education. This study investigated the effect of four different writing styles on reader’s mental representation of hypertext. Participants studied hypertext written in one of four web-writing styles (e.g., concise, scannable, objective, and combined) and were then administered a cued association task intended to measure their mental representations of the hypertext. It is hypothesized that the scannable and combined styles will bias readers to scan rather than elaborately read, which may result in less dense mental representations (as identified through Pathfinder analysis) relative to the objective and concise writing styles. Further, the use of more descriptors in the objective writing style will lead to better integration of ideas and more dense mental representations than the concise writing style.
Tuning adaptive microarchitectures

Microprocessors are designed with a fixed set of microarchitectural resources. However, resource requirements vary across programs and within a program as it passes through different phases of execution. This mismatch between the microarchitecture and program requirements leads to sub-optimal power/performance. We present an adaptive microarchitecture that dynamically adapts to changing program requirements in order to achieve power efficiency with minimal performance loss. The microarchitecture employs four multi-configuration units which are controlled by a phase-based tuning algorithm. We show, via simulation, that the best performing tuning algorithm achieves significant reduction in leakage power with performance loss of ~1%.
Ameloblastomas in cats: a critical evaluation of the literature and the addition of one example

The English language literature on feline ameloblastomas was evaluated. Seven acceptable cases were found and one additional example is added in this article. These rare tumors have occurred in cats over the age of 6 years, affected both sexes, both jaws, and various breeds. Two microscopic variants have so far been reported, namely the follicular pattern and the keratinizing pattern, which is similar to the keratinizing ameloblastoma in dogs. Ameloblastomas in cats have been confused in the past with two other feline odontogenic tumors: the inductive fibro-ameloblastoma (feline inductive odontogenic tumor) and the "calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor" (amyloid-producing odontogenic tumor).
Semantic priming: Subliminal perception or context?

Briefly presented, masked priming stimuli that cannot be identified by themselves can affect the processing of subsequent targets. The effect, which is sometimes viewed as a demonstration of unconscious processing, has been linked to the subliminal perception literature. Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that the identification of primes in the context of semantically related targets is superior to the identification of primes presented alone, and that the identification of primes in the context of semantically unrelated targets is inferior to the identification of primes presented alone. Experiment 3 indicated parallel findings in a recognition task. Consequently, an explanation of semantic priming in terms of the interactive nature of stimuli that are near to one another in time seems preferable to one based upon concepts of unconscious processing and subliminal perception.
The “Spontaneous” Formation of Rudimentary Carpels on Leaf Tissue

The angiosperm carpel is interpreted, according to the classical botanical theory, as a modified vegetative leaf. Specialization into a reproductive organ is believed to have occurred through the evolutionary process. Despite abundant supporting evidence, the classical theory is periodically challenged, its antagonists disclaiming any homology between foliar and floral organs (see discussion in Eames, A. J. 1961. Morphology of the angiosperms. McGraw-Hill. 518 pp.).
Laser scanning endoscope for diagnostic medicine

A new type of endoscope is being developed which utilizes an optical raster scanning system for imaging through an endoscope. The optical raster scanner utilizes a high speed, multifaceted, rotating polygon mirror system for horizontal deflection, and a slower speed galvanometer driven mirror as the vertical deflection system. When used in combination, the optical raster scanner traces out a raster similar to an electron beam raster used in television systems. This flying spot of light can then be detected by various types of photosensitive detectors to generate a video image of the surface or scene being illuminated by the scanning beam. The optical raster scanner has been coupled to an endoscope. The raster is projected down the endoscope, thereby illuminating the object to be imaged at the distal end of the endoscope. Elemental photodetectors are placed at the distal or proximal end of the endoscope to detect the reflected illumination from the flying spot of light. This time sequenced signal is captured by an image processor for display and processing. This technique offers the possibility for very small diameter endoscopes since illumination channel requirements are eliminated. Using various lasers, very specific spectral selectivity can be achieved to optimum contrast of specific lesions of interest. Using several laser lines, or a white light source, with detectors of specific spectral response, multiple spectrally selected images can be acquired simultaneously. The potential for co-linear therapy delivery while imaging is also possible.
Design efficiency evaluation for transonic airfoil optimization - A case for Navier-Stokes design

A constrained-optimization design method which improves the aerodynamic performance of transonic airfoils is evaluated from a design-quality and design-efficiency viewpoint. Design efficiency is a measure of the performance improvement and the design time (CPU time). Total-airfoil design and upper-surface design are performed using the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations with several grids, and are evaluated using the Navier-Stokes equations to determine the anticipated physical design response. Even though the cost of the Euler design is lower than Navier-Stokes design, the Navier-Stokes evaluation indicates that the Euler design does not necessarily improve the aerodynamic performance. Therefore, the design optimization should be based on an accurate flow simulation to achieve an actual performance improvement, and the design time is a secondary concern.
Cloning, Sequencing, and Characterization of the Xylanase-Encoding Gene, svxA, from Streptomyces viridosporus T7A and its Expression in Escherichia coli

A xylanase-encoding gene from lignocellulolytic Streptomyces viridosporus T7A was isolated, expressed, cloned and sequenced. The gene was isolated by screening an Escherichia coli cosmid genomic library of S. viridosporus T7A genomic using a substrate overlay method. One xylanase expressing cosmid clone contained a 30 kb DNA insert. The xylanase gene was subsequently subcloned on a 2 kb PstI fragment and sequenced. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence revealed a 915 bp open reading frame coding for a 329 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of 33,550 Da. This gene, designated svxA (Genbank accession number AF198618), shows high sequence homology to genes belonging to xylanase family G.
Conformational changes and translocation of tissue-transglutaminase to the plasma membranes: role in cancer cell migration.

Tissue-transglutaminase (TG2), a dual function G-protein, plays key roles in cell differentiation and migration. In our previous studies we reported the mechanism of TG2-induced cell differentiation. In present study, we explored the mechanism of how TG2 may be involved in cell migration. To study the mechanism of TG2-mediated cell migration, we used neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) which do not express TG2, neuroblastoma cells expressing exogenous TG2 (SHYTG2), and pancreatic cancer cells which express high levels of endogenous TG2. Resveratrol, a natural compound previously shown to inhibit neuroblastoma and pancreatic cancer in the animal models, was utilized to investigate the role of TG2 in cancer cell migration. Immunofluorescence assays were employed to detect expression and intracellular localization of TG2, and calcium levels in the migrating cells. Native gel electrophoresis was performed to analyze resveratrol-induced cellular distribution and conformational states of TG2 in migrating cells. Data are presented as the mean and standard deviation of at least 3 independent experiments. Comparisons were made among groups using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey-Kramer ad hoc test. TG2 containing cells (SHYTG2 and pancreatic cancer cells) exhibit increased cell migration and invasion in collagen-coated and matrigel-coated transwell plate assays, respectively. Resveratrol (1 μM-10 μM) prevented migration of TG2-expressing cells. During the course of migration, resveratrol increased the immunoreactivity of TG2 without affecting the total TG2 protein level in migrating cells. In these cells, resveratrol increased calcium levels, and depletion of intracellular calcium by a calcium chelator, BAPTA, attenuated resveratrol-enhanced TG2 immunoreactivity. In native-polyacrylamide gels, we detected an additional TG2 protein band with slower migration in total cell lysates of resveratrol treated cells. This TG2 form is non-phosphorylated, exclusively present in plasma membrane fractions and sensitive to intracellular Ca2+ concentration suggesting a calcium requirement in TG2-regulated cell migration. Taken together, we conclude that resveratrol induces conformational changes in TG2, and that Ca2+-mediated TG2 association with the plasma membrane is responsible for the inhibitory effects of resveratrol on cell migration.
Post-buckling behavior of thin steel plates using computational models

Abstract Thin plates loaded in plane will buckle at very small loads, and due to unavoidable out-of-plane imperfections, the theoretical buckling load cannot be observed experimentally. If the plate is adequately supported along its boundaries, it will be able to carry a much higher load than the theoretical buckling load.Computational models can be used to study the post buckling behaviour of thin plate structures up to failure. Failure of such structures is usually due to large out-of-plane deflections, yielding, and rupture. Therefore, the computational model should include the effects of geometric and material nonlinearities. In this paper, the nonlinear finite element analysis program NONSAP and ANSR-III were modified and used in the analysis. Since these programs did not include the suitable elements and material properties to conduct the subject study, new elements and new material properties were added to the programs. In particular, a thin shell element was added and the solution routines were modified to improve its accuracy and efficiency.The modified programs were used on a Super Computer to calculate the post buckling strength of stiffened and unstiffened plates subjected to uniaxial compression, and plates subjected to in plane bending or shear. Crippling of plates subjected to in-plane or eccentric edge compressive loads was also examined. The results from the computational models were compared with test results and reasonable agreements were obtained. A computational model was developed for a multi-story thin steel plate shear wall subjected to cyclic loading and the results from the model were compared with experimental results, and again agreement was achieved.
Corporate social responsibility: Its managerial impact and implications

Innumerable managers and organizational theorists are ill agreement that the radical and sweeping changes which are altering tlle contemporary social fabric have had a myriad of effects oil business organizations. These sweeping changes are social and cuhural in nature, and they entail increasingly nontraditional norms, pressures and expectations being placed on business institutions. Fnndamentally, the expectations are of such a kind that the conventional economic model of the firm no longer provides a realistic and appropriate framework for description and analysis of organizational structure, process, and behavior. This social revolution has been characterized by some as being paradoxical. It is paradoxical in the sense that it simultaneously casts the business institution in the role of villain and savior. While on the one hand business organizations are thoroughly chastised for their philosophy, structure, and mode of operations, they are at the same time acknowledged to be an increasingly beneficial force in society [28] . In fact, David Rockefeller has characterized the manner in which business has been viewed as follows: "It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that right now American business is facing its most severe public disfavor since the 1930s. We are assailed for demeaning the worker, deceiving the consumer, destroying the environment and disillusioning the younger generation" [26]. Despite this public view, business organizations are doing more today for society than ever in their history. In fact, business managers today are far more conscious of their responsibilities to society than ever before.
Goodpasture antigen: Expression of the full-length α3(IV) chain of collagen IV and localization of epitopes exclusively to the noncollagenous domain

Goodpasture antigen: Expression of the full-length α3(IV) chain of collagen IV and localization of epitopes exclusively to the noncollagenous domain. Background Tissue injury in Goodpasture (GP) syndrome (rapidly progressive glomerular nephritis and pulmonary hemorrhage) is mediated by antibasement membrane antibodies that are targeted to the α3(IV) chain of type IV collagen, one of five α(IV) chains that occur in the glomerular basement membrane. GP antibodies are known to bind epitopes within the carboxyl terminal noncollagenous domain (NC1) of the α3(IV) chain, termed the GP autoantigen. Whether epitopes also exist in the 1400-residue collagenous domain is unknown because studies to date have focused solely on the NC1 domain. A knowledge of GP epitopes is important for the understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease and for the development of therapeutic strategies. Methods A cDNA construct was prepared for the full-length human α3(IV) chain. The construct was stably transfected into human embryonic kidney 293 cells. The purified full-length r-α3(IV) chain was characterized by electrophoresis and electron microscopy. The capacity of this chain for binding of GP antibodies from five patients was compared with that of the human r-α3(IV)NC1 domain by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The r-α3(IV) chain was secreted from 293 cells as a single polypeptide chain that did not spontaneously undergo assembly into a triple-helical molecule. An analysis of GP-antibody binding to the full-length r-α3(IV) chain showed binding exclusively to the globular NC1 domain. Conclusion The full-length human α3(IV) chain possesses the capacity to bind GP autoantibodies. The epitope(s) is found exclusively on the nontriple-helical NC1 domain of the α3(IV) chain, indicating the presence of specific immunogenic properties. The α3(IV) chain alone does not spontaneously undergo assembly into a triple-helical homotrimeric molecule, suggesting that coassembly with either the α4(IV) and/or the α5(IV) chain may be required for triple-helix formation.
From Bandung to NAM: Non-alignment and Indian Foreign Policy, 1947–65

This article seeks to clarify the relationship between non-alignment as the most distinctive feature of Indian foreign policy thinking during the Cold War and India's interest in helping form the non-aligned movement (NAM). Precisely because of the early success of its independent non-aligned policy, India's decision to join and help shape the non-aligned movement needs explaining. This article offers new historical evidence to argue that India's decision to associate with the non-aligned movement - and thereby turn away from the racialised legacy of the Bandung Conference - was driven by contingent political factors rather than the intellectual and moral superiority of non-alignment over racialism. Non-alignment is most often represented as either a counter-hegemonic critique of contemporary world order or a rhetorical justification for the max- imisation of national interest, both plausible descriptions of India's foreign policy behaviour at certain moments during the last 60 years (Bajpai, 1983; Mohan, 2003). 1 The former viewpoint understands non-alignment as a product of the 'Gandhian' legacy in Indian foreign policy, the moral force of a political subjectivity grounded in non-violent struggle, and draws a direct line from the anti-colonial struggle to independent India's foreign policy worldview (Mishra & Narayan, 1981). While seeing non-alignment as the natural outcome of a moral critique of power politics is effective in explaining, for example, India's long-standing and principled position
Semi-analytical current source modeling of FinFET devices operating in near/sub-threshold regime with independent gate control and considering process variation

Operating circuits in the near/sub-threshold regime can lower the circuit energy consumption at the expense of lowering the circuit speed. In addition near/sub-threshold can result in higher sensitivity to process-induced variations and transient noise. FinFETs have been proposed as an alternative to planar CMOS devices in sub-20nm CMOS technology nodes due to their more effective channel control, steep sub-threshold slope, high ON/OFF current ratio, low power consumption, and so on. Characteristics of FinFETs operating in the near/sub-threshold regime make it difficult to verify the timing of a circuit using conventional statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) techniques. Current source modeling (CSM) methods, which have been proposed to increase the accuracy of timing analysis in dealing with arbitrary shapes of the input signal waveforms, are the appropriate solution for performing SSTA on FinFET-based circuits. This paper thus extends the CSM to such circuits, operating in the near/sub-threshold voltage regime. In particular, FinFET devices with independent gate control and subject to process variations are modelled. The key idea of the proposed CSM approach is to combine non-linear analytical models and low-dimensional CSM lookup tables to simultaneously achieve high modeling accuracy and low time/space complexity.
John B. Murphy: Unique Among American Surgeons

John B. Murphy (1857–1916), one of the most outstanding and controversial surgeons of his age, was a product of the strong clinical programs that developed in Chicago in the late 19th century. Heavily influenced by Christian Fenger, surgeon and surgical pathologist, he went to Europe for training under Theodore Billroth and others. He applied results of his dog lab experiments to human problems while maintaining a large private practice. He is best known for his teaching clinics, for his groundbreaking work with a button for intestinal anastomosis, and for encouraging early operation in appendicitis. Though often in trouble with his fellow surgeons who accused him of stealing patients, especially in the Haymarket affair and when Theodore Roosevelt was shot, he nevertheless made many contributions to the care of surgical patients and development of academic surgery.
Are classical molecular mechanics calculations still useful in bioinorganic simulations

Abstract There are currently no widely distributed molecular mechanics programs with inorganic force fields that allow the user to accurately model the structure of bioinorganic molecules without a prior parameterization of the metal coordination sphere. However, there are still times when the speed, accuracy and output of the calculations make inorganic molecular mechanics (MM) the method of choice. Bioinorganic molecular mechanical calculations are most commonly used to examine metalloproteins or parts of metalloproteins that are too large for analysis by QM/MM or DFT; to search large areas of conformational space; or in molecular dynamics. To illustrate the utility of inorganic molecular mechanics in bioinorganic chemistry, a brief review of simulations of bioinorganic compounds containing transitional metals published in the last 5 years is presented together with a computational analyses of methyl coenzyme-M reductase (MCR), which describes calculations that are too large for QM based methods, and urease, which is used as an example to illustrate how MM calculations can be used to sample large areas of conformational space. In the case of MCR, inorganic molecular mechanical conformational searches in conjunction with hole scans and normal-coordinate structural decomposition analysis are used to show how the protein matrix inhibits the non-planar deformations of the tetrapyrrole cofactor F430 and thereby changes its redox chemistry—an entatic effect. In our analysis of urease, inorganic molecular mechanical conformational searches were used to examine the conformational space available to the substrate and urea, and to examine potential mechanisms for its degradation.
Peripherin and neurofilament protein coexist in spinal spheroids of motor neuron disease.

We have compared the immunolocalization of neurofilament protein (NF) with two other ncuronal-specific intermediate filament proteins in large spinal axonal swellings (spheroids) of motor neuron disease and controls. All spheroids labeled each of the three different subunits of NF, the low, middle, and high molecular weight polypeptides. In doublelabcl immunofluorescence, 300 axonal swellings were immunostained for NF, and 87% of them contained the intermediate protein peripherin. The pattern of immunostaining of NF and peripherin was indistinguishable at a high resolution viewed in 1 µm optical sections by confocal microscopy. A minority of the spheroids contained α-internexin, another intermediate protein, but it was weakly immunoreactive. The immunostaining of axonal swellings was similar for all epitopes tested in motor neuron disease and control subjects. The findings suggest that peripherin as well as neurofilament protein are major components of the proliferated intermediate filaments in spheroids.
Large keratoacanthomas in difficult locations treated with intralesional 5-fiuorouracil

Keratoacanthoma is a benign tumor; however, it may cause massive destruction of normal tissue during its rapid growth phase. Intralesional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been shown to be an effective treatment for keratoacanthoma. We have successfully treated five patients with large keratoacanthomas in difficult locations. There have been no recurrences during follow-up periods ranging from 18 to 45 months. Intralesional 5-FU may be ineffective for keratoacanthomas that are not rapidly proliferating.
CHANGES IN THE BUFFER SYSTEM OF THE WHEAT PLANT DURING ITS DEVELOPMENT

In an earlier paper (5) it was reported that progressive changes occur in the acidity of the wheat plant during its seedling and maturation stages. Subsequent studies involving the complete titration curve have given a more comprehensive idea of the changes which take place in the titratable compounds of the juice. The results show a remarkably ordered relation between the buffer capacity of the juice, its hydrogen-ion and "titratableacid" concentration, and the stage of development of the plants.
A Multilingual Analyser ofMedical Texts

In the European Union, the need for systems which are able to accept multiple European languages is of paramount interest, because language barriers can be a strong impediment for large-scale communication in Europe. The use of analysers able to accept different European languages and convert them into a single representation common to all languages would seem to be the ideal solution. The RECIT system presented in this paper, shows an original approach for analysing sentences, understanding their meaning and storing them into a deep representation, available for future querying. The chosen approach, called proximity processing, takes advantage of the typical situation of a closed domain of knowledge (i.e. medicine) and of the structured form of medical reports (discharge summaries), using proximity rules which combine in an integrated way semantic information as well as syntactic information when needed. From the recognition of meaningful components in free text sentences, a knowledge representation is built in the form of conceptual graphs. In this article, we discuss the relevant features of both proximity processing and the subsequent transformation into a language-independent representation. In particular, we highlight the characteristics that enable our system to be easily extended to other European languages, as well as other application domains when pertinent.
Tests of institutional versus non-institutional models of local public expenditure determination

Are institutional or non-institutional factors more important determinants of local public expenditure decisions? Employing data that allows us to directly identify the entire distribution of voter expenditure demands, we estimate models of deviations of actual expenditures from the expenditure demand of defensible benchmarks — namely, the median voter's expenditure demand and the mean of voters' expenditure demands. Three competing paradigms are employed to specify these models; namely, a non-institutional model, the reform government movement's explanation of how institutions affect local government decisions and a transactions-cost model of this same phenomenon. Predictions from these three competing models differ in many respects. Comparisons of results from estimating models of expenditure deviations are found to be generally more consistent with the non-institutional model than with either of the two institutional models. These results suggest that a competitive local public service market helps limit the ability of governments to tax and spend in excess of the demands of the median or mean voter.
Interventional telemedicine for noninvasive neuroradiosurgery: remote-site high-performance computing, mathematical optimization, and virtual scenario simulation

Interventional Telemedicine may have potential utility in providing connectivity and access to specialized high performance computing and advanced software resources in support of clinical procedures in the field of Minimally-Invasive Surgery and Stereotactic Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Radiosurgery. Such interventions may benefit from application of nonlinear quadratic inverse solution methods designed to provide the capability to reverse optimize a 'best case' treatment plan. The formidable decision-making challenges posed by increasingly complex optimized data and progressively versatile LINAC delivery systems require volume visualization of projected treatment data and imaging anatomy via photorealistic rendering and virtual scenario simulation techniques. Both these new directions are heavily dependent on access to specialized high performance computing platforms solely accessible via broad-bandwidth network connectivity. This pilot project presents resimulation of retrospective radiosurgical case data using inverse solution optimization models running on workstation clusters and then volume rendered and simulated on the Princeton Graphics Engine Supercomputer. Evidence for effective utilization of such optimization and virtual simulation methods running on remotely accessed, distant high performance computing resources is discussed in view of the potential for long-term clinical investigation and eventual development of Interventional Telemedicine as a clinically practical approach for providing support to remote or non-urban radiosurgery centers in the industrialized and developing world.
Chemokines and human reproduction

Abstract Objective: To review the available information regarding chemotactic cytokines and their possible implications in human reproduction. Design: A thorough literature and MEDLINE search was conducted to identify studies relating to the role of chemokines in ovulation, menstruation, implantation, cervical ripening and preterm labor, and endometriosis. Result(s): Chemokines mediate leukocyte traffic through their specific receptors in various tissues. Although four families have been described to date, two remain the major subfamilies: α-chemokines (with interleukin-8 as representative for this group), and β-chemokines (with monocyte chemotactic protein-1 as representative). Interleukin-8, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and growth-regulated oncogene-α are involved in follicular development and atresia, ovulation, steroidogenesis, and corpus luteum function. Interleukin-8 showed cycle-dependent expression in human endometrium, and at the same time, stimulated endometrial stromal cell growth, acting as an autocrine growth factor. Interleukin-8 has been identified in human amnion, chorion, decidua, and villous placenta, and its level increases during labor. Levels of interleukin-8 correlate with the release of collagenases, a crucial step that regulates the process of cervical extracellular matrix remodeling. The levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1; regulated on activation, normal T-expressed and secreted (RANTES); interleukin-8; and growth-regulated oncogene-α are elevated in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis, and they correlate with the stage of the disease. Conclusion(s): Chemokines play a relevant role in many physiologic and pathologic situations, such as ovulation, menstruation, implantation, cervical ripening and preterm labor, and endometriosis. Their regulation soon may provide new therapeutic strategies.
Low‐dose oral chloroquine in the treatment of porphyria cutanea tarda

Seven patients with porphyria cutanea tarda received a total of ten courses of low-dose oral chloroquine therapy (125 mg chloroquine phosphate twice weekly). Patients were treated for a mean 14.9 months during which time all went into clinical and biochemical remission. Relapse occurred in four patients on a total of six occasions after a mean 17 months. In four patients there was no relapse after a mean 47.3 months. There were no adverse side-effects from the treatment. Low-dose oral chloroquine therapy appears to be a safe, effective and convenient treatment for porphyria cutanea tarda, although relapses may occur requiring further therapy.
Outcomes in young women with breast cancer of triple-negative phenotype: the prognostic significance of CK19 expression.

Purpose Basal-like carcinoma of the breast is associated with genetic instability and aggressive behavior. In this study, we evaluated the luminal cytokeratin marker CK-19 in young women with breast cancer treated with conservative surgery and radiation therapy (CS+RT). Methods Primary tumor specimens from a cohort of 158 young premenopausal women (range, 25–49 years) treated with CS+RT with a median follow-up of 6.25 years were constructed into a tissue microarray. The array was stained for ER, PR, HER2, CK19, and p53. The molecular profiles were correlated with clinical-pathologic factors, overall, local, and distant relapse-free survival. The association between CK19, other co-variables, and outcome was assessed in a multivariate model. Results Positive expression of ER, PR, HER-2/neu, CK19, and p53 were 33.1%, 34.5%, 10.0%, 79.5%, and 20.9%, respectively. With 20 local relapses and 38 distant metastases, the 10-year overall, breast relapse-free, and distant relapse-free survival were 79.65%, 87.29%, and 67.35%, respectively. Tumor stage and nodal status were associated with distant relapse-free and overall survival. In multivariate analysis, CK19 negativity was a predictor poor local (RR, 3.54; 95% CI, 1.87–7.65; p p = 0.17), and overall survival (RR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.04–3.55; p = 0.03). Conclusions Lack of CK19 expression identifies a subset of patients with a significantly higher risk of local relapse. Distant relapse and overall survival rates also correlated with CK19 negativity. Further evaluation of the prognostic significance of basal and luminal cytokeratins in young women with breast cancer is warranted.
The ubiquity of grey literature in a connected content context

L'A. explore les implications de l'informatique omnipresente sur la production, l'accessibilite et l'utilisation de la litterature grise. Il considere les methodes associees a l'edition et a l'archivage electroniques ainsi que les nouvelles habitudes de lecture concernant la litterature grise, dans l'environnement des contenus connectes et dans la perspective du modele du libre acces.
Assessment of the long-term radiometric calibration stability of the TRMM microwave imager and the WindSat Satellite Radiometers

The NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission uses a constellation of international satellites with microwave radiometers, to provide the next-generation of global observations of precipitation. The GPM Intersatellite Calibration Working Group (aka XCAL) has the responsibility to perform the radiometric calibration process to normalize all radiometers to a common source, the GPM Microwave Imager, which serves as a radiometric transfer standard. Prior to the launch of GPM instrument on February 28, 2014, the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager has been used as a proxy for the GMI to develop procedures and data analysis algorithms for inter-comparing two similar, but not identical, radiometers. In this regard, this paper assesses the long-term radiometric calibration stability of TMI relative to WindSat polarimetric radiometer. CFRSL conducted two independent inter-comparisons over oceans in XCAL year (July 2005 - June 2006) and C Y 2011, and results are presented, which demonstrate deciKelvin relative stability over this greater than five-year period.
OS011. Management of late preterm pregnancy complicated by mildpreeclampsia: A prospective randomized trial.

Introduction In the absence of properly undertaken prospective randomized clinical trials, the optimal management of late preterm mild preeclampsia for best maternal and perinatal outcomes remains unclear for obstetricians worldwide. Objectives We desired to determine if immediate or expectant management of the late preterm mother presenting with mild preeclampsia was more beneficial to her without compromise to her newborn. Methods This prospective randomized clinical trial of immediate versus expectant delivery for patients presenting with mild preeclampsia between the late preterm period of 34–0/7 to 36–6/7weeks gestation was undertaken using CONSORT guidelines. Patients were randomized to immediate delivery via induction of labor or cesarean delivery or inpatient expectant management with delivery at 37–0/7weeks gestation or earlier at onset of labor or progression to severe preeclampsia. The primary outcome was progression to severe preeclampsia; secondary outcomes were neonatal morbidity and mortality. Data were analyzed by appropriate tests for continuous or categorical outcomes with differences considered significant if p Results One hundred and sixty nine patients during 2002–2008 satisfied and sustained protocol criteria in the immediate delivery ( n =94) or inpatient expectant management ( n =75) arms of the study. A third (33%) of expectantly managed patients developed severe preeclampsia during significantly longer hospitalization versus 3% in the immediately delivered patients ( p =0.001). Cesarean delivery rates were similar. No significant neonatal morbidity differences were observed between groups; there were no maternal or neonatal deaths. The study was stopped in 2008 at 74% of the enrollment target when hospital policy changed to discourage inpatient hospitalization for uncomplicated mild preterm preeclampsia and in view of growing national concern for increased late preterm/early term neonatal morbidity and cost of care. Conclusion Proceeding to delivery of the late preterm (⩾34weeks gestation) patient with mild preeclampsia lessens maternal risk without significantly increasing neonatal risk.
Δ1-Pyrroline-5-carboxylate: The product of proline dehydrogenase from Cucurbita moschata cotyledons

Abstract The product of oxidation of proline by pumpkin proline dehydrogenase reacted with o -aminobenzaldehyde to give a yellow compound that had an absorption spectrum similar to that obtained from chemically synthesized Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate. The product of the proline dehydrogenase reaction and synthetic Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate had identical R f values. Both authentic Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate and the product of the enzyme gave a pink colour with acid ninhydrin on paper chromatograms and both had identical elution patterns on Dowex 50(H + ) columns. Neither synthetic Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate nor the product of proline-dehydrogenase produced γ-amino butyrate with hydrogen peroxide.