cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emissions leakage, environmental policy and trade frictions

Abstract We develop a two-good general equilibrium model of a small open economy to decompose the effect of a country's unilateral strengthening of environmental policy on pollution emissions in the rest of the world, known as emissions leakage. We show analytically and numerically that the level of emissions leakage depends on the level of trade friction in the service sector. In the model, production in the manufacturing sector is associated with pollution emissions, and production in the service sector is clean. In a special case with free trade in manufacturing and no trade in services, no leakage occurs. Allowing for trade in services, we solve for the relationship between trade frictions in the service sector and leakage. At lower levels of service sector's trade friction, leakage from a small strengthening of environmental regulation decreases (increases) if services are imported (exported). Finally, we simulate the model, calibrating the to the Canadian economy to compare these effects’ relative sizes over a range of plausible parameter values. Leakage is about 18% lower when using trade friction levels estimated from the literature rather than assuming no trade friction in services.
Cyclopropane fatty acid synthesis affects cell shape and acid resistance in Leishmania mexicana

Cyclopropane fatty acid synthase (CFAS) catalyzes the transfer of a methylene group from S-adenosyl methionine to an unsaturated fatty acid, generating a cyclopropane fatty acid (CFA). The gene encoding CFAS is present in many bacteria and several Leishmania spp. including Leishmania mexicana, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis. In this study, we characterised the CFAS-null and -overexpression mutants in L. mexicana, the causative agent for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Mexico and central America. Our data indicate that L. mexicana CFAS modifies the fatty acid chain of plasmenylethanolamine (PME), the dominant class of ethanolamine glycerophospholipids in Leishmania, generating CFA-PME. While the endogenous level of CFA-PME is extremely low in wild type L. mexicana, overexpression of CFAS results in a significant increase. CFAS-null mutants (cfas-) exhibit altered cell shape, increased sensitivity to acidic pH, and aberrant growth in serum-free media. In addition, the CFAS protein is preferentially expressed during the proliferative stage of L. mexicana and is required for the cell membrane targeting of lipophosphoglycan. Finally, the maturation and localization of CFAS protein are dependent upon the downstream sequence of the CFAS coding region. Without the downstream sequence, the mis-localised CFAS protein cannot fully rescue the defects of cfas-. Our data suggest that CFA modification of phospholipids can significantly affect the parasite's response to certain adverse conditions. These findings are distinct from the roles of CFAS in L. infantum, highlighting the functional divergence in lipid modification among Leishmania spp.
Smoothing of Gaussian quantum dynamics for force detection

Building on recent work by Gammelmark et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 160401 (2013)] we develop a formalism for prediction and retrodiction of Gaussian quantum systems undergoing continuous measurements. We apply the resulting formalism to study the advantage of incorporating a full measurement record and retrodiction for impulselike force detection and accelerometry. We find that using retrodiction can only increase accuracy in a limited parameter regime, but that the reduction in estimation noise that it yields results in better detection of impulselike forces.
Superior twin stability and radiation resistance of nanotwinned Ag solid solution alloy

Abstract Face-centered cubic (FCC) metals are in general vulnerable to high-energy ion irradiation. Twin boundaries have been shown to improve the irradiation tolerance of FCC metals. However, nanotwins in monolithic metals are unstable during irradiation. In this study, we show that Fe solute can drastically improve irradiation stability of twin boundaries in Ag. By adding merely 1 at.% of Fe solute atoms into Ag matrix, ultra-high-density twins with an average twin thickness of ∼3 nm form in Ag. In situ Kr ion irradiation studies show that defect size and density in Ag99Fe1 have been significantly reduced comparing with monolithic coarse-grained Ag and nanotwinned Ag. Furthermore, these extremely fine twins survived heavy ion irradiations. Density function theory calculations suggest that Fe solutes stabilize nanotwins by pinning twin boundaries. The mechanisms of enhanced radiation tolerance enabled by solute-twin boundary networks are discussed.
The Vocal and Behavioral Reactions of the Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas , to Playback of its Sounds

The playback of natural sounds has been used as an experimental technique with diverse groups of animals and with varied degrees of success to elucidate the biological significance of the sounds. Additionally, the playback of pure tones has been used to investigate which parameters of an acoustic signal are directly concerned with communication. Such parameters have included frequency limits of hearing, effectiveness of auditory masking, direction-finding and frequency discrimination capabilities, and intensity limits of frequency detection (audiograms).
Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes in Malignant Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer marked by a distinct pattern of mutations unlike most other solid tumors. Direct mutation of genes such as p53 or ras family members may be rare and distinctly different from the well-characterized spectrum of mutations seen in the more common epithelial malignancies such as lung or bladder cancer. This may be partially a result of the unique contributions of asbestos and SV40 infection as co-carcinogens in mesothelioma. Nonetheless, aberrations of the regulatory genes expressed at the 9p21 locus (p16 INK4a, p14 ARF) and chromosome 22 (NF2) are clearly among the highest frequencies observed in human cancers. In addition, recent investigations into epigenetic inactivation following SV40 infection may yield new gene targets such as RASSF1A that are inactivated by pathways that have not been sufficiently explored in the past. The presence of normal DNA within mesothelioma tumors is likely not to be equated with the presence of a normal protein phenotype in the future. This holds the promise of potentially reversible epigenetic or infectious molecular defects accounting for much of the transformed phenotype in mesothelioma, and the distinct possibility of novel therapeutic modalities that may reverse these acquired defects in gene expression patterns.
The 1994 Southern California Network Bulletin

The Pasadena Office of the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Institute of Technology Seismology Laboratory (Caltech Seismo Lab) operate a network of more than 300 remote seismometers in southern California called the S outhern C alifornia S eismic N etwork (SCSN). Signals from these sites are telemetered to the central processing site at the Caltech Seismo Lab in Pasadena. These signals are continuously monitored by computers that detect and record thousands of earthquakes each year. Phase arrival times for these events are picked by analysts and archived along with digital seismograms. Data acquisition, processing and archiving is achieved using the CUSP system (Dollar, 1989). These data are used to compile the SCSN Catalog of Earthquakes, a list beginning in 1932 that currently contains more than 258,000 events. This article contains selected parts from the USGS OpenFile Report entitled “Southern California Network Bulletin: January–December 1994” (Wald et al. , 1995). SEISMICITY SUMMARY & STATUS OF...
The power of violins and rose petals: The Eurovision Song Contest as an arena of European crisis:

This paper explores the interconnection between European crises and the Eurovision Song Contest, the largest non-sports-related TV show on earth, which has run as an annual music competition of Eur...
The in-flight social calls of insectivorous bats: species specific behaviors and context of call production

Bats could be a useful study system for studying the evolution of social communication, as they exhibit a high diversity of social group size and complexity. However, the study of bat social calls has been limited, as they are nocturnal, volant animals that produce predominately ultrasonic vocalizations. Passive acoustic monitoring studies occasionally capture bat in-flight social calls. The information from surrounding echolocation calls can provide information on species identity, abundance, and foraging activity. I used passive acoustic monitoring in Greensboro, North Carolina, to identify seven types of in-flight social calls from Eptesicus fuscus, Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus cinereus, Nycticeius humeralis, Perimyotis subflavus, and Tadarida brasiliensis. Eptesicus fuscus, N. humeralis, and T. brasiliensis differed in total social call production, and the proportional use of call types. Shared called types exhibited species-specific signatures. The presence of species-specific signatures indicates bats could potentially discern signaler identity. Social call production was highest early in the night and positively correlated with bat activity. Eptesicus fuscus and T. brasiliensis most commonly produced complex calls, which appear to mediate social interactions between conspecifics while foraging. Nycticeius humeralis most commonly produced downsweeps, which appear to be broad-functioning contact calls. Upsweeps exhibited a similar context to downsweeps, and were commonly produced by E. fuscus and N. humeralis. My results indicate bats use dedicated social calls to mediate different types of social interactions while in flight.
Do Phonatory Aerodynamic and Acoustic Measures in Connected Speech Differ Between Vocally Healthy Adults and Patients Diagnosed with Muscle Tension Dysphonia

Summary Objectives One of the presumed etiologies of primary muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a respiratory-phonatory disruption resulting in poor phonatory airflow in speech; however, few data exist on the differences between vocally healthy adults and patients diagnosed with MTD. The goal of this study was to compare aerodynamic and acoustic measures of self-perceived vocally healthy adults with patients diagnosed with MTD. Study Design Retrospective, observational, matched cohort study. Methods Vocally healthy adults age 19–60 years were matched on age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) to patients diagnosed with MTD. Recorded samples of the first four sentences of The Rainbow Passage were analyzed for between-group differences in the following acoustic and aerodynamic dependent measures in connected speech: mean airflow during voicing, breath number, reading passage duration, inspiratory and expiratory durations, phonation time, inspiratory and expiratory volumes, cepstral peak prominence (CPP), CPP standard deviation (CPP SD), low to high ratio (L/H ratio), L/H ratio SD, CPP Fo, CPP Fo SD, cepstral spectral index of dysphonia, and dB sound pressure level (SPL). Results One hundred and seventy participants were studied; 85 patients diagnosed with primary MTD and 85 vocally healthy control participants. The two groups differed significantly in mean SPL, duration of the reading passage, and inspiratory and expiratory airflow duration (P ≤ 0.003). No significant differences were observed between the groups on any other phonatory aerodynamic or acoustic measure. Mean SPL, duration of the reading passage, and inspiratory and expiratory airflow durations were lower and longer, respectively, in patients with MTD. Ranges and standard deviations were greater for all aerodynamic and acoustic measurements in patients with MTD. Conclusion Large variability in aerodynamic and acoustic measurements were observed in patients with primary MTD with no salient differences at the group level compared to vocally healthy participants. Individual phonatory aerodynamic and acoustic profiles should be used when setting goals for patient treatment plans and to track response to treatment for patients with MTD. Taken in its entirety, connected speech from patients diagnosed with MTD essentially reflect normal acoustic and aerodynamic values.
Image-guided translumbar type II endoleak repair: A novel approach

We present a case of a 72-year-old male with an abdominal aortic aneurysm status post-endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Follow-up imaging demonstrated an enlarging type II endoleak and attempts at transarterial coil embolization of the inferior mesenteric artery were unsuccessful. The patient underwent image-guided percutaneous translumbar type II endoleak repair using XperGuide (Philips, Andover, MA USA).
Examining social equity in community-based conservation programs: A case study of controlled hunting programs in Bale Mountains, Ethiopia

Abstract We examine social equity in a complex community-based controlled hunting program in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. We use a grounded qualitative approach and apply a multi-dimensional equity framework to assess locals’ perceptions of equity in the distribution of benefits and costs, the processes of engagement and participation, and the recognition of traditional land use practices and values, paying attention to the inter- and intra-community power dynamics, institutional characteristics, and broader contextual factors that shape perceptions. We conducted interviews with 15 focus groups across four communities and contrast two community-based management models: one that employs a community power sharing mechanism and one without. In each community, we stratified respondents into groups of young men, elder men, women, and community leaders to respect differences in gender, age, and role in the community. The results demonstrate the interweaving effects that broader contextual factors, individual characteristics, and institutional support have on equity perceptions. Important contextual dimensions included pre-existing and ongoing social, political, and economic processes such as population growth and land scarcity, legacy of land use interactions, lack of community infrastructure, and youth-led political activism and unrest. Individual attributes that influenced perceptions included landlessness and joblessness among the youth, the extreme reliance of women on forest products for subsistence, and the traditional value systems and practices among elders. Access to information, transparency of decision making, and the presence of monitoring and accountability also influenced perceived equity. This study contributes to the literature on community-based conservation by demonstrating how and why local’s concepts of fairness diverge from generic and externally defined notions of equitability. Moving forward, equity assessments need to evaluate local actor’s diverse and contextualized relationships with other actors and the natural world, and give recognition to how perceptions interplay with broader social and environmental processes, prior to designing and implementing conservation programs.
Metabolic flexibility of SUP05 under low DO growth conditions.

Chemoautotrophic bacteria from the SUP05 clade often dominate anoxic waters within marine oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) where they use energy gained from the oxidation of reduced sulfur to fuel carbon fixation. Some of these SUP05 bacteria are facultative aerobes that can use either nitrate or oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor making them ideally suited to thrive at the boundaries of OMZs where they experience fluctuations in dissolved oxygen (DO). SUP05 metabolism in these regions, and therefore the biogeochemical function of SUP05, depends largely on their sensitivity to oxygen. We evaluated growth and quantified differences in gene expression in Ca. T. autotrophicus strain EF1 from the SUP05 clade under high DO (22 μM), anoxic, and low DO (3.8 μM) concentrations. We show that strain EF1 cells respire oxygen and nitrate and that cells have higher growth rates, express more genes, and fix more carbon when oxygen becomes available for aerobic respiration. Evidence that facultatively aerobic SUP05 are more active and respire nitrate when oxygen becomes available at low concentrations suggests that they are an important source of nitrite across marine OMZ boundary layers.
Pneumonia: Immunocompetent Children

Pneumonia is a common childhood illness that has significant morbidity and mortality in the United States in children under 18 years old and is the second leading cause of death worldwide in children under 5 years of age (World Health Organization and Maternal and Child Epidemiology Estimation Group (MCEE). Child causes of death, by Country and by Region. 2000-2017. [cited 2018]. Available from: https://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/estimates/en/index2.html; American Lung Association. Trends in pneumonia and influenza: morbidity and mortality. Epidemiology and statistics unit: research and health education division. 2015. [cited 2018]. Available from: https://www.lung.org/assets/documents/research/pi-trend-report.pdf). Age is an important factor when determining the most likely causative pathogen, with viruses, bacteria, and fungi/mold all being possible pathogens. In otherwise healthy children, pneumonia is usually diagnosed clinically; however, chest radiographs can help in supporting the diagnosis or in identifying complications. In patients with severe disease, recurrent or chronic symptoms, or nonresponse to empiric therapies, additional diagnostic tests are necessary to guide treatment. In these situations, flexible bronchoscopy can be utilized to obtain clinical samples directly from the lower respiratory tract for etiological testing. This chapter will focus on the common causes of pneumonia in immunocompetent children and will review the various disease presentations, imaging, and diagnostic testing in this disease. It will also highlight the role of flexible bronchoscopy in childhood pneumonia.
Brain on food: The neuroepigenetics of nutrition.

Abstract Humans have known for millennia that nutrition has a profound influence on health and disease, but it is only recently that we have begun mapping the mechanisms via which the dietary environment impacts brain physiology and behavior. Here we review recent evidence on the effects of energy-dense and methionine diets on neural epigenetic marks, gene expression, and behavior in invertebrate and vertebrate model organisms. We also discuss limitations, open questions, and future directions in the emerging field of the neuroepigenetics of nutrition.
Patient- and Family-centered Rounding: A Single-site Look into the Room.

Introduction The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends Patient- and Family-centered Rounds (PFCRs) to improve communication between the healthcare team and families while allowing the latter to participate in medical decision-making. PFCRs have a secondary goal of increasing rounds' efficiency and providing a positive learning environment for residents and students. There are many published best practices for PFCR. Our study provides an observational evaluation of PFCR in an academic tertiary medical center using a checklist created from such published best practices. Methods We created a standardized observation checklist based on published guidelines. Study members observed 200 individual rounding encounters using this instrument. All inpatient, nonsurgical rounding teams in the fall of 2014 were included and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results The average rounding encounter included 9 team members, lasted 9 minutes and 24 seconds, with the medical team entering the patient room for 80.0% of encounters. Families were invited to participate in 60% of the encounters. Lay language was utilized in 62% of the encounters, although 99.5% of the encounters staff used medical terminology. Nursing was present in 64.5% of encounters but presented in only 13.5% of those encounters. The teaching-attending modeled patient interaction behaviors such as eye contact, nodding, and leaning forward in 31%-51% of encounters. Conclusions Despite published best practices, medical teams at a large tertiary care center did not adhere to many components of published PCFR guidelines. Future studies should focus on family and physician experience to identify improvement strategies for rounds.
Reproduction, Optimization, and Translation of a Dynamic Model of High Biomass Ethanol Fermentation to Support Variable Temperature

In this paper, the effect of a variable temperature fermentation model was studied. We identified a model which considers substrate, product, and biomass inhibition, as well as an active and inactive cell phase of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The model was evaluated using MATLAB at five different temperatures (28, 31, 34, 37, and 40°C). In the proposed model, we optimized the results through parameter fitting and compared it to the initial model which failed to simulate cell death. Through this work, we were able to improve the fit of the model considerably by 33% decrease, in the residual standard deviation. We also found that a smaller range of temperature performs better by maintaining the ethanol concentration and decreasing the temperature through the fermentation. Our model can show fermentation over a change in temperature over time and can show how fermentations will perform with temperature change.
Finite Min-Max and Constrained Optimization

We devote this chapter to optimality conditions and algorithms for solving three classes of progressively more difficult optimization problems: min-max problems of the form {fy167|0a-1.
Analysis of Interlaminar Stresses in Thick Composite Laminates With and Without Edge Delamination

The effect of laminate thickness on the interlaminar stresses in rectangular quasi-isotropic laminates under uniform axial strain was studied. Laminates from 8-ply to infinitely thick were analyzed. Thick laminates were synthesized by stacking (45/0/-45/90) ply groups, rather than grouping like plies. Laminates with and without delaminations were studied. In laminates without delaminations, the free-edge interlaminar normal stress distribution in the outer ply groups was insensitive to total laminate thickness. The interlaminar normal stress distribution for the interior ply groups was nearly the same as for an infinitely thick laminate. In contrast, the free-edge inter-laminar shear stress distribution was nearly the same for inner and outer ply groups and was insensitive to laminate thickness. In laminates with delaminations those delaminations near the top and bottom surfaces of a thick laminate have much larger total strain-energy-release rates (G sub t) and mode I-to-total (G sub t/G sub t) ratios than delaminations deep in the interior. Therefore, delaminations can be expected to grow more easily near the surfaces of a laminate than in the interior.
Freedom Works! The Vision and Broken Heart of Jack D. Douglas

Editor's Introduction It gives me particular pleasure to publish this review of a major but neglected figure in the recent history of symbolic interactionism. I only heard Jack Douglas speak once, when he gave a plenary address to the British Sociological Association annual conference in Lancaster in the mid-1980s. The audience treated him quite disgracefully on that occasion. Douglas made two subtle points about the need for sociologists to take contemporary research in primate ethology more seriously and to reconsider spontaneous order theories in social science. His listeners assumed that he was talking about the crasser forms of sociobiology and praising the laissez-faire ideologies of Thatcherism, and booed him off the stage. I declined to renew my membership to the BSA for about ten years after this episode. I only rejoined when I became a department chair and it was important to be engaged with the professional association, whatever my personal views. John Johnson's paper reminds us of Douglas's important and challenging legacy of ideas, and of the support and inspiration that he gave to a whole generation of outstanding scholars. Robert Dingwall Jack Douglas published 26 books and many articles between 1967 and 1989, and by his intellectual charisma influenced a productive cohort of young scholars who have produced over 70 books and 700 articles and chapters since the 1970s. He combined phenomenology, existentialism, and naturalistic field work to create an approach he termed Existential Sociology, also the title of a 1977 anthology. His thinking has undergone significant changes during the course of a long intellectual career. Following his 1992 retirement, the development of the internet and new technologies of communication afforded Jack a “second life” with a transdisciplinary intellectual community outside of the university environment. This paper briefly summarizes a small part of his life and intellectual project.
The Significance of Environmental Exposure Pathways for Technetium

Prior to the late 1970s, little attention was given to the investigation of the environmental behaviour and fate of 99Tc. Environmental assessments of the radiological impact of technetium releases were based on the predictions of mathematical models that, in the absence of data on technetium, contained parameter values that were based on a series of assumptions relating the chemical behaviour of the pertechnetate anion (TcO 4 − ) to that of iodide [1]. Radiological dose estimates calculated using these models for aquatic and atmospheric releases of Tc were well within acceptable limits [2,3].
Cuntz-Pimnser algebras, completely positive maps and Morita equivalence

Let P be a completely positive map on M n (C) and let Ep be the associated GNS-C*-correspondence. We prove a result that implies, in particular, that the Cuntz-Pimsner algebra of Ep, O(Ep), is strongly Morita equivalent to the Cuntz algebra O d(P) , where d(P) is the index of P.
Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate–Activated Protein Kinase Regulates IL-10–Mediated Anti-Inflammatory Signaling Pathways in Macrophages

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a conserved serine/threonine kinase with a critical function in the regulation of metabolic pathways in eukaryotic cells. Recently, AMPK has been shown to play an additional role as a regulator of inflammatory activity in leukocytes. Treatment of macrophages with chemical AMPK activators, or forced expression of a constitutively active form of AMPK, results in polarization to an anti-inflammatory phenotype. In addition, we reported previously that stimulation of macrophages with anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10, IL-4, and TGF-β results in rapid activation of AMPK, suggesting that AMPK contributes to the suppressive function of these cytokines. In this study, we investigated the role of AMPK in IL-10-induced gene expression and anti-inflammatory function. IL-10-stimulated wild-type macrophages displayed rapid activation of PI3K and its downstream targets Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC1), an effect that was not seen in macrophages generated from AMPKα1-deficient mice. AMPK activation was not impacted by treatment with either the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 or the JAK inhibitor CP-690550, suggesting that IL-10-mediated activation of AMPK is independent of PI3K and JAK activity. IL-10 induced phosphorylation of both Tyr(705) and Ser(727) residues of STAT3 in an AMPKα1-dependent manner, and these phosphorylation events were blocked by inhibition of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β, an upstream activator of AMPK, and by the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin, respectively. The impaired STAT3 phosphorylation in response to IL-10 observed in AMPKα1-deficient macrophages was accompanied by reduced suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 expression and an inadequacy of IL-10 to suppress LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokine production. Overall, our data demonstrate that AMPKα1 is required for IL-10 activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 and STAT3-mediated anti-inflammatory pathways regulating macrophage functional polarization.
Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair in patients with narrow aortas using bifurcated stent grafts is safe and effective.

Objective Narrowing of the distal aortic bifurcation can result in stent graft compression or arterial disruption during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). The aim of our study was to evaluate results of EVAR in patients with narrow distal aortic bifurcations. Methods We reviewed the clinical data of 1070 patients who underwent EVAR between 2000 and 2011. Digital computed tomography angiograms were analyzed using centerline of flow measurements to determine aortic diameters. Patients with a distal aortic bifurcation diameter Results EVAR was used to treat 112 patients (84 men and 28 women; mean age, 75 years) with aortic bifurcation Conclusions EVAR with bifurcated stent grafts is safe and effective in patients with a narrow distal aortic diameter, even when the aortic bifurcation measures
The Emergence of Peripheral Blood Progenitor Cells to Support Intensive Chemotherapy for Patients with Breast Cancer

Increasing evidence supports the hypothesis that "dose" is critical to the clinical outcomes of cytotoxic chemotherapy for patients with breast cancer. Clinical trials continue to investigate whether higher doses of chemotherapy lead to proportionate improvements in the outcomes of patients. Delivery of dose-intensive chemotherapy has been facilitated by technological advancements in supportive care. Improved antiemetics have led to increased patient tolerance of the most acute symptoms of aggressive chemotherapeutic dosing. Chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression may be minimized in a lineage-specific manner by appropriate use of hematopoietic cytokines such as filgrastim (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor), sargramostim (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor), and/or epoetin alfa (erythropoietin). However, cumulative myelotoxicity occurs with dose-intensive chemotherapy over multiple cycles despite adjunctive cytokine support. Additionally, no cytokine has yet been demonstrated to support platelet production to any clinically significant degree although several regulators of platelet production (such as thrombopoietin, IL-6, and IL-11) are in clinical trials. Many cytokines can induce the mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells from the bone marrow into the circulating blood pool, where these cells may be harvested. Clinical use of these cytokine-mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells (also known as PBPCs or, commonly, as blood stem cells) has documented the effectiveness of these cells to reconstitute multilineage blood production following very high-dose chemotherapy. The ease with which PBPCs can be collected and their reproducible clinical effectiveness to support patients through intensive treatment protocols have led to a virtual elimination of bone marrow as the source of cellular support for myeloablative chemotherapy in many transplant centers. Novel investigative approaches are also possible with PBPCs. In this review, the historical background of PBPCs is summarized, and the potential benefits (including economic advantages) of PBPCs to support dose-intensive chemotherapy for treating breast cancer are discussed. While dose intensification of breast cancer chemotherapy to the degree requiring PBPC support remains controversial and, in most centers, investigational, there is no doubt that PBPCs are an effective adjunct to the hematopoietic support of patients undergoing transplant-level cytotoxic treatments. Further study will undoubtedly lead to increased use of PBPCs in novel treatments for patients with breast cancer and other solid tumors.
Evolution of the coronary care unit: Clinical characteristics and temporal trends in healthcare delivery and outcomes*

Objective:To describe long-term temporal trends in patient characteristics, processes of care, and in-hospital outcomes among unselected admissions within the contemporary coronary care unit.Design:Hospital administrative database that records both payment and operation data.Setting:Coronary care un
Nonverbal Intimacy in Airport Arrival and Departure

Observers at an airport coded the nonverbal behavior of 103 pairs composed of a traveler and someone who was greeting or saying goodbye to him or her. It was found: (1) The intimacy of the relationship between two people relates positively to both the likelihood they will be at the airport together (Rho = .74) and the non-verbal intimacy of their encounter (Rho = .54); (2) men tended to initiate touch with women more than vice versa; and (3) the general trend was for more intimate touching to be less frequent (Rho = -.42).
Microstructure of two-phase random media.III: The n-point matrix probability functions for fully penetrable spheres

We examine the two‐ and three‐point matrix probability functions for a two‐phase random and homogeneous system of impenetrable spheres. For such a system, we give an exact analytical expression for the two‐point matrix function S2 through second order in the number density of particles. Moreover, the two‐point matrix function is evaluated, for the first time, for a very wide range of densities. We also discuss the evaluation of the three‐point matrix function S3 for an impenetrable‐sphere system and provide new expressions that may be used to estimate it.
The F2+ Center in KCl Crystals Part I: Formation and Bleaching Kinetics

A quantitative analysis of the higher transitions of the M center in the UV up to 5.0 eV in KCl crystals with high [M] : [F] ratio and unaligned and aligned M centers shows several new excitations (“LM bands”). Assuming that the LM excitation leads to conductive states, a simple electron kinetic model shows that UV irradiation of the F + M center system produces ionized F and M centers (α and F) while competing capture processes partially destroyed them or form F' and M' centers. The F center production spectrum should closely follow the absorption ratio of LM:LF while the bleaching spectrum should follow the F' and M' spectrum. Experimental confirmation of this model is presented. By X-raying the crystal (containing F + M centers) at LHeT, extra electron traps are introduced into the crystal and shift the equilibrium of the reaction to higher amount of F center, which are not stabilized by F' and M' centers. These extra F centers anneal out near 40 °K in parallelity with the third stage annealing of X-ray produced α-centers-interstititals anions. L'analyse quantitative des transitions optiques du centre M dans l'ultraviolet jusqu' a 5 eV dans des cristaux de KCl ayant un rapport de concentration [M]:[F] eleve et des centres M non alignes ou alignes montre la presence de plusieurs nouvelles bandes d'absorption (bandes LM). En supposant que l'excitation optique de ces dernieres conduisent a des etats photoconducteurs, un modele de cinetique electronique simple montre que l'irradiation UV des centres F et M produit des centres F et M ionises (centres α et F), tandis que des processus competitifs de capture les detruisent partiellement ou creent des centres F' et M'. Le spectre de production des centres F devrait alors suivre celui du rapport des constantes d'absorption K(LM):K(LF) tandis que le spectra de blanchiment optique s'identifierait aux spectres F' et M'. Une confirmation experimentale de ce modele est presentee. L'irradiation X d'un cristal (ayant prealablement des centres F et M) a la temperature de l'helium liquide introduit des trappes electroniques supplementaires. L'equilibre de la reaction est alors deplace vers de plus grandes concentrations de centres F qui ne sont plus stabilises par des centres F' et M'. Les centres F supplementaires s'annihilent au voisinage de 40 °K en parallelisme avec le 3eme stade d'annihilation des paires de Frenkel creees par rayons X (centre α-anions interstitiels).
Automated symmetry exploitation in engineering analysis

In engineering analysis, geometric symmetry, when exploited, has two potential benefits: (1) it can significantly reduce the computational time, and (2) it can simultaneously improve the accuracy of the computed solution. Consequently, most CAD/CAE systems have standard ‘provisions’ for exploiting symmetry. These provisions are however inadequate in that they needlessly burden the design engineer with time consuming and error-prone tasks of: (1) symmetry detection, (2) symmetry cell construction, (3) boundary mapping and (4) symmetry reduction. In this paper, we propose a framework for automated symmetry exploitation in engineering analysis. By formalizing all four tasks listed above, and by unifying them under a single framework, we show how automated symmetry exploitation can be achieved. We discuss implementations of the proposed work within two commercially available CAD/CAE systems, namely FEMLABTM and SolidWorksTM.
Central serotonin-like activity of 6-chloro-2-[1-piperazinyl]-pyrazine (CPP; MK-212)

Abstract CPP, administered systemically, elicited four distinct responses characteristic of serotonin-receptor activation in the central nervous system. The crossed extensor reflex in the acutely spinalized rat was enhanced by treatment with CPP, 1–16 mg/kg. CPP, 1.11–10 mg/kg, elicited a dose-related increase in head twitches in mice. A complex motor syndrome in rats similar to that produced by pargyline plus tryptophan (or other treatments effecting increased activation of central serotonin receptors) was produced by 1.25–5 mg/kg of CPP. An increase in twitch frequency of the mylohyoideus muscle in the urethane anesthetized rat occurred after CPP at 0.1 mg/kg or less. Complete abolition of all four effects of CPP was achieved by pretreatment with the centrally acting indoleamine antagonist methergoline. The peripherally acting serotonin antagonist xylamidine was ineffective or only weakly active, depending upon the test procedure, in preventing the serotonin-like actions of CPP. These findings indicate that CPP has a serotoninmimetic action in the central nervous system.
Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid regulation produced by diabetes mellitus

Abstract Studies concerning thyroid regulation have been performed in male rats rendered experimentally diabetic with streptozocin (65 mg/kilo i.p.). The induction of diabetes was attended by hyperglycemia (mean blood glucose − 378 ± 49 mg/dl) and impaired somatic growth after 72–96 hours. A number of thyroidal abnormalities were identified, including reductions in circulating T 4 , T 3 , and TSH. These falls in thyroid hormone concentrations could not be ascribed to altered serum protein binding. The diminution of TSH was found to be associated with a significant reduction in peripheral blood TRH concentrations (26 ± 4 pg/ml in diabetics vs. normals of 48 ± 3 pg/ml, N = 9, p .02) measured following extraction with 0.2 M Ba (OH) 2 and 5% ZnSO 4 , and concentration by anti-TRH IgG affinity chromatography. The lowering of TRH concentrations appears to be the principal determinant of the reduced performance of the pituitary-thyroid axis, since TRH binding capacities of pituitary plasma membranes were not lower than normal in diabetics. It is concluded that diabetes mellitus is associated with a downward re-setting of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis.
Pedunculopontine nucleus: Functional organization and clinical implications

The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPN) is a neurochemically and functionally heterogeneous structure that occupies a strategic position in the dorsal tegmentum of the midbrain and upper pons. The PPN contains cholinergic, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic, and glutamatergic neurons; it receives direct input from the cerebral cortex, is reciprocally connected with the basal ganglia, and provides inputs to the thalamus and motor areas of the brainstem and spinal cord. Via these connections, the PPN is involved in mechanisms of cortical arousal and behavioral state control and participates in control of locomotion and muscle tone. The PPN is affected in Parkinson disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian syndromes such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Involvement of the PPN may have an important role in gait impairment in these disorders. The development of PPN deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment of this disabling symptom has also provided some insight into the function of the PPN in humans. There have been several recent reviews on the PPN focused on its neurochemical organization and connectivity, physiology, involvement in parkinsonian syndromes, and as a target for DBS.1–12 DBS= : deep brain stimulation; GABA= : γ-aminobutyric acid; GPi= : globus pallidus internus; LDTg= : laterodorsal tegmental nucleus; MLR= : mesencephalic locomotor region; MSA= : multiple system atrophy; PD= : Parkinson disease; PPN= : pedunculopontine nucleus; PPNc= : pedunculopontine nucleus pars compacta; PSP= : progressive supranuclear palsy; SMA= : supplementary motor area; SNr= : substantia nigra pars reticulata; SNc= : substantia nigra pars compacta; STN= : subthalamic nucleus
Simulating Current-Voltage Relationships for a Simple Ion Channel with All-Atom Resolution using the Weighted Ensemble Method

The use of brute-force, fully atomistic simulation to recreate ion channel current-voltage curves remains computationally challenging. To overcome this shortcoming, we developed a rare-event sampling approach that applies the Weighted Ensemble (WE) method to study single file ion movement through individual ion channels. Our method makes it possible to calculate the current through the channel induced by the application of an external electric field. Additionally, WE produces a representative sample of continuous trajectories in the transition ensemble, allowing for the analysis of the permeation mechanism in full atomistic detail. We demonstrate the applicability of this method to a model cation-selective biological membrane channel embedded in a bath of SPC/E water at different ionic concentrations and applied voltages. Comparison to long brute-force dynamics shows that the method rigorously reproduces the correct voltage-current relationship. This work sets the foundation for application of this methodology to more complex, biological channels as well as other non-equilibrium transport phenomena.
Keeping the Unit Safe: The Anatomy of Escalation

BACKGROUND: Escalation has been depicted as a linear trajectory of behavioral eruption beginning with agitation and proceeding until the patient is out of control. This notion has influenced curren...
Rapidly solidified surface melts of Ni-B-Si-Cr brazing alloy

Sintered powder layers of a Ni-based brazing alloy were consolidated by scanned electron beam radiation to produce a continuous fused coating. The surface of this coating was then remelted by laser and electron beams under differing conditions, resulting in a variety of resolidification structures. Alloy BNi2 was chosen for these studies because it exhibits substantial hardening on grain refinement and because it can be prepared in the glassy state relatively easily. Surface microhardness for BNi2 reaches a maximum of about 1200 DPH at a cooling rate approaching 105 K/s. For higher quench rates, hardness decreases and ductility increases. As the cooling rate approaches 107 k/s, overlapping beam scans produce an extended amorphous surface. A solidification rate higher than that needed to produce an amorphous structure in a single melt pass is necessary to avoid surface cracking or crystallization when overlapping melt passes are employed.
SU‐E‐T‐845: Benefits from Achilles' Heel of Intensity‐Modulated Proton Therapy via Worst‐Case Robust Optimization

Purpose: to minimize the influence of ranger and patient setup uncertainties in intensity‐modulated proton therapy (IMPT), thus achieving the goal of “what you see is what you get” results in IMPT. Methods: A new efficient optimization scheme, which uses memory‐distributed parallelization on a multi‐processor system, is devised. Our method minimizes the possible hot spots in target volumes by penalizing not only underdosing but also overdosing in the target volumes in the objective function. Range and setup uncertainties are considered simultaneously with some simplifications. The optimization is done using the L‐BFGS method and parallelized with beamlet domain decomposition. Our approach is essentially not restrained by the memory available at one computing node and can easily be expanded to address more demanding problems in the future. Results: Compared with conventional treatment plans optimized based on planning target volumes (PTVs), our method yields plans that are considerably less sensitive to range and setup uncertainties and provides better protection for organs at risk. After robust optimization, the dose distribution is static to the CTV regardless of range and/or setup uncertainties, therefore reducing the sensitivity of the CTV coverage. This unique characteristic allows that the dose distribution is not necessarily conformal inside the whole volume of PTV, but rather a much smaller volume enclosing the CTV. Better normal tissue protection is thus accomplished by underdosing the margin of the PTV while not compromising the CTV coverage. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the importance of robust optimization and challenge the effectiveness of the use of PTV to account for uncertainties in IMPT planning. Actually we can get some benefits rather than impediments from the sensitive dose distribution to uncertainties of IMPT. Thus, ideally all IMPT plans should be robustly optimized and our approach has great potential to make previously unreliable IMPT plans reliable.
Characteristics of cyclic 3′,5′-nucleotide phosphodiesterase from the brain of the madagascor cockroach (gromphadorhina portentosa)

Abstract 1. 1. The presence of the enzyme phosphodiesterase has been demonstrated in different tissues of the Madagascar cockroach by various assay techniques. The brain had the highest level of enzyme activity and was most thoroughly studied. 2. 2. A temperature optimum at approximately 53°C was observed. Storage for 7 months at —30°C resulted in an activity loss of only 20%. A pH optimum of 8·5 was found. Stimulation by imidazole was pH dependent. Mg2+ was the only divalent cation among those tested which increased activity. Other divalent cations were inhibitory. 3. 3. Theophylline and caffeine were competitive inhibitors, the former being more effective than the latter. A Km of 2·6−3·0×10−5 M was observed for 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). 3′,5′-Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) was hydrolyzed at 70% of the rate of cAMP. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), citrate, pyrophosphate, reserpine and SQ 65,442 were all inhibitory.
Novel Cancer-Targeting SPECT/NIRF Dual-modality Imaging Probe 99mTc -PC-1007: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation

Synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in vivo biological evaluation of a heptamethine cyanine based dual-mode single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging probe (99m)Tc-PC-1007 is described. (99m)Tc-PC-1007 exhibited preferential accumulation in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Cancer-specific SPECT/CT and NIRF imaging of (99m)Tc-PC-1007 was performed in a breast cancer xenograft model. The probe uptake ratio of tumor to control (spinal cord) was calculated to be 4.02±0.56 at 6 h post injection (pi) and 8.50±1.41 at 20 h pi (P<0.0001). Pharmacokinetic parameters such as blood clearance and organ distribution were assessed.
Communicator Performance under Cognitive Stress

What happens when a writer is given information which attacks his beliefs and thus puts him under stress? This research study shows it takes him longer to write his message, he makes more grammatical and spelling errors, he performs more editing, and the message is less readable.